Chapter 685: Strength Brings Miracles
After listening to the words of the Divine Vault Sovereign and Emperor Shun, Jiang Li extended three fingers. “I have three questions.”
“My first question: I am already immortal and indestructible; the Black Tide cannot devour me. Heavenly Dao, no matter how much you want me to help you go to parallel worlds to deal with other Heavenly Daos, in the end, the one who survives will be me, not you.”
The Divine Vault Sovereign had never considered this issue before. “Not even suicide works?”
Jiang Li shook his head. “It’s impossible. I can’t even die by suicide.”
The Divine Vault Sovereign was stunned. He had never heard of anyone who couldn’t even die by suicide.
“Second question.” Jiang Li looked at Emperor Shun. “Establishing order cannot be achieved overnight. How much time does the Black Tide have before it descends upon our world?”
“The Black Tide will descend upon the River of Time ten years from now. As for how long it will take to reach your world, I cannot predict, but it will definitely be after ten years.”
“Ten years is too tight. I can only undergo the Ascension Tribulation one more time in that span. It’s impossible to establish the order you speak of across the myriad heavens and worlds.”
“…Although your method of calculating time is a bit problematic, our time is indeed insufficient. There’s nothing to be done about it. We can only save as many worlds as we are able.”
“Then, the third question. Since the Black Tide has been strengthened by passing through the Convergence of Possibilities, changing from ‘possible’ to ‘inevitable’, can I destroy the Convergence of Possibilities and restore the Black Tide to its original state?”
Emperor Shun: “…”
He had traversed past and present, laid plans across countless ages, calculated the heavens and the earth, and finally found a second solution. Yet, Jiang Li suddenly proposed a third solution.
The most crucial point was, the more he thought about it, the more plausible it seemed.
If a person walking within the River of Time could nearly cause the River of Time itself to collapse, then destroying the Convergence of Possibilities also didn’t seem entirely impossible.
Emperor Shun nodded earnestly. “Human Sovereign Jiang’s line of thinking is truly simple… unique. This is a possibility. Destroying the Convergence of Possibilities, while it wouldn’t make the rule of destruction completely vanish, could restore it to its previous uncertain state.”
Jiang Li pressed further. “How feasible is it?”
Emperor Shun shook his head. “I don’t know. There is no precedent for this matter. I am also uncertain about the exact degree of possibility.”
“Human Sovereign Jiang, if you wish to go to the Convergence of Possibilities, it would be ten years from now, when the Black Tide arrives at the River of Time. You can go against the current, following the channel opened by the Black Tide, to enter the Convergence of Possibilities.”
“In that case, I will prepare on two fronts. The Nine Provinces will continue to explore the myriad heavens and worlds, striving as much as possible to achieve the ‘order’ you require, Emperor Shun.”
“On the other hand, I will wait until ten years from now and head to the Convergence of Possibilities.”
“This is the most comprehensive approach.”
“With the matter settled, Heavenly Dao, it’s time to settle the account between you and me.”
Seeing Jiang Li’s demeanor, the Divine Vault Sovereign knew he could not survive under Jiang Li’s hand.
“Things having come to this, I will not defend myself further. It is only that, as ‘Heaven’, I do not wish to die at the hands of ‘Man’.”
The Divine Vault Sovereign lost his instinct for survival, closed his eyes, his spirit returned to heaven, his body returned to the Dao, leaving no trace in the world.
It was as if something shattered in everyone’s hearts.
A mournful weeping sound, carrying sorrow and inexplicable grief, came from the shattered Immortal Realm.
“The Dao falls, Heaven weeps, Earth mourns,” the Confucius Sage said softly. “The Immortal Realm is no more, and the Heavenly Dao of the Immortal Realm has also vanished.”
“Henceforth, it is the era of Man.”
“No, no, don’t!” The Immortal Emperor screamed in terror. His immortal body disintegrated, starting from his fingernails, shattering into feather-like fragments.
The Immortal Emperor was the Heavenly Dao’s spokesperson. With the Heavenly Dao dead, he too must follow in its footsteps.
“We will not… We will not die like this!” the Immortal Emperor roared. The Immortal-Burying Spear reverted to its form as a beam of light, merging into his body. He released boundless radiance, attempting to block this transformation.
The Immortal Emperor employed various life-preserving methods—Golden Cicada Sheds Its Shell, Rebirth from Flames, Substitute Death Golden Core, Twin Life Gu… none were of any use.
This transformation was irreversible. Even with his immense abilities, it was futile.
“We are unwilling! We are un…”
His arms, legs, torso, and head vanished in sequence, turning into feathers of light. Finally, even his soul disappeared.
A generation’s Immortal Emperor had fallen.
Emperor Shun sighed. “The Heavenly Dao is bound by the rule of the survival of the fittest. It cannot defy it, must not defy it. How tragic.”
“Anyone in the world can develop sentience, except for the Heavenly Dao. It is a pity. An impartial Heavenly Dao developed sentience, became an independent entity, transformed from emotionless to feeling, from impartial to selfish.”
“In truth, how could the Heavenly Dao not wish to bring order to the world? But it could not do so.”
“Buddha, Confucius Sage.” Jiang Li saluted. The reputations of these two seniors resounded throughout the myriad heavens and worlds; it was proper to salute them.
Although the Buddha and the Confucius Sage had long since arrived at the battle scene, the series of events had unfolded too quickly. Jiang Li hadn’t even had time to greet them.
The Buddha returned the salute. “Benefactor, your strength is unprecedented in history. For you to salute me, I feel undeserving.”
“I observe the benefactor’s dignified bearing, faintly revealing Buddhist Light. Could it be you have a connection with my Buddhist Sect?”
In the Buddha’s eyes, Jiang Li was different from ordinary people. Looking at Jiang Li, the Buddha saw what seemed like a future Buddha.
Jiang Li hesitated for a moment before speaking uncertainly. “Perhaps because I am at the Mahayana Stage.”
“What is the Mahayana Stage?” The Buddha had not heard of this cultivation level.
Jiang Li explained. “The name ‘Mahayana Stage’ is taken from Mahayana Buddhism. One who overcomes the Heavenly Dao and immortals is at the Mahayana Stage.”
The Buddha was curious. “Such a miraculous level exists? I wonder which lofty master named this level?”
“Immortal Elder Changcun.”
The Buddha suddenly understood. “So it was him, the Dao Ancestor’s youngest disciple. The Dao Ancestor is truly extraordinary. Not only is he himself the pinnacle of the immortal path, but the disciples he taught are also remarkable, actually creating a new realm that surpasses the Heavenly Dao and immortals. If possible, I would truly like to meet him.”
“Is the Buddha coming to the Nine Provinces?”
The Buddha shook his head, his smile tinged with bitterness. “I was deceived by the Heavenly Dao. I have no face to meet all living beings.”
Jiang Li still wanted to persuade the Buddha further. After all, it was hard to say definitively who was right or wrong in this matter; there was no need for such self-blame.
Unfortunately, the Buddha’s mind was made up. Saying more would be useless.
The Buddha entered Nirvana. His physical body vanished, leaving behind a complete set of golden Buddha bones seated in the lotus position. Sutra texts flowed across the surface of the bones, like innate sacredness.
“Why must it be so?” Jiang Li sighed, yet he did not feel excessive sorrow.
Although the Buddha had entered Nirvana, his soul remained. The Buddha would go to the Underworld. It was just unknown whether he would remain there or choose to be reincarnated.
“Confucius Sage, what about you?”
“I have heard the Dao Ancestor reincarnated into the Nine Provinces. I would like to go and see,” the Confucius Sage said with a smile. What he didn’t say was that he actually wanted even more to see the unique Nine Provinces.
Before returning to the River of Time, Emperor Shun seriously cautioned Jiang Li. “Be careful of that descendant of mine named Ji Zhi. He is very extraordinary and has great ambition.”
Jiang Li was puzzled.
“He is highly likely to return to five hundred years ago and violently beat up a much weaker version of you.”
Jiang Li clasped his fists tightly. “Thank you for the warning, Emperor Shun.”