Chapter 474: Fate's Calamity

"Heaven's sins can be forgiven; self-inflicted ones cannot. Mud Buddha, do you still wish to oppose me?" Zhong Shan's words exposed the identity of Mud Buddha at the center. Though everyone knew he was Mud Buddha, how could Zhong Shan, who seemingly had no prior knowledge, recognize him so easily?

Zhong Shan had learned from his past experiences. This time, he had focused on the feng shui master of the Pure Land of Bliss from the beginning and recognized Mud Buddha immediately.

Mud Buddha? Zhong Shan knew Mud Buddha?

Everyone looked at Zhong Shan in astonishment. The monks of the Pure Land of Bliss suddenly had a bad feeling, while the three great saints smiled slightly, especially Gu Shentong.

Watching Zhong Shan, unable to move, Gu Shentong was filled with admiration. Zhong Shan kept surprising him, resembling his younger self.

Mud Buddha? That formidable Mud Buddha, who single-handedly resisted the three great feng shui masters, had an extremely powerful feng shui ability. Could Zhong Shan's mere words really defeat him?

Mud Buddha remained silent, even as Zhong Shan pointed at him.

Taking a deep breath, Mud Buddha spoke, "Four Buddhas, I owe Zhong Shan a promise. I must take my leave. However, since I have taken your things, I will not withdraw this feng shui array. Farewell!"

With that, Mud Buddha's figure flickered and vanished from everyone's sight.

Mud Buddha left? Without a feng shui master to maintain it, could the feng shui array still function? Even if it was powerful, it couldn't withstand the erosion of time, especially with three other feng shui masters eyeing it.

He was really gone! Everyone felt a sense of disbelief.

The people of the three celestial dynasties were overjoyed. Without Mud Buddha, the feng shui array wouldn't last long.

Gu Shentong sighed with admiration. Ying had a curious smile, Nie Fancheng frowned at Zhong Shan, and Wu Jiutian looked puzzled.

"Heaven's sins can be forgiven; self-inflicted ones cannot!" Zhong Shan said coldly.

Indeed, if they hadn't troubled Zhong Shan, if they hadn't forced him, there wouldn't be so many 'happy events.'

The four Buddhas now stared at Zhong Shan with bloodshot eyes, filled with rage and frustration. Zhong Shan, once again, had become their nemesis.

Without Mud Buddha, the three altars couldn't hold out much longer. Soon, the three great sacred cities would destroy them, bringing the Pure Land of Bliss to its ultimate crisis.

Could Zhong Shan really be the nemesis of the Pure Land of Bliss? With his cultivation at the Conjoined Stage, he had repeatedly thwarted their grand plans.

"Roar!"

The four Buddhas were furious, roaring towards the heavens, their eyes fixed on Zhong Shan.

"Wait!" Guiyuan Buddha suddenly exclaimed, the malice in his eyes dissipating.

The other three Buddhas looked at Guiyuan Buddha.

"Zhong Shan... he is the fate calamity of the Pure Land of Bliss!" Guiyuan Buddha said.

Upon hearing this, Guiyuan Buddha took a sharp breath, and the other three Buddhas looked at Zhong Shan in horror.

A fate calamity is a destined disaster for any person or entity (like a celestial dynasty or a sacred land). No matter how prosperous, there is always a calamity waiting, a predestined disaster called fate's calamity. The Pure Land of Bliss was immensely powerful, but nothing lasts forever. A fate calamity signifies the peak of prosperity and the beginning of decline, something even the strongest cannot resist, no matter how minor the calamity seems.

"The fate calamity must be extinguished, or it will be your end! It must be destroyed!"

Throughout history, many celestial dynasties or sacred lands, no matter how prosperous, fell once they encountered their destined fate calamity. A fate calamity could be an object, weather, terrain, a beast, or even a person. No matter how weak, if it was their destiny, their appearance would spell doom, as if meeting a nemesis that rendered them utterly powerless.

Was Zhong Shan the fate calamity of the Pure Land of Bliss? In an instant, everyone's eyes were fixed on him.

The fate calamity of the foremost sacred land of Shenzhou? This Zhong Shan? It seemed plausible. Everything appeared to validate this fact. When the fate calamity appears, the sacred land perishes.

Zhong Shan had heard of the concept of a fate calamity before.

"Release me now, and I can overlook past grievances!" Zhong Shan proclaimed boldly.

Such brazen words, if heard by outsiders, would surely cause them to break out in a cold sweat. Was this something someone in the Conjoined Stage should be saying? Yet now, no one in the Pure Land of Bliss dared to underestimate Zhong Shan. Perhaps Zhong Shan posed no threat to others, but if he was indeed the fate calamity of the Pure Land, even a sneeze from him could cause significant damage.

"No, he must die. As long as Zhong Shan lives, the Pure Land of Bliss will never know peace," Jinchan Buddha suddenly roared, his eyes wide with fury.

Ignoring any other opinions, Jinchan Buddha charged towards Zhong Shan, the seven-colored Buddhist beads in his hand maximized to their fullest power. The treasure of the ancient Buddha, a true celestial artifact, surely, this would be enough to kill Zhong Shan?

Once Jinchan Buddha decided, the other three Buddhas naturally supported him fully, blocking the saints and others with all their might.

"Hmph!"

The three great saints snorted coldly and struck out in unison. Even Phoenix Supreme and the feng shui masters joined the attack, aiming at Jinchan Buddha.

"Boom!"

The combined attack of these peerless experts was terrifying. Jinchan Buddha's trajectory through the sky left behind a massive black hole, created by the collective strike of these powerful beings.

It was so strong that even space itself was torn open, the large hole frantically sucking in everything around it.

Just when everyone thought Jinchan Buddha was defeated, a seven-colored light emerged from the black hole. Jinchan Buddha, bleeding profusely from his mouth, forced himself out despite his severe injuries. The seven-colored Buddhist beads in his hand were pushed to their utmost power, and he hurled them fiercely at Zhong Shan.

Knowing Zhong Shan was the fate calamity of the Pure Land of Bliss, there could be no reservation. The strike had to be the strongest, or else if Zhong Shan survived, the Pure Land would be truly doomed.

The seven-colored Buddhist beads hurtled towards Zhong Shan, tearing huge gashes in the surrounding space.

Although Jinchan Buddha hadn't fully refined the beads, a celestial artifact was still a celestial artifact, far beyond the power of ordinary tools.

The beads were about to reach Zhong Shan. Everyone knew it was over. Zhong Shan was doomed. He was sure to die.

Even Gu Shentong found himself helpless. A full-force strike from a Heavenly Extreme Realm, combined with a celestial artifact, was unstoppable. If Zhong Shan didn't die from this, where was the justice?

In the distance, Nian Youyou covered her mouth, eyes filled with terror. Her master frowned, a flash of anger in her eyes. Zhong Shan couldn't be killed by Jinchan Buddha; if he had to die, it should be by Nian Youyou's hand.

Mr. Corpse and others stopped what they were doing, all anxiously watching Zhong Shan, their eyes full of concern. Zhong Tian soared into the sky, trying to rush over.

As the seven-colored Buddhist beads closed in on Zhong Shan, everyone held their breath, awaiting the outcome.

But it was too late. In the split second between life and death, the seven-colored Buddhist beads had already descended upon Zhong Shan. Even an Emperor Extreme Realm, no, a Heavenly Extreme Realm cultivator would be severely injured by such an attack. Could Zhong Shan escape?

Everyone watched the seven-colored Buddhist beads, knowing they were one of the most powerful treasures in the world. It seemed inevitable that Zhong Shan would die.

Zhong Shan looked coldly at the beads, his emotions complex. Despite the impending doom, the Red Luan Pink Lotus at his forehead remained undisturbed, suggesting that even facing this celestial artifact, he would remain unharmed. How could this be? Countless past experiences assured him he would be fine.

The beads were about to smash into Zhong Shan's head. Everyone believed his death was certain. Even Jinchan Buddha, despite his severe injuries, wore a sinister smile. The Buddhas below clenched their fists, watching intently.

"Hmm..."

Suddenly, something appeared above Zhong Shan's head.

Though it wasn't clear what it was, the sight of Zhong Shan still being able to resist at the brink of death caused a dramatic change in everyone's expressions. The Buddhas felt an ominous foreboding.

From that object, a vast aura erupted, radiating in all directions. Even the fortunes above the heads of the three great saints and the merit above the altars trembled.

It was a piece of black jade talisman.

Among the onlookers, only one person recognized it—Ying, the Emperor of the Great Qin. When Ying saw the black jade talisman, his eyes widened in surprise. That was originally his treasure, yet now it was in Zhong Shan's possession?

The black jade talisman had autonomously activated.

The talisman soared skyward, directly colliding with the seven-colored Buddhist beads.

The seven-colored Buddhist beads were not fully refined, and neither was the black jade talisman. However, the black jade talisman seemed even more sentient than the beads.

"Boom!"

The black jade talisman knocked the seven-colored Buddhist beads back towards Jinchan Buddha, reflecting all the beads' power. The collision caused an enormous explosion, creating a colossal black hole three times larger than before.

The black jade talisman stuck to the seven-colored Buddhist beads, and the beads stuck to Jinchan Buddha.

The talisman seemed to have identified the culprit, aiming to destroy or seal Jinchan Buddha completely.

Jinchan Buddha felt a power transmitted through the beads, making his entire body increasingly rigid, as if he were about to be sealed.

"No!" Jinchan Buddha roared, his eyes bloodshot, a manic savagery erupting from his gaze.