Chapter 386: When All See Me, They See the Buddha

Chapter 386: When All See Me, They See the Buddha

Ji Jingqiu’s azure eyes lowered, as if he couldn’t bear to look.

In the grand hall behind him, the Holy King was communicating with him, questioning why he hadn’t stopped the boy’s reckless actions.

The heavens and earth were the furnace, the myriad paths the fire. This was the first trial for those who sought to open a path to the world.

This step was like refining gold in a fierce fire; those who succeeded would shine with golden light, while those who failed would be reduced to ashes.

Just this step, of refining the body in the cosmic furnace and tempering the path in the great cauldron of the human world, was more than an ordinary Celestial King could endure.

Not to mention the added burden Ji Jingqiu carried, thanks to Misty Sea’s “weight.”

The “great thing” hidden deep within Misty Sea, though not yet awakened, moved instinctively, its will aligned with Misty Sea’s Great Dao.

“Ji Jingqiu’s path seems to be in conflict with Misty Sea, which is why it’s retaliating so fiercely. If you don’t want him to die, stop him,” the Holy King warned the Azure Sovereign.

Many of the saints present were already restless, waiting for someone to take the lead.

“Holy King, with Misty Sea awakening, this boy cannot continue.”

The Moon Goddess softly spoke, her figure swaying in the hazy moonlight, her demeanor pure and transcendent, as she took the first step.

The Holy King frowned, remembering that he had recently requested a few strands of pure moonlight from her. Now, it would be awkward to confront her directly.

“Opening a path to the world...” a saint mused, drawing the attention of the others.

This saint came from the Sanyuan Cave, known for being low-key and unobtrusive. Yet, he was an ancient sage on par with Zhen and others, known as Luyan.

Saint Luyan slowly said, “For the world, this should be a good thing, but Misty Sea’s awakening should not be provoked.”

Many saints nodded in agreement.

This saint represented the ancient gods, while the other represented the True Emperors of later generations. Their words resonated with many, leading to a consensus.

The primary concern was the awakening of Misty Sea.

Secondly, they were envious of Ji Jingqiu’s path.

Opening a path to the world might not grant them transcendence, but it could allow new saints to quickly accumulate Dao power, matching the ancient sages, and the ancient sages could make further progress.

Even those like the Azure Sovereign and the Holy King, who had theoretically reached the pinnacle of the eighth realm, could get closer to the world’s Great Dao.

Whether in battle or on the path to unifying with a world, they would gain significant advantages.

“If you want to die, go ahead and try.”

A cold voice rang out, but it wasn’t the Holy King. It was the Void Emperor.

The Moon Goddess frowned. Ji Jingqiu could summon the Azure Sovereign and the saints to protect him, thanks to the respect of the previous World Honored Ones. But why was the Void Emperor speaking up for him?

Didn’t the Void Lineage have a rift with the Yanhuang Federation?

The Void Lineage had openly expressed dissatisfaction with the Yanhuang Federation’s raising of two void beasts, a stance directly from the Void Emperor.

Ancestor Bihai of the Holy Temple, with a forced smile, said, “Little San, I don’t like what you’re saying. Misty Sea’s dormancy is due to the efforts of his predecessors. If you continue to let your disciples run rampant in the Grand Cosmos, it will lead to the awakening of Misty Sea, regardless of him.”

Initially, the saints didn’t know who he was referring to.

But when they realized he was talking about True Emperor Luyan of the Sanyuan Cave, their faces twisted in discomfort.

This old man, who was despised by gods and ghosts, still enjoyed giving people nicknames...

Some ancient sages shook their heads, familiar with Bihai’s ways.

But others, like True Emperor Xiying, who had worked with Bihai, found his words reasonable. “Indeed, all lineages should restrain their disciples. Even without today’s events, Misty Sea is slowly awakening, and you know why.”

A god from the Netherworld Lineage, who mastered the Great Dao of Life, said expressionlessly, “When the Grand Cosmos sealed itself, wasn’t it because the frequent interactions between worlds led to excessive killing and the worsening of mental calamities, even affecting the sacred? Are you trying to revert to the old ways?”

The conversation shifted to the recent unsealing of the Grand Cosmos and the widespread chaos caused by the Celestial Kings entering the world.

Since Misty Sea’s appearance, any large-scale chaos or negative mental shifts could trigger a “response” from Misty Sea, leading to mental calamities.

The Great Kings, entering the Grand Cosmos and acting without restraint, had caused numerous genocides. The mental calamities they triggered, though not immediately apparent due to Misty Sea’s dormancy, were accumulating deep within Misty Sea.

As the pressure of these battles increased, the Celestial Kings searched for opportunities with greater intensity.

Some disciples of the Dao schools were restrained and acted with moderation, but others were truly lawless.

Even the former might not hold back when facing enemies from rival factions.

While the saints argued, the Holy King glanced at the Void Emperor, surrounded by chaos.

He alone knew that the Void Emperor wasn’t supporting Ji Jingqiu but was simply warning the saints that if they weren’t afraid of death, they could try leaving.

The Holy King communicated with the Azure Sovereign, unsure why he was hesitating.

“Wait, this boy might... surprise us. I think he can make it through,” the Azure Sovereign replied solemnly.

Can he really make it through?

The Holy King didn’t understand the Azure Sovereign’s confidence.

Under the immense pressure of Misty Sea, even he could be injured if not careful.

If Misty Sea fully awakened, he might be in serious trouble and would need to retreat.

But based on his understanding of the Azure Sovereign, this wasn’t an empty statement.

At that moment, the question of the Dao spread through the worlds and reached the ears of the saints in the grand hall.

“Life is fleeting, the mortal world is a tide, and all beings rush through the dust, suffering with every thought and disturbed with every action...”

The saints’ arguments ceased.

All eyes turned back to the young man seated in the heavens and earth.

...

At that moment, all beings in the Grand Cosmos, regardless of their realm, felt a sense of...

Oppression.

A feeling more suffocating than complete silence.

This almost asphyxiating oppression weighed heavily on the hearts of all living things.

Crack—

The bones that had been supporting the universe groaned under the weight.

An invisible aura of qi made the weight around Ji Jingqiu increasingly heavy.

This weight came not only from the Great Dao rules of the Grand Cosmos but also from Misty Sea’s awakening and subsequent retaliation.

This oppressive force dragged Ji Jingqiu, as if trying to pull him into a place of no return, a bottomless abyss.

Millions of heart lamps illuminated every orifice of Ji Jingqiu’s body, anchoring his state.

His earlier premonition was correct.

These heart lamps, shining in the hearts of countless beings, were indeed one of his greatest supports against Misty Sea’s retaliation.

In the void.

The potential mental calamities, like beasts lurking deep within Misty Sea, sharpened their claws, coldly observing his form.

Ji Jingqiu pierced through these “gazes,” gaining a vague understanding of the true nature of Misty Sea’s retaliation.

For the powerful, especially the higher-ups, Misty Sea was “oppression.”

But for all beings, the whims of the powerful were also oppression.

From this perspective, Misty Sea was the graveyard of the gods but the...

Protector of all beings?

At that moment, Ji Jingqiu vaguely understood where Wuzhou’s hope for the freedom of all beings lay.

“Wuzhou, after you transcended, Misty Sea’s arrival wasn’t a coincidence, was it?”

Ji Jingqiu asked in his mind.

Wuzhou remained expressionless.

In the past, Wuzhou had nearly “consumed” an entire world’s worth of beings to achieve transcendence, only to find himself bound within the world, enjoying only partial freedom. Fortunately, Misty Sea’s invasion later helped him break free.

The same was true for the realm of the Death Demon.

Now, it seemed that Misty Sea’s arrival was not a coincidence.

Ji Jingqiu lifted his head, meeting the gaze from the void, feeling Misty Sea’s “cold scrutiny.”

A series of intense mental fluctuations played out the tragedies that had unfolded in the Grand Cosmos over the past few months.

As if asking him—

“Why do all beings possess the wisdom and virtue of the Buddha yet remain in the sea of suffering, unable to transcend and see the Buddha?”

Ji Jingqiu’s gaze pierced through the darkness, the black eyes with flowing black blood, spanning countless light-years, through the long night and mist, to the radiant heartlight rising from the star clusters.

This was the spiritual light formed by the collective hearts of all beings, visible only to those who had attained Fetal Breath.

Under the vast sky, all beings were incredibly small, but their collective heartlight, once formed, was wild and unrestrained, surpassing the stars.

Ji Jingqiu closed his eyes.

“If I attain the Dao in the future, I will use the myriad phenomena as the foundation and Cause and Effect as the net, to bring peace to the world’s conflicts and end the suffering of all beings. I will ensure that the freedom of the powerful has the weak as its boundary...”

With that, Ji Jingqiu fell silent.

He seemed unsatisfied with this vow.

Or perhaps he was dissatisfied with his current state of making only grand promises.

A light shone within him, radiating boundlessly, illuminating the essence of all beings, pure and untainted, leading to immortality.

This light was so brilliant, vast and immeasurable, like a majestic and gentle spring breeze caressing the mountains and the world, or like the sun rising from the water, spreading a vibrant and vigorous vitality.

Ji Jingqiu remained calm as he "cut" the long-accompanying light of wisdom.

Under the nearly disbelieving gazes of Heila and Wuzhou,

he then "plucked" a flower of Illusory Great Dao from his already accomplished Celestial King dao body, formed by the innate divine ability, Heartflame Myriad Lamp.

The flower's leaves were radiant, its roots still stained with crimson blood, the blood of his true self.

After a moment of silence, as if pondering what was still missing,

he finally infused his Cause and Effect Great Dao into it.

...

"Are you mad, Ji Jingqiu?"

Heila's voice was almost inaudible, without anger or shock, only an overwhelming disbelief.

At this moment, Ji Jingqiu was clearly using his own Great Dao to "accomplish" Misty Sea and all beings.

Wuzhou watched Ji Jingqiu in silence. He had infused a bit of his true spirit here because of a wager with Mu Shitian, a wager that Ji Jingqiu knew nothing about.

The center of this wager was Ji Jingqiu himself.

He had originally thought that the outcome of this wager would only be decided tens of thousands of years later, or even longer.

But today...

"Are all the lineages of the World-Honored Ones mad?"

Wuzhou closed his eyes and sighed softly.

He couldn't understand what this lineage was doing, but it didn't stop him from losing.

...

The flower formed by Heartflame Myriad Lamp was illusory.

Its colors defied normal perception, as if blending all the colors of the world, allowing each person to see the color they wished to see.

Ji Jingqiu infused the true essence of Guard Void and Stillness into it.

Then he placed the light of wisdom on the flower, from the core to the leaves and stem, turning the illusory into the real.

Finally, the flower of Great Dao in his hands felt heavy and real.

He turned the stem and gently blew.

It was like blowing on a dandelion plucked from the roadside in childhood, watching the seeds carried by the fluff slowly drift toward the distant mountains under the sunlight.

Thus,

flowers rained from the sky, the light of lapis lazuli turning, entering the hearts of all beings.

In the universe, countless heart lamps, like dense stars, pierced the sky, trailing dreamlike flames, falling like rain.

All sentient beings witnessed the blossoming of white lotus flowers, as if a thousand snowdrifts had swept across the world.

The beings stood in the sea of flowers.

Flowers blooming, revealing "self."

...

In the depths of the Grand Cosmos.

"Huh?!"

A Celestial King with incomprehensible aura suddenly stopped, looking around, hearing the sound of the tide in his ears.

This Celestial King, from the Sanyuan Cave, had wiped out the entire Black Sun Clan on the day he entered the Grand Cosmos and was now on high alert, wary of the unknown hostility.

He examined himself and quickly discovered a thread of Cause and Effect wrapped around him, leading to...

Misty Sea?

"A disaster of the mind?"

He soon realized the source of the Cause and Effect, facing a formidable enemy, and exclaimed in fear,

"Hasn't Misty Sea been dormant? How can it lock onto my location through Cause and Effect?!"

Even a Heavenly Venerable would not dare to underestimate the potential disaster of the mind, let alone a Celestial King!

...

Kuhe, who had been separated from Ji Jingqiu for several months, now stood guard beside Dao Companion Qinghe, his expression serious.

This Dao Companion Qinghe, whom he had just met, was undergoing the third tribulation of the Celestial King.

In theory, a Celestial King's tribulation should be well-prepared and conducted with utmost caution.

But for some reason, Dao Companion Qinghe had no time to prepare, let alone return to the Dao field, and could only break through on the spot.

Kuhe sighed, thinking Dao Companion Qinghe's luck was really bad.

And given the current situation, the chances of passing were slim...

He stood to one side, sighing softly.

Dao Companion Qinghe was a unique person, never harming others when gathering rare items and placing great importance on fair exchange, even with ordinary people.

If Dao Companion Qinghe were to fall here, he would do his best to return the remains and possessions to the Dao field...

At this moment,

flowers rained from the sky, the true essence of Guard Void and Stillness within them, enlightening the elderly man undergoing the tribulation, making him laugh heartily and turn the crisis into safety!

Not far away, Kuhe smiled slightly.

Actually, Dao Companion Qinghe's luck was still quite good, encountering someone as fortunate as himself.

Otherwise, Dao Companion Qinghe would have been in great danger this time.

Speaking of which, the true essence in these flowers was so similar to Guard Void and Stillness...

Kuhe was startled.

Could the voice of the Dao he heard just now have come from a fellow practitioner of the Ten Thousand Dharma?

...

The Imperial Heaven Nine Provinces, the closest to Misty Sea.

At this moment, without the attention of any saints,

the world of Jambudvipa Province was filled with lapis lazuli and blooming lotuses.

A Buddha with a sixteen-foot golden body lowered his eyes, all words and thoughts transforming into the solemn and majestic voice in the ears of the remaining people of Jambudvipa:

"If I attain the Dao in the future, in the time of the Dharma's decline, all beings who see me will see the Tathagata."

"If I attain the Dao in the future, I will not seek the future unless I save all beings and the Dharma's decline."

This grand vow grew louder, spreading from Jambudvipa to the vast nine provinces, turning into golden lotuses that bloomed across the world, witnessing the Buddha making the great vow!

At this moment, countless believers in the Buddha's homeland felt a resonance, sitting in meditation and chanting the Buddha's name together.

In an instant,

all the people of Jambudvipa revered him as their lord.

All the unprotected beings of the vast nine provinces yearned for the World-Honored One to descend.

The entire broken world of Imperial Heaven trembled!

A dull, ancient drumbeat resounded from beyond the horizon, followed by a distant and mournful horn, echoing across the vast expanse of time and space.

A shocking crack appeared in the sky, dark and deep, expanding at a terrifying speed, soon covering half the sky.

This was the Legacy Celestial Path, representing the remaining will of Imperial Heaven!

At the same time,

a phantom river flowed through the world, prominently visible, surrounding the golden body, real yet illusory, filled with various futures, blocking the Buddha's path.

This was the River of Fate, which had blocked countless Celestial Kings from advancing!

Only by seeing through one's true destiny could one proceed.

The next moment, an ancient path spanning the Imperial Heaven Nine Provinces flew over, like a golden bridge over the sea, crossing the River of Fate, paving the way for the True Buddha.

The Buddha did not hesitate, stepping onto the path, ascending to the highest point of the Imperial Heaven Nine Provinces, his body radiating boundless, gentle light, illuminating the nine provinces and the hearts of all beings.

This time,

the grand vow echoed through the heavens, announcing to all worlds.

In the distance,

the eighth-realm powerhouses of the nine provinces looked on, their expressions shaken.

This supreme True Buddha, originally only at the Celestial King level, had silently ascended to the rank of Heavenly Venerable, with his realm rapidly growing!

But the most important and fundamental aspect was that He was merging with the Dharma of Jambudvipa, merging with the Dharma of the nine provinces!

Did He not know that the nine provinces were dying, and Imperial Heaven was dying?!

Under the pressure of Misty Sea, the expected lifespan of the nine provinces had been further compressed, and the fall of the nine provinces was only a matter of time.

Countless civilizations and powerful beings were racing against time to escape the nine provinces and return to the Grand Cosmos.

"Madman!" a powerhouse muttered.

Who didn't know that merging with the Dharma of the nine provinces could grasp the last will of the heavens, gaining immense benefits?

But the cost was also insane.

By choosing to merge with the Dharma of the nine provinces, the Buddha's realm was indeed advancing rapidly, with no one to compete, rising swiftly. But in the future, He would also perish with this world.

Some ridiculed, some shook their heads, some watched coldly, and some remained silent.

At their level, they could vaguely see that this was a response to the heavens, to the yearning of the remaining beings of the nine provinces.

...

...

Seated in the world, the young man who had sacrificed part of his dao foundation gradually manifested a clear, round light behind him, with the vague outline of an illusory dao fruit floating within.

The bitter sea had not appeared, but the dao fruit had formed.

He looked down upon the world, his expression calm once more, his voice reaching the ears of all beings:

"All beings possess the wisdom and virtues of the Tathagata, yet they remain mired in the bitter sea, unable to transcend, unable to see the Tathagata..."

"All because the world has not seen me."

Thus,

Ji Jingqiu's mind was like a full moon, golden and radiant, without a single omission.

When all beings see me, they see the Tathagata.

From today on, this is no longer an empty statement.

The vast will hidden in Misty Sea fell silent and was lost in confusion at this moment.

It seemed to have a will of its own, silently witnessing this scene, then quietly retreating, without a sound, as if afraid to disturb this World-Honored One of the present age.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end