In the Blissful Buddha Sect, Li Xiaotian was covered in blood, all of it from his enemies. Meanwhile, three ancient powerhouses of the Blissful Buddha Sect had been slain, along with even more cultivators at the Emperor level. Who would have imagined that in just half a day, the number of powerhouses in the Blissful Buddha Sect had decreased by at least half.
High above, Ananda Bodhisattva ignored Ashan's plea, his gaze fixed on the depths of the Blissful Buddha Sect, towards the direction of the underground cave.
"Jiyu, so that's how it is."
Ananda Bodhisattva murmured, his eyes filled with understanding. No wonder he had summoned the other party multiple times since the revival of heaven and earth, only to be put off with excuses.
"Bodhisattva!"
Ashan spoke, his face etched with anxiety. He was naturally compassionate, and seeing the increasing number of casualties below caused him immense pain.
"Very well, let it end here!"
Ananda smiled. As his words fell, the entire Great Snow Mountain was instantly bathed in Buddha's light, as if it were daytime.
On the battlefield, Li Xiaotian, who was about to make his move, the escaping or attacking powerhouses of the Blissful Buddha Sect, and both armies, all froze at that moment.
It was as if time had stood still; everyone was motionless.
Who could it be?
Li Xiaotian's heart was filled with shock. He could not move, his body seemingly ceasing to function. He was, after all, currently channeling demonic arts, doubling his strength. In this world, even a peak Overlord-level powerhouse would be incapable of such a feat.
Suddenly, Li Xiaotian's heart jolted. He knew who it was – that top powerhouse from Buddha State, a being as powerful as the Heaven-Piercing Sword Master.
Indeed, as soon as Li Xiaotian thought of the other party's identity, two figures appeared out of thin air in the sky. One was Ashan, who stood behind the other person like a young attendant. The other was clad in a golden kasaya, appearing as a youth with skin like jade, flawless. A golden light shone on his forehead, giving him an air of gentle refinement.
The moment the two appeared, the entire battlefield stirred, as if a painting had suddenly sprung to life.
"Bodhisattva! It's Ananda Bodhisattva!!!"
"Ananda Bodhisattva!!!"
Instantly, the entire Blissful Buddha Sect on the battlefield cried out excitedly, their gazes fixed ardently on the figure in the sky.
"Greetings, Ananda Bodhisattva!"
"Greetings, Ananda Bodhisattva, we implore you to be our protector and suppress Li Xiaotian!"
"Bodhisattva is merciful, unable to bear our sect suffering this calamity, thus appearing to vanquish the demon!"
The people of the Blissful Buddha Sect all knelt, shouting in unison, especially the Emperor-level powerhouses, whose faces were filled with excitement, believing Ananda Bodhisattva had appeared to help them.
Li Xiaotian, however, looked grave. His mind frantically called out to the Demon Lord, "Big guy's here, I'm not sure I can handle him."
But to everyone's surprise, Ananda Bodhisattva's first utterance left them all astonished.
"This battle ends here!"
Ananda said unhurriedly, his face filled with serenity.
"What!!!"
"Bodhisattva, no!!!"
"Li Xiaotian has massacred innocents within our sect and shown utter contempt for all Buddhist cultivators in Buddha State. He cannot be forgiven!"
The people of the Blissful Buddha Sect cried out in unison, their faces filled with unwillingness. With Ananda Bodhisattva's appearance, slaying Li Xiaotian would be a mere flick of the wrist; why stop now? Moreover, if they let it go like this, what would become of the Blissful Buddha Sect's prestige? Would the fallen monks have died in vain?
"Bodhisattva, this is unacceptable! Li Xiaotian is arrogant and overbearing in our Buddha State, slaughtering innocents, and using his Overlord strength to bully our weaker Buddhist cultivators. If this person is not eliminated, our Buddha State will never know peace!!!"
Agus shouted, his face filled with grief and indignation. He was unwilling to accept this.
Li Xiaotian remained silent, slowly retreating. He then stood before the Dragon King Hall army, his eyes filled with vigilance.
"Amitabha!"
Ananda Bodhisattva chanted with a smile. Immediately, as if by some magical power, Agus and the other monks who had been shouting their grievances in their unwillingness became calm and serene, their auras retracting.
"Amitabha, Bodhisattva, it is we who were deluded."
Agus and the others clasped their hands together as if they had forgotten their hatred, their faces filled with serenity. This scene, witnessed by Li Xiaotian, filled him with shock. Cold sweat trickled down his back, accompanied by an endless sense of dread. What kind of method was this? The people of the Blissful Buddha Sect, who moments ago had been glaring at their enemies, were now all made peaceful and forgetful of their hatred by a single Buddhist chant from Ananda Bodhisattva. This was far more terrifying than brainwashing or hypnosis! It was as if someone encountered their sworn enemy, with whom they had a bloody feud, and were expected to seek revenge, but instead, they forgot their hatred and befriended their enemy. Such a method was countless times more terrifying than any powerful attack!
Li Xiaotian shook his head slightly. He knew he could never achieve this. To not avenge a wrong was worse than death. Buddha State was too terrifying! Li Xiaotian muttered to himself, no wonder the Demon Lord called Buddha the Great Charlatan. These Buddhist cultivators of the Blissful Buddha Sect were countless times more formidable than fanatical believers.
"Li Xiaotian, are you willing to cease hostilities? To no longer be enemies with the Blissful Buddha Sect?"
As he was thinking, Ananda Bodhisattva's voice reached Li Xiaotian's ears. Li Xiaotian's heart tightened, fearing he too would be brainwashed by the other party's methods. After a moment of thought, he replied.
"Bodhisattva, a ceasefire is acceptable, but the Blissful Buddha Sect must hand over my wife, my daughters, and my subordinates!"
"Very well!"
Ananda Bodhisattva said, his face serene. He then looked towards the depths of the Blissful Buddha Sect. In the underground cave, the scene remained frozen. This meant that although Ananda Bodhisattva had appeared outside, he had been using a grand technique to freeze the area around the cave. It was important to note that two top Overlords, Lapis Bodhisattva and Jiyu Bodhisattva, were present, along with a demon on the verge of breaking its seal. Yet, at this moment, they were all immobile, unable to control their bodies. This gave an idea of how unfathomable Ananda Bodhisattva's strength was.
"Jiyu, do you know your crime?"
Ananda Bodhisattva asked. His words instantly sent a wave of horror through the people of the Blissful Buddha Sect, their faces etched with disbelief. Know his crime? What had happened to their Sect Master?
Inside the underground cave, Jiyu Bodhisattva had known he was exposed the moment Ananda Bodhisattva appeared. He had never expected the other party to come.
"You were originally a demon, but you have converted to my Buddha. Why are you still stubbornly clinging to your old ways?"
Outside, Ananda Bodhisattva continued, each sentence causing the onlookers to turn pale with shock. A demon! Jiyu Bodhisattva was a demon! The Sect Master of the Blissful Buddha Sect, the number one powerhouse at the Overlord level in Buddha State, was a demon! How could this be possible?!
In the underground cave, Jiyu Bodhisattva's heart was filled with anxiety. He struggled desperately, but his strength was too weak; he was utterly incapable of breaking Ananda Bodhisattva's seal and could only watch helplessly.
"Alas!"
With a sigh from Ananda Bodhisattva, he reached out his hand. His hand grew larger as it met the wind, instantly covering the entire Blissful Buddha Sect, and then reached towards the underground cave. As his hand extended, the frozen state within the cave was also released.
"Boom!"
A terrifying aura erupted from the underground cave. Endless black mist billowed out, and in an instant, a colossal black silhouette emerged from the cave.