Chapter 1132
"It's time for you to leave, Elder Yang!"
The short sword was sheathed, and the Divine Path light surged. Almost every soldier recognized it immediately—this was the ultimate source of their Power of Faith, the return of their god!
Meanwhile, at the Buddhist temple, a group of Arhats appeared dull and lifeless. Even though it was the perfect opportunity to attack, not one of them dared to step forward.
"Leave the stage?"
The Buddha watched as Chen Qing's body gradually dissipated. This time, several forces had schemed against him, and Chen Qing had been preparing this sword strike for an unknown period of time. Without the Spacetime Jade, he had no chance of survival.
He knew that his time might really be up.
Where will I go?
The Buddha was originally a resurrected spirit, and Chen Qing's sword strike had already eliminated his chance for Samsara.
This time, I might really be going to die.
die.
Having lived for hundreds of millions of years, he was very resistant to this word, even extremely fearful of it; otherwise, he wouldn't have come up with that idea to avoid the Outer Heaven Demon Statue.
But when it came to the very last moment, he suddenly felt completely relaxed.
My nerves, which had been taut for countless years, suddenly relaxed.
That feeling was so comfortable.
Perhaps I really was just being attached to appearances before.
The "young man" Buddha looked at Chen Qing, his eyes becoming inexplicably complex. For this being who had schemed so much and ultimately killed him, he couldn't feel hatred for him; instead, he only felt a sense of relief.
Perhaps I've lived too long and lost too much of what I've learned?
"You're willing to cooperate with that Elder Liu, but do you know what he did to you back then?"
"I don't know," Chen Qing said calmly. "I only know that his cooperation is currently in my favor. If I lose in the end this time, it's because I'm not as skilled as him."
"Is that so?" The Buddha smiled. "Indeed, if one's skills are inferior, what's there to say? Young people are indeed more open-minded."
"Is there anything else you'd like to say at the end?" Chen Qing asked.
"I" actually had many questions. He wanted to know why Chen Qing chose to cooperate with Elder Liu again, and also why Elder Liu insisted on killing him. As one of the three great Buddha Lord, deeply rooted in the Buddha Kingdom, with a great war about to break out, why did Elder Liu choose to kill his own general on the front lines? What was he thinking?
But now it seems that doesn't matter anymore.
He still doesn't know if he is the same person he was back then. Maybe he's just a string of memory data, maybe he himself from back then is already dead, or maybe they were all just deceiving themselves.
What would it feel like to have even data memories disappearing so quickly?
Do people really disappear completely from this world after death?
Chen Qing looked at the silent other person and didn't disturb him, because he could clearly see that the other person's usually bitter face had revealed a slight smile. It was an expression of utter ease and comfort, perhaps the most relaxed he had ever been in his countless lifetimes.
Every second is incredibly precious, and I shouldn't disturb it.
As time passed, Elder Yang finally smiled, clasped his hands together, and a golden light transformed into a grain of rice. The grain of rice shimmered with a faint radiance, not dazzling, but seemingly impossible to conceal from any darkness in the world.
Chen Qing narrowed his eyes and recognized it at a glance—it was Buddha Lord relic!
In the setting, when a person from the Buddha Kingdom willingly passes away, they are considered to have attained complete enlightenment. Everything in their body will turn into relics, becoming the only trace of the Buddha in this world. The relics are a concentrated essence of the Buddha's life's power, without any harm, only for the sake of worldly transmission, which is a great act of kindness.
Only Buddha who has severed the cycle of Samsara could produce such relics.
The relic, radiating light, slowly flew towards Chen Qing.
Chen Qing silently accepted it, his feelings complicated. He wasn't familiar with this Elder Yang; he guessed that Yang had only heard about his abilities from Elder Liu and knew that he was one of the masterminds behind the Third World War.
But to say that I harbor any hatred or affection for this person is untrue; it's simply because killing him would benefit Jiangnan.
If Buddha Lord- level figure dies by one's own hand, his body and Buddha bones are excellent materials for magical artifacts, and the extracted blood and energy can revive all the aquatic creatures of the West Sea Dragon Palace.
Furthermore, Elder Liu promised that as long as the Past Buddha died, he could destroy any Buddhist temples in Jiangnan at his disposal, which is why he agreed to cooperate.
Unexpectedly, after the success, the other party was willing to transform into a relic to fulfill his wish.
"Young man, most of the Buddhist temples in Jiangnan were once under my command. If those Arhats are willing to surrender, then let them go. This old monk wishes you success in the end. If it is you, you should create a different outcome."
Chen Qing remained silent for a while, accepted the relic, and then instantly appeared in front of the army. He looked at the Arhats in the distance who dared not attack, and the Buddha in the temple who did not even dare to utter a sound.
"Those who surrender will not be killed. Your Buddha Lord has pleaded for your lives. If you are willing to surrender, I will take you in. If you are not willing, I can also let you go. But if you continue to plague Jiangnan, I can guarantee that your spirits will have absolutely no chance of Samsara!"
Upon hearing this, all the Arhats froze on the spot, clenching their teeth tightly.
For so many years, they have never been threatened like this. Even when the Buddha Kingdom was at its weakest, it was never forced to this point.
However, today they did not dare to resist at all.
Three eras have passed, and none of the three major powers, not even King Level, has perished. Now, even the Buddha Lord could not escape the fate of death.
Is the rumored apocalypse really true?
"Amitabha Buddha." A Buddhist chant rang out, and then a tall, barefoot Buddha slowly emerged from the temple.
The Buddha was tall and completely different from the Joyful Buddha that Chen Qing had encountered before. This Buddha was like a giant Vajra. Although his blood and energy were weak, one could still feel the martial intent gathered on his body.
Chen Qing immediately realized that this was a warrior Buddha.
"Chen Qing, it's been a long time."
Chen Qing returned the greeting. "Master, I am not the same Chen Qing as before, nor do I know you. If you wish to reminisce, then we can skip this formality."
"Indeed," the Buddha suddenly laughed, "Although the genes are the same, the core of them are not the same person. The former Chen Qing would not have followed your path; it was this old monk's oversight."
"Master, you've come out this time, is there anything you can teach me?" Chen Qing asked.
"The Buddha Lord is dead, and I am somewhat bewildered. Since the Buddha Lord was willing to transform into a relic, he must have come to his senses. But I still cannot understand. I would like to ask you, benefactor, to enlighten me."
"I won't let you answer for nothing," the Buddha said with a smile. "If you can answer my question, the five hundred Arhats in this temple will belong to you. Once they recover their vitality, they will be true Transcendent beings, and they were all born as martial monks, making them elite troops even among the three major powers. What do you think?"
Chen Qing was somewhat surprised to hear this, and then said, "In that case, please ask, Master."