Golden hoops of the golden hoop rod bloomed and faded continuously with azure lotuses, while streaks of thunder flashed and vanished, leaving ever-changing shadows and lights on the Demon Buddha’s face.
His right palm paused above Meng Qi’s forehead. Those eyes, filled with sinister depth, rippled slightly. Beneath his dark-gold kasaya, his seemingly ordinary form stirred with something unraveling, exuding a ferocity rivaling the nearby golden hoop rod.
“How did you figure it out?” the Demon Buddha paused and asked, his voice still indifferent and enduring.
Meng Qi’s eyes seemed to conceal sealed years. He gazed at the Demon Buddha and sighed, “Only after discovering the truth of the Jiangdong Wang Clan surviving the Demon Buddha’s calamity in Ananda’s Pure Land did I barely guess it.”
“Xiang Yu was clearly a fish of the Thunder God. Among so many hidden great cultivators, why was Anan the main force in ambushing Xiang Yu, leading the Sages to see through it and come knocking? Why would you and the Thunder God be so close that you’d risk everything for each other? Moreover, Xiang Yu had also entered Anan’s Pure Land searching for something, and his mark prevented me from comprehending the Divine Xiao Nine Annihilations. I was always puzzled until I finally understood—if Anan equals the Thunder God, everything becomes clear and simple.”
“The Thunder God, limited by his primordial divine body, couldn’t break through further, so he imitated the Green Emperor and severed a Buddhist body—Anan. Then, using the method of reincarnation, he sought a path to transcendence, but bound by attachments, he couldn’t escape the sea of suffering, gradually sinking deeper, his mark weakening.”
“Eventually, you turned your attention back to the Thunder God’s original form, intending to raise a fish for him, then fuse the Thunder Fish with Anan’s body, merging the original form with the Buddhist body to break through the barrier. Unfortunately, Xiang Yu, who dominated the world, was a fish that slipped out of control, leading you to secretly scheme, contacting other great cultivators, using the ancient Sages as pawns to surround and kill Xiang Yu before he could grow stronger and turn against you.”
“After this failure, you finally gave up and surrendered to your obsession. If you couldn’t live by going with the flow, you’d rebel and become a demon.”
Anan, the Demon Buddha, or rather, the Master of the Six Realms, had already stilled the ripples in his eyes, silently listening to Meng Qi’s analysis. At the end, he faintly smiled: “Your deduction is quite accurate, almost spot-on. But for him, knowing it was too late. By now, it’s merely satisfying curiosity.”
His right hand pressed against Meng Qi’s forehead, his form becoming illusory again, attempting to merge into Meng Qi’s soul, fusing the two.
Meng Qi neither resisted nor could he. Watching helplessly, he gave a faint self-mocking smile: “Concerning transcendence, the Sages hadn’t yet reached the legendary realm. Relying solely on the Luo Shu chart, it was impossible to deduce that the key to the calamity was the ‘Demon Buddha,’ a yet-to-emerge great cultivator. At best, they could predict a calamity related to Anan. Therefore, his complete words back then should have been, ‘I wonder whether to address you as Venerable Anan or the Nine Heavens Thunder God.’ The only things he deduced and verified were the calamity’s connection to you and that Anan was the Thunder God.”
“Moreover, the Thunder God was born from the ancient Thunder Pool, often called the Ancient Thunder God, existing since the beginning of antiquity, familiar with the Demoness Saint for many years, roughly equal in status and strength. It’s strange she fell for Anan, but not surprising she had a relationship with the Thunder God.”
No wonder the Demoness Saint’s disciple said the Demoness couldn’t possibly love Anan—that was a hint that Anan had another identity before becoming this persona!
Meng Qi’s strength seemed drained, his senses fading, vision blurring, sounds distant as if from beyond the sky.
At that moment, he vaguely saw behind the towering golden hoop rod a ten-thousand-foot golden giant monkey phantom. It wore a phoenix-winged purple crown, golden chainmail armor, and cloud-walking boots made of lotus silk. Standing straight, refusing to kneel, it had blood-tears flowing from its eyes. Its roar echoed while a faint whisper seemed to precede it:
“Teacher…”
The tone was complex, whether sorrowful or hateful, indistinguishable.
Meng Qi’s senses vanished entirely, no longer seeing the outside world. His soul stood atop a mountain peak on the sea of his mind, an endless sea glowing with golden scales beneath his feet.
He stood atop the central mountain of the sea of his mind, overlooking everything, the ruler of this sea. At this moment, a figure appeared before him, identical to himself—Demon Buddha Anan! Master of the Six Realms! The former second-in-command of Heaven, the Nine Heavens Thunder God!
Each illustrious title described him. He wore a dark-gold kasaya, his eyes indifferent, his aura serene, yet a faint shadow manifested—a colossal black body filling the sky above the sea of his mind. It had nine heads and twenty-six faces, each expression different—anger, hatred, cruelty—showcasing various negative emotions.
This form stood on black lotuses, with twenty-four arms holding bone prayer beads, human-skin wooden fish, pitch-black flames, terrifying chaos, etc. Its entire form lacked proportion, asymmetrical, embodying ultimate chaos and madness, like the embodiment of worldly terror, destruction, despair, and insanity.
The most noticeable mark of this phantom was the red-black inverted Swastika on its forehead—the Demon Buddha body Anan transformed into.
—The true Demon Buddha body was still sealed under the Five-Finger Mountain and Bodhi Branches.
The sea of his mind rippled, golden lights flickering, Meng Qi stood firm on the peak, meeting the Demon Buddha Anan’s gaze, eyes devoid of resistance, only sighing:
“No wonder the residual energy of the Nine Heavens Thunder Spear recognized me as Anan’s disciple, helping me become the Thunder God’s successor again…”
“No wonder when the Demon Lord saw me, he sighed softly, ‘You came too late…’ His inheritance was obtained early by Elder Brother Qi—why would he feel ‘You came too late’ if he didn’t owe me anything? Now I understand, it was his pact with the Thunder God. This sentence wasn’t just for me but also for the Thunder God.”
Meng Qi looked into Anan’s eyes and spoke: “You came too late!”
The Demon Buddha Anan, the Nine Heavens Thunder God, shook his head and smiled: “Indeed, I was late.”
Meng Qi gazed for a few breaths, then sighed suddenly: “No wonder even after the Demon Lord was killed by the Jade Emperor, the Thunder God still struck with the Nine Heavens Thunder Spear, pinning the Demon Lord in the Demon Grave…”
“Back then, when the Demon Lord attacked Heaven, you were likely one of the key figures…”
“Heaven fell, yet the Thunder God survived. You probably played a sinister role. When Marshal Tianpeng died, his shock and disbelief were because he never expected the Thunder God—the old comrade he’d known for countless millennia, his actual superior, the one least likely to betray Heaven—would suddenly kill him. Moreover, you casually killed Gao Cuilan in the carriage, unable to destroy Tianpeng’s body immediately, misleading others into believing Gao Cuilan was the murderer, leading to other conspiracies.”
The Demon Buddha Anan listened silently, neither confirming nor denying, seemingly reminiscing about his glorious past.
“No wonder Zhenwu’s evil aspect recognized you, never expecting you’d have taken that crucial step and transcended.” Meng Qi spoke at length, as if savoring his final moments.
“The whereabouts of Zhenwu remain unknown, his disappearance worries me.” The Demon Buddha Anan admitted calmly.
Meng Qi glanced around, seemingly surveying the Sacred Mountain: “In the ancient battle of Sacred Mountain, when all the Buddhas perished and Bodhisattvas and Arhats turned into zombies, only the Demoness Saint escaped—surely your doing.”
Recalling the peak scene earlier, he boldly guessed: “The Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Arhats of Sacred Mountain formed the Great Buddha Formation to resist the Demoness Saint and the Great Sages, even many Buddhas from other Pure Lands joined. But at the critical moment, you—the core of the formation—betrayed Sacred Mountain, yet didn’t aid the prearranged Demoness Saint. After assassinating the core figure, Kashyapa, you altered the formation, transforming it into death, turning Buddhist law into demonic intent, turning Sacred Mountain and the entire Saha Pure Land into a hellish abyss, dragging countless Buddhas and Bodhisattvas into endless darkness, thus annihilating the Demoness Saint and the Great Sages together.”
“Pity… pity…” The Demon Buddha Anan didn’t deny it, seemingly regretting the incomplete success, without elaborating further.
“What about the Great Sage Equaling Heaven? Did he perish at Sacred Mountain?” Meng Qi asked.
The Demon Buddha Anan chuckled: “The monkey and Yang Jian were the most promising candidates of this generation to transcend. After the Jade Emperor was weakened by the Demon Lord, even he couldn’t easily kill them. During the fall of the Buddhas, the monkey originally had a chance to escape with the Demoness Saint’s help, but he insisted on staying, forcefully breaking through Sacred Mountain with his golden hoop rod, creating a ‘Pure Land’ at its base, sealing the remaining Great Sages and Demon Gods to evade death and corruption.”
“As for whether he died afterward, I’m not sure. During the fall of the Buddhas, I dared not remain at Sacred Mountain.”
Meng Qi pondered, seemingly having nothing more to ask, only frowning in confusion: “You played a role in Heaven’s fall, caused the mutual destruction of Sacred Mountain and the Demon Clan—you joined them only to destroy them. Why?”
Why abandon being the heir of Saha Pure Land, Heaven’s second-in-command, the Demoness Saint’s husband? What was he thinking?
The Demon Buddha Anan touched his chin, a faint smile forming:
“You’ll never understand.”
He stepped forward; the Demon Buddha phantom behind him swayed. Meng Qi suddenly felt his soul completely bound, unable to move.
“It’s time. No more nonsense. Once we merge, you’ll understand the real reason.” The Demon Buddha Anan’s gaze was indifferent as he approached Meng Qi step by step.
As they were about to make contact, Anan suddenly smiled:
“Originally, I promised to help Gu Xiaosang reverse the situation, escaping from the Eternal Mother, thus luring in the Golden Emperor, but she refused to bait you, ultimately leading to her demise.”
“Pity, in the end, you still couldn’t escape. Hehe, in vain was her effort.”
Half mockery, half lamentation at the ant’s overestimation of its strength.
Meng Qi was stunned, eyes teary. Behind the scenes, what had Xiaosang experienced, what decisions had she made when he couldn’t see?
He closed his eyes, placed his right hand over his heart, and softly said to the Demon Buddha Anan extending his right hand: “If you want it, take it…”
The Demon Buddha Anan had just begun to smile when Meng Qi suddenly opened his eyes. Amidst the deathly stillness, light flickered. Before the sentence ended, his entire body tilted backward, falling from the mountain peak into the sea of his mind.
Splash!
Waves surged, the sea windy, Meng Qi locked eyes with the Demon Buddha Anan, right hand on chest, plummeting straight down.
…
Meng Qi brought Gongzi Yu and Kong Zhao to a mountain peak, below which roared a mighty river.
After watching for a while, Meng Qi turned to Kong Zhao and asked: “Any insights?”
Kong Zhao stared at the river below, sighing: “Time flies like this river!”
As the words left his mouth, he saw his usually silent, never-guiding teacher step forward, his weathered figure rippling his robe in the wind, opening his mouth to speak, his voice deep and echoing:
“The highest good is like water. Water benefits all things without contention…”
Teacher, the teacher spoke… Kong Zhao was both startled and delighted, a bit dazed.
Then, he saw the teacher turn his head, countless lights in his eyes, his form seemingly towering, black and white, yellow and purple specks drifting down, his voice grand and solemn: “The Way of Heaven does not contend yet excels!”
…
Watching Meng Qi fall, the Demon Buddha Anan’s eyes sharpened, his phantom behind him rushing forward to seize him.
Where did he get this strength?
He strode forward, the phantom rushing to the mountain’s edge. Below, the sea of his mind gently undulated, golden lights flickering—where was Meng Qi?
He vanished!
The inverted Swastika in the Demon Buddha Anan’s eyes flared, scanning the sea of his mind, finally spotting several faint connections.
He froze, then roared: “Yuanshi!”
…
“The Way of Heaven does not contend yet excels!”
In the mighty voice, yellow and purple specks, black and white glows, lifted Meng Qi high into the sky, breaking through the atmosphere into the boundless starry expanse.
Below was an unseen, endless ruined continent; above, countless planets and radiant suns.
Meng Qi raised his head, no sword or blade in hand, his gaze following countless connections, piercing layers of void, meeting the Demon Buddha Anan atop Sacred Mountain.
Crack!
Through the causal link, the qi clashed across space. In the silent, desolate darkness of space, streaks of lightning flashed like countless silver snakes dancing, dimming the sun’s brilliance.
Facing the Demon Buddha Anan’s return to cold cruelty, Meng Qi’s mind suddenly surfaced two figures.
One was white-haired, thin-faced, kind-eyed, broad-hearted, kind to juniors, peaceful and humble, modest and upright.
The other was clad in a white gown, ethereal and elusive, her emotions inscrutable—distant yet intimate. Her grievances might not be genuine, nor was her teasing smile necessarily false. She always concealed her true intentions, unfathomable to all—Gu Xiaosang, the enigmatic enchantress, appearing cold and self-serving, yet forever veiling tenderness within.
Facing the Six Realms’ task against his nature, the Elder ultimately chose self-destruction!
After repeated struggles and failures, Xiaosang still refused the Six Realms’ “kindness,” still refused to submit to the Eternal Mother, falling into his arms!
One righteous, one evil, their choices converged—life holds things more important than death, worth upholding.
The optimistic Meng Qi; the Meng Qi who loved showing off; the Meng Qi who loved novels and comics; the Meng Qi who made many friends in school and work; the Meng Qi who persisted in cultivation before Shaolin Temple; the Meng Qi who shared life and death with Jiang Zhiwei, Qi Zhengyan, and Ruan Yushu.
Chivalrous, ready to help when seeing injustice; heartbroken to near heart-devil after the deaths of friends like Zhang Yuanshan; bold in words, rich in theory, yet passive and inexperienced in action; calm under increasing danger; lazy and fond of comfort; fond of jokes and teasing others; enduring hardships, gradually maturing without losing his original heart; entangled with Gu Xiaosang in love and hate, always passive; sitting in a ruined temple, watching lotuses, guilt-ridden to losing control…
This was himself, unique, irreplaceable. Not some Demon Buddha, not the Master of the Six Realms, not Anan or the Thunder God, nor any great figure’s glory or realm could compensate.
Why am I me? Because of these. Without “myself,” what meaning does life hold?
Faced with difficulties, life, death—we may gradually abandon ourselves, becoming sycophantic, petty, repulsive, adept at bowing and scraping, cold-hearted, hurting parents, loved ones, and children. When nearing death, looking back, is that self truly oneself? Would one feel heart-wrenching regret?
“Self” is the persistence more important than life itself!
The Elder understood this, choosing death to uphold his integrity. Xiaosang understood this, struggling alone, not betraying her heart. Zhiwei, Yushu, Elder Brother Qi, Zhao Heng—they all understood, hence some shedding tears, others choosing to sink into the Nine Netherworld!
Today, facing this, my choice is clear!
If life has no meaning, why fear death?
Fear death no more, what remains to be feared!
Meng Qi’s gaze was exceptionally resolute and filled with hatred, as if flames wrapped his form, a terrifying volcano about to erupt.
He stood amidst the starry sky, facing the Demon Buddha Anan, watching as he clutched a mysterious small seal.
The seal bore six faces:
– Above, for the heavenly deities,
– Below, for the suffering of the Nine Netherworlds,
– In front, for the mortal world’s red dust,
– Behind, for the sorrowful lands of beasts,
– To the left, for the myriad beings of the demonic tribes,
– To the right, for the lament of evil spirits.
Then, he extended his right hand to the side, his hair whipping in the wind, his voice low and resonant:
“Bring me the blade!”
Boom!
Within the Su Nu Immortal Realm, the pitch-black long blade enshrined in the hall suddenly erupted with infinite purple lightning, shattering the void, vanishing without a trace.
“Bring the blade!”
As the words echoed, the starry sky was suddenly filled with lightning, obscuring the stars and transforming into a vast sea of electricity. In Meng Qi’s hand materialized a long blade entirely forged from purple lightning—heavy, fierce, and overwhelmingly domineering.
The Overlord’s Blade!
One of the Ten Divine Weapons!
At the moment Xiaosang died, his guilt and grief connected with the Overlord’s mark, making him its master.
Ten years of torment, ten years of guilt, ten years of sorrow, ten years of unmet blooming flowers, ten years of unbearable suffering, all accumulated in his heart, tempering the indestructible blade intent within the Overlord’s Blade.
Meng Qi raised the heavy blade in his hand, his vision naturally forgetting the Demon Buddha Anan, seeing only a small boat drifting on the river, a white-dressed elf standing at the bow, playing the jade xiao, seemingly calling her husband;
Only seeing the riverside bridge, under the lantern-lit dusk, a girl in a white fur cloak, her eyes sparkling, charmingly radiant;
Only seeing on the Jiangdong River, a large boat passing by, her smile like a valley orchid, making a little girl call “Father”;
Only seeing on Li Hua Island, in the Shangshui Cave Mansion, that gentle kiss, and the playful words, “We are the same kind of people”;
Only seeing robes falling, the fruits of this life shared with her;
Only seeing the lake shimmering, the white-dressed girl blushing, laughing, talking about afterlife;
Only seeing her lips bleeding, face pale, smile bitter, struggling to say, “I struggled. I lost”;
Only seeing the ruined temple pond, lotuses blooming year after year, flowers blooming, where are you?
Anger, sorrow, hatred, resentment, despair, oppression—all emotions erupted, ten years of pain, ten years of torment, ten years of loss, all transformed into blade intent, making the Overlord’s Blade shine brighter than the sun!
Gazing at the Demon Buddha Anan, meeting his cold, indifferent, aloof eyes, watching him rotate the mysterious Wheel Seal, Meng Qi’s soul form suddenly burned, emitting infinite light, taking one “step” forward, merging with his physical body.
This blade has waited ten years for you!
I retreated to advance, not contending to win, letting your fragment be “trapped” within “my” physical body, temporarily unable to control the corpses of the Bodhisattvas like Manjusri. As long as I slay your fragment, they will be safe.
The pain and struggle forced upon you, the grief of accidentally killing a lover, a friend, having to choose one, the helplessness and despair of fate in others’ hands—all severed in this single strike!
Past burdens, countless obstacles, helplessness, today they vanish!
The long blade swung suddenly, vanishing. In the starry sky, planets weirdly rotated, blocking the sun, blocking nearby stars, like a celestial dog swallowing the sun, turning everything pitch-black, eerie and strange, only Meng Qi’s roar echoing:
“My life, I ask not of past deeds!”
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