Becoming a god starts from planting a Bodhi tree.

Chapter 501 The Great Tide of Annihilation, the Great Righteousness of the Divine Path

"You are Luo Xuan?"

Faced with the invitation from the woman who claimed to be the Heavenly Emperor, Luo Xuan's response was quite "worldly," and he directly summoned the divine weapon left behind by his elder brother!

But in an instant, the world turned pitch black, as if the deepest night sky, with brilliance gradually emerging on it, forming a vast starry sky map, with boundless starlight falling down, transforming into a Dao map that suppressed everything!

Beneath the Dao diagram, Luo Xuan could see a pair of majestic eyes, as clear as glass, belonging to an ancient and noble emperor.

A hazy, clear light enveloped the area, making Doumu's figure indistinct and obscuring details.

But when she made her move, countless dark and brilliant starlight surged in the world, forming a vast turbulent current that devoured and tore everything, even time and destiny!

laugh--

Like the sound of shattering glass, all colors faded from the world, leaving only the deep black of the night sky and the endless brilliance of starlight.

A gash appeared in the divine weapon that Luo Xuan had summoned!
Luo Xuan's expression changed drastically.

Is this some kind of ancient monster from a hundred centuries ago? He's clearly still in the realm of True Saints, yet he managed to damage the divine weapon left behind by his elder brother in a head-on confrontation!

"For the sake of your elder brother, I'll give you a chance to serve the Heavenly Court. I know what you want, and there may be opportunities in the future."

Doumu's cold yet imposing voice came from ahead.

Even now, he still couldn't see the man's true face.

"An opportunity? An opportunity for the Great Dao Ancestor?" Luo Xuan found it amusing, his mind racing as he searched for the key to breaking the deadlock. He wasn't ready to surrender easily.

This is the other party's home turf, so he should leave first.

Meanwhile, Luo Xuan was still trying to contact Hong Lian, but the latter remained unreachable.

"Why not?" Doumu said calmly. "Didn't your brother tell you that the position of the Great Dao Ancestor can be stripped and inherited?"

Luo Xuan's pupils shrank sharply: "You..."

"As long as you don't choose to transform into the Dao and become the Dao itself, at most you'll just be the master of the Dao, not the Dao itself. Since you're just the master, you can naturally change masters. Don't you understand such a simple principle?"

This sounds simple, but how do you actually do it?

When the ancestors besieged the Lord of the Netherworld, Wan Qianqiu made an attempt to forcibly strip him of his power, but even after gathering the power of Taixu and his brother, a total of three Great Dao Ancestors, they still failed and had to give up.

Judging from what they said, it seems they have some kind of method at their disposal?
Luo Xuan changed his mind in an instant, and put on a bright smile: "To be honest, I would be more than happy to be accepted as a disciple of the Heavenly Court! Are you perhaps... the Lord of the Heavenly Court?"

"Only your judgment isn't bad," Doumu didn't deny.

Seeing Luo Xuan bow his head so easily, her long-dormant heart did not feel much joy, which was completely different from when she subdued Ji Jingqiu.

Doumu narrowed her eyes slightly, not even bothering to pay attention to Luo Xuan who had surrendered.

Di Yi, Di Yi...

All these years have passed, but my expectation for our reunion has only increased.

After regaining her senses, Doumu cast a seal towards Luo Xuan.

Luo Xuan's expression changed. Just as he was about to dodge, he found that this world was instantly imprisoned. His primordial spirit and physical body were as if they had been peeled away, leaving him powerless to resist.

As the seal settled between his brows, Luo Xuan regained his freedom. He looked up in disbelief and exclaimed:

"You've already reached the level of transcendence?!"

What appeared to be merely a confinement of heaven and earth, a splitting of mind and spirit, was in essence a means of transcending the realm!
Doumu said indifferently, "A hundred centuries ago, I was already a True One. How could I talk about stepping into the past? It's just about regaining the power of the past."

Luo Xuan suppressed his shock and carefully sensed the bond within his body. His heart sank for a moment, but he quickly recovered.

Once you can reach the realm of true nature, any kind of restrictive contract is a joke.

Even if the other party had no intention of helping him at all, he could simply wait until his brother returned.

"Is the Heavenly Court trying to win me over for the sake of the Heavenly Prison Palace?" Luo Xuan asked.

"The Heavenly Court, desiring to restore its former glory and regain control of the Boundary Sea, will naturally need to win over you, the new masters of the Boundary Sea from later generations," Doumu said with a faint smile.

Luo Xuan's expression remained unchanged, but inwardly he cursed the madman.

Regaining control of the Boundary Sea—is this an attempt to unify the Boundary Sea?!

How ridiculous!

The vastness of the Boundary Sea prevented even the ancestors from having such thoughts; even if they did, they would quickly kill them.

Luo Xuan suddenly remembered something.

What happened a hundred centuries ago is something our ancestors have been searching for, and it is very likely related to their "return to their true nature".

My elder brother once mentioned a conjecture after an exploration—that the boundary sea a hundred years ago was very likely highly unified!
Above all realms, temples, and monasteries lies the supreme divine court, which overlooks everything, and its ruler governs all things in heaven and earth.

Thinking of this, Luo Xuan's expression changed slightly: "A hundred epochs ago, did the Heavenly Court really unify the Boundary Sea?"

"Naturally," Doumu said calmly. "We rule the world with divine power. A hundred centuries ago, everything returned to its true nature, either going to the Three Pure Ones Heaven or coming under the jurisdiction of the Heavenly Court."

"Where is the Three Pure Ones Heaven?" Luo Xuan asked, puzzled.

Doumu did not answer, wondering if Ji Jingqiu, who had revealed her true identity before, knew about the Three Pure Ones Heaven, and how much Di Yi had told him.

At this moment, Doumu composed herself. The great calamity at the palace was about to strike, and she needed to return. After glancing at Luo Xuan one last time, she made the arrangements:
"The Heavenly Court is currently in dire need of rebuilding and is in dire need of capable individuals. Your cultivation level and foundation are both quite high, so go to the Underworld to protect that person."

"Are those your subordinates behind you?"

Doumu looked at Xinzun and the others for the first time.

"These are remnants of the Netherworld."

Luo Xuan betrayed his cause without any remorse. He had entered the Netherworld of the Netherworld, yet he encountered this truly invincible Lord of Heaven. The people of the Netherworld still haven't figured out the root of the problem, which is utterly incompetent.

"Remnants of the Netherworld? That's perfect, let's go and work as his assistants."

"May I ask who that is?" Luo Xuan asked.

“You don’t know the one named ‘Ksitigarbha,’ but you should know his chief deity,” Doumu said casually. “You should also know the World Honored One.”

Luo Xuan's smile froze on his face.

To make oneself a protector of that World Honored One?

No, it's for that Buddha... an appendage?
They call themselves protectors, but they're probably no different from just being his henchmen!
The people behind him, including Xin Zun, were also stunned.

Ksitigarbha... the Buddha who joined hands with the Lord of the Underworld?

After a moment, Luo Xuan's expression returned to normal, and he asked, "That World Honored One was also subject to your forbidden technique? And has he submitted to the Heavenly Court?"

Between these two ancient monsters from centuries past, did this one ultimately prevail?

"He has belonged to the Heavenly Court, but he has not received the seal of authority." Doumu replied calmly, causing Luo Xuan's expression to stiffen again.

He quickly realized: "The World Honored One and you are all of the same ilk?!"

Doumu said calmly, "Don't inquire about things that aren't your business. Just do your job well in the future."

Luo Xuan took a deep breath, experiencing for the first time in his life the feeling of being dependent on others.

"You can study the limitations of that seal when you have time." Doumu could tell at a glance that Luo Xuan was no pushover and would never obediently submit, so her tone was slightly sarcastic, a reminder that was also a warning.

Luo Xuan remained silent, took a deep breath, and asked, "Where is the great path you promised before?"

"You shall now address me as Your Majesty."

Doumu turned and walked away, leaving behind only one sentence.

"After the Heavenly Court is re-established and restored to its former glory, the positions of the Five Emperors will be reshaped. At that time, there will be vacancies for the positions of the Three Emperors. Whether you can sit on them depends on yourself."

"The Five Emperors' Position..." Luo Xuan murmured. Was this the Great Dao Ancestor's Position he had imagined?
Can a celestial court that rules over the vast ocean support five high-ranking officials?

Aside from this Heavenly Emperor, shouldn't there be four vacancies?

Luo Xuan's eyes were deep and unfathomable. To which side did this World Honored One belong?
……

……

boom--

Thunder rumbled in the void, and some True Saints were the first to sense something was wrong, looking up at the apocalyptic world beneath their feet. What they stood beneath was said to be a summer palace, but in reality, it was no different from a small world. This small world was now sealed off by the Heavenly Emperor, and without their intervention, they could not escape.

At this point, several True Saints began to sense that something was wrong, and a sense of crisis began to arise.

With a creaking sound, it seemed as if the heavens and earth were groaning under the weight of the world. Cracks spread like a spider web in the surrounding void, each fissure slowly opening up to transform into countless slender and deep "eyes," from which something terrifying seemed to be slowly emerging, bringing a despair that made even the saints tremble.

No one knew what this meant, but no one wanted to stay any longer.

Someone suddenly stood up and angrily rebuked the divine general in the distance: "Hurry up and open the gate, let us out!"

Only then did the saints realize that the divine generals and star lords also showed signs of fear.

Mieyu's heart sank. He grabbed the nearest star lord and said coldly, "Is the Heavenly Court planning to surround and kill us here?"

The star lord offered no resistance, his face filled with despair as he cried out, "This is... the Great Tide of Annihilation! The calamity that the Heavenly Court has been suppressing has erupted!"

"What is the Great Tide of Annihilation?! Explain yourself!" Extinction Desire roared.

Feng Ming and the others began to approach Ji Jingqiu, their expressions solemn. Even they felt a deadly threat from the void.

"No need to panic."

Ji Jingqiu's words entered their hearts, calming their anxiety.

"It was just some...accidents."

Ji Jingqiu couldn't explain much to Feng Ming and the others for the time being, and could only remind them not to stray too far from him, nor to get too close.

As more and more "eyes" appeared in the void, everything in this world became extremely chaotic. The saints could no longer control the power of the outer world and could only guard their own inner world.

But soon, some true saints discovered that their inner world seemed to be being eroded by some invisible force.

Even though there was no danger whatsoever, every part of his body was trembling, as if he could already see his own future.

He was shocked and enraged, and tried to forcefully break through the heavens and earth to escape, but he found that this world was already in a state of destruction where time and space no longer existed and cause and effect were extinguished, leaving only chaos, and it was not far from returning to the primordial state of nothingness!
If one were to describe it, this should have been the end of a realm, a cataclysmic destruction without the collapse of the heavens and the shattering of the earth, leaving only the ultimate emptiness and nothingness, ultimately returning to silent annihilation.

Takumi glanced at the expressionless divine general beside him and realized that this was one of the few Heavenly Court members who did not show any fear. Overjoyed, he politely said:

"Fellow Daoist, may I ask how to avoid this disaster?"

The god general, who had no expression, looked at him, and his gaze gradually became strange, making Takumi feel inexplicably creeped out.

Boom!

This deity suddenly exploded, and the chaotic, world-destroying lightning triggered by the collapse of the earth fire and wind water within his body caught Takumi off guard and enveloped him!

The lightning and fire engulfed him, and the pain he hadn't felt in countless years swept over his entire body. But what terrified Takumi even more was that some invisible force within the lightning and fire was destroying his concept of the existence of his inner universe!
"Retreat! This thing can annihilate the very essence of the inner universe, causing it to collapse!"

From afar, Mi Yu shouted loudly.

He had just witnessed a True Saint belonging to the [Heavenly Prison Palace] camp suddenly show fear, and then his inner universe collapsed, the foundation of his existence crumbled, and the True Saint's cultivation ceased to exist, and he died!

The self-destruction of a True Saint was extremely powerful. It was only by Mieyu leading the charge and joining forces with Kongming and others that the power of the self-destruction was suppressed.

However, Takumi was not so lucky. When the surrounding saints saw him, their expressions changed. They fled into the distance while suppressing Takumi to prevent him from getting close to them.

"Let's do it together!"

A true saint roared, summoning everyone to fight against the invisible force between heaven and earth, but they soon discovered that this would only bring trouble upon themselves!

This invisible force seems to be limited, targeting only a few people who are extremely unlucky.

None of the saints wanted to get involved, so they tacitly intervened and drove the group together.

A powerful figure from the same faction attempted to reverse the situation, but could not withstand the overwhelming trend.

at this time.

Suddenly, a three-colored radiance appeared before the saints' eyes. Amidst the alternating flashes of purple, white, and gold, a sacred jade ruyi descended from the sky, standing tall in the center of heaven and earth, stabilizing this world that resembled a small boat in the waves.

The next moment, the three-colored divine light swept across the surrounding slender eyes, illuminating the world and making it lose its color!

With a deafening roar, numerous eye-like cracks in the void were swept away, and the sacred aura within the three-colored jade ruyi suppressed the aura of calamity, leaving only the radiant glow of the heavens and earth.

The female Heavenly Emperor, who had previously departed, has returned.

Where she stood, time and fate ceased to exist, or perhaps they were completely unified and merged into her body, making the world around her seem illusory. Brilliant starlight emerged, exuding an ancient and vicissitudes, as if connecting the realms of the heavens and penetrating the endless void, borrowing ineffable power!

This scene caused many knowledgeable True Saints present to change their expressions drastically, for this was already the method of a Transcendent!
"World Honored One! Help me suppress the great tide of annihilation!" Doumu said in a deep voice.

Ji Jingqiu's heart skipped a beat; he never expected that this person could put on such a convincing act.

In his original expectation, Doumu was the kind of person who relied on her own power to act recklessly and looked down on any strategy or means.

But now, she's actually willingly putting on an act, just to deceive all the saints? With her methods and the Heavenly Court's resources, do they really need to be wary of the saints present?

Ji Jingqiu realized that what Doumu wanted was far more than just the Heavenly Court standing in the world.

Ji Jingqiu sighed inwardly and communicated with Ksitigarbha, borrowing the power of the Netherworld to cooperate with Doumu in her attack.

Rays of light rose from all corners of the underworld, emerging from the depths of nothingness, manifesting the power of all living beings in heaven and earth, suppressing this formless and intangible tide of annihilation.

Thus, this sudden catastrophe came to an end.

Ji Jingqiu keenly sensed that what Doumu used to suppress this so-called tide of annihilation, besides the jade sword, was also the power of the beliefs of a large number of living beings gathered by the Heavenly Court.

Is this the key to Shinto?
Ji Jingqiu pondered for a moment, while asking the Moon-Slaying Sword Light if it had ever seen this so-called Annihilation Tide.

The latter said in a deep voice, "This thing is a bit strange. It is formless and intangible. Even I can only vaguely sense its appearance. It does not have any destructive power, but it contains a special rule that can deny the existence of the inner universe. Even a True Saint cannot stop it."

"And the transcendent ones?"

“Transcendence can ignore it.” Jian Guang said decisively, “The essence of this thing is probably similar to the Bitter Sea, but it is probably more troublesome. For a True Saint, the Bitter Sea can be avoided by simply staying away from it, but this thing is invisible and formless. The Heavenly Court used the word ‘Great Tide’ to describe it, so you can imagine how troublesome it was when it was at its peak.”

This calamity came quickly and went quickly. All the saints felt as if they had escaped from heaven, and their hearts were filled with fear and trepidation.

Before they could question her, Doumu spoke first, her voice carrying a deep-seated weariness:

"When the calamity broke out, I went to suppress it immediately, but a trace was still leaked, which startled you all."

The saints fell silent instantly.

Is this just... a "slight" calamity that has been leaked out?
They looked at each other, exchanging glances, but no one spoke first.

Even though some people suspect that this was a staged event by the Heavenly Court, the Heavenly Court's generals and star lords also suffered losses this time, and in some cases, quite a few, so this suspicion has no basis.

Doumu looked solemnly at Ji Jingqiu: "World Honored One, no matter what misunderstandings we may have had before, with the Great Tide of Annihilation looming ahead, we should join hands!"

"Heavenly Emperor! What exactly is this Great Tide of Annihilation?!" A True Saint suddenly stepped forward, his eyes bloodshot, and asked through gritted teeth.

He was a member of the Huncheng Palace and was responsible for exploring the Chaos Sea. He had just reunited with his senior brother Tuohai not long ago, but just now he witnessed his senior brother Tuohai's mysterious death!
Doumu looked around at everyone, sighed softly, and said, "This is a great calamity of heaven and earth from a hundred epochs ago. Even the Heavenly Court, which once ruled the Boundary Sea, could only suppress it, not eliminate it. The Heavenly Court has already sacrificed too much to suppress the Annihilation Tide. The reason for summoning you all here today is to discuss the follow-up, how to suppress the Annihilation Tide together, as the Heavenly Court is already powerless."

"What consequences would occur if the great tide of annihilation were not suppressed?" Kongming asked in a deep voice.

"As everyone has seen, even a true saint will perish in the face of this calamity," Doumu said slowly. "But the most terrifying thing is that this great calamity will truly destroy the realms and universes."

Everyone's hearts sank.

True saints are immortal because they rely on the realm of establishing themselves and proving the Dao.

But if the realms are destroyed together, even if the True Saint does not die, it will be nothing but a joke.

At this time.

Doumu slowly walked up to Ji Jingqiu. From this angle, the saints could only see her back.

"World Honored One, with a great calamity looming ahead, we should temporarily set aside our past grievances and choose to join forces. We can deal with all our hatreds after the calamity has passed!"

Looking at Doumu's ambiguous smile, Ji Jingqiu finally vaguely understood what Doumu wanted.

What she probably wants is "righteousness".

Ji Jingqiu's thoughts were in turmoil. Could this be related to the existence of the Heavenly Court or the divine way?
Looking at that ambiguous smiling face, Ji Jingqiu suddenly transmitted his voice:

"Was that the Three Treasures Ruyi just now?"

Doumu's smile faded, and she narrowed her eyes, staring intently at Ji Jingqiu. After an unknown amount of time, she transmitted her voice:
"Did Di Yi even tell you such a secret?"

(End of this chapter)