Becoming a god starts from planting a Bodhi tree.

Chapter 448 Ksitigarbha, His Seniority Is Getting Higher and Higher

Netherland.

Daluo Heaven.

"I see."

Cang Qing received an immediate report from Cang You.

Cang You gritted his teeth and said, "Master, can't you make a move?"

Cang Qing was silent for a moment, then slowly said:

"There's no time to deal with Ji Jingqiu right now, so we might as well trust him or trust Ji Tianxing."

"We are about to go to war."

Cang You's words of hope, which he had been prepared to use to persuade his master, vanished with his master's last words.

"How could the situation change so quickly?!" Cang You exclaimed in horror.

“A third-party force is behind this,” Cang Qing said calmly. “We suspect it’s someone from [This Shore]. Before the Void returns, our task is to hold the line.”

After ending contact with Cangyou.

Cang Qing raised his head and looked around.

Black mist surged, obscuring the distant sky. Here, the sun, moon, and stars were nowhere to be seen. The earth was blood red, covered with red spider lilies, and a decaying, ancient river flowed through this land.

The Thousand Laws Taoist stood behind him, his gaze fixed on the distance, filled with worry.
This is the Netherworld, the realm of the Netherworld lineage.

The Lord of the Underworld was originally scheduled to return decades ago, but was delayed due to the changes in the Underworld.

"Azure God Lord, is the change in the Underworld the work of the being beneath the Burial Sea?" Thousand Laws Daoist asked in a deep voice.

Cang Qing shook his head: "I can't be sure."

He gazed into the deepest part of the underworld, where black mist surged, making him feel uneasy. In the deepest part, a mountain, murky and deep, stood, seemingly the source of the rolling black mist.

It was this black mist that delayed the return of the underworld.

The Thousand Laws Daoist said with great concern, "This black mist is too strange. It is similar to the mist in the Netherworld back then, but it contains a completely different nature of power. If it weren't for His Majesty Ksitigarbha blocking it for us, the consequences would have been unimaginable."

Cang Qing turned around and looked behind him.

Behind them, a pure land unfolded, embodying great freedom and bliss, as if it were the final destination and original home of all living beings, filled with a transcendent light, as blue as crystal and as enchanting as a dream.

Countless wishes transformed into golden lotuses blooming between heaven and earth, each lotus containing a soul shadow, protecting them from the black mist.

In the center of the Pure Land, a gaunt golden statue sits on a twelve-tiered golden lotus pedestal forged by countless vows.

His body was sixteen feet tall, his face was filled with compassion, and his boundless light filled the heavens and earth, making the Pure Land full of peace and tranquility.

With the help of the underworld over the past decades, this pure land has developed a boundless atmosphere, almost standing in opposition to the black fog.

“The Buddha of Sambhogakaya…” Cang Qing murmured.

Mu Shitian's inheritance is indeed the first-class method of manifesting a body in this world.

Just now, he had communicated with the Buddha through his mind and knew that Ji Jingqiu was not in any serious danger.

As for the potential crisis that may follow?

Ji Jingqiu is not a hothouse flower, and cultivation is never child's play. Only by going through countless hardships can one reach the summit.

At this moment, the Buddha named Ksitigarbha opened his compassionate and merciful eyes. In his eyes, Cangqing seemed to see the suffering and struggle of the beings in the underworld.

"Thank you, fellow Taoist, for your help."

Cang Qing nodded in thanks.

Without this person, Ming's condition would be even worse, far more severe than Taiyou's.

The Buddha put his hands together and said, “The three realms are without peace, like a burning house. The Buddha gave me the Dharma name ‘Fire Stick’ in the hope that I can actively enter the world, enter the fire to ignite it without burning myself, and help the world without suffering myself. Such an honor, I should do my best.”

Cang Qing frowned slightly. This Dharma name... is a bit hard to evaluate, but its meaning is excellent. It was bestowed by Mu Shitian.
According to this person, the reason why He is so "special" comes from this Dharma name.

The Dharma name and the Taoist name are different. The former may seem to differ by only one character, but they are worlds apart.

It was Mu Shitian's reversal of cause and effect that allowed this Buddha in his Sambhogakaya form to grasp a certain extremely special rule of the Great Dao in the world.
Thoughts raced through his mind, but Cang Qing didn't ask any further questions. Instead, he said in a deep voice:
"Next, I would like to ask for your continued assistance, fellow Daoist, in guiding the Netherworld back. In order to deal with the upcoming battles, we need someone... who transcends combat power!"

"You should try your best."

……

……

Many sects, including Zhang Tiancheng's, have been waiting outside the sacred mountain for a long time.

At first, no one took it seriously.

A little waiting is nothing compared to the fact that seeing the "anchor" is the most important thing right now, as it will allow them to confirm certain secrets.

But after Ji Jingqiu and the other person were brought in, some dissenting voices gradually arose among the crowd.

Why are there people receiving special treatment?

"Hehe, can't figure that out? Those two young men are obviously from another reclusive sect, and they are disciples of the True Immortals."

"In the past, you wouldn't see a single one, but recently they've been popping up one after another. Is the world really about to change?"

"Dragons do not swim with snakes, but dance with phoenixes; the reason is that simple."

"It seems these reclusive families are about to emerge one after another..."

"So there really are true transcendent beings in this world. After the true saints, there is a brand new path. Why can't we see it for so long? Did the predecessors deliberately block the way forward?"

"Transcendence is returning to one's true self. Returning to one's true self is one's own path. If you have the ability, no one can stop you."

"There will be hope. If all else fails, at the end of an era, we can use the method of raising Gu to compete and fight each other to the death. In the ultimate confrontation, we will have a chance to see a way forward."

"Absurd!" someone said in a deep voice.

Just looking at the scene the other party described, it was as if one could see endless blood and fire.

"Indeed, several people in history have embarked on this path. In the collision of different paths, sparks of inspiration were born, and a path of transcendence was opened up."

Someone familiar with the past explained.

"In history, there have indeed been several bloody incidents, in which those who started the war were either killed by all sides or found a way forward before being killed."

A whisper from a living, ancient being, carrying a seductive quality akin to that of a celestial demon, left a mark on everyone's hearts; clearly, it was no benevolent being.

A True Saint snorted coldly and glanced over.

Suddenly, someone reminded everyone:

"This is the Yuanchu Palace."

The impending conflict was thus temporarily averted.

"You haven't gone in yet?"

Beside Zhang Tiancheng, a figure silently appeared, its Daoist aura surging like mist, making his true appearance very blurry, as if the one appearing here was not his true form, yet his aura was still unparalleled in the scene.

Zhang Tiancheng calmly said, "The one from Yuanchu Palace is still young and needs to recuperate for a while before he can receive guests."

"Is that so?" The hazy figure that appeared beside him said calmly, "But why have people already been brought into the palace? This is not what you described."

This is the deputy palace master of the Ephemeral Palace, whose Daoist name is Tianqiong. He is also the founding disciple of the one who has achieved Dao Integration in the Ephemeral Palace.

“Relationships between different sects also vary in closeness,” Zhang Tiancheng said without changing his expression. “I have already revealed my identity. Even if the Yuan Chu Palace is distant from me due to the power behind me, they will still treat me with courtesy out of the friendship between transcendent beings.”

"As long as I can see the anchor of the Yuan Chu Palace Ancestor, I will have a way to persuade him, and then I can return to the ancestral court by passing through the Yuan Chu Palace."

The heavens remained silent.

He remains skeptical of Zhang Tiancheng's claims to date.

This person's identity is mysterious, his origins are unknown, and he even joined the [Intercepting Heaven Sect] in his early years. However, not long ago, he suddenly came to the gate of their [Mayfly Palace], attempting to conspire with him. How could he possibly trust him completely?

If he hadn't actually possessed some knowledge and hadn't known some secrets that even his master had only vaguely heard of, Tianqiong would have killed him with a single palm strike long ago.

Zhang Tiancheng changed the subject: "Did you bring the person I asked for?"

Tianqiong said calmly, "Let's talk about it after you fulfill your promise."

What Zhang Tiancheng was asking for was a disciple of their Mayfly Palace named Ji Linyuan.

The Heavenly Vault sent people to investigate and discovered that the two were from the same True Saint Dojo in the Netherworld. It was unknown what grudge they had against each other that made Zhang Tiancheng "unforgettable".

But now, Ji Linyuan is already a Daoist disciple of their Ephemeral Palace, about to step into the Heavenly Monarch realm and become a representative of the "young generation". How could they possibly treat him as a pawn and abandon him at will just because of one sentence from him?
Now, Tianqiong is increasingly skeptical of Zhang Tiancheng's words.

Zhang Tiancheng's expression turned slightly cold as he said, "Are you questioning me, or the ancestral court behind me?"

"Let's talk after I see the ancestral court behind you." Tianqiong didn't care and looked at the divine mountain in front of him. "I observe that there are not many strong people in this Yuanchu Palace. The aura of True Saint that can be sensed is very weak. There seems to be only one person of the Supreme Rank. Can this be considered as transcending the sect?"

He pondered that if the Primordial Palace only possessed this level of strength, it would be better to strike first and plunder it. As for the Transcendence and Return, that was a matter for the future. "This is one of the reasons why you have never produced a True Person," Zhang Tiancheng said expressionlessly. "Furthermore, for a true Transcendence sect, the number of True Saints is meaningless. Even if the Mayfly Palace were to launch a full-scale attack on the Primordial Palace, you would still suffer a crushing defeat in the end."

"Oh?" Tianqiong narrowed his eyes.

"Don't believe me? You can't even break through this mountain gate!" Zhang Tiancheng sneered.

The heavens remained silent, scrutinizing the divine mountain before them. His true form had not arrived; only a projection had come. Yet, this projection alone was enough to rival a true saint.

In terms of strength, he is undoubtedly below the Transcendent Realm and above the True Saint Realm.

Top experts like him are hailed as "half-step transcendent" in the Boundary Sea.

But now, according to Zhang Tiancheng, he couldn't even break through a mountain gate left behind by a transcendent being.

Strictly speaking, Tianqiong disliked Zhang Tiancheng very much.

Because it was their first meeting, Zhang Tiancheng told him about a path to transcendence.

The path is simple: he only needs to "swallow" his master, who is a Dao-mergering master, to prove his Dao.

If his suspicious master were to hear such provocative words, chaos would likely erupt within the Mayfly Palace within the next day or two.

So at that moment, Tianqiong almost couldn't hold back and directly reached out and crushed Zhang Tiancheng to death.

In the arena, everyone restrained themselves and continued to wait for the birth of that transcendent disciple.

This wait lasted for several months.

This day.

A group of more than ten people, led by several True Saints, ignored everyone present and walked straight toward the main hall of the mountain gate.

Just as everyone was waiting to see the group make a fool of themselves and watch them run into trouble, a True Saint from the Primordial Palace walked out of the main hall and greeted the group with a smile.

This time, the crowd outside the mountain gate could no longer stand still.

For them, a few months or a few years are nothing; they pass in the blink of an eye.

They either came from pseudo-transcendent sects in the Boundary Sea or from a certain realm; without exception, they were all powerful, with a colossal figure standing behind them.

Today, however, they were treated with disrespect by the group, despite being invited.

"Is the Yuan Chu Palace so arrogant?" Tian Qiong sneered from the side.

Zhang Tiancheng remained calm and said indifferently, "You don't understand. These forces, or the predecessors of their respective realms, were once just subordinates and supporters of the Yuan Chu Palace."

"It's just that Yuan Chu Palace has been in seclusion for too long and has lost contact with its subordinate forces. Do you really think that none of these people know the inside story? They're just deliberately causing trouble. They've been free for so long, how could they easily bow their heads? Yuan Chu Palace is also giving them a warning."

"Knock on?" Tianqiong frowned.

If that's the case, then it makes sense; it's not simply overconfidence.

However, the true extent of the transcendent power far exceeded his imagination.

"And what about you? Is Yuanchu Palace also giving you a warning?" Tianqiong glanced at him sideways. "Both are truly transcendent sects, so why are you being shut out and haven't been welcomed in yet? Is there some kind of rift between your two sects?"

Zhang Tiancheng snorted coldly and said, "The ancestral court behind me has been in seclusion for a longer period than the history of the Yuan Chu Palace!"

Tianqiong remained noncommittal, believing only 10% of Zhang Tiancheng's words and doubting the remaining 90%.

After all, very few of this person's statements have been verified to date.

He claimed to be a descendant of a reclusive sect, but now that he had arrived at the gate of the Yuan Chu Palace, which belonged to the same sect, he still couldn't get in even after revealing his identity.

Not far away, some True Saints had already openly expressed their dissatisfaction, and the repeated neglect was causing this sentiment to spread rapidly.

Some people are even fanning the flames, trying to use others to test the limits of Yuan Chu Palace.

Finally, Yuan Chu Palace seemed to have made a concession, and soon several people came out.

"Yuan Chu Palace has been living in seclusion for a long time and has not had any contact with outside forces. If we have not been hospitable enough, we hope you will forgive us."

That's what they said, but the saint who stepped forward didn't even offer a smile. His attitude was more like bestowing charity than apologizing, and he was extremely arrogant.

An eerie silence fell over the room; no one was willing to sacrifice themselves for the sake of others.

On the Yuan Chu Palace side, this seemed to be no surprise at all, and the leading True Saint smiled faintly:

"Next, I will entertain you all. As for Master Qin, who is personally taught by the founder, he is still in seclusion and will need some time before he can meet you all."

There were several people in charge of receiving guests at Yuanchu Palace.

Upon seeing one of the faces clearly, Zhang Tiancheng's pupils shrank sharply, and his once harmonious and unified aura showed signs of losing control.

"What's wrong?" Tianqiong noticed his lapse in composure.

Zhang Tiancheng said, enunciating each word clearly, "Your biggest mistake was not handing Ji Linyuan over to me!"

"Hehe." Tianqiong just chuckled, not taking it seriously at all.

Zhang Tiancheng's gaze was dark and uncertain as he stared at the face of the young man not far away.

How did this kid end up here?

Is the Yanhuang Federation really that persistent?!
When he returns to the ancestral court, he will raise the battle flag again and slaughter everyone in the Netherworld, so that this land can return to peace!

suddenly.

Zhang Tiancheng's expression turned cold without any attempt to hide it.

In the distance, that young face smiled brightly at him.

……

Ji Jingqiu has regained her true appearance.

In Qin Shishu's words, so what if Zhang Tiancheng knows?
Be true to yourself; there's no need to hide anything.

But Ji Jingqiu always felt that Uncle Qin seemed to be forcing Zhang Tiancheng.

The most likely reaction of this person upon seeing him would be a mixture of shock and anger, realizing immediately that whatever his plans were, he would become an obstacle.

At that point, you'll either have to take the risk or turn around and leave.

Ji Jingqiu shook his head slightly. For now, he had temporarily joined the Yuan Chu Palace.

He will be responsible for handling any future "exchanges" within the Heavenly King's domain.

It's nothing more than boosting someone else's account; he knows that stuff inside and out.

At the same time, the resources of the Primordial Palace will also be open to him, including many True Saint-level inheritances, and even the personal annotations of that Ferocious Ancestor.

After just a few months of dedicated study, his cultivation had improved significantly, and he was not far from reaching the peak of the Heavenly King realm.

These transcendent words point directly to the core of the Great Dao; they are by no means empty words.

Nowadays, there are not many people in the Yuan Chu Palace. Many of the true saints in the history of the sect felt bored during their seclusion and chose to travel to the Boundary Sea and go far away.

Because of their seclusion, these departed individuals can only return when the gates are opened.

Therefore, in terms of overall strength, the Primordial Palace cannot compare with the Netherworld, at least in terms of the number of True Saints.

But as a truly transcendent sect, Yuan Chu Palace didn't care about these things.

After all, their existence is meant to serve as the "traces of the patriarch's existence" until the patriarch returns.

Also.

Ji Jingqiu had glanced at it briefly before; on Uncle Qin's desk, there were layers upon layers of paintings, at least dozens of them.

It is still unknown whether that vengeful patriarch left anything else behind.

Suddenly sensing something, Ji Jingqiu looked up and smiled at Zhang Tiancheng.

This person has already noticed him, and who knows what they're thinking.

"Junior Brother Ji," Saint Wutian said telepathically without turning around, "soon, people from the Pantheon will be visiting, as we are both from the Transcendent Sect."

My seniority has really been rising higher and higher...

Ji Jingqiu muttered to himself, "Even the True Saint has started calling me junior brother."

"Pantheon?"

"That's right. The founder of the Pantheon was named Hongyan, and he could be considered to have some connection with Ancestor Ning."

Ji Jingqiu was taken aback. Red Rouge?

Isn't that the woman in the red dress?
Ji Jingqiu suddenly noticed that his senior brother Wu Tian was smiling at him, seemingly sizing up his reaction and expression.

Wu Tian suddenly asked, "Junior Brother Ji, what was the outcome of your previous conflict with the Ancestral Master?"

(End of this chapter)