System crash? I prove it with my control panel!

Chapter 445 The Greatest Merit.

When difficulties arise.

Chen Wen did not hesitate to choose to curry favor with a powerful figure.

So he followed the guidance of the Pure Ancient Buddha.

Without hesitation, he immediately began implementation.

If something goes wrong, there's a large Buddha statue here.

However, the Pure Ancient Buddha raised his hand to stop him from doing so.

"Young friend, wait a moment. The outside world is currently in the midst of a great calamity; this is not a good time for cultivation."

As the Pure Ancient Buddha spoke, scenes from all over the world appeared before his eyes.

The bizarre phenomenon had spread to the territories of the three sects, leaving devastation and widespread suffering wherever it went.

Then, in an instant, it transformed into a strange creature and joined the side of the bizarre logic.

At the very core is a monk whose appearance is exactly the same as the previous Immaculate Ancient Buddha, followed by someone... Zangxin?

Chen Wen frowned slightly, somewhat uncertain.

He had seen Cang Xin before, but only once when he was in the Qingming Sect. Now, this person's aura had changed drastically, making him impossible to identify. He could only judge from his appearance.

Pure and Ancient Buddhist Path:

"Now, catastrophe has arrived."

"My junior brothers, disciples, and grand-disciples... all of Yuan Shi perished without exception. Only I remain with a sliver of hope, capable of saving the world or destroying it."

He turned around and looked at Chen Wen:

"Young friend, what do you think?"

"I'm standing..."

"Young friend, these are billions of lives."

"...What else can I say, Ancient Buddha? This boy is utterly powerless in the face of this calamity, and there's nothing I can do to help."

Chen Wen shook his head helplessly.

"No, as I said before, you are the one."

The serene ancient Buddha gently shook his head, then raised one hand and said:

"When the truth is taken for falsehood, the falsehood becomes truth; when the falsehood is taken for truth, the truth becomes falsehood."

"I died first, then all of Yuan Shi's disciples, and finally my junior brother..."

"Thus, in the eyes of Heaven, Yuan Shi has perished, but in the eyes of the world, this old monk is still alive."

"But of all of you, you are the only one who knows these things."

"Therefore, you are the key. It all depends on your choice, young friend. Now you can make your choice."

"Then I choose destruction!"

Chen Wen spoke without the slightest hesitation, his voice firm and resolute.

He already understood the meaning of the Pure Ancient Buddha.

It's like solving a math problem.

By constantly using subtraction, under the watchful eye of fate, one subtracts oneself, one's power, one's karma, and everything else.

In the end, only 'emptiness' remained.

However, due to people's obsession, an "unknown" has been left behind.

What comes after this "unknown" is unknown, and what comes before it is also unknown.

Chen Wen is a versatile symbol.

He can choose to add or subtract.

You can even choose multiplication and division.

However, the result of making a choice may be good or bad.

It's also possible that the outcome will evolve according to his wishes.

But Chen Wen believes that no matter what choice he makes, the result will be the same.

This matter concerns Yuan Shi's grand plan, and he does not believe that the Pure Ancient Buddha has not calculated everything.

Therefore, the final result must be an infinite non-repeating decimal!

However, he also believes that once he uses this universal symbol, it will be gone.

This was also the information that the Pure Ancient Buddha had revealed to him in his previous words.

They are one!

They are variables!

He knew he was hiding under the Buddha's watchful eye, and because he had returned from his own cultivation method, he also knew everything about him.

So why would I risk exposing myself by making a random choice?

Therefore, while the seemingly serene ancient Buddha is giving himself a choice, in reality, he has no choice at all.

Unless he's willing to sacrifice his own life and destroy the entire Hongyu Continent...

Thinking about it this way, I feel a little excited!

He alone shouldered the fate of countless beings in the three regions, four sects, and five paths of the Hongyu Continent!

(The Three Realms: Azure Netherworld, Profound Gate, and Buddhist Realm.)

(The four factions: Qingming, Xuanmen, Chishi, and Yuanshi.)

(The Five Paths: The Path of Purple Gold, The Path of Breath Control, The Path of Incense Offerings, The Path of Refining the False into the True, and the Path of Demonic Cultivation!)

So, although they say they choose to destroy the world.

In fact, the Pure Ancient Buddha already knew his intentions.

However, the Pure Ancient Buddha still frowned slightly and sighed softly:

"Alas, young friend, you must study Buddhism more in the future to purify your mind, otherwise you will surely become a great calamity!"

"Okay, I got it."

Chen Wen nodded.

Seeing this, the Pure Ancient Buddha knew that Chen Wen did not take it to heart. He raised his hand and pointed, and two futons appeared on the spot. Then he sat cross-legged and gestured for Chen Wen to sit down as well.

Chen Wen was taken aback when he saw this. "No, there's a robbery happening outside. What do you mean by this?"

Just now, I wanted to try to cultivate the technique, but I was refused because I didn't have time.

Do you have time again now?

However, he still sat down willingly.

It wasn't that I was afraid; it was simply out of respect for an elder.

I dare not refuse such a gift from an elder!

After he sat down, the Pure Ancient Buddha said:

"Young friend, you have always been intelligent and meticulous, able to see through the essence of things, which is a good thing."

"But everything has two sides. There are advantages and disadvantages, gains and losses. Everything in excess is as bad as deficiency. You must remember this."

"If one is not in a position, one should not concern oneself with its affairs, understand its principles, or discuss its ways."

"Today, this old monk will expound a scripture for you, shall we?"

"Thank you, Ancient Buddha, but I am too foolish to understand your meaning. Perhaps you should save your time to save the common people?"

Chen Wen immediately refused.

Are you kidding me?! Listening to an ancient Buddha preach?

His first reaction was;

After listening to the sutra, I'm afraid I'll have to immediately become a monk!

The serene ancient Buddha shook his head;

"No rush, no rush. Those who are meant to die will die, and those who are meant to live will live."

Then his gaze fell on Chen Wen, and he smiled:

"You also believe that Yuan Shi is a false Buddha, a hypocrite, and are afraid that you will be forcibly converted?"

"really."

Chen Wen nodded, quite calmly.

There's no point in hiding it; it's impossible to hide it anyway.

"Hahaha~"

The serene ancient Buddha chuckled and shook his head, then said,

"Then let me ask you a question: Do you think that one who is called a false Buddha, acts like a false Buddha, yet performs great acts of kindness is truly good and a Buddha; or that one who is called a true Buddha, acts like a true Buddha, yet performs great acts of evil is truly good and a Buddha?"

"this......"

Chen Wen was speechless for a moment, not because his words had prompted him to think, nor because he had nothing to say in response.

He just wanted to watch quietly as the serene ancient Buddha put on airs, to see how he would continue his charade.

The serene ancient Buddha smiled slightly and continued:

"This calamity was personally orchestrated by me, but it just so happened that you awakened it, causing it to erupt prematurely and become even more powerful. Fortunately, I always keep something in reserve and was prepared in advance, so it is not a problem."

As he spoke, he drew another illusory realm, still Yuan Shi, but with many differences. He even saw the ancient Buddha before him, only that at that time, He was the True Lord.

Chen Wengang realized that this was a scene from ancient times.

Then, a vast, eerie wave, similar to the one that had struck before, swept across the virtual landscape.

Both resulted in the extinction of all living beings and left corpses strewn across the fields.

That time, however, it wasn't as terrifying as this one. The dead were truly dead and would no longer aid and abet evil.

So... was it his doing that he was able to turn the dead into his subordinates?

Thinking about this, Chen Wen suddenly realized.

No wonder.

If this strange wave already existed, then I haven't done anything wrong.

"Hehe~"

The Pure Ancient Buddha then spoke, "I am currently bearing the burden of your karma. If it falls, you will not even be able to withstand it for a single breath."

Chen Wen's expression immediately changed, and he couldn't help but frown and ask:

"All I did was stuff something into that weird thing, how could it have such a huge karmic consequence?"

"The cause and effect of heaven and earth, and the inevitable extinction of living beings, are not child's play."

"But I was just the trigger; you're the real culprit!"

Chen Wen retorted.

The pure and ancient Buddha said, "Who cares?"

"As long as heaven and earth continue to operate, if someone disrupts the order of heaven and earth, karmic consequences will follow. The rest is a matter between people."

"Since the Ancient Buddha bore these consequences, does that mean these consequences were also part of the Ancient Buddha's plan?"

Chen Wen guessed.

The Pure Ancient Buddha nodded and said:

"That's right. Those who are weak and incur karmic debts from heaven and earth will surely die, with no chance to repay them."

"Those who are powerful owe a debt of karma to heaven and earth. They may repay it or not, but calamities will befall them."

"But I believe that if one incurs a huge debt of karma with the heavens and earth, perhaps one can negotiate with the Heavenly Dao."

Chen Wen suddenly realized, but then said:

"That's still not right. So, you're still sacrificing the lives of all people for your own selfish desires, causing a catastrophe, and even wiping out all of Yuan Shi's people. Is that good?"

Perhaps it was the connection with the serene ancient Buddha that gave Chen Wenyu the feeling of chatting with a close elder, and he relaxed more and more.

The Pure Ancient Buddha didn't care about his attitude. Instead, he reached into Chen Wenben's life-bound magic treasure and took a bit of the power of vows from Xiaobai without Xiaobai noticing.

Then, it conjured things out of thin air, forcibly opening up a space in Chang Fan's mind, and then a pot of tea, a tea table, and two teacups appeared out of thin air.

Chen Wen, disregarding his shock, hurriedly offered tea to his elder, Gu Fo.

The serene ancient Buddha picked up his teacup, took a sip, nodded in satisfaction, and then said:

"This is certainly a good deed, the greatest of all!"

Chen Wen's gaze pierced through Chang Fan's mind.

Hundreds of millions of living beings outside are wailing and sinking under the influence of strange magical forces.

The two men, however, were drinking tea and discussing good deeds in this place.

This act alone is not a good thing.

But I heard the pure and ancient Buddhist teachings;

"In this vast universe, the will of Heaven hangs high, and of the five stones of Heaven, one escapes."

"The numbers forty and nine are all determined by fate, except for one which is not subject to manipulation."

"But since time immemorial, Heaven has been doing one thing: erasing this!"

"Any cultivator who tries to break free from their predetermined fate will be subject to calamity and punishment."

"When the primordial Buddha sought truth, the will of Heaven altered its principles, making us mere puppets of the will of Heaven. This is the one that was erased. The primordial Buddha sought truth, which is the one that was sought."

Seeing Chen Wen's thoughtful expression, the Pure Ancient Buddha nodded, put down his teacup, and continued:

"This catastrophe has occurred in ancient times, in the primordial era, and in the prehistoric era. The last time it occurred was ten thousand years ago, and now it has occurred again. But each time it has been resolved. Do you think this is a coincidence?"

"this......"

Chen Wen remained silent.

According to his paranoid logic, this must not be a coincidence, or even a natural phenomenon, but rather the work of someone or some kind of force.

The most suspicious party is undoubtedly fate.

Pure and Ancient Buddhist Path:

"In my Yuan Dynasty, this thing is called an evil spirit. It is two sides of the same coin as heaven and earth, coexisting and never dying, without beginning or end."

"We have discovered that this object appears whenever a change occurs in the world, and it performs a...cleansing!"

"If Heaven can use this to eliminate variables, why can't I use it to become a variable?"

"As for the dead?"

The serene ancient Buddha's face revealed a hint of compassion;

"Since the numerous cleansings, countless lives have been lost in this world; I have merely brought it forward."

"But if I succeed, I can completely purify it and eliminate any future troubles. In this way, the world will never again suffer from evil spirits and its lineage will be cut off."

"Only in this way can one achieve the greatest good!"

Chen Wen sensed something was wrong upon hearing this and quickly asked:

"What if we fail?"

"What if we fail..."

The Pure Ancient Buddha repeated it once, and then suddenly burst into laughter like a mischievous old man;

"Hahaha~ If I fail, I don't care what the consequences!"

His words sent chills down Chen Wen's spine.

He was one of the people swept away by the flood.

The serene ancient Buddha suddenly fell silent and said:

"Amitabha Buddha~ Forgive me, forgive me, this old monk has lost his composure. Falling from the position of an ancient Buddha, I bear the weight of this immense karma, but it is too heavy for me to bear..."

He clasped his hands together, closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them again, reverting to his previous demeanor, and said:

"Young friend, we can't talk for much longer; time is running out."

Chen Wen felt something was off. Was he really being influenced, or was he just speaking his mind?

The Pure Ancient Buddha said, "To be honest, it is true that everyone has selfish desires and flaws, and I am no exception. It's just a matter of whether one can control them."

"As for what happens if we fail, well, if we fail, we fail. We'll just continue as before."

"But if successful, Yuan Shi can break free from the control of Heaven's will, regain his freedom, and become an existence like Zi Jin and the Dao of Qi Absorption, known as Merit!"

"At that time, all living beings in the world will have a measure of merit, good and evil will be clearly distinguished, and cause and effect will be clearly understood. This will be a blessing for all living beings in the world, and also a blessing for this land!"

Chen Wen was shocked upon hearing this.

How is merit measured?

Is there a clear distinction between good and evil?

Does that mean that there will be consequences for murder and arson in the future?

Now that you do the math, it's true!

For all people, this is a good thing.

But... isn't this undermining the foundation of the Azure Nether Sect and the Crimson Release?

Even the Xuanmen (Taoist sect) was deeply affected!

Chen Wen immediately decided he didn't want to get involved in this matter anymore.

Originally, it was just the Buddha lowering his gaze.

If this is done, even if the three Supreme Beings unite to destroy the world, they will still find themselves!

Moreover, I myself will certainly suffer greatly from it.