Gentlemen, it's time to enter the Banner of Ten Thousand Souls.

Chapter 338 The Origin of Nirvana Sect
Perhaps because the heavens and earth had shrunk, the hungry ghosts under the Five Finger Mountain were more numerous and easier to summon.

Now, without the obstruction of the remnants of the Nirvana Sect, Chen Ye easily sent all the hungry ghosts to that mountain.

Chen Ye also had to fly to the mountaintop and finally saw the full view of the Buddha's palm.

This is a huge hand severed at the wrist, with the bone and flesh clearly separated at the break. Below it is a dark red and black lake, which looks like it was formed from the blood of this Buddha's hand.

Once the hungry ghosts reached the mountain, they seemed to have caught the scent of the blood pool. Without needing Chen Ye to guide them further, they rushed towards the severed hand one after another.

Even the largest hungry ghost is as insignificant as an ant before this severed hand.

But these very ants are able to gnaw a piece of flesh off a severed hand.

Chen Ye was terrified. These hungry ghosts had sharp teeth that could bite anything. If they were released into the mortal world, it would be the end of the world in just a few days.

Jinming the Bald Monk's wish has indeed come true. If he could control these hungry ghosts, sweeping away all the righteous sects would be no problem. However, Jinming the Bald Monk took advantage of a loophole. The Buddha Palm also played tricks on him. He only wanted the power to destroy the human world, not complete control.

It's likely that the Buddha's palm didn't expect that Chen Ye would be carrying a copy of the Ksitigarbha Sutra that could suppress him, so much so that when the hungry ghosts crawled all over the Buddha's palm, the ghosts were powerless to resist.

Under Chen Ye's gaze, the enormous Buddha's hand was gradually covered in black, and then the flesh and blood were gradually removed to reveal the stark white bones.

Later, even the bones were devoured by the hungry ghosts, leaving only the dark pool of blood where a group of hungry ghosts rolled and fought, trying to swallow the last drop of blood.

As the Buddha's palm was completely devoured, the crimson color in the world gradually faded, and the Ksitigarbha Sutra slowly fell back into Chen Ye's hands.

The world has settled down, and the spacetime that seemed like it would shatter at the slightest touch has become much more stable.

The Nirvana monk was telling the truth. The hungry ghost and the Buddha's palm were of the same origin, and the hungry ghost itself had no intention of destroying heaven and earth, which allowed this small world to stabilize again.

Chen Ye finally breathed a sigh of relief, at least he wouldn't become a sinner who would destroy humanity.

However, this matter was far from over. Chen Ye held the Ksitigarbha Sutra in his hand and looked back at that red figure.

The Nirvana monk was still there. When he saw Chen Ye looking at him, he simply put his hands together and said to Chen Ye, "Thank you, benefactor. You have saved humanity this time, which is a great merit."

Chen Ye laughed and said, "Congratulations! Master, your wish has also come true, and you can escape your predicament."

The monk Nirvana said, “You misunderstand, benefactor. Although the Buddha’s palm was devoured by the hungry ghosts, as I have said, they are of the same origin. The Buddha’s palm has not disappeared; it has merely merged into these hungry ghosts and been suppressed by their hunger and desire. I am the same; I am destined to merge with this world and never be reborn. This lingering thought will not last long; it will dissipate in half a day at most.”

"Oh? Is the master truly so selfless?"

Chen Ye didn't quite believe the Nirvana monk's words. This was the head of the Nirvana Sect, no matter which generation he was. Chen Ye didn't believe that the bald monk of the Nirvana Sect would really care about others. This bald monk must have received some benefits.

“Amitabha Buddha, this humble monk knows that you will not believe me. But I have another favor to ask of you all. In the last half day, I would like to ask you to listen to me tell you a story about the Nirvana School. Would you be willing to do me the honor?”

Chen Ye frowned, still worried that the monk might have ulterior motives. But Qu Heng came to Chen Ye's side and said, "He is right. The Buddha of the Nirvana Sect cannot go against the wishes of his believers. His Buddha palm was devoured, and he was forever merged with these hungry ghosts until this world perishes, at which point he will also perish."

Qu Heng had previously collaborated with the Nirvana Sect and was very familiar with many of their supernatural abilities. Since he said so, he was probably right.

Chen Ye said to the Nirvana Monk, "Since that's the case, then please tell me the story of the Nirvana Sect. I'm also very curious. How did you, the dignified sect leader of the Nirvana Sect, become a puppet for making wishes?"

The monk Nirvana smiled slightly and said to the crowd, "In fact, the entire Nirvana School is nothing more than a series of karmic obstacles created by unfulfilled desires. I had not seen through it before, but in the endless time since I became a Buddha, I have witnessed countless kinds of greed and countless human tragedies. Only today, after regaining a moment of freedom, have I realized where I went wrong. If you are willing to listen, I will begin by explaining the origins of the Nirvana School."

Chen Ye and his two companions listened quietly to the first sect leader of the Nirvana Sect recount the stories of the past high in the sky.

The Nirvana School is both a demonic sect and a Buddhist sect.

To trace its origins, we must go back to the chaotic era before good and evil were distinguished.

At that time, there were many other races in the world similar to merfolk, and the path of cultivation did not distinguish between what was demonic and what was righteous.

Those who kill to practice martial arts have crude techniques, while those who meditate to cultivate qi have complicated methods.

Cultivators all sought immortality, yet they did not know how to achieve it. What they fought over was mostly spiritual resources and treasure lands, rather than their stance on the Dao. Although there was no grand scene of the eighteen Demon Lords simultaneously attaining Dao at that time, it was still the era with the richest cultivation resources.

Immortal caves have appeared one after another, and ancient immortal sects have seen the light of day again. Countless legends of ascending to immortality in one step have been passed down in the mortal world, and the true patriarch of the Nirvana Sect is one of them.

At that time, this ancestor was just an ordinary cultivator who had just learned how to circulate spiritual energy and had not even learned many spells.

But he was extremely lucky and accidentally stumbled upon a blessed land, which is now the Nirvana Sect's secret realm.

This blessed land is filled with spiritual energy, far exceeding that of the outside world by a hundred times. Rare flowers and exotic beasts are everywhere, and rare and precious materials are within easy reach.

What's even more remarkable is that the place is completely deserted.

This patriarch of the Nirvana School spent more than ten years in seclusion here, and often wandered around the countryside in his spare time.

Several years have passed, and I have finally traveled all over this small world and seen that towering, solitary peak.

With nothing else to do, he decided to take a look at the scenery on the highest peak.

At that time, the patriarch of the Nirvana Sect had not even learned how to fly through the clouds. He could only climb up using his mortal body. It took him a whole year of cold and heat to finally reach the summit.

Through the wind and snow, through the cold mist.

He saw a severed hand atop that solitary mountain peak.

The severed hand appeared to have just been cut off, with golden blood slowly flowing from the cut. Despite the wind and snow, it did not solidify but instead gathered into a small golden lake.

The palm was so large that even a single fingernail was as imposing as a city wall.

Even more remarkably, a mysterious light flowed around the edge of the palm, and as soon as one approached, a chanting of Buddhist hymns filled the ears, as if the ultimate truths of heaven and earth were contained within it.

He meditated before his hand was severed, and countless years passed until his body merged with the wind and snow, turning into a block of ice.

When he opened his eyes again, the ice on his body shattered, and the first Buddhist disciple appeared in the world.

However, at that time, the name Nirvana School did not yet exist.

The Buddhist disciple sat in meditation for a hundred years, and although he attained enlightenment of the supreme Dharma, he could not ultimately grasp its full scope on his own. When he emerged from seclusion, he knew that he would hardly make any progress in this life.

Therefore, he drank the blood of the severed hand, shed his old body and became an unnamed monk, and then left this blessed land to spread the Dharma in the human world.

In the decades that followed, Buddhist practices spread throughout this world.

But at this time, the name Nirvana Sect was still not mentioned.

Until the old patriarch was about to die, he told the Buddhist disciples about the secret location of the severed hand, and this place became a Buddhist holy site.

Subsequently, Buddhist disciples settled here, began building temples, and started compiling scriptures.

However, these were all insights they had gained from their severed palms, which led to frequent debates. Many exceptionally talented individuals refused to concede to anyone, resulting in several branches within the small Buddhist sect.

However, everyone knew that everything in Buddhism came from the severed hand on that mountain peak, so no one left. They all wanted to continue their practice here, hoping to understand the true Buddhist teachings as soon as possible and achieve immortality and bliss.

At this point, the monk Nirvana sighed: "Originally, my fellow disciples and I were only arguing about our understanding of Buddhism, and there was no enmity between us, until I made a mistake. Amitabha, I have sinned."

Chen Ye asked curiously, "What mistake did the master make?"

The monk Nirvana lowered his head and said with shame, "This humble monk is afraid of death."

(End of this chapter)