The first layer of hell had been more than half emptied, something Bodhisattva Kṣitigarbha had not anticipated. He hadn't expected the power of the Universal Salvation Golden Light to be so immense, nor its range so vast.
Although the ghosts in the first layer weren't particularly formidable, the fact that the spell caused such a large-scale effect exceeded his imagination. Without this divine ability, Kṣitigarbha would have needed a great deal of time to deal with these spirits. However, with it, the process became much faster.
On the surface, it seemed incredibly powerful, and the speed at which it cleared out ghosts was impressive. However, hell was not so easily conquered, and these were merely the spirits of the first layer, who were relatively weak and had committed minor sins.
As Kṣitigarbha descended further into hell, the cost of using the divine ability would increase, while the affected range would decrease.
Moreover, the first layer was not as easy to handle as it seemed. After Kṣitigarbha had cleared out about half of the ghosts, in the blink of an eye, countless more spirits poured in, refilling the layer.
This was the most difficult part of managing hell—an endless stream of souls arriving from unknown sources, continuously flooding into the underworld without pause.
Having been in the underworld for a long time, Kṣitigarbha was already familiar with this situation, and he wasn't anxious. On the contrary, with the Universal Salvation Golden Light, he was calm and untroubled, confident that hell could be cleared.
It was precisely because of this temperament that Kṣitigarbha was able to remain in hell for so long.
Meanwhile, the Buddha Tathāgata was watching Kṣitigarbha's display of divine power from the Great Thunderclap Temple. Seeing the golden light blossom, even Tathāgata's heart stirred.
If he had this divine ability, Tathāgata could strengthen the Buddhist sect considerably with it.
What made Tathāgata most envious was that when cultivated to a profound level, the Universal Salvation Golden Light could even convert quasi-saints. This demonstrated just how mysterious and powerful this ability was.
If it were in Tathāgata's hands, he would undoubtedly misuse it. But in Kṣitigarbha's hands, there would be no such outcome. Moreover, Tathāgata couldn't possibly ask Kṣitigarbha for this ability, so he had no fate with this powerful Buddhist technique.
Regretfully, Tathāgata turned his attention away from Kṣitigarbha. There were still several other Buddhists on the list, and perhaps better rewards awaited them.
As the rewards for the Body List were gradually announced, the strength of the prizes had already amazed many strong figures, but each new reward still had the potential to astonish them.
The Body List's rewards were not limited to ordinary items; anything could be bestowed, tailored precisely to the needs of the recipient.
Because of this, many extremely rare treasures were once again seen by the crowd as they were distributed from the Body List, causing most of the powerful beings to exclaim in wonder.
As the ranking rewards continued to be announced, each person waiting their turn felt a mix of nervousness and excitement. Although some rewards were slightly less impressive, no one doubted their appropriateness.
It was entirely expected that the rewards would be tied to one's ranking. The initial prizes were so powerful that it was only natural that the later ones would be slightly less impressive.
Nevertheless, none of the rewards disappointed the spectators. As the announcements continued, they finally reached the thirty-eighth place.
[Reward for the 38th place on the Body List: Ancestral Witch Blood Essence]
Essence blood was a rare treasure, difficult to obtain. Once a strong figure died, this substance would dissipate, and to take it from a living being would undoubtedly lead to a life-and-death battle.
But the Body List offered something extraordinary—the Ancestral Witch Blood Essence was exceptionally rare at this time.
While not as difficult to acquire as Pangu's bood essence, it was by no means easily attainable.
During the great war between the witches and demons, eleven of the Twelve Ancestral Witches had perished. Everything that could be taken from the battlefield had long been claimed.
Since then, the Ancestral Witch Blood Essence had practically vanished, unlike Pangu's blood, which drifted into the chaos after the world's creation, hiding in unknown places.
Of course, Houtu could still provide some, but since she had become a saint, no one could take it from her unless she willingly gave it. Official source ıs novel•fire.net
The one advantage of the Ancestral Witch Blood Essence over Pangu's blood was its abundance. Pangu's blood was limited to a single drop, and although its effects were significant, it was extremely scarce.
[Chiyou: The Ancestral Witch Blood Essence is good, and there's quite a lot of it, but it can't compare to that Pangu Blood Essence Bai Ze obtained!]
[Taiyi Zhenren: There's no helping that. Quality trumps quantity by a long shot. With your 38th rank, it's normal that your reward is slightly inferior to Bai Ze's.]
[Bai Ze: You dare compare yourself to me? What do you have to compare with? Even your prized physical body is no match for mine, and in every other aspect, you fall even further behind!]
[Chiyou: Don't be too smug! Once I absorb the Ancestral Witch Blood Essence, my strength will definitely surpass yours!]
[Bai Ze: Hahaha! You're deluding yourself! Even if you absorb the Ancestral Witch Blood Essence, I've got the Pangu Blood Essence. After we've both finished, the gap between us will only widen!]
[Lu Ya: It seems the witch race is just —completely unworthy of comparison with the demon race! Better go back and continue cultivating hard!]
[Ancestor Minghe: The gap between Chiyou and Bai Ze is normal. But why force a comparison? Bai Ze, why not compare yourself to Saint Houtu?]
[Bai Ze: How could I compare with a saint!]
[Chiyou: Just wait. I'll absorb the Ancestral Witch Blood Essence right now and show you who's stronger!]
[Houtu: You're too hasty. The Ancestral Witch Blood Essence isn't meant to be used that way. Direct absorption is the simplest method, but it's also the easiest way to waste it. Even if you manage to absorb all the power, it will still be a complete waste!]
[Chiyou: Why? If I can't use it that way, then how should I absorb it completely without wasting any of its power?]