Chapter 51: The Manifestation of Tathagata's Power

The Sky-Swallowing Sparrow paid no attention to Ye Qiu, which immediately infuriated him. Without warning, he smacked the bird upside the head.

“What the hell are you doing?”

“You damned thing, I’m talking to you—are you deaf or something?” Ye Qiu snapped, his patience thin. The Sky-Swallowing Sparrow felt utterly wronged.

“Come on, boss, just drop the act. Take it easy for a bit. I don’t believe that someone as powerful as you doesn’t know such a basic treasure art,” the bird complained, aggrieved. It had never met anyone who bullied birds like this.

Ye Qiu paused at these words, thinking to himself, “Wait, basic treasure art? This amazing technique is just considered basic?”

He cleared his throat and forced a confident smile. “Of course I know it. How could I not? Who am I? I’m a master, after all. I was just giving you a chance to show off. Here, I’ll leave this chest in your care…”

Reluctantly, Ye Qiu handed over the treasure chest. He’d wanted to sneakily learn the treasure art, but now he’d been told it was only an elementary one? What a joke! If he admitted he didn’t know it, wouldn’t his cover be blown? No—his pride was on the line.

So, he tossed the treasure chest to the Sky-Swallowing Sparrow, telling it to keep it safe, then picked up his folding fan and strode out of the back courtyard.

After exchanging a few words with Cao He, Ye Qiu mounted the Sky-Swallowing Sparrow once more and headed for the Abyss.

Yue Chan and the others had been waiting for some time. Seeing Ye Qiu arrive empty-handed, they couldn’t help but ask, “Senior, after all that fuss, what did you go back for?”

“Nothing much, just picked up a few weapons for self-defense. When you walk by the river often, your shoes are bound to get wet. It never hurts to be prepared, right?” Ye Qiu replied with practiced nonchalance.

Everyone was left speechless.

You, carrying weapons for protection? Are you kidding us? With your level of cultivation, what could possibly threaten you? Still, what a marvelous excuse—does anyone actually believe it?

“Enough, let’s go!” Ye Qiu couldn’t be bothered to explain further. He signaled for the two members of the Tianfeng clan to lead the way and called the Sky-Swallowing Sparrow to follow.

What surprised him, though, was that Yue Chan also joined the group. Clearly, they all wanted to see for themselves what the legendary endless Fallen Land and the Dark Abyss really looked like.

Along the way, Ye Qiu remained silent, outwardly calm as a mountain, but inwardly a bundle of nerves. The closer they drew to the black abyss, the more anxious he became.

“So this is the infamous Black Domain?” Passing through a barrier, the group entered a colorless expanse, gazing upon the ravaged ancient battlefield, the ground littered with bleached bones. A chill crept into their hearts.

The whole space exuded an ominous aura, as if a red-furred fiend was watching them from the shadows.

“Senior, that breach ahead is the only exit to the Boundary River. Earlier, we accidentally broke the seal, and it was from there that the demon gods escaped…” The elder Tianyi’s face was ashen. Though it was their second visit, his nerves were still frayed.

Ye Qiu studied the breach and sensed a heavy aura of death emanating from within—the breath of the Boundary River, that legendary river dividing two realms.

What lay beyond the Boundary River? No one yet knew. It was said to be a non-existent parallel space, a river realm drifting between two domains.

Those dark demon gods lived within this river; when the seal broke, some of them escaped.

“What a familiar aura! It feels just like that presence in Jubei City years ago. Could it be… was it these demon gods who took my brother?” Ye Qiu’s heart tightened, hope flickering in his eyes—only to be quickly snuffed out.

“No, these aren’t the ones from back then. These demon gods can’t even leave the Boundary River, so they couldn’t have taken my brother. This situation feels more like a misdirection, shifting all blame and causality over here.”

Ye Qiu’s doubts grew. From the beginning, he’d suspected that someone was orchestrating this catastrophe from the shadows. But he had no idea who it was. Judging from the clues so far, it seemed to point to the dark demon gods.

Still, Ye Qiu didn’t believe it. It felt too much like a deliberate misdirection.

“Demon gods, celestial bodies… No, Ye Dong’s constitution was never suited for demonic cultivation, and these dark demon gods had no reason to take him!”

Suddenly, Ye Qiu remembered something. If he recalled correctly, when his father tested Ye Dong’s constitution years ago, he mentioned one phrase: Innate Dao Body.

Over the years, Ye Qiu had studied many records and discovered that this celestial body was closest to the Heavenly Dao—a natural-born talent that made the path of cultivation incredibly smooth.

He was, perhaps, the most gifted prodigy in ages. That was what had sparked the ancient conspiracy—the schemers had taken him away to raise and mold him.

Thus, Ye Qiu could be certain: it was never these dark demon gods who took Ye Dong. Someone had deliberately framed them, steering all clues into darkness to make Ye Qiu believe it was the darkness that had taken his brother.

Of course, these were only Ye Qiu’s suspicions. Whether they were true or not, he would have to uncover for himself.

“Go and seal that breach,” Ye Qiu commanded calmly, eyes fixed on the abyss. He could sense a pair of eyes watching him from the darkness, yet he could not discern their true form.

It seemed wary of him, but Ye Qiu couldn’t imagine why.

Could it really be wary of me? Impossible. I’m just a useless braggart—what’s there to fear? Ye Qiu broke into a cold sweat, growing more frustrated by the second. Other transmigrators became mighty heroes, while all he could do was pretend.

Boom!

Just as Tianyi and Feng Xiao approached the rift, a few demon gods suddenly burst out from within, claws bared as they flew toward the group. Ye Qiu’s face went white with fear.

“Damn, they’re coming at me? What did I ever do to deserve this…” In his panic, Ye Qiu was about to turn and run when suddenly, a green lotus illuminated the darkness—Yue Chan had made her move.

“How dare you…” she intoned.

In an instant, countless green vines shot out, piercing the demon gods’ bodies and pinning them in place amidst the heavens.

“Damn… that’s ruthless!” Ye Qiu couldn’t help but gasp. Watching Yue Chan fight, he felt an inexplicable sense of violent beauty. Though she was a woman of ethereal grace, her actions were swift and merciless—a truly remarkable figure.

Yue Chan’s power was vast, but lacking an artifact to restrain the demon gods, she could only trap them temporarily.

At this moment, Tianyi and Feng Xiao unfurled a scroll, pouring all their energy into unleashing its power. Suddenly, the Buddha depicted on the painting grew immense, transforming into a giant golden stone statue radiating brilliant light.

With supreme might it shook the heavens, making all who saw it blanch in terror.

“What terrifying power—who could this deity be?” the others exclaimed, staring dumbfounded at the colossal stone figure looming out of the darkness. The stone Buddha seemed to come alive, slowly raising its right hand and bringing it crashing down.

“Damn… now this is what I call a true cross-server battle!” Ye Qiu was so excited he nearly jumped for joy. The Buddha was simply too fierce.

With a single strike, the demon gods were reduced to ashes—a display of unimaginable power.

“Whoa… that’s the legendary Buddha’s Palm, all for just ten copper coins!”