NOVEL NEXT Chapter 90 - 90: Can we still have a cross-level fight in the Mahayana Realm?
Chapter 90: Chapter 90: Can we still have a cross-level fight in the Mahayana Realm?
Translator: 549690339
The Extraterritorial Heavenly Demon originated from unknown sources, harboring a strong desire for destruction. The Immortal Realm has been in a standoff with these demons for several eras, yet the latter often remains in a disadvantaged position. Only their stronghold remains impregnable, otherwise, the Immortal Realm would have wiped them out completely long ago.
Nine thousand years ago, the Heavenly Ascension Ladder mysteriously disappeared. The eternal Elder speculated that it should be the work of the extraterritorial Heavenly Demons. Unable to defeat the Immortal realm, they opted to start from the Lower Realm, gradually eroding the Immortal Realm.
The void is like an ocean, and the world is like a fish in the sea, constantly moving. However, the Immortal Realm is such a gigantic fish, it’s more like a colossal whale compared to ordinary fish, while Kyushu is like a dolphin.
The Heavenly Ascension Ladder is the only connection between the Immortal Realm and other worlds. The extraterritorial Heavenly Demon made the Ascension Ladder disappear, causing neither side to find other worlds. However, the demons may have other ways to determine the general location of Kyushu. Every few hundred years, a demon will find its way to Kyushu.
When an Earth Immortal level Heavenly Demon invades, it immediately starts on a killing spree upon reaching Kyushu. Naturally, Kyushu is hard-pressed to resist and can only rely on the Human Emperor, along with other aids from the Transcendence Tribulation Stage and Body Integration Realm, plus various means like Immortal Artifacts, and the country’s luck bestowed upon its ruler.
Kyushu’s resources have been continuously depleted, with falling one after another during the Tribulation period. Nine thousand years ago, twenty Tribulation Stage masters guarded Kyushu. But now, only Bai Hongtu, Yu Yin, the Sect Master of the Body-incorporating Sect, and Zhu, the leader of the Imperial Palace, are the four of the Tribulation stage that remain.
Jiang Li returned to Mount Sumeru. The standoff between him and the old Buddha had long drawn the attention of all monks. Two people went into the void, but only one returned, Jiang Li, holding a relic in his hand. The result of the old Buddha is evident to guess.
No monk stepped up to reproach Jiang Li for killing the old Buddha because their clear understanding of the conversation between the two indicated that the old Buddha had killed to save himself and Jiang Li had come to punish him.
No one could blame Jiang Li for doing anything wrong. The cycle of cause and effect was, after all, a philosophy of Buddhism. Killing is a mantra of fate.
Jiang Li handed the broken relic to Wu Zhi. It seemed that he had already anticipated everything. Instead of chanting the Rebirth Mantra, he accepted the relic and respectfully bowed to Jiang Li in the Buddhist practice.
“Human Emperor, my master once said that if you come looking for him and he wasn’t around, you should pick up something under the lotus platform.” Jiang Li searched under the old Buddha’s lotus platform and found a list.
A list of all the followers of the God-hidden Cult.
The first line of the list read: Sect Hierarch, Qin Xi, man of the Peacock Kingdom.
Qin Xi, the secular name of old Buddha Sumeru. He once told Jiang Li with a smile that his secular name was connected to the West, signifying his destiny being tied with the Western Paradise.
The Peacock Kingdom was a country that perished thousands of years ago.
Then it listed the Vice Sect Hierarch, Worshipers, and so on, most of whom were marked in red, indicating those people’s deaths.
The old Buddha Sumeru could have remembered all the disciples. There was no need to keep a list.
Jiang Li didn’t know why the old Buddha Sumeru kept this list, nor did he want to know.
The old Buddha Sumeru became the master of Mount Sumeru, not because of his deep cultivation, but because of his profound understanding of Buddhism.
Buddhism does not conflate cultivation level with a monk’s actual status; it’s their understanding of the Buddhist Law that matters. Jiang Li surmised that, in the end, the master of Mount Sumeru would be Wu Zhi’s disciple.
“Where is the Elder? I need advice.’
“What happened to the Buddhists? I sensed the aura of a Daoist. It seemed like that of old Buddha, but I can’t sense it now.” When Jiang Li and Bai Hongtu met, they asked each other at the same time.
“…The old Buddha broke his vow of non-killing.” Jiang Li only said one sentence.
Bai Hongtu has known Jiang Li for nearly five hundred years. Seeing Jiang Li somewhat dismayed, he instantly knew what had happened.
The killing karma committed by the old Buddha must have claimed many lives. Otherwise, Jiang Li would not have killed old Buddha Sumeru, whom he respected.
He told Jiang Li where the Eternal Elder was located and patted Jiang Li on the shoulder, “Don’t be too hard on yourself. Take it easy.”
“Take it easy?” Jiang Li smiled bitterly, “Would you relax if you knew that there had been an Extraterritorial Heavenly Demon of celestial level lurking in Kyushu for at least three hundred and eighty years?”
Bai Hongtu was startled.
A celestial level Extraterritorial Heavenly Demon? What on earth has happened? The Eternal Patriarch even said that the Extraterritorial Heavenly Demons who could come to Kyushu were only at the Earth Immortal level.
Moreover, as soon as the Extraterritorial Heavenly Demons arrived in Kyushu, they started killing like crazy, disregarding any rationality. It has never been heard of a lurking demon before!
Additionally, if they came to Kyushu 380 years ago, why didn’t they massacre people then? At that time, Jiang Li was not even a Transcendence Tribulation Stage practitioner. Who could have stopped the celestial level Heavenly Demon’s rampage?
Even now, could Jiang Li, who had just become a Human Emperor, withstand
the Heavenly Demon of celestial level?
Could it be that there was something in Kyushu that the Heavenly Demons feared?
“Is it true or false? Is the information accurate?” Bai Hongtu asked, not because he didn’t trust Jiang Li, but because the news was extremely unbelievable and contradictory.
“The old Buddha told me on his dying breath.”
“Let’s go together to see the patriarch.”
With such a significant occurrence, Bai Hongtu wanted to go with Jiang Li to ask the Eternal Elder.
The Eternal Elder was then at the top level of the Taoist Scripture Library, perusing some ancient texts that were older than himself.
Upon meeting, Jiang Li asked directly: “Elder, are you certain that the
Extraterritorial Heavenly Demons are only of Earth Immortal level?”
‘Why do you ask?” The Elder looked up in confusion. “The Extraterritorial Heavenly Demons indeed only reach the Earth Immortal level. I have never seen a Celestial level Demon in the Immortal Realm. The strength of these Demons lies only in their numbers, and their stronghold is hard to destroy. They do not have brains, only power.”
“I happen to have encountered a Celestial level Demon, and he was extremely wise. How do you explain that?” Jiang Li said seriously, his words hinting at accusation. He felt that the Elder must know some inside information, such as the reason why the Extraterritorial Heavenly Demons kill people, and about Respected God-hidden…
Seeing Jiang Li’s serious attitude and Bai Hongtu’s demand for an explanation, the Elder knew he couldn’t hide it anymore and had to tell the truth.
“I deceived you. There actually are Celestial level Demons.” The Elder sighed and explained, “The reason I always claimed that the Demons only attain the Earth Immortal level is that I worried that if you knew there could be Celestial level Demons invading, your predecessors would think defeating the Earth Immortal level Demons doesn’t mean much when there are still stronger
Celestial Demons. That way, they would live their whole lives in fear.”
“Even though you have reached the Mahayana level, I didn’t want to break this news to you. At the prime of your life, why should I depress you with the news that there’s an even stronger enemy out there that you cannot win against?”
“Earth Immortal level Demons indeed lack intelligence, but once they reach the Celestial level, their intelligence improves significantly and they become harder to deal with. I don’t think you can win against such a Demon.”
Jiang Li mused before speaking honestly, “The Celestial level demon seemed to be very afraid of me. He didn’t dare to engage in a head-on battle.”
“Cough—” The Elder almost choked on his own saliva. This guy, theoretically being at the same level as an Earth Immortal, was unbelievably strong.. It was common knowledge that he could fight someone several levels above him, but the Elder didn’t’ think Jiang Li could reach such an unprecedented level!