The First Demon of the Chan Sect
Chapter 364 - 52 Zhunti’s Passing

Chapter 364: Chapter 52 Zhunti’s Passing

In the vast expanse of star clouds, countless stars scatter throughout the void, twinkling with points of light. The pitch-black cosmos is profound, boundless at a glance.

Deep within the endless star clouds, Zhunti lies across the void like a shrimp bowing its body. His face carries an expression of infinite pain, and with each strenuous breath, he exhales mist tinted with blood.

Li Qingming stands before Zhunti and speaks, "Zhunti, we have known each other for eons! You have hated me for eons, instead of living in hatred, better to die sooner! Today, let me help you find liberation."

A trace of realization appears in Zhunti’s eyes. He shifts his body, struggling to raise his right arm to give a Buddhist salute, and says, "Fellow Daoist, you and the Western faith had originally no karma. All that happened was because of this poor monk! I implore you, Fellow Daoist, to spare the Western Teachings, to spare the Buddhist Sect!"

Li Qingming casts a fleeting glance at Jieyin and says, "Your brother Jieyin is different from you! You, Zhunti, are reviled in the East, but Jieyin has gained much virtue in today’s Huaxia Divine Land. Therefore, he cannot die, so you go and die!"

Zhunti laboriously opens his eyes, forcibly props up his body, and squints at Li Qingming. He then speaks intermittently, "Buddha originally followed the Dao. I was born in Chaos, originally the body of Innate Bodhi. Thanks to elder brother Jieyin Taoist’s acceptance, I pursued the Dao wholeheartedly along with the vibrant Qi! After the Dragon Han Calamity, Taoist Ancestor Hong Jun preached for ten thousand years, and I too became a guest in Zixiao Palace! Later, thanks to Taoist Ancestor Hong Jun, I was granted the opportunity to become a Saint!"

Li Qingming holds the Wolf Fang Club tightly in his right hand, lifting it several times, yet he cannot bear to interrupt this final statement from Zhunti.

"Seeing the poverty of the West, I shamelessly went to the East to convert beings and accumulate resources for the West!"

At this moment, Li Qingming recalls the scene when he first met Zhunti outside the moving Kunlun Mountain billions of years ago. That encounter destined the two to be entangled through a karmic link lasting a lifetime.

Zhunti’s voice grew weaker and softer, "My brother Jieyin and I established Buddhism, made grand vows, and thus became Saints. However, under Heavenly Dao, the Human Clan shall prosper greatly. We often acted against heaven, which stirred up the Qi Fortune of the West and interrupted the succession of our teachings. In this life, I cannot fulfill my grand vow. In the next life, I will still be Buddha’s son."

As he spoke, an immense Buddha Light began to emanate from Zhunti, illuminating all directions. Each wisp of Qi was so serene and filled with compassion, embodying profound love for all beings.

This was the last of the Buddha Power within Zhunti, using his final strength to do one last thing for all the believers of the Buddhist Sect.

Suddenly, a sincere smile appeared on Zhunti’s face, which had previously been filled with a facade of smiles. His face radiated with Buddha Light, "When I become a Buddha, there will be no hell, hungry ghosts, nor beasts in my sanctuary, not even flying silk or wriggling beings..."

"When I become a Buddha, the happiness endured by people in my sanctuary will be as the leaking away of a monk..."

"When I become a Buddha, the believers in my sanctuary will move towards the true faith. Away from delusions, free from distinctions, with purified senses, reaching the end of Nirvana..."

Golden Buddha Power mist envelops the sky, while golden clouds drift and scatter across Huaxia Divine Land, shaking the Divine Continent and All Heavens and Myriads of Worlds with an awe-inspiring sacred aura.

At this moment, every creature on the Divine Land awakens, looking towards the endless star clouds. Vaguely, they see a golden great Buddha sitting cross-legged, chanting boundless Buddhist scriptures.

The beings are awe-struck, but the devout followers of the Buddhist Sect kneel down reverently.

The vast ocean of Buddhism, immense compassion, and kindness! At this moment, it overwhelms the Nine Layers of Heaven, making everyone want to bow in worship.

"Boom!"

At this instance, endless milky-white Faith Power suddenly appears out of nowhere, sweeping across the Star Domain, causing the entire Star Domain to be thrown into turmoil, fractured by this powerful surge.

Millions of miles across the Star Domain become an ocean of Faith Power, frantically converging behind Zhunti.

Slowly, when the Faith Power reaches its zenith, a milky-white great Buddha, looking no different from Zhunti, appears out of nowhere in the void.

His hair and beard were all white, and his entire body was spotlessly white. The white monk’s robe was adorned with sparkling star fragments. His vast Buddha body rose directly behind Zhunti, terrifying and awe-inspiring, the massive life fluctuations left one breathless!

"Fellow Daoist, from now on you will oversee the Buddhist Sect for this poor monk, make sure to keep the Buddhist disciples from arrogance and impatience, and never follow my old path!" Zhunti gazed at the white giant Buddha with a slightly serious expression, his face full of solemnity.

The Buddha nodded, then immediately vanished into the Void, disappearing from sight.

Li Qingming came back from his reminiscence and moved feelings, sighing slightly as he watched the direction the Buddha had disappeared, and said to Zhunti, "If it had been known earlier, why would it have begun? It’s time for you to go, rest easy!"

This time, Li Qingming did not use the Wolf Fang Club, instead, he gently exhaled a breath towards Zhunti’s body.

"Bang!"

A perpetually jittery mystical gray flame suddenly appeared in mid-air, then directly landed on Zhunti’s clothing. Almost simultaneously, the fierce flames began to burn.

The gray flames, colored gold by the mana emitted by Zhunti himself.

Zhunti smiled brightly, his already feeble body gradually transformed into Buddha Light, a sphere of Buddha radiance shone, his life in its final moment releasing the most dazzling, purest light, the Buddha Light containing endless Buddha Power rejuvenating everything it touched.

"Whoosh!"

Suddenly, a streak of golden radiance slowly rose from where Zhunti ceased to be. Soon after, a strand of Hongmeng Purple Qi appeared and enveloped this golden light, shooting out and headed straight for the Netherworld.

Li Qingming watched the departing spirit of Zhunti with a heavy sigh, "Alas! Heavenly Dao ultimately needs Zhunti! Well, I’ll await your next life’s incarnation. I hope you won’t follow the same path as this life, and that is also why I let you return!"

The Jieyin Taoist, looking at the golden primordial spirit relic with eyes brimming with tears, raised his single remaining right arm and performed a Buddha gesture, saying, "Junior brother, in this life, I couldn’t make you live freely, in the next life I will lead you into the Buddhist Sect, and ensure you attain eternal life! Amitabha Buddha!"

"Boom!"

After a moment, the Void suddenly darkened with dense clouds, the entire Huaxia Divine Land was beneath these clouds.

As a Saint falls, naturally, abnormal phenomena arise. The heavens and earth were filled with red twilight, which was soon dispersed by the incoming dark clouds. All Heavens and Myriads of Worlds fell completely into darkness.

Creatures of the Huaxia Divine Land panicked, clueless about what had happened!

Why did the sky suddenly become gloomy?

Where did this arbitrary oppressive feeling come from?

And why was there an inexplicable sadness in their hearts?

Animals, naturally sensitive, had sensed the danger early and scattered in all directions to escape. Even domesticated livestock became agitated, breaking their pens and escaping.

Countless spatial cracks appeared in the sky, and minor demons of only Returning to Void Realm crowded through these cracks in a rush to reach the Huaxia Divine Land, wildly stirring the desires in the hearts of all creatures, provoking fights among them.

In just a brief moment, the entire Huaxia Divine Land was thrown into chaos, a wild dance of demons!

(To be continued. If you enjoy this, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your vote or monthly ticket; your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)