The Heavenly Lord's Plan, Against the Flow of Time

The concept of "Transforming the Hu into Buddhas" is a Daoist legend from the past. It means that Laozi Tzu went west out of Hangu Pass to teach the barbarians in the Western Regions and transformed into the Buddha to establish Buddhism.

The "Laozi" mentioned by the world can also be regarded as a manifestation of the Heavenly Lord of Dao and Virtue in the world.

From a secular perspective, and from the perspective of the rivalry between Daoism and Buddhism, this is nothing more than a cultural fabrication, a cultural contest between Buddhism and Daoism.

However, in some mythological lineages, this matter was personally acknowledged by the Celestial Venerable.

Now, Yu Tunzhou is quite certain that the myths and legends he encountered in his previous life were not entirely fictional, but rather "projections" of powerful ancient beings.

Just like the upper and lower realms, even if the passage is severed, a Dao Lord whose True Spirit has returned to oneness can still influence the course of the world from afar through the True Spirit body in the lower realm.

Sometimes, the lower realm also receives various kinds of information from outside the realm, such as an ancient person reaching the summit, which may spontaneously give rise to some kind of legend or myth.

It may even form a kind of culture.

From this perspective, the Transforming the Hu into Buddhas is not merely a fabricated cultural contest; it is highly likely a projection of a real historical event.

For example, in Journey to the West, the Heavenly Venerable himself admitted that when he passed through Hangu Pass and Transforming the Hu into Buddhas, he relied entirely on the protection of the Vajra Bracelet.

o

And now----

The Vajra Bracelet was in his hands!

Is this a coincidence?

Absolutely impossible!

Even after countless ages, even long gone and vanished, Yu Tunzhou would never doubt the strategic abilities of an ancient celestial being.

His expression was serious as he asked in a deep voice, "Is the Master's absence here so that I may inherit the position of the Heavenly Lord of Dao and Virtue?"

Based on the many secrets he currently understands, there is a clear break in the history of this world, with many Divine Ability beings either disappearing or perishing.

Currently, many of these "divine positions" are occupied by another being.

For example, the Great Emperor Ziwei had already died in the Heavenly Court.

Therefore, he wondered if the teacher wanted him to take his place?

The Azure Ox stared wide-eyed, utterly bewildered, and said, "Great Master, I, this old ox, am already awake, but you're still not awake? If the Heavenly Venerable truly wanted you to inherit the position of Dao and Virtue, why go through all this trouble?"

"Awake?"

Yu Tunzhou keenly caught this word.

Yu Tunzhou's thoughts raced through his mind. In this creature's eyes, he seemed to be like it, awakening along with Master Lu after he realized his true identity?

"Do you think I'm also Dao and Virtue Manifestation?" Yu Tunzhou asked solemnly.

The Azure Ox circled the Yu Tunzhou twice, its confusion deepening.

It raised its hoof, seemingly wanting to scratch the horns, but found that the body couldn't do that, so it reluctantly lowered its hoof and turned to ask in a gruff voice, "Isn't the Great Master Dao and Virtue Manifestation?"

"Should I be?" Yu Tunzhou asked rhetorically.

The old ox said honestly, "I don't know either, but if that's how I am, the Grand Mage should be too, right?"

The Yu Tunzhou speechlessly; what a simpleton!

Azure Ox suddenly said, "Has the Grand Master not yet recovered his cultivation from his previous life? Master said that this line of work requires at least some Immortals and Gods cultivation."

The Yu Tunzhou, seemingly lost in thought.

Could this be the great calamity that Dingguang once mentioned?

It is now clear that the two books of the "I Ching" I possess represent the attitudes of Daoist School and Buddhist School, respectively.

According to this simpleton, if the teacher only wanted him to inherit the Dao and Virtue mantle, there would be no need for such trouble.

Yu Tunzhou's thoughts sank. In his memory, Brother Monkey should also have received attention from both Daoism and Buddhism.

besides----

It is the Supreme Emperor Haotian!

The Heavenly Court has four gates, one of which leads directly to Spirit Mountain. When the Brother Monkey wreaked havoc in the Heavenly Palace, it was the Buddhist School that came to his rescue.

As for Daoist School ----

The Dao and Virtue teacher was directly stationed in Tushita Heaven.

It can be said that Haotian was able to firmly sit on the throne of the Heavenly Emperor precisely because of the joint support of the Dao and Virtue Teacher and the Buddha.

Yu Tunzhou's expression turned solemn. Could it really be as he suspected?

As the foremost disciple of Dao and Virtue, his support from the Daoist School was naturally not a concern.

The only thing that needs to be considered is Buddhist School.

But now that the Buddha has passed away, even Dingguang, who is the reincarnation of Ancient Buddha Dipankara, is suspected of being secretly targeted by the Buddhist School, which shows the undercurrents within the Buddhist School.

Under such circumstances, would Buddhist School still support him?

According to Dingguang, the Muscle-Tendon Changing Classic between him and the Yi Jin Jing is not yet resolved, and it may save his life in the future.

Furthermore, the fact that his teacher was having him travel with the Azure Ox was a subtle hint that Transforming the Hu into Buddhas.

Yu Tunzhou could hardly help but think of this; his upcoming entanglement with Buddhist School would be a major tribulation he had to overcome, and it would also determine whether he could gain the support of Buddhist School.

If we can survive this great calamity and gain the support of Buddhist School ----

"Teacher—do you want me to ascend to the throne of the Heavenly Emperor?"

Yu Tunzhou ultimately arrived at the above conclusion.

This conclusion is absurd, yet it aligns with all the current clues and logic.

"Am I Heavenly Emperor?"

Yu Tunzhou couldn't help but think of his own Dao Path, and his conversation with the Dao and Virtue Teacher after returning to the Primordial Era.

"Was everything predetermined?" Yu Tunzhou murmured. "But when did the teacher begin to lay out his plans and make his moves?"

He didn't dislike the Dao and Virtue teacher's arrangement.

After all, the mastermind behind it all is the one who plots in secret, harboring ulterior motives.

The elders in the sect offered earnest teachings and paved the way for our path.

His only question was: when did this elaborate scheme, calculated over millennia, begin, and from where was it first laid?

Has the teacher really left this world?

Yu Tunzhou immediately looked at Azure Ox: "Where is the true form of the teacher? And where is your true form?"

Since this guy in front of me is merely Dao Manifestation, it cannot be his true form.

The Azure Ox shook its enormous head. "I don't know. Wasn't it you, Grand Master, who led me away from this world?"

Yu Tunzhou, not having time to complain about the clueless ox, instantly recalled the Heavenly Court not long ago.

This explanation about the "simple-minded ox" temporarily aligns with the statement made by a certain Dao Lord in the Heavenly Court.

In the eyes of those Dao Lord, Grand Dharma Master Xuandu and the Heavenly Lord of Dao and Virtue had already departed.

Yu Tunzhou asked again, "Do you know what happened before our teacher left?"

Yu Tunzhou, who had been observing the Azure Ox closely, suddenly changed his expression.

Because at this moment, the Azure Ox's eyes were filled with fear!

Its limbs trembled, its tail tucked between its legs, and its entire body shrank back, shaking violently. After a long while, it shook its head, its ears twitching, suppressing its fear, and muttered, "Grand Master, do you really remember nothing? Then don't ask! Forgetting is to sever ties with the past!"

Yu Tunzhou took a deep breath.

What exactly happened that forced the Buddha to pass away, forced the Three Pure Ones to leave, and even Laojun's mount, the Azure Ox, feel deep fear upon recalling it after countless years?

"Was what happened back then simply a cataclysmic event, or was someone pulling the strings behind the scenes?" Yu Tunzhou asked in a deep voice. "Answer me."

The Azure Ox's eyes were filled with confusion and fear. "Probably both. I'm just a mount, how could I know so much? I've only occasionally heard Laojun's mutterings and your sighs, Grand Master."

"On one occasion, the master suddenly looked westward and remained silent for a long time before finally sighing and saying that Yuanshi had already departed."

"Shortly after that, you led me away, Grand Master."

Yu Tunzhou's gaze darkened.

What does it mean that "the Yuanshi has already passed away"?

Will he perish, or will he withdraw and leave?

Among the Three Pure Ones, was Celestial Venerable Yuanshi the first to enter the tribulation?

Yu Tunzhou quickly recalled that Guangchengzi had revealed in the Dragon Gate that Celestial Venerable Yuanshi had long ago sensed that an unknown entity was stirring up the situation behind the scenes and instigating wars between various races in this world.

He searched all the heavens, but found no trace of this man.

Furthermore, according to Guangchengzi's original intention, the Three Pure Ones did not depart before the collapse of Heavenly Court; rather, they "remained in the past."

Yu Tunzhou fell silent.

These two statements are clearly contradictory at present.

He knew that his past life and his teacher had long since passed away, but in Guangchengzi, the Three Pure Ones remained in the past.

What does it mean to remain stuck in the past?

Has a fault line appeared in the Long River of Time?

Yu Tunzhou a soft breath.

History is shrouded in mystery; how can it be pieced together without firsthand witnessing?

Suddenly, Yu Tunzhou's expression changed slightly.

He remembered something he had overlooked.

He has defied the flow of time more than once!

He had several encounters with ancient emperors, all thanks to the effects of the Yi Jin Jing (Muscle/Tendon Changing Classic).

Another instance of defying the ancient times, allowing me to meet my teacher and receive his teachings, occurred in the Eight Trigrams Furnace.

In conclusion, the latter was the teacher's arrangement and guidance, but only the [Muscle-Tendon Changing Classic] left by Buddha was the fundamental reason why he could leverage time!

But then he frowned again, their Daode Lineage code—

What are they?

If he wants to connect with the past through the Muscle-Tendon Changing Classic, he needs to elevate the Cultivation Method methods through the Muscle-Tendon Changing Classic.

When he first met his teacher, he was only taught the skill of "One Qi Transforms into the Three Pure Ones".

This method differs from the simplified version of the [Eight-Nine Mysterious Art] taught by Huntian; the Muscle-Tendon Changing Classic is fundamentally "impenetrable."

Apart from that, I have no Daode Lineage principles at my disposal!

Just as he was pondering how to obtain the methods of other Daode Lineage and trying to contact his teacher using the Muscle-Tendon Changing Classic, a thought suddenly flashed through his mind.

He considered another possibility: the teacher—

Could this step have been overlooked?

If that's the case, it only means that the teacher doesn't want him to go back to the past and meet her.

To verify this, it's quite simple. Yu Tunzhou looked at Azure Ox and asked, "Do you possess any method of the Daode Lineage? Any one will do, but it must be one taught by a teacher."

o

The Azure Ox sighed, "Great Master, you've forgotten again. The Dao Emulates Own Inherent Spontaneity; I've never cultivated it."

really.

Yu Tunzhou suspected that his teacher didn't want him to use the Muscle-Tendon Changing Classic stone to see him in the past, and that there must be some hidden reason behind it.

Most likely, it harbors some kind of danger.

However, he had the opportunity to meet the Human Emperor twice without any apparent mishaps.

During the Eight-Nine Mysterious Art incident, I only caught a glimpse of the Jade Void Palace from afar; I did not see the Heavenly Venerable or any of the other powerful figures from the Jade Void Palace.

Looking back now—it seems there was a problem this time.

Since the Celestial Venerable was in the past, why didn't he notice him?

Given the relationship between the two families, they shouldn't have remained completely silent or turned a blind eye.

Of course, if there is really no response at all----

Yu Tunzhou shook his head.

It seems that using the Muscle-Tendon Changing Classic to reverse the ancient nodes may indeed pose some kind of danger.

What about High Antiquity times?

Could I take this opportunity to meet the Human Emperor more often?

And... Buddha?

Yu Tunzhou's expression hardened; he decided to give up for now.

The Buddha has already passed away. At this moment, he uses the Muscle-Tendon Changing Classic to reverse the past and search for the Buddha of the past. Who knows what he might see or what might happen!

With this in mind, he temporarily put aside these many doubts and made a plan in his mind.

If conditions permit, try to find a few Method Formula left behind by the Human Emperor Human Emperor and attempt to contact him.

This person is probably the only powerful expert at the level of the Three Pure Ones whom he has had the opportunity to contact at present.

"Where in the Buddhist School did your teacher ask you to take me?" Yu Tunzhou asked.

Could the final destination of this journey to Transforming the Hu into Buddhas be overseas?

"Naturally, it's Spirit Mountain," the Azure Ox replied matter-of-factly.

It's actually Spirit Mountain!

He thought it would be the Vajra Chan Temple!

This perfectly matches the travel distance of the Dingguang.

As far as he knew, the ancestral Buddhist School temples in the Central Plains had not made any significant explorations of the Heavenly Court in recent years; their target was the legendary Great Thunderclap Temple atop Spirit Mountain.

When do we depart?

"Master didn't give a specific time, only that the sooner the better," Azure Ox said earnestly. "Grand Master, you must cultivate diligently and not slack off."

Yu Tunzhou's lips twitched.

He has only been practicing martial arts for a few years, yet he has already reached the External Scenery Third Layer. His rapid progress is unparalleled, not only in the world but also in the entire history of Martial Dao.

A hundred feet away.

Jiang Wenxuan stood with his hands behind his back. Although he was curious about what the old ox and Yu Tunzhou had said, he ultimately did not choose to eavesdrop and even actively suppressed his five senses.

There's no other reason than that although this old ox had no cultivation whatsoever, its perception was frighteningly high.

Even a glance from hundreds of miles away, it could sense his presence, snorting in displeasure and emphasizing from afar how important privacy is to a cow.

Of all the Northern Dark Sea camp members, apart from Huaiqing, this old ox was the only one who treated Daoist Fuyao better, and today Yu Tunzhou joined in.

Suddenly.

Jiang Wenxuan turned around and looked back, his expression solemn.

Immortals and Gods level—a great demon?

Why did they attack from behind?

A powerful figure who fell from grace in the Heavenly Court?

"Holy crap! Senior Liu! Those barbarians from Thunder Accumulation Mountain are really attacking from behind!!"

The young man traveling with Liu Qiandao exclaimed in surprise.

From behind the Northern Dark Sea, several powerful demons with overwhelming auras charged into the Cosmic Heaven Grand Array and were breaking through the array at an extremely fast speed!

One of the minotaur-headed, human-bodied figures was none other than the Great Strength Bull Demon Clan of Thunder Accumulation Mountain, with whom they had dealt with many times.

The other two powerful demons were a Golden-Winged Great Peng and a beautiful woman, but her fox tail gave her away.

Liu Qiandao's expression was solemn. After a moment, he said in a deep voice, "That's Niu Kui at the very front! Immortals and Gods from Thunder Accumulation Mountain! The other two are also great demons of the Immortals and Gods level!"

"They must have fallen from the Heavenly Court into the Central Plains, attempting to break through our formation from the opposite direction!"

Liu Qiandao suddenly said, "Notify all parties to fully activate the Cosmic Heaven Grand Array! Use the array to trap them!"

At that very moment.

The Cosmic Heaven Grand Array has been fully activated, and its power is even greater than when the Yu Tunzhou entered the array!

Liu Qiandao glanced back and knew that it was Brother Jiang who had made the move.

only----

Three powerful Immortals and Gods and demons have arrived together, and it's unclear whether they possess celestial weapons. Can Brother Jiang withstand them?

He took a deep breath; thankfully, Yu Tunzhou was still there!

Since he was able to wipe out the entire Xie Household and restrain one of the demon gods, it shouldn't be difficult for him!

"Everyone back to your positions!" Liu Qiandao Human Dao beside him, and his figure suddenly disappeared.

Jiang Wenxuan interrupted the conversation between Yu Tunzhou and the old Azure Ox.

"Yu Tunzhou, the Northern Dark Sea needs your help!"

"Three overseas demon gods have attacked the formation from the rear. They all possess immortal weapons and are all above me in cultivation level. Among them, the Green Mound Fox Clan is particularly skilled in illusionary formations. I alone cannot suppress all three at the same time. I need you to help me hold off one of them!"

The Yu Tunzhou and suddenly turned around.

The ground beneath their feet trembled incessantly, as if a colossal creature was approaching from a great distance, causing even the small island beneath them to shake.

Hundreds of miles away, a huge, pitch-black figure tore through the mist and approached the area at an alarming speed.

Before the figure was even revealed, the overwhelming aura it exuded was like an invisible mountain, pressing down on the entire sea surface and causing it to sink.

That aura was rough, violent, and extremely savage, carrying a pure, primal force that was completely different from any opponent Yu Tunzhou had encountered before.

The Azure Ox looked up, flicked its tail twice, and muttered, "The calves from Thunder Accumulation Mountain are here."

The Yu Tunzhou as it looked.

The shadowy figure drew closer.

It was an outrageously large bull, a thousand feet tall, its entire body as black as ink, its horns pointing straight up to the sky. At that moment, it roared with laughter, "Jiang Wenxuan, I've come to kill you!"

Behind it, another golden figure arrived first, reaching the sky above the island in the blink of an eye, coldly looking down at the two people and the ox below.

It hovered in the air, its wings spread, blocking out half the sunlight.

This was a Golden-Winged Great Peng, its entire body covered in feathers cast from gold. When it spread its wings, the air currents on the entire sea surface were stirred up. The tips of its claws gleamed with a chilling light, far surpassing the Golden Crow Formation Spirit that Yu Tunzhou had encountered.

Upon seeing the Golden-Winged Great Peng, Yu Tunzhou instantly changed his mind.

"Senior Jiang, please leave this Golden-Winged Great Peng to me."

"Half a cup of tea's time is enough!"