“You've got it all figured out?” The Venerable sat on the throne of the Golden Lotus with his calm and unchanging expression.
Phoenix moved her fingers and turned the scythe into prayer beads as they wrapped around her slender wrist, her eyes shone willfully, “Yes.”
“No more playing with knives for a hundred years?” The Venerable frowned.
Phoenix knew what was on his mind as she curved her lips into a smile, “When the True Buddha belonged to someone, he made a great vow. As long as the Sea of Blood was filled, he swore not to be Buddha. Right now, I also want to accomplish great deeds so Venerable should have no reason to stop me. Even though I am the sharpest weapon possessed by Buddhism, I, too, need a break.”
“What are you trying to accomplish?” whispered the Venerable who was seated high above.
Phoenix lifted her eyes, the armor on her body clanked as she said with a clear voice, “Transform Bodhi into a human.”
Venerable went blank for a moment, his eyebrows knitted together as he pondered. He ended up chanting the word ‘Amitabha'. Then, he turned toward Little Shami who was beside him and said, “Let her go. It's only a hundred years, there shouldn't be any big trouble.”
Little Monk followed behind Phoenix, furrowing his brow, “Lord, you wasted such a good opportunity again to request something for yourself instead of turning Bodhi into a person.”
“I don't even have freedom, what do I have to request for?” Phoenix laughed with her gaze lowered, “If it was not for Bodhi, I don't even know what I would have gotten into.”
Upon hearing this, Little Monk hesitated for quite some time and whispered, “You can ask Buddha to send the Emperor to you once more.”
“You have forgotten yet again that this man is not controlled by destiny,” Phoenix's smile faded as she continued, “and sometimes as this person is the most special one, so I don't want to use these means to make him mine, because if I did, it wouldn't be the real him…”
Though Little Monk was listening to her, he had no clue what she meant.
Somehow he also roughly knew about the Emperor losing interest in Lord Phoenix, and had fallen in love with someone else instead.
Perhaps, this was called pursuing but to no avail.
Little Monk felt sorry for Phoenix, he packed the things that she used daily and looked at her with his enormous eyes, “Lord Phoenix, when you get out again, I'm sure that I would have become Buddha by then. After becoming Buddha, I would have to be more prudent unlike now, but remember my lord, I'll step out and help you if others speak ill of you.”
Phoenix smiled after listening to the words, caressing Little Monk's bald head with her fingers. Then, she went to the Bodhi tree while holding the mythical water.
It was the last time Phoenix watered Bodhi.
“I'm going to retreat soon. It will be a little longer this time – a hundred years. However, in this world, a hundred years means nothing. Bodhi, after you become a human, I'll recognize you with just a glance. When you go to Earth, please pray for me. My hands are stained with blood, and I'll leave the matter of the incense to you in the coming future.”
With that, Phoenix took the things prepared and entered the Forbidden Land of Buddha.
It was said that it was the most beautiful place in Trayastrimsa heaven within Six Paths.
When Sakyamuni became Buddha, a beautiful lotus flower would bloom whenever he recited a mantra.
Over time, it turned into a glazed Buddha realm, surrounded by endless lotus, any sense of rage could not go through it.
Only those who had a ranking of Buddhism and had made huge wishes and great vows could enter.
A hundred years was not a long time, it was only a year in the Netherworld.
During this period of time, Phoenix had provoked too much gossip. It was better to lock her up for a hundred years and correct the ethos of Buddha's gate.
The Venerable had never expected that on the fifth day after Phoenix had entered the Forbidden Land of Buddha, Tian Dao suddenly launched a provocation on Buddhism.
Among the rolling clouds, a man with the long and slim figure was covered in pure black armor from top to bottom, as countless demons surged behind him.
Buddhism became a mess, and the True Buddha did not belong to anyone.
Other than Phoenix, the people in Buddhism were usually not good at fighting.
Although Buddhism took up the gauntlet, they were defeated in the end.
No one from Six Paths could stop the man!
In Mountain Tenya, the Buddhas stood above the clouds.
An unprecedented vicious current swept in from the sky as if to force Buddhism to send someone.
The G.o.ds from Tian Dao were puzzled as well. “What's going on with Buddhism this time? Why isn't Phoenix out to rescue after Buddhism has been beaten into such a state?”
Upon hearing this, the man lifted his gaze, his hands still dripping with blood, his eyes wandering among the Buddhas.
However, he could not find the flaming figure that had always stood in the frontline, with a scythe at hand.
She was not there at the Buddha feast previously.
He thought that stirring up at most two fights was enough to lure her out.
As a result, there was still no sign of her.
He always knew that she was the type of person that would break off all ties once they were separated.
What was the use of knowing, when he could not stop himself from feeling infuriated?
With a tomahawk clenched in one hand, the Emperor flitted over from the Light of Buddha and went straight for one of the Buddha's throat, tightening his fingers around it. He then let out a chilly laugh, “Your beloved Lord Phoenix is not worried at all to keep you guys in the frontline. What trick are you hiding up your sleeves this time? Are you trying to lower Tian Dao's guards and defeat us when we're least expecting it?”
“No, no…” that Buddha spoke with difficulty, “Emperor, Tian Dao, and Buddhism are always a family, no matter which is more almighty, Buddhism would never say a thing about it. As for Lord Phoenix, she is really not around, as early as five days ago, she entered the colored glaze Formless Realm in order to complete a great mission-” he wheezed, “-not many people know about it, it.. it is no wonder Emperor would misunderstand Buddhism's-” he rasped, “-intentions!”
So sudden!
The man's eyes turned cold, “Where did you say she went?”
“Coloured glaze Formless Realm.” The Buddha was so frightened by the look he gave him as he continued to explain, “Emperor, a monk does not tell lies. In order to let Bodhi become human, Lord Phoenix made a request to Venerable. She was willing to put down her scythe and do a hundred years of chanting in exchange for the gospel.”
“To let bodhi become human?” The man repeated his words and out of nowhere, he burst into fits of laughter. There was an unprecedented black fog hidden deep inside his eyes. The black fog that was initially a formless ma.s.s was enough to make all the demons shudder in fear.
Buddha had been so petrified by his appearance that he was unable to find his words.
He suddenly recalled what people had said before. The reason behind why the Emperor had personally led the troops to attack Buddhism was all because of that witch who disappeared previously.
So the Buddha immediately shouted out loud, “Emperor, you need to calm down, Buddhism is not the one behind the witch's disappearance!”
Whether it was the people from Tian Dao or Buddhism, they had all heard his words clearly.
Tian Dao immediately realized that things were not right. They came to pick a fight with Buddhism this time, but they never thought to cause much trouble.
This was because within the Six Paths, if there were no Buddhism, then there would be fewer counterbalances in the Netherworld.
The Emperor should know this, after all, this had been the case before.
However, why is he behaving like this today…
The Crown Prince, afraid of the situation escalating further, approached the Emperor's side and whispered in his ear, “That's about it. Buddhism had admitted defeat. We should also retreat, you…”
