No one expected that Precious Shimmering Radiance Bodhisattva would actually make a move.
He pressed his palms together. At this moment, the towering golden Buddha actually appeared dim, revealing his true body—a valiant and heroic youth with red lips and white teeth.
The next second, a few words of Dao sound slowly spilled from his lips: "Thus have I heard..."
The grand Dao chant echoed within the majestic treasure hall. Layer upon layer of temple doors opened and closed, seemingly endless, leading to an abyss devoid of daylight.
Facing such profound wonders, Great Perfected Lord Xin Ye and Great Perfected Lord You Hai utilized their methods almost immediately. Unfortunately, as Entering the Dao Great Perfected Lords, their cultivation was already a head lower than Precious Shimmering Radiance Bodhisattva's.
Moreover, cultivating the Ancient Method made them another head lower compared to the Grotto-Heaven Method. How could they have any power to resist?
Not to mention, Precious Shimmering Radiance Bodhisattva did not underestimate his enemies or act carelessly.
Almost simultaneously, around the temple, a strand of divine sense climbed into the sky, looking over with a bit of surprise: "So fast, you really moved with killing intent?"
[Mortal-Sage Coexsistence Dao Fruit]
At this moment, the method Precious Shimmering Radiance Bodhisattva displayed was none other than the Dao Fruit Secret Method he had cultivated for many years. He wouldn't use it lightly, but once used, it was meant to decide life and death.
However, right at this moment.
"Clang!"
A sword light slashed down like a rushing shooting star, instantly breaking open the temple's gateway and shining upon Great Perfected Lord Xin Ye and Great Perfected Lord You Hai.
The next second, the sword light abruptly transformed. From its original indestructible sharpness, it softened into something pliant, wrapping around the two Great Perfected Lords like a rope. With a forceful pull, it instantly whisked the two out of the temple, leaving only two wooden puppets carved with the names Xin Ye and You Hai in their place.
Immediately after, the temple sealed shut.
"Boom!"
The two wooden puppets instantly shattered into dust. All their profound wonders were crushed, turning into two wisps of green smoke that drifted away. The two who had narrowly escaped death watched with horrified expressions.
Seeing this scene, Precious Shimmering Radiance Bodhisattva was not surprised, merely sighing: "[Wellspring Water]..."
Before his voice faded, the dark clouds in the sky parted. A figure walked over with his hands behind his back, a sword hanging at his waist, and a brilliantly glowing pill cauldron resting in his hand.
Seeing this, Great Perfected Lord Xin Ye and Great Perfected Lord You Hai hurriedly cupped their hands: "Thank you for your assistance, Fellow Daoist Heavenly Furnace."
[Great Perfected Lord Heavenly Furnace who Smelts The World]!
This Great Perfected Lord of the Sword Pavilion was different from Perfected Lord Gangxing Budao. At this moment, the brilliance of three Dao Fruits condensed into a ring behind his head, manifesting the phenomenon of water and fire harmonizing.
[Furnace Crucible Fire], [Rooftop Tile Earth], [Wellspring Water]!
Water and fire complementing each other, with earth residing in the middle to harmonize. Just from this composition alone, this Great Perfected Lord's Dao comprehension was clearly higher, and he had no hidden dangers of so-called Dao Fruit conflict!
"What a pity."
His sharp gaze pointed directly at Precious Shimmering Radiance Bodhisattva. An indifferent voice echoed inside and outside the temple: "Forsaking good to follow evil, how unwise are you, Fellow Daoist Precious Radiance?"
Precious Shimmering Radiance Bodhisattva didn't even have the interest to reply. He turned around and left. The temple doors opened and closed again, his figure rapidly vanishing into the myriad layers of temples.
"Hmph, trying to escape?"
Witnessing this, Great Perfected Lord Heavenly Furnace chuckled lightly. Showing no fear, he took a step forward and charged directly into the temple below.
"Amitabha!"
Before he could steady his footing, towering Protector Vajras immediately stepped out. Each held a Buddhist treasure in hand, their appearances majestic and fierce, as they boldly charged at him with intent to kill.
The styles of these Buddhist treasures varied—there were pestles, wheels, swords, and staffs. Buddhist light shone brilliantly. A glance revealed they were all high-grade artifacts and secret weapons with impressive might. However, upon seeing them, Great Perfected Lord Heavenly Furnace waved his sleeve disdainfully: "Fellow Daoist is showing off before an expert this time!"
Before his words faded, he tossed the pill cauldron in his hand.
In an instant, the cauldron lid flipped open, and endless raging flames surged out from within. In a split second, they were forged into shape, transforming into a dazzling array of artifacts arrayed in the air.
[Heavenly Works Platform]!
The fundamental profound wonder of the [Furnace Crucible Fire] was visualizing creation. It didn't need any materials; as long as spiritual power was output, it could create all sorts of artifacts.
"Boom!"
Artifacts clashed. The Protector Vajras in the temple were instantly chopped into countless pieces. The numerous Buddhist treasures were even more fragile, being smashed to pieces on the spot.
"A mere Buddhist cultivator dares to show off artifact refinement techniques and control artifacts in front of me. Truly laughable."
While sneering, Great Perfected Lord Heavenly Furnace continued to activate the pill cauldron. The [Furnace Crucible Fire] smelted yin and yang, instantly suppressing the temple full of brilliant colors.
This was the suppression of a Dao Fruit.
The [Furnace Crucible Fire] was fierce and at its peak. In comparison, Precious Shimmering Radiance Bodhisattva's [Mountain Base Fire] was much weaker. There was simply no comparison between the two.
The next second, the hand seals of this Sword Pavilion Great Perfected Lord shifted. With a Dao shout, the halo formed by the three Dao Fruits behind his head abruptly leaped up, then collapsed, transforming into a thumb-sized radiance. Pulsating like a pill, it locked onto Precious Shimmering Radiance Bodhisattva's position and struck out fiercely.
[Golden Cauldron Jade Ladle Dao Fruit]!
In an instant, it was as if a pebble had been tossed into a calm lake, stirring up ripples and making one involuntarily feel a resonance, as if heaven and earth were being shaken.
All things in creation were being beaten back to their original forms.
The temple shattered layer by layer. Precious Shimmering Radiance Bodhisattva was struck squarely between the eyebrows. His previously perfect and unblemished Buddha face instantly cracked with countless clear fissures.
"Glass as the bowl, ivory as the plate, Golden Cauldron and Jade Ladle combine the divine pill."
"My [Golden Ladle Pill] is all-encompassing, merging artifact and pill into one. How does Fellow Daoist find its might?"
Great Perfected Lord Heavenly Furnace chuckled lightly. The pill returned, transforming back into a three-colored halo hanging behind his head. "One must know, since ancient times, artifacts and pills have always been inseparable."
At the same time, radiance also gathered not far away.
Initially, it was just wisps and threads, but it abruptly surged in a flash, transforming into a vast river reflecting in the sky, like an eternally unchanging lake surface.
A figure stood upon the lake surface.
[Perfected Lord Azure Firmament Radiance].
This sole Saint Sect Great Perfected Lord in the Netherworld was incredibly low-key at this moment. He didn't reveal the slightest aura, quietly observing the scene before him.
Instead, upon seeing him, Great Perfected Lord Heavenly Furnace suddenly sneered:
"Speaking of which, the Demonic Sect seems to also have an inheritance for artifacts and pills, except the level is limited. The successive Peak Masters weren't even Perfected Lords, only having Foundation Establishment cultivation."
"And even such an inheritance was supposedly highly renowned in the ancient era."
After saying that, he shook his head and sighed with emotion: "If that is truly the case, had I been born a hundred thousand years earlier, I would definitely have made a name for myself in the ancient era, not letting mediocrities achieve success."
As his voice fell, dead silence reigned.
Precious Shimmering Radiance Bodhisattva still did not speak. He merely gave the other party a deep look, then reopened the temple doors and turned to leave without another word.
Seeing this, Great Perfected Lord Heavenly Furnace frowned slightly.
He had heard that the World Honored One had once continued his studies in the Demonic Sect, specializing in artifact refinement. That was why he had deliberately belittled it, hoping to provoke the other party into confronting him directly.
"What a pity. In the end, he is still of the devilish sort—he chose to flee.
Despite this, he wasn't worried. He remained calm and collected. Now that the surroundings were sealed by the [Heavenly Laws and Earthly Rules], no matter how much he fled, where could he run to?
Just a cornered beast's final struggle.
"Chase him!"
Great Perfected Lord Heavenly Furnace was the first to make a move. The [Golden Ladle Pill] refined by his Dao Fruit Secret Method flew out again, plunging straight into that gateway like lightning.
And his main body followed closely behind.
And then he froze.
Because behind the door was not another layer of temple cast by profound wonders as he had imagined, but a pitch-black darkness where one couldn't see their own fingers, illuminated only by flickering candlelight.
And beneath the candlelight was a youth.
He saw the other party wearing a calm expression, casually and effortlessly pinching his [Golden Ladle Pill] with two fingers, and lightly brushing it with the horsetail whisk in his hand.
In an instant, all profound wonders were stripped away.
The violently active pill, originally jumping like fierce thunder, abruptly settled down. No longer possessing the mighty power that previously shook heaven and earth, it lay obediently in the youth's palm.
"Fellow Daoist, there is no need to be born a hundred thousand years earlier."
The next second, [Pill Cauldron] raised his eyes, a smile gracing the corners of his mouth:
"After today, you will be able to make a name for yourself in the world."