Becoming a god starts from planting a Bodhi tree.

Chapter 514 The Sea of ​​Bitterness is the Sea of ​​Darkness; Desire to Establish Buddhism
Emperor Yi stood silently in the void, having long since shed his former black armor, revealing his true face. He wore a black robe, exuding a lofty and majestic aura, with an indescribable and strange charm reminiscent of a god or demon.

Especially those deep, indifferent eyes, which still retain the power they once possessed when ruling over all realms, seem to endlessly reflect the rise and fall of the sun and moon and the collapse of galaxies as they open and close.

Ji Jingqiu sensed that even though this person had long since lost the throne, he still looked down upon everything in the human world.

There is neither benevolence nor hatred, only the oneness of all things and the supreme view of myself.

"I've been looking for you for a long time."

Ji Jingqiu stared at the former Heavenly Emperor.

If the Heavenly Court truly ruled the Boundary Sea a hundred centuries ago, then the person before him was the supreme being who dominated the world at that time.

Even powerful figures at the level of ancestors would have to bow down and submit to it!
“I know, but it wasn’t the best time for us to meet before. Doumu’s attention was always on you. She could pinpoint your location at any time by monitoring the stars in the heavens.”

Di Yi provided an explanation.
"With the border sea in turmoil, she doesn't have the energy to keep an eye on you all the time, which is the perfect opportunity for us to meet."

"In addition, the speed at which the gods are awakening far exceeds my expectations. There has been an unexpected incident on the Investiture of the Gods, which is one of the reasons why I came to see you ahead of time."

"Which three things?" Ji Jingqiu asked in a steady voice.

"First, I want you to return to the Heavenly Court, enter the Investiture of the Gods, and try to send a message inside."

"To whom should it be sent?" Ji Jingqiu asked knowingly.

"You don't need to know." Di Yi's tone suddenly became authoritative, leaving no room for doubt or discussion.

"The second thing is that you must cooperate with me to release me from this sea of ​​suffering!"

Ji Jingqiu's gaze suddenly sharpened: "Do you know what you're saying?"

“Only by overturning the Sea of ​​Bitterness can we slow down the current awakening of the Investiture of the Gods,” Di Yi said calmly. “In addition, if I remember correctly, your lineage of the World Honored One has the saying that you are the strongest in the end times. The Sea of ​​Bitterness’s activity in the present world is more beneficial than harmful to you.”

Ji Jingqiu said coldly, "Tell me your third matter."

Di Yi looked at him intently: "Only if you can accomplish the second thing can we talk about the third thing. Only then will I have the confidence to stop Doumu Yuanjun."

Ji Jingqiu said indifferently, "At the cost of all living beings sinking into the sea of ​​suffering, just to delay the awakening of the Investiture of the Gods and stop Doumu's progress? Di Yi, you are not even as good as Doumu."

"It seems Doumu hasn't told you about the Heavenly Court's plans yet," Di Yi said calmly. "When that time comes, all living beings will likely suffer even more than if they were drowning in the sea of ​​suffering."

“You can speak frankly to me,” Ji Jingqiu said, “instead of playing coy here. Is there any need to hide anything now? Tell me, what exactly does the Heavenly Court want to do?”

"Use the divine way to govern all living beings, and let all living beings support the Heavenly Court until they see the other shore." Emperor Yi said, word by word, "At that time, all the myriad realms and all the spirits will be the foundation for the Heavenly Court's 'enlightenment'."

Ji Jingqiu remained calm; he had heard similar things before.

Seeing that Ji Jingqiu remained unmoved, Di Yi simply brought it up:
"Doumu is constantly pushing forward the Heavenly Court's occupation of the realms, especially those few ancestral lands of the Great Dao, to fill the Dao essence needed for the Investiture of the Gods, while also gathering all spirits, guiding them to believe in the gods of the Heavenly Court, and collecting incense offerings."

"In this process, the Investiture of the Gods will be awakened continuously, and the divine positions above it will be gradually unsealed. The strength of the Heavenly Court will only become stronger and stronger, and the fall of the Boundary Sea is only a matter of time."

"Once the Heavenly Court has occupied a certain number of realms, Doumu will be able to merge with the Investiture of the Gods and return to the realm of transcendence. By then, it will be too late to stop her."

Di Yi looked at Ji Jingqiu meaningfully: "Believe me, you don't want to see the Heavenly Court re-establish itself in the world and rule the World Sea. Because at that time, all sentient beings will find it difficult to die."

Ji Jingqiu's expression turned serious at most upon hearing Di Yi's previous words, realizing the Heavenly Court's predicament.

But the last sentence prompted Ji Jingqiu to ask in a deep voice:
What does it mean to say that it's hard to even die if you want to?

Di Yi shook his head: "It seems you still don't understand the meaning of 'foundation for enlightenment'. We can hardly reach a consensus today, so let's put this conversation aside for now. Come find me again when you've figured it out."

His tone hardened, and he said decisively:
"The Sea of ​​Bitterness must be released ahead of schedule! Only the Sea of ​​Bitterness of all ages can suppress the condensation of divinity within the Sea of ​​Boundaries—"

"One last piece of advice: don't try to merge with the Nether Sea anymore. This is for your own good!"

As soon as he finished speaking, his figure vanished from the scene; all that Emperor Yi had arrived with was a projection.

And the next moment.

An increasingly majestic gaze descended from the infinite heights, but it was still a step too late.

After examining the surrounding void, his gaze fell on Ji Jingqiu.

"World Honored One, was that Emperor Yi just now?"

Doumu's voice rang out, confirming what Di Yi had mentioned earlier: Doumu had been watching him all along.

Ji Jingqiu calmly said, "That's right, Di Yi bewitched me into betraying the Heavenly Court."

How did the Buddha respond?

"How dare I betray my place on the Investiture of the Gods?" Ji Jingqiu sneered.

"Why should the World Honored One be angry?" Doumu's light laughter came. "The Emperor must want the World Honored One to release the sea of ​​suffering, right? Given the World Honored One's compassionate nature, he would certainly not agree."

Ji Jingqiu suddenly asked, "What do you mean by 'the dark sea of ​​today, the sea of ​​suffering of tomorrow'?"

Doumu's voice changed instantly, turning cold as she said, "Emperor Yi dares to leak even this matter? He's truly desperate; the old saying is absolutely true—"

"What do you mean by leaking information? Do you think I can't even hear about it now?" Ji Jingqiu retorted.

Doumu paused for a moment before saying, "With your current status, you are qualified to understand. It's actually very simple: the Bitter Sea is the Nether Sea, or rather, the Nether Sea of ​​the future."

Ji Jingqiu took a deep breath and said, "What do you mean? How can there be two Nether Seas and two Seas of Suffering in the mortal world?"

"It's very simple. The Eye of Bitterness, suppressed by the Netherworld, does not belong to our realm," Doumu said calmly. "A hundred centuries ago, the Heavenly Court, which ruled the world with the divine way, suffered a great calamity because someone threw the Tide of Annihilation and the Sea of ​​Bitterness into our realm."

“The Land of Return to Truth?!” Ji Jingqiu blurted out.

“Not bad.” Doumu said in a cold voice, “The Nether Sea is full of the expectations and hopes of all sentient beings, while the Bitter Sea is a product of the decline of morality and human nature, and is the final outcome of the Nether Sea’s deterioration.”

"Back then, the Nether Sea of ​​Guizhen went to extremes, leading to the great destruction of Guizhen. In the end, they came up with a solution, which was to introduce the Eye of the Bitter Sea into our realm."

"Didn't the Heavenly Court back then have the means to suppress the Sea of ​​Bitterness?" Ji Jingqiu asked in a deep voice.

Given the strength of the Heavenly Court back then, how could it have allowed the Sea of ​​Bitterness to erupt?

In other words, if the divine way was truly overcome by the Sea of ​​Bitterness back then, why is the Heavenly Court now ignoring the Sea of ​​Bitterness?

Is Doumu not afraid of repeating the same mistakes and history repeating itself?

Doumu was silent for a moment, then calmly said, "Let's talk when we get back. I happen to have something to discuss with you. The Heavenly Court is currently at war, and if you don't show yourself for a long time, it will be difficult to win people's hearts in the future."

Ji Jingqiu was silent for a moment as well: "Okay, I'll do it as soon as possible."

As Doumu's will departed.

Ji Jingqiu and the two people in the inner universe severed their secret conversation with a single sword strike.

Even the sword light itself was unaware of this.

The sea of ​​suffering is the future sea of ​​darkness.

This astonishing news overturned the understanding of Hela and Wu Zhou, among others.

“The Bitter Sea is the future Nether Sea…” Hela murmured. “No wonder the Nether Sea has become increasingly turbid in recent years, especially in the areas below the Abyss, where the environment is becoming increasingly harsh. Is this a sign of sinking into the Bitter Sea?”

Wu Zhou suddenly said, "If the Nether Sea is sinking into the Sea of ​​Bitterness, then perhaps we have found the root cause of why Di Yi is preventing you from merging with the Nether Sea. Ji Jingqiu, the reason why the Nether Sea favors you is because you can slow down its deterioration."

Ji Jingqiu said, "I need to return to the Heavenly Court to see if I can get more information from Doumu." This first conversation with Di Yi ended unhappily.

The war in the border sea has never stopped.

For decades, the flames of war never ceased. The Heavenly Court, starting from nothing, radiated outwards from itself, gradually encroaching upon dozens of surrounding realms, including even a pseudo-transcendent divine court!

Before that top deity who had reached the realm of Dao Integration could even make a move, the Heavenly Court forcibly dragged him off the Great Dao using some unknown method, causing him to fall back to the level of a True Saint.

The continuous wars have gradually revealed the depths beneath the surface of the iceberg that conceals the Heavenly Court on the sea.

The factions led by the Heavenly Prison Palace gradually discovered that the true saints of the Heavenly Court seemed to be dying incessantly!
In terms of absolute strength, all parties combined far surpass the Heavenly Court, but the Heavenly Court's astonishing "resilience" chills the hearts of all parties.

Over the past few decades, various factions have joined forces to kill no fewer than a hundred True Saints of the Heavenly Court, yet the number of True Saints in the Heavenly Court has not decreased but increased.

As they occupy more and more realms, the Heavenly Court's strength also increases accordingly. This has led various factions that were previously wavering to enter the fray, and the intensity of the war is constantly escalating!
……

This day.

Ji Jingqiu returned to the Heavenly Court, and the first person he saw was Luo Xuan, who had also just returned to the Heavenly Court and was covered in blood.

"Lord Ji, it's been a long time. It's such a pity you didn't participate in the battle at Tianyu Palace."

This smiling man, dressed in a long black robe, had clearly already risen to a high position in the Heavenly Court, currently second only to the Five Emperors of the Five Directions, and was no longer Ksitigarbha's "protector".

Ji Jingqiu only needed one glance to see the dense, complex, blood-red causal lines connecting the person's body.

This person's sins are so grave that everyone in the region keeps their distance from him.

Ji Jingqiu calmly said, "You're quite willing to go to great lengths, leading your army to attack the Heavenly Prison Palace. Are you so sure that even if your brother returns, he won't do anything to you?"

Luo Xuan smiled and said calmly, "The World Honored One does not understand my elder brother. When he returns and learns of what I have done, he will not let me off easily."

"Then how dare you do this?"

"It's all for the Heavenly Court!" Luo Xuan said solemnly.

Ji Jingqiu gave this person a deep look.

It is said that those who achieve great things can be flexible and adaptable, but this person is more than just flexible and adaptable.

Ji Jingqiu didn't waste any words with him and left directly, heading towards the Heavenly Emperor's Palace under the guidance of a star lord.

Luo Xuan followed behind him and was also summoned by Doumu. Along the way, he talked to Ji Jingqiu about the wars over the years.

After decades of fighting, more than a hundred True Saints have fallen on both sides. The Heavenly Court suffered the heaviest losses, but it was also the least important.

As for Luo Xuan, his achievements were so great that he had already won over some of the elders of the Heavenly Court.

Where is Honglian now?

Ji Jingqiu suddenly asked.

Luo Xuan's eyes flickered, and he smiled, "This girl has been hiding from us, she's quite well hidden, we don't have time to go look for her for the time being."

At this moment, the two arrived at Doumu's palace.

It has been decades since we last met.

This person's aura became increasingly simple and unadorned, almost nonexistent, almost like the Tao itself.

Upon first seeing Doumu, Ji Jingqiu's expression turned serious.

Every move he makes now seems to be guiding the entire Heavenly Court's Great Dao; the depth and weight of his Daoist practice are unfathomable!
Di Yi was right. As the Heavenly Court grew stronger, the one who became its ruler benefited the most.

Upon seeing Ji Jingqiu's arrival, Doumu Yuanjun said with great interest:

"Venerable One, you have finally returned. Please take a seat."

Ji Jingqiu calmly took his seat, and with a glance, he unexpectedly spotted a familiar face besides Luo Xuan standing to one side.

Zhang Tiancheng of the Netherworld.

Upon seeing Ji Jingqiu's return, Doumu Yuanjun laughed and said:

"I've specially summoned you back this time because I have some good news to tell you."

"I have recently reviewed the teachings of your lineage of the World Honored One and found that the core doctrines of your lineage, such as karma and retribution and the six realms of reincarnation, are very suitable for the Heavenly Court to use to rule the mortal realm."

"Therefore, I have decided to work with the Netherworld to create a cycle of reincarnation in the Boundary Sea, so that all beings may have a future to look forward to."

"At that time, we will naturally promote Buddhism vigorously, so that all sentient beings in the realms under the Heavenly Court will believe in, worship, and practice Buddhism."

Ji Jingqiu immediately frowned.

This person wants to vigorously promote Buddhism?!

Upon hearing the last part, Ji Jingqiu's heart sank, and he understood what the man meant.

In his previous life, Buddhism was once used as a tool for rulers to consolidate their power.

Because Buddhist scriptures emphasize that suffering in this life is the result of actions in the previous life, one should submit to the current rule, be content with the status quo, and do good deeds to gain blessings in the next life.

The logic is very simple—

The reason you suffer is because you did evil in your past life.

If you want to have a better next life, you must cultivate yourself in this life, which means doing good, being patient, and being obedient.

The greatest good deed is to obey order, including but not limited to loyalty to the monarch, paying taxes, performing military service, and supporting the ruler who is the highest protector of Buddhism, the "Universal Monarch".

In times of war, suffering, and turmoil, Buddhism certainly provided people with an "other shore" to escape the pain of reality, but it also led people to place their hopes in the afterlife, thus losing the motivation to resist...

Under such propaganda, all external political oppression will be transformed into the people's internal, voluntary moral choices and spiritual pursuits.

The Heavenly Court now intends to establish Buddhism and rule its subordinate realms; its intentions are self-evident!

Di Yi's words from not long ago resurfaced in my mind—

When the Heavenly Court is re-established, it will be difficult for all sentient beings to die.

Seeing Ji Jingqiu's expressionless face, Doumu Yuanjun chuckled:
"Rest assured, I will not usurp your position as the World Honored One. Buddhism will remain under your rule. I will simply hold the title of Supreme Protector to safeguard Buddhism. What do you say?"

"The Heavenly Court now governs more than thirty territories, which can serve as a testing ground for Buddhism. At that time, you can keep 30% of all the incense offerings collected by Buddhism, after deducting losses, and give the remaining 70% to the Heavenly Court."

Doumu Yuanjun said calmly:
"You might not have a good grasp of what 30% means right now. But you'll see how enormous that amount is in the future. It's also the second gift I'm giving you."

"When the Heavenly Court's subordinate realms increase and Buddhism becomes the largest religion in the Boundary Sea, you will gain followers and incense offerings almost on par with mine."

"In the Heavenly Court, these two points mean 'power'."

Hearing this, Ji Jingqiu still did not express his opinion, but instead glanced indifferently at Luo Xuan, as well as Zhang Tiancheng and the others from Youfu.

The group of people stood not far away, their expressions humble, their gazes filled with envy. But what were they thinking? And why had Doumu specifically summoned them here?

With a quick thought, Ji Jingqiu understood everything perfectly!
At this moment, Doumu seemed to remember something and suddenly said:
"Oh, right, there's something I forgot to tell you—I've already thought of a way to intervene reasonably in the Dao conflict between those two in the Netherworld. If you have the time, World Honored One, you could go on behalf of the Heavenly Court and try to obtain the Netherworld Lord's position."

(End of this chapter)