The Great Reincarnation Dharma Mark could bring the dead back to life. This was too miraculous… Xu Qi An was nearly dumbstruck. He knew of Buddhism’s Nine Great Dharma Marks and had witnessed the might of the Vajra Dharma Mark, the wonder of the Medicine Master Dharma Mark, and the wisdom-diminishing power of the Great Wisdom Dharma Mark.

But the Great Reincarnation Dharma Mark before him could resurrect the dead, causing him immense shock.

*Click, click, click…*

The golden wheel turned slowly, and the dead continued to resurrect. They examined themselves and their surroundings with bewildered eyes.

“Didn’t I… didn’t I die?”

“An illusion? Seems not…”

“What’s going on? Are Venerable Asura and that Demon King dead? Who killed them? Was it the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox?”

Unable to understand the situation, the resurrected humans and demons remained relatively calm instead of immediately fighting each other. They warily observed their surroundings, trying to make sense of things.

After calmly observing for a while, Xu Qi An transmitted to the Nine-Tailed Fox: “Within the Great Reincarnation Dharma Mark’s domain, all the dead are resurrected, except those whose souls have been scattered?”

The Nine-Tailed Fox chuckled: “Sharp observation. As expected of a detective genius.”

This despicable man had figured out the first ability of the Great Reincarnation Dharma Mark.

“The Great Reincarnation Dharma Mark has two major abilities. What you’ve seen is the first. The second allows one to experience reincarnation in a short time. When Asura was killed by my mother back then, Guangxian helped him reincarnate and cultivate again, saving his life,” the Nine-Tailed Fox transmitted.

Xu Qi An nodded, cautiously scanning the surroundings: “It seems to be Guangxian’s avatar that has arrived.”

The Nine-Tailed Fox made a sound of agreement, and they shared an unspoken understanding.

They had previously discussed the reasons for Asura’s “leniency,” arriving at two possibilities: Asura’s motives and a Buddhist plot. The latter would likely involve Bodhisattva Guangxian’s true body descending to capture them all at once.

But now that it was Bodhisattva Guangxian’s avatar that appeared, the answer was obvious.

“Is Asura trying to achieve the Bodhisattva Position and reach First Rank through some matter related to the demon race?” Xu Qi An transmitted.

“We can’t rule out the possibility that Guangxian’s true body is nearby. Watch yourself. If things look bad, proceed according to plan,” the Nine-Tailed Fox transmitted back.

As they spoke, Bodhisattva Guangxian’s compassionate gaze turned toward the corpses and heads of the Bear King and Asura. That area was a “no man’s land” – anyone who approached had already fallen unconscious, deep in slumber.

“Still not awakening?” Guangxian said softly.

The wheel clicked and turned, projecting a beam of light onto the “remains” of Asura and the Bear King.

The heads of the two transcendent experts slowly opened their eyes. Their bodies stood up, picked up their heads, and pressed them to their necks. As flesh writhed, their necks healed completely without leaving a single scar.

The Bear King yawned, twisting his chubby body as he walked to the Nine-Tailed Fox and Xu Qi An’s side.

Asura returned to Bodhisattva Guangxian’s side, pressing his palms together and standing in attendance with a lowered head.

Arhat Du E stood on the other side.

“Amitabha. In that battle five hundred years ago, countless lives were lost, whether in the Western Regions or among the demon race. Why must you meaninglessly wage war again, benefactor?” Bodhisattva Guangxian pressed his palms together, his eyes full of compassion.

The Nine-Tailed Fox smiled coquettishly: “Bodhisattva Guangxian makes sense. Why doesn’t Buddhism return to the Ten Thousand Mountains and withdraw from the Southern Border? Then naturally there will be no more bloodshed.”

Unexpectedly, Guangxian nodded: “This one can make the decision to return half the territory of the Ten Thousand Mountains, with Wan Yao Mountain as the boundary – demons to the east, Buddhism to the west.”

He paused, then added: “This is the greatest concession Buddhism can make. This one can swear a Heaven’s Path oath that we will not go back on our word. The region east of Wan Yao Mountain is vast enough to more than accommodate the current demon race.”

His words seemed to possess a convincing power. The surrounding demons who heard them showed signs of being moved. They actually felt Bodhisattva Guangxian’s proposal was excellent – this way they could avoid their people dying in battle while still having vast, fertile lands to inhabit.

“Not good!” The Bear King shook his head and said slowly: “I… don’t accept…”

Bodhisattva Guangxian, in his young monk form, maintained a peaceful expression and spoke gently: “What insights does the benefactor have?”

The Bear King grunted twice and spoke slowly: “I want to make a difficult demand… There are too few bamboo in the north, I don’t like it… I also want those three thousand mu of bamboo forest in the southwest. If Buddhism is willing to give up such precious land, then I… will believe… in your sincerity…”

Guangxian nodded: “Granted!”

The Bear King’s button eyes suddenly widened in disbelief. Buddhism agreed to such an excessive demand – even willing to give up three thousand mu of precious bamboo forest land. They truly showed sincerity.

Xu Qi An secretly frowned.

This move by Bodhisattva Guangxian was meant to stabilize the demon race so they could divert forces to invade the Central Plains and help the Cloud Province rebels overthrow Great Feng. By only giving up the territory east of Wan Yao Mountain, Buddhism would still occupy this premier treasure land of the Southern Border’s Ten Thousand Mountains, their destiny undiminished.

It was maximizing benefits at a minimal cost.

However, he wasn’t worried about the Nine-Tailed Fox compromising. If she could be so easily “pacified,” she wouldn’t have endured for five hundred years.

The Nine-Tailed Fox said with a smile: “You stole our homeland, killed our people, and now use our demon lands to bestow alms upon us. Does Buddhism take us Southern Demons for beggars?”

Though her lips curved in a smile, her eyes held not a trace of mirth.

Xu Qi An seized the opportunity to activate the Heart Gu’s “empathy” ability, influencing the surrounding demons.

Suddenly, old and new hatred surged endlessly. The demons rekindled their fighting spirit and anger, feeling ashamed of their earlier wavering.

Bodhisattva Guangxian sighed but still didn’t show anger. However, he also stopped trying to persuade the Nine-Tailed Fox and turned to look at Xu Qi An instead:

“Buddha’s Child, this one’s invitation for you to join Buddhism is not out of coveting your destiny. Since you could create Mahayana Buddhism, you are one with karmic ties to Buddha. Buddhist Position cultivation – Positions represent not just power, but spirit, and compassion. In this one’s eyes, you are someone who could stand alongside Buddha. If you’re willing to take refuge in Buddhism and lead all Buddhist disciples to comprehend Mahayana Buddhism, this one can help you remove your national destiny. This way, when Great Feng falls, you won’t die with it.”

Xu Qi An’s greatest conflict with Buddhism was that they wanted to help the Cloud Province rebels destroy Great Feng, which would mean he, bearing half the nation’s destiny, would necessarily die with the country.

Xu Qi An’s alliance with the demon race and Gu tribe was first for self-preservation, and then for revenge.

Survival is humanity’s most basic desire. Among the myriad principles in the world, the pursuit of life is the most righteous principle.

As for revenge, that was naturally aimed at Xu Ping Feng.

This involved both personal vendetta and the vengeance of the Central Plains’ common people.

If not for Xu Ping Feng’s selfish theft of national destiny, Great Feng wouldn’t have suffered constant natural and man-made disasters these twenty years.

If not for Xu Ping Feng selfishly launching a rebellion, Green Province wouldn’t have become a battlefield of devastating carnage.

“Should I then thank Bodhisattva Guangxian for the mercy of sparing my life?” Xu Qi An’s lips curved in a cold smile:

“Your Buddhist sect wants to destroy Great Feng and invade Central Plains territory, so I must enter monkhood, abandon my family and loved ones, abandon the Central Plains citizens who trust me, become Buddhism’s Child of Buddha, and add bricks to Buddhism’s cause of development and expansion.

“If I’m unwilling, then I must die with the nation.

“In Bodhisattva Guangxian’s eyes, I’m nothing but a weakling, so I have no choice.

“If you truly revere me so much, why not break away from the Hinayana Buddhism led by Jialuo Tree for my sake, take refuge in Great Feng, and help Great Feng suppress the rebellion?

“This Officer can promise that after peace is restored to the world, Mahayana Buddhism will flourish throughout the Central Plains.”

Guangxian said frankly: “This one considered it.”

Xu Qi An was stunned, doubting his ears.

Guangxian continued as if no one else was present: “Then, the difference in strength between Great Feng and Buddhism is too vast. Even if this one set aside position and only considered spreading Mahayana Buddhism, it would be better to choose the stronger Western Regions as a foundation. Moreover, Buddhist nations are everywhere in the Western Regions, making it easier to accept Mahayana Buddhism. Why should this one choose Great Feng instead?”

He’s telling me that Great Feng’s strength is insufficient, my strength is insufficient, so he chooses Buddhism over me – frank to an unbelievable degree… Xu Qi’an thought for a moment, then said: “Would Bodhisattva Guangxian remove the last Demon-Sealing Nail for me?”

Guangxian shook his head: “This one won’t raise a tiger to invite calamity unless the Buddha’s Child joins our Buddhist sect.”

Too frank… Xu Qi An’s mind stirred, and he asked: “When Buddhism helped Emperor Wu Zong rebel back then, did Bodhisattva Guangxian participate?”

Guangxian nodded: “Almost sent to reincarnation by the First Imperial Overseer.”

Frank as ever.

A First Rank Artificer could fight several First Ranks in their own territory, the current Imperial Overseer’s strength definitely doesn’t match the First’s… Xu Qi An asked: “How did you kill the First?”

As he spoke, he controlled the Floating Pagoda, having the Medicine Master Dharma Mark shower light to repair the Bear King’s injuries and restore its depleted qi blood.

Guangxian said: “Just like today. Wu Zong rose up in the east, fighting all the way to the capital. Buddhist troops advanced from the western front, and both forces met in the capital. Step by step we weakened the First until killing him.

“Different from now is that at the start of the uprising, the current Imperial Overseer’s strength was considerably less than the First’s. Wu Zong’s preparations weren’t as thorough as Xu Ping Feng’s.”

So multiple First Rank Bodhisattvas had to act then… Xu Qi An frowned: “What arrangements did the First make?”

Guangxian was silent for a moment, then slowly said: “None! In terms of strategy, the First was considerably inferior to the current one. When the uprising began, the Great Feng court’s response was extremely rushed, caught completely off guard.”

Caught off guard? Are you joking? That was the Destiny Master… Xu Qi An pressed his palms together and said: “Thank you for telling me.”

He quickly suppressed all his questions, collected his thoughts, and returned to combat readiness.

“No need for thanks, this one was also buying time,” Guangxian said frankly.

As his words fell, the previously dimmed wheel blazed with golden light again. On the wheel, the characters for “Beast” lit up, shooting a beam of light that struck the Nine-Tailed Fox directly.

Immediately after, the character for “Human” lit up, similarly shooting a beam of light that shone on Xu Qi An.

Xu Qi An finally understood why the Nine-Tailed Fox hadn’t dodged – in the instant the golden light shot forth, he was influenced by the power of the precepts and lost the thought of “dodging.”

No injury… As this thought flashed through Xu Qi An’s mind, he saw the Nine-Tailed Fox beside him suddenly become shorter, her ample bosom wrapped in form-fitting beast hide visibly shrinking.

The deep cleavage disappeared.

In the blink of an eye, the Nine-Tailed Fox transformed from a tall fox-eared silver-haired mature beauty into a twelve or thirteen-year-old white-haired loli.

Pink and adorable, pure yet bewitching.

“You…” Xu Qi An blurted out, then realized the white-haired loli was about the same height as himself.

His expression changed slightly as he looked at himself. His originally well-fitting clothes had become loose and baggy, trouser legs drooping – like a child wearing adult clothes.

I’ve become smaller too, my qi mechanisms and strength are somewhat weakened, but not severely… He immediately understood, comprehending the second great ability of the Reincarnation Dharma Mark.

Seizing the opportunity, Asura’s knees bent slightly, and with the ground “booming” and collapsing beneath him, he shot like a cannon toward the Nine-Tailed Fox.

Boom!

The Bear King also shot out like a cannonball to intercept Asura.

Defying physics, Asura came to an abrupt stop, knees slightly bent, head lowered to avoid the Bear King’s swipe.

Then his waist and back snapped forward, his fists becoming afterimages as they struck the Bear King’s chest.

Bang bang bang… In an instant he threw dozens or hundreds of punches, beating the Bear King’s chest into a bloody mess, the qi mechanism ripples stirring up terrifying gale winds.

A fox tail shot forth, wrapped around the Bear King, and threw him backward, letting him use this to avoid Asura’s combo.

One of the Nine-Tailed Fox’s tails lit up, then began to shrink, becoming short and stubby.

In the distance, Clear Ji let out a soft moan as her tall figure rapidly shrank, becoming a twelve or thirteen-year-old loli.

The Nine-Tailed Fox, meanwhile, returned to her tall, alluring silver-haired mature form.

“You’re quite cute,” she said with a grin as she glanced at Xu Qi An.

Xu Qi An: “…”

After mocking Xu Qi An, the Nine-Tailed Fox raised her head and let out a long howl.

The howl echoed through heaven and earth, spreading far and wide.

Shortly after, a figure fell from high in the sky, crashing thunderously into the scene.

This was a mutilated body, missing its right hand and head. Its skin was jet black, with every inch of skin and flesh containing vast power.

A mighty and terrifying aura enveloped the entire area.

It made ordinary soldiers and lesser demons tremble, feeling their minds crumbling, emotions going berserk, wanting to destroy everything including themselves.

“Shen Shu…” Bodhisattva Guangxian’s expression grew solemn.