A cool breeze swept through Everlight Temple as the Buddhas atop the mountain gazed toward the distant cliff face blasted out by the recent strike.
Dharma King Morlun had intended to intervene, but the battle was already over. Qin Shepherd’s hands moved in rapid succession; the Heaven-Turning Yin-Yang Palm was so fast that Morlun had just prepared to interfere when Qin Shepherd had already stopped, leaving Morlun no choice but to lower his hand.
The Buddhas from the other heavens showed surprise, withdrawing their gaze and turning to look at Qin Shepherd.
The Heaven-Turning Yin-Yang Palm of the Third Human Emperor was truly a defiant divine art. Its explosive speed was dazzling—so fast that no one could react in time.
Qin Shepherd’s execution of this imprint just now was truly faster than flipping a book!
Suddenly, the cliff dozens of miles away collapsed. The rock face split open, boulders plummeting and only landing after a long fall, thudding heavily. Qin Shepherd had struck so swiftly and fiercely that what was once a mountain peak had been hammered into a sheer wall. Now the cliff was crumbling, its stone softened by the Heaven-Turning Yin-Yang Palm.
Yet, despite the cliff’s collapse, Prince Moonlight did not reappear.
Brother Brightheart grew anxious, whispering at Qin Shepherd’s ear, "Brother Qin, did you kill him?"
"He’s not dead,"
Qin Shepherd replied quietly, "I held back, worried it’d be hard to explain if things went too far. His cultivation is extremely strong—no weaker than the Loulan Golden Palace’s Grand Venerable Ben Coates, just less cunning. So I used eighty percent of my strength, didn’t kill him, but most of his bones are broken. This Prince Moonlight is truly formidable; he’s made me respect the heroes of the world."
A look of admiration appeared on his face.
Brother Brightheart’s eyes widened. "Eighty percent strength? Not daring to underestimate the heroes of the world? If Cult Master Qin tries to be humble, he’ll kill someone with his modesty! It’s lucky Prince Moonlight is unconscious—otherwise, he’d die of sheer frustration."
But he didn’t realize that Qin Shepherd truly was being humble, not just putting on an act. After all, Qin Shepherd was deeply proud at heart, convinced he possessed the Overlord Body. Anyone who could match him must have trained bitterly for years to reach such a level.
Such opponents naturally deserved respect.
As for what others thought, he didn’t care much; this was simply how he saw it.
Dharma King Morlun gestured, and the distant cliff exploded. Prince Moonlight, gravely injured and unconscious, was lifted from the rubble by Morlun’s power and slowly floated over.
When Prince Moonlight landed, Dharma King Morlun checked his injuries, his face darkening. "Didn’t you intend to compete in swordplay, Qin Layman? Why did you use an imprint art instead? That smacks of a sneak attack! And to strike so viciously—how is that the compassion of my Buddhist sect?"
Qin Shepherd looked to Brightheart, who hurriedly explained, "Brother Qin used his Sword Pill earlier and was called a demonic heretic for it, so he didn’t dare use it again and had to use an imprint art. Buddha, does this imprint art count as heresy too?"
Morlun did not answer. Earlier, when Qin Shepherd used the Sword Pill, it was he who called it heresy, yet Prince Moonlight had insisted on a sword duel.
This time Qin Shepherd used an imprint art, open and aboveboard—the Heaven-Turning Yin-Yang Palm was clearly orthodox. If he called this heresy, he’d become a laughingstock.
Still, Morlun felt dissatisfied. Prince Moonlight was his descendant, one of his most outstanding juniors, and hadn’t even had a chance to display his true skills before being caught off guard by Qin Shepherd and beaten all the way down, losing face for both Morlun and the Heavenly Court.
Prince Moonlight’s strength wasn’t lacking; he simply misjudged the situation, thinking Qin Shepherd was greeting him politely and so didn’t defend himself.
Had Prince Moonlight been fully alert from the start, judging by Qin Shepherd’s current performance, it would be hard to say who would win.
Morlun looked to the other Buddhas of the heavens, smiling: "Though the lower-realm Buddhist sect is tucked away in a corner, its dharma and divine arts are impressive and worthy of respect. Fellow masters, since they’ve come to study and seek scripture, why not grant it to them?"
The Buddhas all nodded in agreement.
Morlun smiled at Qin Shepherd and his companions: "Within Moon Palace Heaven, we have the Moon Palace scripture collection—true Buddha teachings, three thousand scrolls. You can’t take them away, so stay here at Everlight Temple to study for a hundred years. Once you’ve mastered them, pass the teachings to the lower realm; that would be a great merit for me."
Brother Brightheart’s face changed slightly. Three thousand scrolls, a hundred years of study, and true Buddha teachings—clearly, they were being soft-imprisoned for a century!
Qin Shepherd said bluntly, "Does Buddha have any Emperor’s Throne scriptures? If you’re going to transmit dharma, transmit real dharma; if you’re going to transmit scripture, transmit real scripture. Ordinary methods—we already have those at Great Thunderclap Temple."
Morlun’s face darkened, and he sneered: "You look down on my Moon Palace scriptures? How rude! I’m offering you Buddha’s teachings for free, not asking a single incense coin—that’s already compassion. Yet you’re still picky!"
Brother Brightheart nudged the motionless Demon Ape. Battle-Void stepped forward, his Xiqiluo Staff clattering, and said, "Much, false. Little, true!"
Morlun was startled, thinking Battle-Void was about to debate him. But pondering those four words, his head seemed to swell three sizes.
The Mother of Ghost Children Buddha coughed lightly and said, "Dharma King, they’ve come for true scripture; just give it to them."
Morlun sneered, "They’re here for the Emperor’s Throne True Sutra. How could I have it? Even Indra King Buddha doesn’t possess it—only Great Brahma King Buddha has a single scroll. Great Brahma King Buddha rarely concerns himself with worldly affairs; he’s barely appeared in tens of thousands of years. I’ve been in the Buddha-Realm for years without seeing his true form, let alone the True Sutra. By giving them the Moon Palace scriptures for free, they’re already getting a huge bargain…"
What he said was true—there was no way to refute it.
The Heavenly Court had been eyeing the Buddha-Realm for years. Although the Buddha-Realm was nominally under its jurisdiction, the supreme classic—the Great Brahma King Buddha’s scroll—had never been acquired by the Heavenly Court.
The Heavenly Court had managed to obtain scriptures from other heavens, planting disciples in each realm to become Buddha-children and cultivate dharma. None of this was a secret to the Heavenly Court—except for Great Brahma Heaven.
Great Brahma King Buddha rarely appeared, and never transmitted his scripture.
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Battle-Void had debated dharma with a Buddha-child, who was a disciple of an ancient Buddha under Great Brahma King Buddha. Even that Buddha-child hadn’t learned the True Sutra.
Just then, a Buddha-chant echoed; a monk hurried down from above, landing at Everlight Temple. He bowed to the Buddhas and announced, "Great Brahma King Buddha has sent word: Buddha-children from every realm—including the lower realm—may enter Great Brahma Heaven. The Old Buddha will personally select the worthiest and transmit the True Sutra."
Morlun was startled, then broke into a smile. The Heavenly Court had coveted Great Brahma King Buddha’s arts for ages, never finding a chance to obtain them.
Now, with Qin Shepherd, Battle-Void, and Brightheart coming to study, it was the Heavenly Court’s best chance yet to seize the Emperor’s Throne True Sutra!
The Heavenly Court’s influence in the Buddha-Realm wasn’t limited to Morlun; among the many Buddha-children of the heavens, nearly half were young talents dispatched by the Heavenly Court to study.
Prince Moonlight was only his disciple, but the Buddha-children across the twenty heavens were countless. As long as Great Brahma King Buddha agreed to transmit the scripture, it would never fall into the hands of those three bumpkins from the lower realm—it would surely go to the Heavenly Court!
Feeling pleased, Morlun laughed: "In that case, let all the Buddha-children of the heavens go together to Great Brahma Heaven for the teaching. What do you all think, fellow masters?"
The Buddhas of the various heavens all nodded—Great Brahma King Buddha transmitting dharma was truly a once-in-ten-thousand-years event!
The Buddha-children going to study also meant the Buddhas themselves could glimpse the supreme dharma!
Morlun rolled up Prince Moonlight, vanished into the void, and sped straight for Great Brahma Heaven. The other Buddhas also departed, returning to their own heavens to gather Buddha-children for the journey. Soon, Everlight Temple was empty.
"How are we supposed to reach Great Brahma Heaven?"
Qin Shepherd was fretting when Indra King Buddha stepped down from his lotus throne. Barefoot, his feet untouched by dust, a halo swirling behind his head, he looked like a young monk—handsome and gentle-eyed. He glanced at the three of them and smiled, "You’ve all cultivated my fist art."
The three hurriedly paid their respects. The fist art Indra King Buddha mentioned was actually the Thunder Chant Eight-Form. Qin Shepherd had learned it from Grandpa Mark, then passed it to Battle-Void. After Battle-Void mastered it, he met the Old World-Honored One, who, feeling a karmic connection, taught him the complete Mahayana Scripture.
Brightheart had learned the Thunder Chant Eight-Form from Elder Jingming, but Jingming himself hadn’t mastered it fully and left flaws in the transmission.
Later, Battle-Void led the monks of Little Thunderclap Temple to Great Thunderclap Temple for a dharma debate. No one in Great Thunderclap could match him. Hearing of this, Brightheart rushed over and debated with Battle-Void—though he lost, he did so with honor.
Grandpa Mark then taught him the complete Mahayana Scripture, so Brightheart also received the full transmission.
Indra King Buddha smiled: "I too ascended from the lower realm, becoming a Buddha at Great Thunderclap Temple. There’s karmic affinity between us—I’ll escort you to Great Brahma Heaven."
A lotus cloud blossomed under his feet, lifting the three as they rose through swirling clouds, layers of thunder and dragons, climbing ever higher—passing through one world, then another.
Qin Shepherd marveled; only now did he realize the twenty heavens of the Buddha-Realm were built around a single, unimaginably vast mountain.
This mountain floated in the cosmic void, containing mountains within mountains, seas, sun, moon, and stars—each forming its own world with its own boundaries.
And each of these worlds was divided into twenty realms, twenty heavens, stacked layer upon layer; each layer had its own sun, moon, and stars, its own continent, and countless Buddha-countries.
Without Indra King Buddha escorting them, even at full speed Qin Shepherd and the others would need years to reach the summit!
Indra King Buddha brought them to the highest layer—Great Brahma Heaven—built atop the wondrous mountain, also called the Golden Summit. Here, light blazed in every direction; it was eternal day, with no division between night and day.
Among the golden clouds, mountain ridges jutted forth, radiant and solemn. The golden light formed countless Sanskrit dharma scripts swirling through the air, encircling the peaks in wondrous scripture scenes.
Arriving there, they heard a vast, resonant sound—like bells ringing. It was unclear whether it came from the dharma scripts or the chanting of countless beings below.
Battle-Void couldn’t help exclaiming, "Pot, bun!"
Qin Shepherd nodded in agreement: "It really is like a steaming cornmeal bun just out of the pot—the golden light looks like the rising steam."
Indra King Buddha laughed and shook his head. "That metaphor is oddly apt. See that forested area? That’s where Great Brahma King Buddha lives in seclusion. Many Buddha-children have already gone there; I’ll take you over."
He led Qin Shepherd and the others through layers of dharma scripture, flying to the center of the golden sea and landing in a quiet mountain forest. Broad roads led to a modest-looking monastery at the center.
Hundreds of Buddha-children had already arrived, and the Buddhas who brought them had all dispersed their miraculous visions, appearing as monks—young and old—clearly showing respect for Great Brahma King Buddha.
"So many Buddha-children?"
Qin Shepherd’s heart tightened. He muttered, "How long would it take to fight through all these before seeing Great Brahma King Buddha? Could we use Great Ruins rules instead?"
Brightheart and Battle-Void both shivered, recalling Qin Shepherd’s past deeds, and quickly shook their heads.
Brightheart hurriedly said, "Brother Qin, we absolutely can’t use Great Ruins rules here—they’re far too bloody and violent! This is the supreme holy land of Buddhism; we can’t act recklessly!"
"What a shame…"
Qin Shepherd muttered, "If we used Great Ruins rules, things would be much simpler—we’d just fight, and then we could learn the Emperor’s Throne True Sutra. Now it’ll be much more troublesome."
Indra King Buddha asked curiously, "What are Great Ruins rules?"
Battle-Void raised a hand, drew it across his throat, then grabbed his own neck and mimed breaking it.