Silence.
Nothing but silence.
Ever since Gu Qingfeng left the Realm of Extinction, the Old Monk had not uttered another word.
Within the chaotic, dream-like Realm of Extinction, it was impossible to tell where the Mysterious Woman was hiding, only her maniacal laughter echoed incessantly.
"Old Monk, you taught him Buddhist Law, helped him achieve a Buddha-heart. His comprehension of the Great Freedom, the Great Nirvana Silence, the Great Compassion, and the Great Illusion—all of it is thanks to you."
"The Great Freedom allowed him to transcend the seven emotions and six desires."
"The Great Nirvana Silence allowed him to transcend the cycle of life and death."
"The Great Compassion allowed him to transcend the concept of good and evil receiving their due."
"The Great Illusion allowed him to transcend the distinction between truth, falsehood, and fantasy."
"Old Monk, is this the elaborate scheme you carefully laid upon him?"
"Did you divine long ago that someone would set a Causality trap upon him, attempting to plant emotional shackles, and so you taught him Buddhist Law, helped him achieve the Great Freedom, so that from then on he could transcend the seven emotions and six desires?"
"Did you divine long ago that after he entered the world, he would be rejected by the Great Dao, rejected by Heaven and Earth, rejected by Fate, and so you taught him Buddhist Law, helped him achieve the Great Nirvana Silence, so that from then on he could transcend the cycle of life and death?"
"Did you divine long ago that he would fall into demonhood, becoming bloodthirsty and murderous, and so you taught him Buddhist Law, helped him achieve the Great Compassion, so that from then on he would understand good and evil?"
"Did you divine long ago that he would lose himself on the path of seeking Causality, and so, and so you taught him Buddhist Law, helped him achieve the Great Illusion, so that from then on he could distinguish truth from false fantasy?"
The Mysterious Woman fired off question after question, while the Old Monk remained silent. Faced with her interrogation, he never responded from beginning to end.
However.
Though it was called questioning, judging by the Mysterious Woman's tone, it sounded more like she was enumerating the Old Monk's crimes one by one.
"If this palace's deduction is not mistaken, you must have also divined long ago that the Dao-Less Mountain would appear in the mortal world. You must have also divined that he would definitely ascend the Dao-Less Mountain. You might have even divined that he would ignite the Flames of Original Sin's Karma, awaken Original Sin, and thus trigger the Calamity of Original Sin!"
"No!"
As she spoke, the Mysterious Woman negated her own previous words, saying, "You might have divined the appearance of the Dao-Less Mountain in the mortal world, but you may not have divined that he would definitely ascend it. You may not have divined that he would definitely ignite the Flames of Original Sin's Karma."
"Precisely because you might not have been able to divine it, you taught him Buddhist Law, helped him achieve a Buddha-heart, enabling him to comprehend the Buddha Dao's four supreme mental states one after another, making him empty of all four."
"Back then, on the Dao-Less Mountain, the reason he could ignite the Flames of Original Sin's Karma relied entirely on that Buddha-heart, empty of all four. Only a Buddha-heart empty of all four could ignite the Flames of Original Sin's Karma!"
"From the very beginning, when you taught him Buddhist Law, you planted a cause upon him. Him igniting the Flames of Original Sin's Karma, awakening Original Sin, and thus triggering the Calamity of Original Sin—that is precisely the effect of the cause you planted."
"On the surface, it was he who personally awakened Original Sin and triggered the Calamity. In reality, it was you pulling the strings behind the scenes!"
"All of this is the Causality you planted upon him, isn't it?"
"Your goal was to use him to awaken Original Sin and trigger the Calamity, wasn't it?"
"Answer this palace! Is that how it is?"
Silence.
Still silence.
No matter how the Mysterious Woman questioned him, the Old Monk refused to open his mouth and respond.
"Heh...
Hehehe..." The Mysterious Woman's laughter sounded again, even more maniacal than before, filled with mockery and sarcasm.
"Legend has it that Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva is one of the Buddha Dao's four great Bodhisattvas, hailed as the Greatly Merciful and Compassionate, who relieves suffering and hardship, delivering all sentient beings."
"Legend has it that Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva made a great vow: 'Until Hell is emptied, I vow not to achieve Buddhahood.' He vowed to enable all sentient beings to achieve the Buddha Path before finally achieving Buddhahood himself."
"Heh...
Hehe..." The Mysterious Woman's laughter grew increasingly maniacal, and her laughter seemed to shift and change along with the chaotic Realm of Extinction, appearing both wondrous and eerie.
"Is this the so-called Buddha Dao's four great Bodhisattvas?"
"Is this the so-called Great Mercy and Compassion?"
"Is this the so-called relieving suffering and hardship?"
"Is this the so-called delivering all sentient beings?"
"Is this the so-called great vow?"
"Is this the so-called 'Until Hell is emptied, I vow not to achieve Buddhahood'?"
"Everyone says that because sentient beings are endless, Hell can hardly be emptied. Thus, you became the Buddha Dao's Great Compassion Bodhisattva. In this palace's view, your so-called great vow is nothing but a deceptive excuse. You entered Hell not to deliver all sentient beings. You only wanted to become the King of Hell, Ksitigarbha, who rules over it!"
"No!"
"You not only want to rule over Hell, you also used that fellow surnamed Gu to awaken Original Sin and trigger the Calamity. You are just like those scheming for the True Lord of Original Sin. You too are scheming for the True Lord of Original Sin. You also want to become the second Wu Dao Zun Shang. You want to become the true overlord who rules over Heaven and Earth!"
"Tell this palace!
Is that it?"
Silence.
Still silence.
Even though the Mysterious Woman had painted the Old Monk as a scheming existence plotting for the True Lord of Original Sin, the Old Monk still did not respond.
Could it be that everything the Mysterious Woman said was true?
Was the Old Monk really the legendary Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva?
Had the Old Monk truly planted Causality upon Gu Qingfeng, awakening Original Sin and triggering the Calamity?
Was the Old Monk truly scheming for the True Lord of Original Sin?
Not necessarily.
At the very least, the Mysterious Woman did not quite believe it.
Although she questioned the Old Monk repeatedly, presented numerous pieces of evidence, mocked and ridiculed him, and even insisted that the Old Monk was plotting for the True Lord,
it was merely talk.
Deep down, she was very clear. Throughout the ages, there might be many existences scheming for the True Lord of Original Sin, all wanting to rule over Heaven and Earth. But among these existences, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva would definitely not be one. Definitely not!
She was certain of this.
Although in the current era, and even in the Ancient, Remote, and Primeval eras, the Buddha Dao had long ceased to prioritize compassion, with more being false Buddhas hiding behind the name of compassion, before the Desolation Era, the Buddha Dao was the true Buddha Dao.
Since the Primeval Era, the Buddha Dao had gradually changed. It no longer focused on cultivating the heart, but on cultivating power. As long as one's cultivation was sufficient, one could become a Buddha, achieve Arhatship, or even attain Bodhi.
The reason was simple: the source of the Buddha Dao had been slumbering all along. After the Primeval Era, the so-called Buddhas, Arhats, and Bodhisattvas were merely empty titles without substance.
In the Desolation Era, the Buddha Dao did not look at cultivation power at all; it focused on cultivating the heart. If one did not possess a compassionate Buddha-heart, no matter how high one's cultivation, how great one's talent, or how powerful one's destiny, one could not become a Buddha, let alone achieve Arhatship or attain Bodhi.
Throughout the ages, whether Buddhas, Arhats, or Bodhisattvas,
if there were true Buddhas in the world, they would undoubtedly be the legendary four great Bodhisattvas: Manjushri Bodhisattva of Great Wisdom, Samantabhadra Bodhisattva of Great Practice, Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva of Great Compassion, and Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva of Great Vows.
And if one had to choose the greatest among these four great Bodhisattvas, it would undoubtedly be Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva of Great Vows.
Throughout the Buddha Dao of all ages, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva has always been synonymous with delivering all sentient beings, without exception.