Donghuang Ziji

Chapter 973 Nirvana Replenishes All Beings

The Buddha-Demon Dao Lord naturally wanted to resist Chu Tai's suppression, and he also had the ability to resist.

Boundless, pure, and warm light, like the great sun, emanated from the Buddha and the demon, embodying great compassion and wisdom.

Within the Buddha's light, the outline of another Buddha, as large as Mount Sumeru, was gradually becoming complete. Although there was some confusion in his eyes, it was being replaced by the radiant wisdom of Prajna, which sees through eternity and understands the fundamental truth.

This is the process of the Buddha and the Demon Lord gradually perfecting their Dao fruition. Around the Buddha, hundreds of millions of illusory Pure Lands appear.

Compared to before, these pure lands are more perfect, more sacred, and more complete.

It even has a hint of the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss that Buddhas and demons once sought but could not obtain. The peace and tranquility there is no longer an illusory satisfaction, and the power of the Dao fruit there is no longer a concept simply entrusted to the "transformation of the earth".

The Buddha and the Demon Lord are truly usurping the Buddha's seal, attempting to attain Buddhahood.

Therefore, with the appearance of this Buddha's phantom, the boundless Buddha-nature that had been buried within the entire Western Regions over countless years due to the power of [Transformation into Earth] was activated, and countless rays of Buddha light rose up, rendering the sky and the earth into a golden glaze.

Countless golden lotuses emerged from the earth's veins, layer upon layer, covering most of the universe. Within them, the phantoms of hundreds of millions of believers manifested. Some of these people had calm or resolute expressions, while others were bewildered, confused, and at a loss.

Regardless of the method, upon seeing the Buddha, one abandons worldly attachments, joins hands in prayer, and with the utmost devotion, chants scriptures and prays.

The prayers and thoughts of countless beings have caused the chanting, prayers, and sounds of morning bells and evening drums from countless past years to begin to resonate.

This echo imbues all sounds in the world—whether it be the sound of wind, water, the growth of grass and trees, or the flight of birds and the movement of beasts—with a trace of sacred chanting.

Suddenly, it seemed as if the wind spirits were chanting scriptures, the water spirits were chanting scriptures, and even the birds, beasts, flowers, and trees were chanting scriptures.

Amidst the omnipresent and ubiquitous chanting of Sanskrit, enormous golden Sanskrit characters danced in the sky, flowed in the rivers, manifested in the snow-capped mountains, and appeared in trees, cities, and bricks and tiles.

Hundreds of millions of Sanskrit characters continuously eroded and assimilated, turning the entire Western Regions into a Buddhist kingdom.

The hundreds of millions of believers who emerged from this were also blessed by the power of the Buddha, Demon, and Dao Lord, and their lives and status were elevated from their original illusory forms.

They transformed into pure monks and nuns, Vajras, Sangharama, and Deva Kings who protect the Dharma, and Arhats and Bodhisattvas who surround the Buddha, the Lord of Demonic Path.

The sublimation of these existences, in turn, drives the transformation and integration of layers of pure lands, constructing barriers purely built by Buddhist order and principles.

The Celestial Cauldron, which contains the Great Dao of the Holy Kingdom, is blocked by the order within it. Although it can dispel the confusion hidden in the Pure Land of Buddha every moment and awaken the beings there, there are too many Pure Lands. Once one is awakened, dozens or even hundreds more will manifest. Moreover, the loopholes in these Pure Lands are becoming fewer and fewer, and they are becoming increasingly difficult to enlighten.

The Yuan Yang Seal, which contains the power of the gods of the East, was blocked by the Buddhist gods. They also possessed power similar to that of the gods. Even though they were constantly being refined by the Yuan Yang Seal into guardian deities, they still rushed forward one after another to buy time for the Buddha and Demon Lords.

As for the Yin-Yang Lamp, which can illuminate the soul, its brilliance was temporarily suppressed by the boundless Buddha light, preventing it from spreading outwards.

It can be said that all methods are obstructed and all treasures are trapped.

But the Eastern Emperor Bell remained unaffected, swaying gently in the air.

The sound, though not loud, spread with exceptional clarity throughout all the Pure Lands. The countless illusory beings of believers, whose existence had been sublimated, were all affected, revealing their weaknesses. Then, the Heavenly Cauldron, the Primordial Yang Seal, and the Two Elements Lamp Praise seized the opportunity to further suppress them, expand their influence, and transform the immeasurable Pure Lands into spiritual realms, blessed lands, and divine kingdoms.

The Buddha and Demon Lord were suppressed for a moment, which made the three Bodhisattvas who were still trapped in the Pure Land realize that their opportunity had come. They looked at each other.

They also knew that although Chu Tai was able to suppress the Buddha Demon Lord, it would still take time to completely suppress or refine him.

If we want to achieve this in a short time, we will definitely need the help of these three people.

The three looked at each other, and the tall and fat Benjueming whispered, "Could it be that the Buddha of the past foresaw this scene?"

Upon hearing this, the nun Vimalakirti shook her head: "Your words fall into the heretical doctrine of predetermined and unchangeable future. If everything is foreseen by the Buddha without the slightest error, then what need is there for us to cultivate? In my view, what the Buddha sees is nothing more than the arising and ceasing of conditions. He knows that in the future, as conditions come together and karma rises and falls, the result will manifest. As for when and how it will manifest, that is something we can do."

"Therefore, the Buddha's bestowal of the Buddha seal is a trend, a warning, and an affirmation of our practice. It should not be equated with fatalism that imprisons the future of all beings."

“Excellent! Excellent! What Longchenpa spoke of is the ‘changeable cause,’ while Benjue Ming is worried about the ‘fixed result.’ But the change of cause and effect is not important. You and I have been practicing diligently for many years and have gradually seen through the shackles of the Buddha’s seal. Why should we fall into them again today?”

The old monk, Wuzhuxiang, chuckled and put his hands together, saying, "As for what the future holds, it is no longer my concern. What do you two think?"

As the words fell, the old monk's form gradually disintegrated, and boundless Buddhist light flowed out.

Seeing this, Immaculate Light and Primordial Enlightenment also put their hands together in prayer and chanted the Buddha's name.

Three brilliant rays of Buddha light emanated from the main body of the Buddha-Demon Path, and many believers who were being led astray showed bewildered expressions.

Chu Tai suppressed them one by one, manifesting gods within the Yuan Yang Treasure Seal to guide them, then used the Heavenly Human Cauldron to suppress the Buddha, Demon, and Dao Lords, while the Eastern Emperor Bell shook their foundations, and the Yin-Yang Lamp refined their essence.

"Are you three crazy? Taiyi has completely refined me. How can you three, who have cultivated with me for many years, fare any better? At best, your origins will be damaged, and more likely, you will be reduced to ashes along with me. Why do such a foolish thing?"

The questioning of the Buddha and the Demon Lord echoed in the Pure Land, forcing the three Bodhisattvas, who had already transformed into Buddha's light, to manifest a little of their spiritual light.

The Buddha's light emanating from Wugouguang was like sweet rain, mending the shortcomings of countless believers and drawing them closer to Chutai.

“In the past, we were attached to the future as seen by the Buddha, and were controlled by you, so that we were trapped in the Pure Land. When you stirred up the sea of ​​karma, we were powerless to stop you. We could only save some of the suffering beings who were harmed by you, suppress some of your supernatural powers, and help some capable juniors. Now that we have broken our attachment, we can no longer let you do whatever you want.”

"Hahaha, Immaculate Light's words are quite true. In the past, we were obsessed with the future for the so-called great good of guiding the Buddha, and were unable to suppress you, which can be called a heinous crime. Although we did some hypocritical little good to make up for our own shortcomings, we still owe more to sentient beings. Now that we have the opportunity to cut off your path and give hope for a new life to the suffering sentient beings, what is the mere Bodhisattva fruit? I only hope that this body can be firewood to light your way of delusion!"

As Benjueming's voice fell, a vast burst of Buddhist light pierced through part of the Buddha-Demon Lord's foundation, causing his form to collapse more rapidly.

The power of the two Bodhisattvas, like clusters of flames, ignited the disharmony within the "Paradise," "Pure Land," and "Buddha Kingdom" derived from the transformed earth, continuously dividing and burning away the power of the Buddha, demon, and other deities, making room for their true selves. The final state of non-abiding produced no sound, but simply drew in a ray of Buddha light from the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.

In an instant, an ineffable, indescribable, and transcendent sense of perfection arose from the Buddha and Demonic Path, and upon contact with the Buddha's light, it revealed boundless pure Dharma intent.

The Buddha-Demon Lord let out a strange cry, and boundless pure land appeared on his body, condensing into a relic, attempting to detach from the golden body.

But how could Chu Tai let such a good opportunity slip by? The Eastern Emperor Bell shook again, fixing it in place.

"Let me go!"

The Buddha-Demon Lord twisted wildly, but he was powerless to stop the Buddha light rising in his heart, even though that Buddha light was far more fragile and illusory than him.

When the other party is the real one, the Buddha, Demon, and Dao Lord are merely illusory figures derived from [Transformation into Earth].

When reality appears, the falsehood that originated from his prayer will naturally disappear.

Chu Tai gazed at the gradually perfecting Buddha phantom, the Eastern Emperor Bell in his hand slowly turning, the Celestial Cauldron still standing above the Buddha's head, and the gods summoned by the Primordial Yang Seal surrounded the Buddha and continuously eradicated the Buddhist and demonic beliefs in the Western Regions.

Finally, the Yin-Yang Lamp split off a flame, which transformed into a burning, sacred lotus flower, supporting the essence of the Buddha.

"Amitabha!"

This Buddha is like Mount Sumeru, his head reaching the sky, his body situated in the Western Regions. After he manifested, his compassionate eyes lowered, looking down upon the human world.

Then, a blue lotus bloomed in his eyes, like a treasure wheel constantly rotating, surveying the past, present, and future. Finally, he clasped his hands together in gratitude to Chu Tai, saying, "This calamity is all due to a single wrong thought of this humble monk, which has affected all living beings and caused chaos in all directions. Such karmic retribution is truly heartbreaking. Fortunately, my fellow Daoist has used his great wisdom and courage to turn the tide, suppress my delusions, and prevent me from continuing to create evil karma."

"Now that I have returned, I will attain Buddhahood, sit serenely on a lotus throne, and radiate boundless light, illuminating countless causes and conditions and evil karma, thus saving all suffering beings in the three evil realms and six paths..."

After speaking, the Buddha slowly extended his hands. His right hand was raised with the elbow bent, palm facing outward and fingers spread, forming the Abhaya Mudra (gesture of fearlessness); his left hand hung naturally with the palm facing outward and fingertips pointing downward, forming the Varada Mudra (gesture of granting wishes).

Pure, boundless Buddhist light flowed from his palms, surrounding him and making his golden body even more radiant, towering into the sky.

These changes drew the attention of everyone except for Tian and the Heavenly Demon Lord.

The Heavenly Demon sighed, "It's come to this after all. Truly a waste!"

Having said that, he tried to avoid the sword light and fists falling from all around, and to shake off the sticky blood light that appeared on his body. Looking at the people who surrounded him again, he tapped his staff lightly and looked at the Demon Lord and asked, "Do you think you can survive in the end?"

"You should be able to see the future and know what that guy wants to do. Now, if you join forces with me, we both have..."

Before the Heavenly Demon could finish speaking, he was forced back by the Demon Lord again. Only after the Demon Lord launched his attack did the others follow suit.

Upon witnessing this scene, the Heavenly Demon glanced in the direction of the sky, a strange light appearing in his eyes.

On the other side, after expanding to its limit, the Buddha reached out and pressed his hand towards the sky. Although his palm was immediately pierced by endless lightning and stars, shattering his golden body, the Buddha's action also created an opportunity for the Heavenly Demon Lord, who manifested a near-invisible blade of light.

The next instant, the Buddha's golden body collapsed inward, transforming into a pure and heavy radiance.

That is the karmic connection formed by the prayers of tens of thousands of sentient beings to the Buddha and demons. It is the foundation of the past Buddha and demon lords [transformed into earth], but now it has been materialized by the Buddha. Using his own foundation as the driving force, and with the [wish-fulfilling] path, he has propelled all wishes to be fulfilled.

One after another, Pure Lands manifested, each containing a precious wheel that turned the cycle of birth and death.

Countless beings are also embodied within it, and as the Buddha's light revolves, they go through three, five, seven, and even nine lifetimes to perfect themselves.

Afterwards, some returned to the cycle of reincarnation, some returned to the human realm, some ascended to the Great Luo Heaven by relying on the Buddha's radiance, and some were even sent back to the past by him to enjoy blessings. It can be said that they repaid most of the mess left by the Buddha and the demons.

At the same time, three rays of Buddha light manifested before the Buddha, which were the three Bodhisattvas: Benmingjue, Wugouguang, and Wuzhuxiang. With a smile on his lips, he gave them his remaining power and then completely passed away.

While the Buddha was attacking the heavens, Chu Tai had already set off to cause trouble for the Heavenly Demon, intending to suppress him before dealing with the heavens.

Chu Tai's actions naturally did not escape the notice of the Heavenly Demon. With a flick of his staff, he summoned a celestial curtain containing Buddhist light from who knows where. With a light touch, he created an illusory image of the earth, constructing an illusory image of mountains, rivers, and the state. With a sudden roll, he trapped the Blood Demon Lord.

Then, the aura of the Heavenly Demon dissipated, and with the ability of [Transformation], it escaped the pursuit of Jade Calendar True Lord and Lord Demon Dao, and took a direct hit from Hunyuan True Lord's Taiji Arc, its figure rapidly fleeing towards the outer heavens.

Halfway there, a streak of light fell from the void, splitting into three in mid-air, blocking his way.

A divine power of destiny, a spiritual light, and a Ruyi Jingu Bang flew out one after another, driving the Heavenly Demon back.

"Heh heh, you think you can just walk away after doing something bad? What are you going to do about the victim? You'd better stay here with me!"

As they spoke, three beams of light spread out, revealing three powerful figures: Tian Siming, Sun Wukong, and Bodhi Patriarch, all beings who had suffered greatly at the hands of the Heavenly Demon and the Heavenly Pit in the past.

The Heavenly Demon immediately sensed something was wrong and abruptly looked in the direction of the Immortal Manifestation and Transformation of the Great Heaven.

The Heavenly Emperor Mi Luo, who was sitting in the center, somehow reversed the order of things, accelerated the changes in the entire heaven, and resolved all the problems left behind by him and the heavens.

The reason he hadn't noticed the problem before was because Taiyi Zhenjun cooperated with the Heavenly Emperor, Qingshi Zhenjun assisted him, and Hunyuan Zhenjun and Yuli Zhenjun consciously interfered with his perception, thus managing to keep it from him.

At the same time, the Heavenly Emperor took action to obscure the heavenly secrets, and the various subsequent Holy Emperors worked together to create an opportunity, thus stopping the Heavenly Demon at the most opportune time and in the most appropriate place.

(End of this chapter)