Chapter 642 - 63: The Journey Westward Begins, Buddha Enters the Dao Dynasty

Chapter 642: Chapter 63: The Journey Westward Begins, Buddha Enters the Dao Dynasty

’To replace at will and embody all things?’

Inside Douluo Palace, the Supreme Moral Heavenly Venerate gently stroked the Dog-Beating Stick in his hand, lost in thought.

Nearby, two Daoists, sprawled on the floor like dead dogs, also lifted their heads listlessly, their expressions turning grave.

According to Xiaoxuan’s description, the two Transcendent Traits Fu Xi possessed were both extremely terrifying. It was highly likely he was Wa Huang’s God!

Replacement...

’And Taiyi... why has his own Innate Uncertain Number gone missing?’

The turn of events made the three Daoists feel that things were getting thorny.

The Supreme pondered for a long time, then tapped the Dog-Beating Stick against his palm and murmured,

"I should have been able to see all of this with perfect clarity, but a fog was cast over my eyes before. Now, the false and the real are in complete chaos. The fog will not disperse, and I can no longer see all things clearly..."

At this, he flared up in anger, grabbed the Dog-Beating Stick, and gave the Blind Daoist and the Lame Daoist two whacks each, scolding,

"If you two hadn’t acted so recklessly, would I be in this predicament? I am the Existence of all, the Nature of all things! I should have perceived everything! Neither Taiyi nor Fu Xi should have been able to hide anything from my eyes!"

The Blind Daoist and the Lame Daoist were already numb to it, grimacing in pain. Their gazes towards the Supreme and Lu Xuan were particularly resentful.

Especially when they stared at Lu Xuan...

Lu Xuan couldn’t help but shift in his seat and lower his head, feeling a pang of guilt.

The Supreme grew angrier as he spoke and stood up, his expression turning hostile.

The Lame Daoist’s face changed, and he raised a hand.

"Supreme! You’ve already beaten us! It’s all in the past, so why don’t we stop here and focus on dealing with the Demon Ancestor and the others!"

"Just looking at you two makes me angry!"

The Supreme, wielding the Dog-Beating Stick without mercy, chased the two Daoists and gave them another savage beating.

He didn’t stop until the Daluo Supreme Treasure, which had only just been refined, began showing signs of evolving into a Dao Fruit Magical Artifact. Only then did he stop, satisfied.

The Supreme sat back down on his cattail cushion with a hostile look, while the two Daoists cowered in a corner of the Daoist Palace, grinding their teeth in rage.

’What goes around comes around!’ the Blind Daoist muttered to himself.

’My turn is coming soon!’ the Lame Daoist thought viciously.

The Supreme finally managed to calm his anger, and his tone softened slightly.

"Although Amitabha is dead, he was still determined to enter the fray. He has now entered a certain place within the Great Heaven and Earth and transformed into some living being. But since he is in a state of ’death,’ he is utterly impossible to deduce or calculate..."

The Blind Daoist spoke in a muffled, sullen voice:

"Amitabha is still manageable. The troublesome one is Fu Xi. He’s hidden himself very deeply and has joined forces with the Demon Ancestor. When the Journey to the West restarts, The Three Pristine Ones will not be at Perfection, and I will be at my weakest..."

"I, on the other hand, think Taiyi is the real trouble."

The Lame Daoist, while cursing the old Supreme in his heart, spoke in the same sullen tone as the Blind Daoist:

"Taiyi is far too confident, completely self-assured. He sees Xiaoxuan as a prize already in his grasp. According to Xiaoxuan, even a figure like Fu Xi is extremely wary of Taiyi..."

He paused, a look of confusion appearing on his red, swollen, and bruised face.

"What I don’t understand is why Fu Xi would say that Taiyi is an Enlightened One... The Dao Fruits are all accounted for!"

Lu Xuan pondered for a moment before speaking.

"Right now, how many Dao Fruits are left?"

The Supreme answered casually,

"The Three Pristine Ones, Bodhi, and Haotian—the five of us occupy five Complete Dao Fruits. Then there’s Amitabha, the Buddha Mother, Taiyi, the Buddha, and Houtu, who together have two and a half Dao Fruits. That leaves one and a half great seats for Dao Fruits remaining..."

He paused, his expression turning solemn.

"However, if what the Goddess said is true and Houtu has already abandoned her Dao Fruit to achieve Integration Dao, then the current ’Houtu’ is just an empty shell controlled by Fu Xi. Although it possesses the power of a Dao Fruit, it is not a Dao Fruit."

The Blind Daoist nodded thoughtfully.

"But the problem is, when I observe the great seats of the Nine Directions Dao Fruit, there really are only one and a half left..."

The Supreme shook his head.

"It’s as I said: if what the Goddess said is true, then what you are seeing now is an illusion. The Dao Fruit that Houtu inhabited is merely being held in Fu Xi’s grasp.

He can only borrow its power; he cannot truly integrate it into himself, nor does it occupy a true spot."

Hearing this, Lu Xuan had a realization.

"I once asked the Houtu-disguised Fu Xi for help. In the end, she didn’t act herself, only lending me seventy percent of her power.

Thinking back, that seventy percent was probably all she had, drawn upon using the residual great seat of the Dao Fruit. It doesn’t actually belong to Fu Xi."

"That is most likely the case."

The Lame Daoist struggled to his feet, not a single patch of his skin unbruised. He grimaced in pain with every movement.

"There are too many mysteries surrounding Taiyi. We’ll just have to keep an eye on him. For now, the priority is to deal with the Demon Ancestor and Fu Xi..."

He took a breath and continued,

"So, Xiaoxuan, you should make a few more arrangements to ensure you have the advantage when the Journey to the West restarts. After that, it will come down to our individual abilities."

Nearby, the Supreme seemed to recall something and glanced over to ask,

"By the way, Xiaoxuan, when do you plan to take the next step in The Beginning of Ancient Times?"

He already knew that the mysterious person who had been preaching at The Beginning of Ancient Times was Lu Xuan.

Lu Xuan thought for a moment and replied,

"After the Journey to the West officially begins. At that time, all sides will be focused on the Years of the Journey, making it more convenient for me to spread my Cultivation in The Beginning of Ancient Times."

"Good." The Supreme nodded slightly. "Remember not to be rash. The matter of becoming a Daoist Ancestor is of utmost importance. No one has ever walked this path before. It must be pursued slowly and deliberately."

Lu Xuan bowed respectfully.

"Yes, Teacher... In that case, this student will take his leave."

He glanced at his teacher, who was stroking the Dog-Beating Stick, and didn’t dare to linger, afraid that his teacher would start brooding again and get angry...

Immediately, Lu Xuan bowed his farewell and left quickly, vanishing in a flash.

After he had departed,

the Blind Daoist and the Lame Daoist helped each other up, both smiling sheepishly.

"Supreme, we’ll be taking our leave as well..."

"What’s the hurry?"

The Supreme stroked the Dog-Beating Stick with a deadpan expression.

"This stick hasn’t become a Dao Fruit Magical Artifact yet. It’s still a little short..."

The two Daoists’ expressions changed drastically.

A moment later, screams once again echoed through Douluo Palace, accompanied by the furious roars of a certain old man.

"Weaving a false history, were you?"

"Not trying to poach my people, were you?"

"’What Virtue or ability do I have?’ Is that it?"

The Lame Daoist stiffened his neck.

"Supreme, the final kalpa is upon us!"

"You dare threaten me?" The old man’s roars and the sound of the stick striking flesh grew even louder. "So what if it’s the final kalpa? Which is more enduring: the final kalpa, or Nature itself?"

Douluo Palace trembled slightly, but not the slightest ripple of the disturbance spread outside, nor did it attract the attention of any living being.

***

*Dao Calendar, Year 10,000: The Lord of the Dao Dynasty established the Kongtong Realm as a forbidden land, barred to all living things.*

*Dao Calendar, Year 17,000: The Buddha Country prospered, and the two dynasties went to war.*

*Dao Calendar, Year 20,000: Four Divine Swords descended, tearing the Buddha Country asunder. The war ended. The Buddha Country ceded territory, paid reparations, and offered a tribute of thirty million units of Celestial Medicine and fourteen Daluo Supreme Treasures.*

*Dao Calendar, Year 27,000: The world was at peace.*

*Dao Calendar, Year 28,000: The world was at peace.*

*Dao Calendar, Year 29,000: The world was at peace. In the East Sea, a Divine Mountain shone brilliantly. A stubborn rock broke open, and a monkey’s head emerged.*

***

"The Journey to the West... has begun."

In a thatched hut in a desolate wilderness, the Buddha wore a solemn expression.

"The Current World is also approaching the final kalpa. The Supreme... is likely on the verge of falling."

Lu Xuan nodded silently, his gaze profound. He tapped his fingers on the table, pondering for a long moment.

"Then, Senior, will you join my Dao Dynasty today?"

"Of course. The time has come." The Buddha nodded slightly, accepted the hot tea poured by Yan Jiangxue, nodded again, and drank it all in one gulp.

He put his palms together. The Buddhist light around him faded, his Golden Body vanished, and his Kasaya burned away, revealing a middle-aged Daoist with bright, piercing eyes.

"From this day forward, I am... of the Daoist Sect, Lin Lingsu."

"Greetings, Daoist." Lu Xuan said with a smile. "No, I should say... greetings, National Preceptor."

The Buddha laughed heartily, bowed his farewell, and left. Lu Xuan rose to see him off, only returning to the thatched hut after the Buddha was gone.

He and Xiaoyan had lived here peacefully for twenty thousand years.

As dusk approached, Xiaoyan sorted the vegetables while Lu Xuan cut the meat. A contemporary Daluo and the Lord of the Dao Dynasty, they lit a fire and cooked a meal just like an ordinary mortal couple, filling the air with the flavor of the Red Dust.

When a large table full of dishes was ready, Zhang Daoling ambled over to freeload a meal.

Following him were the solemn-faced Sandalwood Merit Buddha, the cautious Sha Wujing, the deeply respectful Little White Dragon, and the simple-mindedly grinning Zhu Wuneng.

After the meal, Xiaoyan cleared the dishes. Lu Xuan, dressed as a farmer, spoke calmly,

"Then it is settled. Tang Xuanzang, you will transform back into Golden Cicada. Zhu Wuneng, you will become Zhu Bajie again. Sha Wujing, you will enter the Liusha River, and Little White Dragon, you will wait quietly in the sea."

"What about me? What about me?" Zhang Daoling asked with a grin, craning his neck.

"Senior Brother Zhang, you have nothing to do with the original history of the Journey to the West..."

"Oh, so now you know to call me Senior Brother?"

Zhang Daoling pursed his lips. He had already awakened and recovered the memories of his past lives, which only served to infuriate him. He now ground his teeth and said,

"I’m afraid I’m not worthy of you calling me Senior Brother. I should be the one calling *you* Senior Brother! No, I should call you ’Godfather’!"

"If you’re willing, I have no objection..." Lu Xuan laughed, causing Zhang Daoling to jump up in a rage.

After a few moments of banter, as the sky grew dark, Sandalwood Merit Buddha, Zhu Wuneng, and the others took their leave, heading to their respective places. Zhang Daoling also left in a huff.

After helping Xiaoyan tidy up the house, they closed the door and got into bed early.

After a moment of intimacy, Yan Jiangxue leaned in Lu Xuan’s arms and asked softly,

"Xiaolu, are you... leaving again?"

Lu Xuan was silent for a moment. He gazed at the flickering candlelight on the table and nodded slightly.

"This is the final battle before the last kalpa. The Journey to the West has restarted, my teacher is about to fall, and it’s time for me to re-enter the world."

Yan Jiangxue bit her lip and spoke softly,

"You’ll be safe this time, too, right?"

"I’m on the verge of attaining a Dao Fruit. How could I not be safe?"

Lu Xuan held Xiaoyan, inhaling her fresh, peachy scent, and said gently,

"But you may not be able to stay in this era. What’s about to unfold might be one of the most brutal battles in all of history. The Demon Ancestor and the others will stop at nothing."

The memory of how Xiaoyan was nearly replaced by Fu Xi was still a thorn in Lu Xuan’s side.

After a moment of silence, Yan Jiangxue turned on her side to face Lu Xuan.

"Xiaolu, where will I go?"

"To The Beginning of Ancient Times..."

Lu Xuan held her and whispered,

"You wait there for a while. After the dust settles, I’ll come and get you... Don’t worry, I’ll also be going to The Beginning of Ancient Times soon. There are some things that I need to take care of."

"Then... tomorrow?" Yan Jiangxue asked softly. "Can we make it the day after tomorrow? I want to stay here a little longer."

"As you wish." Lu Xuan gently stroked Xiaoyan’s head. With a wave of his hand, the Jade Void Glazed Lamp on the wooden table went out. The hut plunged into darkness, and the two of them held each other as they fell asleep.

A dreamless sleep.

「Two days later.」

Lu Xuan watched Xiaoyan step into The Beginning of Ancient Times, then stretched his limbs slightly, his expression growing solemn.

’It’s time to begin...’

He shed his coarse hemp clothes and donned an ancient Emperor’s Robe, adjusting the Emperor’s Crown on his head.

Lu Xuan exhaled a breath of stale air. He put away the thatched hut, gave the spot a thorough cleaning, and then pushed open the door and stepped out.

’With the Buddha joining the Dao Dynasty today, its fortune will rise again after the enfeoffment. The progress of replacing the Great Will of Heaven and Earth should take a big step forward, right?’

His gaze was profound. He straightened his Emperor’s Robe, slowly closed the door, and then, with a single step, ascended to the heavens. Purple qi billowed from the East for a million miles, startling all under heaven and in the skies above.

After more than twenty thousand years, Lu Xuan revealed himself to the world once more.

*Dao Calendar, Year 29,000: The Lord of the Dao Dynasty held his first court assembly.*

*The Three Dukes gathered, the Nine Ministers paid homage, and the Three Realms watched with rapt attention.*