Chapter 1967 · Nirvana Mind Sutra

"Are you ready?" Three Virtue said as he appeared in the room.

"Not yet," Wu Hong calmly replied, her back still to him.

"What's there left to do?"

Wu Hong slowly turned around. "Do you know what I think is the most precious thing to a civilization?"

Three Virtue frowned, immediately feeling something unpleasant was about to happen.

"Knowledge," Wu Hong stated. "With such a belief, how can I leave without granting this timeline something so precious that it had lost?"

Three Virtue's face turned ugly for a brief moment; it was so fast, almost imperceptible. But who was Wu Hong? She was in her home court—the place where she is at her strongest.

"I understand." Three Virtue disappeared, leaving a sneering Wu Hong. One of the main reasons the True Qi Path Holy Land regained its former status was that the world's history and knowledge were systematically wiped out. Wu Hong would not give them another opportunity.

So, the moment the River of Time returned, she activated the [Project Restore History]. First, it started with a group of historians who peered through time to create a perfect and chronological historical book of all events that occurred since Emperor Sui's time.

The court then printed the knowledge and spread it to every corner of the universe under its rule. Wu Hong even engraved them in Dao Hope Stones to ensure they could survive the Curse of Forbidden Knowledge. However, this was not the end. From Wu Hong's perspective, these things can easily be destroyed or corrupted. So, to solve the issue, she fused the history of the world into Six Paths Samsara itself.

The objective is that in every generation, countless individuals known as [Chosen Recorders] will be born; these individuals will have the entire world's history stored in their blood and souls. So, if someone tried to erase history again, these individuals—who were granted a way to reveal their status—can reveal it to the world.

Their records weren't just about history. Project Restore History also recovered lost cultivation techniques, martial arts, professional skills, and more. Wu Hong did her best to preserve them so the next generation wouldn't be suddenly weakened.

…

"Saintess."

"I can't believe you succeeded," Wu Hong said, looking at Elder Wong, the Sutra Guardian. Years ago, he gave the latter the idea of turning into half human and half obsession spirit, but he didn't expect him to succeed. She only came here after sensing something and thought he was about to die.

"Thanks to you."

"I didn't do much, just gave you the knowledge you needed. Without your talent, my actions would have been pointless."

"But without your knowledge, my talent would have been pointless."

"True," Wu Hong said, nodding.

"Saintess, is there any way I can be helpful to you?"

"You can protect the court in my absence, and also keep an eye out for the True Qi Path Holy Land. Oh, and one more thing: share with me how you did it."

"No problem." Elder Wong did not hesitate to condense a talisman containing his technique: [Nirvana Mind Sutra]. Wu Hong scanned the information quickly and couldn't help but sigh in wonder. The first step of this technique is to condense an [Anusaya Soul] or the [Obsession Soul], which sounds simple in theory, but it was far from it.

Cultivators often refer to [Obsession] as the [power that creates miracles], the power that defies the odds. While it is potent, it's also extreme; it can easily overwhelm even the brightest of minds or push the calmest of minds to madness. So, the greatest obstacle to condensing the [Anuyasa Soul] is to prevent the mind and the self from being corrupted or overwhelmed by obsession.

Elder Wong's solution originated from Buddhism, hence the name. His approach was also simple, but bold. He didn't treat obsession as something to be feared, revered, or hated, but as something to confront and overcome. And that's exactly what he did; he gathered all the power of obsession and turned it into something akin to the Devil Heart and directly confronted and conquered it.

"This technique not only allowed him to control the fearsome power of obsession, but it also served as a method of training a Saint Dao Heart," Wu Hong thought. Elder Wong had just completed the technique, but she could tell that he only needed his mind to confront the Obsession Devil and experience one or two more nirvanas before he could naturally condense a Saint Dao Heart.

Wu Hong stopped and looked at Elder Wong. "A talent like you should not be buried in obscurity. Interested in joining my sect?"

Elder Wong bowed. "I appreciate all the help you've given me and the holy land. And if one day you ever need it, I'll walk through fire to aid you. However, the holy land is my home. I cannot forsake it."

Wu Hong sighed. "I suddenly have the urge to destroy it just to have you."

Elder Wong remained in a bowing position with cold sweat dripping down his back. His intuition warned him the Saintess was not just joking. So, he did the best thing he could: remain silent and obedient.

"Forget it. Some things are not meant to be."

Wu Hong left the holy land and returned to the court. Originally, she was supposed to head directly to the central area. However, after reading the [Nirvana Mind Sutra], Wu Hong was inspired. She had concocted a few plans on how to deal with Gu Chang'an, but none of them were truly satisfactory. However, after reading that technique, a burst of inspiration suddenly hit.

Three yuan epochs later, Wu Hong finished comprehending the sutra and set up her plan for the final battle. Then, she reunited with Three Virtue Saint.

"I must say: well played, fellow Daoist."

"The ancient sages said that those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it," Wu Hong calmly said. "I'm just following their teaching."

"Sages' teachings, huh? I never much care for these things since they often form dogmatic individuals who care more about preserving legacies than actually caring about people or the world."

"Unless they are your teachings?"

"Why not?" Three Virtue replied. "I'm eternal, meaning I can live to preserve the integrity of my ideals."

"How arrogant of you."

"Haven't I earned the right to be arrogant?"

Wu Hong smiled. "That's something an Emperor would say."

Three Virtue squinted. "Is it? Since when has the Emperor Path co-opted the concepts of confidence, strength, power, and overwhelming belief and will?"

"Since forever. After all, we are called [Emperors] for a reason."

"Now, that's pure arrogance."

Wu Hong shrugged; there was no point in continuing this conversation. Three Virtue, like most powerful cultivators, is a man of contradiction, driven by obsession. His personality fits perfectly with the Emperor Path, but his obsession with the Qi Path derailed him from a wonderful future. If one day he can see through the obsession and switch to the Emperor Path, then he'll go far in the Saint Path.

"How many people can truly see through their obsession?" Wu Hong thought. Even someone as wise and talented as Wang Wei is still shackled by his obsession. Someone like Elder Wong, who can easily transcend his obsession, is an anomaly, which is why Wu Hong thought about doing everything possible to acquire him.

"Time is of the essence, so let's go."

"I'll lead the way," Three Virtue said, nodding. Wu Hong first shrank the court and store inside her Sea of Consciousness before they headed directly to the central area. At first, Wu Hong expected resistance, whether from the red cloud itself or from manifested Destructo Beasts, but the voyage was peaceful.

Soon, the two reached what would be considered the central region of the entire timeline. What awaited Wu Hong was a bit unexpected: a colossal black sphere stood between Heaven and Earth, releasing a strange aura. Wu Hong observed it closely, and the best word to describe it was: independent. The sphere seemed isolated and independent of Heaven and Earth, of the rules and laws of this timeline.

"Every time I see it, I can't help but be filled with awe, reverence, and envy," Three Virtue stated, his eyes shining with the light of desire. "The power of a Second Step Powerhouse is truly beyond what words could describe."

"What is it, exactly?" This sphere gave a strange, familiar feeling, but she couldn't put her finger on it. And the more she glanced at it, the more familiar it felt.

"You'll know when you're inside."

Wu Hong glanced at him, but no longer asked. Instead, golden armor appeared around her before rapidly fusing with her body. Three Virtue Saint's mouth twitched. That armor was a Saint Technique that used merit to protect the [Existence]. He didn't care about a Quasi-Saint using a Saint technique; with Wu Hong's talent, that was to be expected.

What pained him was the sheer amount of merit used. Since the Merit System was reinstated, Grand Dao—and maybe the court—has heavily suppressed the True Qi Path Holy Land, limiting their quantity and means of amassing merit.

"Let's go," Wu Hong said.