Balin let out a sinister chuckle, a ball of spiritual energy erupting from his fingertip. He pointed it at the crimson sphere and shouted, "Crimson Blood Twisted Array, shrink! Shrink! Shrink!"
The light walls surrounding the crimson sphere emitted a blinding radiance, flashing and then suddenly engulfing the entire sphere.
Wu Tao, who had intended to break through the crimson sphere with the sharpness of his broken ancient sword, found himself trapped, unable to pierce its light barrier. Instead, he was being drawn into a desperate struggle, like a frog being slowly boiled.
As the crimson sphere tightened its grip, an extreme pressure filled the space within, akin to a mountain pressing down from all sides, crushing Wu Tao.
Wu Tao found it difficult to breathe, his chest heavy, as if burdened by ten thousand jin. Every movement became incredibly arduous.
Sensing that something was wrong, Wu Tao finally became anxious. However, no matter what method he tried, he couldn't even chip away a single inch of the crimson sphere's light barrier.
Seeing this from outside, Balin let out another triumphant laugh, mocking, "Boy, save your strength, it's a wasted effort. The array runes for this Crimson Blood Twisted Array cost me ten thousand spirit stones at an auction. No one below the Core Formation stage can break it. No matter how talented or powerful you are, you cannot escape."
This was not the end. Balin roared again, channeling his spiritual energy madly into the crimson sphere.
The crimson sphere began to spin continuously, and as it spun, it continued to shrink.
Wu Tao's expression turned grim. He gritted his teeth and decided to activate the Buddha's Golden Body, a technique he had never used before.
He shouted to Balin, "Let me show you how I'll break your damned Crimson Blood Twisted Array!"
Immediately, Wu Tao unleashed another surge of Buddha power from within his body.
To the naked eye, Wu Tao rapidly expanded, growing several dozen times his original size, transforming into a giant.
Not only that, but his skin also turned a golden yellow. This was the Buddha's Golden Body.
Upon seeing Wu Tao in this state, Balin's face changed, and a sense of unease suddenly welled up within him. This technique he was employing didn't resemble any secret art from the Taiyi Immortal Sect, nor did it appear to be the sword arts secret techniques he had learned from the Zhao family. Had he somehow gained another fortuitous encounter in just a few years?
However, the current situation left him no time to ponder. Balin could only chant incantations, urging the crimson light sphere to shrink even tighter.
Inside the crimson sphere, it was like a swamp – suffocating, heavy, making movement impossible.
"The world speaks of Buddha's love for all beings, thus fearing to harm ants when sweeping, and cherishing moths near lamps. Yet, they know not that when the Vajra rages, it destroys worlds and subdues demons. Break!"
At this moment, Wu Tao seemed to be imbued with the power of all Buddhas, unleashing a supreme Buddha-path punch!
This single punch instantly multiplied into a hundred, then a thousand, carrying the intent of the Buddha descending to earth and wrathfully subjugating all demons!
"Boom!" "Boom!" "Boom!"
Wu Tao's fists struck three times in succession, each strike more powerful than the last. The surrounding crimson light walls finally shattered.
Concurrently, the entire crimson sphere vanished.
Meanwhile.
Balin, utterly astonished that Wu Tao could break the Crimson Blood Twisted Array, stared blankly, his mind a complete blank.
After Wu Tao shattered the Crimson Blood Twisted Array, his hatred for its creator, Balin, burned fiercely. Without wasting any words, his broken ancient sword descended upon Balin with a fearsome aura.
A tragic scream erupted, blood splattered, and Balin's body was cleaved in two. The monstrous insect cultivator, Balin, perished!
...
Buddha-path cultivators generally practice the Great Path of Karma.
The realm divisions within the Buddha-path differ from those in the cultivation world.
The Buddha-path has its own system of merit and status, not recognizing the mainstream classification of the cultivation world; it essentially has its own internal progression system.
The lowest merit status in the Buddha-path is Shāní, equivalent to the Qi Refining stage.
After reaching the peak of Shāní comes Tuóshàng, which is the Foundation Establishment stage.
After the peak of Tuóshàng, one forms a Sarira and becomes an Arhat, equivalent to a Core Formation stage cultivator.
Following Arhat is the Bodhisattva realm, also known as the Lotus Seater, equivalent to a Nascent Soul stage cultivator. While the cultivation world calls it "breaking the core to form the soul," they refer to it as "breaking the Sarira to form the lotus."
After Bodhisattva comes the Buddha, equivalent to the Purple Mansion stage cultivator.
The highest merit status in the Buddha-path is the Buddha, equivalent to the Soul Transformation stage cultivator.
...
The Buddha-path emphasizes affinity with Buddha and is deeply concerned with karma.
What is written in books is the Buddha-path, what is kept in the heart is the Buddha-path, what is spoken aloud is the Buddha-path, and what is prayed in devoutness is also the Buddha-path.
Furthermore, most cultivators in the Buddha-path are ascetics, inheriting the tradition of arduous cultivation that the Buddha followed when attaining enlightenment.
Buddha-path cultivators do not prioritize innate talent or comprehension, but they place extreme importance on willpower.
This is because, up to the Bodhisattva merit status, cultivators following the Buddha-path generally do not encounter significant bottlenecks.
However, where there are advantages, there are also disadvantages. It is very difficult for an Arhat to break through to the Bodhisattva merit status.
Out of a hundred Arhats, it is rare for one to become a Bodhisattva.
Daily chanting of scriptures and prayers has tempered their willpower into something as strong as finely tempered steel.
Decades, even centuries, of tempering have endowed these Buddha-path cultivators with hearts as pure and steadfast as glazed vajra.
Among the many schools of cultivation in the cultivation world, Buddha cultivators, while not the most powerful, are the most formidable.
In the sacred land of Buddhism, the Great Brightness Temple, there are many such individuals who cultivate day and night without faltering, persisting for tens or even hundreds of years.
Such sacred lands of the Buddha-path as the Great Brightness Temple can sometimes field thousands of such ascetic Buddha cultivators. Any terrifying force would falter when faced with over a thousand ascetics whose willpower is like iron, who are ready to sacrifice themselves at any moment, and whose hearts are solely devoted to the Buddha-path.
Yet, this very vajra-like Buddha-heart has also restricted the development of the Buddha-path in the cultivation world.
...
Indeed, the further one ascends, and the higher the realm, the greater the disparity in combat power becomes.
The difference between Qi Refining stage cultivators and Foundation Establishment stage cultivators is not yet that significant; many geniuses who can fight above their level can defeat or kill Foundation Establishment stage cultivators while still in the Qi Refining stage.
The primary difference between Core Formation stage cultivators and Foundation Establishment stage cultivators lies not in the amount of spiritual energy within them, but in the condensation of their divine abilities and their innate spirit artifacts.
Imagine a Foundation Establishment stage cultivator, already inferior in spiritual energy to a Core Formation stage cultivator, attempting to confront divine abilities and spirit artifacts with mere spells, magic items, and incomplete treasures. How could they possibly win?
The result is that a Core Formation stage cultivator fighting a Foundation Establishment stage cultivator is as easy as an adult fighting a child.
The strength of a Nascent Soul stage cultivator compared to a Core Formation stage cultivator lies in their ability to initially touch the rules of heaven and earth, summon heavenly tribulations, and create their own domain while condensing their Nascent Soul. Within their domain, everything is under their control!
Once a Nascent Soul stage cultivator activates their domain, cultivators of other realms, except for those of the same level, will have their combat power instantly reduced by seventy percent, making any fight even more impossible. A casual strike from a Nascent Soul stage cultivator is beyond the resistance of anyone below that stage.
As for Purple Mansion stage cultivators, they are beings who truly grasp portions of the Great Dao. They mostly wield spirit treasures.
Spirit treasures are eternal immortal artifacts that suppress destiny!
The gap between Purple Mansion stage cultivators and Nascent Soul stage cultivators is even greater.
Twenty to thirty Nascent Soul stage cultivators are not enough for a single Purple Mansion stage cultivator to handle.
A Soul Transformation stage cultivator, on the other hand, comprehends the Heavenly Dao, understands the Three Thousand Great Daos, and is an supreme existence transcending all!
...
After the cross-regional war that swept across Qingzhou and the Eastern Sea fifteen years prior, initiated by the Taiyi Immortal Sect, the Demonic Heavenly Sect, and the Cold Water True Spirit Sect, the Cold Water True Spirit Sect gradually began to open the maritime borders and prohibitions in the areas of the Eastern Sea adjacent to Qingzhou on a large scale.
Qingzhou cultivators who ventured far out to sea reaped immense rewards. Especially the first batch of cultivators who sailed out, trading inland resources for resources from the outer sea, acting as intermediaries, and then selling them off, earning fortunes beyond measure.
This also led more local cultivators from Qingzhou to travel to the Eastern Sea and then back to Qingzhou, becoming second-hand dealers.
...
Meanwhile, local rogue cultivators, small sects, and small families within the Eastern Sea region, no longer subjected to the exploitation of the Cold Water True Spirit Sect, traded directly with Qingzhou cultivators and also benefited significantly.
Incidentally, the qualification obtained by Long Ao Potian to enter the ancient underwater ruins also came from the Sea God's Ruins, which were managed by the Cold Water True Spirit Sect.
Speaking of the Sea God's Ruins, one must touch upon the true situation of the Cold Water True Spirit Sect.
...
The Cold Water True Spirit Sect is the true overlord of the vast and boundless Eastern Sea region, a genuine behemoth in the cultivation world. Below it, there are five inherited secret realms that it controls independently.
Each time a secret realm opens, its disciples can obtain immense benefits from within.
The sect's strength is formidable, its inheritance is ancient, and its foundation is deep. Whether in terms of power or influence, it far surpasses the current Taiyi Immortal Sect, and its reputation even extends throughout the Nine Continents Continent.
The Cold Water True Spirit Sect did not fall behind even when faced with the combined forces of the Taiyi Immortal Sect and the Demonic Heavenly Sect attacking with the power of an entire province.
If not for its leadership fearing that prolonged conflict would lead to a third party benefiting, coupled with instability in its rear and the restless movement of deep-sea demonic beasts, the lengthening of the front line and the extended duration of the war would have become increasingly disadvantageous.
Under various pressures, after much negotiation, the high-ranking officials of the Cold Water True Spirit Sect finally agreed to open the maritime borders and prohibitions of the Eastern Sea region.
Furthermore, this journey to the Sea God's Ruins secret realm was one of the conditions of peace negotiated and signed by the high-ranking officials of the Cold Water True Spirit Sect, the Taiyi Immortal Sect, and the Demonic Heavenly Sect.
The high-ranking officials of the Cold Water True Spirit Sect grudgingly agreed to allow the inner disciples of the Taiyi Immortal Sect and the Demonic Heavenly Sect, along with their own inner disciples, to enter the Sea God's Ruins together.
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