The Path of the Martial Arts BOSS-Chapter 1218 - 243: 3 and 1
"Power and realm complement each other. The realm is the core of power; without it, no matter how great the power, it is merely brute strength.
Power is the foundation of the realm; without power, the highest realm is just an illusion." The Dao Ancestor spoke slowly.
Qing Yu quite agreed with this point.
No matter how high one's realm, without power to interfere with the external world, it is merely vanity and self-satisfaction. Some might say the mind can influence reality, but in reality, the mind needs spiritual power as a medium to influence reality.
Spiritual power is also power.
If mere obsession of the mind could move reality, then every mental patient could become a god.
"The Heavenly Dao can indeed allow a martial artist to reach the Tao Realm and even temporarily grant them the power of the Tao Realm. But the power of the Heavenly Dao is not limitless; it cannot forever let one person hold a portion of its power.
Therefore, when the Heavenly Dao Spokesman's task is completed, the departure of the Heavenly Dao Power is totally unavoidable."
The Heavenly Dao is more like a mechanical program and won't grant you power out of appreciation for your hard work. When the enemy is defeated, the Heavenly Dao Power will leave without the slightest reluctance.
But what happens to the person who elevated to the Tao Realm when the power leaves?
The answer is collapse.
The existence of the Tao Realm is the embodiment of realm, the intuitive manifestation of the Dao. Power is the cornerstone of the realm.
If the cornerstone is lost, then no matter how grand the structure, it will collapse instantly.
"In the past, when the Buddha defeated the Three-faced God, he faced the dilemma of collapse. If not for his followers offering power through the Buddha-Self Supreme Skill to unite with him, there might not have been Buddhism and Buddha in this world," the Dao Ancestor nonchalantly revealed a secret.
The essence of the Buddha-Self Supreme Skill is encapsulated in eight words: "Buddha and I are one, Heaven and Earth respect."
Instantaneous enlightenment, uniting with the Buddha, and wielding the power of the Buddha. This is to make oneself and Buddha indistinguishable, not really uniting with Buddha, but letting oneself become Buddha.
Yet Qing Yu, reflecting on this martial art with the Tao Realm mindset, could deduce that it could indeed transform into some kind of power-contributing evil skill.
"The Peacock Dynasty's millions of Buddhist disciples contributed their essence blood and primordial spirit, allowing the Buddha to stay in the Tao Realm. My descendants have no such followers, when facing collapse, there's only a dead end for him," the Dao Ancestor said lightly.
In summary, hoping to achieve the Tao Realm through the Heavenly Dao, unless you have the conditions of Buddha, when the Heavenly Dao Power departs, it will be the moment of your demise.
This path to achieve the Tao Realm truly is a perfect interpretation of "to hear the Dao in the morning, and die content in the evening."
Qing Yu thought carefully and realized that he first heard this news from Elder Shiming. Yet Elder Shiming was a pawn of the Dao Ancestor.
Then from whom did the Supreme Taoist hear this news?
The answer must be obvious, it was the Dao Ancestor as well.
The Dao Ancestor magnificently exploited the advantage of information asymmetry; just a little misinformation trapped the Supreme Taoist, the only successor throughout history to escape the Dao Ancestor's control, in a deadly plot.
Had the Supreme Taoist not possessed a desire for the Dao that surpassed imagination, willing to use the method of Harmonization to fulfill his dream, he would have been destined to die and vanish.
"Truly an old schemer, Dao Ancestor," Qing Yu said with a low laugh, "Now I should be glad I didn't choose the path of the Supreme Taoist."
Qing Yu once had the qualifications to walk the path of the Supreme Taoist; he only needed to abandon evil and embrace righteousness early on. However, considering he was already on the Heavenly Dao's blacklist, he decided to walk a path of no return as a villain instead.
In retrospect, Qing Yu indeed should be glad he stayed true to his original self and didn't become a half-baked villain.
He absolutely couldn't Harmonize, so choosing the path of the Supreme Taoist meant certain death.
"Amitabha," the Buddha softly recited a Buddhist chant, and said, "The Heavenly Dao's scheme against me in the past is something I can never forget. Bearing the lives of a million Buddhist disciples, I had no choice but to delve into a higher realm, seeking the Reincarnation method for the Other Shore."
The greatest viewpoint of Buddhism is to let go, but as the Buddha, he was the one who could let go the least.
Even if the Buddha knew that the so-called reincarnation was elusive, he still pursued it relentlessly, attempting one day to allow the Buddhists to reincarnate again.
As for the murder and sin caused in this process, the Buddha, who pursued the impossible, was hard to consider.
"Revenge and pursuit," the Heavenly Dao looked at the Buddha.
"Pursuit of higher power," he turned his gaze to the Dao Ancestor and Qing Yu.
Then, he said lightly: "Heaven gives birth to all things to nurture people, yet people possess nothing to repay Heaven. You are all great thieves, stealing from heaven, people, and all things. You are all locusts, feeding on heaven, earth, and all spirits. You should be exterminated!"
A single word "exterminated" made clear the Heavenly Dao's murderous intent toward the three.
The Heavenly Dao is supposed to be impartial and selfless, devoid of mind or self, devoid of wisdom or murderous intent, but when the Supreme Taoist manifested as an embodiment, this embodiment revealed a murderous intention toward those who defy Heaven.
In this world, if anyone has the capability to defy Heaven, it's only these three before him.
"Tao births one, one births two, two births three, three births all things."
The Dao Ancestor said lightly: "Indeed, you possess a power several times that of the Tao Realm, but this number is merely threefold. You can suppress me and the Buddha, but you cannot suppress all three of us. If you can't even suppress, don't talk about exterminating us."
Dao Ancestor, Buddha, Qing Yu, these three are the three of "three births all things." And three, theoretically, is the limit of this realm.
"The union of the three is not enough to directly counter the Heavenly Dao, but it's more than enough to defeat your embodiment," the Buddha also spoke.
One plus one plus one does not necessarily exceed three, but the Heavenly Dao now only manifests in the form of an embodiment. The true Heavenly Dao is the natural rule of the Great Thousand World, absolutely unable to fully manifest.
"So that's the logic, to defeat the Heavenly Dao Embodiment, returning it to a state of no mind, no self?" Qing Yu said with relief.
When he ascended, he was actually well-prepared for a great battle with the Dao Ancestor and the Buddha, yet after ascending, he did not face the anticipated battle. Instead, he conversed amiably with the Dao Ancestor.
The reason for this is not that the Dao Ancestor was willing to peacefully coexist with Qing Yu but because of the presence of the Heavenly Dao Embodiment.
According to Qing Yu's speculation, Heaven and the Tao Realm are like big trees and small trees, with a possible competition for nutrients. Then among the small trees, what relationship do they have?
Naturally, it's a more blatant competition.
Small trees cannot forcibly compete with big trees because the size difference is too great, but among the small trees, they can directly and aggressively compete.
Compared to the relationship with big trees, the competition between small trees is more dangerous.
By seizing the nutrients of other small trees, small trees have the opportunity to grow into big trees.
The Dao Ancestor and Buddha did not strike because there was a greater enemy at the moment. Once the Heavenly Dao Embodiment is defeated, the three of them will have to fight amongst themselves.
