Mythology

Chapter 453 Ascending to the Heavens (Part 2)

[The storyline "Stinky Blood" is complete; permanent character slots: 2]

Yang He's perspective lingers on Fangcun Mountain gradually sinking.

With a hint of embarrassment and anger, Shiqi Buddha put his hands together, donned the skin of Bodhi Patriarch once more, and then disappeared.

Sun Wukong, in a sorry state, plunged into the deep sea. After escaping, he kowtowed more than a dozen times towards the collapsed Wanhua Heavenly Daoist Temple.

Time stands still at this moment.

Yang He was not surprised at all that the story had ended, but he was surprised that there was no need to immediately generate a permanent character, which showed that the story reward mechanism of the Investiture of the Gods Tribulation was somewhat different.

Furthermore, completing the storyline will grant you two permanent character slots at once.

"Like the Five-Colored Ghost, there is no need to follow the rules to complete the story."

"The essence of 'the fishy life' is that Sun Wukong became a disciple. Since Sun Wukong has already mastered his supernatural powers, it is normal that he no longer needs the Cave of the Slanting Moon and Three Stars."

In theory, any of the eighty-one tribulations can be completed quickly.

The solution is to directly kill the demons at the source. However, Yang He still has only a vague understanding of what exactly to be wary of during the Journey to the West tribulation.

Yang He returned to the main world, only to find his surroundings devastated.

The Wanhua Heavenly Daoist Temple is now just ruins, with only a portion of the main trunk of the Wanhua Tree remaining, causing the disciples of the Zishi Sect to show fear in the mountains.

Yang He did not reassure them, but simply sent a telepathic message to Yu Zheng that he was alright.

He stood under the Tree of Myriad Transformations, his mind still immersed in his encounter with the Buddha of Corpse Abandonment. The latter's act of directly refining Sun Wukong further demonstrated that Buddhism had long been planning the journey to the West to obtain Buddhist scriptures.

Learn from experience?

Damn it, what kind of scriptures are they going to fetch?
After completing the fusion, Yang He was still worried about Sun Wukong, so he hurriedly returned to the world of the classics, not expecting Buddhism to be so impatient.

His previous role was also quite special; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to successfully pass on the Fiery Eyes to Sun Wukong. Now that Sun Wukong's foundation is flawless, it remains to be seen whether he can escape his fate.

[Flesh and Blood Remains (Green): You are a remnant from an immortal's abode, who finds yourself in danger after an unexpected life is born.]

[Should a permanent character <Flesh Remains> be generated?]

"Cancel."

Yang He's flesh and blood remains did not completely sever his life force, but in order to ensure that the Myriad Transformation Tree is not affected by the Ruins of Return, a large amount of Celestial Court energy must be integrated into the Daoist temple for each subsequent realm.

Unless a character is extremely rare, it should never be easily generated as a permanent character.

Yang He swallowed the Nine-Turn Golden Pill, and the Myriad Transformations Heavenly Dao Field slowly reshaped under the effect of the medicine, with the entire sky shrouded in strange phenomena.

The myriad-flower tree sprouts new branches, and the spiritual patterns on its bark are incredibly mysterious.

"In the original story of Havoc in Heaven, it was the Jade Emperor who sought help from the Buddha, which led to Buddhism's intervention in the Heavenly Court. But this world is definitely different."

"Buddhism has a deep scheme, and the Three Pure Ones are not in the Thirty Heavens."

"Difficult to handle."

Yang He's only consolation was that the situation of Sun Wukong's havoc in the Heavenly Palace should change. After all, Sun Wukong was seeking freedom and wouldn't rashly go to the Underworld, thus becoming trapped and dying in the Ruins of Return.

He suspected that the remains inside the Eight Trigrams Furnace would transform into Sun Wukong.

"There must be many Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in the Pure Land who will go to the Peach Banquet. The key to the havoc in the Heavenly Palace is not Sun Wukong, but the Queen Mother of the West who has been in seclusion in the Jade Pool for hundreds of years."

Among the immortals and gods invited to the Peach Banquet announced by the Queen Mother of the West, the Patriarch Bodhi was prominently listed.

If it were the original work, after teaching Sun Wukong, Patriarch Bodhi would not appear again, which shows that Buddhism wanted to extend its influence into the Heavenly Court.

“The Corpse-Abandoned Buddha…this thing’s aura is very similar to that of the Corpse Celestial Venerable.”

"If nothing unexpected happens, there might be a Buddha in the Pure Land corresponding to the Ghost Lord. Is Shakyamuni planning to eliminate me from the root?"

"If it were to take his place, it would be a good opportunity to taste the flavor of the Buddha."

Yang Lihe cleared his mind; the Myriad Transformations Heavenly Dao Field had been reshaped.

Qianyuan Mountain is located in the center of the Taoist temple. It is the highest peak of Wanhuatian. The mountain is connected to the earth's veins. A massive amount of Yin energy converges on the mountaintop like hundreds of rivers flowing into the sea, increasing the Yin energy content by three or four times.

The Yin energy had already solidified into a tangible form, enough for Yang He to cultivate in the Xuanxian Realm.

The new version's cultivation method that integrates supernatural powers does have its merits, but in terms of self-sufficiency, it is far inferior to the ancient immortals who have built their own dojos.

At the summit of Qianyuan Mountain, only the Blood and Flesh Taoist Temple remains, and its current scale far exceeds that of ordinary buildings.

There are 3,600 jade steps leading to the temple, and a vermilion gate ten zhang high with two ferocious ghost heads on the door knocker, their large copper bell-shaped eyes constantly moving.

Inside the main gate, the halls are arranged in a staggered manner. The main hall is made entirely of jade, with a roof covered with black glazed tiles and seventy-two golden pillars with coiled dragons.

The library is located in the southwest, with bronze chimes hanging from its eaves that ring out even without wind.

Inside, there are collections of the Daoist traditions that Yang He once read. Similar buildings include a treasure pavilion for storing resources, an alchemy pavilion, a weapon-refining pavilion, or a secluded cultivation room that can accommodate a thousand people.

The backyard was filled with the fragrance of herbs, and some herbs were scattered haphazardly around the Wanhua tree, but no one took care of them.

The myriad-colored tree had reached a height of twenty meters, its branches and leaves lush and glowing with tiny fluorescent lights.

Apart from the Ghost Three Flowers and the Corpse Three Flowers, one of the Buddha Three Flowers has already bloomed, allowing some people in the main world to inherit the incomplete and immaculate Buddha body.

The Ten Absolutes City is located halfway up the mountain, hidden among the rolling clouds and mist.

Yang He glanced around and saw all sorts of strange and evil spirits filling the streets and alleys. Because of the Twenty-Four Heavenly Kings, they all possessed simple intelligence.

He nodded in satisfaction; the celestial palace and the cave had become a unified whole after deep integration.

The twenty-four heavens not only surround the sacred site, but now the mountains and rivers are also bathed in a faint Buddhist light, and even the rain is mixed with a trace of golden light.

As long as they remain within the range of the Myriad Transformations Heavenly Dao Field, evil spirits will gradually develop sentience. Although they cannot communicate, they can take care of resources in various places.

"Once the Myriad Transformations Heavenly Dao Field is large enough to cover the main world, then mortals can move in. Otherwise, the deep-level Grand Masters can easily come into contact with the Myriad Transformations Tree."

"It doesn't matter if the temple is damaged, but the Myriad Transformation Tree must be strictly guarded."

Yang He stood with his hands behind his back, his robes fluttering in the cold wind. At present, no evil spirit comparable to a true immortal has been born in the Daoist temple, but there are already three evil spirits at the Tribulation Transcending Realm, and it is only a matter of time before they advance further.

[The Myriad Transformations Heavenly Dao Field: Legend has it that the world is teeming with demons and monsters. An ancient immortal crafted a secluded Dao Field, whose spirituality arose spontaneously and was named Yang He.]

Meow~~

The black cat jumped onto Yang He's shoulder.

Yang He only then noticed that his own Hakimi had already stepped into the Xuanxian realm, and his cultivation technique was called the Five Elements Brahma Light Scripture. His supernatural abilities were mainly protective escape techniques, but he was not good at offensive attacks.

The black cat opened its mouth and hissed, the sound echoing throughout the Ten Deadly Cities.

Roar! ! !
The horde of ghosts marched in a grand procession toward the Blood and Flesh Taoist Temple.

As they traveled, they changed into gray and white Taoist robes, each dressed as a Taoist novice, with at least twenty or thirty people assigned to each temple.

Yang He didn't stop the black cat; after all, no matter how much it made a fuss, there would be no harm done.

"The spiritual vision has also exceeded ten million, and this trip has yielded remarkable results."

[Spiritual Vision: 1018.6]

"Let me see what's in the eighth level of hell!"

Yang He opened his fiery eyes between his brows and looked around the mountain range where the dojo was located. All kinds of ghosts and gods came into view, but he had already seen them before.

"Hmm? Could it be that the eighth level of hell doesn't have a physical form...?"

The moment the thought arose, Yang He's pupils dilated in shock.

The mountains seemed to be alive, spewing out yin energy. Their structure resembled coral or an open lotus platform, and the ghost or deity involved was Nezha.

Also known as the Great God of the Three Altars and Seas.

After Ling Shi arrived at the Ten Million Realm, Yang He noticed more and more details.

The Lotus Terrace Mountain range has been completely transformed, yet the aura it exudes is somewhat similar...

"A dojo?"

“That’s right, it’s a dojo.”

Yang He stared for a long time and realized that the Lotus Platform Mountain might not necessarily be the transformation of Nezha. To be precise, the ghosts and gods in the Endless Hell named the Great God of the Three Altars and Seas might have been Nezha's place of practice.

"Wait a minute, Junior Brother Qingfeng seems to have mentioned it."

"During my more than seven hundred years of slumber, the Three Pure Ones helped the immortals and gods to separate their dojos, which prevented a large number of immortals and gods from going astray in their cultivation."

"What about the dojo that was separated from it?"

Yang He licked his lips, wondering if the Three Pure Ones would throw him into the Ruins of Return.

It is highly likely that the branches of the Heavenly Dao Tree within the Daoist temple have been eroded and corrupted, and would be a scourge even if left in the Three Realms. Only the Ruins of Return, this garbage dump, can seemingly safely contain them.

What happened to those temples in the Ruins of Return?

It gave birth to countless indescribable...ghosts and gods?!
What about the immortals and Buddhas? Have they been replaced by the ghostly and divine cultivators of the deep realms?
Yang He still couldn't find the answer, but he could sense that he was very close to the truth—the truth that this world was on the verge of destruction.

"Before the truth comes out, all we can do is build high walls, store up plenty of grain, and delay declaring ourselves king."

[Vulgar things: Born in heaven]

[Related Allusion: "Havoc in Heaven" - Consume 1 Spirit Vision to enter the allusion world?]

"determine."

"The erosion of the Ruins no longer hinders the use of supernatural powers. This time, at the Peach Banquet, hehe, there's no need to stand by and watch."

"Since Corpse Celestial Venerable is in Kong Xuan's hands, let's choose to play the role of [Ghost True Lord]."

.........

The Tushita Palace was deathly silent.

The vermilion palace gates were half-closed, and the interior was dark and gloomy. Only the Bagua furnace in front of the palace was still burning fiercely, with the Six Ding Divine Fire churning endlessly.

The reflection illuminated the charred corpses scattered all around. The corpses were all withered and emaciated Taoist boys, some curled up on the ground, others kneeling before the furnace, their flesh charred and cracked, their bones twisted.

The fire crackled and popped, but it couldn't dispel the biting chill.

In a corner of the Tushita Palace, a wisp of yin energy quietly surged, and then flesh and bones began to grow.

Yang He's body was radiating a protective aura, with five-colored divine light flowing throughout his body. The Five Elements Brahma Light Scripture was also exceptional in its ability to control one's aura within the same realm.

"Didn't the completion of the legend of the Crouching Moon and Three Stars Cave affect the havoc in Heaven?"

He muttered to himself, a complex expression flashing across his brow.

Looking around, they found that at least the rules of development had not changed. After Doubu returned to the Heavenly Court, he had already dispatched righteous gods to seal off the outer perimeter of the Tushita Palace.

Now, there is no one around the Eight Trigrams Furnace, only the fire still burning.

"call."

Yang He frowned slightly, closing his eyes to suppress his surging emotions.

When it opened its eyes again, it had already used its Fiery Eyes to the fullest extent.

With the help of millions of spiritual visions, Yang He quickly saw through the Six Ding Divine Fire and soon the entity inside the furnace came into view.

"Hey hey hey."

A piercing laugh rang out, and a middle-aged man squatted inside, seemingly aware of Yang He's gaze, his mouth twisting into a wide grin.

"No... Wukong."

Yang He's expression was grave. Was Wukong still trapped and dying in the Ruins of Return?

None of his actions changed Sun Wukong's predetermined fate? The havoc in Heaven was truly a dead end? Impossible, impossible!
The person inside the furnace opened their mouth, and saliva dripped from the corner of their lips.

hungry!

He awkwardly got up and slammed his head against the lid of the Bagua Furnace.

Boom! !

With his neck broken and ribs exposed, the person inside the furnace felt no pain whatsoever; instead, he let out a chilling laugh.

As long as you break through even the slightest crack, you can taste the flavors of immortals and gods!
Boom! !

The man inside the furnace went mad, leaving himself a bloody mess. Meanwhile, outside the Tushita Palace, skinned apes were attacking the Doubu defenses.

"Damn it, if this doesn't work, we'll find a way to get rid of the monkey troop on Flower Fruit Mountain."

"We must never let Buddhism get what it wants."

Even if the story cannot be completed, it will still cause trouble for Shakyamuni.

Yang He's forehead veins bulged. He kept saying he was carefree and unrestrained, but Wukong hadn't even tasted the peaches of immortality.

Damn bald monk!
He walked step by step toward the Bagua Furnace.

Things are different now. With the Wanhua Tree now stable, the temple can be used, along with one-third of the Immaculate Buddha Nuo Banner.

Instead, we should try to kick the Eight Trigrams Furnace into the Ruins of Return.

Yang Heyi raised his hand, and the Precious Bone Tomb was suspended in mid-air. The black cat also sensed its master's anger, its fur stood on end, and five-colored divine light spread out, trying its best not to let the Doubu Zhengshen notice anything amiss.

Numerous heads emerged, ready to lift the Bagua Furnace.

"Lang Jun!"

Yang He stopped, only to see a woman stretch out her jade-like hand and press down on the Bagua Furnace.

The person inside the furnace let out a series of groans, his once arrogant demeanor greatly diminished, his flesh sizzling, and he cowered in the shadows, too afraid to move.

"Yunxiao."

The newcomer was none other than Yunxiao. Compared to the eerie atmosphere during the Investiture of the Gods, he was now dressed in a phoenix coronet and embroidered robes, exuding elegance and nobility, and his cultivation was even more unfathomable.

"It is I, born in the year 743, the year 169. It has been a long time."

Yunxiao smiled gently, "My lord, please don't be affected. This evil spirit has a complicated origin. It is immortal and will even arouse the selfish desires of immortals and gods."

Yang He nodded, secretly relieved after suppressing his anger.

No matter how you deal with the people trapped in the furnace, throwing them into the Ruins is definitely not the best option. Who knows what kind of beings the endless hell will give rise to?

Yang He coughed awkwardly, his gaze shifting as he said, "Fairy Yunxiao, more than seven hundred years have passed, and your cultivation has become even more refined."

Yunxiao's eyes flickered, her fingertips gently tracing the surface of the Bagua Furnace: "Why must you be so distant, my lord? Don't forget..."

"Ahem!" Yang He hurriedly interrupted, "Have you killed the evil spirit in the furnace?"

All his previous regular roles have been lost, and now he is playing the Ghost Lord again. It is estimated that about ten days have passed in the Heavenly Court.

Yunxiao raised an eyebrow. "The Dou Department has tried the Nine Heavens Divine Thunder and the Samadhi True Fire. Even if they defeat the evil spirits, they will come back to life."

"The evil spirits were inexplicably reborn in the Zhuluohuangjia Heaven of the Eighteenth Heaven of the Realm of Form, and it took a lot of manpower to reseal them back into the Eight Trigrams Furnace."

"I suspect..."

"You say it." Yang He subtly retreated, avoiding Yunxiao.

"The evil spirit in the furnace is not its true form, so it is immortal and indestructible. There is a theory among the Eight Divisions that the trouble is closely related to the Peach Banquet. With the Peach Banquet approaching, we should pay attention to the Queen Mother of the West's Jade Pool."

Yang He couldn't fathom Buddhism's scheme, but he had one advantage: the body and soul of the person in the furnace were still composed of his own flesh and bones.

If things get urgent, just find an opportunity to create a permanent character.

"How long until the Peach Banquet?"

"The seventy-third day." Yunxiao's face was unusually grim. "My lord, you have also received an invitation to the banquet. Please remember to pay close attention to my position then."

Yang He fully appreciated the benefits of having connections.

When Yang Jian and Nezha returned to Heaven, their team was still very strong.

Yang He couldn't help but worry about Sun Wukong again, "Yunxiao, do you think... the evil spirit in the furnace might be related to Sun Wukong from Flower Fruit Mountain?"

Upon hearing this, Yunxiao's expression shifted slightly, and with a gentle flick of her wide sleeves, she created a soundproof barrier. "My lord is indeed perceptive. I have indeed been secretly investigating this matter recently."

"A hundred years ago, Sun Wukong somehow offended Buddhism and was forced to flee into the Ruins of Return, and since then, Flower Fruit Mountain has become a forbidden area."

Yang He was elated; the facts proved that his actions were not meaningless.

Originally, Sun Wukong entered the Ruins of Return by mistake while trying to modify the Book of Life and Death, but now he has deliberately escaped into the Ruins of Return, perhaps there is a glimmer of hope for him?
Yunxiao then added, "Sun Wukong himself is a different kind of spiritual stone monkey, and he also has two long-armed apes and two red-bottomed macaques under his command. This number does not match the number of evil spirits that caused the disaster in Heaven, so there may have been a disagreement at the time."

Yang He seemed lost in thought, unaware of what had transpired during the century that had passed between the two historical accounts.

It seems that half of the monkeys from Flower Fruit Mountain left with Sun Wukong; they couldn't possibly survive in Guixu, as ordinary monkey demons simply couldn't survive there.

"My lord, don't think too much about it."

Yunxiao took out a jade slip from her bosom. "I know that you, my lord, are proficient in the Three Heads and Six Arms Dharma Body, and later you changed to cultivate One Qi Transforms into Three Pure Ones. You may be able to use this supernatural power."

Yang He took it and scanned it with his divine sense; the supernatural power was called the Dharma Body Outside the Body.

It certainly can't compare to the One Qi Transforms into Three Pure Ones, but he hasn't mastered it yet. The external Dharma Body is the best way to advance the Three Heads and Six Arms Dharma Body.

"Thank you."

When Yunxiao saw Yang He accept the jade slip, her eyes immediately curved into crescent moons.

Where is even a trace of the majesty of the leader of the Dou tribe?

“My lord, you should stay in the Tushita Palace to cultivate. I will protect you.”

"Yunxiao."

Yang He called out to Yunxiao, who was about to turn and leave, "Could you help me find out about two people?"

"It's alright, sir, please give your orders."

"The Curtain-Raising General of Lingxiao Palace, and Marshal Tianpeng of the Tianhe Navy."

Yang He coldly raised his head. In any case, he had to prepare in advance, because the course of the Journey to the West Calamity might not be able to be reversed by 180 degrees.

But little by little, it may prove useful in the future.

.........

Meanwhile, in the underworld, in the Yellow Springs.

The Yellow Springs, a cycle of reincarnation that accommodates countless souls, is permeated with a pungent stench of decay, forcing living beings in the vicinity to endure the excruciating pain of their bodies and souls being eroded.

suddenly.

Thousands of apes came from all directions.

Their fur was rotten and decaying, yet they emitted sharp cries, their eyes fixed on the Yellow Springs, and they kept pounding their chests.

boom!
The Yellow Springs exploded, and a golden iron rod burst forth from the water, stirring up the Yin energy of the Nine Netherworlds. The rod was engraved with five ancient seal characters: "Ruyi Jingu Bang" (meaning "golden cudgel").

Snapped!
The skeletal arm clung to the Ruyi Jingu Bang and was lifted off the water.

Then came a head with flames flickering in its eye sockets.

As flesh and blood proliferate.

A deafening roar erupted from his throat.

"I, Old Sun, am back!!!"

The monkey troop instantly erupted in excitement, pounding their chests wildly. Leading them were another gibbon and a red-bottomed macaque.

"My children, follow me to the Heavenly Court! We will raze the Heavenly Palace to the ground!!!"

"Charge into the Heavenly Court! Flatten the Heavenly Palace!!!"

(End of this chapter)