Wayfarer

Chapter 418: The Imposing Avatar of Rulai

Outside the city of Wusan, a group of cultivators glanced at the ten suns in the sky in shock. The ten suns resolved into ten golden crows that were wreaking havoc within the city.

"This is the domain of the Netherworld Palace! How dare an outsider like you cause such trouble!"

"Inform the king immediately. He has to die!"

The horse-headed humanoids within the city were in an uproar as the golden crows tore them and the demons apart.

"The city's safe now. Everyone, come over!" Xiao Nanfeng called out.

The cultivators flew into the city to see that the city lord's manor in Wusan had become a pile of ruins. The blood peach tree was busy devouring the cursed effigies as the civilians shuddered in fear and panic.

"Pacify the people and guard me," Xiao Nanfeng commanded.

"Understood!" the cultivators replied.

Xiao Nanfeng submerged himself within the wok, absorbing the karmic flame with his body and his ten golden crows.

Two hours later, the wok exploded. His body brimmed with flame and released a burst of energy all around him.

"The ninth stage of the Human Immortal realm!" Xiao Nanfeng took a deep breath as he opened his eyes.

"City Lord Xiao, are you using this wok to... cultivate?" a cultivator asked in shock.

"I am. Please have someone pacify the people of this city, impart them with basic cultivation techniques, and tell them the truth. If possible, please maintain order here for the moment. I'm headed to the next city now," Xiao Nanfeng said.

"Ah, understood!" the cultivators replied, still gaping in surprise.

The blood peach tree easily absorbed all the horse-headed humanoids present and retreated into Xiao Nanfeng's mindscape.

In the city of Wujiu, Xiao Nanfeng took down another city's worth of cursed effigies. This time, however, the karmic flames within the wok weren't sufficient to induce another breakthrough,

but he didn't mind. Guided by a group of cultivators, he headed straight for the city of Wushi.

Outside Wushi, one cultivator stepped forward and bowed. "City Lord Xiao, this is where the final wok is located."

"Thanks for your hard work. It'll be dangerous within the city, so come join me only after I've dealt with them all."

"With you around, City Lord Xiao, there won't be any danger. It may be better if we were to join you right away. If there's too much of a commotion, we'd be able to split up and protect the people," one cultivator suggested.

They had grown noticeably bolder after seeing the carnage that Xiao Nanfeng had wrought.

"Very well." Xiao Nanfeng ushered the cultivators into Wushi.

They were discovered by a group of cursed effigies within moments.

"Oh? You human demons dare to invade our city? You must have a death wish!" The cursed effigies cackled as they shot toward the cultivators.

The ten golden crows flew out of Xiao Nanfeng's body, their feathers slicing apart the cursed effigies headed toward him.

"What? These golden crows are each at the peak of the Human Immortal realm. City Lord, we need your assistance!" the cursed effigies who had been cut down cried out.

Then, another horse-headed humanoid shot into the air and launched a huge palm strike that covered heaven and earth. It was far stronger than any of the other attacks that the cursed effigies had launched to date.

Xiao Nanfeng frowned and slashed down with his sword.

The blade cut apart the palm strike, but Xiao Nanfeng was sent flying back from the impact.

"What? That horse-headed humanoid managed to block City Lord Xiao's attack?!" a cultivator exclaimed.

The horse-headed cultivator flew over, his face cold. "What incredible strength—a Human Immortal can produce the strength of an Earth Immortal?"

"You're an Earth Immortal cursed effigy?" Xiao Nanfeng narrowed his eyes.

"That's right—and you're only a Human Immortal. You haven't yet forged your Immortal body, and you're no match for me in strength. I'll give you one chance to surrender if you want a painless death. Otherwise, I'll make you wish you were dead!" the Earth Immortal horse-headed humanoid threatened.

Xiao Nanfeng waved a hand. The ten golden crows flew back into his body as he transformed into his yin body.

"Kill!" Xiao Nanfeng shouted.

"Didn't you hear me? Do you think you can kill me?" the horse-headed humanoid slashed forward, longsword in hand.

With a boom of energy, his longsword was obliterated and its wielder cut in half.

"Impossible! You're at the peak of Yin Body as well?!" the two halves of the horse-headed humanoid exclaimed.

Xiao Nanfeng's follow-up slashes chopped the Earth Immortal horse-headed humanoid into fragments.

Then, the blood peach tree appeared and stabbed these fragments with its roots as it began to devour him.

Xiao Nanfeng returned to his physical body and sent the ten golden crows throughout the city.

The cultivators following him gaped at the ease with which he had taken down the Earth Immortal cursed effigy. They were increasingly confident that Xiao Nanfeng would surely be able to lead them out of the Netherworld Palace.

Very quickly, the horse-headed humanoids and demons of Wushi were all slaughtered.

"Just like before, inform and pacify the people, teach them basic cultivation techniques, and guard me," Xiao Nanfeng commanded.

"Understood!" everyone replied.

Xiao Nanfeng again submerged himself within a wok as he absorbed the karmic flames that lay within. There was no bottleneck in his cultivation; he simply needed an incredible wealth of resources to advance.

Two hours later, the wok exploded as Xiao Nanfeng's body released a burst of flaming energy.

"The tenth stage of the Human Immortal realm—I've reached the peak of a Human Immortal!" Xiao Nanfeng opened his eyes as he took a deep breath.

Just then, the blood peach tree appeared before him and formed words with scattered peach blossoms. "Xiao Nanfeng, as thanks for the cursed effigies you've provided me, I'm willing to impart you a technique to forge an invincible Immortal body. Do you want it?"

"What technique, Senior?" Xiao Nanfeng asked.

He was at the peak of the Human Immortal realm and soon to become an Earth Immortal, which would require forging an Immortal body. An Immortal body would significantly augment his defenses, and his physical body alone would be as strong as a qi barrier.

The stronger the forging technique, the more resilient the resulting Immortal body would be. Xiao Nanfeng had prepared a technique for himself, but he was curious as to just what the blood peach tree could provide.

"Hand me an empty jade tablet," the blood peach tree wrote out.

Xiao Nanfeng immediately passed an empty jade tablet to the blood peach tree.

The blood peach tree grabbed the jade tablet with its branches, then infused cursed spiritual energy into it. Then, it returned the tablet to Xiao Nanfeng.

"This technique is known as the Imposing Avatar of Rulai. It is impervious to the elements and to tribulation; it is the ultimate body-forging technique of the Buddhist sects," the blood peach tree introduced.

"Thank you, Senior!" Xiao Nanfeng bowed gratefully.

The blood peach tree shook before retreating into Xiao Nanfeng's mindscape.

Xiao Nanfeng sent his spiritual power into the jade tablet, whereupon he was met with an arcane technique.

He sat cross-legged in meditation as he contemplated the manual that the blood peach tree had provided. Indeed, the Imposing Avatar of Rulai was a peerless technique that would provide resistance against all manner of external phenomena. It was far stronger than the technique he had prepared for himself.

However, Xiao Nanfeng didn't commit to the technique just yet. He reached out to Black Lotus. "Senior, I have a technique here that I'd like you to peruse. Would you tell me if there's anything wrong with it?"

"Very well," the black lotus wrote.

Xiao Nanfeng transcribed the manual for the Imposing Avatar of Rulai into his mindscape.

The black lotus considered it carefully. "The Imposing Avatar of Rulai? This is the ultimate body-forging technique of the Buddhist sects. The strongest cultivators of the Buddhist sects have all studied this technique, which forges them into a new Rulai, a new Buddha, hegemon of the world."

"Truly? Is the technique that powerful?" Xiao Nanfeng exclaimed.

The black lotus continued, "The manual consists of thirteen volumes in all, but what you've transcribed is only the first twelve volumes. One is missing."

"Is it an incomplete technique?" Xiao Nanfeng asked.

"Allow me to furnish the last volume."

The black lotus wrote out the final volume in full in its signature black light.

Xiao Nanfeng considered the addition carefully, then asked, "Without this final volume, would my Immortal body have been open to possession?"

The black lotus replied, "There is no Immortal body in this world that is immune to possession, but the difficulty in doing so can vary considerably. The full Imposing Avatar of Rulai naturally has precautions against possession, but this final volume is the crux against it. Without it, you would indeed be more easily possessed."

Xiao Nanfeng nodded thoughtfully. He inhaled deeply. "Thank you for your guidance, Elder."

The black lotus vanished in a puff. All was silent once more

as Xiao Nanfeng opened his eyes. He glanced at the jade tablet in his hand and took a deep breath. "Senior, this technique is truly incredible. Allow me to thank you again."

Peach blossoms fluttered to the ground. "Good that it suits you."

"Of course, Senior. I intend to cultivate it," Xiao Nanfeng replied.

"Very good," the peach blossoms wrote out.

Xiao Nanfeng then turned to the gathered cultivators. "Are you aware if there are any particularly potent or domineering sources of fire within this abyss?"

"Special flame? Like the karmic flame in the woks? I know of one," a cultivator volunteered.

"Oh?" Xiao Nanfeng replied curiously.

"I once overheard the cursed effigies talking among themselves. They said that the sea of karmic flame was composed entirely of concentrated karmic flame," the cultivator continued.

"The sea of karmic flame?" Xiao Nanfeng prompted.

The cultivator nodded. "The eighteen layers of hell are each distinct. These wok artifacts contain karmic flame scattered throughout the underworld. The Horse Yanluo obtained four small fragments of karmic flame when the eighteen layers of hell shattered, which he forged into four woks. The Dragon Yanluo managed to obtain considerably more such fragments, which were then forged into a sea of karmic flame."

"Where is it?" Xiao Nanfeng asked.

"It's within what used to be the Dragon Yanluo's territory. When the Dragon Yanluo left the abyss with subordinates in tow, that territory was divided up by the remaining Yanluo Lords. It's guarded by the subordinates of each Yanluo Lord and is particularly dangerous," the cultivator warned.

"That doesn't matter. Take me there," Xiao Nanfeng requested.