Chapter 125

Chapter 125: Seeing the True Self!

All beings are equal!

　　The moment Ye Tianming finished inscribing this law, he collapsed entirely. A hand caught him — it was Zhantai Zhan.

　　Zhantai Zhan steadied Ye Tianming, her gaze falling on the law. After a brief silence, she said quietly, “What a talent.”

　　As she spoke, her eyes shifted to Ye Tianming, a flicker of complexity in them. Had she not witnessed it herself, she would have found it hard to believe that such a terrifying law had been completed by the person before her.

　　Outside, the moment Ye Tianming’s second law of all beings was completed, the heavenly dao forces outside suddenly converged at a single point and condensed into a blood-red character — “Annihilation.” In an instant, its aura surged a hundredfold in a frenzy, and this entire world could no longer bear it, beginning to crack and splinter apart.

　　The blood moon on the horizon retreated slightly, temporarily withdrawing from the might of the heavenly dao.

　　The monk saw this and his expression changed in an instant. He stared in disbelief at the strikingly conspicuous “Annihilation” character in the sky. “This… the will of the heavenly dao has gone mad.”

　　He snapped his head toward the main hall, his face filled with shock. “What did he do? This heavenly dao will has lost its damn mind — it actually wants to destroy this entire world.”

　　The will of the heavenly dao — this was the heavenly dao of the true world. Something like this only appeared when someone established their dao and proclaimed themselves an ancestor. Yet Ye Tianming was clearly not doing that……. And that was precisely why he was so shocked. Just what heaven-defying thing had this guy done?

　　Zhantai Zhan stared at the law of all beings and said calmly, “The higher-ups don’t allow something this outrageous to exist.”

　　The monk could no longer spare any thought for what Ye Tianming had done. His voice trembling, he said, “Miss, in my current state, I simply cannot hold this thing back……”

　　Zhantai Zhan glanced at him. “What does that have to do with me?”

　　The monk: “……”

　　The aura of that “Annihilation” character continued to surge wildly, its world-destroying might sweeping over everything. This world could no longer hold together and began to shatter.

　　The monk’s face turned as pale as paper. At his peak, he would have had nothing to fear, but in his current state, he had no way to stop it.

　　Zhantai Zhan glanced at Ye Tianming, then suddenly rose and walked toward the entrance of the hall. She stepped out to the front of the main hall and slowly raised her head to look at the “Annihilation” character. Her lips were moving, but no sound came out.

　　The monk seemed to hear something, and his eyes went wide. “Miss, you…….”

　　Zhantai Zhan paid the monk no mind. She stared directly at the “Annihilation” character. “If you won’t agree, then we fight.”

　　A moment later, the “Annihilation” character slowly faded away, and all the might of the heavenly dao receded like a tide.

　　Zhantai Zhan turned and walked back into the main hall.

　　The monk watched Zhantai Zhan with a long, deep look…… This woman had struck a deal with the heavenly dao of the true world.

　　A moment later, the monk came to stand before the unconscious Ye Tianming. His gaze fell on the law of all beings, and when he saw it, he first froze, then his expression became grave in a way it had never been before. After a long while, he said solemnly, “Incredible!”

　　As he spoke, he looked at the unconscious Ye Tianming beside him, his eyes complex yet tinged with excitement — but that excitement quickly turned to greed.

　　This law

　　was simply too heaven-defying.

　　But soon, that trace of greed vanished without a trace. He pressed his palms together and recited a Buddhist invocation.

　　He had managed to forge a good karmic bond with great difficulty — he could not let a single greedy thought turn it into a bad one.

　　Beside him, Zhantai Zhan gave the monk an indifferent glance. “Even if this law were in your hands, you couldn’t use it.”

　　The monk was somewhat puzzled.

　　Zhantai Zhan offered no explanation. The monk’s gaze fell back on the law of all beings, and soon a look of sudden understanding crossed his face. “I see — this law can only be used by this little one……”

　　Zhantai Zhan glanced at Ye Tianming. “But one day, he should be able to let more people use this law.”

　　The monk laughed. “Worthy of being the person I chose — truly outstanding, haha!”

　　When Ye Tianming woke, a long time had passed. He felt utterly exhausted, as though every last bit of strength had been drained from his body.

　　Ye Tianming turned his head and immediately caught sight of the blood moon hanging outside the hall. It hung in the sky, even redder than when he had last seen it.

　　As if remembering something, he hurriedly tried to sit up — but the moment he did, he collapsed back down.

　　”You’re too weak.”

　　A voice reached him from nearby.

　　Ye Tianming turned to look. The one who had spoken was Zhantai Zhan.

　　Ye Tianming smiled bitterly. “Senior……”

　　Zhantai Zhan handed the law of all beings to Ye Tianming. “Congratulations.”

　　Ye Tianming took it and glanced at it. Just as he was about to speak, Zhantai Zhan suddenly said, “I read it without your permission.”

　　As she spoke, she kept her gaze fixed on Ye Tianming.

　　Ye Tianming grinned. “It’s fine. With Senior’s level of strength, there’s no way you’d think much of this law.”

　　Zhantai Zhan shook her head. “This law of yours is no ordinary thing. For now, it can be called the number one law in the world……. No, wait……”

　　Ye Tianming looked at Zhantai Zhan. She said, “There is a law in Guzhe Sect above that might be able to hold its own against yours.”

　　Ye Tianming was somewhat curious. “What law?”

　　Zhantai Zhan said, “The law of truth.”

　　Ye Tianming said with some excitement, “Can I take a look at it?”

　　Zhantai Zhan shook her head. “I haven’t seen it myself.”

　　Ye Tianming nodded. “That’s a shame then.”

　　Zhantai Zhan said, “Once you go to the world above, you’ll have the chance.”

　　Ye Tianming asked, “The true world?”

　　Zhantai Zhan nodded.

　　Ye Tianming shook his head. “I’m afraid I won’t have the chance to go up there. I still have the Cosmic Grand Tournament to participate in.”

　　Zhantai Zhan said without thinking, “If you want to go up, I can take you.”

　　The moment the words left her mouth, she regretted them.

　　She had never taken the initiative like that before.

　　Ye Tianming still shook his head. “I appreciate Senior’s kind offer. But there are some scores I have to settle.”

　　Seeing her goodwill refused, Zhantai Zhan’s brows furrowed slightly, and a flicker of displeasure rose in her heart. She instinctively moved to stand and leave — but then she suddenly caught herself. What was wrong with her?

　　In just an instant, she had calmed her state of mind.

　　When she looked at Ye Tianming again, her gaze had become composed. “Guanxuan Universe will not allow Yang Jia to lose — just like last time. Yang Jia doesn’t represent only himself. He also represents the interests of every great clan and sect in Guanxuan Universe. The one you’re challenging isn’t just Yang Jia alone. Understand?”

　　Ye Tianming nodded. “I understand. But there are some scores that have to be settled.”

　　Zhantai Zhan gave a slight nod and said nothing more.

　　Ye Tianming looked at the blood moon outside, somewhat curious. “Senior, that blood moon seems even redder than before.”

　　Zhantai Zhan glanced at the blood moon. “Someone’s time is almost up.”

　　Ye Tianming was briefly taken aback, then said, “You mean that senior monk?”

　　Zhantai Zhan nodded.

　　Ye Tianming immediately got out of bed and walked toward the outside. Zhantai Zhan suddenly said, “What are you doing?”

　　Ye Tianming said, “I want to see if there’s anything I can do to help him…….”

　　Zhantai Zhan said, “That is his karma.”

　　Ye Tianming stopped in his tracks and turned to look at Zhantai Zhan. She held his gaze. “If he had wanted to leave, he actually could have left long ago. But he didn’t choose to leave — he willingly confined himself here. Do you know why?”

　　Ye Tianming shook his head.

　　Zhantai Zhan said, “When you do wrong, you have to pay the price.”

　　After a brief silence, Ye Tianming turned and walked outside. The moment he stepped out of the main hall, he spotted the monk not far away in the courtyard. The monk was dressed in a brand-new red robe, looking solemn and dignified.

　　Seeing Ye Tianming, the monk smiled. “You’re awake?”

　　Ye Tianming walked over and sat down beside the monk. He looked toward the blood moon hanging on the distant horizon. “Senior, you could live on — couldn’t you?”

　　The monk nodded.

　　Ye Tianming asked, “Then why choose not to?”

　　The monk looked at the blood moon and said softly, “Because I made a mistake.”

　　Ye Tianming said, “If you made a mistake, you can just correct it!”

　　The monk smiled. “But that mistake was very, very great.”

　　Ye Tianming asked, “How great?”

　　The monk raised his head to look at the blood moon and said softly, “Great enough that my conscience cannot bear it.”

　　Ye Tianming fell silent.

　　The monk said, “Back then, I ignored my master’s words and willfully fell into the demonic path with a Buddhist heart, hoping to achieve what the founding ancestor of our Buddhist-Demon Sect had — cultivating both the Buddhist and demonic paths as one, and using that to reach the final step…… After I fell into the demonic path, I discovered that I was utterly unable to subdue the evil within my own heart. That evil was like a plague — once it took root in the heart, it became impossible to contain…….”

　　As he spoke, he turned to look at Ye Tianming. “There is evil in every human heart. All beings carry the nature of evil.”

　　Ye Tianming still said nothing.

　　The monk smiled gently. “I can sense it — the evil in your heart is growing.”

　　Ye Tianming looked toward the blood moon. “Senior, evil is also part of all beings.”

　　The monk said, “I cannot debate this with you.”

　　Ye Tianming looked at the monk. The monk smiled. “Because I would most likely lose the argument……”

　　Ye Tianming lowered his head slightly. “It’s not that Senior can’t win the argument. It’s that Senior knows I am suffering right now, and so no matter what Senior says, I won’t be able to take it in.”

　　Hearing Ye Tianming’s words, a flicker of complexity passed through the monk’s eyes. “You are too clever, and you’ve read so many books — any theory or moral argument has two sides when it comes to you…… I don’t want to lecture you with any of that. I only want to tell you: to live with a clear conscience — that is truly, truly a wonderful thing.”

　　As he spoke, he rose and slowly walked toward the outside. “Back then, to cultivate my demonic nature, I willfully fell into the demonic path, and in the end I even personally slaughtered an entire civilization…… Tianming, do you know what the greatest punishment in the world is? It is not punishment from others — it is punishment from one’s own conscience.”

　　The punishment of conscience!

　　Ye Tianming lowered his head and said nothing.

　　The monk raised his head to look at the blood moon. “Every time I close my eyes, I think of those living beings I slaughtered with my own hands…… I once thought about making amends. I kept telling myself that it was all in the past, that I should forgive myself……. But no matter how many excuses and reasons I gave myself, I could never escape the judgment of my conscience.”

　　As he spoke, he smiled. “Tianming, a person can do wrong — wrongs can be corrected. But one must never do something that goes against one’s conscience, because once the conscience is lost, there is no chance to correct it.”

　　Ye Tianming clenched his hands tightly, head bowed in silence.

　　The monk said softly, “All these years, I should have died long ago. But my master entrusted the Buddhist-Demon Sect to me, and without finding a suitable successor for it, I could not die in peace — but now……”

　　As he spoke, he slowly knelt down. “I was wrong.”

　　Boom!

　　Boom!

　　Within the monk’s body, a ray of Buddhist light and a ray of demonic light shot into the sky. His life force faded at a visible rate.

　　Yet his Buddhist light and demonic light surged wildly, and in the end, they forcibly suppressed that terrifying blood moon.

　　Not only that — throughout heaven and earth, the will of the true world’s heavenly dao, which had vanished earlier, appeared once more in this world.

　　Beside the main hall of the temple, Zhantai Zhan stared at the monk. “Seeing one’s true self……”