CHAPTER 430

As the swirling Thunder Tribulation Whirlpool completely dissipated, Elder Chixin and the others swiftly executed their movement techniques to rush forward. When they arrived beneath where the tribulation clouds had been, the scene within a two-mile radius was one of utter devastation.

Charred trees littered the area, many of them still ablaze.

The sheer destructive force of the tribulation lightning that had ravaged this place was evident.

Amidst the ruin, a tattered figure sat cross-legged, emanating an air of solemnity.

Golden light shimmered faintly from his body. Despite the tattered state of his Buddhist robes, the golden radiance surrounding him carried an innate majesty that made people dare not meet his gaze.

Elder Chixin and the others, recognizing Elder Jinchong’s meditative state, immediately refrained from disturbing him. They dispersed to form a protective formation, guarding him.

Not long after, they noticed Elder Jinchong’s body tremble slightly, and the golden light surrounding him grew even more intense.

A harmonious and complete aura emanated from him.

“He has successfully formed his Golden Core!”

Joy appeared on the faces of Elder Chixin and the others.

Elder Jinchong slowly opened his eyes. Golden light flickered within his gaze, projecting an aura of inviolable authority.

“Congratulations to Elder Jinchong for overcoming the tribulation and forming the Diamond Relic. Immortality is now within reach!”

Elder Chixin and the others congratulated him in unison.

“Thank you, fellow disciples, for your protection during this process,” Elder Jinchong said as he retracted the golden radiance around him and rose to bow in gratitude.

“Haha! Elder Jinchong, as expected, your foundation is the deepest among us. You are the second to reach the realm of the Diamond Relic after the Abbot,” one of the monks remarked with a hearty laugh.

“Jinchong was simply more impatient. Your accumulations are no less profound than mine. I believe it won’t be long before you all succeed in your tribulations and form your own Diamond Relics,” Elder Jinchong replied humbly.

“Elder Jinchong, now that you’ve reached the Golden Core Realm, Xuankong Mountain has two Golden Core cultivators, including the Abbot. Let’s see who dares to insult Xuankong Mountain now!” another monk said excitedly.

“Elder Kurong, are you referring to that Ghost-Masked Man from not long ago?” Elder Jinchong’s expression turned serious at the mention of the name. “Do not worry. That demon only relied on the power of a Spiritual Artifact. His actual strength is nothing remarkable.

If he dares to return, I will ensure that he does not leave alive! And even if he doesn’t come, once I stabilize my cultivation, I will hunt him down.

So many of our disciples died at his hands—how could we let such a grievance go unanswered?”

Thinking of the disciples who had fallen to the Ghost-Masked Man, Elder Jinchong’s heart ached. Two of his most talented disciples had also perished, fueling his resolve to personally destroy this demon one day.

As the elders of Xuankong Mountain were pondering how to find the Ghost-Masked Man...

A faint voice suddenly drifted down from above them.

“Is that so? I’m here now. What can you do about it?”

“Who’s there?!”

Elder Jinchong and Elder Chixin were shocked. They immediately looked up.

There, suspended in mid-air and backlit by the sunlight, stood a figure. Clad in a black robe, he stood atop a small golden boat, his face obscured by a ghostly mask. His gaze was icy as it swept over them. ŕÀΝȮ𝖇ЁŞ

“It’s you!”

“The demon!”

When they clearly saw the figure above, the monks’ eyes widened in shock. Some even glared so intensely that their eyes seemed on the verge of tearing.

The appearance of Lu Qing had clearly struck a nerve.

What shocked them even more was how this Ghost-Masked Man had managed to appear directly overhead without any of them noticing. If he had attacked them earlier, wouldn’t they have been completely defenseless?

The stealth technique of this demon was terrifying!

However, shock quickly gave way to exhilaration.

Moments ago, they had been pondering how to find this demon and avenge their fallen disciples. Yet here he was, delivering himself to their doorstep.

“Demon! How dare you show yourself?” Elder Chixin exclaimed, his face flushed with excitement as he summoned a Vajra Subduing Demon Pestle, ready to activate it.

The other monks also began summoning their artifacts, ready to launch an assault on Lu Qing.

Though the demon was formidable and possessed a Spiritual Artifact, Xuankong Mountain now had Elder Jinchong, a newly ascended Golden Core cultivator. Together, they were confident in their ability to eliminate this foe.

Elder Jinchong, though equally startled by Lu Qing’s sudden appearance, quickly suppressed his shock. His sharp intuition as a Golden Core cultivator told him that the demon must have used the power of a Spiritual Artifact to conceal his presence, bypassing detection.

After calming himself, he addressed Lu Qing coldly.

“You’ve chosen death. Do you think possessing a Spiritual Artifact allows you to act with impunity? Today, I will take that artifact and use boundless Buddha Dharma to send you to the eighteenth layer of hell. There, you can atone for the lives of the disciples you slaughtered!”

As he spoke, golden light surged from Elder Jinchong’s body. The powerful aura swept through the area like a storm, causing the nearby trees to tremble violently.

“Elder Jinchong!”

The other monks, sensing his overwhelming power, were invigorated. Elder Chixin, in particular, felt his confidence soar.

The aura Elder Jinchong exuded was even stronger than when the demon had unleashed his Spiritual Artifact in their last encounter. This time, the demon would not escape his doom.

Yet, while the monks below were filled with righteous fervor, Lu Qing remained expressionless.

His gaze was cold, as though he were watching a group of insignificant performers.

This indifference further enraged the monks.

Elder Jinchong’s face darkened as he shouted, “Blasphemous demon! The skies above Xuankong Mountain are not for the likes of you. Come down this instant!”

As he spoke, the golden light around him coalesced into a massive Buddhist palm, dozens of feet in size, which he sent hurtling toward Lu Qing.

Simultaneously, Elder Chixin and the others activated their artifacts—a Vajra Subduing Demon Pestle, a golden alms bowl, a Zen staff, and more—all glowing with golden light as they followed the Buddhist palm, aiming to crush Lu Qing.

The entire sky lit up with golden brilliance as the combined might of their artifacts surged toward Lu Qing like a massive golden dragon.

The destructive power was so immense that it caused the surrounding laws of heaven and earth to ripple.

Compared to this overwhelming assault, Lu Qing’s figure seemed insignificant, like a moth before an avalanche.

However, his expression remained utterly calm. There wasn’t even the slightest flicker of emotion in his eyes.

“Fools courting death.”

He raised his hand and formed a seal, pressing it forward.

With that single gesture, the laws of heaven and earth within a ten-mile radius became agitated. The surrounding spiritual energy boiled as if it had been set ablaze, gathering rapidly.

In the blink of an eye, a massive palm of radiant five-colored light—spanning several miles—materialized in the sky.

The monks below stared in utter disbelief as this colossal manifestation of the Ten Thousand Arts Palm descended upon them.