Primordial Era: Becoming the Great Emperor of Humanity from the Start

Chapter 216 Please, Buddha, step down!

Even Tang Sanzang and his group, who were quite familiar with Jiang Heng, looked at him with a hint of fear in their eyes.

There was no way around it! What Jiang Heng had just done was truly frightening. Not to mention them, other powerful individuals who witnessed what had just happened probably wouldn't have fared much better.

Two demon kings at the level of Great Luo Golden Immortals, two disciples at the level of Quasi-Saints of the Western Sect, plus two incarnations of saints from the Western Sect.

Such immense power, in the era of Journey to the West where no sages were born, could be described as terrifying, if not overwhelming the three realms of Heaven, Earth, and Man.

However, such a formidable lineup vanished in front of Jiang Heng, which made people feel a little terrified.

If a fierce battle had broken out just now, Tang Sanzang and his companions might not have found it so hard to accept.

But just now, Jiang Heng only needed to deliver two punches to kill all the powerful members of the Western Sect.

So simple! So easy! So calm and collected! It was as simple as crushing a few ants.

Jiang Heng simply smiled without saying a word. From beginning to end, his opponents were neither the Western Religion nor the saints.

Compared to the Heavenly Dao and Dao Ancestor Hongjun, even the Supreme Saint of Taiqing is somewhat inferior in front of Jiang Heng.

The reason Jiang Heng wiped out a group of powerful figures from the Western Sect this time was, as he said, to teach the Western Sect a lesson.

If we don't teach the Western religion a lesson, they might forget who they really are during the Journey to the West tribulations.

Moreover, Jiang Heng's actions this time were not only to teach the Western Church a lesson, but also for other purposes.

In the current Journey to the West tribulation, Mahayana Buddhism has gradually taken a dominant position, but for Jiang Heng, this is still not enough.

Killing Maitreya and Bhaisajyaguru, two quasi-saints, would undoubtedly weaken the Western Sect's power, allowing Mahavairocana to further oppress it.

This time, with the incarnations of two saints of the Western Sect perishing, it will likely take some time for new incarnations to be formed.

With the Journey to the West's great calamity about to end, if the Great Sun Tathagata can seize such a good opportunity, he might just be able to secure victory in one fell swoop.

Putting all that aside for now, after dealing with the Western Sect, Jiang Heng did not spare the remaining demons in Lion Camel Ridge either.

After overcoming the ordeal at Lion Camel Ridge, Tang Sanzang and his companions continued their journey. After surviving some more tribulations, they were getting closer and closer to the Western Paradise.

Just as Jiang Heng had thought, when the Western Religion suffered heavy losses, the Great Sun Tathagata did not let go of the opportunity that Jiang Heng had created for him.

Among the disciples of the Western Sect, Maitreya and Bhaisajyaguru, two quasi-saints, died at the hands of Jiang Heng, and Dipankara Buddha was also killed by Sun Wukong.

Furthermore, with the two saints of the Western Sect having passed away, the Western Sect now lacks even one truly formidable expert.

With no leader and facing the aggressive Mahavairocana Buddha, it is not surprising that the disciples of the Western Sect suffered repeated defeats.

Before long, through the series of actions of Vairocana Buddha, Mahayana Buddhism had been transformed into an impenetrable monolith.

Even if the two saints of the Western religion were to re-form their incarnations, it would be an impossible task for them to regain dominance in Mahayana Buddhism.

After overcoming numerous tribulations and spending a full three hundred years, Tang Sanzang and his companions finally arrived at the Western Paradise.

Three hundred years is not a long time; for a powerful cultivator who has achieved mastery, it is merely a blink of an eye.

Tang Sanzang and his companions relied on their own two feet to walk all the way from the southern continent of Jambudvipa to the Western Paradise, a journey of more than ten thousand miles.

After enduring three hundred years of tribulations, Tang Sanzang's cultivation level had undergone tremendous changes compared to before.

Even the Great Sun Buddha probably never imagined that Tang Sanzang, upon arriving at the Western Paradise, had already reached the level of a quasi-saint.

Even if it's a reincarnation and a major player in a great calamity, such a cultivation speed is indeed a bit too exaggerated.

When the Great Sun Buddha sensed Tang Sanzang's cultivation level, he was naturally overjoyed. Regardless of the reason, the fact that Tang Sanzang was his disciple could not be changed.

With his disciple's cultivation advancing by leaps and bounds, Mahayana Buddhism would gain another quasi-saint level expert. How could Mahavairocana Buddha not be overjoyed?

After Tang Sanzang paid homage to the Great Sun Buddha, he successfully obtained the true scriptures without encountering any difficulties along the way.

No wonder! Tang Sanzang and his group were of paramount importance in the Journey to the West, and there were quite a few powerful figures secretly watching them.

Today, in Mahayana Buddhism, who doesn't know that Tang Sanzang's cultivation level increased dramatically on his journey to the West to obtain Buddhist scriptures, and that he swept away all kinds of monsters along the way?

The demons with powerful connections who could run fast might only be missing an arm or a leg. The demons without such connections, however, were all killed by Tang Sanzang.

Since crossing Lion Camel Ridge, Sun Wukong hasn't even had a chance to make a move, and instead has been cultivating in peace.

However, although Sun Wukong had been working hard to cultivate, he had never been able to take that step and cultivate the Victory Strike Technique to perfection.

Tang Sanzang and his entourage are now infamous, and with two quasi-saints in charge, naturally no one in the Western Paradise dares to make things difficult for them.

After obtaining the true scriptures from Mount Ling in the Western Paradise, Tang Sanzang and his companions were to return to their original location and escort the scriptures to the Tang Empire.

If all goes well, it won't be long before Buddhism spreads eastward, Mahayana Buddhism flourishes, and the Journey to the West can come to a perfect end.

At such a crucial moment, the powerful beings of the Three Realms naturally all focused their attention on Tang Sanzang and his companions.

At this moment, Jiang Heng was playing chess with Laozi, and naturally, nothing that happened in the Earthly Immortal Realm could escape their eyes.

"The Great Tribulation of Journey to the West is about to end, and the eastward spread of Buddhism is a foregone conclusion. Is this what the Human Emperor is willing to see?" Laozi said.

Jiang Heng smiled. Ever since the Lich War, Jiang Heng could tell that the Sage of Taiqing truly had no goodwill towards the Western Religion.

Many subsequent events also show that the Sage Taiqing was actually trying to prevent the rise of Western religions.

In a sense, the Sage Taiqing was actually successful. His move to convert the barbarians to Buddhism was nothing short of a stroke of genius.

The emergence of Mahayana Buddhism diverted the fortunes of Western religions, making it difficult for them to achieve their expected goals even if they flourished.

Furthermore, Jiang Heng's intervention allowed Mahayana Buddhism to dominate the entire Journey to the West calamity, further plunging the Western Sect into an awkward situation.

Now that Buddhism has spread eastward, it is no longer Western religions that are flourishing, but Mahayana Buddhism, which is not what the two saints of Western religions would like to see.

However, to be precise, the Sage Taiqing was also a failure. This is because Mahayana Buddhism, in its essence, is also a Western religion.

The rise of Mahayana Buddhism can also be seen as a rise of Western religions. However, Mahayana Buddhism was not under the control of Western religions and was considered independent.

Otherwise, at such a critical moment, would Heaven and Dao Ancestor Hongjun have sat idly by and allowed Mahayana Buddhism to dominate the Journey to the West calamity?

In fact, what Heavenly Dao and Dao Ancestor Hongjun wanted to see was the eastward spread of Buddhism. As for who spread Buddhism, it was not important.

That's why Laozi (Taishang Laojun) specifically came to him; he really couldn't figure out what Emperor Jiang Heng was thinking.

Logically speaking, after Buddhism spread eastward, Mahayana Buddhism gradually rose to prominence, and the people most affected were actually the human race.

If left unchecked, beliefs will take root and flourish among humans, gradually influencing their way of thinking.

Emperor Jiang Heng has always attached great importance to the human race and has no need for any powerful figures to interfere in human affairs.

At such a crucial moment in the eastward transmission of Buddhism, Jiang Heng's decision to cease all activity was itself highly unusual.

"There's nothing inherently wrong with Buddhism itself. Having another way of thinking isn't necessarily a bad thing for humanity!" Jiang Heng said with a smile.

Only through the contention of a hundred schools of thought can a glorious era be created. As for the introduction of Buddhism into the human race, Jiang Heng didn't really care much about it.

Of course, this is on the premise that Buddhism is the Buddhism of the human race, not the Buddhism of the Western religion, and certainly not the Buddhism of the Heavenly Dao or the Dao Ancestor Hongjun.

"Hehe! Human Emperor, we both know the reasons why Buddhism spread to the East. Why are you still so calm at this point?" said Laozi.

This was also what the Sage Taiqing had always been puzzled about. In his view, the eastward spread of Buddhism was clearly more of a curse than a blessing for the human race.

However, Jiang Heng seems to have never been very concerned about the eastward transmission of Buddhism, and in this great eon, he has even been subtly fueling the flames.

While it may seem that Jiang Heng was plotting repeatedly during the Journey to the West, he was actually mostly helping Mahayana Buddhism to suppress Western religions.

However, while helping Mahayana Buddhism, he was also allowing Buddhism to spread eastward, which was not like Jiang Heng's usual style.

However, the Sage Taiqing placed Zhu Bajie, a pawn, in the pilgrimage team in order to sabotage the journey to the West.

Unfortunately, no matter how many schemes the Sage Taiqing had, the journey to the West to obtain the scriptures was about to be successfully completed.

This is what is meant by supernatural powers being no match for destiny. Even a powerful figure like the Supreme Saint can hardly change the course of the Heavenly Dao.

"Sage Taiqing, please calm down. Whether it is Buddhism or Taoism, it will only be truly useful if our human race says it is useful."

"If my human race says he's useless, then even if Buddhism spreads eastward, it's just one of countless ideas!" Jiang Heng said with a smile.

Jiang Heng naturally had the confidence to do so. The human race today is not the same as the human race of the previous life. The human race was weakened after the Investiture of the Gods.

Even so, the human race remains prosperous, and it is difficult for both the sage lineage and the supreme Heavenly Dao and Dao Ancestor Hongjun to control it.

Some things are ingrained in the human race, and it is not something that Buddhism alone can completely change their mindset.

Of course, Jiang Heng also had his own plans, and the wishful thinking of Heaven and Dao Ancestor Hongjun was unlikely to succeed.

"You really did plan ahead. Now I can focus on my cultivation in peace!" Lao Tzu said with a smile.

Jiang Heng's expression shifted slightly, and he asked, "Could it be that the Sage Taiqing has already foreseen the path ahead?"

At the level of a Taiqing Sage, what need is there for secluded cultivation? Unless, of course, the Taiqing Sage has already foreseen the path ahead.

As for the road ahead, Jiang Heng was also searching. Although he had some clues, he was never absolutely certain that he could take that step.

The road ahead is already beneath my feet; the only question is how to walk it! Now, I have no more worries and can try to move forward!

"Where the road ahead leads, I myself do not know. But having a road to walk on is always better than having no road at all!" said the Sage of Taiqing, looking lost and forlorn.

Jiang Heng remained silent, then rose and bowed to the Sage of Taiqing, his expression becoming serious as he said, "Congratulations, fellow Daoist, on your enlightenment of the path ahead!"

The road ahead is long and arduous, but I will persevere in my pursuit. It is truly a cause for celebration that you have embarked on this path of seeking the Dao!

Like Jiang Heng, the Sage Taiqing had already seen the path ahead, but in reality, he was still groping his way forward.

After taking that first step, you might face a sheer cliff or a vast, unobstructed road. No one can guarantee what lies ahead.

But the Sage of Taiqing still took that step without hesitation, and regardless of whether he succeeded or not, the Sage of Taiqing was able to face it calmly.

Perhaps it was because of Jiang Heng's existence that the Sage of Taiqing had fewer worries and concerns, which enabled him to make such a decision.

The reason why Jiang Heng has been unable to take that step is because he has too many attachments in his heart, which makes it difficult for him to let go.

To put it bluntly, the billions of human beings living in the Three Realms are in their current state precisely because of Jiang Heng's existence.

If Jiang Heng were not around, what would become of the human race under the constant suppression of the Heavenly Dao and Dao Ancestor Hongjun? History has already provided the answer.

"Fellow Daoist has long since walked ahead of me. I only managed to put aside my doubts after seeing infinite possibilities in you!" said the Sage of Taiqing.

In fact, when Jiang Heng gathered the power of humanity and became the embodiment of humanity, the Sage Taiqing had already understood many things.

After a long period of preparation, the Sage of Taiqing was able to truly see the road ahead and thus have the ability to take that step.

"Yes! No matter what choice you make, if you can't take that step, the final outcome won't change at all!" Jiang Heng said.

The Sage of Taiqing smiled gently at Jiang Heng, and his figure disappeared instantly, presumably having returned to Taiqing Realm to cultivate in seclusion.

If there is another chance to meet, the Sage Taiqing will surely make further progress and may even be able to step into the realm of the Heavenly Dao.

Of course, it is also possible that this was the last time Jiang Heng met with the Sage Taiqing, and that the Sage Taiqing would never exist again in the primordial world.

Embarking on the journey to pursue the Great Dao is fraught with danger and uncertainty at every step. Truly achieving the Great Dao is no easy feat.

Think of the many brilliant and talented individuals in "Perfect World." Yet, throughout history, only two have ever become Immortal Emperors.

The same is true of the primordial world. Throughout history, how many amazing and powerful figures have truly become saints?

Even powerful figures like Donghuang Taiyi and the Master of the Styx River ended up as dust. Who can guarantee their own success?

"No matter the outcome, I have to take that step!" Jiang Heng muttered to himself.

Despite his doubts and the dangers ahead, Jiang Heng had no choice but to take that step.

Time is running out for Jiang Heng. He can only delay the inevitable for a while, but he cannot prevent the Heavenly Dao from reaching its full potential.

If Jiang Heng still stagnates when the Heavenly Dao reaches its perfection, everything will become meaningless.

Jiang Heng's gaze pierced through the void, looking towards the Tang Empire, where Tang Sanzang and his companions had already returned safely with the scriptures.

Contrary to expectations of a grand occasion, the human race did not react with the same jubilation as when Tang Sanzang retrieved the Buddhist scriptures.

This is normal; the human race is still at its peak, and its powerful strength fills them with confidence.

Among the human race, there are various imperial scriptures taught by Jiang Heng, and all sorts of powerful secret techniques are constantly emerging.

The true scriptures of Mahayana Buddhism may interest some humans, but it is impossible for all humans to flock to them.

Although the Sage Taiqing was a sage, he had no understanding of the human race at all. He had no idea how proud the human race was now.

It is precisely because humans have enough pride that they are full of criticism and disdain for anything outside of themselves.

However, after returning to the Tang Dynasty, Tang Sanzang still held a grand Buddhist ceremony in what is now the capital of the human race.

At the grand gathering, Tang Sanzang spoke eloquently, expounding the profound meaning of Mahayana Buddhism, which drew admiration from many humans.

Thus, the journey to the West to obtain Buddhist scriptures came to a successful conclusion, and the great quest of the Journey to the West had come to an end.

Surprisingly, at such a crucial moment, both the Western Religion and Emperor Jiang Heng ceased all activity.

It seems that the Western religion has completely resigned itself to its fate and has no intention of competing with Mahayana Buddhism for the fruits of victory in the Journey to the West.

Jiang Heng also seemed indifferent to the eastward transmission of Buddhism, allowing many Mahayana Buddhist scriptures to begin circulating among the human race.

When Tang Sanzang and his companions returned to Mount Ling in the Western Paradise to pay homage to the Great Sun Tathagata, the great calamity of the Journey to the West officially came to an end, and the Heavenly Dao bestowed boundless merit upon them.

With the help of that boundless merit, Tang Sanzang charged forward, using the boundless merit as his resources, and in one fell swoop stepped into the peak Quasi-Saint realm.

Sha Wujing and Zhu Bajie accumulated roughly the same amount of merit, and each of them advanced from the Golden Immortal realm to the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm.

Although the merits that the White Dragon Horse Ao Lie obtained were not many, they were enough for him to take another step forward and raise his cultivation to the peak of the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm.

With just one opportune moment, the White Dragon Horse Ao Lie can break free from its cocoon and transform into a butterfly, thus stepping into the supreme realm of Quasi-Saint.

As a key figure in the Journey to the West, Sun Wukong also accumulated considerable merit, even surpassing that of Tang Sanzang.

However, Sun Wukong also knew that merit was not as wonderful as it seemed, so he did not integrate the boundless merit into his body.

Besides, with Sun Wukong's current cultivation and strength, even if he fused with boundless merit, it wouldn't be of much use.

Sun Wukong imbued the Ruyi Jingu Bang with boundless merit, making this treasure of merit even more powerful.

The Great Tribulation of Journey to the West has officially come to an end, which also means that Sun Wukong's mission to protect Tang Sanzang has officially ended.

This was something Sun Wukong had promised Jiang Heng, and he believed he would keep his word. He had done his best to protect Tang Sanzang along the way.

At this moment, having finally put down the heavy burden on his shoulders, Sun Wukong immediately felt extremely relaxed, experiencing a sense of freedom and exhilaration, like a bird soaring freely in the sky.

Perhaps it was for this reason that, in a relaxed state of mind, Sun Wukong suddenly had an epiphany.

"So that's how it is! So that's how it is! I, Old Sun, have achieved enlightenment!" Sun Wukong muttered to himself, his face already full of smiles.

This is naturally not because Sun Wukong wanted to become a Buddha. Sun Wukong only agreed to protect Tang Sanzang, but he never said that he wanted to join Mahayana Buddhism.

Sun Wukong had a sudden enlightenment, breaking through his own bottleneck and truly cultivating the Victory Strike Technique to perfection.

The perfected Battle Victory Technique will leave Sun Wukong without any regrets, truly making him a peak powerhouse on par with Yang Jian.

In an era where no sages were born, it is no exaggeration to say that Sun Wukong's strength already stood at the pinnacle of the entire Three Realms.

Of course, this excludes the freak Jiang Heng, after all, it's not the first or second time that a saintly incarnation has died at Jiang Heng's hands.

Once he had an epiphany, the improvement in his cultivation and strength was just a natural consequence. In the blink of an eye, Sun Wukong had already taken that step.

Sun Wukong's subtle changes did not escape the eyes of the Great Sun Tathagata. At this moment, the Great Sun Tathagata's gaze towards Sun Wukong was full of solemnity.

Back then, it was the Buddha himself who suppressed Sun Wukong under the Five Fingers Mountain, so the relationship between the two could hardly be described as harmonious.

Just now, although the aura of Sun Wukong's breakthrough was fleeting, the Great Sun Tathagata still keenly sensed that chilling aura.

If Sun Wukong were to seek revenge now, the Great Sun Tathagata would probably have to carefully consider whether he was truly Sun Wukong's match.

The Great Sun Tathagata estimated that he was probably no match for Sun Wukong, and even risked being suppressed by him.

A powerful fighting spirit surged from Sun Wukong's body, instantly putting the Great Sun Tathagata on high alert, with beads of sweat appearing on his forehead.

While the Great Sun Buddha was filled with anxiety, Sun Wukong paid no attention to him at all; all he was thinking about was finding Yang Jian.

In Sun Wukong's heart, Yang Jian had always been his strongest rival. After three hundred years of continuous training, Sun Wukong longed to fight Yang Jian once again.

As for the Great Sun Tathagata? He's probably no longer taken seriously by Sun Wukong, so why would he bother with him?

Just as Sun Wukong could no longer contain his inner desire and was preparing to seek out Yang Jian for a full-scale battle, Tang Sanzang stepped forward and stood before the Great Sun Tathagata.

"Buddha, now that the great eon has come to a perfect end, it is time for Mahayana Buddhism to flourish. Your disciple humbly requests that you abdicate!"

Tang Sanzang's voice was not loud, but it resounded throughout the Western Paradise and clearly reached the ears of all Mahayana Buddhist disciples.

At this moment, all the disciples of Mahayana Buddhism stared at Tang Sanzang in disbelief, their faces filled with astonishment and incomprehension.

What did they hear? Tang Sanzang actually wanted Buddha Vairocana to abdicate? How dare he say such a thing?

Moreover, Tang Sanzang's previous incarnation was the second disciple of Buddha Vairocana, meaning he was highly regarded by Vairocana.

However, Tang Sanzang is now saying that he wants the Great Sun Tathagata to abdicate. Isn't this tantamount to betraying his master and ancestors?

Not to mention the Mahayana Buddhist disciples, who were all astonished, even Sun Wukong, Zhu Bajie, Sha Wujing, and the White Dragon Horse Ao Lie were astonished at this moment.

They accompanied Tang Sanzang on his journey to the West to obtain Buddhist scriptures, spending every day with him, and naturally knew him very well.

In their minds, Tang Sanzang was not such an arrogant person, much less capable of doing such a rebellious thing.

Just as everyone was astonished, the Great Sun Tathagata smiled slightly and said, "Good!"

(End of this chapter)