Chapter 315: The Moment of Merging with Enlightenment

"Vasto Lorde?!"

The moment they sensed the immense spiritual pressure radiating from Harribel—undeniably that of a Vasto Lorde—the two Adjuchas didn't hesitate for even a second before immediately turning and fleeing.

Harribel wasn't the least bit surprised by their reaction.

After all, while most Vasto Lorde-class Hollows wouldn't go out of their way to devour Adjuchas in large numbers just for the sake of it, the inherent fear and reverence that lesser Hollows held for their superiors made flight the instinctive response of most Adjuchas when confronted with a Vasto Lorde.

However, when Harribel finally passed through the portal and stepped into the Forest of Menos, the scene before her was nothing short of unexpected.

It was empty.

Aside from the massive, densely packed withered trees that characterized the Forest of Menos, there was not a single Hollow in sight. In Harribel's memory, this place was supposed to be teeming with Hollows, constantly engaged in a relentless cycle of devouring one another.

Yet now, there was nothing.

The emptiness of the Forest of Menos made it resemble the barren desert that covered Hueco Mundo's surface.

Harribel swept her gaze around, her mind momentarily puzzled. However, she didn't dwell on the possibility that the two Adjuchas from earlier had somehow consumed all the lower-ranked Hollows in this area.

Instead, she simply determined her direction and continued forward, following the instructions given by Makoto.

As they traveled, Sung Sun, who had been accompanying Harribel, grew increasingly uneasy. The deeper they ventured into the Forest of Menos, the more apparent it became—this place had been utterly emptied of life. Not a single Hollow was left.

"Harribel-sama, something's not right," Sung Sun whispered uneasily.

Harribel's expression remained unreadable as she responded in a low voice.

"Keep moving."

In truth, Harribel had noticed the abnormalities within the Forest of Menos even before Sung Sun did.

But she wasn't the kind of person who would abandon a mission just because of a few unusual occurrences. She had given her word to Asura Gensei, and she wasn't about to turn back now.

What concerned her more, however, was the possibility that all of this—the unnatural emptiness, the missing Hollows—was connected to the very being she was searching for: Sparx.

Otherwise, it was highly suspicious for a Vasto Lorde to linger in the Forest of Menos at all.

'Such a cruel act… consuming vast numbers of lower-ranked Hollows despite gaining nothing from it?'

A solemn glint flickered in Harribel's calm eyes as she recalled Asura Gensei's instructions.

"Find the Vasto Lorde known as 'Sparx' at the designated location. Speak the words 'Leshan Giant Buddha' and determine whether the target is amicable and trustworthy. Evaluate whether Sparx can be considered an ally."

Given the sheer scale of the void left in the Forest of Menos, Harribel couldn't help but feel increasingly pessimistic about how this encounter would unfold.

'A Vasto Lorde that devours so indiscriminately… can they truly be trusted?'

Just as this thought crossed her mind, Harribel's sharp gaze locked onto a specific direction.

There—it was unmistakable.

A Vasto Lorde's spiritual pressure, perfectly aligned with the location Asura Gensei had described.

Harribel hesitated briefly before issuing an order to Sung Sun.

"Stay here."

Sung Sun's eyes widened slightly. She immediately understood what Harribel was concerned about, but despite her reluctance, she nodded and stopped where she stood, watching as Harribel disappeared into the distance.

As Harribel drew closer to the unmistakable spiritual pressure, a massive silhouette emerged in her vision, causing her pupils to contract slightly.

Most Adjuchas took on beast-like forms, while Vasto Lordes generally exhibited humanoid appearances.

But what stood before her now was something far beyond any normal Hollow.

It was colossal.

Hundreds of meters tall? Or perhaps thousands?

Its entire form radiated a golden hue, seated in a meditative posture within the Forest of Menos. One hand pointed downward, the other reaching toward the treetops, as though it were a towering deity overseeing the Hollow realm.

The closer Harribel got, the more details she discerned.

Unlike a true living entity, this being bore an uncanny resemblance to an enormous, intricately sculpted Buddha statue—yet it emanated the unmistakable spiritual pressure of a Vasto Lorde.

Then, in the next moment, the statue's massive eyelids, which had been slightly closed, slowly lifted.

A deep, resonant voice echoed throughout the Forest of Menos.

"Amitābha. You have arrived, traveler?"

"You knew I was coming?" Harribel's brow lifted slightly.

The gigantic Buddha-like Hollow responded with a slow, deliberate tone.

"All things in this world follow the law of cause and effect. If the cause has been sown, then your arrival is simply the effect. This is the nature of enlightenment—there is no knowing or unknowing."

Harribel listened, but while the words carried a sense of profound wisdom, they felt vague and enigmatic. There was an undeniable air of mystery surrounding this Vasto Lorde.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"My supreme and benevolent will descends upon Hueco Mundo as the Thousand-Handed Buddha of the Majestic Peaks. My purpose is to forge a realm of true serenity—free from slaughter, free from devouring, free from the hollowness of existence…"

The massive being's voice carried a tone of serenity and conviction.

"Though you are steeped in the suffering and solitude of the void, clinging to resistance against paradise, this moment is your chance to lay down your blade and merge with enlightenment."

Harribel's expression darkened in an instant.

"So that's your goal… You intend to devour me as well?"

"You misunderstand, traveler. I am no mere being—I am but a vessel of enlightenment. I do not seek to consume you."

The colossal Buddha-like Hollow's voice remained calm and unwavering.

"To my enlightened self, all beings are equal. I do not speak of meaningless slaughter. My only wish is to save Hueco Mundo, to build a land of true peace. I humbly invite you to abandon your suffering and join me in this endeavor."

Harribel's eyes narrowed.

Despite the Hollow's words of compassion and paradise, she could sense something beneath the surface—a veiled hostility.

She spoke coldly.

"I have no interest in your so-called enlightenment. I came here looking for someone—a Vasto Lorde named Sparx."

At that moment, the expression on the massive Hollow's face—the one that had seemed so composed and benevolent—froze.

Its previously half-lidded eyes widened severalfold, and a trace of shock, even confusion, crept into its voice.

"Sparx…? How do you know that name?"

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