Chapter 1843 - 176: Showdown, Buddha Country’s Pure Land

Celestial Palace City Wall.

As Jiang Ning’s words fell.

All the soldiers seemed to wake from a dream, their eyes regaining clarity, with expressions mixed with bewilderment and the heart-pounding relief of surviving a disaster.

The next moment.

A figure appeared silently on the city wall.

He wore a dark dragon robe, a jade belt around his waist, with a tall and slender build, a handsome face, exuding a faint aura of calmness and tranquility between his brows.

The visitor was none other than Jiang Ning.

It was as if he had always been there, unnoticed until he spoke, awakening everyone to his presence.

At this moment.

Jiang Ning stood with his head lowered, looking at the figure in the purple-red monk’s robe three miles ahead, a flicker of emotion in his eyes.

From the commotion just now, he could plainly feel the immense strength of this North Barbarian State Preceptor’s spirit.

It gave him a feeling of competing with the heavens.

With such powerful spirit, the North Barbarian State Preceptor had not even acted, and yet he made the many city guards of Celestial Palace City abandon their weapons and kneel in worship, as if he were a deity.

And now, the Reincarnation King also looked over calmly, his gaze falling on Jiang Ning.

"King Luoshui... Jiang Ning?" he slowly spoke.

"Indeed!" Jiang Ning nodded slightly.

"I thought it might be you, even before arriving!" the Reincarnation King said.

"It seems I could not hide from the State Preceptor," Jiang Ning said blandly.

Upon hearing this, the Reincarnation King looked Jiang Ning up and down with a calm, assessing gaze.

Then he spoke, "The second under heaven, honored among five. I’ve met the other four before, but you, the newcomer, it’s my first time meeting. Your aura feels unlike any of theirs."

"Oh? And what kind of feeling is that?" Jiang Ning asked.

"The Taoist intent of Qingxu Taoist is as subtle as flowing water, the Buddha light of Ku Hai Monk is as profound as mountains and valleys, the killer’s aura of King Bingjian rends the air like swords and halberds, the will of Yellow Heaven Taoist is as vast as the heavens and the earth, and you..." He paused, his gaze lingering on Jiang Ning, brows slightly furrowing, "Your aura carries a slight alienation from this world, with an air of transcendence. At such a young age, you’ve tread a path uniquely your own. No wonder those few elevated you to the second under heaven, letting you bear the scorching sunlight of such a position."

"The State Preceptor overpraises," Jiang Ning replied blandly, "That said, the State Preceptor came from the Northern Barbarian Grassland to the Celestial Palace City, especially giving a fifteen-day deadline for me to come. It can’t just be to praise me a couple of times, right?"

The Reincarnation King shook his head gently at the words, "King Luoshui, do you know why I waited fifteen days?"

"I’m eager to hear the details," Jiang Ning said.

"Simple!" the Reincarnation King spoke slowly, "Because I wanted to see, what remains of Great Xia’s foundations today."

"Martial Saint dominated the world for over eight hundred years, suppressing the entire world into submission."

"But human strength has its limits, even Martial Saint cannot resist the erosion of time."

"How he’s faring now, you’re closer to him than I am, you know better than I."

"And with Great Xia’s new sovereign recently ascended, the foundation unsteady, with chaos in both north and south, it is the perfect time."

As the words fell, the Reincarnation King’s gaze on Jiang Ning became deeper: "Coming to Celestial Palace City, I originally thought it would be Ji Xuan, or that Qingxu Taoist. I didn’t expect it to be you!"

"Is the State Preceptor suggesting I am inadequate?" Jiang Ning asked.

"Not just you," the Reincarnation King shook his head slowly, then continued, "In my eyes now, neither Ji Xuan nor Qingxu Taoist suffices!"

"The State Preceptor is quite confident!" Jiang Ning chuckled.

Looking at Jiang Ning, the Reincarnation King suddenly smiled too.

Then his voice, as resonant as a great bell, echoed between heaven and earth.

"King Luoshui, I have heard, with your Immortal Realm, you equaled Ji Xuan undefeated, using the power of the Primordial Spirit to defeat Qingxu Taoist and that bald Ku Hai. Your spirit is strong, and in Great Xia, there are few who can match you."

"Since that is so, today, I shall defeat you in Celestial Palace City by what you’re most adept at."

As the words fell, the Reincarnation King’s eyes suddenly shut tight.

The next moment.

Boom!!!

An immense, boundless aura erupted from within him.

The purple-red robe fluttered in the wind, snapping loudly.

Around him, Buddha light shone brightly, blazing like the scorching sun, dyeing the entire heavens in brilliant gold.

The golden light rose from his body, transforming into a pillar of light reaching through the skies, piercing the clouds, soaring towards the heavens.

In the sky, the clouds were torn apart by the golden light, churning layer upon layer, spreading out in all directions.

The sunlight turned dim at this moment.

Above the firmament, golden halos spread from the Reincarnation King’s head, layer upon layer, rippling outward, covering the entire sky.

Within each halo, the scenes of Buddha Country could be vaguely seen.

There were rows of treasure trees, pools of seven precious lotus, celestial beings scattering flowers, the reverberation of Sanskrit chants...

A myriad of phenomena, each distinct.

It seemed as if billions of monks were chanting in unison in the void, the sound of their chanting merging into a vast torrent, echoing between heaven and earth, resonating by everyone’s ears.

In Celestial Palace City.

Countless civilians looked up at the sky, seeing the brilliant golden firmament, their ears filled with the resounding chant, their eyes unconsciously showing bewilderment and awe.

On the city wall.

The weapons of the guarding soldiers fell once more.

This time, their knees bent, bodies trembling, they all knelt down.

Prince Zhenbei, Xu Zhen, and Beicang King exchanged a glance, seeing shock reflected in each other’s eyes.

They struggled to stabilize themselves, resisting the immense pressure, but cold sweat poured incessantly from their foreheads.

They knew, this was the Reincarnation King making his move.