Chapter 94: Defeat Before the Buddha, the Shame of the Same Realm

The stone hall returned to silence.

Su Yun knelt on one knee, gasping for air.

His black iron short staff was propped against the ground, with faint arcs of lightning still crackling on its surface.

Behind him, Elder Han Yue and the others gathered around.

"Master!"

"Husband!"

"Is Master alright?"

Su Yun waved his hand and stood up.

He looked around.

Of the twenty people who entered, only twelve remained.

Eight Disciples at the Half-step Foundation Establishment stage had lost nearly half their number in the first wave of the ice and fire torrent.

The remaining four were pale, their eyes still filled with lingering terror.

The few at the Foundation Establishment Stage were better off; although they were in a sorry state, there were no casualties.

True Monarch Bingpo came running over, hopping and skipping, and looked up at him with her small face: "Master, Master, that monster was so strong! I hadn't even had a chance to attack before he died!"

Su Yun's mouth twitched.

This little one had been hiding at the back the whole time and hadn't attacked at all.

But that was fine too; if she had attacked and accidentally "died" as well, even though she wouldn't truly die, that intense pain… it was better not to think about it.

"Did it drop anything?" he asked.

Everyone shook their heads.

There were no enhancement stones.

This floor had been cleared for nothing.

Su Yun was not disappointed.

A 5% drop rate meant it was normal not to get anything on the first try.

He looked up toward the depths of the stone hall.

There, a rotating light gate floated silently, emitting a faint glow.

That was the entrance to the next floor.

"Shall we go in?" Elder Han Yue walked to his side and asked in a low voice.

Su Yun was silent for a moment, then looked at the people behind him.

Eight at the Foundation Establishment Stage, four at the Half-step Foundation Establishment stage.

Plus himself.

Thirteen people.

"What do you think?" he asked.

Blood Maiden stepped forward, her Battle Intent undiminished: "Master, I am willing to go."

The Blood Lotus Saintess nodded slightly: "Since we are here, we must see more."

Ye Qinghan didn't speak, but she gripped the ice sword in her hand tightly.

Although Ling Shuang and the others were pale, they showed no intention of retreating.

True Monarch Bingpo had already hopped to the light gate, peeking inside, and turned back to shout at Su Yun: "Master, Master! It looks like there is light inside!"

Su Yun couldn't help but laugh.

"Then let's go in and take a look."

He stepped toward the light gate.

Behind him, the others followed closely.

A flash of light.

The scene before them changed abruptly.

It was no longer that cold stone hall, but a dilapidated ruin.

The sky was gray, with no sun or moon, only endless celestial light filtering down from all directions.

Underfoot were broken stone slabs, with withered yellow weeds growing in the cracks.

Broken walls and ruins were scattered all around, and one could vaguely tell that this had once been a magnificent temple.

And in the very center of the ruins, a giant Buddha sat silently in meditation.

The Buddha statue was incomparably huge; its height while sitting alone was over a dozen zhang.

It was pitch black, carved from an unknown material, and its surface was covered in fine cracks, looking as if it had been sitting here for countless years.

The most bizarre thing was its head.

One head, three faces.

The front was a compassionate face, with lowered eyebrows and eyes, and corners of its mouth slightly upturned, wearing a smile of compassion for all living beings.

The left was a wrathful face, with eyebrows standing on end, fangs exposed, and eyes filled with killing intent.

The right was a serene face, expressionless, with hollow eyes, as if it had seen through everything.

Six arms, some forming seals, some hanging down, some half-raised, each in a different posture.

Su Yun narrowed his eyes.

This Buddha statue… gave him a very uncomfortable feeling.

It wasn't that kind of evil, violent aura.

It was a kind of… hollow, indifferent, high-and-mighty sense of looking down upon others.

Just like an ant standing at the feet of a giant.

"Master…" Elder Han Yue's voice was a bit tight, "Is this Buddha statue a living thing?"

Su Yun shook his head.

"I don't know. But the Trial Tower wouldn't place a Buddha statue here for no reason."

He stared at the giant Buddha for a long time.

The Buddha statue remained motionless.

No aura leaked out.

But Su Yun knew that this thing was definitely not simple.

"You stay here and provide support," he said in a deep voice. "I'll go take a look first."

"Master, be careful!" the women said in unison.

Su Yun restrained his aura and quietly crept toward the Buddha statue.

After getting close, the Buddha statue remained motionless.

Su Yun stood at the feet of the Buddha statue, looking up at the massive sculpture.

Looking at it up close, he could feel that sense of oppression even more.

Those three faces, when looked at from below, were even more bizarre.

The compassionate face on the front, with its lowered eyebrows and eyes, seemed to be looking down at him, and the smile on its lips looked like mockery no matter how he viewed it.

Su Yun took a deep breath, raised his hand, and pressed it against the Buddha statue's toe.

The touch was cold and rough, like ordinary stone.

But the next instant, the Buddha statue opened its eyes.

Three faces, six eyes, opened simultaneously!

Those six eyes had no pupils, only a hollow, indifferent white.

Su Yun's heart skipped a beat, and his figure retreated violently!

The Buddha statue moved.

Its meditating body slowly stretched out.

Six arms raised simultaneously, and the huge body stood up from the ruins, looking down at everyone below from a high vantage point.

The standing Buddha statue was a full twenty or thirty zhang tall!

Those three faces looked at Su Yun simultaneously from three directions.

An ancient and hollow voice resounded in everyone's Divine Soul: "Trespassers… die…"

The next instant, an aura of extreme terror erupted from within the Buddha statue!

That aura was the Peak Golden Core Stage!

Su Yun's expression changed drastically.

Peak Golden Core Stage?!

But there was no time to think.

The Buddha statue moved.

It raised a giant palm, carrying the pressure to destroy heaven and earth, and slapped down at Su Yun's head!

That palm blotted out the sky, and where the palm wind passed, the Void Realm trembled!

Su Yun dared not take it head-on, so he flashed his figure, narrowly avoiding it.

Boom!!! The giant palm slapped the ground, directly creating a giant pit several zhang deep!

Gravel splattered, and the earth shook.

Su Yun gasped.

If the power of that palm had hit his body, he reckoned he would have been wiped out instantly.

"Attack!" he shouted sharply.

Behind him, the women attacked simultaneously!

Sword light, blood light, ice blades, Talismans… various attacks bombarded the Buddha statue like a covering sky and earth!

But the Buddha statue didn't even dodge.

Those attacks landed on it, only leaving a few shallow white marks on its pitch-black surface.

Then, they were gone.

The Buddha statue didn't even glance at them.

It just raised its other palm and continued to slap at Su Yun.

Su Yun gritted his teeth and dodged again.

While dodging, he attacked.

The black iron short staff wrapped in thunder, smashing against the Buddha statue, one strike after another.

Each strike smashed out large areas of cracks.

But the Buddha statue was too big; those cracks, relative to its volume, were like a person being bitten by a mosquito.

It was painless and itchy.

Behind him, the women's attacks didn't stop either.

Blood Maiden's blood whip wrapped around one of the Buddha statue's arms, but it broke free with a gentle flick.

The Blood Lotus Saintess's blood-colored lotus exploded on the Buddha statue, leaving only a patch of scorch marks.

Elder Han Yue's Moon Brilliance Sword slashed at the Buddha statue's leg, not even leaving a white mark.

True Monarch Bingpo hid at the very back, her small face pale, muttering to herself, but nothing happened.

The more Su Yun fought, the more alarmed he became.

This Buddha statue not only had ridiculously great power, but its defense was also terrifyingly thick.

His full-force attack could only create a patch of cracks.

The attacks from the Foundation Establishment Stage were almost like scratching an itch.

Moreover, up to this point, the Buddha statue had only been using physical attacks to hit him.

Those bizarre methods hadn't been used yet.

Just at this moment.

A point of red light suddenly lit up in the center of the Buddha statue's head.

That red light grew brighter and more intense, like a blood-colored eye opening in the very center of the Buddha statue's forehead.

Su Yun's pupils shrank.

"Careful!"

Before his words had faded, the red light suddenly exploded!

Countless fine red beams of light shot out from the Buddha statue's head, sweeping in all directions!

The speed of those beams was so fast that it was impossible to see clearly!

"Ah—!"

Screams rang out one after another.

The four Disciples at the Half-step Foundation Establishment stage couldn't dodge in time and were swept by the red light.

Their bodies instantly dissolved!

They weren't smashed, they weren't blown apart, but directly dissolved, like ice and snow meeting a raging fire, leaving not even a residue!

Elder Han Yue and the others dodged frantically, narrowly avoiding a few beams.

But the beams were too dense, covering the entire ruin.

Two more were swept by them and dissipated on the spot.

Su Yun's eyes were splitting with rage.

No, it cannot go on like this!

With a thought, he gave a low shout from deep within his Divine Soul: "Bingpo!"

True Monarch Bingpo's small figure suddenly rushed into Su Yun's Sea of Consciousness.

"Master!"

"Body Integration!"

"Yes!"

Ice-blue light surged from the depths of the Sea of Consciousness, instantly filling Su Yun's entire body!

At the same time, that blood-colored figure who had been sleeping all along also opened her eyes.

She didn't speak, just silently transferred her remaining power into Su Yun's body as well.

Ice blue and blood red intertwined.

The aura around Su Yun began to skyrocket!

He stomped his foot, his figure moving like lightning, rushing straight for the Buddha statue's face!

The Buddha statue sensed the threat.

Its six arms raised simultaneously, slapping at Su Yun!

Su Yun did not dodge or evade.

He gripped the staff with both hands, and four types of power—thunder light, Power of the Five Elements, Ice Soul Power, and Blood Fiend Power—surged crazily into the staff!

The black iron short staff emitted a groan under the unbearable burden, and fine cracks even appeared on the surface of the staff!

Then—he smashed down with the staff!

Boom!!!

This strike smashed onto the front face of the Buddha statue!

Half of the Buddha statue's compassionate face was directly smashed into a giant indentation!

Cracks spread like spider webs in all directions!

The Buddha statue made a sound for the first time.

It was a low hum, as if it were coming from deep underground.

Its six arms withdrew simultaneously, and the six palms formed a bizarre hand seal.

The red light on the Buddha statue's head lit up again!

This time it wasn't fine beams of light, but a huge red beam of light, gushing out from the very center of its forehead!

That beam was several zhang in diameter, and where it passed, everything was annihilated!

Su Yun retreated violently, narrowly avoiding it!

But behind him, those Enslavement subjects at the Foundation Establishment Stage were not so lucky.

The red light swept past, and two more dissipated on the spot.

Blood Maiden, the Blood Lotus Saintess, Elder Han Yue, and others fled frantically, but were still hit by the aftermath, all vomiting blood and flying backward.

Su Yun gritted his teeth and charged up again!

He knew he had to end this quickly.

The power of Body Integration couldn't last long.

While dodging the Buddha statue's attacks, he outputted damage crazily.

Each strike left a deep indentation on the Buddha statue.

The Buddha statue's counterattacks also became increasingly crazy.

Red light swept across, six arms slapped together, and even those three mouths began to spit out bizarre energy balls.

The entire ruin was blasted to pieces.

He didn't know how much time had passed.

Su Yun knelt on one knee, gasping for air.

The power of Body Integration was nearing its limit.

He looked up.

The Buddha statue was still standing there.

Although covered in cracks, and although half its face had collapsed, it was still standing.

And those Enslavement subjects at the Foundation Establishment Stage…

He looked around.

Elder Han Yue was still there, but her face was pale and blood was spilling from the corners of her mouth.

Liu Wugou was still there, one arm already hanging unnaturally.

Blood Maiden and the Blood Lotus Saintess were supporting each other, barely standing.

Ye Qinghan was lying on the ground, not knowing if she was dead or alive.

Protector Yin Hongling and Jingyue were long gone.

Ling Shuang and the other Disciples at the Half-step Foundation Establishment stage were all wiped out.

Only five people remained.

Five at the Foundation Establishment Stage, and half of True Monarch Bingpo.

Just at this moment.

The Buddha statue suddenly stopped attacking.

Its three faces looked up simultaneously, gazing at the gray sky.

The red light in the center of its forehead lit up again.

A giant red ball of light slowly rose from its forehead.

That ball of light grew larger and brighter, expanding to the size of several dozen zhang in the blink of an eye.

It hovered above the Buddha statue's head like a blood-colored sun.

Su Yun's pupils shrank.

"Run!" he roared hoarsely.

But it was already too late.

The light ball exploded.

Endless blood-colored light instantly engulfed everything.

Elder Han Yue.

Liu Wugou.

Blood Maiden.

The Blood Lotus Saintess.

Ye Qinghan.

All annihilated.

Su Yun raised his Spiritual Energy shield, resisting with all his might.

But the power of that light was too terrifying.

His shield shattered with a boom after holding for three breaths.

The light surged in like a tide, swallowing his body.

Intense pain.

An indescribable, intense pain.

It was as if every inch of flesh, every bone, every strand of his Divine Soul was being peeled away, crushed, and dissolved bit by bit.

He gritted his teeth, resisting with all his might.

Five breaths.

Ten breaths.

Fifteen breaths.

Finally—True Monarch Bingpo couldn't hold on any longer.

Her small figure was stripped from Su Yun's body, turning into a stream of light and dissipating.

"Master… I cannot hold on anymore…"

The Blood-colored Girl followed closely behind.

She looked deeply at Su Yun, said nothing, and also dissipated into points of light.

Losing their power, Su Yun's resistance instantly collapsed.

The light completely engulfed him.

Before the last trace of his consciousness dissipated, he had only one thought—Damn it, is this thing really a Golden Core?

…

Qingyou Valley.

In front of the Trial Tower.

With a flash of light, twenty figures appeared out of thin air, lying scattered all over the ground.

Some were twitching, some were groaning, and some had passed out directly.

Su Yun also lay on the ground, face up, gasping for air.

His whole body was soaked in cold sweat.

That intense pain of being annihilated still lingered in his Divine Soul, unable to be shaken off.

After a long while, he finally recovered and slowly sat up.

He looked around.

Those Disciples at the Half-step Foundation Establishment stage were all lying on the ground without moving, as if they had died once.

The few at the Foundation Establishment Stage were no better off; their faces were pale and their eyes were unfocused.

True Monarch Bingpo lay beside him, her small face pale, looking at him with teary eyes: "Master… I hurt so much…"

Su Yun reached out and rubbed her head.

"Bear with it, it will be better in a moment."

He looked up at the pitch-black nine-story tower, his heart filled with complex emotions.

The first floor, eight casualties, a difficult victory.

The second floor, total annihilation.

Ever since his Transmigration, he, Su Yun, had smooth sailing all the way, bullying those of lower Realms as if it were a game.

But in the Trial Tower, under the condition of the same Realm, he had been beaten until his shit came out.

No, that wasn't the same Realm.

It was the other side at the Peak Golden Core Stage, and he was at the Early Stage of the Golden Core with a group of Foundation Establishment cultivators.

But regardless, this defeat was suffocating.

Too suffocating.

From deep within his Divine Sense, a faint sigh came.

It was the Blood-colored Girl.

In her voice, there was a trace of exhaustion, and also a trace of… palpitations?

"Master… was that thing just now… really a Golden Core?"

Su Yun was silent.

He didn't know either.

The feeling that Buddha statue gave him was stronger than Blood Slaughter, stronger than Master Yunxiao, and even compared to True Monarch Bingpo and the Blood-colored Girl in their prime… it was not inferior.

But it was indeed the aura of the Peak Golden Core Stage.

It was just that this kind of Peak Golden Core Stage was completely different from the concept he knew.

"Perhaps it is… some kind of special existence," he murmured.

The Blood-colored Girl was silent for a moment, then said slowly: "Back in the day, I was at the Early Nascent Soul Stage. But facing that thing, I… felt palpitations."

Su Yun's heart shook.

Early Nascent Soul Stage, and felt palpitations?

What exactly was the origin of that thing?

He looked at the black tower again.

Nine floors.

They had only reached the second floor.

There were still seven floors above.

Su Yun took a deep breath and slowly stood up.

He looked at the Enslavement subjects lying all over the ground, looking at their painful yet still gritted-teeth-persevering appearance, and suddenly smiled.

In that smile, there was bitterness, there was unwillingness, but more than that—Battle Intent.

"Tomorrow, we continue," he said in a deep voice.

"I don't believe I can't beat it."