Chapter 165 The grand finale: Your senior sister has finally recovered the password.

A holy woman was born in the western regions of Russia, named Shakyamuni. She traveled the world, establishing her mind and destiny, and transcending all suffering.

......

When Simmons woke up, she was surrounded by dry earth under the blazing sun. Sand and dust were blown by the wind and splattered on her face.

She belatedly realized she was still participating in a grand cultivation competition, as a rogue cultivator. A sharp pain shot through the back of her head, and her thoughts drifted back to the moment she stepped into the water mirror—

Oh no, I've been knocked unconscious.

The huge shadow of the tree overhead fell, separating the woman from the scorching heat outside. Simmons sat up abruptly, muttering, "That's why I didn't want to come..." A cool sensation came from her wound. She raised her hand to touch it and found that it had been wrapped in a fine cloth. As she gently rubbed it with her fingertips, it released a strong herbal scent.

Just then, something clear and moist was brought close to her lips, accompanied by a steady voice: "Have some water."

Simmons lowered her head and sipped the clear water from the leaf. The other person held it very steadily, patiently tilting it little by little, allowing her to slowly finish drinking. The water had a gentle fragrance, and after drinking it, it brought a refreshing coolness that cleared her entire being.

After finishing her drink, she wiped her mouth and looked up. Before her stood a tall, sturdy young man with rare, snow-white hair, styled in a bun, adorned with various jeweled ornaments. Aside from this, the young man had nothing particularly striking about him; his appearance was the kind of ordinary that would fade from memory like water.

The Garan people loved to adorn themselves with jewels, as this showed the abundance of their land; the person before him was clearly the same, probably a prince of some ancient kingdom, hence her noble and dignified bearing. She wore a deep red robe, dressed conservatively to shield herself from the scorching sun, and was now gazing gently at Simmons with a pair of smiling eyes.

There was a sense of familiarity about it. But Simmons didn't have time to dwell on it and asked directly, "Who are you?"

The young man lowered his eyes and smiled, "A mortal."

“But I think you resemble a Buddha.” Simmons’s lips curled slightly. “Never mind, identity is self-given. Why do you linger here?”

"World Honored One? Can't the World Honored One be a mortal? I still need to eat and drink." The young man blinked.

"If I encounter someone who has collapsed on the road, I should naturally stop for a while. However, I have heard her say that a small act of kindness should be repaid with a great one. I have a favor to ask of you."

She took out a wooden box from her bosom and opened it slightly. Simmons squinted to examine it closely, then her expression changed slightly, and she looked up incredulously at the young man's calm eyes.

Golden Water Bodhi...

Even if she wasn't very skilled, she had lived with the Kalamites for quite some time, so how could she not know that this was something unique to the people the Kalamites revered as gods?

Legend has it that a deity attained enlightenment under the Bodhi tree, establishing a unique path of cultivation known as Buddhism. Grateful for the Bodhi tree's kindness, the deity repaid it with all the insights gained over twenty years, resulting in a golden Bodhi seed, the only one of its kind in the world, the Golden Water Bodhi.

The Bodhi tree, where she once meditated, has been transformed into a garden, attracting countless people to come and worship.

The young man closed the wooden box and placed it in Simmons's hand, saying, "I can't get out of here, but you might be able to. I would like to ask you to take this Bodhi to Lord Lingguang."

Unbeknownst to others, there was a hidden story behind her enlightenment under the Bodhi tree: the Moon Goddess, sensing her arduous cultivation and the nascent awakening of her spiritual light, descended to the mortal realm to guide her on her final journey. In gratitude, the Holy Maiden wished to offer her a Golden Water Bodhi tree, but the two repeatedly declined. Finally, the Moon Goddess, unable to refuse, said:

“I have a younger sister… She probably likes these shiny things. If you are destined to meet again in the future, give it to her. Until then, you can keep this bodhi seed.”

Now the time has finally come to give it away.

"Lord Lingguang?" Simmons blinked. "Did I just jump into the Heavenly Spirit Realm?"

The young man chuckled softly, touching her forehead with his fingertip. In an instant, all sorts of ancient memories, and the thoughts and experiences of the past twenty years, flooded into Simmons' mind. Her expression shifted from astonishment to confusion, then from a frown to calm.

"The entanglement of cause and effect means that you are in me and I am in you."

After saying that, she got up and went to lead the little donkey under the tree. The donkey was chewing on a piece of moist vegetable root, and she led it to Simmons' side.

"Go ahead." The young man handed the rope to Simmons. "Thank you for your help."

Simmons nodded, mounted her donkey, and rode off in the direction she had indicated. On the way, she couldn't help but look back and saw the man's figure gradually fading, but the smile on his face remained unchanged, just like that of a young man.

So the revered and sculpted Buddha was originally just an ordinary young man. Thinking this, she shook her head in exasperation, gripped the thick rope tightly, slapped the little donkey's head proudly, and shouted:

Let's go!

After she left, the young man slowly walked to the tree and sat down against the trunk. She closed her eyes and sighed softly.

"My clear wish is that all women may borrow my wisdom to go further on their journey of exploration, and no longer be troubled by suffering..."

However, from the young man's memory, she saw that ten thousand years later, her students accepted the merging of another group of people, and gradually forgot their roots. They even felt it was inappropriate for women to preach, and worshipped themselves as gods, abandoning their original identities.

"That's ridiculous."

-

After her rebirth, the flames on Hua Ying's body grew even brighter. On the other hand, Qiongqi's fur was disheveled, and large amounts of foul blood seeped from its wounds, flowing continuously.

"It works quite well, thank you." Hua Ying glanced down at her right shoulder, which had recovered completely, and then continued to draw her bow.

The heavens and earth changed color, and a large amount of spiritual energy surged to her fingertips. Flames swirled around them, and the arrow pierced the air the moment it left the bowstring, like a golden ray. Its brilliance cleaved the dark sky, carrying thousands of stars of fire, and attacked Qiongqi.

In the firelight, her calm eyes, like jewels, reflected the most dazzling brilliance in the world.

Although it wasn't the final moment, the outcome was already decided. Qiongqi took two steps back, revealing a hint of panic, and spread its wings, gathering them in front of itself as if to protect itself.

The arrow pierced through the sturdy wings with deadly force, exploding into a dazzling display of light the instant it struck. For a moment, everyone was blinded by the intense flames, leaving only a white expanse of sky and earth.

When they came to their senses, all that remained was the raging fire of Mount Buzhou, and the giant shadow of the ferocious beast was gone.

Mount Buzhou was enraged, and a horde of beasts rose up. The people fought back, but suddenly the ferocious beasts appeared, and corpses littered the fields.

In the critical moment, Lord Lingguang turned the tide, vanquished Qiongqi, and killed one of its nemesis.

This was the first major battle in the ancient war, known as the Battle of Morino.

As the arrow was fired, the surrounding scenery began to fade, as if disappearing along with the burning Buzhou Mountain. Hua Ying slowly landed on the ground and folded her wings.

The oppressive aura suddenly dissipated, and before the other students could react, Shen Lixia had already taken two steps in one, rushed to Hua Ying's side, and grabbed her sleeve.

The vibrant colors faded little by little. Like a sandstorm, the mirage gradually collapsed and dissipated, returning to the long river of time. Hua Ying turned around, the vermilion mark between her brows and the bright red between her eyes still burning brightly. Seeing the young man's complicated expression, she couldn't help but smile and tease, "Reluctant to part with me?"

“That’s for sure…” Shen Lixia couldn’t learn the tone of those ancient people, so she simply gave up and stopped pretending. She clenched Hua Ying’s sleeve tightly.

"I finally managed to see you..."

Her eyes welled up with tears, a hint of bitterness in them. Behind her, her maidservant followed slowly, bowing slightly. Seeing Shen Lixia's expression from the side, she smiled too.

"Actually, I've been wanting to say this for a while now: how come you look so much like Lord Lingguang, yet you cry so much more?" She reached out and pinched Shen Lixia's cheek. "And you also have divine fire..."

At this point, she seemed to realize something, opened her mouth in surprise, and exclaimed, "I know, you are—"

“Ba.” Hua Ying raised her hand to stop her from speaking, then turned to Shen Lixia, her sharp eyebrows and eyes finally softening slightly.

She reached out and wiped away the tears clinging to the corners of the boy's eyes, smiling, "It seems my wish has come true." In her later life, she was a person who loved to cry.

Sadness signifies having possessed something, a grasp of happiness. Life is full of uncertainties; even fleeting happiness is enough for her to have experienced. The bittersweetness of life is the same—things she could never have in this lifetime.

“We will never meet again, but I will always be here.” She raised her hand and gently pressed it against Shen Lixia’s heart. “I am a part of you.”

"Your master is very fortunate. This place is a part of the consciousness of the wilderness. Many creatures that perished here, or soldiers who fought here, have their souls more or less integrated into it. Therefore, it can reappear for us and reenact the battle to defend the wilderness."

"The real me doesn't exist here; I've long been inseparable from you. So don't shed tears for me—besides, won't you and her meet again?"

Hua Ying smiled and glanced at Ba. "Thank you for saving her."

On one side, other young people were also bidding farewell to the gods. Many of them either died during this garrison duty or perished in the subsequent battles.

After that, the realms of heaven and earth separated, and a group of gods were banished.

She heard Houtu earnestly instructing the young man in black, reminding him never to easily give up what belonged to him; Bai Ze gently pressed his forehead against the young man's, passing on the last remaining magic of their clan; Kunpeng lowered the young man to the ground, listening with a smile as the young man excitedly said he would go to the South Sea to find them...

The boy in white was gently carried by the Biyue bird to the foot of Buzhou Mountain in the distance, gazing tenderly at them. The bird, who should have been punished for its accomplice's actions, seemed to have a brief chance in this illusion to escape its injustice.

Holding Shen Lixia's hand, Hua Ying solemnly said, "May you both get the ending you want."

Thank you too—

Her figure gradually faded away, and her voice became indistinct.

"We are no longer alone." This applies to both her and Luo Yang...

The two in this life clearly no longer need to suffer the same fate as their past selves, unable to express their feelings or control their own destiny. As Hua Ying's figure faded away, Ba also disappeared. Everything around them fell silent, turning into a desolate wilderness with only a few wild plants growing there.

Abundant spiritual energy spread out, perhaps as their final gift, wiping away the numerous wounds on everyone's bodies and restoring all their life force to a completely new state.

Those who came before are gone; this is their true battlefield.

Shen Lixia took a deep breath and suddenly felt a chill down her spine—some of the quick-reacting students had already drawn their swords.

She turned her head slightly and smiled brightly. In an instant, a thick fog suddenly rose up, splashing in from all directions and concealing the boy's figure within it.

At the same time, the other people's communication talismans felt slightly warm.

"I have already set up the formation. Let's proceed step by step according to the tactics."

In the thick fog, Shen Lixia and Simmons stood together, quietly watching the figures that were faintly visible in the distance.

She frowned and said, "I wonder how many people it can trap..."

The tension on the field was gradually fading; she knew Lu Changqing and Wu Zhuyue were starting to finish off their opponents one by one. Lin Yuqian and Tang Huairou were preparing in the rear...

Where is my senior sister?

She hadn't seen her since the beginning, and her delayed arrival must mean something had happened—the Great Battle of the Ancient Wilderness was so tightly intertwined that even if she wanted to, she couldn't easily leave to search for her. But this was just an illusion, so Qiao Yanshen should be alright.

It's just that I can't help but worry.

If nothing goes wrong, it's probably fine for Senior Sister to arrive a little later. Simmons, who was beside her, was silent for a moment before continuing, "Some people have probably already realized this is a formation."

As soon as she finished speaking, she quickly raised her hand, putting two fingers together.

A faint splattering sound was heard, and Simmons loosened her grip, letting go of what she was holding.

It was a thin leaf, imbued with sword energy, that easily sliced ​​open her two fingers, leaving deep bloodstains.

She smiled and said, "Here we are."

After calmly finishing her statement, Simmons's face suddenly twisted, as if she couldn't hold back any longer. Trembling, she touched the wound between her fingers and cried out:

"Ouch!!!"

Realizing something was amiss, Tu Sheng heard this shout and knew he had found the source, so he revealed himself one after another. The fog of the dream array could not only trap them, but could also be used by them to conceal themselves.

Some impulsive individuals drew their swords and leaped forward, launching a fierce attack. Shen Lixia retreated two steps, her bow and arrows materializing in her hand, and she swiftly unleashed a burst of burning arrows. Her stance was so similar to Hua Ying's earlier that it intimidated many, causing the first boy to rush forward to change his expression and hastily dodge.

Only when the flames touched him did the boy realize he was unharmed, with only his robes slightly burned. A hint of surprise flashed in her eyes as she cautiously glanced at Shen Lixia, just as she was about to leave—

The runes beneath her feet shone brightly through the grass, suddenly illuminating her. A sharp sword aura swept forward, instantly slicing across her throat.

A flash of white light, and her figure vanished swiftly. At the same time, ripples appeared on the water mirror outside the arena, and one after another, students were sent out.

The battle raged fiercely ahead. Lin Yuxian and Tang Huairou each guarded one side, wary of a surprise attack from behind. Spiritual energy flowed continuously across the array plate, their hands gripping the cinnabar talisman tightly, their thoughts constantly shifting with the changing battle situation. Lin Yuxian frowned deeply, biting her lower lip, cold sweat already beading on her forehead.

A chilling sword aura slashed towards her. Lin Yuxian quickly put away the array plate, turned around, and used her spiritual power to protect herself. She blocked the white blade with her bare hands, and with a forceful push—

Seemingly unaware of this move, her opponent was caught off guard and pushed back a short distance. In the blink of an eye, the hand that Lin Yuqian had used to catch her sword was now torn open, blood gushing out.

The spiritual energy rapidly healed the wounds. Lin Yuqian's hands moved swiftly, forming hand seals. The talismans transformed into tangible vines, tightly binding the legs of the boy opposite her.

The young man lowered his head slightly and saw the vines that had climbed up to her waist and fixed her in place. He chuckled and said slowly, "I've never seen an array cultivator before. How rare." As soon as he finished speaking, his spiritual power suddenly surged, transforming into streaks of sword energy that shattered all the vines.

"What is your name?" She summoned her longsword again, and with each step forward, water-like spiritual energy surged, gradually condensing into a swirling phantom. When she had taken nine steps and forced Lin Yuxian into a corner, a clear dragon's roar came from the mouth of the solidified, enormous phantom.

The oppressive aura emanating from her body also assaulted Lin Yuqian, causing her to clench her fists.

—He was at the peak of the Golden Core Realm. Coupled with the sword energy imbued with the aura of a true dragon, his strength was more than enough to kill an ordinary Nascent Soul Realm cultivator. She seemed somewhat unlucky, but her opponent clearly intended to break through the formation from behind.

Just as the sword was about to strike, a sudden gust of wind arose, and a pale blue spiritual energy surged forth, stimulating the vegetation below to barely block the sword light. The dragon shadow formed from the sword energy shattered the dense grass and leaves, releasing a refreshing scent that permeated the surrounding area.

Lin Yuxian's figure had already disappeared behind the grass curtain. The young man glanced over and realized that another student in a blue robe had carried her to a new position.

After setting the boy down from her arms, Tang Huairou gently held his hand, her warm spiritual energy healing his wounds. Her other hand remained in a hand seal, wary of any further attacks.

Just as the next sword strike was about to be delivered, melodious music suddenly rose up and enveloped the entire battlefield.

For a moment, many people in the arena could not bear it and couldn't help but bend over. Some even knelt on the ground, blood seeping from their seven orifices. What was originally a gentle and moving melody had become a deadly weapon, crushing the consciousness of many disciples into chaos and disorder.

Tang Huairou used a burst of spiritual energy to separate the music, and released her divine sense to perceive that Tu Sheng of Xihe Palace was still fighting hard on the other side, but Yun Zhixiao's flute music had already reached them.

Ahead, Yue Qifeng, alone with her sword, broke through the thick fog and slowly revealed herself. The wind whistled around her, sword energy shattered the rain of arrows, and she calmly walked towards Shen Lixia.

Shen Lixia stopped dodging and called out loudly, "Senior Sister Yue!"

The young man laughed heartily and replied, "Junior Sister Shen, I knew all along that you—you were sure to be the one to make it to the end and shine the brightest in this show."

"You overestimate him." Shen Lixia shook her head, mentally calculating her chances of winning a one-on-one fight with Yue Qifeng. Her opponent was rumored to be a once-in-a-millennium sword cultivation genius. Although they were both at the Nascent Soul stage, she was expected to be close to breaking through to the middle stage... Her studies were not as diverse as hers, but like her senior sister, she focused solely on the sword path.

The odds of winning are slim, probably only four points. Shen Lixia turned her head, scanning the area behind her with her divine sense, and discovered that the formation's core had been breached, and there were few people left on the field, barely clinging to the edge of elimination. Lin Yuxian and Tang Huairou were also deeply embroiled in a fierce battle and were unlikely to be able to come to her aid.

Simmons was busy dodging attacks from a group of armed novice students, trying to send them on their way with acupoint strikes without causing pain.

For the time being, no one could help her. Shen Lixia turned her gaze back, staring intently at Yue Qifeng, a stream of fire suddenly appearing in her hand. Although she had learned movement techniques, she lacked the confidence to be as agile as the wind spirit root, which was known for its speed and lightness, without wings.

The two swords clashed, black and white constantly meeting. Yue Qifeng's sword strikes were incredibly fast, so fast that Shen Lixia could barely react and could only instinctively raise her hand to block. Each of her strikes was imbued with the intent of a swift wind, and if one was not careful, the sharp sword energy would cut her skin, making it difficult to heal.

To fight her was like having all your strength but nowhere to use it, being helplessly subdued by her skillful techniques. Shen Lixia was not used to her style and awkwardly dodged and dodged, quickly thinking of a countermeasure.

—If only it could drag on a little longer...

As she was pondering, Yue Qifeng suddenly twisted his wrist, and a long sword, swirling in his hand, aimed at her neck!

A surge of killing intent followed. Although Yue Qifeng was still in the Nascent Soul Realm, he was already a veteran who had experienced countless battles. Not only were his sword skills extraordinary, but he had also honed an aura in his sword intent that others could never acquire even within the sect.

Shen Lixia was slightly taken aback, turning her head to barely dodge the sword's edge. Yue Qifeng did not hesitate, retreating slightly before thrusting his sword forward again.

In the instant the battle was about to end, a sword shadow, as white as a ribbon, suddenly met Yue Qifeng's blade.

A white robe fluttered past, followed by the chilling scent of blood.

A chilling coldness pierced to the bone, and the sword gleamed menacingly.

The young man's eyes peeked out from beneath his disheveled black hair, like a deep, cold pool.

“I will be your opponent, Yue Qifeng.”

-----------------------

Author's Note: Senior Sister: (Finally got the password right) (Online)

I feel like Simmons' cool factor only lasts for three seconds at a time, but I still like it. A good mindset and a relaxed attitude determine a woman's life (not really).

I'm really bad at writing team fights! Sigh!! I'll speed things up from here!

*Regarding the Buddhist elements in this article, I initially didn't think much of it before writing it, but after researching the history of Buddhism, I incorporated some of that information into my writing about the development of Buddhism here. The Kalan people on the snowy mountains are the true inheritors of Buddhism here; other places have more or less distorted it, failing to maintain the original intentions of the Holy Maiden.

But things will get better later^^ Don't worry...