Chapter 1521 - 562: Starry Sky Curtain
Facing the Ancient Buddha Dharma Aspect condensed by "Wu Cang," Zhou Xuan was not disturbed in the slightest.
In Jing Country, there are not a hundred but seventy or eighty Tangkou, each having its special capability; however, when it comes to "imposing manner" and "momentum," they all lead to the same destination.
The so-called "imposing manner" and "momentum," if made into a metaphor, are nothing more than the vicious dogs in the countryside; if you fear it, it will pounce and bite you viciously.
If you do not fear it, then it is the other party that should be afraid.
Of course, to not fear the other’s momentum and imposing manner does not rely solely on courage, but also on having seen the grand world.
The Green Robed Buddha had not seen the true great world and thus was utterly defeated in Heart Spirit by the Ancient Buddha’s Dharma Aspect.
Zhou Xuan is not ordinary— in the Dream of the Four Heavenly Venerables, he not only saw the Ancient Buddha, but even the legendary "Supreme Will," he discerned its form clearly.
With this rare experience in Jing Country, how could the Ancient Buddha Dharma Aspect interfere with him?
"I say my teacher is the one closest to the Liguo Buddha, indeed worthy of being my teacher."
The Green Robed Buddha, seeing Zhou Xuan, who claimed to be the Future Buddha, regained much of his previously collapsed momentum.
"If, as you say, I am the Past Buddha and you are the Future Buddha, we are of the same generation, why should I worship?"
The Ancient Buddha’s Dharma Aspect asked in a low voice.
At this moment, Zhou Xuan had completely transformed into the shape of the Ancient Buddha.
Yet his form as the Ancient Buddha was vastly different from that Dharma Aspect of the Ancient Buddha.
His Ancient Buddha form was portrayed based on the Ancient Buddha in the Dream of the Four Heavenly Venerables.
At that time, the Ancient Buddha had not yet been sealed as one of the Four Great Venerables, appearing merely as a very young monk.
But precisely because of youth, this "young Buddha" bore a few more measures of vigorous youthful spirit compared to the widely spread golden body of the Ancient Buddha.
Zhou Xuan pointed to the Ancient Buddha Dharma Aspect and calmly said again: "You, this Past Buddha, point to a destination that is nothing but the word ’death’— you have transformed your body into Twenty-one Zen, continually reincarnating in the human world."
"And the direction after death is never true destruction, but the awakening of new life."
This was Zhou Xuan’s realization after seeing the alternation of life and death in the Returning Ruins Space, which now had considerable Buddhist truth when presented.
Zhou Xuan continued: "After your death, I was born from death, reawakening in myself, new and powerful,
representing infinite possibilities for the future, while you can only represent death; what virtue and ability do you have to regard me as a peer?"
This confrontation with "Wu Cang" was one for which Zhou Xuan had planned in advance.
"Wu Cang," transformed from the Ancient Buddha’s works, though now enhanced by the Heavenly Spirit Tower’s restriction, its Divine Skills unmatched.
But its innermost goal still pointed to the Ancient Buddha— he, like the Green Robed Buddha, had aspirations and devotion toward the Ancient Buddha.
And Zhou Xuan utilized precisely this devotion; he needed only to deceive "Wu Cang," making Wu Cang believe he was the future incarnation of the Ancient Buddha; Wu Cang would naturally have the "Buddha Heart submit" and lay down arms.
With this reason, Zhou Xuan needed to continue deceiving.
The Ancient Buddha Dharma Aspect, upon hearing Zhou Xuan’s words, immediately lowered his eyes, a precursor to suppressed momentum.
After concentrating and contemplating for a moment, it asked again: "It is known that when the Buddha descends to the world, phenomena occur,
Future Buddha, when you were reborn, what phenomena occurred?"
This line of questioning was a test for Zhou Xuan.
Yet Zhou Xuan did not fear this inquiry; his swift thinking had been honed by his days and nights wandering the world.
Almost instinctively, he caught onto the Ancient Buddha Dharma Aspect’s query.
"Past Buddha, you divided into Twenty-one Zen; on the day you slumbered, you lay within Chaos, with no night, no day, no sun, no moon, no stars,
suddenly one day, you awoke like from a great dream, the stars in the sky suddenly brightened, thousands lit up at once,
the sun and moon guarded you, you opened your eyes— at that moment, you were no longer you, but me— the Buddha seeking the future."
Zhou Xuan spoke as if witnessing a true event, his hands repeatedly pulling at the sky as if wanting to open a majestic curtain,
one hand pulling was not enough, his left hand seemed to grasp one piece of the curtain, and his right hand lifted to grasp another piece.
When both hands held firmly, Zhou Xuan suddenly lifted them, his expression as if seeing a spectacular world.
"I unveiled the starry sky’s curtain and realized— whether it is the vast Jing Country, the mighty Buddha Country, or the boundless starry sky, all are a painting,
this painting is usually covered by a curtain, and beyond the curtain is the true Great Thousand World."
"Then what?"
The Ancient Buddha Dharma Aspect had already been drawn in by Zhou Xuan’s "beautiful imagination," it even started to look forward to the world beyond the Starry Sky Scroll,
it was not just drawn in,
even the Eternal Life Sect Leader, Tiancan Monk, and Green Robed Buddha were intoxicated by the alluring vision in Zhou Xuan’s depicted words.
At this moment, the Ancient Buddha Dharma Aspect had already extinguished its fierce assault on the Three Heavenly Dome Gods,
the three divine beings, like tea house patrons listening to storytelling, sat together shoulder to shoulder, anticipating Zhou Xuan’s continuation while discussing animatedly,
Tiancan Monk, very puzzled, quietly asked the Eternal Life Sect Leader: "Sect Leader, do you think master’s recent curtain speech was a colorful play to deceive, or truly substantial?"
"If such a fantastic world is deception, then how rich must our master’s imagination be, as I see it, it’s real."