Chapter 47: Returning to the Present World, a Great Harvest (Seeking Monthly Votes and Follow-up Reads)

Once again, an A-plus evaluation was obtained.

If it were the Jiang Yan of before, he might have worn his joy on his face, but at this moment, he was as calm as water.

It was not that he was indifferent, but that he believed the path he walked was the correct one,

and naturally, he would receive the reward he was due!

To use technical terminology, it was...

a firm Dao heart.

"Hahahaha!"

A manic laugh rang out, drawing Jiang Yan's gaze.

Shou'e looked like a mad demon, muttering, "No wonder... no wonder you were still smiling at me before you died, and didn't even resist. So, in your eyes, have I always been this foolish?"

"Clearly, we were friends at the very beginning, imagining together the creation of a beautiful new world. Why? Why did you have to walk a different path than me?"

"If I had waited until I refined you into a protective Dharma image, wouldn't you have been able to stay with me forever?"

"Is it I who changed, or you who changed?"

It spoke to itself, looking as if it had gone insane.

This was understandable.

The so-called resentment of the Monkey King was actually a Heart Ape born of fear, trapping it for thirty years.

Anyone would collapse under that.

Jiang Yan did not mock the other party. Since the mission was complete, the Lamp of Ashes shone, ready to collect the soul.

"This is..."

The King of Deceit Beasts raised its head, looking at this dreamlike candlelight. Its body shuddered as many memories surfaced in its mind.

Whether it was when that Heart Ape egg first appeared,

or when it betrayed their friendship, abandoned its original intent, and chose to incite the Heart Ape to challenge stronger demons,

or when it carved out the Heart Ape's internal organs to plate them in gold—

it had seen this firelight shine every time.

The faint firelight guided it forward.

"So that's how it is... All things are fate; not a single bit is decided by man."

Shou'e looked up at the sky, tears dripping from its eyes. Its body stopped struggling, and its claws slowly pressed together. Fear no longer filled its eyes; instead, there was a touch of peace.

It was as if, in the face of life and death, it had attained great enlightenment.

Its gaze shifted from the Lamp of Ashes to Jiang Yan, and it said softly:

"Actually, you and I are the same; we are both just birds in a cage."

Jiang Yan frowned and asked, "What do you mean?"

"The Buddha says, it cannot be spoken."

Shou'e shook its head and chuckled, "Fate is all ordained by 'Heaven.' If Heaven does not give it, even if you clench your fingers tight, it will still slip through."

"But... this poor monk hopes the benefactor can, just like today, seize that sliver of survival in this man-eating world."

As the words fell, its soul voluntarily entered the Lamp of Ashes, transforming into a white candle.

Jiang Yan’s brows were locked tight. Through the white candle, he sensed that this fellow had not lied, but had truly realized something at the end of its life.

Yet, it wouldn't speak clearly.

Riddle-makers all deserve to die!

Jiang Yan complained inwardly, tossed the corpse to the Demon God embryo, and turned to look at the remaining Deceit Beasts captured by the Shadow-Winged Snakes.

Sensing his gaze, dozens of Deceit Beasts trembled in fear.

For the sake of easy control, all the Deceit Beasts were only at the Spirit Opening realm; even those who luckily broke through would be eaten by it.

Over these years in the illusion, they had constantly extracted their own flesh and blood to form blood peaches. Although they ate them back, there was inevitably some loss.

Therefore, they all looked somewhat sallow and emaciated.

"So skinny, it’s actually suitable for making cold-eaten rabbit meat." Jiang Yan touched his chin, lost in thought.

A single sentence scared them into shivering, nearly fainting on the spot.

As for Xiaobai, she remained in human form, sitting on the ground with her arms hugging her knees, her gaze dull, indifferent to everything in the outside world.

It seemed she did not care about life or death.

The next second,

a large number of Deceit Beasts were tossed in front of her by the Shadow-Winged Snakes, kicking up dust that filled the sky, their wails constant.

She slowly raised her head and looked at Jiang Yan, her gaze filled with confusion.

She did not understand what he was doing.

Shouldn't he be taking revenge on her?

"Let these serve as repayment for the favor of that bottle of Blood Qi Pills."

Jiang Yan turned around with a flourish, waved his hand, and said faintly:

"Are the things we lose not just a manifestation?"

"If you see that the appearance is not the appearance, you see the Tathagata."

"When the time comes, Xiaohei will naturally return."

As the voice faded,

endless dust of history submerged him, and Jiang Yan left this domain of sickness.

"Great, we are saved!"

"Thanks to you, Xiaobai!"

"I never thought we could survive in the hands of such a terrifying guy; we are truly lucky!"

"Our luck is just too good!"

The many Deceit Beasts rejoiced endlessly. Not only had they survived a catastrophe, but they were also rid of the "King" that had exploited them—it was a double blessing.

Seeing this scene, Xiaobai’s four ears twitched slightly, and she revealed a heartfelt smile:

"The luck is indeed not bad; you were left behind specifically to help me complete the path of the lie."

"What do you mean?"

The Deceit Beasts were still in a state of revelry and asked casually, not paying much mind.

However, the next second...

Countless peach wood roots surged over, piercing through their bodies and dragging them into the skull of the Heart Ape’s remains, instantly melting them into blood to irrigate it.

In the eye sockets of the skull, which had already been extinguished, a wisp of gray flame ignited.

Rumble!

The massive Heart Ape remains slowly stood up, shaking off countless sand and dust, turning into a sky full of smoke.

Its six arms formed the Dhyana Mudra, the Lotus Mudra, and other Dharma seals. Among them, the Sanshan Seal pointed toward itself, and its previously empty abdomen actually grew internal organs out of thin air.

"Roar!"

Accompanied by a roar, the six-armed Heart Ape erupted with vast spiritual energy, shaking all directions.

Xiaobai stood on top of the Heart Ape’s head, her dress fluttering, her face becoming increasingly holy and beautiful, as she murmured:

"Xiaohei is my Heart Ape, and I... am I not the inner demon of the Heart Ape?"

"To condense the [Calamity Heart Bodhi Rebellious Heaven Demon Old Scripture], one must stage a grand drama of dying after being betrayed by a close friend, shaping a prison of the heart."

Using good and evil as materials and the human heart as a furnace, one can complete the ritual of the heart being reborn from death.

It should have been irrigated with the flesh and blood of the King of Deceit Beasts at the end, but ordinary Deceit Beasts were fine too. The successful birth of a second-grade Old Scripture and the condensation of a seed of divine ability gave a glimmer of possibility to peek at the fruit of great divine ability."

"At the second grade, one can already reverse reality and illusion; I wonder what kind of power the legendary first-grade Old Scripture would have?"

Xiaobai spoke to herself. The reason she had been dazed was simply because she was digesting her past memories.

Although the Heart Ape died, it had used Shou'e’s inner heart to gestate a new Heart Ape of the inner demon.

Which was herself!

The Bodhi Heart Ape and the inner demon ape fused, successfully shedding its old self and being reborn,

reaching a higher level.

"A lie is the mask of the heart; only with it can one refine the false into the true!"

She whispered softly and glanced behind her.

Xiaohei, with long hair flowing and wearing a black dress, smiled sweetly and said:

"Big sister, you've returned!"

"It was all thanks to one person."

Xiaobai smiled slightly, looking in the direction Jiang Yan had left. Recalling the words he had said to her, a blush rose to her cheeks, and her heart beat faster.

Her eyes were filled with a morbid possessiveness.

She whispered softly: "Sima Luoshui, we will meet again."

A man with such a perfect heart should belong to her.

And she had given her heart to him as well.

In the physical sense.

"The Old Scripture is complete; it is time to return to the Buddha Realm!"

The six-armed Heart Ape remains formed a seal.

Hum!

Countless illusory threads intertwined, transforming into a mysterious talisman as dreamlike as a bubble.

From within it emerged an illusory bronze lamp, its golden flame burning and swaying slightly, yet it was more brilliant than the sun.

Its light illuminated the entire domain!

Rumble!

The Sickness Domain trembled, the earth shaking and mountains swaying.

If someone were to look down from above the long river of history, they would discover...

The entire Sickness Domain was like something being dragged by invisible threads, continuously sinking into the deeper layers of the past at an extremely rapid speed.

Seeking monthly tickets, follow-up reads, and recommendation tickets!

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(End of this chapter)