Chapter 396: The Gathering of All Buddhas, The Fall of the Buddhist Kingdom!

Chapter 396: The Gathering of All Buddhas, The Fall of the Buddhist Kingdom!

Passing by Jiupan Mountain, the once majestic mountains and rivers were now barren. The scenes of enlightenment from the past were no longer visible.

However, when Qi Yuan arrived with Golden Canary and Ning Tao, they happened to encounter a rain shower.

This rain was just like the one in the past.

Back then, Golden Canary had held a banana leaf to shield Qi Yuan, who was then in his Blood Pearl form, from the rain.

Golden Canary had been soaked and sneezed at the time.

Qi Yuan had then casually cast a spell to start a fire for warmth, but it ended up lighting Golden Canary’s tail on fire.

This had infuriated the beauty-loving Golden Canary.

Now, as the rain fell again, the three of them got soaked together.

Ning Tao looked at Qi Yuan and Golden Canary, with a hint of fondness in her eyes.

At present, Qi Yuan had been traveling around, collecting alms, and had accumulated nearly a hundred divine techniques.

Each divine technique was like a star.

Although the ten suns in the sky were formidable, Ning Tao understood just how powerful the enemies Qi Yuan faced were.

The more starry golden cores Qi Yuan condensed, the stronger he would become.

To consume new stars, she had to focus all her energy.

She gazed at Qi Yuan and the cheerful Golden Canary, making a silent decision in her heart.

"Though the world changes, with the power to control time, one can always return to the past."

Ning Tao extended her delicate hand, and the power of her domain was unleashed.

The barren Jiupan Mountain suddenly burst with life. Banana trees sprouted green leaves, red flowers bloomed, and streams began flowing through the mountain ravines.

Moss climbed over rocks, and vines entwined with trees.

The scene before them was just like the past.

All that was missing were the Gate of Myriad Events and some insects.

"It looks just like before, only without some sentient creatures," Qi Yuan commented, as memories of the past flooded his mind.

At that moment, a banana leaf was held over his head, and Golden Canary’s face turned red. "Without other creatures around, isn’t it better? We can do whatever we want..."

As she spoke, she tugged at Qi Yuan’s sleeve, her starry eyes filled with anticipation, her long eyelashes fluttering.

"But it’s daytime..."

"To my house!" Golden Canary pulled Qi Yuan by the sleeve, heading toward her former home.

Her petite figure resembled that of a flower fairy.

Ning Tao also moved closer, smiling, her black dress giving her an elegant yet alluring look. "Didn’t you say, husband, that rainy days are the best for sleeping?"

Golden Canary fluttered her eyes and playfully said, "2 to 1—majority rules. You can’t resist!"

"That’s a bit unfair!"

The rain continued to drizzle, with occasional downpours. Yet again, it was another day of intoxication and dreams.

Qi Yuan reaffirmed that rainy days were indeed perfect for sleep.

Though, in truth, it seemed like a lot of times were good for sleeping.

Time flew by, and three months passed in the blink of an eye for cultivators.

Guizhi City, the central and most prosperous city of the Flowing Wind Realm, was bustling.

Its name combined the "Gui" from Wugui City and "Qi" from Qi Yuan.

However, few people knew the origin of the city’s name today.

Currently, Guizhi City was teeming with people, its streets bathed in Buddha’s light.

Looking around, anyone unfamiliar with the place might mistake it for a city where baldness was revered.

In a group of three, at least one was bald.

This Great Buddha Assembly, held in Guizhi City, was the largest event in the Flowing Wind Realm in ten thousand years.

But more than that, it was tied to the conflicts and possible unification of the sacred lands of the Buddhist Kingdom in the Five Heavens.

This assembly attracted not only many disciples from the upper realms but also the eyes of many in the Sixth Heaven, all watching the Flowing Wind Realm and awaiting its outcome.

This small Great Buddha Assembly would determine the future of the Buddhist Kingdom's sacred lands.

The Illumined Buddha stood tall, his entire body enveloped in Buddha’s light. Anyone who looked at him couldn’t help but feel like they were in the presence of a youthful true Buddha.

Beside him, Ling Yayi, who had shaved his head to a glossy shine, looked like a monk trying too hard, his behavior still somewhat mischievous and frivolous despite his new "devout" appearance.

Just then, a voice echoed, "Illumined Buddha, the people you’ve gathered this time seem rather ordinary."

A bald-headed Buddhist nun strode over, her loose white robe barely covering her chest.

Next to her stood a silent, bald old man.

Ling Yayi's eyes widened, but he quickly averted them and instead focused on the old man, smiling slyly, "Hey, Old Fool, with your head shaved, you’re not as dashing as this old man."

This silent elder was none other than the Fool Daoist.

"The ones you found are no good. They lack both Buddha-nature and the courage to lust. If you want to look, be bold and look!" The Buddhist nun said, purposely tugging her robe even lower.

Ling Yayi's face turned beet red, and he was left speechless and embarrassed.

After all, he had been not only sneaking glances but also planning to help Fool Daoist get revenge by recording this bald Buddhist nun with a memory stone.

"Purple Lotus Nun, lacking Buddha-nature doesn’t matter. They possess the power of reincarnation, and that’s enough," the Illumined Buddha said, his voice pure and stern.

Purple Lotus Nun laughed in response, "The power of reincarnation is indeed one of Buddha’s great truths, but we’ll have to see if they can comprehend it."

"If they do, the endless wars in the Buddhist Kingdom might finally cease."

A solemn Buddha disciple stepped forward. He, too, represented one of the Buddhist Kingdom's sacred lands.

Each sacred land had at least one true Buddha presiding over it—a Yang God Heavenly Sovereign.

In the Buddhist Kingdom, there were nearly a hundred sacred lands, creating extreme chaos.

"Back when the Great Sun Brightness Buddha comprehended the ‘Great Sun Tathagata’ truth, he received the recognition of the creation artifact, the Buddhist Kingdom, and united it. But how difficult is that to achieve!" sighed another Buddhist nun, dressed far more modestly than Purple Lotus.

"The supreme truths inscribed at the summit of the Buddhist Kingdom are so difficult to grasp. If someone could comprehend them, they could become a true Buddha, or even possibly reach the Realm of Grand Principles!"

The Nine Heavens Buddhist Kingdom originated from the creation artifact, the Buddhist Kingdom.

On the creation artifact, countless supreme truths were inscribed.

These truths were considered the ultimate treasures by the Buddhist disciples.

Even understanding a fragment would bring immense benefits.

At the very peak of these supreme truths were concepts such as "Reincarnation," "Sumeru," "Karma," "Merit," "Great Sun Tathagata," "Past," "Present," and "Future."

Among them, only the "Great Sun Tathagata" had ever been comprehended by a Buddha disciple. None of the other truths had been grasped by any Buddha.

These supreme truths might seem simple at first glance.

Take "Karma," for example. At the Yang God realm, who doesn’t understand a bit of karma?

Yet, no true Buddha had ever fully comprehended it.

Similarly, the concepts of "Past" and "Present" seemed akin to the Yang Gods’ ability to sever their past selves and shape their present ones.

But they were entirely different.

Especially "Future"—for the true Buddhas of the Buddhist Kingdom, the concept of the future seemed illusory.

After all, every Yang God Heavenly Sovereign knew that there was no future in the Nine Heavens.

Thus, while Yang Gods could sever their past selves and condense their present selves, they could not form a future god.

If not for the Great Sun Brightness Buddha's comprehension of the "Great Sun Tathagata" supreme truth, all the true Buddhas would have considered the supreme truths at the summit of the Buddhist Kingdom to be illusions, utterly beyond understanding.

Now, the endless wars in the Buddhist Kingdom continued because no one could comprehend the supreme truths as the Great Sun Brightness Buddha had.

Now that individuals possessing the power of reincarnation had appeared, the various sacred lands of the Buddhist Kingdom were eager to gain control over the North Demon Thirteen Monsters, hoping to help them become the Sacred Buddha disciple.

"Speaking of reincarnation power, I’m more curious about that Blood Lord. How did he obtain such power?" asked a Buddha disciple dressed in white, his eyes gleaming with intrigue.

"How unfortunate for the Blood Lord," sighed Purple Lotus Nun.

"He was initially destined to have a connection with our Buddha, obtaining the power of reincarnation."

"But, his fate with our Buddha runs too deep—he also acquired the Great Sun Golden Lotus."

"Sometimes, too deep a connection can be a problem."

Possessing the power of reincarnation meant he could be nurtured as a Buddha disciple.

But bearing the Great Sun Golden Lotus? That was a different story.

The Great Sun Golden Lotus originally belonged to the Buddhist Kingdom.

Without it, the warring sacred lands could barely control the creation artifact, the Buddhist Kingdom.

There had already been several instances where the creation artifact had nearly gone out of control, and the sacred lands were on the verge of falling from the Five Heavens.

Thus, the Great Sun Golden Lotus had to be extracted and returned to the Buddhist Kingdom to maintain its stability.

But once it was removed from the Blood Lord, he would either die or become a cripple.

Even though he possessed the power of reincarnation, he would likely never walk the path of Buddha again.

This was the result of having too deep a connection.

Ling Yayi sought to claim the Sacred Buddha disciple position, hoping that when the true Buddhas extracted the Great Sun Golden Lotus, they would show mercy.

"What a pity. Such a legendary figure, and yet this will be his fate," lamented one of the Buddha disciples.

"Hmph, a mere legend of the lower realm, not worth mentioning," sneered a young novice monk.

"Apple, you’ve given in to anger," one of the Buddha disciples warned.

The young novice immediately put his hands together in remorse, his face filled with shame.

"The true Buddhas sit in the Fifth Heaven, watching over us. The Great Buddha Assembly is upon us. We must take our places," said the Illumined Buddha, his voice solemn.

The other Buddha disciples nodded in agreement.

At that moment, a vast Buddha chant echoed from the heavens.

Within Guizhi City, the sound of chanting filled the air, and Buddha’s light spread like a sea.

All the cultivators felt a compulsion to kneel in worship.

The sacred Buddha light bathed them, warm and gentle.

"The Great Buddha Assembly has begun!"

Only the half-Buddhas and monks with profound understanding of the dharma realized the terrifying power behind those six words.

These were the words of a true Buddha.

With one word, the entire realm could fall silent.

In fact, if this true Buddha wished, a single word could cause the entire Flowing Wind Realm to be annihilated in an instant.

Streams of light descended, filled with the pure radiance of Buddha.

Ordinary mortals in this environment could become immune to all diseases.

In that moment, ethereal figures began to appear.

All the disciples of the Buddha schools stood in solemn respect.

In the sky above Guizhi City, ninety-seven Buddhas sat in the void.

These Buddhas were all at the Mythical level, each representing a sacred land of the Buddhist Kingdom!

"Greetings to the prospective Buddhas!"

Mythical-level beings were referred to as prospective Buddhas!

Among the Buddha disciples present, many would never surpass this level!

"Salutations complete. Enter the Buddha tower, observe the supreme truths, discern the dharma, and debate the Buddha’s treasures!"

The White-Brow Prospective Buddha spoke, his voice filled with compassion, as though he were a great Buddha.

"By your command!"

The Illumined Buddha waved his sleeve and ascended into the sky.

Ling Yayi looked around with worry, scanning the surroundings, but he couldn’t spot the familiar figure.

The rest of the North Demon Thirteen Monsters were doing the same, hoping to find the Blood Lord, but to no avail.

He felt a pang of disappointment but stepped into the Buddha tower nonetheless.

Meanwhile, in a corner of Guizhi City, Chen Huan was also searching, his gaze roving as though looking for someone.

Kunxia Daoist narrowed his eyes, gazing at the prospective Buddhas above with a hint of fear in his expression. He suppressed his aura, ensuring none of his energy leaked out.

At the same time, he had prepared a venomous insect, waiting for the Blood Lord to appear. When the opportunity arose, he would strike and control the Blood Lord, turning him into a puppet.

"The Lord of the Sacred Lands... gasp... I need to gasp again!" Chen Huan’s face flushed red with shock.

After ascending to the upper realm, he had come to understand just how insignificant he was. He had also realized what kind of beings the Yang God Heavenly Sovereigns were.

In fact, if a Yang God Sovereign wished, they could swallow the entire Flowing Wind Realm in one gulp.

The tales of the Blood Lord fighting demonesses might have sounded grand and heroic, but to a Yang God Sovereign, it was nothing more than ants battling each other.

Had his big brother secretly become a Yang God?

What big brother? He’s a grandmaster!

About ten breaths passed.

Three of the prospective Buddhas’ auras shifted.

Clearly, three true Buddhas had descended, possessing the bodies of these Mythical beings.

"We don’t know what purpose you have in coming to the Great Buddha Assembly," one of the true Buddhas spoke through the White-Brow Prospective Buddha, his gaze filled with curiosity and wariness as he scrutinized Qi Yuan.

"I already said it. I’ve come to give you a Buddha Lord." Qi Yuan said lazily.

The true Buddha spoke again, his voice booming like a heavenly edict. "You possess Buddha-nature and the power of reincarnation, but to become the Lord of the Buddhist Kingdom, you are still lacking in many ways."

"Ah, I’m not talking about myself. I’m recommending a friend!" Qi Yuan protested. "You know what, I’ll just call him over. I’ve got several friends, all excellent candidates. Any of them could be your Buddha Lord."

The true Buddha squinted, and in an instant, communicated with the other two true Buddhas.

"Let’s see what tricks you have up your sleeve."

In the Fifth Heaven, many true Buddhas were also watching, filled with curiosity and surprise.

After reaching the true Buddha realm, it was rare for anything to shake their composure.

"Could it be that he really knows some powerful figure from the Buddha school?"

"No, all the Buddhas in the world reside in the Buddhist Kingdom."

"Without the Buddhist Kingdom, how could one attain Buddha’s wisdom?"

These voices whispered among themselves.

Their gazes pierced through multiple heavens, observing Qi Yuan through the realm of a thousand Buddhas.

At that moment, Qi Yuan’s aura began to change, becoming both chaotic and clear, both mysterious and ancient.

"Bright and radiant, the Nascent Soul emerges from the divine treasury. Hear my command—Buddha’s light shall shine!"

As Qi Yuan spoke, a sudden gust of wind swept through the heavens and earth.

It was as though everyone could hear the roar of a divine Buddha.

At that moment, everyone’s gaze turned to the sky.

There, they saw a pair of golden eyes, piercing through the heavens as if seeing through all illusions of the world.

The Buddha’s light cloaked his battle robes, making him appear as an invincible war god!

"Fighting Buddha, heed my command!"

An unruly monkey, the Fighting Buddha, who once guarded Mount Sumeru with his mighty staff!

He stood tall and imposing, his presence overwhelming.

Everyone’s attention was drawn to him.

No one noticed the disheveled Buddha standing in the shadows behind Qi Yuan, as if he couldn’t be perceived by the world.

"Who is this?"

"What immense Buddha energy!"

"A battle-hardened Buddha!"

"Who can stand against him in the same realm?"

All the true Buddhas gasped in shock.

They, too, were true Buddhas, so they understood just how formidable this Fighting Buddha was.

If he were in the same realm as the Great Sun Brightness Buddha, the Great Sun Brightness Buddha would fall within ten moves.

The Xuanxin True Buddha’s gaze shifted, puzzled as to where Qi Yuan had found such a battle-hardened Buddha.

Why had no one in the Nine Heavens ever heard of such a Buddha?

If this battle-hardened Buddha were stationed in the Buddhist Kingdom, how could the kingdom ever be in turmoil?

He looked at Qi Yuan, his voice echoing with Buddha’s chant. "This figure should be the War Buddha of the Buddhist lineage, but he cannot be our Buddha Lord."

Hearing this, Qi Yuan was disappointed.

He had summoned the Fighting Buddha first with a bit of selfishness.

After all, the Fighting Buddha was a villager from Qingshui Village and had been the first to follow him.

"The Fighting Buddha won’t do? Then... what about the Wutian Buddha Lord behind me?"

Actually, Qi Yuan had not only summoned the Fighting Buddha but also the Wutian Buddha Lord!

In Qi Yuan’s memory, Wutian Buddha Lord had once swept through the Three Realms, occupying Mount Sumeru and forcing the Tathagata to descend into the mortal world.

If it weren’t for Sun Wukong merging with the relic, Wutian Buddha Lord might never have been defeated.

In other words, Wutian Buddha Lord was a ruthless figure!

Now, if he were going to send a Buddha Lord to the Buddhist Kingdom, he needed someone ruthless in an unfamiliar territory.

At that moment, all the true Buddhas turned their gaze to Wutian Buddha Lord.

Instantly...

"No!"

"I see Buddhas crumbling to dust!"

"The sea of blood is filled with Buddha corpses!"

"The heavens and earth are overturned!"

"Ah... the Buddhist Kingdom is falling!"

In that instant, all the true Buddhas turned pale, their minds thrown into turmoil.

Even their true bodies were affected, and they awoke in shock.

And then, the unthinkable happened.

The creation artifact, the Buddhist Kingdom, began to tremble, emitting a mournful cry as if it had encountered a great enemy and was trying to flee.

"The Buddhist Kingdom is in turmoil! Hurry!"

"Quickly, stabilize the Buddhist Kingdom!"

"This is a Buddha of great evil!"

At that moment, all the awakened true Buddhas took action.

The sky was filled with an ocean of Buddha’s light, vast and boundless.

The Buddhist Kingdom lit up like daytime, with Buddha’s light swirling and endless Buddha chants echoing, as though ten thousand Buddhas were chanting in unison.

Only then did the creation artifact, the Buddhist Kingdom, finally settle down.

"Quick, block off the Flowing Wind Realm. Prevent any forces from spying on it!"

At that moment, a Grand Principle True Buddha gave the order.

Immediately, several Grand Principle True Buddhas took action, cutting off all connections and preventing anyone from observing the Flowing Wind Realm.

After all, this Wutian Buddha Lord seemed to be tied to the life and death of the Buddhist Kingdom.

If other forces learned of this, it could bring disaster.

In the void, countless whispers and murmurs could be heard.

"What’s happening in the Flowing Wind Realm? Why was it cut off?"

"I saw a Fighting Buddha."

"I saw a disheveled Buddha."

Meanwhile, in Guizhi City, the expressions of the remaining ninety-four prospective Buddhas changed.

Clearly, the other true Buddhas of the Buddhist Kingdom had descended.

Of course, only a wisp of their consciousness had arrived.

Now, all of them wore solemn expressions, their gazes filled with fear as they looked at Qi Yuan—especially at Wutian Buddha Lord.

Seeing their expressions, Qi Yuan felt disappointed.

"Sigh, it seems you’re not satisfied with him. But it’s alright—I have more. I’ll recommend a few others. See if they’re suitable."

The Taihang True Buddha’s gaze was like gold, his voice filled with compassion. "Very well."

However, his eyes remained fixed on Wutian Buddha Lord.

The other true Buddhas also spoke.

"Very well."

They, too, continued to watch Wutian Buddha Lord.

Seeing this, Qi Yuan breathed a sigh of relief.

Fortunately, Wutian Buddha Lord hadn’t turned into a watermelon-headed monk, or that would’ve been embarrassing.

"Bright and radiant, the Nascent Soul emerges from the divine treasury. Hear my command—Buddha’s light shall resonate."

Qi Yuan’s expression grew serious, and an ancient aura once again filled the air.

Whispers and murmurs filled the air.

"This apocalyptic Buddha is beyond comprehension!"

"This Blood Lord is terrifying!"

"Who will he summon next?"

"These two are already terrifying enough. Are there really more Buddhas?"

At that moment, the world suddenly fell silent.

Everyone’s eyes turned to the void above.

There, they saw countless rays of golden light descending from the void, each beam so brilliant it seemed to solidify into physical form.

The majestic sound of Buddha’s chant swept through the entire world.

All the true Buddhas and half-Buddhas felt as if they were hearing a Buddha recite scriptures, directly piercing their souls, making them tremble.

A Buddha appeared, seemingly from the past, as if he had always existed.

"I come from the past. Dipankara, the Burning Lamp Buddha, greets my lord!"

A Buddha appeared, manifesting the eight forms, his dharma body formless, yet his retribution and incarnation bodies clearly visible.

"Neither coming nor going. Shakyamuni Buddha greets my lord!"

All the true Buddhas trembled, their souls quaking.

These two Buddhas... they seemed to exist in both the past and the present...

The creation artifact, the Buddhist Kingdom, trembled.

All the true Buddhas and half-Buddhas were in a state of extreme shock.

But there was no time for them to process it.

Another powerful, towering Buddha appeared.

His presence was boundless, and his battle spirit surged endlessly, accompanied by infinite Buddha’s chants.

"The ancestor of ten thousand Buddhas, Namo Great Saint Relic King Buddha, greets my lord!"

They hadn’t even finished being shocked by the arrival of the ancestor of ten thousand Buddhas when...

A Buddha, seemingly from the future, appeared. He seemed ordinary, always smiling with his large belly exposed. Compared to the previous Buddhas, he was far less imposing.

Yet when he spoke, all the Buddhas were astonished.

"I come from the future. Maitreya Buddha greets my lord!"

"The future..."

"But there is no future in this world. How can there be a future Buddha?"

"The Buddhist Kingdom is trembling, the supreme truths are responding... He is truly the future Buddha!"

In that moment, Buddha’s light filled the heavens, and the Buddhist Kingdom shook.

The creation artifact, the Buddhist Kingdom, shattered through the Five Heavens, descending into Qi Yuan’s hands.

Qi Yuan held the Buddhist Kingdom in his hands, looking at the true Buddhas before him with calm eyes. "Are my friends qualified to be your Buddha Lords?"