The first layer of hell:
Two hundred thousand Divine Demon Army soldiers stood in formation as Kong Xuan and the Jiang Gautama replica fought ferociously. While the replica could not deal with Vairocana, he was still a peak ninth-layer Upper Heavenly Palace Realm expert. Otherwise, Jiang Gautama would not keep making replicas of himself.
Although Kong Xuan had a few fortuitous encounters by following Gu Hai, raising his strength significantly, he was still in the middle stage of the Upper Heavenly Palace Realm’s ninth layer. He fought ferociously but could not immediately defeat Jiang Gautama.
The two fought for ten days and ten nights, treating the first layer as their battlefield. Wounds riddled the two’s bodies.
“Break!” the Jiang Gautama replica shouted.
An immense force broke one of Kong Xuan’s six-colored divine lights and continued towards his shoulder.
“I was just waiting for this!” The blood-covered Kong Xuan showed a malicious smile.
Suddenly, a pair of peacock claws grabbed the Jiang Gautama replica.
Blargh!
The Jiang Gautama replica’s palm strike landed, and Kong Xuan spewed a mouthful of blood. However, he managed to grab Jiang Gautama. After vomiting blood, Kong Xuan suddenly opened his mouth.
Whoosh!
Surging black winds appeared out of nowhere, swirling around Jiang Gautama. The replica had just finished his attack and was in no position to mount another one. He staggered, falling for Kong Xuan’s scheme.
Whoosh!
Kong Xuan swallowed Jiang Gautama into his stomach.
When Kong Xuan closed his mouth, he turned into a ten-kilometer-tall peacock radiating an overwhelming demonic aura, which dyed the entire first layer of hell black.
“Milord is mighty!” the Divine Demon Army soldiers cheered excitedly.
However, Kong Xuan ignored them, as the battle was not over yet.
Kong Xuan had consumed Jiang Gautama before, but Jiang Gautama had torn open its stomach and escaped back then.
Although this was just a replica, Kong Xuan remained cautious.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Loud reports came from Kong Xuan’s stomach; Jiang Gautama’s replica was resisting.
Kong Xuan waited patiently for a while before revealing a smile. “Jiang Gautama, you can’t get out this time, right? Hahahahaha! Just wait for death! I will refine you and raise my cultivation with your death!”
“Kong Xuan, let me out and fight if you dare!” Jiang Gautama’s replica roared furiously from inside.
“Humph! Let you out? You probably don’t know this. During ancient times, my peacock race cultivated by consuming the world. The more we consume, the stronger we become; the more we eat, the more powerful we are. Let you out? In your dreams! Enjoy being refined in my stomach! Hahahaha!” Kong Xuan guffawed.
Rumble…!
Loud sounds came from Kong Xuan’s stomach, but the humongous peacock ignored them.
The noises stopped one month later. It understood it had refined Jiang Gautama’s replica.
Kong Xuan previously consumed those weaker than it, so its cultivation increased slowly, sometimes not at all. However, after consuming the stronger Jiang Gautama replica, it finally felt a pronounced increase in its cultivation.
“According to the peacock deity’s inheritance, one can greatly increase one’s cultivation only by consuming those stronger than oneself. Indeed, that is the case. Furthermore, the best cultivation method at my level is to eat everything. However, this is not the ancient times. How could there be so many experts for me to eat?” Kong Xuan felt anxious.
The words Gu Hai said before leaving lingered in its heart. It hoped to reach the consummation of the Upper Heavenly Palace Realm soon, but there was nothing to eat. Who knew how long it would take relying only on cultivating itself?
Above the Spirit Mountain Holy Land:
Countless spirit stones rushed over like vast rivers, slowly expanding the initial spirit stone sea over ten times. Two trillion superior-grade spirit stones? There definitely was that much.
“The underground spirit stone ores nourish the land, the dragon veins, and energy. That is about enough. I can’t extract more,” Jiangchen said indifferently.
After speaking, Jiangchen pressed down with his right hand.
Buzz!
Spirit stones stopped pouring over, but the spirit stone sea was already incredibly vast.
“Everyone, listen. I will send the spirit stones to the skies above your cities. Queue up to exchange your contracts for the spirits stones!” Jiangchen’s voice spread to the two thousand cities.
“Spirit stones?” The countless citizens felt startled.
Then Jiangchen waved his hand at the sky.
Whoosh!
The spirit stone sea immediately split into two thousand portions. After another wave, they turned into beams of light shooting towards the two thousand cities.
Whoosh!
In just thirty minutes, all two thousand cities had over one billion superior-grade spirit stones hovering above them.
The citizens immediately broke out in a loud commotion.
Suddenly, everyone felt Jiangchen was much more capable than the Present Buddha.
Spirit stones filled the sky with a barrier of light around them that prevented them from falling.
Many citizens started bowing and saluting Jiangchen, addressing him as Veritable Lord. However, some people’s eyes turned red with greed.
One billion superior-grade spirit stones was just the final count. There were also medial-grade and inferior-grade spirit stones in the mass of spirit stones, which made countless people greedy.
I invested only ten superior-grade spirit stones. What if I try to snatch spirit stones? I can grab at least one hundred—even one thousand—superior-grade spirit stones. Why should I do an exchange?
It’s not like Jiangchen is here. What am I afraid of?
Furthermore, the earlier riots already proved that if someone takes the initiative, many others will follow. By then, I can fish up even more benefits amid the chaos.
Thinking this, people with malicious intentions felt incredibly excited. They showed faint sneers as they looked at the surrounding citizens saluting Jiangchen, before rushing into the sky.
Golden Mountain City:
Ten people with ill intentions instantly soared into the sky, intending to use storage bracelets to snatch away many spirit stones.
“How audacious! How dare you!” countless citizens shouted in rage.
“Hahaha! How dare I? This belongs to whoever snatches it away. Why are you stupidly queueing up? Quickly take what you can!” The person who rushed in front tempted the other citizens.
The citizens were flustered.
Just as the citizens felt conflicted, the first person arrived at the barrier and extended his hand to grab.
Crack!
Lightning bolts suddenly came from above the barrier, striking the ten who soared up.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The ten immediately crashed to the ground, kicking up clouds of dust.
“Retribution!”
“Hahahaha! Well struck!”
“Did they die?”
“They are completely charred!”
The ten died in an instant. The previously anxious citizens cheered. At the same time, no one dared to try snatching the spirit stones anymore. Instead, everyone queued up orderly.
This happened not just in Golden Mountain City but in all two thousand cities. The people with wicked thoughts died, bringing order to everyone else.
Jiangchen could see everything in the two thousand cities from the Spirit Mountain Holy Land. However, he merely showed a trace of a smile before ignoring it.
Then he turned his head to the grand Hall of Great Strength.
“Jiang Gautama is truly living it up. The Hall of Great Strength?” Jiangchen smiled faintly.
As he smiled, he waved. Then the “Hall of Great Strength” words on the signboard changed to “Deity Seizing Hall.”
As Jiangchen looked at the Deity Seizing Hall, a gleam of satisfaction flashed in his eyes. Then he stepped into the Deity Seizing Hall.
His subordinates followed him in.
The emperor’s study, Xuanyuan City, Huang Heavenly Dynasty:
A group of extraordinary talents stood in the emperor’s study. Since Mister Starless suffered severe injuries, naturally, someone treated him.
Mister Starless had the fortune of being treated in the emperor’s study while Ao Ying and Emperor Kong reported on their journey to hell on the other side.
“Oh? Mister Starless fought Gu Hai alone? You have worked hard!” Ji Dihong marveled.
“Your Holy Eminence, we have not failed our mission. Here are Gu Tang’s spiritual souls!” Emperor Kong took out a small blue ball with satisfaction.
Ji Dihong turned to Cangjie, who then carefully received the ball.
At the side, Mister Starless’s eyelids twitched slightly while he was being treated, appearing somewhat worried.
Cangjie checked the ball before finally nodding. “These are Gu Tang’s spiritual souls, for sure. However, the spiritual souls are injured and seem to have lost their memories.”
“It must be from Jiang Gautama’s torture. I understand now. It is not that he hid among the evil ghosts. Instead, he no longer knew who he was!” Emperor Kong said as his expression changed.
“That’s good.” Ji Dihong took the ball back and carefully put it away.
After Cangjie verified it was Gu Tang, Mister Starless’s lips curled up slightly. However, that change was practically indiscernible.
“Your Holy Eminence, the Spirit Mountain Holy Land’s two thousand cities are currently in chaos. Are we not going to capture them?” Limu asked somewhat anxiously.
“Indeed. Your Holy Eminence, the results of Gu Hai’s clash with Jiang Gautama in the eighteen layers of hell should be out soon. If Gu Hai wins, it will be fine. However, what if Jiang Gautama destroys Gu Hai and returns? What if he has other secret techniques?” said a man who looked like a general.
Ji Dihong frowned slightly.
Emperor Kong smiled and said, “The two thousand cities are already as good as my Huang Heavenly Dynasty’s. What is everyone worried about? Which faction would dare contest with my Huang Heavenly Dynasty?”
“That’s right. Since they belong to my Huang Heavenly Dynasty, there’s no need to rush. Let those rioting citizens expend their energy first. It won’t be too late to collect the cities after that,” another civil official commented.
As the group discussed what to do with the Spirit Mountain Holy Land’s two thousand cities, a guard rushed into the emperor’s study.
“Huh?” Ji Dihong frowned slightly.
“Reporting to Your Holy Eminence, there is news from the Spirit Mountain Holy Land. A person called Jiangchen boldly and arrogantly declared he would take over the Spirit Mountain Holy Land’s two thousand cities. He seems to have plotted this long ago, likely using sound amplification ritual arrays in various cities and zither puppets to spread his voice to all two thousand cities!” that guard said respectfully.
“What?” the officials in the study exclaimed in shock.
Ji Dihong’s face sank. Jiangchen? It was one thing for the guard not to know of Jiangchen, but how could Ji Dihong not know? Jiangchen is contesting with me for the Divine Continent’s cardinal west position?
“Take over? He is alone. How is he going to take over?” Ji Dihong asked with a sullen expression.
“I don’t know if it is true, but the various cities sent reports of blood rain falling from the sky, turning the officials that the rioting citizens had beaten to death into zombies, and bringing them back to life. Then the revived officials saluted Jiangchen,” that guard replied respectfully.
“What? All the dead officials turned into zombies loyal to Jiangchen? Doesn’t that mean he already has administrators for all two thousand cities?” Emperor Kong’s expression changed.
“Even if he has administrators, the two thousand cities are in chaos. Can he soothe the raging citizens’ anger?” another official said skeptically.
“He can do that only if he has trillions of superior-grade spirit stones. However, who—besides the Han Imperial Dynasty—can produce such numbers of spirit stones?”
The officials all found this surprising.
However, Ji Dihong stepped out of the study and looked at the distant Spirit Mountain Holy Land’s cities.
“He brought the underground spirit stone veins to the surface? Is this truly Jiangchen? Of the four attributes—earth, fire, wind, and water—Jiangchen is the earth-attributed zombie. He can use the power of the earth for himself? That is truly Jiangchen? How can it be like this?” Ji Dihong appeared unreconciled to the situation.
I cannot capture the cardinal south of the Divine Continent. Now, even the done deal—that is, the cardinal west—has gone up in smoke?
