Chapter 1496: Surrounding Mount Sumeru

**Chapter 1500: The Siege of Mount Sumeru**

Mount Sumeru, majestic beyond compare, its peaks soar into the vast cosmos, enveloped in ethereal mists and colorful clouds, resembling an immortal celestial platform.

At its summit, temples stand grand and magnificent, their tiles shimmering with a purple-gold luster, as if cast from metal. A sacred and serene aura permeates the air.

In front of the Great Leiyin Temple, an ancient Buddha figure towered into the high heavens, its colossal form almost suffocating. The power of a Great Emperor permeated the area, an oceanic life force surging forth.

All the Sages knelt, their souls trembling. Facing this immense power, they felt like ants gazing up at a colossal dragon, acutely aware of their own insignificance and minuteness.

“Amitabha Great Emperor!”Everyone was stunned, frozen like clay statues. A tidal wave of shock surged within their hearts; it was simply too astonishing!

Boundless Buddhist light bloomed, illuminating the ten directions. Every wisp of its aura sent shivers through the world. The Great Buddha was incredibly colossal, its height immeasurable.

From every pore of the golden Buddha body, streams of Buddhist power flowed like waterfalls, engulfing Mount Sumeru and turning the entire area into a vast expanse of light.

The Pure Land of Sumeru became an ocean of Buddhist teachings, embodying great compassion, virtue, and benevolence. At this moment, it surged through the nine heavens, compelling everyone to prostrate themselves in worship, a feeling most profoundly experienced by the Sages.

On the vast land, this was a divine miracle!

After overcoming their initial trepidation, everyone gradually settled into a sense of peace. They felt an urge to convert to Buddhism, to remain on Mount Sumeru, to distance themselves from worldly clamor, and to spend their days alongside ancient Buddhas and their flickering lamps.

A sense of compassion and a profound principle of Dharma permeated the air, drawing people towards goodness and the Buddha, enlightening them and urging them to take refuge in the Three Jewels.

The supremely divine and sacred aura shook the eight directions. At this moment, billions of beings across the entire Western Desert awoke, gazing towards Mount Sumeru and prostrating themselves in unison.

The Sages were awestruck, and all the powerful knelt in devotion.

Those of profound cultivation felt fear, while the slightly weaker ones could only offer reverence and prostrate themselves.

No one had expected that so many major events, each worthy of being recorded in history, would occur on the serene and peaceful Mount Sumeru today.

“Is this real?” Ye Fan’s group had already gathered their several Emperor artifacts. They maintained a serious vigil, for only under the protection of these Emperor weapons could they avoid being swayed by the pervasive atmosphere.

Even the fierce Barbarian and the sinister Li Tian were bewildered, continuously blaming themselves for their 'crow's mouth,' as if their words had conjured this reality. It was far too inauspicious.

The Great Buddha’s face and head were blurred, shrouded in chaotic mists, making it difficult to discern clearly. However, it vaguely resembled the statue of Amitabha Buddha enshrined in the temple.

Other parts of its golden body shone brightly, every inch of its skin exuding such terrifying power that one might suspect a single movement from it could tear apart the universe and collapse a starfield.

This was an unparalleled aura, so oppressive that all the heavens and realms of eternity rumbled in response!

It seemed to reverse the river of time, as a great Dao scripture resounded, its roar deafening. Ancient Buddhas appeared to be preaching, imparting Dharma to the world, spreading their teachings ceaselessly throughout antiquity and the present.

Was this the Great Emperor's lingering obsession, or was he truly not dead? At this moment, not only others, but even Ye Fan and the Divine Silkworm Princess were unsure. Such an unforeseen change was simply unpredictable.

Emperor artifacts, array patterns, and the power of faith had all been considered, but who could have imagined the presence of a Great Emperor!

“Truly inauspicious. This morning, I heard a bunch of crows cawing. I never imagined they'd caw out a dead monk,” the Dragon Horse muttered to himself, still stubbornly denying his previous words.

Ye Fan and the others remained silent and motionless. Their options for retreat or defense were truly limited; if it truly were a Great Emperor, they wouldn't be able to escape at all. In the distance, the Sages were terrified and panicked, unsure of what to do, many of them prostrating themselves. All beings were devout, knocking their heads on the ground, wishing to remain kneeling for the rest of their lives.

The scene was truly bizarre. Peaceful Buddhist power flowed, brilliant light bloomed, and Mount Sumeru seemed to have become deified, as if it were about to ascend to the Immortal Realm, with auspicious rays radiating forth.

However, after a long wait, the Great Buddha remained motionless, still towering there, releasing oceanic life force and compassionately delivering all beings.

“Huh, something’s not right!”

“He looks like a statue, completely unresponsive.”

The Old Undying among the Thirteen Great Bandits, the Divine Silkworm Princess, and others all concentrated, releasing their primal qi, as if sensing something.

Ye Fan opened his Origin Heaven Eye, also observing. Meanwhile, the Divine Silkworm Daoist took a swig of wine, squinted his eyes slightly, and kept staring at the Buddha on Mount Sumeru.

“It’s a golden Dharma manifestation, an illusory imprint momentarily etched onto Mount Sumeru, not the true body!”

Ultimately, they reached this unanimous conclusion: it was not the true Amitabha Great Emperor. He had attained nirvana over 300,000 years ago, making it impossible for him to manifest in this era.

After realizing all this, everyone let out a long sigh of relief. They had truly been bewildered moments ago; it defied common sense, as no one could live for such an immense period.

Even if a Great Emperor of Buddhism possessed various longevity techniques and fought against the passage of time through alternative means, it would be impossible for them to manifest like this.

The source of everything was naturally that sarira, which was brilliant and crystalline—a sacred relic left behind after the Buddha's nirvana, a supreme treasure of Buddhism.

Finally, the Great Buddha vanished, transforming into a sky full of light rain that fell upon Mount Sumeru, merging back into the massive sarira.

It shimmered with five colors, clear and translucent, like a heart carved from an immortal diamond, with a blurred Buddha figure vaguely discernible within, mysterious and unfathomable.

Ye Fan and the others exchanged glances. Although they had confirmed it was an illusion, they unanimously agreed that this sarira was extraordinary!

In front of the Great Leiyin Temple, radiant light overflowed, and a vital life force permeated the air. The Great Peacock King’s head glowed, and surges of Daoist sounds accompanied the growth of bones, with flesh also pulsating, as she reformed her true body.

If it were anyone else, let alone a Great Sage, even a Quasi-Emperor struck by an Emperor artifact would surely die and could not possibly survive. Yet, she remained unharmed by utilizing the sarira.

At this moment, her vitality was undamaged, her essence undiminished. She directly resurrected, with abundant vital energy and an exceptionally powerful Dharma body, exuding an invincible aura of standing at the peak.

Everyone awoke as if from a dream, and those who had knelt in worship also stood up.

A weak, trembling sound arose, and from within the sarira, another faint, dim primordial spirit flew out—it was the old monk Mahakasyapa. Even he had survived.

Everyone recalled that at the last moment, he had used the sarira to shield his brow, transferring his spirit and thus escaping disaster.

“The Buddha’s nirvana, and the sarira represents the hope of life, possessing the power of nirvana. That’s why they both escaped the Emperor artifact’s killing blow,” sighed the old blind man among the Thirteen Great Bandits.

“Are we still attacking?” asked the Dragon Horse. Although he had been stubbornly defiant earlier, it was out of necessity, having no other choice in the dire situation. Yet, a chill still ran down his spine. Even now, he felt a lingering fear.

“Besiege them!” declared Ye Fan. The important figures present dispersed, arraying themselves, each holding an Emperor artifact aimed at Mount Sumeru.

Four or five ancient Great Emperor weapons appeared simultaneously, unleashing an earth-shattering pressure here. However, Ye Fan did not order an attack, as both sides were now extremely wary of each other.

“I ask once more: will you release my disciple?” His voice boomed, echoing through the sky, shaking many nearby Sages who couldn't help but be horrified.

The Sacred Body’s golden blood energy surged, its aura piercing the heavens. The light in his eyes was as cold as a blade, striking fear into hearts.

“He is a fruit of our Buddhist realm and cannot be left outside!” The Great Peacock King’s will was firm, without a trace of wavering.

“Amitabha, well said, well said.” The old monk Mahakasyapa’s primordial spirit was still injured; it would take decades or even centuries of cultivation for him to recover to his peak. He also stated his position.

“That is not the path of Amitabha. Didn't you once drive that great demon down the mountain? Why then have you now abducted such a successor?” Ji Ziyue interjected.

“This flower bloomed in the past, blooms in the present, and will bloom in the future. This is a fruit of Buddhism, and it has nothing to do with you,” Mahakasyapa replied.

The Great Bandits were all straightforward individuals. One of them shouted, “I only know that he is Ye Fan’s disciple, yet now he has been forcibly suppressed on Mount Sumeru by you and converted into a servant. What kind of logic is this? Even if we take a step back, you’ve already obtained those inheritances, so why don’t you release him from the mountain?!”

“This Dharma does not allow him to leave the mountain. He can only remain confined to the entrance of the ancient temple for his entire life!” The old monk did not back down.

“Are you truly not releasing him?!” Ye Fan’s voice turned icy, his expression cold.

“By converting to Buddhism, his inherent flaws will be eradicated, and his worldly dust will be cleansed. He will then transcend the mundane world; this is a great meritorious deed. Benefactor, please return. Do not act against the heavens. Our Buddha is merciful and only delivers those with affinity.” Mahakasyapa, having just escaped a tribulation, appeared remarkably calm. These words, however, truly enraged many.

“Kill!” Ye Fan uttered only this one word. While the Buddha spoke of compassion, he spoke of slaughter, and before Mount Sumeru, he decisively chose to act.

Even knowing the depths of the Buddhist sect, he was fearless. Unless he caused a world-shattering commotion, no terms could be negotiated.

Ye Fan swung his killing sword, slashing towards Mount Sumeru, wielding the power of the ultimate Dao to suppress it.

At the same time, the Void Emperor Mirror glowed, its crystal-clear surface emitting world-shattering divine light that swept across Sumeru, shattering the mists and causing the power of faith to boil.

On the other side, the Divine Silkworm Princess, the Old Undying, and others also separately activated the Nine-Colored Immortal Robe and the Heaven-Swallowing Demonic Pot, launching fierce attacks and a full-scale assault on Mount Sumeru.

However, Mount Sumeru was not simple. The ancient Great Emperor’s Dharma array revived, shaking eternity. The entire mountain was densely covered with dazzling, incandescent patterns, completely sealing it off.

Furthermore, the power of faith condensed into a colossal ancient Buddha, standing majestically, incomparably grand, looking down upon all living beings and creations.

The combined defensive power of these two was astonishingly great, as if an ancient Emperor had truly revived to guard this place!

“Is that Amitabha Buddha’s seed of spiritual power?!” The Divine Silkworm Daoist opened his drunken eyes, shooting out sharp rays of light. He dropped his wine gourd and stared intently.

This Great Buddha appeared very strangely, immensely powerful, as if an Emperor’s shadow had merged with the grand array, exuding terrifying might.

Ji Ziyue sighed softly. They had witnessed the power of the Lingbao Heavenly Venerate’s array diagram combined with his four killing swords. Now, this place surprisingly exhibited a similar synergy, with the Demon-Subduing Pestle floating in and merging into the array, creating an utterly terrifying force.

At this moment, the Great Leiyin Temple glowed entirely, and the sarira scattered showers of light, showing a tendency to also merge into the array.

It was difficult to conquer Mount Sumeru in a short time; this place was impregnable, with the imprints of a Buddha circulating within!

Soon after, everyone ceased their attacks. Activating Emperor weapons consumed immense energy and could not be done indefinitely. They decided to besiege Mount Sumeru, blockading it and isolating it from the outside world.

The Great Peacock King and Mahakasyapa could not launch an offensive; they were sufficient for defense but lacked offensive power, a lesson already learned from previous bloodshed.

“I’ll do it!” The Divine Knight stepped forward, directly ascending to the front of Mount Sumeru. Instantly, his entire body erupted with dazzling light and a terrifying aura!