Chapter 488: Arrival at Lingshan

Black and white parted, atop the summit of Lingshan where the Buddha's light never faded, several rivers of the Netherworld surged.

The Zhihe Sighs, whose origin was unknown, flowed with concepts of extreme cold, gloom, silence, and eternal slumber, counteracting the purple jade tablet that floated in the Nether River, one that had awakened ten thousand heavens.

A misty, profound aura erupted, splitting the entire battlefield into countless isolated miniature worlds.

"You overlooked the possibility that these gods might oppose you for the sake of their dignity," Wei Wu sighed, brushing ink across the annals of time.

With one stroke, the forms of the Twelve Yuan Chen, the Great Heavenly Soldiers of Zi Wu Mao You, began to fade, their bodies crisscrossed with flickering, terrifying wounds, the aura of Lei Jie and calamity spreading.

The next instant, a vast, unfathomable force of temporal light surged from the imperial carriage, flooding every corner of the battlefield; the twelve Great Divine Soldiers stabilized, treading upon the souls of the dead and demons, leading countless celestial soldiers and undead legions composed of bones into clashing weapons.

"Teacher, I didn't overlook it," Herbak gathered a swirling mass of black liquid, bubbling like boiling water: "I simply didn't expect that, even under maximum benefit, they would still choose this self-harming course—and at this exact moment."

He glanced at the liquid in his hand, faintly sensing an external force vying with him for dominion over 'Death' and 'Soul,' making his control over his own power less than seamless.

Both sides knew this was mere deception, but even if they were to strike, it should have waited until the scripture seekers reached Lingshan.

"Is it because of that reincarnation squad of scripture seekers?" Herbak muttered, frowning.

He had reason to believe it was the appearance of that scripture-seeking squad that shattered this "cooperation," igniting in these surviving remnants thoughts they ought never to have harbored.

Hope is an unstable factor.

He clenched his five fingers into a claw and squeezed tightly; a new star of death rose slowly, merging abruptly with the Buddha's relic atop the pagoda, then exploded outward with a thunderous crash.

Dark winds rolled across the heavens, Nether Rivers surged to cover Tianzhu.

Heaven and earth transformed; Herbak summoned his Nether Realm, intending to drag this mortal world into oblivion. From every corner of the universe, bronze tripods shaped as beast faces, dragon-feng, animals, cloud-thunder, and fire emerged, firmly suppressing him and pinning him within the boundaries of Lingshan.

"Is this the gap in foundation?"

Herbak understood: even if he held an advantage, it was only superficial; compared to the world's true masters, the accumulation of time alone could erase many disparities.

The gap between an SS-class squad and an S-class squad lay precisely here.

Possessing an entire universe—or even several—as resource and logistical backing made their overall foundation dozens of times stronger than squads like theirs, who could only be called 'wanderers' or 'scavengers.'

"Good. These artifacts will allow the others in my squad to advance rapidly," Herbak nodded in satisfaction, his eyes showing not a trace of panic.

The Heavenly Net and Earthly Web tore open; stars collapsed; the wrathful aura of the Star Lords and celestial soldiers surged forth, clashing with ancient and otherworldly undead spirits.

The celestial battle standard flapped loudly in the wind; each celestial soldier and general swung their weapons, their robes stained with blood; beneath the ancient formation, even as they neared death, they would explode their flesh and blood, casting their immortal souls into the standard to nourish their comrades.

Outside reincarnation, sacrifice oneself to slay demons!

The Heavenly Net and Earthly Web were torn apart; a streak of Jin Guang shot forward at blinding speed. Wherever he passed, whether Star Lord or Celestial General, all exploded within seconds into pools of flesh and blood.

Yang Erlang, wearing a three-peaked phoenix cap and wielding a three-pronged, double-edged spear, kicked the white elephant, severing a trunk segment to use as a stepping platform, leaping skyward to grow ten thousand zhang tall, aiming to intercept Jin Chida.

"Is there no one else here who can fight? It seems the Celestial Court truly has no one left," Jin Chida tossed down his bloodstained pagoda and laughed: "Perfect—your spear's good. I'll take it for myself!"

"We returned from beyond the realms wounded, yet we can still kill you three beasts who refuse to recognize your master."

Blades flashed; around the green lion, darkness turned crimson, his mane dripping blood as he bit down fiercely on Yang Erlang's wrist, while Bai Yu's long trunk coiled like a dragon, wrapping around his body.

Jin Chida seized the moment, leaving successive bloody wounds across his opponent's body.

Herbak rose from the Wang Zuo and stepped to the edge of Lingshan:

"If this is all you've got, then you may enter my Nether River and contribute your value—saving yourselves from utter annihilation."

"Bo Xun, it's time to act."

He boarded a ferry; the ferryman, a death god, raised his black scythe and severed the celestial deities surrounding Hun Tian Di—this death god had clung to his realm since Herbak first attained the Nether God's status.

As he grew stronger and restored his divine status to completeness, the death god's power strengthened accordingly.

"Thus have I heard: once the Buddha dwelt on the Trāyastriṃśa Heaven, preaching for his mother"—the Earthstore Sutra echoed simultaneously; Bo Xun, smiling, chanted the sutra, followed by a host of converted celestial deities, including Tai Bai Jin Xing and others.

Yes, even if their foundation was immense, one fact remained unchangeable.

They possessed the sole surviving Saint of this world—and after fusing with the Earthstore Bodhisattva's fruit and the Buddha's body, he surpassed even normal Saints in power!

The strongest combatant in this world.

"Tian Di, why do you persist in this folly?" Bo Xun formed a Buddha seal, raising his hand as the Sixth Desire Realm descended into his palm, ferrying all beings within.

Inside the imperial carriage, Hun Tian Di watched all this with icy eyes: "It seems neither Laiyi nor Earthstore could satisfy you."

"Wrong," Bo Xun's face radiated boundless compassion, his eyes devoid of any mockery.

"Each of you has your own suffering. I do not deem you evil—on the contrary, your great vows and desires earn my approval."

"If falling into the abyss is inevitable, and mending the sky is futile, why not use this world as a vessel to ferry countless beings across multiple realms? That is true merit, true transformation."

"Tian Di, you act against the Dao, insisting on controlling all of the Three Realms and Six Paths, making life unbearable for these cultivators who struggled so hard to reach their state. Look—you have not a single one standing beside you."

Herbak waved, halting the death god, then drew from the Nether River a weathered, ornate bone sword: "You shall become my Nether Realm's new gatekeeper."

"Barbarians!" The lofty figure within the carriage surged with overwhelming might, as if sweeping all away: "How dare you act so brazenly on our Shenzhou?!"

As if time itself had aged, as if countless eons of calamity returned, the supreme aura of countless Yuan Hui who had forged great deeds, the ultimate essence of Wuji Dao, surged toward him; from behind the pearl curtain, He slashed forth a brilliant light.

In an instant, all things blurred, vanished, and fell into absolute silence.

Piercing the murky, unstable realm of death, cleaving the Six Desire Realms, radiating the power to shatter countless universes, the light surged like waves across the high heavens.

"Amitabha," Bo Xun's form reappeared; he pulled Herbak aside and shook his head: "We anticipated your dying lunge, Tian Di—you are but a remnant soul. Struggling further is futile."

The Sixth Realm is damaged—so what?

Having fully absorbed the Earthstore Bodhisattva's position and the Buddha's body, he no longer suffered the internal conflict between the Buddha's remains and his own self.

The gap had been filled and sealed by the fulfillment of his great vow; though rushed, he now could manifest or annihilate the Sixth Realm with a single thought.

Bo Xun held the lotus gesture; a phantom white lotus bloomed and withered, symbolizing the cycle of blossoming, decay, and rebirth.

When the bud fully opened—

"What did you do?" Bo Xun stared at the arrogant, fading shadow within the carriage, his eyes betraying uncontrollable shock.

Before the other could answer, Bo Xun suddenly understood—he activated his Heavenly Eye, spinning in place as countless scenes flooded his mind.

The Nine Tripods!

"By order of the Heavenly Emperor! Destroy the Books of Life and Death of the Three Realms and Six Paths! The Ten Yama Kings, the Five Directional Ghost Emperors—enter the Nine Tripods to pacify the souls!"

Dark mist surged and churned; the intertwined black-and-white light pierced heaven and earth, scattering the fog to reveal nine bronze tripods cast from copper offered by the Nine Provinces, engraved with the mountains and rivers of the Nine Regions, their interiors swirling with vortices and rotating stars.

And at this moment, within the Nine Cauldrons, each contained a presence: a great shaman in ancient sacrificial robes, an emperor in imperial dragon robes, Zhulong, and the phantom image of a Buddha upon the Twelve Lotus Thrones.

"You?!"

Bodhisattva Poxun felt the suppression force embedded within the Dao's laws; the instant he connected with the mortal realm, his cultivation was locked by the Nine Cauldrons.

"Om! Ma! Ni! Bei! Mi! Hong!"

With a snap, he clasped his hands together; Buddhist glazed-tile script spilled from his body, yet was confined to an extremely small area—should he unleash his full power, it would demand immense cost.

And since the Book of Life and Death had been destroyed, and numerous Yin Deities' authorities had merged into the Nine Cauldrons, the souls within the Zhihe Souls still possessing self-awareness now stared at the white specks falling like snowflakes from the sky, erupting in frantic chaos.

Each time a soul grasped one, it vanished into the Zhihe Souls and returned to the mortal realm; though the specks were few, they created considerable disorder.

Moreover, the immortals and gods he had forcibly converted regained their sanity and began organizing a new round of proclamations in orderly fashion.

"Clever plan! Clever plan!"

The information he had obtained stated the Nine Cauldrons were forged to protect humanity—yet now they had inexplicably gained so many additional functions, and—aside from him, all the great ones were in league together?!

At this moment, Poxun's heart stirred a strange emotion: this plan had been prepared long ago, and he had believed he understood many secrets; even if he could not interfere, he had observed everything from the sidelines—but now it appeared he had seen not a single layer of depth.

"You drove us from Mount Sumeru back to the mortal realm, bound us with the Nine Cauldrons—you did not activate the Nine Cauldrons to protect the mortal world!"

"Those words were spoken deliberately to mislead us—you are buying time to gather strength, giving them time to destroy every Book of Life and Death, reducing the souls within the Zhihe Souls; you sacrificed countless great ones into the Nine Cauldrons so I would be targeted."

"Why? Why would they do this?"

Not only Poxun, but even Helbak could not comprehend it.

"Are all your world's strong ones mad?!" Helbak impatiently pushed back the long hair hanging over his forehead and demanded: "What benefit is this to you?!"

The contract he offered, the conditions he proposed, the guarantees he gave—none would harm these strong ones' interests; follow him and live, oppose him and both sides perish.

"Is it for that damn dignity?!!" For the first time, he cursed in agitation—but within seconds he regained his composure:

"Enough. Do you have any other tricks?"

Beside him, Wei Wu glanced at him, hesitated a moment, then pulled a key from his chest.

"If this is all you've got, then die in this world," Helbak snatched the key; the instant it touched his palm, the authority of the Underworld automatically absorbed into him.

Within the bounds of India, magma erupted, black winds raged, and a colossal gate, lying flat upon the earth, slowly opened.

"The Underworld has Ten Hells; before arriving in this world, I had already repaired the entire Underworld. Calling it the Underworld is misleading—it is merely a prison. Fortunately, this world's souls are plentiful."

"Though cleanup may be troublesome, since you refuse to be reasonable, don't blame me."

Boom—!

A colossal hand, blotting out sun and sky, slammed down upon the earth; a giant flaming head emerged from the Hell Gate, followed by its massive body.

One by one, giants climbed out, each missing parts of their bodies, their eyes greedily fixed upon the land.

These were the Titans imprisoned within the Underworld—the ancient Titan race!

The Zhihe Souls churned again; countless undead surged toward the Heavenly Court's immortals and gods.

Within the imperial carriage, the illusory, wavering figure of Hun Tian Di spoke again, his voice vast and thunderous: "Exterminate the Demon."

As his words ended, he flew from the carriage and plunged directly into an ancient book, floating upon the river of time and space, chronicling his own ten thousand kalpas of trials.

At that moment, demonic clouds blanketed the sky, and millions of demonic troops descended from above.

"Moo!!!" Niu Mowang charged at the forefront, wielding his iron cudgel, his eyes gradually turning crimson as he lunged at the struggling Yang Erlang, striking the Lion Spirit's mouth with one blow.

The Lion Spirit released its grip, screaming in pain, blood mixing with its saliva.

"My brother spoke of you," Niu Mowang panted. "He said you were a man. Where's your dog?"

Yang Erlang paused, then smiled: "Dead."

No words needed—only slaughter could resolve the hatred in their hearts.

Yet even so, the gap continued to widen.

The addition of dozens of Titans, Poxun's suppressed but still formidable power, the reincarnators who had usurped the positions of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, and

a Confucian scholar.

He wore an old, faded Confucian robe, standing out absurdly amidst the chaos of immortal and demon warfare.

"This conduct is not that of a gentleman."

Wherever he passed, lightning flashed, the void cracked open, and faintly visible was a world of birdsong, fragrant flowers, and green mountains stretching endlessly.

"Yet one acts, and one refrains. The dead flow like water; the living endure. All guilt stems from my own failings."

In his hand he held a ruler, yet held it as if it were a sword; where he walked, demons died instantly. When demon immortals and heavenly generals advanced, he took one step, raised the ruler lightly, and two bodies fell.

"The Underworld cannot block its influence," Helbak glanced at Poxun and said: "Do you have a way to counter Hun Tian Di's treasure?"

Poxun shook his head, clasped his hands together: "That must be his final move—it is sufficient to negate the effect of your Book of Ages."

"Don't blame me for cruelty—once these Titans are released, unless our team completes the mission, I have no better solution," Helbak sneered. "What other tricks do you think they still have?"

Poxun thought for a moment and said: "Detonate the Nine Cauldrons, mutual annihilation, destroy the mortal realm to seek life through death—but the beings within the Nine Cauldrons must act as Hun Tian Di does, severing all future paths."

"If this is done, the Sky Repair cannot be completed, so this possibility—"

The heavens and earth trembled; starry lines emerged between the Nine Cauldrons, forming a circle that enclosed and surrounded the land of Shenzhou.

"A bunch of madmen," Helbak cursed. "If you've got the guts, try it!"

Poxun sighed helplessly:

"By the way, this place is utterly ruined—I wonder if, when 'Master Sanzang' arrives, it can still be called Mount Sumeru."

"Their state is abnormal, yet they must not be underestimated. Compared to Hun Tian Di and others who no longer need to care, the scripture seekers are the real trouble."

"Mount Sumeru?" Helbak raised his hand; all Ten Hells opened, releasing otherworldly souls of varied forms into the Zhihe Souls, sacrificing them to his team members:

"This place is now our Soul-Cleansing Team's Mount Sumeru!"

Feeling the increasingly violent, terrifying power within the Nine Cauldrons, he clenched his teeth and sat upon the divine throne, overlooking all.

Water rippled, the netherworld surged; drops of rain fell, staining the earth crimson, drowning cities, turning mountains into islands, leaving only Buddhist light and sacred pagodas standing atop peaks.

Stars fell, immortals and gods shattered; even the legendary great demons fell beneath Buddhist treasures. The Three Demons of Lion-Camel Ridge grew stronger with each battle, as a single willow branch brushed over Niu Mowang's head, transforming into a golden circlet.

He gazed at the Guanyin Dharma Form; a voice echoed in his aching mind: just swing your weapon at others.

"Dream on!!!"

Niu Mowang transformed into a white ox and charged toward the Guanyin, who raised the Jade Pure Vase to absorb him.

Crack—!

A nine-ringed staff struck the Jade Pure Vase, piercing its body and triggering the treasure's self-repair function.

"A Yin, why don't you bow before this monk?"

Before Mu Yan could react, a tapping sound arose—like stones rolling down a hill, or hail falling from the sky.

Thud thud thud

One by one, demon heads—some grotesque, some ordinary, some smiling—fell from the sky like rain. After tens of thousands of heads, countless white bones followed with a rustling sound.

"I remembered there were still tens of thousands of demons at Lion-Camel Ridge, so I spent ten seconds going back to pack them all up and bring them along."

"This monk has a friend surnamed Xiao who likes to arrive right at the last moment. Probably picked it up from him—so if I'm late, it's his fault."

"Then"

"A Yin, why are you still standing?"

Mu Yan stared at the handsome monk who had appeared before her without warning, recalling her two prior encounters and his true identity.

"I pay homage to the master." Mu Yan dissolved her Dharma Form and bowed gracefully, without a single unnecessary motion.

At this distance, no one could save her.

Su Lin had raised his palm to strike, but it paused for several seconds above her head. "Heh."

He patted her head, picked up the Jade Pure Vase and the nine-ringed staff, and turned to walk toward the shattered Thousand-Layer Golden Pavilion behind him.

The Monk walked ahead, right hand holding the nine-ringed staff, left hand clutching a begging bowl, draped in a dull brocade kasaya; behind him came a monkey, scratching its ears, wearing a phoenix-plume purple-gold crown and golden armor, its entire body covered in golden fur; a boar demon with tusks, a gaping mouth, and large flapping ears carried a shoulder pole, his gaze sweeping across the many demons on the battlefield, finally lingering on the Three Demons of Lion-Camel Ridge as he licked his lips; the one leading the ox was a youth wearing a necklace of skull bones, beside whom stood a young man with four characters pasted to his body: "I am the White Dragon."

No way—someone flat-out refused to turn into a horse.

The battle on the field suddenly ceased; all beings turned their gaze toward the five men and the ox, strolling slowly as if taking a walk.

Suddenly, a massive hand reached down, its arm wreathed in hellfire and overwhelming divine power.

Su Lin slapped his palm forward, and the rain of blood overhead grew denser. A faint smile on his face, he looked up at the Thunder Sound Precious Monastery, whose peak pierced the heavens and whose roots connected to Mount Sumeru, where strange flowers and rare herbs slowly grew, and said:

"Now that we've reached the foot of Lingshan, and you still don't come to greet this monk—do you all want a slap?"

Herbak and Su Lin locked eyes for several seconds. Leaning back on the divine throne, he said: "You've come to the wrong place. This isn't Lingshan—it's Soul-Scattering Mountain. If you can't even find your destination, how will you retrieve the scriptures?"

He meant to explain Su Lin's current situation and the balance of power—who held the upper hand—but found the other man staring blankly, frozen in place.

Su Lin thought for a moment and said: "Simple. I'll just become a Venerable."

Herbak: "?"