Heaven-Defying Rebel Sage-Chapter 52 - Seeking the Mask in the Asura Blood Sea

Without raising his eyelids, Tathagata said softly, “It’s just a matter of retrieving some face.”

Upon hearing this, Kong Xuan ceased to speak. It turned out that the three Buddha Ancestors had this in mind: having lost face and magical treasures in the Underworld, they were determined to seek trouble with the Nether River in the Asura Blood Sea to retrieve their dignity. They say that those who cultivate Buddhism are pure-hearted and desire little, but if that were true, there would not be this conflict over the Buddhist Dao, nor would there be so many issues arising. Face is extremely important to any cultivator; it could almost be said to be their meal ticket as they move through the Three Realms.

Take the progenitor of the Earth Immortals, Zhen Yuanzi, who controls a Spirit Root transformed into the Ginseng Fruit treasure tree, with high mana and great face. Wherever he goes, who dares not to show him respect? When Wukong knocked over the Ginseng Fruit tree, this fellow enveloped it with his universal sleeve, trapping Wukong inside, showing his profound mana.

The Jade Emperor himself had been embarrassed by Wukong time and again, which is why his authority has been steadily declining. Hence, face is critical to any cultivator.

Meanwhile, the three Buddha Ancestors and Bodhisattva Peacock Great Bright King Kong Xuan arrived above the Asura Blood Sea, each taking up a position, and began chanting scriptures.

“Ksitigarbha King, come forth!” Tathagata called out with the Buddhist Lion’s Roar. Instantly, his voice boomed like a great bell, shaking the entire Asura Blood Sea, causing blood waves to surge sky-high.

At this moment, Ksitigarbha King was discussing important matters with the Nether River Patriarch and couldn’t help but change his expression upon hearing this noise.

“Tathagata has come!” Ksitigarbha King frowned and said, “He really can’t let go of his dignity.”

Lately, even Tathagata had his face swept away several times, and he was quite irate. He had thought this trip to the Underworld would allow him to capture these eleven Ancestral Witches, but who could have known that Xuan Ming and the Heaven-Defying Taoist would suddenly burst out from the Reincarnation Pool? The appearance of the Slaying Immortal Sword Array had terrified them. They thought it was the Saint’s conspiracy to deliberately lure them to the Underworld for provocation.

Fortunately, Amitabha and Zhun Ti Taoist secretly took action and broke the sword formation; otherwise, it would have indeed been more bad luck than good.

“Report!” An Asura knelt before the Nether River and said, “Ancestor, outsiders have arrived: the three Buddha Ancestors of past, present, and future, along with Bodhisattva Peacock Great Bright King Kong Xuan!”

Hearing this, Ksitigarbha King and the Nether River Patriarch looked at each other. Was the Buddhist Sect serious now? With the three great Buddha Ancestors personally coming, the Sect Founder realized the matter was grave. He then instructed his disciples to form the Blood River Grand Formation beneath the Asura Blood Sea, as a precaution against the three Buddha Ancestors possibly launching a real attack.

The Blood River Grand Formation, drawing on the power of the entire Asura Blood Sea, which itself was transformed from a pool of Pangu’s tainted blood at the dawn of creation and later nurtured the Nether River. The Nether River then used his Great Magical Power to foster his disciples in the Blood Sea, thus the Asura Clan and the entire sea were almost one and the same. As long as the Nether River remained hidden within the Blood Sea, it would be an invincible existence, barring intervention from a Saint. During the Heavenly Emperor’s era, when the Demon Tribe’s influence was vast, Nether River led the Asura Clan to withdraw from the world. Di Jun, seeing him enter the Asura Blood Sea, did not bother to pursue further.

“Ksitigarbha King, come forth!”

Three Buddhas and one Bodhisattva shouted together, exerting such power with the Buddhist Lion’s Roar that an enormous blood wave, a hundred feet high, was blasted up from the Blood Sea, shaking the entire Asura Blood Sea!

“Prajna Paramita…” The four of them then began to chant Buddhist scriptures again, aiming to transcend the entire Blood Sea.

With Mara leading all the Sect Founder’s disciples and the Sect Founder deploying forty-eight million Blood God Child avatars, they immediately formed the grand array. The blood waves of the Blood Sea surged mightily, churning without cessation, creating waves as if reaching for the Ninefold Heavens. Once the Blood River Grand Formation was established, the chanting of the four was blocked outside, unable to penetrate.

“If we don’t go out there and fight them, they likely won’t stop,” sighed Ksitigarbha King.

“Then let’s have a fight. At most, I will suffer some injuries, but since it’s in the Asura Blood Sea, even if I’m seriously injured, I can recover!” the Nether River Patriarch proudly declared, extremely dissatisfied with the several Buddha Ancestors of the Buddhist Sect who had come to attack him.

Ksitigarbha King, however, understood that by revealing the secret of the Buddha Ancestor’s Golden Body, they must have been calculated against. Now, thinking about their own predicament, they were coming to reclaim their face. If he didn’t let them gain some advantage, they would never leave. Although the Blood River Grand Formation was blocking them from outside, his own movements were hindered as well, confined to the Asura Blood Sea and unable to leave.

Therefore, Ksitigarbha King decided to let them regain some face, to avoid their incessant pestering.

After consulting with the Patriarch for a moment, both took their Magical Treasures and went out. Ksitigarbha King, riding on the Diting Beast, saw a path open up above the Blood Sea. Ksitigarbha King and the Patriarch then came out through it.

“Good Ksitigarbha King, how dare you betray the sect!” Maitreya Buddha shouted upon seeing Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva coming out, raising the Golden Alms Bowl to meet him, and unleashing the Buddha country in his palm right at his head.

Having concealed his brilliance for many years, how could Ksitigarbha King be a pushover? His Cultivation Level was not the slightest bit inferior to the Buddha Ancestors. With a roar like that of a tiger, the body of the Diting Beast enlarged a hundredfold, and Ksitigarbha King pinched his Dharma Seal, and suddenly, behind him, he manifested fully eighty thousand arms! Each arm was a thousand zhang long, twenty thousand arms resisted the Buddha country in the palm, fifty thousand arms fended off the Golden Alms Bowl, and the remaining ten thousand arms struck at Maitreya Buddha’s face!

Maitreya Buddha felt secretly alarmed in his heart. This Ksitigarbha King was so formidable that he must have accumulated a considerable amount of merit!

With a shake of his cloth bag, a chilling wind howled and Buddha’s Light shone brilliantly as round Sariras flew out from within the bag—exactly nine, no more, no less. Maitreya Buddha sneered, “These Sariras were transformed from my past three lifetimes after I passed away. Now that I have become a Buddha in this life, I’ve refined these Sariras into Magical Treasures!”

Each Sarira was a world unto itself. Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva hurriedly wielded his staff and struck at the nine Sariras that were flying towards him!

“Clang!”

The staff came cracking down, and although Ksitigarbha King was knocked flying backwards, he was unharmed. The Diting Beast uttered a light command and opened its mouth to swallow one of the Sariras, causing Maitreya Buddha’s expression to change slightly. The Golden Alms Bowl vibrated and escaped from the grasp of Ksitigarbha King’s fifty thousand arms, clamping down towards Diting’s head!

Diting, with its acute hearing in all directions, quickly pulled back, not daring to block the Golden Alms Bowl.

The battle between Maitreya Buddha and Ksitigarbha King was tough to call, but with the help of Diting, Maitreya was at a disadvantage. Hence, Kong Xuan released a Five-Colored Divine Light that pummeled Diting, causing it to tumble head over heels hundreds of times before it could halt, roaring angrily as it charged towards Kong Xuan.

Though Kong Xuan spread his Five-Colored Divine Light, Diting was extremely agile, and the Divine Light was heavy. For a moment, he could not seem to land a hit on him.

The Nether River Patriarch was hard-pressed when surrounded by two great Buddhas but was saved by the power of the Asura Blood Sea; otherwise, he feared he would have been annihilated by now. The Yuan Tu and Abi Divine Swords, with their unrivaled sharp edges, were controlled separately, each standing up against a Buddha Ancestor.

Burning Lamp was no pushover either. The moment he produced the twenty-three patrolling sea pearls, the resulting glare blinded the Nether River Patriarch so that he could not see. Caught by surprise, he took a blow from the Spirit Coffin Lamp to the back of his head! There was a muffled “clang” as the Patriarch, on a whim, bent down to dodge and was struck on the neck, which sent him flying hundreds of miles away.

“The Mana of these three has grown even more profound! Especially this Burning Lamp, I fear even Tathagata wouldn’t match him!” the Nether River Patriarch remarked after taking a hit, his mind dazed, yet his heart was as clear as a mirror. Anyway, as long as they were above the Asura Blood Sea, they couldn’t kill him, so he feared nothing. He surged forward, brandishing the Yuan Tu Sword, firmly catching Burning Lamp in a fierce battle.

The Nether River Patriarch and Ksitigarbha King had already agreed to let the Buddhist Sect regain some face, so they didn’t use their full strength.

At least, the Nether River Patriarch hadn’t brought out his Twelfth Rank Karmic Fire Lotus Platform. It was an extremely formidable Spiritual Treasure. If he had brought it out, even Tathagata and Burning Lamp working together might not have had much of an advantage against it.

As Tathagata struck with his palm, the Nether River Patriarch quickly raised the Abi to block, engaging in a fierce battle against the Great Palm Seal!

Updated from freewёbnoνel.com.

This group fought a tremendous battle atop the Asura Blood Sea, causing mountains to crumble and the land to split, and the sun and the moon lost their light, darkening the heavens and the earth. An endless succession of exquisite techniques emerged, each with colossal power. After about a thousand rounds, Tathagata’s palm struck the Nether River Patriarch in the back, plunging him into the Blood Sea. The Patriarch, having conceded enough face to the Buddhist Sect, didn’t wish to come out again, and entered directly into the Blood Sea, with neither Tathagata nor Burning Lamp daring to pursue.

Kong Xuan also slashed Diting with his Five-Colored Divine Light, sending it tumbling into the Blood Sea. The Nether River Patriarch beckoned with his hand, instantly pulling it over.

Ksitigarbha King, unable to best Maitreya, had two thousand of his arms broken off by the Buddha country in the palm, turned into a golden light, and escaped into the Blood Sea…

After this fantastic skirmish, the three Buddha Ancestors had sufficiently regained their face, so they collected their Magical Treasures and adjusted their robes, ascended their lotus platforms, and headed towards the Western Direction.

The Nether River Patriarch, however, was quite irritated and grumbled, “These bald donkeys actually came here to save face!”

Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva clasped his hands together and said, “This disaster was all because of my doing.”

The Nether River Patriarch laughed, “Bodhisattva, blame yourself not. Heh, as long as it’s in the Asura Blood Sea, they cannot kill me, so it doesn’t matter! When I’ve accumulated enough strength, I will make sure those bald donkeys suffer.”