NOVPUBNine Netherworld Tea, though with a rather common name, is acclaimed throughout the vast myriad worlds and several realms.
Rich with the power of the Nine Nether, it is generally of no benefit to the average strong being, and if one cannot control the power of the Nine Nether in the tea, it is very likely to wreak havoc on their meridians.
However, for those of the Netherworld lineage or those who cultivate the power of the Nine Nether, it is an incomparable supreme treasure, containing not only the power of the Nine Nether but also the rich power of the Heavenly Dao and celestial energy.
Merely the aura of the tea was about to make Ye Ling lose his focus and break through directly. Had he actually broken through, although Earth would still permit his presence, everything would have changed.
Should he have truly transformed into an Immortal, it is feared that a single move of his would provoke phenomena between heaven and earth, rendering him incapable of living normally on Earth.
"Nine Tribulations friend, you have a good eye. This Nine Netherworld Tea, I've gathered just so little in ten thousand years, and if it weren't for you, my friend, I wouldn't bear to part with it."
Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha smiled faintly, Ye Ling's heart throbbed with excitement as he picked up the Nine Netherworld Tea and took a small sip, as if it were nectar and ambrosia, the tea entered his stomach.
The very next moment, a rich force of the Nine Nether along with the surging celestial energy flowed throughout Ye Ling's limbs and bones.
And what's most important, within the tea, lay the thunderous force of the Heavenly Dao, causing Ye Ling's entire body to involuntarily radiate a dazzling seven-colored divine light.
His body even unconsciously began to perform the Nine Nether Emperor Technique automatically. Ye Ling, who had reached the fifth level of the Nine Nether Emperor Technique, didn't pause for an instant.
Boom!
Suddenly, within Ye Ling's body, a terrifying aura burst forth explosively, and his body seemed like a voracious vortex, frenziedly devouring the spiritual power of the entire heaven and earth.
All over the Netherworld, terrifying forces of heaven and earth, like long rainbows piercing the sky, attacked the Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha's sanctuary in a frenzy before being completely absorbed into Ye Ling's body.
The sixth level of the Nine Nether Emperor Technique, reaching the sixth level is an utterly different watershed. Once one steps into the sixth level, the true terror of the Nine Nether Emperor Technique finally begins to show.
In his previous life, because Ye Ling started cultivating the Nine Nether Emperor Technique quite late, he had only just managed to break through to the eighth level by the time he reached the cultivation of the Nine Tribulation Immortal Emperor.
Even so, armed with the eighth level of that technique, he had dominated all under heaven; one can imagine the terror of this divine skill.
Upon reaching the sixth level, one could even directly absorb others' attacks, transforming them into one's own energy, and could devour other poisonous substances like miasma directly.
The power of the divine skill was beyond doubt. In all the heavens and earth, only Ye Ling cultivated the Nine Nether Emperor Technique because, once he finished learning it, it incinerated itself, leaving no trace.
The breakthrough in his realm caused Ye Ling's strength to surge madly in an instant, and his sensitivity towards the Heavenly Dao also broke through unprecedentedly.
Moreover, with Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha's intentional assistance, the spiritual power of the Netherworld and the force of the Heavenly Dao also lent a guiding hand to Ye Ling, who, at that moment, experienced a phenomenal transformation in a mere instant.
"It's incredible. A friend who has not yet crossed the Transcending Immortal Tribulation now possesses the strength of a late-stage Earth Immortal. It's hard to imagine how formidable our friend will be after overcoming the Immortal Tribulation."
Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha chuckled, finding the Ye Ling before him to be extremely formidable. The presence of the Nine Great Immortal Infants had become certain, and he had only just managed to discern it, in addition to the encounters and trials Ye Ling, now a Hongchen Immortal, had gone through in life and death.
Now, Ye Ling was even stronger and more terrifying than those remarkable young beings in the Immortal Realm.
"It's all thanks to the Bodhisattva's assistance, thank you."
Ye Ling clasped his hands in gratitude, then took a deep breath, "Bodhisattva, did you do this intentionally?"
Ksitigarbha King did not speak; instead, he stood and surveyed the world. His gaze was like a rainbow, and neither heaven nor earth could obstruct his eyes.
"Fellow Daoist, do you remember the oath I made to the Heavenly Dao when I first arrived in the Netherworld?"
Ksitigarbha King said while Ye Ling nodded, admiration gleaming in his eyes. "Not until Hell is empty will I become a Buddha."
Of course, he knew the saying, which was the very oath Ksitigarbha King had made upon his descent into the Netherworld.
Now, there was no question as to who was lord of this realm. Furthermore, Ksitigarbha King's cultivation had reached the pinnacle of Nine Tribulations Immortal Emperor, and he might step beyond at any moment.
Yet, he remained a Bodhisattva, not a Buddha, all because of that very vow.
"You must know some of the secrets behind it,"
Ksitigarbha King turned and spoke to Ye Ling, who nodded with a grave expression. He had heard that the matter was quite complicated.
Where there are people, there is struggle—this need not be said. The Immortal Realm and the Buddhist Realm are no different. Ksitigarbha King had no choice but to descend to the Netherworld, made an oath to the Heavenly Dao, and only then did he survive a tribulation.
But the titles of Bodhisattva or Buddha in the Buddhist Realm are not decided by cultivation but by understanding of the Heavenly Dao.
The Buddhist Realm has three ancestors: Buddha governs the present, Maitreya the future, and Dipamkara the past. It is no exaggeration to say Buddha almost single-handedly encompasses all matters in the entire Buddhist Realm.
To become a Buddha without Buddha's permission is simply impossible—unless one achieves enlightenment instantly.
Yet, instant enlightenment has been so rare from ancient times to the present that it's practically a fantasy.
"Do you mean you are a Saint!"
Ye Ling exclaimed in shock, but as soon as the word "Saint" slipped out, Ksitigarbha King hurriedly waved his hand. "Fellow Daoist, the Heavenly Dao is vast; it's best not to speak recklessly."
Ye Ling took a deep breath, feeling immensely shaken inside. Had Ksitigarbha King's cultivation reached such a height?
"All I hope is that at the most crucial moment, you can lend me a helping hand. Of course, I only ask that you do what you can. Us old monks dare not expect too much."
Ksitigarbha King said with a solemn expression. Ye Ling pondered deeply, knowing that 'that step' was not merely a promise, but a misstep could result in a tremendous calamity.
Ksitigarbha King remained silent, merely gazing at Ye Ling across from him, understanding that this decision was difficult to make.
"Fine! If the Bodhisattva is in trouble, I will naturally come to aid—committing my full strength to the cause. However, I will not bring the Nine Tribulations Territory with me, and I hope the Bodhisattva will understand,"
Ye Ling finished speaking, and Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha nodded with a smile. "If the fellow Daoist can help, that would be best. Us monks dare not expect too much."
In such a brief exchange, the two set the stage for a future earth-shattering upheaval.
And in the next moment, the cocoon on the ground suddenly stirred. From within what was initially a lifeless shell emerged a faint sound of movement, 'click clack'.
"Fellow Daoist, perhaps it indeed is time to witness a miracle,"
Ksitigarbha King's eyes narrowed slightly while Ye Ling also nodded. Around the cocoon, powerful spiritual energy churned, its intensity rivaling the commotion made by Xiaobai becoming an immortal in the Netherworld.
