Outside the Palm Buddha Country, a ray of Buddha Light pierced the sky, revealing a faint Buddha shadow before disappearing into the horizon.

"Roar."

The Drought Demon Ba, who was entangled with the Primordial Spirit of Taibai True Monarch, saw this and let out a roar, suddenly sinking into the ground and disappearing into the rising magma.

Subsequently, the true form of Taibai True Monarch’s face shifted, receiving a divine thought transmission.

"Go."

It was the voice of the Daoist Lord.

Upon hearing this, Taibai True Monarch raised his sword, unleashing the fury of warfare, the ferocious sword momentum causing the dome to change color for an instant, as countless Geng Metal Sword Qi swept across the sky, forcing Daoist Guang Cheng to retreat. Then, in the blink of an eye, using sword control, he disappeared a thousand miles away.

Daoist Guang Cheng, seeing Taibai True Monarch suddenly retreat, furrowed his brows, just about to ponder but saw the Palm Buddha Country, which had already begun collapsing, revealing its internal scenery, thus halting his pursuit.

······

······

Inside the Palm Buddha Country.

"Cough, cough······"

The Daoist Lord coughed as he collected the Yin Yang Qi, saying, "Karma Tathagata has just advanced and still needs to entangle with the True Spirit of Bo Xun, so for now, he should be too busy to make a move. Great Saint, please restrain your Evil Qi."

Not far in front of him, Sun Wukong, holding the Jingu Bang, was no longer staring at Mount Sumeru, but instead at the Daoist Lord, with a hint of restlessness, seemingly weighing whether to strike.

After some thought, he slowly lowered the Jingu Bang.

Previously, he had severely injured this bull-nose but didn’t expect that the Awakened would suddenly encounter a sneak attack, giving him a chance to take the elixir. Now, despite the Daoist Lord appearing as if he could keel over at any moment, he had already recovered from his injuries.

Locked onto the Qi Mechanism of Karma Tathagata, there was also a trace of this old Daoist within.

Sun Wukong considered his chances and realized he couldn’t take down the opponent, so he gave up on the idea of striking further.

"I’ll let you off today, old Daoist." Sun Wukong snorted.

"Then I must thank the Great Saint."

The Daoist Lord descended the steps graciously, retrieving a gourd from his sleeve and tossing it over, saying, "Consider this as a token of my gratitude."

Sun Wukong caught the gourd, and with his Fire Eyes Golden Eyes, he immediately discerned the mysterious patterns on the gourd sealed spiritual mechanism and Dan Qi. After hefting it, he found it rather heavy.

The former elixir expert, just from the weight and Qi, judged that inside, the elixirs were not only plentiful but also potent.

"The Great Saint has not long acquired a new body, the Vajra Unbreakable Body is mainly sustained by divine skills, this gourd of Golden Elixirs is given to the Great Saint for body refinement."

As the Daoist Lord spoke, he ascended on clouds, his figure elusive, appearing slow but truly swift, disappearing in no time into the crack of the Buddha Country’s space.

Not long after, the sound of quaking earth continued to resound, the vast ocean quickly disappearing, Mount Sumeru collapsing, and dim red sunlight shone into the collapsing space, bringing an air of twilight.

Outside it was already twilight, but who knew when this moment existed and how many days had passed.

"Boom!"

When the sky completely vanished, and the ocean dissolved rapidly, the Palm Buddha Country fully collapsed, connecting inside and outside, revealing a broken sky.

It was where Jiang Li and the Heavenly Monarch had fought inside the Palm Buddha Country. Now, as the Buddha Country’s space collapsed, the shattered area appeared outside.

Amidst the fierce Gang Wind, the crack tore open, with layers of Yellow Cloud enveloping a vertical eye and a great tree, disappearing into the void. Following that, a Dragon Shadow suddenly appeared, then transformed into a human shape, flickering backward, revealing the figure of the Great Venerable.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Jiang Li was surrounded by a red rainbow, appearing with his unkempt long white hair, his eyes directly meeting the Great Venerable’s gaze, white light flashing in his pupils, deducing a chance of victory.

This commotion immediately drew the attention of Sun Wukong. In a flash of golden light, he arrived next to Jiang Li. Then, with sword lights stirring, Daoist Guang Cheng approached, his sleeve stained with blood, and the Qingmu Ancient Tree also shifted over, revealing the figures of Tianxuan and Gongsun Qingyue.

Yinglong Dragon landed on the treetop of the ancient tree, bloodstains faintly visible on his palace attire but exuding a fierce aura, showing no sign of decline.

Above the Mountain of Mind and Heart, the Six Paths Roulette turned, and the Dharma Manifestation of Ksitigarbha appeared one by one.

One third grade after another······

The Great Venerable, scanning over those of the third grade, couldn’t help but hold his forehead, "Where is the Asura King from my Fire House Buddha Hell and Karma Tathagata?"

Karma Tathagata, when he left, took Luo Hou with him, but he seemed to have forgotten the part-time Fourth King of the Fire House Buddha Hell and didn’t let him on board.

Now, it became a situation where the Great Venerable alone faced multiple third grades, along with numerous supreme combat powers.

"Brother, didn’t we advance and retreat together for a common goal to attack the Heavenly Monarch? You wouldn’t turn hostile and deny me now, would you?" The Great Venerable attempted to play the emotional card.

"Brother, you jest. How could I be someone who disregards righteousness?"

Jiang Li swiftly responded, displaying a warm smile, "It’s nearly nightfall, and this is not a place for conversations. Why don’t you join me at the Mountain of Mind and Heart, find a spot, and we brothers can have a long talk overnight."

Saying this, Jiang Li stepped aside, making an inviting gesture.

The others around him cooperatively parted to the sides, making way for the Great Venerable to proceed toward the ground beneath the Mountain of Mind and Heart.

The Great Venerable, seeing Jiang Li’s hospitality, couldn’t help but be touched to the point of getting goosebumps. He was deeply moved, yet helplessly said, "I would love to have a long overnight talk with you, but now that Karma Tathagata has advanced to the second grade, he might endanger you. For your safety, I plan to first venture to the Fire House Buddha Hell to test Karma Tathagata’s intentions for you."

"Alas, it will have to wait for next time."

The Great Venerable said with regret, as ripples appeared behind him and a faint river of time flowed out.

He took a step back and entered the river.

Facing the luxurious lineup on Jiang Li’s side, the Great Venerable decisively retreated.

Although with his power, the Cosmic Light Divine Ability could work on most people, facing such a lineup still posed considerable risk. Jiang Li and Sun Wukong both possessed supreme level combat power, and then there was Ksitigarbha, who the Great Venerable was also quite wary of.

For them to come together with a group of third grade support, no one would find it easy.

"No need."

Jiang Li stopped Sun Wukong beside him and said, "Let him go. If he wants to leave, we can’t stop him."

"Previously, he was able to easily escape Tathagata Dharma Form’s Buddha Light, and his mental state achievements are definitely not low. Coupled with profound Daoist cultivation and Cosmic Light Divine Ability, no one can hold him back without prior arrangements."

As seen before, the Great Venerable could be said to have escaped ’Only I Am Supreme’ simultaneously with Jiang Li and had been secretly lurking, always keeping an eye on Jiang Li and the Heavenly Monarch.

His mental state is probably not inferior to Jiang Li, who possesses the Zhuang Zhou Dao Fruit. Perhaps only the Awakened and the Daoist Lord could suppress him. Even the Daoist Lord’s mental state may not necessarily be stronger than the Great Venerable’s.

To maintain a constant mind over long years, his mental state is definitely not inferior.

With such a mental state, plus the Dao practice honed over long years... the Great Venerable seems unreliable but is actually quite dangerous.

It’s safe to say that those who reach the level of supreme, especially those who achieve this after the End of Dharma, indeed aren’t simple individuals.

’And he deliberately watched as the Heavenly Monarch attacked me before; perhaps he truly wants me to be forced to draw the power of the heavens. Even now he mentions Karma Tathagata, possibly to create a sense of crisis for me, even with a hint of suggestion. Because he really might have Karma Tathagata attack me.’

’His cooperation with Karma Tathagata has lasted for over a hundred years.’

Jiang Li pondered and speculated on the Great Venerable’s intentions, having basically confirmed his thoughts.

Although the Great Venerable’s ultimate goal remains a mystery, it’s fairly certain that his current aim is to have Jiang Li draw the power of the heavens and communicate with the heavens.

’It’s a pity he doesn’t know that what I harbor isn’t the Emperor Dao Fruit...’

With thoughts flashing quickly in his mind, Jiang Li showed no trace of hesitation outwardly and directly said, "Everyone, the battle has ended, let’s rest for now. Although Karma Tathagata has advanced, erasing the True Spirit of Bo Xun is not so easy."

"Bo Xun was born from the desires of all beings. The former Tathagata couldn’t eradicate him, and though now is the Five Turbid Evil World, even though Bo Xun has long perished, it’s not so easily annihilated completely."

The words were said, but second grade remains second grade. Even if Karma Tathagata possesses the True Spirit of Bo Xun as a maker, it’s no match for third grade.

Even supreme ones have no chance of victory against Karma Tathagata, as he too is supreme.

However, everyone present is no ordinary person; even with concerns in their hearts, they won’t be greatly affected by it. After such a fierce battle, it is indeed time to rest, restore power, and heal wounds.

They couldn’t just endure endlessly over worries about Karma Tathagata.

Then, everyone descended onto the Mountain of Mind and Heart, entering the only structure that remained entirely unharmed—the No Buddha Temple to rest temporarily.

The No Buddha Temple, though a temple, does not worship Buddhas or Bodhisattvas, and there are plenty of spare meditation rooms, so there won’t be a shortage of space.

Since Jiang Li’s advancement to third grade, he can be called a perpetual motion machine. Even after consecutive battles and many injuries, he remains in peak condition. His injuries were not serious, and just a few breaths could restore him significantly.

Thus, he found a larger meditation room, allowing his master, senior sister, and grandmaster to practice breathing control inside while he quietly slipped to the back of the No Buddha Temple.

This place had been the secluded retreat site of the Awakened, and where he sat after emerging from seclusion, where the Bodhi Tree was located.

And now...

When Jiang Li arrived, the Bodhi Tree was still there!

Not only was the Bodhi Tree present, but even the figure under the tree remained.

Yet the once white-robed figure was now clad in black, and the serene demeanor akin to a heavenly being transformed into a rebirth of the Heavenly Demon.

Karma Tathagata had not truly left; he had secretly stayed behind, even within the No Buddha Temple itself.

That figure stood before the tree with hands behind his back, one hand moving prayer beads, and under the brim of his hat, darkness loomed, with only a few strands of white hair exposed to the wind.

He watched Jiang Li like this, his mysterious and profound aura silently expanding. In a trance, the world before him seemed to turn into another realm, with surrounding spaces twisting, changing, and adorned with bizarre and unfathomable mysteries.

In an instant, the surrounding world appeared to transform into a demon realm, isolated from the mortal world.

The gap between second grade and third grade is indeed vast, and the figure before him had reached a new level. If he were to attack Jiang Li, Jiang Li would have only one option—to flee.

However, Jiang Li faced Karma Tathagata without any trace of apprehension.

"Should I call you Karma Tathagata or the Awakened?"

Jiang Li asked unhurriedly.

Upon hearing this, Karma Tathagata’s fingers slightly paused in moving the prayer beads, then with a touch of amusement, he said, "Oh? Why do you say this?"

"Karma Tathagata is another side of the Awakened, while the opposite of the title ’Awakened’ should be called ’the Mazer,’ right?"