Begin immortality by slaying demons.

Chapter 836 The Road to the End, Just One Step Away

Click!Click!
The lotus throne beneath the Buddha in the present world showed signs of crumbling, and for the first time, a fleeting hint of panic appeared on his compassionate face.

He knew that the Future Buddha was resentful, after all, it was agreed that one person would rule for one lifetime, but a great calamity had just occurred, and his own lifetime might be a little longer.

But no matter how you look at it, this is a dispute within our own great religion, and the future Buddha's current actions are undoubtedly aiding and abetting a tyrant, attempting to undermine the foundation of our great religion!

"You deserve to die!"

Stimulated by the maniacal laughter, the Buddha's eyes turned bloodshot. He watched helplessly as the latter half of the great river detached from beneath him, and the colorless lotus platform, representing his transcendent status, also collapsed by a small portion.

Transcendence is without flaw; if it has any defects, then it is unworthy of the title.

A hint of madness flashed across the majestic Buddha's expression, like an emperor being dragged off his throne. He looked slightly disheveled, yet at the same time, he unleashed a torrent of killing intent!
He suddenly extended his palm, a giant palm that stretched across the sky, and the Nirvana Fire ignited from his fingertips, like a sea of ​​fire engulfing the future Buddha.

"Ho!"

The future Buddha's eyes also flashed with a slightly fierce excitement. He neither dodged nor yielded, but simply pulled Jin Chanzi behind him.

pat.

A golden, radiant hand casually grasped the wrist of the living Buddha.

The previous stalemate did not recur. The golden palm exerted a slight force, and the face of the Buddha sitting on the broken lotus platform twitched uncontrollably.

Within the golden body, one of the nine meridians shimmered with a faint glow.

The sky full of Nirvana flames instantly dissipated, turning into specks of red light and extinguishing.

Before the Ancestor of All Fires, without the support of transcendent power, these things are nothing more than insignificant trinket.

Upon seeing this, the future Buddha couldn't help but show reverence.

The Jade Emperor has promised a reward, and now the other party is demonstrating why his decree is effective in this world.

"let go!"

The present Buddha has temporarily suppressed his murderous intent toward the future Buddha. Even though he has lost his transcendent status, he still occupies most of the river of time, which is far beyond what ordinary first-rank Buddhas can compare to.

Although Shen Yi has gathered all three bodies, he has not yet achieved transcendence. The outcome of today's battle is still unknown, so he must not lose his composure.

The Buddha's face became somewhat distorted, his features clearly contorted, but the compassion between his brows and eyes grew even stronger. He suddenly opened his mouth and uttered a Sanskrit chant that was as solid as a tangible substance.

"May the Buddha have mercy and deliver all sentient beings from suffering!"

Under the chanting of the Brahma, which seemed to sever karma, the majestic golden body appeared to sink into the water, its body rippling with waves.

In the eyes of the Buddha in the present world, the most troublesome of the three bodies is undoubtedly the golden body that integrates the nine major meridians. As long as this body can be pulled into the long river and trapped in the prison of time, the biggest problem can be temporarily solved.

"Did you make a mistake?"

Just then, a slender hand gently pressed against the Buddha's face.

Shen Yi, suspended high above the long river, calmly gazed at the monk before him: "Before me, you are the only living being."

A clear light rippled between his palms, like a thin veil, gradually covering the Buddha's entire face.

Throughout her journey into the immortal realm, Shen Yi has learned very few magical arts.

This Pure Realm technique was a supernatural power passed down by the Shangqing Sect Master to his many disciples. However, within the realm of first-rank giants, it could only be considered a minor trick.

But at this moment, under Shen Yi's palm, it unleashed unimaginable power.

"Ho! Ho!"

The Buddha in the present world had his mouth and nose covered by the clear light, and he clearly felt a strong sense of suffocation, yet he inexplicably fell into a state of peace.

This bizarre contrast drove him almost to madness.

As the leader of the Transcendent Cult, he was actually influenced by others to the point of losing his mind!
His eyes widened, and he gasped for breath. It took him several moments to realize that this was a sign that the other person was entering a state of transcendence.

The three Dharma bodies were all derived from the other party, requiring no adjustment or discussion of the Dharma. The speed at which they merged was far beyond what we could have achieved before.

Can't drag it any longer!
Only now did the Buddha realize how perilous his situation was.

Every moment of delay meant that he might be facing a truly transcendent giant, and at that time, he would be easily defeated by this young man, just as Houtu had faced him.

"Roar!"

For the Buddha, abandoning supernatural powers and adopting a physical body was an extremely undignified thing.

After all, they started as wandering monks, enduring hardship in their physical bodies and tempering their will, overcoming one physical tribulation after another. They finally ascended the lotus platform and donned the cassock. If they were to continue using their physical bodies, wouldn't they just revert to being those miserable wanderers again?

But given the current situation, he had no time to think about it anymore.

The once mighty body that had dominated countless demons and looked down upon the world now once again stirred up a raging golden river.

"Duh!"

The Buddha of the present world exerted all his strength, his arms pounding out like giant hammers, causing the golden river to tremble as if it were about to shatter everything in front of him, just like the countless demons whose bodies he had torn apart before he became a Buddha, and today would be no different!
However, his attempt to deliver a dignified blow was met with an even tougher response.

The colossal black Buddha stood with its feet planted firmly on the ground, its indifferent eyes seemingly holding the boundless universe. Vast black clouds coiled around its arms like a raging dragon, its five fingers clenched into fists, and it slammed forward with a thunderous roar.

The four fists clashed, and the successive shattering sounds were the collapse of heaven and earth under the pressure, revealing fragmented nothingness.

Amidst the violent fluctuations of energy, the two arms of the present-day Buddha trembled visibly, the skin and flesh breaking apart as the immense force ripped them from the bones, followed by the body, neck, and even the face.

The moment the turmoil subsided, the compassionate Buddha was no longer on the lotus platform; only a skeleton as flawless as white jade remained.

The tattered robe transformed into countless strips of cloth, losing its precious luster, and scattered across the world.

In his empty eye sockets, only the faint golden flame flickered like a candle in the wind.

Soon, the golden flames began to flicker rapidly, filled with fear and trepidation.

The Buddha had not left this lotus throne for so long that he had almost forgotten how to deal with this situation.

In an instant, he turned around and fled into the river of time!

As a transcendent giant, the bones of the present Buddha are an indestructible treasure of heaven and earth. However, with his supernatural powers, physical body, and even control over the rules of heaven all suppressed by Shen Yi, he has lost all courage to face this young man.

I once thought that the status of a chess player was unshakeable, but now I realize with a start that after leaving the Northern Continent Cloud Sea, I have become a mere pawn on the chessboard.

Shen Yi even possesses the ability to erase the fruit position.

In other words, in front of this person... I am truly no different from all other living beings.

"..."

The majestic appearance of the Buddha when he arrived in the present world, and the disheveled figure fleeing before them, left Houtu Niangniang and the other righteous gods somewhat astonished, unable to reconcile the two.

The future Buddha stood respectfully with his hands at his sides, a hint of fear hidden in his eyes.

Each of the Jade Emperor's three avatars possesses a foundation no weaker than that of the sect leader. Even setting aside their positions, he had to admit that the other party had truly taken the path of cultivation to its extreme.

"..."

Shen Yi stared at the fleeing figure ahead, then calmly raised his palm and said indifferently, "Slay."

As the words fell, the nine meridians within the golden body suddenly rose into the air, like thick tree roots, and plunged into the river of time.

The surging river was instantly torn apart, leaving only the white skeletal Buddha body looking back in terror.

The five elements of heaven and earth, yin and yang, birth and death, and nine meridians together formed a cage, suppressing it within. The next moment, a heart-wrenching roar came from within this cage.

"Roar--"

The gods instinctively looked away. Any one of these nine meridians would be a fatal torment for a cultivator, let alone all nine together.

Leaving aside the calamities of water and fire, just the repeated cycles of life and death in the chaos of yin and yang, surviving even a single breath longer, can cause one's soul to break down.

This jade bone is indestructible, but that's all it is. If it encounters the true nature of heaven and earth, it would be better to have one's throat slit.

"The future... I'll give you the future..."

Now, the only thing that can save him is the reunion of time, helping him to return to transcendence.

"..."

The future Buddha's heart skipped a beat, and a hint of ferocity flashed in his eyes.

This wretched beast, even on the verge of death, still dares to sow discord between me and His Majesty!
He was indeed a mortal, unlike these two who were transcendent and could see the workings of fate, but he could still understand the most basic principles.

If the two religions win, he will forever remain a marginal leader in name only.

However, if the Jade Emperor were to achieve transcendence, in order to counterbalance the Three Pure Ones, he would also grant himself transcendence. Although this transcendence would be subject to control and make him feel somewhat uncomfortable, the immense power he would possess would be real.

When that time comes, although the world will change from being divided into two parts to being governed by three parties, I will have truly become the Buddha of Mount Ling. How can the two be compared?

Moreover, all of this weighing is based on the premise that both religions have a chance of winning.

However, the Future Buddha and the Goddess Houtu share a similar view: once the Jade Emperor has gathered his three bodies and is in an invincible position, the probability of the two religions winning can be ignored; it is only a matter of time.

This is why he decisively stepped forward.

"Shut up! You are a criminal wanted by the Celestial Court, yet you still dare to spread heresies and mislead the public. Surrender and be executed!"

Thinking of this, the Future Buddha uttered a stern rebuke, thus extinguishing the last hope of the present Buddha.

Amidst water, fire, and thunder, the jade bones were charred black, bobbing on the water's surface. The bones were gradually corroded and dissolved, and the jade bones gazed at the sky in despair. When even the wailing became so faint as to be barely audible, the golden flames in the empty eye sockets finally went out quietly.

The nine meridians returned to the body of the golden body.

Just as he stepped forward before the Buddha of the Future, preparing to congratulate His Majesty on the extermination of the evil spirits, he trembled slightly.

The changes, however, have not stopped.

The golden Buddha image and the black giant Buddha's body were rapidly shrinking, standing silently behind the white-robed youth, their blurry faces gradually becoming clearer.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, the three figures slowly merged together.

The young man landed gracefully and sat down cross-legged.

At this point, the future Buddha's breathing suddenly stopped.

Through a battle of magic with the Buddha in the present world, the Buddha actually became familiar with the three bodies in advance, thus accelerating his transcendence.

Pfft!
Without further hesitation, the Future Buddha knelt down decisively and bowed devoutly to the figure in the distance.

Shen Yi slightly raised her eyes, and in the blink of an eye, the shattered river of time in the sky reassembled.

Upon seeing this, the Future Buddha was overjoyed.

The other party actually fulfilled their previous promise without any conditions.

"Your Majesty, I thank you for your kindness!"

His voice was almost hoarse as he uttered the most sincere thank you he had ever given, before leaping down toward the spot he had always dreamed of.

As the river churns, the segment of time representing the future returns, and a colorless lotus platform begins to reassemble.

The Future Buddha sits high on a lotus platform, his palms flat on his knees, enveloped in a rich radiance of light.

Bathed in the shimmering light of Buddha, his mons pubis appeared even higher, his earlobes even longer, and his face gradually became peaceful and compassionate. A crimson robe emerged from the long river and floated lightly over his broad body, as if announcing the end of his previous life.

The future has finally arrived!
"Congratulations, Buddha."

Houtu Niangniang stood up from the ground and looked at the lotus platform. Although she spoke words of congratulations, her face showed no emotion.

She wasn't jealous of the other person's ability to transcend, after all, the Buddha's intervention had indeed resolved a major crisis.

The Empress simply felt that it was somewhat regrettable that such an opportunistic person with excessive selfish motives had infiltrated Shen Yi's grand undertaking.

If I'm not mistaken, this Buddha is already thinking about how to create his sacred paradise on earth.

"It's all thanks to His Majesty's good fortune."

The Buddha opened his eyes, a smile playing on his lips as he looked down.

Even though the immense power surging within him far exceeded his expectations, he remained unperturbed by it.

Since the Jade Emperor can allow me to sit on this lotus platform, he can also take it away at any time.

However, being a transcendent being, he is still the other party's right-hand man, so he doesn't need to worry about the authority he should have.

After thinking it over, he sat high on the lotus platform, bowed slightly, and once again bowed to the young man in the distance: "Congratulations on Your Majesty's liberation."

"..."

The three bodies merged into one, and Shen Yi quietly looked back, a slight smile playing on her lips.

Faced with that smile, the Buddha was suddenly taken aback.

Both have transcended the mundane, yet the other party remained completely undisturbed, far less impressive than when I controlled the river of time.

But for some reason, even though the two were clearly in the same realm, he couldn't see through the Jade Emperor's depths at all, as if he were gazing into a pitch-black abyss.

Is there a hierarchy among those who transcend?

Or is it simply how it is?

When the Buddha first entered this realm, he had no similar experience and after pondering for a long time, he still could not make a judgment.

A hint of apprehension flashed in his eyes, but he maintained a respectful smile on his face.

"What are Your Majesty's plans next?"

"call."

Shen Yi withdrew her gaze and looked into the distance.

It turns out that the path Houtu Niangniang (Goddess of the Earth) had guessed was not the path to transcendence.

After his three bodies merged into one, he finally saw everything clearly, but he still hadn't finished walking this path.

Of course, we're not far from the finish line; we just need to take one more step.

But before taking that step, I must first finish that matter for the Emperor.

The young man let out a long sigh and said slowly, "Ascend to heaven."

(End of this chapter)