Chapter 608 - 49: The Spring and Autumn Period Arrives, Qin and Han Unite, High Heaven Beats the Drums

Chapter 608: Chapter 49: The Spring and Autumn Period Arrives, Qin and Han Unite, High Heaven Beats the Drums

"What brings you to say that, Fellow Daoist?"

Amitabha Buddha smiled, his tone gentle and persuasive:

"If you, Fellow Daoist, were to become the third master of our Buddhist Path, you would share in the destiny of our Buddhist Sect. When the day comes that you wish to attain a Dao Fruit, it would be effortless!"

After a brief pause, he added:

"Though with your power, Fellow Daoist, you can match those at the Enlightenment Level even without a Dao Fruit, that’s not a sustainable state of affairs. It’s best to attain your Dao Fruit as soon as possible. After all, there’s only one and a half Dao Fruit Positions left..."

A look of hesitation crossed Lu Xuan’s face as he sighed again.

"Primordial is my master. If I were to abandon the Daoist Sect to join the Buddhist Sect, would that not be an act of great disloyalty? Fellow Daoist, please, speak of this no more! Speak no more of it!"

"Not at all, not at all!"

Amitabha Buddha replied with a smile:

"Have you not seen? From the Jade Void Sect, Merciful, Samantabhadra, Manjushri, and Ju Liusun all joined our Buddhist Sect, some becoming Great Bodhisattvas, others Buddhas. And look at the Biyou Sect—Duobao himself once served as a Buddha!"

As he spoke, he poured Lu Xuan another cup of tea—one far more profound than the last—and continued,

"Life and death, Yin and Yang—though they are opposites, they are also one and the same. So it is with Buddhism and Daoism. Buddhism is Dao, and Dao is Buddhism..."

A contemplative expression appeared on Lu Xuan’s face.

After a long while, he spoke, his voice laced with hesitation:

"If my master were to punish me..."

"Now that you have a seat at the game board, Fellow Daoist, you are effectively our equal. We stand shoulder to shoulder. How could there be any talk of punishment? Besides, Fellow Daoist Primordial would never be so small-minded!"

Amitabha Buddha said gently:

"And if Fellow Daoist Primordial were to truly blow such a trivial matter out of proportion and try to obstruct your path... a master like that..."

"...is one you’re better off without!"

Lu Xuan’s face went pale with alarm.

"Silence! Say no more!"

He shot to his feet and began to pace back and forth, his anxiety palpable. At last, he sat back down and let out a long sigh.

"Fellow Daoist..."

Amitabha Buddha rose to his feet. An ancient, unadorned Buddha Robe materialized in his hands.

The Buddha Robe shimmered with eighty-one different colors, embodying the concepts of Infinite Light, Infinite Life, Infinite Wisdom, and Infinite Purity.

It was embroidered with three hundred and sixty-five threads, each one a magnificent Great Dao. Gilt patterns adorned the cuffs, within which scenes of All Realms and visions of the Celestial Realms ebbed and flowed...

Without giving him a chance to refuse, he draped the Buddha Robe over Lu Xuan.

Lu Xuan’s expression changed dramatically. He felt a vast and boundless destiny settle upon him, empowering him. He could see the entire past, present, and future of the Buddhist Path.

At that very moment, across all of space and time, in every world and every temple, within the Main Hall,

a majestic new statue of a Buddha materialized beside those of Bodhi and Amitabha.

The statue was clad in a Great Buddha Robe, a flaming canopy above its head. It held a Great Palace in its left hand, while its right hand was held in the gesture of holding a flower. Its expression seemed to be at once smiling, merciful, sorrowful, and compassionate.

The monks of countless worlds chanted as one:

"Namo Purple Cloud Sky Great Compassion Buddha Lord!"

The Vajras, Arhats, Bodhisattvas, and Buddhas all chanted:

"Namo Purple Cloud Sky Great Compassion Buddha Lord!"

The sound of the chant echoed endlessly, stretching from the ancient past to the present day, as if it had always been this way.

"Insolence!" The Blind Daoist, currently locked in a fierce battle, glanced over, his face a mask of pure rage. In contrast, the Ancient Bodhi Buddha simply smiled.

"The Daoist Sect has its three friends, and now the Buddhist Sect has its three friends as well!"

His laughter boomed, growing ever louder. The faces of The Three Pristine Ones darkened. A peculiar glimmer appeared in the Demon Ancestor’s eyes.

Only Fu Xi wore a strange expression, his thoughts unreadable. In the end, he said nothing, but a flicker of amusement at another’s misfortune danced in his eyes.

Meanwhile, beside the Dao Fruit game board, Lu Xuan was a picture of misery—beating his chest, stomping his feet, his brow furrowed and his face a mask of anguish.

Finally, he let out a long, drawn-out sigh.

"Fellow Daoist, you’ve brought ruin upon me! Utter ruin!"

"Whatever do you mean? Whatever do you mean?"

Amitabha Buddha burst out laughing and gave Lu Xuan a formal bow.

"The Daoist Sect has its three friends, and henceforth, the Buddhist Sect shall have its three as well!"

With that, he placated Lu Xuan, helping him back to his seat. Then, his expression grew serious, and he frowned.

"It is a pity, however, that our Buddhist Sect has no spare Supreme Treasures... In that case, I shall have Bodhi break off another eight Bodhi Miaoshu Branches for you, Fellow Daoist, to make a total of nine. In addition..."

He reached out across the river of Years and demanded them from the Ancient Bodhi Buddha. The latter flew into a thunderous rage but ultimately relented.

Thus, of the eighty-one branches of the Bodhi Miaoshu, seventeen were now gone, with only sixty-four remaining.

A smile returned to Amitabha Buddha’s face.

"Your Great Palace, Fellow Daoist, is full of Profound Mysteries. With a name like Purple Cloud, perhaps this item would be a fitting match."

As he spoke, he gave a gentle push, and a Cyan Lotus materialized. Atop the lotus were infinite wondrous principles and endless wondrous truths.

It birthed seventy-two colors, each color a Dharma Aspect, and each aspect a Sumeru.

Lu Xuan, clad in the Buddha Robe and seated upon the Cyan Lotus, wore an expression of profound sorrow. Surprisingly, he truly possessed the aura of an enlightened Buddha Lord.

Eight more Bodhi Miaoshu Branches materialized out of thin air. Including the first one, there were now nine in total. They intertwined to form a great tree that swayed behind Lu Xuan, showering down rays of Infinite Wisdom Light.

"Alas! Alas! Alas!"

After three such sighs, Lu Xuan pressed his palms together and lamented,

"What’s done is done! What’s done is done!"

Amitabha Buddha roared with laughter.

But in the midst of his laughter, his brow furrowed slightly. He glanced toward the River of Time, his gaze fixing on the era of the Late Han Dynasty. A shadow of concern crossed his features.

’Another complication has arisen?’ ℯ

After a moment, Amitabha Buddha’s brow furrowed deeply.

’The Three Lamps of Heaven, Earth, and Man? To think that they would appear in the Current World...’

When separate, each of the Three Lamps of Heaven, Earth, and Man is an artifact of the Dao Fruit Level and a Supreme Treasure of the Ancient Level. When combined, they become a Dao Fruit Supreme Treasure,

A Great Artifact of the Enlightenment Level!

Among the Ancient Level beings, Magical Treasures are the lowest tier, Great Artifacts are in the middle, and Supreme Treasures are the highest. The same hierarchy applies to the Enlightenment Level.

Enlightenment Level Supreme Treasures are exceedingly rare, even among the Ancients. Examples include the Qing Ping Sword, the Heaven-Opening Banner, and the Taiji Diagram...

Items such as the Heaven and Earth Profound Yellow Exquisite Pagoda, the Three-Bejeweled Ruyi, and the Four Immortal Slaying Swords—as well as the Great Infinite Buddha Robe and the Twelfth Grade Creation Cyan Lotus that Amitabha Buddha just gifted to Lu Xuan—are all Great Artifacts of the Enlightenment Level!