For the Other Shore, time and space are no longer distances. When the Demon Buddha extended his right hand, curled four fingers, and pressed his thumb to execute “Abandoning the Saint and Discarding Wisdom,” it had already reached the Jade Void Palace, pressing against the chaotic dark light and the golden lotus suspended before Meng Qi’s brow by the Supreme Ultimate Primordial Auspicious Cloud.
A flash of dark red and pitch-black, and the golden lotus drifted down. Meng Qi, still seemingly affected by the earlier “ambush” by He Mu and Jiu Li, reacted sluggishly. Only when the curtain-like chaotic light before him split apart, and the Demon Buddha’s “Abandoning the Saint and Discarding Wisdom” finger was about to strike his brow, did he finally extend both hands. One hand transformed into the Absolute Blade, purple lightning collapsing endlessly between creation and destruction, while the other hand surged with strange light—purple, white, and gold—manifesting the Three Virtues. One blocked his brow, while the other smashed toward the Demon Buddha’s dark and terrifying form!
Seeing this, the Demon Buddha showed no frustration but instead revealed a cold smile. His body suddenly disintegrated, transforming into countless twisted shadows that struck at Meng Qi from every direction, as if enveloping him entirely.
“Die!”
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! All the collisions occurred simultaneously in an instant, merging into a single sound—the “Dance of Ten Thousand Demons” from the Tathagata’s Reverse Palm!
Golden flowers of merit withered, purple clouds of fortune scattered, and purple lightning and dark thunder exploded like fireworks, illuminating the terrifying dark form of the Demon Buddha and Meng Qi, who sat weakly on the cloud bed.
His light-hand, surging with the Three Treasures, intercepted the Demon Buddha’s many arms holding the human-skin wooden fish. However, the purple lightning divine palm blocking his brow failed to stop the “Abandoning the Saint and Discarding Wisdom” finger, which struck his brow. He could only desperately grip the Demon Buddha’s arm, preventing its finger from advancing further to shatter his true spirit and affect his innate spiritual light.
Even so, the power of “Abandoning the Saint and Discarding Wisdom” surged through him, transforming into a devouring and assimilating red-black reverse swastika, continuously striking into Meng Qi’s Dao body like sharp teeth gnawing at him.
The Demon Buddha sought to devour Meng Qi and achieve perfection!
That finger advanced slowly but with unwavering determination, clearly gaining the upper hand. Meng Qi’s “Limitless,” “Dao Unity,” and “World Creation” seals emerged from various acupoints as divine spirits, but due to his restraints and the earlier influence of the Haotian blood, they were effortlessly dispelled by the ancient Fusang Tree swaying behind the Demon Buddha.
The Demon Buddha’s eyes—one red, one black—revealed madness and ferocity as he exerted his full strength, pressing Meng Qi’s two palms into gradual bending, nearly losing control.
“I completely buried the past, present, and future of the Heavenly Emperor Haotian, leaving only a sliver of vitality and memory. Relying on the legacy of the Eastern Emperor passed down from the Dao Ancestor, I deceived the heavens and crossed the sea, reincarnating through the Primordial Thunder Pool, appearing as if I had truly perished. All this was to escape the fate of the last era of the Primordial Times, to reclaim dominion over heaven and earth, to attain the Dao Fruit—all for this very moment!”
“Once I devour you, achieve perfection, assimilate your realm and divine abilities, and refine the Nine Nethers with the power of the Fusang Tree, when the apocalypse comes, I will be the strongest Other Shore, the key to opening the next era!”
“Moreover, this way, the Three Pure Ones cannot transcend. If they do not aid me, they will sink together, perishing in the final calamity!”
“Billions of years have passed. I am a vengeful ghost who should have died long ago but has lived from the Primordial Times to the present!”
“After scheming for so long, enduring for so long, waiting for so long—who can save you now?”
The “True Calm Tathagata” wore a serene expression, his thumb and middle finger touching as he gently swept forward with pure Buddha light toward the Demon Buddha. However, a burst of pure white light erupted, rejecting all impurities, instantly freezing him in place as he saw a giant mouth with forty Buddha teeth opening to devour him.
Bang!
A pale golden fist suddenly struck, sending the terrifying giant mouth wrapped in pure white light flying. The “Qingyuan Dao Lord” activated the Eight-Nine Arcane Art, manifesting the Dharma Body to resist the Supreme True Buddha. Yet before the “True Calm Tathagata,” another chaotic, dark-red giant hand appeared, blocking his “Salvation for All” palm.
The original Fusang Tree domain crumbled inch by inch, merging with the demonic energy-corrupted Immortal Realm beyond the seas. The Green Emperor sat cross-legged, resisting the backlash from his origin, slowly extracting them, with no time to spare.
Eons ago, during the creation of heaven and earth, the Moral Heavenly Venerable and Amitabha were locked in fierce combat. Beyond the real world, the Heavenly Emperor, at the cost of the premature withering of the World Tree, combined with the Blade of Time, struggled to prevent the Primordial Heavenly Venerable from returning from the Journey to the West world. The Scroll of Mountains and Rivers, suppressed by the Human Emperor Sword and the Demon Saint Spear, swayed and bound the Investiture of the Gods world.
Within the Vacuum Hometown, a bright, full moon hung high, casting cold light. Two indifferent gazes peered out, silently watching the Demon Buddha slowly devour Meng Qi, not intervening but seemingly ready to thwart any attempt to rescue him.
In the Bodhi Pure Land, the Bodhisattva Zhunti, the Xuanming Ghost Emperor, and the Black Heavenly Emperor formed an array, attempting to entangle the Ancient Bodhi Buddha with their continued existence.
The Ancient Bodhi Buddha’s golden body remained pure, unmoving, as if he had accepted reality, calmly observing the life-and-death struggle in the Jade Void Palace.
Suddenly, he smiled faintly at Zhunti and spoke elegantly: “The Demon Buddha is treacherous, with countless hidden schemes. Cooperating with him, how could I not take precautions?”
“What?” Zhunti blurted out, suddenly sensing something amiss.
The Ancient Bodhi Buddha chuckled. “After perfecting the Three Corpses, it was always the plan to let you become independent, bearing my name and karma. This is my unique path of ‘Reducing and Seeking Emptiness.'”
“This was never meant to be easy. I prepared for an era, barely touching the threshold, planning to attempt it during the final calamity. Who knew I would encounter the fall of Fengdu? Now, I must thank the Demon Buddha for effortlessly completing it for me. Perhaps there’s still a chance to reap further benefits.”
Watching the expressions of Zhunti, the Xuanming Ghost Emperor, and the Black Heavenly Emperor shift instantly, he continued leisurely: “As for now, why should I save the key to the Primordial, Numinous Treasure, and Moral Heavenly Venerables’ attainment of the Dao Fruit, aiding their transcendence?”
Gu Xiaosang consolidated the future, merging it into the present node. Then, lights rose from numerous points in the past—imprints left by Meng Qi when he took her back through time—forming supports to guide her path.
Her figure emerged, traveling upstream against time. Gu Xiaosang completely severed her awareness of external events, knowing the only way to help was to quickly free herself from the sea of suffering and ascend to the Other Shore!
The Seven-Kill Daoist restrained He Mu and Jiu Li. Seeing the Demon Buddha gaining the upper hand, continuously devouring and digesting their sect’s Heavenly Venerable, fear surged in his heart, urging him to flee this world and survive.
Just as he was about to escape, a thought struck him:
“In the past, retreat was possible. But if I retreat now, will there be any path left?”
“If the Demon Buddha devours and assimilates the Heavenly Venerable, not only will he achieve perfection, but he will also advance immeasurably. After all, his previous dominance was weakened by the Heavenly Venerable’s rise. Where could I flee then? Where could I hide? Which Other Shore would dare offend the Demon Buddha, who holds the key to the next era, without involving the struggle for the Dao Fruit?”
“This time, there is no retreat!”
With this realization, the Seven-Kill Daoist’s killing intent surged like a tidal wave. His body transformed into a black streak, merging with the Nether Sea Sword.
“It’s either your death or mine!” The sword light unfurled, unprecedented and unparalleled, slicing through time and space toward the Demon Buddha.
The Fusang Tree behind the Demon Buddha suddenly swayed, sprouting pure light that blocked the Nether Sea Sword’s strike.
Silently, the sword light dissipated, and only a single leaf fell from the Fusang Tree. The Seven-Kill Daoist’s face turned as pale as snow, his eyes filled with despair. His full-power strike couldn’t even breach the Demon Buddha’s defense.
The Demon Buddha laughed maniacally, his finger pressing another inch into Meng Qi’s brow, absorbing and devouring even more fiercely:
“The Fusang Tree is the key to opening the next era, a treasure nearing the Dao Fruit, painstakingly refined by the Dao Ancestor of old. After absorbing the essence of the previous era’s destruction, without being a true Other Shore, even divine weapons of the same level cannot break its defense—far surpassing your still-growing Great Dao Tree. The Green Emperor attempted to refine it for years without success!”
“Pseudo-Other Shores cannot, Other Shore-level divine weapons cannot—which Other Shore will come to save you?”
The Demon Buddha appeared utterly deranged, his demonic nature fully exposed. The Wheel of Samsara Seal flew out before him, twisting time and altering fate to accelerate his absorption of Meng Qi.
The Great Sage Equaling Heaven Sun Wukong and other Creation Perfection experts wielding Other Shore-level divine weapons like the Blazing Fire Flag attacked from afar, but none could overcome the Fusang Tree.
The Demon Buddha’s mad laughter shook their minds and clouded their senses, but he paid them no heed, his eyes filled only with madness and the ecstasy of nearing perfection, fixed on Meng Qi, eager to witness his final demise.
“To deceive the Other Shores, I not only laid false trails—making people think Haotian reincarnated as the Green Emperor, that the Eastern Emperor was the one clinging to life—but also performed acts bordering on self-mutilation of the soul!”
“Today is the day to reap the rewards!”
At that moment, he suddenly felt the finger pressing Meng Qi’s brow halt, and the wrist gripped by the purple lightning divine palm seemed trapped, as if sealed!
Meng Qi, who had remained calm throughout, looked at the Demon Buddha and smiled faintly. “What if I already knew? Already knew you were the Heavenly Emperor Haotian?”
“What?” The Demon Buddha’s eyes narrowed, madness fading as wisdom emerged.
The Supreme Ultimate Primordial Auspicious Cloud above Meng Qi’s head regained its radiance. An extra arm appeared before him, its fist opening to reveal the Haotian blood light from He Mu and Jiu Li’s earlier ambush.
The blood light turned to ashes, scattering bit by bit, as the smile in Meng Qi’s eyes deepened.
“Long ago, the fox Qinghu secretly passed me a message: ‘The Demon Saint was born at the dawn of heaven and earth, surviving multiple eras without perishing, witnessing countless events, indifferent to time, her mental cultivation no less than the Buddha’s. How could she suddenly fall for Ananda in the late ancient times?’ Later, learning Ananda was the Buddhist incarnation of the Thunder God, I thought both were innate spirits and Creation-level beings, a plausible match.”
“But the true focus of those words was ‘surviving multiple eras.’ Without similar experience, how could a great supernatural being like the Demon Saint take interest? They wouldn’t even be on the same level!”
“Lu Ya’s betrayal of the Primordial Teacher made me suspicious.”
“Discovering the Thunder God’s past deeds deepened my doubts. How could the Demon Saint fancy you?”
“Only the Heavenly Emperor Haotian, who dominated the Primordial Era, made the Eastern Emperor’s ascent to the Other Shore arduous, nearly prevented the Dao Ancestor from attaining the Dao Fruit, subjugated the demon race, and left Jiu Feng yearning for resurrection even in death, could qualify!”
“Of course, later realizations about your identity as Haotian were aided by others.”
“As for why I feigned weakness, appearing so vulnerable—it was to lure you into the state of devouring and assimilation, where I could restrain you, leaving you no escape!”
The moment he saw the blood light turning to ashes, the Demon Buddha sensed extreme danger. Yet Meng Qi, with one hand wielding Limitless, another Dao Unity, another purple lightning, and another the Three Treasures, trapped him firmly!
A wisp of formless flame appeared. The Demon Buddha felt the Fusang Tree pushed aside as something sharp pierced his demonic armor, penetrating deep inside.
He sensed it—a Phoenix-Wing Black Gold Spear extended from the Demon Saint Hall, traversing layers of time and space to strike him!
This strike, neither the Golden Emperor nor the Ancient Bodhi Buddha could react in time!
The Scroll of Mountains and Rivers and the Human Emperor Sword had long returned, circling the Demon Saint Hall.
“Did the Demon Saint abandon blocking the Numinous Treasure Heavenly Venerable? Does she not fear the situation reversing, the Three Pure Ones attaining transcendence?” The Demon Buddha’s body writhed and contracted, resisting the scorching formless flames.
Within the Demon Saint Hall, the layered curtains suddenly parted. The Demon Saint, unseen for ages, stepped forth—her beauty indescribable, her aura strangely tinged with remnants utterly unlike her own!
Holding the Phoenix-Wing Black Gold Spear, her eyes burned with hatred as she coldly declared: “I abandoned myself, willingly replacing the Demon Saint as her ‘Reducing and Seeking Emptiness’ product, inheriting her imprints, past, and future—all for this day!”
The Demon Buddha’s face twisted in shock. “Feng Xi!”
The Demon Saint Feng Xi!
“To the heartless and faithless—death!”
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