The radiant halo expanded, pristine and flawless, within which verdant trees shimmered, their branches stretching and leaves unfurling, connecting to the Dao Fruit, bridging the heavens and the earth. It seemed to nurture another epoch, encroaching upon the firmament, enveloping the luminous moon rising within the Vacuum Hometown.
That resolute stance, that unrestrained momentum, were deeply imprinted in the eyes of every Great Divine Power and etched into the hearts of the other Nirvana-level beings.
Within the Bodhi Pure Land, the Daoist Zhunti, who had remained inactive all this time, sat cross-legged and let out a soft sigh. “Another Nirvana-level being unwilling to compromise for the sake of illusory dreams…”
His mind suddenly recalled certain past events—events altered and obscured by history. There was once an ordinary human who endured countless hardships, forged ahead through thorns and brambles, step by step overcoming trials, finally breaking free from the sea of suffering and ascending to Nirvana. Yet, unwilling to compromise for meaningless causes, he found himself besieged on all sides, becoming a Nirvana-level being whose existence was all too brief, ultimately benefiting the Old Mother of No Birth.
Today’s Su Meng bore a striking resemblance to that figure from the past.
They were both beings who had grown from the most insignificant and humble beginnings, fundamentally different from the other Nirvana-level beings—whether it was his own true form, the Ancient Buddha of Bodhi, Amitabha, the Primordial Heavenly Lord, the Heavenly Lord of Virtue, the Heavenly Lord of Numinous Treasure, the Green Emperor, the Golden Mother, the Devil Buddha, the Demon Emperor, or even the former Celestial Emperor, Haotian, Donghuang, Houtu, or the Demon Sage. Most were either born with the Dao or were innate spirits; the weakest among them were at least Legends at birth, while the strongest attained Nirvana the moment they gained consciousness. Even if they experienced the trials of the mortal world during their ascent from the sea of suffering, the mentality ingrained in their bones was often unshakable.
In this regard, the Devil Lord’s experiences bore similarities to those two figures, and his rebellion against the Celestial Court overlapped slightly with theirs.
However, his ultimate fate was also complete annihilation, his body scattered across myriad worlds.
“But Su Meng is even more resolute,” murmured the Daoist Zhunti, his gaze profound as he watched a phantom Dao Fruit emerge from the pristine halo, its purple aura concealing white light, transforming into a blade radiance capable of cleaving heaven and earth.
Whether the Golden Mother had painstakingly schemed for eons to help the Primordial Heavenly Lord’s product of “reducing existence to emptiness” ascend to Nirvana in order to settle the karmic debt of inheriting the Primordial Heavenly Lord’s legacy, or for some other reason, from every perspective, she had played a significant role in Su Meng’s attainment of the Dao.
Had the Golden Mother not displayed her stance earlier, had she not orchestrated the circumstances, the Demon Emperor and the Green Emperor might not have been willing to intervene in Su Meng’s escape from the sea of suffering. Had she not suddenly betrayed and ambushed him at the final moment, the Celestial Emperor—who lurked in the shadows, unwilling to see the Primordial Heavenly Lord approach the Dao Fruit—might have used the Blade of Time to obstruct Su Meng. It could almost be said that while Su Meng’s enlightenment was rooted in himself, over seventy percent of the external factors could be attributed to the Golden Mother.
Thus, his unyielding blade, swung without hesitation toward the Old Mother of No Birth, was not only directed at her but also at himself—a repayment of karma!
With the completion of the Primordial Chaos and the perfection of the Heaven-Cleaving, even if the “Cause of All Effects” remained flawed, Su Meng had already approached the embryonic form of the Dao Fruit. Coupled with the move secretly left behind by the Daoist Venerable through Zhenwu, it was not impossible for him to surpass the other Nirvana-level beings in the future and ultimately seize the Dao Fruit first.
…
The blade radiance erupted, its blinding white light splitting the firmament. Yet, in the face of Meng Qi’s vulgar outburst and his earth-shattering strike, the serene and cold moon showed not the slightest tremor. Only an indifferent female voice calmly retorted:
“Is it worth it?”
Yes, was it worth it?
With this single slash, disregarding the debt of enlightenment, how could Meng Qi, as the “Cause of All Effects,” not know the consequences?
Karma is hard to sever, and debts of gratitude weigh heavily. Not only would it be impossible to attain the Dao Fruit in this epoch—at best reaching the pinnacle of its embryonic form—but even in the next epoch, or the one after, the path would be fraught with unknowns, making transcendence uncertain!
What did this mean?
It meant that this blade was also Meng Qi severing his own path to the Dao, cutting off his future hopes!
Within the pristine halo, Meng Qi’s eyes burned with fierce flames as he locked gazes with the Golden Emperor’s lofty, indifferent eyes.
Didn’t you say that aside from the struggle for the Dao, everything else is but an illusory dream, unworthy of attention?
Fine!
Then I will destroy my own path, directly eliminating a formidable rival in your quest for the Dao Fruit, bolstering your hopes of complete transcendence!
Is this enough? Enough to repay the debt of enlightenment?
What you dismiss as an illusory dream is, to me, something precious beyond measure, not to be manipulated at will by others!
For you, it’s a question of worth. For me, it’s a matter of willingness!
The River of Time suddenly surged violently. This blazing white blade radiance seemed to rise from the chaos of earth, fire, wind, and water, from the clashes between the Six-Heaven Ancestral Dragon and the Celestial Emperor, from the zenith of the Shang Dynasty, from the War of the Gods, from the Journey to the West, from the fall of the Celestial Court, from the destruction of Mount Ling, from every fleeting moment of the past—slashing toward the Jade Pool of the Immortal Realm, toward the Vacuum Hometown, and now toward the Netherworld.
This blade radiance also rose from beside the Golden Emperor seated high upon her throne, from the surroundings of the luminous moon hanging in the sky, from every possible future.
This blade, severing his own path, was also aimed at the cold, manipulative will of heaven, at the Nirvana-level beings who viewed mortals as illusory dreams!
In this life, I refuse to compromise!
Even without the Dao Fruit, I shall reign supreme in this world!
The surroundings of the luminous moon suddenly plunged into darkness, as if condensed into a single point, filled with deathly stillness and calm, capable of devouring all things and assimilating everything.
A thread of blazing white light emerged. The blade radiance severed chaos, split the vacuum, illuminated the darkness, and struck unerringly at the fair, slender finger extending from the moon—unstoppable, cleaving all in its path!
The Four Swords of Slaying Immortals and their formation diagram, embedded in Mount Yuhuang, suddenly flew forth, enveloping the blade radiance and that finger in hues of red, azure, black, and white.
The Heaven-Cleaving Seal was not without its counter. The Lingbao Heavenly Lord’s Dao of Termination was its perfect foil!
Seizing this opportunity, the Heavenly Dao Monster and the Blade of Time within Xuantian Sect flickered, both withdrawing from the battle and vanishing without a trace. The other Nirvana-level beings watched silently, making no move to intervene or mediate.
The Devil Buddha also leveraged the power of the Heavenly Dao Monster to break free from the Demon Emperor’s blockade, escaping with a sigh laden with complex emotions.
An instant later, the crisscrossing red, azure, black, and white of the Slaying Immortals Formation vanished, and the heaven-cleaving blade radiance disappeared as well. That fair, slender finger retracted into the luminous, full moon, a single drop of golden, sacred blood coalescing at its tip before falling heavily.
Midway through its descent, the drop suddenly burst into fierce flames, transforming into intangible shackles that layered upon Meng Qi’s body, as if linked to the ineffable origin of the Dao, weighing him down immeasurably.
Meng Qi did not press the attack. Without so much as a glance at the Golden Emperor, his pristine halo leaped upward, returning to the Jade Void Palace in the infinite heights. The Human Emperor’s Sword, the Overlord’s Absolute Blade, the Three Treasures Scepter, the Yellow Banner of Earth, and Gu Xiaosan all followed, merging into that flawless radiance.
Severing my own path to repay the Golden Emperor—we are not without sentiment!
From this day forth, we are sworn enemies!
Within the Bodhi Pure Land, the Daoist Zhunti looked at the shadowy figure of the Ancient Buddha and chuckled. “The Golden Mother didn’t utter a single conciliatory word earlier, likely waiting for Su Meng’s blade.”
“Su Meng possesses the Tree of the Great Dao. There may yet be changes,” the shadowy figure of the Ancient Buddha replied impassively.
…
At this moment, the twenty-four ancient wells of the Jade Void Palace emitted strange lights.
As the pristine halo flew in, the gates before Meng Qi swung open one after another, their age-old hinges groaning after millennia of silence, all the way to the Jade Pure Hall—as if finally acknowledging Meng Qi’s identity and welcoming their new master!
The halo settled at the head of the Jade Pure Hall, revealing Meng Qi’s figure. Smiling at Guangchengzi, Gao Lan, and the others, the Supreme Primordial Chaos Primordial Commendation Cloud emerged above his head, cascading with streams of profound light, amidst which floated countless golden lamps, billions of golden lotuses, and innumerable jade pendants. Then, with solemn dignity, he proclaimed to the heavens:
“From this day forth, I am the Primordial Heavenly Lord.”
[End of Volume Seven]
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage