"Since it concerns Yuqing, I naturally cannot refuse!"
Ji Xiang stepped forward and touched a Heavenly Venerate's divine plaque. Unlike the previous Guangdu Chenlun Heavenly Venerate, these three divine plaques could not be easily lifted. They were embedded in the evil path like tombstones. His mind raced, and he unleashed his spiritual power, causing demonic energy to surge from his body, startling the Vajra of Compassion.
"This..."
"This is the Yuqing Heavenly Law. Why is Ksitigarbha so astonished?"
How could the Vajra of Compassion not be astonished?
"Sky Demon!"
"Indeed!"
Ji Xiang did not conceal his identity!
After a violent tremor in his heart, the Vajra of Compassion's tone changed drastically, becoming extremely serious. "Although the Yuqing cultivators of ancient times had many strange and wondrous techniques, the path of the Sky Demon had never been revealed in the world. This is a trial technique, impossible for mortals to obtain, for beings in the mortal realm are bound by seven emotions and six desires, and can never be truly impartial."
"Therefore, are you truly one of the eighty thousand Sky Demons from heaven?"
Ji Xiang's voice was as calm as still water. "Sky Demons are merely flying forms and spirits. Whoever possesses form and spirit is a Sky Demon. What is this talk of Sky Demons from heaven? The trials for Sky Demons in the mortal realm are also sent down from heaven. Ksitigarbha, do not be attached to appearances, nor be bound by the notions of heaven and earth. In reality, heaven and earth are indistinguishable and fundamentally the same."
The Vajra of Compassion chanted a Buddhist mantra. "Then you are truly one of the eighty thousand... No! Among the eighty thousand, you are a special existence, aren't you? To be able to transform into a Yuqing cultivator from within the eighty thousand, to descend carrying the technique of the Sky Demon, you are certainly no ordinary Sky Demon."
"It is not that this monk is attached to appearances, but that you yourself are extraordinary! Why then, do you humble yourself!"
As demonic energy billowed, the divine positions of the three Heavenly Venerates were drawn by the Yuqing law, and the last divine light flowing upon them stabilized. The evil path and defiled land rumbled, and the three divine plaques rose from the ground, shrinking to palm size, which Ji Xiang collected.
"Will this reopen the path of good? In the depths of this evil path, what use will such a change bring?"
The Vajra of Compassion chanted a Buddhist mantra, affirming:
"This root land, at the source of the Yellow Springs, is thus named. In our Buddhist doctrine, it is called the Hell of Submergence."
"Please look around, young friend."
Ji Xiang followed the Vajra of Compassion's gaze. The desolate plain that had been empty moments ago now showed many faint, faceless spirits.
The Vajra of Compassion said, "The divine positions of the four Heavenly Venerates have been removed. The ancient souls with no hope of reincarnation can finally leave here. This is the path of good. The powerful tombstones that suppressed the Yellow Springs have been cleared, and the Land of the Yellow Springs is no longer a land of death."
"In the past, the Grand Preceptor Yuanshi, using his primordial spiritual power, turned this place into a world without a future, allowing someone in the mortal world to continuously extract the power of ghosts and spirits, and even using such great divine might to forcefully create a cultivation method for the art of ghosts and spirits. And now, this method will also come to an end!"
"The beings who perished long ago can finally rest in peace, and the deceased who descend into the Yellow Springs in the remaining future can go to their respective destinations. The Yellow Springs are opened, no longer sealed, and the formations set up in ancient times are broken."
Extracting the power of souls to nurture the art of ghosts and spirits.
Therefore, the more one killed, the more powerful the individual possessing the art of ghosts and spirits became. The foremost figure with this method was Xu Fu.
"On the Korean battlefield, the more soldiers died, the greater the power of the Japanese wish-demons became, and the souls of the deceased were devoured by vengeful spirits to grow stronger. So the root cause lies here?"
"Even this netherworld of the Land of the Yellow Springs is under his control..."
One cannot become an immortal while alive, nor can one rest in peace after death. The more one killed, the stronger they became. The souls here have endless wishes to be extracted, and the appearance of those vengeful spirits is likely related to the formations here!
And at this moment, in Ji Xiang's palm, one of the Heavenly Venerates' divine plaques floated up.
Emitting a soft glow!
The myriad souls, filling the plain, were illuminated by the light. Their resentment was extinguished, as if their shackles were broken. Those faceless countenances looked towards the divine plaque in Ji Xiang's hand, bowed in unison, and from their residual wishes, a vast, ocean-like voice converged from the unseen:
Ten thousand souls and a thousand ghosts paid homage to the Heavenly Venerate, chanting the holy title of Guangdu Chenlun!
"Escape the netherworld, save the dead and ferry the living!"
"We thank the Great Heavenly Venerate Guangdu Chenlun!"
After chanting the holy title, the souls dispersed into wisps of smoke. At the end of the plain, a portal appeared out of nowhere, and all the souls that had turned into smoke entered through it!
"The gate to the Crow's Cry Nation has opened! Young friend, quickly approach!"
The Vajra of Compassion was overjoyed, but he did not lose his head and immediately added, "However, do not enter, just approach!"
The gate to the Crow's Cry Nation was difficult to find. One could only reach the upper realm from below, but not reach the Crow's Cry from the upper realm. Even powerful beings like Yuan Huang, who created the Underworld, had no way to do so. For the ghost immortals of the Underworld to enter the Crow's Cry Nation, it was like mortals entering the netherworld – they had to die once. But if a ghost died again, only consciousness would remain, and their form would be lost. For living immortals, the loss of form and spirit would lead to death, let alone for ghost immortals who only possessed their primordial spirit and soul!
Therefore, the ghost immortals of the Underworld dared not commit suicide rashly!
Moreover, entering the Crow's Cry Nation was extremely dangerous. Without the escort of the "Crow's Cry Ghost Generals," one could never return once inside.
In the past, Ksitigarbha had come to the depths of this evil path, so he knew of the portal leading to the Crow's Cry Nation. However, during the Tang Dynasty, the Yellow Springs were sealed, and all souls could not enter or exit. Now that the seal was lifted, the Heavenly Venerates could leave, and the deceased would receive their due guidance.
However, the Vajra of Compassion was self-aware. With his current strength, it was impossible to take anything from the Crow's Cry Nation. Therefore, the reason he wanted Ji Xiang to approach was simply to confirm whether the Netherworld Master was inside... whether the Nine Netherworld Guilt-Exonerating Heavenly Venerate's aura was present!
However, Ji Xiang did not look at the portal immediately. Instead, he felt the power of the Heavenly Venerate's divine position in his hand slightly recover!
After purifying millions of souls and sending them away, although it consumed the last portion of the divine plaque's spiritual power, it received a feedback force far greater than the remaining spiritual power. This was the power of wishes offered in gratitude by the ten thousand souls and thousand ghosts!
The power from the deceased!
Whoosh! The other three divine plaques also vibrated slightly. The four divine plaques disappeared from Ji Xiang's hand and entered the depths of his inner landscape in a flash of white light. At that instant, the names of the four Heavenly Venerates flashed in the blank spaces on the blank divine plaque!
Then, an astonishing situation occurred!
The divine plaques of the Four Saints of the North Pole manifested, merging into the empty slots of the three Heavenly Venerates!
The last, Guangdu Chenlun Heavenly Venerate, resided directly below the blank divine plaque. The power of the White-Faced True Martial seemed to be merging with it, and a Heavenly Venerate image never seen before gradually emerged.
The other three divine positions were the divine plaques of the Three Saints of the Heavenly Peng, which had occupied the empty shells of the three ancient Heavenly Venerates and, by a substitution, had taken their names!
Divine Generals transforming into Heavenly Venerates!
Possessing the might of Heavenly Venerates!
All divine power churned and rolled, then settled into calm in an instant!
Now, in the inner landscape, below the blank divine plaque, there were no longer the Four Saints of the North Pole, but Four Heavenly Venerates!
Ji Xiang sensed a call and looked up sharply. Hearing the Vajra of Compassion's urging, he quickly approached the gate of the Crow's Cry Nation. The moment he drew near, a vast and mighty force emanated from within, causing the desolate plain in the depths of this evil path to rumble!
"He is actually inside! It's... the Netherworld Master! It's... the Nine Netherworld Guilt-Exonerating Heavenly Venerate!"
"Refining the True Upper Scenery, exonerating guilt from the lower springs. Shining the unhindered divine light, illuminating the great thousand worlds!"
The Vajra of Compassion's expression shook violently. Although it was a divine form, there was still excitement and shock in his eyes! He realized that this matter must not be known to any existence other than the two of them, but he did not know if Xu Fu could monitor this source of the Yellow Springs!
Perhaps Xu Fu himself was also searching for this portal!
"Young friend! Let us quickly close this gate, lest Xu Fu discover this place. If it remains open for too long, it might attract the Great God of the Yellow Springs... Young friend! Young friend?!"
The Vajra of Compassion feared Xu Fu's prying. The goal of this descent into the Yellow Springs had been achieved. There were also many divine positions in the Japanese Land of the Yellow Springs, but theoretically, after the封天 (Feng Tian - sealing the heavens), no one should be able to receive them due to their high rank. However, one could not be sure...
However, Ji Xiang did not seem to hear him. The Vajra of Compassion watched as Ji Xiang raised his hand and reached into the portal of the Crow's Cry Nation!
"No! If you are pulled into the Crow's Cry Nation, without the escort of the Crow's Cry Ghost Generals, you will never be able to return to the netherworld! You will break free from the Six Paths and transform into a formless '聻' ghost!"
"Young friend, I must offend!"
The Vajra of Compassion wanted to use his divine power to forcibly control Ji Xiang's physical body, but his Buddhist light was blocked by the power emanating from Ji Xiang, disappearing like mud entering a cow's stomach. It all became sustenance for the blank divine plaque, which greatly startled the Vajra of Compassion!
To be possessed by a great Bodhisattva, yet only be able to act as a special effect, unable to even control a physical body?!
The Vajra of Compassion felt greatly humiliated. Seeing Ji Xiang's hand reaching into the portal, he was already terrified and sighed bitterly, "How could this be? Could it be that the Crow's Cry Nation also possesses the power to bewitch people's hearts, the ability to summon souls and turn them into '聻' ghosts?"
"Young friend, wake up quickly..."
The Vajra of Compassion intended to unleash his full power to forcibly send Ji Xiang out of the Yellow Springs, but suddenly heard Ji Xiang chanting.
At this moment, Ji Xiang could not hear the Vajra of Compassion's words. Instead, a sentence emanated from the divine position of the Guangdu Chenlun Heavenly Venerate. Upon hearing it, Ji Xiang felt as if he had grasped something crucial, and thus, he repeated it:
"The dark Cao's long night, the examinations are endless, all due to the causes of creation. How can one escape the consequences of repayment? Relying on repentance now, may it be dissolved, in every life and every generation, forever removing grudges!"
As the prayer fell.
A Nine Netherworld Immortal Light flew out from the Crow's Cry Nation, an ultimate divine ability!