Venerable Vast-Sky withdrew that strand of consciousness, his expression darkening as the experiences of that strand flooded back into his mind.
Although Quinn Shepherd wiped the memories from that strand, his Invariant Divine Art is still incomplete and riddled with flaws.
With just a little probing, he could tell exactly how many Slaughter Shepherd methods he had used.
"Is it the Immeasurable Kalpa Sutra of Great Brahma King Buddha? His technique is a heart-method, and though that old monk handed it over, only a handful in Heavenly Court have ever mastered it."
He frowned. The Immeasurable Kalpa Sutra of Great Brahma King Buddha is extremely hard to learn. That old monk never used to pass it on, but now, seeing the situation turn dire, he finally handed it over to Heavenly Court.
But cultivating the Immeasurable Kalpa Sutra demands exceptional Buddhist attainment—one must have deep insight into Buddhist law, or else it cannot be learned.
Great Brahma King Buddha may have founded the Buddhist order, but he is Vast-Sky's junior; naturally, Vast-Sky has no intention of laboring to master Buddhist law.
If he started from scratch, who knows how many years would be wasted before he could comprehend the myriad Buddhist scriptures and master the Immeasurable Kalpa Sutra.
Of course, Great Brahma King Buddha still held something back.
The Immeasurable Kalpa Sutra is a heart-method in the study of the mind. One can learn it step by step by studying Buddhist scriptures, slowly mastering it; with sufficient Buddha-nature and Zen mind, it is possible. But there's another way: it can be transmitted directly through dreams.
Both methods have pros and cons. The first leads to deeper understanding—true mastery, as with Battle-Void, Brother Brightheart, and Indra King Buddha, who all belong to this group.
They possess Buddha-nature and profound Zen mind.
Quinn Shepherd, on the other hand, belongs to the second type. The old Buddha transmitted the Dharma to him directly in a dream—like pouring water into a vessel. No need for study, he could use it instantly. But this way, he only knows how to use it, not its underlying principles, nor does he gain much insight.
Quinn Shepherd couldn't even explain how the heart-method of the Immeasurable Kalpa Sutra actually operates.
"Master, should we make another Shepherd Heavenly Venerable?" A demigod stepped forward, bowing as he asked.
Vast-Sky shook his head. "No need. Quinn Shepherd is just a minor figure, not worth my time. My true enemies are the ancient gods and the other Heavenly Venerables. The situation is becoming clearer, and if I waste too much effort on Quinn Shepherd, I'll lose sight of the bigger picture."
He smiled. "Kunwu, select eighteen outstanding disciples and send them to me. I'll teach them the Eighteen Methods to Slaughter Shepherd and let them kill Quinn Shepherd when the chance arises."
The demigod Kunwu answered, "What realm should these disciples be in?"
Vast-Sky replied, "No need for anything too high—True God realm is enough."
There were no disciples with higher cultivation in Vast-Sky Heaven Palace. Once his disciples achieved enough skill, Vast-Sky would send them out to hold key posts in Heavenly Court and rule over various heavens.
Keeping disciples close doesn't build a great power base. Only by sending them out to command armies and spread his influence can Vast-Sky ensure his dominance in court.
Kunwu bowed and left to select the eighteen disciples.
Soon, Kunwu returned with eighteen disciples. He knew Vast-Sky's students better than Vast-Sky himself, since the Heavenly Venerable rarely taught personally, leaving his most trusted disciples to manage and instruct the others. Only occasionally did the Venerable teach in person.
Very few ever received the true teachings of a Heavenly Venerable.
Even disciples of the ancient god Heavenly Emperor, like Yan Qiling, never received his true supreme arts. She got only the ancient god Dao runes compiled by Dao Ancestor, and a few major divine arts like Dao One and Dao Two.
The eighteen disciples brought by Kunwu were no exception.
Vast-Sky looked over the eighteen and frowned slightly. "These disciples are a bit weak—their power isn't much greater than Quinn Shepherd's."
Kunwu quickly replied, "I followed your teachings and passed down the Emperor's Throne Arts so they could study and comprehend them on their own. You taught us twenty-eight Emperor's Throne Arts, and they've all learned them. How much they've grasped depends on their own talent and insight."
Vast-Sky pondered. "Tell me, how many Emperor's Throne Arts have each of you comprehended and how many have you fused together?"
A young woman stepped forward and bowed. "Disciple Sylvia Xiuyou. I've comprehended the Four-Aspect Calamity Art, Azure-Wander Great Green Scripture, and Yin-Yang Great Ecstasy Art—three Emperor's Throne Arts, fused into one. It's just enough to qualify as a Small Heaven Court Art."
Vast-Sky nodded. "Fusing three Emperor's Throne Arts makes a Small Heaven Court Art, but it's not enough. That rebel Quinn Shepherd has likely fused three himself."
Another purple-robed woman stepped forward and bowed. "Disciple Flora Darkpetal. I've comprehended the Nether City Immeasurable Scripture, Profound Capital Mahayana Scripture, Four-Aspect Calamity Art, and Nine-Phoenix Toward-Sun Art—I've already fused these four Emperor's Throne Arts."
Vast-Sky laughed. "Your strength is so-so."
A young man bowed. "Disciple Patrick Springhart—I've comprehended Greenwood Wildlands Scripture, South City Heavenly-King Canon, Nether City Immeasurable Scripture, and Yin-Yang Great Ecstasy Art."
One by one, the young gods stepped forward and stated which arts they'd cultivated.
Though Vast-Sky kept his true supreme arts to himself, there were plenty of Emperor's Throne Arts in Vast-Sky Heaven Palace. He didn't forbid disciples from learning them—their achievements depended on their own abilities.
The disciples Kunwu selected were all True Gods, each having fused three or four Emperor's Throne Arts—one fused five, but all were considered Small Heaven Court Arts, not particularly outstanding.
Of course, anyone like this would be an absolute genius outside!
Across the myriad worlds, Emperor's Throne Arts are extremely rare. In some worlds, not even a single Emperor's Throne Art or True God can be found.
When all eighteen had finished, Vast-Sky turned to Kunwu. "Is this all?"