Just a Useful Pawn in the Stain Sect

In that moment, Si Chou was bewildered.

He stared blankly at his own Divine Will Body. That was his main self; he was merely a split thought that had been scattered outside before the sealing.

But now, that other self was saying—

"Amitabha?"

What kind of joke was this!

Not only that, but after chanting the Buddha’s name, the Divine Will Body’s appearance began to change drastically. Its full head of black hair instantly withered and fell away.

Revealing a bald head.

Its brow smoothed out and its lips curled up. Though the face was still the same, it now held a bizarre expression of compassion and solemnity.

Meanwhile, Lü Yang, also on the 9th Layer, was silently shuffling toward the edge, already cursing up a storm in his mind:

Bhagavat! It’s the Bhagavat!

’The Bhagavat was sealed inside the Spirit Platform? How could it be the Bhagavat... No, that’s not right. It’s Si Chou’s Divine Will Body. Was it replaced by the Bhagavat?’

At this thought, Lü Yang felt an indescribable horror. ’That’s right, it must be! The Spirit Platform’s seal wasn’t just to suppress Si Chou’s residual Divine Will, but to assimilate it. And after all these years... the Bhagavat probably succeeded long ago!’

So treacherous!

For a moment, Lü Yang was both shocked and impressed. Shocked that the Bhagavat’s methods were so monstrous, and impressed that the Bhagavat could be so monstrously effective.

’Worth learning from!’

On the other hand, Si Chou was not feeling nearly as calm. He discovered that he could no longer sever the connection with his Divine Will Body!

Just moments ago, he had voluntarily linked his mind with it to explain the situation. But now, that connection had been forcibly locked in place. Even though he sensed something was wrong and tried to cut it off, his efforts were useless. He could only passively accept the vast Intention that came sweeping over him!

"Amitabha."

"The Sea of Suffering is boundless, but salvation lies just a step away. Fellow Daoist Si Chou, you have endured tribulations for an entire kalpa. Now that you have escaped, it is time for you to attain your proper Fruit. Why do you not awaken to this truth?"

An endless stream of Buddhist scripture echoed in Si Chou’s mind.

"Me? Awaken?"

"No... You bald donkey! You’re influencing me! You’re plotting against me! I will never submit to you... Don’t even think about it! Get out of my body!"

Si Chou clutched his head and roared in agony.

Seeing this, the Divine Will Body’s expression didn’t change in the slightest. Its face remained full of compassion and kindness. It even let out a soft sigh.

"Foolish child, foolish child."

"I am Si Chou, and Si Chou is me. You are Si Chou, so you are also me. I am the Bhagavat, so you were always the Bhagavat. How can there be any talk of submission?"

As the Divine Will Body finished speaking, the Buddha Light on Si Chou’s body grew more and more intense. It eventually enveloped him completely, like a giant, invisible hand smoothing away the struggle on his face. He gradually calmed down, and when he opened his eyes again, a look of enlightenment shone within them.

"Ah! To think I was a split thought of the Bhagavat all along!"

As he spoke, the black hair on his head drifted away, scattering in the wind. His robes transformed into a kasaya, and he put his palms together, his face now a mask of pure compassion.

He had been brought to Enlightenment!

At that moment, within the [Sea of Suffering], the tombstone and grave that Taiyin Immortal Venerable had created crumbled to dust. Her beautiful eyes, now fixed on Si Chou, were filled with apprehension.

Soon, however, Taiyin Immortal Venerable regained her composure.

Although Si Chou’s Enlightenment had seemed effortless, almost instantaneous, it was actually the result of one hundred thousand years of meticulous work.

The technique of Enlightenment was originally meant to be used on lower-level cultivators.

If Si Chou’s true self had been here, the Bhagavat would never have been able to sway his will, not in a hundred thousand years, not even in a million.

Alas, this Si Chou was not that Si Chou.

The real Si Chou had been slain by the Saint Sect Ancestral Master long ago. What remained was merely a thread of Divine Will, whose Position was still a far cry from the Bhagavat’s.

This gave the Bhagavat room to maneuver.

Even so, the Bhagavat had gone to great lengths to bring about his Enlightenment, creating the Spirit Platform and spending countless years to finally achieve today’s result.

"Congratulations, Uncle."

Taiyin Immortal Venerable clasped her hands in a salute. Strictly speaking, while the Bhagavat had ties to the Saint Sect, he wasn’t her uncle, but saying so was a way to curry favor.

"No need for formalities."

Si Chou smiled and shook his head. "I am a split thought of the Bhagavat. Out of his compassion, the Bhagavat has descended into me. From this day forward, I shall be the [Vajra Realm Unmoving Tathagata]."

"In the past, when Si Chou died, his resentment ran rampant and the poison of his wrath was difficult to purge. Today, I have attained my proper Fruit, swept away that wrathful thought, and returned to my true self. This can be considered a Merit." After speaking, Si Chou—or rather, the [Vajra Realm Unmoving Tathagata]—extended a hand. A shimmering Profound Pearl leaped into his palm.

It was the very Fruit that Lü Yang had previously obtained through the Void Certificate!

Upon seeing it, Taiyin Immortal Venerable’s beautiful eyes lit up. She had traveled far Beyond the Heavens and remained in the Celestial Mansion all this time for this very item—for the Great Dao of a Master of Dao!

"I beseech you to grant me this treasure, Uncle."

Taiyin Immortal Venerable clasped her hands again and said solemnly, "This item was promised by the Ancestral Master. I was to help you deal with Si Chou, and this would be my reward upon completion."

This was a grand scheme that had spanned one hundred thousand years.

All of it was to completely obliterate a Master of Dao and ensure he could never return.

Initially, the Bhagavat was responsible for everything. He built the Spirit Platform to suppress Si Chou, preparing to use the long expanse of time to bring Enlightenment to Si Chou’s residual Divine Will.

Everything went smoothly at first.

Until five thousand years ago, when the Bhagavat and the Saint Sect Ancestral Master discovered that something was amiss. They found that a split thought of Si Chou had escaped suppression and fled to safety.

It was that very split thought that gave rise to a Perfected Lord with the Sun Supreme Venerable Fruit.

Thus, the Saint Sect Ancestral Master took action. He set things right, eliminating that Sun True Monarch, and at the same time sent Taiyin Immortal Venerable to stand guard over the Celestial Mansion.

From beginning to end, Taiyin Immortal Venerable’s mission was simple:

Lure out Si Chou’s split thought and dispose of it.

And Taiyin Immortal Venerable’s method was to use the [Fruit of Money] to constantly erode the Celestial Mansion, and finally use the Void Attainment Position to draw out the Great Dao that Si Chou had left behind.

Only, she didn’t dare take the risk herself.

And so, there was Lü Yang.

Of course, due to Lü Yang’s existence, a small mistake occurred in the process, which gave Si Chou’s Residual Thought—a being that should have been plotted to its death—a genuine chance at survival.

"Amitabha."

Facing Taiyin Immortal Venerable’s demand, the [Vajra Realm Unmoving Tathagata] shook his head. "Young friend, the current outcome is not quite the same as what we agreed upon back then."

"According to your agreement with the Bhagavat, I was supposed to end up with a Master of Dao’s Dharma Body, complete with eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind. With that, I could return to the Pure Land, and by combining it with the [Earthly Buddha Country], I could truly hold a temporary Master of Dao Position. But now, only a thread of Divine Will remains. My losses are not insignificant."

Hearing this, Taiyin Immortal Venerable’s delicate brow furrowed slightly.

She couldn’t refute this point. It was the price to be paid for the miscalculation in their scheme, for the fact that Si Chou had almost truly escaped.

"Then... what do you intend to do, Uncle?"

"Simple." The [Vajra Realm Unmoving Tathagata] smiled faintly. "Whoever caused the problem will be responsible for it... I am very interested in that young friend named Lü Yang."

"Hand him over to me. What do you say?"

"Deal!"

Taiyin Immortal Venerable didn’t hesitate for a second. She nodded decisively in agreement, even a little surprised that the [Vajra Realm Unmoving Tathagata]’s demand was so simple.

’Sorry, Junior Brother.’

’For the sake of your Senior Sister’s path to the Dao, you’ll just have to suffer a little!’