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

Chapter 447 Can you block this strike?
Looking at the vast, dark mass of hungry ghosts covering the mountains and plains before him, the Great Sage Overturning the Seas showed no panic whatsoever; instead, he observed them with great interest.

"Interesting. What method was used to imitate the hungry ghost realm in the six realms of reincarnation?"

Seeing the Great Sage of the Overturning Seas land so lightly on the ground, Chen Ye couldn't help but call out a reminder.

"Great Sage, be careful! These hungry ghosts are immortal and eat everything!"

Before the words were even finished, the hungry ghosts, like sharks that had smelled blood, roared and pounced from all directions.

However, the hungry ghosts that even the lingering remnant of the Howling Celestial Dog couldn't handle were blocked three feet away, as if they had hit an invisible wall. No matter how much they scratched and bit, they couldn't advance an inch.

The Great Sage Who Overturned the Seas merely glanced at them indifferently.

"A counterfeit is still a counterfeit."

As soon as he finished speaking, a layer of misty water vapor silently spread outwards from him.

Wherever the moisture passed, those hideous and terrifying hungry ghosts melted away in patches, like ice and snow under the scorching sun, turning into pools of foul-smelling pus that seeped into the parched land.

Chen Ye's pupils contracted slightly. He was surprised to find that none of the hungry ghosts that he had been unable to kill before were able to revive this time.

"In the end, it is merely an external manifestation of greed and desire, not the true cycle of reincarnation," the Great Sage Overturning the Seas explained casually, noticing his confusion.

Having easily resolved these minor troubles, the Great Sage of the Overturning Seas urged Chen Ye to continue leading the way.

Not long after they resumed their journey, this True Immortal seemed to get bored again and took the initiative to approach Chen Ye.

“Kid, do you know how surprised I was when Ksitigarbha came to me?” His voice carried a hint of amusement. “I never imagined that his square, compassionate bodhisattva-like face would be plotting a rebellion.”

For some reason, the Great Sage Who Overturns the Seas couldn't help but talk to Chen Ye along the way.

Sometimes he inquires about the changes in the cultivation world, and sometimes he reminisces about the glorious years when he stirred up the world.

If he had a choice, Chen Ye really wouldn't want to know these ancient secrets that were enough to stir up a huge storm. He was already trying very hard to restrain his curiosity.

However, he dared not disobey.

The Great Sage Who Overturns the Sea is a true "man of strong emotions." In other words, if this guy gets upset during a conversation, no one can bear the consequences.

That's how arrogant and domineering true immortals are.

Chen Ye could only muster all his strength and carefully keep up the conversation.

"Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva...why did he rebel?" Chen Ye followed up on his words and asked a question that he himself was also extremely curious about.

This was a question that not only Chen Ye wanted to know, but even Fei Lian, the Demon Lord who had been silently following behind, couldn't help but prick up his ears.

He had always wanted to understand why the natural order of this world had shattered to such an extent. Now that Chen Ye had asked for him, he naturally wanted to listen carefully.

To everyone's surprise, the Great Sage Who Overturned the Seas scoffed.

"How would I know what kind of nonsense those bald monks who eat vegetarian food and chant Buddhist scriptures are thinking about all day long?"

"Those bald monks are a million times more scheming than mortal emperors. All they think about is how to impose their ways on all living beings. But the Heavenly Court doesn't buy into their schemes, and that old Buddha isn't capable of completely suppressing the Heavenly Court, hahaha!"

The laughter was full of schadenfreude.

Chen Ye's mind raced, and he continued to press, "Since Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva wants to ally with you, he should at least give you a reason. Otherwise, how could the Great Sage believe that a Bodhisattva with immeasurable merit would want to destroy Buddhas and immortals?"

Upon hearing this, the Great Sage Who Overturns the Seas seemed lost in distant memories, and it took him quite a while before he slowly spoke.

"It's been too long, and I can't remember many of the details."

"But I still remember a question that Ksitigarbha asked me back then."

He said, "If someone can easily break the rules of this world, then are those rules meaningless?"

“At that time, I knew that this bald monk had gone astray in his Buddhist practice. Perhaps he had been in hell for too long and had been influenced by those sinners who would never be reincarnated. What rules has Buddhism ever talked about? Isn’t it all because the Buddha’s fist is big enough that what they say is the truth?”

"If rules can be broken, then they are meaningless..."

Chen Ye pondered these words repeatedly in his mind.

These words certainly weren't directed at their demon race. After all, those powerful sages of yesteryear were all subdued and made obedient, with Buddhism being a major driving force behind it.

So who is the one who broke the rules?

Is there a traitor in Mount Ling? Or is there a problem with the Heavenly Court?

No, that's not the point.

Chen Ye quickly grasped another key point.

“Great Sage, please forgive my rudeness.” He carefully chose his words, “Even if Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva joins forces with you, I’m afraid they are no match for the Heavenly Court and Mount Sumeru. The Buddha’s power…”

Chen Ye didn't know how to describe that difference.

Perhaps the Great Sage Who Overturned the Seas could shatter the human world with a single slap, but the Buddha could suppress the all-powerful Great Sage Equal to Heaven under the Five Elements Mountain for five hundred years with a single slap.

What makes the Great Sage Who Overturns the Seas think he can overturn Mount Ling?
Even the most straightforward monster wouldn't be so brainless as to follow someone to their death.

Upon hearing Chen Ye's question, the Great Sage Who Overturns the Seas laughed.

“Of course Buddha is powerful, but…” he changed the subject, “Never mind, you are still just a mortal cultivator. You wouldn’t understand if I told you too much.”

"I'll just ask you this: do you think Buddha would bleed? And all the Buddhas of Mount Ling, all the Bodhisattvas in the sky, would they bleed?"

This question immediately put Chen Ye into deep thought.

Even Buddha bleeds?

Before his transmigration, he could have debated this issue for three days and three nights. But after transmigrating, Chen Ye understood that the difference between different realms on the path of cultivation was like the difference between clouds and mud.

To say that Buddha could be injured...

wrong!

A sudden inspiration struck Chen Ye; he thought of a scene from the Journey to the West.

Even the all-powerful Buddha was once injured by a minor demon in the mortal realm—the scorpion demon's poisonous stump!

Seeing the thoughtful expression on Chen Ye's face, the Great Sage Overturning the Seas knew that he had already grasped something, so he continued:

"Once one transcends the mortal realm and becomes an immortal, one can no longer judge them by worldly standards. But the difference between immortals and Buddhas is not as great as you might imagine."

“When you reach the realm of immortals and gods, supernatural powers are the key. My seventh brother has an indestructible body and a life-saving supernatural power like the Somersault Cloud. These two things alone are enough for him to cause trouble in the underworld and the heavenly palace. If it weren’t for that three-eyed man’s scheme against me and his use of the sea-filling supernatural power to force me out of the water, no matter how great his abilities are, he would never be my match in the sea.”

The incredible power of land reclamation!
Chen Ye was startled; this was probably the true literal meaning.

To deal with this Great Sage Who Overturns the Sea, Erlang Shen actually had to fill in the entire ocean! The Great Sage Who Overturns the Sea seemed quite proud of his supernatural powers. After speaking, he turned his gaze to Chen Ye.

"By the way, what supernatural powers have you learned? Since Ksitigarbha chose you to take on this karma, you must have something extraordinary about you."

After thinking for a moment, Chen Ye simply summoned the Emperor of Fengdu.

In an instant, a towering, majestic, and solemn phantom of a deity appeared in this desolate world.

The deity, who was originally as majestic as a mountain, seemed to have lost half his imposing aura in front of the Great Sage Overturning the Sea.

Chen Ye originally thought that such supernatural power might not be anything in the eyes of a true immortal like the Great Sage Who Overturns the Sea.

But to his surprise, when the Great Sage Overturning the Seas saw this deity, his face showed an extremely surprised expression.

"Yama? No...you've...refined the entire underworld into your supernatural powers?! Is this why Ksitigarbha chose you?"

Chen Ye quickly explained, "Great Sage, I mastered this supernatural power by chance, and it should have nothing to do with Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva."

The Great Sage Who Overturned the Seas shook his head and said meaningfully:
"The Buddhist sect is best at manipulating cause and effect. Whether the cause comes first and the effect comes later, or the effect comes first and the cause comes later, it is the same to them."

"Just like tens of thousands of years ago, Ksitigarbha made a promise with me, saying that one of his people would surely come to break my seal in the future. All of this was already within his calculations."

Chen Ye was speechless.

An ant cannot comprehend the mind of a dragon, just as it cannot fathom the vast and timeless plans of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva.

"Interesting, truly interesting." The Great Sage of the Overturning Sea circled the illusory image of the Emperor of Fengdu twice, his surprise growing stronger. "It seems you are more than just a pawn. Ksitigarbha overturned Mount Ling and destroyed the Heavenly Court. Now, who knows how many gods and Buddhas are left? And you, perhaps, are the key he arranged for, the one that leads to destruction and rebirth."

Upon hearing this, Chen Ye couldn't help but chuckle self-deprecatingly.

“Great Sage, if Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva truly wants me to rebuild the Underworld, then why did he destroy it himself in the first place?”

"If the problem lies only with the rules of the Six Paths of Reincarnation, wouldn't it be much simpler to improve them than to start from scratch? With the supernatural powers of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, wouldn't it be easier to change the rules than to destroy the entire Mount Sumeru?"

Moreover, Chen Ye could never understand why, instead of reasoning with Buddha, they had to resort to rebellion.
He didn't believe that the Buddha was the sinister figure depicted in some conspiracy theories; otherwise, he couldn't have become the master of Mount Sumeru and received the support of so many Bodhisattvas and Buddhas. If there had to be a villain in this story, then it now seemed that Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, who had orchestrated everything, was more like the mastermind behind it all.

The Demon Lord Feilian, who had been silent all along, was in complete turmoil.

Heaven, Mount Ling, Buddha, Bodhisattva...

He didn't recognize any of these names. But he could tell from their voices that they were all incredibly important figures.

Buddhism... His impression of Buddhism was still based on the Nirvana School, which had long since been destroyed, and the insignificant Cixin Temple.

As a result, the two people told him that the great calamity that caused the destruction of the Heavenly Dao was actually planned by a master of Buddhism.

If Buddhism were truly so powerful, how could it have fallen to such a state?
Just as the Demon Lord Feilian was racking his brains trying to figure it out, the three of them had already returned to the cliff.

The enormous Buddha's hand remains quietly embedded in the mountain wall.

“Great Sage, this is the Buddha’s palm I was talking about,” Chen Ye said, pointing to the Buddha’s palm.

The Great Sage Who Overturned the Seas slowly walked up to the severed hand, examined it carefully for a moment, and suddenly burst into laughter.

"No, this isn't Buddha's palm!"

"Not the Buddha's severed hand?" Chen Ye was taken aback.

"Of course not!" The Great Sage of the Overturning Seas' smile grew even more smug. "This is Manjushri's palm. I recognize his aura."

"It seems that Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva has really succeeded. He has probably destroyed Mount Ling and the Heavenly Court."

Upon hearing this news, Chen Ye felt a mix of emotions, unsure whether to be happy or disappointed.

There was a time when he dreamed of ascending to the celestial realm one day and being able to see those great figures who only existed in myths and legends.

Unexpectedly, before he could ascend to immortality, those important figures had already become history.

At this point in the conversation, Fei Lian, the Demon Lord who had been suppressing his curiosity, finally couldn't help but speak up.

"The Heavenly Court and Mount Ling you speak of are... beings who once held sway over the rules of Heaven?"

The Great Sage Who Overturns the Seas glanced at him and nodded: "That's not entirely wrong. When the Heavenly Court still existed, it was they who set the rules for the Three Realms."

Demon Lord Feilian took a deep breath and asked the question that concerned him most.

"Then... now that the Heavenly Court is destroyed, what would happen if I were to ascend to heaven?"

"How would I know?" The Great Sage of the Overturning Seas shrugged nonchalantly. "I've never seen what the Immortal Realm looks like now. But I guess that after the great battle, the remaining magical power alone would be enough to tear any newly ascended immortal junior to shreds."

Upon hearing this, the Demon Lord Feilian trembled violently, and his eyes instantly became empty.

He muttered to himself, "No wonder...no wonder...none of the ascended predecessors have sent back any news..."

From the first person to ascend to the heavens until now, not a single predecessor has revealed a single word of information.

Fei Lian couldn't understand whether becoming an immortal meant being separated from the mortal world.

It should be noted that many of them are cultivators from the demonic sects. They don't follow any rules or regulations. Even if the immortal realm has rules prohibiting communication with mortals, they will try every means to find loopholes.

No wonder, they didn't ascend to heaven, they died.

Feilian was brooding alone, and the Great Sage Overturning the Seas didn't bother with him. After circling the Buddha's palm a few more times, the Great Sage suddenly said to Chen Ye, "This is also a treasure. Why keep it and not use it? Manjushri Bodhisattva's severed palm contains a lot of his magical power and supernatural abilities. I see that you have some demonic energy. Why not swallow it? Your cultivation will definitely increase greatly."

Chen Ye was stunned, staring at the Buddha's palm, which was as huge as a mountain.

Can you eat this?

When Chen Ye first encountered this Buddha's palm, he nearly died. Had it not been for the Ksitigarbha Sutra saving him, he would have been finished long ago. Chen Ye estimated that if he dared to take a bite, he would be crushed to death by this Buddha's palm.

Chen Ye quickly said, "Great Sage, what virtue or ability do I possess to dare to eat the Bodhisattva's severed palm?"

"Of course, you can't eat the flesh of a Buddhist master directly. Even Tang Sanzang's flesh couldn't be eaten raw. Otherwise, the Buddha's teachings would corrupt your flesh and soul, and even a god couldn't save you. Don't worry, I have a way to feed you this Buddha's palm. However, after you swallow it, you have to do one thing for me."

Chen Ye wanted to say that he didn't want to eat it, because who knows if he would die from overeating if he ate it.

But the Great Sage Who Overturns the Seas didn't give him that chance, and continued, "Don't refuse, you'll die if you don't eat."

"Great Sage..."

Chen Ye thought the Great Sage of the Overturning Sea was threatening him, but then he said, "If you release me, the Heavenly Court will naturally sense if there are any survivors."

The Great Sage Who Overturned the Seas pointed to the scar on his face that almost sliced ​​his head open and warned, "Look at this cut. Can you withstand it now?"

(End of this chapter)