Boromimibu is not arrogant and enjoys heaven. Having returned from the Huyan Great Snow Mountain, he traveled another hundred billion li further north, to the boundless ocean skirting the edge of the Dan Ji.

This vast ocean, even the multitude of great monks and venerable masters of Huyan Great Snow Mountain could not discern its limits. Its sheer area was immense, and the strange and bizarre creatures within its abyss were too numerous. Even formidable figures like the Ageless Nun had suffered misfortune within it, once being chased scattering across the sky by a few seemingly insignificant Black Jiao.

Therefore, the monks and cultivators of Boromimibu are not arrogant in enjoying heaven referred to this boundless ocean as the "Abyss of No Return," signifying that once one enters, there is no turning back.

Deep within the core of the Abyss of No Return, a massive turtle spanning several hundred li floated upon the purple-black seawater, spraying mist toward the sky with a sense of amusement. Hundreds of sea dragons, each a hundred li long, swam joyfully around the great turtle, continuously issuing earth-shaking roars toward the heavens.

On the back of the great turtle, as if naturally formed, lay a small island covered entirely with rare flowers, exotic herbs, and precious spiritual woods. Seven-colored ethereal light subtly ascended above the island, and a faint, deep Sanskrit chanting could be heard emanating from various points across the land.

Suddenly, a deep bell sound resonated. Upon the central peak of the small island, within a simple, ancient-looking bell tower, three or five young novices were intensely pushing the clapper to strike a bronze bell several zhang high. The sound rolled across more than half the surface of the Abyss of No Return, instantly calming the previously turbulent waves until the ocean lay still, reflecting the bright moon hanging high in the central sky. The crisp moonlight bathed the world, yet the vast sea surface was as smooth as a giant mirror.

On a spiritual peak somewhere on the small island, two or three crooked-neck pine trees grew obliquely upon several rock formations. The canopies of the pines intertwined, perfectly forming a natural canopy. Two elderly monks, their faces ruddy and their eyebrows long, several chi in length, sat beneath the canopy, engaged in a lively game of Go on a board between them. Black and white stones descended alternately as the two contended happily.

Beside the two old monks, beneath a strangely shaped rock formation several zhang high, a figure completely enveloped in a cloak, whose features could not be discerned, sat upright on a soft grass mat. A plate of walnuts rested beside him, and he was crushing them with his hand through his sleeve.

The hard walnut shells shattered into dust with a slight squeeze through the robe sleeve. The layer of thin skin on the nut, accompanied by a faint rustling sound, detached from the meat. The alabaster-white walnut meat gently rolled upward and flew directly into the figure’s mouth. Crisp chewing sounds continuously arose, spreading a rich, fragrant scent of walnuts, naturally exuding an air of the mountain forest.

The crisp cries of apes drifted from the distance. Several Golden-Silk Velvet Monkeys, clutching baskets woven from rattan, joyously swung along the vines on the cliff face, rushing toward this spot. These monkeys happily approached the person eating walnuts, setting the baskets filled with nuts before him.

After bowing deeply to this person several times, the monkeys retreated a few steps, then scampered away, chattering and playing.

The person in the cloak reached out and riffled through the baskets before him, grasping a handful of pine nuts, cracking them one by one, and popping them into his mouth.

With a sudden crack, the two monks playing Go burst into laughter. One of them waved his sleeve, scattering the pieces on the board. He chuckled, "Senior Brother’s skill is profound; Biyue feels truly inferior. Hahaha!"

The other monk smiled leadingly, "Biyue’s skill has also advanced greatly; Senior Brother is very pleased!"

The person eating pine nuts suddenly snorted, letting out a low hiss in a strange voice that sounded like two stones grinding together: "Langyue, Biyue, you two dreadful chess players are flattering each other, feeling quite smug? Over at Huyan Great Snow Mountain, that bunch of bald donkeys has suffered quite a bit; do you think it's time to make a move?"

The two old monks exchanged a helpless glance, simultaneously rubbing their shaven heads with wry smiles. "Senior Brother, you yourself are a monk; perhaps you shouldn't keep the term 'bald donkeys' on your lips!"

After a slight pause, the monk Biyue said solemnly, "With so many disciples lost and injured, they should realize that merely possessing cultivation without corresponding profound Chan methods leaves them unable to withstand great storms."

The other monk, Langyue, also nodded repeatedly: "On the Daoist side, those who possess Daoist cultivation and magical power but lack profound Daoist techniques are called 'Pseudo-Daluo.' Similarly, among our Chan Sect, those disciples whose cultivation and power have reached the Bodhisattva or Buddha realm are merely 'Pseudo-Bodhisattvas' or 'Pseudo-Buddhas.' Now that they have been bullied to their doorstep, perhaps their minds will clear somewhat."

The Senior Brother in the cloak spoke lightly: "Since that is the case, transmit the Chan Gong of Carrying the Sumeru Three Thousand Worlds down to them, so they understand that only by obeying our decree do they qualify to become pieces on the chessboard."

Langyue and Biyue laughed in unison. With a gesture, the black and white stones on the board instantly turned to ash and vanished. The two old monks laughed with an indescribable strangeness. After laughing for a long time, they ceased, nodding repeatedly: "Indeed, although we ourselves are merely pieces, they lack even the qualification to be pawns!"

The Senior Brother in the cloak lowered his head. With a point of his finger, a water basin, two chi square, materialized in the air three chi in front of him, complete with a gushing spring. A single lotus stalk tremulously sprouted, rapidly growing five or six lotus leaves and a pink lotus flower within the blink of an eye.

A ray of red light emerged from the flower, displaying the fierce battle raging above Huyan Great Snow Mountain within the crimson glow.

Within the red light, the monkey, having revealed its Buddha true form while riding a white elephant, charged forward with a shout. Wherever it passed, it tore the Buddhist monks who rushed out to fight it into shreds, as if nothing could withstand its might. Miaohua and the others followed closely behind the monkey, slaughtering Buddhist cultivators until rivers of blood flowed. Few of the Buddhist monks who encountered them could even resist for a few seconds.

"The Victorious Fighting Buddha!" The Senior Brother in the cloak suddenly laughed: "How truly interesting! To contend with a Buddha—this is truly exhilarating!"

Slowly chewing a pine nut, the Senior Brother sighed softly: "Pitiable, so pitiable. They are all disciples of my Buddhist sect, yet they foolishly attempt to form their own lineage, disregarding the commandments of my Orthodox Pure Land. Dying in such heavy numbers today, is this not their own doing?"

Biyue and Langyue nodded in agreement, their gazes fixed on the heavily wounded Buddhist crowds within the crimson clouds filled with ridicule and schadenfreude, not a shred of Buddhist compassion present.

The cultivation realms of the Buddhist cultivators from Huyan Great Snow Mountain, including the Ageless Nun, were all equivalent to the 'Old Minor Cultivation,' but the Buddhist divine abilities they excelled in were merely entering the threshold. Grand Luo Golden Immortals of the Upper Grade were shattered upon contact with the monkey; this was truly shocking.

It was as if the cultivators of Huyan Great Snow Mountain were a deeply rooted great tree, far exceeding the monkey in both volume and weight; yet, the monkey was a steel blade, tempered a thousand times, capable of effortlessly chopping the great tree into pieces.

Buddhist cultivators lacking profound Chan methods and divine abilities were like great trees, while the monkey, Peng Hua, and others were like steel blades.

There was no need to mention the divine abilities and spells of the monkey; nor those of Yang Jian or the Kongsang brothers. Even Peng Hua and Siren had obtained the essence recorded in the Taiyin True Scripture, Taiyang True Gold, and Great Desolation Scripture from Gu Xiechen, along with the methods for achieving sainthood by severing three corpses, directly transmitted by the Three Pure Ones. Their magical cultivation, compared to the Buddhist cultivators of Huyan Great Snow Mountain, was but a drop in the ocean, but their divine abilities and spells were overwhelmingly powerful.

San Zuo gazed at the battle within the crimson clouds for a long time before the monk Langyue summoned a young monk, no more than seventeen or eighteen years old. He casually handed over a Buddhist scripture written on Bodhi leaves and bound with golden threads.

The young monk knelt respectfully to receive the scripture, bowed to the three monks, then rose, summoned a mass of white clouds, and shot away toward Huyan Great Snow Mountain like lightning.

A strong gale suddenly arose in the void, precisely striking the young monk, accelerating his escape speed several hundred times. Before long, he was far out of sight.

Above the Red Lotus, within the crimson haze, two figures suddenly appeared.

Boreas and Mohe transformed into black and white beams of intense light, traversing the void with speeds like lightning and attacks like thunder. Wherever they passed, the bodies of the Buddhist cultivators were shattered as if struck by lightning. With every move, a killing aura condensed into thunder, striking out like a rainstorm from their fists. Often, even Buddhist cultivators whose cultivation had reached extremely profound realms could not withstand a casual strike from them.

Biyue and Langyue were suddenly startled and cried out in unison: "Namo Amitabha, Senior Brother, those two seem to be using—"

The Senior Brother beneath the cloak suddenly laughed deeply. In his hissing laughter, there was boundless satisfaction and joy: "Boreas, Mohe, you have arrived too!"

The cloak shifted, and the Senior Brother extended two hands from beneath it.

When first revealed, the Senior Brother's palms were as pure white as jade, plump and graceful like those of a young woman in her late teens. However, quickly, these palms began to wither and shrivel; large patches of wrinkles appeared. In less time than it takes to drink a cup of tea, these palms had decayed like corpses from a tomb, their black, desiccated appearance utterly terrifying.

But in the blink of an eye, a layer of vibrant life suddenly covered these terrifying palms; shriveled veins rapidly swelled, blood flowed swiftly within the hands, and soon, the palms were as plump as before, regaining the appearance of a young maiden's hands.

In the span of a short xuan zhong, the Senior Brother’s hands seemed to cycle through the experience of being sixteen to one hundred and sixty years old several times over.

Langyue and Biyue gazed upon those two hands with immense reverence, as if they were beholding the true form of a Buddha. In their eyes, there was only fanatical worship and intensely burning desire. These two hands seemed to be the ultimate Heavenly Dao of this universe, making the two immeasurably profound old monks feel like mere mortals consumed by a certain longing.

Above Huyan Great Snow Mountain, Buddhist disciples continued to pour out of the Mandala Eight Divisions Demon-Slaying Secret Formation, engaging the Nine Nether Dao disciples in entanglement.

But no matter how profound the cultivation of these Buddhist disciples, they became a joke before the Nine Nether Dao army led by the monkey.

The Buddhist divine abilities displayed by these Huyan Great Snow Mountain lineage cultivators seemed utterly fragile, like earthen chickens and clay dogs, in the eyes of the monkey. Regardless of their transformations or myriad methods, the monkey could see through their reality with a single glance and shatter these abilities, which were beneath his notice, with a casual staff strike.

Waves of Buddhist disciples rushed forward madly, surging like sea tides in a hurricane. Yet, the Nine Nether Dao army stood firm like reefs, shattering wave after wave of the tide.

Countless dark creatures formed the infamous and perilous formation of the Jie Sect, the Myriad Immortals Array, which ground the approaching Buddhist disciples into annihilation like a giant millstone. The monkey, Peng Hua, and others acted as the hardest teeth, forged of diamond and rock, within this great millstone, capable of tearing apart the most troublesome high monks and venerable masters among the Buddhist disciples.

If any Buddhist cultivator with exceptionally high Daoist cultivation fell into the array, the Myriad Immortals Array could not immediately dispose of them. The array would turn, throwing these overly powerful cultivators into the Heaven's Net and Earth's Trap Array, composed of Heavenly Soldiers and Generals.

The Myriad Immortals Array is a killing formation; it kills ten thousand while sacrificing eight thousand. Failure to kill the incoming Buddhist cultivator immediately results in the dark creatures suffering astronomical damage from the counterattack.

But casting those cultivators who were too strong into the Heaven's Net and Earth's Trap Array—this formation is one of containment. It emphasizes trapping the enemy, not the efficiency of killing, but the safety, certainty, and stability of trapping first and then killing.

No matter the cultivation of a peak Daluo Golden Immortal, if trapped in the Heaven's Net and Earth's Trap Array without unique Chan sect techniques, escape would be impossible.

Relying on this method, the Nine Nether Dao army slaughtered the Snow Mountain lineage cultivators until their corpses piled up and blood flowed into seas. The ground tens of thousands of li around Huyan Great Snow Mountain was covered with a thick layer of Buddhist cultivator bones.

The faces of the dozen or so strongest old monks and nuns, including the Ageless Nun, turned ashen. Such heavy losses were beyond their wildest dreams. Even more unacceptable was that among the Daluo Golden Immortals who revealed themselves from the Nine Nether Dao, only one, Yang Jian, reached the Mid-Grade cultivation; all others were at the Early-Grade Daluo Golden Immortal level!

Meanwhile, the Huyan Great Snow Mountain lineage had already lost five or six Upper-Grade Daluo Golden Immortals!

The enemy was an iron rod, and the Great Snow Mountain had turned into a lump of dough, casually trampled and ravaged.

The Ageless Nun couldn't help but shriek: "What in the world is happening? What demonic arts are these fiends using?" An old monk, unable to bear watching the Buddhist cultivators of the Snow Mountain lineage suffer such immense humiliation and being crushed, manifested his life-bound magic treasure—a purple-gold begging bowl. Stepping onto a cloud, he led a dozen guardian disciples toward the Nine Nether Dao army.

The result was that this old monk, whose cultivation was only slightly inferior to the Ageless Nun's, was struck by the monkey’s staff so violently that he was completely disoriented and unaware of his whereabouts. Then, Minghua and the others surrounded him and launched a group beating. Especially the attacks from the brothers Boreas and Mohe, imbued with the power of Outer Domain Laws, hammered the old monk until he was dizzy, vomiting blood.

Before the old monk could deploy any divine abilities, four-colored sword lights descended simultaneously. The Zhuxian Sword Qi, sharp and fierce, condensing nearly all the killing intent and murderous energy in heaven and earth, effortlessly shattered the old monk's life-bound treasure, pierced his four limbs, and sent him flying back tens of thousands of li, straight into the Great Snow Mountain.

Watching the heavily wounded old monk, the Buddhist leaders, including the Ageless Nun, were stunned speechless. Seeing this clean and swift defeat, they knew that if they stepped forward, they would fare no better.

The Ageless Nun shuddered, hastily shrieking orders for all the dazed and stupefied Snow Mountain Buddhist cultivators to return immediately. They were commanded to retreat into the Mandala Eight Divisions Demon-Slaying Secret Formation.

Following the signals conveyed by the sound of countless bells and jade chimes, the Buddhist cultivators, who had rushed out of the formation in anger to protect their own and fight the Nine Nether Dao members, all turned back and fled into the protection of the Mandala Eight Divisions Demon-Slaying Secret Formation.

Countless heavenly dragons danced in the air, and the guardian celestial manifestations of the Gandharvas, Yakshas, and Rakshasas appeared amidst boundless golden radiance.

The shadow of a colossal, boundless golden pagoda, several tens of thousands of zhang high, slowly materialized above the Demon-Slaying Secret Formation. The massive fluctuation of Chan power left the dark creatures in the Nine Nether Dao army struggling even to draw breath.

This golden pagoda had twenty stories, their heights corresponding precisely to the forms of the twenty guardian heavens of Buddhism, from bottom to top. Among them, the Great Brahma Heaven sat enthroned at the very top, followed sequentially by the Great Freedom Heaven, Indra, King Yama, and other guardian celestial gods.

Billions of Buddhist children from the Great Snow Mountain sat cross-legged atop numerous mountain peaks and cliffs. All their minds and thoughts converged within the Demon-Slaying Secret Formation, manifesting as countless guardian heavenly dragons and the Eight Divisions, densely arrayed before the Nine Nether Dao army.

Seeing the Demon-Slaying Secret Formation fully activated, the Ageless Nun couldn't help but raise her head and cry out excitedly: "Heresies and fiends, do you dare enter my great formation?"

The monkey, unable to restrain his excitement, was the first to activate his white elephant and charge into the formation.

Within the boundless golden radiance and Buddhist light, dozens of guardian deities, each a hundred li tall, charged toward the monkey, swinging their massive golden nets and vajra pestles in a direct confrontation. Despite the monkey's boundless divine strength, coupled with the Buddha body he manifested in his fury, he was knocked back repeatedly by a single strike from a guardian golden net and pestle.

The Demon-Slaying Secret Formation was compiled from the collective mental power of billions of Great Snow Mountain Buddhist disciples, and the bodies of all the guardian deities were condensed from the thoughts of these disciples, possessing unimaginable might. For the monkey, one person contending against this formation was equivalent to simultaneously fighting billions of Great Snow Mountain disciples—how could he possibly match these guardian golden nets?

The monkey was struck and sent flying. Before he could adjust his posture, three colossal demon-subduing pestles rained down upon him in quick succession.

Dull, heavy impacts erupted one after another, sending vast sparks flying from the monkey’s body. Several of his arms were battered into pulp by the golden net pestles, and the white elephant beneath him was pounded into a bloody paste, scattering into countless specks of golden light. The monkey, bleeding profusely, reverted to his true form and retreated backward. But how could he retreat out?

Innumerable Dragon-Headed Rakshasas, numbering in the tens of thousands, materialized in the air, holding sharp blades and surrounding the monkey from all directions.

The monkey roared, "Well done!" He threw out a counter-measure, and countless black staff shadows soared into the sky, sweeping out in all directions with a tremendous sonic boom. Those Dragon-Headed Rakshasas rushed toward the monkey fearlessly, eager to stab the monkey even as they were shattered by the staff shadows.

No matter how many thousands or tens of thousands of Rakshasas the monkey slaughtered in his rolling strikes, for every one killed, another immediately appeared. Their blades were incomparably sharp and infused with potent Chan power. Even the monkey's indestructible Vajra body could not withstand them. Soon, he was wracked with agonizing pain all over, his bones emitting crisp kacha sounds.

The Ageless Nun and the other old monks and nuns applauded and laughed heartily. The Mandala Eight Divisions Demon-Slaying Secret Formation truly lived up to its reputation as the treasured secret of the Great Snow Mountain lineage. No matter how powerful one's divine abilities, could they oppose the concentrated mental power of so many Great Snow Mountain Buddhist disciples?

Buddhist cultivators value mental power and cultivation the most; Buddhist cultivators of the same level invariably possess stronger mental power and divine sense than Daoist Immortals. The Great Snow Mountain Buddhist cultivators numbered in the hundreds of millions. With so many minds amplified and unified by the formation, even a true Buddha appearing in person might have to temporarily avoid their might.

The monkey, caught off guard, plunged into the formation and was immediately trapped securely, unable to break free.

Eight White Apes, whose injuries had just slightly recovered, were deeply concerned for their Master. Seeing the monkey in distress within the formation, they immediately waved their iron staves and charged into the array.

Gu Xiechen cried out that this was bad. Before he could act to stop these eight reckless monkey heads, they had already rushed into the array. Several guardian golden nets struck them with their pestles, shattering their bones and causing them to vomit blood as they tumbled down beside the monkey.

The monkey cried out miserably, using his staff to barely fend off the storm of attacks from all directions. It was already a struggle to protect himself; now, adding his eight unfortunate disciples made it almost impossible to hold on.

Yang Jian snorted coldly. He channeled a golden light and charged toward the array, successfully penetrating nearly a thousand li into it.

More than a dozen massive Yakshas materialized in the air, swinging their iron tridents down upon Yang Jian.

Yang Jian’s expression changed. He thrust out his Three-Pointed Double-Edged Blade, clashing head-on with the iron tridents.

With a muffled impact, blood gushed simultaneously from Yang Jian’s seven orifices. The immense strength possessed by these Yakshas clearly exceeded his expectations. Gu Xiechen’s expression grew grim. He hastily issued orders, strictly forbidding anyone from entering the array easily.

Before long, Yang Jian, like the monkey, was ensnared by the great formation.

The Ageless Nun became even more triumphant. She looked up and laughed wildly: "You know not of death, you demons! Do you still dare enter the formation to seek death?"