Chapter 491: Great Enlightenment

"Haha, it's been a long time since I've had such a satisfying fight. Let's see whose power is stronger: your Buddhist might from the Garan lineage, or my Asura's strength!"

Xu Yang stomped his foot, and as he shot into the air, he was enveloped by an incredibly dense black light. The radiant glory of the Asura God, once supreme over all beings, once again reigned over the battlefield!

A deafening boom echoed! Two divine lights, one black and one gold, exploded in the sky...

Instantly, the earth-shattering roar startled everyone within a hundred-mile radius of Garan Temple.

With his own power, Xu Yang nearly overturned the entire supreme Sumeru foundation of Garan Temple.

Crucially, the power Xu Yang displayed at this moment was not even his strongest. He hadn't yet used abilities like his Phoenix Domain, yet he was already engaged in a fierce battle with this Half-Buddha body at the peak of tribulation transcendence, which held the advantage of time and place.

"Now!"

The moment the two lights exploded in the sky was precisely when Yun Hui's spiritual power fluctuations were most pronounced, and his defensive state was at its weakest.

As Xu Yang's soul-voice reached her, Shi Lingyun immediately acted. From the infinite darkness, she projected the ethereal outline of her Nine-Orifice Heart Lotus to hover above Yun Hui's head.

Just as senior Xu Yang had predicted, it was a direct hit!

Yun Hui instantly entered a state of extreme agitation, alternating between solemn majesty and hysterical frenzy.

It was also at this moment that the aura previously hidden within the black cloud reappeared.

"Hahahaha! Master, you've certainly shot yourself in the foot. This is completely different from your compassionate demeanor. I'd love to hear your explanation."

Xu Yang landed steadily, put away his Asura God Sword, and clasped his hands behind his back, returning to a calm posture.

After that wave of counter-attacks, Xu Yang had shattered the Golden Light Sumeru Array with his earth-shattering power, without harming Yun Hui in the slightest. However, the opponent's final trump cards had been completely swept away by Xu Yang, leaving them with no further means to contend with him.

Yun Hui looked at the black cloud of light above his head and finally sighed helplessly.

"Amitābha, such is fate. This old monk has nothing more to say..."

"Hmph, old bald monk, stop pretending! This body should have been mine to inherit. You always claim I'm your evil thought, but you don't realize that your self-righteous facade is the most despicable thing!"

The black soul-shadow was clearly venting its emotions at Yun Hui, who was meditating in the void. Suddenly, Yun Hui pointed a finger at his own brow, and the ominous cloud above him quietly dissipated, revealing the true face of that entity.

"What!"

Shi Lingyun could barely believe her eyes, but her reason kept telling her that everything before her was the truth she had longed for.

It turned out that the face hidden beneath the black cloud was actually Master Yun Hui's true form!

"I understand now. Master Yun Hui has been cultivating the Buddhist path for many years, reaching the peak of tribulation transcendence a long time ago. Yet, he was always one step short of true nirvana, and because of this, desires began to grow in his heart.

The more such negative emotions are suppressed, the faster they tend to grow.

The one who coveted the Nine-Orifice Exquisite Heart and killed Grandmaster Ciyun was Master Yun Hui's own evil thought, which had broken free of his control."

Xu Yang sighed softly, feeling a sense of regret for Master Yun Hui.

To have given birth to such a powerful evil thought undoubtedly meant that the Master would never achieve true Buddhahood in his lifetime, not to mention the unforgivable stain this evil thought left on him.

No matter what Yun Hui did or how he tried to perfect his true self, it would be difficult to sever the ties with this evil thought, for it was, after all, a part of his own soul.

"Master... your obsession is too deep. Sometimes, it can become a burden. If you could embrace and accept it from the heart, rather than simply rejecting your own malevolent thoughts, perhaps it would be a different state."

Xu Yang spoke these words from the heart, unintentionally leading Yun Hui to a realization.

"Amitābha... I never thought that after ten thousand years of contemplation, I couldn't find the answer, yet you, honored guest, revealed the profound truth with a single sentence. You are right, he and I are one. Even if he committed heinous crimes, I must bear the responsibility with him. Some karma cannot be severed by abandonment... Thank you for the teaching!"

The next moment, an incredibly brilliant golden Buddha light ignited around Yun Hui, making him appear like a true Golden Buddha descending. Above him, his evil thought quickly withered under the illumination of this light, until it finally vanished completely...

"Perhaps now, I am truly complete. Amitābha..."

Yun Hui felt a profound sense of lightness. All the light on his body completely faded, but the composure and relief on his face brought him an unprecedented tranquility.

After Xu Yang's insightful words, Yun Hui achieved enlightenment. But at the same time, he relinquished all his Buddhist cultivation, dispersing all the accumulated cultivation foundation within him, and became a completely ordinary person.

"Congratulations, Master. Your spiritual state has elevated once again. Although you've given up your Buddhist cultivation, your heart has entered the realm of the 'dustless,' a sacred domain among mortals. Even the laws of this mundane world will no longer restrict you."

Yun Hui smiled faintly, like a benevolent and kind elder, or an ancient soul who had witnessed the vicissitudes of the world, exuding a profound sense of desolation yet tranquility.

"Only now do I understand that the destination we chase our entire lives might just be our original starting point... Fellow Daoist Xu Yang, perhaps one day, you too will see the most beautiful scenery in this world."

With those final words, Yun Hui's physical body gradually dissipated, leaving behind an incredibly translucent round sarira. This sarira silently merged into Shi Lingyun's body, transforming into the purest essence without any attributes, integrating into the young girl's soul world.

As this soul foundation of profound enlightenment merged with Shi Lingyun's body, the cracks in her Dao heart were mended, and a truly flawless and pristine Nine-Orifice Exquisite Heart was born!

A colorful light emanated from Shi Lingyun. At that moment, she was like the only holy goddess between heaven and earth, basking in the glory of unanimous worship from all paths and realms!

With the awakening of her true Nine-Orifice Exquisite Heart, the young girl no longer needed any physical strength. She could communicate with all creation and control the power of all paths and realms merely with her soul!

"Brother Xu Yang, I... succeeded..."

Xu Yang smiled contentedly and nodded. "This is your destiny, and it's what you deserve. Your master's demise, however, transformed her compensation into an opportunity, blessing you. In the future, you naturally have the mission of ensuring the prosperity of the Ciyun lineage."

Shi Lingyun didn't say it aloud, but deep in her heart, she was filled with respect and gratitude for Xu Yang.

Without Xu Yang, Shi Lingyun might never have found the true answer, even if she had searched her entire life.