"Hahaha! Young friend, you really are lucky. Even the Sea of Death, famed as a forbidden land of life, couldn't keep you here. This is truly a pleasant surprise!"
Though Tathagata was thousands of miles away, his voice had already drifted into Chen Tong's mind.
Because he had absorbed Death Qi, Chen Tong could sense everything around him over a short distance within the Sea of Death—but only over a short distance. Hearing that voice left him puzzled, then suddenly enlightened.
Damn it, how could it be that old scoundrel Tathagata? Chen Tong shuddered. His already swift pace suddenly quickened.
"Young friend, stop running. You can't escape my grasp. Come quietly back to Spiritual Mountain with me and accept your punishment. You must cleanse yourself of your sins as soon as possible."
Chen Tong ignored Tathagata's words and ran for his life. He was truly unlucky. It was bad enough that he'd come to the Sea of Death, a place that made people blanch at the very mention of it, but even here he wasn't safe.
First Guanyin, then the Death Underworld Dragon, and now Tathagata. Damn it, was he ever going to catch a break?
Chen Tong ran farther and farther, but Tathagata drew closer and closer, until Chen Tong could clearly sense his presence.
If this goes on, it's only a matter of time before he catches up. What do I do? Just as Chen Tong was nearing despair, a hoarse voice entered his mind.
"Kid, if I help you escape, will you save my life in return?"
"Hm...?" Chen Tong froze. "Death Underworld Dragon, where... where are you?"
"Right here."
The Death Underworld Dragon's enormous form appeared beside Chen Tong. Even one of its eyeballs was larger than Chen Tong's entire body.
"Fine. As long as you help me shake off that old scoundrel Tathagata, I'll save you—not just once, but ten times over." Chen Tong answered without hesitation.
"Get on."
Chen Tong immediately leaped off the flying shield and sat on the Death Underworld Dragon's head.
"Kid, couldn't you sit on my neck? Why do you have to ride on my head?" The Death Underworld Dragon sounded displeased.
"Come on, there's no time for this! We need to run for our lives!"
"Hmph!"
The Death Underworld Dragon swung its body and shot away like an arrow, covering an immense distance in an instant.
"Hm...?" Feeling Chen Tong's aura suddenly move farther away, Tathagata paused, then understood. "So, a meddlesome demonic dragon has joined in. Heh, in that case..."
Tathagata pressed his palms together. A drop of golden liquid welled up from his hands, then transformed into a huge, glittering golden stone bowl. Tathagata sat within it, and it instantly became a streak of golden light, flashing across the sky like a meteor.
Feeling Tathagata's aura rapidly closing in, the Death Underworld Dragon's eyes darkened. "Kid, the fellow you've offended is no ordinary opponent. I can't beat him in a fair fight."
"Hmph, he's Tathagata. Of course you can't beat him."
"Who's Tathagata?"
Chen Tong: "..."
"You don't know who Tathagata is?"
The Death Underworld Dragon thought for a moment. "I've been sealed ever since I was born. I only broke free three hundred years ago, and even now, my freedom is limited to the Sea of Death. I know nothing about the outside world."
"That's pretty pitiful."
As they spoke, Tathagata's golden body had drawn to within three thousand meters behind them.
Chen Tong's expression turned impassive. Then he let out a deep sigh. "Sigh. Since you're so pitiful, I won't let you keep suffering. Run. That old scoundrel is after me."
"How could I?" The Death Underworld Dragon refused. "If he captures you, who's going to save my life?"
"Sigh. If he captures me, it doesn't necessarily mean I'll die. But if you stay, that old scoundrel might wipe out your soul with a single palm strike."
"Hmph!" The Death Underworld Dragon scoffed at Chen Tong's words. "I may not be able to beat him, but I'm not as weak as you think."
As it spoke, it whipped its head around and sent Chen Tong flying a great distance before he could react.
Chen Tong stared in shock at the enormous body and roared, "Death Underworld Dragon, what are you doing? Run! Run!"
The Death Underworld Dragon paid no heed to Chen Tong's shouts. Instead, it slowly turned its huge body around to block Tathagata.
"Hmph. I hear you're strong?" The Death Underworld Dragon sized Tathagata up as though he were a grain of sand. "But with those skinny arms and legs, you don't look like anything special."
"Heh..." Tathagata smiled faintly, then raised one hand slightly. A Buddhist seal emanating the power of laws appeared above the Death Underworld Dragon, spreading a faint, oppressive Buddhist radiance.
"Given how hard you've worked at your cultivation, I won't take your life. I'll suppress you here for three hundred years. Do you have any objections?"
"Three hundred years again!" the Death Underworld Dragon muttered. "But you're not him! And I'm not the same as I was back then, either. You don't have what it takes."
As it spoke, the Death Underworld Dragon let out a mighty roar. It sounded as though it had come from the Nine Hells, as if it could destroy everything.
Whatever its strength, the Death Underworld Dragon had already bested Tathagata in sheer presence. But then...!
Just as its roar ended and it charged at Tathagata with unstoppable force, Tathagata merely curled his little finger. The golden Buddhist seal hanging above the Death Underworld Dragon immediately descended, and the enormous dragon was pinned in place by the tiny seal, unable to move.
A flash of golden light passed over Tathagata. His figure appeared behind the dragon. "Stay here and cleanse yourself of your sins."
"Voom...!" The mighty dragon's roar seemed capable of ripping apart the sky, yet it couldn't break the tiny Buddhist seal—not even a ripple stirred.
"Ah... Don't go! Come back here!" Its enormous roar rang out all around, but no answer came.
As Chen Tong fled, he heard the roar and paused. "Death Underworld Dragon, don't worry. If I make it out of this alive, I'll definitely come back and save you. I hope you can hold on."
"Hahaha, I'm afraid you won't escape this one." A streak of golden light flashed, and Tathagata appeared in front of Chen Tong.
"Sigh..." Chen Tong let out a deep, helpless breath. "Tathagata!"
"Young friend, long time no see!"
"Hmph, it hasn't been that long. And you! You risked your life by entering the Sea of Death just to capture me. Now you've gotten what you wanted. Go on, take me away!"
Chen Tong didn't want to run anymore. He already knew he couldn't escape.
"Hahaha! If you'd realized this sooner, you wouldn't have ended up in this state."
Tathagata touched Chen Tong with a finger glowing with golden light. Suddenly, his hand stopped mid-motion. "It seems I'll have to deal with a little nuisance before taking you away."
"Rumble!!"
Almost as soon as Tathagata's voice fell, a deafening sound came from the distance, accompanied by waves of force sweeping toward them. Yet the moment they reached within three feet of Tathagata, they fell still.
"Voom... voom...!"
"Damn it, why isn't that stupid dragon running away?" Hearing the dragon's roar, Chen Tong knew at once that it was the Death Underworld Dragon.
Before you continue