Heaven Slaying Blade

Although he did not directly answer Chu Mo's question, he was indeed telling Chu Mo something, and Chu Mo listened intently with a solemn expression. He understood that the path he referred to is likely the path to reach Heaven that all Supreme realm beings wish to find!

"All beings suffer. If one wishes to attain joy from suffering, it requires great determination, great endurance, and great sacrifice. All beings have desires; desire is the root of exploration, the instinct of all things. Divinity is transformed from desire. Every being, in fact, harbors divinity. It is either apparent or hidden, but it exists."

Chu Mo's face showed a look of shock. He never expected the Buddha—or rather, an existence suspected to be the Buddha—to provide such an answer.

He first spoke of the suffering of all beings and then said that all beings possess desires. This desire... is it divinity?

Apparent or hidden? What does this phrase mean? Apparent... could it refer to the divinities of those cultivators on the Investiture of the Gods? Hidden... refers to every living being cultivating in the world?

"The Investiture of the Gods was not naturally formed by Heaven and Earth but was created by an ancient powerful figure who discovered the mystery of reincarnation and sought to change the situation. They crafted numerous Investiture of the Gods lists and Edicts of the Investiture of the Gods, attempting through artificial heavenly means to make many beings coalesce apparent divinity to oppose the Heavenly Dao. To escape the Tianji."

The blue giant eagle appeared bewildered.

Qi Xiaoyu and Shui Yiyi, however, listened intently.

Chu Mo was also listening intently.

"What kind of world is the Tunnel exactly? All sages and elders are pondering over it. Perhaps someone has walked out of that path but has never returned. Therefore, what kind of world is it, exactly? Though there are many speculations, there is no precise answer. The demise of the Chu royal clan was not due to Heaven's Will, but from the ancient clans in the Tunnel."

Chu Mo's fist clenched tightly in an instant. He had truly not expected that the Buddha would indeed answer this question of his.

Qi Xiaoyu and Shui Yiyi's hearts also hung in the balance at this moment. By saying this, does it not mean Chu Mo's enemy is the entire Tunnel's ancient clans?

"Above the Supreme, is there truly that one... Great Ancestor?" Chu Mo felt the overwhelming compassion in the atmosphere and finally asked this question.

"No." The Buddha gave a very decisive answer!

This deeply surprised Chu Mo, for earlier, whether it was Guo Chang or other descendants of certain ancient clans, or supreme beings like Spiritual Master Lingtong, all clearly stated there was such a supreme existence.

The Investiture of the Gods, the Edict of the Investiture of the Gods, and divinity... the sources of these things all came from there.

But now, this notion was directly denied by the Buddha! Exactly whom should one trust?

Chu Mo instinctively felt he should trust the Buddha. Yet, he also felt it was quite incredible.

"Why?" he couldn't help but ask.

"The sage who crafted the Investiture of the Gods and Edict of the Investiture of the Gods has already encountered calamity." A grand voice filled with compassion spoke, with a hint of a faint sigh, as if in remembrance.

Chu Mo remained speechless for a long time, silent for a while before finally asking, "Then... does all of this now, including the destruction of the Chu royal clan in the past, stem from the ancient clans in the Tunnel?"

"Indeed."

Chu Mo took a deep breath, "Then the repeated reincarnation, each time before reincarnation, all of one's cultivation vanishes, what is that about?"

"That is... all beings suffer. When one's body dies, one's path ceases; dust returns to dust, earth returns to earth, is this not normal?" The grand voice said this with a tinge of rhetorical question.

Chu Mo stood there, frowning, his mind full of the Buddha's words: when one's body dies, one's path ceases; dust returns to dust, earth returns to earth, is this not normal?

If there truly is no being known as the Great Ancestor, then all this... it appears, seems normal? But the problem is... according to Spiritual Master Lingtong's explanation, as long as he steps into the Supreme realm, all his cultivation will immediately collapse!

"When the body dies, where does the path vanish?" Chu Mo asked.

This time, the Buddha remained silent for a long time before quietly saying, "The sky."

Chu Mo's brows furrowed deeply, his heart unsettled and unable to calm down. Suddenly, he was inspired to ask, "The path returns to the sky, the sky remains intact, is that correct?"

"Indeed."

Chu Mo exhaled a long breath.

He finally understood a bit that any powerful being, no matter what realm they cultivate to, even if it is the Supreme realm, will eventually have a day when their body dies and their path ceases. At that moment, all their cultivation returns to the sky. Because all these paths come from the sky!

Therefore, it is called dust returns to dust, earth returns to earth. This is the true balance of this world.

There is no immortal being here, no eternal existence.

For some reason, upon learning all this, Chu Mo suddenly felt a sense of relief. At least, his enemy was no longer that kind of unknown existence. In fact, the unknown... is forever the most terrifying, always.

Even though his enemies are the entire Tunnel's ancient clans, he does not feel so fearful.

The Buddha said it clearly, back then, that sage attempted to obscure the Tianji and created the Investiture of the Gods, an object that defied the heavens, distributing it to the ancient clans within the Tunnel. Using the Investiture of the Gods to summon those powerful cultivators from various universes. And then, using the Edict of the Investiture of the Gods to control them.

On one hand, this object can eternally keep those powerful beings from universes outside the Tunnel in hand.

To leave those universes, unless one is a Supreme being, one can almost only pass through the ancient battlefield. Therefore, as long as one controls the Investiture of the Gods and the Edict of the Investiture of the Gods, it is equivalent to controlling all beings in those universes.

Then, when these beings truly have someone defying Heaven and break through to the Supreme realm, they will immediately be crushed by the Heavenly Dao. Because that godhood simply cannot accommodate the way of the Supreme realm! It would make the Heavenly Dao mistakenly believe that this being has reached the end of their life!

Such deep scheming, such terrifying calculation!

For someone to be able to create something like the Investiture of the Gods, in Chu Mo's view, only a great ancestor who has surpassed the Supreme could achieve it.

Thinking about it this way, Spiritual Master Lingtong is truly defying Heaven. After knowing many things, he decisively placed his realm in a mysterious state. Theoretically, he had already reached the Supreme realm, but he was deceiving his own godhood, making it mistakenly think he was still in the ancestral realm!

Therefore, his godhood doesn't possess such a powerful way!

Therefore, he can live unharmed to this day!

Chu Mo finally understood, but he couldn't help but feel a bit sentimental.

He couldn't help but ask, "Can I freely sever the godhood of these beings?" Chu Mo asked this question once again.

This time, Buddha gave a direct answer: "This is great kindness, but it will plunge you into endless danger."

Chu Mo is well aware of what that endless danger implies because if he truly freely severs the godhood of these beings, it would definitely anger those ancient clans. This approach equates to touching the fundamental interests of those ancient clans; no ancient clan can tolerate such actions from him.

Therefore, he must be careful and prudent, just like Luo Feihong and Gu Bingbing mentioned earlier, only when he has mastered the Investiture of the Gods and the Edict of the Investiture of the Gods can he sever the corresponding beings' godhood!

In this world, there are simply no great ancestors. Those who created the Investiture of the Gods have already faced disaster. This existence has brought endless and boundless disasters to the beings in those universes! Although he must be an extraordinarily powerful being, Chu Mo has an extremely strong resentment towards him.

He asked, "Who on earth created such a heaven-defying thing like the Investiture of the Gods and left endless disasters for future generations?"

Opposite him, Buddha was exuding an incomparable amount of compassion. Suddenly, he chuckled, "This is karma, the cause of the past, the consequence for future generations. Therefore, this is your responsibility. Do you understand?"

Do you understand?

Of course not!

What exactly does Buddha mean by this?

On the way back, Chu Mo asked Qi Xiaoyu and Shui Yiyi, "What does he mean by this? What cause from the past? My ancestors? Could it be that it was the ancestors of the Chu Clan royal family who did this? How is that possible?"

After Buddha said those words, he directly disappeared. Chu Mo didn't even try to continue searching. Because he knows that the fundamental reason he could see Buddha was because he cultivated the six-character mantra. He counts as Buddha's disciple. Otherwise, Buddha wouldn't see him, much less guide him out of any迷津 (confusion)!

Chu Mo also felt some regret for not having time to ask about why the three souls and seven spirits (三魂七魄) appear in different corresponding universes. It seems that regarding this, he can only hope in the direction of the monkey.

However, the gains from this trip have been beyond Chu Mo's expectations. The harvest is too great! It's worthwhile for him to have gone through hardships over these twenty years to do this. It truly has been a great harvest.

At least, Chu Mo has thoroughly understood something now, something even Spiritual Master Lingtong dared not confirm.

No great ancestors exist!

There's no existence surpassing the Supreme!

Finding that path may allow oneself to escape suffering and find happiness, but still, the masses remain 苦 (suffering)!

Therefore, from Buddha's words, Chu Mo deduced some things. It seems that there is a chance and method to lead more people out of this world or to completely change this world!

Great perseverance, great patience, great sacrifice!

What exactly does this mean? Perhaps it will only be understood in the future.

The Tunnel is ultimately a world that not even Buddha dared to conclude about. Perhaps Buddha had his own guesses.

Chu Mo even speculated that Buddha has seen that path, the Supreme guarding the East should have seen it too! But neither of them walked it. They stayed in the Tunnel with supreme perseverance, supreme patience, and supreme sacrifice, remaining in this world that is on the verge of exhaustion!

For... only all beings!

This is true great compassion. Chu Mo highly respects them, but he cannot do it now.

Because now, he is still surrounded by dangers and adversaries.

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The third night watch is delivered.

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