Chapter 615: Transforming the Buddha into a Fox!

Ren Yidao, having transformed into a fox-faced Buddha, fell silent at this moment; he furrowed his brows slightly, unable to make a choice right away.

This was not a decision that could be made simply.

Ren Yidao looked at the Demon Buddha and asked, "Why let me do it? Wouldn't it be simpler for you to take his place yourself? With your strength, this must be effortless, right?"

The Demon Buddha shook his head, offered no explanation, and said indifferently, "If you are unwilling, then the Western Desert shall completely eradicate Buddhism."

He made his intentions clear at this moment.

The Demon Buddha's idea was to eradicate Buddhism so that the Western Desert would have no faith left, while Mingxin's idea was to replace the old faith with a new one after eradicating Buddhism.

He was compromising, handing the power of choice to Mingxin and himself to see how the two of them would choose; if the final choice did not satisfy him, he would likely proceed with his original plan.

"... Understood." Ren Yidao pursed his lips helplessly, nodded, and began to seriously consider the feasibility of his proposal.

To take his place and transform the Buddha into a Fox Immortal—this path was essentially returning to his old trade.

The "Buddha" head in the Demon Buddha's hand looked bloody, but in reality, it was the Dao Fruit of the Divine Continent, condensed over thousands to tens of thousands of years in this Western Desert Divine Continent—a true Heavenly fruit position.

If he swallowed this Dao Fruit, he would completely change the faith system of the Western Desert Divine Continent, replacing Buddhism with the Daoist school and transforming the Buddha into a Fox Immortal.

Judging by the results, this was extremely good for Ren Yidao.

Once this happened, the Western Desert Divine Continent would become Ren Yidao's possession, allowing him to take whatever he wanted and demand whatever he pleased.

For any cultivator of the Divine Path Sect, this was absolutely a massive stroke of fortune.

No, even for other cultivators who did not practice the Divine Path, it was the same.

If it were in ancient times, being able to occupy the Faith Power of One Divine Continent would absolutely make it easy to create a peerless expert at the peak of the Ascension Realm.

This was an easy task, without a doubt.

Placed in the current world, it remained the same.

Although the change in Heavenly Law over the past few thousand years had led to the absence of Immortals and caused all living beings to stop at the Ask Dao Peak, the return of Zhongzhou to the Earthly Realm had already proven that the Heavenly Law was slowly changing; it would not be long before it ushered in a violent rebound after reaching its peak, and the world would truly welcome a brilliant great era.

By then, Immortal Gods would return to the Earthly Realm and hang high in the firmament once again!

But they would not easily become the masters of the world, because at the same time they descended again, the contemporary prodigies who had been struggling to survive and using various methods to extend their lives for these thousands of years would also appear on the stage, welcoming the spring they had waited for for who knows how long.

With the changes in Heavenly Dao, the Spirit Qi that had been exhausted between Heaven and Earth would surge again; mortals who previously could not cultivate would have the opportunity to step onto the path of cultivation, and the Spirit Qi in the previously blessed lands and grotto-heavens would be several or even dozens of times denser!

The true great era was about to arrive.

It would not be long before the world became many times more lively than before!

And at this point in time, having an extra bit of strength for self-preservation was an extremely important matter.

For Ren Yidao, if he obtained this Western Desert Dao Fruit, his strength would no longer be subject to any restrictions, there would be no more bottlenecks, and he would soar all the way to the late stage of the Ascension Realm, perhaps only a step away from the peak.

But there was certainly no such thing as a free lunch in the world.

There must be a loss for every gain.

Swallowing the Dao Fruit meant binding himself completely to the Western Desert Divine Continent; as the Fox Immortal, he would be tied to the living beings of the Western Desert—prospering together and suffering together.

This was a double-edged sword that could hurt both others and himself.

If the Western Desert thrived, he would be strong.

If the Western Desert perished, he would be weak.

Although he would not necessarily live or die with it when the Western Desert was destroyed, he would definitely lose a layer of skin.

This was the risk.

But to be honest, compared to that overly massive gain, this bit of risk really did not count for much.

Could this matter be done?

"Taking his place..." Ren Yidao shook his head and exhaled softly.

Truth be told, when this huge temptation was placed before him, he was even a little moved.

If Ren Yidao had not seen his own future and known it should be even brighter and more brilliant, he might have truly hesitated.

But now, although he was very moved, he would still choose to refuse.

As a Huhu who was proficient in fish farming, Ren Yidao could not give up the entire ocean for the sake of one fish pond.

Moved, yet refusing!

Then he could only give up and let Mingxin control the headless Buddha body to take over this position.

However, if Ren Yidao were to give up completely and not take any benefits at all, he would still be somewhat unwilling.

Even a wild goose leaves behind feathers when it passes!

Master Fox had put in a great deal of effort; how could he not take any benefits?

"Mingxin, let's discuss something."

Ren Yidao called out to Mingxin in his heart; the two of them were in a special state at the moment, similar to Ren Yidao being his marionette, with every move controlled by him, yet he had not lost consciousness and had been using his own eyes to perceive the outside world.

"Daoist, I am here," Mingxin replied, and then, without Ren Yidao having to speak, he proactively said, "Mingxin already understands the Daoist's intention, and Mingxin is willing to bear this Causality for the Daoist."

He said:

"Daoist, please take the Dao Fruit and transform the Buddha into a Fox Immortal; I will bear the many Causalities, and I will take your place in merging with the Western Desert."

Ren Yidao:?

"... Huh?" Ren Yidao blinked in confusion, somewhat doubting if he had heard correctly.

Wait a minute!

I originally only wanted to mooch some benefits; you eat the meat, and I'll just drink some soup...

But how did you give all the meat to me directly?

You're not even drinking the soup, just chewing on dry buns!

Could it be because Buddhism is vegetarian?

Ren Yidao wanted to ask Mingxin if he was joking, but after sensing that his emotions were extremely calm, he put away the thought, frowned, and asked in a deep voice, "... Do you understand what this means?"

If things really went as Mingxin said, he would become the biggest loser, with all the benefits taken away, while he alone bore all the disadvantages.

Of course, this disadvantage only applies to Ren Yidao; for Mingxin, it is not necessarily without its benefits.

"This humble monk understands."

In the spiritual world, a simple and honest smile appeared on Mingxin's face. He pressed his palms together and bowed his head toward Ren Yidao, saying firmly, "I have always understood."

"It is nothing more than me no longer being me, nothing more than bearing the life and death of all living beings in the Western Desert."

"This task is arduous, but if it is for the sake of the living beings of the Western Desert, Mingxin has no regrets even in death."

"Furthermore, the act of exterminating the Buddha was done by Mingxin, so this is naturally the punishment that is due."

He looked at the complex expression on Ren Yidao's face, bowed once more, and said sincerely:

"Daoist has helped us too much. Mingxin has no way to repay you, and only wishes to be able to help Daoist resolve worries and difficulties."

He is Mingxin.

Not some reincarnation of an Immortal God, just a little Novice Monk from the Western Desert Divine Continent who is unknown to the world.

He is very ordinary, just one of the many living beings in the Western Desert, with mediocre aptitude, not counting as outstanding.

But he is also extraordinary; from a young age, he has possessed a true Buddha Heart capable of peering into the human heart, with supreme enlightenment.

Just as his name suggests, he understands the Heart and sees the nature.

He knows the human heart, and knows his own fate even better.

If time allowed, he would climb upward step by step along the stairs, eventually becoming the kindest Star in this Western Desert.

But now, this brilliant Star is prepared to burn himself, transforming into a shining meteor streaking across the night sky.

To point out the direction forward for all living beings in the starless dark night.

Even if he will lose his self.

Even if no one will remember his name.

It was he who advocated for the extermination of the Buddha, so it is only right that he should bear this responsibility.

Every cause must have an effect.

This is very reasonable.

Mingxin had already prepared himself for sacrifice, but suddenly his expression changed. He then smiled bitterly at Ren Yidao with some regret: "Daoist, I leave Minghui to your care."

It is just a pity that I cannot continue to look after Minghui, but with Daoist Ren here, I imagine nothing will go wrong.

"Rest assured, I will handle everything."

Ren Yidao nodded, not continuing to be coy or evasive. From the current perspective, this is indeed the best solution; he can gain strength, and Mingxin can save the living beings of the Western Desert.

A win-win situation, a world where no one gets hurt.

Before leaving, Ren Yidao suddenly turned his head back, shook his head at Mingxin and said: "Besides, you might not necessarily lose your self, so don't be too pessimistic."

"You mean..."

Upon hearing this, Mingxin looked up blankly, wanting to ask for clarification, but discovered that Ren Yidao had already disappeared. He could only shake his head helplessly and bow toward the position where he had originally appeared.

"Then I leave it to you, Daoist."

Whether it is the living beings of the Western Desert or this humble monk, I leave it all to you, Daoist.

Ren Yidao had many thoughts, but in reality, it did not take much time; in the outside world, it had not exceeded three breaths in total.

At this moment, Yaoyue arrived at the side of the Fox-Faced Buddha. Her brows were slightly furrowed as she looked at the Demon Buddha. She did not know exactly what had happened, but if the other party intended to harm her disciple, she was prepared to strike directly.

Whether she could win or not was another matter.

Whether she struck or not was a matter of attitude.

The Fox-Faced Buddha shook his head at her to signal, then turned to look at the Demon Buddha and nodded: "Transform the Buddha into a Fox Immortal."

He accepted the Demon Buddha's proposal and prepared to take his place.

"However, I will not bind myself to the Western Desert Divine Continent; at most, I will just be a figurehead here. Everything else will be left to Mingxin to handle."

The Demon Buddha nodded; He did not care at all about the transaction and division of duties between Ren Yidao and Mingxin.

He handed the Dao Fruit of the "Buddha" into Ren Yidao's hands.

Hum—

The moment the Dao Fruit touched his fingertips, the Fox-Faced Buddha's pupils shrank, and his entire body sank with a boom.

This Dao Fruit appeared to be only the size of a head, but in reality, it was heavier than dozens of great mountains. It was the essence condensed from that entire "Buddha," and even this Buddha body at this moment almost failed to hold it.

An unreliable thought uncontrollably drifted through Ren Yidao's mind.

... Do I have to swallow this thing? Won't I get indigestion?

Well, it doesn't matter, it's not my body anyway.

Just as Ren Yidao prepared to act and swallow it, his expression suddenly changed. His true body, hidden within the headless Buddha torso, leaped out and pulled the scalding Walking Token from his robes.

Hmm?

What is the situation here?

Is the old guy coming over to join the fun?

Ren Yidao glanced at the Demon Buddha beside him and gestured with the token in his hand.

"No matter." The Demon Buddha nodded; He did not care about such a small matter at all.

In fact, after the success of the Buddha extermination, He now seemed to not care about anything anymore.

Having received permission, Ren Yidao released the Walking Token, letting it transform into a Dao marker connecting to the outside world.

After a few breaths, a golden light shadow came from beyond the sky; it was none other than the Divine Path Sect Master, Sikong Yu.

However, compared to the massive golden giant outside the Sword Casting Hut earlier, his Divine Soul avatar was now the same height as an ordinary person and looked somewhat illusory. It seemed that this kind of cross-Shenzhou descent was also extremely difficult for him.

"You..."

【"Haha! The old man is here! Junior Martial Nephew! Junior Sister! Do not be afraid!"】 Sikong Yu laughed loudly as soon as he appeared, not caring at all that there was a terrifying Demon Buddha nearby watching him with furrowed brows.

Yaoyue: "Hmm?"

Ren Yidao: "..."

Sikong Yu did not feel awkward at all, and said to Ren Yidao with a beaming smile: 【"Kid, you seem to be hesitating? What is there to hesitate about regarding such a good thing?"】

"That, I... wait, you know what I am about to do?" Ren Yidao was shocked.

Yaoyue was on the scene and didn't even figure it out, yet you, a peeper, saw it clearly?

Is my dear Master too unlearned? Or are you, this old geezer, a bit too perverted?

Sikong Yu was very satisfied with Ren Yidao's shock; finally being able to stun this kid, he said smugly: 【"Of course! This old man observes Heaven and Earth; although I am situated within my Daoist Field, there is nothing between this Heaven and Earth that can be hidden from me."】

【"It is just transforming a Buddha into a Fox Immortal, go ahead and do it boldly! With this old man here, no one dares to play tricks in the dark."】

Although Sikong Yu spoke with great heroic spirit, Ren Yidao was not bluffed by him. Instead, he narrowed his eyes, stared at the old geezer, and asked quietly: "How do you know these things?"

According to this guy's public claims, he has always been at the Ask Dao Peak; he hasn't even stepped into the Ascension Realm, so how could he know these secret mysteries?

【"That is naturally because this old man is knowledgeable and experienced."】 Sikong Yu was not surprised, stroking his beard with a calm expression, and said casually: 【"Haven't you always wanted to know this old man's identity? Once you finish your business here and return to the sect, this old man will tell you everything."】

Sikong Yu finished speaking with a beaming smile, then, without giving Ren Yidao any time to ask questions, he dispelled this Divine Soul clone.

However, an accident still occurred—the clone did not dissipate and remained in place.

He had been forcibly bound in place by someone!

【"Uh?"】 Sikong Yu blinked, looked at the Demon Buddha to the side with some embarrassment, and asked: 【"That, is something the matter?"】

"I don't know you, but I feel... I should have seen you before." The Demon Buddha stared at Sikong Yu, brows tightly locked, "Who are you?"

【"Who I am is not important; what is important is, who are you?"】 Sikong Yu was not at all surprised by the Demon Buddha's reaction, and even countered: 【"Rather than being curious about me, you had better figure out the secrets on your own body; otherwise, hehe, you won't be able to hold on for much longer."】

"..."

The Demon Buddha was silent, then his brows twitched, and he waved his hand with some disgust to disperse Sikong Yu's Divine Soul clone.

A detestable old geezer.

Ren Yidao shook his head and focused all his energy on the Western Desert Dao Fruit.

With Sikong Yu's guarantee, plus the Demon Buddha acting as protector, this opportunity was once in a millennium.

There was no need to hesitate any longer.

He tilted his head back, opened his fox mouth wide, and placed the Dao Fruit into his mouth...

Swallowed in one gulp!

The Buddha head enters my belly; from this moment on, transform Buddha into Fox!