Hell Emperor.

Chapter 636 Ye Jie - Daoist Techniques
After hearing Ye Jie's answer, Ashoka asked again:

"Then do you know what the purpose of the guardians in the tower is?"

Ye Jie was taken aback. Wasn't it obvious? He could only reply, "Of course, it's to prevent anyone from stealing the offerings. If anyone dares to break in, the guardians will kill them all."

Ashoka simply shook his head: "You have only seen the most superficial level. Limited by your own cognition, you cannot see the whole picture. Just like the cultivation method you have, you only know the way but not the method."

Ye Jie's lips twitched. How could everything he saw be wrong in Ashoka's eyes? Was there anything correct at all? He could only ask:

"According to you, the guardians of the pagoda aren't there to protect the offerings and kill intruders, but rather to invite them to dinner? Tell me, what exactly are they doing?"

Ashoka said slowly, "They are merely illusions created by a false union. Their purpose is to select those who will sacrifice themselves to feed the tiger. If someone is unmoved by the guardian's sword and remains merciful and refuses to kill a single person, they will gain the stupa's recognition and effortlessly take away the offerings within, becoming the new owner of those wondrous objects."

Ye Jie was somewhat surprised. So this was the true meaning of the guardians' existence? To take the items enshrined in the pagoda, one didn't even need to fight to the death. Simply by putting down one's weapon, one could take the items enshrined in the pagoda without any hindrance.

Thinking back to the Jataka tales he obtained from the pagoda, which recorded the legend of the Buddha feeding a tiger with his own body in a previous life, Ye Jie couldn't understand it at the time and thought it was wrong. Now, he still couldn't understand it. What kind of nonsense is this?
"You mean, if I lay down my weapons now and stop fighting you, you will give me the Peacock Feather of the Vidyaraja and my insights into reincarnation? Do you think anyone would believe that?"

Ye Jie rubbed his forehead, incredulous. If anyone else had said such a thing to him, he would have scoffed at it, thinking it was just empty talk. But coming from King Ashoka, it was so convincing that even Ye Jie was momentarily stunned.

Ashoka spoke slowly: "You have already failed the test. Judging from your actions in the stupa, you have no Buddha-nature, only ignorance and greed. Even when your companions died at the hands of foreign demons, you did not feel the slightest pity. Your heart is so cold that you are destined to be unrelated to everything in the ruins."

He paused, then spoke slowly: "If you leave the ruins now, your past sins can still be forgiven; otherwise, prepare to re-enter the cycle of reincarnation."

Ye Jie's gaze darkened. He hadn't expected that after all that talking, this would be the final result. Fortunately, he had anticipated this and knew that this trip wouldn't be so simple.
"What? In the end, it all comes back to the fight, doesn't it? Looks like you're confident you can beat me. I don't think so."

Ashoka shook his head: "Stubbornness will only harm you in the end." Ye Jie said coldly: "Since you refuse to hand over what I want, let's settle this with our skills. Do you really think you've got it all figured out? You have Buddhist teachings, I have the Great Dao. I'll see just how much strength you really possess!"

As Ye Jie finished speaking, boundless and mighty divine power erupted from his body. If one listened closely, one could hear the profound sound of creation, which was the best manifestation of the Great Dao in an immortal!
When numerous great Dao techniques converged on Ye Jie's body, his body inevitably became tainted with the imprint of the Great Dao. Few others in the world could rival him in terms of pure techniques, which was the source of his confidence in challenging King Ashoka!
Beside him, the gray-robed man trembled. Only when Ye Jie stopped suppressing the power of the Great Dao within him did he truly realize just how terrifying Ye Jie's strength was! Even when facing Luo Bona before, Ye Jie had not raised his aura to this level. The change in his aura now could only mean one thing: facing Ashoka, the guardian of the ruins, he was finally getting serious!

Sensing the arrogant Dao aura emanating from Ye Jie, King Ashoka's expression also became solemn, no longer as aloof as before. Although he was ranked in the Ninth Rank, in terms of cultivation level, he was only at the early stage of the Ninth Rank. Although he could see the flaws in Ye Jie's cultivation, he still felt a sense of instinctive vigilance when facing Ye Jie, who possessed the supreme Dao.

The two auras confronted each other from afar. On one side was the majestic and profound Buddhist chant, and on the other side was the powerful and awe-inspiring Daoist chant. The space could not withstand the overwhelming pressure contained in the collision of their auras and collapsed from the center, revealing a desolate void. Countless pagodas collapsed as a result, and the entire ruins space suffered a terrible blow.

Before the gray-robed man could react, the two moved in unison, and dazzling light burst forth from the point of their head-on collision. The moment they collided, the world changed color. The aftershocks of the battle caused by the full-force collision of the Nine-Turn Immortals were enough to affect the entire continent. If this place were not located within the ruins, the surrounding area would probably have been turned into scorched earth where no one could survive!

"This power..."

During the battle, Ye Jie also deeply felt the power of Ashoka. The strongest in the ancient era was by no means an empty title.

Unlike Ye Jie, who had a wide variety of moves, Ashoka did not use any techniques in the battle. He simply swung the heavy iron pillar in his hand. It was unknown what the iron pillar was made of. The seemingly slender pillar was as heavy as a mountain. Every time he swung it, the space would emit a piercing groan. Even the void could not withstand the strong shockwaves generated by the swing of the staff. Ye Jie, who was fighting against him, was in constant danger of being crushed.

This discovery surprised Ye Jie quite a bit. It should be noted that immortals need to use cultivation techniques to unleash their immortal energy. Without cultivation techniques, even a ninth-level immortal can only do so much with brute force. Only by using the control of the Great Dao within the cultivation techniques can one better unleash their full strength.

Ashoka's wielding of the iron pillar, though seemingly chaotic, contained profound mysteries honed through countless battles. Even Ye Jie found it difficult to withstand for a while, knowing only that his speed was extremely fast, leaving one breathless.

The power of the Nine Revolutions Immortal Essence restricted Ye Jie at every turn. Although his technique had the advantage, he was far inferior in terms of immortal essence. In addition, Ashoka's moves were fierce and contained the power of Vajra. As soon as they clashed, Ye Jie fell into a deep disadvantage!
(End of this chapter)