Taiyi Dao Fruit

The main character has finally arrived.

The Daoist Lord and Karma Tathagata are the greatest enemies to the Awakened's ascension.

Others might not go to all lengths for this; even the Heavenly Monarch would leave if things truly become untenable, but the conflict between these two and the Awakened is unresolvable and won't ease.

Karma Tathagata, worthy of being another Awakened, with expertise in the way of cause and effect equal to the Awakened, even though he isn't the one ascending, stirred cause and effect to substitute for the Awakened to start the Promotion Ceremony.

'Or perhaps, in the judgment of the Dao Fruit, these two are fundamentally one, and Karma Tathagata's will is the Awakened's will.' Jiang Li watched this scene and already felt the situation was tricky.

"Karma Tathagata," spoke the white-clothed layman under the Bodhi Tree.

"Karma Tathagata?"

A figure in a black robe walked slowly, "Who is Karma Tathagata? Is it you? Or me?"

"If it's you, then who is the Awakened?"

"If it's me, then who are you?"

Karma Tathagata slowly raised his head, a gentle breeze lifted his hat's brim, revealing a face identical to the Awakened.

"Who am I? Who are you?"

The demonic tone gradually faded, but the devil thought grew more intense, resonating within the hearts of everyone present, stirring doubts provoked at this moment.

Among the monks present, most were shocked to see two identical faces.

Although there are various means to impersonate someone in this world, they believed directly, not just because the devil thought affected their minds, but due to the similarity... no, the sameness of Karma Tathagata and the Awakened.

It's not just the resemblance in appearance but the sameness in existence.

When they faced each other, it was as if looking into a mirror, even if their clothing differed in color, it was difficult to distinguish true from false.

"This..." Sunlight Bodhisattva's face twitched as he exclaimed in surprise, "How is this possible?"

Guanyin looked towards the Awakened, solemnly saying, "Chief, we need an explanation."

"And about Manjusri Buddha Friend," Tan Wuwei followed up, "Chief, Manjusri Buddha Friend was killed by the Minister of Works of Great Zhou, now this person appears openly on the Mountain of Mind and Heart, we ask the Chief to clarify the reason."

The relationship between Karma Tathagata and the Awakened is the biggest trump card. When Karma Tathagata revealed his face, the Awakened's position as Chief faced the greatest challenge.

Already agitated due to devil thought, upon discovering this information, many monks showed signs of collapse.

As the highest leader of Buddha Country, his significance transcends merely being at the pinnacle of power, but also the pinnacle of faith. Even though the Awakened doesn't practice summoning techniques, many still hold him in high regard.

This is the greatest characteristic of religious forces; as the highest figure, he also bears the utmost level of trust.

When this trust, this faith, shatters, some collapse, some become angry, and some feel as if their hearts are dead. Among them are the Awakened's opponents and people under the two Bodhisattvas, and to say the least, the effect is strong.

Monks below the fourth rank may not impact the situation, but they might affect the mental state of the Awakened.

If the Awakened's mental state has a flaw, he would fall behind in the upcoming confrontation, worse yet, would result in a failed ascension, and be invaded by the True Spirit of the Tathagata Fruit.

During the time Tathagata validated the Dao under the Bodhi Tree, Moluo used all kinds of psychological tactics to no effect; if the Awakened wavers, it means being invaded by the demon, destined for failure.

Seeing the scene spiraling out of control, Jiang Li preemptively spoke: "The reason? Very simple. Originally, the Awakened and I agreed on establishing diplomatic relations between Great Zhou and Buddha Country, becoming brother states, allowing Buddhist Law entry into Great Zhou, just needing to abide by Great Zhou's laws. But Manjusri intended to harbor a treacherous heart, desiring to enact slaughter, already degenerated into a heterodox. Therefore, I helped Buddha Country eliminate him."

Anyway, this Buddha Country is going to become mine, Jiang Li naturally wants to step up against Guanyin and Tan Wuwei's accusations for the defense of his own Buddha Country.

With those words, he directly labeled Manjusri as heterodox.

You see, it could have been fine if you hadn't intervened, yet you opened the door to killing, this goes beyond common violation of precepts, demanding severe action.

"In that case, my Buddha Country should thank Jiang Sikong then." Guanyin coldly spoke.

"Amitabha, no need for thanks," Jiang Li clapped his hands together, saying, "Actually, I know some Buddhist Law, regarding this kind of traitor against Buddha, since I've seen it, I won't sit idly by."

When speaking, Jiang Li smiled at the two white-robed Great Masters, the implication in his words...

If these two are also traitors against Buddha, Jiang Sikong wouldn't mind eliminating these two for the sake of his Buddha Country.

After such an interjection, the topic seemed to veer off into another direction.

Whether Jiang Sikong said he believed in Buddhist Law or the diplomatic relations between Great Zhou and Buddha Country, either was enough to shock the minds of everyone again.

Seeing the topic about to be completely sidetracked, Sunlight Bodhisattva angrily stood up, exclaiming: "Chief, what exactly is your relationship with Karma Tathagata?"

"Oh?"

Sun Wukong's eyes sparkled with golden light as he looked towards the Buddha Country's fourth-grade Bodhisattva.

The Sunlight Bodhisattva redirected the point of conflict back to the right track.

Meanwhile, the white-clothed layman under the Bodhi Tree kept watching Karma Tathagata, slowly saying, "I am you, you are me, eventually, we become one."

These confirmed words caused an uproar among the crowd, and the Devil Thoughts materialized because of it, intensifying the distracting thoughts in everyone's heart.

The monks, either joyful or sad, angry or hateful, whether opposing or supporting the Awakened, had the other side of their hearts intensified, losing control of their emotions.

Even Weituo and Guangli, who were already aware, almost lost control due to the worry in their hearts, finding it hard not to act directly against Karma Tathagata.

However, the heart of the Awakened remained unmoved by the winds of change, unaffected by others, simply staring at Karma Tathagata.

"Eventually, become one..."

Karma Tathagata softly recited these four words and laughed heartily, "Good! We've been separated for long enough; it's time to reunite."

The Fire House Buddha Hell Master also sat cross-legged, and a black lotus appeared out of nowhere, holding his body as he floated, matching the Awakened on the Vajra Seat.

Ten Zhangs apart, both sat cross-legged, motionless, as the Buddha light and dark glow emerged.

The Buddha light emerged from the Awakened, and the dark glow rose from Karma Tathagata. When they collided, instead of clashing, they suddenly merged, turning into one.

And so, the world changed; the sun hid behind the clouds, and the Buddha Land instantly turned into a scene of dusk.

From a place of purity, it transformed into a desolate region, and the people present felt their lotus platforms slightly sinking into the ground.

Soon after, the world shook violently; a fierce wind arose, and a heavy rain fell, hitting the people and bouncing off their protective True Qi, making a crisp sound.

"This rain is real." The Primordial Lord Rain Master looked at the pouring rain, raising her elegant brows.

Having served as Master of Rain for decades in the Taiping Sect and now having ascended to the role of controlling the Heavenly Phenomenon as Yinglong Dragon, she could distinguish real from illusionary rain at a glance.

"As long as Karma Tathagata wills it, this wind and rain can become real."

Jiang Li's spiritual sense also detected the wind and rain, and as he sensed its root, his voice penetrated through the sound of stormy wind and rain.

Turning illusion into reality, blurring the lines between them, with a mere thought, the world changes, much like creating a small world anew. To fourth-rank and most of third grade, Karma Tathagata's methods are unfathomable.

The storm poured, the earth's waters rose, quickly flooding over hills and covering mountains.

The lotus platform on which Jiang Li and others sat slowly floated, rising and falling with the waves, while other monks, despite their cultivation, seemed like ordinary people, crying for help in the tempestuous waves.

"Roar——"

A White Dragon soared into the sky, revealing Guangli Bodhisattva's dragon form, who moved to rescue the monks who fell into the water.

But before he could reach the water, the world changed.

The wind and rain suddenly vanished, the waters disappeared, and the world transformed from a drenched land to lofty mountains, where lush greenery covered the hills.

"Boom——"

A loud noise erupted in mid-air, and it was then that the Awakened and Karma Tathagata appeared in the sky, still ten Zhangs apart, each sitting cross-legged, unmoving, with a Bodhi Tree behind one and a Black Lotus Platform beneath the other.

Buddha and Demon, their invisible auras clashed across the space, countless visions like mirages appearing in the sky.

"Splash!"

A sudden rush of water sound, the lofty mountains were abruptly replaced by a dark scene, all in sight was water flow; in the blink of an eye, the world changed again, mountains became seas, and everyone fell into a deep sea.

Even Jiang Li and others felt the crushing water pressure, but Jiang Li simply turned his hand, causing the pressure to disappear, allowing those around him to remain seated on their lotus platforms, witnessing this extraordinary clash.

"The Awakened is also adept at the technique of turning illusion into reality, and Karma Tathagata's Moluo Sword Manual is actually based on the Awakened's Cultivation Technique."

Jiang Li looked at the two figures facing each other in the deep sea and said, "In terms of turning illusion into reality, the Awakened indeed has a way to break it. However, Karma Tathagata is now relying on the Great Freedom Heavenly Lord Dao Fruit."

With the help of Dao Fruit, who will prevail?

As if in response to Jiang Li's words, the deep sea changed again.

The depth of the water transformed into boundless grasslands, then came Heavenly Fire's descent, countless meteors falling down, burning the earth. In an instant, the flames turned into flourishing flowers, the scenery bursting with spring.

The Awakened and Karma Tathagata faced each other in the air, while the surrounding world constantly transformed, from mountains to seas, to plains, from water to fire, then to towering forests, and again to a desolate wilderness in the blink of an eye.

Various scenes appeared with the collision of their Qi Mechanisms, the world converting multiple times, until at last, the surroundings abruptly became the vast sky, with most of the monks falling under the Gang Wind in the extremity.

Simultaneously, the clash between the two seemed to have reached its peak, the sky dome tearing apart, cracks spreading like a web, with blood-red thunder flashing, booming, and echoing in the long sky.