Devour

Chapter 435 A Calm Confrontation

The reason why Dharma King Miaoyin and others prevented monks from other sects from entering the Bone Sword Tomb was to allow Venerable Dahui to enjoy the opportunity alone, so that they could make their plans at their leisure. They relied on their superior advantage in discussing Zen and Taoism, attempting to achieve their goal without bloodshed.

But unexpected events kept happening one after another!

Cheng Bai first shone brightly in the debate on Dao, outwitting the Dharma King Miaoyin and enabling all the sword cultivators to be buried in the Bone Sword Tomb. Afterward, he met the First Sword Emperor's demanding conditions and successfully broke through the Three Talents Extermination Sword Formation, obtaining a treasured inner core.

The series of breakthroughs far exceeded the expectations of Venerable Mahamati.

Cheng Bai pondered, "Da Hui lingered in front of the monument, considering breaking into the Sword Spirit Pit to seize the inner core. He wanted to cultivate himself and the sword to their peak condition before making his move... But he hesitated. Even if he could break through the 'Heaven' formation, as a dignified sect leader, he would never offer three gifts to the jade box left by Ao Qiushui. He was destined not to obtain the inner core!"

Thinking of this, Cheng Bai understood: "'It is rightfully mine' to belong to my sect is just empty talk. To put it bluntly, Da Hui is too clever and just wants to get something for nothing from me."

"Immovable King!" The Great Wisdom Venerable used a Dharma name to strengthen the pressure of his mind-reading ability, and said with a lotus-like tongue, "Benefactor White Emperor, as long as you are willing to return Ao Qiushui's inner core, you will be honored as a Dharma Protector and Venerable Guest of my World Honored One's Teachings."

The sound waves, imbued with magical power, reverberated, causing the air inside the Sword Spirit Pit to churn like ocean waves.

“Your Excellency is mistaken. If I were to become a member of the Dharma-protecting retinue, wouldn’t I be bound to the Buddha’s teachings from this day forward, and even my descendants would be unable to escape them?”

As he spoke, the golden pagoda atop Cheng Bai's head began to operate on its own, invisibly dissolving the invasion of his mind-reading ability. He retorted logically, "Besides, I buried my sword and made a wish before the Ten Thousand Swords Stele. With the guidance of the First Sword Emperor, I obtained this inner core according to the rules of the Burial Sword Tomb. Everything was perfectly logical. How can you say that it should belong to the World Honored One's sect?"

Venerable Dahui was surprised by Cheng Bai's decisive refusal. He shook his head and said slowly, "This humble monk kindly advises you that if the Holy Lord Baidi agrees, he will be a benefactor of our World Honored One's sect. In the future, when you come to Lantuo Palace in the Great Snow Mountain for pilgrimage, you will surely have a better opportunity to reach the heavens. But now, for a mere Marrow Cleansing Pill, you not only abandon good deeds but also willingly ruin your future. This is truly unwise!"

Before he could finish speaking, the rosary in the Venerable Dahui's hand spun like the wind, and the faint golden light that burst forth shattered the magical power of the communion language contained in Cheng Bai's words.

"Hmm... what the Venerable One said makes some sense. Let me consider it carefully." Cheng Bai replied lazily, seemingly closing his eyes to meditate, while secretly communicating with the Inheritance Cube, "How long until the Sword Path completely dissipates?"

The Venerable Mahavairocana, relying on his esteemed status, saw that the younger generation's tone had softened, so he toned down his aggressive manner and only lingered his gaze on the golden pagoda on Cheng Bai's head and the Four Symbols Cauldron beside him.

He had a keen eye for people, but lacked the ability to discern treasures. The Venerable Mahamati, sensing the two extraordinary magical artifacts, pondered, "This child possesses numerous high-level magical artifacts, and I've heard he has a master backing him; his foundation is not to be underestimated. If this humble monk can use his great wisdom to guide him to refuge and accept him as a protector of our teachings, it will surely be a great merit for the World-Honored One!"

However, after a brief stalemate, Cheng Bai remained calm and did not reply. Time slowly passed, and the atmosphere around them gradually became heavy, the air thick and heavy, exuding a chilling and deadly aura.

"White Emperor Saint Lord, what has your decision been?" As soon as Venerable Da Hui uttered his words, he suddenly realized something was amiss, thanks to his cultivation and experience far exceeding that of ordinary cultivators.

Although he was already on guard, Venerable Dahui, who always used reason to intimidate others, still sternly rebuked him: "The First Sword Emperor said beforehand that the Sword Path has little time left. Could it be that the White Emperor is deliberately delaying and secretly plotting against this humble monk?"

Immediately, with a slight thought, he summoned the Wisdom Sword from his sea of ​​consciousness, which transformed into golden light and slashed straight at the Four Symbols Cauldron, intending to break through the cauldron and seize the inner core in one fell swoop.

Cheng Bai had made thorough preparations. The phoenix power within his Purple Mansion surged continuously, keeping him constantly alert to any movement from all directions. He also pushed his defenses to their peak, waiting for the attack to come.

"Buzz..." The soul weapon sword struck the elemental barrier surrounding the man and the cauldron. It was like touching cotton wool; all its force was completely neutralized. The sword trembled violently and instantly spun out of control.

"Collect!" Cheng Bai seized the opportunity and summoned the Four Symbols Cauldron, which spun around in a flash.

The cauldron released a powerful suction force that held the Wisdom Sword firmly, forcibly pulling it into the cauldron and suppressing the sword with the pressure of a higher-level magic weapon.

In the contest, Wisdom Sword was already at a significant disadvantage, fighting two opponents simultaneously. Furthermore, Venerable Great Wisdom underestimated his opponent's magical treasures and immediately suffered a great loss!

Seeing the sword being taken away, Venerable Dahui's expression changed slightly. He hurriedly made a hand seal to try to control the Wisdom Sword again, but his divine sense was completely cut off by the Golden Pagoda, and all his efforts were in vain.

Li Tong, confirming that the hour of Yin was approaching, quietly counted down for Cheng Bai: "Three...two...one..."

Cheng Bai seized the moment precisely, and in a flash, he used a teleportation technique to instantly leave the Sword Spirit Pit along with his magical artifact. Before disappearing, he didn't forget to return a meaningful smile to Venerable Da Hui.

Unexpected changes occurred suddenly and caught everyone off guard!

Venerable Dahui hurriedly stood up and stared at the spot where Cheng Bai had disappeared. At the same time, the sword path that had been swirling and spreading towards the Myriad Swords Monument at the top of the cliff collapsed on time, breaking into streams of light flying swords that danced wildly in the air, completely separating the area above and below the cliff.

"You chaotic and delusional people dare to deceive this poor monk, wasting all my compassionate heart!" The Venerable Dahui, trapped at the bottom of the Sword Spirit Pit, was secretly angry, but he could not escape the imprisoned sword formation.

He looked up at the sharp flying swords soaring in the air and exclaimed in realization, "What a brilliant strategy! The long delay was all for the purpose of escaping at the crucial moment and using the Three Talents Sword Formation to trap this humble monk."

This seemingly peaceful confrontation was actually extremely dangerous, with both sides engaging in fierce competition on various levels, including words, mindset, secret techniques, and magical weapons.

In the end, Cheng Bai, whose cultivation was far inferior, was one step ahead and seized the initiative.

Back in his private room, Cheng Bai happily put down the Four Symbols Cauldron and carefully observed the weapon-forging process inside. He exclaimed with delight, "This time I've struck gold! Not only did I successfully obtain the inner core, but I also got the Wisdom Sword. Can I integrate it into my new blade?"

He said to the child in his left hand, "Of course! At that time, all the opportunities that the Wisdom Sword possesses, including the essence of the sharpness of thousands of sword spirits, will be passed on to the new sword."

Four Leaf chimed in, "With this sword, it's equivalent to having an extra three hundred catties of Heavenly Grade Feathered True Gold! Just refine it to the highest grade and melt it into the original materials, and it will be enough to create a brand new treasure sword."

With the assurances of the two artifact spirits, Cheng Bai was full of confidence.

Recalling the battle just now, Cheng Bai became wary and asked again, "The one that trapped Da Hui was the 'Earth' formation within the Three Talents Strike Sword Formation. How long will it take him to break out?"

Li Tong made a rough calculation and said, "The Venerable Da Hui is currently lacking the assistance of his precious sword, which greatly reduces his combat power. Without fully understanding the mysteries of the formation, it will take him several days to escape his predicament, relying solely on his own cultivation and auxiliary magic treasures."

After considering various possibilities, Cheng Bai decisively said, "But by tomorrow, the City Lord of Sword Madness will most likely discover the anomaly of the Sword Spirit Pit and help Da Hui escape. To avoid further entanglement with the World Honored One Sect and prevent the situation from getting out of control, we should leave as soon as possible tomorrow morning."

With the direction decided, Cheng Bai immediately sat down cross-legged, took out the Wine God Gourd, and took a sip of the Ice Flame Sea God Wine.

The wine, initially icy cold, quickly transformed into a scorching warmth, like a tsunami of ice and fire surging through his body. Using this power, Cheng Bai closed his eyes, held his breath, and focused on circulating the Six Paths Supreme Technique, sensing a breakthrough was imminent.

As night faded, the bright morning sun slowly rose, its golden rays slanting across Burial Bone Peak. A gentle morning breeze carried the faint rumble of thunder across the sky.

Master Li stood atop the peak, calculating the time and gazing westward. His double pupils gave him extraordinary vision, allowing him to glimpse the towering Mount Sumeru through the misty dawn. He sighed softly, "The message was sent yesterday, and it's already late morning. My old friend should be showing up soon."

Cheng Bai, accompanied by Bei Tingjun, strolled up the mountain path, chatting and laughing all the way: "The Master is doing his morning exercises on the mountaintop. Let's invite him to come with us to Taowu Academy."

Bei Tingjun looked up at the sky, her delicate brows furrowed, and said with a solemn expression, "Your Excellency, a powerful figure is rushing towards us from the direction of Mount Sumeru."

Cheng Bai also noticed the carriage speeding through the air and recognized it as the Baogai Carriage of Shanhui City. He said solemnly, "There are not just one heavenly horse pulling the carriage, but a total of six. What a grand display! The person who comes is definitely not an ordinary 'Heavenly Sword' from Tianmen. He must be the Sword-wielding Heavenly King himself!"