Mythology

Chapter 423 The Investiture of the Gods Begins
Whether or not you inherit the benefits of Namo Amitabha Buddha, you will receive the following advantages.

【Buddha Mother Great Bright King (Five-Colored Ghost)】

The remains of Buddha Shakyamuni

【The Dharma Seal of the Pure Land】

[Namo Vimalakirti, the Ancient Buddha, in his nine incarnations]

"Just by hearing this Buddha's name, one can tell that the Immaculate Buddha holds a very high position in the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. It would be quite impressive if it were placed in Journey to the West."

"Exchange for the Buddha Mother Great Bright King."

Yang He secretly breathed a sigh of relief, and then exchanged for the black cat.

He was afraid that Buddhism would abduct the black cat, but fortunately, even though it was named the Buddha Mother Great Bright King, the black cat was still considered to be his supernatural power.

Meow~~

The black cat, dressed in a golden-red kasaya and with a string of five-colored Buddhist beads around its neck, stood upright in front of Yang He, its two front paws pretending to be clasped together.

It tilted its head, its whiskers trembled slightly, and emitted a drawn-out sound.

"Meow~ Buzz~"

The cat's meow carried a solemn Sanskrit rhythm, with five-colored divine light pulsating. Yang He could hear something similar to the Buddhist mantra "Om Mani Padme Hum".

The black cat proudly raised its head, and its five-colored divine light gradually became tinged with Buddhist light.

A blurry, illusory golden wheel of merit was projected behind my head.

Yang He's lips twitched, then he slapped the black cat's head hard. "Stop pretending! If you dare to pick up that bald monk's bad habits, I'll kill you!"

Hakimi immediately revealed his true form, landing on all fours and disappearing as a five-colored divine light.

You can faintly hear a cat's meow mixed with a deep sense of melancholy.

Yang He laughed and cursed a few times, noticing that wherever the five-colored divine light passed, the evil spirits in the shallow hell all vanished without a trace.

"The Five-Colored Divine Light is a perfect match for Buddhism. We need to find an opportunity to delve into its methods during Journey to the West. Well, the Immortal Transformation Technique is a bit lacking."

"But it doesn't matter, once the permanent characters are made into gods, they can be comparable."

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the Investiture of the Gods ceremony should begin ahead of schedule. In any case, there are already enough dead people and immortals, so it's unlikely that the Ten Thousand Immortals Formation will be broken.

Yang He subconsciously communicated with Yu Zheng and learned that the story of the havoc in the Heavenly Palace was only two or three pieces short.

Not only the Grand Court, but even the Zishi Sect dispatched a large number of people to search in the shallow hell. They have found clues by relying on the consistent characteristics of the same mundane things.

The only thing Yang He feared was the Deep-Level Grand Master.

Now that the Third Prince, supported by Wang Lan and others, has ascended to the throne, more evidence has been uncovered to support the connection between his forces and the Deep Lords.

The method of communication is extremely bizarre: sacrificing living people in the mortal realm, and the information is engraved on the surface of their skin.

The high priest in the deep realm uses evil spirits to transmit information to the mortal world.

"One thing is certain: after the Nuwa Festival, the Deep Lord has already extended into the mortal realm, but there are no signs of it yet."

The influence of the Myriad Transformations Heavenly Dao Field covers one-eighth of the Grand Master's territory, and Yang He can only guarantee that there will be no problems for the mortals within that range.

“It’s a waste of time to trace the origins of things bit by bit through the temples, especially the grasslands in the far west of the territory and the islands far from the mainland.”

"When soldiers come, we'll block them; when water comes, we'll dam it."

Yang He faces many troubles, and improving his cultivation is the best course of action. Focusing his energy on troubles that haven't even happened yet is putting the cart before the horse.

"Exchange for the remains of Shakyamuni Buddha."

The remains of Buddha Shakyamuni

The remains left behind by Shakyamuni Buddha when he attained enlightenment contain a trace of Buddha-nature, which cannot be refined by any means, and is immortal and indestructible. With prolonged existence, it may even develop a faint sense of sentience.

puff.

A mass of dark red, rotten flesh slammed down in front of Yang He, making an unpleasant, sticky sound.

The Buddha's remains, about the size of a washbasin, were covered in mucus and undried blood, and were wriggling and multiplying at a visible speed.

The inside of the meat chunks was already vaguely forming the shape of organs.

Yang He saw a faint heartbeat, connected to several twisted blood vessels, and the two lungs opening and closing with the rhythm of breathing.

Even the outline of a spine is slowly taking shape inside the body.

All organs exhibit a left-right mirror symmetry structure.

"Buddha-nature, you call this indescribable state Buddha-nature?"

Yang He sneered a few times. The Buddhist method of achieving sainthood must also have limitations, and it is impossible for it to be as flawless as the Guide Daoist said.

puff.

A crack appeared on the surface of the Buddha's remains, from which a row of fine baby teeth grew.

Yang He opened his pupil ghost and blocked the possibility of the Buddha's remains absorbing yin energy, but it was to no avail. The Buddha's remains continued to grow, but at a rate more than ten times slower.

"This thing is inedible, and it doesn't feel safe to use it for weapon crafting."

"Keeping it will eventually cause a disaster."

After pondering for a long time, Yang He suddenly remembered the Myriad Transformations and Hundred Ghosts Primordial Scripture. After his own improvements, it contained 108 methods for containing ghosts.

There is a method inside that seems to allow the remains of Buddha to be put to good use.

"Keep it; if it doesn't work out, exchange it for Spirit Vision."

[29.5 spiritual visions of the remains of Shakyamuni]

"Exchange for the Dharma Seal of the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss".

A seal, or rather a cluster of seals, appeared in Yang He's palm. It was entirely composed of flesh and bone, and countless struggling human faces could be seen on it.

【The Dharma Seal of the Pure Land】

[Crafted from the Transformation Stone nurtured in the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, representing the identity of Yang He, the ancient Buddha of the Esoteric Buddhist tradition.]

【Paradise: 0/1 (0%)】

Yang He felt a little regretful. The Nuwa Palace seal was already full of cracks, and no matter how much Yin energy poured in, it would become dim and lose its luster. The seal had already faded away.

Nuwa Palace: 0/0 (0%)

The only saving grace is that although the Nuwa Palace is inaccessible, there is still room for maneuver. Perhaps the return of the Immaculate Buddha to the Nuwa Palace will restore order.

Yang He did not exchange for the Nine Incarnations Body. After resting for a few days, he summoned the panel. [Mortal Item: Ghost Becomes Ghost]

[Related story: "Ten Thousand Ghosts Formation" - Do you wish to consume 10 points of Spirit Vision to enter the story world?]

"determine."

[The "Ten Thousand Ghosts Formation" cannot portray the ancient Buddha Namo Immaculate]

Yang Hehe was not surprised, as his recurring role would most likely be revisited in Journey to the West. However, what was surprising was that the black cat was unaffected.

Who should we play first?

[The Three Corpses Taoist: You have been trapped in the Ten Thousand Immortals Formation for a long time. Now your body and soul are being eroded by the sage's Daoist temple. It won't be long before you die and your Dao dissipates.]

[Imperial Edict to the Ghost Immortal: As a mere ghost immortal, you never imagined you would be possessed by someone else. Now, with the investiture of gods imminent, you can only watch helplessly as someone else takes your place and ascends to immortality.]

His gaze lingered on the Yin Ghost Immortal for a moment.

"No."

Yang He expressed deep suspicion that if a regular character died within the Ten Thousand Immortals Formation, their soul might be included in the list, affecting the outcome of the Investiture of the Gods.

"It's just in time that Su Daji is keeping an eye on the body of the Imperial Yin Ghost Immortal. It won't crash or burn. If all else fails, I'll just use someone else's account."

“Play the role of the Three Corpse Taoist.”

.........

The Xiqi army besieged the city, their war drums deafening.

Dark clouds covered the sky above Chaoge City, raindrops pattered down, and thick black fog pressed down like leaden blocks, as if it might fall at any moment.

The defenders had withered, bluish-gray skin, sunken eye sockets, and pupils that gleamed with a ghostly green light, looking like living corpses crawling out of a mass grave.

They mechanically drew back their bows, the arrows shrouded in a chilling aura.

Woo! !

Suddenly, bugles sounded loudly in the Xiqi army, and war drums thundered.

"kill!!!"

A massive number of armored soldiers surged toward the city gate, ladders were erected, and battering rams roared. But just as the first vanguard approached the city wall...

The city gates suddenly opened on their own, and a foul-smelling, eerie wind howled out.

The city was filled with countless stiff figures, some with twisted limbs crawling like spiders; some with broken necks and heads tilted to the side; some with ripped-open abdomens and entrails dragging on the ground, yet still carrying kitchen knives and wooden sticks.

The common people had long been corrupted by the yin energy into monsters that were half-human and half-ghost, yet they retained their intelligence.

"May Heaven bless Xiqi, our army will surely win!!"

The soldiers of Xiqi were filled with rage. Those who survived to reach Chaoge were all elite soldiers and generals, and they no longer had any fear of evil spirits.

They only wanted to quell the chaos as soon as possible so that the people could rest in peace.

Behind the Xiqi army, one can see an altar that is twenty or thirty meters high, which is the Investiture of the Gods platform that Jiang Ziya built half a month ago.

The Conferred God Platform continuously devours resentment, making it difficult for the ghost soldiers to be resurrected.

"Ugh."

Jiang Ziya gently stroked the Conferred God Platform, his palm still warm. He could feel that the platform was alive, transmitting chaotic thoughts.

He looked out at Chaoge City and noticed an old man standing on the top of the city wall.

Long time no see, Bi Gan looked even older, his body seemed to have no flesh or blood, and he commanded the ghost soldiers to fight against the Xiqi army alone.

"Bigan, Bigan, the right time, the right place, and the right people are all in Xiqi."

Jiang Ziya scanned the area with his divine sense but could not find any trace of Di Xin. The immortals who supported the Shang Dynasty were trapped in the Ten Thousand Immortals Formation, and the ghost soldiers were also restrained.

Anyone could see that Xiqi had taken control of the situation.

"Emperor Xin is nothing to fear. As long as Xiqi conquers the Central Plains, given the current tarnished reputation of the Shang Dynasty, there is no chance of its restoration."

"That's the Conferred God Platform..."

Jiang Ziya hesitated slightly, as the Conferred God Platform was nearing its limit.

Perhaps due to the continuous depletion of the ghost soldiers, the Investiture Platform is about to overflow. If I don't place the Investiture List on the altar soon, something unexpected might happen.

Jiang Ziya sighed and telepathically instructed his generals not to harm the common people.

All we need to do is defeat the ghost soldiers. The common people have already become half-human, half-ghosts. Once they die, the millions of souls they generate will be far too many.

Click.

Jiang Ziya saw the cracks in the Conferred God Platform begin to spread, and dark red blood beads seeped out.

Without further hesitation, he took out the Investiture of the Gods from his sleeve, solemnly placed it in the center of the altar, and then took a few steps around and performed a Taoist salute.

Before Jiang Ziya could recount the edict from the Primordial Heavenly Venerable of the Jade Void Palace...

boom.

In an instant, the color of heaven and earth changed.

The Conferred God Platform trembled violently, and a dense, tangible resentment soared into the sky, tearing open a huge black vortex in the firmament.

Starlight could be faintly seen flowing in the depths of the vortex, as if it were connected to another world.

Such a commotion naturally attracted countless gazes from both sides. Bigan also raised his cloudy eyes and stared thoughtfully at the vortex.

Just as everyone was in shock, a faint, ethereal melody came from the vortex.

At first, it sounded like a gentle breeze tinkling bells, but gradually it transformed into the sound of golden bells and jade chimes.

The soldiers of Xiqi turned their heads to see figures shrouded in ethereal mist emerging from the clouds.

Ji Fa raised his bronze sword high, and his voice rang out at the perfect moment, "With the Heavenly Court's support, Xiqi will surely win! Heaven has bestowed upon us a glorious era!!"

With high morale, the Xiqi front steadily advanced.

Bigan knelt down helplessly, no longer daring to look directly at the clouds. "Heaven is unjust. Why won't it give the Great Shang another ten years? No, even five years, and we can find a way for humans and ghosts to coexist."

His unwilling murmurs were drowned out by the sound of the Xiqi horn.

The Investiture of the Gods hangs in mid-air.

It seems that the Investiture of the Gods will begin once the Shang Dynasty is destroyed.

(End of this chapter)