Ye Xiu dragged himself up from the ground, rubbing the back of his neck. That sudden spout of water, shooting toward the heavens, had actually shattered Chang Kong's proud Golden Lotus. The two of them plummeted from the sky into the deep sea, and he fully expected to drown. Unexpectedly, he now found himself in a place resembling a plaza fountain. The ground displayed the pattern of a Nine Palaces Bagua, and at certain fixed points, beads of water emerged. Most peculiar were the various strange fish swimming around the water jets—this was the seabed, so why could he breathe freely? If it wasn't the seabed, there certainly wouldn't be fish blowing bubbles.

At this moment, Chang Kong also slowly got to his feet. He brought his hand to his mouth and coughed lightly before murmuring, "Nan Ming Shui Hou Xian Tian He, have you used these water currents to weave an illusory formation for yourself?"

Ye Xiu glanced left and right, unable to locate Xian Tian He. He looked at Chang Kong and asked, "Are you talking to Xian Tian He? Where is he?"

Chang Kong smiled and took two steps forward. He reached out to touch the empty air ahead, but as his hand lifted, it seemed met with resistance. He concentrated all his pressure into his hand and pushed forward: "It is indeed a formation. We are trapped."

Ye Xiu hadn't noticed before, but he mimicked Chang Kong, reaching out to touch the surrounding air. It turned out that the transparent things around them were not air at all, but a sealed space. He kicked out, nearly shattering his own foot: "A formation? Is this Xian Tian He just some trickster who plays with formations? Let me test it with my Violet Flame…"

"No need!" Chang Kong pressed down Ye Xiu's hand. "This is merely a minor formation, but it can reflect all damage. If you attack randomly, it will do us no good. Let me handle it."

Ye Xiu nodded and stepped behind Chang Kong, observing the surrounding water jets and schools of fish. Perhaps this really was the bottom of the sea, just that he was confined within a small, enclosed area.

Chang Kong moved deliberately. He drew a string of golden prayer beads from his sleeve. Each bead was plump and polished to a smooth sheen, emitting a palpable warmth the moment they appeared. He tossed the beads into the air, sketching a circular outline. When the outline dissipated, a golden circular disk materialized on the ground. Upon this disk was another golden lotus, its four petals spread wide, engraved with incomprehensible Sanskrit characters: "Vast Sea Gathering Heaven Seal, Arise!"

As Chang Kong uttered the final word, the disk began to radiate a smooth, golden-yellow luster. This light rose from the ground and sprayed outwards. Upon contact with the invisible wall from earlier, it started to spin in place. As it rotated, golden elements from the air were engulfed within it, and the seal vanished with the breeze.

"It’s done just like that?" Ye Xiu was skeptical. He reached out to touch the spot where the barrier had been and found his hand and foot could pass through freely. The small formation had been broken by Chang Kong. "How did you manage that, using only a string of prayer beads?"

Chang Kong steadily put the beads away before explaining, "Our lineage in the Buddha’s Country strictly adheres to the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva's inheritance, divided into the Precious Bead lineage of Buddha and the Staff lineage of Buddha. The Precious Bead lineage utilizes prayer beads as weapons, enhancing magical power, and cultivating the Vast Sea Gathering Heaven Seal, specializing in creating and dissolving barriers and illusionary formations. The Staff lineage uses the Khakkhara staff as a weapon, empowering the Great Vow's magic, cultivating the Brahma Immovable Absolute, and achieving the Buddha-fication Purgatory state of physical cultivation—meaning immobility equals no harm, immobility equals the physical power to destroy the enemy."

"The Nine Splendor Buddha Country is divided into so many factions? Does that mean you are a practitioner of the Precious Bead lineage?" Ye Xiu felt that even the ancient clans he had witnessed were beset by factional splits, which struck him as humorous, resembling real-world brothers who maintain a united front externally but argue over inheritance internally.

Chang Kong nodded, now walking comfortably ahead of Ye Xiu, as if this predicament posed no threat to him whatsoever. "The Vast Sea Gathering Heaven Seal is merely the most rudimentary technique for dissolving formations in the Precious Bead lineage. Although it is versatile, it still has grades. The essence of a formation lies in the weighing of the array binder's and the array entrant's mentality and endurance. It is like a game of chess; one cannot be allowed to take back moves, cheat, or violate the rules, or it loses its inherent meaning."

Ye Xiu shot Chang Kong a disdainful look. A monk was a monk; besides talk of benevolence and righteousness, it was all sophistry. In his view, whether it was binding or entering a formation, as long as the ultimate goal was achieved, the process held little importance.

"Whoosh…" At this moment, the surrounding water jets suddenly rippled, and a massive head appeared mid-air. The figure had a neatly adorned crown and long, jade-like hair, presenting the appearance of a frail, refined scholar. He opened his mouth, seemingly exhaling bubbles: "This esteemed brother certainly understands formations. I had thought a formation was a form of mutual appreciation steeped in murderous intent. What do you think?"

"Water Marquis, why speak so much? Do you set up the Nine Soul Water Locking Formation before us as a greeting?" Chang Kong seemed to have seen through the guise long ago. He shook his prayer beads, startling the nine water jets into turbulence. "If I break this formation, Marquis, will you show us your true form?"

"This guy is the Nan Ming Shui Hou Xian Tian He!" Ye Xiu had imagined that everyone from the Underworld would look menacing. Meeting this oddity today, he nudged Chang Kong: "What are you playing at? Aren't we here to retrieve the Ksitigarbha Sarira?"

"You are a man of the Death Kingdom!" Xian Tian He turned his head to look at Ye Xiu, musing for a moment. "The King of the Death Kingdom and the Lord of the Underworld share some origins. I didn't expect someone from the Death Kingdom to ally with a Buddhist. This world is truly being turned upside down."

Ye Xiu had long been troubled by the issue of the Underworld King, feeling he might have some connection to him. Hong Ling, who possessed information about the Death Kingdom's King, had not appeared, so he questioned without reservation: "You know things about the Underworld King? Or perhaps you understand the relationship between the God of Death and the Underworld?"

Xian Tian He's eyes widened, and a water jet struck out, completely engulfing Ye Xiu's body. Only when the water jets transformed into swimming fish and dispersed did he say, "Hmph. So you are an anomalous being. I believe I now understand the purpose of your arrival."

Chang Kong lowered his head and smiled slightly. He stepped forward: "The cycle of reincarnation demands we do our best to fulfill our duties. Since the Water Marquis already understands our purpose, please proceed."

"Hahahaha! Nine Soul Water Locking Formation, Rise!" Xian Tian He threw his head back in a loud laugh, his form slowly dissolving along with the ebb and flow of the surrounding water waves.