Vairocana was about as strong as Jiang Gautama. Now that Jiang Gautama had suffered severe injuries and the balance shifted, everyone thought little of Jiang Gautama’s chances.
If the Spirit Mountain Holy Land still had its blessings, Jiang Gautama had nothing to fear. He could drive the power of his sect after returning and salvage the situation. Now?
Gu Hai, Kong Xuan, and Vairocana looked at Jiang Gautama coldly.
Even Ji Dihong and Ba felt Jiang Gautama had nowhere to run. Of course, neither of them came to help.
Ji Dihong could not wait for Jiang Gautama to die. Gu Hai and Jiang Gautama fighting each other suited his intentions.
For some reason, Ba was furious at Jiang Gautama. Although he was her younger brother in name, she knew that the evil Gautama just used Jiang Lianshan to reincarnate. He was still an outsider. Furthermore, he recently wanted to kill Jingwei. How could she save such a person?
In the land of the living, Jiang Gautama immediately became isolated.
As he covered the hole in his chest, blood leaked between his lips. Flee?
Given his severe injuries, Jiang Gautama understood he could not flee from Vairocana.
It is all Gu Hai’s fault!
At the thought of Gu Hai, overwhelming rage and resentment spewed out of Jiang Gautama’s eyes. He had lost control over the former Yan Heavenly Dynasty because of Gu Hai. Gu Hai had taken Jingwei away, causing him to lose its vast blessings. Gu Hai had also destroyed the Spirit Mountain Holy Land’s vast blessings. He suffered severe injuries because of Gu Hai. It was Gu Hai! It was all Gu Hai!
As Jiang Gautama looked at Gu Hai, he wished he could consume Gu Hai’s flesh and drink Gu Hai’s blood.
“Mister Gu, should I kill Jiang Gautama or capture him?” Vairocana asked.
Before Gu Hai could speak, Jiang Gautama glared. “Gu Hai, if you dare to touch me, your son’s—Gu Tang’s—souls will scatter. Do you believe me?”
Gu Tang? Gu Hai’s son?
In Xuanyuan City, Ji Dihong narrowed his eyes.
“Hah! Gu Tang? Didn’t we already exchange for his souls last time? We can help him reconstruct his physical body soon. His souls scatter? How laughable!” Gu Hai sneered.
Although Gu Hai was worried, he still pretended to be skeptical.
“Hah! Hahaha! Indeed, you did not discover it. How could they be real? They are just fakes that I replicated. He is still in my hands. Gu Hai, if you don’t want Gu Tang’s souls to scatter, scram immediately!” Jiang Gautama said hatefully.
Although Jiang Gautama wished he could tear Gu Hai apart, the situation was urgent. Even so, he had no way to do it; he did not know if Gu Hai could still fire the Divinity Destroying Light.
“Hah! Jiang Gautama, do you think we will believe it? Very well. We will give you a chance so that you will give up. Let’s see how you produce another Gu Tang,” Gu Hai said coldly while glaring.
Bring Gu Tang out?
Jiang Gautama’s expression turned uncertain. “Bring over Gu Tang’s replica. I replicated him. I’ll prove it.”
The moment Jiang Gautama spoke, Gu Hai felt relieved. This proved that the White Emperor had already saved Gu Tang. Otherwise, Jiang Gautama would not delay.
“There’s no need. After we capture you, everything will come to light. Vairocana, can I trouble you to capture him?” Gu Hai said gravely.
“Alright.” Vairocana nodded and stepped forward.
“Gu Hai, you don’t believe me? Excellent! Excellent! Excellent! I will scatter Gu Tang’s souls and prevent him from ever reincarnating!” Jiang Gautama turned furiously to leave.
Whoosh!
Jiang Gautama shot into the distance, but Vairocana moved even faster, instantly arriving before him.
Boom!
Vairocana landed a palm strike, causing Jiang Gautama to tumble and spew a mouthful of blood.
Blargh!
“Just you wait! I will repay today’s humiliation a hundred times over! A hundred times!” Jiang Gautama roared ferociously, taking out an alms bowl. This was the sixth-ranked of the top sixteen ancient treasures, the Reincarnation Pool.
“Be careful!” the distant Gu Hai yelled.
Buzz!
When Jiang Gautama tossed out the alms bowl, Vairocana immediately raised his guard.
A large spatial ripple suddenly came from the alms bowl. It vaguely showed a pool of clear water with many Reincarnation Lotuses.
While Vairocana kept his guard up against Jiang Gautama’s attack, Jiang Gautama scowled ferociously. “Just you wait. I’ll be back!”
Boom!
Jiang Gautama rushed into the spatial ripple and vanished. Once he entered, he immediately swept away all the Reincarnation Lotuses there.
“Oh no! He is not trying to counterattack. He is trying to flee!” Gu Hai’s face sank.
“Where are you fleeing to?” Vairocana shouted and immediately stepped into the spatial ripple.
However, Vairocana came back out when he was only halfway in. He threw a palm strike.
Five golden palms suddenly came from the other side of the ripple.
“Five Gautama Divine Palms? How can that be?” Kong Xuan exclaimed.
Even if Jiang Gautama launched a counterattack, there could only be one at most. Why did five come out of the ripple’s other side?
Boom!
Vairocana blocked with everything he had. After he threw his palm strike, the five manifested palms shattered. Space also fragmented. However, this clash delayed him.
Vairocana’s face sank as he was about to resume pursuit.
“Vairocana, don’t chase him!” Gu Hai shouted.
As Gu Hai shouted, he grabbed the alms bowl, which was the Reincarnation Pool.
After Gu Hai grabbed the Reincarnation Pool, the ripple withdrew.
“The other side of the Reincarnation Pool is the eighteen layers of hell?” Kong Xuan’s face sank.
“There were five Gautama Divine Palms earlier. It looks like there’s a trap in there. Vairocana, we should make further plans,” Gu Hai said gravely.
Vairocana nodded. “Alright. However, the five earlier Gautama Divine Palms were strangely weaker than the initial ones. Nonetheless, they were truly Gautama Divine Palms. Furthermore, I am sure they contained Jiang Gautama’s aura.”
“It looks like things have changed in the eighteen layers of hell over the years.” Gu Hai looked at the Reincarnation Pool in his hand.
“Jiang Gautama abandoned the Reincarnation Pool to flee?” Kong Xuan sneered.
Gu Hai looked at the Reincarnation Pool and lamented in his heart. He recalled he had no means of resisting the Reincarnation Pool back at the Western Sea. Now, the Reincarnation Pool fell into his hands.
“The Six Paths Immortal has already sealed the eighteen layers of hell. This is the only entrance, and the Reincarnation Lotuses are only a means of exiting. This means Jiang Gautama can no longer reenter it. He is currently severely injured and will think of recovering first,” Gu Hai said.
Kong Xuan’s expression changed. “Your Reverence, doesn’t this mean we can use the Reincarnation Pool to enter the eighteen layers of hell?”
“No!” Gu Hai’s face sank.
“Oh?”
“You also saw the earlier five Gautama Divine Palms. Jiang Gautama must have laid a trap there. We absolutely cannot enter from here.” Gu Hai looked at Vairocana.
Vairocana nodded. Earlier, he had used a Reincarnation Lotus to open an entrance to the eighteen layers of hell.
Gu Hai had been planning to enter the Hell Path Secret Realm using the Reincarnation Lotus. Suddenly, Gu Hai’s expression changed. If I can enter using the Reincarnation Lotus, can’t Jiang Gautama do the same?
Vairocana noticed Gu Hai’s worry and smiled faintly. “The method I used to activate the Reincarnation Lotus is not Buddhist. Laozi taught me that method. While I know the method, Jiang Gautama does not.”
“That’s good.” Gu Hai inwardly sighed in relief.
“However, Your Reverence, one day outside is one thousand years in the first layer of hell. Jiang Gautama’s injuries will recover soon!” Kong Xuan said worriedly.
“They won’t mend so easily. I don’t know how powerful the Divinity Destroying Light is, but my earlier palm strike injured his Buddhist origin. He cannot recover without at least one thousand years,” Vairocana said confidently.
“If that is the case, that is the best situation. The entrance to each layer cannot be opened at will. Jiang Gautama is likely waiting in the first layer.” Gu Hai narrowed his eyes slightly.
“Mister Gu, when would you like to enter the eighteen layers of hell?” Vairocana asked.
“Wait first. The Spirit Mountain Holy Land is currently leaderless. We should return to Borderless Heavenly Capital first,” Gu Hai said.
“Yes!” Kong Xuan answered.
Whoosh!
The three turned into beams of light and shot towards Borderless Heavenly Capital’s Soaring Palace Hall.
The battlefield in outer space emptied in the blink of an eye.
Far away, Ba narrowed her eyes. “Humph! To think he let Jiang Gautama escape. How boring! However, it looks like what Jiang Lianshan was searching for and Jiang Gautama’s hiding place are in the eighteen layers of hell?”
Xuanyuan City:
Ji Dihong also narrowed his eyes slightly. “Jiang Gautama fled into the eighteen layers of hell?”
Cangjie had used a technique to manifest the distant scene for the other officials to see.
“Your Holy Eminence, given this, Gu Tang is really in Jiang Gautama’s hands?” Emperor Kong’s eyes lit up.
“That’s right. Although Gu Hai could hide it from Jiang Gautama, he cannot hide it from us. Hah! If he really did not believe it, he would not have wasted so much time with Jiang Gautama and let him escape. Given that, Gu Tang is in the eighteen layers of hell. Furthermore, Gu Tang managed to escape Jiang Gautama’s control?” Ji Dihong narrowed his eyes.
“Mister Cangjie, can you divine Gu Tang’s location?” Emperor Kong asked with anticipation.
Cangjie suddenly froze in place, not moving at all as though calculating something. No one interrupted him. He only nodded after a while. “I can find it.”
Soaring Palace Hall, Borderless Heavenly Capital:
Boom!
Gu Hai, Kong Xuan, and Vairocana landed on the Soaring Palace Hall’s plaza.
“Your Reverence!” The important officials were already waiting there.
“Kong Xuan, Ao Sheng, Gao Xianzhi!” Gu Hai called out.
“This official is present!” Gao Xianzhi and Kong Xuan answered.
“Present!” Ao Sheng answered.
“Gao Xianzhi, lead four hundred thousand Divine Demon Army soldiers and head to the Spirit Mountain Holy Land with Kong Xuan and Ao Sheng. We need you to take down all the buddhas, bodhisattvas, and arhats of the Spirit Mountain Holy Land. Gao Xianzhi will take charge of this battle. We will give you one day at most!” Gu Hai commanded.
“Yes!” everyone answered.
“Divine Demon Army, heed my command!” Gu Hai called out.
“Hah!” Roars rang out all over Borderless Heavenly Capital.
No matter what the five hundred thousand Divine Demon Army soldiers were doing or where they were, even if they were training in seclusion, they all rushed to the Soaring Palace Hall’s plaza and fell into an orderly formation respectfully.
“These one hundred thousand will remain in Borderless Heavenly Capital to defend against bandits. The other four hundred thousand, heed Gao Xianzhi’s command,” Gu Hai ordered, pointing to two divisions of Divine Demon Army soldiers.
“We obey!” the five hundred thousand Divine Demon Army soldiers shouted.
“Where is the dragon race?!” Ao Sheng shouted.
“Roar! Roar!”
Two thousand huge dragons immediately took to the sky.
“Come with me to the Spirit Mountain Holy Land and destroy buddhas!” Ao Sheng shouted coldly.
“Yes!” the dragons answered.
“Let’s go!” Kong Xuan flung out his sleeves.
Whoosh!
A black wind blew, picking up the Divine Demon Army soldiers and dragons. However, Ao Sheng carried Gao Xianzhi personally.
“Let’s go!” Gao Xianzhi shouted.
Boom!
The black wind swept away the dragons and four hundred thousand Divine Demon Army soldiers, sending them towards the Spirit Mountain Holy Land.
