The White Apes only managed to secure a mere fraction of the foundational lineage, which the Monkey had mostly kept to himself. Roaring, even a trace of the savage ape's true bloodline, coupled with the divine techniques and methods specially taught by the Monkey—a profound art crafted explicitly for the (Spiritual Apes) born of Heaven and Earth—combined with Gu Xiechen's instruction on the Great Dao, and the unreserved infusion of stellar power from the Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiend constellations, resulted in their cultivation of divine powers and magic soaring day by day.

In the brief span of just over ten thousand years, the eight White Apes, with their diligent cultivation habits, already had one foot across the threshold of the Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm.

Compared to true Grand Unity Golden Immortals, the White Apes' magical power still lagged slightly, though the gap was not immense. However, when coupled with the indestructible golden net body forged by the Monkey, and further refined by Gu Xiechen using the energies of the Taiyin (Great Yin) and Taiyang (Great Yang) to temper their physical forms, their combat prowess became terrifyingly immense.

Back in the day, the Monkey, with only an Earthly Immortal cultivation base, managed to turn the Three Realms upside down; he was a cultivator who could challenge Grand Unity Golden Immortals while being several realms below them.

These eight White Apes lacked the Monkey’s exceptional spiritual roots, but due to years of relentless abuse, the ferocity in their hearts was even more pronounced. Consequently, their attacks were savagely brutal and ruthless, their killing intent a hundred times heavier than the Monkey's. When fighting together, the eight White Apes could even contend with High-Grade Grand Unity Golden Immortals without yielding ground.

Unleashing eight iron staves, each weighing over ten million catties, the eight White Apes arranged themselves according to the Bagua orientation and smashed down upon the female cultivator in white. The staves whipped up the primordial energies of Earth, Water, Fire, and Wind, shattering the void of Boronimimbu Jiaoletian into countless fragments.

As the staff winds raged, an intense suction emanated from within the White Apes, rapaciously drawing the surrounding Heaven and Earth spiritual energy into their bodies. This suction force was so colossal that dozens of nearby mountain peaks on the ground trembled faintly, large cracks appearing at their bases, giving the appearance that they were about to break free from the earth and be swallowed whole.

This Bagua formation, though seemingly ordinary, was actually the "Eight Spirits Vast Heaven Array," summarized from the secret killing formations of the Jie Sect, combined by the Ten Heavenly Sovereigns and Gu Xiechen. Once this array was fully activated, it possessed terrifying power capable of shattering heaven and destroying earth, turning the cosmos upside down; anything like overturning rivers and seas was child's play before this grand formation.

When the eight iron staves merged into one, and the immortal power within the bodies of the eight ferocious apes became a single, unified mass, a swirling halo of chaos appeared in the void, rolling towards the female cultivator in white, accompanied by countless winds and lightning strikes. The dozens of mountain peaks finally succumbed to the terrifying suction from the void, lifting off and transforming into innumerable stones of varying sizes, which were then blasted towards the female cultivator amidst the staff winds.

The mountains within the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths possessed extreme weight; even a stone the size of a fist often weighed over a hundred thousand catties. Massive mountain ranges hurtled down with a tremendous roar toward the female cultivator. Her expression shifted, becoming somewhat grim.

Buddhist cultivation emphasizes the refinement of fate and life—the tempering of the physical body—stressing the use of the self as a vessel to cross the boundless sea of suffering. However, this female cultivator in white leaned more towards the path of magical arts and divine powers; one could hardly expect a delicate and stunning beauty to wield heavy weaponry like iron staves or demon-subduing vajras for close-quarters combat.

Gazing at the fierce flames erupting from the eight ferocious apes, the female cultivator in white flicked the willow branch in her hand, releasing a gentle breeze and fine mist, a soft, greenish spray. The techniques of the female cultivator were righteous and peaceful, imbued with the authentic aura of the orthodox Buddhist school. Every strand of the gentle wind she cast possessed the might to cleave mountains, and every drop of fine rain weighed over ten thousand catties. Within the invisible and formless lay immense power, perfectly capturing the true essence of Buddhist demon-subduing cultivation.

Yet, the grand formation formed by the eight White Apes acted like a set of rolling blades; the gentle breeze and fine mist were instantly pulverized by the storm of chaos. Immediately following this, sharp ape cries resounded. Eight colossal apes, their height having swelled to nearly a hundred zhang, encircled the white-robed Buddhist nun and began relentlessly smashing down with their iron staves.

Each iron stave itself weighed over ten million catties, and in addition, the Monkey had infused an immeasurable amount of Taiyin and Taiyang energies when forging them. The interplay and attraction of the Yin and Yang energies made the staves whirl as if flying, and as the momentum of the staves rose, billions of lightning bolts seemed to crash down from above. Coupled with the eight White Apes’ unparalleled brute strength, the rotating staves dragged forth limitless killing intent.

The white-robed female cultivator had always cultivated in seclusion at Great Snow Mountain. Although her divine powers were vast and her methods boundless, those she associated with were invariably benevolent high monks and venerable masters. She had not engaged in actual combat for nearly an epoch.

Unlike other celestial realms within the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, the Buddhist sect held absolute dominance in Boronimimbu Jiaoletian, resulting in perpetual peace. Buddhist cultivators, having practiced in this tranquil environment for countless years, had long forgotten that true warfare existed in the world.

Surrounded and violently assaulted by the eight ferocious apes, the white-robed female cultivator was instantly thrown into disarray. She was not skilled in close-quarters combat to begin with, and in her haste, she even forgot to deploy the profound sealing restrictions she possessed.

In her daily life, when the white-robed female cultivator occasionally used her magic, it was merely to conjure lotus flowers and roots to offer to the Buddha statues, summon gentle breezes and fine mists to nourish the purple bamboo groves, or employ minor restrictions to play harmless jokes on her fellow disciples. Occasionally, she would heal small, injured creatures on her territory. She understood the high-level Buddhist sealing restrictions, and could deploy them almost instantaneously, but she had never actually used them in earnest.

Facing the eight iron staves smashing down upon her, the female cultivator hesitated, wondering whether to use the Eight Divisions Heavenly Dragon Shattering Evil Buddha Light or the Mustard Seed Sumeru Separating and Uniting Buddha Light to meet the attack. But her body reacted purely by instinct: she raised the white porcelain vase in her left hand and the willow branch in her right, meeting the eight iron staves head-on.

Alas, these two ancient immortal artifacts, passed down through the ages, were meeting iron hammers head-on like crystal cups striking steel. With a sound of clanging, cracking, the white porcelain vase shattered, and the willow branch snapped clean in half. The eight iron staves crushed the female cultivator’s two magic treasures as if they were mere dust, striking her directly.

A wail echoed out: the delicate, beautiful, and dignified Buddhist female cultivator was smashed into a meat patty by the eight iron staves. A single Sarira shot up from the mangled flesh, attempting to flee toward Great Snow Mountain, when suddenly a sinister gust of wind blew from the northeast. Kong Sangri cast a sword strike from afar, blasting the Sarira into countless specks of golden light that scattered away.

With an earth-shattering roar, the mountain region below where the Purple Bamboo Grove stood convulsed violently. Large slabs of rock strata collapsed into the earth, and the once lush purple bamboo forest instantly withered and dried up. In mere moments, the beautiful, clear landscape that had been a sacred retreat transformed into a bottomless gaping chasm.

The armies of the Nine Hells Dao cheered in unison. Accompanied by the loud, clear resonance of the Chaos Bell, the army surged forward, churning up heavy clouds of demonic mist and dark energy.

Inside Great Snow Mountain, the formless old nun and over a dozen elder monks and nuns wore incredibly grim expressions. True Lord Wuji, who was observing the battle from the side, casually examined his own fingers, secretly laughing. The Buddhist sect had already lost several elite fighters; this was an outcome that the Xuan Yue Palace gladly welcomed. The more they died, the better. They were just bald donkeys, so what did it matter to him?

“The demonic flames are blazing, yet we haven’t even tested their true capabilities,” the formless old nun murmured, fiddling with her prayer beads dryly. “We must dispatch capable personnel to probe the background of their leader.”

The group of elder monks and nuns realized that those who had appeared from the Nine Hells Dao army were not their core strength; Gu Xiechen and the others seated on the White Bone Demonic Dragon Chariot and other carriages had not yet made a move. Yet, they had already lost three rounds decisively. If this fourth contest ended just as cleanly, the entirety of Great Snow Mountain's Buddhist sect…

True Lord Wuji suddenly laughed: “The Xuan Yue Palace has a few favored disciples, and also some means of subduing demons and slaying fiends. Perhaps…”

The formless old nun hurriedly interrupted True Lord Wuji’s words, sharply crying out without even glancing in his direction: “I request that Venerable Fanduo of White Lion Cliff step forward! You must absolutely crush the sharpness of these demons, lest they belittle my Great Snow Mountain lineage.”

A deep and powerful Buddha chant echoed from a certain place on Great Snow Mountain. An old monk, over a tall, flew up through the clouds. This monk’s skin was transparent as clear water; beneath the skin, his jade bones and golden skeleton were distinctly visible, inch by inch, bone by bone. His five viscera displayed seven-colored luster like glazed crystal. In his brain, there were none of the usual tissues; instead, a viscous, seven-colored ripple undulated, upon which eight Sarira floated—a truly miraculous sight.

The assembly of elder monks and nuns cheered in unison. The monk’s physical body had been refined to this state, and his brain had transformed into marrow elixir. Clearly, both his divine powers and physical form had been tempered to the highest level. According to Buddhist doctrine, this monk had reached at least the realm of 'No Possession Heaven' (Wu Suo You Chu Tian), which corresponded to the Dragon Transformation Brahma Heaven (Long Bian Fan Du Tian) in Daoist terms—at least a peak cultivation of High-Grade Grand Unity Golden Immortal.

Even in the ancient Buddhist era, this person would be considered a Bodhisattva, possessing profound Daoist magic and presiding over a region.

The formless old nun looked smugly at True Lord Wuji and stated calmly, “Brother Fanduo, your cultivation has advanced significantly since these many years.”

True Lord Wuji merely offered a faint smile without a word. He held deep disdain for this group of old monks and nuns. They were so concerned with propriety and appearances; if they had all charged forward together—the numerous high monks and venerable nuns of Great Snow Mountain—against the Nine Hells Dao army, the formless old nun alone could have likely suppressed the Nine Hells Dao.

Instead, they insisted on adhering to ritual, sending young monks and junior nuns to fight in formations. Wasn't this just pointlessly depleting their vital forces?

However, the Buddhist lineage of Great Snow Mountain was vast, its high monks and venerable masters as numerous as the Ganges sand; the loss of a few hundred or even a few thousand was inconsequential.

True Lord Wuxi nodded and smiled at the formless old nun, but his smile remained unspoken. He felt indescribably delighted inside.

The formless old nun’s face darkened. She perceived True Lord Wuji’s gloating sentiment, immediately turned her head, and looked eagerly towards the Fanduo old monk ascending into the sky.

The monk Fanduo, whose appearance was startling, traversed millions of miles of void in a single flash, halting the advance of the Nine Hells Dao army alone. He casually retrieved a small, detailed mountain peak, the size of a fist, from his sleeve, tossed it into the void, and shouted, "Grow!"

The Boronimimbu Jiaoletian instantly filled with a fragrant wind blowing for ten thousand miles, and streaks of golden Buddha light descended from the high sky. This thin golden light was covered with intense Buddhist Demon-Subduing Golden Flames. If any disciple of the Nine Hells Dao or Dark Creatures made slight contact—touching it with a finger would turn an arm to ash; brushing it with a toe would make the leg vanish without a trace.

After losing several thousand subordinates, the army of the Nine Hells Dao slowly halted.

The small mountain peak thrown by the old monk Fanduo grew rapidly against the fragrant wind, expanding to a height of ten thousand miles in the blink of an eye, spanning over a million li in circumference. It perfectly blocked the path of the Nine Hells Dao army. At the summit of this great mountain stood a majestic and imposing Chan Platform. The old monk Fanduo floated onto the platform, his own body swelling to a hundred li in height, and he sat slowly atop the platform.

"One thought is Heaven, one thought is Hell!"

The old monk chanted in a low voice. At the foot of this mountain floating before the Nine Hells Dao army, an area of sword mountains and seas of fire instantly manifested. Countless tormented spirits struggled within the boundless hell, emitting heart-rending, ear-splitting howls. Higher up the mountainside, however, was a scene of paradise: countless young men and women frolicked joyfully amidst boundless seas of flowers and dense forests, carefree and unrestrained.

"You have committed endless sins. There is no path to Heaven for you, only the gate to Hell. Come forward quickly!"

A fierce wind blew, and two masses of yellow clouds flashed before the Chan Platform. Two Golden Arhats, each a thousand feet tall, roared with flared eyes, unleashing two streams of Buddha light that charged down towards the White Bone Demonic Dragon Chariot carrying Gu Xiechen. Their massive hands clawed down, intending to snatch Gu Xiechen from his carriage and cast him into the sea of blood and hell at the foot of the mountain.

The demonic dragon Gin Guai pulling the chariot gave a sinister laugh. His form flickered, transforming into human shape, and he shot into the sky, raising his two fists, each the size of a wine jar, to smash down squarely between the two Golden Arhats. However, as soon as his fists contacted the bodies of these Arhats, who had been aggressively charging, they passed through Gin Guai's fists like phantoms. In a flash, they were in front of Gu Xiechen's chariot.

Yang Jian, standing on the chariot shaft, smiled coldly. A divine light flashed in his eyes, and his Three-Pointed, Double-Edged Lance sliced through the void like a bright gleam. The massive heads of the two Arhats suddenly flew upwards, great plumes of golden light and auspicious energy pouring out from their severed necks.

The old monk Fanduo, seated upon the Chan Platform, snorted in surprise and uncertainty. A deep gash, revealing bone, suddenly appeared on the little finger of his right hand. Seven-colored golden blood continuously flowed from the wound. Even as he mobilized the meditative power within his body to heal the injury, no matter how hard he tried, the wound remained, showing no sign of healing.

Staring deeply at the nonchalant Yang Jian, the heart of the old monk Fanduo sank heavily.

“What pure Daoist profound art!”

Weren't the armies of the Nine Hells Dao entirely made up of demons and monsters? The towering corpse auras and ghostly fires swirling above their ranks clearly indicated they were not of good origin. Yet, the Nine Hells Dao army concealed a formidable figure like Yang Jian, who was adept in Daoist profound arts, capable of slaying the Arhat manifestation condensed from a wisp of the old monk Fanduo’s true spirit.

Slaying a manifestation was one thing, but Yang Jian’s strike had, through the connection between the Golden Arhat manifestation and Fanduo’s true body, injured the original body. Furthermore, this injury was incurable even by the old monk Fanduo’s high cultivation—this was not something achievable by ordinary Daoist techniques.

Yang Jian stood hundreds of miles away, coldly watching the old monk Fanduo. After a long silence, Yang Jian gave a slight smile and nodded gently to the old monk. Gripping the hilt of his Three-Pointed, Double-Edged Lance, he suddenly thrust forward fiercely.

The thrust produced no sound and created no gust of wind, yet on the distant Chan Platform, the old monk Fanduo suddenly chanted a loud Buddha name. The wound on his right little finger ripped open violently. With a sound like shattering metal, his little finger snapped off completely at the base.

“Namo Amitabha Buddha!”

The old monk Fanduo stared blankly at his severed finger, then suddenly pointed toward Yang Jian and shouted: “Benefactor, do you dare enter my Buddha Kingdom?”

The great mountain, spanning ten thousand li high and a million li wide, suddenly flashed with immense golden light. Countless flying heavenly maidens descended gracefully amidst the light, and numerous bright-eyed, white-toothed dragon girls, Yakshas, and Asuras sprang forth from the flowers and trees. They sang and danced among the flowery groves, lending an air of bewitchment.

Yang Jian remained silent, hefted his long blade, and took a single step forward, instantly arriving at the base of the great mountain.

Countless vengeful spirits roared and charged out from the sea of fire and swords, attempting to seize Yang Jian’s body and drag him into the boundless hell.

The Three-Pointed, Double-Edged Lance swept lightly, and the multitude of vengeful spirits wailed in unison, each cut in half at the waist, instantly turning to green smoke and dissipating. Yang Jian lightly tapped his toe, and the sword mountains instantly fractured, the seas of fire extinguished. The boundless sea of blood dried up in an instant. The immense Buddha Kingdom belonging to the old monk Fanduo…

Slowly, step by step, Yang Jian ascended the mountain slope. Yang Jian’s clear voice echoed throughout the entire Boronimimbu Jiaoletian.

“The Buddhist sect possesses innate meritorious virtues; they are, after all, the orthodox lineage of the Saints. But there is a faction of Buddhist scum who, instead of learning proper Chan arts and profound methods, specialize in these deceptive illusions. What use are such illusions, even if you possess the cultivation of an ancient Buddha?”

Innumerable seductive beauties swayed their hips, approaching Yang Jian. A flash of Yang Jian’s blade light cut them into pieces.

Countless Heavenly Dragons and Eightfold Beings roared and descended upon Yang Jian from above. Again, a flash of blade light, and all the divine buddhas and gods were shattered into fragments.

Countless Vajra Bright Kings swung their Buddhist implements down like a rainstorm, but that clean, faint flash of blade light swept past just once more, and all the Vajra Bright Kings likewise dissolved into fragments, falling one after another.

With every flash of the blade, a deep, bone-revealing gash appeared on the body of the monk Fanduo. As Yang Jian climbed step by step up the mountainside, the old monk Fanduo’s five fingers on his left hand all broke, and the five fingers, wrist, and shoulder of his right hand silently fell away. Seven-colored glazed golden blood flowed profusely onto the ground.

The old monk Fanduo stared at Yang Jian, dumbfounded. He trembled, attempting to say something, but no words emerged.

Though the old monk Fanduo towered a hundred li high, and he was seated atop the mountain, although Yang Jian was only eight feet tall and stood halfway up the mountain, everyone felt as if Yang Jian was looking down upon the old monk Fanduo from above.

Yang Jian advanced step by step towards the old monk Fanduo. His voice vibrated the Boronimimbu Jiaoletian itself.

“Let you conjure three thousand worlds, let you manifest eighteen hells, let you transform the three thousand mortal realms like grinding wheels—old monk, whom do you take this Lord to be?”

“This Lord defies the governance of Heaven and the decrees of Earth, wandering freely within the Three Realms. My fundamental heart seeks only the Limitless Great Dao. Your paltry illusions, before this Lord’s eyes, are nothing more than the glow-worms of winter—ignorant, self-destructive fools!”

The old monk Fanduo was enraged. He abruptly stood up, raising his right foot to bring it down heavily upon Yang Jian’s head.

But as soon as his foot lifted, Yang Jian was already behind him. A flash of blade light, carrying an astonishing beauty capable of toppling nations, swept past the neck of the old monk Fanduo. The old monk’s massive head flew high, and his eight internal Sarira were smashed into dust by a single cut.

“Great Sage, I beat you to it this time!”

Yang Jian stood upon the mountain's Chan Platform and looked down at the Monkey, who was crouched atop Gu Xiechen’s carriage roof, mouth agape, and smiled calmly.

The body of the old monk Fanduo disintegrated piece by piece, scattering into countless specks of golden light. The purest, most primordial essence of that energy integrated itself into Yang Jian’s body.

Brilliant light erupted from Yang Jian’s entire being. Suddenly, a stream of pure energy shot toward the heavens. Three green lotuses bobbed and floated within this energy; gradually, the green lotuses transformed into dazzling gold. The three golden lotuses shimmered for a while before emitting a brilliant golden light that enveloped Yang Jian.

With a single strike that felled the old monk Fanduo, Yang Jian’s cultivation smoothly stepped into the Mid-Grade Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm.

Among all those surrounding Gu Xiechen, Yang Jian was the first to ascend to the Mid-Grade Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm.

“Alas, truly worthy of being the Heroic and Valiant, Pure Origin, Dao-Mysterious, Benevolent-Pious, Illuminating-Benefit, Propagating-Welfare, Second Lord, Manifested Sage True Lord!”

Miao Hua sighed softly, “To be this handsome in life is one thing, but to have one’s cultivation advance so rapidly—how unbearable, how unbearable! Fortunately, this fellow has little interest in beauties, otherwise, where would the rest of us have a chance to make our mark?”

After lamenting a few times, Miao Hua resentfully reached into his trousers and slowly drew out a cigar.

The Monkey slowly stood up and gave Yang Jian a hearty thumbs-up.

“Well done, Second Lord. Heh, next round is for Old Sun!”

The Monkey hefted his Mourning Gate Staff, forcibly shaking his head.

He leaped into the air and struck the great mountain of Fanduo’s disintegrating Buddha Kingdom with one blow, smashing it to powder. Then, with over a dozen somersaults, he flew rapidly over a million miles forward, holding his long staff, pointing it toward the Great Demon Mountain, and roaring fiercely: “Hey, you in the mountain! Send out one who is a match for your master! I’ll give your grandpa a good thrashing of thirty thousand blows!”

After letting out three unconquerable, soaring laughs, the Monkey roared: “Come quickly, come quickly! Your Grandpa Sun cherishes the younger generation. I might even let you strike the first three moves!”

After chuckling sinisterly, the Monkey slammed his long staff downwards, shattering several mountain peaks, and squawked strangely: “Hurry, hurry, don't hide in the back—that’s dreadfully boring. Your Grandpa Sun most certainly values the younger generation, so I might even strike faster later on.”

In the void, the three monks who had been secretly watching Gu Xiechen and the others reappeared stealthily. When they saw that the challenger was the Monkey, the smiling expressions on the faces of the three monks instantly changed. They glanced at each other, simultaneously cursed under their breath, and cautiously slipped away, vanishing without a trace.

Yang Jian returned to the front of Gu Xiechen’s chariot. He looked at the Monkey loudly challenging the heavens ahead and suddenly began to laugh.

Gu Xiechen hastily asked why he was laughing, and Yang Jian explained with a smile, "It turns out that the Buddhist cultivators in these Nine Heavens and Ten Earths are actually the descendants of the Great Sage. However, he himself never brings it up. In the Three Realms, no one dares to mention it."

Gu Xiechen nodded thoughtfully. Indeed, never mind who the monkey's master was; just considering his status within Buddhism, these old monks and nuns would truly have to address him respectfully.

Yet, Yang Jian had just slain the old monk Fanduo with a single strike. Such divine power, such wondrous technique—it had thoroughly terrified the old nun Wuxing and her entourage.

With the cultivation base of a mere initial-stage Grand Unity Golden Immortal, to effortlessly kill a peak Grand Unity Golden Immortal! What profound mystic art had Yang Jian cultivated?

Looking next at the monkey who had confidently stepped forward to issue a challenge, the old nun Wuxing hesitated for a long time, utterly unsure whom to send out to fight.

True Lord Wuji chuckled mockingly from the side, "Masters, perhaps you should hold fast to the Mandala Eight Divisions Heavenly Dragon Demon Slaying Secret Array and slowly wear down their strength. This group is not easy to deal with."

If True Lord Wuji had kept silent, it might have been better. But the moment he spoke, fury ignited even among those elder monks and nuns who had just broken through their seclusion.

The crowd of old monks and nuns exchanged glances, just about to nominate some eminent master to confront the monkey, when that same monkey committed an act that enraged the countless monks of the Great Snow Mountain!

The monkey, utterly lacking decorum, unfastened the battle skirt around his waist and proceeded to cheerfully squirt a stream of monkey urine toward the Great Snow Mountain.

With the cultivation of an initial-stage Grand Unity Golden Immortal, the monkey's stream of urine projected nearly ten million li, sprinkling down over hundreds of mountains within the Great Snow Mountain range. At least tens of thousands of Buddhist cultivators stationed on those peaks were completely drenched in his urine.

With a loud splash, even the Buddhas' wrath could be stirred, let alone the Buddhist cultivators of these Great Snow Mountains?

Nearly ten thousand monks soared up like a startled swarm of hornets, flying chaotically toward the monkey. The monkey grinned with delight, leading his eight white apes to meet this swarm of nearly ten thousand Buddhist cultivators.