A Scroll of Infinite Glory

Chapter 610 The True and False Ksitigarbha

Originally, in the vicinity of the Gourmet Universe, nine powerful beings once fought in turn to revive the creatures who died or were injured in the previous war in this war zone, which involved extremely heavy karmic consequences.

However, with the contracts signed by both factions to the leader of the [Eternal Life] chapter as a guarantee, resurrecting those beings is much easier.

Guan Luoyang and Baosheng Dadi joined forces, and after a short while, figures gradually appeared in the void.

"Let those native creatures return to the places they know best to recuperate."

With a wave of his hand, the countless figures in the vast sky instantly transformed into countless beams of light and disappeared into the distance, leaving only tens of thousands of reincarnators in the end.

Among these tens of thousands of reincarnators, those below the seventh star level quickly recovered completely, landed on the ground, and met each other, naturally filled with joy.

Those seven-star and eight-star reincarnators, numbering only a little over a hundred, were still suspended in mid-air, their eyes closed and unawakened.

"They were all gradually worn down to death. When the essence of the strong dissipates, it leaves a deep mark on this world. If they are resurrected now, it would be too brutal for both this world and themselves."

With a smile, Baosheng Dadi took out an octagonal, exquisite, crystal-clear purplish-red medicine box from his sleeve and tossed it into the air.

The medicine box grew taller in the wind, rising layer by layer until it formed a thirty-three-story purple-gold pagoda. A rich medicinal fragrance emanated from the openwork doors and windows of each story.

The aroma, rich yet not pungent, mellow yet not cloying, forms layers of purplish-red clouds, like brocade and silk, carrying those reincarnated beings who have not yet awakened.

"This medicine tower was created when a powerful figure from a certain realm advanced to the ninth star. As the entire realm celebrated, the Great Dao played heavenly music. I happened to be there and collected the sound of the heavenly music, which I then materialized. I used 361 kinds of innate energy to bake and blend it together."

"Wait quietly for a moment, and they will wake up refreshed and invigorated by the aroma of medicine, which will be of great benefit to them."

Guan Luoyang caught a whiff of the medicinal fragrance and sensed something amiss.

Emperor Baosheng probably had another purpose in using this medicine tower to treat all the seven-star and eight-star powerhouses who had died in battle.

The aroma of medicine provides synchronous benefits to this culinary universe and these powerful beings. Once they awaken, their powerful aura can be fed back into the culinary universe in a more harmless way, thus alleviating the universe's decline.

"I'm afraid the fragrance of these herbs alone is not enough to restore the universe to its former youth."

Guan Luoyang pulled a small pony out of his sleeve and laughed, "Why don't we carefully slice up this Star Bridge Heavenly Horse and spread its concept of rebirth throughout the universe? Perhaps there's great potential in that?"

The Star Bridge Pegasus trembled, its large, watery eyes filled with tears, and it shook off many feathers. However, its wings did not become bald; instead, they appeared even more radiant and new.

"Why frighten him, fellow Daoist?"

Baosheng Dadi said, "With our abilities, we don't need to hurt this celestial horse to take away the concept of rebirth."

"I first use the medicine box to nourish this world, so that this universe will not be too weak to receive nourishment. Later, after I take away this concept of rebirth, refine it, and make it into a pill, I will apply acupuncture to this universe, which will be enough to make it return to its youth and give the native creatures more time to reproduce and evolve."

The concept of rebirth conceived by the Gourmet Universe was originally only meant to take effect after the universe had completely ended, in a state of annihilation, so that the imprints of civilizations from the previous multiverse could be passed down.

However, the path of cultivation is inherently about transforming the mundane into the extraordinary.

If this sliver of opportunity for rebirth falls into the hands of a powerful figure like the Great Emperor Baosheng, there's no need for all beings in the universe to endure the agony of annihilation.

After he refines the medicine, he can use acupuncture to help the universe absorb its medicinal power. This way, the universe can be completely renewed before any beings within it even notice any major fluctuations.

With Guan Luoyang's current level of insight, he could certainly see these things, but they were deliberately trying to cause trouble for Xingqiao Tianma.

"The Ghost King Shell and the Taipan Serpent are both not worth mourning, but the billions of birds in the dream are truly benevolent to humans and have done great favors to many civilizations in the universe. How could I not care when I saw such a good person being harmed for no reason?"

Guan Luoyang shook the little pony in his hand and said, "It's really fortunate that his karma is clear. Apart from being an accomplice in the matter of billions of birds in the dream, he has never harmed any intelligent beings. Otherwise, I would have cut him down with one stroke long ago. It's not just about scaring him."

Xingqiao Tianma had a sudden inspiration and discovered that among the figures in mid-air who had not yet recovered, there were not only reincarnators, but also a few local powerhouses, as well as the figure of the billions of dream birds curled up like a ball.

Its two front hooves suddenly collided, and a wound appeared on each hoof.

A rich spiritual light, predominantly blood-red yet tinged with rainbow hues, gushed forth from its wound, meandering and flowing upwards, reaching towards the silhouettes of countless birds in the dreamscape.

As a mythical beast that has broken through the second extreme realm of the Heart Gate, Xingqiao Pegasus is good at escaping and also good at saving its life.

Its method of giving its essence to the millions of birds in the dream world was extremely skillful, without any worry of forcing growth, and was quite similar to the effect of the heavenly medicinal fragrance.

With the two effects combined, the aura of the billions of birds in the dream world immediately became much stronger than that of the other characters who had not yet recovered.

"You're quite clever."

Emperor Baosheng chuckled and said to Guan Luoyang, "Since this celestial horse knows how to make amends for its past, after it helps the billions of birds in the dream realm revive, punish it by making it travel around this Gourmet Continent, diligently resolving natural disasters and calamities for various civilizations, without neglecting its duties, for a period of three thousand years. What do you say?"

After considering it for a moment, Guan Luoyang nodded and said, "Alright."

He tossed it casually.

Pegasus relaxed its neck and landed, then quickly nudged the two of them with its front hooves to express its gratitude. It then spread its wings and flew to the side of the millions of birds in the dream world to guard them.

It would take some time for the medicinal effects of the Heavenly Fragrance to take effect. With nothing else to do, the Great Emperor of Life Preservation brought up the matter of the prizes for this competition again.

"Fellow Daoist Fengming contributed the most this time, so the two most valuable prizes in the competition should be yours."

Emperor Baosheng took out the Nine-Nine Supreme Profound Golden Elixir and the skull of the Great Sun Tathagata, and exclaimed, "Even in my collection, these two items are rare."

"Although Fellow Daoist Fengming has only just reached the nine-star level, with these two treasures, as well as your Golden Lotus, Wrathful Dark Hammer, Haotian Mirror, Undying Staff, Eternal Civilization, and Bat Blade, you are considered to have a wealth of resources among all nine-star reincarnators."

Guan Luoyang took the two treasures and immediately sensed the infinite mysteries they contained. Upon careful examination, he found them to be full of novelty and found himself quite fond of them.

He thought for a moment, then shook his head and said, "This competition wasn't won by me alone. If it weren't for Yan Kuangtu's self-destruction, I might not have been able to snatch the Taipan Serpent, and the subsequent situation would have been even more unpredictable."

"I'll accept the Buddha's head, but as for the Golden Core, I think it should be given to Yan Kuangtu to make up for his injuries."

The Emperor Baosheng smiled even more broadly and said, "This golden elixir may not be suitable for Brother Yan. Let me personally examine him later and see if there is any way to salvage the situation as soon as possible."

"Don't worry, the prizes for this competition are extremely generous. Even if you get these two treasures, everyone else will still make a lot of money."

Baosheng Dadi pulled out a list and showed it to Guan Luoyang.

There were many things inside that Guan Luoyang had never heard of or seen before, but at his current level, by following the cause-and-effect connections, he knew that these things were all very valuable.

It's important to know that the prizes for this competition aren't just bets placed by nine-star powerhouses; all the reincarnators from both sides who participate will also bet on it.

Originally, even if a seven-star or eight-star expert was suppressed, the victor would hardly gain any spoils of war unless the loser possessed a superior weapon that could not be destroyed even by self-destruction, in which case the victor would have some gains.

As for elixirs, secret manuals, magic weapons of the same level, insights from predecessors purchased at high prices, and Daoist imprints obtained through fortuitous encounters, they will all be consumed and destroyed in the event of defeat, and the victor will have no chance of obtaining them.

Therefore, the prizes for the winner of this competition are far more substantial than the spoils obtained from dozens of previous major battles.

Those small and medium-sized battle groups under both sides, if they have the ambition to gamble big, will really put all their resources on the line when they send people to participate in the war, in order to match the other side's bet.

In this respect, the winner takes all, and the loser loses everything; the cruelty of casinos and battlefields is somewhat similar.

Baosheng Dadi also took the opportunity to check the list again, and then turned to distribute the prizes to the others.

Guan Luoyang found a high spot to sit on, playing with the two treasures. His mind gradually calmed down, and he prepared to look at the causal lines that he cared about most.

The cause and effect of Fuxi drawing shadows did not lead to Fuxi in the Taiqing World. It seems that the ancient sage of the Taiqing World had long since become detached from cause and effect and may no longer be in the Taiqing World. No one knows where he is.

Therefore, the cause and effect of the Fuxi Shadow Painting tradition is directly linked to the human race's fortune within the Taiqing World.

Guan Luoyang glanced around and saw that the fortune had transformed into golden and purple light, forming a vast sea of ​​clouds that could sweep across all realms. In addition to countless phantoms of living beings, there were also many holy lands, floating and sinking.

There are also eight sacred sites, which hold the most special status. They are located at the very bottom of the entire Sea of ​​Fortune, and seem to be the foundation of this Sea of ​​Fortune.

However, those sacred places that were originally floating freely above the sea of ​​clouds seemed to be sinking, making the entire Sea of ​​Fortune turbulent and turbulent.

He originally wanted to take a closer look, but he felt a grand aura rising up, blocking any attempt to observe, so he didn't insist.

"It seems that Master Yuding once said that a great calamity was approaching within the Taiqing World, and the turbulent currents in the Boundary Sea might trigger an external calamity. I wonder if the internal and external calamities have already begun to erupt now."

"I have several major karmic debts to repay, and I should find a way to do so rather than wait until I am put in a passive position later. It is better to take the initiative to intervene when the opportunity arises."

Guan Luoyang pondered for a moment, then looked again at the causal thread that had formed in cooperation with the Juechang Battle Group to develop the Taiqing Chiming World.

That causal thread involves the most chaotic people, events, and things, but not much of it poses a threat to Guan Luoyang in the present.

Finally, there is the cause and effect of the Thousand-Petaled Lotus Ksitigarbha Golden Bowl.

At the other end of this causal line lies the place where, among all the causes and effects, the one that harbors the deepest malice towards him.

Almost anyone who obtains the Thousand-Petaled Lotus will be indiscriminately resented by the beings on the other side of cause and effect.

However, the thousand-petaled lotus also has protective measures left by Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva before his death. Unless the person holding the protection actively triggers the cause and effect, it is not easy to be discovered. Therefore, the existence of the other side of cause and effect can only be waited for.

Before touching that cause and effect, Guan Luoyang had a wicked thought. Suddenly, his body swayed, his head disappeared, and then he pressed the skull of the Great Sun Tathagata onto his neck.

"Hehehehe!"

The skull, as white as gold and jade, was exceptionally full, its jaw opening and closing as if showing off its forty teeth. It let out a strange laugh and then flicked its finger to trigger the cause and effect of the thousand-petaled lotus.

………………

The Great Clarity and Brightness are divided into three realms.

Heaven, mortal realm, underworld.

The heavens are divided into thirty-three layers, and the underworld into eighteen layers.

The underworld is vast, inhabited by countless ghosts and spirits. From top to bottom, the first nine layers of the underworld are filled with various ghost kings and deities appointed by the Heavenly Court, who assist Yama in establishing the Underworld and governing the spirits.

However, there are ten Kings of Hell in total. The tenth King, the Wheel-Turning King, has few obedient ghosts and gods under his command who can govern the people's livelihood.

He lived in the tenth level of the underworld. From there down, the lower levels of the underworld were either deathly still or inhabited by extremely vile monsters, so there was no need to govern them.

The duty of the Wheel King is to find some parts of these monsters that are still worthy of enlightenment, and while suppressing them, help them cultivate their spirituality until they become rational ghosts and gods, or differentiate into countless ghost spirits and reincarnate.

The true meaning of the cycle of rebirth is to transform the state of extreme defilement and evil into the normal state of beings from past lives.

However, the lower realm of the underworld is filled with countless ferocious beasts. Every time relics from the old world enter the underworld, the number of ferocious beasts increases. There are too few ghosts and gods who can achieve something in the path of reincarnation in the underworld. After a long time, the successive Wheel Kings inevitably feel overwhelmed after taking office.

In ancient times, after several Wheel Kings petitioned the Heavenly Court and successively resigned and went far away, the Heavenly Court selected those with great magical power and great volunteers from the Three Realms. Regardless of what kind of Taoist magic they cultivated, they all had the opportunity to be appointed as the Lord of the Underworld to assist the Wheel Kings in suppressing the evil beasts of the lower underworld.

The current leader of the Underworld Cult is none other than Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva from the Western Buddhist tradition.

King Yama had great respect for this Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha, even though the latter's attainments in the path of reincarnation in the underworld were not deep enough to transform the evil beasts of the lower realms into the normal state of ghosts from past lives.

However, this Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva possesses profound spiritual cultivation and deep understanding of Buddhism, and has the power of supreme enlightenment. It is only because of the great vows he made in the past that he does not call himself a Buddha.

He was able to transform the evil beasts of the lower realms into six kinds of wondrous beings whose hearts turned towards Buddhism through the influence of his own Buddhist teachings.

The Wheel-Turning King then takes over, transforming these six kinds of beings into normal ghosts without specific inclinations, and sends them into the cycle of reincarnation, making the whole process much easier.

However, for some reason today, when this Bodhisattva was expounding the Dharma, his voice became somewhat erratic.

The Wheel-Turning King was far away. After listening for a while, he felt a little strange. So he used the power of the King of Hell and instantly arrived at the gate of the Pure Land of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva.

In that pure land, a plump, fair-skinned bodhisattva with long eyebrows and no beard sat high on a lotus throne, wearing a Dharma crown, chanting scriptures incessantly, and the sound of Buddha's voice suddenly became strong again.

The Wheel-Turning King was unaware that a thread of cause and effect had been concealed by Ksitigarbha.

Within that thread of cause and effect, a voice still emanated that displeased Ksitigarbha.

Stop pretending.

Guan Luoyang repeated his previous question, "You, this Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, are you a fake?"

Wednesday is the summer solstice, Thursday is the Dragon Boat Festival.

Qu Yuan is certainly commemorated, but I also wish everyone a happy holiday!

However, the weather is getting hotter and hotter, so if you're going out to play, remember to take precautions against heatstroke!

happy holidays!!

(End of this chapter)