“The only thing I couldn’t let go of all these years was not being able to be with her during her final days.”
“Sometimes I wonder, what was she thinking as she watched the falling leaves in the courtyard for the last time?”
“Was it hatred for Dao Sheng, regret for her family, or… thoughts of my father and me?”
“I think Mother didn’t want me to come to Shang State, but I came anyway. Not only did I come, but I now stand beneath the same dangerous walls she once did.”
Dried tear tracks turned to ashes in the fractured timeline. Nanyan opened her arms, trying to embrace the dispersing light and shadows, but she could only grasp handfuls of elusive sand.
As the light patterns in her palms faded, Nanyan lowered her head, resting it lightly on Ji Yang’s shoulder.
“Shao Cang, my grandfather lost, my parents lost… I don’t want to lose.”
Blood-red pupils reflected the dim sky. Ji Yang looked down and saw Nanyan’s shadow change.
It was no longer the shadow of a single person but transformed into a giant Bodhi tree. On each leaf’s shadow, a bloody swastika was emblazoned.
Surging Buddhist power burst from her heart. Bell sounds resonated incessantly, shattering the barriers behind them. Outside, the grim faces of the law enforcers from the Hall of Righteousness became visible—just like the scene Ji Yang had witnessed years ago.
“Lord Nan entrusted you to me. How could I fail her?”
…
“…The Dao Sky Masters have jointly ordered that this girl be involved in the fall of Suspended Sky Mountain. The Council of Elders must immediately stop the Righteous Dao Stele trial and arrest her without fail.”
The cultivators from the Hall of Righteousness before the Dao Stele looked troubled. They dared not directly confront Mu Zhanting, as he was not only nominally supposed to rule the Hall of Righteousness but also had the entire powerful Chen State backing him.
Everyone knew the Dragon Lord fiercely protected his own. His people from Chen State only fought among themselves behind closed doors. If outsiders dared to touch them, they’d lose hands for touching, feet for kicking, and life for injuring.
But now Dao Sheng was desperate. Though they couldn’t act directly, members of the Council of Elders from the Hall of Righteousness had already gathered before the Dao Stele.
“This is the final warning. If the Emperor doesn’t yield, we elders will invoke our right of impeachment and supervision, unleashing heavenly lightning punishment. Even the Dragon Lord won’t be able to protect you then,” one elder declared.
Mu Zhanting brushed off an attacking law enforcer and said, “Oh, is that so? I thought we’d already dropped all pretenses. Since you still care about face, why not dare to let people verify the truth about Lord Nan’s death?”
“Nonsense! Xuanzai is a pillar of the cultivation world. How dare a mere boy slander him!” Several elders summoned a large flag, pouring out their spiritual power. The flag immediately emitted a green light enveloping all the Hall of Righteousness cultivators. “We’ve empowered you to break through barriers. Capture the criminal quickly!”
The Hall of Righteousness members hesitated no longer. Acknowledging the order, they formed arrays, and green lightning bolts crashed down from all directions.
A flash of lightning blinded all sight and spiritual sense. As the intense light receded, the smell of blood permeated the air.
“Good, the criminal has been subdued. Now let’s—” The elders thought their strike had been effective, but before they could relax, the Righteous Dao Stele suddenly burst with radiant light, causing their expressions to change dramatically.
“This is bad!”
The Righteous Dao Stele was a supreme treasure that had received the divine will of many ancient path creators. It encompassed immortal, Buddhist, and demonic paths alike, and could never be biased. Yet this time, it seemed to break through some age-old seal. Streaks of light burst forth, and shocking scenes began to appear faintly in the sky.
“This… this…”
“Has Dao Sheng gone mad? How dare they place a seal on the Righteous Dao Stele!”
At that moment, the entire cultivation world trembled. The main sects of various States all witnessed the scene of Lord Nan being thrown off the cliff in the Filthy Valley years ago.
“No wonder the Dao Stele hasn’t activated since Lord Nan’s last trial.”
“Look! The killer—the killer is Xuanzai!”
The light screen didn’t last long. Within moments, the thick clouds in the sky formed a massive hand that crushed the light screens above the main sects of all States.
For a moment, heaven and earth fell silent.
“Disperse,” a cold voice commanded.
With just a light sentence, even if you announced it to the world, it was no match for his ability to cover the sky with one hand.
In an instant, eleven light patterns appeared on the Righteousness Dao Stele of the Hall of Righteousness, all emblems of the main sects from various States. The emblem of Hai State spoke first:
“It’s just slander from an inexperienced youth. This Dao Stele hasn’t been used for twenty or thirty years. Who knows if something went wrong? We can have someone repair it later.”
From Chen State’s side, an elder’s voice immediately responded: “According to Hai State’s Friend Zhu, you seem to know this Dao Stele very well. You know when it’s good and when it’s bad. Your insight is even greater than that of Xuanzai, Lord Nan, the Dragon Lord, Baoqi Rulai, Sword Hero, and others who established the Hall of Righteousness combined?”
“You…” The lord of Hai State was furious but knew he couldn’t take back his words. He grudgingly said, “Even so, that’s a private grudge between Yin State and Zi State. Let those two States sort it out. We have no vested interests in Lord Nan. What difference does it make to the cultivation world if she’s here or not?”
The Yun family from Shen State, Wu State, You State, and other less powerful States all agreed.
“We didn’t wish for Lord Nan’s untimely demise, but since the incident occurred in the Filthy Valley—a place known to all for its strangeness—and knowing that Lord Nan’s orphan carries Buddhist power, who knows if she was bewitched by fallen Buddhists? If not eliminated then, she might have become a threat to the cultivation world. That’s why Xuanzai had no choice but to take drastic action.”
“Tsk, tsk. Everyone knows Lord Nan was flirtatious. Nothing she did would be surprising…”
“Indeed.”
Amidst the whispers, laughter could be faintly heard.
At this moment, from Chen State’s emblem, three dragon blood talismans shot like lightning toward the sources of laughter. The laughter immediately turned to shock and anger.
“Dragon Lord! What do you mean by this? I’ve never offended you!”
“Zhu Ting of Hai State, Yuan He of Wu State, Lu Qiu of You State—the three of you, expect challenge letters tomorrow,” Ao Guanghan’s voice, filled with deep anger, rang out. “Since killers go unpunished these days, and the victims are slandered here by you, this lord would like to try it out too.”
The lord of Hai State reacted most vehemently: “We were merely making reasonable conjectures. How can the mighty Chen State be so petty? Where’s your upper State decorum?!”
Ao Guanghan sneered, “Well said. Lower States should know their place. When the master hasn’t spoken, the dogs shouldn’t bark first. If they’re beaten to death, it’s what they deserve.”
“You!”
At this moment, Nan Yi’s voice came from Yin State’s emblem: “I’m grateful to the Emperor for bringing Nanyan back to the Red Emperor’s Jade Palace. Also, Dao Sheng killed our State’s Lord Nan and concealed the Red Emperor’s Demon Heart. From this day forward, the Red Emperor’s Jade Palace of Yin State declares war on Zi State.”
Ao Guanghan immediately followed: “Since it’s such a grand occasion, I’ll say my piece too—Dao Sheng killed our Chen State’s former Imperial Son, framing Si State and causing a decade of war between the two States. This grudge cannot be settled easily. Moreover, the Ghost Spring Abyss under Tianqiao Peak in Wei State was directly opened, causing devastation to all life within hundreds of miles. The death toll has exceeded hundreds of thousands. I’ll declare war on behalf of Meng Xiaolou as well.”
Then, an “Amitabha” sounded from Mao State’s light pattern. Baoqi Rulai said, “Our Mao State didn’t want to get involved in disputes, but regarding the Ascension Assembly promised by the Dao Venerable years ago, our State’s Buddhist Chant Master escaped from the void and was subsequently labeled a demon and suppressed. He’s been missing since. We seek an explanation from Dao Sheng.”
Mao State has entered the fray…
Dao Sheng, who hadn’t uttered a word of rebuttal until now, reacted extremely strongly as soon as Baoqi Rulai spoke.
“I, the Six Sovereign Master, was in charge of hosting the Dao Venerable’s Ascension Assembly back then… I witnessed the Buddhist Chant Master’s eagerness to ascend, causing him to fall into the inverse path! This is indisputable! Our Dao Sheng refrained from mentioning this to save Mao State’s face, but since you’re all so insistent today, I have no choice but to reveal the truth—”
The Six Sovereign Master sent a wave of energy across space, dispersing the halo beneath the Righteous Dao Stele. Instantly, a resounding bell echoed throughout the entire Hall of Righteousness.
Beneath the Righteous Dao Stele, a two-faced golden Guanyin statue appeared in an instant.
“This… I’ve never seen such a Buddhist lineage before!”
It was a thousand-armed Guanyin with two faces. The front face emitted a soft golden light, with a compassionate expression of the Bodhisattva. The back face, however, was as fierce as an Asura, with three eyes and six ears, emanating an ominous bloody aura.
“Do you see now?!” the Six Sovereign Master shouted. “This is what the Buddhist Chant Master relied on when he turned and bloodied Si State back then! If we let this girl live, all sentient beings will be in danger! Do you still want to stick to small righteousness and lose sight of the bigger picture?!”
Seeing this, the elders of the Hall of Righteousness immediately called out: “The Hall of Righteousness acts for the greater good of the cultivation world. Today, we shall join forces to eliminate this demon in its infancy!”
“You dare!”
The people of the Hall of Righteousness moved swiftly. In an instant, all the Nascent Soul and Core Formation cultivators seemed to attack in unison. A dense barrage of Five Elements spells, formations, and spiritual treasures flew toward the two-faced Guanyin, seemingly about to destroy it completely. But in the next moment, a cool breeze swept by, and the shadowy image of a Bodhi leaf appeared in mid-air.
“Amitabha.”
Nanyan walked slowly out of the two-faced Bodhisattva’s golden body, hands clasped in prayer. The shadow of a Bodhi tree gradually spread beneath her feet. Wherever it reached, giant Bodhi trees suddenly sprouted from the cracks between the stones of the Hall of Righteousness, which hadn’t moved in hundreds of years.
“My path is called the Seven Buddhas’ Karma Creation.”
“To enter my path, there are seven words, all between Buddha and demon.”
“Those with good karma will attain enlightenment, transcend the great paths of all heavens, and reach beyond.”
With each sentence she spoke, the leaves on the Bodhi trees grew denser.
The Six Sovereign Master roared, “Don’t let her continue speaking!!!”
But the law enforcers of the Hall of Righteousness began to slow down one by one, hesitantly looking at Nanyan. They knew this was the realm of Buddhist preaching. If they could gain enlightenment now, even a dull-witted mortal would have a high chance of achieving the great path of Nascent Soul.
The path of immortal cultivation was too difficult; everyone was struggling in pursuit of longevity and enlightenment.
Dao Sheng was too high, too distant, but Nanyan’s path was right before their eyes, within reach.
Bodhi leaves floated into everyone’s palms with the wind. After a moment, some seemed to have gained insight, putting down their magical tools and sitting cross-legged like Buddha, softly reciting the main tenets of the Seven Buddhas’ Karma Creation with Nanyan.
“I am the demon who creates karma by taking life, yet I’ve attained zen insight to offer to Buddha.”
The clouds suddenly began to churn, and Nan Yi’s voice abruptly came from Yin State: “Nanyan, be careful! Uncle is coming to get you right away!”
Then, all the State emblems disappeared one by one, leaving only Zi State’s Dao Sheng emblem at the end.
Footsteps came from the void, extremely light yet clear. Each step seemed to carry the majesty of heaven and earth, pressing down on the two-faced Guanyin.
The Guanyin statue trembled, the Bodhi trees trembled, and the cultivators listening to the teaching trembled.
But Nanyan remained motionless, raising her head to look at the figure slowly emerging from the void.
“With lowered brows and observing precepts, I guide all beings. With raised head, I slaughter… ten thousand demons again.”
“The last time I saw you, you could barely look at me directly,” Ying Zewei’s gaze fell on the Bodhi shadow beneath her feet. As if harboring some expectation, he softly praised, “What a fine Buddha Bone Zen Heart.”
Nanyan looked up at him without flinching. At this moment, she felt her heart was very calm, without fear or anger.
“My mother’s Cicada Dew Sorrow was never brewed for you. Whether there are feelings or not, let it all go.”
…Something finally shattered.
What he couldn’t let go of was never truly the emotion, but his years of obsession with this feeling.
This time, Ying Zewei finally felt that what had decayed was not his ability to touch that person’s body, but the mortal heart within him as a person.
“Do you have any other wishes?” His gaze at her was no longer like looking at Nanrao’s daughter, but rather… the heir of the Buddhist Chant Master.
Nanyan said, “I vow here and now until hell is empty, I will not become a Buddha.”
“This master will soon send others down there,” Ying Zewei closed his eyes and raised his hand. The wind stopped, the clouds settled, and cracks appeared in the surrounding void. A world-destroying, mysterious force pressed down.
“Although,” he said, “I may not allow you to meet again.”