Becoming a god starts from planting a Bodhi tree.

Chapter 522 Small Matters, Big Impact

Should we release ourselves from this sea of ​​suffering?
Doumu Yuanjun fell into deep thought. Releasing the Sea of ​​Bitterness might further restrain Ji Jingqiu and also allow her to find the position of Lord of the Netherworld.

But the appearance of suffering in this world is not necessarily a good thing.

She is now on the verge of transcending the world, and it is only natural for her to transcend. Why would she need the title of Lord of the Underworld to add to her glory?

In contrast, when one attains enlightenment and comes to manage this world, one will still have to deal with the sea of ​​suffering, which will only add to the trouble.

"Why doesn't Your Majesty directly strip Ji Jingqiu of his divine status?" Zhang Tiancheng suddenly asked.

Doumu Yuanjun glanced at him casually.

With just one glance, Zhang Tiancheng's knees slammed to the ground, his forehead striking the jade bricks heavily. His mind trembled violently, as if crushed by an invisible mountain.

That gaze descended like the might of heaven, as if silently questioning:
When did it become your turn to interrupt?
Zhang Tiancheng said with difficulty, "If I can attain the position of Netherworld Master, I am willing to serve the Heavenly Court, assume the position of Buddha, and collect incense offerings and prayers from the World Sea for His Majesty!"

Doumu chuckled, a rare occurrence for her, and said, "You've got quite a good idea, wanting both the position of Lord of the Underworld and the position of Buddha."

These words were full of mockery and sarcasm, but the oppressive aura that had been hanging over Zhang Tiancheng was removed.

Seizing the brief respite, Zhang Tiancheng said in a deep voice, "I have only one wish: that the Nether Sea may be at peace! The rest is up to Your Majesty!"

Doumu suddenly seemed a little disheartened: "If Fellow Daoist Ji had even a tenth of your talent, things wouldn't be in this state today."

She shook her head. Compared to Zhang Tiancheng, even if he had the potential to gain the recognition of the Netherworld Lord, he was still far inferior to the True Spirit Returns to One.

The reason she held the Lord of the Underworld in such high regard was because she suspected that he too had seen the other shore and returned to oneness with his true spirit.

"From this day forward, the Netherworld will be under your control, and the matter of the Netherworld Lord's position will be discussed later."

Doumu Yuanjun calmly gave the order and waved goodbye to Zhang Tiancheng.

Silence returned to the hall, and her gaze fell once more upon the Buddhist realm, a slight chill on her lips.

She could shield Ji Jingqiu from the gaze that fell upon the Heavenly Court, but Ji Jingqiu could not shield her from looking down upon the Heavenly Court!
To be honest, her performance was somewhat unexpected.

The years of neglect have actually spurred her to act, making it difficult for her to directly strip him of his divine position using the Investiture of the Gods.

Looking at Ji Jingqiu, who now receives the prayers of a thousand people and is answered by a thousand, Doumu shook her head and scoffed:
"How incredibly foolish! How many people can you possibly save? Even a true transcendent being would find it difficult to save all the beings in over a hundred realms at the same time. Isn't that a lesson enough? Fellow Daoist Ji, it's not too late to bow your head now."

Ji Jingqiu's voice rang out, but it was not a response:

"Doumu, all spirits worship Buddha and gods, so whom should the gods and Buddhas pray to?"

Doumu Yuanjun's gaze sharpened.

"The only way is to seek it out yourself."

Ji Jingqiu lowered her eyes and looked down at the world, and said softly,
"Those who seek their own fortune will be blessed; God helps those who help themselves."

"Over the years, I have manifested in countless forms, enlightening countless beings, all to tell the world one truth."

"The three realms are engulfed in flames, and all suffering is rampant. Rather than worshipping gods and Buddhas, it is far better to seek help from oneself. If one can save others while saving oneself, that would be even more precious."

"Useless effort." Doumu said indifferently, "Among all living beings, you are the most foolish and inherently evil. You only have a hundred years of education and guidance, yet you think you can defy the heavens?"

Ji Jingqiu couldn't help but sigh. Doumu was right; time was ultimately too short, which was why he was so accommodating today.

Doumu seemed to see through his thoughts and sneered:
"Not to mention you, even the highest heaven on the other shore, or that true Buddha, would not dare to presume to claim that he is responsive to all beings in the four realms and six paths, and that he is able to grant all requests."

"What makes you, Ji Jingqiu, so special?"

“Ji Jingqiu, even if you manage to stand on tiptoe and hold up the sky for these mortals, how long can you do it? It will all be in vain. If I didn’t still have a sliver of hope for you, I wouldn’t be using the lives of these beings to ‘teach’ you today, but would be stripping you of your divine status directly.”

Ji Jingqiu calmly replied, "You can't do it."

"I can't do it?"

Doumu, instead of being angry, laughed. She was about to say something when she suddenly sensed something amiss, realizing something. Her gaze sharpened abruptly, and she abruptly stood up, speaking sternly.

"You've seen 'Him'?!"

"Yes, given your actions, it's only natural that you were summoned by him! When did that happen?"

Before Ji Jingqiu could respond, Doumu's expression turned cold:

"No wonder you dared to block my path. Did you get His support? No, He wouldn't directly support you. It's probably like the Lord of the Underworld back then—"

"I see!"

Doumu returned to her divine seat, her expression as usual, her voice clear, cold, and inherently majestic.
“Fellow Daoist Ji, I will discuss the Dao with you and see if you can persevere until He approves of you, or if I will make all your aspirations vanish before you do.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Doumu's will withdrew from the Buddhist realm.

On the throne, Doumu's face was covered in frost.

After vaguely realizing that Ji Jingqiu might have seen that person, she had already tried in secret, but found that even though she was in charge of the Investiture of the Gods, she could not easily shake Ji Jingqiu's divine status!
A single move can have far-reaching consequences, and it's hard to predict what will happen next.

This must be the glimmer of hope that person left for Ji Jingqiu!
She gazed at the Investiture of the Gods hanging high in the heavens, her indifference mixed with apprehension.

The greatest variable in this realm is not those who transcend, but this one who unites heaven and earth!
Even in the highest heavenly court, they are absolutely high-ranking beings, looking down upon the heavens and the earth!

Even though she has now grasped the true essence of spiritual unity, and even though this person is already half-dead, she cannot ignore his attitude.

Thinking of this, Doumu stood up and withdrew her gaze from the Investiture of the Gods.

She would not give Ji Jingqiu any more chances.

……

Buddhist Kingdom.

"Ji Jingqiu, where is your current advantage?"

Zhou calmly said,
"The Other Shore? Or is it a struggle with Doumu for control of the Investiture of the Gods? If it's the latter, then the core lies with that being at the end of the Path to Return to Truth?"

"Doumu is right about one thing: you are not yet capable of saving all living beings under the Heavenly Court's jurisdiction. You should make some choices."

The sword light of Zhan Yue sighed, "Jing Qiu is already in a precarious situation. This is the downside of Dao Guo relying on others; he has no chance of backing down."

"If we retreat now, we will perish and our cultivation will be extinguished. So even if we have to force ourselves to hold on, we must hold on until we die!"

"Jingqiu, you must find the key to breaking this deadlock as soon as possible!"

Ji Jingqiu remained silent, yet the prayers of countless beings from numerous realms filled his ears in an overwhelming stream.

It wasn't that he was trying to stand on tiptoe, but rather that he was currently the tallest one in the Boundary Sea, so he could only stand tall and proud.

At the edge of the cliff on the mountaintop, Hela stood with her back to Wu Zhou and Jian Guang, looking up at Ji Jingqiu quietly.

She knew something that Zhan Yue Sword Light didn't know, and Wu Zhou probably didn't know either, or even if he did know, he wouldn't care at all... It was a trivial matter.

Before Ji Jingqiu embarked on the path of martial arts, during his youth when he was still battling the evil poison disease, he was once tricked by several elders into worshipping gods.

They said that as long as one sincerely worships the gods, one might receive divine help and be free from illness and disaster. For this reason, Xiao Jingqiu believed in the gods for quite some time.

Unfortunately, God did not save him.

They didn't even respond to him.

At that moment, Hela suddenly remembered a conversation she had had in the past.

—Ji Jingqiu, do you really want to become a Buddha?
—There are no Buddhas or World Honored Ones in this world; worshipping the Buddha is worshipping oneself.

Hela lowered her head, her eyes drooping, concealing the pure gold in her eyes.

Ji Jingqiu...

Since there are no gods or Buddhas in this world.

Even gods and Buddhas have never responded to you.

So what are you doing now?
Why should you respond to the myriad spirits within those 107 realms that have nothing to do with you?

……

……

The forty-seventh realm under the rule of the Heavenly Court.

After the Heavenly Court occupied this place, the Mayfly Palace became a thing of the past. All the disciples and followers of the Mayfly Palace, except for those who died or fled, were incorporated into the Heavenly Court's subordinate forces.

The mayfly world, once known as the world of mayflies, has now been given a cold, numerical designation.

At this moment, all factions are in crisis, and the former Ephemeral Realm is no exception. Natural disasters have struck, the Great Dao is in disarray, and the remaining experts above the eighth realm are suppressed by the Heavenly Court and cannot come out to "save the world".

On this day, the former deputy palace master of the Mayfly Palace, Daoist Tianqiong, hurriedly arrived at the entrance of Ji Tianxing's secluded cave.

Although the Ephemeral Palace had fallen, Ji Tianxing did the opposite. In his view, there was no safe place in the Boundary Sea at this time. On the contrary, the Heavenly Court's rule was a place where one could create darkness under the lamp.

"Ji Tianxing, how much longer will it take for Ji Linyuan to finally settle his score with Taiyi?!"

Daoist Tianqiong arrived in a hurry.

He had witnessed the fall of the Mayfly Palace, and his master, who was in the Dao Realm, was also suppressed and imprisoned by the Heavenly Court using secret methods, becoming a cornerstone of the Heavenly Court.

Ultimately, on Ji Tianxing's advice, he took the initiative to step forward, even at the cost of being labeled a traitor, giving the Ephemeral Realm a chance to survive and preventing further casualties.

Over the years, he has also been helping to cover up Ji Tianxing's whereabouts.

Ji Tianxing gazed into the distance, mentally calculating how long the entire realm could barely hold on before the Great Dao collapsed, given the current state of the Great Dao in the Mayfly Realm.

Such a sudden rebellion can only mean one thing...

"The Heavenly Court and Buddhism have turned against each other," Ji Tianxing murmured to himself.

"I overestimated the Heavenly Court's control over Buddhism. Buddhism has become too powerful to be controlled. Even the Heavenly Emperor cannot directly strip Ji Jingqiu of his position as Buddha. Is this the only way to weaken him and make him suffer the backlash from all living beings?"

"You've miscalculated more than just a little!" Daoist Tianqiong suddenly sneered, his eyes filled with sarcasm. "Judging from the current situation, that World Honored One has clearly betrayed us and is being suppressed by the Heavenly Court, even implicating our realm!"

Ji Tianxing sighed, his gaze turning somber: "This is the best possible outcome; at least it buys us some more time."

Daoist Tianqiong looked at the cave behind him and said in a deep voice, "How long will the battle between Ji Linyuan and Taiyi continue?"

"It will probably take much longer than we expected."

Ji Tianxing shook his head, and finally sighed.
"The Great Dao of this world is currently restricted. All living beings can only reach the peak of True Saint. If they want to take that step, they will inevitably be crushed by the Great Dao of the Boundary Sea. The situation is worse than we expected."

Daoist Tianqiong took a deep breath:

"If this continues, even if Ji Linyuan and Taiyi determine a winner and someone achieves transcendence, I fear that the person from the Heavenly Court will have already broken through to transcendence before that happens!"

"At that time, with the blessing of the Investiture of the Gods, how much of a chance will Ji Linyuan or Taiyi have?"

Ji Tianxing remained silent. Indeed, this was the best and safest option for them.

The Celestial Daoist suddenly posed a hypothetical question: "What if we had fully supported that World Honored One from the very beginning..."

Ji Tianxing shook his head, interrupting him: "We can't fully support his path to enlightenment. Unlike Taiyi and Ji Linyuan, who are separated into gods and humans, he established his path early and has accumulated deep knowledge. Most importantly, his choice has made him too 'eye-catching,' and he has already become one of the focal points of all parties!"

The Celestial Daoist looked exhausted.

"To date, forty percent of the creatures in my mayfly realm have died!"

"In the face of this natural disaster, the Heavenly Court does not allow us to intervene to save the world. If it weren't for this World Honored One protecting us, countless more lives would have been lost in our Ephemeral Realm."

"He did not completely submit to the Heavenly Court as you thought; you have misjudged him!"

Ji Tianxing remained silent for a long time before saying, "I didn't misjudge him. He is a disciple of Shi Tian and Dong Huang. I have always trusted him. I just didn't dare to gamble on the worst possible outcome."

The Celestial Daoist murmured, "Don't you have any way to lend him a hand, or at least buy some time for the two people behind you?"

“We have no more bargaining chips.” Ji Tianxing’s eyes also showed exhaustion. “We were not the main fighting force in this struggle to begin with. We have done everything we could.”

For thousands of years, Ji Tianxing has been entangled with the Four Demons. The fact that he has managed to arrange things to this extent is already the limit.

If the Federation hadn't faced the crisis of being besieged by the Four Demons, if he could have reached the True Saint realm earlier and set foot in the Boundary Sea, if he could have learned about the secrets behind the Netherworld and the lurking big fish earlier...

He could probably do better.

But there are no "what ifs" in this world. Just as he once told Donghuang, they can only try to do the right thing in every choice they make.

Therefore, he did not dare to gamble.

"So, all we can do now is wait?" Sky Dome whispered.

Ji Tianxing did not reply further; it seemed that all he could do was wait.

Wait until Ji Linyuan and Taiyi determine the victor.

Wait until Buddhism and the Heavenly Court determine the victor.

……

Ji Tianxing was not the only one who realized that the Heavenly Court had turned against Buddhism.

Each family, transcending their own lineage, was equally keenly aware of this.

They had been observing the changes within the Heavenly Court's territory and were among the first to notice the alterations in the Heavenly Court's subordinate domains.

One disaster might be an accident, but the simultaneous occurrence of natural disasters in 107 cities is definitely not an accident!

"Those who went to Heaven have not returned; they have probably been killed!"

"We've also lost contact with Taiwei. Only Diyi has contacted us for the first time, hoping to join forces with the various sects as soon as possible! And urging us to decide quickly whether to activate the ancestral artifacts of each sect!"

"Taiwei raised the flag of rebellion, and now he is imprisoned even if he is not dead. That Heavenly Emperor has now turned against Buddhism. Do we really need to activate the ancestral artifact? Perhaps we can wait. In a sense, the situation has improved a lot. The Heavenly Court will definitely stop its expansion."

"That makes sense. With Taiwei's rebellion, the Heavenly Court's forces will be temporarily leaderless, and their expansion will inevitably be curbed!"

The families spoke in hushed tones, the atmosphere heavy.

Over the years, they have been put in a very difficult position by the Heavenly Court, which has won many battles and conquered one realm after another.

Now that Heaven and Buddhism have turned against each other, people are thinking that with that Buddha's skills, he should be able to buy a lot of time.

Decades later, aid from various factions will arrive from the depths of the border sea, and the situation will inevitably take a turn for the better.

Wen Su rushed to Kong Ming's side and whispered, "The Heavenly Prison Palace is asking us what we think: should we join forces with Emperor Yi, use our respective resources to fight the Heavenly Court to the death, or wait for the right opportunity?"

After a long silence, Kong Ming finally asked, "What is the attitude of the Heavenly Prison Palace?"

“This time they’re not in a hurry! They want to reap the benefits without lifting a finger!” Wen Su said in a deep voice. “The Pantheon is responding positively, meaning they want to cooperate with that World Honored One in attacking the Heavenly Court.”

"The fisherman's gain?" Kong Ming smiled bitterly, then suddenly asked, "Why do you think Di Yi would suddenly contact us and urge us to make a decision as soon as possible?"

Wen Su sighed, "I guessed it, but I also felt it was impossible, because the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth is now restricted..."

Kongming took a deep breath: "We're on the Pantheon's side this time. Hopefully, the situation isn't as bad as we think."

Wen Su nodded emphatically, then turned and left.

While the various families were still discussing the plan, the front line of defense suddenly broke through!
The one who led the heavenly gods in the attack was not Taiwei, but none other than the Heavenly Emperor, Doumu Yuanjun!
After Taiwei disappeared without a trace, this female Heavenly Emperor personally donned her armor and led her army to expand the territory. She was invincible and no one could defeat her.

For a time, among all the extraordinary families in the Boundary Sea, there was not a single person who could rival him!

Let alone resisting, very few could even withstand a single move from this Heavenly Emperor!

Under the guidance of this Heavenly Emperor, the territory belonging to the Heavenly Court began to expand rapidly!
……

……

In the underworld.

Ksitigarbha, who once ruled over the endless underworld, was stripped of his divine position and control over the underworld, and was imprisoned in the lowest level of the underworld.

Under Doumu's bestowal, the Netherworld was granted to the remnants of the Netherworld, with Xinzun as their leader.

On this day, Xin Zun came alone to the lowest level of the Underworld, his gaze extremely complicated.

For over a century, they have personally witnessed and accompanied this deity in guiding countless souls to the afterlife, showing no concern for increasing their own spiritual progress, nor ever making things difficult for them. It seems that in His eyes—

All things are equal and the same.

This man's magnanimity and methods reminded even an old man like Xin Zun of the Netherworld of the former Lord of the Netherworld...

The Venerable One said softly, "Great Buddha, bow your head. As long as you bow your head, you can return to the past, accumulate merit, and you will surely attain enlightenment one day."

After being suppressed by the Heavenly Court, the golden body that was once infinitely large, seemingly able to support the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva of the Underworld on its own, was covered in dust, leaving only a layer of pale golden glass on the surface, empty inside, having been stripped of all its divine power.

But He seemed completely unconcerned, his hands clasped together, his countenance solemn, sitting cross-legged. Even though all divine authority had been stripped away, when He recited the scriptures for rebirth, pure lotus flowers filled the void, full of the meaning of going to the afterlife and being liberated.

Faced with the admonition of the Mind-Gentleman, Ksitigarbha acted as if he had not heard the teachings:
"Thus have I heard: I will not become a Buddha until the underworld is emptied. If the Heavenly Court were to rule, I fear the number of souls in the underworld would increase immeasurably."

"Why waste words with him? Lord Xin, do you dare to defy His Majesty's will?"

A cold, rebuking voice came from behind Xin Zun, and the person who appeared was none other than Zhang Tiancheng.

Xin Zun remained silent, his heart filled with such complex emotions over countless years.

They once greatly admired the Lord's selflessness and mercy, and therefore followed him.

However, at some point, they began to regard the Netherworld Palace and the Netherworld Sea as their own private domain, and started to resist the Netherworld Lord's selflessness.

And now...

With his hands clasped together, the Venerable One bowed deeply and said softly, "I cannot save the Great Buddha, so please do not blame me."

"Heart Lord! What are you doing?!" Zhang Tiancheng's spiritual avatar descended to the lowest level of the Netherworld and roared, "How dare you bow to this fiend! You are bringing shame upon the Netherworld! If this reaches His Majesty's ears, do you want the entire Netherworld to be buried with you?!"

Ksitigarbha opened his eyes, looked at the Heart Venerable in front of him, and smiled, his eyes reflecting the suffering and struggle of the beings in the underworld.

The next moment, pure flames rose from beneath Ksitigarbha, the flames soaring into the sky, burning away his remaining body, leaving only a relic that resembled crystal, reflecting the meaning of life and death, rebirth, and salvation.

Zhang Tiancheng's gaze fell on the relic. Just as he was about to reach out and grab it, the relic pierced through the void and disappeared.

"Lord Heart!" Zhang Tiancheng exclaimed urgently, "Quickly seal off the void!"

Now, the Heart Venerable is the one in control of this Netherworld. As long as he makes a move, even if this relic is at the peak of the True Saint realm, it will be difficult for it to escape the Netherworld!
Kexin Zun did not intervene, but merely watched the relic depart into the endless distance. Only then, under Zhang Tiancheng's angry rebukes and urging from behind, did he suddenly ask the same question as before:
"Tiancheng, after you said you were wrong back then, what exactly did the patriarch say to you?"

Zhang Tiancheng's words came to an abrupt end.

"What do you mean?!" Zhang Tiancheng suddenly said angrily, "You know what you're doing..."

Xin Zun raised his hand to interrupt him, and calmly asked, "Are you going to report me to that Heavenly Emperor?"

Zhang Tiancheng's face twitched. Although this person was not as senior as him, he had entered the sect much earlier and had been his mentor for many years.

"Tiancheng, I was just thinking," Xinzun said softly, "We claim to have inherited the mantle of our patriarch, but have we truly inherited his will?"

These words left Zhang Tiancheng speechless.

I do not know how long it has been.

Zhang Tiancheng abruptly turned around and strode away, leaving behind only one sentence:
"His Majesty has promised me that he will soon conquer the Netherworld, release the Sea of ​​Bitterness, and help me obtain the title of Netherworld Master! Once I inherit the title of Netherworld Master, who dares to say that we have not inherited the mantle and legacy of the Netherworld Master?!"

(End of this chapter)