The Desolate Ruins are also known as the Endless Sea Beyond the Heavens, and the Primordial Nine Palaces were conceived and nurtured within this Endless Sea Beyond the Heavens.
Just how many ancient ancestors are hidden within the Endless Sea Beyond the Heavens, no one knows. What kind of existences these ancestors are, likewise remains unknown to all.
The Return to Ruins goes without saying; those suppressed within are all existences that pose a threat to the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth, and nine out of ten are related to Original Sin.
It is said that the Era of No Dao once opened during the Primordial Era, and many experts even entered this so-called Era of No Dao.
What is even more terrifying is that during that opening of the Era of No Dao, far too many, countless Original Sin individuals were born, among whom were no shortage of Great Dao Ancestors and Great Dao Overlords.
One must know that the Era of No Dao can only open under one condition: the slaughter of the Three Thousand Great Daos.
According to what Da Xing the Mad Monk knows, during the Primordial Era, the Three Thousand Great Daos were indeed slaughtered. Those Great Dao Ancestors and Overlords perhaps believed the opening of the Era of No Dao was an inevitable trend, or perhaps thought fate was irreversible. Whether for survival or other reasons, they all integrated into Original Sin, becoming Original Sin individuals, and stepped into the Era of No Dao.
Although later, the Era of No Dao mysteriously vanished and closed again.
Where those Great Dao experts who abandoned the Dao and integrated into Original Sin went remains a mystery to this day.
Some say those Great Dao experts who integrated into Original Sin vanished along with the disappearance of the Era of No Dao.
Others say their bodies and souls were utterly annihilated, leaving only their indestructible wills transformed into Great Dao Creation Divine Sense Demonic Thoughts.
There are also claims that some were suppressed in the Return to Ruins, while others hid within the Endless Sea Beyond the Heavens.
What the truth actually is remains a matter of debate; no one knows.
Thinking of this, Da Xing the Mad Monk gazed at the sky-filling Original Sin and couldn't help but shudder inwardly, thinking to himself: Could it be that behind this sky-filling Original Sin lies a certain Great Dao Ancestor from back then who threw himself into Original Sin, and has now cultivated into an Original Sin Ancestor?
Hard to say.
Equally difficult to ascertain.
Although Da Xing the Mad Monk has never seen a so-called Original Sin Ancestor, he heard that Gu Qingfeng once encountered one in the Primordial Black Hole, someone called the Xuanming Ancestor, if memory serves. Judging by Gu Qingfeng's tone, that Xuanming Ancestor's Original Sin was extremely sinful, so sinful it made Gu Qingfeng somewhat suspect the other party was the 'Venerable of No Dao' who slaughtered the Three Thousand Great Daos and opened the Era of No Dao during the Primordial Era.
It seems that Xuanming Ancestor almost devoured Gu Qingfeng.
Thinking of this, Da Xing pondered: Could this bastard be the Xuanming Ancestor Gu Qingfeng mentioned?
Wait!
Damn it!
Where are Demon Emperor Blood River and Miao Tathagata?
Just now, he was so preoccupied with guessing who was behind this sky-filling Original Sin that in that momentary lapse of attention, Da Xing the Mad Monk suddenly realized Demon Emperor Blood River and Miao Tathagata had both vanished without a trace. Within the area, only two enormous Original Sin vortices were spinning wildly.
Good heavens!
Could it be that Demon Emperor Blood River and Miao Tathagata have both been devoured by these two enormous Original Sin vortices?
Da Xing the Mad Monk could hardly believe his eyes, because he discovered Miao Tathagata's Buddha-light had vanished at some unknown time, and Demon Emperor Blood River's darkness had also disappeared at some unknown time. The entire void held nothing else besides Original Sin.
By the heavens!
This can't be real, can it?
Damn it, one of them is the West Heaven Buddha Emperor Miao Tathagata, and the other is the Demonic Path Overlord Blood River! If their external incarnations have been devoured by this sky-filling Original Sin just like that, then other existences coveting the Primordial Pearl have even less hope, including Qingdeng Ancestor and Lord Heishan, no exception.
Suddenly!
A *bang* explosion sounded as a pillar of light burst through the vortex, shooting straight into the sky like a grey dragon.
This pillar resembled a dark pillar of light, yet also a bloody pillar of light.
Accompanying the appearance of the dark-bloody light pillar was a person.
A man.
A man clad in black.
The man's long hair danced wildly, his sleeves rustling in the wind.
His person stood like a solitary peak propping up heaven and earth, his presence sharp as a sword piercing through the cosmos.
It was none other than Demon Emperor Blood River.
After Demon Emperor Blood River burst forth, rolling darkness once again swept in.
The darkness was a frenzied darkness, a violent darkness, a cruel darkness.
The difference was, this time the darkness was more like a surging river of blood, turbulent and mighty. Upon its appearance, it stirred up towering waves within this sky-filling Original Sin.
The Original Sin vortex that had devoured Demon Emperor Blood River earlier vanished, scattered the moment the dark-bloody light pillar erupted, replaced by a massive hole.
This hole resembled an abyss, a source of darkness, a spring of blood.
Immediately after.
Another explosive sound rang out as a sacred Buddha-light shot skyward, shaking that Original Sin vortex until it was riddled with holes, collapsing and dispersing.
Accompanying the Buddha-light was also a man.
This man wore a Five Buddha Crown on his head, donned kasaya robes, bore a necklace of relics around his neck, and held prayer beads in his hand.
The Five Buddha Crown was carved with five Buddha statues: namely, Acala, Trailokyavijaya, Kundali, Yamantaka, and Vajrayaksa—precisely the Five Great Wisdom Kings of the Buddhist Path!
The kasaya robes were covered in sacred scriptures, each scripture transforming like a Buddha, eighty-one in total, strikingly similar to the legendary Eighty-One Amitabha Buddhas of the Buddhist Path.
The necklace held thirty-six relics, each resembling a Vajra Relic containing Nirvana fire.
The prayer beads in hand numbered nine, each like a Bodhi of reincarnation!
Head adorned with the Five Great Wisdom Kings True Buddha Crown.
Body clad in Amitabha Kasaya.
Neck hung with Vajra Relics.
Hand holding the Bodhi Nine Prayer Beads.
Who else could it be but Miao Tathagata!
Perhaps provoked to anger, perhaps realizing he couldn't pass this hurdle without getting serious, or perhaps wanting to probe the master behind this sky-filling Original Sin.
After bursting out, Miao Tathagata transformed into a great sun, soaring upward, rising slowly.
The light of the great sun, sacred and brilliant, enveloped the void, illuminated the Original Sin, and delivered all beings.
"Mere Original Sin dares dream of devouring this seat!"
As Miao Tathagata halted, the blazing sun hung high, releasing endless Buddha-light.
He slightly lowered his head, pressed his palms together, and chanted scriptures.
In an instant, he, who had transformed into the great sun, changed once more, becoming a golden great Buddha.
This Buddha was colossal enough to prop up the heavens, blotting out the sky and sun.
It resembled Miao Tathagata's previous sacred great Buddha.
The difference was, that sacred great Buddha was a Buddha statue, and moreover, a lifeless statue with closed eyes.
However, the great Buddha Miao Tathagata transformed into now was brimming with vitality, boundless Buddha-dharma burning and spreading wildly like raging flames.
This great Buddha had one face and two arms, hair hanging loose over the shoulders, frowning brows and glaring eyes. Its three eyes seemed to open and close, its gaze both wrathful, with one eye looking upward and the other downward. It clenched its teeth tightly, two tiger fangs revealed at the corners of its mouth, one fang pointing up and the other down, presenting a great wrathful appearance.
Its upper garment draped diagonally, the lower a pleated skirt. Its right hand held a sword, its left grasped a lasso. Surrounded by wisdom flames, it wore a five-petal crown resembling five Buddhas, destroying all evil obstacles. Behind its head blazed raging flames, like the wrath of the great sun.
Its three eyes wide open: the right eye looking upward could bind the Heavenly Demon.
The left eye looking downward could burn and destroy the Dragon Demon and Asuras.
The frontal eye looking straight ahead could subdue Yakshas and Rakshasas.
It opened its large mouth, appearing extremely ferocious.
Its right hand raised high held a dragon sword, its left hand held a Vajra long lasso, one end of the rope tied to a hook, the other to a vajra pestle. Its right leg was bent in a bow stance, its left knee bent touching the ground, kneeling upon a lotus moon-wheel treasure throne.
Seeing this Buddha image, Da Xing the Mad Monk couldn't help but be stunned, because he knew this was no Buddha statue at all, but damn it, a Wrath Incarnation, and moreover, the Wrath Incarnation of Great Sun Tathagata!
"The Wrath Incarnation of Great Sun Tathagata!
So it really is in this little bastard's hands!
Damn it!"
Witnessing Miao Tathagata summon the Wrath Incarnation of Great Sun Tathagata, Da Xing the Mad Monk couldn't help but curse aloud, his heart filled with immense complexity.
He knew.
The Wrath Incarnation of Great Sun Tathagata had once been kidnapped, and by Gu Qingfeng at that.
Back then, the Eight Sects of Western Heaven Buddhism, in order to eliminate a variable like Gu Qingfeng, invited down the Wrath Incarnation of Great Sun Tathagata. Unfortunately, at that time, the Wrath Incarnation was completely in a dormant state with limited power. After being summoned, not only did it fail to deliver Gu Qingfeng, but it was instead kidnapped by Gu Qingfeng.
Later, before the No Dao Mountain descended into the mortal realm, Gu Qingfeng returned the Wrath Incarnation of Great Sun Tathagata to Western Heaven.
Worried that those old bald donkeys of Western Heaven Buddhism would again use the Wrath Incarnation for some despicable schemes, Da Xing the Mad Monk returned to Western Heaven the moment Gu Qingfeng returned it, fearing it would fall into the hands of the Eight Buddhist Sects again.
Unfortunately.
Despite hurrying back to Western Heaven as fast as he could, he was still too late.
Although the Wrath Incarnation of Great Sun Tathagata didn't fall into the hands of the Eight Buddhist Sects, it fell into Miao Tathagata's hands. Despite Miao Tathagata's flat denial, Da Xing knew the Wrath Incarnation must be in Miao Tathagata's possession.
Now, witnessing with his own eyes Miao Tathagata summon the Wrath Incarnation verified Da Xing's long-held speculation—it was indeed in Miao Tathagata's hands.
If Miao Tathagata had merely invited out the Wrath Incarnation of Great Sun Tathagata, Da Xing wouldn't have been so shocked.
The reality was, he could tell the Wrath Incarnation wasn't invited out by Miao Tathagata at all; Miao Tathagata had directly transformed into the Wrath Incarnation of Great Sun Tathagata.
What did this mean?
It meant Miao Tathagata's true original body had already merged with the origin of Great Sun Tathagata, or perhaps he had seized Great Sun Tathagata's origin, maybe even come to dominate it. Otherwise, Miao Tathagata absolutely could not have directly transformed into the Wrath Incarnation of Great Sun Tathagata.
For him to transform into the Wrath Incarnation, there was only one possibility: the Wrath Incarnation of Great Sun Tathagata had already become one of his external incarnations!
"Damn it!
That little bastard Miao Tathagata!"
Da Xing the Mad Monk gnashed his teeth in anger, his heart filled with envy, jealousy, and hatred that made his teeth itch.
As a Buddha, who wouldn't want to become an Arhat, attain Bodhi? Who wouldn't want to become a Buddha Lord, prove the Wisdom King?
Da Xing was no exception. Although he was lazy by nature, accustomed to wandering and indulgence, it didn't mean he didn't want to become a Buddha Lord and attain the status of a Wisdom King.
To be honest.
If a Western Heaven Buddha of the Western Heaven Buddha Realm transformed into the Wrath Incarnation of Great Sun Tathagata, Da Xing, though envious and jealous, would only be envious and jealous, not hateful enough to make his teeth itch.
But the problem was, this person was Miao Tathagata.
If Miao Tathagata were loyal to the Buddhist Path, it would be one thing. Even if his heart was malicious, a murderer who killed like cutting hemp, it wouldn't matter. But damn it, this little bastard's ambitions were immense. The supreme attainments of the Buddhist Path he possessed couldn't satisfy him; he actually immersed himself in Original Sin, and damn it, even dreamed of slaughtering the Three Thousand Great Daos to ascend as the Primordial Pearl.
This was like a person with the heart to become a Buddha, undergoing a thousand calamities, ten thousand hardships, yet unable to attain Buddhahood, while a demon lord enjoying luxury every day ends up becoming a Buddha instead.
They say lay down the butcher's knife and become a Buddha instantly. The problem is, Miao Tathagata never laid down his butcher's knife. Damn it, not only did he not lay it down, he even planned to use that butcher's knife to slaughter the Buddha Lord, yet damn it, the Buddha Lord remained as fond of him as ever.
How could this not make one furious?
So furious there wasn't even a place to reason.