Volume 4: The Revelation Revealed – Chapter 464: All in Vain

The Thirty-Six Saints sounded terrifying—masters so rare even in the universe—but in front of Bodhisattva Nili, they couldn’t even touch the hem of his robe before being killed three at a time.
With these three dead, the formation vanished. But what good would it have done even if they had survived?
The Queen Mother and the Jade Emperor racked their brains to uncover some clues about the forces at play, but it was nothing compared to what the Tathagata could do. With both positive and negative forces under his control, how could such rudimentary techniques affect him?
The Tathagata was unafraid because he possessed a secret technique to exchange bodies with Nili, allowing him to transform himself from afar in times of crisis.
Now, standing before Zhenwu and Ziwei, the Tathagata said calmly, “Dragon God and Ziwei, you’re both remarkable figures. Why ruin your own futures for these two kids?”
To be fair, Zhenwu and Ziwei had never truly been loyal to the Jade Emperor. They fought against Nili to escalate the conflict between the Heavenly Court and the Tathagata. If this great battle didn’t break out, how could Wukong seize victory in chaos?
Seeing the Medicine Buddha and others approaching, Zhenwu rushed toward the group of saints and immortals fighting against Nili. Realizing the moment had come—when the battle between the Heavenly Court and the Tathagata could no longer be stopped and their goal was achieved—he saw no need to continue serving the Jade Emperor.
Zhenwu bowed to the Tathagata, took Ziwei by the hand, and led them back to their formation.
The Jade Emperor was still puzzled and demanded, “Zhenwu, why didn’t you capture the Tathagata?”
Zhenwu coughed and said, “I’m injured and not fit to fight anymore!”
Stumped, the Jade Emperor watched as Nili continued to fight within the formation, killing over a dozen people. Hundreds more Buddhas and Bodhisattvas joined the battle. Seeing the core forces of the Heavenly Court about to collapse, his heart ached immensely.
The Queen Mother, too preoccupied to consider Zhenwu and Ziwei’s motives, took out a yellow talisman from her sleeve. Trembling hands rubbed it, causing it to ignite and turn to ashes that drifted away in the wind.
Seeing the Queen Mother burn the talisman, hope flickered in the Jade Emperor’s eyes once again.
Zhenwu, Ziwei, and the Holy Mother of Lishan exchanged glances, nodded slightly, then said to the Jade Emperor, “Today is a day of crisis. I propose we go and summon the Three Pure Ones. What do you think?”
Hearing the name of the Three Pure Ones, the Jade Emperor regained some strength. But he asked, “The Three Pure Ones are still recovering from their injuries. How are they now?”
Zhenwu replied firmly, “At a time when the Heavenly Court is in peril and Taoism is on the verge of collapse, the Three Pure Ones surely won’t stand by idly!” The Jade Emperor, like a drowning man grasping at a straw, urged, “Then I entrust this task to you!”

Zhenwu, Ziwei, and the Holy Mother of Lishan vanished in a flash and headed straight for the Jade Pure Palace. He wasn’t there to invite the Three Pure Ones; rather, he was using this as an excuse to flee from battle. Before leaving, the Holy Mother of Lishan cast a deep glance at Kunlun Immortal Island. She saw that less than one in ten of the immortals there had escaped, while those sages and golden immortals were still struggling under the siege of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas—total annihilation was only a matter of time. She couldn’t help but sigh, “It seems there is no longer any Heavenly Court in this world.” The Medicine Buddha and others joined the battle, causing the thirty-six sages to instantly collapse into disarray. Yet, since their life forces were in the hands of the Jade Emperor and Empress, they didn’t even dare think of escaping and fought desperately. Tathagata stood aside, watching leisurely, and nodded, “There are still some ways.” Secretly sending a message, Muli Bodhisattva appeared beside Tathagata. Tathagata said, “Quickly find a thousand-zhang jade!” Scanning Kunlun Immortal Island, he saw no such jade. Muli Bodhisattva turned his gaze to Zengcheng, a city that was a thousand five hundred zhang tall. Just as he was about to examine it closely, a yellow light descended from the sky, illuminating Kunlun Immortal Island in yellow. Muli frowned slightly but flew upward without hesitation, delivering a palm strike toward the source of the yellow light. To his surprise, his strike missed. A man in yellow appeared out of nowhere and landed in front of Tathagata. Tathagata showed a hint of surprise and said, “Yellow-Horned Immortal?” Indeed, it was the Central Yellow Extreme Yellow-Horned Immortal. He had originally been guarding the Peach Garden, but he didn’t expect the Heavenly Court to fall so quickly. If its foundation was lost, what use was the Peach Garden? He came here with only one purpose: to capture and kill Tathagata and Muli Bodhisattva. Between the two, Tathagata was clearly weaker in cultivation. The Yellow-Horned Immortal had also met Tathagata at the Peach Festival, but he had his own reasons for attending, so he remained extremely low-key, and Tathagata hadn’t paid him much attention. The Yellow-Horned Immortal said nothing; his face, like covered in yellow paper, showed almost no expression as he reached out to grab Tathagata. Tathagata quickly stepped back, feeling that this grab was strangely disruptive, hindering his retreat.

Seeing that the Yellow-Horned Immortal was about to succeed, a bony claw stretched out from the side and grasped at his wrist. The Yellow-Horned Immortal flipped his wrist outward, striking the Mud Plow Bodhisattva’s palm. Their palms collided with a sound like that of metal and wood, and both of them stepped back several zhang. Seizing this opportunity, Tathagata quickly retreated far away. He thought his cultivation had greatly improved, leaving few who could threaten him, yet he didn’t expect the Yellow-Horned Immortal to have such high cultivation. But he naturally had full confidence in the Mud Plow Bodhisattva—the only one in the world capable of controlling both positive and negative forces of fate. Although the force of negative fate in the world was not very strong, preventing the Mud Plow Bodhisattva from fully exerting its power, it was still sufficient.

Looking at that disorganized array of celestial and earthly forces, Tathagata couldn’t help but show a hint of mockery. The Jade Emperor and Queen Mother didn’t possess such abilities, yet they had extraordinary ambitions.

Seeing that the seventy-two Hunyuan Golden Immortals had been nearly wiped out and the thirty-six sages were all injured, Tathagata floated in front of the Jade Emperor and Queen Mother and said, “Aren’t you giving up yet?”

The Queen Mother sneered, “If I had known this day would come, it’s just a matter of victory or defeat—what else could it matter?”

Tathagata said, “You two aren’t originally from beyond the heavens. I brought you from the previous cycle. What’s in your hearts is nothing but a dream.”

The Jade Emperor said, “Stop talking nonsense!”

Tathagata smiled slightly, and a golden flower popped out of his hand, fluttering like a butterfly. The Jade Emperor and Queen Mother couldn’t help but look up. The moment they saw the golden flower, their gazes froze, and their once-clear pupils became blurred.

The golden flower flew high and split with a “pop.” The sound wasn’t loud, but to the Jade Emperor and Queen Mother, it sounded like thunder. Their eyes cleared again, but they were filled with extreme shock. The golden flower turned into swirling powder and disappeared in an instant.

“It’s not a flower. Do you understand now?”

How could they not understand? When the golden flower shattered, many memories from their past instantly changed. That paradise beyond the heavens, the faces and voices of their parents, the dreams they had pursued for tens of thousands of years… It turned out to be just a dream?

“What evil magic did you use?” the Jade Emperor shouted in shock and anger.

Tathagata shook his head and sighed, “Since this body and mind are illusions, there is no such thing as sin or virtue in illusions. I gave you both decades of glory and wealth, yet you didn’t even thank me. Now that I take it back, you refuse?”

The Queen Mother sneered, “Do you think I can’t see through you? It’s just to make us refine the heavens for you. Hmph! Though I lose today, you still won’t succeed!”

“Oh, what do you mean?” Tathagata asked.

“Creating eight or nine Golden Immortals was the method you taught me. These people must be very useful to you, right?” the Queen Mother asked.

“Mm, of course.”

“At this moment, I will destroy the Creation Furnace. How about that?” said the Queen Mother.
The Tathagata raised an eyebrow and asked with a smile, “Can you really do it?”
The Queen Mother frowned tightly and said resentfully, “Even if I can’t destroy the Creation Furnace, those eight or nine Golden Immortals won’t fall into your hands!”
The Tathagata sighed and said, “Having been the Queen Mother all these years, you’re still like a child.” He recited a strange spell, and soon a bright light appeared on both the Jade Emperor and the Queen Mother, with ripples forming as if a layer of water covered them.
The Jade Emperor shouted, “What is this?”
The Tathagata replied, “It’s something on you—why do you ask me?”
The Queen Mother felt an ominous premonition and said tremblingly, “Don’t force me!”
The Tathagata remained indifferent, “The Creation Furnace cannot be destroyed; not even I can do that. As for the spell to control those eight or nine Golden Immortals… well, let me teach it to you. If you don’t recite it, that’s fine. But if you do… go ahead and try.”
Try? Seeing the Tathagata’s mysterious attitude, the Queen Mother grew nervous. Hmph, if you want me to try, I certainly won’t.
Unexpectedly, the Jade Emperor began to recite, “Om, Amogha, Valujana, Mahah, Mudra, Mani…” Halfway through the spell, ripples spread across his body.
The Supreme Jade Emperor, the highest sovereign, the ultimate reality—just like a burst soap bubble, he shattered.
The Queen Mother’s body trembled, and she quickly steadied herself, fearing she might meet the same fate as the Jade Emperor.
The Tathagata said to her with a smile, “If you don’t recite that spell, nothing will happen.”
At the moment the Jade Emperor died, among the thirty-six saints surrounded by the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, eighteen of them suddenly trembled, their faces filled with joy, as they rushed outward.
Caught off guard by this sudden change, the Medicine Buddha followed the Tathagata’s orders. The Tathagata had said these saints would never escape; he was only meant to trap them. With the saints fleeing, it would be difficult to find them. The Medicine Buddha grew anxious, fearing the Tathagata’s wrath.
The Tathagata watched the droplet formed from the Jade Emperor fall and murmured, “I forgot about this. I’ve given them an advantage.”
Wukong was shocked by the Jade Emperor’s death. No matter what that man was like, he was still the ruler of heaven and earth, the head of the Six Sovereigns—yet he died like this!
Xuan Nu said, “This was sown tens of thousands of years ago. The Jade Emperor and Queen Mother are not even worth being puppets. All these years, they’ve been busy in vain, merely preparing clothes for others.”
Wukong saw the Bodhisattva Nili and the Yellow-Horned Immortal fighting fiercely and suddenly exclaimed, “Oh no! I completely forgot about this important matter!”
Xuan Nu asked, “What?”

Wukong said, “The Yellow-Horned Immortal has left the Peach Garden and is now on his way to steal the peaches!”
Xuan Nu replied, “I’ll go with you to avoid any accidents!”
The two flew to the Thirty-Six Heavens and arrived in no time.
The Thirty-Six Heavens were completely empty. After several major battles over the years, coupled with the underworld drawing away many people, they were naturally deserted and sparsely populated. At that moment, Wukong saw a familiar figure from afar—it was none other than the God of War, Yang Jian.
Strange, what was Yang Jian doing here at this time?