Chapter Fifty-Nine: The Gateway of the Five Elements

Whoosh!

I guided the blood-slaying array, transformed into wings, directly through the point of light, and in an instant I entered the resplendent, golden Buddhist hall.

The moment I flew into the hall, I saw myself seated upon the chair at its center, and I could feel countless rays of Buddhist light swirling around my body.

“Young master, hurry back into your body and let me absorb those rays of light. If I can absorb them, the Buddhist light within me will experience a great breakthrough, and then my power will be able to activate some of the mysterious formations within this ancient sword!”

At this moment, Nie Xiaoke, who had almost never spoken before, finally did, and from her words it seemed she was greatly interested in the Buddhist light surrounding my body.

In a flash, I moved toward the seat where my physical body rested. Only then did I realize that I was merely a soul, drifting and unsettled.

As my soul merged into my body, I could feel myself being purified by layer upon layer of Buddhist light. The space around me trembled violently—though I knew this was only the space my soul perceived, not any other realm.

The instant my soul fused with my body, my eyes flew open, and I saw before me an old woman staring at me with wide, flickering eyes.

But she was no longer the old crone she had been. Bathed in the dazzling brilliance of the Buddhist hall, the spiritual energy flooding in from all sides, her body was gradually being restored. Her skin was like mutton-fat jade, and a faint, enchanting smile appeared on her face.

“What is your name?” she asked.

Her voice was no longer hoarse and aged; now it was melodious, like the song of a lark, yet still carried the tone of an elder addressing the young. I must admit, I rather liked this demeanor.

“Yang Dong,” I answered quietly.

At that moment, the strands of Buddhist light wound around my body instantly flowed entirely into me, though in truth, it was Nie Xiaoke within the Sword of All Beings who devoured them all.

Hmm?

Upon hearing my name and seeing the Buddhist light rush into me, the Blood Python Matron trembled slightly. She took a step forward and fixed her gaze on me, her eyes boring into mine. I had no idea what she meant by this, but her expression was one of utter astonishment.

—

I realized the chair I was gripping was beginning to crack.

It seemed that if I moved even slightly, the chair beneath me would collapse. The sensation was eerie; it felt as though the chair was made entirely of the Buddhist light that had been winding around me.

“You’re actually able to absorb this Buddhist light?” the Blood Python Matron asked—a question whose answer was obvious, yet I found myself unable to reply. The Buddhist light had indeed poured into my body, but it was not I who had absorbed it, but rather Nie Xiaoke in the Sword of All Beings.

“Is your name truly Yang Dong?”

I nodded.

She gave a slow, enigmatic smile. “So you are the one destined to enter the treasury!”

I looked around.

Sensing my thoughts, she smiled softly and said, “You’re looking for your companions, aren’t you? The two of them are not the chosen ones, but rest assured, within the Buddhist Diagram their strength will increase. The Buddhist Diagram is a supreme treasure of the Buddhist realm; so long as you do not attack it, it is gentle and benevolent.”

I said nothing, simply watching this woman who had suddenly become young and beautiful.

“May I know how I should address you, senior?”

“You may call me Lady Buddha. I have guarded this treasury for countless years, waiting for the one who could sit in that chair.”

“At last, I have found you!”

As she spoke, a vast yin-yang symbol appeared beneath me. The chair I had been sitting on vanished into nothingness.

Suddenly, five-colored radiance flared around me. These beams of light flickered and intertwined, finally merging into a pattern of the five elements, which completely obscured the earlier yin-yang symbol.

“Use your blood to activate the Five Elements Grand Array. The treasure of the Buddha’s tomb lies sealed beneath this array.”

Lady Buddha stood before me, her voice gentle.

I nodded. Since I now knew my companions were unharmed, I had no reason to delay.

—

Without hesitation, I bit my finger and let a drop of blood fall.

Drip.

The sound was crisp and clear; I could almost hear the drop land at the center of the grand array.

I stood in the very midst of the enormous pattern woven by the five-colored light.

Buzz!

As my blood touched the array, my mind trembled, and I looked down to see a massive yin-yang diagram open at my feet.

Five radiant beams wrapped around my drop of blood, then converged into a single point and vanished. At that moment, the ground beneath me gave way, and I plummeted downward.

The instant I fell into this new space, Nie Xiaoke within the Blood-Slaying Array was beside herself with excitement, nearly shouting in her eagerness.

“Young master, I sense so much Buddhist light here! If I can devour it all, I will fully transform into the purest Buddhist light, and then I’ll be able to activate some of the ancient arrays, giving us even more opportunities to explore the ancient sword’s mysteries.”

Now I stood within a shadowy chamber. Looking up, I saw countless silhouettes above, as if there was a ceiling overhead. All around, there must have been statues of the Buddha.

The moment I reached out my mind to connect with Nie Xiaoke, a broken sword—the Sword of All Beings—soared out from within the Blood-Slaying Array.

Now, the Sword of All Beings was wreathed in countless rays of Buddhist light, its aura deep and ancient. Anyone who looked upon it would feel a primordial fear, as if their very soul might be devoured, their spirit torn asunder.

Slash!

As the Sword of All Beings flew forth, drawn by the Buddhist light, radiance exploded around me...