678: Tongtian

Hongjun could not help but frown slightly and said in a deep voice, "What have you done?"

Just moments ago, he had released his Divine Sense, only to discover that Chang'an City, which had been packed with people, was now completely empty!

When he first entered the perimeter of Chang'an, Hongjun had clearly sensed that the life force within the city was extremely dense, but now, apart from the few people before him in the palace, there wasn't a single living creature left in the entire city—not even a mouse.

"To put it plainly, the Aura you sensed earlier was a group of Yao Race disguised as commoners, just to make you feel at ease entering the perimeter of Chang'an City!"

"The Yao Race are quick, and among them are many with special abilities. Once you were comfortable enough to come and seize the imperial jade seal, they used various abilities to escape far away!"

Li Chengqian sat back on the dragon throne and smiled faintly, "I promised them that after the matter is settled, the Yao Race will be allowed to establish a nation under the protection of the Great Tang's administrative jurisdiction. Of course, if they are willing to naturalize, they will also be considered citizens of the Great Tang!"

The corner of Hongjun's mouth twitched: "Did you learn all these modern terms from Tang Sanzang?"

"That's right. I must say, the Holy Monk's modern theories are very practical. Once the overall situation is settled, I will implement these policies and let the Great Tang transition gradually from a monarchy to a socialist state!" Li Chengqian laughed heartily, "How about that? Isn't this ideal grand?"

Li Shimin, standing to the side, couldn't help but stomp his feet and curse: "This prodigal son... the empire that I worked so hard to obtain..."

"Heh, wait until you can leave here alive before talking about the future... Since you are in such a hurry to seek death, wouldn't I be failing your good intentions if I didn't fulfill your wish?"

Raising the Qingping Sword, a surging Killing Intent began to rise continuously. As Sword Qi crisscrossed, the walls, pillars, and roof of the main hall were already covered in sword marks—the result of the impact of the overflowing Killing Intent forming Sword Qi.

"He's going to lose it! Run, run!" Xie Bian was alarmed. He unleashed the Ice Law, freezing a three-meter-thick wall of ice in front of the group. Leaving only Ksitigarbha in front, he took the rest of them and retreated, escaping the main hall directly through a mechanism in the wall.

Boom!

They hadn't gone far from the exit when they felt the ground shake violently. Looking back, they saw the entire main hall collapsing as if it had been blown up by a bomb.

"What formidable power. This Hongjun truly cannot be defeated by human strength!" Li Shimin couldn't help but exclaim.

"Your Majesty, rest assured. Currently, the strength of Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha... er, Buddha Ksitigarbha, should be enough to hold him off for a while. We can leave safely... Everything is proceeding according to plan!"

Li Chunfeng chuckled.

Li Chengqian looked at his empty hands and couldn't help but smile bitterly: "I can't even believe it myself. I just handed over the imperial jade seal like that?"

"Let it go, it's yours sooner or later anyway!" Li Shimin rolled his eyes and said, "But we have an understanding—this thing represents the national destiny of the Great Tang. If you really want to change the political system, it's uncertain whether this thing will even exist!"

Li Chengqian chuckled: "Let it be. It won't be of much use in the future anyway..."

As they ran and talked, a shockwave suddenly came from behind, sending everyone flying. After struggling to stabilize themselves, they felt Killing Intent overflowing from behind, and massive Sword Qi spreading indiscriminately throughout the entire Daming Palace.

Yuan Tiangang let out a roar and took out the only remaining Magical Artifact on his person... It was shaped like a gun. The bullet it fired suddenly turned into a giant bubble, enveloping everyone inside. It floated toward the outside of the defensive array, barely managing to avoid the reach of the Sword Qi.

Boom!

Half of the Daming Palace was suddenly destroyed, reduced to powder. Two figures stood in the dust, facing each other.

At this moment, the Five-Buddha Crown on Ksitigarbha's head was gone, and his outer kasaya was missing, leaving only a bright yellow monk's robe. He looked no different from an ordinary middle-aged monk, but the tattered holes in his clothes were enough to show that his current situation seemed precarious.

In contrast, Hongjun looked as if he were taking a leisurely stroll; there wasn't a speck of dust on him. Clearly, his strength was far more formidable than Ksitigarbha's even after becoming a Buddha.

"Tell that emperor to hand over the imperial jade seal, and I won't hold this against you. Your strength is great. If you are willing to surrender, I can take you as my subordinate. You will be the next Order Lord. How about it?"

Hongjun said in a deep voice.

"Amitabha!"

Ksitigarbha pressed his palms together and recited a Buddhist chant. He then tore off his monk's robe, revealing a body of lean, defined muscle. He said in a deep voice, "I have served the Buddha's teachings for many years, yet I have never known what it means to retreat. Even if thousands of blades are pressed against me, my original intent remains unchanged. Saving all sentient beings and relieving suffering has always been my duty. You, who treat human life like grass and sentient beings like ants, are bound to be on the opposite side of me, so we cannot coexist... As for the Order Lord, heh, I think the winner will be decided soon!"

On his hand was a string of eighteen prayer beads. A faint fluctuation of Buddha Power was spreading throughout his body. His thin, rib-like frame was actually expanding continuously; his previously shriveled muscles were swelling up bit by bit, and his Aura was constantly climbing.

He knew well that even if he had become a Buddha, he could not be a match for Hongjun. However, the Buddhist sect had, at this very moment, timely sent him the prayer beads left behind by the Buddha before he entered Nirvana. Combined with the one in Tang Ku's hand, there were exactly eighteen.

Surging Buddha Power filled his body, transforming him in the blink of an eye into a burly man with well-defined muscular lines. Golden light enveloped his entire body, and faint lightning seemed to flash within it.

"It's a pity for all your Cultivation... Heh, but you are interesting. Your Law power actually follows the same path as mine? You, who have always been compassionate, actually Cultivate the Killing Dao Law?"

Hongjun sneered, "Then... let's see whose Killing Dao Law is stronger..."

The Qingping Sword suddenly unleashed a massive Killing Intent, and terrifying Sword Qi swept toward Ksitigarbha like a tornado.

Boom!

The light on Ksitigarbha's body grew more and more intense. He said in a deep voice, "This is not the Killing Dao Law, nor is it the compassionate Compassion Law... Buddha Power reaching the heavens, this is... Tongtian Law!"

"Hahaha, what a big boast. Let me see what this Tongtian Law of yours is really like... Die!"

The Sword Qi tore through the entire Daming Palace, or rather, the entire palace city area was instantly reduced to dust, and that cyan Sword Qi had already spread to Ksitigarbha's side.

"Namo Amitabha..."

Boom!

A golden light touched the sky and the earth. In an instant, it seemed as if Ksitigarbha and the entire Chang'an City... no, the entire Earth, had merged into one...