The Sage Who Transcended Samsara

In the night sky, the stars were dense and sparkling, merging into bright galaxies and brilliant clouds. Deep inside them, a planet covered in blue and green quietly rotated around its stars. Its massiveness exceeded normal but yet maintained an environment suitable for human survival.

At this moment, a pale golden sword beam penetrated layers of space as though distorting the distances in between them, and soon fell on the top of the planet’s oldest and tallest building, bringing a sky filled with the color of gold that surpassed the sunset glow and accompanied by a dignified low roar, “Where are the descendants of the emperor!”

Inside the halls, humans who were practising with their eyes shut suddenly opened their eyes and stood up uniforming, holding weapons in their right hands, looking like waves that suddenly surged.

With their strong presence, their every move were able to interfere with astronomical phenomena. Together, they made everywhere on the planet bright like daytime with rainbow in the sky!

Inside the tall old building, the deep and quiet hall suddenly shook, and the main door opened by itself. A weary presence that filled the air got out as a voice reverberated on the planet, “Is the current emperor calling?”

His clan had gotten advice from the current emperor to exchange sacrifice for a chance to escape, and finally avoided the Devil Buddha’s trial. Their inheritance continued, their accumulations continued, and they always had legendary protection.

He would be the one after the old clan leader died in the hands of the Devil Buddha, and after him there was still another junior!

The powerful presence materialized and dashed into the clouds, making the planet look like a brilliant star. Then, every star that was as big as the sun in this enormous galaxy erupted a solar storm. Flames gushed at high temperatures and objects of different shapes flew out from within. They had all been nourished deep within the star.

These objects gathered one by one, quickly forming an ancient ship that was even larger than the planet. Having the color of a jade stone, it left markings as it bobbled between illusion and reality, as though it was traveling in the sea of sufferings, protecting and helping the people on it reach the shore.

It was The Last Ship that the emperor attempted to make during his later years, for protecting and helping living things get through the Final Trial. Unfortunately, the emperor passed on before he could put him his best, leaving behind this defective product which level was difficult to assess accurately. Some of its effects exceeded Legendary level, but some of its powers were merely of Celestial level.

With The Last Ship stopping deep inside the universe, two powerful and majestic presences flew out from the planet occupied by the emperor’s descendants. Even in the sky of the real world, the terrifyingness exceeded that of the galaxy, and was probably no less than a falling moon after landing on the real world. Thereafter, strong presence followed closely one after another, almost occupying half of the light on the planet.

Markings on The Last Ship gradually lit up as its body became blurred. Then, it shook lightly and disappeared all of a sudden before proceeding to the real world through space.

Within just over ten seconds, The Last Ship that had turned into the size of a normal tower ship appeared inside Changle Palace. Turning from illusory to real, it quietly stood tall, looking like it came from ancient times and also from the future.

Sima Shi and the other yamen constables looked at the shipped that had passed through the Sea of Sufferings and subconsciously held their breaths. Their hearts beat unexplainably, like mortals who saw a Bodhisattva manifestation.

The first to walk out from The Last Ship were two humans – a man and a woman – whose dressing were between ancient times and the Middle Ages. The man had white hair and looked very energetic. His eyes looked dense and brilliant as though it was reflecting the stars in the sky, and every bit of the brilliance seemed to be a human silhouette. The woman looked like flowers in full bloom, mature and graceful. Her eyes were bright and full of spirits. Upon closer look, revolving galaxies could also be seen.

“Shaoxuan pays his respect, Your Majesty.”

“Xi’e pays her respect, Your Majesty.”

Both of them bowed uniformly, their tone filled with respect, causing a slight disturbance to the void space even with their breathing under control.

Gao Lan slightly nodded, took a few steps forward and stretched out his hands as support, “I have troubled the two of you.”

Powerful characters of the emperor’s descendants filed out one by one right after Shaoxuan and Xi’e, such that even the constables who were used to seeing talents in the real world were overwhelmed

“You can spread this news out, just half-truths will do, we don’t have to specially prove it,” Gao Lan looked at the constables with deep eyes as he instructed indifferently.

…

Inside the Void Hometown, the Night Emperor Huo Lishang was leaving the white lotus platform and facing the deepness, looking like he was welcoming something.

At that place, the presence formed by galaxies got stronger and more obvious before suddenly dying off, and out came a handsome man. His face was white and delicate, like a scholar who was good at seducing young ladies in classical plays. He had a smile on his face and was holding a glaze lamp in his hand. Its wick burned quietly as seemed to illuminate all places in the three worlds.

“Greetings, Celestial Lamp Ambassador,” Huo Lishang bowed casually, but another thought was on his mind. It’s said that there are three most marvelous celestial lamps in the various worlds. One has transformed into the ancient Dipankara Buddha, one is in Jade Mirage Palace, and one is with Heavenly Lord Daode. Which is the one that you are holding? Or is it a rising star created by the Ajati Matriarch?

The Celestial Lamp Ambassador smiled in return and said gently, “I have to make a trip to Kunlun Mountain Jade Mirage Palace.”

“Kunlun Mountain Jade Mirage Palace? Which Kunlun Mountain Jade Mirage Palace?” Huo Lishang asked.

If it was a mortal who mentioned Kunlun Mountain Jade Mirage Palace, it had to be the residence of the Primitive Emperor. But the Celestial Lamp Ambassador had just awakened and was likely to be referring to the Jade Mirage Palace located in the World of Gods.

The Celestial Lamp Ambassador smiled and said, “The Primitive Emperor Su Meng’s Kunlun Mountain Jade Mirage Palace, of course. These years, the Celestial Curtain Folding Ambassador have searched many places but had yet to find the way of escape left behind by the holy maiden. The Ajati Matriarch felt incomplete and hence wanted me to go to Kunlun Mountain Jade Mirage Palace to search for clues.”

“The Primitive Emperor implicates many, and the influential characters are wary of one another and can’t pry as they please, even deductions would be interfered. Hiding the clues at his place might be a great way after all.”

He sounded casual and relaxed, as though he was going back to his own place to find something that he lost.

A smile appeared on the Night Emperor’s face before he pondered and said, “The Primitive Emperor hasn’t appeared for a few years and had gotten information on Ananda’s additional self from the demonic race. With his history of creating miracles, he might have silently attained the Legendary realm. You have to be careful.”

The Celestial Lamp Ambassador maintained his smile, “How could the Legendary realm be achieved so easily? Many celestial beings at the final step got trapped at I am who I am. Su Meng has at the most gathered the number of additional self projections required for breakthrough, Legendary realm, hah, he’s still on his way.”

After finishing, the Celestial Lamp Ambassador took a step forward and disappeared from the Void Hometown before appearing in front of Kunlun Mountain.

He was about to enter the Jade Mirage Palace when a green layer of glaze suddenly appeared before him and the sound of Buddhist chanting reverberated around his ears.

Looking up, he saw the obscure Jade Mirage Palace covered with layers of Buddha glaze light, like it was far out from the horizon. Surrounding it were five hundred Arhats, and in midair were many Bodhisattvas sitting on lotuses. High up in the sky were layers of chanting, and a huge Bodhisattva could be seen vaguely.

The Buddhas of the Pure Land were protecting the Jade Mirage!

“Moonlight Bodhisattva, it wasn’t easy for you to practice and achieve Sambhogakaya, do you really want to get yourself involved in this?” The Celestial Lamp Ambassador said in a carefree tone, not feeling surprised. “Moreover, I’m not going to kill Su Meng, I’m just walking around and searching.”

“Namo Medicine Buddha, everything is the result of karma,” the majestic voice was accompanied by moonlight that fell from the sky above.

In the past when Meng Qi went back to the Middle Ages, he helped the Qing Emperor to awaken the Medicine Buddha and made progress, thereby blessing the Moonlight Bodhisattva through the chaos created by the Devil Buddha and lived till this day. Repayment of karma is the way of Buddhism.

The Celestial Lamp Ambassador’s expression turned slightly solemn. He stretched out his right hand, and the glaze lamp he was holding suddenly lit up.

He was no match for the Moonlight Bodhisattva, but the Ajati Matriarch had expected this and gotten him to bring along this celestial lamp!

At this moment, the sound of lion roars rang in his ears. They overlapped one another as though there were many lions roaring together, shaking the lamp and his soul.

“Nine Spirited Saint?” the Celestial Lamp Ambassador looked around and felt an unexplainable fear.

The Qing Emperor got more awake and sent the Nine Spirited Saint to repay kindness?

The Nine Spirited Saint is frightening, but the Qing Emperor is even more frightening!

Standing in front of the Jade Mirage Palace, his face changed color before he finally let out a long sigh, turned his body and left.

The Qing Emperor was already between the Nirvana and Creation realm, and had Heavenly Lord Daode backing him up. As such, it was normal that the Ajati Matriarch failed to scheme against him.

Inside a dim room in the Jade Mirage Palace, Meng Qi’s body was surrounded by many clear shadows that were returning to his body.

There were monks as well as celestial gods of different looks and sizes.

Inside Shaolin Temple, Xuanbei was meditating facing the Buddha. At the two sides were Maha Kasyapa holding his fists together and the origin of Shaolin’s inheritance, Ananda.

Because of Ananda becoming the Devil Buddha, Xuanbei and the other abbots had slowly decreased their homage toward him. But in order not to affect the other Shaolin monks, this process was gradual and there was still this statue left in the main hall.

Suddenly, Buddhist chanting rang in Xuanbei’s ears, causing him to open his eyes. He saw the statue of Ananda shake lightly and two rows of crystal-clear tears flowed from his eyes.

Buddha also has tears, have kind thoughts and repent!

Seeing this, Xuanbei’s mind was suddenly clear as years of confusion was gone right away. When there is good, there is evil. When there is evil, there is good. Searching for pure good is a way of evil.

He closed his eyes, and glazed fires appeared inside his body, forging a golden body of Ksitigarbha.

Even at the Nirvana realm, it took great difficulties and realization to finally show repentance!

Inside many universes, the Ananda in Buddhist temples and the Divine Creator in Taoist temples shook uniformly like they were alive. The shadows around Meng Qi merged one after another, and he had reached the additional self limit below the Legendary realm – nine hundred and ninety-nine – seventy percent of them imitated Ananda’s additional self and thirty percent absorbed Yuanshi’s projection.

At the end of a quantitative change is a qualitative change. But when Meng Qi opened his eyes, he was almost there. He understood that I am who I am was about having one single thought, but was still unable to see through it.