The Unborn Man flew over. “Your Reverence, the corpse worms were somewhat problematic earlier, so…”
“It does not matter. Dealing with those corpse worms was already sufficient. The Corpse Worm Heavenly Demon is too powerful. It is difficult for the lifespan Dao to do anything to him.” Gu Hai shook his head.
“Yes!” The Unborn Man nodded.
“Your Reverence, Bodhisattva Lian Sheng vanished too. Should we search for Bodhisattva Lian Sheng first, or should we head to Crown Prince Gu Han?” Kong Xuan asked with a frown.
“We have already found Gu Han. He is here, too, but at another time. It is just like our earlier situation; we were in different times but in the same space. They are here!” Gu Hai said.
“Oh?” Everyone’s expression changed.
“Your Reverence, we left the nether realm earlier and reappeared here when we returned. Should we try that again?” the Unborn Man asked.
“Let’s do that.” Gu Hai nodded.
The Unborn Man swiped his hand in the air.
Buzz!
A rip appeared in space, and a vast amount of positive energy rushed in.
“Let’s go!”
The group immediately swarmed over.
The group then appeared in a forest. Strangely, the boundless vegetation in the surrounding forest was withered.
“Huh? It was not like this earlier!” Kong Xuan said in shock.
Gu Hai narrowed his eyes. He understood it was because Emperor Kong and the Huang Heavenly Dynasty’s people had brought out the corpses of the six great resentful spirits and left.
“Let’s go back first,” Gu Hai said.
“Yes!” the Unborn Man answered.
The Unborn Man swiped his hand down again, bringing out the passageway between the two realms once more.
Then the group entered.
Boundless Buddhist chanting and huge golden swastikas floating in the surroundings greeted the group upon arrival.
Nearby, the Dried Lamp Buddha sat in a blazing sun.
He had a pained look on his face, apparently struggling mentally.
Nearby, Bodhisattva Lian Sheng and Gu Han held their palms together, their bodies shining with golden light. The images of countless buddhas and bodhisattvas surrounded them, chanting the scriptures. The Buddhist chanting focused on the Dried Lamp Buddha in the blazing sun, giving him a headache.
“Argh! The peak master’s orders cannot be disobeyed! Kill! Kill! Kill!”
“I swore a grand declaration to resolve the bitterness of all life, to create paradise; I would never forget my true self forever!”
Two different voices came from the Dried Lamp Buddha. As they clashed, his headache intensified.
“Honored Master, disciple Gautama has already reported and understands Master’s efforts!” Gu Han bowed respectfully to the Dried Lamp Buddha.
“Honored Master, disciple Lian Sheng will aid First Senior Brother’s reincarnation to rebuild the Nalanda Temple. We will focus on rescuing all life from bitterness. I will never forget Master’s words!” Bodhisattva Lian Sheng likewise bowed respectfully.
Qin Zibai sat beside Gu Han, muttering something. The Savant Wisdom Divine Cane gave off a green light.
“Argh!” The Dried Lamp Buddha let out a loud cry of pain.
Boom!
A small hole appeared in the Dried Lamp Buddha’s forehead, and black energy leaked out of it. There seemed to be a corpse worm writhing in pain within.
Eeee! Eeee! Eeee! Eeee! Eeee!
While the corpse worm suppressed the Dried Lamp Buddha’s consciousness, the Dried Lamp Buddha’s consciousness also suppressed it.
When Gu Hai and the others arrived, their faces sank.
“The Corpse Worm Heavenly Demon is truly cautious. The Dried Lamp Buddha would obey him in the first place, yet he considered it insufficient and planted a corpse worm in the Dried Lamp Buddha’s brain,” the Mosquito Daoist said in shock.
“His wariness is justified. At the very least, the Dried Lamp Buddha’s consciousness is now resisting,” Gu Hai said.
Boom!
A loud report came from the Dried Lamp Buddha’s head as a large hole blasted open in his head. The corpse worm within screamed before exploding into pieces.
The Dried Lamp Buddha slumped, and the blazing sun around him dimmed.
The struggle on his face vanished, replaced by a benevolent expression as he looked at Gu Han and Bodhisattva Lian Sheng.
“Gautama, you have finally repented?” the Dried Lamp Buddha said weakly.
“Master, this disciple has fully understood. I will wash away the sins of my past life in this life with everything I have. Heaven left behind the Corpse Mound World, trapping billions of resentful spirits. This disciple’s first step is to purify the resentful spirits. I swear never to become a buddha until the resentful spirits are cleared!” Gu Han said solemnly.
The Dried Lamp Buddha waved his hand.
Whoosh!
The Three-Layered Past Conception scattered.
Besides Gu Hai’s Thirty-Five Line-Pair World Ritual Array, the overwhelming Resentful Energy had already dyed the Corpse Mound World crimson. The number of resentful spirits increased more than a hundredfold, the surroundings teeming with countless resentful spirits. They let out miserable cries, and their Resentful Energy clashed, which further refined and increased their Resentful Energy.
“Resentful Energy? What intense Resentful Energy! Have all the resentful spirits in the Corpse Mound World been released? Right now, the Resentful Energy continues to build up. It will break out of the Corpse Mound World soon and harm all life!” the Dried Lamp Buddha exclaimed in shock.
“This disciple swears never to leave the Corpse Mound World before all the resentful spirits are cleared!” Gu Han said gravely.
The Dried Lamp Buddha looked at three before him and eventually smiled bitterly. “The Three Lives Buddhist Conception? Purify billions of resentful spirits? The three of you happen to form a combination of the Three Lives Buddhas. However, there are too many resentful spirits. Too many. You cannot endure it.”
“This disciple will do my best and attempt it!” Gu Han said gravely.
“Lian Sheng!” The Dried Lamp Buddha looked at Bodhisattva Lian Sheng.
“This disciple is present!” Bodhisattva Lian Sheng responded respectfully.
“Many thanks for using your compassion to move my lost heart, allowing me to recover my true self,” Dried Lamp Buddha said in gratitude.
“It is expected of this disciple. Furthermore, this disciple alone would not have been enough. I had First Senior Brother’s help before,” Bodhisattva Lian Sheng said immediately.
“You have already understood and embodied the meaning of your dharmic name, Lian Sheng. I feel gratified.” Dried Lamp Buddha said with palms held together.
“Yes, Master!” Bodhisattva Lian Sheng said respectfully.
“Gautama? Master’s greatest wish was for you to repent, as Master understood that your repentance would be a blessing to all life. It is even more important than my entire life of Buddhist cultivation. Although I am just a replica now, my heart for Buddhism has not changed. I am still the same me. What we Buddhists cultivate is our heart for Buddhism. Our physical body is just a husk,” the Dried Lamp Buddha said gravely.
“Yes, Master!” Gu Han said with a respectful salute.
Although Gu Hai knew this was a fake Dried Lamp Buddha, just a replica, he understood that the heart for Buddhism was the Dried Lamp Buddha’s foundation. Having a heart for Buddhism equated to eternal life.
“Master feels gratified that you wish to purify these billions of resentful spirits. Master’s three spiritual souls are already damaged and cannot last much longer. I will use my final moments to help you three divide the resentful spirits. I will turn myself into a thirteen-floor eternal Buddhist pagoda. Each floor will be an independent space, separating the resentful spirits to make it easier for you to purify them,” the Dried Lamp Buddha said with palms held together.
“Master, don’t!” Bodhisattva Lian Sheng’s expression changed.
“Thirteen-floor Buddhist pagoda? The Nalanda Temple’s Eternal Buddhist Pagoda Technique?” Qin Zibai also felt shocked.
Buzz!
The Dried Lamp Buddha chanted something while in the sky. Suddenly, the blazing sun around his body flared with piercing light as the severely injured Dried Lamp Buddha slowly transformed into a golden pagoda.
When the giant pagoda appeared, its roof supported the sky, and its base sat firmly on the ground. There were thirteen floors, each with nine sides. The thirteen-floor, nine-sided pagoda suddenly opened all its doors.
Creak!
A total of one hundred seventeen open doors released a powerful suction.
Wooo! Wooo! Wooo! Wooo!
The surrounding resentful spirits let out startled cries as the suction pulled them into the pagoda.
Whoosh!
The eternal Buddhist pagoda abruptly pulled in countless resentful spirits, like a whale sucking in water; its suction covered the entire Corpse Mound World.
“Master!” Bodhisattva Lian Sheng cried sorrowfully and anxiously.
Only Gu Han saluted solemnly, “Master sacrificed his life to become a pagoda to save all life, accruing great beneficence. Disciple respectfully sends off Master and congratulates Master on seeing your cultivation bear fruit!”
Gu Han’s salutation startled Bodhisattva Lian Sheng and Qin Zibai. When they turned to Gu Han, they immediately understood what Gu Han meant. Did this not fulfill the Dried Lamp Buddha’s grand declaration? By transforming into a pagoda, he had fulfilled his grand declaration, meaning his efforts had come to fruition. This should be worth congratulating.
“Congratulations, Master, on seeing your cultivation bear fruit!” Bodhisattva Lian Sheng said respectfully.
“Congratulations to the Dried Lamp Buddha on seeing your cultivation bear fruit!” Qin Zibai said respectfully too.
The three moved slowly to the eternal Buddhist Pagoda.
Whoosh!
As the resentful spirits quickly poured in, the three controlled the Buddhist tower, making it suck faster. The eternal Buddhist pagoda took in nearly all the resentful spirits in just a day; less than one percent of the initial numbers remained, wandering outside.
Creak!
The one hundred seventeen doors of the Buddhist pagoda closed simultaneously.
Now, the eternal Buddhist pagoda enlarged to fill the surroundings, looking like an immaterial Buddhist pagoda.
Wooo! Wooo! Wooo! Wooo!
The countless resentful spirits cried out in the Buddhist pagoda. Boundless Resentful Energy surged and struck the Buddhist pagoda, making it shudder; it looked like it would shatter.
“Oh no! The Resentful Energy in this world is too strong!” Bodhisattva Lian Sheng said anxiously.
“There are too many resentful spirits. The eternal Buddhist pagoda cannot contain them all. The resentful spirits within can control the Resentful Energy outside to try to shatter the eternal Buddhist pagoda. What should we do?” Qin Zibai said anxiously.
“Resentful Energy? There is too much Resentful Energy? Master’s efforts might go to waste.” Gu Han also appeared anxious.
“Are you worried about the Resentful Energy in this world?” Gu Hai asked.
“Yes. The resentful spirits in the Buddhist pagoda generated this Resentful Energy previously, so the Resentful Energy is connected to them. Although the resentful spirits are locked in there, there is too much Resentful Energy, which will continuously attack the Buddhist pagoda. The pagoda might…,” Gu Han said worriedly.
“What if the Resentful Energy were gone?” Gu Hai asked.
“Huh?” Gu Han said in confusion.
“Kong Xuan, Mosquito Daoist, protect us!” Gu Hai said.
“Yes!” the two answered.
Then Gu Hai sat down cross-legged and used his heavenly soul to drive the Worldly Sorrowful Endowment to absorb the Resentful Energy.
Whoosh!
The boundless Resentful Energy dyeing the Corpse Mound World red abandoned the resentful spirits and instantly gathered around Gu Hai. His body was like a black hole frantically consuming the overwhelming Resentful Energy, absorbing the Resentful Energy even faster than the eternal Buddhist pagoda had sucked in the resentful spirits.
As Gu Hai quickly took in the surging Resentful Energy, he poured it all into the heavenly soul’s heavenly eye, condensing a new energy core, the Resentful Energy core.
