Innate Conversion, the World-Honored One's Sigh of Wither and Flourish

(Something urgent came up today, so there will be three more chapters tonight. Sorry about that.)

"Now that you have seen this Buddha, why do you not bow down?"

Hong Tianbao looked up in a daze, startling Wei Lingzhu and Hong Xuesheng, who were also immersed in the wondrous realm of divine wonders.

They glanced sideways and saw the young man standing there calmly, his Nine-Ringed Zen Staff swaying in his hand, the rings clanging against each other.

It emitted a sound like nine ancient bells ringing in the morning mist, echoing through the mountains and fields.

Lotus flowers bloom one by one, golden spring water gurgles, and a single word reveals a myriad of wondrous forms, like True Buddha.

Hong Xuesheng swallowed.

This is my senior brother.

She couldn't comprehend what was happening before her eyes and turned her gaze to her teacher, whom she hadn't seen for many years, but the teacher was also dumbfounded.

Dead silence, utter silence.

Only the subtle sounds of lotus blossoms opening and closing, and spring water flowing, remain.

All five Grandmasters of the Innate Great Realm felt some difficulty breathing.

The person they're fighting over is there; the secret of the Sea-Calming Divine Needle Iron might lie with the other party.

But Zhang Fusheng doesn't seem to be a little guy who can be easily manipulated.

"I'm leaving now!"

A shout came from the Western Sect's Innate Great Realm, and the three Cave Heaven shone brightly. He turned his head, rushed out of the Martial Arts Academy, and soared into the sky, like a blazing sun!

"Extremely disrespectful."

The True Buddha shook his head, and shook the Nine-Ringed Zen Staff in his hand, producing a continuous ringing sound.

Then.

The Divine Envoy that had soared through the air stumbled and suddenly reappeared in the dojo, still radiating brilliant light, like an immortal god.

"You are definitely not Zhang Fusheng, so who are you?!"

The Divine Envoy of the West Cult gasped in surprise, his eyes flashing with a chilling light:

"This is not reality—it's the divine realm! Your divine realm!"

The remaining Divine Envoy the pupils to contract; divine realm?

But where can one find such a realistic divine realm?

But if one is not a god, how could one possess such earth-shattering power?

The collapsed city and the ravaged land were restored to their original state almost in an instant!

"Everyone, let's join forces and break through the Divine Realm!"

The Divine Envoy of the West Cult roared like thunder, and the three Cave Heaven shone brightly, attempting to break through and destroy this divine realm!

The Nine-Ringed Zen Staff was raised and, without anyone noticing, was now lying horizontally above his head.

The important figure from the Western Sect changed color, looked up, and saw that what was falling didn't seem to be a monk's staff.

Rather, it is a vast and boundless Buddhist kingdom!!

He tried to resist, roaring:

"Secret Method, Yellow Turban Warrior!!"

The Divine Envoy him to expand—ten meters, a hundred meters, a thousand meters!

He transformed into a giant warrior a thousand meters tall, clad in a magnificent yellow robe, his feet firmly planted on the ground, and he shattered the Martial Arts Academy.

But the staff, strangely, remained pressing down on his head, still carrying the weight of a vast Buddhist kingdom as it crushed down!

The strongman holds up the Buddha's kingdom with both palms.

It couldn't be held up.

The enormous foot sank into the earth, then sank further, causing the ground to shake and tear apart. He was compressed and shrunk, until he finally resembled a normal human again.

Then, they were forced to kneel down by that immeasurable Buddhist kingdom!

"Mercy."

Zhang Fusheng sighed softly, his left hand raised vertically in front of his chest, while his right hand held the end of the Nine-Ringed Zen Staff, gripping it straight up, the staff head pressing down on the head of the Divine Envoy.

The Divine Envoy prostrated themselves before him.

It's like worshipping a true True Buddha.

The sound of compassion flowed like water, permeating all directions, and the collapsed Martial Arts Academy and the torn earth were restored to their original state.

Hong Tianbao stared in disbelief at the scene, his mind in utter chaos—was this his disciple?

This is my own disciple!

Two or three months ago, he was a naive young man; a month ago, he was a grown man who patted his shoulder and made him sit down.

And now, a single blow from a staff has forced the Buddha-like figure to kneel down.

In a daze.

Hong Xuesheng, standing to the side, was also dumbfounded. Only Wei Lingzhu was somewhat better off—she had seen her master draw his bow and shoot down the terrifying black-robed monk.

While the current situation is bizarre, it doesn't seem entirely unacceptable.

Zhang Fusheng slowly retracted his Nine-Ringed Zen Staff, inwardly marveling at how ridiculously powerful Old Shi's Buddhist kingdom was.

Holding Nine-Ringed Zen Staff, he stood in the Buddhist realm.

It seemed to be omnipotent.

Old Shi probably never imagined that he could actually control the Nine-Ringed Zen Staff and the [Buddha's Kingdom] contained within it.

All because of [the Incense and Fire Prayer Power].

Holding a staff, he sighed with compassion and asked again:

"Now that you have seen this Buddha, why do you not bow down?"

The four Innate Great Realm fell silent, and then, like Divine Envoy the Western Sect, tremblingly prostrated themselves.

They knelt before the youth, their last shred of resistance vanishing.

'Thud!'

The Nine-Ringed Zen Staff struck the ground, and a pale golden ripple spread outwards.

Amidst the ripples, Buddhist Chants, morning bells and evening drums intertwined, accompanied by the chanting of countless monks.

Zhang Fusheng gazed at the people bowing and worshipping, and asked:

"Do you believe in Buddhism?"

No one answered.

At this moment, Xu Daoren Xu's heart was trembling, his mind was a complete mess, but then he suddenly realized something.

Old Hong had never missed a beat.

He is still far ahead of his contemporaries—this old fellow has taken on a disciple, a disciple of Buddha!

O Buddha who has descended to earth.

Xu Daoren felt a bitter taste in his mouth, recalling the scene from decades or even centuries ago when he desperately chased after Hong Tianbao, only to be unable to catch up no matter what.

I couldn't catch up back then, and I still haven't caught up now.

The Daoist priest sighed.

Zhang Fusheng turned around, his back to them. After such a long delay, the moment had finally arrived.

A wisp of divine thought, far away at Golden University, slowly withdrew.

Also taken back were the spiritual cultivation resources they had harvested from tens of thousands of students at Golden University in collaboration with Shen Baobao.

Shen Baobao approved a massive investment of resources; a year of spiritual cultivation in exchange for resources that could last for ten years—who wouldn't want to make that investment?

A total of two thousand years of spiritual cultivation, and one thousand years of physical cultivation.

He took 50% in his capacity as Zhang Fusheng, and promised, in front of True Person witnesses, to help Shen Baobao erase the consequences of misappropriating massive amounts of resources, while Shen Baobao took the other 50%.

Hundreds more exceptional individuals have joined the Gaotian Association, quietly lying low at Golden University.

Certainly.

Both Zhang Fusheng and Shen Baobao must offer another 30% to the Great Celestial Venerable in order to balance Yin and Yang and all things.

Therefore, what actually ends up in one's own hands is 65%.

Compassion, compassion.

Thus, one obtains 1,300 years of spiritual refinement and 650 years of cultivation.

The Nine-Ringed Zen Staff struck the ground a second time.

Golden ripples rolled endlessly, overflowing into a great tide.

"Master."

Zhang Fusheng said gently:

"You failed in your final leap?"

Hong Tianbao was taken aback for a moment, then nodded slightly:

"During my final leap, a great bodhisattva from my Lingshan lineage unleashed heavenly punishment, severing my nine hundred years of Mental Accumulation."

Zhang Fusheng nodded slightly and spoke solemnly:

"Then I will grant you a thousand years of enlightenment."

The staff was struck the ground for the third time.

Inside the Martial Arts Academy, on the long street, Hong Tianbao, Wei Lingzhu, and every single cult member...

They were all pulled into the divine realm.

Zhang Fusheng skillfully controlled his divine realm, and his master and Wei Lingzhu appeared within a vision of seventy-two snow-capped mountains.

As for the cultists, they were all forced to stand before the giant statue.

This statue is not the statue of the Nine Nether Sin-Removing Heavenly Venerate, but a new Buddha statue cast by Zhang Fusheng.

He wanted to give it a try.

The Buddha's face remains his, but the title on the statue is incomplete, containing only two characters: --

[The World Honored One].

In mythology, the Incense and Fire Prayer Power can conjure up gods and deities out of thin air—is this true?

So, in the western part of the divine realm, he created a giant Buddha statue, using his own face as its true countenance, erected a stele inscribed with the name of the World Honored One, and then ordered 90,000 monks to prostrate themselves before it.

Now, the five innate masters and thousands of followers are summoned to worship together, Nine-Ringed Zen Staff is nailed there, with none daring to follow.

"It's dawn."

Zhang Fusheng said this, and then a great sun shone in the sky.

After thirteen hundred years of refining his spirit, he quietly merged with himself.

What followed was immense pressure that almost overwhelmed Zhang Fusheng!

Time within his own divine realm accelerated accordingly.

This time, however, Zhang Fusheng allowed Hong Tianbao and Wei Lingzhu to comprehend cultivation within the accelerated divine realm.

This directly results in the individual bearing the weight of both people's inner worlds— the Contract Book will not allow for any loopholes.

Everything in balance must replenish what is lacking and reduce what is excessive.

Since Hong Tianbao and Wei Lingzhu unexpectedly gained time to comprehend and obtain the method of 'Refining the Spirit',

You will then have to bear the corresponding consequences.

Zhang Fusheng's true spirit, without the protection of the divine realm, directly faces the immense pressure of Hong Tianbao and Wei Lingzhu's spiritual world.

But he held on.

Then.

[In my first year, I began to hone my spirit, seeking a way to break through the second mental Great Limit.]

[I gained nothing; this is not something that can be fathomed by someone at the Innate Realm.]

A year passed in the divine realm.

Hong Tianbao and Wei Lingzhu spent a year meditating.

The pressure on Zhang Fusheng has increased even further.

The five Divine Envoy, along with hundreds and thousands of believers, prostrated, knelt, and chanted before the statue of the World Honored One for a year.

[Second Year]

[In the third hundred years, I am still trying to find the location of the second spiritual Great Limit.]

[During this year, I sought enlightenment, contemplated countless things, and practiced various wondrous methods. My divine realm grew stronger day by day, yet I still could not see the second Great Limit of my spiritual lifespan.]

Three hundred years have passed.

Some believers have become numb and devout, but the five Innate Great Realm have not yet had their minds eroded.

Their youngest, Xu Daoren, lived for one or two hundred years and was a true prodigy. The other four veteran innate masters had lived for over a thousand years.

His spirit is profound, and his thoughts are difficult to erode with the passage of time.

[In the five hundredth year, after days and nights of meditation, my mind began to become muddled and made no progress.]

Zhang Fusheng found the pressure unbearable and, on a whim, banished Wei Lingzhu from the Divine Realm, leaving his master alone to continue his comprehension.

The pressure suddenly decreased.

Another year has passed, and another year has gone by.

Time flies, like a fleeting moment.

Hong Tianbao sat upright in the Great Snow Mountain, neither hungry nor thirsty, neither craving nor aging. He had once been the most dazzling trendsetter among his contemporaries.

At this moment, it finally shines with its own brilliance, and its spiritual cultivation advances by leaps and bounds!

[The First Millennium]

[My Mental Accumulation has surpassed the four-thousand-year mark, yet breaking through the Great Limit remains a distant prospect. Is it truly impossible to touch the second spiritual Great Limit without reaching the realm of Celestial Person?]

That was also the year.

Within the divine realm, aside from the five Divine Envoy, all the other followers, whether martial artists still honing their physical strength or not,

Or perhaps Martial Arts Master, or even a Grandmaster of the Principles or High Envoy.

They have done everything with utmost piety and sincerity.

A thousand years have passed.

And those at the Innate Great Realm?

Their spirit was incredibly profound; even in the face of idols and the countless relics of monks chanting sutras, they maintained their principles.

Although devout, they were not truly sincere.

Each Innate Great Realm represents a prodigy who has overcome countless hardships and broken through the Great Limit their spiritual potential.

Putting aside other matters, their willpower was as firm as mountains and the sea.

A thousand years is nothing.

How can I extinguish that burning fire in my heart?

As for now.

Among the seventy-two Great Snow Mountain.

Hong Tianbao sat upright, his body, formed from a wisp of will, was glowing—he had already attained the level of Thousand Year Spirit Refining.

Zhang Fusheng was exhausted, his body swaying precariously, bearing the price his master had paid for gaining a thousand years of cultivation for nothing.

With a thought, he threw his master, who had already begun his final leap, out of the divine realm, and immediately felt relieved.

The last three hundred years passed in the blink of an eye.

[In the 1300th year, I can sever mountains with a single thought, or evaporate rivers with a single thought, but I see no limit.]

[Four thousand three hundred years of Mental Accumulation has made me unparalleled among those in the same realm, but why am I still unable to Limit-Breaking?]

[I do not understand]

The rapidly flowing time suddenly stopped.

When Zhang Fusheng stepped out of the divine realm and opened his eyes...

Hong Xuesheng only experienced it in the blink of an eye.

In the blink of an eye, thirteen hundred years have passed.

When I looked up again...

Inside the Martial Arts Academy, all was quiet and peaceful. Outside, on the long street, over a thousand devotees stood with utmost piety and devotion.

And inside.

Zhang Fusheng sighed:

"The Sea of Suffering is boundless."

The five Divine Envoy, though not entirely sincere, had already 'converted' to the deity, and chanted softly:

"By the World Honored One!"

Zhang Fusheng smiled, glanced at his master who was making his final leap, and exhaled a soft breath.

As for this...

Everything is accomplished.

"Compassion, compassion!"

The Nine-Ringed Zen Staff swayed, casting a dim, flowing shadow over the long street.

Under the watchful eyes of many, the young Buddha stood in the lotus, surrounded by the golden spring, but suddenly began to age.

In a single instant, he aged a hundred years; fifteen instants later, he aged fifteen hundred years, his white beard trailing on the ground, the vicissitudes of life reflected in his body.

He sighed:

"Wither and Flourish!"

The believers clasped their hands together and responded:

"World Honored One!"

The Buddha spoke of the cycle of Wither and Flourish over 1,500 years. On that day, the five great converts wept uncontrollably, calling out "World Honored One" repeatedly.

(Three more chapters to go, it will probably be around 8 PM tonight. Sorry, I'll resume normal updates tomorrow.)