Chapter 920: The Myth Reappears

“All dead, all dead…”

Meng Qi and others were about to probe what had happened at Vulture Peak in ancient times through the lingering attachments of the Lord of Dangshan and the white-furred monster’s residual consciousness, when two entirely different creatures surprisingly muttered the same words simultaneously. One was a corpse of a Vulture Peak monk covered in white fur, while the other was a demon on the verge of manifesting its true serpent form. They had completely different perspectives, belonged to opposing factions, and held distinct identities, yet they left behind similar lingering attachments, uttering the same bewildered and terrified words. This was truly hair-raising and enough to make anyone shudder at the thought of what catastrophic change had occurred at Vulture Peak back then.

Had there been a massive battle where countless Buddhas and Bodhisattvas entered Nirvana and mighty sages and demon gods perished? Had the horrifying aura of beings even more powerful than legends swept across Vulture Peak, permanently altering the laws of heaven and earth, leaving both the Lord of Dangshan and the Vulture Peak monks with unforgettable traumatic impressions before their deaths? Or had an unexpected transformation truly occurred, shocking them so deeply that even in their final moments, they couldn’t believe or accept it, leaving their lingering attachments to persist for countless years?

Meng Qi tightly gripped the hilt of his saber with his left hand. His eyes, like a dormant volcano, flickered with a faint light. Suddenly, the lingering attachments of the Lord of Dangshan and the Vulture Peak monk exploded like fireworks, illuminating the sky and forming a series of blurred images.

Their souls had long dissipated, and their inner seas had dried up, so they couldn’t, like the living dead, recall past lives or relive memories of this life to reveal the truth of the battle at Vulture Peak. They could only glimpse a few scenes etched most deeply in their minds through these lingering attachments.

The water curtain shimmered faintly, and radiant light swirled. The Vulture Peak monk’s lingering attachment formed only two scenes: one showed hordes of demons pouring into Vulture Peak, with his gaze fixed on a golden giant monkey wearing golden armor, lotus-threaded boots, and a phoenix-winged purple-gold crown. The monkey casually slung his golden staff over his shoulder, exuding arrogance and majesty. The second scene was what he saw before death: an endless darkness spreading, with countless dark figures writhing and struggling.

The Lord of Dangshan’s lingering attachment formed only one scene: the void shattered like glass, layer after layer, as eerie shadows surged forward like a tide, swallowing everything.

The “fireworks” had faded, their remnants flickering and falling. The lingering attachments of the Lord of Dangshan and the Vulture Peak monk finally dissipated completely.

What they had seen defied their expectations. It wasn’t the image of countless Buddhas entering Nirvana or hordes of demons perishing, but rather a scene of the Nine Hells descending and hell itself being reborn!

“Was there a third party that benefited from the ancient battle at Vulture Peak?” Jiang Zhiwei, with eyebrows as dark as ink yet firm in spirit, voiced her doubts and suspicions.

Meng Qi remained silent for two breaths before speaking slowly: “After the fall of the Celestial Court, the Demon Emperor led his forces to attack Vulture Peak. Prior to that, the Dark Lord had already perished. The remaining evil deities such as Tian Sha Dao Ren from the Nine Hells were not beings of the Nirvana level. It’s unlikely they could have overwhelmed the Demon Emperor to the extent that he couldn’t protect some of his key allies and subordinates…”

Even if Tian Sha Dao Ren had broken through, according to records, he had wielded the Sword of the Nether Sea but was still driven back into the Nine Hells by the Demon Emperor, who lacked the Demon Emperor’s Lance. There had been a significant gap in their power.

“In any case, this is a possibility we can’t rule out. Let’s keep moving and see what unfolds,” Zhao Heng said.

After the lingering attachments faded, the Lord of Dangshan’s body quickly turned into sludge and pus. In this eerie Vulture Peak, a body that should have been impervious to decay had begun to rot.

Meng Qi remained expressionless, his left hand still gripping the saber within its sheath, like a forgotten relic of time. He took a step forward, continuing his journey. Jiang Zhiwei walked beside him, while Zhao Heng and Ruan Yushu followed a few paces behind.

The further they ventured, the more densely the void cracks appeared, slicing through all existence and consuming the essence of Vajra. The available paths for their passage became progressively narrower.

From time to time, a gust of wind would sweep through, eroding flesh and bones and tearing apart the primordial spirit. Emperor Zhao Heng’s imperial robe instinctively emitted faint glimmers of yellow and black light, forming a coiling dragon to protect him. Meanwhile, the immortal robes of Ruan Yushu and Jiang Zhiwei also manifested wondrous phenomena, radiating multicolored light and auspicious mist to ward off the near-triple-samadhi winds.

Meng Qi’s green robe fluttered, his hair blowing in the wind, his face as still as water, his gaze as silent as the night. He showed no golden light, no radiant glow—just an ordinary figure walking forward, as if this were a common breeze.

The path meandered endlessly, long and winding. The four of them walked for an immeasurable time, climbing to unfathomable heights. Along the way, they passed countless zombified Bodhisattvas, Arhats, great demons, and monstrous deities. Though they faced dangers, they emerged unscathed.

As they walked, a Buddhist temple suddenly appeared ahead. Amidst the ruins they had seen along the way, this temple remained largely intact, its glazed tiles and golden bricks reflecting lightning, magnificent and resplendent, like a celestial palace.

At the temple’s entrance, seated in meditation, was a massive figure of dark golden hue!

Meng Qi and Jiang Zhiwei nearly halted their steps the moment they spotted the figure. With a metallic ring, Jiang Zhiwei’s sword let out a dragon-like cry, drawn before her.

The figure resembled an old man, entirely dark golden, with long eyebrows extending beyond his face. He wore a golden kasaya, his hands clasped in a respectful gesture, a faint smile on his lips, as if it contained the ultimate truth of existence and impermanence, evoking an inexplicable sense of enlightenment.

Around the temple, the void bore no cracks. Behind the golden figure, waves of Bodhi flowers bloomed and withered ceaselessly. With each bloom, a pure land and a universe emerged, reflecting the serene smile. When the flowers fell, all things fell silent.

The golden figure sat there as if at the center of countless universes and pure lands.

Flowers bloomed and withered in their own time.

No further thoughts were needed. With just a preliminary perception, Meng Qi was certain this was the preserved corpse of a legendary cultivator. The dark golden figure before them was either a Buddha, a great Bodhisattva, or a great Arhat!

Only when he had used the “Only I Am Supreme” technique had he seen a phantom golden Buddha. Now, was that vision becoming reality?

As Jiang Zhiwei, Ruan Yushu, and Zhao Heng were just beginning to entertain similar thoughts, Meng Qi transmitted his voice: “It’s Venerable Kasyapa…”

Yes, this was Mahakasyapa, the foremost of the Buddha’s ten great disciples!

He was a great Arhat, revered alongside Ananda in the Pure Land of Saha. He was one of the two most likely candidates to inherit the Buddha’s teachings after the Buddha’s passing. The famous anecdote of “The Buddha Holding a Flower, Kasyapa Smiling” was well-known across realms, establishing him as the patriarch of Chan Buddhism and the symbolic root of Shaolin Temple’s lineage. The Dharma Body he attained through the Flower Holding Finger was the Kasyapa Dharma Body.

The attendants on either side of the Buddha statue were either Manjushri and Samantabhadra Bodhisattvas or Mahakasyapa and Ananda, clearly demonstrating their exalted status in the Saha Pure Land, surpassing even numerous Buddhas—much like Avalokiteshvara and Mahasthamaprapta in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss or the Sunlight and Moonlight Bodhisattvas in the Lapis Lazuli Pure Land.

(Note: The translation has been refined with standardized Sanskrit terminology for Buddhist figures (e.g., “Manjushri” instead of “Manjusri,” “Avalokiteshvara” for “Avalokitesvara”) and adjusted phrasing for smoother readability while preserving the original meaning. The term “Pure Land” is capitalized as it refers to specific Buddhist realms. “Saha” is retained as it is a proper name in Buddhist cosmology.)

Based on previous deductions, Meng Qi suspected that both Kasyapa and Ananda had entered the Sea of Bitterness, undergoing profound transformation without attaining Buddhahood.

The hierarchy of various golden bodies primarily referred to their potential limits. For example, the Tathagata Golden Body and the Primordial True Body pointed directly toward the Other Shore, possibly even toward the ultimate fruit of the Dao. The Amitabha Dharma Body, Bodhi Golden Body, Lingbao Dao Body, and Taiji Deity Body were comparable in rank, while the Kasyapa Dharma Body and the Great Compassion Avalokitesvara Golden Body pointed toward legendary realms, perhaps even higher. Ordinary Bodhisattva Golden Bodies could at best reach the Immortal level, and Arhat Golden Bodies only the Earth Immortal stage. To achieve greater breakthroughs, they needed to deeply comprehend the Dharma, elevate their golden bodies, or gradually accumulate small vows into great ones through grand aspirations.

Of course, even at the same Human Immortal level, the Tathagata Golden Body and Arhat Golden Body still had significant differences in spiritual power, techniques, and martial prowess, a disparity rooted in their intrinsic quality.

“Venerable Kasyapa…” Jiang Zhiwei, Ruan Yushu, and Zhao Heng sensed the figure before them, their hearts stirred with awe. This was truly Venerable Kasyapa?

Mahakasyapa?

A figure who had only existed in myths, legends, or Buddhist scriptures was now vividly present before them!

Though they had long known that venturing deep into Vulture Peak might bring such encounters, the reality still felt surreal, as if they had suddenly stepped back into mythological times.

They did not doubt Meng Qi’s identification—not only because of the flowers blooming and withering between universes and pure lands, but also because of Kasyapa’s distinct feature: his hands were clasped, not pressed together in prayer!

It was said that Kasyapa’s former body, having made great offerings to the Buddha, radiated great light that could easily dazzle others’ vision and senses. Thus, he clenched his fists to conceal the radiance, showing compassion while not overshadowing the Buddha. This gesture also symbolized Chan Buddhism’s essence: “Heart to heart, mind transmitted, beyond words, a special transmission outside the teachings.”

Legends of the past now stood before them, and Jiang Zhiwei and the others felt deep reverence. Only Meng Qi remained calm, his expression inscrutable, concealing all emotions.

“Unexpectedly, Venerable Kasyapa also entered Nirvana at Vulture Peak. Back then, perhaps only the Demon Emperor and Ananda escaped…” Zhao Heng sighed involuntarily.

What had truly happened back then?

Moreover, Kasyapa’s Golden Body was the only one along the way that had not been tainted by deathly qi or decayed!

Suddenly, Jiang Zhiwei let out a soft exclamation: “His back!”

Meng Qi looked up, his gaze piercing, yet he naturally “saw” Mahakasyapa’s back. There was a massive palm print squarely pressed into its center, embedded within the dark gold, brimming with the impermanence of all things, seeping into the Golden Body itself, extinguishing all vitality.

This was the fatal wound that had caused Kasyapa’s demise!

Who had delivered this fatal strike?

Just then, two tears suddenly slid from Kasyapa’s faintly smiling eyes!

Transparent as glazed glass, untainted by dust, they bore no resemblance to the bloody tears of zombified Bodhisattvas and Arhats. Instead, they appeared like tears formed millennia ago yet never shed until this moment, finally released by the invasion of foreign energy.

Were they shed for the destruction of the Pure Land and the Nirvana of countless Buddhas, or for himself?

The tears slid down the dark golden face, tracing the massive golden body, finally falling into the dust. Around them, the Bodhi flowers bloomed no more.

Suddenly, Meng Qi sensed extreme danger. Before he could speak, he heard Jiang Zhiwei’s sword emit a clear, resonant chime. Then, he saw Kasyapa’s clasped hands suddenly open.

Great merit, great light, sunlight illuminated the area like a tidal wave engulfing Meng Qi and the others, leaving Meng Qi unable to sense anything else or see beyond himself.

His right hand reached for the saber hilt, as if intending to draw it, but he ultimately restrained himself.

When the light faded, Meng Qi had changed position. Before him was no longer the temple, but a sheer cliff. Jiang Zhiwei, Ruan Yushu, and Zhao Heng were nowhere to be seen.

Had they been separated by the lingering power of a legendary figure?

A thought stirred in Meng Qi’s mind. He turned around, stepping into the void, swiftly weaving through terrifying and dangerous dark void cracks, searching for Jiang Zhiwei and the others while advancing deeper.

Suddenly, a golden Arhat figure appeared, throwing a punch toward Meng Qi. The void trembled as fierce winds howled, forming restraints like a falling meteor.

The fierce wind coiled around Meng Qi, yet it was like clutching at shadows—unable to entangle or restrain him. The punch never bridged the gap.

Meng Qi pressed on swiftly, evading the emerging zombie Arhats, zombie Bodhisattvas, and zombie demon kings and demon gods. Their ambushes always missed him—whether by a hair’s breadth or by sheer fate.

After running for a while, Meng Qi suddenly halted. Ahead stood a massive dark golden figure blocking the way, a faint smile on its lips, stepping on blooming Bodhi flowers, its eyes devoid of life and spirit—the great Arhat Golden Body of Venerable Kasyapa!

The Golden Body of a legendary or even Creation-level cultivator!

Facing this, Meng Qi suddenly sighed.

Indeed, the being deep within Vulture Peak intended to force him to draw his saber prematurely, wasting a decade of painstaking refinement and suffering.