Chapter 492: Lord Haotian

Report error: background size a24a default

Seven-colored light specks fell gently, more splendid than auroras, warm as afternoon sun.

"I feel my body brimming with power." On Xiao Yan's five fingers, each appeared a strange flame; the power of the Burn Decree had increased a thousandfold or more, and the strength surging within him seemed endless, unceasing.

The battlefield no longer felt cold, even amid the River of the Netherworld, where countless laws were entangled—the chaos dissipated, depleted power was replenished, and he even comprehended myriad Great Dao principles!

The Nine Cauldrons trembled again, shaking the cosmos; all beings saw the figures of great divine beings shatter, and the seven-colored light in heaven and earth grew even denser.

The celestial deities and immortal spirits of the native heavenly court, the demonic cultivators of the beast clans, their eyes filled with tidal waves of grief—even they no longer wished to contemplate the Dao they had just grasped.

It was each great divine being extinguishing their final true spirit, activating the Nine Cauldrons to protect them, even granting them this unparalleled, epoch-shaking opportunity!

The Great Dao thundered, millennia of cultivation condensed, offering merit and virtue to those who sacrificed themselves to slay demons.

Whether one cultivated Buddhism, Dao, demon, or beast, the myriad voices of the Dao surpassed any beautiful melody; everyone bore signs of enlightenment.

The cost was too heavy—if possible, they would rather have forfeited this opportunity.

"Kill!"

Killing intent raged wildly, all things extinguished; qi radiated across heaven and earth, all grudges discarded—now, they wished only to defend this world with their lives.

"Your Majesty," Tai Bai Taibai Jinxing clutched the ancient book, its temporal ripples gone; the accounts of the Tian Di's countless eons of experiences vanished rapidly, page after page, until blank.

He turned his gaze to Shi Hao, and saw that at the center of his position, the laws of heaven and earth trembled, stars shook in unison, nine times in succession.

Then came cataclysmic changes: the Three Calamities and Five Trials, the four great cycles of Formation, Duration, Decay, and Emptiness alternating; time and space churned into chaos—as if the path ahead of him was so contrary to heaven's will that heaven itself descended judgment.

Shi Hao's entire body withered instantly; his essence and divine power were extracted and fused with the calamities into streams of karmic fire; he burned within the red lotus karmic flames, yet his aura showed not the slightest sign of collapse.

The old body forged the spirit; karmic fire cast the soul.

The next instant, accompanied by clear, radiant light, an ancient, immortal aura emanated from Shi Hao; the sense of completion, calamity ended and trial passed, surged from him.

The immortal, indestructible Dao principle shattered his withered, black skin—BANG!

Void shattered, time and space plunged into chaos.

Shi Hao vanished entirely, reduced to a million drifting ashes!

Body perished, Dao extinguished—failure to breakthrough?

A thread of clear light pierced the darkness, fleeting as a meteor across the sky.

Purple light streamed, golden lotuses sprouted from earth, phoenixes danced, true dragons soared, kunpeng struck waves, and a demonic monkey roared, kicking away Wuzhiqi below and sprinting toward the heavens.

These utterly real prodigies were symbols of a divine art; they converged, merged in chaos, until Shi Hao's form reappeared, standing firm in the void.

"I've received the baptism of this world," Shi Hao's expression was complex; he sensed who had aided him.

Supreme?

For some reason, he now felt he could sever a Supreme's head with a single glance.

The Dao within him was different—this was good; it seemed a new direction had emerged.

He gazed at the ancient book in Tai Bai Taibai Jinxing's hands and gave a slight nod.

Jin Chida and the White Elephant Spirit, seeking survival, accepted the Zhihe, transforming into ominous shadowy forms undergoing astonishing metamorphosis within.

"Hope it's still edible," Shi Hao gripped the Great Luo Sword Embryo and charged toward the two nearest shadowy figures!

Was this, in the final moment, a karmic bond formed for the sake of this world's beings?

Though Tai Bai Taibai Jinxing understood the Tian Di's intentions, his eyes held weariness, a sense of helplessness.

'In the end, we were simply too inept.'

He clutched the ancient book, walking unsteadily, yet the geng metal qi of heaven and earth grew ever more terrifying.

White crane, frost-white robes; frost sword awakens dawn; dust whisk transforms into sword; a great river rushes from beyond heaven—all felt a chilling, autumnal aura of slaughter.

"Tai Bai…"

A hand seized Tai Bai Taibai Jinxing's shoulder, halting his resolute expression.

He turned his head and saw the 'foreign Tian Di' gripping him tightly, his face showing unmistakable panic.

Su Lin pointed at himself, voice trembling: "Help me convince him! You two are close, right?!"

"Your Majesty," in a daze, the figure before him overlapped—"convince whom?"

BOOM—BOOM—BOOM!

Far above, gray mist seemed to spread endlessly.

A swordsman whose face matched Hu Ge exactly appeared amid the resurrected Lion-Camel Ridge squad; he glanced this way, then turned and ran into history without looking back.

His speed was so great that an ordinary-looking man reached out and grasped nothing but air.

"Brother, are you awake?" Su Lin, within his own mind, gazed at the solemn imperial figure ahead, bathed in clear, serene light, radiating an aura that dominated the age, and said:

"No matter what you intend to do, I am not Lord Haotian, nor am I the Tian Di!"

Lord Haotian's will came: "I know. You carry the belief in 'Lord Haotian,' and some shared Dao."

Belief? Probably something created by modern times or movies.

"Good." Su Lin exhaled in relief.

He'd developed a stress-induced psychological barrier from someone's stupid mouth—how could he have feared such a thing?

Today, he wanted to be the master of the Dao sect—of the kind that hires extras for a day and wraps filming the next.

In short: bloom like summer flowers in splendor, look stunning, then walk away without a backward glance.

"So, what do you want? Thanks aren't needed—it's an equal exchange."

"But you can be Lord Haotian."

Oh God, what had he just heard?

Hahaha

Su Lin smiled, pointing at Shi Hao, then at Ye Fan near Jiang Taixu and Zhongli:

"See that handsome guy over there? He shares your name—also called Haotian."

"What about that young man over there who looks friendly but is full of scheming? Both of them are Hun Tian Di—go find them!"

As he spoke, he remembered something else, lifting the bewildered Meng Qi in his hand and muttering to himself:

"Lord Haotian—right, the Three Pure Ones I'm holding—have you seen them? This kid looks like the Three Pure Ones, but he's also a reincarnation of Lord Haotian! Though Lord Haotian reincarnated as Anan, Anan split off him, and then he became Yuanshi."

This time it was Lord Haotian's turn to fall silent. After a long while, he spoke: "In that other world, are relationships really this tangled?"

About that. Even more tangled than modern entertainment circles.

"So you understand now?" Su Lin crossed his arms and said. "While there's still time, pick someone else. Look at this guy I've got—he doesn't mind adding a completely different company as a subsidiary."

"I've already severed my past life," Meng Qi said over his shoulder. His eyelid twitched; he felt Su Lin's aura had grown increasingly strange.

Sometimes vibrant and ancient, sometimes radiating dominion over all eight directions; the surrounding time flowed like water, rippling with the sorrow of a billion years.

Su Lin glared at him coldly: "Shut up, unruly disciple."

I am different—I only need to manifest divine glory before others.

In another three or five years, once you've completed the mandatory Creation course and go straight into a Ph. D., after advanced study you can directly walk the path of the Creator—open heaven and earth, become Hun Tian Di or Dao Zu.

Why take on a job with a service term and fixed tenure?

Lord Haotian suddenly said: "The original candidate was indeed someone else, but now it seems you are more suitable."

Ruling over a million, billions of sentient beings—his desires are few, yet not nonexistent.

"If you were truly the Buddha or someone from the Buddhist sect, I wouldn't have come to you."

Su Lin blinked, then said: "What?"

"It's yours," Lord Haotian smiled, suddenly becoming ethereal and distant, turning away and leaving behind a verse echoing in Su Lin's mind:

Report error submitted

Report error background size a24a default

"Originally, Dao led the Three Teachings—how could they sit as equals with equal fame?"

Wait for you to think it over again?!

Su Lin's heart leapt as unimaginable Dao rhythm flowed into his body, becoming part of his Immortal Dao—yet he had no time even to feel joy.

Faint yet clear memories flashed before him, as if watching a film, while the Hun Tian Di's figure grew ever more blurred.

Damn! Brother, wait!

At that moment, Su Lin shook Tai Bai Taibai Jinxing hard: "Tai Bai, stop pretending ignorance! Convince him!"

"Your Majesty, who exactly am I supposed to convince?" Tai Bai Taibai Jinxing now noticed—the cold, profound eyes were so eerily similar.

In His eyes, all things were identical. He simply watched quietly as heaven, earth, and all beings followed their natural course—possessing His own will, yet as if Heaven itself had gained personality.

Why hadn't I noticed sooner?

At this moment, that familiar aura reappeared on Su Lin—natural, yet transcending nature, as if he ruled heaven, earth, and the cosmos.

"Of course! Zhen Yuanzi could be reborn from death—so too can Your Majesty!" Tai Bai Taibai Jinxing recalled the matter of Zhen Yuanzi and became wildly excited:

"This is perfect! This is perfect!"

Compared to Zhen Yuanzi's situation, this one is better than could be imagined.

Su Lin's eyes gradually grew vacant, and at that moment, three graceful figures stepped out from the portal he maintained.

"Another simulation of the universe? So annoying," said the gray-haired girl, looking sleep-deprived. "I'm going to play Ether Front."

Huiye of Penglai Mountain smiled sweetly: "Isn't playing Journey to the West Divine Realm just as good?"

"How did your hair grow back?" Yi Leina glanced at Su Lin's head and sighed, putting down her phone. "Actually, the bald look was fine too."

"Fine? It was fine," Su Lin murmured blankly.

I should've just gone to the Western Heaven and become the Buddha during my probationary period.

Meng Qi thought for a moment, shook off Su Lin's grip on the back of his collar, and said: "We're now blood brothers with different fathers and mothers. How about we find Shi Hao someday and swear brotherhood in the Peach Garden of Immortality?"

"Didn't you say you severed your past?!" Su Lin stared into Meng Qi's eyes.

Meng Qi shrugged: "Simple—I just kill Anan."

So-called flexible employment.

"What's going on?" Yi Leina asked, puzzled.

"Your Majesty, I'm off to fight the enemy!" Tai Bai Taibai Jinxing bowed respectfully, swept his sleeve, drew his sword, and departed. He immediately transmitted his voice to all Immortals and Gods, his emotions uncontrollable:

"Hun Tian Di has completed his tribulation, returned to his origin, and been reborn across countless worlds! We, the Hao Tian, are here! All Immortals, follow me and exterminate the demons!!!"

In an instant, the battlefield erupted. Demon cultivators widened their eyes and turned to look at Su Lin; the heavenly soldiers, generals, and star constellations were all wildly excited.

Morale across the entire field surged by another third!

Swords flashed through the air; Tai Bai Taibai Jinxing instantly reached near Shi Hao's position. A river of sword qi descended from heaven, swallowing the dark shadows spreading from the White Elephant Spirit.

Yi Leina: "…"

Xing looked at Su Lin and asked: "Is that old man a cultivator from Song Shuhang's world? Is he talking about movie lore?"

Su Lin lowered his head slightly, fell silent for a moment, then looked up and asked: "What do you think?"

"It must be," Yi Leina's eyes were equally vacant. She nodded, then turned away with a puzzled expression: "I haven't been home in a long time—I'll go back for a visit."

She looked half-asleep, occasionally tapping her head and slapping her ears.

"Aren't you going after her? In TV dramas, you always chase after her at this point," Xing asked Su Lin.

"For the next three months, you'll only be allowed to watch SpongeBob on the kids' channel."

Su Lin lifted the Tianqing Yu Xu Sword and, amid the gaze of his followers and heroic spirits—who clearly thought, "This is a documentary"—weaved his way slowly across the battlefield.

After failing to find the person he sought, he finally turned his gaze toward Hei Erba.

"Sanzang, you may proceed."

"He says you may proceed."

Tang Sanzang gazed at the hundred thousand illusions re-created by Poxun—everywhere was a heavenly net and earth trap, far more chaotic than Sun Wukong's rebellion in Heaven. From within his cassock, he withdrew a tiny pendant and placed it in his palm.

"For the deceased, this is an irreplaceable treasure—thank you, Buddha Venerable, for bestowing it."

He said that if all else fails, one may use this item—it might turn the tide of battle—but if possible, one should strive on one's own and not waste his treasure.

The Foolish Game of the God of Luck: an alchemical creation observed by the God of Luck, granting ultimate good fortune for four seconds—capable of altering reality, disrupting cause and effect, twisting time, and defying logic.

The cost, of course, is the misfortune of soul dispersal and spirit dissolution.

But they were merely a collection of memories to begin with—so there was no real cost.

"Amitabha."

The red gem on the pendant suddenly blazed with blinding light; above the heavens, where Tang Sanzang stood, a malevolent crimson star appeared as if newly born.

Crack—

The first second the necklace shattered

Haelbak, exerting too much force, summoned a River of the Underworld that flooded into an unclaimed Netherworld; he attempted to seize the secrets of the Six Realms of Rebirth, but due to his current state of utter madness, he forgot that the Eighteen Levels of Hell cannot hold ghosts.

The great vow—"I shall not attain Buddhahood until Hell is empty"—activated once more.

The relic of the Earth Store Bodhisattva fused into Posun's body instantly developed a flaw; the connection between it and the Buddha's remains abruptly severed.

"What?!"

A million heavenly soldiers and ten thousand demonic clans collapsed as they could no longer sustain His-Own-Desire Heaven.

The second second the necklace shattered

Posun felt immense pressure—the targeting by the Nine Cauldrons exposed flaws in his incomplete Buddha form; a thread of desire oozed from the rupture at his third eye.

Accumulated merit over countless eons, seized at the opportune moment, clung and wrapped around the trio of Sun Wukong's dragon and rushed down on Sun Wukong's Cloud Somersault to his face, dragging him away.

He was about to use the Buddha Palm in a flash of lightning to suppress them, but a vision suddenly surfaced in his mind.

【It was the Sage and the Great Divine Ones lost in Chaos, their state at its worst, amid countless malicious calls and malicious messages, when the Buddha spoke: "Posun and I share immense karmic ties. When I enter Nirvana, Posun will follow the connection to replace me. Hun Tian Di, Posun has saved you. Henceforth, grant him the Earth Store Bodhisattva's relic to complete him. Amitabha."】

The Niu Mowang once said: "When the Dharma declines, I am where the Buddha is."

The Buddha responded: "When the Dharma declines, if you are not here, I am."

【The Buddha simultaneously thought: "I long foresaw this day—this fool Posun could serve as my Buddhist back-up plan. When he is fully complete, he will no longer be able to tell whether he is the Buddha or the Sixth Heaven's Demon King."】

"His-Own-Desire Heaven. His-Own-Infinite Buddhas."

"Buddha, you damn it! #! #"

The third second the necklace shattered

Under all these factors, the Buddha Palm failed to suppress Tang Sanzang's party; instead, it propelled them onward toward the Sky's Wound.

Gazing at the grotesque, terrifying beings—strange entities that seemed both "information" and physical—Tang Sanzang said: "Sun Wukong, why does that monkey look as ugly as you?"

"Bald monk, I've had enough of you!!!"

With Mount Sumeru as its anchor, the supreme array—planted since ancient times and never ceasing for a moment—activated instantly, fueled by boundless merit and fortune.

Formless, colorless, without substance, the ocean of merit and fortune accumulated by all beings of this world through countless trials coalesced into a storm that pierced heaven and earth, roaring through the Three Realms, converging upon Tang Sanzang's body.

The fourth second the necklace shattered

Sun Wukong held his staff in mid-swing; Tang Sanzang's party vanished into the Sky's Wound.

Boundless merit and fortune, the remaining piece of Nüwa's patching stone, the five elements—metal, wood, water, fire, earth—all present—the Sky's Wound slowly healed; an invisible barrier emerged beyond the universe, forming in accordance with cosmic motion.

Thus, the heavens were no longer broken.

The Western Pilgrimage is complete and perfected.