Chapter 355

Chapter 355: The Change of Taixu

Silence fell across the battlefield. Everyone from allies to observers, stood frozen, staring at Zhang Yang.

Even those who had been in the midst of communicating with the Lord of the Sacred Forest, the Emperor, had halted, captivated by the sudden reappearance of the Buddha Immortals. They forgot to complete their messages, until Zhang Yang’s voice echoed across the void and reached the ears of those on the other end.

Buddha Immortals.

True beings that had transcended the saintly path.

Headless, yet living.

Headless, yet invincible.

No one knew the result of their battle with the Supreme Emperor. But their return already spoke volumes.

What would happen if the Buddha Immortal chose to act?

Even Zhang Yang wasn’t sure if his cry would move the Buddha Immortal.

Why had he appeared now, to block the Supreme Emperor?

Zhang Yang couldn’t say for certain.

He only had a vague sense that it was somehow related to the Heavenly Reaching Mountain, and perhaps even to the Stone Monkey with wide-open eyes, who sat silently in the "Xiao" Hall of the bloodline world.

Beyond that, he knew nothing.

So, all he could do was act according to his instincts, leaving the outcome to fate.

After shouting, he stood quietly, watching.

In that moment, time itself seemed to pause.

Beside him, the moon-returning dragon clenched his fists, excitement radiating from him. He understood what Zhang Yang meant by "applying some pressure."

If the Sacred Dynasties of the Western Desert continued to cower before the power of the Taixu Dynasty, even after the loss of ten great sages and more than a hundred Great Boundless, then why not deal them another crushing blow and test the limits of their endurance?

This kind of opportunity, if missed, might never come again.

Yet, everything still depended on whether the Buddha Immortal would act.

If he did, the entire balance of the Western Desert would shift.

Especially for the Cold Moon Dynasty, it would mean freedom from the current mire and the chance to rise again, while the Taixu Dynasty would face an unprecedented crisis.

This presented the various Lords of the Sacred Forest and emperors of the Western Desert with a clear choice:

On one side, the Cold Moon Dynasty. On the other, the Taixu Dynasty. Which was more tempting to divide?

Even a fool would know the answer.

The Taixu Dynasty held a foundation deeper than imagination, accumulated from the destruction of countless Sacred Dynasties and Forbidden Lands. This was widely known.

How could anyone not be tempted?

That was why the moon-returning dragon was the most excited, the most nervous, and the most full of anticipation.

Then, in the silence that followed, atop the Buddha head formed from the starlight of Heavenly Reaching Mountain, a pair of Buddha eyes suddenly flashed with brilliance.

The Buddha Immortal raised his hand, and swiped toward the Western Desert.

Everyone who witnessed this held their breath.

They stared far into the horizon.

Of course, they saw nothing.

But instinctively, they could feel it.

A supreme force had descended somewhere far beyond the visible world.

In the Western Desert, high above the Taixu Dynasty, at the very heart of its might, Taixu Palace, the most feared place in the entire region— a golden Buddha hand, formed of pure, radiant Buddhist light, suddenly descended.

It was far too abrupt.

At that moment, only a short time had passed since noon, the busiest, noisiest hour in the Taixu Imperial Capital, when crowds surged through the streets.

Suddenly, a Buddha’s hand appeared, shaking the entire capital to its core.

Its overwhelming might made it feel as though the entire city would collapse. Every soul within felt the crushing weight of impending doom.

Boom!

Under the palm of the Buddha’s hand, Taixu Palace was flattened.

The key detail was this: the power behind that strike was so advanced, so absolute, that even the saints hidden deep within the palace reacted too late. The palace’s long-accumulated forbidden law, an ancient protection built over ten thousand years was rendered useless in an instant.

Saints fell.

Great Boundless beings perished.

Sacred treasures and holy weapons were reduced to dust.

And yet, beneath the level of Great Boundless, no one was harmed. Even ordinary civilians remained safe and sound.

But what drove everyone within the palace to utter despair was this, a special spatial zone, representing the peak of the Taixu Dynasty’s power, was instantly shattered by the Buddha’s hand. The outer realm fractured, holy blood spilled in torrents, and with it, their deeply rooted foundation crumbled.

It was a lethal blow.

“A war of saints…”

Some dared not speak further.

What they were witnessing was beyond belief.

No one knew whether the saints of the Taixu Dynasty or their vast foundation had survived intact.

But they knew one thing for certain:

The Taixu Dynasty was in peril.

News of such a strike would spread across the Western Desert in mere moments.

In truth, there was no need to wait. The instant the Buddha Immortal acted, the heads of all major Sacred Dynasties had already been contacted, and were fully aware of what had transpired.

If the loss of ten great sages and over a hundred Great Boundless beings had stirred some hesitation or nervous curiosity, then this event left no room for calm. No one could stay idle now.

Almost as soon as the Buddha’s hand vanished, violent distortions began to appear in the void above.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…

Ancient teleportation arrays lit up the skies over the Taixu Imperial Capital.

One by one, saints began to arrive.

At the center of it all, the new emperor of the Taixu Dynasty, Jin Shengtian, stood grim-faced.

More than eighty saints had appeared.

What did that mean?

At least ten saints from each major sacred place had descended.

There was no mistaking it—this was a clear show of intent to annihilate.

Jin Shengtian roared, “Who dares act so brazenly? Remember this—those who harm the people of the Taixu Dynasty will pay a painful price!”

He was no ordinary figure. Long overshadowing Jin Zhihong, Jin Zhihu, Jin Liuli, and other famed Battle God-level geniuses of the Western Desert, Jin Shengtian had been recognized as a born ruler.

Some even believed he would become the second Supreme Emperor.

Others were certain he played a vital role in the Supreme Emperor’s grand plan, a strategy that spanned ten thousand years.

One could see how vast his reputation had become.

Unfortunately, he had not yet stepped into the Immeasurable Stage, and his threats carried little weight against the saints of the Western Desert.

For at that moment, three saints made their move.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Three radiant hands shot forward—holy hands, each powerful enough to slay countless Great Boundless beings. To them, one Jin Shengtian was hardly a challenge.

Yet he stood firm amid the ruins of the palace, eyes burning with fury as he shouted:

“This emperor will remember you!”

This title of “emperor” was unique to the Taixu Dynasty.

They saw themselves as the sole emperors of the Western Desert.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Three beams of holy light exploded in the air, smashing the three holy hands aside.

From a blood-stained illusory space, dozens of disheveled saints emerged.

At the same time, that space writhed violently, as if it were trying to fully return. Faint, hazy holy figures flickered in and out, struggling to emerge. But it was not easy.

This scene struck a nerve among the eighty or so saints hovering in the sky, bearing down on the Taixu Imperial Capital.

“If not now, when?”

“Kill!”

A saint attacked.

Unquestionably, they were from the Cold Moon Dynasty.

They had endured humiliation for centuries, and now the opportunity for vengeance had arrived. Without hesitation, they were willing to charge forward, willing even to die for this moment.

The problem was, in such a volatile situation, a single move was enough to trigger a chain reaction.

Every force tied to the sacred places and dynasties of the Western Desert was suddenly mobilized.

Even if they had wanted to hold back and maintain peace was that still possible?

Saints were no fools; they were the best among countless cultivators.

But years of submission under the Taixu Dynasty’s dominance had buried hesitation deep in their hearts. Now, when one saint moved, the dam broke.

Kill!

Over eighty saints launched a coordinated assault.

In an instant, boundless holy might erupted, tearing through space like a divine storm.

Unlike the Buddha Immortals, who showed compassion to those beneath the Great Boundless level, these saints came with one goal:

Slaughter.

The sheer force of their attack shattered what remained of the ruined palace, and countless within perished in the blink of an eye.

Furthermore, up to ten saints surged toward Jin Shengtian.

Another thirty saints charged at the more than ten bloodied saints who had just emerged.

The rest directed their attacks toward the illusory space that housed the foundation of the Taixu Dynasty.

There was no need for any deliberate coordination, the saints acted of their own accord, each choosing their target independently.