Spirit Mountain Holy Land:
A ritual array covered the Spirit Mountain Holy Land, preventing the citizens outside from entering.
The Past Buddha and the Buddhist disciples waited patiently for Jiang Gautama.
Jiang Gautama had moved too quickly for them to follow. They also did not have Jiang Gautama’s powerful vision, so they could only wait patiently.
However, they grew increasingly anxious the longer they waited. The shouts from the citizens outside grew louder.
“The Spirit Mountain Holy Land is such an extensive enterprise. How could they lack my bit of spirit stones? Return my spirit stones!”
“I borrowed those spirit stones. Return them to me. Otherwise, I will be in trouble! Lord Buddha? Lord Buddha!”
“Past Buddha, I’m your faithful believer. Please return my spirit stones!”
The citizens clamored outside the ritual array.
The Spirit Mountain Holy Land disciples looked at the Past Buddha.
“There’s no need to care about them. Now that things have reached this point, saying anything is useless. The Spirit Mountain Holy Land has some spirit stones, but we cannot use those spirit stones on these people,” the Past Buddha said seriously.
“Yes!” the Spirit Mountain Holy Land disciples answered.
The Spirit Mountain Holy Land disciples’ disregard only served to fan the citizens’ fury.
“Past Buddha, are you pretending to be deaf? You-you-you will die a horrible death!”
“Eastern Forest Bodhisattva, are you pretending not to know me now? You will eventually suffer retribution!”
“You will suffer retribution!”
Countless citizens roared in despair.
The Past Buddha showed disdain on his face. There are many who curse me, claiming I will suffer retribution. You won’t make a difference.
Whoosh!
Just then, a black wind suddenly blew, covering the Spirit Mountain Holy Land’s surroundings.
“How bold! Who dares to barge into the Spirit Mountain Holy Land?!” The Past Buddha glared.
Many figures stood within the black wind—four hundred thousand Divine Demon Army soldiers. All of them were Heavenly Palace Realm experts. Under Gao Xianzhi’s command, they quickly stood in formation, surrounding the vast Spirit Mountain Holy Land.
“What? Kong Xuan?” the Past Buddha exclaimed, wide-eyed.
“All who surrender shall live! All who resist will die!” Kong Xuan shouted.
“What?!” The Spirit Mountain Holy Land disciples broke out in a loud commotion.
As the black wind swept around, azure light flashed within it as Kong Xuan spread his divine Dao domain, bringing out ten thousand clones.
“Roar! Roar!”
The dragons roared, also surrounding the Spirit Mountain Holy Land.
The Spirit Mountain Holy Land suddenly faced a crisis.
“Where’s the Lord Buddha? Where is my Lord Gautama Buddha?!” the Past Buddha said in shock and rage.
“You would be better off thinking about yourself!” Kong Xuan shouted.
“Six-colored divine light!”
The ten thousand Kong Xuans immediately sent six-colored divine lights at the Spirit Mountain Holy Land’s ritual array.
Boom!
With a loud report, the Spirit Mountain Holy Land’s ritual array shattered. The Spirit Mountain Holy Land shuddered.
The surrounding citizens were stunned for a moment.
“Retribution! Haha! It’s retribution!”
“Past Buddha, to think you would have this day!”
“Excellent! Excellent! Excellent!”
The angered citizens cheered for Kong Xuan and the others.
“Run quickly!” countless Spirit Mountain Holy Land disciples exclaimed.
“Hah!”
The four hundred thousand Divine Demon Army soldiers roared together.
The dragons charged forward.
Ao Sheng stood beside Gao Xianzhi, coldly watching the Spirit Mountain Holy Land disciples.
Ao Sheng also felt incredibly shocked as he looked at the Spirit Mountain Holy Land. When he first met Gu Hai twenty years ago, he would never have imagined that Gu Hai would grow so much in twenty years, reaching the point of destroying the Spirit Mountain Holy Land.
Boom!
A monk showing a ferocious expression clashed with the Divine Demon Army soldiers.
“I said it earlier. Those who resist will die!” Kong Xuan threw out a beam of six-colored divine light, and a buddha exploded.
“Kong Xuan, how dare you?! The Lord Buddha will deal with you when he returns!” The Past Buddha extended his hand, taking out the Candle Epoch Azure Lamp.
Then, an intense flame rushed out at Kong Xuan from the Candle Epoch Azure Lamp.
“One of the top sixteen ancient treasures? Unfortunately, you are not qualified to use it!” Kong Xuan glared.
Whoosh!
Hundreds of beams of six-colored divine light shot at the blazing flame.
Boom!
A loud sound rang out as the blazing flame shattered. The Candle Epoch Azure Lamp fell short before the six-colored divine light.
Among the ten thousand Kong Xuans, the true body suddenly transformed into a ten-kilometer-tall peacock.
Coo!
The peacock spread its wings, sending black winds everywhere in the Spirit Mountain Holy Land. The black winds blew over all the Buddhist disciples trying to escape.
“I previously said I wanted to consume your Spirit Mountain Holy Land. I failed previously, but I can do it now. Come! All those who resisted, enter my mouth!” Kong Xuan cried out ferociously, giving off an overwhelming demonic aura. Coo!
Kong Xuan opened its mouth and sucked, targeting the distant Past Buddha.
The Past Buddha’s expression changed dramatically. He tried to use the Candle Epoch Azure Lamp to resist, but the suction from Kong Xuan’s mouth was too powerful. He could not hold on for long.
“Lord Past Buddha!” The Spirit Mountain Holy Land disciples appeared incredibly anxious.
The Past Buddha showed an uncertain expression before suddenly saying, “This humble one is willing to give up the lamp and surrender.”
“What?” The expressions of countless Spirit Mountain Holy Land disciples changed.
The Past Buddha surrendered?
Kong Xuan was startled. It had hoped the Past Buddha would struggle for a while, yet the Past Buddha surrendered so quickly? It had an irreconcilable grudge against the Past Buddha.
Back when it was captured and locked in the eighteen layers of hell, the Past Buddha and the Future Buddha had tortured it.
Kong Xuan did not care that the Past Buddha had surrendered; it did not stop the suction, wanting to consume the Past Buddha.
“Kong Xuan, I’ve already surrendered; you cannot consume me!” the Past Buddha said, his eyes wide with anxiety.
Kong Xuan completely ignored the Past Buddha. The suction continued pulling on the Past Buddha, and he would soon reach Kong Xuan’s mouth.
“Lord Kong, His Reverence commanded us to capture the Spirit Mountain Holy Land disciples, not consume them all!” A loud voice suddenly rang out.
Gao Xianzhi shouted at Kong Xuan to stop.
Kong Xuan’s expression changed, and it canceled the suction. Then it frowned coldly at Gao Xianzhi.
Gao Xianzhi said gravely, “The Past Buddha has indeed caused great destruction in my Han Nation, an enemy of my Han Nation. However, His Reverence wants him alive. Perhaps His Reverence has a use for him. If you desire to kill him, please ask His Reverence first. Although you are the primary force in this battle, His Reverence is the one planning the overall situation for destroying the Spirit Mountain Holy Land.”
Gu Hai had given Gao Xianzhi overall command of the army. If not for that, Gao Xianzhi would not have bothered with this matter.
“Humph! Past Buddha, consider yourself lucky!” Kong Xuan snorted coldly.
Whoosh!
Kong Xuan arrived before the Past Buddha, but the Past Buddha did not resist at all, so it immediately sealed the Past Buddha’s cultivation.
The Past Buddha understood that the Spirit Mountain Holy Land had no power as long as Jiang Gautama was not around. While he might be strong, he was not stronger than Kong Xuan. Furthermore, he did not know if there were other experts hidden somewhere.
The Past Buddha surrendered early to get the other Spirit Mountain Holy Land disciples who were planning to fight to give up. Resist? There was no way to resist.
There were four hundred thousand Divine Demon Army soldiers with the protection of peak experts. Such a force could sweep its way through the world. What more a Spirit Mountain Holy Land?
The peak experts included the dragons, Ao Sheng, and Kong Xuan. The Spirit Mountain Holy Land had nowhere to flee to.
The four hundred thousand Divine Demon Army soldiers came mostly to prevent anyone from attacking or hiding. Soon, they had searched the entire Spirit Mountain Holy Land.
After the Past Buddha surrendered, most of the Spirit Mountain Holy Land disciples also surrendered. Only a small portion resisted. However, how could they succeed before the Divine Demon Army?
The Han Nation only spent most of a day to capture all five million Spirit Mountain Holy Land disciples, seal their cultivations, and bring them to the Hall of Great Strength’s entrance.
Hall of Great Strength’s entrance:
The five million Spirit Mountain Holy Land disciples lamented incessantly, gazing at the powerful Divine Demon Army with despair and hatred.
Gao Xianzhi stood at the Hall of Great Strength’s entrance, coldly surveying the Spirit Mountain Holy Land disciples sitting cross-legged there.
“You resent my Han Imperial Dynasty? Humph! Just think about this for yourselves. If not for His Reverence’s benevolence, my army would have killed everyone here. You are all enemies who have tried to harm my Han Nation!” Gao Xianzhi shouted coldly.
The five million Spirit Mountain Holy Land disciples’ expressions changed.
Whoosh!
Tree beams of light arrived at the Hall of Great Strength’s entrance.
These were Gu Hai, the Unborn Man, and Vairocana.
“Your Reverence! We have captured all the Spirit Mountain Holy Land disciples!” Gao Xianzhi said respectfully with all the soldiers in attendance.
Gu Hai nodded and looked at the five million Spirit Mountain Holy Land disciples.
“Gu Hai, what do you want? What happened to the Lord Buddha?” the Past Buddha asked coldly.
Gao Xianzhi handed over the Candle Epoch Azure Lamp. Gu Hai only took a glance before tossing it into the Gu’s Immortal Firmament. The top sixteen ancient treasures? I have no time to check it now.
Gu Hai looked at the incredibly resentful Spirit Mountain Holy Land disciples.
“We still haven’t taken revenge for the Three Mountains City citizens, yet we heard you were preparing to aid Jiang Gautama in brainwashing my Han Nation citizens?” Gu Hai said seriously.
The Spirit Mountain Holy Land disciples’ expressions congealed.
When Jiang Gautama declared supremacy earlier, everyone had agreed. But…
“We do not intend to kill you, as we understand Jiang Gautama threatened you. When Bodhisattva Wen Sheng and Bodhisattva Pu De refused to accept Jiang Gautama’s brutality, Jiang Gautama told the Past Buddha to kill them as an example, right?” Gu Hai said indifferently.
The Spirit Mountain Holy Land disciples said nothing.
“Spirit Mountain Holy Land disciples, why was the previous Lord Gautama Buddha compassionate, kind, benevolent, and virtuous? I’m sure some people know. It is because the Spirit Mountain Holy Land had the good Gautama and the evil Gautama. Although the evil Gautama is defeated and gone, there is still the good Gautama. We are only giving you a chance on account of the good Gautama,” Gu Hai said.
“The good Gautama?” The expressions of countless Spirit Mountain Holy Land disciples changed.
The Past Buddha made an ugly face.
“Past Buddha, there’s no need to look at us like this. As for your judgment, we will let the good Gautama decide when he returns,” Gu Hai said.
The Past Buddha’s expression turned uncertain before he eventually nodded.
The good Gautama emphasized benevolence and compassion. The Past Buddha had followed him in the past, so he probably would not make things too difficult for the Past Buddha.
“Gao Xianzhi, Ao Sheng, you lead two hundred thousand Divine Demon Army soldiers and the dragons in guarding this place. Everyone is to obey Gao Xianzhi’s commands!” Gu Hai instructed.
“Yes!” Gao Xianzhi and Ao Sheng answered.
Gu Hai glanced coldly at the Past Buddha before telling Gao Xianzhi, “Interrogate him thoroughly.”
“Yes!” Gao Xianzhi answered.
“Kong Xuan and the remaining two hundred thousand Divine Demon Army soldiers, come with us!” Gu Hai said.
“Yes!” Kong Xuan answered.
Gu Hai left two hundred thousand Divine Demon Army soldiers behind while the other two hundred thousand Divine Demon Army soldiers left the Spirit Mountain Holy Land with him.
Along the way, Gu Hai showed a sullen expression.
“Your Reverence, it looks like Jiang Gautama did not take advantage of the situation to return,” the Unborn Man sighed.
“Your Reverence, you sent me to capture the Spirit Mountain Holy Land disciples just to lure Jiang Gautama out?” Kong Xuan said in shock, appearing startled.
Gu Hai nodded. “That’s right. Jiang Gautama is too dangerous in the end. We have to beware of him. When you went, Vairocana and we followed behind, preparing to ambush Jiang Gautama. To think the commotion did not lure Jiang Gautama out. It looks like he is still in the eighteen layers of hell.”
“Your Reverence, we have arrived!” the Unborn Man suddenly said.
The group stopped in a forest.
“This is?” Kong Xuan asked.
“This place corresponds to the nether realm’s Corpse Mound World. As a precaution, you will enter the eighteen layers of hell from here,” the Unborn Man explained.
“We are going to the eighteen layers of hell to capture Jiang Gautama?” Kong Xuan appeared startled.
Gu Hai nodded. Then he turned to Vairocana. “Vairocana, can I trouble you to open the entrance to the eighteen layers of hell here?”
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