Chapter 227: The Guiding Treasure Banner!
Kong Xuan had always had a bad temper, so he couldn't tolerate Erlang Shen acting presumptuously here, and naturally wouldn't allow him to speak recklessly.
Kong Xuan's Five-Colored Divine Light was a formidable power, unmatched throughout the entire primordial world. There was virtually no one who could withstand this move. If there were any treasures similar to it, perhaps only the Taishang Laojun (Laozi) Vajra Bracelet could compare. Their effects were somewhat alike, as both could capture the opponent's weapons.
However, the difference was that the Five-Colored Divine Light specialized in countering magical weapons, while the Vajra Bracelet could be used for various purposes. It wasn't limited to capturing artifacts; it could even affect living beings. Although the two items differed in rank, leading to their placement on different levels, this didn't mean the Vajra Bracelet was weak. Compared to treasures of the same realm, the Vajra Bracelet was already quite strong.
Of course, there were still some who didn't know about Kong Xuan's Five-Colored Divine Light, including Sun Wukong.
[Sun Wukong: What kind of treasure is this Five-Colored Divine Light? The name feels a bit odd!]
[Taiyi Zhenren: The Five-Colored Divine Light is formed from five of Kong Xuan's feathers and is his innate divine ability. Kong Xuan was the first peacock born in the primordial world, with exceptional talent. Combined with this ability, he's considered one of the top figures in the realm.]
[Kong Xuan: It's not that strong. If it were truly powerful, it wouldn't rank so low.]
Kong Xuan believed his treasure could be even stronger, and he felt slightly dissatisfied with its ranking. However, he had to admit the list's accuracy, so he could only accept it for now.
As the weapon rankings were revealed, after Kong Xuan's treasure was listed, everyone's attention shifted once again.
[Rank 53 on the Weapon List: The Guiding Treasure Banner, Mid-grade Innate Spirit Treasure. Owner: Zhunti.]
Once again, a saint's treasure appeared. For saints, such treasures weren't particularly rare. Although the two Western Saints had fewer treasures, a mid-grade Innate Spirit Treasure was still something they could easily present.
[Guanyin Bodhisattva: These kinds of treasures are common in the hands of saints. But for weaker beings like us, they're incredibly difficult to obtain!]
[Ancestor Minghe: Compared to the three pure saints—Yuanshi, Taishang, and Tongtian—Zhunti and Jieyin's treasures are inferior! The number of treasures the three pure saints possess completely surpasses theirs!]
[Zhunti: Everyone knows what kind of temper you have, Minghe. If you think relying on your Blood Sea gives you the right to talk recklessly, let me show you what true saintly power looks like!]
Zhunti was already a bit angry at this point. If things continued like this, others might start believing Ancestor Minghe's words. While a closer analysis could easily reveal the truth, the way Minghe spoke with such conviction could deceive some into believing him.
Zhunti didn't think he was inferior to the three supreme saints. He had plenty of powerful treasures, and only one had been listed so far. Many more were yet to appear. Although the three supreme saints had many treasures, they couldn't necessarily use all of them, and the number of truly powerful items they possessed wasn't much higher either.
Zhunti also believed his strength was on par with the three supreme saints, and he didn't want others to spread rumors that he was weaker.
As saints began to speak, the audience watching the livestream grew increasingly excited, especially at the appearance of a saint.
[Manjushri Bodhisattva: This treasure is just one of many in the hands of a saint. The Western world is full of treasures, not a barren land as some believe!]
[Guangchengzi: While that may be true, only the saints know the real situation!]
[Sun Wukong: What are you all talking about? Unless the two saints fight, how can we tell who's stronger? You're just making random claims. Besides, these Innate Spirit Treasures aren't their most powerful items. Even if they have many listed, what difference does it make?]
Everyone started to understand that perhaps they had been overthinking things. Even the Monkey King, who had once been trapped under the mountain, had a clearer perspective on this matter.
As the discussions continued, more rankings were revealed. However, the next few positions were also held by saints—Yuanshi Tianzun, Nuwa, and Tongtian Jiaozhu. The items listed were scattered treasures from their collections, not their primary treasures.
This situation made it clear to the viewers that saints indeed possessed the most treasures. Although they usually didn't reveal them, the rankings laid everything bare. No one else could compare. Even quasi-saints could only manage to have one or two treasures on the list, with three or four being exceedingly rare—except for special exceptions like Ye Tian, who couldn't be compared to the others.
As the ranking continued, a chilling item appeared that left others in awe.
[Rank 49 on the Weapon List: The Book of Life and Death, Mid-grade Innate Spirit Treasure. Owner: King Yama.]
[The Book of Life and Death controls the lifespan of all beings, allowing one to increase or decrease their life expectancy!]
This item belonged to King Yama of the underworld, one of the Ten Kings of Hell. Though called the Book of Life and Death, it was, in fact, a book that recorded the names of every living being within the Three Realms and the Four Continents.
The book had another name: the "Human Book," and it was one of the Three Great Books of Heaven.
The fear surrounding this book stemmed from its ability to control life and death, as it could alter a person's lifespan.
However, for the powerful, this wasn't something to worry about. They could remain unaffected, as their names likely wouldn't appear in the book. On the other hand, beings like Sun Wukong had stormed into the underworld and, using sheer force, erased his name—and that of all the monkeys on Flower Fruit Mountain—from the Book of Life and Death.
By erasing their names, they were no longer bound by the cycle of life and death within the Three Realms. They would not experience aging, sickness, or reincarnation. However, this wasn't necessarily a good thing. While they wouldn't die of natural causes, if they were killed, they wouldn't be able to reincarnate or be reborn.
Such actions also required facing the wrath of the underworld, and both Heaven and the Buddhist sect wouldn't stand idly by. The reason Sun Wukong could do this was that he was a key piece in a plan involving both Heaven and the Buddhist sect.
Sun Wukong was useful, so he was allowed to act without consequence in erasing his name from the Book of Life and Death.