The Far Eastern Sea Battle Against Ksitigarbha: Even Boundless Buddhist Dharma Was in Vain

Inside the Desolate Island Cave Mansion, Tongtian slowly opened his eyes. Chaos Color swirled in his gaze, as if countless worlds were being born and destroyed. The Myriad Spirits Nourishing God Incense, now infused with Reincarnation Purple Qi, had proved effective. It had temporarily stabilized the true spirits of his disciples above the Heavenly River, but that was far from enough. The enormous shortfall in Contribution Points hung over him like a sword, urging him to take more decisive action.

Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, the Western Teachings' representative in the East Sea, clung to the place like a stubborn burr. His supposed mission to deliver the souls of the dead was a lie; he was really searching for Tongtian. If Tongtian did not remove him, not only would his own movements be constantly constrained, but the Dragon Palace of the East Sea—and even Qiushou Xian, the East Sea Star Lord with his hidden agenda—might be dragged into it.

"It's time to clear the flies from my doorstep." Tongtian spoke calmly, but his decision was unmistakable.

He looked at Yun Xiao. "Yun Xiao, come with me. Wudang, you and Qiongxiao and Bixiao stay here, control the formation, and be ready to assist."

"Master, Ksitigarbha is a Grand Unity Golden Immortal at his peak, and he has the Western Teachings' profound arts. You..." Worry showed on Yun Xiao's face. Though her master's cultivation had advanced greatly, Ksitigarbha was no easy opponent.

"Don't worry. Today, I'll test the divine ability I just comprehended on him." The corner of Tongtian's mouth lifted in a cold smile. "Besides, fighting the Western Teachings doesn't necessarily mean meeting force with force."

With a thought, he contacted the system. "System, exchange for the 'Mind-Reading Mirror Talisman (Enhanced Version).' Target: Northern Darkness Demon Master Palace, Kunpeng. Transmit a live image as well: Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva's Buddha Light manifestation at the farthest reaches of the East Sea."

[Instruction received. 180 Contribution Points consumed. Activated.]

An invisible ripple crossed space once more, quietly connecting to Demon Master Kunpeng, far away in the Northern Darkness Sea, who was still seething with rage after being tricked earlier.

At the same time, Chaos Qi swirled around Tongtian. He swept Yun Xiao along and took a single step, leaving the Desolate Island Cave Mansion and appearing in the deepest reaches of the East Sea, in a desolate, lifeless region seldom visited even by the Aquatic Race.

He made no effort to conceal his aura. Instead, he let the Chaos Dao Charm of his Late Quasi-Saint cultivation spread faintly, like a pebble dropped into a tranquil lake, instantly shattering the stillness.

The moment his aura appeared—

"Amitabha!" A thunderous Buddhist invocation rang out. In the distance, above the sea, ten thousand golden rays blazed as auspicious colors filled the sky. A gigantic golden Lotus Platform appeared out of thin air, with Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva seated upon it in solemn majesty. Holding the Nine-Ringed Monk's Staff, he fixed his lightning-bright gaze on Tongtian and Yun Xiao.

"Fellow Daoist Tongtian, I've been waiting for you." Ksitigarbha's voice was calm, but carried an unmistakable chill and a hint of smugness. He had finally forced Tongtian to show himself!

"Once Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha had finished delivering the souls, we would have shown ourselves." Tongtian smiled faintly, his words edged with mockery.

"Fellow Daoist, you are too bloodthirsty. You destroyed a Buddhist treasure, injured a Bodhisattva of our faith, and have ties to an Outer Realm Demon God. Today, I have no choice but to invite you to the Spirit Mountain to meet the two Sect Masters and explain yourself!" Ksitigarbha wasted no time. He piled accusation upon accusation as he unleashed the full force of his peak Grand Unity Golden Immortal aura!

Boom! The boundless vows of the Buddhist faith surged like a golden ocean, flooding the entire sea. Chanting filled the air, celestial flowers rained down, and Ksitigarbha sought to transform the whole world into his Buddha Kingdom in Palm! The formidable Power of Salvation surged toward Tongtian and Yun Xiao from every direction, seeking to forcibly twist their wills!

An ordinary Quasi-Saint would have lost control of their mind and converted to Buddhism in an instant under such a Power of Salvation.

Tongtian merely snorted. The Chaos Bead appeared above his head and turned slightly.

"Chaos Primordial, all laws shall fail to harm me!" With a hum, a Misty Grey Chaos Domain spread out from him. The boundless Buddha Light, chanting, and celestial flowers entered the domain and vanished like a stream disappearing into the sea. The supreme Chaos Qi assimilated and dispelled them, leaving them unable to exert even the slightest salvific effect!

"Hmm? The Power of Chaos truly is profound!" A flicker of surprise passed through Ksitigarbha's eyes, but he did not panic. He brought the Nine-Ringed Monk's Staff down with a sharp strike.

"Om, ma, ni, pad, me, hum!" The Six-Syllable Great Bright Mantra became six enormous golden Swastika Buddha Seals. Like six golden mountains, they carried an immense power that suppressed all evil and shattered every law as they crashed down upon Tongtian. This was one of Buddhism's supreme mantras, and its power was boundless!

Tongtian's gaze sharpened. He dared not be careless. Forming a sword with two fingers, he drew on the Chaos Bead's origin!

"One sword cleaves Chaos!"

With a ripping sound, a Misty Grey Chaos Sword Qi shot into the sky, as though it had been cleaved from the beginning of the primordial era, and slashed toward the six golden Swastika seals!

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Six deafening explosions nearly merged into one! The Chaos Sword Qi and the golden Swastika seals shattered together. The terrifying shockwave evaporated the seawater below, leaving a vast crater that reached the seabed!

Ksitigarbha swayed slightly, surprise deepening in his eyes. Tongtian was clearly only a Late Quasi-Saint, yet the purity and depth of his spiritual power, and the sharpness of his divine abilities, were in no way inferior to those of Ksitigarbha, a peak Grand Unity Golden Immortal! In particular, the Power of Chaos seemed to naturally counter Buddhist abilities!

"Fellow Daoist's abilities are indeed extraordinary! Take this next move of mine—Ksitigarbha's Original Vow, to deliver all beings!"

Ksitigarbha's bearing grew even more solemn. Behind him, an endless void appeared, filled with visions of countless hells. Evil spirits wailed, only to be delivered by Buddha Light and reborn in the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. An even greater, stranger power of vows arose. It did not force conversion; instead, it inspired a longing for ultimate bliss and led people to convert of their own accord!

At the same time, a golden lotus bloomed beneath his feet, and the Buddha Palm Kingdom appeared once more. This time it was even more real. Countless phantom monks, Bodhisattvas, and Vajras chanted and worshiped within it, producing boundless vows that pressed in on Tongtian's Chaos Domain from all sides!

Tongtian immediately felt the pressure mount! Ksitigarbha was indeed one of the Western Teachings' foremost Bodhisattvas. He was far stronger than Manjushri and Samantabhadra, and had brought the use of Buddhist vows to its utmost limits. He could even stir the longing deep in people's hearts, causing the Chaos Domain to tremble faintly.

"Master!" Yun Xiao cried out. She could feel her Dao Heart being affected, as if a voice were calling her to let go of her attachments and journey to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.

"Keep your mind steady! What are these illusory powers to us?" Tongtian called, steadying Yun Xiao's Dao Heart. A fierce glint flashed in his eyes.

"Did you think you were the only one who could wield vows?"

He abruptly activated his Primordial Dao Fruit, connecting with the invisible vows and bonds scattered across the East Sea, and even linking those between the disciples above the Heavenly River and the Myriad Spirits Nourishing God Incense. They were faint, but purer and more resilient!

"Heaven-Severing Thread, the prayers of all beings—protect!" Threads of pure white vows pierced through the ocean of vows within Ksitigarbha's Buddha Kingdom and gathered around Tongtian, merging into his Chaos Domain. The Misty Grey domain gained the hopes and protection of all beings, becoming far more stable!

"What?!" This time, Ksitigarbha was truly astonished! Tongtian could also draw upon vows? And his vows seemed to share a source with Buddhist vows, yet were fundamentally different—freer and unbound!

At the instant Ksitigarbha's mind faltered, the opening Tongtian had been waiting for appeared! He did not attack Ksitigarbha directly. Instead, he abruptly shifted his aim. The Chaos Bead blazed with light, and a thick Chaos Light Pillar slammed into the empty sea below!

"Open!" With a roar, the Chaos Light Pillar ripped through ten thousand zhang of seawater, even piercing the seabed rock. Beneath it appeared a Spatial Rift, perfectly concealed until now, that exuded dense demonic aura and the frigid energy of the Northern Darkness Sea!

It was an incredibly secret sea-eye passage connecting the Northern Darkness Sea and the East Sea—the same route Tongtian had used to redirect disaster toward the Northern Darkness Sea and let the One-Eyed Demon God enter it!

Tongtian had forcibly widened and exposed the rift with the Power of Chaos. The passage's distinctly frigid demonic aura, along with traces of the still-undispersed, violent Chaos Demonic Qi, was instantly revealed beneath Ksitigarbha's boundless Buddha Light!

"A passage to the Northern Darkness Sea?! And the aura of a Demon God?!" Ksitigarbha's pupils contracted. He instantly understood Tongtian's intention! He was trying to redirect disaster once again!

At almost the same moment, in the Northern Darkness Demon Master Palace, Kunpeng was recovering from his injuries in seclusion and gritting his teeth as he cursed the Western Teachings. Through the Mind-Reading Mirror Talisman Tongtian had "given" him, he suddenly "saw" the scene at the farthest reaches of the East Sea: Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva's solemn Buddha Light manifestation, and the Northern Darkness passage Tongtian had forcibly opened, still tainted with the aura of a Demon God. He also "heard" Ksitigarbha's forceful demand: "A passage to the Northern Darkness Sea?! And the aura of a Demon God?!"

Taken together, the scene looked to Kunpeng exactly like Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva had discovered a passage from the East Sea to his Northern Darkness Sea—and was accusing him of colluding with a Demon God!

"Ksitigarbha, you bald donkey! How dare you bully me like this!" Kunpeng already distrusted the Western Teachings. Now, his old and new grudges surged up together, and he flew into a rage! He even suspected that Ksitigarbha had deliberately lured the Demon God there earlier!

In his fury, Kunpeng struck across the void without a second thought. A gigantic claw mark, imbued with the icy demonic aura of the Northern Darkness Sea, tore through the spatial passage and reached for Ksitigarbha's Buddha Light manifestation!

Ksitigarbha was fully occupied with Tongtian. He never expected such a fierce attack to burst through his own back door—the Northern Darkness passage. And from his "ally," Kunpeng, no less!

"Kunpeng! You—" Ksitigarbha was both shocked and furious. In his haste, he could only draw back part of the vows of his Buddha Kingdom that were suppressing Tongtian and turn them into a golden Buddha palm to meet Kunpeng's demonic claw!

Boom! Buddha Light and demonic aura collided violently once more! And in the instant Ksitigarbha was distracted by Kunpeng's "backstab," Tongtian made his move!

"Chaos Devours Heaven!" The Chaos Bead above his head spun faster than ever. The tiny vortex inside it expanded wildly, producing a terrifying Devouring Power—not aimed at Ksitigarbha himself, but at the gigantic golden Lotus Platform beneath his feet and the Buddha Kingdom manifested in his palm!

The golden lotus beneath Ksitigarbha's feet was a merit treasure, while his Buddha Kingdom in Palm was formed from his vows and contained boundless energy!

Ksitigarbha was distracted, dealing with two things at once, and had no time to react to Tongtian's sudden attack, which targeted his treasure and vows!

Whoosh! The golden Lotus Platform's radiance dimmed in an instant. Countless pure Buddhist vows surged forth like a river bursting its banks, torn away and swallowed by the Chaos Bead! The Buddha Kingdom in Palm trembled violently. Countless phantom monks and Bodhisattvas shrieked as they crumbled, transformed into the purest energy, and were seized!

"Pfft!" Ksitigarbha's body shuddered. His face paled, and he could not help spitting out a small mouthful of golden Buddha's Blood! The damage to his treasure and vows had left him with a serious internal injury!

"You can devour vows?!" Terror and disbelief finally appeared in Ksitigarbha's eyes! Such a technique was unheard of. It was entirely beyond the understanding of Buddhist cultivation!

On the other side, after striking once across the void, Kunpeng seemed to realize he might have acted rashly—mainly because he saw that Ksitigarbha had apparently been fighting someone and had just been made to spit blood. Kunpeng immediately withdrew his demonic aura and retreated into the Northern Darkness Sea, but the rift had already been opened.

Having landed his strike, Tongtian had no intention of prolonging the fight. He laughed heartily. "Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha, it seems your Buddhist Dharma can't deliver someone like me, a man of Chaos! That's enough for today. Farewell!"

With that, the Chaos Bead swept Yun Xiao up and tore open the void. They escaped into it and vanished without a trace!

Only Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva remained. His face shifted between pale and livid as he stood upon the dimmed golden lotus, staring at the empty sea. Feeling his damaged foundation and the vows of his Buddha Kingdom depleted, he trembled with rage, yet had no way to voice his grievance!

He had gone to steal a chicken, only to lose the rice he had brought to lure it! He had not only failed to capture Tongtian, but had also lost the power of his treasure and vows—and inexplicably made an enemy of Kunpeng!

"Tongtian! Kunpeng! Good! Good! Good!" Ksitigarbha gritted his teeth. Buddha Light almost seemed to blaze from his eyes. He knew he could not remain in the East Sea for now. He had to return to Spirit Mountain at once, recover from his injuries, and report what had happened.

He stamped his foot in fury, put away the golden lotus, and turned into a streak of golden light as he fled westward.

The farthest reaches of the East Sea returned to silence.

Meanwhile, Tongtian was hidden in the void, sensing the surging, pure Buddhist vows in the Chaos Bead, now partially refined. A satisfied smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

These vows were enough to exchange for a large number of Contribution Points. He could also use them to further comprehend the laws of vows, and perhaps they would prove useful in the future.

"I'll accept this 'generous gift' from the Western Teachings."

His gaze turned once more to the vast Great Desolation Continent. His next target had already appeared in his mind.

The long-silent Great Desolation would be stirred once more by his return!