Chapter 2533: Piao Yao

In that year, when the calamity of exterminating Buddhism struck, disasters descended upon all realms. Why was the Nether Great World specifically blood-washed?

"Is it that when the World Honored One entered nirvana, he had already left behind arrangements?"

Bao Xuanjing could never forget those forty-nine days that turned the dark prison into a blood prison. Those bald monks of the Buddhist sect claimed they wanted to "transform evils" in the Nether Great World, saying they would "resolve fierceness and turn disasters," "universally ferry sinful sufferings," and "save and ferry departed spirits." Yet, they brought the most dangerous calamity in history to the Nether Great World.

One moment, Buddhist temples were like forests, Zen illuminating the nether soil. The next, all realms were exterminating Buddhism, bringing an end to the dharma in the nether heaven.

Those monks, reciting sutras and chanting Buddha, full of compassion, threw corpses in the vast nether soil, using Zen blood to burn to death vast numbers of ghosts!

So many monks died that later, when he rebuilt the White Bone Divine Country inside, many white bones were Zen bones…

During those forty-nine days filled with blood light, he shrunk the White Bone Divine Palace into a pellet, prostrating himself in the depths of the Yellow Springs, not daring to make a single sound, silently watching the disaster unfold.

Nether gods and spirits remained silent. Then, the transcendence was below, with disasters reaching only up to the Yang God level. If Nether gods and spirits had intervened, that might have been an extermination disaster aimed at the entire Nether Great World!

Precisely those forty-nine days solidified his resolve: he must come to the human world.

The eternal fantasies of Nether gods and spirits, closing their doors, should also be shattered.

Being restricted everywhere by the absolute peak above is equivalent to never transcending!

He absolutely would not go back.

He had walked this path by abandoning everything; no one could stop him from going forward—even if it was the World Honored One!

Originally, well water didn't offend river water; each had its own waxing and waning.

What exactly was the World Honored One seeking with this one slash?

Was it this perfectly descended body, a truly pure human White Bone Dao Embryo?

It didn't make sense…

No matter how good the potential of this body, it was not comparable to the innate heavenly people of the Yiluo Clan.

Moreover, heavenly people were favored by heaven's will, while this body was hated by heaven's will. How could the World Honored One get used to it?

Furthermore, the World Honored One himself already had a transcendence level. No matter what existence had escaped the seal now, they all pushed heaven's will like a knife, manifesting transcendence-level control over the heavenly dao. There was no reason to change to a human body and start over.

He walked from White Bone Venerable God to Bao Xuanjing, moving forward. The World Honored One walking to Bao Xuanjing was moving backward.

Then was it the transcendence path he had newly designed?

Also impossible.

Frankly speaking, if the World Honored One still needed to covet his path, which was not yet formed, the World Honored One wouldn't even be qualified to be called the World Honored One.

These could be supplements for the World Honored One, but it was impossible for them to be the fundamental pursuit for which the World Honored One expended great efforts to push the heaven's will knife.

Then the only thing left was what he had accumulated in the Nether when he was White Bone Venerable God, including within the Yellow Springs…

Bao Xuanjing suddenly lifted his eyes.

So that's it!

In this instant, he connected his long years of insight into the Nether Great World and the details of the calamity of exterminating Buddhism he had personally witnessed in the past. He thought of a kind of possibility!

An ancient and modern game of chess, with black and white pieces dead in the jar.

Originally, today's consequences were all for yesterday's causes!

In the Shofang Earl's mansion, Bao Xuanjing raised his hand and wiped. Bao Zonglin and Miao Yuzhi, who were still discussing with worry, then fell silent; their memories regarding this matter were also wiped away.

"Earl Grandpa, Mother, please go back first. I still need to write homework," Bao Xuanjing said obediently.

It was fine to spread out thoughts a bit using different people's perspectives. To truly confront the invasion and killing of that kind of existence, their help was not needed.

On the contrary, their thinking about the World Honored One in this matter was very likely to expose his existence.

Not to mention how weak he was today, even in his full prosperity, when he was a Nether god and spirit, being chopped by an existence like the World Honored One with a single knife meant he could only lower his head and endure, with no nonsense to speak. If he harbored resentment, it was only in his heart. Counterattacking and seeking revenge couldn't be let known.

Then today's Bao Xuanjing, relative to White Bone Venerable God, had one advantage—when "counterattacking," the eight-year-old child Bao Xuanjing was more concealed. Unlike the identity of White Bone Venerable God, once something happened, it was hard not to be suspected.

How to counterattack?

The room door closed, the sound of footsteps gradually receding.

Bao Xuanjing sat down, and with that pair of tender hands of an eight-year-old child, slowly covered his face.

This flying calamity was too terrifying, and his choices were too few!

Bao Yi was in the rain.

Town River True Monarch came and went. After all, he gave him great respect, only asking a few simple questions and not overly pursuing.

And he took out the most appropriate attitude when facing Jiang Wang, directly revealing his determination to deal with Tian Anping.

If he didn't still have private secrets in his heart, he would have performed even more sincerely.

In this world, there are all kinds of strange people, each with different weaknesses. Sometimes knives, swords, and power cannot deal with everything. And "sincerity" is the weapon to deal with Jiang Wang. He hoped Bao Xuanjing would learn this point.

He taught very hard.

The hardest part was not painting on a blank canvas, but modifying a painting with a strong style into another kind of style.

He told Jiang Wang that he wanted to deal with Tian Anping himself, to eliminate harm for the empire, and to seize this great merit… But Tian Anping was currently walking on the absolute peak.

That movement was not concealed at all.

In today's East Sea, Qi country's nine commanders-in-chief leaping to the absolute peak originally also didn't need to be concealed.

Could he, Bao Yi, take a knife, or even bring troops to stop him?

Obviously not.

When he was in Jinghai County, he had already summarized a lot of intelligence. The Bao clan's carriages spread throughout Qi country were also his eyes… Plus, Tian Anping walked out of Guanlan Inn today, having just taken the step of leaping to the absolute peak. Now he could confirm that Tian Anping's killing of Liu Shentong that year must have involved hidden circumstances.

As long as he was given time, he could certainly dig out the truth.

Court struggles were more dangerous than battlefields; open guns and covert arrows were skills he was very proficient in. As long as he was given a little more time to prepare, he could kill Tian Anping's name and position, seize his title and salary, and hang his head.

Pity there was no time left.

Taking this step to the absolute peak was Tian Anping's response.

Absolute peak Tian Anping and Cave True Tian Anping had fundamental differences.

The latter was still peeping at the truth; the former could serve as a national pillar.

The truth of the Liu Shentong incident years ago, and the already shaky Fufeng Liu clan… were no longer enough weight!

He had personally witnessed how terrifying Tian Anping was.

That year in Fufeng County, seeing that bloody cruel scene, he was certain Tian Anping would have a day in the future to step foot onto the absolute peak.

But later, the emperor heavily punished him, sealing his merit for ten years, causing his golden body to regress. The fierce young master of the Tian clan became a waste in the eyes of many people, and he also shifted his gaze away.

Precisely having experienced such a hopeless ten years, Tian Anping could still leap to Cave True, his name shocking in the Qi-Xia battlefield with one battle, which made him even more terrifying!

He was not surprised that Tian Anping could so quickly walk to the absolute peak.

Some geniuses just exist to break common sense.

Once, he was also such a genius…

But life always has hardships and dangers; this bitter sea always has thousands of difficulties. How many geniuses are in the world? To be able to realize all their talents is itself a rare ability!

Who can not fear floating clouds obscuring the eyes, think where and go where, eyes see where, and just arrive where?

More often, the heart has infinite freedom, but the body has infinite shackles.

Just as he had to drag the entire Bao clan forward, just as Chong Xuanming had to transform his body into the Futu Pure Land.

Heavenly prides equally famous in the past were all unable to walk the last step.

He had originally planned to wait for Bozhao to divine and clarify, inherit the Shofang Earl position, leave a flourishing great Qi famous family, and then focus on his own absolute peak path…

Life has many winds and rains.

As a contemporary true person, he was clearly still in the age of seeking. But he didn't know why, recently he always felt himself growing old.

Old and aged…

Perhaps it was a decline in the heart.

Without purpose or direction, he walked for a long time in the rain. Perhaps an hour, perhaps two hours, his expression always emotionless.

Until a certain moment, the jade Jue at his waist lit up with a glorious light.

He gripped that piece of jade in his hand.

Rainwater wet his hair and drenched his clothes.

For an instant, he raised his eyebrows, looking cold and fearsome.

But he picked up the jade, put it to his ear, and subconsciously his mouth curved slightly, softening his voice: "Xuanjing ah, what's the matter?"

"Did you miss Grandpa? Hehehe."

"You say you know a secret from the middle ancient era? It is? It involves whom? You can't say the name? Oh, related to the withered glory courtyard?"

"Hiss— that one initially preached in the nether soil, was it for the Nether World… really?"

"Central heavenly prison?"

"This piece of secret… was it your Weihong uncle who discovered it at the old site of the withered glory courtyard?"

"Is no one around you? Good child, don't let anyone know about this matter. Tell your Weihong uncle not to tell people either— forget it, you don't need to manage this matter, I'll let Yingyong Earl restrain him."

"What? Changhua Earl has already sent your Weihong uncle to the capital patrol office? Under the name of 'privately hiding Buddhist scriptures, exploring the withered glory courtyard's secret'?"

"Changhua Earl is by your side?"

"That's good… that's good. The North Yamen won't do anything to Weihong; him being in there is also good for keeping his mouth shut."

The rain seemed to have no intention of stopping, and the wind grew stronger.

The contemporary Shofang Earl tightly held the jade Jue, walking forward alone in the sudden rain.

"Talk slowly, don't cry. Xuanjing… what happened?"

"Grandpa is listening."

"You had very bad luck today? Vomited up and down almost choking to death? Fell into a pit outside the city? On the road back to the city, the horse you were riding suddenly died violently? Suddenly fell asleep at home and dreamed? Dreamed you died? Dreamed a Buddha statue ate you?"

"I… knew…"

"Don't be afraid, that's just a dream. It will never come true. Grandpa won't let anyone harm you."

"Are the family people all there?"

"Child, you will be very excellent, right? You will be more excellent than Chongxuan Zun and Chongxuan Sheng combined, right?"

"Are you sober now? Do you still remember your name?"

"Will you always remember?"

"Bao Xuanjing… right, your surname is Bao, and your name is Bao Xuanjing."

"Grandpa named you Xuanjing, hoping you could become like Bozhao's child. But you are after all Zhongqing's bloodline… if you completely don't remember him, it's not fair to him."

"Remember your father Bao Zhongqing, your uncle Bao Bozhao, alright? After all, they are both worthy of you—they only left you an inheritance, didn't leave you problems."

"Xuanjing ah."

"Grandpa is a bit tired."

"Let's just chat up to here today."

Bao Yi finally gripped this jade Jue in his palm, slowly pinching it into fragments, then rubbing it into powder dust.

The rain was very heavy, the clouds pressed close before his eyes.

He lifted his head and looked at the sky, accidentally tearing open the only lightning in the cloud gap. In the lightning was a vast white, and after the lightning was unceasing rain, and undissipating ink clouds… of course, there were no stars and moon.

But he knew that Ruan True Monarch in the Qin Tian Jian was certainly watching this sea. Any subtle heavenly mechanism, no matter how minute, could not escape the "Guanlan" of the Qin Tian Jian.

But some things absolutely could not be let known to Ruan True Monarch.

Zhong Liyan, Zhuge Zuo… Zhuge Yixian.

Wanghai Terrace, Zixing Tower… Qin Tian Jian.

Those who divine stars scheme for the country and for ten thousand generations, but their eyes are so shallow, only seeing one family, one surname.

In the gloomy rain, there seemed to be Bozhao's bright smile.

Bao Yi stretched out his hand and caught a drop of rain.

Pa da!

A drop of rain slanted into the eave, exploding open on the ground. In the water splash, a general covered in flowing wave armor stood up.

This one was over one zhang tall, with blue light in his eyes, his divine might self-evident.

Hua hua hua, the sound of his armor leaves was also like flowing water.

He lifted his military boots and stepped into the room with large strides, crashing into the secret room and stepping through the concealed law array barrier. He spread out his large hand, then gripped the Jing country spy personnel who had just ignited a fire in the room and was about to cast a spell to destroy all clues, pinching him in his palm—

"Don't be nervous, I'm just borrowing your transmission law array for a chat."

"Qin Guang Wang just came here, right? If I'm not mistaken… on the other side is your Jing country's high-level general?"

"We need to communicate."

"Just communicate. It won't cause any damage to your Jing country. Could I still kill people through such a weak transmission law array?"

"Be honest! The situation is urgent!"

The water general, holding the man's neck with one hand, fiddled in the secret room with the other, quickly fiddling with the copper mirror on the table. A glorious light lit up, but there was no sound.

The tall water general walked over, casually dragging a chair and sitting down: "Lou Yue?"

There was still no response in the mirror.

The water general didn't compare patience with the other side and said directly: "There's a big matter! It's related to the survival of your Jing country! Whether you believe it or not, you must report it to your emperor as soon as possible!"

At this time, a voice rang out in the mirror: "Who are you?"

"So it's Chunyu Gui!" The water general didn't mind showing his understanding of Jing country, because this could enhance the persuasiveness of the information he gave: "Congratulations, you endured."

"You seem to understand our situation very well," Chunyu Gui's voice rang in the mirror: "What divine are you?"

"No need to know who I am, and no need to divine calculate me. Today I have no malice—" The water general spat out several strange and complex syllables, then said: "Remember this segment of curse sound. In due time, it will give you important intelligence. It's related to the survival of Jing country."

"Really interesting!" Chunyu Gui's voice said: "You think if you find a spy point we almost abandoned, casually pretend to be a god and play a ghost, say two sentences, I will help you convey your mysterious curse sound? Jing country has been first in the world for four thousand years; there's nothing that could be related to our survival!"

"Precisely locating this spy point accurately and contacting the one you just communicated with Qin Guang Wang is not a simple matter. Don't you think? Who would use such a complex way to play such a boring game? Telling you that this spy point is exposed is my sincerity!"

The water general seemed very hurried, speaking very fast: "I definitely cannot harm your emperor, much less dare to play with the central emperor. If you're not sure about the risk of this curse sound, you can also ask Jin Wang or someone to help you check— its power is very limited, it doesn't carry the malice you worry about. There are some clever things in it; you can even complete the check yourself."

"What basis do I have to believe you?" Chunyu Gui's voice was always not too polite.

"You don't need to believe me. There's no loss in conveying this intelligence to you, but if you miss it, you will regret it for a lifetime." The water general finished speaking and then leaned backward—

This body crumbled into water mist, and the opened water mist condensed again into a raindrop, smashing on the ground.

Pa da!

Thus, there was completely no trace.

Only the Jing country spy personnel were left in the room, covering their necks and breathing violently.

Da da da da da!

Raindrops smashed on the armor, like horseshoes walking on bluestone.

Bao Yi was already covered in a body of flowing light and wandering electricity, wearing Annihilating Thunder Marshal armor. The armor leaves were overall dark green, with occasional flashes of electricity light through the gaps, shining out several points of bright white, ending in heroic extraordinary. In the flower armor age, several points of his former valiant general's prestige reappeared.

The curse sound he transmitted through "Wuyin Water General" was not complex. It would automatically dissolve at a certain time after formally sending out yuan energy on his side and activating the core secret order, then releasing the intelligence.

Of course, even the transmission of a curse sound was hard to do completely without a trace.

Just like someone communicating with Chunyu Gui through Jing country's spy point in the East Sea could not be concealed from the Qin Tian Jian. Even the content of the dialogue might not be preserved.

He had to activate this curse sound in a place isolated from heavenly mechanisms.

Where were the places in the East Sea at this moment that could ensure concealment from heavenly mechanisms?

Putting aside places like Penglai Island and the maze canghai, there were only two nearby—

The Guanlan Inn, where heavenly mechanisms were abnormally complex.

Or right beside Tian Anping, who was just leaping to the absolute peak.

He had no choice.

Because he had no excuse to go back to Guanlan Inn again, yet he had reason to go find Tian Anping.

Hong long long!

In the lightning that scorched and illuminated ten thousand miles at this moment, he was the most dazzling pillar.

Great Qi's Shofang Earl Bao Yi, with armor piercing into the rain curtain, tore apart the thick clouds again!

"Tian Anping!!"

He roared in the violent rain and thunder.

This body, like a non-pouring peak, perilous like a heaven-splitting sword, in a flash killed through the heavy clouds, divided the rain curtain, and killed into the center of that continuous storm—

Barefoot and in thin clothes, Tian Anping, with evil shackles hanging from both hands, was virtually suspended there, quietly looking at the sky.

Hong long long long!

Originally, everything was too peaceful. Shofang Earl brought unprecedented scenery.

Thick clouds scattered and gathered, thunder cracked more violently.

The rain curtain divided and merged, the electricity light more swift.

Under the Annihilating Thunder Marshal armor, Bao Yi's voice also roared like this thunder: "How do you want to explain Miao Rulai's death to me?"

He pointed his halberd and glared angrily: "The death of Liu Shentong that year, and the Ba Fu Immortal Palace on your body, how do you plan to explain?!"

Tian Anping slowly withdrew his wistful gaze at the sky, turned his head, and looked toward Bao Yi.

No matter what, Tian Anping was a member of Qi country's military affairs hall, the commander-in-chief of the Zhan Yu army. At this critical moment of his leaping to the absolute peak, Bao Yi absolutely could not, and even more should not, come to interfere.

He should even protect the dao for Tian Anping!

Blocking someone's path to becoming dao is an even greater offense than killing one's parents.

Whatever grievances there were should be mentioned after the matter. And at their level, with their identity, even if there was true evidence, true problems, they should be taken to the military affairs hall, to discuss in front of Cao Shuai or the military god, and even report to the emperor.

So when Bao Yi killed into the rain curtain, even Tian Anping, who was always regarded as a madman, felt he was… mad enough.

Political games have tacit understandings!

Everyone dances gracefully within a certain framework, walking on thin ice with strict rules!

Just as Bao Yi himself said to Jiang Wang—the matter of Miao Rulai would certainly arouse Tian Anping's vigilance and suspicion. But Tian Anping would certainly not directly ask Bao Yi, and Bao Yi would even less directly answer Tian Anping. The suspicion between them would stop at suspicion. Their respective actions would also stop below deep water. As long as no conclusive evidence appeared, they would not confront each other on the surface.

Political tacit understanding was also evident—Tian Anping already knew Bao Yi was investigating the old matter of Liu Shentong, and his step of leaping to the absolute peak was already a response. By this time, Bao Yi should know to retreat for his own benefit.

Miao Rulai's death was just the price of a probe.

Such things would happen many times later, until one side completely fell or admitted defeat.

But today, Bao Yi actually killed his way to the front in this manner, without following rules, pointing at his nose in the rain and tearing face!

Private discussion should not have happened, and choosing to discuss it at the moment Tian Anping ascended the peak was even more reckless.

Was it because he knew there would be no opportunity after today, and worried about revenge from the Great Marsh Tian clan?

"Tian Anping!" Outside Bao Yi's body, violent five elements power mixed and turned like divine dragons. In a flash, he connected the thunder of the nine heavens, led the water of the nine nether, drummed the wind of the four seasons, gripped the mountains of the four directions, gathering boundless momentum: "Answer me—"

A palm knife pierced his abdomen, stabbing his heart, causing this heart to fly out of his spine, just like that, suspended in the air, welcoming the wind and rain!

Bao Yi's power, which had drummed the heaven and shaken the sea, suddenly collapsed like a mountain.

Hua hua hua.

Chains like pythons wandered on his dao body.

"I answered you." Tian Anping, close to his body, said so.

This was Tian Anping's answer.

He didn't try to think of reasons for Bao Yi; he only asked himself if he could kill… It seemed he could, so he killed.

"You…" Bao Yi's eyes stared wide, blood threads mixed with electricity light in his eyes.

At the level of contemporary true persons, he, Bao Yi, was absolutely competitive and strong.

But…

Tian Anping was already at the absolute peak.

Standing on the extreme realm of this present world, overlooking all mountains below.

He had already stepped foot onto the absolute peak, yet still expended power, deliberately continuing the ascent process!

Was it a performance? Or fishing? Or…

Bao Yi's pupils burst with light at this moment. The secret method of the yuan god, which should have been used to struggle and kill, at this moment only gave him the yuan god's insight.

Between heaven and sea, there seemed to be a virtual shadow of a thousand zhang high thunder god giant rising, which of course was instantly struck down again.

But he had already seen—

A slowly dissipating door's virtual shadow!

In the last moments of his life, what did he see?

The False True Gate!

Tian Anping's step of leaping to the absolute peak was actually just to cover this door!

Bao Yi's eyeballs exploded in a flash!

Fresh blood and the viscous liquid after his eyeballs exploded mixed and trickled down his face, but he was grinning, laughing brilliantly!

His smile was not for others, but just because of this door.

As a veteran general of Great Qi, an empire hereditary famous title, his interference in another nine commanders-in-chief's leaping process with private motives was a shameful matter!

It brought no benefit to the country and a loss to his salary.

Although he had to do so, he died with his eyes not closing, his heart not peaceful.

But at this moment, he discovered that his charge was timely.

Not only did Tian Anping hide privacy in the matter of killing Liu Shentong that year, he also had an association with the One True Dao!

For a person like Tian Anping, no matter how he acted, no matter what he did, it was not wrong!

The only wrong was that he didn't know it in the past!

Wrong in that he was still not ruthless enough, not resolute enough!

"What are you… laughing at?"

Tian Anping lowered his head and looked at Bao Yi's hand. Just now, this hand had a slight tremble, as if it had cut off a root line in the unseen. Because there was no substantial power fluctuation, he had no way to stop it.

To be precise, the true power fluctuation had already occurred at the moment Bao Yi killed into the rain curtain. The current Bao Yi was just struggling to put the line back.

Even if he, Tian Anping, was again strong, and again sensitive to the "line," it was hard to trace it in this situation. Not to mention that in the East Sea today, there were eyes everywhere.

"What message did you transmit?" Tian Anping couldn't help but ask.

"Hehehe…" Bao Yi was spitting blood, but still laughing: "You tell me? Tian Anping! You tell me what I saw? Your matter is already exposed! If I were you, I would now just roll up my bedding—"

Tian Anping's five fingers closed, crushing this heart.

Hong long long long!

The violent rain did not stop, and the thunder continued.

In the instant the electricity light illuminated the heaven and sea, the near-sea governor, Ye Hen Shui, was just flying swiftly from the distant sky… but then suddenly stopped.

Separating the thunder and violent rain, Tian Anping was looking at that pair of shocked and angry eyes.

He knew that he was again forced to this step… and again had to make a choice.

He grinned.

This chapter is 6k, of which 2k is an addition for the great ally "Exactly good good" (1/10).

Please: