Chapter 2063 - Lotusborn

A gaunt monk approached from afar accompanying this voice. With every step he took, a lotus bloomed, and Buddhist light illuminated heaven and earth.

Formless, terrifying majesty swept throughout heaven and earth. Many of the Fortune Realm Greater Gods’ expressions shifted, and they dared not gaze upon him directly.

A young monk trailed behind the older monk, a lotus-shaped mark on his forehead. His features were robust, simple, yet extraordinary.

The old monk was the Dipankara Buddha. Everyone in the God Domain knew his name.

At first, almost no one recognized the young monk behind him, but when they saw the mark on his forehead, many of them guessed his identity——the natural-born Buddhist Son, Lian Sheng, or “Lotusborn!”

He was a wondrous genius born of a chaos lotus. He had a Nine Apertures Chan Buddhist Heart, a Five-Colored Buddhist Bone, and a Green Lotus Soul!

When he was born, the Dipankara Buddha of the Past, the Shakyamuni Buddha of the Present, and the Maitreya Buddha of the Future came in person to watch over and protect him!

Rumor had it that he was born with self-awareness, that he entered the Dao at just three, grasped the profound at just seven, and at eleven, he pointed to the greatest peak of the Western Paradise Spirit Mountain and said that within ten years, he was sure to take a spot there.

And indeed, it was exactly as he said. Just eight years later, he entered the first peak, becoming the youngest Temple Guardian Arhat in the Western Paradise’s history!

This accomplishment had triggered a massive wave of uproar, and the name of Lian Sheng, “the Lotusborn,” resounded throughout heaven and earth.

But almost no one in the God Domain had ever laid eyes on him for the simple reason that in his hundred-plus years of life, Lian Sheng had never taken a single step outside of the temple!

Thus, the rumors surrounding him had always seemed incomparably mysterious.

Now, everyone realized that this unfamiliar young monk had to be Lian Sheng, the Buddhist Son born of a lotus!

In the God Domain, Lian Sheng was universally acknowledged as one of Heaven’s Chosen, a favored son of heaven blessed with good fortune!

“Dipankara, you actually brought Lian Sheng with you? Aren’t you afraid that something will happen to him?” The Angler’s aged voice resounded throughout the entire area.

“Each of the world’s myriad tribulations is a chance to temper the heart. This is one tribulation that Lian Sheng cannot miss and must not miss,” the Dipankara Buddha said calmly.

He suddenly turned to look at Su Yi. “Fellow Daoist, what do you think of my closed-door disciple?”

Su Yi looked Lian Sheng up and down, then said, “If he can master the legacies of the past, present, and future, his accomplishments will one day far surpass yours.”

The Dipankara Buddha smiled. “Wonderful! Your eyes are sharp indeed, Fellow Daoist. You grasped the obstacle Lian Sheng needs to overcome at a glance.”

Su Yi laughed dryly. “The Sutra of the Past, the Sutra of the Present, and the Sutra of the Future are three starkly different paths. I’ve never heard of anyone simultaneously mastering and connecting all three.”

“I can do it,” the young monk, Lian Sheng, said out of nowhere.

Su Yi’s eyebrows rose. “Truly?”

“Monks do not lie or boast,” Lian Sheng said calmly. “But if I’m to make my cultivation base encompass the past, present, and future, I’ll need your help.”

Su Yi looked at him strangely.

“My

help?”

“That’s right,” said Lian Sheng. “I need the Epoch Spark, as only such an item born of the chaos source of an epoch civilization can let my cultivation connect simultaneously with the past, present, and future.”

Silence fell over the crowd. Everyone was shocked, as none of them had anticipated that Lian Sheng would state his intentions so directly and forthrightly.

He really was making good on the phrase “monks do not lie or boast.”

Su Yi said thoughtfully, “Does that mean Ol’ Dipankara plans to help you seize the Epoch Spark?”

“If you’re willing to offer it to us, you can naturally avoid adversity,” said Lian Sheng.

Su Yi snorted derisively, then looked at the Dipankara Buddha. “His words might be grating to the ears, but this closed-door disciple of yours is far more honest than you. At the very least, his thoughts and actions are unified, without all your lying and scheming. He’s truly not bad.”

“My disciple has won the admiration of the Swordmaster of Spiritual Desolation,” said the Dipankara Buddha. “As his master, I take honor in that, too.”

Then, he took a deep, hard look at Su Yi. “At the same time, I must congratulate you, Fellow Daoist. You’ve fused with the Swordmaster of Spiritual Desolation’s Dao Imprint and memories, and found your true self amidst the cycle of reincarnation.”

The crowd was instantly in uproar.

The ten-plus Master Gods were instantly thoughtful.

Back in the Epoch Battlefield, they sensed that Su Yi had yet to regain Li Fuyou’s memories and experiences, but now, that had obviously changed!

“I found my ‘true self?’” Su Yi shook his head. “I’ve competed with myself for a long time, and I would rather be myself. My memories of prior lives are like vivid dreams, and nothing more.”

The Dipankara Buddha froze, stunned, then repeated, “You’d rather be yourself...? Excellent! No wonder you’ve seemed somewhat different since you returned, Fellow Daoist.”

As they spoke, they heard others whooshing over from afar, cleaving through the sky. Buddhist Venerate Ghama and the other Heavenly Gods rushed over.

When they saw the situation near the Ancient God Ridge, they gasped. All of them were instantly solemn.

This lineup was far, far too terrifying!

The new arrivals instinctively split, then returned to different camps. In truth, the “Nine Great Heavenly Gods of the Kingdom of Lasting Light” all hailed from top factions of the God Domain.

Buddhist Venerate Ghama, for instance, was connected to the Western Paradise Spirit Mountains.

“Just about everyone’s here, Fellow Daoist. So many people have gathered to welcome your current incarnation. We’re quite sincere, aren’t we?” the Dipankara Buddha said warmly.

As he spoke, the distant skies churned. Old Man Providence, Wenren Qin, Master God Tian Huang, Master God Yun He, and more than a dozen master gods’ avatars of will arrived. Their auras rose into the firmament and combined to form an invisible, inescapable net over the entire area.

All the while, the gods of the various top factions were gathered outside, eyeing Su Yi like hungry wolves. Gods were as numerous as trees in a forest. Their lineup was so enormous that it would have been startling no matter where it appeared.

And all of this was on account of Su Yi!

Su Yi took a sip of wine and sighed. “So many years have passed that I’m sick of looking at you all. The God Domain is enormous. Haven’t any

new

top experts arisen?

Many of them frowned, instantly offended. Old Man Providence said coldly, “Even if the God Domain were bigger, it could only contain so many Master Gods. Li Fuyou, do you really think Master Gods are as common as cabbages?”

“Actually, a few new Master Gods have proven their Daos over the years,” Master God Tian Huang said in a low, muffled voice. “But in terms of accumulations and strength, they’re still green. Few would dare participate in this storm!”

He’d only just said this when a hoarse voice rang out, “The God Domain might lack such experts, but the River of Epochs has them!”

Boom!

Tribulation clouds suddenly surged beneath the distant dome of heaven. An ethereal male figure stood amidst the tribulation clouds. It was impossible to see his features clearly, but as soon as he arrived, the strange, calamitous aura of an impending tribulation permeated the surroundings.

Su Yi recognized the man at a glance. This was Daoist Master Endless Tribulations.

He was the top expert of a lost epoch, a terrifying figure who’d seized a chance at life amidst turbulent spacetime and escaped the past. He now presided over the Forbidden Demon Isle, one of the Eight Great Forbidden Zones of the River of Epochs!

Meanwhile, uproar ensued amongst the crowd, and a clamor of voices rose into the air.

“Daoist Master Endless Tribulations? The strange lifeform that rules the Forbidden Demon Isle?”

“What a terrifying aura! His true body must be a Master God!”

There was no doubt about it. The gods knew Daoist Master Endless Tribulations’ origins!

The Dipankara Buddha, Old Man Providence, and the other Master Gods couldn’t help but frown.

Still, they didn’t find this strange. They’d anticipated this possibility. After all, the Path of the Ancient Gods was opening, and the gods were competing not just for the Epoch Spark, but for Su Yi, the young man who’d mastered reincarnation.

No one strong enough to contend for these prizes would willingly miss out on this opportunity.

“We meet again, Fellow Daoist.” After Daoist Master Endless Tribulations arrived, he faced Su Yi and clasped his fist in greeting.

He greeted Su Yi like an old friend, but Su Yi naturally didn’t take it seriously. He said calmly, “You aren’t the only one who came to the Kingdom of Lasting Light today, are you?”

“Of course not,” said Daoist Master Endless Tribulations. “Everyone, the time has come to reveal our trump cards, so let’s quit hiding. Come on out and greet those worthy of being addressed as our ‘fellow Daoists.’”

“Very well.”

“I’ve long since gotten sick of waiting.”

“I’ll be right there.”

One voice after another rang out.

First, clouds of purple light billowed in the distant skies, then transformed into a woman in purple clothing. A rain of light flowed around her, and purple mists rose, obscuring her features in light and shadow. Even so, she was a dazzling sight, transcendent and extraordinary.

The Nine Li God Queen! The master of Nine Li Mountain, one of the Eight Great Forbidden Zones!

Immediately afterward, one terrifying figure after another appeared, their ranks including both men and women. All of them looked different, and all of them were dressed differently, but they had one thing in common: all of them had extraordinarily terrifying and majestic auras.

“The Ancient Upheaval God King!”

𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

“The Guye Heavenly Maiden!”

“The Monarch of Divine Punishment!”

“The Cloud Burial Demon Lord!”

...Waves of astonishment swept over the crowd as they recognized one terrifying figure after another. Everyone present was shocked.

The gods of different camps were instantly on guard, and their expressions filled with bewilderment.

It seems this storm won’t end easily!

In the end, including Daoist Master Endless Tribulations, a full thirteen rulers of Forbidden Zones had sent their avatars of will into battle.

None were of this era. These were experts who’d fought their way out of lost epochs, finding a path to life amidst turbulent spacetime. All were peak hegemons of the past who’d managed to survive until the present day.

Their strength and foundations were beyond even some of the Master Gods!

As more and more of them entered the battlefield, the atmosphere over Ancient God Ridge grew increasingly stifled. The pressure on the Greater Gods intensified, and they looked more solemn than ever before.

The Dipankara Buddha and the other Master Gods were calmer, but even so, the sight of so many masters of forbidden zones made them increasingly solemn, too.

These were powerful foes. This could be incomparably challenging!

Su Yi, meanwhile, just sipped wine and watched coldly from the sidelines. He was perfectly calm and composed.

When he saw the familiar figures of the masters of the forbidden zones appear, he even felt the urge to tease them. “You all only just got crushed at the Tower of Ancient Evils. Aren’t you afraid you’ll suffer yet another rushing defeat?”

It was just two sentences, but it left the crowd completely gobsmacked.

Did something like that actually happen!?