area51novel Chapter 124 The First Signs of Chaos
Chapter 124 The First Signs of Chaos
As the seals on the Kunlun Realm loosened and were gradually lifted, this eternally dormant world, which had been dormant for 100,000 years, was completely revived, affecting the vital energy of the entire universe.
In the outer starry sky of Kunlun, the originally silent and lifeless universe suddenly became incredibly active. The turbulent currents of spacetime surged and rolled, and the Daoist principles permeated all the heavens. Countless secret realms of the universe and relics of gods that had been sealed and hidden in the cracks of time and the rifts of the void began to manifest in the world one after another.
Opportunities abound, a sight rarely seen in ages. In an instant, the heavens trembled and the starry seas boiled.
Countless cultivators from the Heavenly Court and Hell factions across billions of miles of starry sky have flocked to the outer star regions of Kunlun to vie for the remnants and secret realms of the gods. Countless deities are gathered together in confrontation, undercurrents are surging, and the smoke of a great war is quietly brewing in the depths of the starry sea.
In the depths of the vast void, there lies a hidden realm tucked away in the cracks of time and space.
Ling Che sat upright in the void, his figure indifferent, overlooking the heavens, with endless Dao principles flowing around him. He was discussing matters with several avatars of the Heavenly Court, deducing the overall situation of the heavens after the Kunlun Mountains were unsealed.
Beside him sat a young novice monk with delicate features and an innocent, childlike appearance.
The young novice's eyes were clear, yet a lingering sense of confusion and emptiness remained. His soul and spirit were incomplete, and his aura was weak and fleeting, like a candle flickering in the wind, ready to be extinguished at any moment.
Unbeknownst to anyone, this tender Buddha body contained a wisp of the original essence of the holy monk Sumeru, remaining in the world.
It was Ling Che who, defying the chaos of time and braving boundless dangers, painstakingly salvaged a sliver of hope from the depths of the ceaseless river of time.
Ling Che's gaze darkened slightly, and he sighed softly, his tone carrying a mixture of lingering fear and relief: "I was still too overconfident. This time, my forceful intervention to save Xumi's life has put me on the blacklist of this universe."
"Fortunately, I had already severed all causal ties in this universe and transcended the shackles of the Heavenly Dao. Otherwise, today, I would have no choice but to flee this universe."
Xuan Dao, standing to the side, chuckled and said, "Amitabha. It is indeed the original body that possesses extraordinary courage, daring to defy the heavens. However, it is still worthwhile to preserve a glimmer of hope for the Holy Monk Sumeru."
The danger of retrieving the remnant soul of the Venerable Monk Sumeru far exceeded Ling Che's original expectations.
Ling Che had meticulously deduced the timeline of eternity before identifying the only flaw in the river of time, thus finding a sliver of opportunity.
Because Ling Che's original body transcends the causal relationship of the universe, coupled with the fact that the origin of the Heavenly Dao was sealed and bound by the Ancestor of Humanity, and with the Immovable King Great Venerable quietly protecting him upstream in the River of Time, he was able to successfully retrieve this wisp of remnant soul under the influence of many factors.
If the wrong time is chosen, or if there is no one to protect them, even the most powerful beings who have reached the beginning and the end of time, if they venture into the depths of the river of time to forcibly change the fate of others, will only be crushed and completely annihilated by the torrent of time.
Even so, the remnant soul of the Sumeru Saint Monk that Ling Che retrieved was incomplete and at risk of disappearing at any moment. Therefore, his several avatars worked together to deduce and integrate the secret techniques of the Great Dao of the Heavens, ultimately arriving at the only feasible method.
To replenish the fragmented essence of the Venerable Monk Sumeru, repair his damaged spiritual origin, and reunite his soul, the only way is to use the forbidden Buddhist technique, "Myriad Forms of the Mortal World."
Based on this remnant soul, it multiplies into countless forms, scattered throughout the mortal realm, undergoing hundreds of lifetimes of reincarnation. In this endless cycle of rebirth, it accumulates vast mortal merits to mend the deficiencies in its divine soul's origin. Only this method can thoroughly nourish the incomplete essence of Sumeru and restore its spirituality.
Once his soul is complete and his spirit is restored, he will be guided to attain the Buddha's enlightenment of the past. It is highly likely that the Holy Monk Sumeru will take advantage of this opportunity in the mortal world to break through the shackles and ascend to the realm of the progenitor in one fell swoop.
Ling Che's eyes flickered slightly as he looked at the Xuan Dao clone beside him and calmly instructed, "This matter is entirely under your supervision."
"Incidentally, let Brahma also enter the mortal world for reincarnation and undergo tribulations of cultivation."
When Brahma was mentioned, a smile flashed across Ling Che's eyes, carrying a deeper meaning: "His younger brother has already reached the level of a half-ancestor. Only his elder brother is still stuck in the Immortal Limitless realm for many years, stagnating. If word got out, people would laugh their heads off."
"After my trip to Tianhuang, his two younger brothers chased after me like mad dogs, causing me to lose a lot of resources. This loss should be compensated double by him, the eldest brother."
"Bring the essence of Sumeru before Brahma and recount its sins of ten thousand years. The Seventy-Two Lotuses have been severely injured by the demonic body and are temporarily powerless to stir up trouble. As the current master of the Temple of Merit, who is in charge of the laws of merit in all heavens, you should stand on the moral high ground and severely condemn its sins of colluding with the Seventy-Two Lotuses to harm the Kunlun Realm."
Brahma was devoted to gratitude and righteousness throughout his life. In the past, he received enlightenment and opportunities from the seventy-two lotus flowers. However, he was bound by these blessings and hindered by them throughout his life. Even though he knew right from wrong, he could not completely let go of them, which is why he committed endless sins. In Ling Che's view, his moral character was too high.
Upon hearing this, Xuan Dao looked helpless and gave a wry laugh: "The original body certainly knows how to calculate. However, with Brahma's entry into the mortal realm and the relinquishment of his power, the Western Buddhist Realm is now under my control. I am now the nominal highest authority in the Western Heaven, and the entire Buddhist Realm is in my hands. Why would I need to plunder treasures from the Jinggai Palace to compensate?"
"Hehe." Ling Che's true form chuckled, "I almost forgot, you've now broken through to the Heavenly Venerable realm. It seems I'll have to call you the Eighth Ancestor from now on."
Today, Ling Che's four avatars—Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism, and Demonism—have completed their transformation. Each of the four avatars wields a fundamental principle, and their mental state, cultivation, and Taoist methods have all made great breakthroughs, making them truly worthy of being called the progenitors of a single path.
Among them, the Buddha Body Mystery Path inherits the core Buddhist principle of "guarding the original true mind" from the Fifth and Sixth Patriarchs, innovates and perfects its Buddhist doctrines, spreads the great aspiration of "equality of all beings and the attainment of Buddhahood" throughout the heavens and myriad realms, breaks down the shackles of the cultivation class, and allows impoverished and humble beings in the secular world to have the opportunity to attain enlightenment. Buddhism has achieved a great breakthrough, with a vast and profound foundation, which is enough to prove the Buddha of this world.
For the past 50,000 years since Xuandao took charge of the Temple of Merit, the Temple of Merit has been fair in enforcing the law, and has been adept at both offense and defense in the merit war between Heaven and Hell. Its battles with Hell have been evenly matched, and it has never triggered a large-scale war of destruction. Instead, it has protected countless small and medium-sized worlds so that they can develop and thrive in peace.
Such achievements were highly praised even by the Heavenly Emperor.
For many years, Ling Che's various avatars have kept a low profile. Although they have never fully revealed their peak combat power, they have steadily controlled several core temples of the Heavenly Court, rectifying the atmosphere of the Heavenly Court and eliminating various chaotic phenomena. The once rampant and domineering factions of the Heavenly Realm have now restrained their sharpness and lay low, no longer displaying their former arrogance.
"There have been frequent unusual occurrences in the underworld recently."
Ling Che's expression turned slightly serious, and his tone became more solemn: "Ever since Feng Caiyi went into seclusion in the Palace of Death and broke through to the Undying Boundless Realm, the ambitions of the Hell Realm have been rekindled, and they are restless. This time, they will definitely launch a large-scale invasion into the outer starry sky of Kunlun, igniting an unprecedented war to seize the resources of the Kunlun Realm."
Several avatars chimed in, "The Heavenly Palace has already made preparations, entrusting the crucial task of guarding the outer starry sky of Kunlun Domain and resisting the invasion of Hell entirely to the Mingde avatar. With Mingde's current combat strength, even if the Dark Lord, the Ancestor of Life, and others launch a sneak attack, we can still hold the starry sky firmly, without any danger of upheaval or chaos."
Ling Che nodded slightly, his eyes revealing unwavering determination.
Now that his four clones have all broken through their current realms and possess immense combat power, even if the old fisherman, who is hiding in the shadows, were to make a move, his clones could easily escape and protect themselves. It can be said that there are not many strong individuals in the universe who can do anything to Ling Che and his companions; only the Underworld Ancestor and the Human Ancestor are left. He is waiting for the Underworld Ancestor's faction to release the Seventy-Two Pillar Demon Gods. At that time, his demonic body can take this opportunity to break through to the Half-Ancestor realm. Then, he will be close to achieving his goal of merging his four bodies into one and breaking through to the Primordial Ancestor realm.
"I plan to travel to the desolate land soon."
Ling Che gazed at the desolate forbidden land at the edge of the universe and slowly said, "Senior Ksitigarbha has already foreseen the path ahead and found the complete way to break through to the level of an ancestor. He secretly helped me several times in the past, and this favor must be repaid."
"The situation in the heavens is currently tense and unpredictable. Waiting for Entropy Radiance to break through to the Ancestral Realm again would take too long and involve too many variables. I will go there personally to lend him a hand and help him break through the final bottleneck."
Apart from the reclusive progenitor, the only person in the world closest to the progenitor's realm is Ksitigarbha.
He had already reached the peak of the semi-ancestor level, with a vast foundation and solid roots. He had surpassed Haotian, Tianmu and other supreme beings, and was only one step away from transcending the semi-ancestor level and becoming the progenitor.
With Ling Che personally assisting him, the chances of Ksitigarbha breaking through the realm of beginning and end are still very high.
If one's own faction is the first to forge a contemporary progenitor, it can perfectly attract the attention of the two ancient giants, the Underworld Ancestor and the Human Ancestor, adding considerable variables to the subsequent changes in the cosmic landscape.
While Ling Che and his group were deducing the overall situation of the heavens and planning their next move, billions of miles away, in the vast starry sky beyond the Kunlun Domain, howling winds and overwhelming malevolent energy filled the air as the million-strong star sea army of the Hell Realm had been fully assembled.
"Boom!"
Boundless crimson light tore through the dark starry sky, and a crimson spatial rift spanning billions of miles suddenly opened, filled with surging demonic energy and pervasive deathly aura.
Countless majestic and imposing divine planets, star war fortresses, and cosmic warships slowly emerged from the spatial rifts, densely packed and obscuring the starry sea, their malevolent aura freezing the void.
There were over a hundred True God-level experts on display, and countless Saint-level experts. An overwhelming sense of oppression enveloped the entire outer starry sky, causing people's minds to tremble.
Deep within the crimson rift, a colossal blood-leafed phoenix tree, hundreds of millions of feet tall, bursts forth from the earth and starry sky, its branches crisscrossing the heavens, its crimson leaves blotting out the sun, exuding an ancient and desolate aura of death.
At the top of the ancient parasol tree, a jet-black phoenix with wingspans spanning thousands of miles perches. Its feathers are as black as ink, and its divine flames are raging to the heavens. Layers of phoenix fire and deathly divine flames swirl around its body. Every wisp of flame can burn away the sacred path, melt away the gods, and shatter the starry sky.
It was none other than Feng Caiyi, the Death God of the Hell Destiny Temple, who had gone into seclusion and made great progress in his cultivation!
Just as the army of hell was pressing in and their fighting spirit was boiling, the boundless celestial river emerged from the void, vast and boundless, stretching across the starry sea, with its blue waves and profound Daoist charm.
A towering figure clad in armor emerged from the waves; it was none other than Bian Zhuang, the leader of the Nine War Gods of the Heavenly Palace!
He stared at the black phoenix on the ancient phoenix tree, his expression solemn, his eyes filled with deep apprehension. He spoke in a deep voice: "Feng Caiyi, you have been in seclusion for tens of thousands of years. Your reappearance this time is truly the grandest in all the heavens of hell."
Feng Caiyi slowly opened her eyes, her phoenix gaze cold and aloof as she looked down at War God Bian Zhuang, her tone contemptuous: "Bian Zhuang, you were once my defeated opponent. Now that my cultivation is complete and I have broken through to the Undying Boundless Realm, you are still stuck in the same place. A mere defeated opponent dares to step forward and confront me?"
Before reaching the Undying Limitless realm, Bian Zhuang, the God of War, was no match for Feng Caiyi. Now that Feng Caiyi has ascended to the Undying Limitless realm, his combat power has increased several times over. He is absolutely confident that he can crush and defeat Bian Zhuang within ten moves!
Bian Zhuang, the God of War, changed his expression slightly, but did not get angry. Instead, he smiled faintly and said, "Congratulations to the God of Death on fully recovering from your injuries and reaching a higher level of cultivation, ascending to the realm of indestructible and boundless. However, even if you have now reached indestructibility, my Heavenly Court universe is not a place you can set foot in at will."
He was aware of the changing situation and secretly weighed the pros and cons. The Heavenly Court's foundation was now vastly different from what it used to be. The Lord of the Hall of Truth had also broken through to the Undying Boundless Realm, the Lord of the Five Elements had ascended to the Heavenly Venerable Realm, and with Mingde presiding over the starry sky and other powerful forces standing side by side, even without the support of the four major world rulers, the Heavenly Court's top-tier combat power was now firmly above that of the Hell Realm.
Knowing the key points, Feng Caiyi's phoenix eyes suddenly turned cold, and the Phoenix Flame around her suddenly surged, the terrifying high temperature scorching the starry sky, directly melting, distorting and collapsing the surrounding space layer by layer.
"No need for further nonsense!"
"The resources of the various secret realms in the outer space of Kunlun are mine to possess! You cannot stop me! Summon Mingde to fight!"
Before he finished speaking, Feng Caiyi stopped hesitating and activated the seven divine artifacts. Seven terrifying divine lights that traversed the starry river pressed out, as if seven great worlds had collapsed, suppressing the path ahead and destroying all obstacles!
The starry sky trembled, and the void wailed!
Bian Zhuang, the God of War, changed his expression drastically and dared not slacken in the slightest, urging his divine power to the fullest extent.
The endless waters of the Milky Way surged and converged, transforming into a boundless divine sea, with countless water ripples coalescing into a celestial barrier spanning millions of miles. At the same time, the Heavenly Bell roared and trembled, its tolling cleansing the starry sea and resisting the power of the seven divine artifacts.
"Boom!"
The earth-shattering collision resounded throughout the heavens, and a terrifying energy storm swept across the entire starry sky.
The seemingly solid Heavenly River Barrier instantly collapsed and disintegrated. The Heavenly Bell trembled violently and its divine light dimmed. War God Bian Zhuang suffered a backlash from the immense force, his blood and qi surged, and he was sent flying backward for tens of thousands of miles, completely suppressed and at a disadvantage.
Just as Feng Caiyi was preparing to press her advantage, break the deadlock in one fell swoop, and lead the Hell Army to advance beyond the Kunlun Domain.
At the summit of the dark and boundless starry sky, a brilliant, holy, and majestic divine sun slowly rises. Endless righteous energy sweeps across the sky and fills billions of miles of starry sky. The Confucian and Taoist principles of moderation, peace, integrity, and incorruptibility cover all heavens and suppress the deathly aura that fills the sky!
A beam of extremely refined and powerful light burst forth from the core of the divine sun, pierced through the sea of stars, and instantly arrived in front of Feng Caiyi.
Feng Caiyi's eyes narrowed, and he moved his true phoenix form, raising his hand to extend his phoenix claw, which contained immeasurable divine power and forcefully grabbed at the beam of light.
"Click!"
The beam of light shattered, and the righteous energy dissipated. Yet, the righteous laws containing the ultimate principles of heaven and earth still penetrated the divine body's defenses, leaving a deep law-based wound on her phoenix claws, causing her flesh to ache terribly.
Feng Caiyi concealed her overwhelming phoenix form and shed her myriad-mile-long Dharma appearance, transforming into a stunningly beautiful woman in a long black dress, exuding a cool, noble, and aloof aura.
She gazed at the majestic sun suspended in the starry sky and said solemnly, "Mingde, now that you have appeared, why hide your form? Come out and show yourself!"
A warm and carefree laugh echoed from within the divine sun.
A man dressed in a plain white scholar's robe, with a tall and elegant figure, stepped out. It was Mingde, who was stationed in the outer starry sky of Kunlun Domain. He had just finished a meeting with his clones, so he came to meet Feng Caiyi.
His gaze fell on Feng Caiyi, a faint smile on his face, calm and composed: "Death God, it's been a long time. Ten thousand years have passed, and not only have all your old wounds been healed, but your cultivation has also made great strides, breaking through to the Undying Boundless Realm. This is truly a cause for celebration."
"In the past ten eras, there have been very few women who have been able to ascend to the Undying Boundless Realm and awe all the heavens. The Divine Venerable truly deserves to be called the top female powerhouse in all the heavens. Her temperament is aloof and surpasses all gods and demons."
Feng Caiyi remained expressionless and indifferent, but the lingering pain from the laws on her palm made her secretly wary. She could clearly sense that Mingde's Confucian and Taoist laws were profound and boundless, and not a target she could easily defeat.
Mingde, however, looked at Feng Caiyi with great interest. In the past, in his demonic form, he had shaken the heavens in the war of gods and become the mainstay of the Temple of Destiny. Most of the gods in the temple were subordinate to him, and his power was immense.
After years of seclusion, Feng Caiyi emerged from seclusion and realized that her authority was being squeezed by the demonic body and her position was in jeopardy, which filled her with a strong sense of crisis.
That is why she was eager to emerge into the world and start a war, using the power of breaking through to the Immortal Limitless to conquer the starry sky and solidify her position and voice in the Temple of Destiny.
Moreover, Feng Caiyi's successful breakthrough to the Undying Limitless Realm was also due to the secret assistance of the Destiny Ancestor hidden within the Temple of Destiny.
Now that the Heavenly Pivot Needle has fallen into the Palace of Death, Gong Nanfeng is hiding and lying in wait, intentionally avoiding the demonic body, while secretly constantly testing the demonic body.
After all, the former God of Fortune and Prosperity was killed by the Demon Body, so the Ancestor of Destiny naturally harbored hostility towards the Demon Body and dared not openly oppose it. He could only turn to supporting Feng Caiyi with all his might, hoping to use her to restrain the increasingly powerful Demon Body.