I Am Fruition Status!

The dust has gradually settled in the Spirit Mountain Sacred Realm.

The figures representing the highest authority in this world have vanished, leaving only this once sacred land with its dim Buddhist light, dilapidated palaces, and desolate ruins, telling the story of the desolation after the collapse of prosperity in the vast twilight.

Deep within the ruins, amidst the shadows of rubble and remains, a figure slowly emerges with slightly heavy steps.

It was none other than the Crown Prince of Southern Yin, who had long been serving under the Qingyuan True Lord Wendao and had been lying low.

Stepping over the cracked paving stones and the broken limbs of the gilded Buddha statue, my gaze passed over the devastation and landed on the southern horizon where the once blazing Great Sun had finally vanished.

There was nothing there.

Only the drifting clouds made it seem as if all the breathtaking events were just a dream.

However, the Crown Prince of Southern Yin felt as heavy as if he were weighed down by black iron.

He actually succeeded.

A barely audible whisper escaped his throat with difficulty, carrying a hint of disbelief and dryness, and imbued with an indescribable complexity of emotions.

True Lord.

These two simple words are like an insurmountable mountain range that stands above the heads of countless cultivators in Xuanhuang.

Decades ago, atop the Southern Yin Palace, he bore the weight of the nation's fate, held the Supreme Dao Foundation, and regarded the Qi Yun as a hidden dragon in the abyss: though he sensed its extraordinary nature, he was confident that it was still beneath him.

Unexpectedly, the world changed dramatically in a single day.

Not only did the hidden dragon soar into the sky, but it also broke free from countless shackles and ascended straight to the heavens. Under the watchful eyes of everyone, it boldly proved its Dao and achieved the supreme position of True Lord!

The opponents and adversaries who were once on equal footing or even looked down upon have, in the blink of an eye, become "sovereigns" who must be looked up to or even revered.

The contrast was like falling from the clouds to the dust, or witnessing the carp in the pond of yesteryear transform into a dragon that devours the heavens. This filled the chest of the proud and ambitious former crown prince with an unyielding sense of suffocation and resentment.

"However—" Crown Prince of Southern Yin's eyes flickered as he forcibly suppressed his turbulent emotions.

Although he seized the legacy of the World-Honored One's Handwritten Scripture and rose to prominence by taking advantage of the situation, it may not have been an easy path for him.

Such forced refining, though seemingly impressive, actually abandons the path to [Supreme].

He took a deep breath of the air, which smelled of scorched earth and dust.

"What I bear is the true Supreme Dao Foundation, inheriting the legacy of the Southern Yin's thousand-year national fortune. Its foundation is upright and its potential is profound, far surpassing that of unorthodox sects."

As long as I can find an opportunity, I can use my supreme position to knock on the door of the True Lord ----

At that time, it will be impossible to know who will be stronger or weaker!

"He who laughs first may not laugh last."

A moment of self-consolation was like throwing a pebble into a lake of the heart, creating ripples of "hope" that barely diluted the gloom.

"If this secret were to be revealed to True Lord Qingyuan at the appropriate time—" A glint flashed in the eyes of the Crown Prince of Southern Yin as he weighed the pros and cons.

"The True Lord is discerning and perceptive; perhaps he can glean from this the opportunity to control this person."

And I can use this credit to gain more trust and resources—"

Thinking of this, a glimmer of light, a mixture of calculation and expectation, quietly rose in his eyes.

However, the moment this thought arose, a strange change occurred!

The Crown Prince of Southern Yin suddenly felt the surrounding light dim, followed by a dazzling, intense white light!

Beneath my feet lie the shattered ruins of Spirit Mountain, the dim twilight sky, and the lingering, mournful sound of the wind.

Everything seemed to be wiped away in an instant by an invisible hand, disappearing without a trace.

Instead, there was an Infinite Light, boundless and pure to the extreme!

There are no ups and downs, no directions, no past or present, only light, a gentle yet boundless and majestic light that fills every inch of perception.

In the center of that world of light, a figure of indescribable magnificence and grandeur stood silently.

The figure was an outline formed from Infinite Light, reaching to the heavens and earth, as if supporting the entire sky and earth of this world of light.

Just being "watched" by that figure, the Crown Prince of Southern Yin felt an immense pressure, as if ten thousand divine mountains were stacked on top of each other and the entire sky were collapsing, descend upon him with a thunderous roar!

"Click----"

A faint, teeth-grinding groan emanated from his body.

Before he could even react, his knees buckled uncontrollably, and he collapsed heavily to his knees in this pure, bright place.

Boundless fear and a sense of insignificance instantly devoured all his calculations and thoughts.

A calm, gentle voice, yet as clear as the Principle of Heavenly Dao, resonated deep within the heart of the Crown Prince of Southern Yin, slowly echoing. "Your Highness, it's been a long time. How have you been?"

It's the sound of Qi Yun!

Yet it was also incredibly vast and indifferent, carrying the unique majesty of True Lord, surpassing all living beings.

"Your Highness and I are old acquaintances."

"My past insignificant identity is not something that should be widely known even now." The voice continued, its tone still calm, but every word carried immense weight, pressing down on the mind of the Crown Prince of Southern Yin.

"I hope Your Highness will remember our past relationship and keep quiet for now, and not let this matter spread."

The Crown Prince of Southern Yin trembled all over, not only because of the terrifying pressure, but also because of a chilling feeling that he had been completely seen through and that his life and death were in the hands of others.

He had no doubt that with just a thought, the other party could completely annihilate him in this Infinite Light, leaving not even a trace.

"True— True Lord —Rest assured—" He practically squeezed the words out between his teeth, each syllable accompanied by a soft cracking sound as his bones strained under the weight.

I will certainly keep my mouth shut like a sealed bottle and never reveal even a single word.

His words were broken and intermittent, yet he used all his strength.

"Hehe----"

The luminous figure seemed to let out a very soft laugh, its tone unreadable.

"Your Highness is truly wise and understanding; I am deeply gratified."

The moment the words fell, Crown Prince of Southern Yin suddenly felt as if an invisible, intangible, yet all-encompassing hand gently brushed across the top of his head from the highest point of Infinite Light.

"Laugh----"

A barely perceptible sound, like a thread being pulled away, brushed past his the Unseen senses.

That is—the thread of cause and effect?

Before he could figure it out, that vast world of light began to fade and collapse rapidly.

The Infinite Light receded like a tide, and the shattered scenery of the Spirit Mountain, the chilly twilight, and the air carrying the smell of burnt matter—all flooded back into his senses.

Thump!

He remained kneeling, his knees firmly planted on the cold, gravelly ground.

Only one voice slowly drifted over.

"I feel an instant connection with Your Highness, and I believe we will meet again in the future."

His voice paused slightly, remaining calm yet carrying a chilling warning. "Fellow Daoist Qingyuan won't be guarding you—never leaving your side."

As dusk settled, the ruins fell silent.

The Crown Prince of Southern Yin knelt on the shattered Buddhist altar for a long, long time before, extremely slowly, he used trembling fingers to support himself on the cold ground, trying to stand up little by little.

He slowly and with tremendous force clenched his fists.

Looking up at the southern horizon where Qi Yun had departed, there was nothing there anymore.

Only the last rays of the setting sun, like blood, painted the distant horizon, seemingly watching everything indifferently.

The wind whistles through the ruins, sounding like a mournful cry.

West Sea Coast.

Stepping into that luminous grotto born from dust, the connection between you and the mortal world seems to fall silently behind you like a veil.

Buzz----

Upon entering this world entirely derived from his own Great Dao, the majestic aura surrounding the Great Sun Purple Ultimate True Lord, which was as soaring as the blazing sun patrolling the sky and unapproachable, suddenly froze, and then rapidly weakened and declined like a long dike collapsing.

His once crystal-clear, jade-like body, radiating a faint purple-gold luster, suddenly developed countless fine cracks, like cracked porcelain, spreading from his brow, the corners of his eyes, and his fingertips, with a faint, dim luster escaping from the cracks.

The great Great Sun behind his head, which should have been perfect and flawless, illuminating the cave, was now in disarray. At its edges, large patches of blazing white light peeled off like weathered plaster, turning into specks of light that drifted away and merged into the omnipresent light within the cave, revealing a kind of desolate state of damaged origin.

[Fruition Status Collision], even though he ultimately plundered a wisp of Golden Nature from the Wrathful Wisdom King Bodhisattva, seemingly gaining the upper hand.

But how could a reckless act of disrupting the established position of a long-established Bodhisattva come without a price?

Now that I'm back in my own world, my mind is a little relaxed, and the injuries are surging back like a tidal wave.

He sat cross-legged in the center of the cave, and a golden lotus platform made of pure Great Sun True Fire naturally appeared beneath him.

The Great Sun Purple Ultimate True Lord closed his eyes slightly, his face expressionless, silently circulating his profound inner energy.

In an instant, this Speck of Dust Grotto-Heaven resonated with it, and endless, extremely pure primordial energy of light surged in from all directions, transforming into a milky-white spiritual light visible to the naked eye, swirling around its body.

The Dao Source within his body slowly rotated, each Lunzhuan unleashing a scorching and domineering radiance, like countless delicate yet resilient needles of light, weaving through every crack in his immortal body, mending and smoothing them, and penetrating deeper into the source to repair the subtle hidden wounds on that invisible Dao Fruit.

Where the light flowed, the cracks vanished at a speed visible to the naked eye.

The scattered radiance was gathered back in, and the edges of the Great Sun peeling off the back of the head began to slowly and steadily recombine.

Time seems to stand still in this celestial realm, where only light flows.

After an unknown amount of time, the cracks on the surface of the immortal body disappeared completely, and its aura returned to its profound depth. However, compared to its peak, there was still a trace of barely perceptible weakness.

The Great Sun Purple Ultimate True Lord slowly opened his eyes, which reflected the eternal light within the cave, as well as the life-or-death scene that had shaken the Xuanhuang earlier.

"Wrathful Wisdom King— " he murmured to himself, his voice rippling through the tranquil world of light.

"Eight hundred years after attaining enlightenment, his anger has not subsided. His Divine Court appears magnificent, yet he lacks capable assistants. Though his Fruition Status is high, his Dao heart is flawed, and his roots are not deep enough—"

Recalling the violent shaking of the Azure Flame Buddha Land and the tremor of its core Golden Nature upon impact, a belated realization and a chilling glint flashed in his eyes.

"If it were a Bodhisattva like Dragon Elephant Prajna, with a profound foundation, Divine Court as stable as Mount Sumeru, and Fruition Status deeply intertwined with the long river of time—"

If I were to confront it head-on, I fear that my Dao Fruit would crumble and my true spirit would dissipate.

This risky endeavor was actually achieved by seizing a slight flaw in the foundation of the Wrathful Wisdom King Bodhisattva 'Dao Foundation. By acting without intention but with intent, and by taking a desperate gamble, he managed to succeed, thereby stripping the Bodhisattva of his Golden Nature and damaging his status.

The dangers involved, even now, still stir up lingering fears in my heart.

The thoughts of the Great Sun Purple Ultimate True Lord drifted far away, tracing the river of time upstream, returning to that crucial moment that determined his fate.

At the summit of Spirit Mountain, under the watchful eyes of all the True Lord and the Unseen, and even the Heaven's Will of Heaven and Earth's Long River of Time descended, as if seeking the golden proof of the Dao.

Memories flooded back like a tidal wave, crystal clear.

The grey river, imbued with the boundless power of time, flowed like a giant waterfall connecting heaven and earth, ignoring all Divine Ability brilliance, and crashed down upon his manifested Great Radiance Mahasthamaprapta Dharma Body.

The pure Pure Land, created by the pure light and Buddha's power, rapidly dissolved, the white lotus withered, and the golden body became covered in dust.

The Dharma Body aged and shrank at a speed visible to the naked eye; its warm and smooth skin was covered with wrinkles, and its Baoguang dimmed, as if its vitality of ten thousand years had been drained in an instant.

Deep within the Purple Mansion, the newly born Primordial Spirit, which should have been vibrant and immortal, rapidly dimmed and became turbid under the erosion of the power of time. Its thoughts became sluggish, and its spiritual light flickered and was about to be extinguished.

Without the support and protection of Fruition Status, he was exposed nakedly to the most fundamental erosive force of time and the universe.

Like a rootless duckweed, struggling in the towering waves, it seems that it will be completely submerged and assimilated at any moment, unable to leave even the mark of its true spirit, becoming an insignificant speck of dust in the long river of time.

Helpless, insignificant, and on the verge of despair.

However, just as all external reliance on the physical body and the Primordial Spirit is mercilessly stripped away and washed away by the years.

Something more essential becomes more apparent and clearer in dire circumstances.

It is the mind of the Tao.

Even though I possess nothing of value, I am but a person, with only a heart devoted to the Dao.

That unwavering will, forged through countless trials and tribulations, to transcend, to prove the Way, and to forge its own unique path, has not dimmed under the erosion of time.

Instead, like jade washed by a torrent, it sheds all its superficiality and dust, becoming even purer, more solid, and more dazzling!

When you have no one to rely on, rely on your heart.

Without relying on anyone or lifting anyone up, one should use one's own will as a ladder!

With such a pure and unwavering Daoist heart, a miracle occurred.

An indescribable and profound power flowed forth from the deepest part of that Dao heart!

The aging Dharma Body and the dim Primordial Spirit began to merge in their most essential form under the influence of this power originating from their own fundamental will.

Light and spirit intertwine, form and meaning unite, shedding old forms and hindrances, together forging an unprecedented immortal body!

At the same time, that supremely transcendent Dao heart and will, carrying the origin of this newly born immortal body, suddenly "leap forward" in a mysterious and indescribable way!

Having broken free from the shackles of the Long River of Time, penetrated the barrier between reality and illusion, disregarded the established ladder of rank and status, and directly ascended to the [All Wonders Heaven], the place where all laws originate and the Great Dao manifests!

There is no need to seek external recognition of one's "Fruition Status," nor is it necessary to follow the old path of "Golden Nature" condensation.

With his unique Dao heart and newly born immortal body as his foundation, he carved out a place of his own in the All Wonders Heaven, and condensed the imprint of his own Dao!

At that moment, he was the Tao, and the Tao was him.

The position of True Lord is self-evident!

Within the grotto, the ripples of memories slowly subsided.

The eyes of the Great Sun Purple Ultimate True Lord shone with a radiant light, a light born of enlightenment.

The lingering fear from before has completely dissipated, replaced by a sense of calm and confidence that comes from a deep understanding of the situation.

Reflecting on the resolute realization he gained during his tribulation, and confirming the spiritual light he received after Fruition Status Collision and seizing the Golden Nature of the Wrathful Wisdom King Bodhisattva, a knowing smile gradually appeared on his face.

"Not relying on Fruition Status or seeking the Golden Nature."

He spoke softly, as if summarizing or announcing.

"Rise to immortality and establish yourself as ruler."

The eight-character cryptic statement reveals the core True Intention of his unprecedented path.

As soon as he finished speaking, the blazing Great Sun behind his head, which had been slightly dimmed by his injuries, seemed to be infused with new vitality and enlightenment, and suddenly shone with Infinite Light again!

This time, the light was not only fiery and domineering, but also carried an ultimate meaning of harmony, freedom, and self-importance.

Light shone throughout the entire Speck of Dust Grotto-Heaven, and the grotto-heaven world resonated with it. The illusory images of mountains and rivers solidified, the spiritual springs gushed forth, and the creatures of light leaped with joy.

The whole world became more vibrant and stable because of the fulfillment and elevation of his State of Mind.

The Great Sun Purple Ultimate True Lord slowly stood up, atop the golden flame lotus platform, his immortal body flawless, his aura as deep as the sea.

He looked up at the "sky" above the cave, manifested by his own will. The light seemed to penetrate the cave's walls, revealing the All Wonders Heaven in the the Unseen and the unique mark symbolizing his own Great Dao.

His smile widened, finally transforming into a clear, resonant, and confident shout that echoed throughout his own realm, "My Way is Truth, My Heart is Law!"

"I am the one who has Fruition Status!"