Chapter 1553: War Buddha

Boom!

In the ninth heaven, thunder suddenly flashed, dancing amidst the dark clouds.

The heavens rumbled, and the earth trembled. This world was shrouded in gloom by the dark clouds, losing the radiant light of Buddhism.

Ye Chen stood upon a sea of demonic blood, with the vast universe hanging above his head. His aura that could devour the heavens made his blood-red hair fly wildly.

Behind him, a realm of boundless demonic land unfolded, manifesting various visions: mountains of corpses, rivers of blood, stars extinguishing within, and fierce suns shattering amid it all. All manners of destruction intertwined, overturning the very order of heaven and earth.

"Shizhu, why must you do this?" Shijia sighed, slowly stepping out from Ling Shan and standing in the empty sky.

His Buddha eyes held both the compassion of Buddhism and the majesty of a Zhun Di. The faith of all living beings flowed like mighty rivers and oceans, merging into boundless power to ferry the mortals of the red dust.

"The Buddha teaches karma. My enmity with her is the cause, and it will not end until death—that is the effect." Ye Chen shattered the starry sky with a single step, clenched his fist to grasp the universe, and blasted through the heavens.

Shijia sighed again and waved his hand to strike with a Buddha seal.

Boom!

Fist met palm, and thunderous roars erupted.

A halo of light spread infinitely from the point of impact, like an invisible hand wiping away the heavens and earth. The surrounding mountains collapsed one after another.

Ye Chen's hand bones shattered, and sacred blood splattered across the sky.

What he faced was a true Zhun Di, and not just any ordinary one—Shijia was extraordinarily powerful.

Even among Zhun Di, the Fen Ji Laozu he had slain earlier was nowhere near Shijia's level.

In contrast, Shijia remained unmoved, like an eight-thousand-zhang mountain peak standing before Ling Shan, unshakable by anyone.

War!

Ye Chen roared fiercely, charging forward with surging demonic aura.

Though he knew Shijia was formidable, he feared nothing. He respected Buddhism, but that did not mean he truly feared it.

To kill Fengxian, he had to break through this great mountain that was Shijia. The blood debt of his kin must be repaid in blood.

Shijia's eyes were full of compassion, and the sea of faith beneath his feet surged, blocking Ye Chen's sea of demonic energy. The Buddha light and Bodhi tree above his head withstood Ye Chen's vast universe.

Ye Chen threw a punch, with ancient seal scripts flowing between his palms and chaotic Dao principles infused within, making even time stand still with that single strike.

Shijia countered with secret Buddhist techniques, deflecting the force of Ye Chen's punch, then raised a finger that pierced through him.

As a Zhun Di, a flicker of surprise flashed in Shijia's Buddha eyes—Ye Chen's strength far exceeded his expectations.

The sacred bones of the Dacheng Sheng Ti wielded unparalleled dominance, enhanced by tenfold combat power, making Ye Chen a match for him.

A great battle erupted, shattering the heavens and splitting the earth, draining the color from the world.

On one side was the primeval Sheng Ti, fused with Dacheng sacred bones, bolstered by sacred might, and activated with Xian Lun Tian Zang, granting tenfold combat power, like a war god incarnate.

His attacks were straightforward and domineering, relying on no divine weapons, only a pair of invincible golden fists. Each punch merged hundreds of divine abilities, overwhelmingly powerful.

On the other side was the revered Buddhist elder, a genuine Zhun Di, whose Zen arts were profound and vast, commanding the faith of all beings like a deity, radiating dazzling brilliance.

Though his divine abilities were gentle, their power was overwhelmingly dominant, causing Ye Chen's sacred body to crack open repeatedly.

The shockwaves of the battle were too immense, forcing spectators to retreat repeatedly. Gazing at that stretch of heaven and earth, all they saw was shock. "He is actually fighting Shijia Zunzhe on equal terms."

"The sacred bones of the Dacheng Sheng Ti are no joke."

"The tenfold power of Xian Lun Tian Zang is well-deserved." Veteran cultivators sighed endlessly.

"If this were a true Dacheng Sheng Ti, without even activating Tian Zang, one hand would be enough to crush Shijia." A sleazy old man muttered, squatting in a corner of the empty sky with his hands tucked in.

"Huh?" Cultivators from all directions turned their heads, scanning the sleazy old man up and down before hastily bowing in respect, even the Da Sheng among them showing reverent expressions.

Wasn't this the very Zhun Di who had been fishing earlier? He had come to watch the spectacle too.

Seeing Ye Chen holding his own against Shijia, even this Zhun Di's composure was shaken.

Once again, he felt immensely grateful that he hadn't interfered with Zhi Yang that day—if he had fought Ye Chen, he wouldn't have stood a chance.

"However, the power of the sacred bones diminishes with each use. The Sheng Ti will eventually be defeated." The old man sighed.

"What the senior says is absolutely right." A Da Sheng nodded in agreement. "Ling Shan still has ultimate Dao emperor weapons."

"The princess of the Feng Huang clan is truly cunning." The old Zhun Di glanced toward the mountaintop at Fengxian.

Fengxian stood at the peak, observing the battle. She played her role well, her eyes full of compassion and reluctance.

At first glance, one might think she was a devout Buddhist believer, pitying all living beings and sincerely devoted.

"Fighting me, you're far from it." Her eyes occasionally flashed with a cunning glint.

Even she had to admire her own scheme. Luring Ye Chen to clash with Ling Shan was a brilliant plan, potentially eliminating a great enemy.

She only needed to wait for her Feng Huang clan to return from their ancestral grounds, then she could drop her disguise and be protected by her family.

Watching the battle, every time Ye Chen bled into the void, she felt an exhilarating rush, wanting to laugh wildly without restraint. But for the sake of her act, she had to hide it.

"Immortal, what are you smiling about?" Perhaps too absorbed in the fight, Fengxian hadn't noticed someone approaching from behind.

It was Xi Zun, who had also ascended to the mountaintop, his Buddha eyes serene.

"I only feel sorrow and pity—who said I was smiling?" Fengxian sighed. "This is all my fault alone!"

"The princess of the Feng Huang clan has truly impressed me today." Xi Zun spoke calmly, his expression composed.

"It is the profound depths of Buddhism that have enlightened me." Fengxian performed a Buddhist salute, her act becoming more convincing by the moment.

Pfft!

As they spoke, Ye Chen spat blood into the sky again, his sacred body collapsing under the immense Buddha seal, spraying blood everywhere.

The power of his sacred bones weakened further—Shijia was too strong.

"Retreat!" Shijia Zunzhe said with eyes full of kindness, like a great Buddha radiating golden light in all directions.

"I would rather die than retreat." Ye Chen roared hoarsely, his eyes bloodshot, bathing in sacred blood as he charged again.

"Ye Chen." In the void, it seemed someone was calling his name, screaming desperately, laced with grief and sorrow.

It was Ji Ningshuang in the Wang Chuan, as if she could see the scene clearly across countless miles.

Her eyes were full of tears, blurring her vision.

Just that one call of "Ye Chen" conveyed endless hardship. He was in the western desert of Xuan Huang, she in the forbidden Wang Chuan zone, yet they could not meet.

Over two hundred years, across millions of miles, nothing could obscure her gaze. That aged, weary figure was etched deeply into her soul.

"Is the lineage of the Sheng Ti all so unyielding?" A faint sigh echoed as Meng Po appeared.

"Po Po, please save him." Ji Ningshuang looked at Meng Po with hope, her eyes tearful. She did not want Ye Chen to die, nor her child to be fatherless.

"I cannot leave this place." Meng Po shook her head helplessly.

"Then let me go out." Ji Ningshuang pleaded.

"I do not have that authority." Meng Po shook her head again, her gaze falling on Ji Ningshuang's swollen abdomen. "The child of heavenly tribulation must wait for the Tian Wang to return."

Ji Ningshuang's expression turned to agony, clutching her abdomen and groaning.

"Whether for you or the child, I must seal you away." Meng Po raised her hand, an ancient formation manifesting in her palm and imprinting on Ji Ningshuang's forehead.

"No, no, no!" Ji Ningshuang's face was streaked with tears.

Yet, no matter how she screamed or begged, she could not stop the seal. Her Yuan Shen was being dragged into slumber.

In her final moments before being sealed, her dimming eyes turned once more toward Ling Shan, longing to touch his face and brush away his age and fatigue.

As the seal spread, she finally collapsed, trembling as she closed her eyes and slowly sank to the bottom of Wang Chuan.

When she awoke from this seal, she did not know what year it would be, or if Ye Chen would still exist in this world.