"What seems to be wrong?" Lang Shiba and Ji Yue followed him closely, not leaving, and looked at him with surprise.
Mr. Zhao tightly gripped the sword hilt, his gaze sweeping over the battlefield ahead, and said:
"The Magic God Sect Leader did not appear..."
"Maybe it was that day when His Majesty severely injured him," Lang Shiba offered a reasonable guess.
Zhao Douan shook his head and said:
"Even if the Magic God is seriously injured and unable to join the battle, do you think the Eight Princes would send out just a few people? It poses no threat to the Sealing, what’s the point?"
"This..." The surrounding group of people looked at each other in dismay.
At that moment, a loud noise emanating from the mountaintop caught everyone’s attention.
Zhao Douan quickly looked up, discovering the clouds on the mountain were rolling like a furious sea, dark clouds gathered in the sky, accompanied by thunder, and within the area of Luo Mountain, a violent wind blew, causing the mountain to shake slightly.
On the mountaintop, Divine beings clashed, the heavens and earth changed color, and ground trembled and mountains shook.
"It’s the mountaintop! A powerful being is attacking His Majesty!" Tributor Tang Jinzhong exclaimed.
Immediately, some people intended to rush towards the mountain but were stopped by Eunuch Hai, who had just repelled Duan Shuiliu with one strike, calling out loudly:
"By His Majesty’s orders! We are to guard the mountain’s base, don’t fall for the ’Luring the Tiger Away from the Mountain’ ploy! Moreover, a battle among the Heavenlies is something our family should avoid; if caught in the aftermath, severe injuries are inevitable! Your ascent would be futile!"
Instantly, everyone gathered their thoughts, realizing that at such a level of combat, their presence would be meaningless, merely causing confusion.
Yet at that moment, no one noticed Mr. Zhao suddenly lowered his head, plunging his consciousness into his mind.
All because Pei Niannu’s voice resurfaced:
"Worldly Venerate Buddha! It’s the aura of Buddha!"
Zhao Douan was stunned, quickly calming himself and probing within his mind:
"Senior, what do you mean? Are you saying that the force that blocked your descent that day was the power of Worldly Venerate Buddha Divine?"
Zhao Douan was dumbfounded: "No, Senior, are you mistaken? The one that blocked you that day was a magician cultivating ’Heavenly Dao’. What you sensed should have been the aura of Divine ’Heavenly Dao’."
He thought Pei Niannu was confused.
The Magic God Sect Leader, whether in the records or repeatedly making moves that day, clearly displayed typical "Daoist" traits.
Even the Empress confirmed that it was a magician cultivating ’Heavenly Dao’ True God powers—how could it be the force of the "World Venerate"?
"Heavenly Dao externally... World Venerate internally... Buddhist Dao cultivation... Human Immortal..."
Pei Niannu’s voice echoed intermittently, somewhat erratic.
Zhao Douan was taken aback: "Senior... Are you saying, the Magic God Sect Leader is simultaneously cultivating Heavenly Dao and World Venerate? No, or more accurately, primarily cultivating World Venerate Buddha, and supplementing with Heavenly Dao?"
Magicians can cultivate multiple divines just like himself, primarily cultivating the "Martial God," but, due to fortuitous circumstances, now also mastering a part of the "World Venerate" Divine spells.
But, in most cases, no one would cultivate both major True Gods simultaneously.
Buddhist Dao is so distinct because both major True Gods are extremely powerful.
For progress, wholeheartedly relying on one is best. Those who attempt to cultivate both are nearly always mediocre talents.
Therefore, Zhao Douan formed a fixed mindset; he believed "Magic God", a half-step Celestial powerhouse, should primarily cultivate one powerful True God.
Even if the magician also practiced other divines, when confronting the Empress, it would certainly be with the most powerful primary divine.
Moreover, the founder of the Magic God Sect was a priest from the Heavenly Master Mansion.
But according to Pei Niannu, the "Magic God" primarily cultivates "Worldly Venerate Buddha," with "Daoist Heavenly Dao" being supplementary.
"But... How could this be possible? Although Magic God is a half-step Celestial if he can be so powerful even with supplementary Heavenly Dao—able to resist Zhenbao’s sword and retreat unscathed—how strong must his primary cultivation, World Venerate, be?
Wouldn’t it be higher than half-step Celestial itself? It’s absurd... Who in the world could..."
Zhao Douan reflexively refuted, but suddenly, his whole body stiffened, as a thought abruptly cut through the fog in his mind!
"No! There is someone in the world capable of it... Primarily cultivating World Venerate, reaching beyond half-step Celestial..."
Zhao Douan swiftly turned his head, gazing north towards the capital!
His pupils shrank abruptly!
He thought of an extraordinarily audacious possibility, if... the real identity of "Magic God" is Xuan Yin Monk?
Xuan Yin has been secluded in the Divine Dragon Temple for years...
This second-generation "Magic God" suddenly appeared, subduing the entire Magic God Sect, with very few traces.
Moreover, his certain ability is to roam outside through "Body Outside Avatar."
There is a gap between Divine Dragon Temple and the court, especially after the "Destroying Buddha" incident, Xuan Yin has motives to depose the Empress and support a new emperor...
Zhao Douan suddenly recalled that day, when "Magic God" intercepted him outside the city, he said something quite odd.
If "Magic God" and Xuan Yin are the same person or have some connection, then this statement would be reasonably explained.
Back during the Capital Debating Scripture conference, Zhao Douan had indeed met Master Xuan Yin once.
Zhao Douan’s face turned pale; this guess was too outrageous and too terrifying.
If Magic God truly is Xuan Yin, wouldn’t that mean the one fighting Zhenbao today is this Buddhist Heavenly Human?
Zhao Douan looked up, gazing at the cloud-shrouded mountaintop of Luo Mountain.
"Atop now, is it Xuan Yin fighting Zhenbao? But if so, why can’t I sense even a hint of Buddhist mana? My inner Green Lotus is completely unaware?"
"If the one above isn’t Xuan Yin, then why hasn’t ’Magic God’ revealed himself?"
Zhao Douan’s expression fluctuated uncertainly. Suddenly he turned and sprinted towards the mountaintop!
The crowd protecting the altar was shocked.
Zhao Douan merely left behind one sentence: "Guard the altar well; His Majesty gave me another task, don’t worry about me!"
To prevent Eunuch Hai and others from stopping him or distracting them by leaving, Zhao Douan lied.
He decided to rush up the mountain immediately to deliver this crucial intelligence to the Empress.
"With my cultivation, I can’t partake in the Heavenly battle, but hiding from the combat aftermath to relay a message should be manageable."
Zhao Douan ran quickly, his eyes filled with urgency:
"Hopefully... It’s not too late!"
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