Against the Gods

Chapter 136 – Great Way of the Buddha

The Inner Palace was very quiet. Upon entering the Inner Palace a long time ago, Yun Che still had not seen a single Inner Palace disciple. At this time, most of them were cultivating in the Profound Gathering Tower.

Yun Che stood in the small courtyard and found a level spot. After taking in a deep breath, he activated his profound energy and summoned the Overlord’s Colossal Sword out of the Sky Poison Pearl.

With the Overlord’s Colossal Sword that was close to two thousand kilograms in hand, even though Yun Che had been prepared for that weight, it sunk down and almost fell out of his grip. He gritted his teeth tightly as both hands unwaveringly grabbed at the sword’s hilt. But he was simply unable to lift the greatsword in its entirety.

“Evil Soul!”

After opening Evil Soul, Yun Che gathered all of his profound strength, gave a low growl, and lifted the Overlord’s Colossal Sword. But after a mere breaths of time, half of the sword’s body once again, ruthlessly smashed back into the ground. If it weren’t for Yun Che’s teeth clenching support, even the sword’s hilt would fall as well.

“Phew…” Yun Che heaved a long sigh of relief after withdrawing the Overlord’s Colossal Sword. He wiped his sweat filled forehead and whispered to himself

“Why did you pick this heavy sword? Is it really just because that it is of a high-grade?”

Jasmine’s voice suddenly rang out within his mind.

“Of course not.” Yun Che shook his head and replied seriously: “Before entering the Sky Weapon Pavilion, I had already decided to pick a sword; a light sword that most profound practitioners use. But when I got closer to this heavy sword, I suddenly had a fantastic sort of feeling. Then I believed that it was the most suitable for me.”

“Why?” Jasmine asked. She rarely questioned something in detail, but it appeared as if she was extremely interested in why Yun Che had selected the heavy sword.

“Because this is a sword used to protect.” Yun Che slightly faced upwards as he slowly responded.

Jasmine: “…”

“What Sikong Du had said was not wrong. A heavy sword is a weapon that isn’t suitable for any profound practitioner and is only suitable to be on the battlefield. If I was purely a profound practitioner, I too, would not select this heavy sword. But, I am not.”

“Previously, I had also frantically pursued power and still do to this day. The reason why I hastily challenged Murong Yi is also to give myself sufficient pressure. But my purpose in the pursuit of power and my way of thinking now is completely different than before. Because I had gone through something that others would never be able to experience in their lifetime.

That was death… And reincarnation.

“The Profound Sky Continent is named the Profound Sky Continent because cultivating in the Profound is this land’s main objective; and probably even this world’s main objective. The level of profound strength represented one’s status and prestige in this world. The Profound Sky Continent possessed an innumerable number of profound practitioners. They used most of their life to vigorously chase after a higher level of profound strength. However, amongst the majority of them do not understand the reason why they pursue power… They simply chase, and simply wanted to reach an even higher height.”

“But I am not the same as them anymore. The current me is very clear in the reason why I pursue power. Yun Che closed his eyes and softly continued in a slow manner: “I want to properly protect all the people who are important to me by my side. Previously, I thought that as long as I had the heart, and as long as I treated my companion well, it would give my important person security and happiness. But it was only after losing them time and time again, did I finally realize that in this place where the weak are preyed on by the strong, in this world that respected power, in order to give them a sense of security, I must get stronger myself. Strong enough to let people look up to me, enough to make people not dare to bully and humiliate me. Only in this way would I truly be able to protect and not lose anyone a second time.”

Jasmine: “…”

“Light swords are suitable for profound practitioners; they are easy to use and easy to master. Not only are they agile, they vary in a multitude of ways. Since ancient times, they were the most perfect of weapons. But when it comes to protection, they would never compare with the heavy sword. When brandishing a light sword, one could at most protect three, or five… As for the brandishing of a heavy sword, even against an approaching thousand strong army, as long as the people I wish to protect are at the rear, they shouldn’t even bother to think about harming them unless they obstruct my heavy sword and walk over my dead body. No only that, in regards to compatibility with profound practitioners, I do not completely approve of what Sikong Du had said… The reason why none had picked the heavy sword is because it is hard to master the heavy sword; mastering the heavy sword is hundreds of thousands of times harder than a light sword. Becoming familiar with the heavy sword takes time and also takes hundreds of thousands worth of time. But, if there is a day in which one could swing a heavy sword as agilely as one would for a light sword…”

“Then, in this world, what could possibly withstand the might of the heavy sword?”

Yun Che said each word without hesitation. Ever since the first time he saw the Overlord’s Colossal Sword, that was the image he had in his mind. However, he was completely aware of how difficult it was to accomplish this one bit, and how much time it required. One could choose the light sword and achieve mastery of the sword in twenty years. But in regards to someone else who chose the heavy sword, perhaps he would barely be able to control the heavy sword in twenty years. Moreover, in this twenty year time period, their profound strength cultivation might even be implicated. Against an opponent on the same level, there was a extremely low chance of winning, and they might even be looked down upon. As a result, practitioners who chose the heavy sword were as rare as phoenix feathers and qilin horns.

Nevertheless, Yun Che stubbornly wanted to do this. Perhaps there was an important additional reason; perhaps he unconsciously did not want to choose the same option that the majority of profound practitioners chose to take.

After Yun Che finished speaking, Jasmine also did not reply for a long time. It was only right when Yun Che was about to give the Overlord’s Colossal Sword another go, did Jasmine’s voice faintly come out: “The reason why you selected the heavy sword… is exactly the same… as brother’s…”

Yun Che’s movements halted as he softly asked: “Your… brother? He also used the heavy sword?”

Jasmine’s voice was filled with emotion; Yun Che could basically imagine her red-eyed appearance, because the word “brother”, was the most warm and soft in her heart, yet also the one with the most deep-seated pain: “In the very beginning, brother’s weapon of choice, was also the light sword. After, he put down the light sword and picked up the heavy sword, because brother said… The heavy sword, is a weapon for slaughter, an overbearing weapon, but even more so a weapon for protection; he wanted to use the heavy sword to protect me, protect mother, and protect our homeland…”

“In order to train with the heavy sword, brother took a great risk to cultivate the forbidden book 《Great Way of the Buddha》, and after experiencing many untold hardships, he found the Prison God Sirius’ legacy, and obtained 《Prison God Sirius’ Tome》. Afterwards, with great perseverance, brother successfully completely cultivated the Great Way of the Buddha and Prison God Sirius’ Tome. When he carried the heavy sword on the battlefield, with only one swing of the sword, tens of thousands of soldiers would be completely eradicated.”

“At that time, what I liked to do most was watch the image of brother brandishing the heavy sword on the battlefield; brother was the most handsome, the most powerful, and he gave me and mother an indescribable feeling of safety and reliance. If brother was there, even if the sky was falling, we didn’t need to be afraid even a bit, because brother would use his heavy sword, and always protect us, the ones behind him.”

Jasmine’s voice became lower and lower, until it finally became a distinct tremble.

Because her brother, had died in the end… From within her description, one could tell her brother was an unparalleled strong existence, possibly so powerful it was beyond Yun Che’s realm of comprehension. Jasmine didn’t actually say how her brother died, and Yun Che did not dare to ask, because that was probably the most tragic memory in her heart.

“Giving up the light sword and picking up the heavy sword in order to protect those around him. Your brother was definitely a very mighty person.” Yun Che said with a sigh: “If it is possible, I really want to meet him.”

Jasmine didn’t speak for a long while, appearing to be stabilizing her emotions. After a long time, she calmly asked: “You, are you really going to continue using the heavy sword in the future?”

“Since I have already selected it, of course I wouldn’t change my mind or regret it.” Yun Che said without any hesitation. “Moreover, I possess the Evil God’s Profound Veins. Under the same level, I can exert a stronger force; controlling the heavy sword is much easier for me compared to other profound practitioners.”

“Good…” Jasmine answered, and after a brief pause, said simply: “Then, starting from today, I will teach you the ‘Great Way of the Buddha’!”

“Great Way of the Buddha? The one you just mentioned, the one your brother cultivated?” Yun Che was shocked.

“That’s right; it is precisely the forbidden book my brother cultivated in order to control the heavy sword!” Jasmine said coldly: “The reason it is known as the “Great Way of the Buddha”, is because it is just like the ‘Evil God Arts’ in your body; a divine Profound Art that belonged to a True God of the Primordial Era! It came from a primordial true god once called the ‘Rage God’. What’s different is that the Evil God Arts exists in the profound veins and do not need to be cultivated but the Great Way of the Buddha affects your blood, meridians, muscles, skin, and hair… and actually has not even the slightest of relationships with profound veins or even profound strength.

“Similar to the Evil God Arts… Divine profound art?” Yun Che was shocked in his heart. The Evil God Arts’ immense power goes without saying; as of now he could only open the first gate, and under the condition of being in the tenth level of the Nascent Profound realm, he was able to easily defeat Feng Yue, who was in the third level of the True Profound realm. Since the “Great Way of the Buddha” was also a divine profound art, its power shouldn’t be any less than the “Evil God Arts”?

“After the death of the primordial true god, even though no one knew how the ‘Great Way of the Buddha’ had been circulated, it has still become a forbidden existence. Since it is a divine profound art, it simply cannot be cultivated by humans. Over the course of countless years, the ‘Great Way of the Buddha’ has passed through many hands; an uncountable number of peerless experts who relied on their own profound strength to reach the pinnacle of existence, have ultimately exploded to death because of their attempts to forcefully cultivate the ‘Great Way of the Buddha’. The strength of gods, is not something mortals can withstand.”

Yun Che: “…”

“Only until later, the ‘Great Way of the Buddha’ vanished from the world, and the legends regarding it had also began to fade gradually. Only until one day, brother chanced upon it in a mystical, dangerous land. And his discovery of the ‘Great Way of the Buddha’, is also a secret untold of to others. In this world, only brother and I knew about it; not even father and mother were ever aware of it.”

Jasmine didn’t lie, the “Great Way of the Buddha” was a secret between her and her brother; other than the two of them, no one else knew about the reappearance of the “Great Way of the Buddha”. After Jasmine’s brother died, the “Great Way of the Buddha” only existed within Jasmine’s heart.

She had never thought of cultivating “Great Way of the Buddha”, much less passing it on to someone. She actually intended to never tell anyone about it. Rather, she wanted the “Great Way of the Buddha” to forever stay in the depths of her soul with fond memories of her brother.

But Jasmine kept seeing the visage of her older brother on Yun Che’s body… and had even felt a trace of her older brother from him… The first time, was in the Flame Dragon’s Den, when he used half his blood without hesitation to save her… When she vaguely regained her consciousness and woke up, she thought that she was looking at her brother…

And when Yun Che selected the heavy sword, then explained the reason why he picked it, she felt as if someone had heavily pounded at her heart as it trembled for a very long time…

She knew why she really wished to teach Yun Che this forbidden “Great Way of the Buddha”…

Because she wanted to see the image of her brother brandishing the heavy sword on Yun Che… as if she was creating a scene that could only be seen in her dreams.

“Since the “Great Way of the Buddha” cannot be cultivated by mortals and gods no longer exist in this world, how was it possible for your brother to successfully cultivate it?” Yun Che asked, while interrupting her thoughts.

“Because he is like you, someone who inherited a primordial true god’s power… That primordial true god was known as ‘Star God Sirius’. Both his profound veins and blood contained the true god’s mark and thus, he was about to bear the weight of the ‘Great Way of the Buddha’s’ power. However, the ‘Great Way of the Buddha’ has a total of twelve stages yet the sixth stage was brother’s cultivation limit. Continuing any further would result in the same exploding death that the previous others had futilely attempted to do.

“And you, with the Evil God’s Profound Veins, should be the same as brother, and can cultivate until the sixth stage of the ‘Great Way of the Buddha’! And as long as you cultivate to the first stage of the ‘Great Way of the Buddha’, you can easily control this heavy sword.”

Each and every line Jasmine had said, shocked Yun Che. He swallowed a mouthful of saliva and asked with a somewhat unconvinced tone: “You’re saying… just the first stage of the ‘Great Way of the Buddha’, will allow me to master this Overlord’s Colossal Sword? This heavy sword is not an ordinary heavy sword, it weighs one thousand nine hundred and fifty kilograms!”

And what Jasmine said after, almost made Yun Che kneel on the spot.

“Hmph, of course I know the weight of this heavy sword.” Jasmine said coldly: “But, if you were to successfully cultivate the first stage of the ‘Great Way of the Buddha’, under the condition of no increase in profound energy at all, it could increase your arm strength by one thousand five hundred kilos! The second stage, will be able to increase your arm strength by four thousand kilos; and the third stage, ten thousand kilos…. Just the first stage, would be enough for you! If you reach the second stage, wielding this heavy sword in your hands would be no different than a light sword in an ordinary profound practitioner’s hands.

“Also, even if you don’t use the heavy sword; just with the addition of arm strength, and without activating ‘Evil Soul’, there will be simply be no one who can be your match within the same rank. With the support of ‘Evil Soul’, it’ll also be enough to defeat opponents half a great realm above you!”