Longevity, starting from being a chicken raising servant Chapter 2532: 246: Kong Zen and the Buddha Lord (Part 3)
Previously on Longevity, starting from being a chicken raising servant...
Tianshang Buddha Lord gazed at Wang Ba in mild astonishment, then gave a faint headshake while letting out a soft sigh:
“After all, you're too fixated on superficial things… No additional terms exist beyond that. Should you manage to depart using your own strength, I assure you, I won't bring you harm this time. I make this vow upon the True Buddha.”
A faint smile curved Wang Ba's lips upon hearing this; he stowed away the Chaos Green Fox at his side before turning to Heavenly Monarch Chao nearby:
“Master Chao, proceed.”
Meeting Wang Ba's eyes, Heavenly Monarch Chao wavered briefly, but sensing the firm resolve there, he nodded at last.
His faith in Wang Ba ran deep—not just in the man's capabilities, but also in his wisdom against reckless acts.
A portal ripped open in the Dharma Realm space toward the Lotus Buddha Country, and Heavenly Monarch Chao shot through without delay.
The six Buddhas stationed within the Lotus Buddha Country, who had vigilantly watched the space, began to dissolve into nothingness.
Emerging once more from the void, Kong Zen found no Buddhas obstructing him, a flicker of surprise crossing his features; spotting Heavenly Monarch Chao approaching swiftly, he wasted no time and whisked him along with the four Mahayana cultivators away.
Kong Zen spirited Heavenly Monarch Chao and those four Mahayana cultivators from before into a remote void expanse.
Turning his eyes from the sight, Tianshang Buddha Lord fixed them on Wang Ba, his tone carrying an unusual gentleness:
“Rarely does one with cultivation so inferior to mine corner me like this… The boundless Realm Sea indeed breeds extraordinary talents.”
“Yet with the cause and effect now cut off by me, how will you escape?”
“Your heart holds profound compassion, far from selfish or greedy, and a karmic tie to our Buddha seems evident.”
“Why not align with my Supreme True Buddha?”
“Uniting the whole Third Realm Sea under the Supreme True Buddha spans countless ages; it may not succeed in my lifetime. The successor Buddha Lord might be required. Join my True Buddha, and I'll name you the rightful next Buddha Lord, heir to the entirety of the Supreme True Buddha!”
Now alone in the Dharma Realm space with just the two of them, Tianshang Buddha Lord regarded Wang Ba, openly displaying genuine esteem.
His regard for Wang Ba shone without restraint.
Taken aback by these offers, Wang Ba paused thoughtfully before meeting Tianshang Buddha Lord's eyes and inquiring:
“My thanks for your high regard, Buddha Lord, yet I must ask: what precisely does the Supreme True Buddha seek to achieve?”
“Does the True Buddha persist?”
Maybe due to Wang Ba's clear intent to depart, or his earnest desire to recruit him into the Supreme True Buddha.
“The True Buddha endures, enshrined in the sutras, alive in our hearts… The True Buddha manifests when the Lotus Buddha Country fully blossoms anew.”
Tianshang Buddha Lord pondered briefly, then answered forthrightly, holding nothing back:
“Regarding our aims…”
“Tell me, have you ever dreamed that ascending to the Second Realm Sea would end all strife and turmoil?”
Noting Wang Ba's subtle nod, he shook his head while continuing:
“In truth, you're mistaken. The Second Realm Sea still teems with battles and treachery; cultivators and monks alike, no matter their lofty realms, endlessly compete for dominance… Can such a realm truly be our ideal?”
“If chasing higher cultivation realms defines our purpose, does that pursuit ever conclude?”
“Should cultivation realms dominate all, what purpose remains for our lives?”
Wang Ba stayed quiet, evidently stunned by the vision laid out.
Tianshang Buddha Lord spoke measuredly:
“Thus, we strive to forge a pure land rooted wholly in the wheel of cause and effect.”
“In this pure land, cultivation isn't the end. It's simply a tool, a path for all to attain ultimate bliss—not a ceaseless chase for might… Via cultivation, all dwell in genuine bliss within a pure land.”
“The Second Realm Sea, swarming with countless mighty cultivators, defies this vision…”
“Yet the Third Realm Sea holds vast promise for triumph.”
“With the Lotus Buddha Country as the linchpin, fusing the three Dharma Realms of ‘Past, Present, and Future’ into true unity, it becomes the foundation for birthing a veritable Pure Land of Extreme Joy!”
“From then on, conflicts cease; only serene cultivation ushers eternal bliss.”
Tianshang Buddha Lord halted briefly, eyes locked on Wang Ba as he posed deliberately:
“Layman Taiyi, will you step into my Buddha Kingdom?”
Sensing the hopeful stare from Tianshang Buddha Lord, Wang Ba pondered silently before declining with a headshake:
“Your goals are clear to me, Buddha Lord, but you've strayed onto a misguided way. No ultimate fix graces this world, no everlasting pure land of supreme bliss. Should one arise, some corner of existence must suffer an undeserved hell—of ours or others' making…”
Witnessing this refusal and hearing those words, disappointment veiled Tianshang Buddha Lord's features as he sighed deeply:
“As I suspected; a Dao-heart so resolute as yours won't veer easily.”
“If so…”
His voice trailed, a cold ferocity seeping through gritted words:
“Surrender that Plague Demon to me!”
Even as he spoke, the ambient space warped violently, seeking to crush Wang Ba into a confined trap!
Simultaneously, Tianshang Buddha Lord's palm blasted ferociously at Wang Ba.
As if foreseeing the betrayal, Wang Ba evaded neither blow nor fold, offering only a wistful smile:
“Buddha Lord, such swift murderous intent ill befits a monk.”
The instant after, under Tianshang Buddha Lord's stunned stare, Wang Ba's form vanished without trace.
“Cause and effect rules?!”
“Impossible, utterly impossible! I've severed every causal link… Is he concealed somehow?!”
A mere thought propelled his Spiritual Sense across the full Dharma Realm space, yet no hint of Wang Ba's presence emerged.
Shock mingled with doubt!
Suddenly sensing a disturbance, he whipped around, channeling Heavenly Eye Divine Power into his gaze, which lanced through the Dharma Realm and into the outer void instantly.
Far off in the Realm Sea's void, where Kong Zen had freshly rescued the Mahayana cultivators yet lingered as if anticipating arrival, a silhouette abruptly materialized at his side!
Clad in verdant robes, the visage plain yet aura otherworldly and enigmatic.
True Man Taiyi it was.
Kong Zen appeared poised in wait; sighting True Man Taiyi, he triggered the Teleportation Array without pause!
They hastened aboard, vanishing into the emptiness.
Enveloped by swirling green-black energies amid the Dharma Realm's crumbling void, Tianshang Buddha Lord stood frozen, beholding the spectacle.
His eyes tracked Wang Ba and Kong Zen's fading forms.
In that instant, comprehension dawned hazily, his gaze brimming with awe and disbelief:
“Cause and effect fused as one!”
“You—you and he…”