"Esteemed ones, are you preparing to ascend?"
Seeing that the great powers of the immortal sects remained silent but still, Puji's tone held a hint of displeasure.
"Bodhisattva Puji, we do wish to ascend, but the heavenly lightning tribulation is fierce. We need more preparation to overcome the ascension tribulation."
An elder from the Tianji Sect stepped forward and cupped his hands in greeting.
Bodhisattva Puji did not reply, but looked at Yang Hong. She already knew Yang Hong had a special physique that could help others cross tribulations. Therefore, these people from the immortal sects wanted Yang Hong to help them cross their tribulations.
"I will obey the Bodhisattva's arrangements," Yang Hong said hastily, feeling uncomfortable under Puji's gaze. Now was not the time to be boastful; it was not shameful to back down. After all, the power difference was too great. Puji was not like the black-robed elder of the Tianji Sect whom he had sneak-attacked and killed before.
"I will give you three days. After three days, I do not wish to see you here. Little one, after three days, I want you to help the Buddhist cultivators cross their tribulations. Do you have any objections?"
Puji seemed to have some reservations, not daring to push things too far, and thus granted three days. However, she had a condition: Yang Hong.
Upon hearing this, the faces of the great powers of the immortal sects first changed, followed by a silent, unspoken protest.
"Bodhisattva, can't Buddhist cultivators ascend directly? Why do I need to help?" Yang Hong, unafraid of Puji, directly inquired.
Puji did not hide anything. "That was before. Now, they also have to cross tribulations."
"Oh~" Yang Hong uttered a soft 'oh' and remained silent, his eyes darting about.
"Yang Hong, we will trouble you for the next few days." The great powers of the immortal sects, seeing that the situation could not be changed, dared not cause further trouble and looked directly at Yang Hong. Yang Hong could only nod with a bitter smile.
The next three days were a mix of pain and pleasure for Yang Hong. After the changes in the Heavenly Dao concluded, the strength of the heavenly tribulations actually decreased again, to only 80% of their previous power. In three days, Yang Hong helped 476 great powers of the immortal sects pass their ascension tribulations. These 476 people were all the immortal sect cultivators who had met the standard for ascension, with more than half of them being loose immortals. The tens of thousands of other immortal sect cultivators gathered nearby all returned to their respective sects. It felt like they were scattering like birds and beasts; it was no wonder these immortal sects could not defeat the Buddhist sect.
However, Yang Hong still discovered that among those who returned to the immortal sects, there were still dozens of cultivators who had met the standard for ascension. Through observation, he also noticed that Puji should have also discovered these individuals' cultivation levels but did not force them to ascend. This showed that the strength of the immortal sects in the Upper Realm must far surpass that of the Buddhist sect, making the Buddhist sect so apprehensive.
He didn't know if it was an illusion, but he always felt that Bodhisattva Puji's gaze towards the cultivators ascending to the immortal realm held a hint of envy. This also led him to speculate a bit about the situation in the Upper Realm.
However, before he could speculate further, 100,000 Buddhist monks entered the Five Directions Domain together. This time, no one from the immortal sects blocked them. They smoothly entered the Five Directions Domain and arrived at Qingfeng Villa.
"Little one, I've discovered you can absorb heavenly lightning for cultivation. I have a Vajra Body Refinement cultivation technique of immortal grade, would you like it?"
After all the immortal sect cultivators had left, Bodhisattva Puji landed on the Tribulation Crossing Iron Mountain and looked at Yang Hong with a kind and compassionate smile. She immediately offered him an immortal-grade cultivation technique, but Yang Hong's expression changed slightly, and he shook his head repeatedly.
"Thank you for your kindness, Bodhisattva. I cultivate orthodox immortal techniques. If I were to switch, I might perish."
"Fear not, I can use the Great Buddhist Dharma to protect you, ensuring you do not die."
"Heh heh, I cultivate the immortal path very well and do not wish to change. Thank you for your favor, Bodhisattva."
"Buddhist Dharma is more vast than immortal techniques, and its cultivation is even faster."
"My master has already ascended to the immortal realm. We agreed to meet in the immortal realm."
"I can take you as my disciple."
"Uh~ One of my wives has also ascended to the immortal realm. We also have an agreement."
"I can take you as my Dao companion."
"Then please kill me, senior."
Yang Hong felt that he couldn't continue the conversation. This Bodhisattva was poisonous. She had been using "Pudu" (salvation/enlightenment) type techniques throughout their conversation, causing Yang Hong's will to waver continuously.
"Heh heh, I can't bear to kill you. You are still of great use."
Bodhisattva Puji's expression remained calm, but a faint golden light emanated from her body, and the power of Pudu continuously spread. The posture suggested she was prepared to convert everyone in Qingfeng Villa.
"Roar~~"
Since Yang Hong had spoken words of seeking death, he was no longer afraid of falling out with her and directly unleashed the "Lion's Roar." Although the domineering roar could not shake Puji's Pudu golden light, it awakened the people of Qingfeng Villa who had fallen into a daze.
"Little thing, quite interesting."
Bodhisattva Puji was a little surprised. She didn't expect Yang Hong to know the Buddhist technique "Lion's Roar," and the voice was very deep with a rich Buddhist resonance. Clearly, Yang Hong knew Buddhist techniques, contrary to his claim of cultivating purely immortal techniques.
"Little thing, I believe we will meet in the Buddhist realm. Now, you will be my tool."
Saying this, Bodhisattva Puji pointed a finger, and Yang Hong was directly fixed in the air above the Tribulation Crossing Iron Mountain by a powerful spatial force, the same place where he had helped the great powers of the immortal sects cross their tribulations. Then, she looked at the Buddhist monks waiting nearby.
"Begin your tribulations according to the method the immortal sect cultivators used before."
"Yes!"
With Puji's permission, the Buddhist cultivators, who had long been impatient, divided into 81 people and entered nine nearby iron ore mountains. Simultaneously, they released their auras, drawing down the heavenly tribulations.
"What evil deed have you done? Why is this not a heavenly tribulation, but a heavenly punishment?"
Seeing the eye-shaped tribulation clouds in the sky, Yang Hong's face changed drastically! The heavenly punishment of the Taiyuan Continent was very recognizable: the standard eye-shaped tribulation clouds. Although heavenly tribulations were powerful, they left a sliver of hope, and after the tribulation, there was a trace of heavenly reward for the one crossing. Heavenly punishment, however, aimed to destroy the one crossing, offering no chance of survival and filled with destructive power. In his over 100 years on the Taiyuan Continent, having crossed thousands of lightning tribulations, Yang Hong had never encountered heavenly punishment.
"Heh heh, it has nothing to do with you."
Bodhisattva Puji pointed again, and Yang Hong's mouth was immediately sealed by powerful Buddhist light.
Rumble...
The silver-white heavenly punishment lightning was as thick as a bucket and struck down fiercely.
"Wuwu..."
Under the heavenly punishment lightning, Yang Hong let out a pained whimper. It was incredibly painful, almost comparable to the pain he experienced when he fell into a spatial channel and was flayed alive. The fusion of 81 times the heavenly punishment, with its infinite destructive power, instantly tore apart Yang Hong's seventh-grade magic artifact clothing!
Rumble...
Ah~
The pain caused Yang Hong to break through Puji's mouth-sealing spell and roar out.
"You idiotic bastard, quickly release me! If I can't circulate my techniques, three more destructive heavenly lightning bolts and I'll be dead."
"Heh heh~ Oversight, oversight."
Bodhisattva Puji had already retreated from the area of the heavenly punishment, but she could still hear Yang Hong's words. Her gentle and kind voice drifted from afar, indicating she could hear him. But she did not appear, nor did she remove Yang Hong's restraints, seemingly intending to kill Yang Hong using the heavenly punishment!