Becoming a god starts from planting a Bodhi tree.

Chapter 499 Doumu's Invitation: Seeking Help from a Tiger

Having traveled for so long in the underworld, Ji Jingqiu finally met Cang Qing and Di Zang, and went straight to the point.

Cangqing and Dizang seemed to have their own unspeakable troubles, and without much small talk, they went straight to the point, exchanging their respective situations.

"Why is the Underworld connected to the Heavenly Court?" Ji Jingqiu asked first.

"The Netherworld has already been invaded." Cang Qing paused. "Or rather, the Netherworld has been targeted by the Heavenly Court from the very beginning!"

"Over the years, the Netherworld has only been a cover for the Heavenly Court. On the surface, it is the Netherworld, but deep within the Netherworld, the Heavenly Court has been nibbling away at the many remnants of the former Netherworld Palace."

Ji Jingqiu suddenly asked, "Are the beings in the Burial Sea also subjects of the Heavenly Court?"

Cang Qing was stunned, then shook his head and said, "I don't know, but it's probably pretty close to the truth. The entire Netherworld is part of their plan, and the guy in the Burial Sea might be the supervisor."

Ji Jingqiu calmed down.

In the eyes of the one in the Burial Sea, the struggle between the Hermit and the River of Fate seems of paramount importance.

If that person is truly a member of the Heavenly Court, why wait for them to settle their score? Is the Heavenly Court waiting for the return of the Lord of the Underworld?
The Netherworld...

Ji Jingqiu murmured to himself, if possible, he needed to communicate with the You Mansion.

Zhang Tiancheng! Finding this person should allow us to contact the Underworld.

"Why does the Heavenly Court want to devour the Netherworld?" Ji Jingqiu suddenly asked.

This time, the answer came from Ksitigarbha, not Azure.

"Reporting to the Buddha, it is for the sake of the countless wandering souls within."

Ksitigarbha sat cross-legged, his golden body radiating light, making everything seem to be tinged with the color of crystal. Even the wisp of thought that Ji Jingqiu was drawn to felt warm and peaceful.

"When the Netherworld was collecting the remnants of the realms, it specially selected a large number of 'dead realms', which often contained a large number of dead souls who could not be liberated because of the destruction of the realms. The original intention was to create a cycle of reincarnation, which would be a good opportunity to send these dead souls to a new life."

Cang Qing sighed and continued, "But now, these souls have been targeted by the Heavenly Court, becoming the source of their wishes. This is also the reason why the Heavenly Court chose the Netherworld."

"The Heavenly Court has been using these nearly endless souls as nourishment to recover itself. Over the years, we don't know how much it has recovered. If the Void Emperor hadn't found the [Old Heavenly Court] in the Chaos Sea in advance, we don't know when we would have discovered the Heavenly Court behind the Netherworld."

Ji Jingqiu said, "The Holy King revealed to me that the Void Emperor was able to find the [Old Heavenly Court] because there was originally a visitor from outside the Netherworld. Only the five of you know this."

Cang Qing's expression changed slightly; he hadn't expected the Holy King to have even told Ji Jingqiu this. He nodded and said:

"good."

"Now it seems that this person most likely has a grudge against the Heavenly Court."

Ji Jingqiu nodded.

Indeed, if it weren't for this person, perhaps the Heavenly Court could have remained hidden until it recovered to its peak!
"I wonder if, in that person's eyes, the Void Emperor's actions were too late, or just right."

Ji Jingqiu whispered,
"The Heavenly Court uses endless ghosts to restore itself, but you have entered the Underworld and hindered this process, which is no different from snatching food from a tiger's mouth."

"In that case, the sooner we confront the Heavenly Court, the better, as they are recovering every moment."

"We cannot fight them head-on! Their strength is unfathomable!" Cang Qing said solemnly. "You are not qualified to fight them! Even if Mu Shitian and He Donghuang return at their peak, they cannot do anything to that Heavenly Emperor! Even if we five are added to the mix, the Saints of the Netherworld have no chance of winning!"

Ji Jingqiu was about to say that he hadn't come alone this time, but then frowned and said:

"Leaving aside the Saints of the Netherworld, just the combined strength of the five God Lords, with the Great Luo Heaven as their trump card, plus the Wood Master and the He Master, this lineup... I really can't think of anyone besides the Transcendent One who could contend with it, or even the Transcendent One could contend with it for a while, right?"

The Azure God Lord sighed, "Not long ago, when we confronted her, we found that Ming and I were completely powerless against her."

"What do you mean?" Ji Jingqiu asked, his expression changing.

Even though the two God Lords, Cangqing and Ming, are slightly inferior to the Saint King, they are still among the top True Saints of the world. Even if they are not a match for that Heavenly Emperor, they should not be completely powerless to fight back. This is almost the difference between being easily killed and being defeated with difficulty.

Cang Qing remained silent for a moment before saying, "I am not sure of the reason either. I can't tell if it is due to the suppression of the divine path or some other reason. In front of her, the two of us possess immense divine power, but we can't use even a fraction of it. It's as if our divine power has been completely sealed."

After hearing the description from the Azure God Lord, Ji Jingqiu frowned and inquired with the three people in the inner universe whether they had similar experiences.

Among them, Wu Zhou and Hela shook their heads, indicating that they had never encountered such a situation, especially Hela, who also followed the orthodox Shinto path, yet had never encountered a similar situation.

Hela thought for a moment: "There is indeed a hierarchy among the gods, with higher gods suppressing lower gods, but this only applies when the difference in rank is huge or when their divine paths are similar. They are all True Saints, so there is no reason for this to happen."

In the end, Brother Jianguang solemnly stated that the other party might truly be the Ancestor of the Divine Path, possessing the status of the Great Ancestor!

The reason why the Great Dao Ancestor is invincible is not only because he opened up the world and every person who embarks on this path can help him increase his Dao power, but also because he has absolute suppression over all living beings who walk on this path.

If the Heavenly Emperor truly possesses the status of the Ancestor of the Divine Path, then she suppresses not only Cang Qing and the other two, but all beings on the Divine Path in the Boundary Sea!

Furthermore, any means that involve the path of the gods will be suppressed, the degree of which depends on the connection between one's own cultivation and the path of the gods.

The closer one gets to the divine path, the more one will be suppressed by it.

Ji Jingqiu's expression grew heavier as he listened. Could that female Heavenly Emperor, who was suspected to be Doumu Yuanjun, really possess the status of a Divine Dao Ancestor?

That would cause too much trouble. One of his important reliance, the Holy King, had been directly replaced.

Those saints who are willing to take action will have their combat strength reduced by a portion.

In addition, the Heavenly Court has already restored many of its divine generals and star lords...

Even if all the saints in the hall joined forces, they probably wouldn't be able to conquer this "Old Heavenly Court".

This battle will be exceptionally difficult.

Ji Jingqiu suddenly asked Cang Qing, "God Lord, when you five created the Great Luo Heaven back then, who came up with the general idea?"

Cang Qing's gaze sharpened, and he said in a deep voice, "You've noticed it too? The idea of ​​the Thirty-Six Heavens was first proposed by Ming and Taiyou. I asked Ming about it not long ago, and he said that the reason he proposed the idea of ​​the Thirty-Six Heavens was because he had seen similar 'remains' in the Underworld."

"So, the problem might lie with the Lord of the Netherworld?" Ji Jingqiu murmured. "Where is the Lord of the Underworld now?"

Upon hearing this, Cang Qing remained silent for a moment, then sighed:

"He was severely injured by that Heavenly Emperor. Later, in order to cover our escape into the Underworld, he was captured by that Heavenly Emperor. Before parting, he handed over all his authority to Fellow Daoist Ksitigarbha."

"The Netherworld is vast, and the Heavenly Court has only digested one-third of it over the years. We rely on the characteristics of the Netherworld to hide in the remaining areas. Besides protecting ourselves, we also hinder the Heavenly Court's actions. With the help of Ksitigarbha, we have achieved some results."

The Lord of the Underworld has been captured...

Ji Jingqiu's eyes were deep; this was not good news.

The information obtained from Cangqing and Dizang indicates that the true strength of the Heavenly Court far exceeds expectations.

Of course, there were also many problems within the Heavenly Court, and the Heavenly Emperor's final reaction is worth pondering.

Ji Jingqiu suddenly looked at Ksitigarbha, sensing the current state of this guardian deity, and couldn't help but be shocked.

Unbeknownst to anyone, this guardian deity's cultivation level had actually soared to the True Saint Realm!
Ji Jingqiu could clearly sense that there was a distinct "connection" between Ksitigarbha and this world.

Is it following the right path?
It is unclear whether the Dao is aligned with Heaven and Earth or with "human hearts," and there must also be the authority of the Lord of the Underworld involved.

Ji Jingqiu was about to ask further questions.

Just now.

Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva looked solemn and raised his head to gaze into the distance.

At some unknown time, a figure dressed in a robe adorned with stars appeared above this pure land.

She walked slowly, her robes billowing, starlight forming a divine altar, a hazy, clear light enveloping her, making her appear like a goddess.

It was none other than the female Heavenly Emperor who had been sitting opposite Ji Jingqiu in the palace not long ago.

As she approached the Pure Land, her steps were blocked.

She reached out and swept her fingertips across the sky, where countless stars surrounded her, and her innate virtue condensed into white lotus blossoms. The three of them looked on with solemn expressions, for even Cang Qing had never seen such innate virtue before.

Cang Qing said in a deep voice, "That is not merit, but the white aura of accumulated good deeds over many lifetimes. With good deeds in one's body, one's life force will last forever. This is not the Heavenly Court, but clearly another form of the Underworld. It is something that the Lord of the Underworld craved but could not obtain in the second half of his life, but went to another extreme."

His words were filled with regret.

No wonder the Heavenly Court has been encroaching on the Netherworld, even using it as nourishment to replenish itself...

At this moment, the endless, surging white aura of yin virtue transformed into a white banner, sweeping forward. The vast starlight mixed with the white aura of yin virtue annihilated everything in its path!
The pure land they were in trembled violently in an instant, and seemed to be about to be breached at any moment!

Ksitigarbha reached out and pressed down on Ji Jingqiu and Cang Qing respectively, sighed, and prepared to teleport away from this realm.

Over the years, they have been at a disadvantage against this Heavenly Emperor, and could only passively shift their positions.

Unexpectedly, the female Heavenly Emperor suddenly stopped, walked gracefully towards the Pure Land, and withdrew the hazy light that shrouded it, revealing a majestic face.

She looked down at him, as if surveying all his subjects, her gaze shifting back and forth between Ji Jingqiu and Dizang, before finally saying with a half-smile:

"Ji Jingqiu? Or should I address you as... World Honored One? This guardian deity seems to be your subject, a subordinate of your pantheon? It seems I truly underestimated you—"

"There's no one else here, just you and me. You don't need to keep pretending. Perhaps we can be honest with each other about certain issues."

"for example……"

When did Di Yi approach you?

Emperor Yi?

Ji Jingqiu remained calm. Although she didn't know what the other person was talking about, she knew that staying calm was the right thing to do at this point. She figured the other person would just continue to fill in the blanks in their mind...

As for Doumu, if this "World Honored One" was not an existence from a hundred centuries ago, yet he knew about that person, there was only one possibility—it was all told to him by Di Yi.

After all, she learned this secret from the Emperor himself.

Seeing that Ji Jingqiu remained unmoved, Doumu didn't care and said calmly:

"Di Yi has completely lost his divine position. If you conspire with him, you will gain nothing."

A possibility suddenly popped into Ji Jingqiu's mind.

Is the Emperor Yi mentioned by the other party the one who guided the five great gods back then, or is he a hidden being in the Burial Sea?
"You can cooperate with Di Yi, perhaps..." Dou Mu gazed at Ji Jingqiu and suddenly smiled, "Why can't you cooperate with me? What Di Yi can give you, I can give you as well."

"Cooperation?" Ji Jingqiu countered, "What basis is there for cooperation between us?"

"That depends on what you can give me." Doumu suddenly said with great interest, "By the way, your status as the World Honored One seems to be highly valued by various families. Why don't we join forces? The ancestors of future generations are about to return. Don't you want to restore your True Nature status before they return?"

"If you're even a step too slow, the roles will be reversed. Do you really think those who return to the true path in later generations will let you regain your true position?"

Doumu shook her head and said calmly:

"You must take the initiative into your own hands."

"If you join the Heavenly Court and help me rebuild it, I may even bestow upon you the position of one of the Five Emperors once the Heavenly Court is restored to the mortal world. Since you know my true name, you should know the significance of the position of one of the Five Emperors."

Meeting Doumu's ambiguous gaze, Ji Jingqiu remained expressionless.

Of the five emperors of Heaven, aside from the one who occupies the central position, there are four other positions, all of which are the main positions in Heaven.

In the present Heavenly Court, four of the Five Emperors are missing.

Cooperate with the Heavenly Court...

Ji Jingqiu fell silent for a moment, and then had his own discussion with Hela and the others, including Cang Qing and Dizang.

"So you really do know the specific structure of the Heavenly Court." Doumu suddenly said. She had noticed Ji Jingqiu's subtle mental fluctuations and her interest grew even stronger. "Does Emperor Yi value you that much? I can also give important positions to those he values."

suddenly.

Ji Jingqiu suddenly looked up, sensing a deadly threat emanating from his own body.

"Lord Ji, why don't you reveal some more frankly? Killing you would be as easy as turning my hand!"

"To be precise, no one in this world can stop me now."

Doumu spoke calmly, revealing an arrogant and domineering air that suggested she had everything under control!
"I originally intended to use you, this 'World Honored One,' to establish my authority, but I've discovered you seem to know a great deal, especially about that past event. Killing you would be a real waste. However, since you have a close relationship with this deity, I cannot let you go so easily—"

Doumu's gaze fell on Dizang.

Ji Jingqiu's heart sank. The other party's threat was almost naked and completely undisguised.

Doumu looked deeply at Dizang, and suddenly had a thought:
"Gods and Earthly Deities, if you submit to my Heavenly Court along with Ji Jingqiu, the Underworld can be managed by you in the future. You will be the Lord of the Underworld appointed by me!"

"So, Ji Jingqiu, are you satisfied? As a token of your sincerity, all you need to do is tell me Di Yi's whereabouts, and that will be your pledge of allegiance."

At this moment.

Ji Jingqiu's mind was in turmoil.

I calmly advised him to accept the cooperation agreement for now, because if things were to break down now, there would likely be some unfortunate consequences.

Hela's advice to him can be summed up in one word: persevere.

"Ji Jingqiu, all you need is time. Before you reach the peak, you will occasionally need to bow your head temporarily."

Compared to the support from Wu Zhou and Hela, Zhan Yue Jian Guang was somewhat impatient.

"If you join the Heavenly Court at this time, how will the Saints of the Realm Sea view you?"

But what if we don't join?

Faced with this question, even the light of the Moon-Slaying Sword fell silent.

Of all the imposing power that the Heavenly Emperor had just displayed, only it truly understood what it represented.

This person is indeed... the Great Dao Ancestor!

Faced with this dilemma, and after Doumu promised that once Ji Jingqiu led Dizang to join the Heavenly Court, she could return the captured Underworld Lords to them and help them rule the vast Underworld together, the Azure God Lord also chose to remain silent.

Ksitigarbha merely lowered his eyes, seemingly unwilling to interfere with any of Ji Jingqiu's decisions.

In a short period of time.

Ji Jingqiu had already reviewed the pros and cons of the collaboration countless times in his mind, and finally slowly uttered two words:

"Burial in the sea."

(End of this chapter)