The radiance of the Southern Wasteland surged as the two stars on Qi Zhengyan’s forehead shone brilliantly, illuminating the hues of equality and freedom. Around him, the Demon Saints, having regained much of their strength, gathered under the command of the “Great Freedom Celestial Son” incarnation, forming the ancient Heaven-Assaulting Array. They conjured the deepest and darkest mist, enveloping the sinister and grotesque Demon Emperor’s Claw.
To erode Lu Ya’s imprint within the “Fengshen Bang” and ensure that the isolation of the “Brocade Rivers and Mountains Painting” wouldn’t affect the outcome, Qi Zhengyan took the risk of further awakening the Demon Emperor’s Claw. This, however, placed him in an extremely perilous situation. The gap in strength and level made it nearly impossible for him to suppress the Demon Emperor’s Claw, leaving him vulnerable to corruption at any moment—potentially descending into madness and demonhood. Thus, he had to rely on the power of the “Great Freedom Celestial Son” and the Demon Saints to maintain balance.
This was a treacherous path, yet Qi Zhengyan made his choice without hesitation.
In this life, ideals outweigh life itself—no regrets, even unto death!
The black mist shrouding Zhao Heng’s hands grew increasingly sinister and foul, rapidly seeping into the “Fengshen Bang” and stirring golden-red auroras, tainting them into darkness. It seemed only a matter of moments before he could usurp control of this peerless treasure.
Faced with this, Han Guang instead revealed a faint smile, murmuring to himself, “So this is how it is…”
Back then, with the “Great Freedom Celestial Son” obscuring the truth, the Demon Emperor’s Claw concealing intentions, and the camaraderie forged in the cycle of life and death within the Samsara world, neither he nor Lu Ya had suspected Zhao Heng’s motives for heading to the Southern Wasteland and descending upon Langya. After all, when making a critical decision concerning one’s future and survival, it was common to seek out old friends and reminisce about the past.
However, when plotting grand schemes, how could one not prepare for unforeseen changes?
Though neither he nor Lu Ya had anticipated Zhao Heng’s alliance with Qi Zhengyan to thoroughly disrupt the situation, they had been wary from the start of Zhao Heng betraying them with the “Fengshen Bang” and siding with Gao Lan. This possibility was significant enough to warrant caution—failure to account for it could lead to losing more than gained.
Thus, even without a formal contract—lest opponents like Su Meng, the “Cause of All Effects,” detect their plans prematurely—they had prepared a contingency. If Zhao Heng turned the tables and used the “Fengshen Bang” to appease Gao Lan, he would soon learn the meaning of despair.
The contingency was simple: Zhao Heng, having once entered the Samsara, had his true name, birth date, and even minute details known to Lu Ya. With Su Meng, the “Cause of All Effects,” preoccupied, evading curses was impossible. Hidden in Han Guang’s embrace was a straw effigy of Zhao Heng, crafted by Lu Ya himself, modeled after the “Seven Arrows Book of Nails.” While ineffective against legendary figures, it could easily slay a newly ascended Dharmakaya practitioner.
Now that Zhao Heng had chosen a third path, this contingency could still be employed—though it seemed unnecessary. As long as the deification process proceeded as Han Guang anticipated—hindered from appointing Star Lords and requiring the unlocking of the highest layer of the Nine Heavens to uncover certain secrets—then, regardless of Qi Zhengyan and Zhao Heng’s current strength, even with the Demon Emperor’s Claw and the aid of the “Great Freedom Celestial Son” and the Demon Saints, reclaiming the “Fengshen Bang” from them would be trivial once the grand scheme was settled.
For now, it could remain in their possession. The priority was merging the “Fengshen Bang” with the Fengshen Altar.
Thoughts flashed like lightning through Han Guang’s mind. Appearing composed and at ease, he produced a formation diagram divided into four colors—red, azure, black, and white—imbued with the terror of great slaughter, destruction, and annihilation.
He tossed the “Slaying Immortals Formation Diagram” into the air, instantly linking it to the four immortal swords—Slaughter, Extinction, Trap, and Execution. This time, however, it wasn’t to form a complete sword array but to drag them upward into the infinite heights!
Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!
The four immortal swords trembled violently. The power emanating from Guang Chengzi and others nearly lost control, almost freeing the swords from their grasp. This caused a brief delay and chaos in the red, azure, black, and white sword energies, allowing the Ancient Buddha Dipankara to flick away the Great Wisdom Sword with his pale golden Buddha palm and swat aside the Sky-Overturning Seal, forcibly breaking through the encirclement.
Five fingers, each larger than mountains, rapidly shifted, forming countless hand seals in an instant. They conjured an endless sea of suffering, stirring terrifying waves that pierced through the “Brocade Rivers and Mountains Painting” in an illusory form.
The Ancient Buddha Dipankara abandoned his efforts to block Gao Lan’s self-proclamation as a legend and instead chose to attack the Green Emperor!
If a Nirvana-level being were to appear now, the situation would become dire!
The “Brocade Rivers and Mountains Painting” did not obstruct this ocean of suffering, for it was part of the mortal world and the path of humanity. Similarly, Zhao Heng remained unaffected, as he had always been immersed in the “Sea of Suffering”—no change could alter his state.
But the Green Emperor was different. He was retracing the past and seizing the future, forming a continuous line in the river of time to break free from the Sea of Suffering and ascend to Nirvana. Now, with the “Sea of Suffering” shifting and frenzied waves surging, he had to slow his “steps.” While using the power of the “Heavenly Dao Monster” before him to resist the “Seven Arrows Book of Nails,” he opened his mudra palace, releasing auspicious clouds. Upon the clouds stood a cyan ancient tree resembling the Fusang, its roots spreading and anchoring into the Sea of Suffering, calming its turbulence.
Whether as the Heavenly Lord of Salvation from Suffering or the Medicine Buddha of the East, the Green Emperor was currently relying on his past incarnations to retrace his path, making it difficult to leap to the present and counter Dipankara’s strike.
The waves of suffering ceased their ferocity but did not fully subside. Within the boundless sea of pain, an ancient and weathered glazed lamp suddenly appeared, radiating hues of causality. Its flame illuminated the vast ocean of suffering, seeking to pave a path of transcendence for all beings.
The lamp’s halo transformed into a golden Buddha figure brimming with wisdom. His mind radiated perfect Buddha light, and his voice resonated solemnly:
“The sea of suffering has no bounds; turn back to reach the shore!”
The fourth form of the Tathagata’s Divine Palm—”Turn Back to Shore!”
Buddha light coalesced, merging with the Sea of Suffering like an invisible hand pulling the Green Emperor back!
At that moment, the golden bridge within the Eternal Joy Palace suddenly expanded. Encircled by glimmers of human path radiance around Gao Lan, it pierced through the “Brocade Rivers and Mountains Painting” and arrived beside the Green Emperor.
The golden bridge arched high, with one end in the depths of the Sea of Suffering and the other in the elusive Nirvana. The Green Emperor stood upon it, untouched by waves or pain, as if a mere stroll forward would lead him to ascension.
This was the Nirvana Golden Bridge!
The Green Emperor stepped forward, seeking to return to the present node, connecting past and future!
Meanwhile, outside the Sword Washing Pavilion, the Great Virtue Bodhisattva suddenly clasped his hands and solemnly chanted:
“Namo Amitabha!”
Throughout the real world, all those connected to Buddhism felt moved and joined in the chant:
“Namo Amitabha!”
The chants reverberated across heaven and earth. Within the river of time, the Medicine Buddha seated in the Middle Ages seemed to glimpse the shadow of a colossal golden Buddha, its lips moving as it recited Buddhist scriptures.
Birth, existence, decay, and void—such was the nature of the world. The Medicine Buddha’s cyan glazed form gradually dimmed, as if adhering to the fundamental principles of heaven and earth, sending ripples through the river of time, threatening to sever its continuity.
The Nirvana Golden Bridge extended once more, crossing into the past and arriving before the Medicine Buddha, isolating the ethereal Buddhist chants.
At that moment, the withered and flourishing bodhi tree behind the Medicine Buddha underwent a sudden change—the withered parts rotted, the flourishing parts withered, and all fell into ultimate purity and final nirvana!
The Nirvana Golden Bridge could no longer block all influences. The Medicine Buddha formed hand seals, resisting the remaining encroachments with all his might.
The river of time surged with ripples, emanating from the Medicine Buddha and spreading to the present and past, unsettling everything.
The Green Emperor returned to the present node, seeking to connect all points and short lines within the river of time into a single, continuous line with countless future branches.
Yet, the disturbances at the Medicine Buddha’s end gripped him like a snake seized by its vital spot—unable to break free or achieve unity!
The dark-red chaotic eyes before him faded slightly, replaced by traces of pain. Any further delay would cost him this hard-won opportunity, exacting a heavy price.
Within the Jade Void Palace of Kunlun Mountain, Meng Qi witnessed these scenes, his thoughts racing:
“The Heavenly Lord of Virtue, the Heavenly Lord of Numinous Treasure, Amitabha, the Ancient Buddha of Bodhi, the Demon Emperor, and the Heavenly Dao Monster all seem to have made their moves. Though not acting directly, they’ve employed artifacts or avatars, effectively engaging in a Nirvana-level struggle.”
“The current situation is this: the long-missing Heavenly Lord of Numinous Treasure appears to have merely placed an idle piece, showing no direct involvement beyond using Han Guang and Lu Ya to offset the Green Emperor’s summoned Heavenly Dao Monster power with the ‘Seven Arrows Book of Nails.’ The Demon Emperor confined the Nine Spirits Primordial Sage, severing the Green Emperor’s strongest support without returning. Meanwhile, the Heavenly Lord of Virtue stands alone against Amitabha and the Ancient Buddha of Bodhi, aiding the Green Emperor’s ascension to Nirvana—seeming somewhat isolated…”
“Several other Nirvana-level figures have yet to act. The state of the Phoenix Emperor is uncertain; the Demon Buddha remains suppressed; the Primordial Heavenly Lord’s whereabouts are unknown. Hmm, why hasn’t the Old Mother of No Birth intervened?”
Seeing the Green Emperor struggling to connect the past and likely missing his opportunity, Meng Qi recalled the words he’d left on the Fusang Ancient Tree. Originally, the Green Emperor’s hurdle lay in the future, yet now the issue stemmed from the past incarnation as the Medicine Buddha.
Ah, the Fusang Ancient Tree—the Old Mother of No Birth once sent an envoy there, and the fruit that fell ended up in my hands. The Green Emperor’s ascension opportunity is tied to the Fusang Ancient Tree; their connection runs deep… In a flash of insight, Meng Qi realized, producing the peculiar fruit obtained from the Fusang Ancient Tree.
So this was the move the Golden Emperor had made!
So subtle and seamless!
What would happen if he gave this fruit to the Green Emperor?
Would it be for good or ill?
…
Outside the Eternal Joy Palace, golden lamps extinguished one by one as starlight gathered in the sky, forming a vast sea.
Han Guang shook his head with a smile, his figure gradually fading into nothingness.
Suddenly, Gao Lan’s voice reached his ears, cold and imperious: “Where is your true self?”
The “Demon Master” present was merely a fusion of the Celestial Emperor and Yama avatars—his true self remained hidden!
Han Guang smiled faintly:
“The east wind has arrived; it’s time to reveal the dagger.”
“Only the Green Emperor’s ascension can draw the attention of all Nirvana-level beings, creating opportunities elsewhere.”
“And only the matters of the Fengshen Altar and your self-proclamation as a legend can keep the great powers too preoccupied to interfere.”
His voice lingered as he vanished, leaving behind only a meaningful smile.
…
Deep within Mount Ling.
Han Guang, clad in loose robes, leisurely approached the Five-Fingered Mountain, gazing up at the radiant Seven-Colored Bodhi Tree.
“Lu Ya’s change of stance is puzzling, but it benefits me nonetheless…” Han Guang murmured with a smile. His body transformed, revealing a golden Tathagata form—a fusion of nine Buddhas!
The colossal Tathagata reached out and grasped the Bodhi Tree.
All preparations were complete; the east wind had arrived.
The dagger was unsheathed—time to release the Demon Buddha!
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