Journey to the West: I am the fiercest bird under Bodhi's seat

Ye Feng pondered to himself, "Could there be another secret to this Heavenly God and Demon Formation? Once the form of the Ancestral Witch manifests and connects with my mind, I can inherit its divine powers?"

His heart stirred, and he was suddenly moved.

He immediately kept this matter to himself.

At this moment, the formation was completely silent. Foshan had been annihilated, leaving only Ye Feng and Di Ting standing facing each other.

The scene just now left Di Ting looking alarmed. His eyes kept scanning the twelve flag gates surrounding him, and his body trembled slightly, as if he was uneasy.

Ye Feng looked at him, his tone calm: "Now it's just the two of us. I only have one question for you: are you content?"

Di Ting snapped out of his daze upon hearing this, his eyes flashing: "What if I'm willing? What if I'm not? Even if I'm exceptionally gifted, once I'm free from Ksitigarbha's protection, I'll still be subject to the enslavement of others and will eventually be captured and imprisoned by powerful beings."

Ye Feng smiled calmly: "If you are willing, I will say no more and turn to leave; if you are not willing, I can immediately remove the restraints from you, give you your freedom, and grant you protection. The choice is yours, you must think it through."

A glint suddenly flashed in Di Ting's eyes, especially when he heard the word "freedom," his pupils contracted and his breathing quickened slightly. But after a moment, the light gradually dimmed, and he shook his head, saying, "Although your methods are astonishing, and this formation is indeed terrifying, you do not know the true supernatural powers of Ksitigarbha. This formation may be able to injure him, but it cannot kill him. Moreover, he has the support of the entire Buddhist sect, with countless Buddhas and Arhats, and countless great supernatural beings emerging. You... are no match for him."

Ye Feng remained calm and said indifferently, "Since I dare to come here, why should I fear the power of the Buddhist sect? I only need you to say one word, and I will return your freedom."

The two stared at each other in silence, their breaths catching in their throats.

……

Meanwhile, inside the Qin Guangwang Palace.

Sun Wukong squatted on the table, holding the judge's pen, and was writing wildly and scribbling on the Book of Life and Death.

With each stroke of the pen, a page of the Book of Souls vanishes into thin air.

The Book of Life and Death! The Judge's Pen!

The monkey searched through all the scrolls and found the register of all monkeys in the world. Regardless of cause and effect or reincarnation, it picked up its pen and crossed out all the names one by one.

He wrote with great gusto, but the Ten Kings of Hell below looked ashen-faced.

No one expected things to develop this way—this is a grave sin that disrupts the cycle of reincarnation and severs the natural order!

They exchanged glances, already planning how to explain themselves to the Heavenly Court later.

At that very moment, a furious roar rolled down from the sky, mixed with the vast Buddhist chant: "You wicked monkey! How dare you disrupt the order of reincarnation! Surrender and accept your punishment!"

The Buddha's voice was like thunder, shaking the void. Sun Wukong groaned, and the judge's pen in his hand fell to the ground.

Upon hearing this, the Ten Kings of Hell paled and exclaimed in a low voice, "Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva? Why would he come in person?"

Sun Wukong looked up, glared at the palace ceiling, and roared, baring his teeth, "Where did this bald monk come from, daring to interfere in your grandfather's affairs!"

Before he finished speaking, he stomped his foot on the ground and leaped into the air, crashing through the roof with a "boom" and soaring straight into the sky.

With an excessive force under his foot, the table broke with a crash, and the Book of Life and Death and the Judge's Pen fell to the ground, spilling ink everywhere. Several drops even splattered on the Book of Life and Death, making the writing illegible.

The Monkey King burst out of the palace and stood in mid-air.

A lotus platform hung high in the air, upon which sat a monk, tall and imposing with dark skin, seemingly from Xiniu Hezhou.

This person was surrounded by a Buddha-like aura, and behind him was a golden wheel of merit that shone brightly, illuminating the entire Netherworld City as if it were daytime.

Upon seeing this, the monkey felt a chill run down its spine, thinking to itself that this monk was no ordinary person and would probably be difficult to deal with.

But he was never afraid of anything, and with a quick change of mind, he calmed himself down—with the Somersault Cloud in hand, even if he couldn't win, he could escape.

He immediately raised his golden cudgel, pointing it at the other man, and shouted sternly, "Where did you come from, bald guy? How dare you interfere in my business!"

The Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha, with a compassionate face, clasped his hands together and softly chanted the Buddha's name: "Amitabha. You wicked monkey, ignorant of the immensity of heaven and earth, dare to trespass into the underworld and disrupt the cycle of reincarnation, not even recognizing me. I am the Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha, who specializes in saving evil spirits from the netherworld and suppressing evil demons. Quickly lay down your weapons and take refuge in the Buddha, otherwise your life will be in danger in an instant, and it will be too late for regrets."

At this moment, the Ten Kings of Hell below emerged from the Great Hall of the Underworld. Looking up, they saw the Buddha's light flowing in the sky, auspicious and radiant. They confirmed that the newcomer was indeed the true form of Ksitigarbha. They whispered among themselves, their expressions filled with awe.

In mid-air, Sun Wukong snorted coldly and spat, "You bald monk, you've got quite the nerve! If you want me, Old Sun, to bow down, first show me your true skills!"

Before he finished speaking, the ape leaped up, and the golden cudgel, carrying the force of thunder, cleaved straight at the top of Ksitigarbha's head!

This strike was delivered with all his might, unleashing the full power of a mid-stage Taiyi Golden Immortal. The wind from the staff caused the void to tremble.

Ksitigarbha's eyes narrowed slightly, but a hint of joy rose in his heart.

This demon monkey is indeed incredibly powerful. If we can subdue it and make it our protector, the Buddhist kingdom's prestige will increase even further, and our own spiritual cultivation will also advance greatly.

With that thought, he simply raised a finger, and a beam of Buddhist light shot out, transforming into a swastika mantra seal to meet the incoming iron rod.

At the same time, he flipped his palm into the air, and a drop of golden Buddha blood fell from his fingertip. As it approached the sky above the Netherworld City, it suddenly spread and condensed into a hazy golden curtain—the highest barrier of Buddhism, protecting himself and suppressing all directions.

"Bang--!"

The golden cudgel slammed heavily onto the swastika-shaped Buddhist seal, creating a deafening explosion that shattered the seal. Just as the monkey was about to raise a smile, he suddenly noticed that the shattered golden light did not dissipate but instead reformed in an instant.

Thousands of tiny swastika characters gathered like rain, layer upon layer, encircling him like a cage.

In the next instant, countless runes burst forth with light, transforming into billions of golden blades that shot forth simultaneously!

The clanging sounds were incessant, sparks flew everywhere, and Sun Wukong was hit repeatedly all over his body. He was forced to retreat violently, turning into a black shadow and flying backward.

With a deafening roar, he slammed into a distant, dark mountain. The impact tore the mountain apart, cracks spreading like a spiderweb, ripping open a bottomless canyon in the Netherworld.

Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva remained calm, his hands lightly clasped together, showing no surprise whatsoever.

As one of the four great Bodhisattvas in Buddhism, he is on par with Guanyin, Manjushri, and Samantabhadra. He has attained the status of a great Bodhisattva, surpassing most Buddhas in status. He is a true Great Golden Immortal, with a realm a whole level higher than Sun Wukong.

His gaze fell upon the collapsed Yinshan Mountain, and he sensed a violent aura rapidly rising from the depths of the valley.

In an instant, a furious golden ape burst out of the valley, its murderous aura soaring to the sky, and pounced again with the force to destroy the heavens and the earth!

Then, with a sweeping motion, the world lost its color, space cracked inch by inch, and the weight was as heavy as an avalanche.

Ksitigarbha's brow twitched slightly. He knew the power of that Buddhist mantra better than anyone else—ordinary Taiyi Golden Immortals had their magical power sealed and imprisoned by the swastika, their consciousness cleansed by the Buddhist chant, and only by sincerely taking refuge could they be freed.

But this monkey... his pupils contracted slightly, and he saw that the tiny swastika Buddhist chants wrapped around him were rapidly disintegrating!

boom--!

The sky shattered, and the shadow of the staff struck! The sky above the underworld was blasted into a spinning black hole, its edges tinged with chaos.

In his fury, Sun Wukong tore through space and time with a single blow, creating a chaotic rift one meter in diameter!

however--

The monkey's eyes widened in horror as it saw its prized golden cudgel being effortlessly grasped by Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, remaining completely still!

Since he acquired this staff, no one has ever received it with their bare body, let alone with such ease!

"You impudent monkey, why haven't you submitted to the law yet?"

Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva unleashed the lion's roar of Buddhism, the sound waves rolling and sweeping across the netherworld, the vast Buddhist chant piercing through the nine netherworlds.

Countless evil spirits that fled in the chaos trembled at the sound. Regardless of their strength, they all groaned, coughed up blood, and their souls were shattered, instantly annihilated.

Only within the Netherworld City, protected by a barrier of Buddhist light, remained unharmed.

Sun Wukong was closest to it, and felt his eardrums burst, his head buzz incessantly, his blood rushing backward, and a sweet taste in his throat, almost causing him to spit out blood.

Ksitigarbha's empty left hand suddenly shot out, and the vast Buddhist power, like a mountain collapsing and a tsunami crashing, struck his abdomen.

"ah--!"

A scream pierced the sky as the monkey flew madly along the ground, leaving a trail that stretched for 30,000 miles, finally coming to a stop after crashing into the back of a dark mountain. The force of the impact had not yet dissipated when the entire mountain collapsed with a deafening roar.

Ksitigarbha smiled slightly, about to speak and persuade him to submit to Buddhism, when suddenly his expression changed drastically.

He suddenly turned around, his gaze sharp as lightning, fixed on the direction where Foshan was located.

As his gaze fell, the twelve flags, shrouded in malevolent energy, slowly closed, and the Buddha Mountain he had personally created vanished into thin air.

Having cultivated to the Great Luo realm, one can already glimpse the secrets of heaven, and one's mind is as clear as a mirror. In an instant, he realized that he had fallen into a trap.

The rage that had been hidden for so many years now surfaced on his face. The lineage he had painstakingly cultivated over the years, the foundation in the netherworld, that pure land of Buddhism—all of it was destroyed in an instant.

That monkey was just bait.

Consumed by rage and with reason nearly out of control, he could no longer suppress the overwhelming murderous intent within him.

"You demon monkey, prepare to die!"

A low roar tore through the dark sky, holding nothing back, seeking only to slay this fiend first, then find the mastermind behind it all and settle the score in blood!

With both palms raised high, boundless Buddhist light surged and converged from all directions, condensing into a giant sword in the dark sky.

The moment the sword was drawn, a thousand feet of golden light poured down, illuminating the nine netherworlds. However, within that compassionate and solemn Buddhist radiance, there were blood-red spots, drifting like mist, like falling tears.

The Buddha's light stained with blood is a sign of the Buddha's wrath, symbolizing the resolute will to eradicate all evil in the world.

One of the forty-eight ultimate techniques of Buddhism—the Killing Sword!

This technique is extremely rare, devoid of any mercy, and designed solely for killing; its strikes determine life and death.

With the power of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, even a Grand Luo Golden Immortal in the early stage would find it difficult to escape the calamity of complete annihilation of body and soul under this sword.

Blood-red light pulsed as the Buddha sword pierced the air, penetrating the netherworld, aiming straight for the monkey's head.

At the site of the Yinshan landslide, the monkey struggled to rise from the ruins, its breath weak and its spirit dim.

Before he could even react, a sudden, alarming alarm bell rang in his mind. Looking up, he saw a sword shadow, brimming with boundless killing intent, slashing down from the sky. The world paled in comparison, leaving only one thought—to annihilate them all!

He had no doubt that if he were hit by this sword, even with a thousand immortal abilities, he would eventually turn to ashes.

At the critical moment, a golden light appeared out of nowhere, seemingly traversing space and looming ahead like a ghost.

"Senior...Senior Brother?"

The monkey looked up in surprise, only to find that the person in front of it was Ye Feng.

He clearly remembered that Ye Feng should still be in seclusion on Flower Fruit Mountain, so how could he have suddenly arrived in the Netherworld? He also had no idea who had summoned this Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva.

Ye Feng raised his hand slightly, but did not respond. The Buddhist sword was already upon him.

A terrifying pressure spread out, and the entire underworld was bathed in the Buddha's light. In the next instant, the land, the rocks, the spirits—everything was annihilated in the radiance, leaving no trace.