Becoming a god starts from planting a Bodhi tree.

Chapter 455 After I leave, I wonder how many people in this world will establish a religion and claim to be its founder.

The four walked along the bluestone path, encountering a perplexing fog that caused headaches for anyone who came along, but they retreated upon meeting the World Honored One.

Ji Jingqiu led the team, with the three following closely behind, quite confident and fearless.

In their current view, Ji Jingqiu is most likely a person who has returned to the Dao, and there is a considerable chance that he is a "local" who is far more familiar with this place than they are.

But Ji Jingqiu was in a bit of a dilemma at this moment.

"Are we just going to go straight like this?"

"It seems there's no other way. Should we forge a new path and take a different route, or should we stick to the existing one?"

He looked at the mist on both sides of the bluestone path, then looked up and could sense the call from the distant end, and couldn't help but feel a little uneasy.

"World Honored One, where does this bluestone path lead? It's so desolate, lacking any of the brilliance and splendor of the source of the Great Dao."

The sword master suddenly spoke up, his tone very polite. He had already retrieved the immortal sword from Ji Jingqiu and believed that Ji Jingqiu was definitely not a "newcomer" but an old monster.

Ji Jingqiu's heart stirred. In the eyes of the patriarchs, was the Land of Return to Truth equivalent to the fundamental Dao, the source of all time and destiny?

In all realms of the Boundary Sea, as long as there is a complete world, there is a river of time and destiny. Some people have tried to trace the origin of these two things, but ultimately to no avail.

Ji Jingqiu naturally didn't know where the bluestone path ended. He murmured, "After being away from home for a hundred years, I've returned to find everything unfamiliar. I wonder if the stone bridge at the end is still there? And if the inscriptions commemorating my achievements are covered in moss."

The three exchanged another glance. At the end of the bluestone path lay a stone bridge.
Ji Jingqiu looked up, his gaze deep, and continued to feign profundity, deceiving the three of them as he said:

"This world has been lonely for countless ages, how could it not be desolate? It's time for the Path of Return to Truth to be bustling with activity before returning to its original place."

Those who leave their hometowns will eventually return.

"Those who are displaced and wandered are most homesick and fearful of their hometown."

The three people behind him fell silent.

The three of them entered at different times, but they had all heard similar rumors. Some were still hesitant about whether to set off, and Ji Jingqiu's words made them make the same connections.

Seeing that the three of them had fallen silent, Ji Jingqiu couldn't help but shake his head inwardly.

These three old guys are no pushovers; they're all trying to get information out of him.

Fortunately, he wasn't exactly a saint either. He just spouted nonsense. Once his skills were up to par, these old guys would fill in the gaps in their imaginations.

Still confused? Have doubts? That means the secrets you knew in the past were wrong, and today you've finally touched on the historical truth!

As they walked, Ji Jingqiu casually made up stories to answer the three people's probing questions, selectively replying while not giving up sensing the Upside-Down Mountain in the distance.

There was no concept of time here. Ji Jingqiu silently counted the time in his mind. This aimless walking continued for more than ten days, but it was not boring. The whole way was full of intrigue and scheming.

The three sword masters were very patient. They had already learned of the wonders of this bluestone path. This could be considered the first challenge. All escape techniques were useless, and they could only walk out.

With Ji Jingqiu leading the way, the three of them felt quite at ease walking.

Finally, the day arrived, and the sound of flowing water could be heard from ahead.

The three were overjoyed. Before meeting Ji Jingqiu, they had each wandered for several years. After meeting and traveling together, they spent several more years together. Until they met Ji Jingqiu, they were all in a fog, their senses were clouded, just like the ghost wall that is said to exist in the mortal world.

With Ji Jingqiu's guiding light, we've already reaped the rewards in just over ten days, avoiding countless detours and finding the right path!
The group quickened their pace and inadvertently overtook Ji Jingqiu. A single glance from him caused the three to stop awkwardly, gesturing for the World Honored One to proceed first.

Ji Jingqiu snorted lightly, glanced at the three usurping officials, and led the way. Before long, the group arrived at the source of the stream.

Upon seeing the scene before them, everyone's pupils constricted.

"A collapsed stone bridge..."

"Is there really a stone bridge?"

"Where is the stone tablet? Where is the stone tablet that my elder brother, the World Honored One, spoke of?"

The three became restless, and the scene before them confirmed everything Ji Jingqiu had just said.

However, they did not see the astonishment on Ji Jingqiu's face as he stood with his back to them.

Is it true?
He had only said it casually, leaving himself an escape route. Would he be safe? If not, then he wouldn't be safe. Little did he know that his words would become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

The river flowed gently, shrouded in a hazy, all-encompassing mist, quite unlike the previous gloomy fog, so much so that the opposite bank was not visible.

A dark, ancient stone bridge spans the river, but it is broken in the middle.

“There are people on the other side of the river,” the sword master said in a deep voice.

On the other side of the broken stone bridge, a blurry figure stood blocking the middle of the bridge, seemingly forming an inseparable whole with the stone bridge and the flowing water beneath its feet, not to be crossed.

"Could this be the other shore?" the young patriarch murmured.

"Venerable One, there is the stone tablet you mentioned!"

Cang suddenly stepped forward and tried to remove the spreading moss, but found that all his Taoist power, magic, and supernatural abilities vanished as soon as they touched the moss. This forced him to take matters into his own hands and brush away the moss.

Ji Jingqiu said nothing, slowly walked to the riverbank, and looked at his reflection in the gurgling water.

The riverbank was damp and covered with dark green moss, which was smooth and cool, and one could easily fall into the river if one was not careful.

The river, shrouded in mist, had no source upstream and no destination downstream. Its waters flowed gently and were crystal clear, yet they gave Ji Jingqiu an extremely dangerous feeling, as if once he fell into it, there would be no way to get out!
At this moment, the old man who called himself Cang finally brushed away the moss covering the stone tablet, revealing a line of inscriptions. Cang glanced at it and his expression changed drastically. He subconsciously looked at Ji Jingqiu's back.

This kind of Taoist script has no written boundaries; as long as one's spiritual level is high enough and one's understanding of the Great Tao reaches a certain level, one can decipher it.

However, the stone tablet is incomplete, and the inscription is not finished.

But even these few words were enough to terrify him.

The sword master and the young man were originally looking at the opposite bank of the river, but suddenly noticed that Cang's expression was not right, so they quickly went over.

After reading the Taoist inscription on the stone tablet, both men turned pale, their pupils contracted to pinpoints, and their expressions became unusually heavy and solemn.

—After I'm gone, I wonder how many people in this world will establish a religion and claim to be its founder, and how many will dare to call themselves invincible…

They all looked in the direction of the "World Honored One" without prior agreement, their hearts filled with horror.

This person had previously said that there was a stone bridge and an inscription at the end of the road, and now that has been fulfilled, even if they are naturally suspicious, they still have doubts. At this moment, they can't help but connect the person who left the inscription with the true body at the end of the road that the Buddha spoke of...

Is it the same person?!

World Honored One, World Honored One...

Could the World-Honored One's intention be the one who unified heaven and earth at the very beginning?

The three patriarchs did not look at each other, each with countless chaotic thoughts arising in their minds.

Why travel far when you're stepping into the realm of transcendence?

Because of "returning to oneness"!
Transcendence is oneness. Stepping into this realm, even if you do nothing, simply existing itself influences everything around you, until all things in the world converge towards them, ultimately assimilating and becoming part of the transcendent.

Therefore, those who transcend must travel far away for what they cherish.

Those who were reckless and unscrupulous were also forced to embark on the same path under the coercion of the other transcendent beings.

There are also those like Si Ning who transcended worldly limitations by following the "guidance" of their predecessors and embarking on the path of returning to their true nature.

At this moment, the young patriarch looked solemn. The reason he entered this fragment of the Land of Return to Truth was because he was hesitating about whether to set off.

According to the secrets he discovered, the realm he entered possessed true freedom, but this freedom came at the cost of the freedom of all beings, and one day, the final victor would be decided among the returnees, leaving only one "human" in the world.

The only way to resolve all this is to go to the land of truth!

He looked at Cang and the Sword Master, who should know more than he did.

The sword master murmured, "Indeed, the Netherworld's guess was true. Before all sentient beings, there truly was one who unified heaven and earth."

With a solemn expression, Ning asked, "Brother Sword, may I ask how the Lord of the Netherworld died back then?" "You are a Returner from later generations, aren't you?"

Cang spoke first, his gaze deep, but he didn't answer Ning's question. Instead, he muttered to himself,
"If all those who have returned to the true path are drawing everything in the world towards themselves, then when all realms cease to exist, the sea of ​​realms collapses, and only those who have returned to the true path remain..."

Will the situation evolve into a situation where all those who have returned to the truth "merge and become one"?
"At that time, even if you True Immortals do not wish to be enemies with each other, you will be forced into a situation where you have no choice but to fight. You must not allow others to seize the advantage and the initiative, creating a snowball effect, so..."

"You said, why not let him start anew?"

"Reopen the world?" Ning's eyes narrowed.

“The real cause of You’s death lies in the fact that he went to the ‘Land of Return to Truth’,” the Sword Master said calmly. “That is the ‘opportunity’.”

Ning was silent for a moment, then said, "Do we have any chance of finding the Lord of the Netherworld in this area?"

The sword master glanced at him and asked in surprise, "You came in here to find You?"

Immediately, he nodded and said, "This path is chaotic. In theory, it can encounter all those who enter, involve cause and effect, and even transcend time and space, breaking all laws. It is precisely because of this special nature that we believe Youzhen has been to the Land of Return to Truth."

Cang Gang was about to speak, but suddenly fell silent.

Because Ji Jingqiu finally turned around and saw the Taoist inscription on the stone tablet.

In his eyes, lightning struck down from the sky, the heavens and earth were upside down, the sun and moon were extinguished, all paths were deflected, no one in the world fell into ruin, and all gods and saints faced decay and twilight.

The three felt their gaze drawn to the scene in the Buddha's pupils, as if they were falling into it, rising and falling with the mortal world. Finally, they took a step back, and Daoist auras appeared and disappeared around them. Only then did they break free from this pull, and all of them were shaken.

at the same time.

The inscriptions on the stone tablet shone as brightly as the sun, and Ji Jingqiu's body was illuminated by boundless wisdom, making him sacred and radiant from the inside out.

"Is this... a communion with the Great Dao?"

"The World Honored One could not really be that one..."

"Impossible! At most, it's just remains or wreckage!" Cang said decisively.

Across the stone bridge, the hazy figure standing in the mist stirred as if turning to look at them.

……

Ji Jingqiu stood on this side of the river and watched as someone crossed the stone bridge from the other side to this side.

The man was calm and composed, covered in blood, yet he appeared ethereal and agile, like a banished immortal. His steps were serene and peaceful, exuding a sense of transcendence.

Ji Jingqiu tried various methods, but still couldn't see the other person's true face.

He came alone, crossed the stone bridge, and then turned around and destroyed it with a final blow, leaving a stone tablet on the bank with two lines of text.

After doing all this, he walked in the direction Ji Jingqiu had come from. As he brushed past the latter, he turned his head as if to glance at Ji Jingqiu, with a smile on his face and a gentle look in his eyes.

Ji Jingqiu opened his mouth as if to say something, but the other person had already left, leaving bloody footprints on the ground with each step, as if dragging a heavily injured body to the world before dying.

He watched the other person leave, then turned back to look at the intact stone tablet.

—After I am gone, I wonder how many people in the world will establish a religion and claim to be the founder, and how many will dare to call themselves invincible.

—I will not be disappointed.

……

thump—

Inside Ji Jingqiu's body, at his heart, it was as if a divine drum had been struck, emitting a deafening sound that swept outwards in all directions.

His aura was rising, accompanied by boundless light, becoming increasingly vast and boundless, pressing down on heaven and earth, and suppressing the distant mist.

The latter retreated like a tide as if facing a natural enemy, until it reached the foot of the figure on the opposite stone bridge.

The sword master murmured, "This guy... why do I feel like he's gotten even stronger? Is it just my imagination? Standing at the pinnacle of the realm, can he still take it a step further?"

Cang Yan said solemnly, "I'm afraid it's not an illusion, nor is it necessarily road construction, but rather a revival. Seeing old things brings back more memories of the past, and it helps people regain their former strength."

The sword master suddenly noticed something and said in a deep voice, "The Dao intent contained within the stone tablet is surging into his body!"

Cang sighed softly, "Just as I thought."

Ning Wuyan, these two had already concluded that the World Honored One was an ancient person, and an ancient person among ancient people, but he still had doubts and suspected that this guy was a descendant of his Yuanchu Palace.

Of course, he didn't say it out loud, otherwise these two would probably have given him a sidelong glance and a look, letting him figure out the true meaning on his own, especially the Sword Master.

Ji Jingqiu's transformation lasted for a long time. The brilliant and boundless light became more and more intense with the passage of time, shining brightly between heaven and earth. The martial intent within it was no less than a great sun standing at the highest point in the human world.

The sheer scale and intensity of the commotion caused the three to unconsciously become serious and vigilant, needing to focus their attention on their surroundings to ensure that no powerful enemies would be drawn to the area.

Strictly speaking, they were indeed protecting the Buddha's teachings.

at last.

The divine light subsided, and Ji Jingqiu's terrifying and powerful aura quieted down.

He opened his eyes and awoke, his gaze gleaming brightly as he murmured:
"The past is dead yesterday, the future is born today."

The three of them were shaken to their core countless times, as if they had glimpsed the true identity of the World Honored One from these words.

Cang and the Sword Master exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with an indescribable solemnity.

Ji Jingqiu opened his eyes and woke up, pondering when what he had seen during his communion with the Great Dao had happened.
"After I'm gone, I wonder how many people in this world will establish a religion and claim to be its founder, and how many will dare to call themselves invincible..."

Ji Jingqiu gazed at the stone tablet and read it softly, then turned to look at the three of them.

How many people in the world today consider themselves invincible?

He began to probe the three of them, trying to find out how many transcendent beings had accumulated over so many eras in the Boundary Sea.

The three men looked serious. Even Ning was completely intimidated by Ji Jingqiu. Combined with the stone tablet, the "truth" was too terrifying.

The sword master's eyes were deep. Could this really be something left behind by the World Honored One in the past?
Returning after a century, looking back on the glory of yesteryear, are they ready to reignite the flames of war?
After a brief silence, the seemingly youngest member of the group, the Ferocious Ancestor, spoke:

"The ancestors are all on their way and have not yet returned. Every few centuries, a new ancestor is born, but the Boundary Sea Covenant still exists, and they rarely appear in the world. No one knows the exact number."

Cang and the Sword Master chose to remain silent.

In a sense, they are the founders and progenitors of the religion as depicted on the stone tablet!
Suddenly, everyone looked upstream.

A divine weapon, resembling both a knife and a sword, floated on the river's surface, drifting downstream. Someone was chasing after them; looking up and seeing them, they shouted:
"Fellow Daoist, please help me retrieve my divine weapon. I have accidentally fallen into it and will be richly rewarded!"

All of them had expressionless faces.

Ji Jingqiu didn't even look at him, his gaze falling on the figure on the other side of the stone bridge, his expression gradually becoming serious.

He could feel the gazes from the other side of the river.

The swordsman stood with his hands on his sword, looking down with a cold smile at the man running down from upstream.

Under his cold gaze, the running figure stopped in his tracks, the shouts abruptly ceased, and the other person stood silently in the mist, his eyes cold, locked onto Ji Jingqiu and his group.

The divine soldiers, floating in the river, drifted away with the current and eventually disappeared without a trace.

And the figures in the mist gradually increased, and there was more than one.

"World Honored One, what should we do?" the Sword Master asked.

Ji Jingqiu faced off against the figure on the opposite bank of the bridge, his expression ambiguous, whether as a response to the Sword Master or a warning to the figure opposite him:

"Those with malicious intentions, kill them!"

(End of this chapter)