Chapter 464: Chapter 89: The Dao Fruit Characteristic! The Fall of a Daluo
Flee!
Flee, flee, flee!!!
An immense chill gripped the hearts of the four Daluo. Their hair stood on end as a colossal wave of panic swept over them all at once!!
Sakyamuni Buddha, the wielder of half a Dao Fruit. Although he had not yet secured the Dao Fruit Position and was merely a [Quasi-Dao Fruit], he was by no means an opponent a Daluo could hope to match!!
Things might have been different in the outside world. A Daluo could escape into the stream of Years, existing everywhere in the past, present, and future. Even if they couldn’t defeat a Quasi-Dao Fruit, they wouldn’t be so easily suppressed and killed. The problem was...
This was the [Sea Eye Ruins], where the concept of Time was as thin as paper. It was impossible to manifest the River of Time here!
Flee! Flee! Flee!!
Beneath Sakyamuni Buddha’s gentle, spring-like smile, the Immortal Mother and the three Emperors fled frantically. In the span of a single Birth and Death, they escaped to an unknown distance, crossing an infinite number of worlds with every step.
But...
"Something’s wrong!" Emperor Gouchen strode across All Realms and stepped over countless worlds, only to realize with horror that they... were still inside the Ruins, within the Sea Eye!
"My Buddha is merciful."
The Buddhist chant was accompanied by a deafening Brahma Sound that made the four Daluo’s scalps tingle. They continued to flee, to run for their lives!
They ran and ran, covering a distance that could have circled the Celestial Myriad Realms ten times over. They passed Xianyang, left the Celestial Court far behind, and traversed the Nine Nether... until they finally reached the end.
"This is..."
The Jade Pool Immortal Mother stared at the five Heaven-Reaching Divine Mountains blocking her path. Her heart pounded, and her mouth felt dry.
They all stiffly turned around.
"My Buddha is merciful."
Behind them,
was the entire Great Celestial Court. The Thirty-three Heavens of the Celestial Realm stretched boundless, the mountains and rivers of the Human World churned with Red Dust, and the wails of ghosts and howls of gods echoed from the Nine Netherworld.
Shakyamuni Buddha’s face, as vast as heaven and earth, was looking down upon them.
The four Daluo had fled from one end of Shakyamuni Buddha’s palm to the other.
"The characteristic of a Dao Fruit..." The Emperor of Longevity in the South Pole’s eyelid twitched violently. A bitter look appeared on his face as he muttered, "The characteristic of a Dao Fruit... is to define all things..."
The very definition of heaven and earth had been altered by Shakyamuni Buddha. His single palm was now the entire Great Heaven and Earth.
At this moment, everything from the Thirty-Three Celestial Realms to the Human World, down to the Nine Nether, and even this North Sea Eye, rested within Shakyamuni’s palm.
And yet, Sakyamuni Buddha simultaneously stood within the Sea Eye, within heaven and earth, and within his own palm.
A man within the world, the world within a palm.
This bizarre, paradoxical sensation of a large ring containing a smaller ring, which in turn contained the large ring, made the Immortal Mother feel nauseous and utterly horrified.
"My Buddha is merciful."
Shakyamuni Buddha sighed again and corrected the [definition] of the Great Heaven and Earth back to what it was. The Immortal Mother and the others fell to the ground, a chill running down their spines.
Beside them, Lu Xuan was stunned. He was once again confronted with the illogical nature of the Dao Fruit level... ’No, Sakyamuni Buddha isn’t a Dao Fruit yet, just someone with the [characteristics of a Dao Fruit]...!’
"World Honored One!"
The Immortal Mother ground her teeth.
"What is your intention? By interfering in this game and entering the board yourself, your connection to heaven and earth will only deepen, pushing you further and further away from the Dao Fruit!!"
"I know."
Sakyamuni Buddha spoke with a smile.
"That is why Master Profound Yellow and I have an agreement. I will only strike once, and I will only slay one person."
As his voice fell, the Immortal Mother, Longevity, and Gouchen all whipped their heads around, their gazes landing on Emperor Ziwei.
The latter’s heart nearly stopped. He stomped his foot and hissed,
"Shakyamuni is not a true Dao Fruit, after all! If we attack together, we might have a chance to repel him... He wouldn’t dare entangle himself in too much Cause and Effect!"
"Alright, together!" the Immortal Mother and the other two Emperors said in unison.
Hearing this, Emperor Ziwei’s heart relaxed. A look of determination appeared on his face as an illusion of the Stars of the Celestial Sphere materialized beside him.
The stars turned, and a murderous aura erupted!
"Kill!!"
He roared, stepping in the pattern of the Big Dipper. With a river of stars in each hand, he charged forward resolutely!
The starlight was brilliant; the killing intent of the North Dipper manifested.
In the next instant, Emperor Ziwei felt something was wrong. Beside him... was empty space.
The Immortal Mother and the other two Emperors stood silently in their original spots, not moving an inch.
"You!!"
Emperor Ziwei was both shocked and furious. Rage surged through him, and his eyes turned red!
At this moment, Sakyamuni Buddha smiled, sighed lightly, and made the gesture of A Flower-Picking Smile, his face full of mercy.
"The Immortal Dao values life, and my Buddha is merciful."
Emperor Ziwei’s scalp went numb, but it was too late to retreat. He steeled himself. A canopy appeared above his head, and the starlight of the seven treasures shone resplendently, piercing the Celestial Realms above and illuminating all ages below.
Then, the canopy, the seven treasures, and the starlight all converged, transforming into a Divine Spear that stabbed downward!
This was an attack containing his all. As the Lord of the North Pole, who wielded the power of slaughter and punishment, a single strike like this could kill a Daluo, extinguishing both body and Dao!
"So what if you’re a Quasi-Dao Fruit!" Emperor Ziwei’s eyes were wide with fury.
"Mercy, mercy!"
Shakyamuni Buddha remained motionless, simply holding the gesture of A Flower-Picking Smile.
The Divine Spear plunged down, piercing into a segment of the River of Time. It stabbed toward countless points in time, toward innumerable versions of the Emperor Ziwei of the North Pole.
"You..."
Emperor Ziwei froze. The very Divine Spear he had thrust out appeared above his own head and stabbed down, entering through the crown of his skull.
His past self, his present self, his future self—every version of Emperor Ziwei across all of space and time was simultaneously struck by the spear that contained his all. It entered through the crown of their skulls and vanished completely within.
Then, the killing intent erupted, powerful enough to shatter heavens and sunder lands. One by one, the various Emperor Ziweis coughed up blood as their Dao Foundations crumbled and their bodies fractured.
"I had forgotten."
Emperor Ziwei gave a bitter smile.
"You possess the characteristics of a Dao Fruit. It would be effortless for you to summon the River of Time within these Ruins by slightly altering its definition."
"My Buddha is merciful," Shakyamuni Buddha said quietly.
Emperor Ziwei sighed again.
"But still, you truly remain untainted by Cause and Effect. You won’t even strike yourself, instead tricking me into killing myself? I’m impressed..."
He turned his head and shot a cold glare at the Immortal Mother, Emperor of Longevity, and Emperor Gouchen. The three of them instinctively looked away, avoiding his gaze.
Then, Emperor Ziwei looked at Lu Xuan for the last time and said frankly,
"My skills were inferior. I admit defeat."
As his voice fell,
he began to crumble inch by inch, just like his countless selves across the ages. His physical shell collapsed, his Soul was extinguished, and his True Spirit withered away.
A Daluo,
Body. Dead. Dao. Annihilated.
The entire Great Heaven and Earth fell silent. The Stars of the Celestial Sphere suddenly dimmed, and the history within the Years began to warp. Emperor Ziwei had died in all timelines, and history itself was starting to be rewritten!
In that instant, countless Great Divine Power Users seemed to sense it. They were dumbfounded, a chill seizing their hearts!
"Ziwei... is dead?"
In the Netherworld, Emperor Fengdu’s pupils constricted. ’That Profound Yellow Emperor... actually managed to slay a Daluo!’
In a certain Daoist Temple, Zhenyuan Zi, who had been in quiet cultivation, opened his eyes in shock. He looked up, staring at the dimmed Stars of the Celestial Sphere and watching the River of Time shake violently.
He swallowed hard.
’A Daluo has fallen... This era is too dangerous, far too dangerous!’
After a pause, Zhenyuan Zi announced in a clear voice,
"Qing Feng, Ming Yue, I am going on a long journey. Watch over the Five Villages Temple!"
With that, he tore open the River of Time and his true body vanished inside. He searched and searched, but could not find a single era that was completely safe.
With the fall of a Daluo, variables were emerging everywhere. The entire Ancient History was being rewritten!
’The era of the Journey to the West... no, too dangerous. The Spring and Autumn Period? No. The Shang Dynasty? Still no... I’ve got it!’
He stomped his feet, tracing his way back through time until he reached the absolute limit, where he could go no further. He bowed respectfully and said,
"All hail, Yuqing Primordial Heavenly Venerate!"
The limit trembled slightly, and The Beginning of Ancient Times opened to him. Zhenyuan Zi leaped inside.
"No matter how much the Years change, no matter how many Daluo die, this place will remain unaffected."
He smiled, found a Divine Mountain to sit on, and muttered to himself,
"What’s the point of all this fighting? Isn’t it better to just live well, tease Qing Feng and Ming Yue, and admire the mountains and rivers? Not getting stained by Cause and Effect, not getting caught in tribulations—that is the true way to exist!"
As he spoke, Zhenyuan Zi smiled in satisfaction. Throughout countless eons of ancient times, he had never been caught in a single tribulation, not even a shred of Cause and Effect!
Suddenly.
"Fellow Daoist," a gentle voice sounded.
Zhenyuan Zi’s expression froze. He numbly turned his head to see a young man bowing respectfully.
"I am Lu Xuan. May I ask who you are, Fellow Daoist?"
Zhenyuan Zi felt an unprecedented, cataclysmic amount of Cause and Effect descending upon him!
A smile uglier than a crying face appeared on his own.
"I... am Zhenyuan Zi."
......
「Qin Dynasty Era.」
History was being rewritten. The North Pole Celestial Court flickered in and out of existence, alternating between illusion and reality, as if it would soon cease to exist altogether!
But suddenly.
"I shall be the Northern Emperor."
A majestic voice rang out. A middle-aged man in a Profound Robe with Golden Armor and a Jade Belt walked out, holding a sword with a wrathful gaze. He stood upon a tortoise and a snake, and the aura around him surged. He was clearly a great figure at the Peak of Celestial Realms.
"I shall be the Northern Emperor."
He repeated, ascending with his sword to sit amidst the Stars of the Celestial Sphere, accepting this great position in heaven and earth.
"My name is True Martial."
As his voice fell, Emperor True Martial took over the position of Northern Emperor. With one final leap, he broke through the boundary and stepped into the Daluo Realm!
At the same time, in the past ages, at the very points where countless versions of Emperor Ziwei had collapsed and died, the majestic man standing on the tortoise and snake appeared, taking his place!
One Daluo fell, another Daluo was born.
True Martial returned to the North Pole Celestial Court. After a moment’s thought, he unleashed his sword, slaughtering all the Immortal Officials who were close to the Immortal Mother and the other Emperors. Then he strode toward the Central Celestial Court and into the Lingxiao Palace.
"Your Majesty." He performed a deep bow.
"Excellent." A grin bloomed on the Emperor Corpse’s face.
......
「Sea Eye Ruins.」
Emperor Ziwei had returned to dust.
"Master Profound Yellow." Sakyamuni Buddha turned around and spoke with a smile, "I have fulfilled our agreement."
Lu Xuan came back to his senses, bowed, and said,
"Rest assured, Senior, I will also fulfill my end of the bargain."
"Mercy, mercy."
Shakyamuni nodded, about to withdraw and return to Spirit Mountain.
Just before leaving, he seemed to remember something and turned his head to say,
"Master Profound Yellow, that little girl hasn’t come to cultivate with me in a long time. Please trouble yourself to pass on a message for me: it’s time for her to come."
"Yes, Senior."
Only then was Shakyamuni satisfied. He took a single step and vanished without a trace.
The Sea Eye Ruins fell into a dead silence.
Shen Gonghu was curled up in a corner, completely numb from shock. The Immortal Mother and the two Emperors, on the other hand, wore expressions of horror mixed with the relief of having survived a catastrophe...
At the same time, they all felt a little dazed, a profound sense of powerlessness welling up in their hearts.
Shakyamuni wasn’t even a true Dao Fruit, yet he could already slay a Daluo as easily as slaughtering a dog...
Such a colossal gap in power...
After a long moment, the Immortal Mother forced a twitch of her lips.
"Profound Yellow Emperor, Ziwei is dead. This matter..."
"What, you want to say this matter ends here again?" Lu Xuan interrupted her.
In the corner, Shen Gonghu looked up blankly. ’Ziwei?’
’Who is Ziwei?’
The Immortal Mother’s pupils contracted. She forced a smile.
"Emperor, Shakyamuni Buddha has already left. What more do you want?"
"I’ve said it before."
Lu Xuan grinned.
"Three against three. Perfectly fair."
The faces of the Immortal Mother, Longevity, and Gouchen all changed. The Immortal Mother took a step back.
"Emperor, continuing this fight is just a waste of time. A Daluo is nearly undying..."
She stopped mid-sentence, suddenly remembering Emperor Ziwei, whose soul had been shattered and True Spirit extinguished just moments ago.
From the moment Emperor Ziwei died, all of Ancient History had forgotten him. Aside from Dao Fruit cultivators, other Daluo, and the [Indeterminate Numbers] who were unaffected by the changes of the Years,
Emperor Ziwei no longer existed in the memories of any person or any living being.
But Lu Xuan just smiled calmly.
"I know Daluo are hard to kill, and I don’t plan on slaying the three of you here. Unless I use that sword, I don’t have the ability to do so. After all, Senior Shakyamuni only promised to help me once."
He paused, then gave an amiable smile.
"I just want all of you to stay here for a while. That’s all..."
As his voice fell, the Kunpeng spread its wings, the Ancestral Dragon raised its head, and Duobao stepped forward!
The six Daluo clashed with one another. All manner of Dao and principles manifested, and Great Slaughter Techniques were unleashed unendingly. The entire North Sea Eye seemed on the verge of collapse!
The Immortal Mother now understood. Instead of anger, she laughed.
"So this was your plan, Emperor? Fine! We won’t leave, but you’ll stay here with us!"
She withstood the crushing descent of Tathagata Duobao’s Buddha Country and forcefully sealed the North Sea Eye, making it impossible to enter or exit!
Lu Xuan’s brow furrowed, but he quickly returned to normal and said nonchalantly,
"Observing a battle between Daluo, with their Dao Rhyme on full display and their myriad skills and principles interweaving, can also be of infinite benefit."
He sat down again, neither anxious nor impatient.
Meanwhile, in the outside world, both Nine Nether and Supreme Profound Clarity opened their eyes.
(There will be another Chapter later.)
