Chapter 349: Causality

After the world was struck into chaos, Wei Qing and Huo Qubing invited the Great Emperor Jin Tian Yuan Sheng of West Peak Hua Mountain to reopen chaos, guiding it into Jiuzhou's heavenly way.

Because countless deities and living beings fell within the secondary world, the evolution of this world directly began from the age of chaos.

In the chaotic age, souls naturally continue endlessly; those with memory kill, and those without memory also kill due to the chaos.

This is also the means by which Jiuzhou completely integrates a new world into its own land.

And reincarnation is the most necessary link in this evolutionary means.

Although the Buddhist Sect schemed against Mu Yi, as an outsourced team of the Underworld, these guys liberate souls without hesitation, sharing Mu Yi's pressure.

Guangjin led a group of fellow disciples, establishing several temples in the secular world, on one hand cultivating monks, and on the other hand promoting the Dharma.

Aside from the fixed few monks responsible for serving as abbots, the remaining monks wander the four seas, continuously liberating souls.

After these liberated souls enter reincarnation, Mu Yi only needs to expend one-tenth of his previous energy to send them into the cycle, allowing them to be reborn.

"I didn't expect these guys to actually have some skill."

Mu Yi, through reincarnation, keeps an eye on Guangjin and the others, also to find a handle on them, then give them a good kick out.

However, it's obvious that this batch of monks are Buddhist Sect elites, leaving no opening at all.

And Guangjin, as the leader, moves in and out of the battlefield, liberating the souls on the battlefield.

Know that souls born of war have always been the most troublesome.

The six heavens' old qi, defeated armies and dead generals; men are called generals, women are called ladies.

Leading ghost troops, the army's advance halts, wandering freely between heaven and earth, arbitrarily exercising authority and blessings.

They seize people's temples, seek offerings from people, disturb the populace, and slaughter livestock.

Costs run into the millions, they exhaust wealth and resources, receiving no blessing but instead suffering harm.

The so-called mountain-cutting and temple-destroying of that time began with the defeated armies and dead generals left over from the Spring and Autumn and pre-Qin periods, as well as the ghost gods who enjoyed blood offerings.

In other words, these things easily harm the human world, disrupt the operation of heaven and earth, especially since they love blood sacrifices, which will cause the withering of living beings; thus purifying these souls is not only troublesome but also thorny.

Although Guangjin has not entered the Legend realm, he still possesses many fine things.

Buddhist beads made from the relics of a venerable high monk, a dharma image imbued with meritorious power, and a Buddhist scripture hand-copied by a bodhisattva obtained from somewhere unknown.

With these three treasures on his person, ordinary souls pose no threat at all.

Guangjin sits cross-legged at the battlefield's center; fierce souls and evil ghosts surround him, yet they dare not approach due to the Buddha's light, and instinctively they are reluctant to give up his flesh and blood, so they gather together, planning to combine their strength in ghostly tricks.

Guangjin sits cross-legged quietly on the ground, unfurling the Buddhist scripture, fingering the beads, and silently chanting its contents.

At first the voice was as faint as a mosquito, but it grew ever louder; simultaneously, Guangjin's body surface manifested a dharma image, though the image's face began to blur, gradually approaching Guangjin's own appearance, with a sorrowful, heavy expression, compassionate and solemn.

As the dharma image opened its mouth, the battlefield instantly echoed with the sound of clouds and thunder: "From today onward, in the hundreds of millions of kalpas, wherever there are worlds, all who resist, and the three evil paths, countless suffering beings, I vow to rescue them, to free them from the evil realms of resistance, beasts and hungry ghosts. And those who bear this karmic retribution, may they all attain Buddhahood; only then shall I achieve complete enlightenment."

"Endure motionless like a great emperor; deep contemplation reveals the secret treasury!"

"All kinds of sins, I bear them all upon myself!"

"If hell is not empty, I swear not to become a Buddha!"

The Buddha's light shone brightly, the chant resonated, and the hungry ghosts and resentful souls on the battlefield gradually shed their ferocious hatred, revealing peaceful expressions, then slowly vanished from the battlefield.

"These bald donkeys are really formidable!"

Having witnessed the entire process, Mu Yi clicked his tongue in amazement; a single Earth Store Fundamental Vow Sutra enabled these monks to actually pull off something extraordinary.

These guys truly act shamelessly, using a scripture hand-copied by a bodhisattva themselves, plus the Buddha's light liberation; in the souls of these departed beings, their subconscious will develop a slight reverence and gratitude toward the Buddha's existence.

In the future, even if these people do not convert to the Buddhist Sect, they will at least go to temples to offer incense to the Buddha and bodhisattvas, contributing a share of incense.

Yet this procedure leaves no room for complaint; surely we cannot deny the Buddhist monks the use of Buddha's light to liberate souls.

Before saying that, you'd better first weigh whether you can bear Five Finger Mountain.

Monks eat vegetarian, but the Buddha's fist is certainly not vegetarian.

The reason the Buddhist Sect's conduct has not yet been jointly crushed by the Hundred Schools of Jiuzhou is simply that there are too many big shots in the Buddhist Sect.

The lateral Three Ages Buddha and the vertical Three Ages Buddha together make five Buddha beings of Emperor-level rank, plus the two said to be bodhisattvas—Guanyin and Dizang—who are actually also Emperor-level big shots.

And as the present Buddha Shakyamuni, who lies at the overlap of the lateral and vertical Three Ages Buddhas, even among Emperor-level beings he ranks among the foremost strong ones.

As for the Hundred Schools, whether they have any Emperor-level big shots, we should give them a greeting.

Just like the Military Strategists, although there are many war gods, they are invincible below Emperor-level in battle, yet strictly speaking, the Military Strategists have no Emperor-level figures.

Moreover, although the Buddhist Sect acts shamelessly, it is also helping to enlarge the Jiuzhou pie; the stronger Jiuzhou becomes, the more the Hundred Schools benefit, which is why everyone grudgingly accepts the Buddhist Sect.

Wei Qing and Huo Qubing are the same; although they can swing their swords to cut off the Buddha's avatars, when the Buddhist Sect really steps in to start dividing the pie, they can only endure, after all this world is not their ultimate goal.

Being able to use these things to stall the Buddhist Sect's power is also a strategic deployment.

However, Mu Yi currently cannot participate in the decision-making.

Maintaining reincarnation is indeed arduous work, but Mu Yi has also gained something; after the fragments of the Netherworld God sent by Shentu were refined by him and integrated into the Heavenly Human Path, he completed the second elevation of the Six Paths Reincarnation.

"Suppress the Netherworld God's soul fragments, gain massive special profession experience, should the current profession level be raised?"

"Consuming massive special profession experience succeeded, character level raised to 22."

"Current Heavenly Human Path level has increased, Heavenly Human Path lv1 → lv2!"

"Character level has increased!"

【Mu Yi】

Character level: lv22

Profession level: Warrior lv10 / Reincarnation Master lv12

"The character gained a profession baptism, the maximum based on physique is a permanent increase in HP!"

"Six Paths Reincarnation lv1 → lv2, new ability 【Uninterrupted】 obtained."

【Six Paths Reincarnation lv2】

【Six Paths】: Heavenly Human Path lv2, Human Path lv2, Hell Path lv2, Asura Path lv2, Animal Realm lv2, Hungry Ghost Path lv2.

【Reincarnation】: Under the reincarnation state, the character takes no damage from instant-death-type spells, the character gains extra effect when learning and using related life-and-death spells, the character gains extra effect from related life, death, and rebirth-type spell effects and abilities, the character gains extra attribute bonuses when located within the Six Paths barrier, this effect is permanent.

Additional bonus: Six Paths barrier level sum ×10

【Uninterrupted】: Advancement of reincarnation and sealing, the union of motion and stillness, in an instant is eternity, grasp the present, leads to the past, seeks the future.

After using this ability, one will enter a special state and can touch the karmic cycle.

After Mu Yi finished reading the introduction of the comprehensive net, he silently felt the birth of the new power.

This power is not created out of nothing; rather, it is the evolution of all the power one possesses under the support of the Six Paths reincarnation.

The Uninterrupted contains his Elite Talent—Time Confusion, Legend ability—Know Destiny, and the incense connection within the divine incarnation……

Under the impetus of the Six Paths reincarnation, these abilities converge to become the new ability Uninterrupted.

«Six Paths Reincarnation·Uninterrupted! »

Time seemed to have stopped, yet also seemed to have stirred up a tremendous torrent.

Everything within the range shrouded by reincarnation fell into dead silence.

Meanwhile, Mu Yi could move freely within this world; in this world, karma—something illusory and elusive—became reality.

«Reversing karma…» Mu Yi pondered.

He aimed his fingertip at a distance and shot out a strand of inner Qi; after Uninterrupted was lifted, a large pit first appeared on the distant ground, and only then did Mu Yi's fingertip inner Qi just land.

«Karma within the barrier range has been completely reversed by me; originally the action was the cause and the pit the effect, but now it has become that my action is the effect and the pit the cause…»

If used against an opponent in battle, one could make the opponent's death the result and their attack the cause; this ability is practically invincible.

However, the consumption is truly enormous; merely reversing such a small karma drained ninety percent of Mu Yi's inner Qi. This thing can only be relied upon the Six Paths reincarnation to deploy; relying on oneself alone would likely drain Mu Yi in an instant.

Just as Mu Yi was pondering how to apply this ability in reality, a figure appeared before him.

«Little Yi, I sensed a karma fluctuation—was it you? » Huo Qubing's figure appeared before Mu Yi, looking at him somewhat puzzled.

«Yes, I have gained a little insight into maintaining reincarnation! » Mu Yi nodded.

«You are truly unbelievable—being able to touch karma with your inner Qi projected outward is truly astonishing! » Huo Qubing's face showed an expression of great surprise.

«What's wrong? » Mu Yi looked at Huo Qubing's expression, somewhat puzzled.

He had also seen karma-related abilities on some weapons; it didn't seem that surprising, especially on someone like the Champion Marquis.

«Last time I said I'd give you a lesson; the opportunity is rare, so I'll tell you a few more things! »

«Do you know how to become a War God? » Huo Qubing sat cross-legged on the ground, looking solemnly at Mu Yi as he spoke.

«Karma? » Mu Yi asked tentatively.

«Yes, among the many War Gods, individual strength varies—some are even only at the level of breaking the boundary (demigod)—yet they can exert power surpassing their own by several levels. Do you know why? » the Champion Marquis asked again.

Mu Yi frowned; the Champion Marquis's meaning was clearly related to karma, but the problem was he couldn't see how karma could be linked to these.

Mu Yi shook his head, indicating he didn't know.

«It is by relying on will to distort reality, reaching the level of altering karma, that one can be called a War God! » Huo Qubing revealed the answer.

«Do you know what the War God ability of the massacre Bai Qi is? » Huo Qubing gave an example.

«It stems from Bai Qi's achievement of winning a hundred battles out of a hundred, originating from the great Qin's belief in Bai Qi, which ultimately distorted reality, reversed karma, and achieved a special War God ability named Anchored Victory. »

«Anchored Victory? » Mu Yi was stunned; from that name he could feel just how powerful Bai Qi was.

«Yes, Anchored Victory—karma completely reversed, the process omitted, directly anchoring the future of victory. » Huo Qubing said, glancing at Mu Yi.

«You have studied Bai Qi's independent belief region; that is the foundation of this Anchored Victory ability. If you too can achieve a hundred victories out of a hundred in the future, you might even give rise to the same ability. »

«These abilities aren't unique? » Mu Yi stared, dumbfounded.

«Of course not unique; I can also use Anchored Victory, but for a War God, others' abilities are ultimately not as good as one's own. You have also born your own legion talent—you should know these things come from the elevation and deduction of one's own learning, not created out of nothing. »

«If you follow Bai Qi's path to its end, you can naturally become a second Bai Qi, but you can only become a second Bai Qi. »

As Huo Qubing said this, he suddenly raised his head.

«We've gone off track; let's return to karma! »

«Do you know how we War Gods originated from the original world? »

«Is it the karma fluctuation you just mentioned? » Mu Yi realized.

«Yes, it is the karma fluctuation; karma is like time, just like a long river flowing from the unknown to the unknown future, which can be regarded as a whole. »

«Altering karma will produce a karma fluctuation. »

«When we alter karma, the Heavenly Court notices it, helps us transcend the original world and become members of the Heavenly Court's gods; moreover, because our origins are related, we formed this loose alliance known as the Military Strategist. »

«Do you now realize how extraordinary it is that, with your current ability to project inner Qi, you can touch karma? » Huo Qubing looked at Mu Yi, as if seeing a monster.

«But I recall that some people's abilities can invert effect into cause…»

Mu Yi's words hadn't finished before Huo Qubing interrupted him.

«That's merely the surface of karma; in reality it is following karma, being part of karma. Although it appears karma is reversed, it is actually a link of karma. They haven't mastered karma; they are merely using the karma phenomenon. »

«If they now use that ability against you, you only need a single thought to make them reap what they sow. »

«Of course, these are not what I want to tell you! »

«What I truly want to tell you is: do not rashly use karma ability to alter karma, to change the history occurring in Jiuzhou proper and even in the lower realm…»

As he said this, Huo Qubing's face also showed an unusually solemn expression.

«Any existence that rashly uses karma ability to alter Jiuzhou's karma, even if only the karma of an attached or small world, will incur punishment from Jiuzhou's consciousness, which we also call the karma law's penalty! »

«With your current strength, even merely altering one person's fate will be directly annihilated by the karma law's penalty. »