Chapter 126: Gods Weep and Buddhas Wail, Forever Sinking into Ruin

"Amitabha."

From the direction of Sensō-ji, a Buddhist chant imbued with boundless Zen intent rose in the four directions and spread to the eight wastes.

Everyone present, and everyone watching the livestream, felt as if bathed and cleansed; their souls became pure in that instant, evil thoughts and negativity stripped away, as though they might rise on colored clouds to ascend. The most astonished were the modern monks, including the abbot of Sensō-ji, watching the broadcast.

In the eyes of others, the abbot of Sensō-ji and his monks seemed to be sheltered beneath the green shade of the Tathagata; in a single instant they comprehended the ultimate truth of the Dharma, about to enter the Buddha-land and become living divine Buddhas. They rubbed their eyes and looked again, yet there was no change at all—truly wondrous.

It seemed that the transcendent figure of Sensō-ji from the Heian era, with a single Buddhist chant, influenced both past and future.

"Is that a person, or a divine Buddha?!" someone cried out in shock, eyes fixed and staring.

One could see that behind this figure's head were nine rings of Dharma-light in total, releasing a dazzling yet gentle mystery that calmed the spirit and soul at the sight. Within the flawless, untainted Buddhist radiance bloomed the ultimate Zen, manifesting strands of golden, sacred, precious light.

The nine rings of Buddhist light intertwined.

A "Saha World"—a land of blissful beings spread throughout the Buddha-lands of the ten directions, embodying great compassion, the five aggregates all empty, ferrying all sentient beings, granting eternal peace and well-being, free of sickness and demons—flickered faintly into view.

People vaguely felt that the Buddha-lands, lofty and distant as ten trillion realms, were now so close; rebirth in the Western Paradise was right before their eyes, the Pure Land just ahead.

One step, one Pure Land.

Arriving at this place where blood had floated the oars, soft green grass covered the ground, birds sang and flowers bloomed; there was no more scarlet blood, no terrifying bones, no cruel corpses—all had become Pure Land.

And at this moment, people finally saw the face of the divine Buddha figure.

"Master Saichō!!!"

Countless people nearly cried out in a moan.

Regarding the Higashi-o Kyūichi incident, although they already knew Master Saichō had perished, that did not stop them from learning about him. Now, looking at the face of that divine Buddha figure, it was identical to the portrait of Master Saichō they had come to know.

"Master Saichō actually participated in the fight against Tamamo-no-Mae!"

Professor Beishan was trembling with excitement; had someone not been vigorously pinching his philtrum, he truly would have fainted from exhilaration.

To investigate history, to uncover its truth, to dig out things unknown to others—for a history professor, this was always the supreme honor. Master Saichō's intervention against Tamamo-no-Mae was not recorded in ancient legends; this was a major discovery.

Following Master Saichō, and the heroic man suspected to be Abe no Yasuchika, the transcendent figures who had emerged from the ancient shrines and temples also arrived together.

Not a single word.

Not a single hesitation.

The earth-shattering great battle, destined to be recorded in ancient history and流传 through the ages, erupted.

The heroic man and Master Saichō, one on each side, like two ancient gods upholding heaven and earth as pillars, charged at the very front, Buddhist light and yin-yang unleashed together.

"Taishan Fu Jun Ritual!"

From behind, voices shook heaven and earth; one by one, onmyōji formed hand seals and chanted spells, activating a vast barrier that enveloped the universe, capable of trapping and slaying even the silver river and stars, directed at Tamamo-no-Mae.

"So this is the Taishan Fu Jun Ritual." Professor Beishan sighed in awe.

Not long ago, Tsuchimikado Kenji had discussed yokai and the transcendent with Professor Beishan, mentioning the achievements and glory of his ancestor Abe no Seimei, including the "Taishan Fu Jun Ritual" that Abe no Seimei had once used.

Legend had it that the "Taishan Fu Jun Ritual" was a secret transmission of onmyōdō arts. The Eastern Peak Great Emperor held a lofty position among the deities of Daoism; the method of performing the Taishan Fu Jun Ritual was to sincerely pray to the great deity of Mount Tai in the east, offering an equal exchange—willing to trade one's own life for the life of the deceased.

One could see that this time the Taishan Fu Jun Ritual was not performed by a single onmyōji, but by eight hundred onmyōji. The aura each onmyōji radiated was vast and overwhelmingly powerful; without question, each was an achiever of that era, a king among men.

At the sight, countless people's teeth chattered.

A Taishan Fu Jun Ritual performed with the lives of eight hundred outstanding onmyōji could likely trap and slay even an ancient primordial deity.

"Om mani padme hum… Namo…"

Buddhist Dharma resounded, the sound unceasing in the ear; at first hearing it seemed to come from beside the ear, and on second hearing it seemed to come from the depths of the heart.

From the ancient temples that had arrived, three hundred and sixty monk-Buddhas emerged.

With palms pressed together, golden Buddhist characters continuously flew from their mouths, dazzling and resplendent, drifting through this heaven and earth, interweaving and locking together, transforming into three hundred and sixty divine chains that flew to cage Tamamo-no-Mae, seeking to bind her.

Seeing this scene, even though he was not a monk, Professor Beishan knew that the monk-Buddhas were forming a Demon-Subduing Formation.

Ancient legends recorded that when the third wave of the great battle erupted, three hundred and sixty monks formed a Demon-Subduing Formation secretly learned from the Central Land.

Now the contents recorded in ancient legends had appeared before their eyes, and many could not help but feel even more certain.

Hua Country definitely possessed divine beings, ghosts, and monsters, with an extraordinary side to its history unknown to ordinary people.

One had to realize that the scenes now revealed were major events that had truly occurred in this place, matching what ancient legends recorded—even the details of the great battle were the same. This was enough to prove that the records in ancient legends were highly credible and could not be fabrications.

And it was also known that Tamamo-no-Mae was powerful; this could be seen from the first wave, the second wave, and the third wave where the entire nation's strength was mobilized against her. Therefore, dealing with Tamamo-no-Mae absolutely could not be done with restraint; the strongest means had to be employed. This could be known from the onmyōji performing the Taishan Fu Jun Ritual.

Then the Demon-Subduing Formation performed by the monks must also be among the strongest means.

Yet this means had actually been secretly learned from the Central Land; this alone showed how formidable Central Land formations were.

Combined with the credibility of the ancient legends, this further proved that Hua Country definitely possessed divine beings, ghosts, and the transcendent, and that they were very powerful.

Hiss!

Without fear, without fleeing, Tamamo-no-Mae raised her jade-white hand forward, a point of light in her palm that pierced through the ages.

A jade fan, as crystalline and resplendent as her white hand, appeared in her grasp.

Under countless gazes, though her figure was hazy, it could not conceal her graceful form; Tamamo-no-Mae moved.

She stepped lightly, lotus-like.

The moment she stepped forth, the entire heaven and earth trembled, the sun and moon and stars retreated, the celestial bodies of all heavens fell together, and the river of time itself seemed to boil.

Even facing the attacks of myriad armies, capable of slaying ancient divine beings, Tamamo-no-Mae had never shown panic. She possessed a beauty that moved heaven and earth, a charm that enchanted all sentient beings, a seductiveness that captivated all spirits across the heavens—beauty beyond compare, so lovely it stirred the heart. The world could find no adjectives to describe her allure and enchantment.

Yet as she stepped forth, amid her allure and enchantment she also displayed endless majesty, like an unparalleled female Heavenly Emperor, her dignity ruling the world, her fierce might shaking the ages, awe-inspiring to immortals and demons alike.

The jade fan unfurled, the jade hand met the attack.

She did not use many moves, but each one was lethally exquisite, bringing endless terror and tipping the scales of this battle.

The magnificent Taishan Fu Jun Ritual was shattered by fox tails conjured from the jade fan.

The barrier shattered; all eight hundred onmyōji perished!

Three hundred and sixty chains snapped link by link; three hundred and sixty Gao Seng bled on the spot, their Buddhist light extinguished.

Five hundred thousand troops were bathed in blood, slaughtered into pieces, even their remnant souls shattered, all traces erased. Fresh blood dyed this universe red; the stars were cloaked in blood-red.

This heaven and earth had changed.

The world that the Most Sincere Dharma Master had purified into a pure land upon his arrival had fallen into a stretch of yin-soil, ghostly qi rising in dense, sinister waves, gods weeping and buddhas wailing, forever sinking into depravity.

At this sight, Director Takahashi and the others were so terrified that their three souls and seven spirits were shivering with cold.

……