Chapter 1057: Chapter 287: Myriad Demon Tribulations, Guiding the Tathagata

"If life is not taken, hatred will never cease; if no theft is committed, who cares about the strong and weak..."

The demon thought transformed into a tangible voice, and the dark shadow retreated from its dark hue, instead revealing a vision of bizarre and lustrous contrast to the darkness, evolving into the Map of the Floating Life, showing the state of the mundane world.

Among the countless mundane worlds, a towering Demon God reached its hand towards the Bodhi Tree.

"Bodhi, you couldn’t even defeat the Buddha back then, how do you expect to win against me now?"

Karma Tathagata sat cross-legged under the tree, serenely saying, "I obstructed the Buddha from proving the Dao, and you, you’re merely a loser."

With the utterance of the word "loser," the hand of the Demon God touched Karma Tathagata’s body, but was instead absorbed into him, along with the Floating Life, the whole mundane world, all subsumed into Karma Tathagata’s being.

In the Tathagata Fruit there lies a True Spirit, and naturally, it is the same within the Devaputra Dao Fruit.

Compared to the Tathagata Fruit, the True Spirit within the Devaputra Dao Fruit is riddled with mystique, specifically undermining Buddhist cultivation.

However, compared to Bodhi, Karma Tathagata at this moment was overwhelmingly dominant. He prevented Tathagata from manifesting in the world, excelling Bodhi significantly in mere battle achievements, sharing the same origin with the Awakened, and even seizing the Awakened’s form, causing the Awakened to fall into demonhood.

Just based on these achievements, Bodhi is the actual challenger.

"The Six Paths fall together, a myriad of demon tribulations lead forth Tathagata."

The many demon thoughts converged into one, collectively chanting the name of Karma Tathagata, even the True Spirit of Bodhi, the Buddha’s enemy, was suppressed, though not fallen, it was forcibly suppressed within Karma Tathagata.

The final victor of this great battle was neither the Tathagata nor the Awakened, and certainly not Bodhi, who was late and unprepared.

When this scene unfolded before the eyes of onlookers from all directions, the situation was overturned drastically.

Retreat!

The Heavenly Monarch expressionlessly flickered, his form about to turn ethereal, ready to withdraw without hesitation.

One of his goals had been achieved, the True Spirit within the second-grade Jade Emperor Dao Fruit had also been sabotaged by the Six Souls Banner. Since securing the Buddha Country was already out of question, retreating was the logical choice.

At that moment, the Heavenly Monarch displayed extreme decisiveness, paying no heed to prior investments.

But Jiang Li would not let him retreat so easily.

"Drawing the ground into a prison."

Space was solidified once again, and behind Jiang Li emerged a vast map, encompassing the Great Zhou’s Nine Provinces, as well as the Western Land of the Buddha Country.

The final words of the Awakened not only solidified the relationship between the Buddha Country and the Great Zhou, but also bestowed Jiang Li with the authority over the Buddha Country’s domain. Jiang Li could now harness not only the power of the Great Zhou’s territory within the Buddha Country but also absorb the strength of the Buddha Country.

"The sky is endless, the sword sweeps across mountains and rivers."

Both the Great Zhou and the Buddha Country merged into the sword, the vast mountains and rivers formed the sword’s body, creating an unprecedentedly enormous sword.

This sword, unstoppable in its directive, unmatched in its wielding, unparalleled in its placement, unrivaled in its deployment, it cleaves through floating clouds above, severs geological seams below!

The Emperor’s Sword spanned the sky, its grand sword momentum embodied the weight of the mountains and rivers, the vastness of the Red County Divine Land, occupying every inch of space across the Six Harmonies and Ten Directions, reflecting the heaven and earth into the Heavenly Monarch’s eyes.

No escape.

No future observed by Tan Wuwei indicated a safe way to extricate himself, and as Jiang Li raised his sword, the future was already locked.

—The Heavenly Monarch could only face this future directly.

"All transformations arise from the body."

At that moment, the form of the Heavenly Monarch transformed once again, facial features vanished, becoming the faceless sky, his physical body transforming into Cave Heaven, with the ginseng fruit tree like a giant dragon backbone, supporting this small world.

A palm struck forth, its lines akin to the earth’s ravines, with the peril of mountains and rivers, the palm’s center contained the grandeur of the vastness, meeting the Emperor’s Sword.

"Boom!"

The Essence Qi within the entire Cave Heaven was extracted, revealing illusions amidst mountain rocks, trees, cliffs, peaks, and river flows, all grandeur of qi poured into a single palm, colliding with the Emperor’s Sword, and with a thunderous sound, heaven and earth stood still.

At the center of the impact, countless specks of dust emerged, with all forms and objects turning to dust, shattered by this strike, even the reinforced space was pulverized, becoming part of the dust, the surroundings turning murky, revealing the void.

The form of the Heavenly Monarch descended, his body fluctuating between ethereal and real, resembling a landscape phantom, showing a scene of turbulent mountains and rivers.

Then he was about to merge into those countless specks of dust, yet his expression suddenly changed...

A breath later, the future was transmitted, but the Heavenly Monarch was already unable to avoid it.

"Yin—"

A distant dragon’s roar suddenly emerged, from the void a boundless great force was transmitted, piercing into the Heavenly Monarch’s internal space as he attempted to take flight.

A massive Divine Dragon appeared in the void, with a red dragon’s body, its head enshrouded in white mist, vaguely revealing a human face, its upper limbs like arms raised high, while its lower half lacked dragon claws, resembling a serpent’s body.

It was the Candle Dragon!

Also, the Great Venerable.

The Great Venerable’s power shattered the Heavenly Monarch’s Cave Heaven Blessed Land, the dragon’s claws penetrated the humanoid cave heaven, extending within.

It was too fast, too swift for the Heavenly Monarch to react, or rather, he couldn’t keep up with his reaction. He indeed saw the future, even if a breath later, but when he realized it, that breath had already turned into an instant.

The Great Venerable accelerated his own time, unleashing this sudden strike.

Yet, if the Great Venerable could strike with such speed, why couldn’t he intercept the Heavenly Monarch earlier?

The dark scheme that ensnared the Awakened wasn’t the Heavenly Monarch’s doing, but the Six Souls Banner. Why, when the Heavenly Monarch seized the opportunity to strike at Jiang Li later, did the Great Venerable not appear?

Was the Great Venerable’s mental state lacking, ensnared by "Only I Am Supreme," capturing his focus?

Or was it intentional?

"You wish to have Jiang Li harness the power of the heavens..."

Jiang Li’s hidden cards were mostly revealed; if faced with a perilous situation at that time, he was nine times out of ten bound to call upon the power of the heavens.

No matter if this was the Great Venerable’s plan, the Heavenly Monarch promptly transformed his Divine Thought into waves, letting these words echo in the surroundings, while several beams of Buddha Light erupted from his body, simultaneously striking towards the Dragon Claw.

Using these words to sow discord between Jiang Li and the Great Venerable, causing a rift between them, aiming to seize an opportunity for himself.

Unfortunately, the Heavenly Monarch miscalculated one point: there was already a significant rift between these so-called plastic brothers long ago; from the beginning, they were never of one mind. Yet at this moment, in dealing with the Heavenly Monarch, they are very much united.

The rift already existed, only temporarily cast aside at this moment. Even if the Heavenly Monarch enlarges the rift, what could it change?

The Great Venerable’s Dragon Claw showed no sign of pausing, the face behind the white mist full of a cold expression.

’I gave you a chance, but you couldn’t take it!’

"Ssshhh—"

A sound like ripping silk echoed, the Great Venerable’s Dragon Claw was impacted by the Buddha Light, but still mercilessly tore apart a section of Cave Heaven Space.

At the same time, Chi You’s Flag transformed into a crimson star, crashing down onto the Cave Heaven Blessed Land.

"Boom!"

The All Heaven Divine Sha shattered the structure of space, leading to the collapse of the Cave Heaven Blessed Land, its internal mountains and rivers all crumbled, and even the Five Vile Qi backflowed in.

In just an instant, the Heavenly Monarch found himself in the most perilous situation.

The Heavenly Monarch sensed his desperate plight, yet his Mental State remained unperturbed, humanity had been stripped away from him, leaving only the unfeeling will of Heaven. He suddenly vibrated his own Cave Heaven, the Yellow Cloud surged, and a massive vertical eye descended upon the ginseng fruit tree, unleashing a violent power.

"Boom!"

Another rumble, the Cave Heaven was directly detonated, the torrent of destruction spreading out towards the void, even affecting the Palm Buddha Country which had already lost its master.

The vast ocean crumbled, the sky beneath the Palm Buddha Country collapsed, creating an apocalyptic scene.

The Heavenly Monarch’s transformed Cave Heaven shattered into countless fragments, scattering throughout the void. A green light rose, the ginseng fruit tree bearing a vertical eye in flight.

The Great Venerable and Jiang Li unhesitatingly grabbed towards the vertical eye and the ginseng fruit tree, while within that vertical eye was the swirling flow of the Innate Qi, evolving layers of Heavenly Realms.

"Boom!"

······

······

At that instant, the power of the three sides collided, causing the Palm Buddha Country to collapse layer by layer, Tianxuan and Gongsun Qingyue, who were still on the vast ocean, immediately drove the Qingmu Ancient Tree, ascending into the sky.

At this moment, a piece of space fragment flew out, and two beams of Buddha Light flashed simultaneously.

"Guanyin and Tan Wuwei!"

Tianxuan’s eyes shimmered with starlight, locking onto the reality of the two beams of Buddha Light, then immediately operated the Taiwei Xuan Technique, manifesting the Cycle Stars.

"Crime Prison Seal, Punishment Rod."

The starlight morphed into chains, heavily intertwined, sealing off every retreat of the two beams of Buddha Light, transforming rapidly into a realm of starlight confinement, encircling and blocking the two Buddhist Great Masters.

The Buddha Light of Tan Wuwei moved unpredictably, finding gaps despite the heavy encirclement of the starlight chain, while Guanyin struggled to do likewise.

"Separation and Union Divine Light."

At this moment, Guanyin decisively withdrew the Buddha Light, the Separation and Union Divine Light flew out, unraveling the star light chains, as she transformed into the Dragonhead Guanyin, fleeing upon a dragon, bursting out of the confinement.

Tianxuan was about to change the Mystic Technique and block, yet unexpectedly, a mighty black tide swept over at this time.

"Boom!"

The starlight confinement was scattered.

The black tide surged again, breaking both the Separation and Union Divine Light and the Buddha Light, revealing Guanyin and Tan Wuwei who looked at the retreating Mount Sumeru.

At this moment, on Mount Sumeru, Karma Tathagata gently swept his sleeve, producing another black tide that, in an instant, spanned a tremendous distance, thrashing towards the two.

Tan Wuwei and Guanyin’s expressions changed dramatically, and both evaded without hesitation, but the black tide relentlessly followed, seemingly slow but in an instant crashing upon them.

"Boom!"

The Buddha Light on Tan Wuwei dimmed, driven helplessly by the black tide, flying hundreds of zhang, landing on the canopy of the Qingmu Ancient Tree.

As for Guanyin, she changed her Dharma Image again, transforming into the Glazed Glass Guanyin, her body like glass, as solid as Vajra, the black tide crashing into her body······

A wave of black evil Qi swept over the Glazed Glass Guanyin, staining Guanyin with a black Qi, causing the glass image to immediately shatter.

Thereafter, Karma Tathagata swept his sleeve for the third time, the black tide rose again, traversing space thrashing down upon the two.

"Boom!"

A pure white Buddha Light shot out from Tan Wuwei’s body, a Dharma Manifestation broke out of her, subsequently shattering into beams of white light.

Simultaneously, her visage changed instantly, from elegant and serene to a clear and refined girl, her Qi Mechanism notably declining.

Her original third grade Qi Mechanism dropped to fourth rank, the Buddha’s energy no longer as ethereal as before, even appearing somewhat mixed.

"A substitute," Tianxuan observed, shaking his head, "It seems this Mr. Wuwei was always prepared with a retreat."

Meanwhile, elsewhere, Guanyin, swept by the black tide, Glazed Glass Guanyin Image shattered, instantly transformed into the Willow Guanyin Image, using the Willow Branch to cleanse herself, only for Karma Tathagata to wave his sleeve once more.

This time, Guanyin was swept up by a black wind, with continuous flashes of Buddha Light on her body, the Fish Basket Guanyin Image, One Like Guanyin Image, Non-dual Guanyin Image······thirty-three forms were broken one by one, the Bodhisattva Dharma Image too thoroughly shattered, falling into the sea.

Thereafter, Karma Tathagata lifted himself slowly on Mount Sumeru, his gaze sweeping the surroundings, noticing numerous Qi Mechanism locking onto him, among them the Sun Monkey himself.

Seeing this, Karma Tathagata couldn’t help but smile faintly, his Devil Thought dispersed, revealing a semblance of serenity and harmony.

"Thank you, everyone."

Once more he swept his sleeve, his silhouette and the Bodhi Tree vanished simultaneously, becoming ethereal, disappearing without a trace.