Chapter 75: The Underworld Concedes

When he reached the water’s edge, Zhang Kai saw countless human heads emerging on the surface, packed densely together. They were all water ghosts, drifting in the current, each with cold, lifeless eyes. Upon the waters, there was a great chair, and seated upon it was a burly man swathed in furs, his appearance reminiscent of an ancient Hun chieftain.

“Little lady, is this the helper you’ve found? Heh, such delicate skin—excellent, excellent. I have a brother who quite fancies your type. Seems we’re in luck tonight.” The burly man cast a glance at Zhang Kai, grinning widely.

Zhang Kai shot him a look and remarked to Madam Liu, “Is this the sort of riffraff that scared you witless?”

Madam Liu replied in righteous indignation, “My soul was sealed by you! Right now, I’m just a fledgling.”

“Didn’t you regain any strength with the Five Elemental Spirit Orbs?”

“I did, but it’s not enough. It’ll take at least three to five years before I recover a portion.” Madam Liu looked aggrieved, as if to say, I’ve sacrificed so much for you, you can’t just abandon me now.

Zhang Kai shook his head and turned to the burly man. “I’ll give you one chance. Apologize.”

“Oh? Quite the temper, aren’t you? Apologize? Boy, those words aren’t even in my vocabulary. Enough talk—since you’ve delivered yourselves, you’re coming with me! Boys, get them!” The burly man waved his arm.

Instantly, the water ghosts surged forth in a torrent of waves, threatening to engulf them.

Zhang Kai smiled.

Without another word, he brought his palms together. Buddhist chants resonated, the swastika sigil spun through the air, and golden light burst forth in all directions.

With the blessing of a millennium’s cultivation, the power of the Tathagata Palm was unimaginable. It had long surpassed the realm of martial arts, becoming a formidable mystical technique.

The commotion wiped the smile off the burly man’s face. His eyes widened in terror, and the water ghosts recoiled in panic, scrambling to retreat.

But Zhang Kai had no intention of squandering the chance to test his strength.

He leapt into the air, hovering above the water.

Then—

“Buddha’s Light Illuminates All!”

He struck with his palm, and a massive golden imprint, at least four or five hundred meters across, descended, growing larger as it pressed downward, until it reached almost eight hundred meters wide.

As the colossal palm fell, countless water ghosts vaporized in an instant.

The palm crashed down, blasting the water into a pit several miles wide and sinking it more than ten meters deep.

The burly man had long since slipped into the depths, vanishing without a trace, and nearly half the water ghosts perished beneath the Buddha’s palm. Most of the remainder were killed by the aftershocks.

When the palm faded and the waters closed again with a thundering roar that echoed for miles, Madam Liu could barely believe her eyes.

Terrifying.

Even at her peak, facing such a blow, she would have had to tread with the utmost caution.

How had this man progressed so swiftly?

At this rate, I’ll soon be completely useless!

“So I’ve grown this powerful,” Zhang Kai mused, his eyes shining with satisfaction.

His diligent cultivation had not been in vain—he finally had the confidence to face any formidable foe.

With a gesture, his tent flew to him, shrinking to rest in his palm.

He turned to Madam Liu. “Come inside.”

She hurried over, ducking into the tent’s interior.

With a wave, Zhang Kai stowed it away, then faced the River of the Dead, immediately transforming into an Ultraman, soaring across the sky.

He flew along, surveying the waters below.

At last, he spotted a region where dark spirits converged, as if a ghost city lay hidden beneath the river.

Zhang Kai pressed his palms together.

Composite Specium Ray.

A stream of blue light shot from his arm, plunging directly into the River of the Dead.

In an instant, the beam pierced the depths and struck the ghost city below.

Boom!

A violent upheaval churned the waters, and countless spirits were annihilated by the light.

“Who dares!” a furious roar echoed up.

But Zhang Kai did not relent, relentlessly bombarding the ghost city with his rays.

Soon, even the angry voices were gone.

In their place, the river surged and boiled, the waters gathering to form a giant over a hundred meters tall.

The water giant took the form of a man, features and beard rendered with uncanny detail.

He glared at Zhang Kai and said coldly, “What manner of demon are you, to stir trouble in the River of the Dead?”

Zhang Kai eyed the giant, his body swelling rapidly until he stood a hundred and twenty meters tall, a head higher than the water colossus.

The water giant: ???

“I am a venerable monk of the Buddhist Order, the Bodhisattva Diga. I came to the underworld to cultivate in seclusion, but was harassed by petty ghosts. My anger is not easily quelled. Unless I am given an explanation, I will overturn this river and make an example of you all,” Zhang Kai declared without hesitation.

As he spoke, Buddha’s radiance glowed upon him, and behind him the faint image of the Tathagata appeared—serene and boundless.

The water giant was stunned.

A Buddhist venerable!

Were there any Buddhist venerables left in this age?

Why are you not suppressed by the taboos? he wondered, but this was not the time for such questions.

“I am the Guardian of the River of the Dead. My duty is to safeguard these waters. Your actions have shown great disrespect. If you persist, the river will strike back. I urge you to reconsider,” the giant intoned.

Zhang Kai sneered. “Since when has the Buddhist Order feared confrontation? I may be only a lowly venerable, but my granduncle is the Tathagata himself. If you dare, try your luck with me.”

The water giant was dumbfounded.

What nonsense was this?

Since when did the Buddhist Order claim kinship ties?

At that moment, in an unknown realm, within a world bathed in holy Buddha-light, atop a lotus platform radiating primordial brilliance, the Tathagata opened his eyes, sharp and discerning.

“Bodhisattva Diga, what do you mean by this?” the water giant’s tone grew grave—his threats had been turned back on him, and now he was incensed.

What of the Buddhist Order?

Even they only occupied a portion of the underworld; the River of the Dead was forbidden even to them.

Zhang Kai replied, “Simple. Hand over those who offended me, and I’ll leave. Otherwise, I’ll foul this river and turn it into a cesspool.”

“Insolence!” the giant thundered, rousing the waters for miles, his power far surpassing that of immortals.

Zhang Kai did not falter. “I am in the right—what have I to fear? Since we cannot come to terms, I’ll plant a sun in your river and see if you can swallow it.”

With that, he resumed his normal form, hovered in the air, took out his phone, and opened a video.

“Wait.”

A voice rang out, though no one appeared.

At its sound, the water giant was alarmed and bowed deeply. “Greetings, River of the Dead.”

Zhang Kai’s expression was impassive.

“The ones you seek are here—take them and leave. Never return,” the voice said. On the water’s surface appeared several terrified figures, including the burly man and a few others.

Zhang Kai grinned, “That’s better. I won’t trouble you, nor should you trouble me. No need to take them—they’re filth. Destroy them instead.”

A surge of water swept over, and the burly man and the other ghost kings screamed as they were obliterated—no chance to beg for mercy.

Without another word, Zhang Kai turned and flew away.

When he was well gone, the water giant could not help but ask, “River of the Dead, why did you let him go? What of the Buddhist Order? We’re willing to fight.”

“Silence. You’re dismissed,” the river’s voice thundered in anger.

That scoundrel may not have had the strength, but the river had sensed a dire threat—one that could truly wipe it out. Naturally, the river was afraid.

The water giant: ???