Chapter 1 A Strong Tremor

The Jiajing Emperor's mouth had just closed.

And the world shook violently.

Within this realm, in the heavens and the earth, all times and myriad futures suddenly erupted with brilliant light, rising from the bodies of their adherents, omnipresent, as if making a final, desperate gamble, wanting to leave behind eternal proof that they had once existed in this world.

The Jiajing Emperor and the Yuanmiao Grand Sage looked towards the distance. The Taiji Heavenly Palace had already vanished like smoke, no longer existing, so there was nothing to obstruct their sight or perception. Only the Dao rhythm of the Taiji Perfected Person had not completely dissipated, still retaining a trace. After all, he was one of the four great Perfected Persons of ancient times, and his existence in the world still held a lingering glow.

But he could no longer return through this remnant glow, like ashes that still held a bit of warmth after being completely burned. Even if they were rekindled, they would no longer be the same as before the ashes became "ashes."

That would be another being who inherited, or rather, was capable of inheriting the Taiji Perfected Person's name, and everything would have to start anew.

And the Jiajing Emperor was going to completely eliminate this possibility, even erasing this remnant glow. But before he could make a move, the changes in this realm had already occurred.

"Look, those are the glorious and dazzling myriad futures. Those Heavenly Heart realm cultivators have seen the reflection I left behind."

"Their Heavenly Hearts have been greatly damaged, their futures shattered. This final light is just their last struggle after going mad because they refuse to believe my words. They firmly believe that their Heavenly Hearts can evolve into brilliant futures that are unique to them."

"So, they burn everything, pouring all their spiritual essence and the power of their Heavenly Hearts into it, even abandoning their past selves."

A smile gradually appeared on the Yuanmiao Grand Sage's face.

Bodhisattvas, Arhats, and even Buddhas—the destruction of their Buddha-hearts and the decline of their cultivation realms were not the most terrifying tribulations. Destroying the great futures they believed they were destined to achieve was the true way to annihilate these people.

Everything existed before the abyss. Before reaching the abyss, people always believed there was still hope. Alas, the abyss was too vast, so immense that it couldn't be seen, yet it firmly controlled all Heavenly Hearts, manipulating everything. Su Dan Novel Network

People excessively pursued power. It had been like this since the "Great King in Black" of ancient times. Ancient Heavenly Hearts, present Heavenly Hearts, following Heaven's will, acting on behalf of Heaven's will—people thought they were gradually approaching greatness, able to manipulate creation at will.

It was all false.

The most fundamental Dao hadn't advanced an inch. They were mired in the superficial power of borrowing Heaven's might, feeling capable of standing shoulder to shoulder with Heaven simply because they existed eternally in the past and future.

Buzz—!

Dark energy erupted. Compared to the brilliant light of time before, this dark energy was more like the embodiment of despair, so it quickly dimmed. But it continued to spread, revealing the true appearance of a greatly damaged Heavenly Heart. This group of powerhouses no longer had any hope, nor did they have the thought of making a desperate gamble. Even their spiritual essence had cracks that were difficult to mend.

"That is the death energy within time, the energy that never existed, only existing in the despair after the future is shattered. Although this group of people did not obtain those great futures, they at least drew down the death energy from beyond time. Along with the shattering of their Heavenly Hearts, this death energy, which should only exist in the future of the future and should never exist in the 'past years' of the present, has actually appeared."

"Thus, this death energy will permeate their future, permeate all their disciples and believers. This is not a curse or a blessing, but it is far more terrifying than curses and blessings."

"But, just as I said... look, do you hear that?"

The Jiajing Emperor narrowed his eyes. He acted to clear away the Taiji Perfected Person's remaining aura, and in the heavens, and even in the spiritual essence of everyone, the sounds of Buddhist chants resounded.

It was the voice of the Buddha.

The voices left behind in the Saha world before, those voices stabilized the death energy of time and laboriously pieced together all the shattered futures. Although they couldn't be restored, they stopped their collapse.

"There are still more Heavenly Hearts that hold faith in the future, not believing that they are trapped in an abyss. Look, the Heavenly Hearts that shattered their futures and the Heavenly Hearts that erupted with brilliance, added together, are only a little over ten."

"Divided among the three religions, there are only a few people."

"Therefore, as long as the Buddha still exists, they will not be completely destroyed by your words. After all, if the Heavenly Heart is an abyss, if even the Zhaoming world is destroyed, then how can the Buddha, who still exists after the destruction of Confucianism, be explained? He also advanced upward from the level of the Heavenly Heart. Now, perhaps he has surpassed Hunyuan and reached another new level. And only the Buddha has proven the Twelve Nidanas."

"The Buddha not dying means that the path still exists, but it is just more difficult. This is a kind of hope for all Heavenly Heart powerhouses. As Heavenly Hearts, they can even rely on the wishes of all living beings to constantly amplify this little bit of hope, perhaps spending thousands of years. But what does that matter?"

"As long as they prove that the abyss is not the end, that will be enough."

"The abyss is not the end."

"The abyss is simply not 'awakened'."

Buddha is an Awakened One. Not awakened simply means temporarily unawakened.

The Jiajing Emperor looked at the Yuanmiao Grand Sage. The Yuanmiao Grand Sage's expression was very subtle. In the end, he sighed:

"Old, undying baldy."

"Forget it, being able to shake their future and create huge cracks is enough to achieve our goal. Collapse and ruin are only a matter of time, just like Buddhism says, the great tribulation will always arrive. Postponing it is just postponing it."

The figures of the Jiajing Emperor and the Yuanmiao Grand Sage also gradually dissipated at this time. They were using a kind of escape technique.

"This is the Mianni Method? It is said that the Mianni Method cannot be deciphered."

The Yuanmiao Grand Sage inquired about the origin of this escape technique. The Jiajing Emperor said, "I exchanged for the Mianni Method from the Demon Heavenly Master just to perfect this escape technique. This is the 'Art of Concealing Form' that Bao Puzi spoke of."

"The Mianni Method is just a degraded version of the Art of Concealing Form. It's just that not many people in the world know this."

The Yuanmiao Grand Sage seemed to be thinking. "Where are we going to hide now? Find one of the Jade Purity Heavenly Worthies? Complete the convergence of the Three Clarities?"

Jiajing: "Hiding anywhere can't escape the Heavenly Heart's probing. Only by hiding in the place of another Heavenly Heart, like before, can we avoid them. And they will be divided into three groups: one to extinguish their own future, one to find the Mandate of Heaven holder in the human world, and one to hunt us down."

He picked up the Six Extremes Dao Chapter in his hand.

"So, we killed the Taiji Perfected Person to obtain the Six Extremes Dao Chapter. Thus, we have obtained the Hundred Daos, so next, our advancement must go to the Within the Dao. And I suspect that the Buddha does not exist in the Saha world, but he can stabilize the world. He is in an inexplicable place, and should also be in a place similar to the 'Within the Dao'."

"For example, the end of Karma, or... 'the Origin of Existence'."

The Yuanmiao Grand Sage looked puzzled:

"The Origin of... Existence?"

The Jiajing Emperor smiled: "I can't explain it clearly either, but I just know that there is such a concept, and all the concepts in the world are within the Four Symbols, so there are all kinds of worlds, born within the past, future, cause and effect, and karmic fate. The only difference is whether we can find them and whether they are willing to be witnessed by us."

"Therefore, we can go to Within the Dao and use a medium. And in this process, you don't need to worry about anything, because I possess the power of the Supreme Old Lord."

"The Old Lord is the Dao Ancestor."

"Above and below the heavens, the transformations are endless; the ancestor of all sages, the progenitor of true gods!"