Chapter 1560: Breaking the Five Fingers Mountain

The scorching sun hung in the sky. The Buddha scroll suspended at the peak of Wuzhi Shan hummed, transforming into a colossal golden Buddha statue stretching ten thousand zhang into the air.

The golden Buddha sat cross-legged, enveloping the entirety of Wuzhi Shan.

Its form radiated dazzling brilliance, emitting countless golden rays. The swastika symbol on its chest represented the pinnacle of Buddhist law.

Suddenly, supreme Buddhist chants echoed through the air, like resonant temple bells, dispelling the rage of the assembled masses.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, the sun in the sky, carrying immense power, crashed into the massive golden Buddha.

Boom!

A thunderous roar erupted, sending golden ripples outward from Wuzhi Shan, spreading across the four seas and eight directions.

Wherever the ripples passed, massive mountains crumbled like paper, sliced in half by the golden light one after another.

Those spectators standing on the mountaintop suffered greatly, buried in swathes under the shattered rocks.

However, the clever cultivators had already leaped to safety, still fixated on Wuzhi Shan, eager to see if the sun formed by fifty million cultivators could shatter the Buddha Ancestor's seal and free Ye Chen from the mountain.

The thunderous booms continued as the descending sun clashed with the golden Buddha, eroding each other.

The sun was fracturing, and the golden Buddha was dissipating as well.

No one could tell which was stronger; everyone stared intently at the sky.

Figures like Kui Niu secretly wiped away sweat, while others like Feng Xian gritted their teeth, desperately hoping Wuzhi Shan would hold and Ye Chen would remain sealed.

"Break!"

The fifty million cultivators of Tian Ting roared together, offering their lifespan in a blood sacrifice, each one driven to frenzy.

Suddenly, the dimming sun burst forth with radiant divine light once more, overwhelming the golden Buddha and extinguishing its glow.

Crack!

A crisp breaking sound rang out, originating from the massive golden Buddha. A crack appeared on its chest, followed by two more, then four, then eight, spreading rapidly across its entire body.

"Break!"

The Tian Ting cultivators roared again, sacrificing their lifespan anew, making the sun's divine light shine to its absolute peak.

Even with infinite Nian Li supporting it, the golden Buddha could no longer withstand the assault and exploded with a tremendous boom.

"It really broke." The surrounding cultivators were stunned, their expressions shocked. "The Buddha Ancestor's seal, which could only be broken by an ultimate Dao Emperor weapon, was actually shattered. That's incredible."

"Facts prove that with enough numbers, you can still unleash power rivaling an Emperor weapon."

"Impressive!" Long Jie couldn't help but click his tongue in admiration.

"Fifty million people, every one of them a beast."

"Impossible! This can't be happening." Far away, Feng Xian and the others turned ghastly, their faces twisted like demons.

Amid the cries of astonishment, another earth-shaking boom resounded.

With the golden Buddha destroyed, Wuzhi Shan was also leveled, revealing the ancient altar at its base.

"Damn it." Situ Nan, Xie Yun, and Xiong Er charged forward together, swinging their swords to sever the iron chains binding Ye Chen, and stomped the altar to pieces.

"Ye Chen." Shangguan Yuer arrived like a gentle breeze, cradling the fallen Ye Chen in her arms. Tears soaked her clothes and his as well.

"I'm not dead yet." Ye Chen smiled wearily, his eyes heavy with ancient fatigue and weariness, struggling to stay open.

"His cultivation has fallen to Ren Yuan Jing." Long Yi and Long Wu stepped forward, their faces instantly turning grave.

It wasn't just them—all present wore solemn expressions.

They had heard rumors about the Zhou Tian evolution, but they hadn't realized how domineering it was. In just a hundred years, it had reduced Ye Chen's cultivation to Ren Yuan Jing.

Moreover, his lifespan was now pitifully short.

"Ye Chen." Shangguan Yuer and the others couldn't hold back their tears, as if they could already see his remaining time slipping away. It wouldn't be long before he passed on.

After waiting so many years, they had finally reunited, only for this heartbreaking outcome. They could hardly accept it.

"I'm still alive, aren't I?" Ye Chen forced himself to stand, offering a relieved smile to everyone.

"Even if you die, you have to marry us." The group of women set aside their reservations, voicing their deepest desires.

"We'll talk about that when we get back." Ye Chen let out a dry laugh.

"What's the plan next?" Xiao Feng asked.

"Establish a mountain sect." Ye Chen replied weakly.

"Establish a mountain sect? In Xuan Huang?" The crowd frowned.

"Of course we will. They caused my brother so much suffering. Once the sect is built, we'll cripple them one by one to vent Tian Ting's fury." Xie Yun snorted coldly.

"Fifty million Da Chu cultivators—if they don't submit, we'll crush them." Situ Nan cursed, his killing intent barely contained.

"Holy Lord, do you have a specific location in mind for the sect?" Mo Yuan and the others tentatively looked at Ye Chen.

"The entrance to Tian Xu." Ye Chen smiled tiredly.

"The entrance to Tian Xu?" Everyone was stunned.

Most of them weren't very familiar with Xuan Huang, but they had heard of its five great forbidden zones.

Each forbidden zone was notoriously dangerous, devouring people without a trace—enter and you'd never return. Building a sect right at its doorstep? Wasn't that just asking for trouble?

"Ye Chen must have his reasons for saying that." Gu Santong laughed. "You all know him well enough."

"Of course we do." The group of elders stroked their beards, smiling contentedly.

Ye Chen was wise—a fact well-known among Da Chu people. Otherwise, he couldn't have unified Da Chu in just a few years. His strategic brilliance was unmatched.

He always planned meticulously, and no one in Da Chu doubted that.

Indeed, Ye Chen had thought it through. The idea had come to him when the fifty million cultivators arrived.

Tian Xu didn't kill Da Chu people—that was a special privilege.

Building the sect at the entrance to Tian Xu would leverage its fearsome reputation. Even if the major sects of various eras were unsealed, they wouldn't dare act recklessly. They'd have to weigh the risks, considering Tian Xu's presence.

Besides, what if Da Chu returned first? What if Kunlun Xu, Da Xia Imperial Dynasty, Jiu Huang Heaven, Divine Hall, or Da Luo Heaven were unsealed first?

Ye Chen wasn't foolish. His calculations were subtle, and few could see through the secrets involved.

"What are they muttering about over there?" The outer cultivators craned their necks, but they were too far away to hear, and no one dared to approach.

"Probably plotting how to settle scores with Feng Xian and the others."

"It's about time. Ye Chen was suppressed for over a hundred years and endured that humiliation for just as long."

"If it were me, I'd do the same—take them down one by one until they cry for mercy." Someone said bitterly, clenching their fists.

"They're moving out." Someone shouted, drawing everyone's attention.

The Tian Ting cultivators were indeed on the march, fifty million strong, escorting Ye Chen in their midst.

Now that he was only at Ren Yuan Jing, he couldn't withstand even the slightest threat. One misstep, and he'd be gone forever.

The fifty million cultivators advanced like a vast, dark ocean, swallowing everything in their path as they headed straight for Tian Xu.

Behind them, the spectators followed in waves, curious about their intentions.

After some time, the fifty million cultivators came to a halt.

The followers looked up and froze at the sight of Tian Xu forbidden zone, their hearts trembling.

"Are they here for sightseeing?" Someone scratched their head.

"They aren't planning to attack the forbidden zone, are they?" This idea made many eyes light up—fifty million cultivators assaulting a forbidden zone was an exhilarating prospect.

"Don't be ridiculous. A forbidden zone is no joke; even Quasi Emperors wouldn't dare enter lightly. They have numbers, but they're not stupid enough to provoke it."

"You never know; that lot are a bunch of lunatics."

"What's going on?" In Tian Xu forbidden zone, Tian Zhu and Di Mie climbed to a mountaintop, hands in pockets, gazing at the scene outside. The sight of fifty million cultivators made even them jump.

"Hey, it's that Ye Chen kid." Di Mie spotted the aged Ye Chen in the crowd.

"The power of his holy bones is gone, along with his cultivation and lifespan. Zhou Tian's backlash is truly overbearing." Tian Zhu shook his head quietly. "He doesn't have much time left."

"But why bring so many people to our Tian Xu doorstep? What's their game?" Di Mie stroked his chin.

"Get to work." As they spoke, the Tian Ting cultivators shouted, dividing into groups of hundreds of thousands, using great divine abilities to uproot entire spirit mountains from the earth. The sight made Tian Zhu and Di Mie's mouths twitch.

"What in the world is happening?" The surrounding cultivators watched in astonishment.

"I've calculated it—this is them building a mountain sect right at the entrance to Tian Xu!" Many old fortune-tellers stroked their beards, speaking gravely.

"That's some nerve!" Whispers of shock spread everywhere, leaving people stunned and thrilled.

"Most people avoid forbidden zones like the plague, but this group just sets up shop at their doorstep."

"Will they even sleep at night? Aren't they afraid of being killed in their sleep?" Many couldn't help but tsk in disbelief.

"That's one hell of a bold move." Even those like Kui Niu at the back grinned widely. Even with the composure of Nan Di and Bei Sheng, they were left slack-jawed in surprise.

"Awkward, isn't it?" In Tian Xu, Di Mie glanced meaningfully at Tian Zhu.

"Awkward." Tian Zhu took a deep puff from his pipe, exhaling thick smoke rings, as if cultivating immortality itself.