The Great Vow King Bodhisattva, one of the twenty-five Equal Awakening Bodhisattvas under Amitabha Buddha, is a member of the Ten Births Holy Ones. He is not a manifestation of Manjushri Bodhisattva, the Great Vow Fearful Vajra, but rather Amitabha Buddha's own "wrathful manifestation." His true form is Guangzhao Wushang Seng Danba, one of the first Yuan Dynasty Imperial Preceptors alongside Phags-pa, a Western Regions monk who later returned west and disappeared.
"Although the Yuan Emperor is the Heavenly Heart, he is neither recognized by the outer realm nor opposed by the inner realm. Killing his proxy is no great feat. He dares not manifest his true form in the human world, nor even make the slightest move."
In response to Ji Xiang's reprimand, this Great Bodhisattva replied in a calm tone. Though his tone was placid, the hostility emanating from the void was palpable.
Ji Xiang, at this moment, had encountered a second individual from the Yuan Dynasty.
"It is said that most of the people from the previous Yuan Dynasty have disappeared, and the incompetent remnants were all killed by the end of the Yuan. I did not expect such a supreme being to exist in the inner realm."
The Great Vow King Bodhisattva's voice resonated through the heavens. "I did not serve as Imperial Preceptor for long before departing, thus escaping the old Yuan's destiny. Therefore, I was unharmed during the great catastrophe. Many who left with me were from the Western Regions, and they too were mostly unharmed, fleeing into the inner realm for self-preservation and no longer manifesting in the human world."
"It is a pity that the lineage of Western Regions monks in the human world is so inept now, and the Dharma of various sects is not what it once was. They even engage in internal strife, constantly dividing like the Mongol tribes. The already weak power continues to diminish, leading to the decline of the Central Plains dynasties, unable to replicate the glory of Phags-pa's conquest of the Song.
"Constantly expanding outwards, devouring more destiny than it could contain, the Yuan Dharma was flawed. It refined everything outwardly, encompassing all, yet it destroyed its own divine realm. The immortal dynasty, symbolizing a hundred thousand li of mountains and rivers, ultimately met its demise. It is truly a shame.
"Therefore, now is the time to recreate it."
Ji Xiang understood that the great catastrophe of the Yuan Dynasty stemmed from their own miscalculations. With immense ambition and power, they gained vast territories and destiny, but this transformed them into a bloated monster. What they consumed exceeded the upper limit of destiny that their dynasty could sustain.
To this day, the Yuan Dynasty remains the sole example of a colossal empire collapsing and perishing due to the saturation of destiny.
Ji Xiang had also pondered why destiny had an upper limit. Logically, the stronger the nation, the stronger its destiny. In this era where gods and ghosts were not uncommon, the Yuan Dynasty should not have fallen.
Perhaps there were still many unexplained aspects to destiny, this power that descended from the Heavenly Dao to the human world.
"One by one, the dead souls and wandering ghosts are all emerging. This Great Ming might as well cease to exist. I will cede the north to you all to restore the Great Yuan, and the south to the underworld to rebuild the Song court. My Ming dynasty subjects will all leap into the East Sea and roam freely like Chi Songzi, watching you fight to the death, and after two hundred years, we will settle the score!"
Ji Xiang scoffed, implying that these remnants of the previous dynasty still harbored many intentions.
"The Yuan returns, the Song returns, people from the Liao and Jin have also appeared in the outer realm, and I have even encountered individuals from the Five Dynasties. Who else will emerge? Will those who have sunk into the annals of time all return?
"The era of the Sui and Tang, Yuan Tiangang and Li Chunfeng? The Wei and Jin periods, Wei Huacun and Tao Hongjing? The Three Kingdoms period, Yu Ji, Zuo Ci, and Master Pu Jing? Further back to the Han and Qin, and even tracing back to the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods?
If all of you return, this Central Plains will become a free-for-all!
Will it truly be a resurgence of all the great rulers of history, each carving out their own territory, engaging in a fierce struggle for supremacy, turning the land into a battlefield of smoke and fire, to determine who lives and who dies?
"This is utterly absurd!"
After Ji Xiang finished his mockery, he immediately took action! The dozen or so pale, colossal arms covered the sky. The various Buddha-lights that had condensed in front were instantly erased upon contact with the power of the Ghost Slaying General and would never reappear!
The Buddha-lights were shattered everywhere, yet the Great Bodhisattva did not yield an inch. He simply did not attack, instead using the collective aspirations of the world to form Buddha-lights, layer upon layer, attempting to transform into mountains and seas, solely to obstruct, not to attack.
"Alas, I truly do not wish to act in this human world, but if you continue to provoke me like this, I cannot afford to be so considerate."
"Even if I cannot come in my true form, my Buddhist faith excels in the art of aspiration. By gathering the world's incense and faith, I can manifest a divine form. Even if it is only for a moment, you may not be able to withstand me!"
The Great Bodhisattva's voice carried a threat, yet it also offered ample room for retreat. The primary reason was his inability to discern Ji Xiang's current transformed appearance.
What was the origin of this strange giant god with over a dozen pale arms?
It exuded an extremely terrifying aura. The various Buddha-lights dissipated before even touching it. This was not ordinary destruction or forbidden magic, but a more metaphysical erasure of origin. Within the destroyed Buddha-lights, even the aspirations vanished completely. All the invisible threads that sustained them could no longer be recreated.
Unknown power, unknown deity, unknown methods.
The human world also possessed powerful beings. Those who could achieve immortality in this era possessed powerful means or trump cards that cultivators in the inner realm rarely possessed. Even in the inner realm, the widely acknowledged weakest among them was Celestial Master Zhang. Yet, he had the reliance of Mount Longhu, a divine mountain inherited from the Ancestral Celestial Master. Once this divine mountain was uprooted and manifested the imagery of ten dragons and ten tigers, the consequences... according to some, would be immeasurable.
The essence of this mountain had once refined a Nine Revolutions Immortal Elixir! Its aura manifested as red clouds obscuring the sky, reaching the highest attainment in Daoist cultivation. This mountain was also one of the most powerful divine mountains in the human world.
"Immortal of the human world, I am not here to fight you. I merely wish to save someone. Is killing him truly so important to you?"
"You have only refined your solar form; your immortal path is not yet complete. Although you possess heaven-defying means to contend with immortals and Buddhas, how long can you last? I am of the Equal Awakening realm, known as Flying Immortal in Daoism. Beneath the Heavenly Heart, we are revered. If you let go here, it would be a commendable act, earning you some fame."
The Great Bodhisattva still attempted to negotiate. He was quite wary of the rules of the human world. Those rogue immortals who had fallen from the Taiyi and Daluo realms dared to act recklessly in the human world. Ordinary immortals had also experienced falling from the immortal realm and reincarnating into the human world from the underworld. However, the four Heavenly Hearts overseeing the human world on behalf of the three religions had no objections to this, as their level was not yet such that they could influence the changes in the human world's environment, dynasties, and society.
If they overstepped, they would be forcibly apprehended.
The four Heavenly Hearts represented the overall interests of the three religions, not any specific faction. Within the three religions, there were numerous factions, and the Fangshi also belonged to several schools. Each lineage, each faction, each sect had its own distinct interests. If everyone were to vie for their own share in the human world, then chaos would ensue!
Many Heavenly Palaces in the inner realm possessed various secret arts that allowed them to forcibly travel from the inner realm to the outer realm. However, the Heavenly Hearts were not particularly concerned with petty thieves. But when it came to the Flying Immortal level, if this Equal Awakening Bodhisattva were to act, it would be a provocation to those four Heavenly Hearts.
"Although Huiji Vajra is a great Buddha of Esoteric Buddhism and has a certain connection with me..."
"As long as the battle concludes quickly enough, perhaps I can avoid being discovered by the four Heavenly Hearts and escape punishment."
The Great Bodhisattva thought this to himself. He truly did not wish to act here, hoping to display his Buddhist power once or twice to make the opponent retreat.
In response to the Great Bodhisattva's question, Ji Xiang let out a disdainful sound:
"Whether I can contend with immortals and Buddhas for long, why don't you try it yourself and find out?"
"As for that kind of fame, I do not need such bestowed renown!"
Ji Xiang raised his voice, his tone deepening. "In the Battle of Liaodong, the Tumen raided the border and massacred living beings. He is the mastermind. Now you come from the inner realm and want to take him away with a single word?"
"Ultimately, that red-robed old monk is your subordinate, and perhaps the reconstruction of the former Yuan is also your idea. This Buyan, whom you venerate as Buddha, is likely also you. Otherwise, why would you save him?"
"He is the mastermind, and you are the hidden hand. If I let him go here, what reputation would I gain? It would likely be the infamy of being scorned by the world! This coming and going, killing some insignificant Tumen, but not daring to touch the true mastermind behind the scenes, would be a laughing matter.
"This human world is a place you can enter and leave as you please, demanding that a human world immortal bow down with a single word? There are countless immortals and Buddhas in the inner realm, yet I have not seen a Heavenly Heart realm being as arrogant as you, let alone you being merely an Equal Awakening Bodhisattva, a Flying Immortal!"
"Only by killing him and then destroying your manifestation can this be called fame, great renown!"
After several breaths of silence, the Great Bodhisattva's tone turned enraged!
"Since you are unwilling to accept this noble reputation and do not understand the compassion I offer, then I can only kill you within three breaths."
"Do not think that because you can fight ordinary immortals and Buddhas, you can look down upon the Equal Awakening realm. Your immortal and Buddha path is not yet complete. A junior who has refined his solar form, transforming into an unknown deity, dares to challenge the Equal Awakening realm. This is utter arrogance!"
As the Great Bodhisattva finished speaking, all the aspirations in heaven and earth instantly manifested. A vast manifestation descended upon the human world, its Buddha-light illuminating thousands of miles of mountains and rivers!
First breath: The Great Buddha manifested, accompanied by sacred music and heavenly sounds throughout the land, and the voice of might and virtue.
Riding a green ox, with six faces, six arms, and six legs, his body was dark blue, holding a bow, arrows, sword, halberd, rope, and club. He wore a skull as a necklace and a tiger skin as a skirt. His body was immense, and his entire being was engulfed in flames!
Second breath: The Great Buddha opened his eyes, and the heavens and earth changed. Myriad golden lights sealed the universe. Each of these golden lights possessed the power to sever all demonic obstacles and subdue all evil spirits and dragons. Instantly, all demonic and evil spiritual energy in heaven and earth receded, and even the primordial energy was transformed, leaving only the aura of Buddha-Dharma!
"Evil gods and evil spirits are expelled here. Do you think my Buddha cannot perceive your demonic aura!"
The Great Vow King Bodhisattva manifested, and the demonic aura on Ji Xiang instantly receded, only to be protected by layers of Buddha-light. The illusory forms of Thousand Lights King Jingzhu Tathagata, Compassionate Vow Vajra, Peacock King, Fearful Vajra, and Huiji Vajra all manifested at this moment.
"Hmm?"
Third breath: Ji Xiang was unharmed. Those Buddha-forms protected Ji Xiang himself, causing the Great Vow King Bodhisattva to tremble slightly.
Three breaths was a safe period; exceeding this time would be unsafe.
Yet, this demonic cultivator before him was actually protected by various Buddhas?
And even Huiji Vajra?!
However, the illusory form of Huiji Vajra was extremely dim. It did not mean the other party possessed the divine position or part of the divine form of Huiji Vajra. It should only mean he possessed some of the Dharma power laid down by Huiji Vajra, manifesting in this form, not the true Huiji Vajra.
A thousand thoughts arose and were suppressed in an instant.
"There is not enough time, but these past Buddhas alone cannot stop me."
"All of you, disperse!"
The Buddha-light on the Great Vow King Bodhisattva surged! The power of aspiration transformed into a vast ocean, instantly dispelling Ji Xiang's Buddha-lights, and then surged towards the final divine form of the Ghost Slaying General!
Ji Xiang grinned, his expression appearing somewhat excited.
In an instant of confrontation, the power of the Ghost Slaying General touched the Buddha-Dharma!
Then, just as what happened during his battle with Xu Fu!
All Dharma was shattered, and Buddha-Dharma was no exception!
The manifestation of aspiration was broken through the Buddha-lights by the dozen arms and directly shattered in the universe!
Boom!
The Great Vow King Bodhisattva's eyes widened in shock. The shattered manifestation of aspiration could not be reassembled, but at the moment of its destruction, he gathered even greater aspiration and forged a second manifestation of aspiration!
However, the shock in his eyes did not subside, and Ji Xiang laughed heartily!
"Equal Awakening Bodhisattva!"
"Nothing more than this!"
The Great Vow King Bodhisattva now had some understanding! The strange divine position on Ji Xiang actually possessed the ability to erase the traces of all Dharma! This was even more terrifying than his previous conjecture!
It was as if a flower had originally bloomed in the world, but this strange power had forcibly erased it. Consequently, even if similar things were to bloom in the world again, this particular flower would never reappear.
"What path of Heavenly God is this!"
While the Great Vow King Bodhisattva was still in shock, Ji Xiang was about to launch his next attack.
At this very moment, a profound and vast Buddhist chant echoed through heaven and earth.
A Vajra image resembling a youth flashed in both their eyes simultaneously. The Great Vow King Bodhisattva's expression changed, but in the next moment, a second Buddhist chant descended, and the Great Vow King Bodhisattva's manifestation's face lit up with joy, followed by a sigh of relief.
And Ji Xiang heard a passage from that Buddhist chant.
It was the voice of Huiji Vajra!
"Little friend, show some mercy. For the sake of the Immortal Elixir, let him go."
"You have destroyed his manifestation of aspiration once; that is the resolution of karma. As for the Great Khan of the Eastern Royal Court, his physical body and soul have both been destroyed by you. We will only take his aspiration away, and that counts as a satisfactory resolution for both sides!"
The Heavenly Heart personally conveyed its voice, asking Ji Xiang to show respect, and used the Two Revolutions Immortal Elixir as a bargaining chip, stepping aside.
But Ji Xiang sneered and whispered to the heavens:
"Venerable Huiji Vajra, your Two Revolutions Immortal Elixir last time was not so easy to use. It still carried the intent of Buddhist transformation. What was your intention?"
"Favors and favors are not sold like this. If you bring this up, I will have something to say."
Huiji Vajra's voice paused, then said, "I will compensate you."
"All the souls of those who plundered and killed will be cast into the Vajra Hell."
"The souls of those who were killed will be personally protected by me, preventing them from passing through the underworld or entering reincarnation, and ensuring immediate rebirth."
Vajra Hell, the hell that imprisons all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, is also another name for Avici Hell!
In Buddhism, the entry of souls into Vajra Hell is already a great punishment of eternal damnation!
Upon hearing this compensation, Ji Xiang's expression relaxed. "Thank you, Venerable Master."
"Indeed, let us cease here."
The Great Vow King Bodhisattva shook his head repeatedly, not entirely satisfied with this decision. However, he had no other recourse. After chanting a Buddhist verse, he watched as Ji Xiang tore apart Buyan's physical body and soul, and destroyed them with the form and spirit of the Ghost Slaying General, making them irrecoverable. Even if he were to be resurrected, it would only be another copy with "Buyan's" memories.
"Such a vicious god, unheard of."
The Great Vow King Bodhisattva thanked the Vajra voice, took Buyan's aspiration, and dispersed his manifestation.
However...
...
With Ji Xiang's matter concluded, the Great Vow King Bodhisattva opened his eyes.
"Where is this?"
He was not in his own Buddha-land, and his manifestation of aspiration had not yet dispersed!
The scenery that manifested externally was a vast, boundless sea.
East Sea?
"Is this the outer realm?"
The Great Vow King Bodhisattva was greatly surprised. His manifestation of aspiration also carried a portion of his primordial spirit projection, and it was easy to retrieve it. Descending across realms was dangerous, and the art of aspiration was merely a clever trick, with a limited duration of existence. Even without Huiji Vajra's intervention, he actually could not have entangled with Ji Xiang for too long.
But... what was happening now?
"You descended to the outer realm and only notified Huiji Vajra? The Buddhist sect is arrogant and disrespectful. Today, I will destroy half of your primordial spirit here, severing the two realms, and reducing your cultivation to that of an early-stage Bodhisattva for twenty years as punishment."
A young voice echoed from the sea.
The Great Vow King Bodhisattva's expression changed drastically!
Twelve white horse phantoms descended from the heavens, and a purple-robed figure, commanding the thunder of the vast sea, descended into the human world!
One of the Four Heavenly Hearts, the purple-robed deity of Daoism, riding twelve white horses out of the East Sea, and his emergence signaled great battles throughout the land!
"Purple Robe! I am merely a manifestation of aspiration, a projection of my primordial spirit! Even the Venerable Vajra permitted me to leave; how can you disregard the rules!"
"You are the guardian of the mountains and rivers; how can you act personally!"
The Great Vow King Bodhisattva, in his panic, tried to stop the other party's actions. This projection was also formed from aspiration, but it was vastly different from his own; this was a Heavenly Heart projection!
However, the twelve white horses did not pause at all. Their hooves pressed down, shaking the heavens!
"Let alone killing a manifestation, even if I were to slay your true body, what can the Buddhist sect do to me!"
"A Flying Immortal of the Equal Awakening realm dares to enter the human world and cross realms to seek death!"