The terrifying oppressive aura transformed into a golden mountain, sweeping towards Chen Nan.
Chen Nan's expression was grave. The mountain above his head was too terrifying. Even he could barely withstand it, making his body sway precariously, as if he might collapse at any moment. Yet, he stood there, unmoving. He understood the principle of a sturdy foundation supporting a great weight.
Although he bore the golden mountain on his body, a terrifying force was transmitted through him to the stone slabs beneath his feet.
*Puff puff puff!*
The stone slabs within ten meters of him instantly turned to powder. One could imagine the terrifying power he endured.
"Benefactor Chen, you are fated with my Buddha. Do not resist!" a resonant, sacred voice emanated from the Buddha statue. "Converting to my Buddha is your only choice."
"To hell with converting to Buddhism!" Chen Nan's body trembled.
Instantly, tiny saplings emerged from the ground. Like bamboo shoots after rain, they rapidly grew into towering trees, shielding Chen Nan from the influence of the golden mountain.
"Buddhism is utter shit in my eyes!" "If your Buddha sect were truly merciful," "why would you kill an innocent, weak woman?" "Why would you abandon your followers to die?" "Why are mistakes unforgivable?" He was utterly disappointed with Buddhism, feeling only hatred.
Never mind the decision that led the three realms to the brink of destruction back then. Just his current understanding of Buddhism was enough to make him unable to forgive their actions.
"My Buddha merely made the most stable choice during a time of turmoil." "Perhaps this choice seems lacking in passion to you," "but for the beings of the three realms, it was the most beneficial."
Acala, the immovable king, said, "Since Benefactor Chen misunderstands my Buddha, I shall take you to the Western Paradise to meet my Buddha and listen to his teachings!"
Upon hearing this, the Emperor's Master's eyes shone with astonishing brilliance. He had previously wanted to kill Chen Nan. However, the person in his sea of consciousness wanted Chen Nan to convert to Buddhism. Now, it was perfect. He would take Chen Nan to the Western Paradise to meet the Buddha. He was very satisfied with this outcome.
"Chen Nan, you cannot defeat him!" Di Ting appeared before Chen Nan, his gaze solemn. "I will cover your retreat, hurry and go!"
Although the Buddha statue before them was a manifestation of Acala's will, Acala himself was a direct disciple of the Tathagata and possessed immense power. If Chen Nan had encountered him in the mortal realm, he might have had a chance to fight. But in the underworld, he was definitely no match for him.
Acala looked at Di Ting. "My subordinate is in need of a mount. You shall become my mount!" With that, he extended a palm.
The golden palm blotted out the sun, illuminating all directions, and pressed down on Di Ting.
"You are not worthy of my respect!" Di Ting roared. Golden dragon scales instantly appeared on his canine body, making him look exceptionally majestic. At this moment, Di Ting had returned to his peak state. He opened his mouth and spat out a mysterious Buddhist seal, which collided with Acala's palm. However, it did not annihilate but rather froze in mid-air.
Instantly, deafening thunderclaps erupted in the sky. The space warped, as if it would annihilate at any moment.
"Escape!" "Why are you standing there foolishly?" Di Ting let out a low growl. Although his strength had returned to its peak and he was a divine beast, he was not known for his offense. The reason he was considered a divine beast was fundamentally due to his rarity and ability to hear across the three realms. Purely in terms of combat power, he could only be classified as a powerful beast, far from the standard of a divine beast.
Chen Nan shook his head. "You are my brother. How can I stand by and watch my brother die before my eyes?" "Today, let us fight side-by-side!" "I want to see how strong this so-called Acala is."
Instantly, countless branches coiled towards Acala's golden form. But as they approached him, a sacred Buddhist radiance repelled the branches.
The Emperor's Master burst into laughter. "Chen Nan, Chen Nan, you know nothing of the Buddha's power!" "With your strength," "you are not enough to contend with the Buddha!" "This is simply overestimating yourself!"
"Again!" Chen Nan refused to believe it. He unleashed the Fire Law to its extreme. Instantly, the void ignited. The earth was also set ablaze. The world transformed into a boiling sea of fire. However, within the boiling sea of fire, there was a clear, pure land. That was the area around Acala. The stone slab beneath him remained intact. Even with the fierce flames, they could not threaten him.
Acala cast a cold glance at Chen Nan. Then, he formed a mudra with one hand. A sacred Buddhist seal appeared at his fingertips and shot towards Chen Nan.
"Not good!" Looking at the incoming Buddhist seal, Chen Nan felt a prickling sensation on his scalp and a chill down his spine. He sensed an ominous premonition. As Di Ting had said, Acala's power was too immense. Even if it was just a manifestation of his will, Chen Nan could not contend with him. After all, this was an ancient Buddha, and this ancient Buddha was a disciple of the Tathagata.
Without time to think, he instinctively wanted to dodge. But he found that even though he controlled the Law of Space, his body seemed to be bound in the void. He could only watch helplessly as the terrifying Buddhist seal approached.
*Puff!*
The terrifying Buddhist seal pierced Chen Nan's body, sending him flying hundreds of meters. Blood spurted from his seven orifices, a gruesome sight. He then crashed heavily onto the ground. At this moment, Chen Nan felt as if his internal organs, meridians, and bones were all shattered. Even breathing was extremely difficult. This was undoubtedly the most severe injury he had sustained since arriving in the underworld. However, he possessed the Wood Law. The Wood Law could allow him to recover in the shortest possible time.
Seeing Chen Nan severely wounded, Di Ting let out a roar. His body was enveloped in a golden Buddhist radiance as he lunged towards Acala. Although his strength was not comparable to Acala's, he understood what Chen Nan's existence meant. He was the hope of the three realms, the hope of rebuilding the Heavenly Court. Therefore, even if he died, he would protect Chen Nan.
*Puff!*
With a dull thud, Di Ting was also heavily injured by Acala. With just one move, the dragon scales on his body peeled off.
"The situation is decided. Why cling to past right and wrong?" Acala muttered, then raised his hand to suppress Chen Nan.
Chen Nan's injuries had not yet healed when he was struck by another terrifying blow. He spat out fresh blood repeatedly. Even though he had the Wood Law to heal his injuries, one thing was clear: his recovery speed could not match the ferocity of Acala's attacks. Di Ting was also beaten into a state where he could not fight back. Not only had the dragon scales on his body peeled off, but even the single horn on his forehead had disappeared. If this continued, he would soon revert to his canine form.
Chen Nan's situation was no better; his body was on the verge of disintegration. Seeing a golden Buddhist seal approaching, he felt a profound sense of despair and unwillingness. Was he going to die like this?