Translator: CinderTL
"Boom!"
With a deafening roar, the Buddhist radiance on the Profound Heaven Defense Talisman dissipated into nothingness.
The talisman, unable to withstand the relentless assaults of the Fiend Pythons, finally shattered into pieces.
Fayan's heart sank. He hastily summoned the Horned Dragon Staff.
The staff transformed into a colossal hundred-zhang-long weapon and smashed toward the nearest Fiend Python.
"Bang!"
The Fiend Python disintegrated.
However, the Horned Dragon Staff was also sent flying.
There was only one Horned Dragon Staff, but the Fiend Pythons were numerous.
Over a dozen Fiend Pythons surged forward.
Fayan dared not linger. He no longer cared about delaying Gou Jun and hurriedly retreated.
But it was already too late.
A Fiend Python closed in on Fayan. He channeled all his Spiritual Power and struck out with a palm.
Instantly, a massive golden palm phantom shot forth.
"Boom!"
The palm phantom disintegrated.
The Fiend Python's momentum was greatly reduced, but it still charged forward, crashing into Fayan.
Fayan felt as if he had been struck by a mountain. His chest caved in, and blood gushed from his mouth like a fountain.
His body lost control and accelerated as he was flung into the distance.
Seizing the advantage, the other Fiend Pythons pursued him relentlessly, their shadows following closely.
Fayan's face turned ashen. In his current state, he could not withstand even a single Fiend Python.
At that very moment, a lotus phantom swept past him.
This lotus phantom was vastly different from the previous ones. It did not dissipate as it expanded but remained solid from start to finish.
Fayan's eyes suddenly lit up—Xiao Chan had succeeded!
Xiao Chan had successfully activated the Fleeting Splendor.
No!
That wasn't the Fleeting Splendor!
It was...
A cold smile crept onto Fayan's lips.
...
Xiao Chan suddenly realized that the Fleeting Splendor in his hand had become unusually heavy, almost too much for him to bear.
He hurriedly channeled his Spiritual Power, attempting to levitate the Fleeting Splendor.
However, to his astonishment, the Fleeting Splendor seemed to be firmly glued to his palm.
No matter how much Spiritual Power he poured into it, no matter how much strength he exerted, he could not let go of it.
"What's going on?" Xiao Chan's expression changed drastically.
What happened next filled Xiao Chan with even greater terror.
From the base of the Fleeting Splendor, nine blood-red roots suddenly extended. Like eerie tentacles, they instantly pierced into his palm.
These roots seemed to possess a will of their own, actively devouring the Spiritual Power within his body, like ravenous beasts.
The Spiritual Power in Xiao Chan's body was completely out of his control, surging like a torrent, continuously flowing into the Fleeting Splendor.
The Fleeting Splendor had evolved into that lotus, and it continued to expand.
Ten li, twenty li... one hundred li, two hundred li... until it reached five hundred li.
Centered around Xiao Chan, a blooming lotus appeared in the sky, covering the heavens and the earth.
The petals of the lotus overlapped layer upon layer, enveloping Gou Jun, Fayan, and Xiao Chan within.
However, this lotus was not as Fayan had described, imbued with boundless Buddhist nature. Instead, it exuded a chilling, demonic aura.
Each petal was a deep crimson, emitting a faint, bloody scent.
Xiao Chan's expression grew increasingly panicked. Gradually, he realized that the Fleeting Splendor in his hand was not only continuing to devour his Spiritual Power but also consuming his vital essence and life force.
In the span of a single breath, he felt that his lifespan had been reduced by at least ten years.
In just thirty to fifty breaths, his lifespan would be completely drained.
"Fayan, this thing is definitely not the Fleeting Splendor. What is it?" Xiao Chan demanded sharply.
Fayan smiled faintly, "Of course, it's not the Fleeting Splendor. It's the Yin Lotus, crafted from the heart's blood of countless devout Buddhist followers, combined with rare blood-path spiritual materials. Back then, to create this, I sent out a thousand monks to preach in the mortal world for over a decade, just to gather the heart's blood of millions of devout believers."
"To activate this lotus, one must pay the price with Spiritual Power, lifespan, and vital essence. This Yin Lotus is enough to trap Gou Jun for a hundred breaths. However, you won't be able to escape either; you will become the sacrifice for the Yin Lotus. The Buddha is merciful!"
As Fayan spoke, he continuously formed hand seals.
Under the guidance of the seals, the petals of the massive lotus phantom began to fall off one by one, flying towards Gou Jun's location, encircling him.
Gou Jun's face darkened. The strange and sinister secret techniques and treasures of the Buddhist sect were even more troublesome than those of the demonic path.
His body exuded a dense corpse aura, and numerous Fiend Pythons surged forth, charging towards the massive petals.
The petals appeared delicate, but each one weighed as much as a thousand pounds.
The Fiend Pythons collided with the petals, only slowing them down without being able to repel them.
These petals came from all directions, closing in tighter and tighter, layer upon layer, like a giant flower bud, heavily surrounding Gou Jun.
"Thinking of trapping me? Wishful thinking!"
A cold voice emerged from within the petals.
Before the words faded, a golden figure rose from the forest below, shooting straight into the sky.
It was a late-stage fourth-tier Golden Corpse, which swiftly headed towards Xiao Chan.
The main body of the Yin Lotus was in Xiao Chan's hand. As long as the main body of the Yin Lotus was destroyed, the giant petals trapping him would naturally collapse.
Xiao Chan, now trapped by the Yin Lotus, would be utterly defenseless against a late-stage fourth-tier Golden Corpse.
Seeing the approaching Golden Corpse, a flash of ruthlessness crossed Xiao Chan's eyes. Suddenly, he swung his right arm, which was parasitized by the Yin Lotus.
With a spray of blood, his right arm was severed at the root and, propelled by the force of the swing, was flung far away.
On the other side.
Fayan, who was casting spells to control the giant petals, sneered at the sight.
"Xiao Chan, it's useless. Once the Yin Lotus is activated, it will automatically parasitize the nearest living person other than the one trapped by the petals."
Just as Fayan said, after Xiao Chan's right arm was thrown away, the Yin Lotus seemed to be hindered by some force from moving too far from Xiao Chan, and its speed quickly decreased.
After flying just ten miles, the Yin Lotus stopped. Then it turned around and flew back towards Xiao Chan at an incredible speed.
At the same time, perhaps because the vital essence and life force contained in a single arm were too meager.
In an instant, the life force of the severed arm was completely devoured by the Yin Lotus, turning into a pile of black ash that scattered in the wind. Only the Yin Lotus remained, shooting back towards Xiao Chan.
Xiao Chan retreated rapidly, trying to put distance between himself and the Yin Lotus.
The Yin Lotus shadowed them relentlessly, pursuing without pause.
Behind the Yin Lotus was the late-stage fourth-tier Golden Corpse.
"May the Buddha have mercy, Xiao Chan, your efforts are in vain. You cannot escape," Fayan's voice rang out with a hint of mockery.
At this moment, he had completed the spell on the giant petal and was about to activate his escape technique.
However, he was met with a scene that filled him with dread.
Suddenly, a silver talisman appeared in Xiao Chan's hand.
"A Minor Teleportation Talisman! How do you have the Nine Palaces Sect's Minor Teleportation Talisman?" Fayan asked in a voice tinged with fear.
Simultaneously, his figure abruptly accelerated as he turned to flee.
It was well known that the Minor Teleportation Talisman could transport one up to three hundred miles away.
If Xiao Chan were to be teleported three hundred miles away, Fayan would become the closest person to the Yin Lotus, aside from Gou Jun, and thus the next target for the Yin Lotus's parasitic attachment.
(End of the Chapter)
---
📖Read (RDC) on Pa.treon@CinderTL - c930. [+2]
🔑Early Access at $5.
✍Translated (6) Series, (3K+) Chapters, (4.2M+) Words.