Journey to the West: Please Call Me the White Bone Demon

Yun Zhao's demonic aura surged again, and his eyes flashed with a sharp light.

With a thought, he formed a hand seal and chanted an ancient incantation. Suddenly, a bright red light shone in the void, fire clouds surged, and heat waves rolled.

A massive array appeared out of thin air, its gate towering high, blazing with crimson flames, and pillars of fire shooting into the sky within, threatening to incinerate the void, crackling and popping.

Above the array diagram, Samadhi True Fire, Six Ding Divine Fire, and Nine Heavens Fire Clouds intertwine, with heat waves surging like a tide, seemingly about to melt everything. This is one of the Ten Ancient Ultimate Arrays—the Blazing Flame Array!

The moment this formation was unleashed, the void trembled and the three realms were thrown into turmoil.

That great battle was already earth-shattering, and now the blazing array has appeared, its crimson light illuminating the nine heavens, and its fiery might reaching the three realms.

All the gods and Buddhas sensed it and turned their gazes toward it.

"Who is this young upstart, actually fighting against Guanyin Bodhisattva?"

"Hiss, judging from that formation, could it be Bai Tianjun's Blazing Flame Formation from back then? How did it end up in this person's hands?"

"How strange! I've been in seclusion for dozens of eons, and yet such a rising star has emerged in the Three Realms?"

……

As the myriad gods gazed upon the battlefield in the void, their divine thoughts intertwined. Some reminisced, some sighed, and others shared what they knew about the events leading up to it.

It's been a long time since the Three Realms have been this lively.

In Heaven, the Jade Emperor, bored out of his mind, suddenly sensed a blazing fire shooting into the eastern sky. Knowing something was amiss, he looked in the Haotian Mirror and saw the images of Guanyin and Yun Zhao reflected there. He stroked his beard and laughed, "The show is about to begin!"

After thinking it over, he felt that watching the show wasn't enough, so he decided to summon all the immortals to the Lingxiao Palace.

The Jade Emperor, in a fit of anger, waved his sleeve and threw the Haotian Mirror high into the sky above the palace. The mirror shone brightly, transforming into a giant screen that hung from the palace ceiling, displaying the real-time battle in the void.

Meanwhile, at the Great Thunderclap Temple on Mount Ling, Ananda had just returned to inform the Buddha about the delay caused by the pilgrims on their journey to the West.

Before the World Honored One could speak, he sensed the void battlefield.

The Tathagata used his divine eye to see the battlefield and noticed that many of the Buddhas in the hall were curious, and some had even traveled to the heavens in their spirits, just to catch a glimpse. So he simply took water from the Eight Treasures Merit Pool and transformed it into a water mirror.

The scene reflected in the mirror was a great battle between Guanyin and Yunzhao.

The Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Arhats watched intently, their hearts filled with astonishment.

All the gods in the Three Realms marveled at Yun Zhao's courage, but were also curious about how Guanyin would react to this young man.

In the sacred mountain, Buddha looked at the water mirror, slightly moved: "This formation... the Blazing Flame Formation? In the ancient Investiture of the Gods, the Ten Deadly Formations were infamous. How could this person know it?"

Above the void, the blazing array was complete.

Yun Zhao cupped his hands and said, "Bodhisattva, please enter the formation."

Guanyin watched as the sea of ​​fire churned within the formation, the Samadhi True Fire blazing fiercely, and waves of heat washing over her.

Back when she was conferred the title of God, she was only at the Great Luo Realm. She had heard of the Ten Deadly Formations and knew how dangerous they were, so she was apprehensive about them.

Now, countless years have passed, and he has reached the level of a quasi-saint. In addition, since the one who set up the formation was not one of the Ten Heavenly Lords, he couldn't help but underestimate him a bit.

She smiled slightly: "Since the city lord has invited me, then let this humble monk experience the power of this formation!"

Standing on a lotus platform, protected by Buddha's light, Guanyin stepped into the formation.

Upon entering the formation, the gates closed, and the fire's power surged dramatically!

Within the formation, crimson flames surged like a tide, and pillars of fire stretched for thousands of feet. The Samadhi True Fire burned the primordial spirit, while the Six Ding Divine Fire melted magical treasures. Fiery clouds from the nine heavens obscured the sun.

The heatwave raged, melting the void, as if to reduce everything to ashes.

The lotus platform of Guanyin shone with golden light, and willow branches sprinkled sweet dew, which turned into fine rain to extinguish the fire.

But the fire in the camp did not diminish; instead, it intensified with the help of the rain. The fire was fueled by the wind, and the wind amplified the fire's power. The flames, like a dragon, coiled and swirled towards them!

Guanyin's heart sank slightly: This formation is no weaker than it was back then! How could Yun Zhao, who is only at the peak of Taiyi, unleash such power?

She chanted incantations, and thousands of golden lotuses bloomed, blocking the fire dragon.

When the water is poured from the jade bottle, the vast ocean transforms into a protective shield, extinguishing the sea of ​​fire. However, the pillars of fire within the formation regenerate, endlessly burning without ceasing.

Outside the formation, Yun Zhao was not at ease either.

Faced with Guanyin's relentless attempts to break the formation with her great power, he channeled his own magical energy to protect the formation, thus preventing her from forcibly breaking through.

If he still possessed the strength of a Golden Immortal, he probably wouldn't have been able to withstand it for even a moment.

Three days later, Guanyin finally found the key to the formation, pulled out a branch and pointed it, unleashing all her magical powers to break through the sea of ​​fire and strike the formation gate.

A deafening roar was heard, the flame array collapsed, and the fire clouds dissipated.

She broke through the formation, looking relaxed, but a clear black scorch mark was visible on the hem of her clothes.

All the gods watching from the Three Realms were astonished. Yun Zhao, a mere peak Taiyi cultivator, had accomplished something to be proud of!

Watching Guanyin emerge from the formation, though her robes were slightly dirty, Yun Zhao was still somewhat disappointed, even though he had already guessed the outcome.

The gap between Taiyi and Quasi-Saint is too great, so great that even if Guanyin released the sea, so great that he could not get the other party to take him seriously with the help of external forces.

Below the level of a quasi-saint, all are but ants.

He was filled with emotion.

However, perhaps he won this contest?

Yun Zhao raised an eyebrow, his gaze falling on the scorch mark on Guanyin's dress, even though the scorch mark only existed for a moment.

"Bodhisattva, can I be considered the victor in this method?"

In the void, Guanyin stabilized her lotus platform and looked at Yun Zhao, surprised by his methods.

However, their cultivation levels were vastly different, and the power of the formation alone was insufficient to cause her any real harm.

However, in the rush to break the formation, some carelessness was inevitable, and the robe was even scorched.

After a long silence, Guanyin nodded and said, "You win."

Upon hearing this, Yun Zhao laughed heartily, dispelled the formation, and cupped his hands, saying, "You flatter me. Thank you for your guidance, Bodhisattva."

Seeing this, Buddha put away the water mirror and handed out a golden tablet, instructing Kasyapa beside him: "Take this golden tablet and bring Yun Zhao back to Mount Ling to report."

Kasyapa respectfully accepted it, said "yes," and then rode away on a cloud.