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

"Welcome, Your Holiness!"

"Welcome Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Mahasattva!"

Under the guidance of Di Ting, all members of the Ksitigarbha forces uttered a unified and reverent sound of worship!

Under the gaze of countless eyes filled with fear, awe, or anticipation, a pure yet cold light of Buddha slowly shone from the depths of that turbid and dark world.

Immediately, a figure stepped forward.

He wore a seemingly simple kasaya, yet it seemed to bear the weight of the entire underworld; in his left hand he held a pure lotus bud about to bloom, and in his right hand he formed the abhaya mudra, as if he could soothe the fear of all living beings, yet he also carried the supreme majesty of judging evil.

His face was shrouded in a faint Buddhist light, making it difficult to see clearly. Only his eyes, which slowly opened, were cold, deep, and ruthless, as if reflecting the endless cycle of birth and death. It was as if all things in the world were merely straw dogs in his eyes.

It is none other than the original form of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva—the World-Honored Ksitigarbha!
His steps seemed slow, yet in one step he crossed the endless void and appeared outside the world of five turbidities.

Those icy eyes instantly traversed space, locking onto Lin Zhu, who was about to leave, with unparalleled precision!

The moment that gaze touched him, Lin Zhu trembled violently!

He felt an indescribable, irresistible pressure, as vast and boundless as the abyss of the universe, descend upon him with a thunderous roar!
The surrounding scenery instantly became blurry and distorted, and his five senses—sight, hearing, smell, touch—seemed to be stripped away and confused at that moment!
His newly promoted, supposedly incredibly powerful half-step quasi-saint body was now like being trapped in the thickest amber, every cell groaning in agony, held firmly in place by an invisible, absolute force of law, making even moving a finger extremely difficult!

When the Styx Patriarch saw the true form of the World Honored One Ksitigarbha appear in the world, his face turned pale, and he subconsciously took a few steps back, wishing he could hide behind the Yuan Tu Abi Twin Swords.

He had once glimpsed only a small part of the power of the World-Honored One Ksitigarbha, which deeply shocked him and left him with psychological trauma.

Now, facing its power head-on, he had no desire to fight back; he only hoped not to be affected.

The World-Honored One Ksitigarbha did not utter any superfluous words, nor did he pay any attention to the Styx Patriarch who was on high alert and his subordinates who were bowing down to him.

He simply raised his right hand, which was in the Abhaya Mudra (gesture of fearlessness), and then gently pressed it down on Lin Zhu, who was frozen in mid-air and unable to move.

This pat seemed gentle and mild, without any hint of harshness, as if it were just a light tap on the shoulder between friends.

But in Lin Zhu's perception, it was as if the weight of the entire Netherworld, mixed with the karma of countless beings and the laws of reincarnation, transformed into an invisible giant hand, crushing down on him at a speed that surpassed thunder and thought!

Lin Zhu's pupils shrank drastically. He struggled desperately, trying to activate the God-Slaying Spear and use the Golden Crow Rainbow Transformation Technique to escape, but his magical power was frozen and his primordial spirit was encased in ice. All his struggles were in vain!

He could only watch helplessly as that hand, almost the size of his own body, formed from endless Buddhist light and laws, carrying the will of judgment and salvation, slowly, yet irresistibly, pressed down on his head!
There's no way to avoid it, no way to escape it!
In the void, all was silent, except for the chilling killing intent emanating from the World-Honored One Ksitigarbha, which, like solid ice, froze everyone's thoughts and hopes.

Everyone believed that Lin Zhu, the God of Law Enforcement of the Three Realms who had just created a miracle, advanced to the level of a half-step quasi-saint, and killed two great envoys, had reached the end of his life.

No one believed he could turn the tide in this situation.

That is the World-Honored One, Ksitigarbha! He is one of the most powerful beings recognized throughout the Three Realms! His power has long surpassed the realm of ordinary quasi-saints and touched that ineffable supreme realm.

The Styx Patriarch watched coldly from the sidelines, even secretly reducing the protective range of the Yuan Tu and A Bi swords, fearing that they would be affected.

He had a clear plan in mind.

Although Lin Zhu is strong and has great potential, he has not yet fully grown up. Now that he has provoked the World Honored One Ksitigarbha to take action, he is in a situation where he has no chance of survival.

Why risk offending such a terrifyingly powerful being for the sake of a dying man? There's no profit to be gained, and the risks are enormous. Why take the plunge?

He felt he had done more than enough by remaining neutral at this moment and not taking advantage of the situation.

In the arena, Lin Zhu was firmly imprisoned by the invisible power of the laws. His cultivation as a half-step quasi-saint appeared so pale and powerless in front of the World Honored One Ksitigarbha, like an ant under the feet of a giant.

The veins on his forehead bulged like dragons, his muscles were taut to the extreme, and his skin even began to crack inch by inch because it could not withstand the enormous pressure from inside and outside. Fine beads of blood seeped out, staining his white clothes with specks, like red plum blossoms blooming in the snow, desolate and tragic.

No matter how defiant he appeared, given the absolute disparity in strength, no one believed he had any chance of survival.

However, Lin Zhu is still struggling!
He clenched his teeth, making a grinding sound as if he wanted to crush all his steel teeth!

He frantically assaulted the confinement around him in a manner that bordered on self-harm and burning with the very essence of his life!
His left arm, as if bearing the weight of the eternal blue sky, trembled as he struggled to lift it inch by inch with extreme difficulty! With each inch he lifted it, several blood vessels in his arm burst, leaving a gruesome sight of blood gushing out!
Many onlookers, especially members of the Three Realms Enforcers Brigade, couldn't bear to close their eyes or turn their heads away, unable to bear seeing their leader struggling so miserably and in vain.

However, just when everyone thought this was merely his final, futile attempt to defy fate—

Lin Zhu's raised, blood-soaked left arm suddenly clenched into a fist!
Then, under the gaze of countless astonished, puzzled, and bewildered eyes, his four curled fingers clenched tightly, but his middle finger, with an extremely abrupt, extremely uncoordinated, yet with a kind of earth-shattering decisiveness, suddenly and straightened up!
It stands perfectly straight!

He faced the majestic and boundless Buddha Ksitigarbha, and with his last ounce of strength, he twisted his face, grinned, and let out a hoarse yet soul-shaking roar from deep within his throat.

"You—son—of—the—evil—!!!"

His voice was hoarse and strained, yet resounding!
On his deathbed, he did not weep and beg for mercy, nor did he humbly repent, nor did he try to find any sliver of hope for survival.

He chose the most extreme, arrogant, and unscrupulous way, using this highly insulting gesture and greeting, which originated from some unspeakable culture, to trample on the inviolable supreme dignity of the World-Honored One, Ksitigarbha!
At that moment, time seemed to truly stand still.

All beings in the Three Realms, whether friend or foe, were dumbfounded, their minds blank, completely unable to comprehend this absurd and unparalleled scene before them!
What...what is he doing?!

Doesn't he know who he's dealing with?!
Why didn't he struggle to survive? Why didn't he try to beg for mercy? Even just to symbolically yield?! Why... why did he choose this... this unheard-of, unseen, crude yet strangely "powerful" way to make his final, desperate act?!
This was a kind of arrogance that they couldn't understand, a kind of defiance that ran deep in their bones!
Everyone sighed inwardly, their hearts filled with mixed emotions.

This madman... is truly arrogant to the core! Even on the verge of death, he doesn't forget to "greet" a supreme expert in such a "refined and easygoing" manner... What a freak!
The enforcers of the Three Realms were moved to tears, their hearts filled with endless grief and indignation, and an indescribable...pride?
This is their boss!

Even if I die, I will die standing! Even if my soul perishes, I will leave my last mark on my enemy's face with the most arrogant attitude!
Lin Zhu, who was at the center of the storm, seemed to have exhausted all her strength and energy after making this final "farewell".

The sinister smile on his face slowly faded, replaced by an extreme calm.

He even closed his eyes, and slowly loosened his right hand, which had been tightly gripping the God-Slaying Spear, letting the weapon float in the void beside him.

He stopped struggling and roaring, and just stood there quietly, as if calmly accepting the inevitable death that was about to come.

Even in the cold and ruthless eyes of the World-Honored One Ksitigarbha, a very subtle ripple of displeasure seemed to appear due to this extremely blasphemous scene.

The palm that was slowly pressing down, containing the power of endless reincarnation and the will of judgment, seemed to speed up slightly, and with a resolute determination to completely annihilate, it slammed down towards Lin Zhu's crown!
Before the palm strike even arrived, the space around Lin Zhu had already begun to collapse and annihilate inch by inch!
His blood-stained white clothes fluttered wildly, his hair danced wildly, and cracks began to appear on his skin, making him look like a piece of porcelain about to shatter!

ended……

Everyone held their breath, waiting for the final scene of blood and flesh flying everywhere, and the complete annihilation of body and soul.

however--

Just as that palm, imbued with immense power, was less than three inches from Lin Zhu's crown, the sharp gust of wind even brushed aside the stray hairs on Lin Zhu's forehead, and his skin already felt a stinging, burning sensation—

A sudden change occurs!
"Om..."

A faint hum, yet seemingly resounding directly at the very source of the laws, suddenly rang out.

That seemingly unstoppable palm force, capable of shattering stars and annihilating reincarnation, suddenly... stopped without warning, eerily...

It was as if an invisible and intangible yet indestructible absolute barrier had appeared out of thin air, standing between the palm of the World-Honored One Ksitigarbha and the crown of Lin Zhu's head!
"what?!"

"what happened?!"

"The...the palm strike stopped?!"

Countless astonished gazes instantly focused on them!

Beneath the slowly descending palm of the World-Honored One Ksitigarbha, a layer of light, thin as a cicada's wing, almost transparent, yet emanating an indescribable aura that seemed to transcend the laws of this world, quietly appeared...
The light was so faint that it was almost imperceptible unless you looked closely.

But it truly existed, and... firmly and steadily, it blocked the angry palm strike of the World-Honored One Ksitigarbha!

No matter how surging the Buddha light contained in the palm of the World-Honored One Ksitigarbha, or how roaring the power of reincarnation, that thin layer of light remained as immovable as an ancient wall of sighs! It could not advance... not even by a fraction!
The supreme powerhouse, who had originally been certain of victory, regarding Lin Zhu as an ant and wielding the power of life and death, now found his attack, imbued with unparalleled majesty, forcibly choked by this seemingly fragile glimmer of light in an unreasonable manner! No matter how intense the overwhelming killing intent, it could not cross this final line of defense!

This sudden reversal plunged the entire battlefield into a deathly silence, even more so than when Lin Zhu was immobilized! An extremely eerie atmosphere permeated the air.

All eyes suddenly shifted from Lin Zhu to the mysterious thin light, and... what might be the unknown existence behind the thin light!

Where did this light come from?!
Who is it that can block the World-Honored One, Ksitigarbha?!

What incredible power lies hidden behind this wisp of light?!

Every living being held their breath, their heartbeats seemingly halting. Their gazes were fixed on the faint light that had blocked the most powerful attack, filled with shock, bewilderment, and an overwhelming mix of curiosity and…fear!
When the Buddha Ksitigarbha's offensive was completely sealed off by this thin layer of light and could no longer advance, the scene fell into an unprecedented and eerie absolute silence.

All living beings, whether they were the high and mighty Styx Patriarch, the prostrate Di Ting, or the terrified Asuras and Ksitigarbha, clearly felt that a legendary power, beyond their comprehension and seemingly from another dimension, was slowly awakening and descending through this thin layer of light!
Who is the owner of this seemingly faint yet indestructible light?!

How could it... contend with the supreme being of the Three Realms, the World Honored One Ksitigarbha?!

Lin Zhu closed his eyes, raised his middle finger, and had already rehearsed his last words in his mind several times, just waiting for the final pain and darkness to descend.

But after waiting for a long time, the expected complete annihilation of body and soul did not occur, and the suffocating palm wind above his head also seemed to... have stopped?

He opened one eye in confusion, then the other, and found himself still standing there unharmed, except for the pain from the injuries he had sustained while struggling.

"Huh? What's going on? Are we going to fight or not? Can't you just give me a straight answer? I'm in a hurry!"

Lin Zhu grew impatient, even jumping up and down to urge him on. He didn't look like someone waiting to die; he looked more like a customer who was getting impatient waiting in line.

But he soon realized something was wrong. Everyone around him had extremely strange expressions. They all had their mouths wide open, their eyes glazed over, as if they had seen a ghost, and they all stared at him... behind him.
Even the Styx Patriarch, who had previously watched coldly from the sidelines, now had an extremely solemn expression, and the Yuan Tu and A Bi swords around him trembled slightly, as if facing a formidable enemy.

The other quasi-saint level demon kings couldn't help but tremble slightly, a fear stemming from the immense difference in their life levels!

Lin Zhu's heart skipped a beat, and she turned around abruptly—

A figure suddenly appeared beside him, seemingly out of nowhere.

She was a woman, her face ancient and solemn, carrying a sense of vicissitude and compassion that transcended countless ages. (End of Chapter)