The fruit was dark in hue, slightly translucent, mirroring its surroundings—images of the future’s many diverging streams: the transcendent Green Emperor, the golden-blue Medicine King Buddha, Taiyi Heavenly Venerable crowned with a bamboo ascension hat, Pure Yangzi, and the East Sun God. The Green Emperor, from past to present and present to future, seemed condensed into this single fruit.
As it neared the “Broidered River Mountain Painting” enveloping the Sealed Heaven Platform, it resonated faintly with the ancient greenwood tree atop the Green Emperor’s head, above the auspicious clouds—a resonance that pierced through time.
Buzz, buzz, buzz!
The fruit trembled violently, growing illusory, and in an instant, it penetrated the “Broidered River Mountain Painting,” descending into the current node of the illusory river, landing upon the auspicious cloud-covered greenwood.
Splash!
The entire river of time surged with towering waves, like a great serpent arching its back, freezing the surrounding space-time into monochrome stagnation. The fruit suddenly shattered, transforming into countless tiny mirrors reflecting the myriad realms of existence, revealing past and future—like the Haotian Mirror, or the Donghuang Bell!
The shards of mirrors scattered, merging into the vibrant greenwood tree, hanging from its branches and forming fruits that seemed like condensations of the Great Dao itself.
All this happened in an instant. Then, the greenwood tree, now laden with eerie fruits, flew out from the auspicious clouds, plunging into the river of time and flowing upstream, traversing the recent past to arrive beside the Medicine King Buddha.
The river calmed immediately, flowing silently, unchanging through eternity. The withered Bodhi tree behind the Medicine King Buddha, infused with the greenwood’s vitality, sprouted fresh green leaves, fully connecting with the present.
The greenwood tree continued its journey back, passing Pure Yangzi, the East Sun God, and Taiyi the Savior from Suffering, arriving beside the Green Emperor during the era of the Five Ancient Emperors. Wherever it passed, the ripples of time vanished, the turbulence subsided, and the once-raging river grew serene and ancient.
The greenwood pressed onward, upstream from the Green Emperor at his zenith, passing through versions of Him who were merely outstanding among the Creators, through Him who had obtained remnants of the Primordial Haotian Mirror, through Him who had been born with the strength of an early-stage Creator. Scene after scene receded, and the “Green Emperor” regressed into a green fruit brimming with Wood-element power and vitality. The fruit ascended from the ground, hanging from a branch, shrinking gradually until it returned to its origin.
And that origin was none other than the ancient Fusang tree!
Rooted in the blood of the Heavenly Emperor Haotian and Donghuang Taiyi, nourished by the fragments of past epochs, and fused with the vitality and Wood-element of the current epoch’s inception, it had “given birth” to the Green Emperor—a primordial deity wielding partial authority over the Great Dao!
Here lay the beginning, the turning point, the proof of the Dao!
This ancient Fusang tree exuded an aura of establishing a new epoch and reshaping the myriad realms, strikingly similar to Meng Qi’s “Tree of the Great Dao.” No wonder the Green Emperor had once mistaken it for the Fusang tree, awakening fragments of his past and gaining some clarity about his identity.
Returning to the dawn of the epoch, the river of time settled completely. Freed from the influence of the “Withered-Flourishing Bodhi” and the chants of “Amitabha,” the Medicine King Buddha leaped out of the illusory river into the chaotic void, sitting cross-legged and proclaiming grandly:
“I am the Green Emperor.”
“I am Taihao.”
Taiyi the Savior from Suffering followed, emerging from the river of time, alongside Pure Yangzi, the East Sun God, and countless other figures, all chanting in unison: “I am the Green Emperor.”
“I am Taihao.”
The Green Emperor’s figure rose gracefully, drawing in these past incarnations and future projections from diverging streams. Layer upon layer, they condensed and merged into his ethereal form.
The world plunged into darkness, devoid of light or shadow, bereft of all perception—even the flow of time seemed to halt. The Great Dao descended, subjecting the Green Emperor to its final “trial,” though Meng Qi could not experience this.
The first type of Other Shore phenomenon: “Primordial Chaos of Heaven and Earth!”
Then, a green light erupted, illuminating the cosmos, bathing every corner of the myriad realms in a soft glow—save for the highest layer of the Nine Heavens and the deepest abyss of the Nine Nethers.
The second type of Other Shore phenomenon: “Illuminating the Ten Directions!”
The deeper one’s foundation, the farther the light reached.
The glow shifted, transforming into countless ancient greenwood trees bearing dark, faintly green fruits, each seemingly containing time and space within.
Vitality radiated, and the “Emperor’s Nectar” showered down. Across the real world, life flourished, with many experiencing rejuvenation. Countless spirits and demons gained sentience, and countless humans saw their talents enhanced.
The third type of Other Shore phenomenon: “Manifestation of the Great Dao!”
This phenomenon took form from the Great Dao one had mastered and partially “fruited,” numbering twelve thousand nine hundred and six in total. Examples included “All Buddhas Pay Homage,” “Dreamlike Bubbles,” “Five Virtues Form the Phoenix,” “The Cycle of Ages,” “Immortals in Congregation,” “The Universe as a Book,” “Lingbao Wielding the Sword,” and “Daode Riding the Ox.”
Not all had been realized, as few across epochs had reached the Other Shore. Most were projections by supreme beings of the Other Shore, yet their existence was certain. Moreover, two or even three such phenomena could appear simultaneously!
The Green Emperor, rooted in Wood and vitality, blended with the Dao of the Haotian Mirror and the Donghuang Bell, thus manifesting the phenomenon of “Rejuvenating Greenwood!”
As the third phenomenon emerged, the chants of “Amitabha” faded. The Withered-Flourishing Bodhi in the Eastern Pure Land of Lapis Lazuli returned to normal, exuding an aura of purity. The Golden Bridge of the Other Shore retracted, becoming the Taiji Scroll, landing in the hands of the Golden Horned Boy. The Great Sages withdrew their Five-Colored Divine Light and swiftly fled the realm, leaving Nezha gnashing his teeth in frustration.
The Bull Demon King shook the “Painting of Rivers and Mountains,” ejecting the Nine Spirits Sage, then vanished without a backward glance, denying the nine-headed lion any chance for revenge. Yuan Hong retracted his iron staff, sinking into the vicinity of the Green Locus Sword, hiding within the eerie blood and causing the Golden Turtle Island to disappear once more.
The Array of the Slaying Immortals trembled in place before vanishing abruptly. The four immortal swords, the Sword of Great Wisdom, and the Heaven-Overturning Seal all flew beyond the heavens. The Sea of Suffering conjured by the Ancient Lamp Buddha dissolved into illusion, and the golden Buddha’s palm likewise disappeared. The Demon Lord faded into the realm of mind and spirit, evading perception…
The tide had turned. No attempt to reverse the past could stop the Green Emperor now. All opposing forces withdrew in tacit agreement, retreating to their domains lest they become sacrifices to the newly ascended Other Shore.
Meanwhile, Zhao Heng’s face twisted with exertion as he struggled against the King of Yanluo for control over the Sealed Heaven Platform, the Register of Gods, and the Chart of True Spirits.
Amidst the verdant trees filling the sky, the Nine Heavens and the Nine Nethers were on the verge of manifesting through “resonance,” each revealing their unique traits.
Meng Qi’s heart stirred. Setting aside the Three Treasures Scepter he had condensed, he activated the Cause of All Effects, striving to grasp traces of the third layer of the Nine Heavens to enter the gray stone hall and ascend to the highest level.
At that moment, the pure aura emanating from the Withered-Flourishing Bodhi behind the Medicine King Buddha coalesced into a branch of the Bodhi tree, inlaid with the Seven Buddhist Treasures. Though illusory, it shimmered with radiance. With a gentle sweep, it brushed the Register of Gods and the Chart of True Spirits off the Sealed Heaven Platform!
Hum!
Amid the tremors, the Nine Heavens and the Nine Nethers vanished abruptly. The Register of Gods fell into Zhao Heng’s arms, while the Chart of True Spirits returned to the underworld. A serene voice echoed in their ears:
“The time is not yet ripe.”
The will of heaven was inscrutable. On the brink of success, both Yanluo and Zhao Heng couldn’t help but feel disheartened. But Zhao Heng dared not delay. Seizing the moment while Gao Lan stabilized his realm and Shaoxuan and Xi’e were distracted by the “Rejuvenating Greenwood,” he fled with the aid of the Demon Emperor’s Claw.
As the greenwood disappeared, a shrunken illusory river materialized in midair, encircling the Green Emperor—slightly distinct from the previous River of Time and Fate.
This was the anchor for an Other Shore being to traverse time and claim the future—the river of time of one’s own real world had finally taken form!
The fourth type of Other Shore phenomenon: “Time Encircling the Body,” a sight all could witness.
…
Upon witnessing the Three Treasures Scepter and hearing the titles of Holy Buddha and Primordial Heavenly Venerable, Han Guang suddenly detected fluctuations in the local temporal current before being swallowed by the primordial chaos.
“The Green Emperor is about to prove his Dao?” Han Guang’s eyes sharpened as he regained clarity. Without hesitation, he took the “Wondrous Bodhi Tree” and departed swiftly.
A missed opportunity would not return!
Now, he could only accept defeat gracefully. Further resistance would mean death at the Green Emperor’s hands. Moreover, without the Wondrous Bodhi Tree, the Demon Buddha could still exert influence through the Three Treasures Scepter, stirring trouble anew.
Yet, why had the Three Treasures Scepter been beneath the Wondrous Bodhi Tree, not above it?
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