It was precisely because the method Sun Wukong used to replace Wuzhiqi was deduced by Ksitigarbha King, so earlier Ksitigarbha King could use "Six Paths of Reincarnation" to assist Sun Wukong in fusing the Dao Fruit in a short period.

This is both the effect of the "Six Paths of Reincarnation" and the merit of Ksitigarbha King.

Moreover, the presence of Ksitigarbha King allowed subsequent events to transition smoothly.

Monkey, Ksitigarbha King, and Jiang Li, the leader of the allied nation, no wonder the Awakened were willing to die.

Though he died, the Buddha Country still has strong beings to support it, so there’s no need to worry about its demise and it can usher in a new life.

Of course, the most crucial thing is being able to surpass the promotion to the second grade.

Success in three areas, why not die a little for this?

"It’s a pity this Rebirth Technique is difficult to achieve the desired result. Except for this poor monk, others still have to seize a body to be reborn." Ksitigarbha King said regretfully.

This can be seen from Sun Wukong’s situation.

As for those second grades, they themselves can seize a body, and to them, the Rebirth Technique is no different than a chicken rib. Furthermore, the true spirit in the second grade Dao Fruit wouldn’t entrust their safety to others.

This is Ksitigarbha King’s regret, but it exempts others from difficulties.

Whether it was the former Awakened or the current Karma Tathagata, they can’t coexist with the true spirits in Buddha Attribute Dao Fruit.

"Next, Fire House Buddha Hell will cleanse the faith of the Buddha Country, the Mountain of Mind and Heart will be overseen by Ksitigarbha King."

Karma Tathagata’s voice became indifferent, "Those two have already awakened, if the corruption isn’t handled soon, it will only add more calamities."

Those two naturally refer to the Great Sun Tathagata and The Buddha.

"Life and death are but usual matters, Buddhist friends need not say more, this poor monk is aware of it," Ksitigarbha King slightly bowed his eyes, saying, "Different paths, not conspiring together, it is only thus."

"Good."

Karma Tathagata nodded and looked at Jiang Li, saying, "There is one more thing, regarding the Heavenly Monarch."

Speaking of which, he rolled up his large sleeve, and a figure flew out from the sleeve.

The person was dressed in white, with a transcendent appearance, carrying an aura of faint pure saintliness, evidently a female Bodhisattva.

"Guanyin." Jiang Li uttered the name of the female Bodhisattva.

This person was precisely the Buddha Country Great Master Guanyin who had previously been swept into the sea three times by Karma Tathagata.

But compared to before, the current Guanyin appeared particularly haggard, her aura quite feeble, falling into a nadir, the former Great Master now reduced to a captive.

Karma Tathagata...or rather, the Awakened, his initial targets were to eradicate Guanyin and Tan Wuwei, after his promotion, he naturally wouldn’t forget. So even with the True Spirit of Bo Xun entangled, Karma Tathagata still took action against those two Buddha Lights.

And indeed, the development did not deviate, the True Spirit of Bo Xun, although formidable, was still slightly inferior to The Buddha, even in some aspects, was surpassed by Karma Tathagata.

Karma Tathagata suppressed the True Spirit of Bo Xun while knocking down the Buddha Light, shattering the Dharma Manifestation of both Guanyin and Tan Wuwei.

However, Tan Wuwei was indeed cunning enough to have arranged a stand-in ahead of time, ultimately only Guanyin fell into Karma Tathagata’s hands.

"Yuejing, speak." Karma Tathagata directly called Guanyin by her former Dharma name, commanding.

As a Buddhist Practitioner, Guanyin falling into Bo Xun’s hands, the outcome was already redundant to state. With the prowess of Devaputra Dao Fruit, dealing with a captive was a mere trifle.

Guanyin’s eyes were vacant, as if controlled in her mind, murmuring softly, "Before the great battle, Joyful Buddha, by Great Sun Tathagata’s order, carried the Six Souls Banner to seek the Heavenly Monarch. When the Awakened’s promotion ceremony was completed, Great Sun Tathagata personally paid respects, instructing the Six Souls Banner to erode both the Awakened and Jade Emperor’s true spirits...."

Six Souls Banner?!

This thing is still in the world.

Jiang Li almost lost composure.

Fortunately, in the next moment, Karma Tathagata drew with the mind, forming the Six Souls Banner from Guanyin’s memory, calming Jiang Li slightly.

In Jiang Li’s memory, the Six Souls Banner, as its name implies, is an instrument capable of cursing and killing six souls simultaneously. Its usage involves writing names on the six tails of the Six Souls Banner.

The Six Souls Banner Karma Tathagata manifested was in tatters, with only two tails remaining, being employed, Jiang Li reckoned he needn’t worry about the Six Souls Banner being used against him.

’Indeed, if it had more tails, both the Great Venerable and I would surely be named on the banner.’

Jiang Li thought with self-awareness, casually dragging along his good brother.

If the Heavenly Monarch’s enemies were ranked, Jiang Li and the Great Venerable would surely be at the forefront. If the Heavenly Monarch were to choose one of them to die first, in the past, the Heavenly Monarch would select the Great Venerable, definitely Jiang Li now.

Jiang Li still being safe and sound now indicates the Six Souls Banner is unusable.

And through Guanyin’s words, Jiang Li finally comprehended why the Heavenly Monarch is striving so frantically. It’s not just for the Buddha Country, but for ascension too.

"The power of the Six Souls Banner can definitely slay the true spirit of a second grade Dao Fruit, and the Jade Emperor’s Dao Fruit is in the Heavenly Monarch’s hands," Karma Tathagata said indifferently, "After the Heavenly Monarch leaves this time, he must proceed with promotion at the fastest pace."

Exactly when two second grade Buddha Attribute Dao Fruit true spirits awakened, the Buddha Country here would not be peaceful, the Heavenly Monarch could seize the opportunity to ascend...

Wait, before when Cave Heaven was shattered by Jiang Li and the Great Venerable, Guanyin and Tan Wuwei’s stand-ins had to escape, colliding with Tianxuan and Gongsun Qingyue...could it be there are clandestine maneuvers by Great Sun Tathagata here?

The Heavenly Monarch wants to make Great Sun Tathagata and Tathagata True Spirit the scapegoats, but why wouldn’t Great Sun Tathagata have the same thought?

Once knowing the Heavenly Monarch is going to ascend, it’s certain Jiang Li will intervene. As one rises, the other wanes, when Jiang Li departs, wouldn’t the Buddha Country lose people here?

Though merely conjecture, this possibility isn’t absent.

Let’s just say the circumstances everywhere with Sixth Brother made Jiang Li develop a stress response, seeing everyone as Sixth Brother, even Great Sun Tathagata seems like Sixth Brother.

Moreover, the Heavenly Monarch and Great Sun Tathagata merely have a relationship of interest exchange, owing nothing to each other, so deceit comes without psychological burden.

’It’s the world full of Sixth Brother’s fault that harmed me.’

Inwardly sighing, Jiang Li said, "The Heavenly Monarch was previously driven by me and the Great Venerable to break his Cave Heaven, ultimately having to self-shatter Cave Heaven to escape; his physical body was mostly destroyed, it should be difficult for him to ascend without restoring his physical body first?"

It’s just like a hundred years ago, being physically destroyed, even though the Heavenly Monarch is stronger than a hundred years ago, it still needs quite some time for recovery.

However—

"Not necessarily," Ksitigarbha King shook his head, "Previously the nature of the Heavenly Monarch’s third grade Dao Fruit was unknown, we thought the Heavenly Monarch a hundred years ago regained a physical body through body seizing, now knowing the Heavenly Monarch accommodates Black Emperor Zhuanxu’s Dao Fruit, there is rationale."

As an individual before the End of Dharma era, still a Great Bodhisattva within the Buddhist circle, none present should have a deeper understanding of the various Dao Fruits than Ksitigarbha King.

His words made Jiang Li’s gaze sharp.

"What mystery does Black Emperor Dao Fruit hold?" Jiang Li asked.

"Black Emperor Zhuanxu belongs to Water Virtue, but he didn’t start with Water Virtue, rather he was symbolized by the Sun, his title was Gao Yang, and due to the Sun symbolization, Water Virtue was obtained after defeating Gonggong."

Ksitigarbha King said solemnly, "The Sun and Water Virtue, Black Emperor thus possessed Yin Yang duality, owning abilities to delve into Life and Death."

"The ’Great Wilderness Western Scripture’ states: There is a fish with a shriveled body, named Fish Woman. Zhuanxu dies and immediately revives. The wind way comes north, the heavens and great water spring forth, the serpent transforms into a fish, this is Fish Woman. Zhuanxu dies and immediately revives."

"Black Emperor Zhuanxu has the ability to die and resurrect, his Dao Fruit should possess corresponding divine skills."

In the records of the ’Great Wilderness Western Scripture’, Fish Woman is a half-human, half-fish creature, withered when not in water. When Emperor Zhuanxu dies, wind and water come northward, Fish Woman revives in water, reborn in the world.

There’s also a theory that when Emperor Zhuanxu dies, heavenly wind and great water cause serpents to transform into Fish Woman.

Both theories relate to Emperor Zhuanxu’s death, leading to related legends, that Emperor Zhuanxu revives upon Fish Woman.

Jiang Li had also read related texts in the Dinghu Sect, but the records about Black Emperor were incomplete, only mentioning Fish Woman and Emperor Zhuanxu were related, not mentioning Emperor Zhuanxu’s death and rebirth.

Now hearing from Ksitigarbha King, Jiang Li couldn’t help but murmur, "No wonder..."

No wonder the Heavenly Monarch decisively shattered his Cave Heaven.

That was both due to the Heavenly Monarch’s firm act, and because he had a backup plan.

Also, the Heavenly Monarch knew well about the methods related to the physical body, being the sect leader of Dinghu Sect Gongsun Qi, while having an avatar as Yaoguang Elder Luu Tianpeng. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

If controlling two bodies simultaneously is a Dao Fruit divine skill, then after Luu Tianpeng’s death, the Heavenly Monarch should have freed a slot to create another body as a reserve.

The Heavenly Monarch, most likely, can recover to full strength soon.