Chapter 980: The Past (II)

The Noble Dharma began sharing his story, and Dhyana Master Dayu listened quietly.

"I too studied Buddhism from an early age. My teachers all said my affinity with Buddha was profound, and my path of cultivation was unusually smooth. I became a Dao Master of Primordial Origin at a young age, and in less than a century, I had already reached the brink of ascension."

His words were astonishing, yet Dhyana Master Dayu did not doubt him.

Because he realized this man might be one of the few true legendary figures in the history of the human world. The names casually mentioned in old tales might have once belonged to the brightest figures of their time.

The Noble Dharma continued, "Back then, there were no Hallowed Ones in the world. If things had continued as they were, I might have ascended to the ninth realm within a few more years. But then, something went wrong. The king tried to summon a true Buddha, but by mistake, he called forth a celestial devil instead. Yes... it was Evil Ksitigarbha.

"His rampage through the Buddhist kingdom was far worse than anything that happened here. He sank the entire continent. The earth shattered, and all living beings cried out in anguish. I lived through that disaster myself."

Even now, as he spoke of Evil Ksitigarbha, a trace of emotion crept into his voice.

Dhyana Master Dayu understood that this was entirely within Evil Ksitigarbha’s capabilities. If he had been able to destroy the capital of Yu so easily, then wiping out the nine provinces would have been no more difficult. The only reason this latest emergence hadn’t led to even greater destruction was that the Demon God had stopped him.

"I had no choice but to flee in shame," the Noble Dharma said. "Even though I was on the brink of ascension, I still wasn’t strong enough to face him. I escaped into the Divine Ruins, hoping to find a solution."

He continued, "I didn’t find a way to defeat Evil Ksitigarbha, but I did discover a path to becoming the Hallowed One.

"I split my body in two. Every desire and wicked thought was cut away and turned into a devil embryo. What remained was a soul of pure light. That part of me was finally recognized by the Great Dao of Primordial Origin. When it merged with my body, I ascended and became the newest ninth-realm existence in the world.

"By then, I finally had the strength to defeat Evil Ksitigarbha. But even with the Great Dao of Primordial Origin, I couldn’t kill him. All I could do was tear his primordial spirit from his corporeal body and seal them apart. I could only rely on time to wear him down, waiting for the day I could end him for good."

He paused, then added almost as an afterthought, "After that, I left this world and opened up the Path to the Heavens."

Dhyana Master Dayu was once again taken aback, casting an odd look at him.

"Haha, no need to be surprised. I really did ascend to a higher realm. If I hadn’t, how could I have lived for tens of thousands of years under the lifespan limits of this lower realm?" the Noble Dharma said as he shook his head. "Back then, I still believed in Buddha, and all I thought about after leaving was how to bring good to this world. Hallowed Li had established the Laws of Ascension, and I followed them exactly.

"Before I set foot on the Path to the Heavens, I erased every trace of my presence from this world. That way, even if I failed, no one would try to resurrect me through this Great Dao. After I succeeded, I separated my physical body and my Great Dao and left them in this world. If I had taken the Great Dao of Primordial Origin with me, there would have been no light left in this world.

"I hid my body in a cloud I had severed from a higher realm. I wasn’t as powerful as Hallowed Li, so this was the best I could manage. It was barely enough to make up for the spiritual qi I took with me. I also left my entire cultivation legacy on that cloud."

"So that’s the reason..." Dhyana Master Dayu finally understood the origin of the body suspended amidst the celestial clouds.

"But it was only after I left that I realized how foolish I’d been," the Noble Dharma said as he looked up at the heavens. "Do you know what it’s really like in the higher realms?"

"I fear I am not fated to ever find out," Dhyana master Dayu answered calmly.

He wasn't the only one. Throughout the ages, how many had truly ascended to the higher realms?

"I can explain it in three words: power defines everything," the Noble Dharma said. "That world is far too vast. The talent I once took pride in and the Buddhist fate I believed in did not count for anything. After I lost my ninth-realm cultivation, I still tried to uphold justice and protect others. But after suffering endless humiliation, I finally understood. Without strength, nothing else matters."

"The higher realms have Buddhist lands too. I went through countless hardships to travel west and find that place. I truly thought my pure and radiant self had finally found a place to call home." The Noble Dharma paused, then gave a cold smile. "But even those Buddhists would eat people."

"Reaching the ninth realm there is even harder than it is in the mortal world. I cultivated bitterly for ten thousand years, and just as I was about to ascend again, the Arhat I had followed all that time tried to refine me into a Buddha Fruit and devour me. I barely escaped with my life and ended up falling back into this world.

"I no longer believed in Buddha. I started over. After I became the master of the Great Dao of Primordial Origin, I realized the current Hallowed One of this realm was still alive. If I didn’t cultivate another Great Dao, I would die. I refused to yield, and so, I started cultivating the Great Dao of Longevity.

"And so, I became the Noble Dharma you see before you now," the Noble Dharma said.

Then he pointed toward the towering tree in the north.

"The Great Dao of Longevity is one that feeds on life. The vital energy from untimely deaths extends my lifespan. To sustain it, I must constantly stir up war and bloodshed. There’s something no one else knows. When my cultivation of the Great Dao of Longevity reaches its brink, I can then convert the life force that I had acquired through killing into cultivation power. But even if I slaughtered tens of thousands of cultivators, the power I gained would be negligible. There would be no point in doing that, which is why I’ve never done it before.

"But then I remembered Evil Ksitigarbha, the celestial devil I personally sealed away. Who would have thought he could still be useful after all these years? I set him against the Demon God. No matter who wins, I will kill the other and absorb an immense amount of life force. Once I recover my old body, my strength will rival Evil Ksitigarbha at his peak. And when I’ve proven my understanding of my Great Dao, I will once again ascend to the Profound Realm."

A sharp gleam flickered in the Noble Dharma’s eyes.

"I take it that ascending to the ninth realm through the Great Dao of Longevity would require countless deaths?" Dhyana Master Dayu asked.

Since the Great Dao of Longevity relies on plundering life force, the path to ascension was surely drenched in blood.

"That’s not something to worry about," the Noble Dharma said with a smile. "This time, I’ll take the Great Dao of Longevity out of this world. Once I leave, all vital energy in the human realm will vanish. No living being will survive. So the number I kill to ascend no longer matters."

"Then..." Dhyana Master Dayu asked, "are you planning to begin with the Buddhist Cloud Monastery?"

"Quite the opposite," Noble Dharma said. "You are the ones who inherited my legacy. If anyone is to walk this path with me, I hope it will be the Buddhist Cloud Monastery. In fact, once the Path to the Heavens opens, I can take you all with me when I leave.

"I’ll be reclaiming my physical body soon. When that happens, this celestial Buddhist kingdom will collapse. I came to tell you this. Leave while you still can."

The Noble Dharma said this while looking at Dhyana Master Dayu with sincere eyes. He did not seem to be lying.

"I saw those Buddhist disciples outside. They reminded me of who I once was. I was a true believer of Buddha. And so, I want to give these Buddhist disciples hope. When I return to the higher realm, I will become Buddha myself and establish a Buddhist land of my own. One that upholds true compassion."

Hearing this, Dhyana Master Dayu’s pupils dilated. "You are going to massacre an entire world and talk to me about compassion?"

"Sacrifices must be made along the way. I’ve made mine once already, and I will not do it again," the Noble Dharma said.

He stood and gently pointed at the statue of Buddha before him.

Cracks split the statue along its existing fissures, and in the next moment, it broke apart with a thunderous crash.

Boom!

"From this moment on,

I

am Buddha," he said calmly as the settling dust drifted down.

Dhyana Master Dayu rose as well and walked to the temple’s threshold. Standing just outside the main hall, he sent a voice transmission, "All disciples of the Buddhist Cloud Monastery, evacuate now!"

At his command, a surge of multicolored clouds rose from the ground. The great mountain-protecting formation activated, but this time, it expelled all the disciples from its bounds, hurling them away with a thunderous blast.

No one knew what had just happened.

“So, you still cling to ignorance,” the Noble Dharma said with a sigh.

“Even if Buddha doesn't actually exist in this world, there will still be true compassion,” Dhyana Master Dayu said slowly. “Just not the kind you speak of.”

Boom!

As his words fell, a massive seven-colored lotus descended from the sky like a great ship, bearing down on the Noble Dharma with crushing force. As a supportive-type legendary artifact, the Dharma Lotus Platform had limited means of attack.

The Noble Dharma leapt into the air and pressed a palm against the lotus’s upper surface. Behind him, a circular wave of power rippled outward, releasing a burst of force that sent the Dharma Lotus Platform flying.

Boom!

A column of seven-colored light pierced through the clouds and struck the Fog-Hidden Mountain of Immortals. In an instant, it tore through the sea-bound mountain and crashed into the ocean below.

Crash!

𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

The Noble Dharma followed the tunnel carved through the clouds and arrived at the deepest area of the clouds, where the corpse of a white-robed monk floated in silence.

Though tens of thousands of years had passed, the body still radiated a sacred and solemn presence.

He stepped forward and gently placed his hand against the monk’s brow.

Flash!

A golden light flared. It was as if a second golden layer covered the body, shielding it from his touch.

The Noble Dharma trembled all over. "Even you... reject me?"