Chapter 272: The Ancient Buddha's Plot, Humanity

Nine Netherworld.

Luofeng Realm, Xuanming Black Prison.

A black mountain peak formed from endless death intent and ghost qi sits at the center of this realm, bitterly cold beyond compare, as if the source of the Nine Netherworld's yin souls and ghostly beings, carrying a hint of innate primordial Dao intent.

This place is also a near-Dao land that arose at the beginning of this eon together with the realm of Nine Netherworld, ranking alongside the Nether Sea, the Sea of Blood, and Yellow Spring, where the first ghost of this eon was born, the Xuanming Ghost Emperor.

It is one of the few false Other Shore beings of Nine Netherworld, a top figure located at the highest point of the Nine Netherworld realm.

Even before the Demon Lord arrived at the Other Shore, this Xuanming Ghost Emperor still overwhelmed the Demon Lord, making it one of the oldest existences in Nine Netherworld.

At this moment, the River of Time in the Luofeng Realm was suddenly disturbed, carrying a sense of eeriness and madness.

Buzz

The black mountain peak dimmed slightly, and a dark, vague figure rose from it.

This figure was full of icy, filthy, and deathly yin illusory vagueness, making the whole Luofeng Realm seem like a ghostly haunt; it was the Xuanming Ghost Emperor.

The Xuanming Ghost Emperor looked at the changing eerie River of Time around it, a hint of surprise in its eyes, and hoarsely said: "Black Heaven Emperor, what brings you to my Luofeng Ghost Prison?"

The moment its words fell, the River of Time became even more eerie and chaotic, and a figure full of withering, apocalyptic, and decaying intent emerged from the River of Time—this was the false Other Shore born from the negative aspect of time, the Black Heaven Emperor.

Seeing the Black Heaven Emperor's figure, the Xuanming Ghost Emperor's eyes flashed with a hint of wariness, obviously wary of this mysterious old fellow.

Hehe.

The Black Heaven Emperor chuckled lightly, causing the whole River of Time to dim, and said: "Naturally, it's for the Demon Buddha, this world-destroying demon, Xuanming Dao Friend—do you really think the Demon Buddha entered the deepest part of Nine Netherworld merely to absorb its various negative qi and restore its own cultivation?"

The Xuanming Ghost Emperor's expression tightened slightly; it certainly did not believe the Demon Buddha was only trying to recover its own loss, but it could not figure out the Demon Buddha's true purpose, nor understand what the other side actually wanted to do.

With thoughts turning in its heart, it shifted its gaze to the old fellow before it and said: "Black Heaven Emperor, what do you mean by this?"

The Black Heaven Emperor stepped forward a few paces, its expression turning solemn, and said: "I think we can no longer let the Demon Buddha remain in Nine Netherworld; we should join forces to drive it out of Nine Netherworld."

Huh?

The Xuanming Ghost Emperor blinked slightly, its expression turning oddly strange, and said in an inexplicable tone: "Back when I invited you all to join forces against the Demon Buddha, you clearly refused, yet now you invite me again to join forces against the Demon Buddha, Black Heaven Emperor—what exactly do you mean?"

The Black Heaven Emperor lightly sighed and said: "Initially I did not know the Demon Buddha's true purpose, fearing I would fall victim to its schemes, so I temporarily held back; but now I have understood this world-destroying demon's true purpose."

Oh!

The Xuanming Ghost Emperor's eyes brightened, and it quickly said: "Please, Dao Friend, plainly state what the Demon Buddha's purpose actually is."

The Black Heaven Emperor looked grimly at the Xuanming Ghost Emperor and said, word by word: "It wants to devour Nine Netherworld, replace the status of Lingbao Tianzun, completely become the symbol of the end of the myriad worlds, prematurely trigger the final calamity, and bring forward the apocalypse."

The moment its words fell, the pupil of light in the Black Heaven Emperor's surrounding spacetime river shifted slightly, and the surrounding River of Time violently fluctuated, revealing many different future scenes.

What?

The Xuanming Ghost Emperor let out a cry of shock, its eyes flashing with extreme shock and anger.

These false Other Shore beings are deeply bound to Nine Netherworld, or rather, only by relying on the support of Nine Netherworld's will can they possess this realm.

Once Nine Netherworld is devoured by the Demon Buddha, unless they surrender to it, they will completely lose their current realm.

By that time, these Nine Netherworld evil gods might even become food for the Demon Buddha.

With thoughts turning in its heart, the Xuanming Ghost Emperor found itself drawn to the images within the Black Heaven Emperor's surrounding spacetime river.

That was a dark red inverted swastika symbol, like a writhing abyssal maw that swallowed the various realms of Nine Netherworld, digesting the Luofeng Black Prison, the Nine Netherworld Sea of Blood, the Origin of Life and Death, the Nether Sea Demon Pool, and other near-Dao lands.

Gazing at this dark red inverted swastika symbol, even the Xuanming Ghost Emperor, a false Other Shore being, felt a chill in its heart, as if it had become food within it.

At that moment, the dark red inverted swastika symbol within the River of Time suddenly became chaotic, actually extending out of the spacetime river, turning into a hand full of depravity and madness that fell toward the Xuanming Ghost Emperor's brow.

The dark red inverted swastika symbol lay at the palm's center, manifesting the third form of the Tathagata Reverse Palm—Sever Sage, Forsake Wisdom.

Not good!

The Xuanming Ghost Emperor's innate spiritual light flickered and blurred, as if contaminated, and its thoughts grew sluggish.

Black Heaven Emperor and Demon Buddha are connected!

This thought arose in its mind, the Xuanming Ghost Emperor's face showed extreme shock and anger, its vital energy surged instantly, directly invoking the power of the whole Luofeng Black Prison, turning into a colossal entity layered with yin qi and death intent.

Buzz

The surrounding River of Time flowed, and its figure instantly fled into the River of Time to escape this palm.

But just then, vortices full of withering, decay, and apocalyptic intent suddenly appeared in the River of Time, and a black hand that absorbed temporal power reached into the River of Time, blocking the Xuanming Ghost Emperor.

Black Heaven Emperor

The Xuanming Ghost Emperor let out a roar.

It never expected the Black Heaven Emperor would actually choose to cooperate with the Demon Buddha, this treacherous world-destroying demon.

Does it not fear that once the Demon Buddha controls Nine Netherworld, it too will be devoured?

Boom

An unprecedented sense of crisis surged; the Xuanming Ghost Emperor had no time to think, overloading its own Great Dao to the utmost, desperately resisting the combined assault of the dark red inverted swastika symbol and the black hand.

But just then, the Xuanming Ghost Emperor suddenly felt an indescribable sense of crisis, and instinctively looked toward the beginning of Nine Netherworld's birth.

When Nine Netherworld was born, turbid qi sank, gloom gathered, linking myriad Great Daos, forming various near-Dao lands, and giving birth to the first batch of innate evil gods formed by sensing the Great Dao of Nine Netherworld.

Deep within the Luofeng Black Prison, cold ice, decay, and yin soul Great Dao converged, forming the first innate ghost of this eon—namely, the Xuanming Ghost Emperor.

Buzz

Mysterious light flowed, forming a sixfold profound and inscrutable vortex, as if containing the reincarnation of all beings in the myriad worlds.

A ghost emperor clad in black imperial robes appeared at the beginning of Nine Netherworld's birth, holding in its hand a mysterious seal that flowed with reincarnational power.

Fengdu Great Emperor!

The Xuanming Ghost Emperor let out a cry of shock, vaguely understanding what it was.

Boom

In an instant, the Xuanming Ghost Emperor, disregarding life and death, launched its most frenzied attack, trying to temporarily repel the Black Heaven Emperor and the dark red inverted swastika symbol.

But unfortunately, facing the combined assault of the Demon Buddha and the Black Heaven Emperor, this mere false Other Shore could barely defend itself, let alone drive them back.

At the beginning of the Nine Abysses, the divine light of the reincarnation seal flowed, directly fell into the Luofeng Ghost Prison, fell into the core of the Xuanming Ghost Emperor that was being nurtured.

Afterwards, the Great Emperor of the City of Ghosts appeared in the Luofeng Ghost Prison, using the Samsara Seal as a bridge, continually drawing upon the Great Dao and origin of the Xuanming Ghost Emperor, this false shore, perfecting its own Great Dao.

Both are Ghost Emperors, merely different masters of the underworld; thus their Great Daos are highly compatible, with almost no rejection.

No

The spacetime river of the Nine Netherworld trembled, and the Xuanming Ghost Emperor at the current time node let out a mournful scream, yet could not truly be stopped.

This is the essential difference between a false shore and a true shore‑being: although the false shore relies on the will of the Nine Netherworld to elevate its illusory Great Dao, condensing a false half‑step Dao fruit and attaining the realm of a shore‑being, able to trace past and future, returning to every past time node, it has not truly transcended the spacetime river; unlike true shore‑beings, whose timelines converge into one, making each temporal self a shore‑being with no weak moments.

Therefore, the Xuanming Ghost Emperor at the present time node, being blocked, can only watch as his past self is gradually replaced.

The mournful scream had not yet fully faded when it abruptly ceased.

In the next moment, the river of time shifted, and past history changed accordingly—He had been replaced by others since birth, only at the present time node did He truly come to understand Himself.

The Xuanming Ghost Emperor's form also changed, becoming a Ghost Emperor clad in black imperial robes, dignified and lofty, bearing a resemblance in aura to the Dark Heaven Emperor.

"Don't forget your promise!"

A low, mad voice sounded, and a dark‑red reversed swastika element probed into the river of time, then vanished.

"Rest assured."

A faint smile appeared on the Dark Heaven Emperor's face; he then looked toward the Great Emperor of the City of Ghosts, gave a slight smile, and said, "Congratulations, Dao friend, on achieving complete perfection!"

The Great Emperor of the City of Ghosts lightly nodded, likewise showing a faint smile: "We are originally one entity, so naturally we share joy!"

Just as the Xuanming Ghost Emperor was besieged by the Dark Heaven Emperor, the Great Emperor of the City of Ghosts, and the Demon Buddha, a barely perceptible vortex suddenly appeared in the depths of the Yellow Springs, the flow of life and death turning, and a Daoist clad in tortoise‑snake robes stepped forth from it.

He glanced back at the Yellow Springs, let out a soft sigh, moved his feet, and directly vanished into the realm of the Nine Netherworld.

The Nine Netherworld Sea of Blood.

A blood‑colored figure stood there, his body filled with the intent of bloodlust, devouring, dissolution, and plunder—this was one of the Nine Netherworld's false shores, the Nine Netherworld Blood Demon.

However, deep within this blood‑red hue, a hint of Chaos intent subtly emerged, embracing all things, as if this thread of Chaos were His true foundation.

At that moment, the Nine Netherworld Blood Demon's expression shifted, and he sharply gazed at the river of time: "Dark Heaven Emperor".

Just as His form was about to move, He suddenly sensed an indescribable crisis.

In the next moment, countless eyes of extreme eeriness appeared around Him, mad and cruel, within which faintly surfaced dark‑red reversed swastika symbols.

"Demon Buddha."

Within the Bodhi Pure Land.

Under the venerable, ancient Bodhi tree, a crystal‑clear turquoise Buddha sat in meditation, surrounded by the emanation of pure wisdom's Bodhi light.

At that moment, an inexplicable surge arose from within the turquoise Buddha's body, carrying a hint of flawless completeness, making His aura ever more inscrutable.

But before a hint of joy could appear on His face, He suddenly turned His gaze toward the mortal realm, and a trace of surprise flickered in His eyes.

"Human Emperor."

At the moment the Nine Netherworld's history shifted, myriad shore‑beings across the heavens and worlds twitched their gazes, looking toward the realm of the Nine Netherworld.

As the timeline shifted, the future time lines hidden by the ancient Bodhi Buddha were also exposed to many shore‑beings, letting them understand this ancient Buddha's secret.

"Not only is the Great Emperor of the City of Ghosts one of the three corpses of the ancient Bodhi Buddha, but the Dark Heaven Emperor is also that ancient Buddha's most deeply hidden corpse!"

"So that's how it is!"

Numerous shore‑beings felt enlightenment arise in their hearts, understanding why this ancient Buddha cooperated with the Demon Buddha.

All shore‑beings understood that from today onward, the ancient Bodhi Buddha's Great Dao had reached complete perfection; although not surpassing the Virtuous Heavenly Lord or Amitabha Buddha, He now qualified to contend for the Dao fruit of this era.

At that moment, many shore‑beings seemed to discover something, and simultaneously turned their gaze toward the mortal realm.

"Human Emperor."

The mortal realm, the Divine Capital, deep within the imperial palace.

The Human Emperor's person sat upon the throne, holding the Investiture of the Gods and the God‑Beating Whip; human Dao radiance gathered around Him, and behind Him hovered the illusory shadows of boundless universes, as if He wielded the authority over all heavens and worlds.

At the moment the Nine Netherworld underwent change, he suddenly opened his eyes; countless divine Dao runes flowed within his double pupils, illuminating the entire hall.

"It's time!"

Hum

The instant His words fell, the Human Emperor released His hands; the Investiture of the Gods and the God‑Beating Whip instantly merged, transforming into a divine light that fell onto the nine‑tier altar of the Divine Capital, sinking into the altar's core nexus.

Boom

Individually, the Investiture of the Gods and the God‑Beating Whip were not particularly mighty, but once fused they underwent an essential transformation, as if becoming the embodiment of the Heavenly Dao's rules.

Countless strands of human Dao radiance and Heavenly Dao authority converged, linking the entirety of the heavens and worlds, forming a magnificent pillar of light that shot straight into the clouds, as if piercing through all heavens and worlds.

In an instant, throughout the heavens and worlds, mighty adepts felt their spiritual awareness tremble, turning their gaze to the core of the mortal realm, where they beheld the glorious pillar of light that penetrated the triad of heaven, earth, and humanity.

"The Investiture of the Gods and the God‑Beating Whip"

"The Human Emperor is indeed going to walk the path of ruling heaven through the human Dao, right?"

"What a grand ambition!"

"If He could also command the authority of the Nine Netherworld, then"

Before their thoughts had fully settled, a figure clad in a dark‑colored imperial robe and holding a pale gold long sword appeared upon the altar.

The power of all beings surrounded Him, heavenly Dao authority gathered, and at this moment this figure emanated a sacred and awe‑inspiring aura, resembling both the sovereign of the human Dao and the emperor of the Heavenly Dao.

Whether immortals, gods, demons, monsters, or mortal beings, upon seeing this figure they all felt a reverence that rose from within.

The Human Emperor's person stood upon the nine‑tier altar, holding the Human Emperor's Sword, and slowly spoke: "The human Dao is heaven; it governs the four extremes."

Boom

Before His words had fully faded, the firmament changed color, boundless purple qi gathered, and boundless thunder suffused the air, while merit and fortune coexisted with heavenly punishment thunder tribulation.

At that moment, the five small altars beside the nine‑tier altar, representing the Five Directions Five Emperors, suddenly blazed, and the patterns etched upon them lit up one by one.

Boom—

Heaven and earth changed hue; five towering figures clad in imperial robes appeared above the firmament, standing in the five directions of heaven and earth, their gazes indifferent as they looked down upon the Human Emperor on the nine‑tier altar—these were the manifestations of the Great Dao embodying the authority of the Five Directions Five Emperors.

Hum

In the next moment, the pupils of the five figures shifted slightly, the indifference in their eyes fading as each took on a different emotion.

Upon seeing this, many powerful cultivators revealed expressions of eager anticipation.

This Human Emperor had not yet reached the Other Shore, yet he already sought to unify heaven through the Human Dao.

That would still be tolerable, but he even wished to contain the authority of the Five Directions Five Emperors within the rank of Human Emperor, becoming the sole sovereign of the Myriad Heavens and Ten Thousand Worlds—his ambition excessively vast, outright disregarding the Five Directions Five Emperors.

If the positions of the Five Directions Five Emperors had never been occupied, that would still be tolerable, but now the Five Directions Five Emperors all exist in the world.

More importantly, among the Five Directions Five Emperors are four true beings who have reached the Other Shore, even including the Heavenly Emperor of Light and Darkness, who once dominated an era.

How could such supreme beings possibly submit beneath a Human Emperor?

Within the Hibiscus Tree Realm.

The Blue Emperor's form gazed with deep pupils at the Human Emperor's form above the Divine Capital, his aura perfectly harmonizing with the ancient Hibiscus Tree beneath him; it was evident he had completely refined the spiritual root comparable to the Establishing Tree, truly becoming the congenital divine spirit of that ancient tree.

Beside him, Feng Yi's true form likewise gazed toward the True Realm, seeing the changes in his own Human Emperor's form.

Let's begin!

At this moment, Feng Yi's true form's aura had reached its limit, as if he had arrived at the end of the road, lacking only the final step to advance into a new level.

Hmm.

The Blue Emperor's form nodded, his heart stirred, and a divine light composed of countless Great Dao runes appeared within him.

At the same time, within the heavens above the Divine Capital, the figures of the Five Directions Five Emperors also changed, each harboring a continually gathering authority that contained countless Heavenly Dao principles.

(End of Chapter)