Chapter 276: To Study Zen and Buddhism, One Must First Embrace Death

Chapter 276: To Study Zen and Buddhism, One Must First Embrace Death

As the internal struggle within the Ji family finally came to an end, Ji Anquan stood expressionless atop a pavilion, overlooking the scene below. The long-absent sunlight pierced through the clouds, illuminating the dust and cottonwood fluff floating in the air.

For a brief moment, the chaos and strife seemed to be kept at bay, but he knew this was only temporary.

Footsteps approached from behind, and Ji Anyu arrived.

The youngest elder of the Ji family at present, he came to Ji Anquan's side and said with fatigue, "Out of the four elders who participated in the rebellion, three have already completed their handover with the Federation, aside from the one who died..."

"Among the sixteen Venerables, four have perished, two of the remaining twelve chose to be sent to the Federation's Celestial Being Prison, and the other ten signed deeper binding contracts."

Ji Anyu looked at his younger cousin with a hint of reverence, who was now the head of the Ji family.

The Grandmasters had left in a hurry, taking with them the clan's divine weapons.

Ji Anquan was left with very little time. After confirming the departure of the Grandmasters, the elders of the Ji family convened a clan meeting, initiating the all-too-familiar power struggle within the family.

In this power game, Ji Anquan remained silent, as if he had nothing to do with it.

Just when everyone thought he would be completely marginalized, Ji Anquan had already secured the remaining elders and won over many of the Venerables.

While the rebels were still busy with their internal conflicts, he launched a counterattack, thoroughly suppressing the initially dominant rebels and conducting a merciless purge.

Ji Anyu had always been puzzled as to when and how his younger cousin had persuaded and won over the other elders and Venerables.

"Mercy does not hold the military," Ji Anquan spoke softly, "Inform Luo Venerables that the two Celestial Being Venerables who left the Ji family should be sent on their way while they're still on the road."

Ji Anyu's expression froze. Sending them on their way meant sending them to their deaths.

"With four already dead, what's the harm in adding these two?" Ji Anquan looked up at the sky, his tone indifferent. "The Federation has been too stable for too long, and too few have died. Some people will inevitably take advantage of the situation. I hope this news will serve as a warning to certain individuals."

Ji Anyu fell silent for a moment before speaking, "Are you really going to expel all the disciples of the four branches and strip them of the Ji surname?"

Ji Anquan replied calmly, "The Ji family is different from the other families; we don't need more members. It will also serve as a warning to the younger generations of the other five families."

Compared to the other great clans, the Ji family was quite populous, and there were two reasons for this.

Firstly, Ji Shuai had not left any descendants.

Ji Shuai, who was born into a prestigious family, later rebelled and embarked on a life of military campaigns. It wasn't until after the establishment of the Federation that he returned to the family, selecting a few suitable blood relatives from the same branch and personally removing most of the rotten elements...

This was the origin of the current Ji family.

The second reason was even simpler: Ji Anquan was the first in ten thousand years to master the 'Celestial Being Chess Sword Diagram' in the Ji family.

One could say that Ji Anquan was the only one in ten thousand years to inherit Ji Shuai's martial arts legacy.

Ji Anyu did not try to persuade him otherwise; he merely said, "The East 3 Huang Star has responded, and Jingqiu has ended his seclusion."

"Oh?" Ji Anquan turned around, finally showing some interest.

...

"Hello?"

Ji Jingqiu answered the call from the Ji family, but to his surprise, the first thing he heard was Ji Anquan's 'criticism'.

"Brother Ji, I've heard of your heroic deeds in the West, but have you forgotten that you are not only the successor of the World-Honored One's lineage but also the successor of the Bloodline of the Divine General? With both sides balanced, you should not have to resort to killing."

Ji Anquan's tone was stern.

Ji Jingqiu was taken aback. Was he being criticized because his compassion was too heavy?

"Aren't Celestial Beings an important 'resource' for the Federation?"

Ji Anquan's response was cold, "It's better for the Federation to lose a few Celestial Beings now than to have more earthly emperors in the future. Do you know why the Federation's territory has not expanded outward until now?"

"It's related to the divine system," Ji Jingqiu said gravely.

This was a secret he had only recently learned.

The Federation's divine system, as Hela had said, was a 'heretical path', neither orthodox nor sustainable.

There was a contradiction within this system.

On the one hand, the Federation's population was far from sufficient to support the divine system of 'Twelve Divine Sovereigns and Four Divine Lords'.

Even if the population were to increase tenfold or a hundredfold, it would still be 'far from enough'.

The current Divine Lords were barely holding on to their past merits, so their decline was inevitable, and they might even inadvertently become like the Supreme Buddha.

On the other hand, the Federation's population could not continue to grow indefinitely, as the more people there were, the greater the burden on the Divine Lords and Divine Kings who protected the Federation's citizens in the Abyss, which would accelerate their deterioration.

This contradiction had led the Federation to intentionally control its population, maintaining it at a critical limit.

Ji Anquan spoke slowly, "Population size is indeed closely related to the divine system, but territorial area is more related to the stability of the regime."

"The current territory of the Federation is a safe value calculated by our ancestors. Once this range is exceeded, the Federation's regime may not remain stable for ten thousand years without change."

"Especially in the absence of Grandmasters, Grandmaster Warriors possess the quality of 'ubiquity', and spatial distance holds little meaning for them. The interstellar age and the planetary age are no different to them."

"But for Celestial Beings, whether they travel through the void or the Heart Ocean, crossing star domains still takes a considerable amount of time."

"Brother Ji, the real trouble is about to begin. It all started with the change in the Divine Path. The Great Universe has enjoyed 'stability' for ten thousand years thanks to the Divine Path, but with its transformation, the main forces of various civilizations and empires will be temporarily freed from the Divine Path."

"Next, the defense of the Celestial Road will become meaningless as the Grand Universe begins to actively accept martial artists from the Three Thousand Floating Worlds."

"In the future, many forces from the Three Thousand Floating Worlds will start to advance into the Grand Universe. To establish a foothold, they will need the support and initial protection from local powers."

"Brother Ji, if a representative from a Multiverse power were to arrive at a certain martial arts family in the western border region of Sector 7 in the Federation, and they make a heavy promise and forge an alliance..."

"Are you saying that this martial arts family would be willing to secretly help them establish their footing?"

"By the time the authorities realize, who knows how long it will be. The Federation has twenty-eight time zones, can you keep an eye on them all? If you don't kill those who are currently causing fear, it will be too late to do so later."

Ji Anquan's words were filled with killing intent.

Ji Jingqiu rubbed his eyebrows.

Before heading west, he had already heard about the turmoil at the forefront of the Celestial Road.

The most direct change was that many martial artists from the Federation were recalled from the Celestial Road.

In the intelligence he had previously read from the War Command Department, there was a special mention that the authorities hoped Ji Jingqiu could make an appearance as soon as possible, and it would be even better if he could restrain the martial artists of the Hundred Veins.

But after hearing Ji Anquan's words, he realized that the changes in the Celestial Road would affect not only the Federation but also other civilizations in the Grand Universe.

Ji Jingqiu asked directly, "Where are our enemies?"

"They are within, and they were also there ten thousand years ago," Ji Anquan replied. "Ten thousand years ago, the Seven Generals dominated, and although they had many followers, they also made countless enemies. The Federation, which occupies a small corner, also has such considerations."

"Fortunately, the Saint King lineage has started the Eastern Expedition, which will help us attract the attention of many civilizations in the Grand Universe. We still have time to rectify the internal issues."

Ji Jingqiu was a little surprised. It seemed that Chi Ji's Eastern Expedition was helping them divert attention? He thought for a moment and said, "With the Grandmaster martial artists leading the way, other civilizations will also be in chaos, right?"

"Yes, so we still have time to consolidate internally and contact potential allies. I'll take care of this aspect," Ji Anquan said in a deep voice.

Ji Jingqiu asked in confusion, "Then what else is there to worry about? Give me some more time. Once I reach the Heaven-Human realm, who in this world can be my enemy?"

Ji Anquan chuckled, "Don't underestimate the foundation of other top-tier civilizations. They have a much higher number of Heaven-Human Warriors than us, and they must have retained Heaven-Human Warriors who have reached perfection. They are waiting for the rules to change so that they can be the first to break through to the Grandmaster realm and seize the opportunity."

"You can crush those at the same level, but what about a hundred or a thousand Heaven-Human Warriors? If a thousand Heaven-Human Warriors invade the Federation, they only need to assign a portion of their forces to restrain you, and the remaining Heaven-Human Warriors can wreak havoc on the Federation."

"Furthermore, among the martial artists who will enter the Multiverse first, there will also be Divine Prohibition Warriors. According to our ancestors' calculations, this session of the Three Thousand Floating Worlds will produce numerous Heaven's Chosen."

Ji Jingqiu frowned, as this was indeed a problem.

Heaven-Human Warriors were indeed extremely valuable, and the proof of a first-rate power in the Federation was the presence of a Heaven-Human Warrior.

But if you expand it to the entire Federation, various martial arts sects, families, and corporations, especially the Six Great Clans, there are still over two hundred Heaven-Human Warriors.

As for the top-tier powers in the Grand Universe, it's even more needless to say.

The Federation does not fall behind in the realm of top-tier Grandmasters, but in terms of the number of Heaven-Human Warriors, it is far inferior, which is determined by population size and resources.

Ji Jingqiu asked Ji Anquan, "What if the worst-case scenario happens?"

Ji Anquan's answer was simple, "Run, and then wait for an opportunity to retaliate. As you said, once you step into the Heaven-Human realm, with divine weapons leading the way, even a single perfected Heaven-Human Warrior won't be your match. It's them that you should fear from now on."

Ji Jingqiu fell silent for a moment and then asked again about the time the Federation had left.

"With the Saint King lineage attracting attention, the time will become more relaxed, but this relaxation may not be a good thing. There's still over two years before the Grand Universe experiences its first rule change. At that time, there may be Heaven-Human Warriors who have reached perfection and will attempt to break through to the Grandmaster realm."

Ji Jingqiu asked Hela in his mind if he had a chance to break through to the Grandmaster realm within two years.

Hela bluntly replied, "Do you think this realm is easy to achieve? Do you know what it takes for a Heaven-Human Warrior to break through to the Heavenly King realm? The time and accumulation required have already surpassed the scope that innate talent can make up for!"

In fact, Ji Jingqiu also thought it was too far-fetched, so he rephrased his question, "If I can break through to the Heaven-Human realm within two years, is there a way to rival a Grandmaster?"

"Even with divine weapons, it's still as difficult as ascending to the heavens."

Ji Jingqiu nodded secretly, feeling that this answer was not entirely impossible.

On the bright side, even if a Grandmaster were to be born in two years, it's unlikely that they would directly target their Federation of Yan Huang. Moreover, Chi Ji is at the forefront, and there's still plenty of time.

Unexpectedly, this conversation with Ji Anquan made Ji Jingqiu feel a bit "anxious."

Before all this, the first challenge he had to face was the Four Devil Believers, as mentioned by God-General Ku Zhou.

These people were highly likely to have infiltrated the Federation, and their target was the Four Guardians Star.

Ji Jingqiu was uncertain about the number of their followers within the Federation.

And his recent trouble was his cultivation.

If he wanted to stand at the Heaven-Human Boundary, he had to achieve Mind-Body Integration.

Given his physical strength and mental fortitude, this would have been an extremely slow process.

Because his physical body and mind were both too powerful, the difficulty of merging the two also increased.

But now, with the Formless Heavenly Devil Technique, he had found a way to enter the multiverse, but it was clear that he wouldn't always be this lucky. As soon as he entered the multiverse, he was "invited" into a Cosmic Light Fragment.

"I wonder how many people are searching for Tian Sheng Hu's Heavenly Autumn Son right now..."

Ji Jingqiu muttered to himself.

Speaking of which, the Formless Heavenly Devil Technique was indeed useful. Not only could it change one's appearance, but it could also conceal one's vital energy and mental fluctuations, making it impossible to be exposed.

"How did you obtain this Heavenly Demon's innate technique?"

Ji Jingqiu tried to probe.

"It's my former innate technique," Haila corrected him. "It's not as difficult to obtain as you think, but it's true that it's hard to cultivate. It seems that it really matches you."

"Are you going to enter again? I think you can try to infiltrate a sect or a dojo."

"Of course, I need to change my identity. If you continue as Heavenly Autumn Son, after joining a sect, there's a high chance that a Heavenly Sovereign-level expert will receive you, or even a Dao Ancestor or True Sage will take notice."

"With your current cultivation, even with the Formless Heavenly Devil Technique, it's impossible to hide from their fate deduction."

Ji Jingqiu pondered, "Actually, even if I were exposed, it wouldn't be a problem. Of course, I'd have to be extra careful. I'll think about it some more."

"Also, I won't be going to the multiverse for now. I want to sort out what I've gained this time and try to further improve my Flame Universe Lamp."

Haila was also curious. Was this guy planning to rely on luck again?

During this time, Ji Jingqiu, while maintaining his state of merging with heaven and earth, immersed himself in exploring the Flame Universe Lamp.

Along the way, Ji Jingqiu also asked Haila for the Great Dream Technique she had mentioned before.

It was unclear what kind of mentality he had.

Perhaps he wanted to see the limits of Ji Jingqiu's so-called extraordinary wisdom;

Or perhaps he wanted to see what tricks Ji Jingqiu could come up with.

Haila taught Ji Jingqiu her former innate technique, "The Great Dream of a Thousand Autumns."

Both "The Great Dream of a Thousand Autumns" and "Formless Heavenly Devil Technique" were her innate techniques before she and the Heavenly Demon shed their old bodies.

In terms of wondrous uses and divine abilities, they were naturally comparable to any supreme technique in this realm.

But the word "supreme" also represented the recognition and empowerment of the heavenly dao, implying the "dao fruit" within this realm. Their techniques, relative to this realm, could only be considered "heretical," and naturally couldn't bear the word "supreme."

Haila was very curious to see how long it would take Ji Jingqiu to digest this innate technique and even integrate it into his divine abilities.

During Ji Jingqiu's dull period of consolidation, Haila, with nothing better to do, wandered around in Ji Jingqiu's inner world.

She glanced at the fat tiger, who was rarely busy, diligently sharpening his knife, and then looked at the dead fish in the pond, still peacefully swimming.

An invisible and formless breeze blew past her ear, swirling around and lifting a few strands of her hair before disappearing in the blink of an eye.

As for the Bodhi tree, it rustled softly, its clear light undiminished.

This guy was clearly far inferior to the one in Mu Xitian's realm, but it seemed closer to immortality, or perhaps its foundation was more solid.

Haila observed for a long time before finally confirming the reason—Ji Jingqiu's Bodhi tree was irrigated with the water of the Suffering Sea!

For a tree to aspire to reach the heavens and break through the sky, its foundation must be solid, no matter how solid.

Haila narrowed her eyes, wanting to transcend time and see if this Bodhi tree could last a few more seconds if it encountered the problems Mu Xitian had faced in the past.

She leisurely approached the edge of the Pure Land, where the two guardians, who had become Ji Jingqiu's unique dharma bodies, continued their ascetic cultivation, bathed in the water of the Suffering Sea.

As for the "knockoff" Wuwang Mountain in the distance, Haila couldn't shake the feeling that the mist on it seemed to have thinned, though she wasn't sure if it was just her imagination.

Haila always thought that Mu Xitian was shameless, or perhaps all the Heavenly Sovereigns in the Federation were shameless.

The World-Honored One lineage had a saying called "Meditation," which meant that all beings could meditate.

What is meditation?

Just like the teachings of various gods, the interpretation was up to the individual. In a sense, the World-Honored One lineage and the Holy King lineage were both half-gods.

Being half-gods meant that they first reached transcendence and then turned to the path of faith in the divine.

But no matter which path or which deity, in Haila's eyes, none could compare to Mu Xitian's "boasting."

That guy's interpretation of meditation was a crucial way to reach the other shore from this shore.

Tsk.

What arrogance.

For all those who had reached the eighth level and had one foot in the river of destiny."

Haila thought that when Ji Jingqiu finished his seclusion this time, she would ask him, as the heir of the World-Honored One lineage, if he had understood the meditation and found the path to the other shore.

In the end, when boredom set in, Haila turned her attention to the Four Guardians Star, not only for herself but also for the one who resided there.

She really wanted to know what was hidden beneath the temple of the Four Divine Sovereigns. Could it be the Eye of the Suffering Sea? Was the World-Honored One who once told her, "To meditate and practice Buddhism, one must first contemplate death," and then said, "Even if the light is extinguished, the lamp remains," truly dead?

After seven days of seclusion,

Ji Jingqiu slowly woke up, as if he had experienced countless dreams. A wisp of heartfire blossomed like a lotus, opening and closing, swaying gracefully.

Haila stared at the lamp flame on his fingertip and suddenly sighed:

"Ji Jingqiu, do you really want to become a Buddha?"

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end