Chapter 4195: If I Do Not Enter the Divine Realm, Who Will?
Western Buddha Realm.
Buddhist light suddenly appeared, filling the sky with golden radiance.
Compassionate Venerable and Buddha Lord Yuanyi rushed to the Washing Reflection Pool, but they were too late.
The battle had already ended. Er Juntian had been rescued.
Fanchen stood alone by the pool, unable to move, with a bowl-sized bloody hole in his chest. The flesh at the wound was burning, scattering sparks of fire.
He formed hand seals, mobilizing all his power to refine the overbearing force that was invading his Divine Sea and soul from the wound.
The blazing flame was burning his flesh, Divine Sea, and soul, trying to reduce him to ashes.
"Hua!"
Buddha Lord Yuanyi landed behind Fanchen, drawing circles with his hands.
A lush Bodhi Divine Tree manifested in the space. Buddha Qi surged from both palms, carrying the power of the Bodhi Divine Tree, and struck into Fanchen's body.
Fanchen breathed a sigh of relief, feeling slightly better, and color returned to his face: "Er Juntian has been rescued. We must pursue him, or there will be disaster in the world. Back then, I should not have been soft-hearted... I truly failed the trust of the Life and Death Heavenly Venerable."
Mahabrahma and Er Juntian were blood brothers, and Fanchen could not bear to watch him die.
"First, dissolve the curse power that has invaded your body."
Compassionate Venerable hovered ten zhang in the air, standing on a lotus platform. With a wave of her hand, she drew upon the power of the Saha World, pulling the burning curse from Fanchen's wound strand by strand.
It was Er Juntian's technique.
Only a powerhouse like Er Juntian could wound Fanchen to such an extent.
Of course, it was also because Fanchen was concerned about the living beings of the Western Buddha Realm, afraid that the aftermath of the battle would harm the innocent, which was why he lost so quickly and was injured so severely.
Fanchen gradually recovered and quickly explained: "There were two attackers, both very mysterious. An Ancestor-level powerhouse concealed their identities and heavenly secrets. One cultivates martial arts, the other cultivates spiritual power."
"The one cultivating martial arts is a woman, holding a flute, who has reached the Half-Ancestor level. Her music harmonizes with the Heavenly Dao and can mobilize all the rules of heaven and earth within a certain range."
"The one cultivating spiritual power is extremely proficient in formations and also loves good wine!"
Compassionate Venerable asked: "Is it Lady Shiji?"
Fanchen shook his head, then raised his arms and formed a demon-subduing hand seal, saying: "Alright! I can refine the remaining curse power myself. You must go to the Heavenly Palace immediately—no, no, the Life and Death Heavenly Venerable is in a death-seclusion—go find Lamp Extinguishing Master and ask him to suppress Er Juntian."
The bloody hole in his chest healed at a visible rate.
In fact, with Fanchen's realm, he could have used his own cultivation to dissolve the burning curse that Er Juntian had struck into his body, but it would have taken a lot of time.
Before he was fully healed, Fanchen stepped on a sky full of scriptures and soared into the air, saying: "I have left the Buddha Seals of the Six Buddhas in Er Juntian's Divine Sea, acupoints, and divine soul. He cannot fully refine them in a short time. With the Buddha Seals, as long as I am not too far away, I can catch up to him."
"I'll go with you!" Compassionate Venerable was uneasy, feeling that the group that rescued Er Juntian was extraordinary.
Moreover, she remembered that when Fanchen had sheltered Er Juntian in the Gray Sea, he had said: "If he escapes and brings disaster to the world, I, this monk, will self-destruct my Divine Source to take his life, and I will give you all an explanation."
If Fanchen really caught up to Er Juntian, he might self-destruct his Divine Source to atone for his sins before Lamp Extinguishing Master could arrive.
Fanchen said: "If it involves an Ancestor, whether one person goes or two, it makes no difference."
"Amitabha!"
A sudden Buddha's call resounded through the Western Buddha Realm.
Monks throughout the entire great world—some walking out of temples, some rising from meditation, some stopping on the road—all looked up at the blazing sun above.
The sun grew larger and larger, more and more dazzling.
A headless figure, supremely sacred, stood at the center of the sun, descending toward the ground.
The rules of heaven and earth in the Western Buddha Realm automatically revolved around him.
Bells rang without being struck, conch shells sounded without being blown. Golden springs burst from the earth, and rainbow rains fell from white clouds.
Buddhist chants arose from all directions, eternal and undying.
The monks knelt, prostrating in worship.
It was a scene of a Buddha descending to the world!
"He has come! Amitabha!"
Buddha Lord Yuanyi clasped his hands together, his eyes full of sorrow. He had been waiting for this day for thirty thousand years.
It was not that he wished for this day to come quickly.
Rather, he knew that this day could not be avoided.
"He has come after all!"
Compassionate Venerable was the first to fly to the entrance of the Saha World, guarding it. The vermilion mark between her eyebrows bloomed with extraordinary color, like a red sun, shining in mutual radiance with the approaching "sun."
Seeing the headless Kashyapa who had already entered the Western Buddha Realm, Fanchen realized that he could not pursue Er Juntian today.
"In this apocalyptic era, turmoil never ceases."
He moved and appeared to the right of Compassionate Venerable, speaking softly: "His cultivation has reached the peak of Half-Ancestor, and he possesses the great power of the Buddha's corpse. He can also use the Buddha's power to mobilize the celestial phenomena and terrain of the Western Buddha Realm. If he is invincible, you must take the Saha World and leave immediately, heading to the Heavenly Palace."
Buddha Lord Yuanyi appeared to the left of Compassionate Venerable: "As a last resort, the Western Buddha Realm can also be sacrificed. We must never let the Divine Realm give birth to another Ancestor."
The three Buddhas all knew that Headless Kashyapa had come this time to take the Saha World and to seize Compassionate Venerable's ten-thousand-life merits, in order to break through to Ancestor.
"The Heavenly Palace side has likely encountered trouble, otherwise Headless Kashyapa would never dare to enter the Western Buddha Realm." Compassionate Venerable showed a worried expression.
"Amitabha!"
Another Buddha's call sounded, and Headless Kashyapa appeared by the Washing Reflection Pool.
The pool water turned into golden springs, and the earth emitted fragrance. He had no head, only a golden skeleton.
Inside the ribcage, a blue-flame Buddha head floated. The Buddha's calls came from the mouth of that blue-flame head.
"Three of you, today the Western Buddha Realm's ten thousand bells ring in unison, and Buddhist chants linger. This undoubtedly means that Buddhism is about to flourish, and a Buddha will be born to lead all beings out of suffering." Headless Kashyapa clasped his hands in greeting, exceptionally devout.
The three Buddhas returned the greeting.
Fanchen asked: "How should I address you?"
Headless Kashyapa naturally would not speak the word "Wisdom." He said: "Future Buddha!"
The three Buddhas knew what Headless Kashyapa was wary of. The title "Future Buddha" had been used by countless Buddhist cultivators since ancient times.
Headless Kashyapa said: "Eternal True Zai has broken through to the ninety-sixth rank. He instructed me to come to the Western Buddha Realm to take the Saha World and Kashyapa's ten-thousand-life merits, in order to impact the Ancestor realm and prepare for the Great Calamity. I hope the three of you will grant this!"
So that was it.
Fanchen said: "This monk hears a threat in your words."
"A ninety-sixth-rank spiritual power Ancestor is indeed very intimidating." Buddha Lord Yuanyi said.
Compassionate Venerable said: "Taking only the Saha World is probably not enough. You'll have to go to the Sword Realm and take the Paradise World as well."
The three Buddhas were not fearless, nor did they disbelieve Headless Kashyapa. Rather, they knew that Eternal True Zai had absolutely not come to the Western Buddha Realm.
Headless Kashyapa knew better than anyone that the three Buddhas would not voluntarily hand over the Saha World and the ten-thousand-life merits. The best approach would have been a surprise attack, first killing Compassionate Venerable and seizing the ten-thousand-life merits.
Not like this, making a grand entrance and giving the three Buddhas ample preparation time.
Clearly, Headless Kashyapa was still wary of the Life and Death Heavenly Venerable.
Before the Life and Death Heavenly Venerable was killed by the Divine Realm, he did not dare to easily kill Compassionate Venerable. Of course, this was not absolute, given the protection of Murong Overlord and Eternal True Zai. The "Book of Life and Death" would not find it easy to kill him.
Headless Kashyapa sighed deeply: "Must we fight? Must we cause the living beings of the Western Buddha Realm to suffer? As a Buddhist cultivator, one should harbor good thoughts. Compassionate Venerable, are you not being too selfish, wanting the entire Western Buddha Realm to be buried with you just to save your own life? When Buddha Kashyapa was alive, he could cut his flesh to feed an eagle, full of respect and care for life. Why can't you do the same?"
Fanchen said: "Feeding an eagle is fine, but feeding a dog is not."
Headless Kashyapa was not at all angered. He said: "Master Fanchen, as expected of a high monk who has experienced the myriad forms of the mortal world, your vulgar words are indeed sharp. But, Master, you are quite injured, aren't you? How many moves of fist and palm can you receive from me?"
"It seems you are not at all afraid of the Life and Death Heavenly Venerable." Buddha Lord Yuanyi said.
Headless Kashyapa said: "Under Eternal True Zai's ninety-sixth-rank spiritual power, the 'Book of Life and Death' is nothing but a scrap of paper. You think I dare not act, but that is not the case. I have come precisely to act, to force the Life and Death Heavenly Venerable to show himself."
"So your most essential goal is not to kill and seize the realm, but to cooperate with the Divine Realm's actions on the Heavenly Palace side?" Compassionate Venerable said slowly.
"Isn't it the same?"
The blue-flame Buddha head in Headless Kashyapa's ribcage emitted increasingly intense heat. He said: "Even if the three of you join forces, you cannot be my opponent. The final result will be the destruction of the Western Buddha Realm first."
"In fact, Compassionate One, if you offer up the Saha World and yourself, I can promise you that I will protect the Western Buddha Realm in the future, lead Buddhism into the next era, and spread it far and wide."
"The reason I did not act directly is that I harbor good thoughts, afraid that the Western Buddha Realm will be lost in the calamity."
Western Buddha Realm, Extreme North Glacier. Cold Cicada Temple at the snowy peak.
Bore stood outside Cold Cicada Temple, facing the cold wind, looking down at the golden sea of clouds below. Her voice echoed layer upon layer: "Taking the Saha World is not enough. Why not take the Paradise World as well?"
As everyone knew, the Paradise World was in Bore's hands, and Bore was cultivating in the Sword Realm. "When did she come to the Western Buddha Realm?" Not only Headless Kashyapa, but also Compassionate Venerable, Buddha Lord Yuanyi, and Fanchen were all slightly surprised.
Cold Cicada Temple was a place of ascetic cultivation built by Fengxi after coming to the Western Buddha Realm.
To be able to enter the Western Buddha Realm silently, at least one Heavenly Venerable-level powerhouse must have come with Bore.
Nutian Shenzun and Bangbing walked out of Cold Cicada Temple. "Hua! Hua!"
The Nether River and Luo River rushed out from their Divine Realm Worlds respectively, flooding the sky, wrapping around heaven and earth, connecting to the outer universe.
The next moment,
The two of them rode the Nether River and Luo River, crossing space, descending over the Washing Reflection Pool, appearing behind Headless Kashyapa.
"With the two of us added, should we be enough to contend with you?" Nutian Shenzun manifested a ninety-nine-zhang-tall golden body, standing like a Buddha mountain and divine peak atop the rolling waves of the Nether River.
At the same time, driven by several disciples of the Sixth Patriarch and the Divine Kings and Divine Venerables of the Buddhist sect, with Jingpo Treasure Hall as the center, thousands of temples throughout the Western Buddha Realm all shot up formation beams.
In an instant, earth-shattering fluctuations spread out.
Desolate Heaven asked: "Do you want me to destroy the Heaven-Earth Altar?"
The significance of the Heaven-Earth Altar to the Divine Realm went without saying.
No one knew what consequences would arise once it was activated.
Over the past thirty thousand years, Zhang Ruochen's support for the Divine Realm in building the Heaven-Earth Altar was merely to buy time for everyone.
In reality, various forces had been obstructing the construction of the Heaven-Earth Altar, but they were all suppressed by the Divine Realm.
Even Dragon Lord, the head of the Heavenly Palace, had secretly used means to delay its progress.
Zhang Ruochen shook his head, saying: "Eternal True Zai has broken through to the ninety-sixth rank. Whoever touches the Heaven-Earth Altar will be killed immediately. I need you to be the first to cross the river, not to send you to your deaths."
"Which river is this?" Desolate Heaven asked.
Zhang Ruochen said: "The Divine Realm."
The few people present were all shocked.
"That mysterious Immortal, every time he activates the Seventy-Two Layer Tower, he must draw energy from the Divine Realm. I think the Divine Realm might be more important than we imagine." Zhang Ruochen said.
Desolate Heaven instantly understood Zhang Ruochen's meaning: "You think building the Heaven-Earth Altar might just be a ploy by the Divine Realm to distract the attention of the various Ancestors, and the truly terrifying power is hidden in the Divine Realm?"
Zhang Ruochen's expression was solemn: "The Immortal does not make idle moves. The threat of the Heaven-Earth Altar is certainly not small, but it is in the open. Do you think Shi Yan, Dark Sovereign, White Jade Divine Emperor, Chi Yao, Yan Wushen, and the others will watch the Heaven-Earth Altar be built? Won't they use means in secret?"
Desolate Heaven said: "Power placed in the open is the easiest to break. In thirty thousand years, those Ancestors and the various giants above the Heavenly Venerable level must have made arrangements. But the Divine Realm is shrouded in fog. No one knows what behemoth is hidden there. Before this, who knew of the existence of the Ten Thousand Generations Nine Ancestors?"
Zhang Ruochen said: "After I entered the Ancestor realm, I made assumptions and deductions. If I were the Immortal, existing in the world for billions of years, always planning and laying out schemes for the great turmoil before the Great Calamity, how many trump cards could I prepare? How many backup plans could I set up?"
"What was the result?" Desolate Heaven asked.
Zhang Ruochen was silent for a moment, then said: "The war that Great Venerable started back then should have destroyed many of the Immortal's trump cards. But, based on the foundation of the Nether Ancestor faction, besides the Ten Thousand Generations Nine Ancestors, the Divine Realm should still have hidden backup plans."
"Four parts of the Mo Ancestor's Divine Realm World, including the Gray Sea, have all appeared, but everything about the Immortal of the Divine Realm remains unknown."
Desolate Heaven said: "The Divine Realm has always been able to exist openly, occupying the orthodox position of heaven and earth, with martial power divinely ordained, using the Divine Martial Mark to control the universe. Clearly, among all the Immortals, it has the strongest power and influence. Neither the Nether Ancestor nor the Dark Sovereign can match it!"
Zhang Ruochen said: "So, going to the Divine Realm will be very dangerous."
"No matter how dangerous, we must go. The situation has reached a point where we can only advance, not retreat." Desolate Heaven's tone was firm.
Zhang Ruochen said: "The Great Evolution Seal I left in your Divine Sea can unleash my full power in one strike."
"Do not tell Qi'er that I am still alive. If I am lucky enough to return alive, I will go see her myself, and I will go with her to pay respects to Bai Pu, and give her the apology she has always wanted."
Even Desolate Heaven's stalwart figure seemed somewhat desolate.
Once a person has attachments, they can no longer take life and death lightly.
Desolate Heaven was a stubborn and proud man. Back then, because he could not bear to see Bai Qing'er consume her lifespan to cultivate, he deliberately lost to her. But to bow his head, to admit his mistake—he could not do it at that time.
Zhang Ruochen said: "What about Yu Hua?"
"This is not a question you should be concerned about!"
Desolate Heaven looked at Black and White Daoist and Xuan Yuan Second, saying: "Let's go!"
"Us too?"
Black and White Daoist's face was full of bitterness. Seeing Desolate Heaven's solemn expression, he knew there was no escape, so he puffed out his chest and said: "We cultivators should be the backbone of heaven and earth."
Xuan Yuan Second was more direct. He walked up to Zhang Ruochen and asked: "Going to the Divine Realm, even if it means dying in battle, is fine. I have just one question. After I ask, I'll go. Are you Zhang Ruochen?"
Zhang Ruochen clasped his hands behind his back, smiling slightly as he looked at him.
"Understood!"
Xuan Yuan Second waved his bone arm, following Desolate Heaven down the mountain, muttering: "If I do not enter hell, who will? Amitabha!"
"I was born in hell since childhood." Black and White Daoist walked alongside him.
"Then change it to: If I do not enter the Divine Realm, who will?"
The three disappeared into the Heavenly Punishment Divine Light.
Ji Shu walked over: "Congratulations, Master, on breaking through to Ancestor. From now on, the sky is high and the sea is wide—"
"The sky is high and the sea is wide? I hope so!"
Zhang Ruochen's gaze turned toward the direction of the Central Divine Temple. The Heaven's Will World-Burning Divine Talisman was vast and mighty, burning through time and space, like a divine furnace pressing down above the Heavenly Palace.
Feeling the power of the Heaven's Will World-Burning Divine Talisman, the gods of the Heavenly Court gathered outside the Central Divine Temple no longer held any illusions.
Today, the Divine Realm was clearly saying: "Those who follow prosper, those who oppose perish."
Murong Dui Ji used his spiritual power field to evolve a starry sky, enveloping the entire Heavenly Palace, isolating this space from the outside world.
"Such strong spiritual power, we cannot send messages out." Jing Daoren tried to send a message to the gods of the Five Elements Temple, ordering them to activate the formation, but failed.
The other Heavenly Venerables tried in succession, but their divine thoughts were like stones sinking into the sea.
Many gods panicked, especially seeing the Ancestral Grand Talisman above their heads, cold sweat pouring down. "Ji Wang, quickly go invite the Heavenly Venerable! The Ancestral Grand Talisman is not something we can withstand." Ji Tian said.
Dragon Lord said sternly: "Cannot withstand? Are you trying to shake our morale? This is the Heavenly Palace. Here, if we cannot even defeat opponents below the Ancestor level, then the Heavenly Court universe has no reason to exist!"
"That's right. The Heavenly Palace fears no opponent below the Ancestor level. The Ancestral Grand Talisman is just a talisman. If even you can wield its power, then its power may not be so strong that it cannot be resisted."
Xuan Yuan Lian, disguised as a man, heroic and handsome, stepped down the stairs one by one, saying forcefully: "If we lose in the battle below the Ancestor level, the Heavenly Court will lose the initiative in the Ancestor-level clash and fall into a disadvantage. Are the gods of the Heavenly Court universe really that inferior to the Divine Realm?"
"Xuan Yuan Lian, don't forget how your cultivation skyrocketed in these thirty thousand years!" The Creator Ancestor shouted.
"I haven't forgotten!"
Xuan Yuan Lian said loudly: "How could I dare to forget how my second uncle died in the Seventy-Two Layer Tower? I watched him die before my eyes, unable to save him. You said it was because he accepted Eternal True Zai's Ancestral Dharma Decree but failed to clean up the sect and kill Xuan Yuan Second, so he deserved to die."
"But I know that you wanted to use his blood to sprinkle on the land of Kongming Ruins, to capture the war souls that the Mysterious Emperor sent to this era."
"Before he died, my second uncle passed the Xuan Yuan Halberd and the Xuan Huang Divine Armor to me, and entrusted the Xuan Yuan Clan to me. So, from today, from this moment, I, Xuan Yuan Lian, formally declare war on the Divine Realm! War!"
"Clang!"
Xuan Huang divine light bloomed on Xuan Yuan Lian.
Then,
The Xuan Huang Divine Armor that had once been worn by Xuan Yuan Tai Zhen covered her body. Dragon heads hung from her shoulders, and her black cape was like a war banner. A spirit and determination to fight the gods to the death burst from her eyes.
"Boom!"
The Xuan Yuan Halberd in her hand struck heavily against the ground, sending energy ripples in all directions.
Xuan Yuan Lian pointed at the group of Divine Realm powerhouses and roared: "All Heavenly Venerables, hear my command! The five divine temples activate the Heavenly Tiao order to resist the Ancestral Grand Talisman. All gods form a formation, draw upon the Heavenly Punishment Esoterica, form the Heavenly Punishment Divine Army, and cut down all external invaders and internal traitors. First, kill Murong Dui Ji!"