Chapter 467 – Ksitigarbha Buddha

“Whoosh…”

The paper figure transformed into a majestic eagle, soaring towards the Great Snow Mountain.

From its lofty vantage point, Mu Lin observed the vast Northern Wastelands, where numerous demonic monsters and alien races were migrating en masse.

They were retreating from human towns and cities.

Even though leaving human territories meant venturing into desolate wilderness or bitterly cold frozen lands, these demonic fiends and foreign races continued their exodus.

The Sunlight Illumination from several days prior had instilled a deep-seated fear within them.

While they could endure harsh, frigid environments, they had no defense against the light that utterly eradicated all impurities.

Beyond the retreat of foreign races, Mu Lin also witnessed humans along the way—whether soldiers in military camps, common laborers, or nobles from aristocratic families—all erecting statues of him and kneeling in prayer.

Over the past few days, Mu Lin had been alternating between rest and activity.

Yan Yunyu, Si Ye, and Ji Lingsha, however, had not been idle.

The women dispatched the High Priests and clergy they had trained to spread Mu Lin’s faith far and wide.

And the common people… were highly receptive.

It was impossible not to be. Everyone had witnessed the Sunlight Illumination, felt its warmth, and heard the agonized screams of evil spirits and wraiths.

Such a miraculous event naturally fostered belief.

The clergy and High Priests cultivated by Yan Yunyu, Ji Lingsha, and others explicitly informed the populace that it was Mu Lin—King Yama, the Lord of Mount Tai—who had expelled the demonic fiends from human territories, reclaiming the land for the Human Race.

He had restored peace and human dignity to the earth.

Faced with such a hero who turned the tide in desperate times, ordinary people readily believed in and revered Mu Lin.

As for the aristocratic families, noble houses, and military commanders in various towns and cities… sensing the awe of the great sun hanging in the sky, they were also willing to show Mu Lin some deference.

Of course, some were wise and willing to oblige.

Others were not, or sought to take advantage of his perceived righteousness.

Mu Lin did not need to intervene personally.

The Authority wielded by Yan Yunyu, Si Ye, Ji Lingsha, and others, along with the Vengeful Wraiths, Yin Soldiers, and Ghost Messengers under their command, would teach these individuals the consequences of refusing to show respect.

Moreover, after dealing with such matters, they could occupy the moral high ground and criticize these people.

—Using righteousness as a pretext to oppress others was not exclusive to these aristocratic families. Mu Lin was no gentleman either; he never hesitated to employ alternative means to eliminate his enemies.

And Yan Yunyu, Si Ye, and Ji Lingsha—noblewomen from prestigious families—were well-versed in such tactics.

“The retreat of the demonic fiends from our territories is entirely the work of my husband. Even now, he is exhausting himself to resist these evil beings. Yet you, who have lost countless territories and left innumerable people displaced, not only fail to assist him as he strengthens himself but even attempt to hinder him… Could it be that you are spies for the demonic fiends?”

“Nonsense!”

The accusation of being demonic spies was a slander those aristocratic families dared not accept. In the Northern Wastelands, such spies were dealt with under the principle of ‘better to kill mistakenly than to let one escape’—better to kill mistakenly than to let one escape.

“I merely thought that since the demonic fiends have retreated, there is no need…”

“Indeed, they are spies… The demonic fiends have retreated, but their main forces have not been eliminated. Countless malevolent ghosts are lurking beyond the territory of the Human Race, eyeing us covetously. In such a situation, instead of thinking about eradicating the root of the problem, you indulge in pleasure and relaxation. How can you claim not to be spies?”

Whether they were spies or not was not for them to decide… Even if they were not originally, evil spirits and foreign races would accuse them.

Of course, Yan Yunyu and the others understood Mu Lin’s intentions and had no desire to incite internal strife among the Human Race. Therefore, they did not take things too far.

After making an example of a few clans that had not exerted their full effort or had actual connections with demonic monsters, the rest of the people in the Northern Wastelands understood.

Mu Lin was no saint. He was willing to save the Northern Wastelands, but he also demanded corresponding rewards.

The faith he sought now was what Mu Lin desired.

Realizing this, the straightforward people of the Northern Lands readily agreed to Mu Lin’s demands.

As for some petty individuals, upon discovering that Mu Lin was no gentleman and would not hesitate to eliminate them by other means, they… submitted even faster.

They recalled the scene of the great sun hanging in the sky, illuminating the entire Northern Lands.

As an ally, such a Mu Lin was naturally reassuring, but as an enemy, he was utterly terrifying.

  Faced with such a person, even demonic fiends dared not confront him directly, let alone those petty individuals who harbored no intention of opposing Mu Lin.

Thus, after the great battle, as Yan Yunyu and the others spread their teachings and busied themselves, the entire Northern Lands began constructing statues of Mu Lin.

These billions of believers were also Mu Lin’s capital for daring to delay against the evil spirits and malevolent ghosts.

“With these billions of believers, my strength grows with each passing day. How can you possibly compare to my development?”

Looking down upon the land, seeing his followers everywhere in the Northern Wastelands, and feeling the divine power of faith surging toward his consciousness like a tidal wave, the smile on Mu Lin’s face grew wider and wider.

“Delay all you want. By the time you are confident enough to act, perhaps I will already be a Celestial Master.”

…

The worship of his believers allowed Mu Lin’s divine power to accumulate and grow continuously.

In addition, Mu Lin did not neglect his cultivation in other methods.

The paper figure that had transformed into an eagle, after several days of flight, arrived at the Great Snow Mountain and met the abbot of this place.

It should be noted that the Great Snow Mountain belonged to Buddhism, and Mu Lin’s faith had also spread here.

Logically, the two might have clashed.

However, major sects indeed operated with principles. Seeing Mu Lin’s formidable influence, the abbot of the Great Snow Mountain did not obstruct the spread of his faith after it arrived. Instead, he granted Mu Lin a divine position within Buddhism.

In other places, Mu Lin was King Yama or the Lord of Mount Tai, but within the territory of Buddhism, Mu Lin transformed into the Great Light King Buddha.

Such a revered position allowed Mu Lin to spread his faith without conflicting with Buddhism.

Mu Lin accepted this divine position, but he changed the title of Great Light King Buddha to Ksitigarbha Buddha.

This position was most suitable for Mu Lin, who belonged to the Netherworld lineage.

As for the previous life, Ksitigarbha was a Bodhisattva, not a Buddha.

The previous life was the previous life, and this place was this place. Mu Lin merely brought some elements from his previous life to this world, but he did not rigidly adhere to them. Instead, he made adaptive changes.

…

Since they were not enemies, the abbot of the Great Snow Mountain welcomed Mu Lin’s arrival warmly.

After welcoming Mu Lin into the Great Snow Mountain, the abbot received him while also… urging Mu Lin to proceed with caution.

“Lord Ksitigarbha Buddha, please carefully consider the matter of cultivating Mahakala.”

“Is there something wrong with Mahakala?”

The abbot’s urging made Mu Lin raise an eyebrow.

In response, the abbot of the Great Snow Mountain spoke with utmost sincerity: “Indeed there is. This secret technique was obtained by a saintly monk of our sect, who observed the cosmos and stars from atop the Great Snow Mountain.”

“It is said that this saintly monk was born with the ability of telepathy. After a thousand years of arduous cultivation, his telepathy could not only be used on people but also allowed him to listen to the voices of all living beings, and even inanimate objects, in this vast world.”

“Moreover, he could even discern the sounds of the sun and storms to some extent.”

“And Mahakala was obtained by that saintly monk at the summit of the snow mountain.”

“It is said that the saintly monk sat in meditation at the mountain peak for decades, gazing at the cosmos and stars for just as long. In the Boundless Void, he sensed a terrifying entity… something pitch-black, so dark that even light could not reflect from it.”

“It devours everything, attracts everything, and is the most terrifying thing in existence…”

The abbot’s voice grew solemn as he recounted the secrets of Mahakala.

But Mu Lin, listening to the abbot’s account, looked increasingly strange, more and more peculiar.

‘Existing in the cosmos, pitch-black, devouring everything, attracting everything, from which even light cannot escape… isn’t that a black hole?’

‘Could it be that the saintly monk, from within this world, used his telepathy to sense information about the black holes in this universe?’

‘And that so-called Mahakala—could it be a cultivation method based on black holes?’

(End of Chapter)