253: Buddha's Light in the Poisonous Mist

The night in Hanyue Valley was steeped in icy mist. Jun Xiaoyao sat on the cold jade couch in the underground palace, his fingertips lightly tapping the edge of the couch.

The crystal panel in front of him glowed faintly, clearly displaying the movements of all parties.

The main force of Xuantian Holy Land was camped at Duan Yun Ridge. The Shadow Guards of the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect had infiltrated the poisonous miasma forest to the west. Mysterious Dust Master's Lifebound Treasure, the 'Profound Light Mirror,' hung above the camp, clearly monitoring the surroundings.

"Zhao Gao." Jun Xiaoyao's voice was calm and unruffled, like water flowing beneath ice.

A tall, slender figure emerged from the shadows. Zhao Gao bowed and replied, "Young Lord."

"Has The Net's informant in the poisonous miasma forest sent a message?"

"Reporting, Young Lord, Poison Venerable, the Sect Leader of the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect, personally led a team of a hundred death warriors skilled in using poison. They have already passed Black Wind Cliff and are less than three li from the heart of the poisonous miasma forest.

The 'meridian dissolving powder' they carry has been improved, mixed with the 'heart-eroding gu' from the Western Regions. Those afflicted will not only lose all Internal Energy, but their heart meridians will also be gnawed away by the Gu worms, resulting in a horrific death." Zhao Gao's voice was very low, as if afraid of disturbing the cold Qi in the underground palace.

Jun Xiaoyao nodded slightly, his gaze falling on Xuanzang's avatar on the crystal panel. A progress bar next to the avatar showed that Xuanzang had reached the edge of the poisonous miasma forest, and his Buddha's light was slowly penetrating the miasma, forming a translucent barrier. He raised his hand and tapped the panel, and Xuanzang's real-time image popped up—under the moonlight, Xuanzang, clad in a red kasaya, with a purple gold alms bowl floating before him, was slowly walking into the poisonous miasma forest. The poisonous miasma was like ink, but upon touching the Buddha's light around him, it melted like ice and snow, revealing ancient trees with gnarled roots within.

"Great Master, watch your step." The Net's hidden scout, concealed behind a tree, whispered a reminder. The soil in this forest was mixed with venom; ordinary people who stepped on it would have their flesh rot within half an hour.

Xuanzang pressed his palms together in a salute. A golden lotus had appeared under his feet at some point, supporting him as he slowly advanced, the poisonous soil unable to approach him. "Thank you for the reminder, benefactor." His voice was gentle, and his gaze swept around. He frowned slightly, "The resentment here is too heavy; there must be many wronged souls."

The scout was stunned, then noticed faint dark figures drifting in the mist of the forest. Upon closer inspection, they were incomplete souls, all Martial Artists who had previously stumbled into the poisonous miasma forest and were tortured to death by the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect.

"These..."

"It's nothing." Xuanzang raised his hand, and the purple gold alms bowl emitted a soft glow, gently lifting those souls. "The sea of suffering is boundless; turn back, and the shore is there." With the chanting of the Buddha's name, the souls gradually calmed, transforming into specks of starlight and dissipating into the Buddha's light.

Just then, a sinister cackle came from deep within the poisonous miasma forest. Poison Venerable's voice, grating like metal rubbing together, said, "Great Master Xuanzang has quite the grand display, purifying my 'nourishment' with Buddha's light?"

A dark green figure emerged from behind a tree. Poison Venerable was clad in black robes, his face shrouded in shadow, revealing only a pair of glowing green eyes. He waved his hand, and countless tiny Gu worms, like spilled ink, splattered towards Xuanzang: "Taste my heart-eroding gu!"

Xuanzang remained unhurried. He inverted the purple gold alms bowl and chanted a Heart Sutra. A golden light beam shot from the bowl's opening, sucking in all the Gu worms, then it closed with a 'bang.' The sounds of the Gu worms struggling came from within, then silence.

"Your poison cannot harm this poor monk." Xuanzang's tone was calm, and his Buddha's light intensified. "Poison Venerable benefactor, turn back. Obsession with poison will ultimately backfire on you."

"Turn back?" Poison Venerable cackled wildly. Ten dark green tentacles extended from beneath his black robes, shooting towards Xuanzang like venomous snakes. "Once I refine poison with your Buddha bones, I will surely Breakthrough to the Land Immortal realm! Then the entire continent will be mine!"

The tentacles carried a foul-smelling venom; where they passed, trees instantly withered. The golden lotus beneath Xuanzang's feet rotated, his kasaya moved without wind, and the sound of the Mantra of Great Compassion echoed through the forest. Golden light surged towards the tentacles like a tide. When the tentacles met the golden light, they melted like snow under boiling water. Poison Venerable screamed, staggering backward, staring in disbelief at his empty wrists—all ten tentacles had been purified by the Buddha's light!

"Impossible!" Poison Venerable roared, pulling out a black ceramic bottle from his 懷 and attempting to uncork it.

"Evil spawn!" A sharp glint flashed in Xuanzang's eyes. He activated his Indestructible Vajra Body, moving like lightning, instantly appearing before Poison Venerable and pressing a palm to his chest. "Pfft—" Poison Venerable spat out dark green blood, the ceramic bottle flew from his hand, and the poison within spilled onto the ground, emitting black smoke.

Xuanzang withdrew his palm, watching Poison Venerable collapse to the ground, his body gradually dissolving into a puddle of pus. He shook his head, "Stubbornly deluded."

At this moment, the "Ten Thousand Poisons Sect" icon on the crystal panel turned gray. Jun Xiaoyao let out a soft breath and switched the screen to Duan Yun Ridge. Mysterious Dust Master was still meditating in his camp, completely unaware that the ambush on the west side had been silently resolved.

"Zhao Gao."

"Here."

"Inform Yue Fei; at noon tomorrow, proceed as planned."

"Yes." Zhao Gao bowed and withdrew, and the underground palace returned to silence. Jun Xiaoyao looked at Xuanzang's figure on the crystal panel; he was sitting on a bluestone in the poisonous miasma forest, eyes closed, chanting sutras, the Buddha's light filtering through the gaps in the trees, casting dappled shadows on the ground.

A moment later, a prompt appeared on the panel: [Xuanzang's loyalty has increased to 90%]

Jun Xiaoyao's fingertips traced across the panel, bringing up the next summoning slot. The light there was brighter than before, seemingly nurturing a new powerful individual. He thought of the three Heavenly Human Realm Elders in Mysterious Dust Master's camp, and a cold glint flashed in his eyes—the foundation of Xuantian Holy Land should also be properly weighed.

As night deepened, the icy mist in Hanyue Valley grew thicker, enveloping the entire valley like a giant ice cocoon. And the power within the cocoon was quietly accumulating, awaiting the moment of its emergence.