Chapter 3116 - Dying and Coming Back to Life

In a struggle between Heavenly Sovereigns, it was extraordinarily difficult to determine a victor, let alone life and death.

This was common knowledge throughout the Eternal Heavens Domain.

But Su Yi wasn’t a Heavenly Sovereign. He’d only just broken into the Heavenly Fate Realm.

Yet he’d injured Hong Ling, a Heavenly Sovereign of the early Primordial Era, in a single slash!

The Threelives Buddha could tell that even if the Book of Destiny was helping Su Yi, there was no hiding his terrifying cultivation base.

“A childish game?” Hong Ling snarled. “Then let’s do as you say and have a clash of the Grand Dao!”

She was a lofty Heavenly Sovereign. She refused to believe she’d lose to someone who’d just broken into the Heavenly Fate Realm in a clash of the Grand Dao.

The Threelives Buddha remained silent. He made no attempt to stop her. He was curious to see how strong Su Yi would be without any external support.

But Su Yi just laughed dryly. “It’s too late. I’m no longer in the mood to use you to sharpen my sword.”

He turned his attention toward the Threelives Buddha. “When it comes time to determine life and death, you needn’t fear me fleeing into the Daoless Domain.”

The Threelives Buddha couldn’t help but smile. “No one understands me as you do, Fellow Daoist.”

Earlier, he’d indeed been trying to figure out what to do if Su Yi entered the Daoless Domain, as there, he’d be all but invincible. That would make this difficult.

But it was obvious that Su Yi had seen right through him.

“If you please!” The Threelives Buddha wasted no further time. He clasped his palms together, then bowed his head.

Indescribably terrifying power of the Grand Dao swept forth, emanating in all directions. This was a power beyond the limits of a Heavenly Sovereign, something the Buddha of Non-Existence had left behind. It had already fused with the Threelives Buddha’s cultivation base.

The Threelives Buddha had relied on this very power to destroy the Monarch of Endless Tribulations earlier!

Su Yi flipped his palm, and the Book of Destiny floated into the air.

Boom!

The Threelives Buddha took a step forward, a lotus platform blooming beneath his feet. Taboo light flowed over the surface of his black alms bowl as it descended upon Su Yi. Its power was immense enough to shake heaven and earth on all sides.

In a sense, he was no longer a Heavenly Sovereign, but rather one with the strength to break the shackles of destiny.

The black alms bowl was a taboo treasure. When the Threelives Buddha attacked, its power sent a thrill of terror through Hong Ling, who immediately retreated.

Su Yi didn’t retreat, nor did he attack. Instead, a thin, aged figure appeared before him, clasped his palms, and chanted.

“Hah!”

In but a single breath, the air caved in and collapsed, and the descending black alms bowl shook violently.

“Master?” The Threelives Buddha looked stricken in a rare loss of composure, for the one who’d appeared before Su Yi was none other than the Buddha of Non-Existence!

“He came back to life? How is this possible!?” Hong Ling cried out in alarm.

The Monarch of Endless Tribulations had killed the Buddha of Non-Existence’s true body. Even his source energies had fused into the Threelives Buddha.

Who could have imagined that a dead man would suddenly come back to life?

“Unfaithful disciple, for all your scheming, how could you possibly grasp the impermanence of destiny?” the Buddha of Non-Existence said coldly. “I never died, so how could you have fused with my Dao Heart or seized my powers of the Grand Dao?”

The Threelives Buddha took a deep breath, suppressed his bewilderment, and said, “What... what exactly is going on here?”

Su Yi laughed. “Don’t worry. Once the Buddha of Non-Existence regathers his power, I’ll send you on your way.”

The Threelives Buddha frowned, but before he could say anything, the Buddha of Non-Existence attacked.

He clasped his palms and chanted. Ancient, inscrutable Sanskrit resounded throughout heaven and earth.

But when it reached the Threelives Buddha’s ears, it was as if he’d been struck by lightning. His qi circulation was severely impacted, becoming tumultuous and chaotic.

The Buddha of Non-Existence’s power struggled within him. It seemed like the Threelives Buddha had long since made it his own, but when its true master reappeared, the power turned on its usurper!

“Master, you’ve already departed this world. Why persist in making things difficult for your disciple?” The Threelives Buddha sighed, then hurled the black alms bowl with terrifying momentum.

But before it had gotten far, his qi descended into chaos. He let out a muffled grunt, then staggered back and almost fell.

The Buddha of Non-Existence’s source energies of the Grand Dao relentlessly assailed him. It was as if a fierce battle were underway within him.

Hong Ling’s beautiful face shifted as she realized how serious the problem was.

It had seemed like the Threelives Buddha had kept the situation under control at every step. He’d successfully seized his master’s remnants from the Monarch of Endless Tribulations, but in truth, his success had planted the seeds of future disasters.

Now that the Buddha of Non-Existence had “died and come back to life,” the stolen remnants fought back fiercely, creating a powerful backlash within the Threelives Buddha!

But then, who could have anticipated that the Buddha of Non-Existence hadn’t really died? It was truly unbelievable.

Sanskrit chanting boomed like thunder, resounding throughout heaven and earth. As the Buddha of Non-Existence chanted a secret invocation of the Grand Dao, the struggle raging within the Threelives Buddha intensified.

His face contorted, and he repeatedly let out muffled grunts. On numerous occasions, he tried to kill the Buddha of Non-Existence, but all such attempts ended in failure.

When the battle within him became too much to bear, he cast aside all other concerns, but even then he knew he wouldn’t last much longer.

Su Yi said softly, “Your schemes have backfired. You thought you could seize your master’s powers to strengthen your own and step onto the Path to Ancestry, but in the end, you only harmed yourself. How tragic is that?”

The Threelives Buddha’s gaze was utterly cold. He said gravely, “Su Yi, were you plotting against me?”

He’d completely lost his composure. There was no sign of his earlier calm. His face was typically as austere as a temple statue, but now, it was contorted with fury.

He was starting to understand. This was most likely a trap that Su Yi and the Buddha of Non-Existence had set for him long ago! The Buddha of Non-Existence had used himself as bait, using his “death” to set a trap. In the end, he and Su Yi tricked everyone and coordinated to attack him inside and out.

Simply put, the moment he seized his master’s Buddhist Heart and the powers of the Grand Dao from the Monarch of Endless Tribulations, he fell into a trap.

Su Yi didn’t deny it. He just said, “The Monarch of Endless Tribulations lost to his own Dao Heart, while you died of your own greed. You have no one to blame but yourself.”

“Impressive, Su Yi! I really underestimated your cleverness!” said the Threelives Buddha, so angry that he laughed.

He turned to look at the Buddha of Non-Existence. “Master, I truly don’t understand. Why forsake even your own Dao Heart and foundations in the Grand Dao just to deceive and trap your own disciple?”

The Buddha of Non-Existence ignored him and continued chanting, making the Threelives Buddha gnash his teeth with hatred.

For all his calculations, he could never have anticipated that the Buddha of Non-Existence would die and come back to life!

It was truly unreasonable. Moreover, it would have been obvious to anyone that Su Yi had taken advantage of his master’s resurrection, joining forces with his master at a critical juncture as part of a carefully planned trap!

The Threelives Buddha finally understood what Su Yi meant when he said that these powers didn’t belong to him—even if he’d fused with them.

This was obviously a killer weapon Su Yi had prepared just for him, a trap certain to catch him off guard!

Off in the distance, Hong Ling felt chills run through her hands and feet. The Threelives Buddha’s current predicament is all part of a trap Su Yi prepared well in advance? That’s just too terrifying!

“Master!” the Threelives Buddha said gravely. “You really plan to destroy us both, all to help an outsider?”

This time, the Buddha of Non-Existence finally responded. “All manner of karmic seeds have led to the bitter fruit of today. My unfilial disciple, you’ve walked the wrong path. If you turn back now, you might well still have an opportunity to return to the path of righteousness!”

The Threelives Buddha suddenly regained his calm. “If you think this is enough to make me admit defeat, I’m afraid you overestimate yourselves.”

A hint of grief appeared in the Buddha of Non-Existence’s face. He sighed deeply. “In that case, don’t blame me for this.”

The Threelives Buddha’s face shifted with apparent realization.

Practically simultaneously, the Buddha of Non-Existence clasped his palms and let out a thunderous Buddhist invocation. “Break!”

Boom!

A flood of destructive power erupted from the Threelives Buddha. His master’s Dao Heart and foundations in the Grand Dao had given up the struggle, as their owner had chosen self-destruction!

The explosion happened within the Threelives Buddha’s body, leaving him badly injured. He cried out in agony, blood gushing from the seven apertures of his face. His body was covered in blood and riddled with holes.

Hong Ling watched on in horror. Even if you’d hit her over the head, she would never have guessed that the Buddha of Non-Existence would go to such lengths. He’d willingly destroyed his Dao Heart and foundations in the Grand Dao just to punish the Threelives Buddha!

Su Yi was surprised, too; this hadn’t been part of the Buddha of Non-Existence’s plan. He couldn’t help but say, “Fellow Daoist, you...”

The Buddha of Non-Existence shook his head, seeming to guess what Su Yi wanted to ask. “My true body has already been destroyed, and my Dao Heart has been tainted. Even if I reclaimed my foundations in the Grand Dao, the situation is unsalvageable.”

He gestured to himself. “This is good, too. A trace of my spirit remains intact. I will no longer seek the heights of the Grand Dao, merely the joys of Buddhist practice. It’s enough.”

Su Yi sighed softly, his heart welling with admiration. He knew that even as the two of them first set this trap for the Threelives Buddha, he hadn’t fully trusted the Buddha of Non-Existence. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been so on guard as they entered the palace atop the Mountain of Tribulations.

Looking back on it now, the Buddha of Non-Existence was the most admirable person here, a true, accomplished monk with compassion for all living beings!

Without his Dao Heart or foundations in the Grand Dao, his spirit was little more than a wandering ghost. He’d have no further opportunities to prove his Dao.

That wisp of spirit was all that was left of him!

But Su Yi wouldn’t forget the way the Buddha of Non-Existence’s clone had shielded him with his body. How could Su Yi not admire such a monk?

“Fellow Daoist, I’ll leave my unfilial disciple to you,” said the Buddha of Non-Existence, gazing into the distance.

Su Yi nodded.

The Threelives Buddha was covered in blood, his whole body in tatters. He looked utterly wretched.

He’d fallen from the Path to Ancestry and returned to his former cultivation.

All of this made Hong Ling’s heart sink into the pit of her stomach. A single resurrection had changed the situation completely.

Who could have anticipated this development?

Without the power of the Path to Ancestry, how could the Threelives Buddha, a mere Heavenly Sovereign, possibly win?

Hong Ling didn’t know. All she knew was that by themselves, she and the Threelives Buddha had no way of escaping the Realm of Endless Tribulations!

“Su Yi, do you really think you’ve won?” said the Threelives Buddha, wiping the fresh blood from his lips.