Sovereign of the Ashes

Within the Buddhist Realm of the Immortal Realm Civilization...

Just as the Great Monkey of Destruction’s golden circlet transmitted its message across the distant starry skies, Thus-Come Buddha, who was preaching the Dharma at the central hall of the Great Thunderclap Monastery, suddenly fell silent.

His abrupt silence drew the curious gazes of the many Arhats, Buddhas, and Bodhisattvas gathered within the hall.

The Buddhist Realm wielded tremendous influence within the Immortal Realm Civilization.

Buddhism had originally branched off from the Daoist faction.

Through the arduous efforts of its founding sages, Jieyin and Zhunti, followed by the development led by the Thus-Come Buddha, the Bodhisattva of Mercy, and others, it had finally grown into a force capable of rivaling the Daoist faction itself.

At present, the greatest hidden danger facing the Immortal Realm Civilization was neither the schism among the three teachings nor the conflict between humans and Yaos. It was the struggle between Buddhism and Daoism!

The three teachings had originated from the same source. Even though they had split apart, just how far could they truly diverge?

As for the conflict between the human race and the Yao Clan, no matter how fiercely they fought, it would never spiral completely out of control so long as Sage Nuwa and the Seven Great Sages of the Yao Clan continued watching from above, while the various sage courts mediated between them.

At the very least, it would not become a catastrophe that engulfed the entire Immortal Realm Civilization.

The conflict between Buddhism and Daoism, however, was different!

If it truly erupted, it would become an unprecedented civil war involving at least ten sages.

This was a clash of ideologies.

It could even be considered a decision regarding the future direction of the entire civilization.

Should the Immortal Realm follow path A or path B?

Should it listen to the Buddhist faction or the Daoist faction?

And who, in the end, should hold the reins of the Immortal Realm Civilization?

The greatest problem facing this immensely powerful civilization was that it had never produced someone like Lady Bev, the leader of the Magus Civilization.

No one was willing to submit to anyone else, and the internal conflicts were simply too intense.

Such a leader did not even need overwhelming strength. As long as they could command the respect of the entire civilization, a Rank Seven being like Bev would be enough.

Unfortunately, no such figure had appeared in the Immortal Realm.

Laozi of the Palace of Eight Views was the eldest senior brother among the Immortal Realm’s oldest sages.

Before Dao Ancestor Hongjun departed the Astral Realm, he had personally entrusted Laozi with the Heavenly Dao Sword, tasking him with safeguarding the foundations of the Immortal Realm.

Perhaps Sage Laozi could have served as the representative of the Immortal Realm Civilization.

Unfortunately, the path he followed was one of governing through non-action and maintaining the balance of Yin and Yang.[1]

He would not involve himself in such matters.

More importantly, he had no way to intervene!

Come to think of it, the fact that the Immortal Realm had avoided any major upheavals in recent years was largely thanks to Sage Laozi’s masterful control over the balance of Yin and Yang.

To a great extent, the peace the Immortal Realm civilization had enjoyed during this period could be attributed to him.

Without Laozi watching over everything from above, internal strife within the Immortal Realm would likely have erupted long ago.

Of course, the Immortal Realm was by no means lacking in wise individuals. Many had already recognized the root of these conflicts, and some had even foreseen the situations that might unfold in the near future. As a result, they were doing everything they could to prevent them.

A civil war was something neither the Buddhist nor Daoist cultivators of the Immortal Realm wished to see.

But sometimes, it seemed to be the only solution.

There was, however, another option: redirecting those internal conflicts through an external war.

With the outbreak of war between the Magus Civilization and the Gallant Federation, the factions within the Immortal Realm that had acted quickly and maintained close ties with the Magus Civilization had already reaped the first wave of benefits.

The Dragon Clan, Jie Sect, Phoenix Clan, and Yao Clan had all joined the Magus Civilization’s great war.

The Yao Clan, in particular, had mobilized on a tremendous scale. Aside from the Great Sage of Demonic Heaven and the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, it was said that the Great Sage Who Pacifies the Heavens, the Bull King, had recently led several of his sworn brothers to the Magus Civilization’s battlefield.

They included the Great Sage Who Confuses the Heavens, the Peng King; the Great Sage Who Moves Mountains, the Lion Camel King; the Great Sage Who Opens the Winds, Macaque King; and the Great Sage Who Drives the Gods, the Tamarin King.

Following behind them were billions of Yao soldiers and generals.

Considering the lax discipline and disorganized marching formations of those Yao Clan legions, even moving at their slowest pace, they should be arriving at the Magus Civilization’s battlefield by now.

Knowing that, the Buddhist faction was practically drooling with envy!

As for the Magus Civilization’s request for aid, the Chan Sect had yet to give a clear response.

The Human Sect had already mobilized the Mount Shu Sword School, but its advance was relatively slow. They were expected to reach the battlefield around the same time as Bull King and the rest of the Yao Clan forces.

Only the Buddhist faction was going out of its way to tag along, even though Magus World had never invited them!

For a faction so relentlessly focused on expanding and strengthening its foundations, it was no surprise that it had reached its current level of prosperity.

The Buddhist faction’s rise was inseparable from the collective efforts of all its members.

For example, when dealing with the Magus Civilization’s envoys, the Buddhist faction had directly dispatched the Dragon-Subduing Arhat and the Tiger-Taming Arhat to negotiate with the Rank Six envoys.

Sending two overlord-level Arhats was more than enough to demonstrate their sincerity.

Unfortunately, due to certain historical reasons, the reservations some of the Magus Civilization’s powerhouses held toward the Buddhist faction, and concerns that its participation might disrupt the balance within the Immortal Realm, the Magus Civilization’s high command had yet to formally approve its request to join the war.

The biggest reason was that the Gallant Federation seemed to have run out of fresh reinforcements. Even if the Buddhist faction joined the war now, there might not be any suitable battlefield left for them.

Now, the Great Monkey of Destruction, who was currently fighting on the frontlines, had taken the initiative to request reinforcements from the Buddhist Realm of the Immortal Realm Civilization.

For those bald... ahem, Buddhist monks, this was like being handed a pillow just as they were about to fall asleep!

They had been waiting for this!

At last, someone had called upon them to enter the war!

What the Buddhist faction lacked most right now was a legitimate reason to join the conflict.

The Magus Civilization had yet to approve their request, but that was no longer important.

The Buddhist faction was taking the initiative to seek justice for one of its own disciples.

Even if this justification were presented to the Magus Civilization, it would still hold up—though only barely.

Someone had attacked one of their own people. If the Buddhist faction did not settle the score, how could it possibly demonstrate the true “depth” of its teachings?!

The Great Monkey of Destruction had grown so accustomed to the freedom he enjoyed as the Great Sage Equal to Heaven that dragging the entire Buddhist faction into the war was nothing more than an impulsive decision made in the heat of the moment.

Although Wukong was quick-witted, he had not stopped to consider the broader implications for the entire civilization.

Still, he could hardly be blamed for that.

Besides, drawing the Buddhist faction into this battlefield might not necessarily be a bad thing...

Within the Great Thunderclap Monastery, Sanskrit chants continued to echo through the hall as the Thus-Come Buddha finally issued his decree.

“Our Victorious Fighting Buddha has been wounded in a foreign land, and his call for aid has reached me. Who is willing to go?”

The Thus-Come Buddha swept his gaze across the hall.

His eyes lingered on the sages seated in the front row, especially the Bodhisattva of Mercy.

At present, the Bodhisattva of Mercy was effectively the second-in-command of the Buddhist faction, ranking beneath only the Thus-Come Buddha himself. She was deeply revered by countless Buddhas and disciples.

More importantly, she had already advanced to Rank Eight.

Having her lead the Buddhist forces to reinforce the Magus Civilization’s battlefield seemed like the most suitable choice.

Noticing his lingering gaze, the Bodhisattva of Mercy took half a step forward from her lotus throne, preparing to accept this heavy responsibility that could shape the course of the Buddhist faction for tens of thousands of years to come.

Besides, she would most likely be accompanied by several other Buddhist sages. Together, they would earn some extra profit from the Clash of Civilizations!

Unexpectedly, however, someone spoke before the Bodhisattva of Mercy could accept the task.

“Amitabha, this humble monk is willing to go.”[2]

The voice came from behind the Thus-Come Buddha.

Bathed in the radiant light of the Tenth-Grade Merit Golden Lotus, the Lamp-Bearing Buddha slowly revealed his majestic and sacred countenance.

Translator’s Notes:

1. Non-action (无为 “Wu wei”) and Yin-Yang are core concepts in Daoism, taught by Laozi. The principle of non-action meant that one should discern the natural course of things and cooperate with that movement. For more information on this, you may refer back to the footnote in Chapter 1931.

In his Daoist philosophy, Yin (dark, passive, feminine) and Yang (light, active, masculine) are complementary forces that make up the universe. Rather than opposing forces, they rely on each other to maintain balance and harmony. ☜

2. Monks and practitioners often say “Amitabha”, or “Amituofo” in Chinese, to invoke the Buddha of Infinite Light and Infinite Life. The phrase is sometimes used as a daily greeting, expressing wishes of peace and boundless blessings. It is also believed that reciting Amitabha’s name connects a person to his limitless merit, offering protection in this life and salvation at the moment of death. ☜