Longevity, starting from being a chicken raising servant Chapter 2375 - 193: Soul Search (Part 3)
Previously on Longevity, starting from being a chicken raising servant...
At last, by sifting through the memories that escaped from them, the full collection of Cultivation Methods emerged for me: the "Great Bliss Sutra," the "Wisdom Sea Liberation Sutra," and the "Prajna Dharma Sutra," which begins with a novice monk and progresses up to Great Bodhisattva level, along with the six Buddhist Divine Skills—Divine Footwork, Telepathy, Heavenly Vision, Destiny, Heavenly Ear Technique, and Leak Exhaustion Technique.
Individuals with either modest or elevated Cultivation Bases can grasp the initial five, though whispers claim that merely the Buddha Lord alone possesses the ability to perfect the ultimate Divine Skill.
Furthermore, mentions of the so-called ’Karma Path,’ ’Reincarnation Path,’ and similar concepts arise, yet they remain shrouded in obscurity for the most part.
One additional element stood out, something Wang Ba repeatedly detected within these monks' recollections, namely ’merit.’
From the moment of their birth, these monks were taught they carried the burden of sin, and only through swearing grand oaths and gathering merit could they slowly approach true bliss.
To achieve this, the duty falls to deliver all sentient beings from the depths of peril and flames.
As for the reasons behind all beings plunging into such peril and flames, no deeper inquiry is required.
"Could this be the drive behind their relentless assaults on various Domains?"
Wang Ba mused deeply in contemplation.
He had already faintly discerned the dire straits afflicting the Supreme True Buddha.
Maybe at the outset, the Supreme True Buddha harbored noble aims, seeking enlightenment through the salvation of all beings and the harvest of merit.
Yet once the pursuit of merit twisted into mere recompense instead of heartfelt deeds, this path spiraled into a fabricated catastrophe of immense scale...
Gathering virtue and performing righteous acts ceased to be the purpose, transforming instead into mere tools.
And in order to save greater numbers and amass even more merit, the urgent need arises for swelling ranks of followers, which in turn demands an ever-growing pool of souls awaiting ’rescue,’ thus fueling further merit... a vicious loop that locks the momentum of expansion in place, impossible to halt.
This cycle persists until it engulfs the whole Third Realm Sea entirely, or clashes against formidable foes, culminating in the Supreme True Buddha's own downfall as the expansion grinds to a close.
Such is the inexorable fate awaiting the Supreme True Buddha.
It mirrors the doom hanging over the Sea of Chaos, Duanhai Cliff, the four Great Realms, and countless other Domains that cross paths with the Supreme True Buddha.
"The sole path forward demands a total crushing or outright eradication of this Supreme True Buddha Dharma!"
Wang Ba's face grew grave with resolve.
Faintly, he recalled his alternate Clone, Kong Zen.
That entity had once sworn a mighty vow, yearning for the inhabitants of Little Cang World to escape all suffering.
Upon fulfilling that vow, it soared instantly from Nascent Soul Realm straight into Void Refinement Realm, then underwent Nirvana before achieving Cultivation Ascension.
During that moment, his primary self lingered only at the Immortal Ascension stage.
This explosive advance left him utterly perplexed; beside it, the grueling labors of typical cultivators appeared laughably trivial.
In those days, he hadn't delved into the why; reflecting now, it seems Kong Zen's path to power echoed closely that of the Supreme True Buddha.
The realization that followers of the Supreme True Buddha could skyrocket their Cultivation Base via this approach chilled him to the core.
"Yet where has Kong Zen vanished to?"
His eyes drifted toward the pristine treasure elephant ’Elephant Forty-Nine’ perched upon the Western Continent, poised in anticipation of the young monk's homecoming, a wave of quiet sorrow washing over him.
He had hoped to encounter the young monk beyond these confines, but alas, no tidings of his whereabouts had surfaced.
Should that one be present, armed with his innate gift for Buddhist Law, he might swiftly absorb these Dharmas, perhaps even unlocking the six grand principles, decoding the enigmatic golden markings upon those monks, and potentially breaching Immortal Pass.
Still, despite the absence of that ally, Wang Ba refused to yield.
Without delay, he dove headlong into examining these assorted tomes of Cultivation Methods.
Commencing with the "Great Bliss Sutra," though he approached as a total beginner, his profound realm allowed seamless entry at a mere glimpse.
He fully grasped how the essence of these Cultivation Methods diverged from the standard cultivator's framework.
Bypassing any efforts to refine Mana, he proceeded to absorb the other two volumes in sequence.
Those latter two volumes delved not solely into Mana cultivation but also into advancing one's realm.
Such hurdles posed no true obstacle to Wang Ba, who devoted decades to their thorough understanding...
But then, on this fateful day.
A tremendous thundercloud erupted, shattering his profound trance without warning.
Wang Ba lifted his gaze, detecting the might of the Thunder Tribulation alongside the drain on Power of Creation, a flicker of astonishment crossing his features:
"Hmm? Does this mean someone stands on the brink of entering the Tribulation-Transcending Realm?"