Chapter 2582: Mysterious Five Aggregates

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One’s own success, though worth rejoicing, makes the opponent’s failure even more satisfying!

Compared to the scene where various factions divided and devoured a large chunk of the Yan Luo Treasure Hall in Qin, Qin was still content to just take a small bite for itself… provided that other hegemonic states didn't take any bites at all.

As for Wei, this flourishing great state… a bite or two is fine.

To seek the name of hegemon, it still lacks much.

When Wei rises, the first headache will be Jing, its neighbor across the long river, and then Chu, which is also in the southern region.

To make Qin worry, it must first overthrow Chu.

"Bodhisattva's wish, I, Qin, will certainly assist with all my might!" Qin Zhi Zhen stood up, his sword hanging at his waist. He never expected to find a monk so pleasing to the eye.

If not for his steady nature, he would have shouted, "Great Qin is willing to fight for Bodhisattva!"

He also didn't know that the benefit Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva promised him was precisely due to the value of Qin's support.

But this Bodhisattva is so understanding of human hearts and loves the world, so what if Qin supports a little?!

Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva's vision is a long period of peace in the Netherworld, with all beings free from calamity, not making enemies everywhere, but only being uniquely respected. But once a pack of wolves is allowed to tear and devour, and various powers are left to enter the fray, what the Netherworld will ultimately become is hard to imagine. The rights of the Netherworld's ghost gods are even more impossible to guarantee.

If the Yan Luo Treasure Hall is completely dismantled and divided, how can calamity be resolved for all beings?

So He set the rules, preventing some people from eating meat, but not stopping everyone from eating meat—blocking others from eating meat is grounds for being chopped.

Pulling one faction, striking another, and then warning and stopping one faction became an inevitable choice.

Qin was very willing to be the faction that was pulled in.

After all, compared to Jing and Qi, they were late in laying out the Netherworld.

After all, compared to Li Yi, Dou Zhao, and Chong Xuan Zun, his, Qin Zhi Zhen's, ultimate peak came late.

With the great potential of the Netherworld, and with him walking in both the Yin and Yang realms hereafter, would he still fear being a step behind?

Compared to Qin Zhi Zhen, a member of Tai Xu Pavilion whose bones seemed lighter by a few *taels*—to the extent that he no longer appeared so steady—Wu Xun remained calm. He looked at Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva and said, "Hereafter, Gui Sui Zhen will guard Pu Ming Palace and fight for the Yan Luo Treasure Hall. Unless absolutely necessary, I, Wu, will not act rashly. As said before, the hearts of the people of Wei, please understand—Bodhisattva's great wish to save suffering, the people of Wei are willing to follow!"

Gui Sui Zhen, placed in Pu Ming Palace, was even safer than if he carried it with him.

After all, the Yan Luo Treasure Hall truly has a transcendence one protecting it, and today it truly showed His will and ability to protect this place.

The bronze long spear manifesting with a spirit body will, of course, not give birth to intelligence. He will not allow it, and Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva will not do so either.

This spirit body, as Yan Luo Great Monarch, can on one hand accumulate cultivation provisions for him, Wu Xun, and on the other hand, can influence the Netherworld's pattern, providing various conveniences for Wei's future development.

Of course, it must act according to the rules, and must prioritize maintaining the Yan Luo Treasure Hall and saving all beings from calamity in the Netherworld. But within the rules, there are too many things that can be done!

These people who have fought their way up within the systems of their respective states understand this the most. Now they are placing a heavy bet on this.

From now on, within the framework of the Yan Luo Treasure Hall, Wei and Qin may have competition, but within the entire Netherworld, the two states share common interests. The current primary goal is to maintain the Yan Luo Treasure Hall's authority, and also to make the Yan Luo Treasure Hall truly become the core of the Netherworld—

Not to say that Ksitigarbha initially set this up and it will certainly be realized.

The time and way of realization are all subject to change, especially under the circumstance that the Yan Luo Treasure Hall is no longer open to other forces.

Struggle is inevitable.

Of course, the true protection and support of Ksitigarbha are already the biggest advantage.

It's just…

Wu Xun turned his head slightly, his gaze distant, towards the magnificent silhouette in a piece of light.

This Xuan Ming Palace and Ming Chen Palace… who will actually become their masters? Why didn't Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva make it clear?

Inside Ming Chen Palace, darkness turned into brightness.

The black-clothed, barefoot monk had left. The hundred-patch monk robe and the black long robe stood side by side. The two simultaneously looked towards the Yan Luo great seat.

The newly appointed Ming Chen Palace God Master, Lord Yan Xiao, an existence that could hereafter be titled "Bian Cheng King," involuntarily shivered.

It scrambled from the throne and moved its body, prostrating at the feet of the All Beings Monk: "Venerable One! My, Yan's, heart can mirror the sun and moon. I am not in the least bit fond of this laborious divine position. The Netherworld's Yan Luo, how can they compare to a single claw of the Venerable One!"

It spoke like a string of pearls, endlessly: "From now on, any gains must first be offered to the White Bone God Palace. If there is responsibility, I, Yan, will bear it myself. Even this so-called divine position, whenever you want it, I will offer it up; whenever you tell me to discard it, I will definitely spit, spit on that bald—"

"What nonsense!" The All Beings Monk somewhat amusedly picked it up.

The fierce and domineering sturdy man instantly transformed back into a cute tailless swallow, docile in the monk's palm.

Today's various changes came too quickly, with too much messy information. Its brain was dizzy and not very clear, but it still grasped the core—it was still being judged by its original owner.

In that case, there was nothing good to say. Expressing loyalty was still the only option.

The space in the hall suddenly tore open, and a pair of furry large hands reached in. The magical ape's forehead also wanted to squeeze into the hall, baring its teeth and saying, "This little bird, how noisy—let me chew and eat it!"

The All Beings Monk pushed the magical ape back with a single palm: "Go cultivate your merit! I'll handle things here!"

The magical ape had been cultivating in the Wu Meng Mountain Range during this period. In the future, if it were to fight against the Seven Hate, its understanding of the demonic path must not be lacking. But there was nothing there except for an underground demonic cave. The magical ape was idle to the point of panic when not cultivating, and couldn't help but come to the Netherworld to have some fun.

The All Beings Monk lowered his head. The pitiful tailless swallow cowered like a quail.

Clearly, with this decree of the Netherworld divine position, it had already gained the honor of a true god. With its nature born in extreme evil, it probably wouldn't take too long to truly digest these true god provisions.

But in front of the magical ape, it indeed wasn't even enough to stuff its teeth…

The All Beings Monk said in a flat voice: "Since you have received this position, then bear this responsibility. Do your job well. You were born with joy in doing evil, now it's just right to suffer more hardship. Everything is centered on Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva's great wish. Usually, cooperate more with the Equality King."

"Equality King?" Yan Xiao blinked its evil eye, its divine glory already restrained.

Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva was not someone to provoke, it could understand that.

What kind of thing was that Equality King?

The entire hell had no door, the master was the eldest, Qin Guang King was the second eldest, and giving Qin Guang King some face, Chu Jiang King could be called the third eldest. The rest were all chickens and dogs, things that could be swallowed in one gulp. Who was worthy of its, Yan Xiao's, great self bowing down to?

The Curse Ancestor 'tch'ed, squinting over: "Just do what I tell you to do, are you questioning me?"

"Dare not!" Yan Xiao immediately prostrated: "This little one was just saying, from now on I will definitely listen to him!"

The All Beings Monk didn't have the bad taste to scare it. He simply raised his hand and waved, sending it back to the Yan Jun great seat, while temporarily sealing its five senses.

After today, Yang Xuan Ce could be said to have stepped onto a path to heaven. He became the biggest winner among the five Netherworld Yan Jun appointed by Ksitigarbha.

Only that one remained…

Perhaps many people would doubt how Yang Xuan Ce obtained such qualifications, to become Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva's favored one, to be personally saved by Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, and even entrusted with governing the Yan Luo Treasure Hall, carrying the heavy hope of realizing the great wish to save suffering.

But Jiang Wang believed that Yang Xuan Ce had such ability.

Initially, at the edge of the Qi Yang battlefield, after that war of annihilation ended, the two looked at each other and parted. Neither understood the other too well yet.

Now he thought, perhaps She Di Sheng, Su She, and even the escaped Wu Guan Wang and City Wang, were originally meant to be eliminated. These people could not recognize Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva's great wish. While Ksitigarbha could use chess pieces in a fragmented world as long as they were useful, the true Ksitigarbha was not like that.

He desired true compassion to save suffering and difficulty. People who did not truly recognize Him could not do this.

So He did not inquire about the life and death of these people. Only Yang Xuan Ce had a quality different from the crowd, making him the only usable choice.

The choices for the remaining four palaces were all borrowed bodies, substitute bodies, spirit bodies, and so on, destined not to be the main affairs, and would only follow the rules in the Netherworld. They could be completely regarded as extensions of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva's will.

Among them, he himself and Yin Guan were free agents. Jiu Lun Palace involved Qin, and Pu Ming Palace involved Wei.

Qin, unlike Jing and Qi, was already taking a big bite of meat in the Netherworld. Wei, on the other hand, was united in will, striving for the leap to hegemon state. Both had reasons to support the Yan Luo Treasure Hall, and both could practically provide support.

How could this round of both elimination and striking be the puppet show envisioned by people following a set of rules?

Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva was "giving" while "seeking."

The level of transcendence is indeed hard to imagine. Even Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, this manifestation of pure great wish, followed the trend and guidance, not losing the heavenly heart.

Anyone who thinks they can easily manipulate a transcendence one is necessarily the one being manipulated.

That… Seven Hate?

At the moment of borrowing a palm for a divine position and gaining insight into the subtleties of ghost gods, he suddenly thought of Seven Hate again. Then he submerged this thought to the bottom of his dark heart.

"Alright. Before, we were still competing to let others become the master of You Ming Treasure Hall. Now there's no need to compete." The All Beings Monk deliberately made his tone lighter: "Hereafter, the Yin Cao curse body will guard Xuan Ming Palace, which is beneficial to your cultivation, and will no longer hinder you from traveling through various heavens… it can be considered a good thing."

Yin Guan had no intention of competing in the Netherworld, but in the end, he fell into the Netherworld again. He initially refused Ksitigarbha, but then had the hatred of Chu Jiang because of Ksitigarbha, and even killed She Di Sheng in Jiu Lun Palace. Yet, because of this matter, he was bound to the Yin Cao curse body and settled in Xuan Ming Palace!

In the darkness, there truly was a sense of fate, an outcome determined early on.

It was hard to say what mood Yin Guan was in now, so Jiang Wang spoke more carefully.

Yin Guan only looked at him once: "You should cultivate your Yan Xiao well. I think this Bian Cheng King will be the weakest among the five halls. If word gets out, I fear it will damage your name, Elder Jiang Ge!"

"It doesn't matter," the All Beings Monk only said.

Yin Guan wanted to speak but stopped, wanted to leave but spoke: "Are you saying it doesn't matter if Yan Xiao is the weakest, or that Yan Xiao has no relation to you?"

"It depends on how you understand it."

"What if someone insists on linking it to you?"

The All Beings Monk was very calm: "Then I also understand a bit of fist and footwork. I can descend a body substitute and fight anytime."

Yin Guan pointed at him with a finger and then left Ming Chen Palace.

The Yin Cao curse body had already moved into Xuan Ming Palace. He had no plan to go in and look, instead raising his head and looking in the direction of Pu Ming Palace. He said nothing more, just left this realm.

Pu Ming Palace is where the divine position of Chu Jiang King is held.

From now on, when "Chu Jiang King" is mentioned, it is Gui Sui Zhen, the substitute name for Wu Xun's will.

They say thorough death is forgetting.

This world will probably soon forget Chu Jiang King.

But it doesn't matter.

He will remember forever.

During the time the All Beings Monk was selflessly dedicating himself in the Netherworld.

Xian Long was opening letters.

Two letters lay on his desk, one from Zhong Xuan, one from Bai Ge Xiao.

He first opened Zhong Ge Yuan's letter.

The letter was written very simply—Zhong Xuan said he was busy with something and had asked a friend to help investigate. He would transmit any news immediately.

Didn't Mr. Zhong just spend his days writing and drawing with a knife pen? What could he be busy with?

Xian Long casually put the letter down, not paying too much attention.

Perhaps he was busy planting bamboo…

Although the news of Xian Di Zhi Shi was important, waiting a bit wouldn't hurt.

He then opened Bai Ge Xiao's letter.

Bai Yuan Zhang had somehow found time in his busy schedule and replied quite seriously: "Ye Ling Xiao mainly cultivates the business path, the divine path, and the immortal path. Besides having a deep understanding of Confucian learning, and being skilled in calligraphy and painting, he also understands some miscellaneous techniques. If we talk about benefiting 'forgetting oneself,' I fear it's related to the path of the business god. Since ancient times, the divine path has relied heavily on believers. When faith is prosperous, thoughts become chaotic, often leading to widespread faith and loss of self, becoming dim like divine evils. Hence, the method of clear solitude and proving oneself is the upper law of the divine path."

"Being the only one to ascend to the peak of flying swords in an era where flying swords were extinct is impossible without a price. Even one as strong as Xiang Feng Qi folded his sword before the mountain peak. Jiang Meng Xiong changed his path by shattering his sword very early on."

"Yan Chun Hui, although not inferior to these two, it is hard to say he won out. He was the only one among the three absolute peaks of flying swords to achieve this path, and there must be a secret unknown to others."

"He cultivates forgetting oneself and muddledness, his sword flies to the absolute peak, his intent reaches the vast ocean, yet his god is dim and his five aggregates are confused. This kind of situation was not seen in the era of flying swords."

"Perhaps this is his cultivation, or perhaps this is his price."

"But no matter which situation it is, if he wants to take another step forward, it must be related to this muddledness. To thoroughly change the status quo, he must either achieve clarity and regain himself, or remain muddled and be able to forget forever."

"Although the mythical era has shattered, the divine path is not hard to obtain. The Netherworld is completely open to the present world. Those individual fur gods, fake gods, and even true gods and yang gods are mere trifles in front of Yan Chun Hui. His trade with Ling Xiao, perhaps the business god has its unique place for proving oneself…"

The letter concluded by saying—

"A single family's words, only for speculation, for setting the side evidence."

This letter cleared up much of Jiang Wang's thinking.

After Ye Ling Xiao left, he always had an idea—that Ye Ling Xiao's trade with Yan Chun Hui at that time should have involved Yan Chun Hui's path to transcendence.

Because other than that, there was really nothing that could move a character of Yan Chun Hui's realm.

Yan Chun Hui's agreement to Ye Ling Xiao's various conditions could simply be described as harsh.

After being surrounded and killed by people summoned by Jiang Wang, and then being forced by Jiang Wang to change his path. He still promised from now on not to step into Cloud Country, not to trouble Jiang Wang, and even lent Ye Ling Xiao a full-force sword, allowing Ye Ling Xiao to directly face Yi Zhen Dao Prime.

If it weren't beneficial to the fundamental aspects of his path, how could Yan Chun Hui have promised these things?

He only had a bad memory, not a bad brain. Even if he suddenly developed a good heart, he wouldn't do good deeds like this.

Jiang Wang specifically went to find Yan Chun Hui last time, originally mainly to probe, but Yan Chun Hui still used dementia as a shield, revealing nothing.

So he turned to ask Bai Ge Xiao, wanting to deduce Yan Chun Hui's transcendence path through what Ye Ling Xiao might have given him.

What Bai Ge Xiao said in the letter was, of course, a guess made by first drawing the target and then shooting the arrow. Through her understanding of Ye Ling Xiao and Yan Chun Hui, assuming that Yan Chun Hui was necessarily exploring the path ahead, and integrating the physical conditions of these two individuals, she analyzed a possibility.

But this guess could undoubtedly be established.

If Yan Chun Hui wanted to move forward through methods related to the business god… what would he do?

Xian Long was just thinking when he suddenly raised his eyes and looked out the window. Then he saw a flash of starlight between the Ox and Dipper constellations. It was like a distant greeting.

Looking again, the starlight in the entire sky suddenly gathered at the moon. The moon seemed to leave its string and fall into the human world—

This was a sword coming from the sky!

Xian Long smiled faintly, temporarily stopped his divine thought, stepped out into the long sky. Endless flowing light converged beneath his feet, forming a leaf of an immortal boat, just like this, going up against the moon's glory.

Although this step welcoming the sword and the moon was a leisure activity between friends, it was also considered a celebration for a friend's true cultivation of the cave.

But as the immortal boat crossed the sky, and the sword light shone in his pupils, and his pupils were filled with the splendor of "only I," his heart was clear. He suddenly thought of the thought that had sunk into darkness in the Netherworld, and a thought also emerged in his heart—

Has he been too busy during this period?

Hence this shock!

Could the dimming of the five aggregates and spirit of the world be stopping Yan Chun Hui?!