But he truly could not bring himself to surrender outright.
Tathagata Buddha really could not do it.
After all, he had not yet reached the point of having nowhere left to go. He presided over Mount Ling Holy Land, possessed a Sage's treasured relic, and had an inheritance supporting him. At Mount Ling Holy Land, even while injured, he could still fight Ding Ling to a draw.
If he were in perfect condition, Ding Ling would most likely be defeated by him.
That had been his previous thought.
But now.
As Dipankara Buddha decisively fled and the atmosphere in the entire hall began to turn subtle, his confidence began to fluctuate as well.
He suddenly remembered the monkey he had suppressed five hundred years ago: Sun Wukong.
He also knew that Sun Wukong had grown stronger the more he fought in the Heavenly Court.
Naturally, he could not be kept in the dark about Six-Eared Macaque, Wu Zetian, Macaca King, and the others.
Six-Eared Macaque and the others were already like this.
Then how peerless must Ding Ling be, having created Wu Zetian and Sun Wukong?
Tathagata Buddha could not help shuddering just thinking about it.
Ding Ling's rate of progress was simply too fast. It was outrageously fast.
I have already become one of the peak experts of this world, with no possibility of breaking through again. What about Ding Ling? How did he break through his limits?
Tathagata Buddha racked his brains over it, but still could not understand.
In the end, he could only attribute it to Ding Ling possessing a special divine ability or cultivation method that could break through limits and advance continuously.
If that was truly the case.
He would have no chance of luck left.
Sooner or later, Ding Ling would surpass him,