Although the Three-Eyed Demon Lord was merely a Star Monarch bearing the Heavenly Mandate of the Great Dao, he was an innate demon. Not only was his physical body formidable, but his strength was also immense. The third eye on his forehead, in particular, was said to be the legendary Earth Fiend Crimson Eye, containing Earth Fiend Fire. When that crimson eye opened, the Earth Fiend Fire could incinerate all things, making it truly terrifying.
Beyond that, this Three-Eyed Demon Lord was also an Original Sin outlaw. His Original Sin was not ordinary either; he had delved deeply into it, rumored to have already attained the Sambhogakaya of Original Sin.
Almost anyone with some understanding of Original Sin knew that it was divided into acquired and innate.
Among the Original Sin outlaws across the myriad realms of the Great Wasteland, most possessed acquired Original Sin. This acquired Original Sin might be terrifying to ordinary people, but for figures like Eastern Peak Great Emperor Zhuge Yun, Lord Lingyin, and Pure Robe Bodhisattva, it could be completely disregarded.
However,
compared to acquired Original Sin, innate Original Sin was far more dreadful.
Fortunately, innate Original Sin was not common, and those who cultivated an Original Sin incarnation were exceedingly rare.
And a level deeper than the Original Sin incarnation was the Sambhogakaya of Original Sin.
An Original Sin incarnation, as the name implied, was the incarnation of Original Sin. Once one incarnated as Original Sin, it was like becoming a mad demon. Although self-awareness remained and the consciousness was clear, actions were completely uncontrollable. Whatever the heart desired, one would do, without considering any consequences.
A Sambhogakaya of Original Sin was equivalent to the retribution body of Original Sin.
Whatever cause was sown while incarnating as Original Sin would yield a corresponding Sambhogakaya.
This was the principle of good deeds bringing good rewards and evil deeds bringing evil retribution.
If the self-awareness of an Original Sin incarnation could still be considered clear, then the self-awareness of a Sambhogakaya of Original Sin was completely dominated by the two words 'Original Sin.' To be precise, the Sambhogakaya of Original Sin no longer possessed self-awareness; it was entirely the evil retribution of Original Sin.
As for what the Sambhogakaya of Original Sin of the Three-Eyed Demon Lord looked like, no one knew. The only certainty was that it must be terrifying. One had to remember that this fellow had slaughtered billions of living beings across more than forty worlds. With such profound sin, it was truly unimaginable what kind of Original Sin retribution he would receive.
"Hehehe!
What a treasure!
Truly a fine treasure!"
The Three-Eyed Demon Lord grew fonder the more he looked, laughing heartily without cease. "It seems my luck is truly not bad!
Hahaha!"
Suddenly,
another voice rang out.
"My apologies, but this Seven-Colored Lotus has caught this seat's eye."
In response appeared a group of seven. To be precise, they were not humans but ghosts. Everyone focused their gaze and couldn't help but suck in a cold breath. Good heavens, among these seven ghosts, there were actually a full three Ghost Monarchs and one Ghost King. The leader was none other than the famous Purple Poison Ghost Emperor.
Purple Poison Ghost Emperor was one of the Eight Emperors of Fengdu under the Green Lamp Ghost Emperor. In the Ghost Dao, in the Nine Netherworlds, and across this Heaven and Earth, he was a powerful existence.
Seeing Purple Poison Ghost Emperor and the others, the Green Fangs Ghost King within the scene was overjoyed, for he and Purple Poison Ghost Emperor both served under the Green Lamp Ghost Emperor, and the two had a decent friendship. Originally feeling little hope of seizing the Seven-Colored Lotus, Purple Poison Ghost Emperor's appearance instantly boosted Green Fangs Ghost King's confidence tremendously.
"Hehehe, you think a little ghost like you can contend with me?
You must be tired of living!"
The Three-Eyed Demon Lord's arrogant laughter echoed. Clearly, he did not regard Purple Poison Ghost Emperor highly. Not only that, he seemed to disregard everyone present, including Lady Water Mirror, Water Moon Bodhisattva, Pure Robe Bodhisattva, and all others.
The Three-Eyed Demon Lord charged forward at his fastest speed, not even bothering to glance at the people in the scene, as if he simply didn't care.
Everyone knew the Three-Eyed Demon Lord was wildly arrogant and unrestrained, but no one expected this bastard to attack the moment he spoke.
In the blink of an eye, the Three-Eyed Demon Lord arrived, directly assaulting the radiant Seven-Colored Lotus blooming in mid-air. Lady Water Mirror was the first to rush out, intercepting the Three-Eyed Demon Lord.
The moment the Three-Eyed Demon Lord moved, Purple Poison Ghost Emperor and his group from afar also charged forward. Water Moon Bodhisattva and the Five Monsters of Black Mountain met them head-on to block their advance.
Immediately after, Green Fangs Ghost King and Snow Toad Monster King also joined the fray.
A great battle erupted instantly.
Boom!
Crash!
Powerful forces clashed in mid-air, producing deafening sounds. Terrifying shockwaves spread like raging tidal waves, not only stirring up rolling dust clouds in the desolate wilderness but also causing the earth to tremble incessantly.
Those fighting within were either Ghost Emperors or Ghost Kings, either Immortal Emperors or Bodhisattvas, plus the formidable Three-Eyed Demon Lord. The moment these few engaged in melee, the originally relatively calm Desolate Ancient ruins immediately descended into chaos. Looking around, it felt like the end of the world, utterly terrifying.
Within the scene,
the group of old Mystic Immortals from Purple Mist Immortal Realm and Loulan Blessed Land, along with the group of Buddhas from the Pure Land Sect, some employed divine abilities and marvelous techniques, others summoned magical treasures to protect their physical bodies.
Because the force fluctuations erupting from the clash between the Three-Eyed Demon Lord, Lady Water Mirror, and the others were simply too powerful. If they didn't summon treasures to resist, their physical bodies couldn't withstand it. Even now, with treasures deployed, the old Mystic Immortants couldn't help but retreat step by step. It felt as if they were under siege themselves.
Watching a battle also required paying a price.
Especially observing a fight between powerhouses—the closer one got, the more dangerous it was. A single misstep, getting injured by the shockwaves, could result in serious wounds at best, or immediate annihilation into nothingness at worst; such a possibility was not unheard of.
However,
Pure Robe Bodhisattva, Eastern Peak Great Emperor, and Lord Lingyin remained standing within the scene, unmoving from beginning to end, not even blinking an eye.
Pure Robe Bodhisattva looked like a gentle, jade-like elegant young master, watching the chaotic battle in mid-air with an expressionless face. One hand was behind his back, the other in front. A faint golden radiance emanated from his entire body, his vast Buddha aura blooming layer upon layer like flowers.
Not far away, Eastern Peak Great Emperor stood with both hands behind his back, his face solemn. Purple energy swirled around him like coiling purple dragons, like a rising purple sun.
The immortal and dignified Lord Lingyin also stood in mid-air, his profound power making him seem like an unshakable mountain.
On the surface, all three appeared calm, but inwardly, they were somewhat flustered. Both their gazes and divine senses were fully focused on the battle within, not daring to stray for a moment, fearing the Seven-Colored Lotus might be snatched away.
Without a doubt, all three wanted to obtain the Seven-Colored Lotus.
They hadn't acted earlier because the timing wasn't right.
With the appearance of the Three-Eyed Demon Lord and Purple Poison Ghost Emperor, one could say the timing had arrived. Acting now was just right and held the greatest hope of seizing the Seven-Colored Lotus. If they didn't act now, the lotus was highly likely to fall into the hands of either the Three-Eyed Demon Lord or Purple Poison Ghost Emperor.
Such a simple principle wasn't lost on the three. However, the figure of Gu Qingfeng standing in the distance made them hesitate—to act or not to act, they were utterly conflicted.
They feared neither Lady Water Mirror nor Water Moon Bodhisattva, neither Purple Poison Ghost Emperor nor the Three-Eyed Demon Lord.
They feared only Gu Qingfeng.
They all feared that even if they finally seized the Seven-Colored Lotus, they wouldn't be able to pass Gu Qingfeng's test.