Chapter 409: The Buddha
As soon as the three Buddhas appeared, they performed a Buddhist salute.
"Infinite Life Buddha!"
The voice of the Buddha resounded, but Zhong Shan noticed it came from only two directions, left and right, from the Past Amitabha Buddha and the Future Golden Cicada Buddha. The Present Returning Buddha remained silent.
No one seemed surprised, as Zhong Shan had heard from Nian Youyou that the Present Returning Buddha, the strongest in the Pure Land, was practicing an ancient Pure Land secret method called the Silent Meditation, which forbade him from speaking until his meditation was complete.
"Infinite Life Buddha!"
The twenty Bodhisattvas bowed slightly to the three Buddhas.
"Infinite Life Buddha!"
The five hundred Arhats also bowed slightly.
Above, in the sky, a sea of merit clouds gathered, forming the merit Dharma images of Arhats, Bodhisattvas, and Buddhas.
"Recite—" Amitabha Buddha gently opened his mouth.
"Om mani padme hum."
The Bodhisattvas immediately began chanting the six-syllable mantra, while the five hundred Arhats recited Buddhist scriptures, their voices like thunder, resonating through the air.
The Bodhisattvas chanted the mantra, and the five hundred Arhats recited the scriptures, their voices booming like bells, shaking the surroundings.
The Buddha Altar became filled with the sound of Buddhist chanting, with each Arhat radiating golden light. The endless golden mountains around the Buddhas were suddenly covered in golden clouds.
The sound grew louder and louder, rising higher and higher. Even with Zhong Shan's cultivation, he found it almost unbearable.
The surrounding air vibrated intensely from the powerful sound.
"Buzz—"
Suddenly, Zhong Shan felt a wave of deafness. The Arhats around him continued to chant loudly, but Zhong Shan could no longer hear any sound.
Zhong Shan squinted and looked around. The other spectators were also looking at each other, clearly all experiencing the same deafness.
The surroundings had transformed; the original view of the Buddha Altar's base was replaced by golden clouds. These clouds isolated everyone in a unique environment where absolute silence prevailed; no sound could be heard.
Only the five hundred Arhats, twenty Bodhisattvas, and the three Buddhas in the center were visible.
Gradually, Zhong Shan saw the eighteen circles of the five hundred Arhats start to rotate around the three Buddhas. The Arhats and Bodhisattvas spun around their respective circles, turning round and round. Zhong Shan rubbed his eyes and looked again, realizing the Arhats were still in their original positions. Was it an illusion?
There was no sound; the entire Great Annihilation Assembly seemed deathly silent. Annihilation.
The Arhats and Bodhisattvas hadn't moved, so what Zhong Shan saw must have been an illusion. But then he looked up and saw the merit Dharma images in the sea of clouds above, spinning rapidly as if reflecting what he had seen earlier. The Dharma images in the sky were spinning faster and faster, gradually becoming blurred until they appeared as nothing but swiftly rotating halos of light.
The three Buddhas—Golden Cicada, Returning, and Amitabha—were sincerely worshipping.
The silence lasted for about an hour.
"Boom—"
A thunderous explosion suddenly erupted, like a heavenly thunderbolt, shattering the hour-long silence. The deafening sound shook everyone's spirit, causing a moment of disorientation.
Everyone looked up at the sky with a mix of curiosity and trepidation. The circles of light formed by the Dharma images suddenly developed a crack.
"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!"
A series of explosions followed, and the crack widened, multiplying in number. Soft white light began to pour through these gaps.
"Om mani padme hum," the sound of six Buddhist mantras resonated from the cracks. This Buddha sound was different from the one chanted by the Bodhisattvas earlier. It seemed to come from beyond this world, providing an inexplicable comfort and a grand sense of infinite devotion.
Zhong Shan frowned. This sound was identical to what he had heard recently when he entered the Ten Thousand Buddha Mountains and used the Red Luan Powder Lotus to achieve a state of ethereal clarity.
The most remarkable feature was the white light streaming through the cracks. Everyone bathed in this light felt an immense comfort as if the light was purifying the impurities from their bodies. Some of the spectators quickly sat cross-legged, immersing themselves in this otherworldly glow.
Everyone sat down, including Zhong Shan. Inside his mind palace, the Baji Tianwei opened its enormous mouth, eagerly absorbing the mystical energy. Unlike others who were content to bask in the light for purification, Zhong Shan's approach was to seize it, resulting in a different scene around him.
While others were surrounded by a gentle white light, Zhong Shan's surroundings turned a faint black, like a black hole voraciously devouring the surrounding white light. He was absorbing, seizing the energy.
Everyone's eyes turned towards Zhong Shan. His body was enveloped in a faint black aura, seemingly consuming the white light around him. The three Buddhas on the three-tiered golden lotuses also focused their attention on Zhong Shan, each with different expressions in their eyes.
This was the benefit of the Great Annihilation Assembly—the celestial Buddha light, which purified the mortal body. Almost all the spectators would receive some benefits, and some might even achieve higher realms of enlightenment. This ancient tradition of the Pure Land was designed to attract powerful individuals from the divine land.
Occasionally, it even managed to convert some strong individuals to Buddhism.
The Baji Tianwei continued to ravenously absorb the energy. The white light was brimming with power, and Zhong Shan kept absorbing, seizing every bit.
The three Buddhas only glanced at Zhong Shan briefly before joining hands, forming a circle.
"Hum—"
A sudden hum came from the three Buddhas.
"Open—"
A loud explosion erupted from the white light, creating another fissure within the light itself. The three Buddhas were visibly excited.
Suddenly, the sound of the five hundred Arhats chanting became audible again. The Buddha Altar was enveloped in a grand aura of sacredness.
"Pay homage to the Buddha!" Amitabha and Golden Cicada Buddha bowed respectfully.
The Buddha? Everyone opened their eyes, looking towards the milky white glow emanating from the crack.
The Buddha?
However, Zhong Shan remained with his eyes closed, sitting cross-legged, the Baji Tianwei voraciously devouring the endless white light. Zhong Shan's actions were always purpose-driven. Meeting the Buddha? That couldn't be more beneficial than gaining practical advantages. Zhong Shan realized that by continuing this ravenous absorption, his strength might increase even further.
It was like choosing between meeting a billionaire and picking up a thousand taels of silver. Zhong Shan unhesitatingly chose the silver.
"Infinite Life Buddha—"
The solemn chant continued, filling the atmosphere with reverence and awe.
From the crack in the sky came a voice of unparalleled grandeur, filled with infinite authority. Under this majestic presence, everyone involuntarily knelt down, except for those who were already seated.
"Rumble—"
Beyond the golden clouds, throughout the entire Pure Land, and even within the Ten Thousand Buddha Mountains, the sky was filled with thunderclouds. These endless thunderclouds raged violently, seemingly in defiance of the appearance of the Buddha, as if rebelling against the presence of such a divine being.
In the sky, Bai Ye, flying in the outer perimeter, looked up with a peculiar expression.
The Buddha Altar of the Great Annihilation Assembly was shrouded in countless golden clouds, shielding it from the external lightning.
All eyes turned towards the source of the Buddha's voice. The followers of Buddhism knelt in devout worship.
Gradually, a beam of golden light flashed from the crack.
The golden light revealed three sacred Buddhist treasures.
The first was a string of prayer beads, crystal-clear and imbued with a colorful aura. The beads, one hundred and eight in number, exuded an incredible mystical power, capable of mesmerizing anyone who gazed upon them. These were the Seven-Colored Prayer Beads.
The second was a dharma wheel, resembling a spinning disk. The wheel bore twenty-four intricate patterns, each containing what appeared to be an entire world. These were the Twenty-Four Worlds, the Twenty-Four Heavenly Dharmas.
The third was not a physical object but a golden symbol.
A massive golden "卍" symbol, radiating billions of golden rays, descended slowly from the sky.
These were the three treasures bestowed by the Buddha.
The onlookers were astonished. The Pure Land was already incredibly powerful within the divine lands. Recently, they had acquired the Future Buddha, and now, with these three divine treasures from the Buddha above, their dominance would be unrivaled.
Amitabha, Returning, and Golden Cicada Buddhas all displayed expressions of excitement as they awaited the descent of the three treasures.
The Seven-Colored Prayer Beads floated gently towards the Golden Cicada Buddha.
Golden Cicada Buddha bowed with devout reverence, "Thank you, Buddha."
As the Golden Cicada Buddha received the prayer beads and the other two Buddhas prepared to accept their respective treasures, the remaining two treasures floated towards the group of Arhats instead.
The three Buddhas were momentarily stunned. The Buddha had bestowed the treasures upon the Arhats?
In their surprise, Golden Cicada Buddha's eyes widened, as he noticed the Twenty-Four Heavenly Dharmas Wheel and the golden "卍" symbol were heading towards Zhong Tian.
Zhong Tian's eyes remained closed as a golden light enveloped him. Within this light, the "卍" symbol gradually shrank, eventually merging into his forehead and disappearing. The Twenty-Four Heavenly Dharmas Wheel gently settled into Zhong Tian's hands.
The expressions of the three Buddhas turned cold, but with the Buddha's gaze upon them, they refrained from showing any overt reaction.
(To be continued)