One by one, the Buddhas' Golden Bodies faded away, dreamlike and illusory—perfectly embodying the word "impermanence." Nothing in this world could remain unchanged forever, nothing could escape decay. Such was love, such were people, such were immortals, and such were Buddhas.
Without attaining the Dao Fruit, one could not transcend.
Glazed shards flew everywhere, pale gold and dark gold scattering. The view before Meng Qi grew empty and clear. The sealed land seemed like a vast stone lotus platform, with the remains of ten thousand Buddhas piled around its core.
Golden light flowed over Meng Qi's Golden Body. His right palm seemed to contain layers upon layers of Pure Lands as he advanced cautiously, reaching the heart of the seal.
"If I attain Bodhi..."
"Supreme True Buddha..."
A deep voice, brimming with strange allure, echoed through the space, like traces left behind by recitation repeated day after day for thousands of years.
Meng Qi stopped and listened closely, piecing the reverberating words together:
"If I attain Bodhi, all Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Arhats, Vajras, and Wisdom Kings shall become my incarnations."
"If I attain Bodhi, throughout the Three Realms and Ten Directions, across the All Heavens and Myriad Worlds, I alone shall be the Supreme True Buddha."
The words rang in his ears, and Meng Qi's heart wavered. Worries and impatience welled up—the approaching climax of the apocalypse, and the ill-fated ending he had witnessed. A measure of ruthlessness crept into him. He wanted to disregard everything and kill the sentient projections of Yuanshi Tianzun, absorbing them to grow stronger as quickly as possible.
Thump, thump, thump. He shook his head sharply. His Buddha-heart beat, suppressing the dark impulse. This place seemed like a Pure Land, yet it had the power to lure people toward extremity and corruption!
He looked closely. At