Chapter 384: The true meaning of teaching according to aptitude, the lesson is complete!

Not bad.

The Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, the hearts and minds of countless billions of beings, remained immersed in that silent debate on the Dao.

The grand spectacle of the Great Dao colliding did not occur.

There were no heavenly flowers falling, nor golden lotuses springing from the earth.

Yet, all the mighty who witnessed this scene felt their hearts grow heavier, even sensing a chill rising from deep within their souls.

This does not indicate the decline of the Buddhist Gate.

Quite the opposite.

This is an indescribable, even incomprehensible pinnacle.

A radiance that shines through the ages, a terrifying foundation transcending comprehension.

The lower bound of the Buddhist Gate has already been raised to a despair-inducing level.

Dizang, a peak quasi-saint standing tall, is only a step away from the supreme saintly position.

He, moreover, lacks the qualification to debate the Dao face‑to‑face with Chen Ku.

Merely listening in already yields boundless gain.

What's more terrifying is that, under Chen Ku's instruction, the growth space for every disciple of the Buddhist Gate seems to have expanded without limit.

Just thinking of Dizang and Mile, those already stunning talents, one day soaring to the heavens……

That image, merely sketched in the mind, is enough to keep the master of any saintly lineage tossing and turning.

What supreme loftiness will the Buddhist Gate possess then?

Even if the Three Pure Ones joined forces, they would have to retreat three leagues.

……

On Mount Sumeru.

The golden Buddha light is gentle, yet it harbors supreme dignity.

Regarding the awe and speculation of the beings below, Chen Ku's divine sense was as clear as observing fire, perfectly known to him, yet he paid it no heed.

His heart and mind remained with his junior disciples.

After instructing Mile, young Chen Ku's eyes, filled with endless wisdom, slowly swept over Mile and Dashizhi.

Their hearts and minds instantly tensed.

"Again…"

Young Chen Ku's voice was unhurried, yet it carried an invisible pressure that made the surrounding laws congeal.

"If Master Jieyin, Uncle Zhunti, and even Daoist Friend Hongyun are all in critical seclusion and cannot be disturbed,"

"Just at this moment, a powerful external enemy arrives, its momentum overwhelming, invading our Mount Sumeru."

"Mile, Dashizhi."

His gaze suddenly sharpened, as if piercing spacetime, placing a vivid future crisis before the two.

"What will you two do?!"

As his words fell, Mile and Dashizhi exchanged a glance.

The muscles on both their faces involuntarily twitched violently.

What a fine comrade!

Senior Brother Chen Ku…… you really dare to assume such a thing!

Master, Uncle, and Senior Hongyun are all in seclusion?

And an external enemy is invading Mount Sumeru?

Scanning the entire Wilderness, who now, bored out of their wits, would dare to provoke the Buddhist Gate's misfortune?

Even those lofty Three Pure Ones saints probably lack the gall for this!

The two cursed wildly in their hearts, yet dared not show a trace on their faces.

Awe and gravity appeared; they immediately fell into deep contemplation, weighing each word carefully.

The air grew heavy.

After a moment, Dashizhi spoke first, his voice steady and resonant like metal and stone.

"Reporting, Senior Brother, since they dare to invade Mount Sumeru now, their strength must be extraordinary."

"Among their ranks, there is at least one saint‑level combatant, perhaps… more than one."

"Such might is already far beyond our ability to meet head‑on."

Young Chen Ku showed a faint smile and gave a slight nod.

Not bad.

I never specified the enemy's exact strength, yet Dashizhi could precisely infer their tier from the premise of "daring to invade."

This shows that my earlier emphasis on the steady path—think thrice before acting—has been thoroughly etched into his Dao heart.

As Dashizhi's words ended, Mile beside him immediately added.

His usual smiling face was now full of solemnity.

"Not bad!"

"If we truly face such a sect‑ending peril, we must make defending the mountain gate our top priority."

"In an instant, we must activate all the Buddhist Gate's innate mountain‑protecting formations, layer upon layer, without regard for loss, pushing the defense to its utmost."

"At the same time, using the highest‑level secret art, we summon Master, Uncle, and Senior Hongyun to leave seclusion immediately and jointly resist the external enemy!"

Their answer was flawless.

It can be called a model answer.

This time, young Chen Ku nodded again, the satisfaction in his eyes growing deeper.

Although it is merely a summary based on past experience, without many striking highlights, but also no mistakes can be found.

In the face of a sudden crisis, being able to do this already surpasses 99% of the beings of the Primordial Wilderness.

Dizang, Mile, and Dashizhi—these three junior brothers indeed possess extraordinary talent and comprehension.

For them, many principles need not be broken down and explained; a slight hint is enough for them to comprehend on their own.

Thinking this, Xiao Chen Ku understood clearly in his heart.

This lesson should now come to an end.

However, just as he was about to announce the end.

Xiao Chen Ku's expression twitched slightly.

His gaze seemed to pierce layer after layer of space, passing countless Buddhist disciples, and fell toward a certain direction at the foot of Mount Sumeru.

There, countless figures gathered into a boundless sea that stretched beyond sight.

Countless gazes, likewise filled with awe and reverence, stared unblinking at the scene atop the peak.

That was no stranger.

Exactly those he once brought back from the eastern lands, now having proliferated in the west to number in the hundreds of millions—

Humanity.

Xiao Chen Ku first blinked in surprise, then a helpless smile quietly appeared on his face.

Indeed.

I had actually overlooked them.

How could a lesson tailored to aptitude leave out humanity?

Know that the human race's beings are endless; the fortune and merit formed from their gathering are like a vast abyss, constantly nourishing the Buddhist Sect and fortifying its foundation.

For the Buddhist Sect, this is likewise an immeasurable vast foundation.

The instruction of humanity must not be relaxed.

Having reached this thought, Xiao Chen Ku hesitated no further.

His wide sleeves merely flicked slightly.

In an instant, the Dao patterns and legal order intertwined, forming a gentle yet irresistible mighty force that rolled forth and precisely fell into the midst of the countless humans.

The mighty force coiled.

In the blink of an eye, two figures were lifted by an invisible force, flew out from the crowd, crossed the long mountain path, and finally landed lightly before Xiao Chen Ku.

These two are precisely the ancient sages and forefathers of the western humanity.

Tao Clan, Lun Clan.

Their status is no different from that of the three ancestors of eastern humanity.

Speaking of the two, Tao Clan and Lun Clan.

They were just like other clansfolk, harboring the mindset of wanting to see immortals and watch the excitement, gazing up at the lofty discussions atop the peak.

Who would have thought that, while eating this melon, they would end up eating themselves!

The two only felt their vision blur, the surroundings shifting, and in the next moment they stood in the legendary Buddhist Holy Land, facing the mythic senior Chen Ku.

Their minds went blank.

Extreme shock and panic instantly overwhelmed their hearts and minds.

The two had no time to think; their bodies instinctively reacted, they knelt heavily on the ground, bowing deeply.

"Humanity Tao Clan (Lun Clan), I pay my respects to Senior Chen Ku!"

Their voices trembled, yet were filled with reverence from the depths of their hearts.

Xiao Chen Ku's gaze fell upon them, dignified yet peaceful.

"Tao Clan, Lun Clan, as the ancient sages of western humanity, you bear the mission of ensuring humanity's continuation."

"Let me ask you."

His voice paused, and a murderous aura spread without warning.

"In the past, the Demon Race forged the Slaughter Witch Sword, sacrificing the eastern countless humans in blood."

"Such a cataclysmic disaster, if it were to befall western humanity—"

"What should you do?!"

Xiao Chen Ku's words rang out like a thunderclap from the nine heavens.

Tao Clan and Lun Clan were struck as if by lightning, their bodies shaking violently, faces drained of color.

Not far behind them,

The Buddhist disciples who had just been struck, their palms still faintly aching, first stared in surprise, then their eyes all showed a keen interest.

Here it comes!

Finally, it has come!

The ruler named the Primordial Chaos Heaven-Measuring Ruler finally hung above humanity's heads!

This time, there really is a good show to watch.

The entire venue fell silent.

All gazes—whether mocking, sympathetic, or worried—focused on the two frail humans.

In the eyes of those extraordinary, deeply rooted Buddhist disciples, the two words "humanity" themselves signify weakness.

Weak cultivation.

Mixed foundations.

Mediocre talent.

This is an ironclad law etched into the bloodline, a self-evident truth of heaven and earth.

Chen Ku senior brother's question is profound and unfathomable, directly pointing to the heart of the Great Dao.

Even the mighty Golden-winged Great Peng, whose strides look down on the three realms, suffered a great loss under that ruler.

What kind of answer could the Tao and Lun clans possibly give?

Everyone already had a conclusion in their hearts.

A foolish answer, or rather, a worldly answer.

Then the ruler fell.

This time, the two clans' feeble bones and weak foundations will surely endure more blows from the ruler than the Golden-winged Great Peng did, and their fate will be even more miserable.

Inside the hall, even the air's flow seemed to slow.

All that was left was to wait for that crisp sound to confirm everyone's expectations.

Who would have known.

Upon hearing this, the Tao and Lun clans showed no trace of the panic and bewilderment everyone expected on their faces.

They merely glanced at each other, a fleeting hint of contemplation passing between their brows.

That contemplation was not a painful probing of the Great Dao's profound principles, but rather like confirming a fact already deeply familiar to them.

Afterwards, Tao stepped forward, Lun followed closely behind, and the two spoke almost in unison, their tone without the slightest hesitation.

"We human beings all rely on the Buddha's protection to remain safe to this day."

Their voices were calm, without a trace of fervor, merely stating a most basic fact.

"If we encounter such a crisis, what can we do with our powerless hands?"

"Naturally, we would first summon our master, grandmaster, and others to manifest their sagacity and protect our clan completely."

The words fell.

Not a ripple was stirred.

The entire hall sank into an even more eerie silence.

Master? Grandmaster?

Everyone was first stunned, then reacted.

In the past, Chen Ku senior had looked upon the human race with another eye; the Western Two Sages' Zhunti had also symbolically admitted these Tao and Lun clans into his door.

Their so-called master and grandmaster refer precisely to those two sages, Zhunti and Jieyin!

Is this the answer?

Is it really this simple?!

Asking for help?!

Inside the hall, a disciple's mouth corner began to twitch uncontrollably upward, barely suppressing laughter from bursting out his throat.

What kind of answer is this?

This is a child's trick! It's the babbling of the weak!

Judging by everyone's speculation of Chen Ku senior's style, such a nearly rascal answer is practically a provocation to the test's authority!

However.

Just as everyone awaited the show, awaiting the ruler to rise again,

their expressions froze.

Only seen, the young Chen Ku on the high seat, his face as still as an ancient well, actually gradually broke into a hint of a smile.

He nodded approvingly at the two people whom everyone considered utterly foolish.

"Not bad, not bad!"

These two words, like a thunderclap, exploded in everyone's hearts.

"Knowing you cannot prevail, seeking help in time—this is assessing the situation, this is great wisdom."

"Your minds are clear, your handling rational, not rashly acting on momentary courage—very good."

This time, it was not mere acknowledgment.

It was praise!

It was an unreserved, heartfelt acclaim!

Upon hearing this, the muscles on everyone's faces froze completely.

Their minds went blank.

Really… can it be?!

Just like that, easily passing the test?!

The Golden-winged Great Peng unconsciously glanced at his own faintly aching palm; his golden pupils filled with incomprehension and shock.

I painstakingly pondered, cited scriptures, and all I got was a beating from the ruler.

These two humans, with a single sentence "I can't beat them, call my parents," received the senior's nod of approval?

This…

On what basis?!

What makes everyone feel even more absurd is that they suddenly realized a fact.

From the start of the test to now, the Tao and Lun clans, whose cultivation is the weakest and foundations the shallowest, are actually the only two in the whole venue who have received no punishment at all!

What is this?

Numb!

An indescribable feeling of suffocation surged from the bottom of every punished disciple's heart, instantly rushing to the crown of their heads.

Completely numb!

Then what about my own painstaking efforts, my bitter contemplation, and the ruler's beating I endured—what does that amount to?

Could it be that our comprehension is truly inferior to even these two ordinary humans?!

Once this thought arose, it gnawed at their pride like a venomous snake.

But soon, someone turned the corner.

In an instant, that feeling of stifled resentment transformed into a deeper sense of helplessness.

They realized.

It wasn't that their comprehension was lacking.

Quite the opposite—it was that they… were too strong.

It was precisely because humanity was feeble, weak to the point of having no room for even the slightest resistance, that left them with no extra choice at all.

Let alone a catastrophe like the Slaughter Witch Sword, which could destroy heaven and earth.

Even if just a random Great Luo Golden Immortal provoked them, the entire human race would face annihilation.

Before an absolute, insurmountable gap in strength, any struggle, any scheme, any bloody courage appeared pale and laughable.

Thinking this way, aside from seeking aid from the sage behind them, does humanity have any other path?

No.

Absolutely none.

Upon reaching this thought, everyone's faces darkened like the bottom of a pot.

So we lose because our strength is too great and we think too much?!

This conclusion is more painful than being struck across the face with a ruler.

More importantly, amidst this deathly silence, a low muttering tinged with a bit of smugness and relief drifted clearly over.

It was that Tao Shi.

He was muttering to Lun Shi in a voice he thought was very low.

"Hehe… I just said, Senior Chen Ku is still quite kind."

"Such a problem—what difficulty could there be?"

Upon saying that.

Buzz!

Everyone felt their brains jolt violently.

Gazes turned sharp as knives in an instant, all pointing at the two smug humans.

Kill them!

And exterminate their hearts!

This is outright killing and heart-extermination!

"Pfft——"

Disciples with slightly weaker composure failed to catch their breath, nearly spitting out a mouthful of reverse blood on the spot.

Everyone's chests heaved violently; they simply turned their heads away, out of sight, out of mind.

If they kept watching, they feared their Dao hearts would shatter on the spot.

At that moment, when the hall's atmosphere had become eerily extreme.

The young Chen Ku on the high seat, however, did not continue asking questions.

His gaze, calm and profound, slowly swept over Dizang, Mile, Dashizhi, and then the two still-smug Tao Shi and Lun Shi.

Everyone his gaze fell upon felt a sudden, inexplicable palpitation.

As if their innermost selves had been laid bare.

Afterward, he spoke again, his voice deep and echoing, as if descending from the ninth heaven or resonating within each person's heart.

"You may be wondering why my demands for you all differ."

"One could even say that the level of those demands varies as well."

Upon those words, everyone's attention—including that of the disciples who were sulking—was instantly drawn in.

All gazes once again converged upon that figure.

This is not only the doubt of Dizang and the others.

It is also a shared confusion among everyone present.

Only the young Chen Ku's voice continued to sound, unhurried yet each word a pearl.

"You six are different from the other disciples!"

"Therefore, my demands for you are also different."

"Ordinary Buddhist disciples now need only devote themselves to Buddhist practice, listen to expositions of the Great Dao, and strengthen themselves—that is enough."

"But you few…"

His voice paused, each word carrying an inexplicable weight.

"You have already stepped onto your own paths, each bearing different missions and responsibilities."

"Thus, you must also bear more than ordinary disciples."

These words, like the evening drum and morning bell, left most of the disciples in the hall half-understanding, lost in a haze.

However.

In a corner of the crowd, the perpetually silent Kong Xuan, whose eyes flowed with five-colored divine light, suddenly burst forth with an unprecedented brilliance!

Boom!

In his mind, it seemed as if billions of thunderbolts detonated simultaneously!

All previous speculations and hypotheses were thoroughly confirmed at this moment!

Indeed!

Indeed so!

Everything Senior Chen Ku did seemed casual, but actually contained the utmost profound truth.

This is teaching according to aptitude!

No!

This is far grander and its reach is hundreds of millions of times deeper than ordinary teaching according to aptitude!

He is not teaching specific techniques or divine abilities.

He is instead, based on each person's distinct identity, background, heavenly mandate, and even personality, crafting a unique path of cultivation perfectly suited to them, and a means to cope with future boundless calamities!

The Golden-winged Great Peng is arrogant; thus his arrogance is subdued, teaching him reverence.

Dizang has great vows; thus he is asked about the suffering of hell to strengthen his resolve.

Mile smiles at the future; thus he is asked about past causes to clarify his fundamentals.

Humans are weak; thus they are taught to know what to take or discard, and to understand seeking aid.

……

Countless threads intertwined in Kong Xuan's mind, forming an incomparably grand and vast blueprint.

Given time, once these disciples have all grown up.

The future Buddhist Gate will no longer be a mere transmission of a single doctrine.

That will be truly, myriad ways shining forth, a hundred schools contending!

Every Buddha and every Bodhisattva will be the pioneer and ultimate achiever of their own path!

Thinking of this, even Kong Xuan's nature feels a tremor rising from the depths of his soul.

What grandeur of resolve!

What a heavenly‑earth‑shaking stroke!

However, amidst this ultimate realization and shock, Kong Xuan's heart also gave rise to a final, deepest doubt.

To say that Dizang, Mile, and Dashizhi have extraordinary backgrounds, each bearing a great mission and heavenly mandate, is hardly surprising.

But……

His gaze swept past the crowd and landed on the two humans who still seemed somewhat bewildered, as if they had not fully grasped the profundity of these words.

Humans, too?

The junior senior brother in everyone's eyes is merely the first disciple favored by the sage.

Little did they know, beneath Chen Ku's seemingly youthful exterior lay vast memories spanning two lifetimes.

These memories let him perceive all ages and glimpse the future.

He understands better than any present being the inevitable trend of the Heavenly Dao that has long been ordained in the unseen.

Humans.

This race, still struggling to survive on the Primordial Wasteland, appears so feeble among the myriad races.

Chen Ku's gaze seemed to pierce endless time and space, seeing a corner of the future hidden by the river of years.

One day, this seemingly insignificant race will shatter all fetters and ascend to the supreme peak.

They will become the undeniable sole protagonists of this heaven and earth.

By then, the stature of humanity will surpass all imagination; its flourishing fortune will be enough to suppress the Three Realms and Six Paths.

Therefore, today's arrangement and this teaching are not a whim.

It is placing a piece.

It is a crucial pawn laid in advance for that glorious era.

Thinking thus, Chen Ku withdrew his deep gaze that overlooked the ages and turned it back onto the several disciples before him.

Thus, the lesson has completely ended.

He no longer asks questions or tests.

The atmosphere within the dao hall quietly changed with his silence.

The former gentle, guiding aura of the teacher completely withdrew, replaced by an indescribable solemnity and sternness.

He looked at Dizang and at several human disciples; his voice was plain, yet each word carried undeniable weight.

"You will all eventually become mighty individuals capable of standing on your own."

This statement is not a hope, but a declaration of an established fact.

"For now, you must gradually take over the affairs of the Buddhist Gate from the teacher and uncle‑master."

"Assist in managing the Underworld."

"And, govern all human beings."

Each and every one of these is a tremendous authority capable of stirring the winds and clouds of the Three Realms.

Though spoken from Chen Ku's mouth, it sounds like he's merely assigning a few ordinary chores.

Dizang and the others held their breath, feeling that the true core of what was to come lay ahead.

Chen Ku's gaze suddenly turned sharp, a piercing scrutiny of the heart that instantly tensed the minds of those present.

"Therefore, in your actions, remember this:"

"Caution."

"Again, caution."

He spoke each word with a pause, his voice not loud, yet it stirred thunder in the depths of their souls.

"Otherwise, lightly it could cause fellow disciples to perish and their cultivation fruits to be lost in an instant."

"Severely, it could more likely trigger earth‑shattering, irreversible consequences and losses."

His words carried no trace of intimidation; he was merely calmly analyzing a possibility.

And it is precisely this extreme calm that makes Dizang and the others feel a chill rising from deep within their marrow.

They have no doubt about how terrifying a scene the little senior brother's words "irreversible" actually imply.

Perhaps it is the shattering of mountains and rivers, perhaps a blood sacrifice of the myriad peoples, perhaps... the overturning of the Dao lineage.

For a moment, Dizang and the others felt as if an immeasurable weight of billions of jun had suddenly been placed on their shoulders, almost crushing their breath.

They never imagined that behind this trust lay such a heavy responsibility and risk.

Seeing their faces suddenly turn pale, Chen Ku's tone did not ease in the slightest.

What he wants is for them to feel this weight deeply at this very moment.

Only true reverence can bring true caution.

He shifted his tone and threw out an order capable of overturning their understanding, even said to be capable of overturning the very common sense of the Primordial cultivation world.

"If one encounters an event that one cannot handle..."

Dizang and the others' hearts tightened; this was the transmission of the ultimate life-preserving method.

"Even if the sage is in seclusion, one must report without hesitation."

"Summon the sage out of seclusion."

Upon these words,

the entire Dao arena fell dead silent.

Time and space seemed to be completely frozen at this moment by the shocking information contained in these words.

Dizang's pupils contracted to the extreme in an instant.

The several human disciples behind him went utterly rigid, their minds blank, almost doubting whether their ears had deceived them.

"Summon the sage out of seclusion?"

What a shocking and outrageous statement!

The sage's seclusion is, under the Heavenly Dao, a matter of utmost importance.

Either to comprehend a higher realm, to refine a supreme treasure, or to deduce heavenly secrets to avoid calamity.

Each seclusion could affect the future fortune and direction of the entire Dao lineage.

Therefore, the place where a sage secludes himself must be surrounded by layer upon layer of prohibitions, isolating inside from outside.

Except when the Great Calamity of heaven and earth descends and the Dao lineage faces imminent overthrow, otherwise any disciple who dares to disturb a secluded sage meets only one fate.

Body and spirit destroyed.

This is the iron law.

It is an absolute taboo that no one in any sage's Dao lineage dares to touch.

But now, little Chen Ku, their senior brother, speaks these words in a light, casual tone as if it were a matter of course.

As if saying, if the food is not to one's taste, just go wake the cook—so casual.

This...

This is no longer describable as mere audacity.

This is practically a disregard for the sage's authority!

However, when they recovered from the extreme shock and looked up at little Chen Ku, that sense of absurdity in their hearts instantly vanished.

What they saw was a pair of calm and deep eyes.

In that calm, there was no trace of arrogance, nor a hint of frivolity.

There was only absolute confidence and unquestionable resolve.

Upon a moment's reflection, everyone's hearts suddenly opened up.

That's right.

The little senior brother has the strength and resolve to say such words.

Who is he?

He is an existence comparable to a sage, one whom the sage himself personally acknowledges as a peer with whom they can associate as equals.

His will, to some extent, might truly represent the will of the sage.

Moreover, what further shocks their hearts and minds, even making their eye sockets warm, is the deeper meaning they sense behind this shocking command.

It is a profound, unfeigned care.

For their safety.

The little senior brother would rather let them violate this taboo.

He uses this method to tell them that, before the safety of the sage's Dao lineage, before those so-called rules and taboos, their lives as disciples are equally important.

Even more important.

For a moment, an indescribable warm current surged from the depths of their hearts, instantly dispelling the previous heaviness and chill.

That previous burden of billions of jun now seemed no longer so hard to bear.

Because they know that behind them forever stands a senior brother willing to bear everything for them.

The shock and doubt in Dizang's eyes gradually faded, replaced by an unprecedented admiration and resolve.

He bowed deeply, deeply toward Chen Ku.

This gesture was heavier and more devout than any previous bow.

"Yes!"

The several human disciples behind him also had a sudden enlightenment, instantly grasping the crucial point.

Their gaze toward Chen Ku was no longer merely reverent.

It also held a near-fanatical adoration.

"We dare not disobey the teachings of our senior brother (elder)!"

Several people bowed in unison, their movements neat and uniform, their voices resonant and strong, echoing in the quiet dao field.

They bowed their thanks again.

What they thanked for was not only the grace of the lesson.

It was also the grace of protection, enough to entrust one's life to.

The Dharma sound fell, and Chen Ku's gaze, like the boundless heavens, swept warmly yet sternly over every face on Mount Sumeru.

From the persons of close disciples like Dizang and Mile, down to the countless beings gathered in a sea at the mountain's foot.

His gaze never missed a single pair of longing eyes.

"Alright."

"The lesson ends here!"

His voice was not loud, yet it carried a decisiveness that put an end to all dharmas.

All beings in the field were jolted in heart and mind, lightly awakened from the vast dao resonance just now, yet they dared not make a sound, fearing to disturb this sacred moment.

Chen Ku's voice continued to flow in their hearts.

"From today onward, you all should carefully consider and choose your own path."

"The steady and courageous paths I have transmitted to Guanshiyin, the Golden-winged Great Peng, and others apply to you as well."

Each word seemed like a star containing infinite mysteries, crashing into the sea of people's hearts and stirring up towering waves.

"Steady."

"Courageous."

Two starkly different paths, yet both leading to the supreme Great Dao, lay naked before everyone.

"Once you have chosen your own path, you must uphold your dao heart and remain unwavering."

"Remember."

Chen Ku's tone grew slightly heavier, that was a promise, and also an unmatched confidence.

"I, together with Master Jieyin, Uncle Zhunti, and Daoist friend Hongyun, will forever be your strongest support."

Boom!

These words were no longer a dao resonance, but a true thunderclap that exploded in the deepest part of every being's soul.

Before, it was merely a faint stir; now it turned into an uncontainable torrent of emotions.

The clamor could no longer be contained.

It was not noise, but a resonance formed after a collective loss of voice, from countless sharp intakes of breath, suddenly accelerated heartbeats, and the faint loss of control of magical power.

Support!

What weight these two words carry!

The Holy Jieyin, the Holy Zhunti, plus the unfathomable Dao Ancestor Hongyun, and this junior ancestral master Chen Ku before us, who has opened a new atmosphere for the Buddhist gate...

This is almost the greatest force in the primordial world.

And now, this force has become their support.

No need to say another word.

Everyone understood.

This is the final guidance, and also the most benevolent gift.

The future direction has been clearly marked.

Two paths.

Choose one.

Preacher of the Dao.

Protector of the Dao.

The former, like Guanshiyin, follows the steady path to save all beings, shedding the Buddhist gate's light across all worlds, silently nourishing things and widely forming good affinities.

The latter, like the Golden-winged Great Peng, cultivates the courageous method, clearing thorns for the Buddhist gate, sweeping away all invading foes, proving the dao through slaughter, and protecting peace.

For ordinary beings struggling on the path of cultivation, Chen Ku's guidance is like lighting two towering beacons in the endless mist.

What this saves is not merely endless years of seeking and insight.

What is given is a truly passable, supreme dao path!

In an instant, the whole Mount Sumeru fell into a strange silence.

All clamor subsided.

What replaced it was a deathlike stillness.

Countless beings lowered their eyelids, closed their eyes, or lifted their heads to gaze upon the heavens bathed in Buddha's light.

Their faces showed shifting expressions.

There was struggle, confusion, longing, and resolve.

This is a decision more momentous than breaking through the life-and-death barrier.

It will decide the direction of cultivation for endless ages, determine one's fate, and determine one's final standing in this great surge.

Seeing this, the corner of little Chen Ku's mouth curled up in an almost imperceptible arc.

He did not urge.

Nor did he say anything more.

"The dao is one's own."

"The path must ultimately be walked by oneself."

"What he could do, he has done."

Such a choice concerns the Dao-heart and the future; they should be given enough time to weigh it well and ponder it repeatedly.

This is not something that can be done overnight.

Little Chen Ku's thought stirred slightly.

His form began to turn illusory without any sign.

Not dissipating, but merging.

His outline first blurred, like an ink painting washed by clear water, then his whole body turned into billions of soft yet brilliant golden specks of light.

Each speck of light seemed to contain a complete Buddhist truth.

They did not fly toward the horizon, but slowly settled, absorbed by every inch of Mount Sumeru's land, every blade of grass, even every wisp of air.

He came without sound, left without trace.

It was as if he had never appeared, yet as if he had become the Dao of this Buddhist sect, present everywhere.

The vast Buddhist holy land, with the conclusion of Chen Ku's teachings, once again regained the ancient tranquility and harmony that had existed since time immemorial.

But this tranquility was utterly different from before.

The air now carried a weight called "choice."

The years flow slowly!

The river of time flows silently, washing over all things in the world.

For the seekers of the Dao on Mount Sumeru, time lost its meaning.

One day.

One year.

Ten years.

In the blink of an eye, a hundred years have passed!

A century's span, for mortals is several generations' turnover, but for those immersed in the Dao's rhythm, it is merely a flick of the finger.

Over those hundred years, Mount Sumeru was like a still scroll.

Core disciples such as Dizang and Maitreya remained seated atop the peak, their bodies utterly still, as if already turned to stone statues.

Only the fluctuating Buddhist light on their bodies and their ever deeper, vaster aura proved they were undergoing an astonishing transformation within the profound Buddhist Dao.

Each of their breaths merged with the pulse of the entire Mount Sumeru.

And beneath Mount Sumeru, the ocean of billions of beings likewise retained its appearance from a hundred years prior.

They sat here in stillness, eating nothing, drinking nothing, speaking nothing.

Wind, frost, rain, and snow fell upon their shoulders, only to be silently dispelled by their protective Buddhist light.

Dust gathered on their hair tips, then dispersed in the next exhalation of Buddhist light.

Everyone was immersed in the deepest level of questioning their Dao-heart.

To clearly understand oneself.

To interrogate the origin.

Over and over, they mentally simulated the futures of the two paths.

Such serenity, such devotion, such a grand cultivation spectacle—even across the vast wilderness, it is truly rare.

Harmony and tranquility seemed destined to become this place's eternal theme.

At last!

On the final day of the hundredth year, when the first ray of morning light pierced the cloud sea and gilded Mount Sumeru with a golden edge.

That still scroll, frozen for a hundred years, was torn apart by an irresistible force.

Tranquility, broken once again.

Without any omen!

Without any warning!

In the dark, a voice once again echoed through the high heavens.

That voice was no longer gentle, no longer a patient, persuasive teaching.

It was vast and solemn, bearing an unquestionable will, like a decree of the Heavenly Dao descending from the thirty-three heavens, precisely entering every being's ear here.

It was Chen Ku's voice!