Chapter 1849 (Raw 1860): Sudden Great Changes
The trans-realm transportation formation was still three days away.
Xiao Chen found it hard to remain calm as he fiddled with the mysterious mask that he obtained in the Scarlet Blood Pirate King’s treasure trove. It was a beautiful and exquisite, white mask that looked like porcelain.
There were some ancient scriptures carved on it.
Unfortunately, these scriptures used an ancient language of the Buddhist sect, which Xiao Chen could not read.
This mask was different from the other Soul Tools. It did not have offensive capabilities, so it did not require great strength to handle.
When compared to the God Shadow Bow or the Qiongqi Beast Ghost Pennant, this low requirement was inconceivable.
Soul Tools were also known as Forbidden Treasures. Xiao Chen had already experienced the price of rashly using one and failing.
However, there were no such considerations for the mask he held.
When Xiao Chen set the mask on his face, it felt like human skin that instantly merged into his flesh.
With a slight thought, the mask hid all his aura.
This included vital signs and everything else, covering up his existence entirely. Information entered Xiao Chen’s mind, listing the various incredible effects of the mask; it was exceptionally wondrous.
This mask was called the Death God Mask. It contained three Secret Techniques. The first was Void Shadow, which could make a wearer’s physical body immaterialize once a day, neutralizing all attacks.
The second Secret Technique was the Death God Scythe, which could summon the mysterious death god in the mask to attack once, turning the wearer’s will of soul into a death god’s scythe.
The third Secret Technique is the Masked Clone, which could create a perfect clone. Even a Sovereign Personage would not be able to distinguish it from the wearer.
Aside from the three Secret Techniques, the mask also had many supplementary functions—such as immunity to illusions and Mental Energy attacks—which were just awaiting Xiao Chen’s discovery.
“Death God Mask? Is there a death god in Buddhism?”
Xiao Chen felt a little out of sorts, but he did not think much of it. Perhaps the scriptures on the mask were later added at random.
Perhaps I need to ask the little monk about them.
However, during this period, the little monk had been in closed-door cultivation, thinking of how to best Xiao Chen yet again.
After Xiao Chen spread his Small Perfection Azure Dragon Divine Wings, his speed increased by more than tenfold.
More importantly, when he did so while bringing out the Divine Dragon War Body, he reached a whole new level.
As Xiao Chen’s wings flapped, his bloodline surged. He could feel the surging energy and ancient Dragon Might from his bloodline.
These were now completely different from before.
After a certain level, the advantages of the Great Desolate Eon bloodlines would result in the cultivators without a bloodline suffering disadvantages.
This was the problem the little monk faced.
Xiao Chen’s cultivation was stable, and he could break through to the middle-stage Starry Sky Realm at any moment. His combat prowess rivaled that of a Holy Venerate. He had many Soul Tools, a mutated fruit for improving the bloodline, and a Medicinal Pill for strengthening beasts.
Moreover, he had a horrifying amount of Medial Grade Spirit Jades in his storage ring.
Xiao Chen had collected practically all the Spirit Jades in the Scarlet Blood Pirate King’s treasure trove. No one else had cared about those.
No matter how he looked at it, he was more than qualified to head to the Divine Dragon Empire already. However, he still could not remain calm.
This was the so-called “cowardly feelings when one neared one’s hometown.” Xiao Chen was a member of the nearly extinct Azure Dragon Race from an abandoned land. Now, he was returning to the Dragon Race. No matter what, this counted as returning to his ancestral land.
Returning to the Divine Dragon Empire was very logical and extremely normal.
However, Xiao Chen could not remain calm. A bad feeling lingered in his heart, no matter how he tried to extinguish it.
Xiao Chen put away the mask and went to the crow’s-nest. Then, he looked at the vast Ash Gray Sea, gazing into the distance, and let his thoughts roam.
He allowed his heart to wander the surroundings in this endless sea.
The little monk suddenly appeared beside Xiao Chen. Seeing Xiao Chen in a daze, he asked softly, “Big Brother, what are you thinking about?”
Xiao Chen answered honestly, “The Divine Dragon Empire. I am filled with anticipation for it. I also feel nervous. It’s complicated. I have no idea what exactly I’m thinking.”
The little monk felt shocked. He smiled and said, “That can’t be. Big Brother looks like he is always calm and collected. You give me a feeling of being unfathomable. Are there times when you get confused?”
Xiao Chen replied faintly, “I’m not really confused, just rueful.”
Yan Chen looked into the distance and frowned. “It seems like there is a ship heading towards us.”
Xiao Chen looked and did not pay it any mind. “There are many ships traveling on the Ash Gray Sea, so it is not very strange.”
“That’s weird. The aura coming from that ship is somewhat familiar yet, at the same time, strange. This is really odd. I’ve never felt anything like it before.”
The little monk Yan Chen’s expression changed slightly, revealing some confusion.
Xiao Chen, who was preparing to go down, stopped in his tracks and entered deep thought when he heard that.
Familiar yet strange?
It’s not the Black Lotus Church, right?
“Boom!”
Xiao Chen just thought that when a huge wave surged up from the bottom of the sea. The terrifying force that the wave contained tossed the Black Cutlass high into the air. The world spun, and Xiao Chen and the little monk felt their Qi and blood surging.
A colossal, black palm rushed over, above the vast sea. It looked like it would smash the ship and the people in it.
Xiao Chen somersaulted and landed heavily on the deck. Blood mist gathered and covered the ship.
Then, the Black Cutlass charged ferociously towards the colossal palm.
With a loud noise, the Black Cutlass broke through that colossal, black demonic hand like a sharp knife.
“The sea of bitterness is endless. Turn back, and the shore is there!”
A Buddhist chant echoed across the vast sea and sky. A Buddha image appeared in the sky, seated on a black lotus throne. There were layers of Buddhist light disks behind it, shining black Buddhist light into the sky and over the vast sea.
In an instant, the sea for five thousand kilometers around turned into a sea of bitterness, filled with aggrieved spirits and hungry ghosts.
The surroundings changed. Xiao Chen and the little monk seemed to fall into hell; various illusions appeared around them.
“Black Lotus Demonic Buddha!”
The little monk’s expression changed drastically, horror flashing in his eyes.
Xiao Chen looked around. It seemed like a small world was created out of nowhere. There were no signs of it being an illusion.
“Big Brother, this is the Demonic Realm Hell. The Black Lotus Demonic Buddha personally created this! To think that there is someone who can summon the Black Lotus Demonic Buddha. The Black Lotus Sect Venerate must have personally made an appearance,” the little monk said quickly. His eyes darkened with despair. He simply had not expected to meet such a terrifying enemy.
However, reality did not give the two time to catch their breath at all.
“Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!”
The countless malicious spirits in the sea of bitterness suddenly revealed ferocious expressions. Then, they launched themselves at the two on the ship from all directions.
“Kill!”
Xiao Chen and the little monk instantly drew their blades, and their saber lights shone brightly. Tens of thousands of malicious spirits immediately turned into ashes.
However, the sea of bitterness was vast, made up entirely of aggrieved souls and malicious spirits. It gathered all sorts of negative emotions. There was no way to kill them all.
The two on the ship fought until they were fatigued and drained, trapped in a cycle of endless killing.
There was a limit to everything. Xiao Chen was originally thinking of seeing how many waves there could be of the seemingly endless malicious spirits.
Slowly, he discovered that this thought was somewhat naive.
He soon made a decision. With a thought, the Yazi Beast Demon Soul, previously a Great Desolate Eon ferocious beast, in the Black Cutlass appeared. Then, it opened its mouth and sucked in the countless aggrieved souls and malicious spirits.
The Yazi Beast Demon Soul’s strength actually more than doubled in an instant.
The aggrieved souls and malicious spirits here were simply the best nourishment for the Yazi Beast Demon Soul.
There was no need to fear, no matter how many there were.
“As I have heard, since the dead are already dead, why think about the mundane, the various matters of the mundane world, and the rights and wrongs of the past…”
Just at this moment, the Black Lotus Demonic Buddha in the sky suddenly started chanting scriptures to purify the Yazi Beast Demon Soul.
The Yazi Beast Demon Soul did not have a physical body. With the purification of the scripture, the scarlet light flowing on its body slowly started to scatter.
In an instant, the aggrieved souls and malicious spirits that the Yazi Beast Demon Soul just consumed turned into scarlet lights and soared into the sky.
As the chanting of the scripture accelerated, the horrifying Buddhist Might became increasingly strange. Even Xiao Chen and the little monk had difficulty enduring it.
The Black Lotus Demonic Buddha, who was chanting scriptures with his eyes closed, suddenly opened his eyes and roared, “The filth of the world will never gain eternity!” Then, he ferociously smashed down with his palm.
“Boom!”
The enormous Yazi Beast Demon Soul immediately scattered on the spot.
Xiao Chen and the little monk dodged hastily. However, the shock wave still swept them up, sending them flying.
Both of them vomited a mouthful of blood, significantly injured.
As Xiao Chen stood amid the sea of bitterness and looked at the Black Lotus Demonic Buddha, he did not know how to deal with this enemy.
There was no way to use any of his Martial Techniques.
The Black Lotus Demonic Buddha, which was hovering in the air, seemed like he was an infinite distance apart from Xiao Chen—near yet very far. There did not seem to be any way to attack him.
“Karmic Flame Burning Body!”
The Black Lotus Demonic Buddha fixed his gaze on Xiao Chen and the little monk. With just one look, the sins in the two of them started burning.
The fierce flame came from the heart, burning the two. They howled in incredible pain.
The cultivators that had died at the hands of the two appeared in the flames as vengeful spirits, laughing sinisterly in the surroundings.
“You are filled with boundless sin. Why are you still not sincerely turning to Buddha? Only the Black Lotus Demonic Buddha can save you foolish and ignorant followers of filth!”
The Black Lotus Demonic Buddha sat crossed-legged on a lotus platform, showing no expression as he coldly eyed the two.
The many layers of Buddhist light behind him gave off a horrifying and boundless Buddhist Might.
With a thought, karmic flames had descended.
The two were burned incredibly painfully, unable to retaliate. They were like the malicious spirits in the sea of bitterness, causing the vengeful souls around to laugh.
Little monk, buy me some time. I have a way to destroy him. Xiao Chen sent a voice projection with much difficulty amid the pain.
I’ll do my best.
The sins in the little monk’s body were much greater than Xiao Chen’s. At this moment, when the sins burned, he was in even more pain than Xiao Chen.
Yan Chen’s mind raced. He thought of all sorts of methods at lightning speed. This was a Buddhist image and not the true Black Lotus Demonic Buddha.
There must be a way to break it! There must be a way to break it!
The body was in pain, but the heart was in even more pain!
The little monk felt full of self-reproach. It was him again. It was him who caused trouble for Big Brother Xiao again.
It was his own bad luck that brought Xiao Chen such a strong enemy.
I have to think of a way. No matter what, Big Brother cannot die here.
Before the Lord Buddha became a Buddha, all the evil demons of the world tried to stop him. The Lord Buddha did not get angry, sad, happy, or sorrowful. He only used his hand to touch the ground and made all the evil demons in the sky disappear like ashes.
Demon Subduing Ground Touching Imprint!
The little monk made up his mind. He did not hesitate to glare furiously at that Black Lotus Demonic Buddha.
Without even thinking, the little monk formed a hand seal with his right hand and touched the ground with his left hand.
Instantly, the little monk’s pure and clear heart, which did not contain any impurities, burst forth with a pure Buddhist light.
When the little monk’s left hand touched the sea of bitterness, the karmic flame on him died. A golden swastika appeared on his chest, and he flared with a resplendent and dazzling Buddhist light, instantly turning this dark space bright.
All the aggrieved souls and malicious spirits disappeared.
The piercing Buddhist light even made the Black Lotus Demonic Buddha close his eyes, not daring to look directly at it.
Now!
Xiao Chen took out the God Shadow Bow, and his Soul Energy gushed forth like floodwaters, pouring into the bow.
He nocked an arrow to the bow, and his Heart Flame merged with the arrow as he slowly drew the bowstring. With the God Shadow Bow’s aid, he immediately locked on to the Black Lotus Demonic Buddha, who previously felt incredibly far away.
“Buzz!”
Xiao Chen released the string, and the arrow shot out. The bowstring trembled, and so did the Demonic Realm Hell as it slowly collapsed with endless rumbling.