Chapter 2351: The End of Causation

Chapter 2351: Ending Karma

The vast, deathly silent starry sky was filled with throngs of people, standing on stars from all directions. Spectators had traveled from afar, and the prodigies from the various heavens had all gathered, none wanting to miss this spectacle. No need to ask; just looking at Kui Niu and Xiao Yuan Huang, it was evident that some had already been defeated.

People weren't surprised by this.

Who was Ye Chen? The undefeated Archaic Saint Body in his realm, a ruthless fighter who had once battled sixty-four emperors single-handedly. In terms of achievements, no prodigy in the heavens could compare; in terms of combat power, none could match him.

In the central starry sky, Ye Chen stood tall, holding a wine gourd and drinking leisurely. He had already crushed the jade slip given by Song Yu, absorbing the divine sense sealed within.

The Tenth Emperor of Great Chu was truly ambitious, even in such a situation, not forgetting to comprehend immortal laws.

It had to be said, the Emperor's Dao Mirage was indeed profound and mysterious. Even he was shocked by it, as it involved spatial laws and faintly touched upon temporal laws, a force that seized heaven's creation.

"No one else coming? Then I'll go."

Nan Di stepped through the void, clad in ancient armor, his eyes like stars and his black hair flowing like a waterfall. He was like a general from the mortal world or an immortal king from the cultivator realm, his surging vital energy rolling like waves, with ancient visions manifesting frequently.

Ye Chen smiled, set aside his thoughts, and casually tossed away his wine gourd.

Battle!

With a roar from Nan Di, he shattered the void with one step and charged straight at Ye Chen.

Then came beastly roars. Nan Di transformed into his true form: a Qilin, specifically a Fire Qilin with a dominant bloodline. Its body was as massive as a mountain, its eyes gleaming brightly, flames burning across its entire form, and strands of immortal light swirling around it, shining like the sun.

Come!

Ye Chen laughed and charged forward, transforming into a Golden Divine Dragon.

This divine dragon wasn't a real one but a manifestation of the Dao. He cultivated the Chaos Dao, which could transform into all things. If he wished, he could even turn into a pile of dung.

Roar! Roar!

The divine dragon coiled and roared, the Qilin bellowed, and they clashed. Both were enormous in size, their battle scene vast and destructive, collapsing swaths of starry sky wherever they went.

"Is this a contest between divine beasts and sacred beasts?" people murmured, staring in astonishment. The divine dragon represented divine beasts, and the Qilin represented sacred beasts, so in that sense, it wasn't wrong.

"Compared to the Primordial Qilin, Nan Di is just a small ant." Many elders stroked their beards, having seen Jiu Chen's true form before. That was truly massive, with a bloodline of absolute dominance, crushing this junior Qilin in both size and essence.

"Even a Primordial Qilin of the same realm might not beat Ye Chen. Nan Di still lacks some cultivation." Those with sharp eyes spoke thoughtfully, already foreseeing the battle's outcome.

And indeed, it unfolded as they predicted.

Nan Di was no match for Ye Chen. From the start, he was suppressed, his Qilin's fresh blood staining the starry sky, and his massive body nearly destroyed.

Moreover, Ye Chen hadn't even used his peak power; otherwise, the fight would have ended already.

"I don't know why, but seeing him get beaten feels inexplicably satisfying." Bai Hu Crown Prince laughed.

"Same here." Xuan Wu Crown Prince said earnestly.

The two were like unfortunate brothers, both enamored with Zhu Que Princess, but she favored Nan Di, which was awkward. Whenever they saw Nan Di, they felt an itch to fight.

Listening to their words, Zhu Que Princess's face darkened.

Then, the two were kicked away. One was a mangy tiger, the other a little black turtle; they were everywhere, always playing the third wheel and ruining chances for romance.

Boom!

As the three bantered, a star exploded, crushed by Nan Di's massive body. He had been defeated, beaten back to human form by Ye Chen, his body bursting apart.

On the other side, Ye Chen had also reverted to human form, without a trace of disarray.

This was an absolute rout.

"I lost." Nan Di staggered, laughing self-mockingly. He could tell Ye Chen hadn't gone all out—at least, he hadn't used Flying Thunder God. Otherwise, he would have lost even worse. Only after truly fighting Ye Chen did he realize his strength; even his defense was unbreakable.

With that, he stepped back, accepting defeat gracefully.

"Come on, stand over here." Xiao Yuan Huang and Kui Niu waved enthusiastically, speaking with great warmth, one on each side as they escorted Nan Di to their group.

Over there, besides them, were Ri Yue Divine Child Zhi Yan, East Zhou Wu Wang Song Yu, and Zhan Wang's son Xiao Chen. Without exception, all had been defeated by Young Master Ye.

"Don't worry, there'll be more soon."

"Our team will keep growing. Old Seven is really reliable."

"Just stay put and don't wander off."

The two chatted back and forth, finally bringing Nan Di over. Anyone who got beaten had to stand with them—it was important to sort things out for mutual comfort.

Nan Di took a deep breath and didn't refuse. Though the two were a bit obnoxious, what they said was absolutely true. It wouldn't be long before the other prodigies who hadn't fought yet would be sent over.

In the eastern starry sky, Zhong Huang had already entered the battlefield, his purple robes fluttering.

Ye Chen glanced sideways, stroking his chin meaningfully.

Since knowing Zhong Huang, he had never fought him. Back in the old days, he was quite curious about Zhong Huang's origins, but few knew his true background—it seemed like a secret.

However, on the day he crossed the Quasi-Emperor Tribulation, he had figured it out.

Zhong Huang of the Profound Wasteland was from an imperial lineage, belonging to the ancient Da Xia Long Dynasty. Their founding emperor was the Da Xia Long Emperor, whose cultivation techniques were identical to Zhong Huang's.

Unfortunately, Zhong Huang wasn't the emperor's son, just a later successor.

As for the Da Xia emperor's son, he had died in a Heavenly Venerable ruin in some era, killed by the Qiong Qi emperor's son. This wasn't a secret; the entire heavens knew.

"No need to hold back. I can afford to lose."

Zhong Huang smiled.

"Understood." Ye Chen's smile was as bright as ever, showing his teeth fully.

Zing!

As he spoke, a sword hum rang out. Zhong Huang had already attacked with an immortal sword.

This sword wasn't a physical one but an illusory immortal sword, similar to a Dao sword, entwined with dragon breath and imprinted with the Dao. Such a sword ignored physical defenses.

Zing!

Zhong Huang's sword strike was utterly dominant, piercing through the cosmos and aiming straight for Ye Chen's true self.

Yet Ye Chen stood unmoving, allowing the killing strike to come.

What followed was quite bizarre: Zhong Huang's peak sword strike missed, or rather, Ye Chen had instantly etherealized his body, ignoring external attacks.

"Emperor's Dao Mirage?" People exclaimed, their faces full of shock.

"In such a short time, he comprehended Emperor's Dao Mirage. The Saint Body's talent is truly heaven-defying." Countless elders sighed in admiration. If they hadn't seen it themselves, they wouldn't believe it.

"I always feel like Emperor's Dao immortal laws have become as common as cabbages with Ye Chen."

Discussions erupted everywhere. The Tenth Emperor of Great Chu had shown off his talent again.

The most stunned was East Zhou Wu Wang, his eyes wide.

Fortunately, his family's ancestors weren't here; otherwise, they'd be incredibly embarrassed. The Great Zhou imperial clan had passed down this immortal law, so profound that few had comprehended it over endless ages.

Yet Ye Chen had grasped it in such a short time—what a humiliation.

But he didn't know that Ye Chen had unique advantages in comprehending Emperor's Dao Mirage. He was well-versed in spatial secret arts, and he had long delved into temporal secret arts.

With these two laws, grasping Emperor's Dao Mirage wasn't that difficult.

Naturally, Ye Chen's talent played a role too. Having comprehended many supreme Daos, he already had insights into Emperor's Dao immortal laws that others couldn't match.

Under the world's gaze, Zhong Huang was defeated, even more embarrassingly than Song Yu. In just one round, he was decisively beaten, completely caught off guard by Emperor's Dao Mirage.

Ye Chen sheathed his sword, smiling a bit sheepishly. He couldn't be blamed; Zhong Huang had told him to go all out. The Tenth Emperor of Great Chu was straightforward and never played games.

Zhong Huang shook his head and slowly turned away.

As a successor of the Da Xia Long Dynasty, he was self-aware. He didn't even need Kui Niu and the others to call him; he headed straight over, implying: losers go that way.

With Zhong Huang's defeat, Xi Zun entered the field.

Now, Xi Zun had long hair flowing, but he still practiced Buddhist methods, different from traditional Buddhism—it was his own path, blending Buddhism with the Dao.

As he walked, a deep, resonant Buddhist chant suddenly echoed.

This chant came from Xi Zun and had a mesmerizing power, making people's minds blur.

Around Xi Zun, invisible forces gathered, forming an ocean.

That was mental force, the Buddhist mental force.

In the mortal world, it was called incense. Wherever people worshiped, they became the Buddha's followers. The devotees' faith gathered into mental force, endless as long as the followers existed.

This was why Da Ri Ru Lai was considered the most mysterious great emperor.

Ancient legends said that the Buddha Emperor still lived, in the hearts of his followers, and would return one day. Not just the world, even Ye Chen believed it; he had witnessed the Buddha Emperor's terror.

Boom!

As people were dazed, Xi Zun attacked. The ocean of mental force rolled like tidal waves. Though it was an illusory power, serene and majestic, it carried the force to destroy heavens and earth.

One could see a Buddha sitting in the mental force ocean, massive as ten thousand zhang, radiating golden light, with a swastika on its chest. The Buddhist chant resounded like grand bells, never ceasing.

"Da Ri Ru Lai Purification Mantra." Yu Kong Emperor Son murmured.

"Those with weak will, if swallowed by that mental force ocean, would likely be converted into Buddhas." Tian Que Emperor Son pondered, surprised to see Xi Zun's divine ability for the first time.

"Being converted is the least of it; it could crush someone to ash." Wu Ji Emperor Son sighed.

Ye Chen frowned slightly, recognizing the Da Ri Ru Lai Purification Mantra. Listening to that chant, a Buddhist sound echoed in his divine sea—it was also the Purification Mantra.

After returning from the Underworld, he had encountered the Purification Mantra again, once more tying karma with Buddhism. Whenever it involved Buddhism, that karma arose, and the mantra would ring on its own.

In a sense, he had been targeted by Buddhism.

As he spoke, the ocean of Buddhist mental force arrived, swallowing him whole.

He didn't move, letting the mental force surge.

And this mental force was indeed strange—formless and intangible, yet carrying powers of conversion and destruction. Fail to become a Buddha, and you'd be destroyed. Mental force was endless and hard to erase.

The external Purification Mantra also linked with the one in his divine sea, working from inside and out to destroy his Dao and convert him into a Buddha.

But he wasn't the young cultivator of the past; he was now a Quasi-Emperor who had crossed the Six Paths of Reincarnation. His will was unshakeable—how could he be easily converted by the Purification Mantra?

Open!

With his resolute shout, he transformed into a dragon again, golden and radiant, thrashing wildly in the mental force ocean. Every scale on his agile dragon body was part of his Dao.

Boom! Boom!

These booms echoed through the star domain. Each time Ye Chen thrashed, the mental force ocean churned, and each churn made the starry sky tremble violently. Many void spaces collapsed, and numerous dead stars exploded in succession.

People retreated, not out of fear of the shock but to avoid the mental force. They all knew Buddhism's strangeness and didn't want any connection to it—the consequences were unthinkable.

"Next time we drink, don't invite that guy." Kui Niu said meaningfully, hands in his sleeves. "He's no longer of Buddhism, yet he still messes with mental force, trying to convert people."

"This Buddhism is different from that one."

"His Buddhism is his own Dao, converting only himself."

Boom!

As Song Yu spoke, the golden Buddha in the mental force ocean exploded.

Puff!

Xi Zun spat blood and was flung back, the mental force ocean dissipating with him.

Roar!

The dragon's roar was mighty as Ye Chen soared into the nine heavens and reverted to human form.

The so-called mental force and Purification Mantra couldn't touch him.

"I can only help you this far." Xi Zun smiled, lightly brushing his sleeve as he withdrew from the battlefield.

"Thank you." Ye Chen smiled and looked toward the vast expanse.

Like him, the world also looked up.

In the misty heights, golden immortal light shot out, gathering into a Buddha, massive as ten thousand zhang, with resonant and majestic Buddhist chants carrying conversion power. Many people's minds wavered.

"Greater Da Ri Ru Lai?" People exclaimed in shock.

"The Saint Body has karma with Buddhism; it's no surprise this manifestation of the great emperor's will has appeared." Someone pondered, having seen this before. Back in the day, at Zhongzhou's Zhutian Mountain, Ye Chen was suppressed by this manifestation for a hundred years.

"I understand Xi Zun's intent."

"Nominally a battle, but truly to help Ye Chen sever his Buddhist karma."

"His Buddhist heart is even greater."

"Next time we drink, let's invite him." It was Kui Niu again, speaking earnestly, having seen through Xi Zun's intention. He was still a brother, so drinking sessions should include him.

Om, Ma, Ni, Ba, Mi, Hong.

The Purification Mantra rose again, from the manifestation of Da Ri Ru Lai, each word like thunder, shaking the starry sky. More people lost their footing, their minds disrupted by the chant, unable to resist its conversion power.

Under everyone's gaze, the Da Ri Ru Lai manifestation moved, pressing down with a palm.

That palm was golden and vast, covering the sky, with a swastika in its center and ancient Buddhist patterns flowing between its fingers. It was as heavy as a mountain, grinding down the laws of the cosmos.

Ye Chen said nothing, just quietly looking up.

This scene was like history repeating. Back then, that supreme golden Buddha had also pressed down with a palm, intending to fully suppress this defier of Buddhism.

That year, he was indeed suppressed, under a Five-Finger Mountain for a full hundred years, witnessing much worldly sorrow. If not for Great Chu Heavenly Court saving him, he would have become dust.

Ah!

People sighed, knowing of that past. A fierce Saint Body was ruthlessly suppressed by Buddhism. Those years illustrated a saying: a tiger brought low is bullied by dogs.

"I don't need your mercy."

Ye Chen shouted, soaring upward, carrying the same unyielding defiance as before.

The Saint Body was fierce and unbowed, just as in the past, so too today.