CHAPTER 501: CHAPTER 248 BREAKTHROUGH (REQUESTING MONTHLY PASS)

Within the Myriad Buddhas Sect.

The Mahavira Hall shook violently, followed by the entire Buddha Palm Mountain, which began to tremble intensely. At that moment, it was like an Earth Dragon’s Turnover. All the powerhouses of the Myriad Buddhas Sect were alarmed.

As they were trying to comprehend what was happening, a resplendent golden light burst forth from the Mahavira Hall, piercing into Qingming above. The golden light was vast and ethereal, and everyone who saw it felt an inexplicable sense of reverence in their hearts. That feeling was as if they were witnessing something sacred.

Immediately after, the golden light swirled and transformed into a gigantic Buddha statue.

"Sect Master!"

Xuankong looked up at the Buddha statue that dominated the firmament, his weathered face unable to remain calm. Because the face of the Buddha statue was unmistakably the likeness of Shimohe.

At this time, the other individuals had also noticed that the face of the Buddha statue was exactly like Shimohe. This kind of occurrence could definitely not be a coincidence.

As everyone was in shock, the Buddha statue, with a flower pinched in one hand, unexpectedly opened its mouth and uttered a Buddhist chant in the midst of the astonished gaze of the crowd.

"Amitabha Buddha!"

The sound was majestic, carrying with it supreme dignity. In an instant, all those who heard the chant were stunned.

The apparition of the Buddha statue was one thing; perhaps it was just a True Intent Manifestation after all, albeit much larger than any other person’s. But—the fact that the apparition of the Buddha statue spoke was a completely different matter.

It was clear. This was definitely not as simple as a True Intent Manifestation.

"Could it be that the Sect Master has become a Buddha!"

Within the Myriad Buddhas Sect, a Disciple couldn’t help but exclaim in shock. As the words fell, all the Disciples of the Myriad Buddhas Sect who heard this statement became excited.

Yes! He has become a Buddha! That is the only explanation. If he hadn’t become a Buddha, how could such a miraculous phenomenon occur? Such a magnificent scene is not something an ordinary Martial Artist could possess. Only the Buddhas from the legends could command such dignity.

While everyone was astonished.

「A hundred miles away.」

Yi Ning had just come out from an Ancient Ruins when he happened to witness the Buddha statue occupying the void, uttering the Buddhist chant. At that moment, he couldn’t help but let out a curse.

"Fuck!"

Shimohe has actually succeeded! Destiny Sealing the Gods! A realm mysteriously profound.

Yi Ning, who frequented various ruins, also had quite a bit of knowledge about Destiny Sealing the Gods. What he didn’t expect was that, besides himself, someone else knew about Destiny Sealing the Gods and had succeeded.

Trouble!

Looking at the Buddha statue in the void, Yi Ning’s expression was one of shock.

Destiny Sealing the Gods! That’s a realm even more powerful than that of a Great Grandmaster. With the Ancients’ Ancestral Vein severed, methods to break through the Grandmaster’s Limit have completely vanished, turning the breaking of the limit into a legend—a legend whose truth can’t be verified. Shimohe’s ability to break the limit might be considered a matter of unique talent, or perhaps a stroke of luck, but to achieve Destiny Sealing the Gods, he must have received an inheritance from Ancient Ruins, and an extremely powerful one at that.

His shock unabated, Yi Ning recollected his memories of ancient times. Constantly venturing into Ancient Ruins, Yi Ning could confidently say that when it came to understanding the Ancient, very few could surpass him. Now that the apparition of the Buddha statue had appeared, such a phenomenon was very similar to a realm recorded in Ancient Ruins.

Immediately after, Yi Ning thought about the record he had obtained from an Ancient Ruin not long ago.

The name Great Grandmaster has actually been around since ancient times, yet Shimohe claimed to be the first Great Grandmaster, asserting the realm was his own creation—which really is shameless. Now that he’s making another breakthrough, it probably won’t be long before this realm that existed since ancient times becomes his own as well.

However, despite the complaints, it was true that Shimohe’s strength had become much more formidable.

No, I must talk to Shen Changqing about this first; otherwise, if the Heaven Alliance attacks in full force, he will be in trouble!

With this thought in mind, Yi Ning immediately left the area, heading towards Mountain-Breaking City.

The Buddha statue vanished, the golden light disappeared, and all the extraordinary phenomena were gone as if they had never appeared. Yet in the minds of others, the scene they had witnessed kept resounding. That supreme power was unforgettable.

「Inside the Mahavira Hall.」

The closely shut doors opened, and the waiting Elders of the Myriad Buddhas Sect couldn’t wait to enter. Beneath the towering Buddha statue, Shimohe was sitting in full lotus on a cushion. His already handsome face was now devoid of worldly vulgarity, exuding a divine and ethereal air.

"You have come."

A tranquil voice came from him, and upon reaching the others’ ears, it was like a breath of spring, cleansing their souls.

Xuankong trembled and immediately brought his hands together in prayer. "Amitabha Buddha, anomalies appeared in Heaven and Earth just now. May I ask if the Sect Master was the cause?"

The other Elders also looked towards the man in front, eager to receive an answer.

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Shimohe held a flower and smiled, "Indeed, it is the breakthrough in my realm that has caused this phenomenon."

Indeed! Everyone silently affirmed this in their hearts.

Xuankong then asked, "When the Sect Master speaks of a breakthrough in realm, has he broken through the Great Grandmaster’s limit?"

"Exactly."

"May I ask the Sect Master, what realm lies beyond the Great Grandmaster?"

"This realm, I have named it Domain."

"Domain?" Xuankong’s expression was one of astonishment; he didn’t quite understand this name.

Shimohe replied with a light smile, "What is a Domain, you ask? I shall let you all see for yourselves!"

As his voice fell, without any visible action from him, the surrounding space shook lightly, followed promptly by a dramatic change in the expressions of Xuankong and the others.

"What’s happening!"

"Why can’t I mobilize my True Qi?"

"My power, it seems to be restrained—"

Some Elders were panic-stricken. The most powerful tool of a Martial Artist comes from one’s own strength; now, with their strength gone, it was as if they had been completely cast down from their heights, making panic unavoidable.

Watching their panicked expressions, Shimohe chanted, "Amitabha Buddha, this is the method of the Domain Realm. Wherever I stand is my Domain, and within it, I am the ruler. I can arbitrarily deprive and restrain others of their power."

After speaking, with a mere thought, the Domain was completely dispersed.

The next instant, the suppressed power of everyone returned. The previously panicked expressions quickly regained some composure. Nevertheless, their gaze towards Shimohe was still filled with shock. The ability to arbitrarily deprive others of their strength was, simply put, a crushing blow. Just think about it: once the opponent’s Domain is activated, all strong individuals become like ordinary people, and then to strike against them and erase them becomes as easy as pie.

After the shock had passed, Xuankong immediately reacted. "Sect Master, with your breakthrough into the Domain Realm and possessing such divine might, you are now unrivaled in South Nether Prefecture."

The power of the Domain Realm was infinitely more terrifying than that of a Great Grandmaster. Contemplating the technique just demonstrated, his heart was filled with unceasing shock. It could be said that when Shimohe was a Great Grandmaster, he, Xuankong, still had some confidence in resisting him. But now, with the Sect Master having broken through the Domain Realm, he felt utterly powerless to defend himself should Shimohe wish to erase him. Once the Domain was opened, his own strength would be restrained. In such a case, how could he possibly resist?

Shimohe declared, "The Heaven Alliance shall immediately consolidate its power. We will first take down South Sea City before taking Mountain-Breaking City. Then South Nether Prefecture will be mine."

"Sect Master, what about the one-year agreement we made with Shen Changqing? Are we to disregard it now?" an Elder asked solemnly.

Upon hearing this, Shimohe shook his head slightly, "The so-called agreement is nothing more than a constraint for the weak. Now that I have broken through to the Domain Realm, why would I give him even the slightest chance? Just do as I say."

Respecting the agreement was out of the question. The initial promise was made only because he wasn’t confident he could take down Shen Changqing. Truly fighting would only result in mutual destruction. But now, things were different; he had successfully achieved Destiny Sealing the Gods and broken through to the Domain Realm. A Great Grandmaster was no longer a match for him. Thus, he had no intention of honoring the agreement.

"We understand!" All Elders nodded in response.

They themselves were not in favor of the Heaven Alliance making any agreements with Shen Changqing; according to their original plan, they should have conquered South Nether Prefecture in one fell swoop. Now that Shimohe had achieved his breakthrough and was preparing to attack South Sea City again, it aligned perfectly with their wishes.

As the other Elders left, Xuankong pressed his hands together in reverence, "Sect Master, there is something I must report."

"What is it?"

"Over the past month, various natural disasters have occurred in South Nether Prefecture. The Heaven Alliance’s territories have been severely affected by these disasters, resulting in many deaths and causing widespread panic. Even up to now, the disasters haven’t subsided. I am concerned that there may be some underlying cause. If we do not resolve it, it could be detrimental to our Heaven Alliance."

Xuankong reported truthfully. If the Heaven Alliance was to control the entire South Nether Prefecture, relying solely on those Sects would be insufficient; garnering popular support was a must. Eradicating Demon Evils was one part of it. But now, with continuous natural disasters, rumors and fear spread among the people, making it much more difficult for the Heaven Alliance to maintain a stable situation.

After he finished speaking, there was no significant change in Shimohe’s expression.

"You need not worry too much about this matter. Now that I am in the Domain Realm, no natural disaster will be able to shake the foundation of our Heaven Alliance. Moreover, now that I have left seclusion, I reckon that the Heaven Alliance will no longer suffer from these disasters. Our primary focus is to conquer South Nether Prefecture. Other matters can be dealt with after we have taken it over."

"Yes!"

Upon hearing Shimohe’s words, Xuankong felt as if he had taken a reassuring pill, completely at ease.

After he left, only Shimohe remained in the Mahavira Hall.

"Natural disasters—" he murmured softly, his eyes eerily calm.

In the end, Shimohe chanted softly, and then the Mahavira Hall fell into complete silence.

"Amitabha Buddha!"