Journey to the West: Treasure Vase of the Great Dao

At this moment, a sense of despair filled the heart of Nether River; he had not expected the gap between him and Maitreya to be so vast.

He lifted his head, looking up at Maitreya above and noticed a phantom fruit behind his head, which made him widen his eyes in realization that he did not know when, but Maitreya had already bore the phantom Fruit of Tao, becoming a mighty being only second to All Saints.

The corners of his mouth twisted into a bitter smile, "I had not expected, you have reached this Realm. Damn it, if it wasn't for that accursed thief who stole my rules, causing my foundation to be incomplete all these years, how would I have fallen to such a state?"

At this time, Nether River harbored extreme hatred for the Mysterious Figure who had plotted against him at his birth; because his foundation was incomplete, he had been stuck at the Three Flowers Gathering at the Top for many years, unable to move to a higher level. Now, seeing Maitreya and others not much different from himself breaking through the illusory and finding their own Great Dao, his heart was filled with even more fury.

However, Maitreya did not care about these thoughts of Nether River, his Buddhist Palm still falling downwards, and soon the figure of Nether River was covered by the gigantic Buddhist Palm.

But just at this moment, an unexpected change occurred; a pitch-black aura spread from underneath the Buddhist Palm, a power completely different from that of Nether River. Maitreya, greatly startled, hastily retracted the Buddhist Palm, only to see that beneath it, apart from Nether River, there was another pitch-black figure.

Nether River was now gasping for breath, bending over and huffing and puffing heavily, the power of that last strike evident.

The dark figure, however, spoke with a relaxed laugh, "If you had accepted my conditions earlier, why go through all this trouble?"

The words echoed through the heavens, stirring the deepest desires in everyone's hearts.

"Demon Lord!" Li Jing muttered to himself, his tone filled with fear and concern. This was no small role, a person standing at the pinnacle of the Three Realms just like All Saints; if he truly made a move, they wouldn't be enough to even fill the gaps between his teeth.

The Demon Lord seemed to have seen the concern on Li Jing's face and said with a smile, "Don't worry, I am merely an avatar, there is no need for you to be so frightened."

Even so, being an avatar of the Demon Lord, his power was enigmatic and unpredictable, and he could not be taken lightly.

"Young Maitreya, what is the point of being a Buddha Ancestor? Just submit to me, and I'll let you be the Demon Lord. Being pure of heart and few desires is bullsh*t; desires are a life's inherent instinct, but you choose to renounce such desires in your heart, isn't that going against heaven?"

The voice entered Maitreya's ears, making his soul waver and a myriad of desires emerge in the depths of his heart. He promptly suppressed the growing desires with his will, understanding the terrifying nature of his lifelong enemy, Tathagata Buddha.

To silently evoke the inherent desires of a living being; once there is a flaw in the spirit, they could take advantage of the weakness and silently alter one's nature—such means were truly terrifying.

And for Buddhism, which relies even more on faith to construct the world of the spirit, the restraint was even greater, no wonder it never let go of Buddhism.

"Young Monk offers his thanks for the kindness of the Demon Lord, but I have grown accustomed to purity and a lack of desire; I'm afraid I'm not suited to be the Demon Lord," Maitreya said with a smile, having put his hands together.

The Demon Lord suddenly sighed and said, "Tathagata had good eyes for people, much better at it than I am."

Having said that, he then laughed heartily, "But this makes things more interesting. I once swore to destroy the dharma of Tathagata, and people like you make me more excited."

The face of the Demon Lord was filled with a manic grin, making everyone who saw it shiver with terror.

The robust black aura obscured heaven and earth, and the souls who were chanting sutras turned into fearful Ferocious Ghosts, their mouths uttering endless curses, using the filthiest words imaginable.

Many mouths melt gold, destroying accumulated bones. Endless monks and Buddhas were tainted, turning into the most terrifying Demon Lords, flitting through the sky and emitting headache-inducing shrieks.

Heaven and earth seemed to have become a Demon Domain, countless Demon Lords laughed wildly within it, the only exception being the land where Maitreya was, a pure land.

In the endless darkness, a light remained, preserving a sliver of hope for a world in despair.

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However, as time passed, the demonic aura in space grew stronger, and even those protected by Maitreya Buddha's light felt their souls waver—such was the might of the Demon Lord.

Maitreya struggled to hold on under these circumstances, yet the black breath still gradually infiltrated his domain. Perhaps soon, he too would be corrupted by the demonic intent, becoming a Demon Lord.

A happy smile appeared on the Demon Lord's face, completely different from before. It was an innocent smile akin to that of a child, yet it made people feel even more horrified.

This was primordial evil, the inherent malice of life, human nature is intrinsically evil. This sensation deepened the despair.

It was as if the most beautiful disguises were torn apart, exposing the ugliness and horrors people didn't want to face, making them lose hope in the whole world.

"Pretending to be gods and ghosts, take this strike from Lao Shun!" Suddenly, a proud voice resounded through the heavens.

The Monkey, holding the Jingu Bang, leaped high in the air and smashed down.

Gleaming with dazzling golden light, the Jingu Bang wasn't imbued with Buddhism's light of conversion but rather the self-strengthening light of the Human Path, the light of good intentions, and the light of enlightenment.

This light illuminated heaven and earth, instantly warming the hearts of all. The dark and desolate world didn't seem so hideous in that moment.

This was the unique radiance of the Human Path, erupting from the virtuous treasure in the Monkey's hand. At the crucial moment, it blocked the Demon Lord's attack.

Good intentions gave rise to brilliant light. Maitreya closed his eyes tightly, his face serene with compassion, and softly said, "Amitabha Buddha!"

Buddha's light radiated endlessly from him, dispelling the darkness and evil, restoring clarity and peace to heaven and earth, and converting the Ferocious Ghosts.

The Demon Lord looked at the scene before him in surprise, frowning slightly. The development of the situation seemed to have exceeded his expectations, with the once believed certain victory turning out like this.

He glanced at the Monkey, noticed the virtue and Fortune and Destiny upon him, understanding this was why he could keep his true heart under his own attack. But this wasn't the reason he could unleash the powerful light of the Human Path.

Only one with an ultimate understanding of the Human Path could emit such a terrifying light. The Monkey, born in the wilderness, had rarely mingled with the Human Path. It could not be possible.

However, the Demon Lord realised that the opportune moment had been missed and staying any longer might provoke the Saints to act. He had already inexplicably lost an avatar previously, and this time, he had to ensure his preservation at any cost.

With this in mind, he, being decisive, retreated, pulling along the Nether River.

But the Monkey was relentless. He knew he carried a heavy responsibility and that he was now the focus of the Three Realms, confident that neither the Demon Lord nor the Nether River could do much to him.