Chapter 356 : Guang Ming, the Buddha's Disciple!?

Chapter 356: Guang Ming, the Buddha's Disciple!?

Above the firmament, the sea of clouds churned.

Though it was a land untouched by the four seasons, an eerie frost and snow now drifted down. The entire scene appeared dim and obscure, even the sound of the wind had ceased.

A profound silence.

At the center of the sea of clouds, a youth in ornate robes sat cross-legged, forming hand seals. He held a luminous full moon in his hands, emitting strands of cold light.

This full moon was the epicenter of the world's frost and chill. The cold light swirled around him, resembling illusory mist. As it drifted, it manifested images of moon laurels, jade disks, ice toads, and other visions, all of which vanished in a flash, ultimately converging back into the full moon, making it shine even brighter and illuminating a silent face.

‘【Solemn Profound Frost】!’

This divine ability was Lü Yang's third, following 【Master of Arms】 and 【Stubborn Metal Duke】. It belonged to the category of 【Xin Metal】 and was a manifestation of 【Law Holding】.

At this moment, it rested in Lü Yang's palm.

Without any deliberate action, streams of moonlight flowed out, sensing the world and pressing steadily upon a young monk in robes below.

"Where did this fellow from the Saint Sect come from!?"

The Fulong Arhat raised his head and let out a sharp roar, completely unprepared for the fact that while he was setting a trap for a Qi Refining cultivator, he had been ensnared himself!

The opponent's cultivation was clearly superior to his.

Yet, they still set a trap and launched a sneak attack. Moreover, this was in Jiangbei. Without a doubt, the Fulong Arhat knew this had to be the work of a Saint Sect True Person!

What was even more fatal was that this person's divine ability was extremely effective against him!

‘Xin Metal as frost, the world turns bleak, vegetation withers and falls. Fortunately, my 【Fiery Dragon】 is of Jia Wood; otherwise, I might have perished already!’

Thinking this, the Fulong Arhat dared not be negligent. He continuously spat out blazing fire, transforming into a dragon to resist the descending curtain of profound frost. However, this bit of firelight was like a bonfire in the severe winter, warm but destined to extinguish eventually.

"Fellow Daoist! Senior! Do we have any enmity?"

"If this is the Saint Sect's routine extortion, just say so. Why resort to violence?"

The Fulong Arhat cried out more miserably, his pleas tinged with grievance. After all, he had always been kind to others and truly had no enemies.

Where did this person come from?

However, Lü Yang completely ignored his words, merely observing him quietly for a moment. Then, a few stern smiles appeared in his eyes.

In the past, his cultivation was shallow, and he hadn't noticed the clues.

Now, upon closer inspection, he saw that beneath the seemingly glorious appearance of the Fulong Arhat, he was actually outwardly strong but inwardly weak, lacking confidence.

The reason was simple.

"Your first innate divine ability is actually 【Jia Wood】!"

The Fulong Arhat cultivated the 『Nine Transforming Dragon Art』, with a Dao foundation pointing directly to 【City Wall Earth】. The first innate divine ability should have been 【Wu Earth】 to align with the imagery.

Why was it 【Jia Wood】?

Lü Yang's thoughts turned, and he immediately understood the cause and effect: "As expected of a rogue cultivator, greedy for immediate progress, swallowing hastily, ultimately severing the path!"

If Lü Yang's guess was correct, the Fulong Arhat likely stumbled upon a 【Jia Wood】 while still a rogue cultivator and swallowed it without hesitation. He was lucky that 【Jia Wood】 and 【Yin Wood】 were similar in nature, and his Dao foundation could accommodate it, avoiding immediate death by explosion.

However, surviving by luck also severed his path.

‘No wonder when I killed him in my previous life, the Pure Land had no reaction. Clearly, the Fulong Arhat was a Buddhist cultivator, yet the Pure Land cared more about me.’

The Fulong Arhat had been a discarded piece from the beginning!

If not, since the Pure Land aimed to prove 【City Wall Earth】, how could they ignore the Fulong Arhat, allowing his cultivation to stagnate at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage?

Understanding everything, Lü Yang immediately smiled:

"Fellow Daoist Fulong, it seems that today, no one will come to save you. Some might even hope for your death to support others in rising!"

As his words fell, profound frost spread throughout the world, a scene of desolation. Wherever it passed, it locked the void, depleted spiritual energy, and withered all laws, truly a vision of the end of Dharma. The Fulong Arhat several times mustered his power to break through this layer of profound frost, only to crash into it, bloodied and bruised.

"What exactly do you want, Senior!"

At this point, the Fulong Arhat abandoned any hope, saying straightforwardly: "As long as this humble monk can do it, I am willing to comply, just spare my life!"

"Heh heh."

Upon hearing this, Lü Yang lowered his eyelids, a faint voice emerging: "I heard that the Jiangbei wonder 【Su Heng Palace】 contains a 【Xin Metal】. Is that true?"

"Yes, yes, yes!"

The Fulong Arhat didn't hesitate, quickly saying: "That is a wonder established by the 【Treasure Vase Water Moon Bodhisattva】, and it indeed contains a 【Xin Metal】!"

After speaking, he glanced at Lü Yang, a trace of doubt flashing in his heart. To him, Lü Yang's 【Solemn Profound Frost】 was clearly already a 【Xin Metal】 divine ability. If so, why seek another 【Xin Metal】? Could it be to refine a spiritual treasure that harmonizes with the divine ability?

Lü Yang naturally revealed nothing, his expression calm: "Can you retrieve it for me?"

"Yes, yes, yes!"

The Fulong Arhat dared not hesitate, for the surrounding profound frost had completely extinguished the flames around him, slicing his Dharma body like knives.

However, he had another plan in mind.

‘Let me get through this crisis first. Once I escape, I can hide in the Pure Land. No matter how fierce this person is, what can he do to me?’

Though he thought this, Lü Yang had already guessed his thoughts: "Fellow Daoist's words alone are hard to trust."

"This humble monk can establish a Dharma contract!" the Fulong Arhat quickly said.

Lü Yang shook his head: "Everyone knows that your Pure Land loves to bully the weak and fears not these restrictive methods."

"Now it's clearly you bullying the weak."

The Fulong Arhat's mouth twitched. This person clearly had higher cultivation yet set ambushes and launched sneak attacks, and still had the audacity to speak of bullying the weak?

"How is that the same!?"

Lü Yang decisively shook his head upon hearing this, righteously saying: "You and I are both mid-Foundation Establishment stage, strictly speaking, the same realm."

"It's just that I have one more divine ability than you. How can that be considered bullying the weak?"

Upon hearing this, the Fulong Arhat's expression immediately became strange.

This feeling, something was off.

After a moment of silence, he tentatively looked at Lü Yang and softly said: ".Sword Pavilion?"

Lü Yang: "."

"Enough nonsense!"

Lü Yang no longer delayed, straightforwardly saying: "It seems you haven't thought it through. In that case, you're of no use to me. Better to send you to reincarnation."

"I have a way! I have a way!"

The Fulong Arhat quickly said: "This humble monk has a disciple, clever and quick-witted. I can have him retrieve the 【Xin Metal】 and then hand it over to you, Senior!"

".Disciple?" Lü Yang was taken aback upon hearing this.

The Fulong Arhat, thinking he was not believed, hurriedly explained: "His Dharma name is Guang Ming. Fellow Daoist must have heard of him. He is the newly born Buddha's disciple of our Pure Land! I was his master before; he listens to me the most. With his status, obtaining a 【Xin Metal】 is effortless."

Listening to the Fulong Arhat's description, Lü Yang gradually frowned.

‘.Guang Ming.’

Lü Yang certainly wouldn't forget this name. In his previous life, this person had a significant connection with him, a Buddhist cultivator with cunning, talent, and some fortune.

But the problem was, Buddha's disciple?

Due to psychological shadows from the Pure Land, Lü Yang's mind suddenly filled with countless conspiracies, even directly suspecting the Pure Land's World Honored One.

However, the next moment, he restrained his expression.

"Boom!"

Without any hesitation, Lü Yang directly withdrew the 【Solemn Profound Frost】, completely suppressing the Fulong Arhat, then stored him in his sleeve and turned to look beside him.

There, a figure appeared out of thin air.

It was a middle-aged man with a face like it was carved by a knife, a serious expression, and eyes like lamps, staring intently at Lü Yang.

Hong Ju.

Seeing this, Lü Yang was not surprised. At this moment, he had already donned the golden shell of Hong Yun. When Hong Ju approached him, he sensed the anomaly.

The next moment, Lü Yang smiled slightly: "What, don't recognize me?"

Before his words fell, he released the aura of Hong Yun's gold nature. Sensing this aura, Hong Ju immediately relaxed his brows, then bowed:

"Hong Ju greets the Lord!"

However, seeing this, Lü Yang's smile gradually faded.

‘.Something's wrong.’

Although Hong Ju's words and actions were very respectful, Lü Yang, relying on his sense of Hong Yun's gold nature, keenly noticed some anomalies.

‘Doubt arises in his heart, thoughts unsettled... he's suspicious of me?’