Honghuang: My understanding is beyond belief. I am the first immortal of Jiejiao.

Leaving aside whether it would violate some potential agreements with the saints, just facing a mad Styx Patriarch, an unpredictable Lin Zhu, and that formidable Three Realms Enforcer squad would require paying an unimaginable price, and could very well lead the war directly to the Western Paradise!

Should we just sit idly by? What if Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva really can't hold on, and the five turbid worlds are destroyed? Then all the planning and investment that the Western Paradise has made over the years will truly be in vain!

This is truly a difficult choice!

Dipankara Buddha remained silent for a long time before slowly speaking, his voice tinged with weariness.

"Given the current unclear situation, rashly intervening could lead to even greater unforeseen circumstances."

The most urgent task is to strengthen defenses at Mount Ling and other key locations, and at the same time... keep a close eye on Lin Zhu! We must not allow him another opportunity to come into contact with the reincarnation of Jin Chanzi. The journey to the West cannot afford even the slightest mishap!

Although he advocated for increased vigilance, the unease between his brows remained undiminished.

Lin Zhu is like a pebble thrown into a calm lake; no one knows how far the ripples he creates will eventually spread.

Upon hearing this, the Buddha quickly assured him.

"Rest assured, Buddha, I will do everything in my power to ensure the success of the journey to the West and will not allow Lin Zhu any further opportunity. I have already arranged for Guanyin Bodhisattva to make every effort to prepare for the Grand Water and Land Assembly in Jambudvipa and to select the pilgrims as soon as possible so that the transmission of Buddhism to the East can be put into practice."

Dipankara Buddha nodded, then shook his head. He subconsciously tried to calculate with his fingers, but found the heavenly secrets to be in complete chaos. The future of Lin Zhu and the upcoming Netherworld War was a blur, and he couldn't figure anything out.

"Sigh... never mind."

Dipankara Buddha sighed and gave his final instructions.

"Be careful in all matters, increase vigilance, and report any unusual activity to me immediately."

After he finished speaking, his figure, illuminated by the dim light of the lamp, slowly faded away, eventually disappearing from the Great Thunderclap Temple along with the ancient lamp, leaving behind only a hall full of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas with furrowed brows, and a Tathagata Buddha with a heavy heart and a terrible headache.

The tremors in the Three Realms continue, and the effects and consequences of the Netherworld Beacon Fire lit by Lin Zhu himself are only just beginning to emerge.

Outside the underworld, the chaotic starry battlefield had transformed into a purgatory where crimson and golden light clashed fiercely. The Blood River Formation, like a maddened, world-destroying beast, carried the will and power of billions of beings from the Styx Blood Sea, roaring and crashing against the steadfast Buddhist light barrier held by Ksitigarbha's side.

"Boom! Boom! Boom! Crack..."

Amidst the continuous, deafening roar, there were also subtle, teeth-grinding sounds, like glass about to shatter.

The once incredibly thick barrier of Buddhist light flickered violently and erratically under the relentless and violent crushing force of the Blood River Formation. The entire barrier trembled frequently, and the golden light it emitted was visibly weakening and dimming.

Inside the barrier, Di Ting, the six ambassadors, and the hundreds of Ksitigarbha avatars were all as pale as paper, with veins bulging on their foreheads, their teeth clenched, and even the corners of their mouths were oozing traces of golden blood.

They exerted all their strength, pouring their magic power into the nodes that maintained the magic array without reservation, and together they bore the immense pressure that seemed to come from the entire sea of ​​blood.

They were filled with shock and anger, but even more so with an indescribable sense of panic.

The power of this Blood River Formation is even more terrifying than described in the records! Has the Old Ghost of the Styx gone mad? Has he poured the power of his entire clan into it?!

At this rate, how long can our magic array hold out? A moment? Half a moment? Are we really going to be forcibly broken through in such a short time?!

Why hasn't the Bodhisattva intervened yet? Could it be... could it be that they're really going to abandon us?!
It's all because of Lin Zhu! If he hadn't launched a sneak attack, beheaded the enemy, disrupted morale, and instigated the Old Ghost of the Styx to go mad, how could we be in such a sorry state?!
A sense of despair, as if the magic array was about to break and the end was nigh, coiled around the hearts of every member of the Ksitigarbha faction like a cold, venomous snake.

Their anger toward Lin Zhu and their fear of his ever-evolving methods intertwined, giving their resistance a tragic air.

The Styx Patriarch, who orchestrated all of this, was filled with surging emotions.

Under Lin Zhu's repeated "encouragement" and "analysis," he felt more and more that today was indeed a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to severely damage or even wipe out the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva's forces in one fell swoop!
If successful, the power gap between the Styx Blood Sea and the Ksitigarbha forces, which has lasted for countless eons, will be instantly leveled or even reversed! From then on, the Netherworld will be dominated by the Styx Blood Sea alone!
Thinking of this, he became even more ruthless, activating the Blood River Formation and sending wave after wave of raging blood torrents like heavy hammers, slamming them hard against the crumbling Buddha light barrier!
However, despite the immense power of the Blood River Formation, which brought the enemy's defenses to the brink of collapse, the Styx Patriarch himself clearly felt that it was always lacking that one crucial element—the ultimate destructive power of a true Quasi-Saint at the peak, enough to deliver a decisive blow!
He needed to focus on controlling the entire formation, making it impossible for him to concentrate all his power on one point. As a result, although the Blood River Formation was getting infinitely closer, it always felt like it was separated by a thin veil, unable to truly penetrate and completely tear apart that final defense.

Lin Zhu, who was watching from the side, immediately began his specialty: "anxiety selling."

He flew to the side of the Styx Patriarch, his voice filled with urgency, and shouted.

"Old Ming! Give it your all! We're about to break through! I can feel the fluctuations within that Five Turbid World getting increasingly strange! That bald monk Ksitigarbha is definitely preparing a powerful move! If we can't break through now, once he's finished preparing, all sorts of unforeseen events may occur, and we'll both be put on the defensive, or even lose all our previous efforts!"

He even waved his fist as if to cheer people on.

"For the future of the Blood Sea! For the glory of the Asura race! Charge!"

The Styx Patriarch was already impatient due to the prolonged siege, and upon hearing Lin Zhu's words, he became even more agitated and retorted irritably.

"Nonsense! Do you think I don't know I need to put in more effort?! But this tortoise shell is really tough, lacking that final, absolute power! Relying solely on brute force is too inefficient!"

Upon hearing this, Lin Zhu sighed at the opportune moment, seemingly also worried, and then made a suggestion in a seemingly casual tone.

"Alas, as the saying goes, a generous reward will surely bring forth brave men."

"Old Ming, as the Lord of the Blood Sea, you have profound resources. If you could offer a decent bounty to motivate him... perhaps some hidden warrior would be able to unleash that crucial strike?" The ancestor of the Styx Cult was taken aback, then almost laughed in anger. He glanced at Lin Zhu sideways.

"You little rascal! After all that, you were waiting for me here? Trying to trick my darling?"

Although he said that, he needed people at this moment, so he couldn't directly refuse Lin Zhu's request.

He paused for a moment, then spoke in a casual tone.

"Very well! If anyone can break through this tortoise shell today, whoever can unleash that decisive, quasi-saint-like strike to help me break through this formation, I will reward them with the Asura Annihilation Mirror!"

Asura Annihilation Mirror!
It is a notorious and malevolent treasure born in the River Styx Blood Sea. Although it is not a treasure born with the Yuan Tu and A Bi, it is still incredibly powerful. It contains the original malevolent energy of the Blood Sea. When it is reflected in the mirror, it can arouse the deepest desire for killing and destruction in the hearts of living beings. It can also corrupt magical treasures and erode people's primordial spirit. It is truly a great weapon of destruction!
The bounty announcement caused a slight stir among the Blood Sea army, but more than anything, it evoked a sense of helplessness. Comparable to a Quasi-Saint's strike?
These conditions are too demanding. Apart from the Styx Patriarch himself, who else present could meet them?
However, just as the Patriarch of the Styx finished speaking, Lin Zhu suddenly raised his hands high, revealing an extremely "simple" and even somewhat "honest" smile on his face, and loudly echoed.

"The founder is so heroic!"
"I, Lin Zhu, will accept this task!"

"What?!"

The Styx Patriarch suddenly turned his head, looking at Lin Zhu with a look of astonishment, almost thinking he had misheard.

"You...you really came here for the bounty?!"

His first thought was that it was absurd. Although Lin Zhu had strange methods and heaven-defying combat power, he was still only a Great Luo Perfection cultivator. How could he possibly unleash a full-force attack comparable to a Quasi-Saint?
This is a gap that cannot be easily bridged by tricks or special magic weapons!

But looking at Lin Zhu's smiling but unusually serious expression, the Styx Patriarch, with his countless years of experience dealing with people, vaguely felt that this kid... was probably not joking!

He dropped his casual expression, his demeanor becoming serious, and gave a deep, reprimand.

"Lin Zhu, do not be reckless! The power of a Quasi-Saint is extraordinary and cannot be easily touched by a Great Luo Immortal. If you forcefully unleash power beyond your limits without the corresponding cultivation level, you will suffer a terrifying backlash. At best, your cultivation will be completely destroyed; at worst, your body and soul will be annihilated!"
This is no child's play!

Lin Zhu smiled confidently, patted his chest, and spoke with certainty.

"Rest assured, Patriarch, I, Lin Zhu, never fight a battle I'm not confident of winning! Since I dared to accept this challenge, I naturally have my reasons. I happen to have a 'good friend' hidden away here, so let's bring it out today and stretch our muscles!"

As he spoke, he silently added a sentence in his mind.

Yes, it's freshly "squeezed" from Dantuo Dizang and the others, still warm, so it should be considered a "new friend".

Upon hearing this, the Styx Patriarch's doubts deepened, but seeing Lin Zhu's confidence, he could only look at him with skepticism, wanting to see what kind of earth-shattering magic weapon he could produce.

Under the watchful eyes of the Styx Patriarch and countless others—some curious, some suspicious, some expectant—Lin Zhu calmly reached out, rummaged through his storage space, and then carefully took out an item.

It was a crystal about the size of a thumb, completely black, with a smooth, mirror-like surface, but inside it seemed as if countless twisted, vengeful spirits were silently roaring and struggling.

The moment it appeared, a pure, ancient, and terrifying aura, transcending the realm of ordinary demonic energy and reaching the very source of destruction, rippled outwards like water! The surrounding space was slightly distorted by this aura, and light that approached it seemed to be swallowed up!
It was the Heavenly Origin Demon Stone that was newly formed after the God-Slaying Spear refined dozens of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattvas, including the Dantuo Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva!
"This...this is?!"

The Styx Patriarch's pupils suddenly contracted to the size of pinpoints, his eyebrows rose high, and his face was filled with extreme shock and disbelief. He even couldn't help but cry out in surprise.

"The Heavenly Origin Demon Stone?! You... how do you have such a thing?!"

He stared intently at the small black crystal in Lin Zhu's hand, as if he were witnessing the most incredible thing in the world!
"The Heavenly Origin Demon Stone is a rare object that is naturally formed by the purest destructive energy and endless resentment and killing intent in the world under specific extreme conditions and over countless years!"
Its formation conditions are so demanding that it is extremely rare, even in the ancient and primordial era, making it a rare find!
Legend has it that the Demon Ancestor Rahu traversed the perilous lands of the primordial world in search of this item to refine a treasure, spending half his life's effort, yet he still found only a handful! Where...where did you get it?! And...and the way you acted so casually just now..."

Even the voice of the Styx Patriarch was distorted by excitement and shock.

He couldn't understand how Lin Zhu could possess such a precious innate treasure, one that even the Demon Ancestor craved. And judging from the way Lin Zhu casually pulled it out earlier, it was as if this thing was as ordinary as a pebble on the roadside!

This completely overturned his understanding!

Seeing the horrified expression on the Styx Patriarch's face, and hearing him mention that even the Demon Ancestor Rahu struggled to find this item, Lin Zhu felt a chill run down his spine. Oh no! He seemed to have acted too casually, almost giving himself away!
This thing seems to be much more valuable than I imagined!

He immediately realized that his previous "casualness" might have aroused suspicion, so he quickly became serious, adopting an extremely solemn and even somewhat sorrowful expression. He carefully held the Heavenly Origin Demon Stone in his hands as if it were some fragile treasure, and his voice was low with a hint of...choking.
"Patriarch... to be honest, this item... does not belong to me, Lin Zhu."

He gazed "affectionately" at the magic stone in his palm, as if looking at a deceased friend.

"It...it was my best 'friend,' who, on his deathbed, gave me everything he had...the last thing he left me."

He paused at just the right moment, his voice trembling slightly, especially when he said the word "friend," his acting was superb, leaving no doubt about his inner "grief."

“He fought alongside me, sharing life and death… Now, only this thing can remind me of him… Today, for the greater good, to break through this evil barrier, I have no choice but to… use the power he left me…”

This passionate, half-truthful "confession," combined with the stone emanating a terrifying, demonic aura, created an extremely eerie contrast, yet unexpectedly, it had the desired effect.

The Styx Patriarch was stunned. Looking at Lin Zhu's "sorrowful" yet "resolute" profile, and then at the incomparably precious Heavenly Origin Demon Stone, a complex emotion welled up in his heart.

So that's how it is... It was a close friend's keepsake! This young man was willing to use such a precious item left by his deceased friend for the greater good!
What profound loyalty and self-sacrifice! (End of Chapter)