Chapter 1480: Chapter 521: Small Matters as Weighty as Mountains (Part 3)

"He didn’t completely pledge allegiance to the Heavenly Court as you thought, you misjudged him!"

Ji Tianxing remained silent for a long time and said, "I didn’t misjudge him; he is a disciple of Shitian and Donghuang, and I have always trusted him. I just don’t dare to gamble on the worst outcome."

The Heavenly Dome Taoist murmured, "Is there no way to help him, at least to buy some time for the two people behind you?"

"We’ve run out of chips." Ji Tianxing also showed exhaustion in his eyes, "In this struggle, we were never the main combat power; we’ve already done everything we could."

For thousands of years, Ji Tianxing has been entangled with the Four Demons. To have planned up to this point is already his limit.

If the Federation weren’t surrounded by the crisis of the Four Demons, if he could have stepped into the True Saint earlier, entered the Sea of Realms, if he could have known earlier the secrets and hidden big fish behind the Netherworld...

He might have done better.

But there are no ifs in this world, just like he once said to Donghuang, they can only strive to make decent choices every time.

So, he doesn’t dare to gamble.

"All we can do next is wait?" Heavenly Dome said softly.

Ji Tianxing did not answer again; it seemed all that remained was waiting.

Waiting for Ji Linyuan and Taiyi to determine the victor.

Waiting for Buddhism and the Heavenly Court to decide the victor.

...

Realizing the fallout between the Heavenly Court and Buddhism was not just Ji Tianxing’s realization.

The Transcendence gate of various families also sharply noticed this point.

They have been observing changes within the territories governed by the Heavenly Court, and at the first signs detected changes within Heavenly Court’s subordinate realms.

One calamity might be an accident, but one hundred and seven simultaneous occurrences of natural disasters can absolutely not be accidental!

"Those individuals who went to the Heavenly Court have not returned; fear they might have been harmed!"

"And there is no news of Taiwei. Only Emperor Yi has proactively contacted us, hoping to quickly unite with the gates of every family! And urges us to promptly decide whether to employ the ancestral artifacts of each family!"

"Taiwei raised a flag in rebellion; if not dead, indubitably detained, that Heavenly Emperor is now at odds with Buddhism. Do we really need to employ the ancestral artifacts? Perhaps we can wait; the situation has improved significantly, and the Heavenly Court will surely pause its territorial expansion."

"Indeed, with Taiwei’s rebellion, forces within the Heavenly Court will temporarily face a leaderless situation, curbing expansion!"

Various families engage in low-volume dialogue, the atmosphere tense.

These years, they have felt humiliated by the Heavenly Court; ever victorious, the Heavenly Court claimed realm after realm.

And with the fallout between the Heavenly Court and Buddhism, everyone mused, with the World Venerable’s prowess, they should be able to stall for quite some time?

Decades later, reinforcements from deep within the realms of Sea arrive, surely ushering a turning point in the situation.

Wensu hurried to Kong Ming’s side, quietly saying, "The Heavenly Prison Palace seeks our view, whether to align with Emperor Yi, utilize the foundation of each family, and fight the Heavenly Court to mutual destruction, or await the opportune moment."

Kong Ming was silent for a long time before speaking, "What is the Heavenly Prison Palace’s stance?"

"Instead, this time they are not urgent! Seeking to reap the benefits like a fisherman!" Wensu said gravely, "The Pantheon, on the other hand, is responding actively, aiming to cooperate with the World Venerable, attacking the Heavenly Court."

"Fisherman’s benefit?" Kong Ming smiled bitterly, abruptly inquiring, "Why do you think Emperor Yi suddenly actively contacted us, urging us to decide quickly?"

Wensu sighed, "I thought of it but feel it unlikely, as now the Heaven and Earth Dao is limited..."

Kong Ming took a deep breath, "We shall stand with the Pantheon this time, hoping the situation is not as dire as we anticipate."

Wensu nodded emphatically, turning away.

Just as various family gates are still discussing the particulars, the frontline defenses suddenly break!

Leading the attack by the Heavenly Court’s gods was not Taiwei but remarkably the Heavenly Emperor, Doumu Yuanjun!

After Taiwei vanished without a trace, this female Heavenly Emperor personally went to the battlefield, led troops to expand territories, invincible, unmatched. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

For a while, amongst the Transcendence gates within the realms of Sea, no one could be found to withstand her!

Not even withstand; those who could take a single move from this Heavenly Emperor were scarce!

And under this Heavenly Emperor’s expansion, the territories belonging to the Heavenly Court began to expand rapidly!

...

...

In the Netherworld Soil.

The Ksitigarbha who once ruled the boundless Netherworld Soil was stripped of his Divine Position and control over the Netherworld Soil, simultaneously imprisoned in its deepest layer.

Under Doumu’s rewards, the Netherworld Soil was gifted to leftover factions of the Nether Mansion, chiefly led by the Heart Venerable.

This day, the Heart Venerable arrived alone at the deepest layer of the Netherworld Soil, his gaze extremely complex.

Over the past century, they personally witnessed and accompanied this Divine in liberating countless souls from the Netherworld Soil, never caring about increasing his own Daoist career, never making things difficult for them, as if in His eyes—

All things are equal.

His magnanimity and methods made the Heart Venerable, an elder of the Nether Mansion, reminiscent of past Netherworld Lords...

The Heart Venerable gently said, "Great Buddha, lower your head, abandon pride, and you shall return to the past, accumulate Merit, and surely one day attain Tao."

After suppression by the Heavenly Court, the former Golden Body capable of supporting the Netherworld Soil alone, Ksitigarbha’s Golden Body became dusted, with only a thin layer of pale golden Liu Li on the surface, hollow inside, stripped of all Divine Power.

Yet He seemed indifferent, hands joined, poised, sitting in the cross-legged position, despite all Divine Authority being stripped; as He recited the text of transition, Lotus flowers filled the emptiness, imbued with the meaning of afterlife and liberation.

Facing the Heart Venerable’s persuasion, Ksitigarbha appeared not to hear:

"Thus I heard, if the Netherworld Soil is not empty, I vow not to become a Buddha; if the Heavenly Court prevails, I fear the souls of the Netherworld Soil will increase boundlessly——"

"Why argue with him? Heart Venerable, do you dare defy His Majesty’s will?"

A cold reprimand came from behind the Heart Venerable, revealing Zhang Tiancheng.

The Heart Venerable remained silent, with a heart unceasingly complex through the years.

They once revered the selflessness and compassion of the Netherworld Lord, thus following Him.

It’s just unknown when they treated the Nether Mansion and Nether Sea as their own territory, beginning to resist the selflessness of the Netherworld Lord.

And now...

The Heart Venerable joined his palms, respectfully bowed softly, "I couldn’t save the Great Buddha, I hope He won’t resent me."

"Heart Venerable! What are you doing?!" Zhang Tiancheng’s Spirit God’s avatar descended to the deepest layer of the Netherworld Soil, angrily rebuking, "How dare you salute this beast, bringing shame to the Nether Mansion! Should word reach His Majesty, would you have the Nether Mansion join you in disgrace?!"

Ksitigarbha opened his eyes, looking at the Heart Venerable before him, showing a smile, reflecting the struggles and pain of all beings in the Netherworld Soil.

The next moment, from beneath the Ksitigarbha arose the Glazed Pure Fire, flames shooting skyward, incinerating the remaining body, until only a Shariputra resembling Liu Li was left, embodying the essence of life and death, transition, and liberation.

Zhang Tiancheng’s gaze fell upon this Shariputra, just about to seize it, when Shariputra pierced through the Void and departed.

"Heart Venerable!" Zhang Tiancheng hastily exclaimed, "Quickly seal the Void!"

Presently, the Heart Venerable is the one controlling this Netherworld Soil; as long as he takes action, the Shariputra even if at the True Saint Peak, will struggle to escape the Netherworld!

But the Heart Venerable did not take action to stop it, merely witnessing the Shariputra as it moved into the endless beyond, only when Zhang Tiancheng angrily rebuked and urged from behind did he suddenly ask a question akin to a past inquiry:

"Tiancheng, back then you said you were wrong, what exactly did the Ancestor Master say to you?"

Zhang Tiancheng’s words halted abruptly.

"What do you mean?!" Zhang Tiancheng suddenly retorted angrily, "Do you know what you are..."

The Heart Venerable raised a hand to interrupt him, calmly saying, "Are you going to report me to that Heavenly Emperor?"

Zhang Tiancheng’s face twitched slightly; although this one has lower seniority, he entered sect many years before him and has been his guide for long.

"Tiancheng, I am just pondering." The Heart Venerable spoke softly, "We claim to have inherited the Ancestor Master’s legacy, have we truly embodied His intentions?"

These words made Zhang Tiancheng silently speechless.

It is unclear how much time passed.

Zhang Tiancheng abruptly turned away, striding off, leaving behind a solitary statement:

"His Majesty has already promised me, soon will break the Netherworld, unleash the Bitter Sea, aiding me in seizing the Fruit Position of the Master You! Once I inherit the Fruit Position, who would dare claim we have not inherited the legacy and intentions of our Ancestor Master?!"