Dharmakaya

An enlightened Buddha’s manifested body of spiritual essence. Burning one is a last-ditch sacrifice that provides a temporary boost in power at the cost of a permanently destroyed incarnation.

Definition

An enlightened Buddha’s manifested body of spiritual essence. Burning one is a last-ditch sacrifice that provides a temporary boost in power at the cost of a permanently destroyed incarnation.

Story context

Fellow Daoists, we knew it was coming, but seeing it unfold still sends shivers down the spine. Chapter 731 is the triumphant payoff of a long-burning setup. Trapped inside the illusion-permeated and lethally unpredictable Ti Ming Mountain, the six true gods of Nuwa’s camp—Kua Fu, Xi Huang, Xingtian, and the rest—have been fighting for their lives, with Lu Wu and Feng Ji prepared to sacrifice their divine bodies to keep the formation running. Just when Xingtian’s patience is fraying and despair begins to creep in, Ji Ning finally reveals his hand: the Fifth Layer of Sword Force. With a single step outside the formation, he casually deflects the invisible killing projectiles of Ti Ming Mountain, identifies the ancient, precious material Qi Xuan Sinkstone, and calmly leads the entire group to safety in minutes—a feat that took Daofather Three Purities over three thousand years to accomplish. The chapter ends with the group emerging to find Tathagata’s immense Dharmakaya battling the mountain’s collapse, a perfect note of reunion and jaw-dropping awe.

Why it matters

So, fellow Daoists, this chapter is a pure, unadulterated *power reveal* done right. Let’s break down why it works so well. First, the setup. Xingtian’s barely hidden frustration was *essential*. It makes Ji Ning’s reveal feel not like a Deus ex Machina, but like a long-held secret finally exposed. We, as readers, have known about the Fifth Layer of Sword Force for a while, but seeing the in-universe characters—actual True Gods and Daofathers—react with stunned silence and recalibrated respect is what sells the impact. This is the *delegated awe* you love to see.