Donghuang Ziji

Chapter 962 Successor of the Saint-Slaying King

The Pure Land of Lapis Lazuli is spotless, where Buddhas and demons manifest their forms, sitting majestically in the center, their bodies surrounded by radiant light. Countless chants rise like a tide, and strands of human destiny surge and change, transforming into an endless sea of ​​emotions and karmic waves.

The Buddha and the demon revealed a compassionate look in their eyes. One hand was outstretched, and a pure Buddhist kingdom appeared in the palm of his hand, encompassing all the myriad illusions of the mortal world.

In an instant, images of the joys and sorrows, separations and reunions of countless sentient beings appeared, and in the Pure Land, they were granted supreme bliss, all suffering was liberated, and all causes and effects returned to purity and harmony.

This is the wonder of "transforming into earth" and the power of "as you wish." It is the result of the Buddha and Mara's supreme vows and power responding to the thoughts and desires of all sentient beings, so that all their wishes may be fulfilled.

Although sentient beings enter the blissful realm and their minds gradually become perfect, their ego also stagnates, and their physical forms begin to merge into the Buddha's Dharma image of the Buddha and demons.

When all beings are united under the same karmic connection, the power of Buddha and demon is constantly enhanced, but at the same time, it also erodes the immaculate lotus platform beneath it, causing its precious splendor to be covered in dust and impurities to gradually arise. Tiny cracks even appear on the surface of the crystal-clear lotus petals.

Looking through the gaps into the lotus platform, one can see hundreds of millions of blurry human faces struggling and floating amidst the boundless Buddha light.

That Buddha light is pure and radiant, not allowing the slightest taint of any other color. Only the pure, immaculate, tranquil, selfless, and blissful thoughts of Buddhism can peacefully reside within it.

However, all beings are born with innate spiritual light, which nourishes the self. Even if they are temporarily misled and their self ceases to function, they will still react during the process of assimilation.

Therefore, those struggling faces are essentially manifestations of the true self of sentient beings.

Unfortunately, these people are currently under the boundless light of Buddha, and maintaining their own selves is like rowing against the current. They not only have to face the temptation and assimilation of boundless bliss, but also have to endure the pressure of the golden flames of Buddha's light all around them.

It seems that staying true to oneself is just asking for trouble.

However, the myriad phenomena of the mortal world are inherently both pure and turbid, sacred and vile, and the more one suppresses the innate spiritual light, the more it resists.

Even if the purest Buddha light could suppress it for a time, the spiritual energy still quietly stirred within the depths of the Buddha light.

Finally, amidst the interplay of numerous spiritual lights and the prayers of countless sentient beings, a Buddha-light, slightly different from that of Buddha and demon, descended and guided them away.

Under this Buddha's light, the Pure Land of Lapis Lazuli developed flaws and cracks. Centered on the lotus platform, the cracks instantly spread throughout the solemn Pure Land. The relics enshrined in countless temples spontaneously combusted, many Bodhi trees withered, and the supreme mantras on the palm-leaf scriptures dissipated inch by inch.

A hint of fear and bewilderment flashed across the faces of both Buddha and demon, as if they had been awakened from their slumber.

"This Buddha light? It's the Buddha light from the Western Paradise again, but why can't I sense the state of the other side?"

A hint of doubt appeared in the eyes of the Buddha and the demon. He had guided countless sentient beings into his own Pure Land, granting them all their wishes, so why did they still yearn to leave? With just a little guidance, they could even be drawn to the universally radiant compassionate light of the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.

Is his Pure Land really inferior to the Western Paradise?

This idea had been in the minds of both Buddha and demon for a long time. Especially after Tianque's previous life, in order to save 48 million souls, he ignited his own golden body and burned his fingers as an offering to Buddha, attracting the Buddha's light from the Western Paradise and burning down his own pure land, this idea became even more ingrained in his mind and could not be shaken off.

Moreover, the Buddha and the demon were even more curious as to why he could only glimpse some of the mysteries of the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss at the very moment when sentient beings received the Buddha's light and guidance.

What exactly is wrong with me?

In the eyes of the Buddha and the demon, the Buddha's light bloomed and spread like a thousand-petaled lotus, illuminating the three worlds and ten directions, and finally landing on the point in time that Chu Tai had retraced.

"Only here..."

With a shift in their gaze, the Buddha and the Demon looked toward the Eastern Land.

His gaze was undisguised, and Chu Tai, who was in the Eastern Peak, naturally sensed it and turned to look.

Two gazes met on a level imperceptible to ordinary people, instantly causing a change in the universe.

The circulation of various primordial energies within and outside the ten directions paused for a moment, and many principles and laws of the Dao were misaligned before being restored.

Specifically in the Western Regions, golden flowers fell from the sky in many places, golden lotuses grew on the ground, followed by thunder and gales that stirred up the area incessantly.

In the East, some of the earth's veins trembled, and the mountains shook, frightening the gods into manifesting themselves to suppress the turmoil. However, they were surprised to find that nothing went wrong, as if the tremors were normal.

Meanwhile, the clash between Chu Tai and the Buddha Demon also affected the River of Time, with their power spanning the past, present, and future.

Their actions were like throwing pebbles into the river of time, causing countless ripples to emerge, intertwine, and collide, creating numerous incredible and indescribable wondrous phantoms on the river of time.

Many cultivators skilled in predicting the changes in the heavens noticed the anomaly.

Those whose cultivation level is below the third rank are better off. Even if they are exceptionally talented, they can only sense that something is wrong, but they cannot see it clearly, let alone find out the source of the change, so they will not suffer a backlash.

It doesn't matter if you reach the second rank; their cultivation level is sufficient to protect themselves, and even if they are affected by the aftershocks, they can move forward or backward at will.

Only those who have entered the third rank and are particularly skilled in divination of celestial secrets or the Dharma of cosmic light are in the most dangerous situation.

They could sense the changes in the River of Time and see the source of those changes, but they lacked the ability to directly confront the aftermath of the battle between two first-rank cultivators.

Being caught in the struggle between Chu Tai and the Buddha Demon, unless one immediately severs their connection with the cosmic light, it is like dancing on a knife's edge; the slightest carelessness could lead to the destruction of one's life.

Among these three ranks, those most affected are naturally the inheritors within the Holy King's Path who excel in deduction and are proficient in the cosmic light.

Most of them only had the cultivation level of ordinary third-grade cultivators. They relied on the treasures left behind by the Holy Kings and the protection of the Holy King's Great Dao to observe the changes in the River of Time and Light very casually.

This caused them to be completely stunned when faced with the first wave of impact, and they fell into the River of Time before they could even react.

During this time, they also tried to contact the Holy King's Path, attempting to maintain their existence with the help of the treasures they possessed.

However, Chu Tai also possessed some authority over the Holy King's Path, while the Buddha and Demon possessed some human destiny. In the Holy King's Path's perception, this was a struggle between a legitimate lineage and a collateral branch, involving several inheritors who were not easy to interfere with.

However, relying solely on the treasures left behind by the Holy Kings to protect themselves is quite difficult, because the Demon King has made his move.

Upon discovering a lone inheritor of the Holy King's Path, he acted without hesitation, striking from afar. Pure power manifested as his five fingers spread, drawing in stellar layers from different times and spaces. Colossal stars were dragged down, and with a wave of his hand and a flick of his fingers, these planets transformed into multicolored marbles, breaking free from the constraints of cosmic light and the universe. With pure power, they unleashed storms of cosmic light and tsunamis of the universe.

"Jun Mo!"

The three strongest inheritors of the Holy King Path could not sit idly by. They could only watch as those disobedient inheritors of the Holy King Path were injured or taught a lesson.

But they would not be allowed to die now. A treasure that resembled both a whip and a stick was swung in the air, and all the stars returned to their positions. At the same time, the starlight of the heavens and the backlash of heaven and earth, driven by the treasure, transformed into countless chains, attempting to bind the power of the Demon Lord and wear down his fate.

At the same time, the phantom of the treasure seal appeared on the Holy King's Path, attempting to sense the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth, increase the backlash from Heaven and Earth, and further weaken the power of the Demon Lord.

Junmo didn't care about this at all. He stretched out his palm and let the treasure, which resembled both a whip and a stick, tear apart the flesh and blood on the surface of the inheritor, exposing the deep white bones. He was determined to crush the head of one of the inheritors and devour the corresponding Saint King Dao. While increasing his own power, he was also weakening the power of the Saint King Dao.

The other heirs were terrified and cried for help.

The Lord of Flint manifested, intending to lend a helping hand, when Chu Tai suddenly reached out his hand.

The Dao of Taiyi manifested, condensing into a phantom hand above the void. Its five fingers slightly clenched, generating a massive suction force that gathered several branches from the surging river of cosmic light, transforming them into countless fragments of cosmic light. As the five fingers pressed down, they covered the Buddha and the Demon.

Beneath that giant hand, the possibilities of countless cosmic lights solidified as the Taiyi Dao filled them, as if real and authentic worlds were appearing, attempting to suppress the Buddha and the demon.

Faced with such an offensive, neither Buddha nor demon dared to be careless. The Buddha manifested his Dharma form, and thousands of feet of Buddha light rose around him. The light was as condensed as Vajra and as clear as crystal. There were also chants of Sanskrit and golden lotuses blooming. On each golden lotus, a Buddhist Pure Land appeared. As the Buddha and demon raised their hands, they also turned into a torrent to meet Chu Tai's big hand.

Interestingly, the place where the two clashed was exactly where the Lord of Flint was located.

Faced with the clash of these two unparalleled forces in the heavens, the Lord of Flint was determined to resist, but he could not withstand the sneak attack launched by the Demon Lord.

With a muffled cracking sound, the projection of the Lord of Flint shattered into countless fragments, which were collected by Chu Tai and the Buddha Demon.

Two of the few inheritors of the Holy King's Path who tried to escape died at the hands of the Demon Lord.

The Lord of the Seals hurriedly rescued the remaining people, and without even uttering any harsh words, he left with another companion.

"Pity."

The Demon King stood in the void, glanced at Chu Tai, cupped his hands to the Demon Buddha, handed over a small portion of the spoils, and then turned and left.

The Buddha Demon looked at the origins of those inheritors of the Great Dao of the Holy King and, without any politeness, directly absorbed them into his Dharma form. At the same time, he put his hands together in gratitude to Chu Tai.

At first glance, it seems that Chu Tai had been busy all along, but in reality, at the same time as the two sides clashed, one of Chu Tai's avatars, Xiang Jun and Xiang Furen, had already entered the River of Time and Light, following the aura of the previous inheritors of the Holy King's Path, connecting with a portion of the power of the Holy King's Path, and linking it to the Holy Kingdom's Path.

This is also one of the reasons why these individuals were so powerless against the Demon King; a large portion of their corresponding Saint King Paths had already been taken away by Chu Tai.

This was also one of the backup plans left by the former master of the Heavenly Cauldron. As a powerful figure who once commanded the entire Holy King Path, he left behind a complete Holy Kingdom inheritance within the Heavenly Cauldron. This inheritance also contained a lot of information about the Holy King Path, allowing Chu Tai to easily find its weaknesses and take targeted measures.

In comparison, because the successors of the Holy Kings are relatively independent, even if their corresponding Great Dao is stolen, the others will not notice it immediately.

With the cooperation of the Buddha Demon and the Monarch Demon this time, it can be said that Chu Tai has been given a very perfect opportunity to maneuver.

As more and more Holy King's Paths were connected, and combined with what the Blood Demon Dao Master had said earlier, Chu Tai was already able to vaguely sense the existence of that illusory ideal world inside the Holy King's Path.

Of course, Chu Tai's discovery also alerted the three inheritors of the Holy King's Path.

The concealment methods they built in the illusory ideal world were extremely ingenious; once observed, they would trigger a response.

The Blood Demon Lord relied entirely on his own perception of new things to deduce the existence of the Ideal Kingdom, which is why he did not alert these methods.

Although Chu Tai concealed his information, the fact that this matter had been discovered was enough to provoke the three inheritors of the Holy King's Path.

Adding to the previous events, these three individuals' tolerance for the other inheritors of the Holy King's Path further decreased, and they began to secretly prepare to seize their power and complete the construction of a new Three Sovereigns system.

Unaware of this, Chu Tai, the Lord of the Demonic Path, and the Lord of the Buddha-Demon Path continued their prepared encroachment, gradually advancing towards their borders and devouring a portion of the power of the Holy King's Path.

With such tacit understanding among all parties, the entire world once again fell into an eerie calm.

It can be said that, apart from the border areas of a few parties, the rest of the region has entered a stage of rapid development.

After absorbing a large number of towns in the Central Plains, the Western Regions experienced significant cultural development, and various tools that facilitated the lives of ordinary people became widespread. Most importantly, the Dao Fruits of Buddhism and Demonism, after merging with some of the power systems of the Holy King's Great Dao, became more orderly and stable, and many of the original bad habits disappeared.

As the number of slaves controlled by the many Buddhist kingdoms in the Western Regions decreased and the number of believers increased, the power of both Buddha and demons grew stronger.

The Southern Frontier absorbs the Central Plains best and fastest, but also improves the least. Or rather, for the Southern Frontier and the Demon Lord, the land they occupy is part of their own power. As for the creatures living on it, it would be best if they could join them, but if they are unwilling to join, becoming materials and culture dishes is also a good choice.

The addition of a large amount of fresh materials has also accelerated the progress of many flesh and blood factories, causing the power of the Demon Lord to expand accordingly.

Finally, Chu Tai steadily advanced the Holy Kingdom system, establishing numerous ideal villages, ideal towns, and ideal cities.

Unfortunately, the foundations of these future holy kingdom systems were laid too late, and not many talents have been cultivated yet. As a result, the construction in various places is still mainly based on the immortal path, with the divine path as an auxiliary, and the human path is not even able to keep up. The overall development speed seems to be the slowest among the three.

But neither Chu Tai, nor his eight avatars, nor the representatives of various forces had any intention of forcing growth.

Chu Tai was able to sense the subtle changes in his own Dao Fruit, as well as the shifts in the power and destiny of heaven and earth.

Various factions took the opportunity to expand their influence and establish their own temples in the East. As long as they did not violate the basic laws or trample on the basic rights of sentient beings, he did not interfere much with their actions.

However, the number of deities in these places has also increased dramatically, and the people have been worshipping the deities more frequently, thus establishing a relatively complete monitoring system.

(End of this chapter)