Chapter 281: Born from the Same Root, Foes of the Great Dao

Chapter 281: Born from the Same Root, Foes of the Great Dao

In the realm beyond Ji Jingqiu's reach, where the Unseen and the Void coexist, two figures stood facing each other, with a river flowing beneath their feet.

It is said that the Light Dao Melody is not separate from the world but is omnipresent, reaching every corner.

All beings in the world drift along with the river's flow.

Thus, the first great freedom sought by those on the path of enlightenment is to break free from this 'drifting.' Whether one chooses to anchor and hover, swim against the current, or continue drifting with the flow, it all depends on their own will.

At this moment—

"Using your status as a predecessor to scheme against the Federation's future generations, do you have any shame left?"

After a separation of ten thousand years, one of the old acquaintances, despite their usually good-natured and renowned non-violent demeanor, couldn't help but speak coldly.

The other, however, remained calm and unperturbed, shaking their head slightly with a serenity that suggested they were completely unbothered.

[What scheme is this? No matter which choice is made, it will only benefit him and bring no harm.]



Among the Four Demons, Haila's fundamental divine authority was not the most powerful in terms of killing strength, nor could it be considered the most unpredictable. Instead, it was the most unreasonable.

The Buddhist teachings speak of distancing oneself from delusions and illusions, but Haila does the opposite, taking this path to the extreme.

In this context, 'delusions and illusions' refer to the false thoughts and fantasies that arise due to distorted perceptions and a misunderstanding of the true nature of things.

One moves away from them, while the other draws closer.

Accepting falsehood as truth and embracing illusions as reality—

This is the fundamental authority of the Dream God, Haila.

In a certain sense, the divine authority Haila possesses is born from the same root as the World-Honored One's lineage, yet they are foes of the Great Dao.

In the man's deduction, the fundamental nature of the two lineages can be summarized by the character 'jue,' meaning 'enlightenment.'

The character 'jue' has two pronunciations, representing the same root but different births, and they are mutually antagonistic.

One pronunciation, 'jue,' represents the self-enlightened ones of the World-Honored One's lineage, who have awakened and broken through all phenomena.

The other pronunciation, 'jiao,' represents the eternal cycles of flourishing and decay, all within a grand dream, where one dreams of the rise and fall of the world, entangled in delusions and illusions.

Therefore, in the man's deduction, if Ji Jingqiu were to follow the path of the World-Honored One's lineage in the future, Haila would be the best foundation for his enlightenment.

Today,

If Ji Jingqiu takes this opportunity to usurp a portion of Haila's divine authority, it would be the best outcome, equivalent to the Federation taking control of its own destiny.

From then on, whether faced with heavenly calamities or human disasters, Yan Huang would have a backup plan, and no matter how many lives were lost, the Dream Country would be there to catch them.

However, if Ji Jingqiu doesn't take this path, in the man's opinion, it's not a problem. As long as Haila displays humanity beyond her divine nature, Ji Jingqiu's actions will inevitably leave a significant 'impression' on Haila's heart.

For Haila, whose humanity is becoming more pronounced, this will be a masterstroke.

With numerous such masterstrokes, Haila's avatar might even willingly embrace the outcome he desires, ultimately sacrificing herself to assist Ji Jingqiu in ascending to the pinnacle.

This is what the man considers 'all benefits and no harm.'

As for the price to be paid?

It's not even worth mentioning.

It's merely a small number of the Dream God's followers.

However, Ji Jingqiu's behavior, like someone from ten thousand years ago, exhibits an excessive 'obsession' with things that are not worth mentioning.

The man's gaze shifted slightly, noticing the figure who was almost fearless in their battle against the pseudo-divine being, who had been pulled down from their divine throne.

During this encounter, Ji Jingqiu's temperament left him somewhat disappointed. A follower of the Dream God, a young girl he had only met once before and spent less than an hour with, had made him so angry.

What if, in the future, it was someone close to him who died?

In Ji Jingqiu's eyes, the sudden opening of the temple gate might have been unexpected.

But to the man, this was just another manifestation of the impermanence of the world, something he had witnessed and experienced countless times.

Compared to the helplessness of witnessing the arrival of a predetermined death, this encounter was already a merciful one.

"Is it disappointment, or does it remind you of unpleasant memories?"

The other person saw through his thoughts and asked coldly.

He was speechless and helpless, saying,

[After a long separation, you're using your mind-reading ability?]



The other man ignored him and continued calmly,

"This time, you're wrong. Even if a person can be reborn, their heart cannot be reset. Even a single act of receiving and giving can change a person's heart forever."

"The changes you've made in his heart will interfere with his future choices, and this is precisely what we've been trying to avoid from the start."

"You should be grateful that I'm the one who came today, and not Dong Huang. Or is this also part of your scheme?"

He was met with silence once again.

So he continued, speaking to himself,

"Did you foresee that before Dong Huang left, he specifically sought me out and said that if you were to make a mistake, he wanted me to come and explain his reasoning to you?"

"Therefore, today, I'm not here to explain my reasoning to you."

At this moment—

A white lotus descended from the heavens, where a golden Buddha sat, entering a state of purity and cultivating a Bodhi heart. Behind his head, layers of Buddhist light resembled a willow branch, and the dripping drops of translucent light fell like rain, covering the heavens and earth. The Light Dao Melody expanded and contracted, and the river roared—

For a brief moment, it flowed in reverse!

Those who had briefly revived in Haila's domain but could only enter the divine kingdom in the end received a mysterious completion from the Unseen.

From then on, even if they left the divine kingdom, they had the qualifications to survive and were no longer merely floating on the divine kingdom's surface, rooted in it like water lilies.

The Buddha had a wish to save all beings.

...

In a battlefield separate from the Light Dao Melody,

Ji Jingqiu and Haila joined forces to pull down the pseudo-divine being from the Buddhist kingdom, a powerful being equivalent to a 7th-level Grand Master in the divine throne.

And the Red Lotus Bodhisattva, who had been stripped of her divine status, directly demoted to the third stage of the Celestial Being, and her aura continued to fall until she stood on the third stage, teetering and eventually falling to the second stage.

The path to becoming a Demi-God is often chosen by Heaven People who feel their martial path has reached a dead end, seeking a higher level of power.

This path is destined to be a dead end, with their strength far inferior to that of deities of the same rank, and even inferior to fellow cultivators. They are bound by various restrictions, and once they fall from their divine seat, their power is completely lost.

Despite its many flaws, this path is still the dream of countless Heaven-Human Warriors, a stepping stone to glimpse the higher realms.

At this moment, Hela, with her true body, barely manifests her Divine Kingdom with the divine power transmitted through the void.

A deity's Divine Kingdom is akin to a cultivator's Dao Field, but even more powerful.

Flesh and blood, bones and skin, are the effects of her divine authority, distorting reality and illusion. But on Red Lotus, the effect is minimal.

This is Hela's current dilemma; she possesses a high-ranking position and essence but lacks divine power. Pulling Red Lotus down from his divine seat is the best she can do.

Even after falling from his divine seat, Red Lotus remains Ji Jingqiu's strongest opponent.

The three layers of Heaven People: the first layer masters Heaven-Human Unity, the second layer survives the fire tribulation, and comprehends the truth that "My Heart is the Heart of Heaven." For the first time, humanity takes the upper hand between Heaven and Man.

The final third layer involves surviving both the fire and wind tribulations, with the inner world taking on a new life. Only the final thunder tribulation remains to open up the heavens and earth.

At this stage, Heaven People have mastered the laws to the extreme, seeking the state of "Uniting with the Dao." Their Heaven-Human Unity strength greatly increases, no longer limited to ordinary celestial bodies, and they can even communicate with the will and power of stars.

Although Red Lotus has fallen from the third layer, he still stands at the pinnacle of the second layer and possesses combat experience at the Grandmaster level.

Ji Jingqiu uses all his means, but he can only match Red Lotus.

Red Lotus is both shocked and furious! Being forcibly pulled down from his divine seat is already a terrifying experience.

Now, this young man who hasn't even entered the realm of Heaven People is engaging him in a fierce battle!

"Thousand-Handed Buddha!"

Red Lotus knows he can't continue and must quickly deal with this young man.

His expression is solemn, without joy or sorrow. With a seal formed by his hands, he slaps out hundreds of palm imprints in an instant, centered around himself.

Ji Jingqiu fearlessly meets him head-on, vying for the empowerment of the heavens and earth.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

In a fleeting moment, they have already exchanged hundreds of palm strikes. The residual force of their palms creates a current of air that slices through the surroundings like knife blades, cutting through buildings as if they were tofu.

Each of Ji Jingqiu's strikes is accompanied by a boiling aura, growing stronger with each blow.

Unfortunately, he currently lacks a complete Eternal Ancient Sword to replicate his previous strike, "The Emptiness of All Laws."

Fortunately, Hela's Divine Kingdom, with Ji Jingqiu at its core, continues to erode Red Lotus's pseudo-divine kingdom, which evolved from his Dao Field.

Although he is in Hela's Divine Kingdom, he is unaffected and even feels a subtle empowerment.

In Hela's realm, a dreamlike power of inversion permeates, where the world is like a dream, reality and illusion intertwine, and the truth becomes distorted.

Ji Jingqiu silently punches and palms, unafraid of his physical body being damaged in the collisions. He clashes directly with Red Lotus, his attacks ruthless and merciless, even to himself.

Simultaneously, he is comprehending Hela's power.

Through this Divine Kingdom, he seems to see many things—a coexistence of illusion and reality. He perceives the sentient beings, the heavens, the void, the universe, and even the true nature and divine nature within Hela's heart!

At this moment, Ji Jingqiu suddenly enters a state of nothingness, as if he has disappeared, his breath gone, like a dead person, causing Red Lotus's expression to change drastically.

Although Ji Jingqiu is right before Red Lotus, he can't sense any breath, as if Ji Jingqiu has died.

But his "Self-Nature" remains, shining brighter than ever, originating from the void and the deepest part of his heart's sacred embryo! In Daoism, it is called "Heavenly Nature" or "Yuan Shen," while in Buddhism, it is known as "True Nature" or "Dharma Nature."

Everlasting, unchanging, uncreated, unending, unincreasing, undecreasing, unstained, and unclean.

Ji Jingqiu, on the boundary between grand dreams and reality, awakens to the true self and once again perceives the location of the Dharma Realm!

Red Lotus's expression changes abruptly as he realizes he is losing the contest for the power of the heavens and earth to Ji Jingqiu!

Ji Jingqiu's mental strength seems to have surged, and with it, his Heaven-Human Unity.

"This is... the Dharma Realm?!" Red Lotus's face pales in shock.

At this moment, Ji Jingqiu pushes the primordial divine ability to its limit, manifesting the Dharma Realm through the evolution of myriad phenomena.

The myriad phenomena are the Dharma Realm, revealing the true nature of non-self!

He calmly punches, and this punch contains no aura or law, only a heart as still as water. With this punch, the sun and moon fade, and the heavens and earth turn!

The force of this punch is so powerful that Red Lotus's carefully crafted divine body shows a slight crack!

"You..." Red Lotus, filled with anger, is about to say something, but a palm presses down, still carrying the martial intent of the Great Smashing Tablet. It shakes the seas and mountains, turning heaven and earth upside down!

When Ji Jingqiu slams down this palm, the entire world trembles, and the ground beneath them shatters instantly. The palm's power is vast and endless, containing the weight of an entire planet!

With this palm, nothing can withstand it!

The crisp sound of a shattering glass jar echoes under Ji Jingqiu's palm, and Red Lotus's face turns pale with fear.

Madness... Madness! First, the dream god's shadow that disappeared for ten thousand years appeared, and now there's another peerless Divine Prohibition who has seen the Dharma Realm in the Heartform realm!

"Wait a moment..." He doesn't finish his sentence.

Ji Jingqiu's palms continue to strike, each carrying the intent of the Great Smashing Tablet. Red Lotus is smashed like a broken sack, hit after hit!

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Amidst the thunderous explosions, Red Lotus's divine body is shattered and reduced to a mess, until he finally falls silent.

The next moment, a blood-red sacred embryo shoots out from the broken flesh, escaping at an astonishing speed.

Ji Jingqiu doesn't even try to stop it, merely observing coldly.

Red Lotus once thought he had saved his life, but after flying for an unknown duration, he can't find a way out.

He tries to tear open the void and communicate with the Dark Sea, but neither method works in this place.

Finally, he realizes where he is...

It is the realm of a true god.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end