Chapter 190: The Appearance of Nuwa, Sun Wukong's Question!
The appearance of Houtu in the Three Realms caused only a slight ripple. Due to her restrictions, she couldn't leave the Six Paths of Reincarnation, so most powerful beings paid little attention.
Although Houtu was a saint, the pressure she exerted didn't match what a saint should command. If she could freely leave the Six Paths of Reincarnation, the Three Realms would likely be in chaos by now. Moreover, the Wu Clan had long been weakened, and no great power in the Three Realms worried that they could stir up much trouble.
The rankings continued to appear in order.
[8th Place on the Body List: Nuwa]
[Erlang Shen: Nuwa Saint ranked only eighth—isn't that a bit too low?]
[Taiyi Zhenren: This is just the body ranking, not a true strength ranking. Though Nuwa Saint is powerful, her physical body might not surpass the other saints.]
[Bai Ze: It seems the strong ones appearing next are all likely at the saint level!]
[Sun Wukong: Seems like I don't know anyone in the upcoming rankings!]
[Ancestor Minghe: You fool! It's one thing not to know the other saints, but to claim you don't know Nuwa Saint? Have you forgotten your origins?]
[Erlang Shen: Hahaha, this monkey has long forgotten his own background!]
[Chiyou: Not knowing your own origins—Sun Wukong, you truly are one of a kind in this world!]
[Sun Wukong: What's my connection to Nuwa Saint? Tell me quickly!]
[Taiyi Zhenren: Do you remember that you were born from a stone?]
[Sun Wukong: Of course, I remember. I am one of the Four Great Spirit Monkeys, born from the essence of heaven and earth! But what does that have to do with Nuwa Saint?]
[Ancestor Minghe: The stone you were born from was left behind after Nuwa Saint mended the heavens. If she had used more of it, you wouldn't exist today!]
[Sun Wukong: So that's why! No wonder her name felt strangely familiar!]
[Xiangliu: Seems like the ones ranked higher all appeared from the time when chaos first began.]
[Erlang Shen: Since Nuwa Saint has appeared, it's likely that the upcoming rankings are all saints. There's no body beneath the saint level that can surpass theirs.]
After Nuwa's ranking faded, a figure appeared.
The figure was shrouded in merit and fate, so majestic that people dared not look directly. The silhouette on the Body List wasn't clearly visible due to the overwhelming merit surrounding Nuwa, but one could vaguely discern her appearance.
Unlike Fuxi, no scenes appeared around Nuwa, nor was there any other aura. Clearly, Nuwa Saint was alone, but no one dared to question her strength.
After creating humanity, Nuwa's fate became tied with the Human Clan. Now, with the prosperity of the Human Clan, Nuwa Saint had grown even more powerful.
[Sun Wukong: This ranking is too slow! I'm getting impatient!]
For all the powerful beings in the Three Realms, this was a chance to reevaluate their perceptions. Before truly fighting, they had no way to determine who was stronger. But with this ranking based solely on physical bodies, they could distinguish their strengths.
[7th Place on the Body List: Zhunti]
[Manjushri Bodhisattva: Who just said the Western Paradise lacks powerful figures? Zhunti ranks seventh—one of the rare physical powerhouses in the Three Realms!]
[Chiyou: What's so impressive? If the Twelve Ancestral Wu were still around, someone would surely surpass you all!]
[Samantabhadra Bodhisattva: But there are no longer Twelve Ancestral Wu, so saying more won't help!]
[Tathagata: Chiyou, I see misfortune clinging to you. You don't have long to live. But I see that you are fated to connect with the Western world. Why not join Buddhism and become my disciple? I will ensure your safety!]
[Chiyou: Who do you think you are? Become your disciple? I'd rather die!]
[Guangchengzi: Tathagata, you were once a disciple of Daoism. Now that you keep recruiting people to Buddhism, it seems you've entirely forgotten your roots!]
[Tathagata: Buddhism suits me better. I'm already a Buddha, leading Buddhism. If you wish to join, Guangchengzi, I can leave a Buddha position open for you.]
Then, the silhouette of Zhunti appeared before those watching the Body List.
The surrounding scene was serene, with music filling the air, smoke swirling, and a treasure tower made of glass, agate, and other precious materials—mirroring the treasures on Zhunti's body.
Zhunti sat upright at the center, his many hands holding various treasures. Even though people were merely watching, they could feel an overwhelming aura emanating from him. This was expected, as Zhunti resided in the Western world, and another powerful aura nearby clearly belonged to another Buddhist great—Jieyin Buddha.
Since they were close, those observing could faintly sense the aura of this second figure in Zhunti's silhouette.
As they speculated about who this aura belonged to, the sixth ranking was revealed, unsurprisingly.
[6th Place on the Body List: Jieyin Buddha]
[Guanyin Bodhisattva: Two saints from the Western Paradise are ranked high, which shows how powerful our Western world is!]
[Guangchengzi: What's the rush? The Daoist Three Purities haven't even appeared yet. Zhunti and Jieyin may rank now, but they're still beneath them!]
[Erlang Shen: The current rankings just show their relative positions. The last ones to appear will be the strongest!]
[Sun Wukong: I'm doomed! Buddhism has such strong figures. It seems my plan to take revenge on Tathagata is shattered!]
[Erlang Shen: What nonsense! You couldn't even escape Five Elements Mountain, and you want revenge on Tathagata? Even if you teamed up with nine more of yourself, you couldn't match him, let alone the other greats of Buddhism!]
[Manjushri Bodhisattva: Say what you will, but Buddhism is undeniably powerful!]
The silhouette of Jieyin Buddha appeared on the Body List, identical to Zhunti's previous position. Clearly, the aura sensed earlier was his.
Then the fifth ranking appeared.
[5th Place on the Body List: Yuanshi Tianzun]
[Guangchengzi: As expected! Though Zhunti and Jieyin's bodies are strong, they can't compare to the leader of Chan Sect, Yuanshi Tianzun!]
[Samantabhadra Bodhisattva: The Body List is about physical strength, which doesn't fully reflect power. It doesn't mean they're stronger than our two Buddhist saints!]