Chapter 623: Where I Stand, There Is Netherworld
“Who are you?” Qin Mu exclaimed in shock.
A voice came from his mouth, crisp and clear, yet carrying an innocent evil: “I am…”
Above his head, the Buddha’s massive hand had already pressed down. Suddenly, Qin Mu felt another “self” awakening within him. This sensation was too strange—he felt himself splitting into two.
“…Qin Fengqing!”
As this voice fell, Qin Mu’s original consciousness receded to second place, becoming a mere observer!
Even more terrifying, this other “self” emerged, and a surge of power from an unknown source suddenly flooded his body—so vast, so dreadful, so evil that Qin Mu’s original cultivation could only cling to a corner alongside his consciousness, watching this evil fill his entire being.
“The stolen primordial spirits are still too few, far from enough to break Tu Bo’s seal. That big bad Tu Bo… But if I kill this Buddha, I can break more seals!”
Qin Mu heard a strange, arrogant infant’s voice coming from his own mouth. The voice carried evil—a bone-chilling evil. The words were in Netherworld language, with a bizarre magic, arrogant, fearless, and filled with boundless greed, as if it were the embodiment of all negative desires.
“Where I stand, there is Netherworld—”
Qin Mu saw darkness spreading from within his body, tainting the highest heaven of the Buddhist realm, Great Brahma Heaven. Great Brahma Heaven, eternally bright with a golden sea of light, suddenly dimmed over a vast area!
The golden sea was like a basin of clear water into which a drop of ink had fallen. Darkness invaded, polluting the golden sea, turning it black. The range of darkness grew larger and larger.
The supreme sacred land of the Buddhist realm was transforming into the Netherworld.
The Buddha’s massive hand had already descended, radiating Buddha light, but it was immediately swallowed by the darkness.
The Buddha cried out in alarm, pulling his hand back from the dark Netherworld demonic aura. His plump, golden Buddha hand had turned into white bone, the flesh vanished without a trace.
This was a divine ability completely different from those of Yan Kang, Taihuang Heaven, the Buddhist realm, or the Heavenly Court—a power that controlled death, seizing the life force of all beings for itself.
Qin Mu leaped up, laughing heartily. His fingers spread wide as he pressed down on the Buddha’s head.
Boom!
A violent shockwave erupted. The Buddha was forcibly crushed onto a golden island, which exploded in a cataclysm of sky and earth.
Qin Mu saw his own body undergoing a strange transformation. It was growing wildly, becoming taller and larger, yet his age seemed to be receding, making him younger and younger, more and more like a toddler.
Fortunately, the robe crafted for him by Feather Clan Chief Yu Zhaoqing was extraordinary, made from the finest materials of the Feather Clan. It was a formidable spiritual weapon or treasure that could expand and contract with his body.
Now he stood over ten zhang tall, but his age had regressed to that of a four- or five-year-old, like an adorable little boy with snow-white skin.
But this boy, though he looked cute and innocent, possessed immense strength and was viciously cruel, nearly smashing the Buddha’s head to pulp.
Not only that, this “little boy” grabbed the Buddha with one hand, lifted him into the air, opened his mouth, and inhaled forcefully.
The Buddha’s body radiated Buddha light in a desperate struggle, but his primordial spirit involuntarily emerged, repeatedly pulled partway out of his body before snapping back.
The Buddha writhed in agony. All his divine treasuries surfaced, his primordial spirit standing before the gate of his heavenly palace, unable to steady itself, several times nearly sucked out of the palace.
Qin Mu noticed that his age was shrinking again. Just a moment ago, he was four or five; now he was less than three years old.
At that moment, Dharmaraja Molun flew over in a whirlwind, striking Qin Mu’s back with a seal like a wheel.
Qin Mu tumbled and rolled with the Buddha, bouncing dozens of times across the golden sea, crashing through several mountains before stopping. Then, with one inhale, he sucked out the Buddha’s primordial spirit.
But the Buddha’s primordial spirit didn’t enter Qin Mu’s mouth. Instead, it twisted and spiraled into his third eye.
Qin Mu was horrified. Suddenly, realization dawned on him. He finally understood why, after the Netherworld King suppressed the seal on his jade pendant, the King of Qin Hall had collapsed, and the Netherworld King had gotten stuck in a pillar. He also understood why a being as powerful as Fu Riluo, upon touching the jade pendant, had his chest blasted open and was left unconscious, wedged in an altar.
He finally understood why Wuwang City had suffered such an undeserved calamity, and why Tu Bo had insisted on meeting him in the Netherworld to reforge the seal within the jade pendant.
He had always thought it was just the curse of the jade pendant’s seal, never considering himself. In those previous upheavals, he had always fallen into a deep sleep, unaware of what had actually happened.
But now, he understood. The true curse was himself—or rather, the other “self” within him!
Earlier, he had fallen asleep because this other self was too strong, seizing control of his body. Now he was awake because Tu Bo’s seal was too powerful, preventing the other self from fully breaking free, resulting in both consciousnesses coexisting and awake at the same time.
He had no time to dwell on it. Dharmaraja Molun and the other three Buddhas had already charged in, stepping across the golden sea of Buddha light. The four great Buddhas unleashed their full power, attacking him with divine abilities that overturned mountains and seas, their visions reaching into the clouds.
Suddenly, Qin Mu’s consciousness seized control of his body. He sprinted swiftly, executing the Cripple’s Heaven-Stealing Divine Leg Technique, dodging Dharmaraja Molun’s attacks by a hair’s breadth.
The Cripple’s Heaven-Stealing Divine Leg, under his feet, became extraordinarily fast, almost capable of traversing through space. If the Cripple had been there, he would have stared wide-eyed, unable to believe his leg technique could reach such a level.
But now, Qin Mu possessed boundless magical power, pushing the Cripple’s technique to its peak. He moved like a butterfly through flowers without a single petal touching him—none of Dharmaraja Molun’s divine abilities could even graze him.
“Why can I suddenly control my body?”
This doubt arose in Qin Mu’s mind as he dodged. Then, Qin Fengqing’s consciousness surged back, his innocent yet evil voice saying, “Tu Bo, you’ve harmed me again!”
Qin Mu’s consciousness receded to second place again. His body had become an enormous infant, excitedly churning the seas and leaping like a flying demon, stomping the golden sea into explosions, sending waves of Buddha light sky-high.
Wherever he passed, the golden sea was polluted. What had been a single drop of ink in the water was now ink splattering everywhere!
He grabbed one Buddha and began tearing at him, as if the Buddha were just a ragdoll and he a playful baby trying to rip it apart.
Dharmaraja Molun and the remaining two Buddhas chased after him. Qin Fengqing seemed to know few divine abilities, only the simplest ones, but they were Netherworld abilities—eerie and unpredictable, casually deployed to make Dharmaraja Molun and the others unable to withstand them.
Even more terrifying was his physical strength, which was beyond compare. He tore the Buddha in his hands apart, Buddha blood spilling into the golden sea!
That Buddha’s primordial spirit was also devoured by the eye on Qin Mu’s forehead, spiraling into it and vanishing.
The butterfly-wing-like patterns on Qin Mu’s third eye grew larger and larger, their range expanding. His power became more and more terrifying as he turned to face Dharmaraja Molun and the others in direct combat.
Back at the ruined temple, Monk Mingxin flew into the air, gazing from afar at the battle in the golden sea. His heart was filled with terror. He saw the golden islands shaped like steamed buns in Great Brahma Heaven collapsing one after another, sacred mountains shattered to pieces, while darkness continuously invaded and polluted this supreme sacred land.
Mingxin’s face turned ashen. He trembled all over, his mind blank.
“Monk, come down!”
He suddenly heard a voice from below. Looking down, he saw the honest-looking bhikkhu at the ruined temple’s gate, waving at him. The bhikkhu had apparently called him many times, but Mingxin had been too shocked to hear.
The bhikkhu smiled, “Hurry down. The great demon king will be here soon. Let’s hide in the temple.”
Mingxin quickly said, “Senior Brother Qin won’t kill me!”
The bhikkhu laughed, “Do you really think that’s your Senior Brother Qin?”
Mingxin looked toward the golden sea. It had almost turned into an ink sea. The giant infant that Qin Mu had become was grabbing a Buddha, pounding and hammering him until the Buddha was a bloody mess.
Suddenly, with a deafening crash, Dharmaraja Molun’s massive body flew backward out of the golden sea, tumbling and rolling onto this island, crushing forests and rolling toward them.
The infant Qin Mu was devouring another Buddha’s primordial spirit, hopping and skipping toward them as he ate.
Mingxin shuddered and quickly flew down.
The bhikkhu opened the temple gate and called him in. Mingxin hurried inside, then suddenly remembered something: “Great Brahma Heavenly King Buddha allowed three people to enter and learn the Imperial Throne True Sutra. Brother Zhan Kong and Emperor Shakra Heavenly King Buddha have already gone in, and now I’m in—doesn’t that mean all three slots are filled?”
Just as he thought this, the giant infant Qin Mu grabbed Dharmaraja Molun by one leg and swung him back and forth, smashing mountains and reducing Molun to his last breath.
The bhikkhu quickly closed the temple gate, blocking Mingxin’s view, and pushed him deeper into the temple, smiling, “Senior Brother, you’ve gotten lucky. Go inside, and you’ll meet Great Brahma Heavenly King Buddha and receive the Imperial Throne True Sutra. Hurry, hurry!”
Mingxin, dazed and stumbling, walked forward. The temple didn’t seem large, but he walked a long way without reaching the end.
Outside, Dharmaraja Molun’s screams suddenly rang out. Mingxin’s hair stood on end. “It’s over! Senior Brother Qin is doomed! He’s killed so many Buddhist disciples, five Buddhas, and even Dharmaraja Molun, a Buddha ancestor. How can Great Brahma Heavenly King let him live?”
He turned and ran back toward the temple gate, thinking, “I can’t let Great Brahma Heavenly King kill Senior Brother Qin…”
Suddenly, a Buddha’s voice rang out: “Well done, well done. Turn back, and you’ll find the shore!”
Mingxin was startled. He saw a majestic Buddha appear before him, radiant and holy, smiling as he looked at him.
“Mingxin, if you had kept walking forward without turning back, you would never have seen me. But you turned back, so you can receive my legacy.”
The majestic Buddha smiled, “Come forward, and I will teach you the Imperial Throne True Sutra.”
Mingxin stepped forward, worried about Qin Mu. He was about to beg the great Buddha to spare Qin Mu’s life when the Buddha laughed, “Your childlike heart is different from Zhan Kong’s. Zhan Kong’s heart is empty of all things, a natural root of wisdom. Your nature is inferior to his, but you have something he lacks. So, I give him the Wordless True Sutra, but to you, I give the Written Heavenly Scripture.”
The great Buddha produced a scroll of scripture and placed it in Mingxin’s hands.
Though Mingxin held the Imperial Throne True Sutra, he was still anxious about Qin Mu’s safety and couldn’t focus on it. Before he could plead, the Buddha smiled, “Young friend Qin has his own destiny. Don’t worry. Focus on your meditation.”
Only then did Mingxin relax. He opened the scripture and saw the characters dancing and rearranging themselves, extremely wondrous, expounding the supreme truths of Buddhism.
Outside the temple, the giant infant Qin Fengqing swallowed Dharmaraja Molun, licked his lips, and bounced with excitement, shaking the earth: “That Tu Bo’s seal is loosening again. Hehe, if I eat everyone in this Buddhist realm, I can break free completely! Then I’ll turn this Buddhist realm into another Netherworld, make myself the Tu Bo, the king! Hmm, I’ll also go to the Netherworld and bring Mother over to live a good life, so I don’t have to put up with Tu Bo’s attitude… Eh, there’s a little temple here. I’ll destroy it, eat everyone inside, and then go to the other Buddhist realms and eat them all!”
Boom—
The temple gate shattered into pieces. The giant infant, with legs too short for his body, strode into the temple. The road ahead stretched long.
The giant infant took a few steps, found walking on two legs uncomfortable, and decided to crawl on all fours.
A rustling sound of sweeping came from ahead. A sweeping monk appeared, saw him, and threw down his broom to flee. The giant infant was delighted, grabbed the monk, and laughed, “A bit old, but better than nothing.”
With that, he tore off the monk’s head, pulled out his primordial spirit, and sucked it into his third eye.
“If it were me, I wouldn’t eat recklessly…” Inside the giant infant, Qin Mu’s consciousness muttered resentfully.
The giant infant swallowed the sweeping monk’s primordial spirit into his eye, then suddenly cried out, “Damn, I’ve been tricked! Which bastard set me up…”
Suddenly, Qin Mu felt his consciousness regain dominance. Shocked and delighted, he saw his body shrink back to normal. The sweeping monk’s head had reattached to his neck, and he stood there leaning on his broom, smiling at him.
Qin Mu bowed respectfully: “A rustic wild man, Qin Mu, pays respects to Great Brahma Heavenly King Buddha!”
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