I subdue demons and monsters, and cultivate immortality in hell to become a saint.

"Abbot, what a brilliant plan! I'm completely impressed!"

Some people gasped in shock, utterly stunned.

This Yuan Kong actually has a firm grasp on the thoughts of all the powerful figures in the world!

In his eyes, those top experts were like children, whom he could manipulate at will!

"And what about the Asura clan? How can we persuade them to join us?"

Some people looked on expectantly and eagerly asked questions.

At this point, no one doubted Yuan Kong's preparations anymore; clearly, they had planned everything meticulously and were confident of success!

The Asura clan dwells in the desolate northwest.

That place was originally the border of the Yanhuang Kingdom, but it was brutally slaughtered by demons, resulting in the extinction of both humans and livestock, and ultimately became a desolate wasteland where not a blade of grass could grow.

Once, a ghost king resided here, forging a blood pool based on the blood of millions of living people. He spent his days intermittently absorbing the overwhelming evil energy within the pool, attempting to break through to a higher realm.

As the spiritual energy recovered, the blood pool unexpectedly transformed, absorbing a massive amount of spiritual energy from heaven and earth, and directly turned into a boundless sea of ​​blood, filled with murderous aura, covering the entire Northwest Wilderness.

Before the Ghost King could figure out what had happened, countless strange creatures emerged from the sea of ​​blood.

The males are ugly, like demons descended to earth, with ferocious faces; the females, on the other hand, are stunningly beautiful and graceful, a stark contrast between the two.

This clan not only has a starkly contrasting appearance, but is also inherently warlike. Upon seeing the Ghost King, they pounced on him without a word and launched into a fierce attack.

The ghost king was no match for them and was killed by the clan in just a few moves!

A worthy master of the Blood Pool, he ultimately died at the hands of the race born from the Blood Sea he himself forged. Every whim has its own destiny!

This new race is inherently bloodthirsty and belligerent; they are practically born killing machines!

Even more peculiar is that their men and women cannot reproduce, and the propagation of their tribe depends entirely on this vast sea of ​​blood.

This bloodthirsty race calls themselves: Asura!

They have long since completely taken control of the Northwest region, and ordinary cultivators don't even dare to approach it!

The Asura race are born killers and cannot communicate with each other. They fight to the death on sight, with no room for maneuver!

How could such a ferocious race, so ruthless to the core, possibly be persuaded?

"I ask you, what are the six realms of reincarnation as legend describes?"

Yuan Kong's voice was calm and steady as he glanced at everyone before slowly asking his question.

"The Way of Heaven, the Way of Humanity, the Way of Animals, the Way of Hungry Ghosts, the Way of Hell, and the Way of Asuras!"

Someone below immediately responded loudly without hesitation.

The cycle of six realms of reincarnation is common knowledge in the universe, known to everyone in the cultivation world, and can be considered the first lesson for beginners!

The Heavenly Path is the final destination of immortals and cultivators. Only those with profound blessings and outstanding merits can enter this path in reincarnation and enjoy endless immortal blessings!

Humanity is simply the way of survival for ordinary people; it needs no further explanation, as everyone understands it!

The animal realm consists of beings without intelligence, living in a daze. Only those who commit numerous evils and are burdened with sins will fall into this realm and suffer humiliation!

The realm of evil spirits is the exclusive domain of beings in the underworld, perpetually cold and filled with resentment and venom!

The Hell Path is the underworld's purgatory, where evildoers who commit heinous crimes will suffer endless torment and never be able to be reborn!

And the last one is the Asura Path, which is inherently warlike!

"The Asura realm is also within the cycle of reincarnation. If this were to reach the ears of those warmongers, would they let it go unpunished?"

Yuan Kong spoke calmly, yet with an air of profound understanding, each word clearly reaching everyone's ears.

Upon hearing this, everyone was struck dumb, instantly realizing the truth, their faces filled with shock!

So that's how it is!

The Asura race is fiery and warlike by nature. Knowing that their own race is also subject to reincarnation, how could they possibly swallow their anger?

They will definitely storm the underworld and turn it upside down, demanding an explanation!

"Finally, we, the fifth force, will hold our ground and observe the progress of the other forces. If things go smoothly, we'll swarm in and grab a share; if they fail, we can simply withdraw and have nothing to do with it!"

Yuan Kong had already prepared a backup plan; as he finished speaking, his words were filled with confident assurance.

Upon hearing this, everyone was completely convinced and looked at Yuan Kong with admiration, bowing respectfully.

"The abbot's plan was ingenious and unparalleled; it is truly admirable!"

Yuan Kong secretly felt smug, his face flushed red, and he sneered inwardly.

With five armies advancing simultaneously, how long can the Underworld, with its deep reserves, hold out? Even if we can't destroy the Underworld, we must severely weaken it and leave it in ruins!

……

With the plan set, no one dared to delay and immediately took their leave to prepare and await orders.

On the other side, Yuan Kong went to the East Sea as planned. He was dressed in a bright red kasaya, and a small boat floated lightly under his feet. His eyes were closed, his hands were clasped together, and he had an extraordinary demeanor.

The small boat moved as fast as an arrow released from a bow, riding the wind and waves, covering a thousand miles in the blink of an eye, as swift as a startled swan!

Before long, the outline of Thousand Fruit Island came into view in the distance, clearly visible.

From afar, hundreds of monkeys frolic and play on the beach, their laughter echoing freely.

Yuan Kong smiled faintly, his figure moved slightly, and he flashed past like a ghost without disturbing the group of monkeys, silently sneaking into the island.

At this moment, on the island, the Spirit Ape King was filled with grief, and the atmosphere around him was frighteningly low. It turned out that an old monkey on the island had passed away peacefully.

"Grandpa Monkey has lived for over seventy years. His passing is a natural consequence of his lifespan, Your Majesty need not be overly saddened!"

"Yes, Your Majesty, life and death are predestined. We will all face this day sooner or later. Do not harm yourselves!"

"Sigh, let's bury Grandpa Monkey as soon as possible and let him rest in peace."

A group of monkeys surrounded the Spirit Ape King, carefully comforting him with expressions full of worry.

It turns out that the old monkey who guarded Thousand Fruit Island passed away today. This old monkey had taken great care of the Spirit Ape King before he attained enlightenment, treating him like family.

His sudden passing has left the Spirit Ape King heartbroken and devastated, so much so that he has not even noticed the movement around him.

This is precisely why Yuan Kong, whose strength is far inferior to his, was able to sneak up silently and remain undetected.

Yuan Kong carefully examined the Spirit Ape King. It wasn't particularly tall, but its golden fur was dazzling, and it had thick animal hides wrapped around its waist with its fangs showing. Even though it was deeply mired in grief, it still exuded a formidable aura and was definitely not someone to be trifled with!

What a magnificent ape king!

Yuan Kong's heart was instantly filled with excitement. He thought to himself: If I could take this Spirit Ape King into the Buddhist sect and make him a Dharma protector, it would definitely be a great help, and I would be able to achieve twice the result with half the effort in the future!

However, he knew this was no easy task, so he immediately suppressed his thoughts, put on a sorrowful expression, and slowly began to speak.

"Life is but a fleeting few years, and no one can escape the separation of life and death. When fate runs its course, all that remains is to let go."

who?!

Upon hearing this, the Spirit Ape King's brows furrowed sharply, and two sharp beams of divine light shot from his eyes, piercing straight into the void like swords. His killing intent surged instantly!

"You bald monk! Who are you? How dare you trespass on my territory and disturb the spirit of Grandpa Monkey!"

A chill ran through Yuan Kong's heart, but he showed no anger on his face. Instead, he appeared even more sorrowful and slowly said, "This humble monk is Yuan Kong, a monk from Lingxiao Temple. Seeing the Spirit Ape King so sad, I cannot bear it. How about this humble monk use Buddhist scriptures to perform a ritual for the monkey senior, so that his soul may find peace and be reincarnated soon?"

The Spirit Ape King was taken aback, momentarily forgetting to ask how he had managed to sneak into the island. His mind was preoccupied with the old monkey's funeral arrangements, and his tone softened slightly: "What is a 'rebirth ritual'? Is it something to make Grandpa Monkey feel better?"

A glint of light flashed in Yuan Kong's eyes as he slowly explained, "The ritual will allow Senior Monkey's soul to rest in peace, and he will suffer less in the underworld. When the King of Hell sees the golden light of the ritual, he will be treated kindly, and he will have a better chance of being reborn into a good family in the next life, where he can enjoy the warmth of the human world again."

As he spoke, he began to recite scriptures, his body enveloped in golden light, exuding a sacred and auspicious aura.

Upon seeing this, the Spirit Ape King's hostility towards Yuan Kong dissipated considerably, and his goodwill towards him increased significantly.

He could sense the peaceful meaning in the scriptures and knew that Yuan Kong had no ill intentions and genuinely wanted to help the old monkey.

He immediately asked out of curiosity, his tone much gentler: "What did you just mention—the underworld, the Yellow Springs, and Yama? How can they determine Grandpa Monkey's next life?"

Seeing that he had taken the bait, Yuan Kong was secretly delighted, but his face remained calm as he slowly and deliberately began to speak.

"The underworld is the place where all things are reincarnated. All living beings in the world will enter the underworld after death. Yama will assess their merits and demerits in life and then send them to the corresponding path of reincarnation to be reborn."

As he spoke, he recounted the story of reincarnation in the underworld in detail, each word clear and logical.

The Spirit Ape King was dumbfounded, his face filled with disbelief and his eyes were full of shock.

"Is there really such a strange place in the world? One that controls the cycle of life and death of all things?"

Although he was incredibly powerful, he had never stepped out of Thousand Fruit Island, and had never heard of such a secret matter.

"Naturally, this is the rule of heaven and earth, and no one can change it."

Yuan Kong smiled slightly, then changed the subject, his tone carrying a hint of provocation: "Legend has it that there is a Book of Life and Death in the Underworld, in which the lifespan and fate of all living beings are recorded. With a single stroke, a person's life or death can be determined. This Senior Monkey may have had his lifespan crossed out by the Book of Life and Death, which is why he suddenly passed away."

"But there's nothing we can do about it. The underworld controls the cycle of reincarnation and holds the power of life and death; no one can defy it."

"Even Your Majesty and I, this humble monk, have our lifespans recorded in the Book of Life and Death. If one day a judge of the underworld were to inadvertently cross our lines, even with our formidable strength, we would not escape death!"

Yuan Kong deliberately emphasized his words, each one piercing the heart of the Spirit Ape King.

The Spirit Ape King, already grieving the death of the old monkey, was startled upon hearing this, then his anger surged, and his murderous aura soared to the sky!