Longevity, starting from being a chicken raising servant Chapter 2444: 217: Future Buddha Lord (Part 2)

“Tibo originally ascended from our world as a being. As per the records, once he came back to our world, he described how numerous powers exist in the Second Realm Sea, with endless conflicts and schemes raging between the different groups. His trip down to the lower world aimed to fix that problem.”

Buddha Tianyin's statements looked messy and without reason, but Wang Ba still spotted a bit of sense in them.

He right away remembered the chat between Immortal Monarch Luhe and Tibo while they played chess in the Immortal Mansion.

Back then, Immortal Monarch Luhe and Tibo both showed they didn't want to fight, yet they got pushed into serving as pieces in a bigger scheme by some beings from the Second Realm Sea.

Linking Buddha Tianyin's current words, Wang Ba abruptly formed a suspicion:

“Is it possible that the reason Immortal Monarch Luhe and Tibo came to the lower world was to stop the immortals from the Second Realm Sea from coming back to the Third Realm Sea?”

“But why block the Sea of Chaos Realm then? What's the secret behind it?”

A flurry of ideas swirled in his head, all tangled up; the deeper his knowledge went, the more questions piled on.

He swiftly thought of something far more important and couldn't stop himself from glancing at Buddha Tianyin before asking:

“Now that Tibo has already perished, what's the deal with the Supreme True Buddha?”

When this query came up, Buddha Tianyin answered with gravity:

“This ties directly to what you said before: Tibo reshaped the heart of Mahayana Buddhism. From the notes left by sages in our world, after Tibo's arrival, he urged all monks in the Glazed Buddha Realm to adopt Mahayana Buddhism. Yet the Eastern Luli Buddha Realm stuck to the Small Mahayana, a custom so rooted that even as a major figure from the Second Realm Sea, Tibo couldn't shift it quickly.”

“Tibo refrained from punishing the Glazed Buddha Realm harshly amid resistance from its monks; rather, he passed down certain Mahayana Buddhist scriptures. As you noted, such texts linger in our world, though they've sat unused for ages.”

At this, Wang Ba's brows creased a touch, his mind swirling with bewilderment:

“If Tibo's Buddhist doctrines were set aside long ago, how could Kong Zen from the Little Cang World have practiced Mahayana Buddhism?”

Even with his confusion, he noticed Buddha Tianyin going on and chose not to cut in.

Buddha Tianyin went on:

“Still, Tibo once called himself the ‘True Buddha’, pushing for enlightenment in this life without chasing the afterlife or rising up, which drew plenty of monks and even some regions to his side.”

“Afterward, Tibo clashed in a massive fight with Immortal Monarch Luhe, wrecking many areas under their control. From that point, sages in our world lost track of this ‘True Buddha’ until, after tens of thousands of years, wandering monks spread word of the ‘Supreme True Buddha’, showing that Tibo's teachings had already spread deep into another section of the Realm Sea…”

Wang Ba furrowed his brow unavoidably and remarked:

“So the Eastern Luli Buddha Realm had actually learned about the Supreme True Buddha already?”

Buddha Tianyin gave a small nod.

Close by, True Man Gai chimed in:

“When the Supreme True Buddha showed up near Duanhai Cliff and the nearby areas, Tianyin and I had already talked it over. But we never thought this Supreme True Buddha would strike so boldly, heading straight for us, catching the Canlong Realm and Void Demon Realm off guard and swiftly overpowering them.”

Wang Ba stayed quiet for a moment, then gradually mentioned the information Xiahou Demon had shared earlier, details True Man Gai knew from Wang Ba but Buddha Tianyin hadn't heard yet:

“Is it that Tianshang plans to rise up? That doesn't seem right.”

He said ‘doesn't seem right’, yet his voice carried full conviction.

Wang Ba and True Man Gai shared a look, both a bit baffled.

True Man Gai had to ask:

“Why doesn't it seem right?”

“Given his level, ascending even now would feel ordinary, no?”

Buddha Tianyin held nothing back, clarifying:

“The Supreme True Buddha's doctrines hold no problems, but he twisted the final aim: no need to pursue the next life or ascension; he can build a Human Buddha Country right in the Third Realm Sea and savor eternal joy. As the Buddha Lord of the Human Buddha Country, how could Tianshang head up to The Heavens?”

Wang Ba creased his forehead and pointed out:

“That logic falls short; if Tianshang Buddha skips ascension, then past Buddha Lords of Tianshang should've done the same. With the long lives of Mahayana Cultivators, countless Buddha Lords across time must have passed from old age. Surely some prior Buddha Lords ascended, so why not Tianshang Buddha?”

“Plus, I've heard Tianshang Buddha's cultivation is so advanced that the whole Realm Sea can't hold such a being anymore. It might not be about choice but whether it's even feasible, right?”

Buddha Tianyin creased his own brow:

“What the layman says rings true, but if ascension clashes with the core of his declared Buddhist path…”

Wang Ba shook his head despite himself:

“Those followers of the Supreme True Buddha just don the guise of Buddhists; deep down, they're all fiends. Why would they fuss over the true heart of the scriptures?”

As this hit him, a fresh idea flashed, and he lifted his hand to free an Arhat they'd captured before.