Chapter 1969: Mad Monk

"Shen Yi, have you converted to Buddhism?"

A Buddhist chant echoed, leaving everyone dumbfounded.

Reality was even more fantastical than a thousand-year dream. The bald Shen Yi, with his burnt ordination marks, was now referring to himself as "this humble monk"?

Some scratched their heads, others rubbed their eyes, thinking they had watched too many Ancestor God battles and their minds were deluded.

But reality plays no jokes.

That golden Buddhist light, so dazzling it obscured even the power of the Demonic Ancestor, was too bright.

It was like the dawn tearing through the night, breaking through the blockade of the Blood Fiend Refining Array, illuminating the eyes of everyone in the Five Domains.

"It's the Upside-Down Buddha Pagoda! It must be the power of the Resentful Buddha!"

"This should be temporary, right? Did anyone hear him just now? He was muttering something about 'Six Paths' and 'Three Realms'... Buddhist terms. The Resentful Buddha is still around!"

"No, in my opinion, it looks like a fusion. Shen Yi might have already stepped into the Ancestor God realm, leading everyone else?"

"But there's no Ancestor God Destroying Dharma Tribulation. How do you explain that? And he hasn't shed his 'Divine Slough'!"

Indeed, the hallmarks of becoming an Ancestor God were, firstly, the Divine Slough, and secondly, the Dao Tribulation.

After that, to firmly stabilize the Ancestor God realm for a long time, one either had to return to zero like Ba Zun'an, or rely on the Ancestor God's fate, or carve out a new path.

Compared to Shen Yi fusing and becoming an Ancestor God, most people preferred the idea that Shen Yi received assistance from the Resentful Buddha, opening up some incomprehensible 'Three Realms' of ancient martial arts, and briefly ascending to the Ancestor God realm in terms of combat power.

"Three Realms..."

"What is that?"

The path of ancient martial arts had been lost for a long time on the Sheng Shen Continent.

In the current era, aside from the motley crowd within the Sheng Shen Temple, Shen Yi was the only one truly practicing and advancing far in this path.

Others had only a partial understanding of concepts like the Nine Palaces, Eight Gates, and Seven Mansions of ancient martial arts.

But while the cultivators of the Five Domains didn't know ancient martial arts, could the Demonic Ancestor be unaware of it?

Though the War Ancestor fell, it wasn't because he was weak, but because he was alone and too rigid, breaking easily.

His combat power, burst potential, and the philosophy of his ancient martial arts school should have been unparalleled among the Ten Ancestors.

Shen Yi, who had only opened the 'Four Abodes of Self-Sacrifice', was not terrifying, after all, after Sui Yin was shattered, once the Inverse Restriction Wheel was activated, he had defeated the Four Abodes Shen Yi.

But even at that time, Sui Yin didn't dare to relentlessly pursue and corner Shen Yi, which hinted at something.

Because if an ancient martial artist was desperate, opening all 'Four Abodes' or even ascending to the 'Three Realms', their combat power would be an entirely different matter.

"Three Realms..."

Undoubtedly, Shen Yi had opened them.

But his 'Three Realms' were completely different from the War Ancestor's, perhaps even unrelated.

They had lost the ultimate yang and ferocity, lost the dominance that could approach an Honored One with further advancement, and gained a soft femininity:

"Using the concepts of the Resentful Buddha Sect's Three Realms — the 'Desire Realm', 'Form Realm', and 'Formless Realm' — combined with the transcendence and nihility of Shen Yi's ancient martial arts 'Severance', 'Detachment', and 'Annihilation' after their ultimate yang and ferocity, they actually complement each other, achieving a balance of rigid and soft!"

"This has even surpassed the scope of ordinary Three Realms, akin to Ba Zun'an's achievement of the 'Two Poles' realm of yin and yang balance."

"No, Ba Zun'an merely gained concepts from the path of ancient martial arts. Now, the Resentful Buddha, after observing the fact of Ba Zun'an's enlightenment, transmitted his insights to Shen Yi, and Shen Yi, understanding them instantly, interpreted them, feeding them back into the path of ancient martial arts..."

The Demonic Ancestor vaguely felt that the situation was somewhat out of control.

It was already outrageous for this pigsty, the Sheng Shen Continent, to produce one Ba Zun'an; how could it produce another Shen Yi?

Crucially, Shen Yi was not returning to zero, he wouldn't be eliminated after one or two strikes like Ba Zun'an.

And the borrowed power—the Resentful Buddha himself was merely a Sheng Di, slightly weaker, but conversely, this allowed Shen Yi to better control his rage, delivering attacks weaker than a 'return to zero' state but stronger than a 'fusion' state.

Coupled with the mutation and evolution of the 'Art Seed' after Yue Gongli's demise, the level of Dao Dharma on the Sheng Shen Continent was continuously rising...

Was it a coincidence?

At this moment, Shen Yi, according to theoretical deduction,

His combat power and burst potential were just right, truly deserving of the title "Among Ancestor Gods, I am supreme!"

"Om..."

The Fetal Origin Mother Coffin trembled slightly.

Even the Demonic Ancestor, at this point, seemed unable to suppress her alarm.

And at this stage, only a few remaining questions needed to be verified:

First, Shen Yi's 'Three Realms' had never appeared before; they currently only existed at the stage where the concept had just been put into practice. Can he unleash the power of the War Ancestor's 'Three Realms'?

Second, can the Resentful Buddha withstand Shen Yi, or rather, Shen Yi's controlled attacks, and the defense of the Fetal Origin Mother Coffin? Which is stronger, the spear or the shield?

There was no answer.

The Demonic Ancestor also wasn't very keen on verifying these answers.

Even though the Blood Fiend Refining Array had just begun, only thirty percent of the accumulated Demonic Shastra power, from the past qi luck and dragon veins of the Dead Buddha City, had been collected.

It would take at least half an hour more to maximize the benefits and allow the Demonic Ancestor's body to radiate its strongest peak color when the coffin was opened.

No more!

A wise man avoids danger!

Shen Yi's "Amitabha Buddha" made the Demonic Ancestor in the coffin, at this moment, regret not having annihilated the Western Regions Buddhist Sect and burned all their scriptures beforehand.

She urged the Blood Fiend Refining Array to lock all its power onto Shen Yi, and then, controlling the Fetal Origin Mother Coffin, actively broke through the blockade of the Dead Buddha City and fled northward.

A ethereal voice simultaneously sounded; it was the Demonic Ancestor's final admonition as she departed:

"Borrowed power must eventually be returned!"

"Shen Yi, the Upside-Down Buddha Pagoda cannot sustain the power of the Three Realms. The ascent of Dao Dharma in these Five Domains is not a disaster, nor does it require a false savior."

"Buddhist and Martial dual cultivation is a crooked path. The fall of the War Ancestor serves as a warning. Only by casting aside the Hegemon can you truly comprehend the Three Realms."

The Demonic Ancestor's echoing words fell into the ears of the Five Domain cultivators, causing many to nod frequently.

The Demonic Ancestor was benevolent, spoke reasonably, and made perfect sense.

"She is right!"

"I also heard that the Ancient Martial War Ancestor, originally cultivating a perfect body, accidentally entered the path of elucidation midway, couldn't put down his butcher's knife, and couldn't comprehend the mortal world. This contradiction led to his demise."

"Yes, Shen Yi, quickly put down your butcher's knife and become a Buddha!"

The prayers of the Five Domains were originally illusory.

But in Shen Yi's eyes at this moment, they were very real.

Because on him, at present, there was not only himself but also a Resentful Buddha.

"Vows..."

Pious faith, prayers for the peace of the continent.

These, originally intangible, under the essence of thorough spiritualization transforming emptiness into reality, swirled into threads of golden wish power,缠绕 with the will of the Resentful Buddha, that is, with the self.

However, this wish power, upon closer inspection, was mixed with a few streaks of black demonic qi, clearly contaminated by the Demonic Ancestor. If one had a guilty conscience, under this subtle influence, they would have been afflicted by demonic obstacles and karmic obstacles.

Shen Yi had no regrets.

The Hegemon descended in his hand, and the Arhat put down his Vajra scepter.

The golden Buddhist light shattered, revealing the figure at the crossroads high above, the one focused by the Five Domains' admiration.

After the Four Abodes of self-sacrifice, even with the protection of the Elephant World Spider Rhizome Crystal, Shen Yi’s skin had been burned away, exposing his flesh.

However, after the power of resentment was added to him, he had cultivated a Vajra body, appearing solemn and dignified when still.

But the moment Shen Yi lifted his eyes, the benevolent aura on him vanished.

The people of the Five Domains stared intently, only to realize how striking and exaggerated the bulging muscles beneath his bodhisattva-like humble gaze were, clearly embodying the fearsome wrath of a Vajra.

He was, after all, influenced by the Resentful Buddha and did not pursue immediately. Instead, he leaned on the Hegemon and remotely advised:

"The sea of suffering is boundless; turn back and find the shore."

A faint voice, yet it resounded like a mighty bell, cleansing the dust from the hearts of those in the Five Domains guided by the Demonic Ancestor.

Faint golden wish power, like a breeze, swept across the Five Domains, at every gathering of crowds and every secluded spot, perfectly cultivating the essence of life and illuminating the true selves of the Five Domain cultivators.

Beneath the Three Realms, all attempts to conceal are in vain.

The myriad phenomena of the mortal world, all sorts of Dao Dharma, pursued by various factions.

Essentially, they are merely displays of desire and form, and the yearning for transcendence over the four mental states of feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness.

Those who sink into the mortal world of the "Desire Realm," "Form Realm," and "Formless Realm" are said to be sinking in the sea of suffering.

"I..."

Red-faced skeletons, skin and flesh over white bones.

Cultivators immersed in the "Three Realms · Mortal World," upon introspection, could no longer perceive themselves, only a floating, hazy mass of desires.

Looking outwards, the desires of fellow cultivators around them resembled maggots in mud, writhing and squirming, hideously ugly.

"Dong!"

The retreating Fetal Origin Mother Coffin suddenly halted, as if it had struck an invisible barrier, stopping its movement.

At this moment, the Demonic Ancestor was startled.

Shen Yi's 'Three Realms' had actually manifested a rudimentary form of a Divine Court, almost ensnaring even her.

But since the Sacred Ancestor had already separated the Demonic Ancestor, severing her own desires and consolidating them into the Demonic Ancestor, how could her rampant demonic desires and firm Dao heart be intercepted by a mere phrase from Shen Yi?

"Return, souls! The Three Paths belong to me!"

The Demonic Ancestor once again drove the Fetal Origin Mother Coffin, not looking back, escaping from the sea of suffering, only wanting to reach the other shore.

On the other side of the Northern Domain, Dao chains clanged, powerfully pulling an ancient, dark sword tower from the spatial fissures.

That was where the Demonic Ancestor's spirit resided.

Setting aside the Blood Fiend Refining Array, the Demonic Ancestor naturally had to merge with the self-spirit of the sword tower, and then summon the consciousness body of the stone palace.

With the three paths complete, how could a mere Shen Yi of the 'Three Realms' harm me?

"Alas."

The Fetal Origin Mother Coffin merely paused, without even the desire to turn back. Above the crossroads, only a sigh remained.

Shen Yi's lips curled into a smile, as if he had changed into another person. He gently raised the Hegemon in his hand and shook his head with a low chuckle:

"I told you..."

Taking a step forward, the void erupted with a thundering roar. Shen Yi, holding his staff, stepped onto the sea of suffering of the Three Realms, crossing northward:

"Zen philosophy cannot save people; the Hegemon is the antidote!"

Rumbling...

The explosive roar behind him, tearing through the air, seemed to declare the firm resolve of the oath-breaker.

Soon!

Almost there!

The Demonic Ancestor's Fetal Origin Mother Coffin had already reached the Northern Domain.

She could even see the Dao chains, anchored to the Sheng Shen Continent, pulling a corner of the sword tower's eaves from the spatial rifts. The aura of her own spirit within it also rushed to embrace her.

But at this moment, accompanied by the oppressive sound of rushing wind from behind, a low shout came:

"Nine Palaces!"

Shen Yi landed above the Ghost Buddha Realm, stopping his steps.

As golden light was released from beneath his feet, the "Three Realms · Mortal World," this Buddhist kingdom of suffering that confined the cultivators of the Five Domains and also encompassed the Fetal Origin Mother Coffin, stirred with heavy waves.

At the beginning of ancient martial arts, the Nine Palaces were used to precisely locate oneself.

To arrange the Nine Palaces within the body, identifying the acupoints representing points, the meridians representing lines, and the flesh representing surfaces.

To unify the self into a single world, only then could one open the Eight Gates and Seven Mansions within the body's world, as well as the higher-level Six Paths, unleashing the potential of the body's world.

"Two and Four as shoulders, Six and Eight as feet, Three on the left, Seven on the right, Nine on the head, One on the sole, Five in the center."

This constitutes a whole, a person.

At the culmination of ancient martial arts, the Nine Palaces were also used to precisely locate oneself.

However, after reaching a level like the Three Realms, what one seeks is not the self within the body's world, but the self within the external world.

That is, in this boundless sea of suffering, the "I" within the mortal world, which can also be called the "Discriminating Self" of ancient martial arts.

To then arrange the Nine Palaces using this, is to take "Five" as the self, casting out the numbers of the Eight Trigrams, placing them in the various directions of the mortal world—southeast, northwest—to find time and space, to find the self.

This also constitutes a whole, a world—the world in the eyes of the one who opened the Nine Palaces!

The Three Realms · Mortal World, this sea of suffering Buddhist kingdom, this rudimentary form of a Divine Court, this world that is both equivalent to the Sheng Shen Continent and yet transcends it.

After the Nine Palaces were opened, it became the world in the more precise eyes of the self that Shen Yi of the Three Realms had found.

Every direction, every node, was completely mastered, just like discerning one's own acupoints, meridians, and flesh.

"Come."

The sea of suffering surged, and the power of the Divine Court faintly trembled.

In the distant Northern Domain, the Demonic Ancestor, who could not penetrate the power of the Three Realms with just the Fetal Origin Mother Coffin, felt it became difficult to move.

She seemed truly submerged. The waves of the sea of suffering rolled back, clearly the sword tower was within reach, yet she was rolled backward.

One step, and she was swept into the North Sea.

Another step, and she was rolled back into the Ghost Buddha Realm, almost reaching Shen Yi's presence.

"Nine Palaces Plane Battle, one of the ancient martial arts combat techniques. By precisely locating the world and the self, one doesn't need to move much oneself. By shifting the Eight Trigram positions, one can transport an opponent in front and beat them face-to-face..."

After Liu Guifen exchanged for this information about Shen Yi's technique, the hairs on his back stood on end.

This, this, this...

This "beating face-to-face" was too spiritual.

Simple and brutal, didn't it mean that if one couldn't transcend Shen Yi's Three Realms and couldn't see through space and time, no one could escape?

"Break!"

The Fetal Origin Mother Coffin seemed to realize that the situation had become slightly more serious, and no longer dared to simply flee.

Within the demonic coffin, monstrous demonic qi erupted, almost sweeping across the entire sky above the North Sea, then surged upwards.

She wanted to blast open this rudimentary Divine Court, tear open a corner of the sea of suffering, and escape.

But once the Nine Palaces were opened, space was anchored.

The inner world can be discovered, releasing various potentials.

The outer world, isn't it the same principle? One only needs to "observe the world through my body, and place the world within my body."

The path of ancient martial arts, Shen Yi understood it clearly in his heart.

"Eight Gates!"

With a resounding boom.

This time, it wasn't Shen Yi's own acupoints that shone with brilliance, but eight acupoints in the sea of suffering that opened, revealing eight golden gates soaring into the sky.

"These gates..."

The cultivators of the Five Domains experienced a seismic shift in their pupils. How did these look so similar to the profound gates in ancient sword arts?

The sea of suffering sets the Nine Palaces, and the trigram positions evolve the Eight Gates.

Rest, Life, Injury, Du, Jing, Death, Shock, Open—the eight golden gates were towering, as massive as mountains, suppressing the demonic qi.

They both stabilized the rudimentary Divine Court and separated and cut off the demonic qi outside the Fetal Origin Mother Coffin, preventing it from forming any coherent attacks.

"Something's not right!"

The Demonic Ancestor in the coffin could no longer remain calm.

The situation seemed to be more than just slightly out of control?

"Seven Mansions!"

That voice, like the grim reaper's催命, sounded again.

If the external world is viewed as a body, then the Eight Gates acupoints, opening within the sea of suffering, means unlocking the body's potential beneath the surface flesh.

When the seven major stars representing the deep flesh also light up in the sky above the sea of suffering, it signifies that the true power of the ancient martial Seven Mansions has been drawn into the Three Realms · Mortal World, this rudimentary Divine Court.

"Tian Shu, Tian Quan, Tian Ji, Tian Xuan, Yu Heng, Kai Yang, Yao Guang..."

Liu Guifen gazed at the starry sky, filled with awe.

Before this true ancient martial art, which used the world as a body and opened the Seven Mansions of stars, the Eight Gates and Seven Mansions he had exchanged with contribution points seemed like watered-down fake alcohol.

"Ancient martial arts..."

"This, this is ancient martial arts, isn't it?"

In the deep mountains outside the Nanli Realm, the War Department Chief Fang Fang, and the Elemental Divine Emissary Zhong Yuanzi, simultaneously turned their heads, looking behind them.

Behind them lay a paralyzed figure, Wang Dachui, who had once forcibly opened the Animal Path in the Four Symbols Secret Realm. Although he had been treated with medicine from Yue Gongli, his body was still crippled.

"So beautiful..."

The vastness of the Eight Gates and the brilliance of the Seven Mansions entered his eyes.

Wang Dachui, the Chief of the Body Department, who had sought but failed to achieve the Dao his entire life, also had light appear in his eyes, his heart filled with yearning.

"Yes, this, this is ancient martial arts..."

Only at this moment did he realize that the Body Department was a joke, and he, as its Chief, had made countless jokes.

Once upon a time, in the Battle of the Ten Revered Ones, he had been defeated by this group of people, yet he still managed to become one of the Six Department Chiefs.

He thought the difference between them was only half a step.

As the tide of time receded, he realized the disparity between them was vast, a difference of heaven and earth, like clouds and mud!

Why, while cultivating ancient martial arts, and with equally strong talent,

Could he, Wang Dachui, exhaust his entire life's energy yet still not attain the Dao, nor even glimpse the back of Shen Yi?

"Heaven's Dao, how unjust?"

Once the Eight Gates and Seven Mansions were opened,

Power rooted from beneath the sea of suffering, and power chained from the starry sky.

The Three Realms · Mortal World, was clearly no longer a rootless, floating rudimentary Divine Court, but as stable as a mature Ancestor God's Divine Court.

But it still lacked something!

It lacked the Dao Dharma that an Ancestor God realm should possess!

And Shen Yi, could he do it? Was his comprehension of the Three Realms that high...

"Six Paths!"

A resolute voice cut off all illusions.

The Mortal World, a self-formed system of Dao Dharma: the Heavenly Path, Human Path, Hell Path, Asura Path, Hungry Ghost Path, and Animal Path, six paths creating their own system.

From then on, the Six Paths and Three Realms intertwined, and the Divine Court had already taken shape!

"Ba Zun'an couldn't even comprehend a Divine Court..."

Not only was the Demonic Ancestor in the coffin dazed, but also the awakening consciousness of Sui Yin, which was recovering amidst the Art Seed's mutation, and the Medicine Ancestor, whose Demise Emperor Realm was returning to zero.

All those who had kept a thread of connection to the Five Domains' battle were stunned.

Shen Yi, who was he?

An ordinary mortal, who entered the Dao by borrowing the Resentful Buddha's Three Realms, and without even becoming an Ancestor God, had already created a Divine Court?

One must know that even though Hua Changdeng, when he became a God and an Ancestor, indeed brought forth the Rootless Ghost Realm, it was because he had first swallowed the Ghost Ancestor's Divine Court and Underworld!

"Among the Ten Ancestors, is there anyone who can compare to Shen Yi?"

The Demonic Ancestor was only momentarily distracted, and the Fetal Origin Mother Coffin had already been propelled by the waves of the sea of suffering, arriving before Shen Yi.

"Amitabha Buddha."

After Shen Yi chanted the Buddhist prayer, the cinnabar mark on his brow faded, and the Buddhist light in his eyes diminished.

At this moment, only the high ancient martial self, the unique supreme one, remained!

He picked up the Hegemon in his hand, and the power of the collapsed Three Realms · Mortal World, this Divine Court, all converged at the tip of the Hegemon staff.

The vastness of the external world's Eight Gates, Seven Mansions, and Six Paths echoed the subtlety of the internal world's Eight Gates, Seven Mansions, and Six Paths, linking and responding to each other.

"If Buddha cannot save you, I shall save you."

Shen Yi stepped forward with an ethereal stride, and a staff descended from the sky, splitting down with a whoosh.

The Eight Gates, Seven Mansions, and Six Paths of the sea of suffering shattered; the Three Realms · Mortal World disintegrated, manifesting in the hearts of the Five Domain cultivators as an angry Vajra, holding a scepter to shatter the Dao.

"Hegemon Style One: Star Shatterer!"

Whoosh...

A golden wave of force swept horizontally across the coffin lid, instantly pushing through the high sky of the Five Domains.

Everyone emerged from the imagery of the sea of suffering, their selves returning from the Divine Court, only to see the Fetal Origin Mother Coffin convulsing rapidly beneath the Hegemon staff.

Layer upon layer of power collapsed downwards and outwards, the entire demonic coffin's patterns and designs instantly warped, like a twitching ghost face, flesh peeling off layer by layer.

This time, it only lasted for a moment...

"Crack!"

This Sacred Ancestor's weapon, forged from Primordial Mother Stone and Primordial Chaos Purple Qi, had a visible crack on its lid.

The restriction was broken!

"Boom!"

Above the North Sea, monstrous waves erupted from afar.

It was as if a Kunpeng emerged from the clouds, the sea waves surging outwards in all directions, revealing the cold star iron stones beneath the deep sea.

"Impossible!"

The Demonic Ancestor in the coffin finally burst out with a cry of alarm, but quickly choked into silence as if gasping for breath.

The Fetal Origin Mother Coffin, cracked?

This was a divine object prepared for a 'return to zero' Ancestor God!

"Shen! Yi!"

"This wretch humiliates me to this extent, he shall..."

Shen Yi brought his staff down, then swung it around behind him, following with a sweeping strike.

Empowered by the Three Realms' force, he didn't aim to blow up the Fetal Origin Mother Coffin, but merely struck the junction between the lid and the body, sending the coffin lid flying into the sky.

The Fetal Origin Mother Coffin froze in mid-air.

The Demonic Ancestor's voice abruptly ceased.

Everyone in the Five Domains looked up and saw inside a full-bodied human-shaped Ancestor God's physique, covered in demonic patterns, with fangs and prominent brow bones.

She stared with two empty eyes, overflowing with demonic fluid, disbelievingly at the person who had opened the coffin, as if her veil of shame had been ripped away, forcing her to be naked before all.

Four eyes met.

The entire world, at this moment, was utterly silent.

The Demonic Ancestor's body's lips quivered, and she opened her mouth to speak: "Perhaps..."

The Hegemon, a staff to the throat.

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