Longevity by Grinding Skills

Wisdom Sun fared even worse. His Thousand Hands Dharma Aspect completely disintegrated, and the Wan symbol Buddha Seal on his brow split open, revealing bloody fissures.

"Break!"

A bloody mist erupted from Han Shi’s chest. The Golden Core Dao Patterns enveloping his body flickered as if about to be extinguished, consumed by the extreme combustion of his Fury Killing Sword Intent. The sword’s edge relentlessly pushed forward another three inches.

The terrifying Sword Qi erupting from the blade swept out like a torrent of destruction, and the Returning Ruins Sword Intent, carrying the power to annihilate all things, tore through space itself.

An irresistible sword pressure swept across the land. Dozens of miles away, the aftershocks from the escaping Sword Qi sliced several mountain ranges in half. Peaks toppled and rock formations disintegrated as a cloud of dust and debris surged toward the heavens, as if the very sky were weeping blood.

CRACK!

The Prajna Sumeru Barrier shattered.

The blade pierced through Wisdom Sun Bodhisattva’s chest, and the Returning Ruins Sword Intent flooded into his Glazed Golden Body.

The Great Sun Glaze Dao Fruit let out a sorrowful cry as spiderweb-like cracks instantly spread from its surface to its core. Wisdom Sun was already severely injured. Wukong had sacrificed himself to self-destruct his Golden Core, leaving the Bodhisattva’s Grotto Heaven on the brink of collapse.

This time, he was facing a True Monarch of Sword Dao. And though his opponent had only just reached the Golden Core realm, Sword Cultivators were unmatched in killing power in the Taihua Spirit Ruins Realm. In his current state, Wisdom Sun stood no chance.

Honestly, in the entire history of the Taihua Spirit Ruins Realm, what Golden Core True Monarch had ever been willing to self-destruct just to take an enemy down with them?

What Wisdom Sun was facing was truly unprecedented. Anyone who witnessed it would be left dumbfounded.

First, True Monarch Pu Du had struck and wounded Wisdom Sun. Then, Wukong had used the Fighting King Buddha Fruit Position to trigger a sympathetic detonation. Now, a True Monarch of Sword Dao was sacrificing his very life to land the killing blow.

"No!!"

Wisdom Sun’s eyes widened, nearly splitting at the corners.

As the Fury Killing Sword Intent ravaged him, he watched his Golden Body disintegrate inch by inch. He saw the roots of the Bodhi Holy Tree wither. And worse, he saw that in the Eastern Wilderness Ruins, Xu Yunfan was pressing the embryonic Thunder World toward the Divine Sky Dao Fruit.

But Han Shi’s attack wasn’t over.

He formed a sword-hand with his bloodstained left fingers and, channeling the last dregs of the Cangming Dao Fruit’s power, thrust it toward Wisdom Sun’s brow.

At the border of the Puchen Pure Land, Great Awakening Bodhisattva chanted a Buddha’s Name in a low voice.

"Merciful Buddha, with the World Honored One Tathagata above."

Before the words had even faded, he transformed into a streak of rainbow light, speeding toward the Eastern Wilderness. However, after traveling just a few dozen miles, he came to an abrupt halt.

In the void ahead, True Monarch Pu Du was sitting leisurely, cross-legged high in the sky.

Seeing Great Awakening Bodhisattva look his way, True Monarch Pu Du opened his eyes and chuckled. "Fellow Daoist Dajue, what’s the rush? Why not come over for a chat? We can discuss the Dao, talk about life, speak of grand ambitions, and even expound upon the Buddhist Dharma, perhaps?"

Great Awakening Bodhisattva sighed to himself. ’It’s too late to save Wisdom Sun Bodhisattva now.’

’That Xu Yunfan, a mere Foundation Establishment Great Daoist Master, had controlled two Golden Core avatars to brutally execute a Mid-Stage Golden Core Bodhisattva on the spot. Even though True Monarch Pu Du had lent a hand, Xu Yunfan was the one who had done most of the work.’

’The Primordial Sect would certainly protect someone with such breathtaking talent and decisiveness.’

’True Monarch Pu Du’s appearance made his stance perfectly clear.’

’If any other Bodhisattvas from the Puchen Pure Land were to make a move now, it would be a serious breach of etiquette.’

Within the Wansheng Sword Sect, Pure Yang True Monarch gazed toward the Eastern Wilderness. When he witnessed this scene, a flicker of admiration appeared in his eyes.

’What spirit!’

「In the center of the Eastern Wilderness.」

The finger Han Shi thrust forward was unadorned, yet it condensed his entire life’s Sword Dao Cultivation, all of his power, and the Destruction True Intent Xu Yunfan had infused into him into a single point.

It was a strike fueled by his exhausted Vitality, a final attack powered by the detonation of his own Essence, Qi, and Spirit.

SPLAT!

Buddha’s Blood and brain matter exploded in the void.

The moment Wisdom Sun’s head exploded, the Great Sun Glaze Dao Fruit fell from the sky, shattering into a million shards of glazed light before it could touch the ground.

The Bodhi Holy Tree planted in the center of the Eastern Wilderness crashed to the ground, and the phantom of the Earthly Buddha Country completely vanished.

Heaven and Earth grieved in unison.

A rain of blood, even thicker than when Wukong had self-destructed, poured from the sky. A fierce Gang Wind swept across the Eastern Wilderness, carrying the anguished cries of a billion wronged souls.

A Bodhisattva had fallen, and two newly ascended True Monarchs had died. The resulting collapse of their Grotto Heavens caused such a violent fluctuation in the Laws that every True Monarch in the Three Sects turned to look east.

Witnessing this, Xu Yunfan couldn’t help but sigh. ’What a pity,’ he thought, ’what a waste.’

But Xu Yunfan felt no real regret about letting them go.

’The Fighting King Buddha Fruit Position carried immense karma. The Puchen Pure Land had spent countless years creating it from nothing, condensing the Wish Power of a billion followers. If I were tainted by it, I’d never know a moment of peace again.’

’The Cangming Returning Ruins Dao Fruit was the exclusive property of the Wansheng Sword Sect.’

’If I took it, even with Ancestral Master Chunyang’s protection, the other True Monarchs of the Wansheng Sword Sect would hunt me down, making my life impossible.’

’Only the Divine Sky Dao Fruit was different. Not only was its status incredibly high, but Ancestral Master Chunyang had also erased its karmic ties. Once I attain it, I’ll be truly free.’

Xu Yunfan raised his hand.

The Star Spirit Banner unfurled from the void, instantly enveloping Wisdom Sun’s dissipating Divine Soul.

’It worked!’

Xu Yunfan felt a sense of relief. ’If the soul had been uncontrollable, I’d have abandoned it without hesitation.’

’The Star Spirit Banner is already my Lifebound Magical Treasure; any damage to it would be a loss that far outweighs the potential gain.’

Inside the Star Spirit Banner, the lingering, semi-dissipated Glazed Buddha Nature within the Divine Soul struggled to coalesce, forming a phantom image of the Bodhisattva, a thousand times smaller than before.

"Xu Yunfan! The World Honored One will see you condemned to eternal damnation!"

The remnant soul shrieked, its voice full of Wisdom Sun’s venomous hatred.

"Annoying."

A shadowy light erupted from the banner’s surface as the All Heaven Star Formation descended with crushing force.

Wisdom Sun’s phantom exploded into a shower of golden motes, which then condensed into a single Glazed Relic that embedded itself in the banner’s core.

A notification promptly appeared in Xu Yunfan’s vision.

’Star Monarch Venerable Position: Great Sun Glaze Buddha (Fragment)!’

’You have successfully slain a Bodhisattva. Your Daoist Cultivation has increased significantly.’

"Hiss..."

As his perception of the world sharpened, the Dao Fruit became more tangible, and his own path on the Dao grew clearer, Xu Yunfan finally understood what "Daoist Cultivation" truly meant.

Only then...

...did Han Shi’s ruined body begin its fall from the sky.

The Returning Ruins Sword Intent from the Cangming Dao Fruit was being extracted from his body, summoned away by a Spiritual Treasure wielded by the Wansheng Sword Sect. His Golden Core Dao Patterns rapidly faded.

In his final moment of consciousness, he gazed in Xu Yunfan’s direction. His cracked lips moved twice, but no sound escaped.

His eyes held a mixture of relief and mockery, which vanished as the light in his pupils faded completely.

True Monarch Cangming had fallen!

But a true death was impossible.

Xu Yunfan gestured with his hand, and the Star Spirit Banner unfurled to collect the body. Just like Wukong, Han Shi entered the banner to become another "fellow Daoist."

At that very moment...

...ninety-nine strands of Immortal Golden Nature transformed into Purple Gold Divine Dragons. Gripping the Thunder World in their mouths, they plunged into his Dantian as Dao Patterns capable of shattering the Ten Thousand Laws were branded across the world.

The Divine Sky Dao Fruit fully manifested, peeling away from the Celestial Dao and descending upon him.

Staring at the Divine Sky Dao Fruit, now just inches away, Xu Yunfan breathed a sigh of relief.

He lifted up his Grotto Heaven Embryo and plunged it headfirst into the Dao Fruit.

At that exact moment, an ethereal voice echoed beside his ear.

"Xu Yunfan, you really almost pulled it off."

It was the voice of True Monarch Qing Yuan, piercing through the thunderous roar that accompanied the Divine Sky Dao Fruit’s descent.

As the voice spoke, a massive hand, wreathed in Immortal Palace Pure Qi and imbued with the Qiankun Pure Qi Mysterious Dao True Skill, ignored the barriers of space and reached out. It aimed straight for the embryonic Thunder World in Xu Yunfan’s Dantian, which was just about to merge with the Dao Fruit, intent on forcibly interrupting this final moment of attainment.

Xu Yunfan remained seated cross-legged at the core of the lightning pillar. Faced with a killing blow that could instantly obliterate the body and soul of any Foundation Establishment cultivator, his expression showed no hint of panic or despair. Instead, a smile spread across his face—a smile that made True Monarch Qing Yuan’s heart suddenly tighten.