Chapter 634: The Secluded Great Buddha Stands

White-clad figures arrived one after another.

Everyone believed the battle had already ended.

Little did they know, at this final moment, the Eighth Jian Xian suddenly returned.

He even declared boldly...

"Fold all the osmanthus flowers on the mountain?"

The crowd erupted in excitement.

If one were to say that when he first emerged from Bai Ku, the Eighth Jian Xian's various actions had made people feel, deep down, as if he had become a different person—his behavior and style no longer as reckless and unrestrained as in the past.

Then, with these words now, everyone felt as though they were transported back to that glorious era.

The Eighth Jian Xian, who had once dominated the Shi Zun Zuo competition, overpowering the heirs of the continent's major peak forces and sweeping aside all with his own strength, seemed...

To have returned?

"Are you threatening me?"

Unlike everyone else,

Gou Wu Yue stared angrily at the withered branch in Ba Zun An's hand and spoke coldly.

Even if the others were lost in nostalgia,

He knew all too well that the person before him was not the same as before.

He had been placed under a Jin Wu Ling...

His two fingers had been severed...

"A person who can't even hold a sword—what right do you have to speak so arrogantly?" Gou Wu Yue gripped his famous sword tightly, his sword intent surging wildly.

The white-clad figures retreated one after another, realizing that a fight was inevitable.

"Threatening, arrogant?"

Ba Zun An's expression remained indifferent: "I never speak without a basis. If I say I'll kill, I kill. If I say I'll act, I act!"

As he spoke, he stepped forward, with crabapple flowers blooming under his feet.

With eight fingers on a withered branch, he advanced through the fragrance.

"Ha ha ha ha..."

Gou Wu Yue suddenly burst into laughter: "Ba Zun An, do you really think this is still your stage? Still slaughtering seven hundred white-clad and folding all the osmanthus flowers on the mountain?"

"Gui Zhe Sheng Shan is in the central domain, and Hua Chang Deng is in Ping Feng Zhu Di."

"Do you dare to set foot there?"

Gou Wu Yue laughed as if he might double over.

Before Ba Zun An could respond, his laughter faded, his eyes filled with regret and disappointment.

"Ba Zun An... have you ever truly looked at your current appearance?"

"Disheveled, hunched and stooped..."

"Unable to hold a sword steady, resorting to sneaky attacks like some scheming insect."

"The immortal grace and bearing of the former Eighth Jian Xian—does any trace of it remain in you now?!"

The white-clad figures heard this, their expressions turning complex.

They knew that in the early days of the Shi Zun Zuo, Gou Wu Yue and Ba Zun An had a good personal relationship.

But later, their paths diverged, and they went their separate ways.

In Gou Wu Yue's unrestrained questioning, there was a clear sense of frustration and disappointment—even the most oblivious person could detect it.

And indeed,

The tragic death of Number Thirty-Three was regrettable.

But the former Eighth Jian Xian would never have acted that way, striking from behind with a cold sword.

The current Sheng Nu leader might bear the name of Ba Zun An, but he no longer possessed the essence of the Eighth Jian Xian from back then.

A fierce wind howled.

Crabapple flowers bloomed one after another.

Under Gou Wu Yue's barrage of questions, Ba Zun An ignored them all, simply walking forward slowly.

"Immortal grace and bearing... ha."

He smiled faintly, not responding loudly, as if murmuring to himself: "The 'immortal' is the wind, the 'bearing' is the bone—what does unremarkable appearance have to do with it?"

"If a sword wielder only cultivates outward appearances and not their true heart, if they only grasp crooked paths and confuse right from wrong, lingering in twists and turns instead of charging forward relentlessly, how could they ever break through that realm?"

"Realm?" Gou Wu Yue shot back sharply, "You're talking to me about realm?"

Even though Ba Zun An's voice was as soft as a whisper, he knew it was meant for him to hear.

Just as he had puzzled over why the once unyielding Ba Zun An had been reduced to this state by Hua Chang Deng's three swords,

The other was now questioning his own current actions and the path he followed.

But could that be the same?

Gou Wu Yue's heart stirred with turmoil; he wanted to draw his sword and force the other to wake up.

Yet, if they were to discuss swords and principles now, the one who drew first would already have lost the upper hand.

The body could be cut down,

But if the other's principles remained unshaken, his own discontent would never be quelled!

"Ba Zun An!"

Gou Wu Yue stepped forward.

With a boom, void sword energy raged, sealing off the entire space.

The crabapple flowers were torn apart by the sword energy, petal by petal wilting away, leaving only a few to barely support Ba Zun An's unsteady form.

Gou Wu Yue gave a rueful smile: "A broken-winged one, still talking about soaring through the skies?"

Ba Zun An finally stopped.

If he didn't, he would fall.

By now, he had entered deep into the battlefield, only about a dozen zhang from Gou Wu Yue.

This distance was perfect for drawing a sword.

He slowly lifted his gaze and raised the withered branch in his hand.

"Though my wings are broken, I can still float in the air."

"You, mingling with the flock like a wild goose, may seem glorious, but when true support is needed..."

Ba Zun An glanced at the surrounding white-clad individuals and shook his head: "You're still on your own!"

"But where's your sword!"

Gou Wu Yue's voice trembled.

He knew Ba Zun An spoke the truth and had no way to refute it.

The situation in Ba Gong Li had long been observed by the Sheng Shen Dian Tang headquarters.

The lack of aid was simply because he had joined midway, an outsider among them, not of their kind, with a different heart.

Yet, looking at Ba Zun An, who could only point at him with a withered branch, not even Gou Wu Yue, but even the famous sword Nu Lan, let out a mournful "woo."

"After all this, you can only use a broken twig to lecture me?" Gou Wu Yue roared in anger, "Where's your sword?"

"My sword?"

Ba Zun An let out a gentle sigh, gazing into the distance, "My sword guards the four directions, reserved for future needs. It will be retrieved when the time comes. As for Nu Lan... it's covered in dust, led astray!"

Buzz—

In that instant, Gou Wu Yue could no longer suppress his inner fury. He swung his sword, and a green light flashed.

Whoosh—a vast rush of green sword energy converged from all sides, forming thousands of intangible swords.

The sword realm descended, transforming into a green river that blocked Ba Zun An's path.

Gou Wu Yue's fingertip trembled slightly.

If this sword struck, the person ahead would likely perish forever.

In the end, his reluctance to act stemmed from the bonds of the past.

Or perhaps,

From the moment the crack in Bai Ku appeared and Ba Zun An emerged,

His sword had never intended to fall upon the one before him—whether Yu Ling Di's death or Number Thirty-Three's destruction, none could compare to their old ties.

This sword would never land!

"You should go."

Gou Wu Yue sighed.

Under the astonished gazes of the white-clad individuals, he finally voiced his inner wish: "I won't return Sang Qi Ye to you. Leave while I haven't changed my mind—take your Sheng Nu people and get out of Ba Gong Li!"

"This?"

The white-clad were stunned.

No one expected that, in the midst of a mission, Senior Gou Wu Yue would utter such rebellious words.

He was one of the Seven Jian Xian and one of the two main enforcers of the Sheng Shen Dian Tang.

Could such words be said in front of the white-clad and the Sheng Shen guards?

Could they, as members of the Sheng Shen Dian Tang, even hear them?

"Has he gone mad!"

Whispers of shock spread among the white-clad.

The atmosphere grew strangely tense.

"Senior Gou Wu Yue..."

"Lord Yu Ling Di and Senior Number Thirty-Three are already gone—how can he dare?"

"If these words reach the Dao Hall Master or Lord Cang Sheng, Senior Gou Wu Yue will be completely unable to clear his name!"

"Even though headquarters treats him like an outsider..."

"Shh!"

Some sharp-eyed ones realized something was off.

If Gou Wu Yue truly wanted to act, he wouldn't have waited until now, after Yu Ling Di and Number Thirty-Three had fallen.

He should have struck when Ba Zun An first appeared and taken him down.

Now, with these words, it was even clearer how much the Eighth Jian Xian meant to him.

Since he hadn't acted then,

It was likely he couldn't bring himself to do so now.

Stuck in this moment...

Some things the white-clad could hear and pass on later,

But without a doubt, they couldn't discuss it here!

Ba Zun An chuckled lightly and glanced at the white-clad individuals, asking indifferently: "You're not afraid of death?"

Gou Wu Yue closed his eyes heavily.

"My heart is clear. How I act, how I choose—it's their decision to give me options."

"Since they've dared to do this, they should be prepared for me to follow my heart."

"But I don't think that way." Ba Zun An flatly denied it.

Gou Wu Yue found it amusing that the man before him, facing death, seemed oblivious, and was about to say something when Ba Zun An continued: "I came here to kill, not to leave."

This left not only Gou Wu Yue stunned, but the white-clad as well.

Everyone had thought those earlier words were just a jest.

But the one speaking took them seriously.

"Does he really intend to slaughter seven hundred white-clad and fold all the osmanthus flowers on the mountain?"

The white-clad were baffled.

This was absurd!

The former Eighth Jian Xian might have had a slim chance.

But now, one of the Seven Jian Xian stood right there.

How could Ba Zun An still treat those words as real? Even ignoring Gou Wu Yue's rebellious offer to let him leave and rampaging here?

The white-clad grew agitated, and some immediately stepped forward.

But upon second thought, the mysterious death of Number Thirty-Three...

Was that really a coincidence?

As for Gou Wu Yue, he was truly angered.

"Ba Zun An, do you really want to resist to the end?"

"Killing..."

He wore an expression of both anger and amusement, pointing at the withered branch and then at the man.

"Based on what?!"

"Based on that ragged twig in your hand?"

"Based on your cultivation that can't even keep you afloat without support?"

"Based on your backbone that's been crushed by the world..."

Gou Wu Yue laughed loudly, then his face turned serious, his voice turning completely cold: "Ba Zun An, do you really want to wear down all my patience and go to your death before you'll appreciate everything I've done?"

"I never ask for anyone to sacrifice for me."

Pausing, Ba Zun An turned back and looked deeply at Gou Wu Yue, his words laden with meaning: "And I never hope for it."

Hidden in the spatial fragments, Hai Tang trembled, realizing that this time, she might have truly made a mistake.

How could the Eighth Jian Xian need anyone's help?

"Then what exactly are you after?!" Gou Wu Yue roared in frustration, his words full of desperation.

"Killing."

The two light words fell softly.

Everyone thought he was mad.

Truly letting go of a chance to escape and insisting on stirring up trouble until the end?

Gou Wu Yue could no longer hold back his impulse.

"Outrageous!"

He shouted, his voice like thunder.

In that moment, the heavens and earth shook, winds and clouds churned.

Even the heavenly dao was shaken by his fury, turning from clear to overcast, with dark clouds overhead, cold winds howling, space collapsing, and mountains crumbling in an instant.

The famous sword Nu Lan tilted.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...

A flood of green intangible swords swept from east to west, piercing straight toward where Ba Zun An stood.

"Be careful."

Hai Tang cried out in alarm.

The remaining petals under Ba Zun An's feet rose up, as if trying to block this attack.

But how powerful was the intangible sword technique?

With just one impact, the petals shattered into pieces, reduced to dust.

Whoosh—she was about to burst from the space.

Even if the leader was determined to go his own way, she couldn't let him die here!

But as the spatial rift began to open, Hai Tang suddenly halted, gazing from afar into the green flood of swords, where an astonishing sword intent seemed to rise.

This?

As the green flood rushed forward, everyone assumed that even if Ba Zun An had an indestructible body, he couldn't withstand the Taixu power and the intangible sword's damage.

This wave would at least take him down on the spot.

Yet, suddenly, a sword intent shot skyward from the green flood, smashing it to pieces.

Unrestrained, wild and free, fearless...

In a daze, Gou Wu Yue felt as if the man from back then had returned.

His thoughts paused for just a moment, and then a golden light burst forth from the green.

Followed by a faint Buddha chant,

A colossal Buddha figure rose inch by inch from the green flood!

"Om mani padme hum..."

The low, six-syllable mantra echoed from everyone's hearts, growing faster and faster.

Everyone felt their temples swell, their heads as if about to burst from the chant, and they quickly averted their eyes, sealing their senses, not daring to face it directly.

But Gou Wu Yue stared wide-eyed, fixated on the world-shaking Buddha that had instantly soared into the clouds, his eyes full of disbelief.

"How is this possible..."

"The Jin Wu Ling?"

He was stunned.

Under the Jin Wu Ling, how could Ba Zun An still unleash a spiritual technique?

Was this some kind of joke?

Had the Jin Wu Ling that Hua Chang Deng imposed back then been completely useless?

"Back then, did Hua Chang Deng ever achieve sainthood?"

A black light shot up, standing at the peak of the Buddha.

Ba Zun An seemed to know what Gou Wu Yue was thinking and sneered: "Without sainthood, what hero in the world could suppress me, Ba Zun An?"

That arrogant gaze, that defiant aura...

In that instant, Gou Wu Yue's expression turned wistful, as if from another lifetime.

"Uh."

The groans of pain from the white-clad finally snapped him back. Gou Wu Yue came to his senses.

"Ba Zun An, do you really intend to strike?"

No response.

Standing at the top of the Buddha statue, Ba Zun An's aura continued to climb.

He suddenly lifted his gaze, a flash of sword intent in his eyes.

Swoosh!

Gou Wu Yue felt a pain in his chest.

Ba Zun An's finger still held the withered branch, unmoving.

Blood sprayed from him as his entire body was pierced by the sword intent, nailed in place.

"I won't kill you—watch and wait."

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