Chapter 277: Entering the Abyss Again, Becoming the Lord of the Divine Kingdom

Chapter 277: Entering the Abyss Again, Becoming the Lord of the Divine Kingdom

It was a faintly yellow, radiant flame.

It permeated the air, pure and untainted, perfectly sublime, filled with wisdom and utmost bliss, and even carried a sense of indomitable strength like a diamond.

It burned quietly, dispelling darkness and illuminating ignorance, as if guiding all beings towards a path of liberation leading to the other shore.

"Perceiving the emptiness of the five aggregates, transcending all suffering..."

As he felt the flame on his fingertips, Ji Jingqiu whispered, and with a flick of his hand, he extinguished the flame, responding to Haila, "There are no Buddhas in this world."

"Worshipping the Buddha is worshipping oneself."

Haila raised an eyebrow. The heir of the World Honored One claiming that there were no Buddhas in the world was no different from a Divine Son openly declaring that there were no gods.

Ji Jingqiu's expression remained calm.

Although this deep insight was brief, it was no less significant to him than a period of seclusion. His body exuded a refined aura, not dazzling but profound, like a deep current flowing beneath a serene surface, its depth unfathomable to others.

His radiance was not blinding, like a calm lake with hidden depths.

"I still believe, as I always have, that there are no so-called Buddhas or gods in this world. But we can believe in anything that brings us peace, and that is what we call the divine."

Ji Jingqiu paused briefly before continuing.

Just as Mu Shuai never claimed to be a Buddha, the World Honored One lineage in this world also never promoted the idea of boundless Buddhist teachings.

Haila had no interest in arguing such principles with him, as any strong cultivator who had understood their true nature would find such behavior foolish.

She spoke only one sentence:

"Ji Jingqiu, if you can maintain this belief, when you reach the perfection of the Heavenly King, you might find the journey a little easier, provided you truly believe it is the 'right' path."

Ji Jingqiu couldn't help but ask curiously.

"Ask me again when you reach the Heavenly King stage," Haila replied without answering his question. "If I'm not mistaken, this divine ability of yours contains traces of Samadhi, Vajra-Purity... Is it meant to help people dispel chaos and enter a state of meditation?"

Haila paused for a moment, not acknowledging that there were also some aspects she didn't fully understand.

Ji Jingqiu had no intention of explaining further, simply nodding.

This divine ability did indeed incorporate various elements, but ultimately, its foundation lay in the wisdom light.

"How far can it go?" Haila asked tentatively. "Can even ordinary people use it to enter a state of meditation and ignite a flame within their hearts?"

Ji Jingqiu shook his head.

Haila heaved a sigh of relief.

When Heart-Body Warriors reach the Divine Journey realm, they can ignite a heart flame, temper their divine nature, and to some extent, illuminate their surroundings, resisting the erosion of the Dark Sea.

If Ji Jingqiu's divine ability could truly be shared with ordinary people on a large scale, it would be terrifying.

It would be like granting all beings the ability to ignite a heart flame without the need for cultivation!

Fortunately, it wasn't that easy. Even without lethal power, the mere effectiveness of this divine ability and the potential 'merit' it could cultivate gave it the hope of surpassing the Supreme level!

Thinking of this intangible merit, Haila glanced at the lotus pond, where a lotus seed woven with black and white energies, originating from the Dharma Body technique, lay.

If things continued, this lotus seed might very well blossom into a merit golden lotus.

"Not yet," Ji Jingqiu frowned, "Ordinary people without a cultivation foundation cannot enter a state of meditation solely by relying on a heart flame."

"I now stand at a crossroads. Should I sink this heart flame and make it more accessible, or should I strive for greater heights?"

"What do you mean by greater heights?"

"Simply put, it's a matter of applicability—what's suitable for ordinary people and what's suitable for... divine beings."

Haila was shocked. "Can your divine ability help the Supreme Buddha escape the chaos and ignorance?"

Ji Jingqiu remained silent for a moment before speaking, "Not yet. The foundation of this divine ability is still within me. To help the Supreme Buddha escape chaos and ignorance, I must at least break through to the Heaven-Human realm and further comprehend the wisdom light."

"But if I reach the Heaven-Human realm, even without this divine ability, I can still assist the Supreme Buddha in temporarily escaping ignorance, and even use it as a foundation to cultivate the Bodhi."

Haila couldn't help but ask, "What exactly is this wisdom light of yours?"

Ji Jingqiu didn't answer but said, "Although it cannot help ordinary people enter meditation, it can, to some extent, resist the erosion of the Heart Ocean. I have achieved my initial goal, and this is the limit of what I can do now."

"Next, I need to plant this seed and see what kind of flower it will bloom."

Haila didn't ask further, instead falling into deep thought.

According to her knowledge, the fundamental cultivation of the World Honored One lineage consisted of three steps: self-awakening, awakening others, and complete awakening.

Ji Jingqiu's ability to plant a Bodhi tree of self-nature in his inner world meant he had entered the stage of self-awakening, which is the realm of true enlightenment.

This is known as "Attaining Bodhi and Perceiving Buddha Nature."

Now, he had even taken a step towards the second threshold with this divine ability, awakening others, which is the tendency to "guide others to self-awakening."

A divine ability that could help all beings resist the erosion of the Heart Ocean without any cost was unheard of.

Haila pondered this.

Indeed, Ji Jingqiu possessed astonishing talent, but he was also too young.

Some realms cannot be compensated for by innate talent alone; they are built upon the accumulation of time and the sediment of antiquity, beyond the reach of mere talent.

Take the realm of the mind, for instance, where the Embryonic Breath spans from Heaven-Human to Heavenly King. The gap in accumulation between these realms is immense, even greater than the difference between Embryonic Breath and entering a meditative state.

Even with Ji Jingqiu's exceptional innate talent, he had to slowly accumulate and temper his mind after the Divine Embryo's formation.

This step requires meticulous effort, and there is no shortcut to instant success.

However, Haila has now found a way to accelerate Ji Jingqiu's progress.

She suddenly spoke, "After a Heaven-Human endures the three calamities, to enter the realm of the Heavenly King Grandmaster, one must not only follow the path of cultivation but also leave profound impressions in the hearts of countless beings. Whether it's through great achievements or even the evil act of stopping a child's cries, only with numerous anchors can one pass the final trial."

"If this divine ability of yours were to be promoted, it would greatly speed up this accumulation process. Moreover, this step not only relates to breaking through the Heavenly King realm but also requires as many anchors as possible."

Ji Jingqiu was a bit surprised.

Could it have such an effect?

When he initially modified this divine ability, his only thought was to stabilize the future without the support of the Divine Lords' Federation.

But this step was still somewhat distant for him.

The immediate tasks ahead of him were Mind-Body Integration, the Heaven-Human Boundary, and... the Three Heaven-Human Calamities.

Heaven-Humans face three calamities: thunder, fire, and wind. These calamities not only target their physical bodies and minds but also, more crucially, their inner world.

Only by overcoming these calamities can their inner world give birth to a derived world, forming the foundation for life.

Many Heaven-Humans are stopped by these three trials because failure means death and the end of their path.

At this stage, to continue advancing, one must either invest vast resources to solidify their inner world or rely on the passage of time for sedimentation.

The Federation prospered ten thousand years ago due to the Heart Ocean, but as the opportunities nurtured by the Heart Ocean approached desolation, they inevitably fell into a stalemate, never to witness the prosperity of the past again.

This is also the fundamental reason why the Six Great Clans could attract the veneration of numerous Heaven-Humans.

They possess resources and, more importantly, a path forward, allowing the Federation's Heaven-Human Warriors to safely explore the multiverse and join the sects of various worlds.

Ji Jingqiu suddenly asked, "What would happen if the innate spiritual light of all beings were to gather in one person?"

Haila, finding his question odd, casually replied, "That's impossible. No one can bear the innate spiritual light of all beings. If someone could, they would have already transcended into a Supreme God, reaching the realm of detachment in the Divine Path."

Ji Jingqiu nodded and said, "I want to visit the Heart Ocean."

The next moment, Ji Jingqiu's consciousness took a step forward and entered the Heart Ocean.

...

The vast and profound Heart Ocean was silent and serene.

A figure suddenly appeared in this profound darkness, breaking the tranquility.

Ji Jingqiu stood in the Heart Ocean, looking around.

He was the only one there, and the place was as dark and boundless as the depths of the sea.

Ji Jingqiu resisted the urge to sweep through the Buddha Land and began to descend.

His heart's perception extended, like delicate tentacles, probing deeper into a region of profound darkness that seemed capable of engulfing everything.

Even though Ji Jingqiu had already attained the Embryonic Breath and formed the Sacred Embryo, this unrestrained exploration still made him feel a sense of danger from the Unseen.

It was as if he was being targeted.

It seemed like countless eyes were staring at him from all directions, hidden in the shadows.

This feeling was eerie.

Ji Jingqiu furrowed his brows. He was not in the Abyss but in the outer layer.

Yet, there was still a presence here that made him feel danger.

Ji Jingqiu did not restrain himself.

(This part of the text appears to be a garbled or coded message and is not part of the narrative.)



He wanted to see what was going on.

At this moment, Ji Jingqiu activated the Fire Prison Buddha Hell Visualization Diagram.

The Mind Moon on his forehead glowed brighter on its own, starting to absorb and expel the chaos and nothingness within the Heart Ocean.

After entering the Divine Journey, he could use his heartfire to absorb and refine the mysterious substances within the Heart Ocean, extracting an essence that greatly nourished his divine nature.

This Mind Moon on his forehead had already replaced the heartfire and divine perception.

Ji Jingqiu couldn't see what the Mind Moon was absorbing, but he could vaguely sense it, like the air of the Heart Ocean, if it had air.

As he absorbed and expelled, a vast amount of cold and serene air rushed into the Mind Moon, trying to extinguish it.

Ji Jingqiu vaguely understood that the significance of refining his divine nature with his heartfire was essentially using his own heartfire to oppose the rules of the Heart Ocean.

As he operated the Fire Prison Buddha Hell Visualization Diagram, a pure land formed around him, and the feeling of being watched from all sides gradually diminished.

Still, he felt it wasn't enough. With a thought, an ancient and time-worn green-glazed lamp crossed the boundary between the mortal world and the Heart Ocean, appearing above his head. Like the Bodhi tree, it shed a green, clear light, supporting the Four-Sided Glazed Realm.

A massive amount of cold "seawater" rushed into Ji Jingqiu's heart, attempting to extinguish his "fire."

He carefully comprehended the coldness, nothingness, emptiness, and even loneliness contained in the seawater, and then extracted a pure and untainted divine nature from it, bit by bit.

This scene left Hela captivated and envious.

Among the various Buddhist practices of the World-Honored One lineage, the one that truly captivated her was this fundamental method.

Such pure and flawless divine essence, given to Ji Jingqiu and Mu Xitian, was like feeding a dog!

When all the hidden observers in the shadows vanished, Ji Jingqiu calmly strode deeper into the darkness.

He ventured further, like a blazing sun tearing through the night sky, burning fiercely in the Heart Ocean and slowly descending.

Along the way, he encountered warriors cultivating in the Heart Ocean, who felt the immense spiritual energy nearby and looked up, only to be shaken by the sight.

It was as if a mere glance was blinding.

Ji Jingqiu plummeted, fearlessly swallowing the 'seawater' of the Heart Ocean, until he belched, truly satiated, and the Mind Moon between his eyebrows glowed with unprecedented brilliance.

In the deeper area, it was no longer pitch-black; some regions were illuminated by warm, flickering flames, revealing overlapping chaotic images.

Even deeper, he could see stars radiating heat and light, each a majestic divine kingdom—sixteen in total.

The light they emitted covered the corresponding regions of the Federation's territory in the Heart Ocean.

Ji Jingqiu gazed at the divine kingdoms of the gods and continued his descent, gradually entering the Abyssal Zone.

At this point, even with divine weapons protecting him, he restrained himself and stopped charging recklessly.

Guided by an unseen sense, he navigated the Abyss, searching for a specific place.

Finally,

Ji Jingqiu cautiously arrived at the deepest part of the Abyss.

Here, he was close to the 'Wasteland', and he could even hear distant, lingering breaths in the darkness.

In this place, Ji Jingqiu found a withered Bodhi tree and a desolate Buddha Land.

After several years, he had returned here, and this time, it was by his own initiative.

Ji Jingqiu entered the desolate Buddha Land, his mind filled with memories of their first encounter.

Through Ji Jingqiu's eyes, Hela also witnessed this desolate divine kingdom, narrowing her eyes slightly.

The Bodhi tree, representing self-nature, had completely withered, and even the divine kingdom created by the supreme dharma had fallen into extinction...

Was this guy really dead?

But she still couldn't be sure.

Because Mu Xitian seemed to have taken that final half-step, and anything was possible.

Ji Jingqiu wandered silently through the desolate divine kingdom, searching for any remaining traces.

In his mind, the Bodhi tree rooted in nothingness swayed gently, forming a stark contrast with the withered Bodhi tree before him—one withered, one flourishing, existing in opposition.

"What are you trying to do?" Hela asked.

"On a whim, I wanted to take a look."

Ji Jingqiu stared at the withered Bodhi tree, now reduced to a stump with only half a trunk remaining.

He sat cross-legged in front of the tree, and in his mind, a small Bodhi tree blossomed with lapis lazuli light, reaching its peak, and faintly stirring.

In an instant,

Ji Jingqiu's consciousness was engulfed by a sudden burst of dazzling spiritual light, as if caught in an invisible storm.

A grand vision appeared in his mind once more.

—Branches as the Dao, leaves as the rules.

At this moment, the withered Bodhi tree began to regenerate amidst thunderous rumbling, sprouting new branches and leaves, extending upwards like paths leading deep into the Heart Ocean, connecting to countless mysterious portals.

Soon, a majestic divine tree spanned the infinite kalpas, its lush branches and leaves supporting a clear and pure lapis lazuli pure land, filled with Zen intent, spanning boundless dimensions and connecting the myriad worlds!

At that moment, Ji Jingqiu's body trembled, and before him appeared a figure seated in meditation with closed eyes, hands forming a seal—the Nirvana Seal.

An overwhelming surge of Buddhist intent washed over him, as if it could fill the ten directions of all realms! The figure slowly opened its eyes, clear and bright, with hidden lapis lazuli, not a mere illusion, calmly gazing at Ji Jingqiu. With hands still sealed, it gently placed a palm on Ji Jingqiu's heart.

Ji Jingqiu felt blessed, and slowly closed his eyes.

This was...

The third style of the Tathagata Palm, Universal Salvation!

Ji Jingqiu entered a peculiar state, and the small Bodhi tree in his mind also took root in the void, establishing a connection with the Bodhi tree before him.

Man and tree, at this moment, simultaneously entered a state of enlightenment and inheritance.

Time passed, and no one knew how long.

When Ji Jingqiu opened his eyes again, the withered Bodhi tree stump remained before him, surrounded by darkness and cold.

It was as if the previous revival had been an illusion.

But Ji Jingqiu knew that it wasn't fake.

The third style, Universal Salvation, gave him a new understanding of the realm of 'Awakening Others', and it further improved the Flame Universe Lamp.

This divine ability no longer solely relied on him; the nature of the planted individual also influenced the growth of the Heart Lamp.

Helping others was important, but self-cultivation was even more crucial!

"What did you gain? Is that bastard Mu Xitian really dead?"

As soon as Ji Jingqiu woke up, Hela eagerly asked.

Ji Jingqiu, gazing at the withered Bodhi tree before him, couldn't help but have a thought emerge in his mind.

Speaking of...

Does Mu Shuai have a relic?

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end