From Godhood to the Heavens

The Buddha's light surged like a tide, washing away the last trace of hazy pure white amidst the broken walls and ruins. The World Honored One sat serenely on a golden lion, his countenance solemn and dignified. His aura of a golden immortal was perfectly harmonious and stable. His gaze fell upon the Dragon Lady and the Moon Fairy, who were temporarily suppressed by the Buddha's light of the Nine Flame Arhat, the former Nine Flame Emperor, yet were still struggling.

"Amitabha." Ksitigarbha's voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable power of great vows. "The three benefactors are drowning in the sea of ​​desire, suffering endlessly. Why not let go of your attachments, enter my monastic community, enjoy purity and freedom, attain the Arhatship, and universally save all sentient beings in this world? This would also be a meritorious deed."

As soon as he finished speaking, a golden Buddhist light suddenly surged behind his head, transforming into three solid golden "卍" Buddhist seals. Ignoring the protective divine light of the Dragon Lady and her husband, which were a blend of yin and yang, and the cold moonlight of the Moon Fairy, they were imprinted firmly into the foreheads of the three people like a brand!

"No—!" The old woman let out a shrill scream, her pure white light distorting wildly, and the phantoms of her seven emotions and six desires struggled fiercely, trying to resist the Buddhist seal that had penetrated deep into her soul.

The Dragon Lord's hair and beard bristled, and the Yin and Yang energies clashed violently, but they were like mud oxen entering the sea, quickly soothed and transformed by the great and compassionate power of the Buddha. The Moon Fairy's cold face showed painful struggle, and the moonlight of the Taiyin shone uncertainly, but was eventually completely immersed in the Buddha's light.

As the Buddha's seal entered their bodies, the three people's violently trembling bodies gradually calmed down, and the confusion, pain, and struggle in their eyes quickly faded away, replaced by an empty peace and submission.

The previously mixed aura on his body was replaced by pure and vast Buddhist power, and a small golden Buddhist wheel appeared behind each of his heads. Although his realm remained the same, his origin had been quietly marked with the mark of Buddhism.

"Excellent!" The burial master smiled compassionately, clasped his hands in prayer, and nodded. "From this day forward, you will be my disciples, the Dragon King Arhat, the Dragon Lord Arhat, and the Moon Flower Arhat. With compassionate hearts, you should perform the wrathful deeds of Vajra, cleansing this world of evil influences and protecting the true Dharma!"

The Nine Flame Arhats also joined their palms together, chanting Buddhist mantras. Their gazes toward their former fellow practitioners were now devoid of emotion, reflecting only the tranquility of fellow Buddhist practitioners.

“Lord Di.” Di Zang turned to Fang Ping, his tone respectful yet carrying an undeniable firmness, “I will remember the promise of the six Ninth Realm Origin Pearls.”

After this matter is settled, this humble monk will lead his newly ordained Arhats and accompanying Dharma protectors to the west to expand our territory, vanquish evil spirits and demons, and retrieve the precious pearl to fulfill our promise. The light of Buddhism shall then shine upon this world.

Fang Ping's gaze swept over the three Arhats at the Emperor level, whose auras had completely transformed. The speed and thoroughness of the Buddhist conversion far exceeded his expectations. He remained expressionless, only nodding slightly: "Good. I hope you achieve success soon, fellow Daoist. The Buddhist salvation movement must also follow the laws of the divine path and not overstep its boundaries."

"Rest assured, Divine Lord, wherever the Buddha's light reaches, it is also a place covered by the divine net of law." Di Zang agreed, and then said no more. The golden lion beneath him roared, its feet stepping on golden lotuses, carrying him and the three newly ordained Arhats, transforming into a dazzling Buddha's light, instantly tearing through space and disappearing into the western horizon.

Several powerful Buddhist Vajra protectors, who accompanied them, also transformed into streaks of light and followed closely behind. On the ruins, the suffocating aura of desire and decadent music finally dissipated completely, leaving only a pure, serene Buddhist lingering echo.

"Hmph, you're quite efficient at converting them." Demon Lord Chonglou sneered, his scarlet cloak billowing without wind, demonic flames flickering in his eyes as he stared at the direction where the Buddhist light had vanished. His fighting spirit was intertwined with a hint of disdain. "I'm afraid this bald monk's appetite is too big. He's converted a few Arhats and his mind has become arrogant. If he dares to overstep his bounds, I will surely kill him without mercy!" A cold light flashed in his wrist blade, silently tearing through space, but a more urgent desire to become stronger rose in his heart!

Fang Ping ignored Chonglou's declaration of fighting spirit and turned his gaze to Zhao Gongming, whose aura was calm but whose eyes showed a hint of fatigue that was not easily detected, and to the Nine Flame Arhat, whose body was covered with Buddhist light but whose aura was purer and hotter than before. The power he had been pursuing so hard seemed to have arrived in another way!

"Fellow Daoist Zhao, Fellow Daoist Jiu Yan," Fang Ping spoke, his voice steady and powerful. "The first stage of the Eight-Nine Arcane Technique requires drawing upon the power of water and fire as a millstone to temper oneself. Although the laws of this world are evident, seeking the essence of water and fire is not something that can be accomplished overnight. Now, I trouble you two to use your own original laws as a guide to lend me a hand!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Gongming's eyes flashed with a sharp light, his weariness vanished, and he cupped his hands solemnly, saying, "If the Divine Lord has any command, Gongming will gladly die for him! Although the Sea-Stabilizing Pearl is damaged, my ability to control water and the sea remains!"

As he took a step forward, his aura suddenly became vast and profound, as if billions of acres of blue waves were surging behind him. The air was instantly filled with dense water vapor, and the sound of the tides echoed faintly. Although he was not blessed by the Sea-Stabilizing Pearl, the purity and power of his water-related laws were still awe-inspiring.

Nine Flame Arhats also put their hands together and murmured the Buddha's name: "Amitabha, if the deity has a need, this humble monk will do his best. The fire in this body has lost its violence, leaving only pure light, which may be of use."

The imperial flame aura that originally burned everything on his body now carried a pure light unique to Buddhism, burning away karmic obstacles and illuminating darkness. It was hot but not scorching, but rather had a strange warmth.

He sat down cross-legged, and the ruins beneath him melted automatically, transforming into a crimson-gold crystal lotus platform. Pure golden flames rose from the lotus platform, enveloping him.

A hint of approval flashed in Fang Ping's eyes. This Buddhist power had unexpectedly purified the Nine Flames Fire, making it more suitable for tempering. Without further hesitation, with a thought, the Pingwang Sword rang out and hovered above his head, the clear light from the depths of its cracks descending to protect his spiritual platform.

"Please, you two, draw upon the laws of water and fire and enter my profound gate!" Fang Ping shouted in a low voice, sat down cross-legged, and the profound meaning of the Eight-Nine Arcane Arts circulated rapidly in his mind.

"Water, come!" Zhao Gongming pointed his fingers like a sword, and then pointed at Fang Ping. In an instant, a long river, purely formed from the fundamental laws of deep blue water, carrying immense and unstoppable water pressure and a chilling cold that freezes everything, surged towards the Baihui point on the top of Fang Ping's head like the Milky Way pouring down from the heavens!

"Fire!" The Nine Flame Arhat pushed his palms out, and the golden flames on the lotus platform beneath him surged, transforming into a solid golden pillar of fire that radiated pure light and the intent of annihilation. It shot upwards from Fang Ping's Yongquan acupoint!

"Boom——!!!"

One above and one below, one water and one fire, two completely opposite, yet exquisitely controlled by their respective masters, Emperor-level primordial laws crashed into Fang Ping's body like two ancient divine mountains!

"Ugh—!"

Fang Ping's body trembled violently, and a feeling of pain instantly surged into his heart. Sure enough, taking shortcuts always comes at a price.

My upper body felt as if it had been sunk to the bottom of an endless abyss! The immense water pressure squeezed wildly from every pore, and the extreme cold froze my blood, bone marrow, and even my thoughts! Every cell groaned under the unbearable pressure, as if it would be crushed into ice shards at any moment!

His lower body felt as if it had been thrown into the core of the sun! Pure golden Buddhist fire, carrying the will to incinerate all things, frantically burned his bones, flesh, and internal organs! Carbonized, reduced to ashes, and then reborn under the powerful vitality, only to be ignited again! The cycle repeated endlessly!

Ice and fire! Water and flame! Two pure and extreme forces, representing the most fundamental and opposing forces in the universe, clashed and annihilated each other in the most primal and violent way within Fang Ping's body!

His body became a brutal battlefield, his skin cracking in the ice and charred and curled in the flames; his bones made a teeth-grinding cracking sound and a sizzling sound as they were being melted; his meridians broke inch by inch in the extreme cold and were forcibly reconnected in the raging fire!