Chapter 322: Enlightened LampLighting Sutra

Chapter 322: Sutra of the Enlightened Lamp

"Chief Escort Su!?"

The moment the crowd saw the young man, they all blurted out at once.

Like they'd just cheated death.

Salvation from the brink—nothing felt better.

Wan Yutang, lying on Wan Zangxin's back, gaped at the young man, stunned.

This Su Mo they kept talking about... Could he really be such a young man?

He looked no older than his son.

How could someone so young be Donghuang's top martial artist?

For a second, he couldn’t believe it.

But the one who found it hardest to believe was Jun Luo:

"No way! Even if the Dark Hall failed, you couldn’t have descended into the Endless Prison.

You... how did you get here?"

"Ahh, the *Dark Hall*," Su Mo said softly, sighing.

"You’re one cold bastard. The Endless Prison has many entrances, so posting guards at every entrance? Dumbest move.

After all, even you couldn’t predict which entrance I’d use to enter the Endless Prison.

So instead, you had the Dark Hall’s forces rampage through Wusheng Hall, slaughtering freely.

Unfortunately, you *really* lowballed Wusheng Hall.

Hall Masters Li, Lin, Duan, and Ling have all come storming back, leading Wusheng Hall’s disciples to hunt down the Dark Hall.

Though the Dark Hall’s fighters are skilled, they're outnumbered.

If they couldn’t handle *me*, how’d they stand a chance against Wusheng Hall’s multitude of disciples?"

The reason Su Mo arrived so late was because he got held up dealing with this mess.

Just as he was preparing to leave his small courtyard, the Dark Hall’s forces swarmed in from every angle, turning Wusheng Hall into a bloodbath.

Though Wusheng Hall had many disciples, no leaders—disciples dropped like flies.

Su Mo cut down a few, but eliminating them all would’ve been tough.

Even if he could've done it, time wasn’t exactly generous.

Fortunately, at that moment, Li Zhongming, Lin Tao, Duan Qinghen, and Ling Feimiao rallied the disciples on the spot to fight back.

Yang Xiaoyun and Xiao Feng also joined the battle, and with Hu Sandao and Zhen Xiaoxiao joining in simultaneously, dealing with the Dark Hall was more than enough.

Su Mo then rushed down into the Endless Prison.

Rushing all the way, he finally stopped the tragedy in time.

Jun Luo, however, still shook his head after hearing this:

"No, the Endless Prison is filled with traps. Even if they couldn’t stop you, you couldn’t have arrived this quickly!"

"The traps in the Endless Prison might work on others, but against Su Mo... they’re not even worth mentioning."

Su Mo smiled, sizing Jun Luo up. Before he could continue speaking, Xu Lu beside him tugged at his sleeve.

Su Mo turned to look at him, and Xu Lu pointed at Jun Luo, looking aggrieved:

"Master, he hit me!"

Su Mo chuckled helplessly: "I told you to fetch a one-legged bronze figurine for Xiaoxiao. Why did you wander into the Endless Prison?"

After saying this, he turned back to Jun Luo:

"Mr. Jun, I’ll ask you—do you wish to surrender willingly to avoid suffering?

Or would you rather I beat you half to death

just to let my disciple blow off steam?"

"Bullshit!"

Though Jun Luo tried hard to maintain his martial arts master act, the vulgarity of his words betrayed his state of mind.

He took a deep breath: "So you’re the so-called 'First of Donghuang'? Who knows if you’re just a fraud? You only landed a hit earlier because I was caught off guard.

Now, I’ll see what skills you truly possess!"

As his words fell, he poised his palm with force, whipping up a tempest in the corridor.

With a single palm strike, it enveloped Su Mo’s entire body—though just one palm, it gave the illusion of blotting out the heavens.

Seeing this, Su Mo nodded lightly:

"Not bad."

With these three words, he flicked his finger.

A small iron pellet shot forth from his fingertip, plowing through the winds effortlessly.

Jun Luo’s expression changed. His overwhelming palm technique was driven by the Great Transformation Transcendence Sutra, infused with *Great Transformation True Qi* capable of dissolving an opponent’s internal energy.

Previously, when he used this move against Wusheng Hall’s martial arts masters and Madam Wan, it had been undefeatable.

Yet Su Mo’s iron pellet completely disregarded his palm winds, piercing through effortlessly, reaching him instantly.

Without hesitation, Jun Luo slammed his palms down—*Hum!*—

The overwhelming Yi Xuan Celestial Aura burst forth.

The invisible yet tangible barrier of aural energy formed before him was so dense that the air itself seemed to distort, warping Jun Luo's figure into an eerie, twisted shape.

The iron pellet was instantly embedded within *the* Yi Xuan Celestial Aura.

Back in the hall, Su Mo had once used *Flicking Finger* against Bei Zhangzhi.

At that time, though Bei Zhangzhi barely managed to block the pellet for a few moments, it still pierced through his palm before striking his chest.

The reason it didn’t kill him in one strike was because Su Mo had held back.

This time, however, the force behind the flick was threefold stronger than when he struck Bei Zhangzhi—though, again, not lethal.

Since Jun Luo was indeed the genuine article, there was no doubt he must be the traitor of the Li Siyun clan.

This man knew far too much. Killing him outright would render this entire endeavor futile.

Thus, Su Mo naturally had to hold back just enough in his strikes.

Even so, the fact that his opponent could block the iron pellet within the aural energy barrier using *the* Yi Xuan Celestial Aura from the Yi Xuan Divine Art showed that his cultivation dwarfed that of Bei Zhangzhi and Cao Ming.

Especially seeing how effortlessly Jun Luo handled it, Su Mo gave a slight nod, as if quietly approving.

Jun Luo, however, burst into laughter:

"Eastern Wasteland's Number One? Is this the extent of your skill?"

As he spoke, he suddenly pushed both palms forward, sending the iron pellet flying back at Su Mo.

Su Mo also smiled, flicking his finger once more.

With a sharp *clang*, the two pellets collided midair, igniting a burst of sparks.

Then, in a flash, Jun Luo blitzed through the fiery spray, his palm already striking toward Su Mo.

The technique he employed was none other than the Divine Light Splitting Hand technique.

Faster than sight, his movements weaved through the air, rending light from darkness as if it were nothing extraordinary.

What appeared to be a single palm strike concealed countless variations within, layered and illusory, not to be underestimated.

Moreover, it was infused with the Great Transformation True Qi from the Great Transformation Transcendence Sutra.

Every move and stance could dissolve an opponent’s internal energy, and the qi itself permeated like mist, leaving no opening untouched.

Yet, this meticulously honed technique proved utterly useless against Su Mo.

With a languid raise of his palm, his fingers spread—*grasping, seizing, flicking, or bursting*—his movements seemed simple yet masked peerless skill.

With just the cage of his fingertips, he intercepted every follow-up of the Divine Light Splitting Hand technique, cutting off all its variations.

Even as he spoke:

"Xu Lu, mark this well. What I’m using now is our Purple Sun Sect’s Great Open Yang Scattering Palm.

"This art combines the power to topple peaks with the precision of joint locks.

"My late father once said that within its seeming artlessness lies hidden brilliance—great cunning veiled as simplicity.

"Though the techniques may seem simple, their depths are unfathomable. "It can subdue..."

As he spoke, he flipped his hand and instantly seized Jun Luo's wrist.

Jun Luo's expression changed, and he immediately released a burst of inner energy.

Where their palms and arms met, a sharp crack rang out.

Su Mo then flicked his wrist and casually pushed forward: "You can deflect force..."

Jun Luo suddenly felt the inner strength in his palm drained away entirely.

He immediately dropped his stance, his footwork shifting rapidly in an attempt to break free from Su Mo's grasp.

Yet, as Su Mo moved his single hand, his five fingers seemed to transform into an inescapable grip, making it impossible for Jun Luo to flee no matter how he struggled.

Su Mo said with a laugh:

"If used skillfully, capturing and deflecting force can render any opponent's divine arts and supreme techniques useless. Escaping would be as difficult as climbing to the sky.

"Just like a bird in the palm..."

"Su Mo... you're crossing the line!!"

Jun Luo, with his extraordinary martial prowess, had never suffered such humiliation before.

He took a deep breath, channeling the mystical power of the *Great Transformation Transcendence Sutra* through the *Yixuan Divine Art*.

With both palms driving upward, he sought to break through with sheer force.

Yet, as his palms descended, both wrists were locked in Su Mo’s grip, his inner strength trapped within, unable to be unleashed.

Su Mo casually clasped his two hands together and pushed with force.

Jun Luo was instantly hurled backward.

Fortunately, his martial skills were formidable. Mid-air, he twisted his body, pushed off the wall, and lunged back, his palm force churning the air around him to the point of stagnation.

For a moment, even Su Mo felt his movements slightly hindered, and he gave a slight nod in acknowledgment.

Thinking he had gained the upper hand, Jun Luo suddenly lashed out with his palm toward Su Mo.

But to his shock, Su Mo—who he had assumed was immobilized—merely reached out, grabbed his wrist, and tossed him away.

"What?"

Jun Luo was stunned. Before he could react, Su Mo's palm was already before him.

He seized Jun Luo's head and smashed it into the corridor wall with a deafening crash.

Then, Su Mo furrowed his brow:

"This man's *Yixuan Divine Art* is extraordinary, and the *Great Transformation Transcendence Sutra* can nullify others' energy.

"I suppose sealing his pressure points earlier must have been ineffective."

The impact was immense, shattering the stone wall, yet Jun Luo remained utterly unharmed.

The *Yi Xuan Celestial Aura* had protected his head. Though the force caused the stone to collapse, the blow never landed, leaving him intact.

Xu Lu nodded repeatedly upon hearing this:

"I clearly struck his Yintang acupoint, yet it showed no effect at all."

"That's because your inner force is too shallow, while his is too profound."

"Cultivating the Great Transformation Transcendence Sutra, your inner force is neutralized instantly upon reaching his acupoints."

"Not just you—even if it were me, trying to pressure his acupoints to paralyze him would likely only last for a short while..."

"Su Mo! Enough!!!"

Jun Luo roared angrily: "If you want to teach your disciple, go outside! Stop this nagging!"

With this shout, his mastery of the Great Transformation Transcendence Sutra and the Yixuan Divine Art flared up at once.

The overwhelming Yi Xuan Celestial Aura technique burst forward. Though it failed to force Su Mo away, it did make Su Mo release his grip on his head.

Jun Luo suddenly twisted his hand, leaving only a black mask in Su Mo's palm.

Su Mo studied the mask, then looked at Jun Luo before him, nodding slightly:

"Your Yixuan Divine Art is well-practiced."

Jun Luo's face turned iron-hard:

"How do you know about the Yixuan Divine Art?"

He had wanted to ask earlier—when he mentioned the Yixuan Divine Art, Su Mo wasn't there.

Yet now, Su Mo recognized it at a glance. There's something fishy here.

But at this moment, there was no time to dwell on it.

Their exchange had seemed lengthy, but in truth, it was only a few moves.

Jun Luo had already unleashed his best moves, only for Su Mo to counter them with ease.

This man's skills far exceeded expectations.

His gaze went past Su Mo, landing on Li Xuechun and Wan Yilan, and he sighed:

"Too bad... Even though the timing isn't right, there's no other choice."

In the next instant, his footwork shifted, and his palms formed a mysterious hand seal.

The seal resembled a lamp, with his fingertips as the wick. A hum sounded, and a flickering light appeared—as if the lamp had been lit.

Seeing this, Su Mo whirled around.

He sensed that the moment this seal was formed, a subtle energy linked Jun Luo to Li Xuechun and Wan Yilan behind him.

Their energies intertwined, and Li Xuechun and Wan Yilan simultaneously let out pained grunts, their faces turning ghostly white in an instant.

Su Mo hesitated, holding back from intervening.

For some reason, the energies of the three had merged. While severing this connection wouldn't be difficult for him...

The problem was, acting rashly would likely put Li Xuechun and Wan Yilan's lives at risk.

Seeing this, he turned his gaze back to Jun Luo, whose aura surged with growing intensity, with a flickering radiance spreading from his back.

Xu Lu, caught between the two, felt a scorching wave of heat radiating from Wan Yilan, as if she had become a living inferno.

Meanwhile, Li Xuechun was encased in ice, exuding a piercing, frost-laden cold.

Wan Zangxin, witnessing this, turned pale and lunged, his broken sword aimed at Jun Luo's back.

Yet, the light enveloping Jun Luo formed an impervious qi barrier.

Though Wan Zangxin's broken sword was extraordinary, it proved insufficient to pierce through this barrier.

Suddenly, Jun Luo chuckled in realization and withdrew the barrier, allowing the sword to strike him.

He let out a pained grunt, while Li Xuechun and Wan Yilan vomited great gouts of blood.

"Yilan!" Wan Zangxin shouted in horrified realization. "How could this happen?"

"AHAHAHA!" Jun Luo laughed heartily.

"Of course it would!

"The martial arts they learned were all taught by me.

"Did you really think that after assuming the role of hall master, I would actually train disciples for Wusheng Hall?

"In truth, the martial art Li Xuechun practices is called the Great Solar Essence Art.

"Wan Yilan trains in the Lunar Profound Heart Manual!

"One cultivates the 'sun,' the other the 'moon.'

"When sun and moon merge, they form 'light'!

"And the martial art I practice is none other than the peerless supreme technique—the Enlightened Lamp-Lighting Sutra!!

"This art is founded on 'mastery'—controlling the 'sun' and 'moon,' transforming them into a lamp to enlighten the true self.

"Only then can one achieve the zenith of celestial combat arts!"

At this point, he glared fiercely at Su Mo:

"Curse it! I’ve labored in seclusion for years, all to master this art.

"Once perfected, who in the world could withstand me?

"Yet... to reach the highest realm, the sun and moon must first merge.

"These two juniors, after their wedding union, would naturally fuse their inner energies.

"Like fruit ripened for harvest, they would fall into my hands, completing my divine art.

"But who would have thought Wan Zangxin would steal Wan Yilan's affections first?"

"That wretched girl truly takes after her mother—utterly shameless wenches.

"Fortunately, she isn’t as brazen as her mother and hasn’t engaged in any indecent dealings with Wan Zangxin.

"Yet, Li Xuechun is infatuated with some songstress—what a damn farce!

"The lavish wedding two days from now was supposed to be my moment of triumph.

"But today, that vile woman colluded with Ren Xiongfei and put on a whole charade, ultimately ruining my plans.

"Thus, I had no choice but to resort to dragging those two into the Endless Prison, to force them together.

"Yet, at the critical moment, you, Su Mo, had to interfere again…

"Goddamn infuriating!!!"

The more he spoke, the angrier he became.

His scheme had spanned years, buried deep.

If things had gone as planned, no one would have ever noticed anything amiss.

But alas, since when do hearts obey plans?

The Night Lord’s interference was sly, yet his heavy-handed matchmaking only drove them further off course.

In the end, they veered further away from his desired outcome.

Now, everything went to hell, forcing him to resort to this.

And yet, even that failed.

"Since all of you insist on standing in my way,

"today, I will forcibly extract their inner energies and merge them within myself.

"Within my body, yin and yang shall converge, the sun and moon will align!

"Thus shall I perfect the Enlightened Lamp-Lighting Sutra, achieving a feat beyond history!!!"

By now, he was half-crazed.

Wan Yilan, unable to move, managed a desperate look at Wan Zangxin. Though she could no longer speak, her eyes conveyed everything clearly.

Wan Zangxin felt his heart twist in helpless grief, yet there was nothing he could do.

Su Mo stood there, eyes darting among the three.

Then, Jun Luo let out a bark of laughter:

"Chief Escort Su, you’re peerless in martial skill, yet in the end, you were outplayed.

"Now, all you can do is sit tight for my ascendant technique to reach completion—you’ve got no moves left.

"If you wait obediently, those two might live through this."

"Otherwise, no matter how bad I get hurt, they'll be ten times worse off than me."

"If I'm still alive, they'll be dead first."

"...Huh?"

Su Mo's head snapped up upon hearing this: "Wait, they survive this?"

"..."

Jun Luo got a weird feeling but couldn't tell what was off.

He nodded without thinking: "That's right... as long as you don't get in the way, they won't die."

"Oh."

Su Mo visibly relaxed: "Cool, no hurry then. Take your time, I'll wait for you."

"???"

Jun Luo's face filled with confusion.

The hell?

But he saw Su Mo, looking bored out of his mind, said to Xu Lu:

"Hand me Xiaoxiao's one-legged bronze statue."