Chapter 167: Chapter 167: Ksitigarbha King Turns the Tide Chapter 167: Chapter 167: Ksitigarbha King Turns the Tide Wukong was severely injured by the Nether River, and a billion Blood God Children swarmed toward him. It seemed they would tear him into shreds!

Wukong thought bitterly to himself, “My life is over!”

At this moment, the Nether River also felt a chilling danger, as if being watched by a pair of eyes filled with murderous intent. But he wasn’t afraid, for the gaze, although extremely uncomfortable, served as a warning—if he struck again, a deadly move would certainly fall upon him!

“Do you think I, the Nether River, am easily frightened?” he sneered inwardly. The billion Blood God Children charged at Wukong, ready to strike.

Just then, a colossal golden Buddha palm descended, striking directly in the center of the billion Blood God Children, scattering them in disarray and destroying at least twenty million of their clones! This hit truly distressed the Nether River. Even though he could reconvene them, it would require another round of cultivation, which made him bellow angrily, “Which Buddhist Sect rat dares to ambush me, the ancestor?”

“Buddha’s compassion,” emerged Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva riding the divine beast Diting from the clouds.

The Nether River initially thought it was Xuan Ming who had intervened. However, the palm seal was clearly from the profound skills of the Buddhist Family. But since Wukong was at odds with the Buddhist Sect, which Buddha would come to his aid? Only a few experts who could scatter twenty million Blood God Children with a single palm existed. He calculated all possibilities but never expected it would be the Ksitigarbha King!

The Nether River’s eyes turned icy as he said, “Ksitigarbha King, what are you playing at!”

With hands clasped together, Ksitigarbha replied, “Buddha’s compassion! Nether River, you slaughter the innocent, which the Buddha cannot tolerate.”

The Nether River scoffed, “I slaughter the innocent, and you redeem them. In the end, we both achieve sainthood and join forces—a perfect scenario, isn’t it?”

Ksitigarbha shook his head, “It cannot be, it cannot be!”

The Nether River was extremely irritated but did not wish to offend Ksitigarbha completely, lest the situation become irreparable. So he said, “Ksitigarbha, do not forget. When pushed into a corner by Tathagata, who took him in!”

Yet Ksitigarbha merely smiled, “A predestined cause from a sip and a bite, I owe you immense merit, and you saved my life—where’s the harm in that?”

The Nether River nodded repeatedly, “Good, very good!” His repeating the word ‘good’ three times revealed his anger. Pointing the Yuan Tu Sword at Ksitigarbha, he said, “Well said, a sip and a bite—your immense merit to me, my saving your life! Today, we’ve forged a significant karma. Why postpone settling our score for another day when we can end it now?”

Ksitigarbha smiled, “I’ve vowed not to attain Buddhahood until Hell is empty. Tathagata calls me mad; I say if I’m not possessed, I shall not become a Buddha. You Asura Clan relish killing. If you wish Hell not to gain more wrongful spirits, then your Asura Clan is indeed the biggest enemy before my vows.”

Tathagata commanded Ksitigarbha to oversee Reincarnation, accumulating merit over tens of thousands of years. Tathagata then summoned Ksitigarbha back to the Western Heaven to become a Buddha and ancestor. However, Ksitigarbha was unwilling, vowing instead, “I will not attain Buddhahood until Hell is empty.” Tathagata had no choice but to let Ksitigarbha stay in the Reincarnation Netherworld. Ksitigarbha saw through Tathagata’s intentions—if he returned, his accumulated merit might be completely stripped away. Therefore, he colluded with the Nether River, allowing the Nether River to cause turmoil in the Asura Blood Sea, while he went to suppress it, thus easing Tathagata’s suspicions.

Ksitigarbha resorted to these actions out of necessity.

He was the person closest to Buddha, possessing a Buddha’s heart without being bound by Buddhist precepts, integrating his true nature with his Buddha nature. Because he was inherently kind, he naturally did not wish to see excessive carnage. Only when the situation at Water Curtain Cave grew potent, capable of confronting Tathagata, did he make this rebellious move.

The Nether River couldn’t help but roar in rage, “What a Ksitigarbha King! I really underestimated you!” His long blood-red hair fluttered, eyes wide with fury, and a murderous aura filled the air.

Ksitigarbha dispersed the Blood God Children clones and stepped in front of Wukong with his hands clasped together, saying, “Buddha’s compassion!”

Taking advantage of Ksitigarbha blocking the Nether River, Wukong sat down and began healing his injuries.

The Golden Lotus inside his body trembled, the River Map and Luo Book revolved, a mysterious aura spread, and the Hongmeng Purple Qi coursed through his meridians. Torn meridians and broken bones gradually mended. However, his Primordial Spirit was heavily damaged by the blow of the Twelfth Rank Lotus Platform and nearly perished; it seemed it would take a long time for his Primordial Spirit to recover.

The Nether River was truly infuriated. Ksitigarbha had betrayed him at a critical moment!

It was one thing for Xuan Ming not to take action, but it was quite another for it to be his own ally. Consumed by rage, the Nether River conjured two Divine Swords and waved the Xuan Yuan Water Control Banner, charging at Ksitigarbha.

Ksitigarbha King’s divine beast, Diting, was extremely formidable, capable of hearing all sounds within and beyond the Three Realms and Six Paths. Alongside Ksitigarbha King, Diting amassed a great deal of merit in the Reincarnation Netherworld and possessed cultivation levels of a Sect Founder. Despite this, Diting willingly followed Ksitigarbha King, serving as his mount. This was because Diting, born from Heaven and Earth with extraordinary talents, harbored gratitude toward Heaven and Earth and intended to aid all living beings. Ksitigarbha King, being a profoundly good being, attracted Diting’s loyalty when one day Diting heard a voice he believed to be from the Heavenly Dao. Coupled with Ksitigarbha King’s meritorious deeds, Diting decided to follow him.

With a wave of Xuan Ming’s water-controlling flag, the ability seemed even more potent than Gonggong’s own. The void cracked open, and waters from all directions converged, including Weak Water, Heavy Water, Sunflower Water, Dead Water, Dark Water… all sorts of wondrous water from the world merged and formed into a long whip, lashing out at Ksitigarbha King.

Ksitigarbha King felt as though he was trapped in quicksand. Xuan Ming’s water-controlling flag was indeed extraordinary, and he did not dare to be careless. Raising both hands toward the sky, he uttered a spell, and two enormous palm prints struck out, flinging the long whip hundreds of yards away, making it thrash and twist in retreat.

With another sweep of the flag, Xuan Ming invoked a spell above Ksitigarbha King’s head, hundreds of yards in the sky, unleashing a curtain of water that enwrapped Ksitigarbha King within it. Both Ksitigarbha King and Diting felt a mounting pressure inside the curtain of water, causing their hearts to throb with urgency as if their blood vessels might burst.

With Ksitigarbha King ensnared, Xuan Ming drew two swords, ready to strike at Wukong, who was in the midst of healing.

Ksitigarbha King bellowed, “Do not harm my Buddha!”

He referred to Wukong as “my Buddha” because on a certain day, Ksitigarbha King sensed a shift in the Heavenly Dao, decreeing that a Victorious Fighting Buddha would descend upon the Western Land, establish the Ultimate Bliss World in the Western Direction, and from within it, create the Ten Directions Country, illuminating all beings and spreading enormous good across the world. By calculating and having Diting eavesdrop on the Heavenly Dao again, he learned a bit more of the mystery; this Sun Wukong would be a Future Buddha, destined one day to become the Victorious Fighting Buddha in the Western Land.

Ksitigarbha King harbored a Buddha’s heart but had yet to achieve Buddhahood. With a Future Buddha on the verge of emerging, how could he allow him to meet an early demise? All the more reason that this fight with Xuan Ming was inevitable.

Diting let out a roar, emitting the Six Paths Divine Sound, a powerful force modeled after the sounds heard from the Six Paths of Reincarnation. Six-colored halos burst forth, sending out resonating sound waves and enveloping Xuan Ming. With no escape, Xuan Ming felt his head swell and his Primordial Spirit turn sluggish.

“It seems if I get any more dazed, my Primordial Spirit might be pulled into the cycle of reincarnation!” Xuan Ming was secretly alarmed. Ksitigarbha King and Diting, who usually cultivated their Buddhist practices in seclusion, had not made any overt displays of their strength; but now that they had made their move, it was clear how formidable they really were.

Seizing the opportunity, Diting extended a claw. With the size of hundreds of yards, it struck down viciously and shattered the curtain of water.

Ksitigarbha King leaped forward and with a clasp of his hands, conjured a Dharma Seal. Suddenly, a ferocious golden lion burst forth from the seal, lunging with its jaws agape toward Xuan Ming’s head.

With his Primordial Spirit dulled, Xuan Ming, if he resisted, was sure to suffer. Instead, he grabbed a Blood God Child and devoured it, its blood essence revitalizing him. Seeing the golden lion’s gaping maw approaching, he shook the water whip, forged from the water-controlling flag, wrapping it around the lion and dragging it away, obliterating Ksitigarbha King’s Great Lion Seal.

“Wisdom-Fist Seal!” Ksitigarbha King summoned another handprint.

This skill, created by the Great Sun Tathagata, was freely imparted to others when the Esoteric and Exoteric schools exchanged practices. Ksitigarbha King had mastered the essence of these nine handprint techniques, refining his skill to an exceptional degree. When in combat, the power unleashed was immense!

Xuan Ming countered with the Yuan Tu Sword. Ksitigarbha King’s blow was overpowering, carrying a surge of strong righteous qi, with a blend of both firmness and softness, and a touch of kindness that seemed to leave room for maneuver. This was not about physically holding back but rather, capturing the essence!

Every Dharma Gate is most powerful only when aligned with one’s own essence.

Take the Great Mountains and Rivers Seal, for example, without embracing the vastness of mountains and rivers or the weightiness of the state, it is impossible to fully bring forth the power of this spell; at best, it’s merely a facade.

“Boom!”

Their clash resulted in both being repelled. Ksitigarbha King suffered a slight loss, after all, Xuan Ming had met him with a sword.

A tiny crack appeared on Ksitigarbha King’s palm, through which dark golden blood flowed.

It is said that the blood of Buddhas is gold, and Ksitigarbha King’s dark golden blood indicated he was not far from Buddhahood.

The outcome remains uncertain, please tune in next time for the resolution. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please visit qidian.com to cast a recommendation vote or a monthly ticket. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)