Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
As the Buddha light shone, all of the Buddhas shifted to make space for one position, that was the position above and in the middle of them all. No one sat at that position before because it had been reserved for the Lord of All Buddhas all along.
As the Lord of All Buddhas descended, his figure appeared on that seat. He said to the Buddhas, “Buddhas, please take your seats.”
Everyone nodded and sat down one after another. Atop the skies, all of the cultivators had their gazes fixed on the Lord of All Buddhas.
Ye Futian and Hua Qingqing were still standing there with Bitter Zen.
At this point, Ye Futian was also examining the Lord of All Buddhas. His entire body shined magnificently; it was clearly no longer a body of a common man but was the Golden Frame. Ye Futian had come face to face with the will of several Great Emperors, Emperor Ye Qing’s remnant soul, and Donghuang the Great’s projection, yet he couldn’t tell whether or not the Lord of All Buddhas that he saw before him was his true form.
.
However, this was probably the closest he had ever come to Great Emperor level cultivators. Even if it weren’t his true form, it was, at least, his incarnation.
“Buddha Lord,” Bitter Zen put his palms together and bowed toward the Lord of All Buddhas. He was the apprentice child of the Lord of All Buddhas and was considered close to the Lord.
“Bitter Zen, you have followed me in cultivation for so many years, and I considered you to have stepped foot on the Buddhist Path. What do you think about having an exchange with our little friend Ye here regarding the Buddhist doctrine?” the Lord of All Buddhas smiled and asked. He appeared very amiable. There was no sign of majesty or grandeur typical of the Great Emperors. As the cultivators on the Spirit Mountain bathed under his Buddhist light, they all felt like they were being caressed the spring breeze.
Perhaps, that was the power of the Great Buddha.
“Benefactor Ye is also fated with Buddhism. If he cultivates for just ten years, his understanding of the Buddhist doctrine will surely surpass mine,” Bitter Zen replied. When he said ten years, Ye Futian didn’t feel that there was anything wrong. Master Bitter Zen’s understanding of the Buddhist doctrine was indeed extraordinary, even if he was really given ten years, he may not be able to surpass him.
Bitter Zen’s appraisal of Ye Futian was already really high. After all, he had cultivated under the Lord of All Buddhas for a thousand years.
The buddhas present also understood the significance of Bitter Zen’s evaluation of Ye Futian. The Lord of All Buddhas smiled and nodded, he looked toward Ye Futian and said, “Ye Futian, you came to the Spirit Mountains this time for her, right?”
As he spoke, his gaze turned toward Hua Qingqing. A gentle smile continued to be present in his golden iris, along with a sense of sympathy.
“Yes, I did come for Hua Qingqing. Master Bitter Zen said that I was fated with Buddhism. Actually, it’s related to her as well. I believe this connection with Buddhism was, in part, bestowed upon me by her,” Ye Futian replied.
“Indeed.” The Lord of All Buddhas nodded. A fate connected to Buddhism is a fate connected to the Buddha. Thus, being related to Hua Qingqing was Ye Futian’s fated connection to Buddhism in itself.
When the Lord of All Buddhas looked toward Hua Qingqing, Buddha light instantly started shining upon her. This light was gentle, and as it illuminated Hua Qingqing, it made her appear even more holy. It even seemed like the light of the Buddha started to emanate from her as her entire body shone magnificently. It was akin to the light of a lamp.
Her body levitated into the air and came before the Lord of All Buddhas. The lord reached out and placed his hand on her head. Instantly, a cylindrical light screen encircled Hua Qingqing. It was as though she was a female Buddha.
“All entities have spirits. In the past, even I didn’t expect that you would awaken intelligence. Ancient Buddha Qingdeng, you’ve accompanied me in cultivation for many years, so I gifted you an opportunity in the cycle of life and death, allowing you to reincarnate. That’s why you have your current life. Now, have you recalled your memories,” the Lord of All Buddhas said with a smile as he retracted his hand.
Hua Qingqing put her palms together. A spot of light appeared between her brows. It looked like a lamp and made her appear more holy.
“I was originally a lamp before,” Hua Qingqing muttered, “Lord Buddha.”
Obviously, she had recalled her past.
The lord of All Buddhas smiled and nodded slightly. Hua Qingqing turned and looked toward Ye Futian; her eyes were exceedingly clear and pure. Now that she had recalled her past life, it made sense that she favored the Ancient Buddha Qingdeng because this had been her destiny all along. She was the Ancient Buddha Qingdeng in her past life, she was a lamp before the Buddha, and she had accompanied the Ancient Buddha in his cultivation.
“Greetings Great Buddha,” Bitter Zen bowed and paid his respects to Hua Qingqing. He put his palms together, and his expression was very solemn. He appeared exceptionally respectful.
“Greetings Great Buddha.” Quite a number of Buddhist cultivators bowed to Hua Qingqing, with the exception of a few Buddha Lord level cultivators who had seen an incredible number of years in cultivation.
While Hua Qingqing was young, it was only her age in her current life. Back when she cultivated alongside the Lord of All Buddhas, she had experienced a nearly indefinite period of time, living for longer than even Bitter Zen. After being by the Lord for such an incredibly long time, she could be truly said to have accompanied the Buddha Lord in cultivation.
As such, even Bitter Zen honored her by calling her “Great Buddha.”
Among the Buddhas present there, most were considered her juniors.
Shenyan Buddha Lord and others who were hostile toward Ye Futian were all startled. Of course they knew about the Buddhist lamp of the Lord of All Buddhas. But Hua Qingqing, she was the reincarnation of the Lord’s Buddhist lamp?
Back then, the Qingdeng accompanied the Lord of All Buddhas through his cultivation journey. As eons passed by, Qingdeng listened to countless years of Buddhist sutra and eventually gained intelligence. So, the Lord of All Buddhas used his supreme command of the Buddhist doctrine to help this Buddhist Lamp reincarnate as a human. This story was passed down in the Buddhism world all along, but no one expected that Ye Futian, who came to the Spirit Mountains today to consult about the Buddhist doctrine, had actually come for the Buddhist lamp.
If that was the case, then they knew that within the World of Buddhism, it would be extremely difficult for them to target Ye Futian.
Hua Qingqing bowed toward the Buddhas as well and said, “Greetings, Buddhas.”
Ye Futian smiled too as he saw this scene. When Hua Jieyu first mentioned this to him, he was in shock and disbelief as well. Hua Qingqing was actually the lamp before the Buddha, so it was no wonder she was able to protect Jieyu and prevent her spiritual soul from being obliterated.
Now that he was able to send Hua Qingqing back to the Spirit Mountain to return under the Buddha Lord for cultivation, this whole saga had been brought to a satisfactory conclusion.
“In that case, I have completed my mission,” Ye Futian smiled as he said. With the Buddha Lord’s care, of course he wouldn’t have to worry about Hua Qingqing anymore. Even across the entire world, there probably wasn’t a single person capable of hurting her now.
Hua Qingqing looked toward Ye Futian with a gentle smile. Then, the Buddha Lord spoke, “Perhaps it’s too early to say that.”
Ye Futian was a little taken aback by what the Lord of All Buddhas said. He asked, “Please enlighten me.”
“She had reincarnated for cultivation, and so she lives a different life now. She hasn’t concluded all of her fated connections with the mortal world, so she won’t be able to take refuge in Buddhism; the time hasn’t arrived,” the Lord of All Buddhas said with a smile. Ye Futian was startled. Did he mean to let Hua Qingqing continue to mature in the common world and then cultivate there?
“Hua Qingqing, what do you think?” the Lord of All Buddhas asked her.
“I’ll heed the arrangements of the Lord,” Hua Qingqing answered.
The Lord of All Buddhas continued, “I’ve helped you recall your memories from your past life this time. Back then, when you had just awakened your intellect, you had already been following alongside me for many years in cultivation. This is why you are proficient in the Buddhist doctrine and can help Ye Futian with his cultivation. Now that these memories have returned to you, you shall return to the mortal world to continue experiencing and developing. Upon the time your fate with the mortal world had ended, that is the day you will become a Buddha.”
Hua Qingqing didn’t say anything else. She put her palms together and bowed, agreeing to the Buddha Lord’s words in silence.
Upon hearing this, Ye Futian also understood that it wasn’t time for Hua Qingqing to return to the Spirit Mountain yet. With that, does that mean that he had made this trip for nothing?
But through this, he had managed to find the confirmed identity of Hua Qingqing and help her to regain her memories. That alone was worth this journey!
