Chapter 163: The Buddhist Sect Is Recruiting!

The Ghost Nation's reaction was sluggish, probably because it had ruled supreme for so long that it had lost the vigilance it should have.

When Mu Yi used the Asura Warrior to successfully fish three waves and slay thousands of ghost soldiers, the Ghost Nation finally seemed to react.

Just as Mu Yi employed his old trick a fourth time, the ghost soldiers trailing the Asura Warrior were no longer small detachments, but a massive army.

Through the Asura Warrior's sight, a massive army surged out of the city gate.

Amid the spreading yin‑evil aura, formations wielding iron shields and long spears streamed out of the gate in single file, forming a battle array that gathered beyond the city wall.

Under the barren land and dim sky, the black ghost soldiers formed a tide‑like formation, bearing a murderous will ready to crush the disruptive enemy.

The funeral bell atop the wall rang violently, a lone giant beast gathered and lay quietly on one side, marching out with the army.

Accompanied by chants of sutras, relics floated in the air, and a fierce yet Buddhist‑tinged figure gradually solidified; relying on the relics, the Yaksha Deity bestowed its blessing.

Being a mountain‑ruling ghost monster is a completely different matter; even from Mu Yi's perspective, this ghost army ranks among the elite.

"But I still caught you!"

From the start Mu Yi never intended to clash head‑on; the Ghost Nation had entrenched here for so long that it had become massive, and Mu Yi's available strength couldn't even scratch it.

"Found you!"

"Why have you returned?" the ghost general on the wall tilted his head at Mu Yi; he sensed something was off, but couldn't put it into words.

Mu Yi perhaps should be more relieved: this world caps at level 20, unable to host Legend‑level beings; otherwise he would be facing not a regular army but a Legend‑grade ghost deity.

He scanned the surroundings, then Mu Yi immediately withdrew his gaze; although his body was already cloaked in Burning Fire, any detection of anomaly would ruin his effort.

The ghost king who had just leapt down from the wall froze for a moment, then looked up toward the Nether Mountains.

There's a saying: all tactical shifts are about switching, but stealing is the true king's path.

He is neither Xiang Wang nor Champion Hou; defeating an enemy dozens of times stronger is simply too difficult.

— Military Strategist Divine Skill: Darkly Fill the Storehouse

"Couldn't catch those guys, we have to go back!" Mu Yi mimicked the previous ghost general's speech as best he could.

Fearing a second targeting, Mu Yi could only see their dark armor and ghost steeds equipped with the same hue.

"Open the gate!"

Mu Yi's words startled the ghost general, who hurriedly ordered the gate opened for Mu Yi's party.

Obviously, his perception didn't surpass Mu Yi's, so he couldn't see through Mu Yi's divine‑skill disguise.

Mu Yi squinted, seeing through the Asura Warrior's eyes, ignoring the arrowhead just inches away, even though it flashed with cold, sharp light and strange spells.

After all, the Ghost Nation had been stable for decades; his intellect wasn't enough to contemplate the myriad heavens and realms.

— Military Strategist Divine Skill: Deceive Heaven, Cross the Sea

The level cap certainly limits the power of the two Ghost Emperors, but bullying the Buddhist Sect's guardian deities is still more than enough.

The mental link snapped; Mu Yi squinted as a black sigil appeared on his soul, and the Burning Fire ignited instantly, dispelling the likely curse‑and‑tracking spell.

The shadow troops hardly had such concerns; they were selected from ghosts themselves, bearing essentially no fundamental difference from those spirits.

As Mu Yi was about to keep observing, an arrow aimed at the Asura Warrior's face; when Mu Yi saw the dark flash, it was already too late to react.

"It was actually broken?" the towering ghost king was bewildered; that was a divine art passed down by the Yaksha Deity—how could it be so easily shattered?

The yin‑evil aura rising from warhorses and cavalry, under the aid of a phantom overhead, stretched into a snarling, clawed dragon.

"Quick, open the gate! I need to see the Rasā King; delaying this is a grave matter—beware that your soul may never find peace!"

The more the enemy panics, the more room they give us; Lin Xuan, a commander versed in various Military Strategist Divine Skills, can easily hang them.

In the instant the arrow pierced the body, Mu Yi seemed to hear the ghost king's whisper.

Fearing Mu Yi's escape, the towering ghost king immediately summoned his vile ghost cavalry, racing along the direction he had just sensed.

The soldier is a cunning path!

The ground began to tremble slightly, and a rumble like muffled thunder rushed from afar.

"Lin Xuan, this side is yours; just circle them in the mountains. The longer you hold them, the better for me!"

Watching the black knights, like a tide, appear at the horizon's edge, Mu Yi's eyes showed a hint of a smile.

After two Military Strategist Divine Skills slammed down, combined with the previously seized gear, Mu Yi's three thousand shadow troops had fully transformed into Ghost Nation soldiers.

Mu Yi, leading the re‑equipped three thousand shadow troops, began a flanking maneuver from another direction; a direct head‑on clash was impossible.

Even if less efficient than a battle formation, other methods could compensate, making it more suited to the Buddhist Sect's ecology and its deployment.

Of course, perhaps that would make it even easier for him—summoning two Ghost Emperors directly to crush the opposing chaos.

His gaze followed the arrow's trajectory outward, finally locking onto the shooter—a towering ghost king whose heavy armor exerted a crushing pressure.

"Huh! So impatient?"

Although his command style was somewhat unconventional—using a Buddhist Sect approach to imitate the Military Strategist's ultimate creation was a bit mismatched—but there was no doubt it could unleash Transcendent power.

"The Visha Ghost King thought you were already dead; he's leading a great army to avenge you!" the ghost general babbled, showing no intention of opening the gate.

Mu Yi led the three thousand shadow troops, swaggering back beneath the city wall; the reason he didn't bring the Eastern Province troops was exactly this—those are living people, and no matter how they disguise themselves, they differ markedly from true ghost soldiers.

Mu Yi turned to Lin Xuan and explained that this was the most suitable tactic for them.

Although he didn't know what "the big matter" Mu Yi referred to was, no one on this land had ever dared to joke with the Rasā King.

"Five hundred… one thousand… one thousand five…"

Mu Yi used the troop‑counting method to estimate the current defenders; after confirming they were under three thousand, he relaxed, knowing at least his retreat wouldn't be problematic.

"Execute according to the plan!"

Watching the defending ghost general rush down, Mu Yi signaled a few of his own ghost generals with a glance, then dragged them straight into the city.

"Come on, come on, quickly follow me to see the Rasā King!"

The slow‑witted ghost general was hauled away by Mu Yi from the wall, while several of Mu Yi's own ghost generals, relying on their strength, began to swap defenses, scattering the defending ghost soldiers and pulling them into their ranks.

After all, the Underworld's ghost generals, being trained, were far stronger than these locals.

Halfway along, the absent‑minded ghost general hadn't yet figured why he was following Mu Yi to see the Rasā King when Mu Yi ambushed him, shackled him with a soul‑binding fetter, and tossed him straight into the Hungry Ghost Realm for suppression.

Looking at the soul-hooking chain and soul-locking shackle on his hands, Mu Yi couldn't help but exclaim, not bad—this is standard Underworld equipment, fully maxed for anti-ghost.

If he had to rely on martial force to take down this ghost general, it would still take some effort, but relying on this underworld constable's equipment for a sneak attack, the ghost general had no strength to fight back and was simply thrown into the barrier by himself, becoming nourishment for the barrier's growth—truly useful.

Mu Yi looked around, then ran straight toward the towering pagoda forest; as the most important structure in the Ghost State, he felt he could find what he wanted here.

Throughout the pagoda forest, wandering ghosts were everywhere; according to the information previously divulged by the ghost general, deep in the forest stands a huge bodhi tree.

The Rakshasa King usually sits cross-legged beneath the bodhi tree, cultivating and meditating.

Mu Yi blended among the ghosts, moving through the pagoda forest; it resembled the white bone towers he had seen outside, but was far more solemn and dignified, exuding a hint of sanctity, and Mu Yi could even sense a touch of Zen.

「Zongwang Prompt: You are being affected by the Buddha's sound, undergoing a willpower check……Check successful, you are immune to this effect for 1 minute. 」

However, the information constantly refreshing on Mu Yi's retina was indicating to him that this kind of Zen feeling was not something good, or rather, for someone who doesn't believe in Buddha, coming here was like an angel falling into hell.

Mu Yi proceeded along the bluestone path, and at the exact center of the pagoda forest stood a tree that was not particularly tall, yet its branches and leaves spread out dozens of zhang, its trunk weathered, with countless vines hanging down.

Under the tree lay a carpet of withered yellow leaves, layered upon each other, exuding a hint of withered‑prosperity Zen feeling.

Beneath the bodhi tree, the thick, canopy‑like branches blocked the light, and in the shadow they cast, an inexplicable gloom rose slightly—something that might feel out of place elsewhere, but here in the netherworld it seemed unusually harmonious.

The Rakshasa King beneath the bodhi tree did not look like a demon; rather, he resembled an angry‑eyed vajra, merely sitting there exuding a pressure that was angry without being threatening.

Mu Yi quickly averted his gaze, fearing that his scrutiny would alert the other party, but the latter seemed immersed in cultivation and showed no reaction.

Following the crowd, as they visited pagoda after pagoda, nearly every pagoda's upper level enshrined a sarira and hung a painting of a yaksha deity; the images varied, yet all appeared mighty and awe‑inspiring.

Mu Yi initially thought they were different yaksha deities, but after careful observation he realized that the various paintings merely depicted different manifestations of the same being; in fact, all the worship and contemplation were directed toward a single guardian deity.

Within the ghost kingdom, it seemed outwardly strict but inwardly lax; at least Mu Yi saw no guards inside the pagodas, which gave him plenty to think about.

「Crack—」

As the jade stone on Mu Yi's body shattered, his face paled dramatically, signifying that Lin Xuan could no longer continue to hold back the enemy.

Mu Yi withdrew from the pagoda forest, turned back to the city wall, and ordered the gates sealed; although it couldn't hold the foe for long, it would at least have some effect

With just a single command, the conscripted ghost soldiers, before they could even grasp what was happening, were all dragged by Mu Yi into the Reincarnation Barrier.

「Take them out! 」

The scattered ghost troops suffered an almost lethal blow in an instant; their futile resistance and counterattacks were useless, for lacking the boost of ghost commanders and sariras, they could not make a ripple within the formation of three thousand yin soldiers.

The battle, from its outbreak to its end, took less than a quarter of an hour.

After the battle ended, Mu Yi rushed nonstop toward the pagoda forest.

Although he didn't know what had happened on Lin Xuan's side, their prior agreement meant he had little time left.

He had originally planned to take it slow, but now the situation left no time for any unnecessary actions.

「Namo Amitabha, everything is within my Buddha's foreknowledge! 」

When Mu Yi rushed to beneath the bodhi tree, the Rakshasa King seated cross‑legged there opened his eyes.

Sometime earlier, the Rakshasa King had already noticed Mu Yi and secretly summoned back the great army of ghost soldiers.

Aside from the unit pursuing Lin Xuan, all the ghost troops from other directions had already converged on this spot.

And those ghosts who had been contemplating and worshipping had scattered like birds and beasts, vanishing completely within the pagoda forest.

The Zen feeling in the pagoda forest had vanished, leaving only waves of killing intent.

Mu Yi curled the corner of his mouth; his surprise attack on the Rakshasa King turned into capturing the Rakshasa King as easily as catching a turtle in a jar.

「This was originally meant to deal with the Underworld's Yin Marshal, but the Buddha expressly ordered it to be used against you—I don't know what makes you so special……」

Mu Yi furrowed his brows; how could the Buddhist Sect know in advance of the Underworld's arrangements? Has its influence already permeated the Underworld?

But the Buddhist Sect's personnel in the Underworld are only Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva… Listen!

Mu Yi suddenly recalled that, besides Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, there was also a little information expert in the Underworld—the mount of the Ksitigarbha King Bodhisattva, Attentive Listener.

But what meaning would there be in dealing with me……

Oh no, it's coming for me.

It's been aimed at me from the very start!

Mu Yi's heart turned cold halfway; this is trying to forcibly drag him into the Buddhist Sect.

Has the Buddha gone mad?

He now at least has the backing of the Military Strategist school and the Underworld as two great mountains, yet they're just outright snatching people?

Being so highly regarded by big shots, maybe he should feel proud right now?

But he doesn't want to become a monk!

Just as Mu Yi was pondering whether to flee via the network, the Rakshasa King rose to his feet, and with a gesture all the sarira enshrined on the surrounding pagodas shot forth, forming a ring of light behind him.

A heavy pressure suddenly descended upon Mu Yi, making him feel as if he were standing before an abyss.

「Pressure‑level monster? 」

Mu Yi's eye twitched; pressing levels is a good habit, but when you face an opponent whose pressure level exceeds yours and lasts longer, you feel your liver ache.

This guy before him might easily have become a Legend, yet he is deliberately suppressing his own realm—could this also be part of the Buddhist Sect's calculations?

To go to such trouble just to deal with me and then drag me into the Buddhist Sect?

Fine, fine, fine, that's how you want to play, huh.

After Mu Yi sorted out his thoughts, he directly decided to overturn the table.

If you won't let me play, then nobody will play.

The moment Mu Yi took out the fragment of the Ghost Gate, he suddenly thought of another possibility.

Wait… could this also be within Hou Tu Niangniang's expectations?