Chapter 357 - 329: Above the True Monarch
"Are you saying... that the takeover of Nanyin by these Overseas Buddhist Cultivators was tacitly approved by all the True Monarchs?"
Qi Yun repeated the most crucial part of that sentence in a low voice, his expression barely flickering.
On second thought, this wasn’t surprising.
True Monarchs were the supreme beings of this world, wielding the power of Heaven and Earth, looking down upon all living things as if they were pieces on a chessboard.
No matter what happened in Nanyin, without the approval of the True Monarchs, it would have been impossible for the Overseas Buddhist Cultivators to establish themselves so smoothly, let alone implement such a world-shaking "Buddha Transformation" and even suppress the native Righteous Sects.
But... why?
Why would the True Monarchs allow, or even tacitly approve of, the Overseas Buddhist Cultivators carrying out this act in the Central Plains—an act tantamount to remaking the heavens?
The karma involved and the potential upheaval of the current order were no small matters.
What True Monarchs seek is nothing more than to advance further on the Great Dao.
What could the eastern journey of these Overseas Buddhist Cultivators bring them?
Xuan Ping Master said slowly, "This subordinate has been trying to investigate this very point, but the specific reasons seem to be circulating only at the True Monarch level, shrouded in secrecy.
Currently, the most prevalent theory circulating among the upper echelons of the various Sects is..."
He paused, his tone laced with a hard-to-believe solemnity:
"These Overseas Buddhist Cultivators may possess... a means of communicating with existences Above the True Monarch."
"Above the True Monarch?!"
The moment these words were spoken, Qi Yun’s gaze sharpened, like two tangible, cold stars shooting forth. The very air in the room seemed to stagnate for a moment.
The harmonious Buddha’s Rhyme around him rippled almost imperceptibly, a clear sign of his inner turmoil.
A True Monarch was already acknowledged as the pinnacle of cultivation in this part of Heaven and Earth. They ruled over entire regions, were in Harmonization with the Dao, and were nearly immortal.
’Above the True Monarch?’
"Is the source reliable? What exactly does it refer to?" Qi Yun’s voice was low, but his pace quickened slightly.
Xuan Ping Master pursed his lips slightly and answered cautiously:
"Replying to my Lord, this information is said to have first leaked from the [Vast Sacred Land] and the [Celestial Secret Sect]."
"As for whether it’s true... this subordinate believes that where there’s smoke, there’s fire.
At the very least, without a ’bargaining chip’ of sufficient weight, it would be impossible to make all the True Monarchs remain silent and watch as Nanyin changed its banners.
The Vast Sacred Land and the Celestial Secret Sect have always been cautious. Even if the rumors they spread are not entirely true, they must point to some astonishing truth.
As for the specific details, I’m afraid only the True Monarchs themselves know."
Qi Yun fell silent.
He unconsciously fiddled with a string of ordinary, imitation Prayer Beads hidden in his sleeve, his mind racing.
’Above the True Monarch... This information carries far too much weight.’
’If it’s true, then the eastern journey of the Overseas Buddhist Cultivators is by no means a simple matter of spreading their teachings and expanding their territory. The scheme behind it could involve a fundamental shift in the order and power structure of this world.’
’The Nanyin Buddha Country is perhaps just the beginning.’
’And that would provide a rational explanation for the True Monarchs’ tacit approval.’
’Faced with an opportunity to reach a higher path of the Dao, what does one Dynasty or a few squabbles over faith even matter?’
’It’s even possible the True Monarchs have already reached some kind of understanding or made a deal with the Buddhist Cultivators.’
Qi Yun slowly exhaled. The sharp light in his eyes gradually receded, returning to that simulated clarity of compassionate wisdom.
"I understand," he said, his tone back to its usual calm. "Report to me immediately if there’s any new information."
"As my Lord commands," Xuan Ping Taoist replied, and his presence vanished from Qi Yun’s mind.
Qi Yun’s Heart Thought sank into his Purple Mansion. The facade of compassionate wisdom he had simulated with the Primordial Immortal Light slowly faded, revealing the deep, pool-like stillness beneath.
The news from Xuan Ping Master, especially the speculation about what was "Above the True Monarch," carried far too much weight.
He needed to seek confirmation from a more ancient existence.
"Elder Cai," he called out in his Heart and Spirit.
"Here," a small golden figure drawled, materializing lazily on his shoulder with one leg crossed over the other, as if it had just woken from a nap.
"What’s wrong? Did a few words from that old geezer from Nine Kings Mountain startle you?"
"There is indeed a matter I need to confirm with you, Elder," Qi Yun asked directly, his tone grave. "Do existences ’Above the True Monarch’ truly exist in this world?"
Cai Shen’s dangling leg stopped swinging.
He sat up a little straighter. The usual lazy look on his small golden face receded somewhat, and a distant, inscrutable light flashed in his small eyes.
"Yes," he answered crisply, without any hesitation.
But then he added, his tone carrying an ineffable complexity:
"But... I’ve never seen one myself."
Qi Yun’s brow furrowed slightly. "Not even during the glorious Golden Tang Dynasty?"
"Of course they appeared," Cai Shen’s voice grew deeper, as if he were lost in a distant memory—though perhaps it was not a memory he had personally experienced, but ancient information branded into the legacy of the Imperial Soldier itself.
"During the age of the Golden Tang Dynasty, the Dao of Humanity was at its zenith, the Ten Thousand Laws flourished, and brilliant figures emerged one after another.
Those who achieved the station of a True Monarch were still at the absolute peak, but it was not the end.
Above them... there was indeed a more profound, more inconceivable Realm."
He paused, as if choosing his words carefully. "It’s just that such beings are nearly incarnations of the ’Dao’ itself.
They are ethereal and difficult to find, they do not walk the mortal world, and they are not stained by karma.
They have completely separated themselves from this Heaven and Earth, becoming a world unto themselves.
They are not something we can easily comprehend or contact.
Even in the Golden Tang Dynasty, such beings were as elusive as a divine dragon showing its head but never its tail."
Qi Yun’s eyes flashed. "In that case, if the Overseas Buddhist Cultivators have truly mastered a method or pathway to communicate with such beings..."
"Then that is no ordinary opportunity! More likely... it’s the beginning of a monstrous calamity!" Cai Shen’s tone held a rare and clear gravity, even a hint of a chill.
"Qi the Kid, you need to understand. Once you reach the level of a True Monarch, what you seek is no longer mundane authority or temporary gains."