Chapter 2090 - Helpless, Unable to Advance or Retreat

When Su Yi’s voice resounded through the air, Buddhist Venerate Ghama frowned. “Everyone, what exactly is going on here?”

Buddhist Venerate Ghama sensed that something strange was afoot. No matter how he looked at it, it seemed suspicious. A group of gods was sticking close to Su Yi, but there was no visible hostility between them. On the contrary, they seemed... to have a strong tacit understanding!

“Buddhist Brother, you don’t know this, but that despicable bastard is using our divine sons to threaten us,” Greater God Bo Yun said darkly, gnashing his teeth in fury.

Buddhist Venerate Ghama’s expression darkened, and his gaze focused as he realized what was happening.

“Step aside, all of you. Allow me to handle him!” Buddhist Venerate Ghama said solemnly before chanting a sutra. His gaze filled with austere murderous intent.

The crowd’s spirits soared. Su Yi had been leading them around by the nose for the past month, and they were incredibly frustrated.

It would naturally be absolutely wonderful if Buddhist Venerate Ghama could suppress Su Yi!

Su Yi, however, just laughed and waved his sleeves through the air. Mi Yeyun, Jin Buyi, and the other divine children floated into the air, hovering around Su Yi like shields, just as they had before.

The defense was completely airtight; not even the wind could get past them.

“Come on, then. Go ahead and attack.”

The gods’ expressions froze, then darkened.

“Su Yi, you’re simply far too despicable!” Ren Beiyou’s hair and beard quivered with fury. “What does your enmity with Buddhist Venerate Ghama have to do with those divine children?”

“It’s none of your business if I want to use them as meat shields,” Su Yi said flatly.

Buddhist Venerate Ghama finally understood the situation. He couldn’t help but furrow his brow. The situation really was rather thorny. Even if he didn’t personally care about the lives of those divine children, he had to consider the other gods’ attitudes.

“Buddhist Brother, please calm down. Whatever you do, you must be careful. Don’t do anything reckless,” someone hurriedly urged Buddhist Venerate Ghama for fear that he’d attack without reservation.

Buddhist Venerate Ghama furrowed his brow. “Indecision invariably leads to trouble. I can hold back for now, but if you let him keep restricting you like this, you’ll be stuck on the passive, and he’ll be able to manipulate you as he pleases!”

Many of the gods sighed, and their brows furrowed. Of course they understood that principle. How could they not? But for the sake of the divine children, they had no choice but to endure!

“If you dare not fight me, get out of my way,” said Su Yi. He was already on his way to the hidden realm in the distance.

He was interested in the supreme chance at divinity hidden there.

But this provoked Buddhist Venerate Ghama!

“Stop right there!” Buddhist Venerate Ghama’s vital energy rumbled and boomed, and he seethed with murderous intent. “If you dare approach that hidden realm, this lofty one won’t spare your life!”

The other gods’ hearts clenched, and they inwardly cried out in alarm. They didn’t even need to think to know that Lian Sheng really was inside that hidden realm. Otherwise, there’s no way that Buddhist Venerate Ghama would have reacted so strongly!

Just as they expected, a moment later, Buddhist Venerate Ghama said solemnly, “Everyone, I can agree not to attack the heretic, but I cannot possibly stand back and watch as he tries to enter that hidden realm!”

“Go ahead and attack, then,” Su Yi said with a dry laugh before continuing toward the hidden realm.

“You...” The gods were so angry that their lungs threatened to burst.

Buddhist Venerate Ghama seethed with murderous intent and tried to block Su Yi’s path. His aura expanded, bit by bit; it was obvious that he was gathering power to attack.

But then, Su Yi said suddenly, “You’ve been eager to fight all along, haven’t you? After all, the divine children’s deaths have nothing to do with you. You’d love nothing more than to seize this opportunity to kill me.”

Buddhist Venerate Ghama’s expression darkened, but before he could respond, Feng Wuji bellowed, “Damned bald donkey! How could you be so fucking insidious? Martial Uncle Wen Xiao, are you really just going to let this happen?”

The other divine children spoke up, too, one after another. Some cursed Buddhist Venerate Ghama’s heartless disregard for their lives, while others begged their allied deities to intervene.

Buddhist Venerate Ghama’s expression was ashen. Many of the other gods were so angry that they almost coughed up blood.

The situation was entirely under Su Yi’s control. The gods were too concerned about the divine children’s predicament to remain uninvolved.

Buddhist Venerate Ghama sensed this too, but at the same time, he absolutely couldn’t tolerate Su Yi entering that hidden realm and exposing Buddhist Son Lian Sheng to danger. The gods understood that too.

Su Yi’s actions had restricted both Buddhist Venerate Ghama and the gods, leaving them unable to retreat and unable to advance!

“I’ll give you a choice,” said Su Yi. He turned to look at Ren Beiyou and the others. “Hold off Buddhist Venerate Ghama while I explore that hidden realm. When the time comes, both Lian Sheng and that supreme chance at divinity will fall into my hands. Then, you and Ghama will be in the same boat. I trust that he’ll understand your pain then. And of course, when I leave the Deification Star Sea, I’ll let all of the divine children go, Lian Sheng included.”

The gods practically went insane out of sheer fury. Su Yi made it sound so forthright and noble, but in truth, he wanted them to drag Buddhist Venerate Ghama into the fire pit. It was simply despicable!

And how could Buddhist Venerate Ghama have failed to realize Su Yi’s intentions? His brow furrowed and his expression darkened. He longed for nothing more than to slap Su Yi to death.

“Sounds like a good idea to me!” shouted Feng Wuji.

“We’ve

all become hostages, while Buddhist Son Lian Sheng is off hunting for a supreme chance at divinity. Is that fair!?”

“....” The crowd didn’t know what to say. Many of them were so angry that they laughed.

Who gets hung up on fairness in a hostage situation?

“Furthermore, I trust Su Yi’s character. He promised to free us when he leaves the Deification Star Sea, and there’s no way he’ll go back on his word,” said Feng Wuji. “But if you let anyone attack Su Yi, we divine children will surely be the first to suffer!”

Mi Yeyun, Jin Buyi, and the other divine children nodded repeatedly. They knew that Feng Wuji’s argument was ridiculous, but out of consideration for their lives, they had no choice but to back him up.

The gods’ faces filled with uncertainty.

Buddhist Venerate Ghama’s heart thudded in his chest, and he inwardly cried out,

This is bad! It looks like he’s managed to persuade them!

Suddenly, Su Yi took a step forward and shot toward the hidden realm.

“You’re seeking death!” Buddhist Venerate Ghama roared in fury, swung his staff, and attacked with immense force and endless radiance.

But in that moment, Ren Beiyou, Bo Yun, Wen Xiao, and numerous other Greater Gods joined forces to intercept him.

Kaboom!

The void split, and divine radiance swept outward.

Buddhist Venerate Ghama staggered backward, his aged face incomparably unsightly. The veins bulged on his forehead. “You people...”

“My apologies, Buddhist Brother. We can’t possibly just stand back and watch as something happens to the divine children,” sighed Ren Beiyou.

He and the other Greater Gods were visibly displeased with the situation. Nevertheless, all of them were ready to stop Buddhist Venerate Ghama from attacking. It was just as Ren Beiyou said: They couldn’t bear to just watch the divine children die.

𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Meanwhile, Su Yi had already reached the hidden realm.

“I have the utmost gratitude for your compassion. You’ve made the wisest possible choice,” Su Yi said with a wave and a laugh. “You can just wait here for the good news!”

With that, he strolled into the hidden realm and vanished in the blink of an eye.

“Dammit!” Buddhist Venerate Ghama was a monk, but even so, he was so angry that steam billowed from the seven apertures of his face. He was practically mad with fury.

The other gods were a bit uncomfortable and ashamed. None of them dared look Buddhist Venerate Ghama in the eye.

“Please, calm your fury. Circumstances forced our hand, leaving us no choice but to intervene,” Ren Beiyou said with a sigh.

“Buddhist Brother, you needn’t worry about Lian Sheng’s safety. In order to save his own skin, there’s no way that Su Yi will dare to hurt Lian Sheng,” Wen Xiao said solemnly. “When we seize the right opportunity, we’ll attack together. We won’t just save the hostages; we’ll be able to kill Su Yi. Then, all of the good fortune he’s acquired, as well as the Epoch Spark and the power of reincarnation, will be ours!”

“That’s right! It might seem that Su Yi can do whatever he wants, but the higher he jumps now, the more it’ll hurt when he lands!”

Bo Yun then walked over and, in a bid to soothe Buddhist Venerate Ghama’s anger, explained what had happened over the past month in full detail, including how Su Yi was leading them about by the nose.

It was like a complaining convention!

Buddhist Venerate Ghama quickly calmed down. He knew that there was no changing what had happened, and no matter how angry he was, he couldn’t afford a falling out with all these gods at once.

“You all owe me a favor.” Buddhist Venerate Ghama took a deep breath and said, “You have to compensate me generously once we’ve killed Su Yi!”

The crowd inwardly sighed in relief, then nodded, one by one. Soothing Buddhist Venerate Ghama’s anger came first. The rest, they could worry about later.

More importantly, they could tell that Su Yi didn’t really want a falling out, either. After all, if he really pushed them over the edge, they really might stop concerning themselves with the divine children’s lives.

The situation was a delicately balanced stalemate.

......

Inside the hidden realm, atop a towering, ancient black mountain.

Heaven and earth were completely covered in dense tides of chaos energy, and streaks of chaos lightning flashed past, contorting time and space. The electricity brimmed with an air of destruction.

Buddhist Son Lian Sheng stood atop a mountain, his handsome face as calm as the waters of an ancient well. He had an elegant, extraordinary bearing about him, as if he’d risen above it all, and he carried a golden alms bowl. Resplendent, misty Buddhist light flowed around him, making him seem holy.

“A wondrous genius born of a Green Chaos Lotus! Impressive indeed. Based on that alone, you’re worthy of inheriting both my Godhead and my mantle,” exclaimed a voice.

A plateau stood atop a distant peak rising from amidst the chaos. A tall, stalwart old man in plain robes sat casually atop a boulder there.

His long hair was disheveled, and his face was as cold and hard as a rock. His eyes were as imposing as twin golden torches.

Most terrifying of all, with every breath he took, the surrounding currents of chaos energy shook, forming a unique resonance, like the undulating of the tides.

Lian Sheng said calmly, “I was born extraordinary and blessed with great fortune. I have a Nine Apertures Chan Buddhist Heart, a Five-Colored Buddhist Bone, and a Green Lotus Soul. I study the unparalleled sutras of the past, present, and future. I am confident that after I succeed your Godhead, my future accomplishments will be in no way beneath yours.”

“Hahaha, is that really what you think?” The old man in plain robes threw back his head and laughed.

Lian Sheng said calmly, “A monk does not boast. I say what I mean, for that is my solemn duty.”

The old man looked gratified. “Not bad. Truly not bad. You might be a Buddhist, but you’re nothing like those old bald donkeys with bellies full of wickedness!”

With that, he waved his sleeve in front of him.

Boom!

The surrounding chaos energy churned, and a glittering bundle of nine-colored light whooshed into the air.