Boundless light swept across the vast sky and boundless earth. Looking up or down, all one could see were magnificent, wondrous colors.
Beholding this spectacle, whether high and mighty immortals and gods or plain, ordinary commoners, all were captivated, their souls trembling in awe.
Whoosh—
Rippling like surging waves, the boundless light across heaven and earth finally began to pull inward, gradually subsiding.
Right at that moment, amid the lingering splendor filling the sky, a clear, resonant roar suddenly pierced the heavens—rending metal and cracking stone—brimming with hearty, unbridled exhilaration.
There stood the True Sage Equaling Heaven, his ninety-thousand-zhang dharma body towering high, bearing the pillar-like Divine Treasured Iron across his shoulder atop a churning cloud bank. Drifting clouds slowly coiled around him; he gave them an offhand brush, a casual gesture brimming with boundless pride.
He raised his head, his blazing eyes gazing toward the horizon. Where his gaze fell, the already radiant sunset clouds suddenly erupted with a roar, as though ignited by his very stare, blazing into a ten-thousand-li sea of flowing molten gold, so magnificent it stole the breath away.
"Phew..."
Behind that burning sea of golden dawn mist loomed more than ten Bodhisattvas, their expressions utterly solemn.
Their brief clash had ended without a victor, yet they already sensed that by their strength alone, they could never subdue this unruly True Sage Equaling Heaven.
"His strength has grown even greater!"
The Bodhisattvas exchanged glances, helplessness in their eyes.
Three hundred years ago, formidable as this monkey was, at most he could hold his ground against six or seven Heavenly Immortals of the same rank. Now their numbers had nearly doubled, yet he remained completely at ease. It was truly incomprehensible!
On Mount Ling, World-Illuminating Ever-Abiding Buddha sighed softly and turned to look at Formless Pure Stream Buddha. The latter nodded, just about to move, when the Sovereign Emperor's leisurely voice drifted from beyond the heavens once more:
"No need to rush, Buddha, no need to rush. Let them exchange a few more moves—"
The Buddha replied, "There is no need."
As the words fell, Lotus Tranquility Void-Calming Buddha beside him suddenly flared with shimmering Buddhist light, gazing placidly toward the Heavenly Court.
Seeing this, the Sovereign Emperor and the Eastern Polar Emperor frowned slightly. After pondering for several breaths, they ultimately held their peace.
Only then did Formless Pure Stream Buddha channel his divine ability. Stepping forward, he arrived at Southern Jambudvipa in a flash, standing before the dozen or so Bodhisattvas.
Seeing Formless Pure Stream Buddha suddenly appear, the flames in the True Sage Equaling Heaven's eyes flared even more fiercely. Three hundred years ago, it was this very Buddha who had pinned him beneath the mountain, depriving him of freedom for three centuries. Had Huang Tian not come to his aid, he might have been crushed far longer—a thousand years, perhaps even ten thousand.
Yet Formless Pure Stream Buddha paid little heed to the monkey's fury. In his view, the true culprit behind the monkey's ordeal was the Heavenly Dao itself. After all, the monkey was the highest-priority tribulation bearer chosen by heaven. If blame was to be cast, the first and foremost object of grievance ought to be the Heavenly Dao.
The Heavenly Dao and destiny were the true masters of all things. Unless one could break free of their grasp, then whether a Heavenly Immortal or a mighty Golden Immortal, one would still be swayed by the grand trend.
Could he not see that due to the grand trend favoring the rise of the Buddhist sect, even the venerable Dao Ancestor had taken his true body far into the chaos, simply for peace of mind?
Unless this monkey ventured into the chaos as well, so long as he remained in the Earth Immortal Realm, he would inevitably be swayed by the grand trend and walk the path ordained by fate.
As for Huang Tian, this figure who had suddenly popped out of nowhere...
Formless Pure Stream Buddha looked toward Huang Tian, who stood waiting at leisure. After a brief silence, just as the Buddha was about to speak, the True Sage Equaling Heaven had already swung his staff down! A howling gale raged, clouds overturned, and waves billowed, as if a pillar supporting heaven itself was toppling over!
Whoosh!
Formless Pure Stream Buddha did not make a move. The dozen or so Bodhisattvas behind him leaped forth simultaneously, displaying their respective techniques to engage the True Sage Equaling Heaven once more.
In the heavens, another fierce battle erupted!
Meanwhile, Huang Tian took a step into the sky, confronting Formless Pure Stream Buddha across the vast expanse.
The Buddha spoke slowly: "Heavenly Venerable Huang, on this occasion, our Western faction was indeed at fault first. Once the True Sage Equaling Heaven is suppressed anew, this poor monk will give you an explanation. I only hope that you will refrain from muddying these waters any further."
Huang Tian raised his brow slightly. Those words clearly meant they did not intend to hold him accountable for releasing the True Sage Equaling Heaven, and would even mete out punishment to Miaoyin Bodhisattva—though that punishment would likely be a mere formality. After all, she was a mighty Heavenly Immortal, carrying immense weight in any faction.
Thus, while there was sincerity, it was meager. Furthermore...
"Even if such foul deeds had not transpired, I still would have freed the True Sage Equaling Heaven today," Huang Tian said. "The kindness of guiding my Dao journey cannot be forgotten."
Formless Pure Stream Buddha understood, feeling a touch moved. For the sake of this sentiment, he was willing to clash with the most powerful faction in the current realm, even defying the grand trend of the Heavenly Dao...
"What a man of true character!" the Sovereign Emperor praised, though his expression bore a hint of regret. The Eastern Polar Emperor remained silent as well.
In Dong Shengshenzhou, Zhuanghua Superior Sage and the Dao Ancestor's avatar shook their heads incessantly, their playful interest in watching the spectacle dwindling significantly.
Across the four quarters of heaven and earth, among the many immortals, gods, and powerhouses, some voiced approval, some sneered, and some remained mute.
"If that is so, then forgive my offense." Formless Pure Stream Buddha sighed softly and pressed his palms together.
Instantly, twenty-four golden halos materialized behind him. He stepped upon a nine-grade lotus pedestal, whose petals bloomed one by one, cascading streams of auspicious light and vapors.
Then, he slowly pushed his right palm forward from his chest.
This strike seemed slow, yet was exceedingly fast. The moment the palm's momentum surged, an immeasurably vast thunderous roar echoed through the void, like hundreds of millions of primeval dragon-elephants trumpeting to the heavens in unison, or countless living beings piously praying to the Buddha across millions of years past!
Before the palm imprint, phantom mountains manifested layer upon layer—the sacred Sumeru, the holy Mount Ling!
Bearing down with crushing weight, it imparted an aura of infinite great light and great eternity! Yet hidden within that light and eternity was a profound horror!
Facing this palm, Huang Tian's expression did not waver. Sweeping his left sleeve together and shaking it out, two swirling currents of yin and yang rolled forth as the fabric billowed.
The yin was murky, the yang was luminous; the two qi chased each other head-to-tail in midair, spinning rapidly, and in the blink of an eye condensed into a bracelet.
The bracelet flew lightly through the air, colliding head-on with the Buddhist mountain!
Clang!!
With a dull, massive boom, the phantom mountain shook, then shattered into pieces, dispersing into golden motes of light. The yin-yang bracelet also dimmed, riddled with fractures, before crumbling away and slowly dissipating into the world.
A simple exchange of probes had ended in a draw. Yet this scene sent no small shock through the onlookers. Huang Tian's execution of this Yin-Yang Bracelet clearly required little effort, yet it had successfully neutralized a Buddha's strike!
Formless Pure Stream Buddha praised, "This yin-yang divine ability possesses formidable power."
With that, his expression turned solemn, and he pushed out another palm. Within his palm, a Buddhist kingdom abruptly manifested!
Within this Buddhist kingdom, the ground was paved with gold, the bricks crafted of lapis lazuli, filled with tiered jewel trees, celestial flowers drifting down, and golden lotuses welling from the earth. Phantoms of countless Bodhisattvas, Arhats, and Bhikkhus sat enthroned as their Sanskrit chanting converged into an ocean, flanked by the Eight Legions of Devas and Nagas standing guard amid swirling fragrant clouds.
This divine ability was called the Buddhist Kingdom in the Palm, virtually his strongest technique. It was the very move used to suppress the True Sage Equaling Heaven in days gone by!
Before the palm's momentum even arrived, the Dao charm that encompassed all, contained all, and suppressed all swept over. The four quarters and the boundless void were entirely locked down by the Buddha's palm—drifting clouds froze, high winds ceased, and even light seemed to congeal.
"A world in a flower, a bodhi in a leaf; this divine ability holds profound, wondrous creation."
Admiration flickered in Huang Tian's eyes, yet he did not dodge. With a single thought, an immortal robe draped over him. The sweeping cloud patterns upon the robe suddenly blazed with light, and qi of five colors—vermilion, white, azure, black, and yellow—soared into the sky from his sleeves!
The five qi converged and spiraled in midair, swiftly transforming into a magnificent five-elements canopy that spanned tens of thousands of li!
Its crest resembled clouds hanging from the sky, five colors cycling in ceaseless mutual generation. Within the canopy, clear qi ascended while murky qi sank, vaguely echoing the rotation of earth, fire, water, and wind, forging a universe of its own!
Buzz—
Carrying boundless might, the Buddhist Kingdom in the Palm crashed down upon the sky-covering canopy. A thunderous crash shook heaven and earth. The canopy trembled violently, the five-colored qi flashing erratically as if on the verge of shattering. Yet as the radiance cycled, fresh qi surged forth, stubbornly withstanding the Buddhist kingdom!
Witnessing this, an uproar erupted among the onlookers watching from afar!
"Has True Lord Huang—no, Heavenly Venerable Huang's strength reached the Golden Immortal level? Yin-yang! The five elements! Just how many divine abilities does he possess? And though this ability of his is wondrous, how could he withstand a Buddha's full-force strike using only the strength of a Heavenly Immortal?!"
"No wonder he dares challenge the West. Such strength is truly astonishing!"
"What Dao Seed did he actually forge? Is it truly the rumored 'Yang'? It doesn't seem quite like it..."
"Throughout history, those Heavenly Immortals who could hold out for a hundred rounds against a Golden Immortal numbered only one or two. Yet he remains so leisurely—could he last even longer, or perhaps hold his own without falling behind?!"
"Hiss... if he truly forces a Golden Immortal to a standstill, he will be the number-one Heavenly Immortal of all time!"
"Difficult, far too difficult! A Golden Immortal's dharmic power is nearly inexhaustible. No matter how astonishing Heavenly Venerable Huang's divine abilities are, how can he outlast Formless Pure Stream Buddha? In a prolonged battle, he is bound to lose sooner or later. A pity, truly a pity! Had he attained the Golden Immortal realm before taking action today, it would have been in time. Doing so now is far too reckless!"
Amid the chorus of shock, Formless Pure Stream Buddha felt a chill in his heart, finding it hard to believe.
Before the clash, he had guessed Huang Tian would not be weak. After all, breaking the divine mountain that suppressed the monkey meant Huang Tian could unleash power on par with a Golden Immortal. But he never expected Huang Tian could take his full-force blow head-on, and more importantly, maintain an untroubled expression, proving he still had strength to spare!
How could a Heavenly Immortal be this strong? Under the grand trend of the Heavenly Dao, how could such a figure suddenly emerge?!
While Formless Pure Stream Buddha questioned his very existence, Huang Tian was inwardly satisfied. The defensive prowess of the Calamity-Evading Immortal Robe was indeed formidable. Unless two or three Golden Immortals attacked together with full strength, none could break through its defense!
Having tested the might of the Calamity-Evading Immortal Robe, he chuckled softly. "Courtesy demands reciprocity. Now, taste my technique!"
Taking a step forward, light cascaded like a waterfall!
Behind his head, seven divine beams abruptly shot forth!
Vermilion! Yellow! Azure! White! Black!
Furthermore, there were two currents of yin and yang, dragon-like and entwined head-to-tail like a Taiji diagram, encircling the five-colored divine light!
This was none other than the Great Five Elements Yin-Yang Divine Light!
The instant the divine light appeared, it unfurled across the ten directions at an indescribable speed!
In a flash, it became a rainbow bridge stretching into the infinite distance, billions of wan li wide, illuminating the endless void!
At this moment, whether in the petty states of Dong Shengshenzhou, the towering Mount Ling of Xi Niuhezhou, the bitter frostlands of Bei Juluzhou, or the bustling mortal realm of Southern Jambudvipa, every living being needed only to raise their head to see an indescribably brilliant, magnificent seven-colored divine light spanning the uttermost limits of the heavens!
It seemed to cleave the entire vault of heaven in two!
Immortals and sages were aghast, fiends and demons trembled, and mortals fell to their knees!
Even the True Sage Equaling Heaven and the dozen-plus Bodhisattvas, who had been locked in a heated brawl, involuntarily broke off their combat, stepping aside in a daze as they stared at the divine light that filled the cosmos without limit.
"Just what... what is that—"
As countless onlookers stared dumbfounded, the boundless seven-colored divine light swept down toward Formless Pure Stream Buddha!
Formless Pure Stream Buddha's expression changed in horror. He felt his entire body sink, as if the weight of an infinite cosmos had slammed down upon him!
The five elements fell into chaos; yin and yang reversed!
The precious light of the nine-grade lotus beneath his feet flickered violently. With a muffled grunt, he staggered back two steps before regaining his footing.
The twenty-four treasure halos behind him spun wildly, showering endless golden radiance to barely withstand this single sweep!
"What a terrifying divine ability!"
His mind buzzed. Seeing the second sweep descending toward his head, he hurriedly summoned a Purple-Gold Alms Bowl.
This bowl was an eighth-rank immortal treasure of peerless defensive power, further enhanced after countless years of his nourishment.
He tossed it upward; the bowl flew into the air, expanding to the size of an acre. Its opening faced downward, cascading streams of purple radiance that shielded him firmly.
Yet when the second beam of divine light swept across and made contact with the descending purple radiance, the purple light dissolved like snow under a blazing sun. The divine light then struck the bowl itself. The Purple-Gold Alms Bowl, originally radiating immense Buddhist power, trembled violently and let out a mournful wail.
Immediately after, before Formless Pure Stream Buddha's disbelieving eyes, the acre-sized bowl shrank uncontrollably, spinning faster and faster, shrinking until it was no larger than a walnut. Then, with a whoosh, it turned into a streak of light, plunging straight into the boundless seven-colored divine light and vanishing from sight!
Having his nurtured Dharma treasure forcibly seized, his composure completely shattered. The residual force of the second sweep seized the opening, lashing viciously against his protective treasure light!
Pfft—
As though struck squarely by a divine mountain, he could no longer keep his footing. He was swept clean off the dimming nine-grade lotus pedestal, stumbling and crashing backward onto the ground!
Though he propped himself up with a hand instantly, barely maintaining a cross-legged sitting posture, he was still terribly disheveled. Since attaining Buddhahood, when had he ever suffered such humiliation?
Standing in the void, Huang Tian did not pause, nor did he speak. He simply directed a third beam of divine light toward the alarmed, fearful Formless Pure Stream Buddha, who had just managed to prop himself up!
The divine light cycled endlessly, like a peacock spreading its tail, like a vast rainbow arching across the heavens, resplendently sweeping clean the cosmos!
"No!!"
Formless Pure Stream Buddha let out a terrified cry. Churning his dharmic power, Buddhist light erupted across his body, raising a luminous barrier in a desperate final stand.
Yet before the third sweep of divine light, all resistance was futile.
The surging divine light shattered the barrier in an instant, sweeping across his physical form.
His body shuddered violently, then rippled like water, sending out ring after ring of waves. The lotus pedestal beneath his feet, the treasure halos behind him, his unified Buddhist light—all distorted and blurred within the ripples.
The ripples expanded to their limit, then violently contracted inward, receding into the vast seven-colored divine light that drew back behind Huang Tian's head.
Across heaven and earth, the boundless radiance gradually faded, and the rainbow bridge spanning the myriad directions vanished along with it.
When everyone looked toward the spot, Formless Pure Stream Buddha was nowhere to be seen. Only Huang Tian remained, standing on empty air, his sleeves fluttering, his expression entirely composed.
"So it turns out a Buddha is nothing more than this."
Chapter 202