Volume 4: The Revelation Unveiled, Chapter 543: The Legacy Sack

This clash lasted but an instant. Even facing seven opponents, Tathagata still held the upper hand, leaving Fuxi and the others in awe. How could Tathagata wield others’ divine powers so effortlessly, as naturally as flowing clouds and water? It wasn’t mere imitation but true mastery—was this the realm of “discarding the false to retain the true”?
Discarding the false to retain the true meant choosing a path. What path had Tathagata chosen?
None of those present were mediocre; they all understood the powers of the Cosmic Deities. Thus, despite the great power of “Time Stop,” they managed to counter it in an instant.
Fuxi was the first to recover. He spread his arms and reached toward Tathagata.
Tathagata focused and said, “The King’s Net?”
In ancient times, the people were ignorant and did not know how to hunt. King Fuxi created nets from ropes to catch beasts and fish, bringing benefits to the people. Later, sitting on a platform, he listened to the winds and understood the principles of yin and yang, thus creating the Eight Trigrams!
This net subtly took on the shape of the Eight Trigrams, reflecting the wisdom and vicissitudes of countless years from ancient times—the King’s Net.
At this moment, Tathagata’s form was extremely strange. He retracted his feet and spread his arms. The Phoenix was the second to awaken from “Time Stop.” Seeing Tathagata’s strange appearance, he shouted urgently, “Wukong, dodge quickly!”
Without hesitation, Wukong used “Diving into the Abyss” to escape. The moment he vanished from the air, he felt Tathagata’s mighty and fierce aura sweep past him.
The move Tathagata used was actually “The Transformation of the Sky Eagle”! Fortunately, the Phoenix recognized the beginning of this move; otherwise, Wukong would likely have fallen into Tathagata’s grasp by now.
Zhenwu roared and manifested his true form—a colorful giant dragon that coiled around, ready to swallow Tathagata. Tathagata sneered and, using some unknown divine power, instantly turned red and transparent from within out.
The Phoenix cried out, “The ultimate fire of birds! Zhenwu, retreat quickly!”
Zhenwu turned and flew past Tathagata. The Phoenix let out a cry, soared into the sky, its entire body ablaze, and shot toward Tathagata like an arrow, shouting, “Let’s see which one is real and which one is fake!”
Tathagata also grew angry. These people were willing to oppose him just for a newcomer monkey. Seeing the Phoenix charging at him, he chose to confront it head-on.
Both used the ultimate fire of birds, and this clash was a battle of sheer magical power. Fuxi, Qilin, and the others, seeing them fight fiercely, realized the severity of this strike and stepped back to avoid being caught in the crossfire.
The two blazing flames collided, but instead of the expected thunderous explosion, there was silence. For a moment, it seemed as if the world had fallen quiet.

Then, the two figures froze for a moment. A crimson ripple spread rapidly outward, like an invisible blade tearing through space, accompanied by a deafening sound. After that, a thunderous crash was heard as the two figures separated. Many phoenix feathers fell to the ground, and Tathagata’s white robes were stained red—though it was unclear whose blood it was. Gradually, the two figures lost their fiery hues and returned to their original forms. Tathagata frowned slightly and said, “Phoenix, I underestimated you.” Blood still dripped from the phoenix’s sharp beak. “Is it just me you underestimated?” it replied. Only then did everyone realize that during that earth-shattering clash, the phoenix’s beak had pierced Tathagata’s flesh—those drops of blood belonged to Tathagata! Yet the phoenix’s face was pale, clearly suffering from internal injuries. Tathagata asked, “How many times has this happened?” His question seemed out of context. The phoenix answered, “The eighth time!” Tathagata nodded and said, “Eight times of nirvana—how difficult that must be for you.” He had actually been asking about the number of times the phoenix had achieved nirvana. Everyone now understood that Tathagata’s terror lay in his mastery over all magical powers; it seemed there was no spell or tactic he couldn’t use. Though the details were unclear, it was surely related to the mysterious realm he had created. With this in mind, everyone became even more determined to capture Tathagata. They unleashed their powers, surrounding him completely and attacking mercilessly. Though injured, Tathagata’s wounds were trivial. He moved like lightning, fighting his way through the crowd, but suddenly realized that Wukong was gone! This shock was immense. With his divine senses, he could see at least half of the world, and Wukong’s cultivation level was not enough for him to vanish so quickly. Tathagata used a magical technique to escape the encirclement and looked around. The sky and earth stretched endlessly—there was truly no trace of the monkey! Since becoming a sage, this was the second time Wukong had used the technique of shrinking space. Unable to control the effect, he had sunk deep into the earth by more than a hundred thousand miles. He himself was surprised—this technique, when used in this world, was so powerful. Though underground, Wukong still kept an eye on the battle above. He was shocked by the fierce clash between the phoenix and Tathagata—the phoenix was incredibly strong, enough to stain Tathagata’s robes red. Focusing on the crowd surrounding Tathagata, he felt somewhat reassured. Suddenly, a voice rang in his ears, “Wukong, come down and talk.” Wukong was puzzled. The voice sounded familiar, yet he couldn’t identify it. He had no acquaintances in this world. But the voice seemed friendly, so he thought to himself, How many people could possibly capture me? What harm is there in going down and taking a look?

So he cast a spell to descend, traveling forty or fifty thousand miles, until he saw a faint yellow circular glow below. This glow resembled a realm, at least ten miles in diameter. Upon seeing it, Wukong felt a sense of familiarity—it was clearly the color of Earth in the Five Elements. A gentle voice came from within the glow, saying, “Ksitigarbha and Earth Goddess are here. We humbly ask you to come and meet us.” Only then did Wukong recall that the voice indeed bore some resemblance to that of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva. Ksitigarbha and Earth Goddess had a deep friendship with Wukong in that realm, and the temperaments of many people in these two realms were extremely similar, leaving Wukong somewhat confused. Hearing it was these two, he hesitated no longer and plunged straight into the glow. Inside, he found another realm. Even with his Xuan Kong magic, he hadn’t been able to see everything from outside. There was a golden palace, built of some unknown material, floating alone in the center of the glow. Two people sat in the palace—the dignified woman in the main seat was Earth Goddess, and the Bodhisattva holding a staff beside her was Ksitigarbha. When they saw Wukong enter, Earth Goddess waved for him to come over, then silently used her powers. The glowing sphere continued to sink underground silently, at a speed no slower than Wukong’s own teleportation technique. Inside, Wukong saw various rocks, fire, water, and gold veins moving swiftly outside, which filled him with longing. Earth Goddess told Wukong to sit down and said softly, “All the lands in the world obey my commands, which is why even the Tathagata cannot find this place.” Hearing this, Wukong finally felt at ease. Seeing Ksitigarbha and Earth Goddess both smiling at him with such kindness, he was somewhat surprised. He asked, “Did you two call me here because you believe what I said?” Ksitigarbha nodded and said, “Of course. If we didn’t believe you, why would we help you hide your identity?” Earth Goddess smiled and said, “Among all those in this realm, the first to believe you were us.” “Oh?” Wukong was surprised. He had never met these two before—why would they believe in him? Ksitigarbha waved his hand, and a small beast appeared from his sleeve. Upon seeing it, Wukong exclaimed, “Di Ting!” Ksitigarbha nodded and asked, “Do you know why you came out of the furnace unimpeded?” Wukong naturally didn’t know. Suddenly realizing something, he said, “Could it be Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva who helped me?” Ksitigarbha replied, “I don’t have such power, but I know who helped you.” He pointed at Di Ting and explained what had happened.

Ksitigarbha and Diting reside in Beiju Luzhou all year round. Diting can hear the sounds of all things in the world; neither immortals nor mortals, nor gods, can escape his hearing. Just before Wukong leaped out of the furnace, a voice that had not been heard in thousands of years came from Mount Xiao Sumeri.

Tathagata was sitting in meditation before the furnace. He could see that the intelligent divine ape inside was restless, striving to find a way out of heaven. At that moment, a voice that disrupted his focus declared, “I am leaving my seclusion.” This voice belonged to the master of Mount Da Sumeri.

How is that possible? Tathagata had long concluded that the master of Mount Da Sumeri was on the wrong path! His seclusion was a one-way journey with no return—there was no possibility of him emerging!

If the master of Mount Da Sumeri succeeded, it would mean there existed an eternal path in this world. But the Way is impermanent; it is the eternal Way! The Way is never full nor empty; it has no beginning or end. The Way is ever-changing! Therefore, an eternal path does not exist!

Had he really emerged from seclusion? Had he found a way to achieve immortality? Once the master of Mount Da Sumeri appeared, how could his actions remain hidden from him? All his plans over thousands of years might turn to dust!

This is impossible! Tathagata rose to his full height and rushed forward like lightning, heading straight for Mount Da Sumeri.

Mount Da Sumeri soared into the clouds, its height unknown—tens of thousands of feet perhaps. The master remained on the summit while in seclusion. Tathagata landed on the peak with a grim expression.

Clouds and mist covered the grand hall on the summit, making it increasingly difficult for Tathagata to see. The existence of the master of Mount Da Sumeri was like a mountain he could never overcome. Not only him, but everyone in the world seemed to live under the master’s protection. Tathagata refused to accept such a situation!

When the master announced his seclusion, it was like heavenly music to Tathagata. As long as he remained in seclusion, Tathagata could carry out his long-planned mission.

Now, thousands of years had passed in the blink of an eye, and everything seemed to be going as Tathagata had planned… Why, why must this man wake up at this moment? Could he truly be his lifelong nemesis? Filled with hatred and anger, Tathagata came here to see with his own eyes how the master of Mount Da Sumeri emerged from seclusion and what he would become afterward.

Mount Da Sumeri was empty, with no one around. Although the stones of Sumeri were precious treasures in the world, no one dared enter to take them. Since the master began his seclusion, the place had become a forbidden zone.

A forbidden zone restrains those who have reverence, but it cannot stop those with ambition.

The Tathagata strode into the grand hall and headed straight for the secret chamber in the back. All the world’s battle formations were beneath the Tathagata’s notice. Yet he refused to believe this man would wake up. He sent his mental energy out, covering the entire hall. At that moment, the Tathagata almost cried out in shock—how could this be?