Sky Curtain: An Initial Overview of the Immortal Lord of the Myriad Laws of the Mortal World

Above the sky, the golden light gradually subsided, and the earth-shattering divine phenomena slowly dissipated. The scene shifted, no longer showing the battle between the gods that shook the heavens, but focusing on an old man with a thin figure wearing a tattered Taoist robe.

There were no spectacular entrance effects, only a line of somewhat melancholic subtitles that slowly appeared.

Ma Chao, the 217th head of the Three Truths School.

He grew up in the most declining era of the Three Truths School of Buddhism, died tragically just as Haoguang came of age, only to be resurrected by Wanye in the middle of his life.

The color tone of the image turned gray, as if telling the story of the hardships of that era.

Everyone praises the immortals, but only the Ma dynasty could not forget them.

A hemp rope always breaks at its thinnest point; misfortune only finds those with unfortunate fates.

The world of Demon Slayer.

Tanjiro, carrying the wooden box, looked at the judgment in the sky, and his eyes instantly reddened. He clenched his calloused hands tightly, his voice choked with emotion.

"The rope always breaks at its thinnest point... That's such a painful saying. We've tried so hard to live, so why does misfortune still befall kind people? It feels like coming home to my family for the first time... That feeling is a sadness that seeps into my bones."

Zenitsu trembled beside Tanjiro, clinging to his leg and crying, "Waaaaah! Tanjiro! I don't want to hear such a tragic story! I'll die! I'll definitely die from being so sad!"

Two puffs of white vapor escaped from Inosuke's nostrils beneath his hood: "That thing, all we need to do is cut it off! Cut off the bad luck!"

The curtain of light continued to advance, revealing that long-buried past.

In 1856, the entire family of the French were wiped out. That night, rivers of blood flowed.

Having survived this catastrophe, Ma Chao understood that although he was the sole survivor who escaped, he was absolutely not qualified to inherit the Three Truths Dharma.

In the scene, young Ma Chao staggers through the ruins, his eyes filled with terror and despair. He wasn't strong enough, smart enough, or even brave enough; he only survived because of luck.

The world of One Piece.

On the Straw Hat Pirates' ship, Usopp watched the fleeing figure, the words he wanted to say stuck in his throat. He put down his slingshot, his expression becoming unusually serious.

"Hey, Luffy, Zoro... don't laugh at him." Usopp adjusted his goggles. "This kind of running away isn't because of cowardice, but because he's carrying something much heavier. As the sole survivor, living takes more courage than dying. Someone like me, who's 'caught from island-canceling syndrome,' knows this best: sometimes, living in hiding is the hardest battle!"

Chopper's eyes welled up with tears: "Usopp... you're just scared, aren't you? But this old man named Ma Chao is really pitiful."

The narration continued, the voice deep and magnetic.

Over the years, Ma Chao has walked the world of supernatural powers, and he must have experienced countless sorrows and hardships that he could not confide in anyone.

[His supernatural powers were not great, so he hid and lurked like a frightened mouse, doing his utmost to continue the last bit of incense offerings of the Three Truths.]

Until one day in 1902, the wheels of fate began to turn.

[Ma Chao encountered Hao Guang, an eight-year-old boy. At that moment, the long-dormant Tong Yue Ling (a concept in Chinese astrology) began to react.]

The resonance of the same month's influence gave the desperate Ma Chao a new hope.

[It was destiny, the will of Heaven, that made Ma Chao a key figure in the revival of the Three Truths.]

The world of "Under One Person".

At the Nadutong Express Company, Zhang Chulan watched this scene with a playful smile on his lips, but his eyes unusually lacked that smugness.

"Hey, this old man's got some interesting." Zhang Chulan scratched his head. "He's hidden his whole life, kept hiding his whole life. He could have just kept living like this. But for the sake of 'hope,' he got himself involved again. What do you call that? That's fate. People like us, who seem shameless most of the time, when it comes to this kind of 'passing the torch,' even if our legs cramp, we have to grit our teeth and go for it. Is that what they call... being old-fashioned?"

Feng Baobao, expressionless, continued digging a hole: "Zhang Chulan, he's just like you, very good at hiding his true intentions."

"Sister Bao'er, can you please stop teasing me now?"

The scene shifts, and the atmosphere suddenly becomes somewhat eerie.

As Haoguang's mentor, Ma Chao had high hopes for him.

In front of outsiders, he always appeared ethereal and otherworldly, stroking his beard, seemingly unfathomable.

But in reality...

In the scene, Ma Chao is holding a book with a gaudy cover, reading it with great interest. He unconsciously reads aloud the explicit descriptions in the book, completely absorbed in it, and is completely unaware of the deathly expression on his apprentice's face behind him.

He's just a fool who unconsciously reads aloud the contents of books he's been reading.

The world of Naruto.

Outside the Konoha bathhouse, Jiraiya, who was gathering material, suddenly sneezed. He then looked up at the sky, his eyes shining, as if he had met a kindred spirit.

"Oh my! What a level of artistry!" Jiraiya frantically took out his notebook and started jotting down notes. "Not only do you have to read it, you have to read it aloud! This is absolute honesty towards art! Although he might be called a fool, in my opinion, this is true character! If I ever have the chance, I must invite this Mr. Ma Chao for a drink and exchange my thoughts on 'Icha Icha Paradise'! He's definitely a kindred spirit!"

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Perverted Sage, you've just found an excuse to be a pervert. That old man looked perfectly respectable, but..."

The world of Mob Psycho 100.

Reigen Arataka sat in his office, looking at Ma Chao, who was "pretending to be a sage," and a bead of cold sweat slid down his forehead.

"Ahem, well..." Reigen Arataka adjusted his tie guiltily. "I understand this kind of 'packaging' to maintain a master's dignity. After all, you have to give your apprentice confidence. But... reading that kind of book aloud is a sign of poor professional skills! If it were me, I would definitely change the cover to 'One Hundred Ways to Exorcise Spirits' and then spout nonsense with a straight face! That's what a mature adult does!"

Shigeo Kageyama (a passerby) blinked: "Master, it seems like your true feelings have been revealed."

However, joyous times are always fleeting. The scene on the sky turned somber again, depicting the snowstorm of 1906.

In 1906, the French corpse sought revenge once more.

Faced with the terrifying entity that had once destroyed everything, this time, Ma Chao did not choose to run away.

[With a death wish, Ma Chao covered Hao Guang and his three disciples' escape.]

In the scene, the foolish old man who usually reads erotic books aloud is now blocking the only way, his back view desolate yet resolute.

[I am not talented enough to comprehend the profound mystery of the Three Truths in the Same Month Order in the past fifty years, but the Three Truths Dharma Gate must not perish in my hands.]

[With this turn of events, Ma Chao never intended to return alive.]

The world of Yu Yu Hakusho.

Granny Huanhai watched this scene quietly and gently exhaled a smoke ring.

"Hmph, you foolish old man." Huanhai's voice was cold, yet tinged with respect. "He seems unreliable most of the time, but when it really matters, he takes on all this trouble himself. Is he sacrificing himself to leave the future to the younger generation? ... It's a cliché, but not unpleasant. As a master, the last thing he can do for his disciple is probably to pave the way with his old life."

Yusuke Urameshi clenched his fist: "Tch, old lady, don't try that trick. This kind of self-sacrifice is infuriating to watch, but... damn cool."

Just as Ma Chao was preparing to face his death, a figure appeared on the screen turning back. It was Hao Guang. He had returned.

[Haoguang's subsequent return caused Ma Chao, who had already resolved to die, to burst into tears and curse him for the first time.]

"Get out! Who let you come back! All of Sanzhen's hopes are on you!" The old man cried like a child, his tears a mixture of anger and heartache.

At that moment, Ma Chao truly saw hope for the revival of the Three Truths Dharma.

The world of Assassination Classroom.

Two wide tear tracks hung on Koro-sensei's round, yellow face, which he frantically wiped away with his tentacles.

"Wow! This is the bond between teacher and student! Even knowing it's suicide, the disciple doesn't want to abandon his master; even knowing the disciple's return will lead to their deaths, the master still hopes the disciple can live!" Koro-sensei cried, blowing his nose. "This Koro-sensei, though usually unreliable, got a perfect score in the course of education! He gave his students his final lesson with his own life! I'm so moved! I'd give this scene a score... a perfect score! Absolutely perfect!"

Nagisa Shiota looked at Koro-sensei helplessly: "Koro-sensei, your snot is all over the book..."

The images on the screen shifted, and time moved to the famous "Battle of Sanchuan".

By this time, Ma Chao had aged considerably. He witnessed the astonishing strength displayed by Hai Shan, who was still a young boy at the time.

After the battle at Sanchuan, Ma Chao witnessed the strength of the young Haishan.

He didn't act arrogantly because of his age; in fact, after learning that the other party belonged to the Penglai sect, he made a surprising move.

In the scene, the elderly Ma Chao bowed his head respectfully to the young Hai Shan, setting aside his seniority to humbly seek guidance.

At that time, Ma Chao only felt sorry for Hao Guang.

[I brought you into this dangerous world, yet I cannot teach you the supernatural powers that would allow you to roam freely in the world.]

What does it matter if your master loses some face, as long as it helps you grow?

The world of One-Punch Man.

As KING listened to the massive heartbeat of the "Emperor Engine" and looked at the humble old man seeking advice on the screen, a storm raged within him.

"This...this is what a true powerhouse is?" KING's inner monologue trembled. "It's not just about physical strength, but also inner strength. Someone like me, misunderstood as the 'strongest on Earth,' lives in constant fear of being exposed, clinging desperately to that pitiful pride. But this guy named Ma Chao, for the sake of his disciple, can bow down to a junior without hesitation. Compared to him, I'm just a clown! I wish I had that kind of courage to ask Saitama how to become stronger, instead of hiding behind him and taking advantage of his weaknesses..."

The world of "Bad Guys".

Li Xingyun looked at the old Taoist who disregarded his dignity for his disciple, and the Longquan sword in his hand trembled slightly.

"Old man..." Li Xingyun thought of the rogue commander who always forced him to study medicine and martial arts, and who ultimately paved the way for him. Although their styles of doing things were completely different, the sense of heaviness was exactly the same. "This feeling of carrying everything on one's own shoulders is really suffocating. What does it matter if you lose face as long as your disciple can grow? Ha, that's easy to say. How many people in this world can do that? This Ma Chao is a fool worthy of respect."

The world of "Rakshasa Street".

Cao Yanbing sat on the steps, looking at the sky, and remained silent for a long time.

"Is this what 'protection' is...?" Cao Yanbing toyed with the Ten Kings of Hell in his hand. "It's not about crushing enemies with overwhelming power, but about being willing to give up one's dignity for the sake of those one wants to protect. This old man may not be very capable, but as a 'parent,' he's qualified. In this cannibalistic world, to find a master who's willing to kneel and beg for your help, that kid named Haoguang is quite lucky."

The world of "Fox Spirit Matchmaker".

Wang Quan Fugui stood atop the mountain, holding the Wang Quan Sword, a gentle breeze ruffling his long hair.

"Would you be willing to travel with me across mountains and rivers?" he murmured softly, then looked up at the sky. "To allow future generations to fly higher, I am willing to humble myself to the dust. This is not only the bond between master and disciple, but also an unwavering commitment to inheritance. The Three Truths Sect has reached its current state not because of its supernatural powers, but because this spirit has never been broken."

The spider demon Qing Tong perched on his shoulder: "Fu Gui, this old man may look weak, but his soul is so dazzling."

The world of Dragon Ball.

Master Roshi removed his sunglasses, revealing unusually deep eyes that were usually lecherous. He looked at Ma Chao, who was bowing his head for his disciple, and slowly nodded.

"Although I'm also a fellow enthusiast of those kinds of books..." Master Roshi said, unusually serious, "this guy, he doesn't even know what 'the way of the master' means. Martial arts or supernatural powers, ultimately it's all about enabling the next generation to surpass us. If bowing down could guarantee my disciple's future, then this old man would be willing to bow my head to the ground. However... he should remember to put the book away properly after reading it; it's really embarrassing if his disciple finds out. He still needs to improve in this aspect!"

The final image of the sky settled on Ma Chao's face, which showed both the vicissitudes of life and a kind smile.

He was a foolish master, a man with a tragic fate, and a bridge that was willing to turn into dust so that his disciple could cross the abyss.