The Eastern Emperor of all Heavens did not wish to become a Buddha.

Chapter 96 Han Guang and Gao Lan's Strange Movements and Breakthroughs: Returning to Simplicity
Jade Emperor Mountain is the site where the ancient Heavenly Court fell. It is now the location of the Xuantian Sect, one of the three major Taoist sects, which has inherited the Taoist lineage of the Heavenly Emperor.

Surrounded by mountains, countless palaces and pavilions are situated throughout the mountains, arranged in a mysterious pattern to form a majestic and solemn protective array.

At the very top of Jade Emperor Mountain, a sacred and noble statue of the Heavenly Emperor stands in the main hall, gazing ahead as if looking down upon all the heavens and myriad realms.

A bluish-green jade box carved from celestial jade was placed in front of the statue, inside which lay an ancient and weathered long sword.

Just then, ripples like flowing water appeared, forming a timeless and profound blade of light that turned everything around into black and white, reflecting everything in the world.

A hazy figure shrouded in the radiance of humanity was reflected in the flash of the blade, with ripples similar to those in the blade appearing faintly, carrying a sense of vicissitude.

Boom!
A clear and deep bell rang out, echoing between heaven and earth. The hazy figure shattered and disappeared into the flash of the sword.

"Tai Yi"

A sigh, tinged with admiration and a hint of regret, rose and then slowly faded away.

As the sound faded, the ripples around it disappeared, the black and white colors in the world faded away, and everything returned to normal, as if everything that had just happened was an illusion.

This is a world forged from white clouds, with countless palaces standing tall, resembling the abode of immortals and gods, the celestial realm.

At the center of this palace stands a throne that seems to represent the supreme position of heaven and earth.

A refined figure wearing a 'Heavenly Emperor' mask stood before the throne, hands behind his back, seemingly deep in thought.

After a long pause, he looked at the figure in the main hall and said calmly, "Are you sure that Shan Yue was killed by that Buddhist monk who suddenly appeared?"

The figure in the main hall bowed and said, "Your Majesty, this is news from the Luo Sect. It is said that the Holy Maiden of the Luo Sect witnessed it with her own eyes."

"The Holy Maiden of the Luo Cult"

The Heavenly Emperor pondered for a moment before asking, "Is that Buddhist monk named Fahai still in the vicinity of Ying City?"

The figure in the main hall hurriedly said, "After that battle, this Buddhist monk disappeared without a trace, and no one knows where he went."

Upon hearing this, the 'Heavenly Emperor's' eyes narrowed, his mind aligned with the laws of heaven and earth, and his right hand began to manipulate the five fingers, deducing the whereabouts of the suddenly appearing Fahai.

After attaining the Dharma Body and achieving the realm of immortals, one's body contains the principles of Dharma and is in harmony with heaven and earth. Even if one is not proficient in divination, one will automatically possess the ability to deduce the secrets of heaven on a whim.

The 'Heavenly Emperor' cultivates a time-related technique, making him superior to ordinary Dharma bodies in divination.

In an instant, a phantom river seemed to appear before his eyes, with countless images flashing by, including a handsome monk dressed in a moon-white robe.

'this'

Upon seeing the white-robed monk, the 'Heavenly Emperor' was slightly taken aback, vaguely sensing that the figure was somewhat familiar.

But before he could continue his deductions, the light of humanity shone brightly, and the scene before him shattered instantly.

"The power of humanity. The True Imperial Seal. Could it be..."

The Heavenly Emperor's gaze shifted slightly, and ripples like flowing water spread around him as he stepped into the void and disappeared.

In a city in Jiangdong.

A burly man in a black robe is drinking.

His features were obscured by a full beard, making it impossible to discern his exact appearance, but his eyes were deep and starry, with a faint glimmer of humanity shining within them.

Just then, his gaze shifted slightly, and he suddenly looked into the distance.

In an instant, his aura underwent a tremendous change; his original heroic spirit vanished, replaced by a hint of coldness.

The next moment, his figure entered the void and disappeared without anyone noticing.

Within the ancient path of the Human Emperor.

As Zhong Xu looked at the remaining energy on the left side of the ancient road, the image of the Azure Emperor of this world appeared in his mind.

The Azure Emperor of this realm originated from the ancient Fusang tree; he was a primordial deity born from the fruit of this ancient tree.

The Fusang Ancient Tree was nurtured by the blood of two emperors from the previous era, Haotian Shangdi and Donghuang Taiyi, and contains the great Dao of both of them.

In a sense, the Azure Emperor inherited part of the Great Dao from the Eastern Emperor Taiyi and the Jade Emperor.

If Zhong Xu is indeed related to Donghuang Taiyi, then his relationship with the Azure Emperor becomes somewhat complicated.

After a long while, Zhong Xu shook his head, dispelling the distracting thoughts in his mind.

The innate deities are formed in accordance with the Great Dao, born of Heaven and Earth, and have no connection with the previous era.

Even if he was indeed related to Donghuang Taiyi, he didn't have much connection with Qingdi.

With that thought in mind, Zhong Xu prepared to leave.

Just then, he seemed to sense something and his mind sank into the Sea of ​​Wheels Secret Realm.

Above the Sea of ​​Wheels, a bronze bell formed from fragments of the Eastern Emperor Bell slowly swayed, its clear, resonant tones ringing out. At the center of the Sea of ​​Bitterness, the chaotic blue lotus swayed its branches and leaves, scattering specks of chaotic light. 'This is…'

A thoughtful look appeared in Zhong Xu's eyes as he looked again at the lingering aura beside the ancient road.

Buzz

With a thought, a phantom of a blue lotus appeared on Zhong Xu's body, making him exude a sense of vitality.

The next moment, the illusory image of the green lotus swayed, directly absorbing the nascent energy of the green wood and the radiant energy of the sun beside the ancient road, and slowly dissipated.

Within the Sea of ​​Wheels Secret Realm, the Chaos Green Lotus, infused with a trace of the life-giving energy of green wood and the radiant energy of the sun, seemed to have acquired some special Dao and principle. It began to sway constantly, undergoing subtle adjustments and transformations, and the creative vitality contained within it became increasingly abundant.

'I didn't expect such an unexpected bonus!'

Sensing the changes in the Chaos Green Lotus, a smile appeared in Zhong Xu's eyes, and he continued walking forward.

On the ancient road that followed, Zhong Xu encountered many different residual auras, all belonging to famous figures from the medieval era.

There are ancient sages, the Mysterious Woman of the Five Dynasties, and even an ancestor from the ancient Wang family, a number of sages.

These auras, depending on their strength, remained in different places.

As he walked, the lingering humanistic spirit on the Ancient Path of the Human Emperor flowed through Zhong Xu's mind, causing the "Taiyi Golden Chapter" within his body to continue to undergo subtle adjustments and changes.

As his cultivation method changed, various insights surfaced in his mind, giving him a slightly different understanding of the Way of Heaven and the Way of Man, and his spiritual realm was also constantly changing.

Zhong Xu's inner world is constantly adjusting and transforming, perfectly harmonizing with the laws of the outside world and perfectly aligning with his own path.

His mind was in a state of clarity, constantly interacting with the laws of heaven and earth around him, undergoing a special transformation.

After walking for an unknown amount of time, a heavy stone gate appeared before Zhong Xu's eyes. Behind the gate was an endless sea of ​​fire, within which a sword-forging platform was faintly visible.

Crackling purple lightning swirled around the door, and the fierce and powerful essence of the sword technique assaulted him, making him feel extremely oppressed.

"Overlord."

Looking at this arrogant and domineering purple lightning that seemed to reject everything, Zhong Xu thought of a being whose fate was similar to his own.

The Ancient Overlord, one of the "other selves" of the Demon Buddha Ananda, is the only self-proven legend after the Middle Ages, and also a "fish" that almost broke free from Ananda's "fishhook".

Unfortunately, because of the Five Dynasties Mystic Woman, the Overlord placed his hopes on the future, but in the end, he failed and was killed by Ananda's scheme.

Zhong Xu sighed softly and looked at a monk sitting cross-legged next to Zi Lei.

The monk was dressed in a gray robe, with a handsome face and a slender figure. His body shone with a glassy luster, exuding a sense of purity, solemnity, freedom, and liberation, like a Buddha who had awakened to his own enlightenment.

A great Arhat comparable to the Buddha!
'Master.'

Upon seeing this figure, Zhong Xu felt a slight daze, as if he were seeing the old monk who had taught him again.

The two were completely different in appearance and temperament, yet they gave him a similar feeling.

Suddenly, a long, drawn-out sigh reached his ears:

"I see!"

'Ananda.'

Looking at the monk in the gray robe and sensing the lingering sighs in the place, Zhong Xu's eyes flickered slightly. The Demon Buddha Mystic Art within his body automatically activated, and a gentle Buddhist light emanated from his body.

A beam of Buddhist light enveloped the area in front of him, sweeping towards the monk. The monk in front of him instantly transformed into a phantom aura, vanishing without a trace, as if he had never existed.

Buzz

The moment the monk disappeared, Zhong Xu's mind entered a state of clarity, naturally crossing a new boundary and entering a new level.

Many internal cultivation techniques were operating automatically within his body, including the Eight-Nine Arcane Arts, the Demon Buddha Arcane Arts, the Taiyi Golden Chapter, and even the Tathagata Palm.
The acupoints throughout the body are 'opened,' within which countless rays of light flow, whether it be Buddha's light, demonic energy, primordial energy, Bodhi, the Way of Heaven, the Way of Humanity, time, or the universe. Each acupoint is like a microcosm, a small world.

Many universes, many heavens and earths, are different from one another, each separate, yet they ultimately converge at a single point.

It is the interweaving of law and reason, the manifestation of Tao and virtue, located above all heavens, at the source of time and space.

This is the Dao of Zhong Xu's inner world, the One of his inner world, the future path he has initially determined, higher than all the inner heavens, occupying above everything, and influencing the changes in the laws of the inner heavens.

Zhong Xu's primordial spirit continued to ascend, entering this source and merging with it. Its aura was as profound as chaos and as vast as the Great Dao, beyond description.

In an instant, the energy within his body completely calmed down, without revealing the slightest trace of it. It was perfectly ordinary, like some kind of natural law governing the universe, without anything special about it.

However, within this ordinariness lies a certain true 'Tao'.

The entire world and Zhong Xu became one, and the primordial energy sea was simply compatible with him. Without any active activation, he was endowed with the power of heaven and earth.

Back to Basics!

(End of this chapter)