Chang'an City was resounding with the sound of horse hooves that hadn't been heard for decades.

"Huainan King has arrived!"

Someone shouted atop the city walls.

A silhouette of a cavalry appeared on the avenue, followed by a second and a third, the silhouettes growing in number, swelling into a vast tide of darkness.

The defending army was in chaos, amidst the shouts and screams, someone opened the city gates for the dark tide.

Flames of war were kindled throughout Chang'an City.

Terrified citizens sought refuge in their homes, hiding their children away.

Those who could not hide knelt along the sides of the main streets.

A boy quietly looked up at the cavalry racing past.

"Granny, who are they?"

He asked in a low voice.

"Do not ask, keep your head down."

The old woman pressed down on the boy's head, trembling, not daring to make a move.

She could not comprehend how the sage and benevolent Emperor had let the city fall into chaos.

Outside of Chang'an City.

The air was tinged with the scent of slaughter, and the fresh blood on the ground gave off bursts of a pungent odor.

The Womb of the Earth Bodhisattva stood atop the city wall, liberating departed souls, his garment unstained and without any sin.

Emperor Donghua descended from the sky.

Sensing his arrival, the Womb of the Earth Bodhisattva turned to look.

The two gazed silently at each other.

After a moment, the Womb of the Earth Bodhisattva patted Diting: "What is the Emperor saying?"

"He is asking you."

Diting spoke: "Why are you helping the rebels and yet there is no sin upon you."

Emperor Donghua's thoughts were accurately conveyed to the Womb of the Earth Bodhisattva by Diting.

Unlike the immortals of the Heavenly Palace, those who follow the Buddhist path face more restrictions; being tainted by excessive sin can easily lead to their downfall.

The Womb of the Earth Bodhisattva's intervention in the mortal warfare should have been a great sin.

Yet, Emperor Donghua saw no sin upon him, which was illogical.

"Where has your sin gone?"

Diting inquired on behalf of Emperor Donghua.

"Lingshan."

Answered the Womb of the Earth Bodhisattva.

Emperor Donghua's heart skipped a beat, and utilizing the Dharma Eye, he saw endless black qi ascending into the sky, flying westward.

"Buddha's mercy."

The Womb of the Earth Bodhisattva brought his hands together in prayer.

Emperor Donghua understood and couldn't help but frown.

At Lingshan, masses of black qi surged from the Mortal World, falling upon Buddha, tarnishing his radiance with assorted colors.

Sun Wukong was looking at Buddha.

Launching a decisive rebellion at South Mountain so mercilessly was out of character for Buddha.

The sins gradually enveloped him.

If this continued, Buddha would sooner or later fall from Lingshan.

Some black qi also flew towards Sun Wukong.

However, Sun Wukong was different from Buddha; his power was largely indifferent to good and evil, and even the greatest sin could not bring about his downfall.

"Why make it so difficult."

Sun Wukong said to Buddha: "You are obsessed."

"Not so."

Buddha shook his head: "Without such determination, how could I stop you?"

To stop Sun Wukong, Buddha would use any methods necessary.

Even if it meant breaking taboos or defying the Heavenly Dao, he had to succeed.

"All sins shall be borne by Buddha alone."

On the city wall, as the winds died down, the Womb of the Earth Bodhisattva said to Emperor Donghua: "To stop Sun Wukong, Buddha has become a demon."

Buddha's determination had deeply shaken the Womb of the Earth Bodhisattva, which is why he came to the Southern Continent.

"Sun Wukong cannot win."

The Womb of the Earth Bodhisattva said: "At this moment, Buddha is stronger than him."

"Emperor will help Sun Wukong."

Diting relayed Emperor Donghua's words: "Emperor will save the Southern Continent."

"You can't do it."

Ksitigarbha spoke: "There are not many from the Huaguo Mountain Sect here, how can you salvage the situation?"

He had just received news that Huaguo Mountain had dispatched their elite to the Eastern Victory Divine Continent and the Western Continent, only sending a few thousand people to the Southern Continent.

How could these few thousand people possibly defeat the King of Huainan backed by the assistance of Lingshan and hundreds of civil and military officials?

"You are mistaken."

Emperor Donghua suddenly emitted a voice like the music of the heavens.

Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva was taken aback, then noticed Emperor Donghua turned his gaze to the southeast.

At Hangu Pass, a column of light shot straight into the sky.

The slaughter in the military camp was in full swing, the Supervisor was cornered.

He looked at the figure ahead with panic: "Why?"

The soldiers, brandishing swords, said: "For the Heavenly Dao."

After a single sword strike, a new flag appeared at Hangu Pass.

"What's that?"

The Womb of the Earth Bodhisattva saw the column of light at Hangu Pass.

"The Wanling Net."

Diting heard Emperor Donghua's inner voice: "That is the light of the Wanling Net."

"You've incited rebellion among the soldiers?"

Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva turned to look at Emperor Donghua.

"It wasn't difficult."

Emperor Donghua answered.

"The Heavenly Taoist Sect?"

Ksitigarbha sighed: "After all, how can mortals not follow upon witnessing the power of the Wanling Heavenly Dao?"

Despite anticipating such an event, he didn't expect it to happen so soon.

"It's not just about power."

Emperor Donghua gazed at Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva: "Bodhisattva has underestimated the Human Clan."

Lingshan may be able to persuade the civil and military officials, but they cannot win the hearts of the people.

It was only then that Emperor Donghua understood that they had failed to see the real issue at hand.

"Holding onto the incomplete, lacking the breakthrough of transformation, this is the current state of the Southern Continent."

Emperor spoke.

The Southern Continent has undergone tremendous changes over the past few decades but still operates the same system; the civil and military officials are easily swayed, and only through complete destruction and reconstruction can true change occur.

The Human King realized that the Human Clan craved change.

"Change thus brings enlightenment; this is the process of transformation."

Emperor Donghua's goal was to integrate the Han Dynasty into the Wanling system and completely transform the Southern Continent.

Members of the Heavenly Taoist Sect were spread across the Southern Continent, and the emergence of the rebels had given them the reason to act.

"Bodhisattva, every time the Heavenly Taoist Sect captures a city, they will ignite the Wanling Net."

Diting, interpreting the hidden thoughts of Emperor Donghua, spoke to Ksitigarbha: "Those beams of light forming the Spiritual Energy nodes can enhance the power of the Wanling Heavenly Dao, as well as Sun Wukong's power."

Ksitigarbha felt a chill down his spine, as if a gigantic eye in the sky were watching him.

"I have one more question."

Ksitigarbha calmed down and asked Emperor Donghua: "What secrets does the Wanling Net hold? When was it created?"

Emperor Donghua shook his head.

How could he possibly tell Ksitigarbha about these matters?

Moreover, the appearance of that light was unexpected for him as well; before this, no one had ever mentioned such a thing to him.

"Bodhisattva, we must destroy those light columns."

Diting said: "Sun Wukong's determination does not fall short of Buddha's."

It deduced from Emperor Donghua's inner voice that the war in the Southern Continent was a result jointly chosen by Sun Wukong and Buddha.

The Buddha was willing to incarnate as a devil, but Sun Wukong also harbored no good intentions, treating all beings as mere chess pieces.

In his heart, the suffering and pain brought on by war were necessary.

Only through this could there be a complete breakdown and reconstruction, unifying the thoughts of all people.

Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva and Diting shared the same feeling; all the efforts they put into persuading the civil and military officials, perhaps, from the start, were not taken seriously by Sun Wukong.

They were all expendable.

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