The Bodhi Temple elders stared intently at Wuwu, their eyes burning with avarice. They were utterly shaken by the terrifying aura surging from him.
"Once he breaks through, we'll seize his Dao Fruit!" one elder hissed, his voice laced with greed.
A white-haired Buddhist Cultivator, his gaze sharp, discerned the subtle shifts in Wuwu's aura. "His other cultivation technique is definitely a high-star Supreme tier art!" he declared, his voice trembling slightly. "Within this technique, the very essence of 'Self' is surging!"
"Self?" Everyone present was stunned.
Even within the vast and profound path of Buddhist cultivation, there were myriad methods and mysteries. Concepts like Causality, Self, and Cycle/Reincarnation were among the most profound.
The white-haired Buddhist Cultivator continued, "I recall an Ancient Ancestor-level Buddhist Cultivator in Cold Mountain Temple, located in the First Star Ring, who cultivated the 'Dao of Self'."
All eyes turned to him.
"What defines an Ancient Ancestor?" he explained, his voice filled with reverence. "They are individuals capable of establishing their own doctrines and founding sects! The Ancestor Realm almost represents the pinnacle of Dao Fruit attainment within the Fallen Star Sea! Once the 'Dao of Self' is perfected, that individual becomes indestructible! They can imprint their very 'Self' upon the starry sky!"
A portly Buddhist Cultivator chimed in, a mysterious smile playing on his lips. "Our Bodhi Temple has been in decline for too long. Perhaps we can contact Cold Mountain Temple? If we refine Wuwu, we'd only gain a bit of Buddhist insight. But if an Ancient Ancestor from Cold Mountain Temple takes an interest in him, our Bodhi Temple could rise to prominence!"
Xiuzhi Master felt a surge of excitement. The First Star Ring! To gain the recognition of an Ancient Ancestor-level expert from there would mean being able to stride unchallenged across the cosmic expanse beyond the First Star Ring!
But his excitement quickly dimmed. The white-haired Buddhist Cultivator's expression grew somber. "The First Star Ring is like an insurmountable high wall. We can't even reach it. At best, our Bodhi Temple can only contact the Tianchen Empire in the Third Star Ring!"
The Tianchen Empire! That was the power backing Cloudrise Holy Land, the undisputed hegemon of the Third Star Ring!
"Then we have no choice," the portly Buddhist Cultivator conceded. "We'll contact the Tianchen Empire, and they can find a way to reach Cold Mountain Temple!"
"It's our only option," the others agreed, their gazes returning to Wuwu.
Half a day later, the golden light emanating from Wuwu slowly faded, and his surging aura stabilized. He had achieved enlightenment. While he hadn't fully comprehended the 'Dao of Self', he had made significant progress. The karmic threads entwined around him had grown considerably fainter.
Wuwu murmured to himself, "So, the Nirvana Scripture cannot completely sever all traces of the past."
He had hoped to use the Nirvana Scripture to completely cut off all lingering traces of Dao Yi, but it proved impossible!
At that moment, Xiuzhi Master looked down at Wuwu. "Wuwu, it's been a long time."
Wuwu nodded. He had indeed met this elder several epochs ago.
The portly Buddhist Cultivator's mysterious smile widened. "Wuwu, we need your assistance. Come with us."
With that, he directly slammed a massive hand down towards Wuwu!
BOOM!
A colossal golden handprint, vast as an entire domain, blotted out the sky, radiating brilliant Buddhist light. It was an attack from a Five-star Supreme!
Even Wuwu, now a Four-star Supreme, felt a distinct pressure. Each star represented a world of difference in power! Yet, with the augmentation of his Wuwu Scripture, he did not immediately falter!
In the next instant, Wuwu's mind stirred, and the Vajra Scepter appeared in his hand. A Star Venerate Realm Spirit Weapon! One layer of its seals had already been unlocked!
Wuwu swung the Vajra Scepter, and resplendent Buddhist light surged around him. His monk robes billowed, and countless profound Buddhist mysteries manifested as ethereal projections, swirling around him in an intricate dance.
BOOM!
Wuwu struck the void, his terrifying power transforming into a golden river that shot directly towards the portly Buddhist Cultivator.
The portly Buddhist Cultivator's massive handprint was instantly shattered, its endless, brilliant spirit runes dimming into oblivion.
"Pfft!"
He spat out a mouthful of essence blood, his body reeling backward. Severely injured!
The portly Buddhist Cultivator stared at Wuwu in utter shock. "What kind of spirit weapon is that?!"
The other Bodhi Temple cultivators were equally stunned. The spirit weapon in Wuwu's hand was far more powerful than any spiritual treasure they possessed!
On the ground below, the cultivators from Ling Mountain Temple were utterly petrified. Minghui Master's face was a mask of disbelief. What was happening? Wuwu had actually defeated a powerful expert from Bodhi Temple? How was that possible?! In the eyes of the Ling Mountain Temple disciples, the Bodhi Temple experts were transcendent, invincible in this realm! Wuwu's current strength was simply terrifying, both his combat prowess and his Buddhist enlightenment!
At this point, the white-haired Buddhist Cultivator soared into the sky, his eyes gleaming with undisguised greed. "Where did you get that spirit weapon? As far as I know, the Tai Chu Realm couldn't possibly produce such an artifact! This spirit weapon... it must be a Nine-star Supreme Weapon!"
A Nine-star Supreme Weapon! Xiuzhi Master and the others were dumbfounded. Even the most powerful spirit weapons in Bodhi Temple didn't reach that tier!
Wuwu looked at the white-haired Buddhist Cultivator with disappointment. "Greed! Ignorance! Hatred! You've cultivated to the Supreme Realm as Buddhist practitioners, your minds should be invincible. Yet, you Bodhi Temple cultivators are even worse than Minghui."
Hearing this, the Bodhi Temple elders' faces turned incredibly ugly. They were indeed consumed by greed. But in the face of such a supreme treasure, who could remain unmoved? Even the Great Buddha, an Ancient Ancestor from Cold Mountain Temple, had his own impure thoughts!
Minghui Master, meanwhile, lowered his head, muttering inwardly, "Wuwu, you're... you're praising me to death!"
The white-haired Buddhist Cultivator scoffed. "Enough talk! Hand over that spirit weapon and come with us!"
With a thought, the entire Western Desert began to undergo a terrifying transformation! The countless sand dunes across the desert pulsed, and every grain of sand began to surge upwards, gathering in the sky.
Gathering Sand to Form a Pagoda!
All living beings in the Western Desert watched the sky in utter astonishment. This was the most terrifying sight they had ever witnessed! Under the white-haired Buddhist Cultivator's command, all the sand grains seemed to come alive, coalescing into a colossal sand giant, a massive, golden, radiant Buddhist figure!
The crowd was awestruck. This was the true power of a formidable expert!
The gigantic sand Buddha surged with terrifying power, its massive hand slamming down towards Wuwu. An overwhelming pressure, like a tidal wave, crashed upon Wuwu! It was a crushing, absolute force!
Wuwu, wielding the Vajra Scepter, was continuously forced back. A thousand feet! Ten thousand feet! A hundred thousand feet!
Wuwu spat out a mouthful of essence blood, having been pushed back a full hundred thousand feet! Just as he was about to forcibly break the second seal of the Vajra Scepter, Lu Xuan's voice resonated through heaven and earth.
"Who dares bully my disciple?!"
As that voice descended, the entire world seemed to fall silent. The colossal sand Buddha, which had been relentlessly advancing, abruptly froze in place!
The white-haired Buddhist Cultivator looked behind Wuwu, a flicker of shock in his eyes.
BOOM! CRACK!
Lu Xuan, clad in his pristine white robes, slowly emerged from a spatial rift. A faint divine radiance shimmered around him, making him appear like a Divine King, his expression utterly calm and unbothered.
The white-haired Buddhist Cultivator frowned slightly. "Master? You're Wuwu's master? You don't look like much!" Although he couldn't discern Lu Xuan's cultivation realm, he perceived far too many 'flaws' in Lu Xuan's aura! True experts never had such imperfections!
With that thought, the white-haired Buddhist Cultivator's will stirred. The gigantic sand Buddha charged forward, shaking heaven and earth, causing the entire Western Desert to tremble violently. It lunged straight for Lu Xuan!
Wuwu smiled. The Bodhi Temple had just made an unimaginably grave mistake!
The white-haired Buddhist Cultivator scoffed, "Die!"