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

Chapter 443 Bodhisattva and Great Sage

"For your sake, I can spare the four of them."

The Great Sage of the Overturning Seas spoke in a tone as cold as ice, sending a chill down Chen Ye's spine, who had just been clinging to a sliver of hope.

Wait, weren't we having a pretty good chat just now?

Chen Ye had thought this ancient demon was quite easy to talk to. Chen Ye was even wondering if he could glean some ancient secrets from this demon.

For example, why have all the gods and Buddhas disappeared? Why was he trapped in Guixu by Erlang Shen?

Why is it that even the name of the true Buddha has not been passed down in this world?

They were all ready to inquire about these important matters concerning the world, so why did they suddenly turn around and say they wanted to kill someone?

And he was only allowed to save four?
"Great Sage...this..."

Chen Ye looked up at the frozen world in the distance. There were more than a hundred cultivators in the sea; they had all gathered here because of his single thought, Chen Ye, for the so-called safety of the world.

Let him choose four survivors from among these people, and have the rest die?

There's simply no way to choose that.

The Great Sage Who Overturns the Seas seemed to see through Chen Ye's despair and continued to urge him, "If you can't choose now, it doesn't matter. You can keep these four favors. If you can't stand it when I kill someone in the future, you can use them then."

The casualness in those words is even more chilling than direct violence.

Chen Ye felt a surge of anger rush to his head.

It's somewhat plausible that he wanted to kill someone to vent his anger when everyone tried to stop him from escaping.

But what about the future?

Does he intend to wander the world, killing anyone he dislikes to demonstrate his power as a great demon saint?

Chen Ye felt his blood rushing to his head and couldn't help but want to fight this Great Sage to the death, even if it meant his own death, he couldn't let him be so smug.

But the anger, which had just begun to ignite, suddenly dissipated by more than half.

Chen Ye seemed to have figured something out, and a smile appeared on his face.

"Great Sage, are you truly allowing this junior to make the choice?"

"Good, you have four chances."

“Very well.” Chen Ye took a deep breath, as if he had made up his mind. “This junior will ask the Great Sage to spare the men, women, and children of this world, making it exactly four people.”

The Great Sage of the Overturning Sea stared at Chen Ye with his remaining eyes, and Chen Ye felt an overwhelming pressure descend upon him, even more terrifying than before.

"Kid, do you think I'm joking with you?"

The Great Sage of the Overturning Sea spoke in a chilling tone, each word like a heavy hammer striking Chen Ye's soul.

But this time, Chen Ye did not back down at all.

Facing that pressure, he said, word by word, "Of course, the Great Sage was just joking with me. If the Great Sage really wanted to kill, why would he wait for me to return? If the Great Sage really wanted to vent his anger, this place would probably be a river of blood the moment you were freed. Why would he just freeze them in place?"

The moment he said those words, Chen Ye saw a slight change in the expression on the face of the Great Sage Overturning the Sea, and the pressure on his body also lessened considerably.

Clearly, Chen Ye guessed correctly.

Chen Ye had to admit that he had indeed been terrified.

After all, it would be impossible for anyone to remain absolutely calm when facing a great saint of the demon race.

When the Great Sage Who Overturned the Sea said "only four will remain," his mind went completely blank.

But it was that phrase, "favors can be saved for later," that made him feel uneasy amidst his fear and anger.

Use it later?

You, a dignified Great Sage of the Demon Clan, have killed so many people, and you still want to take a mere Transcendent Realm cultivator like me on your journey? Where are we going? What are we going to do? Is there something that absolutely requires the help of an insignificant nobody like me?
Even if they really need my help, why do they have to start this blood feud with me at this very moment?
The demon race may act eccentrically, but they are by no means stupid.

This overly forceful threat, in fact, exposed its irrationality.

If this Great Sage truly wanted to kill, he wouldn't need to give his consent. In fact, he didn't even know Chen Ye was there when he escaped, so why would he wait for Chen Ye's return to make his move?
Therefore, regardless of whether he appeared or not, and regardless of whether he had succeeded in his mission, the Great Sage Overturning the Seas never intended to wreak havoc from the beginning. Otherwise, these people wouldn't have been frozen in place; they would have been reduced to dust long ago.

So Chen Ye returned the joke with one of his own.

If the Great Sage Who Overturns the Seas is willing to accept the task, it means that everyone has a glimmer of hope.

The Great Sage Who Overturns the Seas stared at Chen Ye for a long time with his last remaining eye, and finally shook his head as if in helplessness.

“I underestimated you. If you were a little dumber or a little more timid, you might have been scared out of your wits by me just now and suffered less.”

"Cowardly? Suffering?"

Before Chen Ye could understand the meaning behind those words, the Great Sage Overturning the Seas had already provided the answer for him.

A blinding flash of lightning appeared without warning, instantly enveloping Chen Ye's entire body.

The sensation was as if a million red-hot steel needles were simultaneously piercing his body from all directions and then exiting from within. Every inch of his flesh and blood, every wisp of his soul, was being repeatedly burned and torn apart by an extreme force of lightning.

Indescribable pain overwhelmed all his consciousness.

"what--!"

Chen Ye finally couldn't hold back and let out a shrill scream.

Just as he felt he was about to be completely roasted from the inside out by this force, the terrifying lightning suddenly disappeared.

The Great Sage Who Overturned the Seas withdrew his hand, his tone indifferent.

“This is to repay Youluozi on your behalf. Now that Youluozi is gone, this torment you have suffered is considered settled.”

Chen Ye opened his mouth and exhaled a cloud of grayish-black mist, which turned into a pile of bubbles in the seawater.

That lightning bolt was terrifying. It was probably not much different from the effects of hellish torture. No, hellish torture is painful but doesn't cause serious injury. If that lightning bolt had continued for a little longer, Chen Ye would have been reduced to ashes on the spot. Even the Eight-Nine Arcane Arts wouldn't have been able to save him.

Upon hearing what the Great Sage Overturning the Sea said, Chen Ye exclaimed in surprise, "Youluozi is dead?!"

The witch who could hear the voice of all things, the opponent who once gave him the biggest headache, is actually dead?
The Great Sage of the Overturning Seas sighed, "Her lifespan was already nearing its end; this small world cannot contain true immortality. Unfortunately, for tens of thousands of years, I have been lost in a daze, unable to respond in the slightest. Only at the moment of my escape did I hear her last words..."

Just after the Reverse Star Sea Formation was activated and the black dog was taken away, the seal on the Gate of Returning to the Void was loosened due to the loss of this key element that truly suppressed the Void. At that time, the righteous sects were busy transferring the mirage demons and sea beasts in the Void according to their plan and did not notice anything amiss.

The Great Sage of the Overturning Sea regained his senses due to the loosening of the seal. The black dog was also absent and unable to mobilize the power of the restriction to suppress him in time, so the Great Sage naturally broke free.

Imprisoned for ten thousand years, the Great Sage Who Overturned the Sea knew nothing of the outside world. But as soon as he pushed open the gate to the Void, he heard a voice: "Congratulations on your release, Your Majesty."

These are the last words left by Youluozi to the Great Sage Who Overturns the Sea.

The Great Sage Who Overturned the Sea was imprisoned for tens of thousands of years. The aura he emitted caused the little conch in the Ruins of Return to transform into a demon. Youluozi spent five thousand years and exhausted all his energy, finally using his own life to knock on the door of the Ruins of Return.

Unfortunately, even after hearing the word "Great King," the Great Sage of the Overturning Sea still didn't know who Youluozi was.

But Youluozi had long since vanished into thin air.

The Great Sage Who Overturns the Seas possesses immense supernatural powers. Tracing back to the source and calculating the past is not a difficult task for a Great Sage, especially since he was only calculating the fate of a mere minor demon. Even though Youluozi has perished, recreating the previous scene would still be a piece of cake for this Great Sage.

Because of the question "Great King," the Great Sage of the Overturning Sea used the power of water spirit to recreate everything that happened in the Ruins of Return.

He witnessed Youluozi's resolute charge towards the Howling Celestial Dog, and he also saw how, every few days for the past few thousand years, Youluozi would come to the depths of Guixu and try to speak to him.

At first, she was just an insignificant little demon. Even if she approached the Gate of Return to Nothingness, she would not attract the attention of the black dog. She was too insignificant, like an ant, unable to shake the restriction in the slightest.

At that time, Youluozi was still ignorant and curious. She knew that the one deep in the Ruins of Return was her king. It was that dragon energy that gave her intelligence and made her know what "self" meant.

She tried to communicate with the Great Sage Who Overturns the Seas inside the gate, but there was never a response.

Only every hundred years or so, the Great Sage Who Overturns the Seas lets out a few painful dragon roars due to his injuries.

At this time of day, most of the sea monsters in Guixu are scared away.

Once, Youluozi was chased to the brink of death by a sea beast in the Ruins of Return, and was about to become its meal when the Great Sage of the Overturning Sea let out a dragon's roar, scaring the sea beast away.

The little conch spirit felt that her voice had reached the ears of the Great Sage Overturning the Sea, and that this benevolent king had driven away her natural enemy.

Later, whenever the dragon's roar sounded, Youluozi felt that it was the king summoning her to an audience. She would then happily come to the gate of Guixu and continue to greet the "king" through the gate, expressing her gratitude.

For five thousand years, the Great Sage Who Overturned the Seas never heard a single word from her, yet she spoke intermittently for five thousand years, recounting in detail all the things she had experienced to this "Great King" she had never met.

Even though she never heard a response, Youluozi felt that since the Great Sage of the Overturning Sea did not object, it meant that he liked to listen to her and was the only person who could listen to her.

Later, as Youluozi's cultivation level increased, the black dog stopped ignoring her, and she could no longer get close to that door.

Even so, Youluozi still visits Guixu every hundred years, using her supernatural powers to transmit her words into the gate. It's likely that the Great Sage Overturning the Seas won't hear his own voice, imprisoned alone in Guixu, probably feeling quite lonely.

Later, Youluozi decided to rescue her king.

This thought spans a thousand years.

Unfortunately, despite his persistent longing, he never received a response.

When the Great Sage of the Overturning Sea learned of everything Youluozi had done for him, the scene just now unfolded.

Since Chen Ye had caused Youluozi a lot of trouble, what happened just now was a small punishment to serve as a warning.

"May I ask, Great Sage, why did you spare my life?"

Despite the stinging pain in his soul, Chen Ye forced himself to ask the question.

"If you truly wish to avenge Youluozi, wouldn't it be more straightforward to simply kill this junior? Since the Great Sage has spared my life, what use am I to him?"

The Great Sage Who Overturns the Seas gazed at Chen Ye silently for a long time before saying, "You are indeed a clever man. Since you are so clever, why don't you guess why I have to say so much to you?"

Chen Ye sensed a slight change in the tone of the Great Sage Overturning the Sea, as if... there was a hint of resentment in it?

It's not surprising that he harbors resentment after being imprisoned for tens of thousands of years, but what does that have to do with him, a mere mortal? How many years has Chen Ye lived?
The Great Sage Who Overturns the Seas clearly didn't intend to explain; he hoped Chen Ye could figure it out himself.

Do all these senior experts like to say only half and do only half?

Chen Ye sighed helplessly. Even the Great Sage of the Demon Clan liked to play this trick?

But when you're under someone's roof, you have to bow your head. Chen Ye could only play this game of guessing what the Great Sage was thinking with him.

After pondering for a while, Chen Ye replied, "The Great Sage treats me differently. Could it be related to the Buddhist treasure I possess?"

Chen Ye remembered that when the Great Sage Who Overturned the Sea mentioned the Sandalwood Merit Buddha, he relaxed the restrictions on him. Later, after seeing the Ksitigarbha Sutra, his expression changed even more.

This matter is likely related to Buddhism.

But Chen Ye really couldn't guess the specific reason.

Upon hearing Chen Ye's speculation, the Great Sage of the Overturning Sea frowned and said in confusion, "Something is indeed not right. You have the inheritance of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva and your mind is far beyond that of ordinary people. Why didn't Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva tell you everything? How could you not even know that I was imprisoned in Guixu?"
"Back then, we made a promise that Ksitigarbha would send someone to break the seal and set me free. Now, tens of thousands of years have passed, and the best opportunity has long since vanished. Even if I were to break free now, what use would it be?"

Chen Ye was completely stunned.

His mind seemed to be completely blank after those few words.

Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva...is he going to save the Great Sage Who Overturned the Sea?
Erlang Shen is a righteous god of the Heavenly Court, and he must have been sent by the Heavenly Court to punish the Great Sage of the Demon Clan.

Just like when they fought against the Great Sage Equaling Heaven, it was only natural for them to subdue demons and monsters. Chen Ye had always believed that Erlang Shen had made a mistake when he fought against the Great Sage Overturning the Sea, which led to heavy losses, including the death of his dog, Xiaotianquan.

But why did all the gods and Buddhas disappear later, and even their real names were not passed down?

Chen Ye had not connected the two events before. He always thought that the prisoners of Guixu were sealed first, and then the world changed, which led to the severing of the connection between heaven and earth, the disappearance of all the gods and Buddhas, and the loss of most of the written records.

As it turned out, the Great Sage Who Overturned the Sea had made an agreement with Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva: the Heavenly Court would subdue demons and Buddhism would save people... The more Chen Ye thought about it, the more he felt that something big must have happened.

Even if Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva wanted to change his mount, there was no need to go through such a roundabout way.

Chen Ye mustered his courage and asked, "Great Sage, what exactly is the 'best opportunity' you mentioned that you've missed?"

The Great Sage Who Overturned the Seas slowly closed his eye, as if recalling distant past events.

After a long while, he let out a long sigh, a sound filled with endless desolation and regret.

“You really know nothing.” The Great Sage Who Overturned the Sea shook his head and said, “Ksitigarbha, I was ultimately deceived by you bald monks. Tens of thousands of years have passed, and all that’s left is this crippled body.”

Immediately afterward, the Great Sage Who Overturned the Seas gritted his teeth and said, "You ask me which matter I'm referring to? Of course, it's the momentous event of slaying immortals and destroying Buddhas, and recreating the universe!"

(End of this chapter)