Chapter 463: Manjushri Bodhisattva

With the Responding Dragon supporting his back, the Dragon King of the Eastern Sea's courage swelled severalfold in an instant.

Since the Responding Dragon wanted Mu Yi to face the strong, it simply chose the topmost one outright.

"Amitabha, I did not expect it would be a poor monk fighting the Heavenly Lord!" Manjushri Bodhisattva appeared before Mu Yi with both palms clasped.

Mu Yi went completely Spartan; he had defeated Guanyin Bodhisattva, but that was only the bodhisattva's avatar. You can't really bring the true Buddha himself here, can you?

How do we fight this?

"The Dragon King of the Eastern Sea has gone mad?" Though phrased as a question, Nezha said it with certainty.

Such an almost outright offense to Mu Yi is not something the ever‑political Dragon King of the Eastern Sea would do.

"No, judging by the looks, the true master has appeared!"

Yang Jian's celestial eye on his forehead and Sun Wukong's eyes lit up simultaneously, gazing toward the Dragon King of the Eastern Sea, hoping to catch a glimpse of the Responding Dragon, the ancient war god's true form.

And when the Responding Dragon appeared within their observation.

The Responding Dragon likewise directed its gaze, two spotlight‑like beams shining straight into Yang Jian's and Sun Wukong's eyes.

In the next moment, a flash of lightning burst forth.

Yang Jian and Sun Wukong closed their eyes together.

Drops of golden‑red interlaced blood seeped out through the gaps of their eyes.

Everyone present stared in astonishment at Yang Jian and Sun Wukong; both's eye techniques are renowned, yet they were directly countered.

"Truly worthy of an ancient war god!"

A fierce battle spirit ignited in Yang Jian's eyes; just a single glance convinced him 100% that the Responding Dragon is no mere legend.

At this moment, his celestial eye, scorched like by raging fire, said it all.

After all, eyes are fragile organs, even a celestial eye is no exception.

Sharp perception naturally makes the eyes even more vulnerable, more easily injured by external objects; under normal circumstances, few things can reverse to harm a celestial eye.

But that's the Responding Dragon—no enemy has ever seen its like.

Even though Yang Jian withdrew his technique in time, the Responding Dragon's single hand, imbued with a unique resonance of lightning, dealt him ton‑scale damage.

He could not use his celestial eye again for a short period.

"That's truly formidable!" Sun Wukong exclaimed, his eyes reopening, though visibly tinged red.

"What did you see to make it turn out like this!"

Hearing Nezha's slightly cold‑breezed words, Yang Jian and Sun Wukong were unfazed.

Sun Wukong chuckled, "It's just a momentary slip, seeing something I shouldn't have, nothing serious; you'll see it eventually!"

The mysterious demeanor made Nezha's fist harden instantly.

His aura trembled coldly; why doesn't he have such a technique?

"You're becoming more and more like those stinky monks!" Nezha snorted coldly.

"Unspeakable, unspeakable!"

Sun Wukong chuckled, said nothing, and Yang Jian likewise remained silent.

At this moment, within the Sea‑Settling Pearl, golden light surged, growing brighter; countless Buddha silhouettes flashed within the light, all gathering behind Manjushri Bodhisattva, and the sound traveled from the water mirror to the banquet.

Some weaker ones even showed a bewildered hue in their eyes.

Boom!

A sudden thunderclap exploded, and everyone instantly snapped to attention.

"Mu Heavenly Lord, having once defeated Guanyin, I wonder if you can now defeat this poor monk!"

Although the Buddhist Sect claims not to care about appearances, under the watchful eyes of all, Manjushri was reluctant to act personally, so he sent down an avatar.

But the true form was also present; the golden light behind it scattered, turning into countless golden lotus petals that linked together, and atop the golden lotus stood two hundred Arhats, one thousand 【others】, and thousands of Bhikshus, Bhikshunis, Upasakas, Upasikas.

At the forefront stood a bodhisattva with a purple‑golden Buddha body, a cloud‑like canopy of seven treasures over his head—the avatar of Manjushri Bodhisattva.

"Amitabha!"

"Please, Mu Heavenly Lord, evaluate: this is the Ten Buddha Sanctuaries of the Eastern World, a world of countless specks."

The moment Manjushri's avatar manifested, he spread both palms, and ten dazzling white beams appeared on his ten fingers.

"What powerful Buddhist law!" The onlookers were quite surprised; they are discerning people, and the Buddhist techniques Manjushri displayed were terrifyingly formidable.

The Ten Buddha Sanctuaries of the Eastern World can reduce objects to dust; even Yang Jian or Sun Wukong would fare badly. No matter how indestructible a Vajra body, it would still have several layers stripped away.

With Manjushri's strike, within the Sea‑Settling Pearl, Sanskrit chants rose, golden lotus scattered, completely transforming the entire Sea‑Settling Pearl into the Western Pure Land.

Mu Yi had seen this move on Guanyin before; it is also an expression of the Bodhisattva Pure Land, but this time it was not the avatar's technique—it was executed by the true Manjushri Bodhisattva himself.

In barely a breath, the Sea‑Settling Pearl was painted into a Buddhist realm.

Compared with the previous Guanyin encounter, the current Manjushri avatar, backed by the true Buddha's great power, must be far stronger.

Mu Yi knew the opponent before him was no ordinary foe and dared not be careless; he spread his hands, and an endless sea of blood surged from his feet, sweeping toward Manjushri Bodhisattva.

Manjushri's expression remained unchanged; he spread his hands again, the Ten Buddha Sanctuaries of the Eastern World acted, and the white light instantly shattered the blood sea.

It was as if the boundless blood sea, together with the Asuras present at that moment, was struck and shattered in an instant, vanishing without a trace.

"Even the blood sea can be shattered?" Mu Yi found it rather tricky.

Then the Animal Realm, Hungry Ghost Realm, and Hell Path unfolded in succession.

"Specters and demons, not worth a bite!" Manjushri, palms together, said lightly, and the omnipresent golden light instantly pulverized the evil spirits.

Transcending evil spirits is also a specialty of the Buddhist Sect.

"Devotee, using the Six Paths against me is futile!"

Just like Guanyin Bodhisattva, Manjushri waved ten dazzling white beams from his hands, slicing the Six Paths barrier as effortlessly as a chef carving an ox.

This left Mu Yi speechless; against these Buddhist Sect's supreme techniques, some of his own methods were already nullified before he even began—truly exasperating.

"Now perceiving ignorance, yet knowing nothing; also without attainment, like a reflection in water. Clarity does not move, does not cling to dharma; if one does not cling to dharma, that is called the luminous aspect. Ignorance is like emptiness, all dharma‑forms; reaching direct perception is called conditioned awakening!"

The two hundred arhats transformed from the golden light behind Manjusri, one thousand scrolls, and thousands of bhikkhu monks, bhikkhuni nuns, upasaka laymen, and upasika laywomen continuously chanted the Buddhist sutras.

Not only did it cause the Buddhist chant to continually reverberate in Mu Yi's mind, but it also enabled Manjusri Bodhisattva's incarnation to wield the power of Buddhist Sect divine abilities to a greater degree.

In an instant, Manjusri Bodhisattva appeared before Mu Yi, a Buddha's palm accompanied by white light pressing down upon him.

The armor Mu Yi had constructed on his body from Inner Qi shattered instantly upon being grazed, as if made of paper paste.

Even though Mu Yi reacted in time, the white light still pierced through his shoulder.

At the moment he was struck by the Ten Buddha Realms, Mu Yi finally understood what a world of dust motes is.

The body trained in the Eighty-Nine Mystic Arts was directly pierced through, all flesh and blood turning into dust that returned to heaven and earth, as if Mu Yi's body naturally had a great hole.

The wounded area kept healing only to be shattered again and again; the faint white light, carrying Buddhist intent, impeded the body's self-healing until Mu Yi wore it down bit by bit with the true meaning of reincarnation.

Blood flowed down his body, completely staining the Great Xia Dragon Sparrow in his hand a deep crimson.

Mu Yi warily stared at Manjusri Bodhisattva, a type completely unlike Guanyin Bodhisattva, whose lethality was even more terrifying.

In a moment, another ten rays of white light came killing.

Mu Yi gritted his teeth and swung his blade downward; a blade light appeared, yet it severed all the white light.

Even Mu Yi himself was somewhat surprised.

"So that's how it is!"

The next moment, Mu Yi understood that the fearsome point of the Ten Buddha Realms lay in the Buddhist Dharma they contained.

Pure physical and magical power meant nothing to it; it could directly pierce and destroy, but if one opposed it with the same will.

This divine ability lacked that feeling of invincible intimidation.

"Amitabha, patron, you indeed possess great wisdom; you have affinity with our Buddhist Sect. If you enter our Buddhist Sect, attaining Buddhahood in the future is no problem!"

Manjusri's words made the observing Sun Wukong involuntarily scratch his own ear; after all these years, these fellows still have the same old tricks.

Although he had also become a Buddha, Sun Wukong felt he could not really play together with these bodhisattvas and Buddhas.

Nevertheless, this cannot change the fact that he is now a member of the Buddhist Sect.

His seeking a method to break through to the sovereign level also harbored the thought of escaping the Buddhist Sect.

Only by attaining the sovereign level can one truly break free and grasp one's own destiny.

"I do indeed have affinity with the Buddhist Sect, but it's all karmic debt; bodhisattva, better spare your strength!" Mu Yi replied while fending off Manjusri Bodhisattva's attacks.

He and the Buddhist Sect indeed have an inseparable affinity, but as for joining the Buddhist Sect, better forget it.

From obtaining the comprehensive net to now, he doesn't even know how many times he has fought the Buddhist Sect.

Even if he might have to continue fighting later, joining the Buddhist Sect and such is simply unrealistic.

The Ten Buddha Realms continually danced on Manjusri Bodhisattva's fingertips, but Mu Yi blocked them one by one with the Great Xia Dragon Sparrow.

"Big brother, is this interception?" Qiong Xiao turned her head uncertainly toward Zhao Gongming.

"Indeed, I said earlier that Mu Yi also cultivated under the Supreme Pure Lingbao Heavenly Venerable, making us fellow disciples!" Zhao Gongming affirmed Qiong Xiao's guess.

"Really, it continually brings surprise and delight!" Qiong Xiao was eager to try, also wanting to go up and fight Mu Yi again.

Seeing that the Ten Buddha Realms could not defeat Mu Yi, Manjusri Bodhisattva stood there with furrowed brows, gaining a new understanding of how troublesome Mu Yi was.

Even his prized divine abilities could not defeat Mu Yi, which instead aroused a somewhat different sentiment.

However, Mu Yi after all had the experience of slaying an incarnation of Guanyin; Manjusri Bodhisattva also harbored deep hatred but said nothing, merely pressing his palms together to stop the attack and chanting the Buddha's name.

"Amitabha!"

In an instant, the Pure Land of Bliss unfolded.

Boundless light gathered from the air, and within the Pearl of Calming the Sea, brilliance suddenly burst forth.

Under the golden light, the pure and solemn sacred land covered the ocean; the empty environment instantly transformed into a hall of solemn treasures.

Upon the great golden lotus throne, a colossal Buddha shadow that reached the sky cast a solemn gaze, holding a flower in hand, bearing the fierce wrath of the vajra, the welcoming Buddha realm fully descended.

As the pure land spread, countless figures of Buddhas, bodhisattvas, and arhats appeared in the void, shifting from illusion to reality, forming two rows beneath Manjusri's seat, their movements exuding authority as they glared angrily at Mu Yi.

Eight hundred Buddhas and bodhisattvas, five thousand arhats in various postures, stood in attendance beneath Manjusri's seat.

"Is this real or fake?" Yang Jian outside couldn't help but turn his head to ask Sun Wukong.

Through the Water Mirror Technique, even he could not tell whether these eight hundred Buddhas and bodhisattvas, five thousand arhats were real or false.

It's not that these are all the original bodies; rather, he couldn't tell whether these eight hundred Buddhas and bodhisattvas, five thousand arhats were all incarnations.

"Truth and falsehood lie in the heart!" Sun Wukong sighed, and within the eight hundred Buddhas and bodhisattvas he also saw his own reflection.

"This Pure Land of Bliss is the pure land forged by all in the Buddhist Sect entrusting their great vows to the Buddhist Sect!"

"Do you also have a great vow?" Yang Jian also saw Sun Wukong's reflection.

"Escape the Buddhist Sect! Free and carefree!" Sun Wukong spread his hands.

"Does this also count as a great vow of the Buddhist Sect?"

Those around felt it a bit strange; Sun Wukong shrugged, initially thinking the same, but later he truly discerned some different things.

Is it the Buddhist Sect that imprisons him?

No, it isn't; it is the rules that imprison him.

Thus, within the Buddhist Sect he carries on, studying the Dharma, seeking the path to break through to the sovereign level, breaking the rules, and reclaiming himself.

At this moment, countless illusory figures of Buddhas, bodhisattvas, arhats, and vajras have already surrounded Mu Yi on all sides.

Within the Pure Land of Bliss, these true-and-false illusory figures combined into a great demon-subduing formation, tightly locking Mu Yi within.

Above the Pure Land of Bliss, Manjusri Bodhisattva emitted a low, reverberating chant: unsurpassed complete enlightenment.

Buddhas and bodhisattvas suppressed the formation's eye, while a tide of vajras and arhats, wielding various Buddhist Sect implements, surged forward with layer upon layer of killing intent.

"More numerous than people?"

Mu Yi grinned, the Human Path fully unfolded, and the army surged forth with a stern killing intent.

Although the Six Paths were said to have been destroyed by Manjusri's Ten Buddha Realms, they were merely unable to merge together; taken individually, they could still be used.

The Vajra Arhat's body was shattered by weapons, and fresh blood stained this pure land of bliss.

Under Mu Yi's command, the army's formations and the Arhat Vajra fought together.

Both sides seemed endless, constantly tearing at each other, with no way to tell who would win.

Mu Yi and Manjusri Bodhisattva locked eyes in opposition.

After a moment, Mu Yi revealed a slightly ferocious smile.

The omnipresent Buddha light and Brahma light and Brahma sound constantly eroded his body, shaking his will.

This left him almost constantly in a state of pain.

"Manjusri Bodhisattva, it's time to end this!"

Manjusri Bodhisattva was somewhat surprised, still not understanding why Mu Yi said that.

The endless pure land of bliss would eventually overwhelm Mu Yi, for it could draw upon the Honored One's power at any time, and Mu Yi could never exhaust it.

"You shouldn't have given me so much time to prepare!"

Mu Yi let out a light laugh, and the source of samsara rose behind him.

A black door emerged from the void, the Gate of Ghosts unfolded with a roar, and the power of samsara surged like a tide, covering the pure land of bliss.

As samsara turns the wheel of life and death, if one has not reached the other shore, even an immortal Buddha must face extinction—the five declines of heaven and man.

Overwhelmed by the power of samsara, the Arhats' golden bodies shattered, the Bodhisattvas' flowers withered, and the Buddhas were displeased.

Yet the Human Path Army seized the opportunity, advancing like a split bamboo, and crushed all enemies.

The Vajra shattered, Bodhisattvas fell sideways, and even the weakened Buddhas were beheaded.

The pure land of bliss instantly became a human purgatory.