To be fair, Sky-Shrouding was startled just a tiny bit.
However, this tiny bit didn't show on his face, and it quickly calmed down. With his breadth of experience, he naturally wouldn't fail to recognize what kind of ghost this was.
Sky-Shrouding narrowed his eyes slightly, staring straight at the aged soul before him, which was permeated with Buddhist light. This soul itself was definitely not the "Guang Ming" it claimed to be. Rather, someone was using the soul's body as a medium, employing a trick to converse from the present world with him, who was situated in the [Netherworld].
And as far as he knew.
There were only two people under heaven capable of doing this— one was naturally the World Honored One of the Pure Land, and the other was the Buddha Child granted authority by the World Honored One.
However, the World Honored One cannot possibly be interested in me.
[Sky-Shrouding] was absolutely certain of this point. He knew very well that at the Nascent Soul level, the only thing that could make a Dao Lord to take action would be related to heaven and earth.
And what he sought was the [Netherworld].
So strictly speaking, he had no fundamental conflict with the four Dao Lords. As long as he didn't touch the red line, no one would take action against him.
In that case—
The World Honored One has sent down another Buddha Child to mingle with the lower cultivators.
Sky-Shrouding wasn't surprised by this either. After all, it had happened before; it was old news. Besides, the opportunity this time was even better than before.
The last time the World Honored One sent down a Buddha Child, the Perfected Lords were still present in the world. Although they dared not obstruct too much out of respect for the World Honored One, it wasn't as if they had no means at all. Otherwise, that Buddha Child wouldn't have been beheaded by Perfected One Vanquishing-Demon with three sword strikes. This time, however, even the Perfected Lords had gone into seclusion.
Could it be that this Buddha Child isn't invincible yet?
While Sky-Shrouding was still pondering in his heart, he saw that on the aged soul, as Buddhist light rippled, Buddha Child Guang Ming's consciousness linked over from a great distance in the present world.
This was also the wonder of [His Heart Connection].
Teaching "His Heart" to be "My Heart."
Soon, Buddha Child Guang Ming's voice drifted out faintly: "Having been forced to lie dormant for nearly thirty years, I wonder if Senior wishes to break free from confinement as early as possible?"
"Oh? You want to help me break free?"
Buddha Child Guang Ming nodded: "Precisely so."
"Hehe."
Facing Buddha Child Guang Ming's affirmation, Sky-Shrouding laughed out loud. At his level, this heaven and earth held very few secrets from him.
And in his eyes, something like a Buddha Child could not be equated with the World Honored One. The two were similar on the surface but completely different inside... Therefore, if the World Honored One said this, he definitely wouldn't have the slightest doubt. But if a Buddha Child said this, he had to put a question mark on it.
"Senior doesn't believe me?" Buddha Child Guang Ming frowned slightly.
"Tell me about it."
Sky-Shrouding didn't deny it outright but signaled for Buddha Child Guang Ming to continue: "How do you plan to help me break free? And why do you want to help me break free?"
"Amitabha."
Buddha Child Guang Ming first chanted a Buddhist name upon hearing this, then said in a deep voice: "I am attaining the [Buddha Kingdom on Earth], and currently, three disciples have not yet returned to their positions."
"One of them is a Natural Immortal Spirit, currently hiding in the Jiangnan region."
Before Buddha Child Guang Ming's voice fell, Sky-Shrouding laughed out loud.
Jiangnan? He knew what was going on without Buddha Child Guang Ming elaborating: "It seems the Buddha Child has been blocked again by that old nice guy from the Sword Pavilion?"
"...Senior sees clearly."
Facing Sky-Shrouding's intentional sarcasm, Buddha Child Guang Ming's tone appeared very calm: "This little monk wants to ask Senior to take action and help remove Vanquishing-Demon."
For him, the four disciples needed to attain the [Buddha Kingdom on Earth] should theoretically come from Jiangnan, Jiangbei, Jiangdong, and overseas. Currently, only King Zhen Nan Wu Taian of Jiangdong had returned to his position. Attempts in Jiangbei and overseas had failed twice, and the battle overseas even cost him an important incarnation.
Now Lu Yang and Xiang Ye were even turtling inside the Heaven-Connecting Cloud Sea.
Under these circumstances, the only place he could still make a move was Jiangnan. Yet Perfected One Vanquishing-Demon of Jiangnan didn't allow him to set foot in Jiangnan without authorization.
How was he supposed to do it?
I need to gather at least two disciples before I can activate the ritual of the [Buddha Kingdom on Earth]. At that time, all Foundation Establishment Perfection Perfected Ones in the world will have no choice but to come out.
More than half of the Great Era had passed.
As for Seeking Golden Core, what should be prepared, what needed to be prepared, and what wanted to be prepared were basically all ready to go. The world was already a powder keg.
It only a spark.
Let Perfected One Vanquishing-Demon's death be the spark that detonates this Great Era!
Looking at Buddha Child Guang Ming, Sky-Shrouding's expression remained unchanged. He calculated privately for a moment, then shook his head and said: "What benefit is there for me in removing Vanquishing-Demon?"
"[White Wax Gold]."
Buddha Child Guang Ming's next sentence made Sky-Shrouding sit up straight. [White Wax Gold], like [Overturned Lamp Flame], was a Dao Fruit containing Chen Earth.
In other words, it was his exclusive property.
Seeing this, Buddha Child Guang Ming became even more certain in his heart and smiled: "I wonder if Senior is aware of the three inherited Daoist titles of the Sword Pavilion... Vanquishing-Demon, Warding-Evil, and Subduing-Spirits."
"Among them, Vanquishing-Demon goes without saying. However, regarding the other two, Perfected One Subduing-Spirits is currently still at the Late Stage of Foundation Establishment. Only Perfected One Warding-Evil has reached the level of Foundation Establishment Perfection... This person has always lived in seclusion, and all his fame has been overshadowed by Vanquishing-Demon, so much so that few people even know the Dao Fruit he cultivates."
"He cultivates [White Wax Gold]?"
Buddha Child Guang Ming nodded: "This little monk has a way to make this Perfected One Warding-Evil voluntarily sacrifice himself to Senior and pulling [White Wax Gold] into the Netherworld."
"Furthermore, the Dao Sin formed from his failed Seeking Golden Core attempt can also be used by Senior."
"Although there is no way to help Senior break free completely, relying on a Dao Sin body to interfere with the present world shouldn't be difficult for Senior, right?"
Of course not difficult!
Although Chong Guang claimed to create a sixty-year Great Era of Contention, there were also highs and lows among Golden Core Perfected Lords, especially a Great Perfected Lord at the Late Stage of Golden Core like him.
Ordinary Perfected Lords might need the full sixty years to reappear in the world, but for him, he could break free in at most forty years. And if it was just using a Dao Sin incarnation to interfere with the present world, he could do it right now! So the condition proposed by Buddha Child Guang Ming indeed moved him.
"...How do you plan to do it?"
Buddha Child Guang Ming put his palms together: "Perfected One Warding-Evil's Dao path was cut off because of Senior's existence, forcing him to seek another path. This little monk gave him a hand."
"Oh? How did you help?"
"This little monk told him the current whereabouts of Perfected One Primordial Mu Changsheng."
Buddha Child Guang Ming smiled slightly. Although Mu Changsheng's tragic encounter could be hidden from the people of the world, it couldn't be considered a secret before the World Honored One, who was also a Dao Lord.
Therefore, he also knew about it.
"Not long ago, Perfected One Warding-Evil sent a soul of a Foundation Establishment Perfected One who died of old age to reincarnate, wanting to obtain the method of consciousness stripping from Mu Changsheng's mouth."
What kind of figure was Sky-Shrouding? As soon as Buddha Child Guang Ming's voice fell, he had already calculated the other party's entire plan— The Saint Sect's Refining Arts Secret Realm... the only way to enter and exit secretly is through the [Netherworld]. And going through the [Netherworld]... inevitably means passing right under my nose!
Consciousness stripping method?
As long as Sky-Shrouding could find that soul of the Foundation Establishment Perfected One who died of old age and tamper with it, he could turn it into a secret method triggering the fall of the Dao Fruit at any time!
As for what schemes Buddha Child Guang Ming had in this, he didn't care. As long as he could pull [White Wax Gold] into the [Netherworld], he would profit no matter what!
However...
"Are you sure you want to kill Vanquishing-Demon?"
Sky-Shrouding glanced at Buddha Child Guang Ming. Vanquishing-Demon was the Sword Pavilion's darling, concerning the [Sword Dao Fruit]. Leaving aside whether Buddha Child Guang Ming could kill him...
Even if he could, did he dare?
"Killing is definitely out of the question."
Buddha Child Guang Ming shook his head: "But as long as he sacrifices himself and dies because of attaining the [Sword Dao Fruit], it doesn't matter. Anyway, the effect is the same."