Chapter 2901 - The Monk and the Old Man, an Ancient Standoff
Deep within the firmament of the Cave of Obsession, two figures were having a highly unusual standoff.
The first was a stalwart figure bathed in tribulation light. His features were aged, and his face was covered in wrinkles.
He sat in midair and raised a stony, withered hand, holding a pearl aloft in his palm. It was like the eye of a devil, emanating a strange, unsettling, calamitous power.
He held his left hand in front of him like a mountain, blocking a black punishment ruler.
The owner of the black ruler was a monk in worn-out robes. His skin was dark, and his features were steely, with eyes like swords. He was tall and powerfully built, and he gripped the black ruler as if to strike someone.
His left sleeve was empty; he was missing his left arm.
The monk stood firm, his dark skin emanating wisps of Buddhist flame, like flecks of gold or resplendent flames. His whole body emanated an unshakable, majestic aura.
The majestic old man was seated cross-legged, and the mountainous monk was like a golden vajra.
The two of them looked as if they were locked in combat, yet they were as still as clay statues, neither of them moving in the slightest.
Even the area around them was locked in a strange stillness. Everything here was frozen in place.
Meanwhile, closer to the ground, Lu Shu roared in fury, but just as his voice was about to reach the firmament, something blocked it. It couldn’t approach that patch of unnatural stillness.
Naturally, it didn’t cause any kind of commotion, either.
But the dark-skinned monk seemed to sense it. His eyelids twitched almost imperceptibly.
It was the subtlest of movements, yet it created a massive ripple that swept throughout the frozen space.
Boom!
The spirit pearl held aloft in the old man’s hand suddenly erupted with strange, stinging tribulation light and slammed into the monk in worn-out robes.
Endless tribulations assailed the monk, like countless lightning bolts. The wisps of Buddhist flame hovering around him dimmed considerably.
He let out a muffled grunt. A bodhi leaf-shaped imprint suddenly appeared at the center of his forehead, then slowly spun. A beam of light as clear as water shot forth.
The beam instantly blocked the destructive power of the old man’s spirit pearl, but the monk’s face paled.
“Monk, in our confrontation, every movement of your Chan Buddhist Heart is a tribulation. We’ve been sitting here, unmoving, for countless years. Why let a mere peacock shake your heart?” said the old man. Despite his wrinkled features, he sounded like a youth, and every word carried a distinctive rhythm of the Grand Dao.
The monk’s gaze was calm and clear. “I cultivate the Lesser Vehicle, Hinayana, and seek to save myself. That doesn’t mean I seek only my own satisfaction, or that I’ve extinguished my own humanity.”
The aged man’s gaze was profound and inscrutable. “Then will you save her or not?”
Even as they spoke, their confrontation continued.
The monk said, “Isn’t this the opportunity you’ve been bitterly waiting for all this time? Countless years have passed, and all of creation is still. It’s indeed time that we concluded our standoff.”
The old man smiled. “Very well. Let’s see which of us emerges victorious in the end!
“If I lose, I’ll agree to your request. I’ll spend the rest of my life in the Abyss of Endless Tribulations, serving as its fucking guardian! But if I win, you’ll get that dharma body of yours out of the Abyss of Endless Tribulations, and you’ll never interfere in any of my affairs ever again!” As he spoke, the depths of the old man’s gaze shone with eagerness.
The monk inclined his head. “Very well!”
The two began their shocking competition long, long ago. It started during the Primordial Era and continued throughout the Devastation, all the way up until the present day.
And the Abyss of Endless Tribulations was their true battlefield.
The monk used his unsurpassed divine ability to send his dharma body into the abyss. It was in constant opposition to the old man, the Monarch of Endless Tribulations.
But their confrontation was underway outside the Abyss of Endless Tribulations, too. Their secondary battlefield was River Ancestor Lu Shu’s heart. This was the standoff currently underway here.
It was different from the battle in the Abyss of Endless Tribulations. The competition in the Cave of Obsession was of the utmost importance. It involved the Book of Destiny, as well as people each of them cared about.
As for River Ancestor Lu Shu? He’d been reduced to a mere battleground.
But neither of the two combatants had anticipated that their clash would continue for so many years without a victor emerging.
They also hadn’t anticipated that an outsider would interfere before they could finish their competition.
That outsider had effortlessly claimed the Book of Destiny, something they considered theirs for the taking.
The outsider in question was called Xiao Jian, and he said he was from the Far Shore of Destiny. He was a scholar, but at the same time, a true sword cultivator.
When the snipe and clam fought, it was the fisherman who benefited.
The monk and the Monarch of Endless Tribulations were caught off guard, but there was nothing they could do to stop Xiao Jian from taking the Book of Destiny into the outside world.
When something was meant to be, there was no stopping it. When something was to be, there was no forcing it.
This was the capriciousness of fate.
But neither the Monarch of Endless Tribulations nor the monk was willing to let up here. Their standoff continued, and they were still locked in battle to this day.
One sought to seal the Abyss of Endless Tribulations completely, blocking entrance to the greatest source of the River of Destiny’s calamities.
The other sought to escape the Abyss of Endless Tribulations and enter the River of Destiny. There, he’d use his power over tribulations to reign supreme.
Neither was willing to back down in the slightest. Both would rather die than compromise.
That was why their standoff had lasted this long.
But this moment was a turning point. The Book of Destiny had reappeared, and its owner had entered the Cave of Obsession.
In truth, the Monarch of Endless Tribulations and the Monk had seen everything that Su Yi and his companions had done since entering the Cave of Obsession.
Thus, they knew that the time had come. Today, their ancient feud would finally come to a close!
Whoever acquired the Book of Destiny would have an absolute advantage over the other!
Their confrontation began because of the Book of Destiny. Now, it would end because of the Book of Destiny, too!
The people involved included two that the combatants cared about: a wisp of the Monarch of Endless Tribulation’s soul, and the monk’s former disciple, River Empress Peacock.
The Monarch of Endless Tribulations had used River Empress Peacock as a pawn, fusing her true name with the Key to Endless Tribulations. In doing so, he seized control over her life and death.
The monk, meanwhile, placed a seal on that wisp of the Monarch of Endless Tribulations’ soul, sealing his memories and awareness before throwing him into the outside world.
The power of the Key to Endless Tribulations was now invading Lu Shi’s body. This was connected to one of the Monarch of Endless Tribulations’ secret techniques.
When someone acquired the Key of Endless Tribulations, it would invade their body and ultimately possess them!
River Empress Peacock, whose true name had been fused into the key, would suffer an even more grisly fate. Her spirit and true name would be ground away completely.
This was why the former River Ancestor Lu Shu was so angry. He knew full well that the moment the Key to Endless Tribulations found a new host, River Empress Peacock would be doomed!
The aged Monarch of Endless Tribulations laughed. “You agreed to end this, so how about we undo our countermeasures first? Release that wisp of my soul, and I’ll spare the little peacock. Then, we can use the Cave of Obsession as our chessboard and the Book of Destiny as our stakes and end this, once and for all. How about it?”
The monk pondered briefly, then nodded. “Very well.”
Practically simultaneously, the Monarch of Endless Tribulations put away his spirit pearl, and the monk put away his black punishment ruler.
After countless years of conflict, a unique, tacit understanding had developed between them.
Now that they’d put away their weapons, they planned to release the wisp of soul and River Empress Peacock, respectively. It was like an exchange of hostages.
But then, something entirely unexpected happened.
......
River Emperor Winged Dragon killed himself, and the Key of Endless Tribulations was trying to invade Lu Shi.
The former River Ancestor Lu Shu roared with uncharacteristic fury.
It all happened so fast that Su Yi’s companions struggled to process it all.
When Su Yi warned them to be careful, their hearts shook. All of them realized that they’d reached the most dangerous moment of this crisis.
What really flabbergasted them was that Su Yi suddenly acted on his own, shifting through space to bore a hole through the enormous prison.
Lu Shi was inside, struggling like mad as he tried to stop the Key to Endless Tribulations from invading his body.
He severed the arm holding the key once more. He’d attempted to amputate the limb several times already, but the key’s strange power made it instantly reattach itself. It was as relentless as maggots gnawing on a bone.
Lu Shi was overcome with despair. He was on the verge of breaking down completely.
But just as he was about to sever his right arm again, Su Yi appeared in front of him and swung his hand.
The first page of the Book of Destiny opened, trapping the Key to Endless Tribulations inside!
Lu Shi was unwittingly stunned.
“Remember this: you owe me your life. You’ll have to make good on this debt soon!” Su Yi said solemnly.
Then, before his voice had even finished echoing through the air, he turned and left, swift and decisive.
“Cut the crap! You did this for the Key to Endless Tribulations, not to save me!” Lu Shi roared, swinging his fist and giving chase.
Boom!
Someone appeared out of nowhere, sending Lu Shi flying. His body almost shattered on impact.
Lu Shi looked up and saw it was none other than the former River Ancestor Lu Shu.
Su Yi saw this too, and he was quite surprised. He hadn’t anticipated that the man he’d only just imprisoned would help him defeat Lu Shi.
“You saved the little peacock, so I’ll help you kill him!” said the former River Ancestor Lu Shu, looking utterly relieved and gratified.
He’d flown off the handle earlier because any changes to the Key to Endless Tribulation would kill River Empress Peacock.
Now, the key was in Su Yi’s hands. That naturally meant that River Empress Peacock was out of danger.
This was why he’d stepped in to help Su Yi without hesitation.
This series of unexpected developments left Wang Zhiwu and the others flabbergasted. They almost dared not believe their eyes.
Meanwhile, beneath the distant dome of heaven, the monk and the Monarch of Endless Tribulations couldn’t help but freeze just as they were about to release their respective hostages.
By seizing the key, Su Yi had effectively ruined their exchange of prisoners!
