CHAPTER 855: CHAPTER 578: I AM NOT THE HEART EMPEROR

"Lu Chenzhou is the Heart Emperor?"

The Heart Dream Emperor and Emperor Hanu seemed to realize something, turning their gazes.

No wonder Lu Chenzhou cultivates so swiftly; so he is a Great Power reborn?

"Me? Heart Emperor?" A hint of surprise stirred within Lu Chenzhou’s heart.

The crimson-robed woman before him was the Red Leaf Ancient Emperor, renowned alongside the Ancient Emperor Lanshan.

Red Leaf Ancient Emperor circled Lu Chenzhou once, scrutinizing him carefully, then spoke calmly.

"Before her extinction, the Heart Dream Emperor attempted reincarnation and cultivation anew, while the Great Cosmic Will remained silent."

"Was she successful?"

"I do not know."

"Then perhaps she failed? I am just myself."

"Yet, at seventy, you entered the Seventh Realm of Heart Cultivation, and I sense Great Dream Dao Essence upon you. Back then, in the Hanhai Realm, the Great Dream Patriarch—was that not you?"

The Ancient Emperor Lanshan fixed his gaze upon Lu Chenzhou.

As a Great Power, how piercing his vision must be.

At a glance, he could see through much of Lu Chenzhou’s Dao foundations.

The Great Dream is the Supreme Principle of Heart Cultivation; can ordinary beings comprehend such?

"The Great Dream Patriarch is me, and the Great Dream Dao was realized from the Illusion Realm Dao by myself; it bears no relation to the Heart Emperor."

Lu Chenzhou answered with righteous confidence.

His achievements this day were due half to the Martial Arts Tree, and half to his own endeavors. It truly had nothing to do with the Heart Emperor.

He knew this well, yet could not explain to the two Great Powers.

The Martial Arts Tree was his greatest secret; for now, none could discern it, not even a Great Power.

Seeing Lu Chenzhou unwilling to admit, the Ancient Emperors Lanshan and Red Leaf exchanged glances.

Lanshan laughed: "No matter, whether you are the Heart Emperor or not bears little import. With your talent, you are among the most promising candidates for Heart Cultivation Great Power we have found in the Three Thousand Worlds."

Red Leaf said, "Buddha Country is willing to nurture you. The sole condition is that which Lanshan mentioned."

Lu Chenzhou pondered, then said, "I must give this careful thought; the matter is grave."

"You need not worry that we would turn to the Forbidden Zone, or harbor ill intent.

The Four Sects’ leaders, Chi Ji, Zouyu, and other Divine beings, made Dao oaths before their extinction."

Even gods cannot defy the Dao oath, which represents the Great Cosmic Will."

The Red Leaf Ancient Emperor explained.

"Still, I must consider it." Lu Chenzhou’s tone was firm.

Lanshan waved his hand; a blue tablet floated before Lu Chenzhou.

"This is the complete inheritance of the ’Jialan Nine Secrets.’ I bestow it upon you as a meeting gift, alongside ’Lanshan’s Nine Secrets,’ a record of my insights into cultivating the Nine Secrets."

"One ought not receive reward without merit."

"Should you be willing, you may take me as your master."

"I, junior, must deliberate."

To acknowledge a deceased Great Power as master did not trouble Lu Chenzhou.

For he cultivated the Causality Dao, and knew that death returns all causality to nothing.

But as for a living Great Power, with his Seventh Realm cultivation, entangling himself with great causality might lead to an unknown demise.

Toying with causality is truly what Heart Cultivators are adept at.

No one knows, after countless years, to what realm Lanshan and Red Leaf have cultivated?

Red Leaf Ancient Emperor gently exhaled a breath, from her lips flying two feather-shaped ancient leaves, blazing with ever-shifting red flames, which fell before Heart Dream and Emperor Hanu.

"This is the ’Feather Transformation Scripture.’ Should you comprehend it, its subtle uses are infinite. I am Red Leaf; in the Great Wilderness Period, I held mastery over Nirvana, and Lanshan over Reincarnation."

The countenance of the Heart Dream Emperor changed slightly.

"Nirvana Dao?"

This too is a Supreme Principle, equal to Great Dream and Causality.

Lanshan smiled lightly: "Red Leaf’s talent is not inferior to the Heart Emperor. Before stepping onto the Heart Cultivation path, she was a descendant of the Phoenix Clan—by no means an ordinary being."

Emperor Hanu spoke: "Senior, in my homeland there are still four Heart Cultivators of the Seventh Realm; now they dwell in the outer world."

Lanshan said: "I have already reached them in dreams. Five hundred years ago, it was I who instructed Emperor Shitian."

Heart Dream realized with sudden clarity; indeed, she had heard of such legends: that Emperor Shitian, as a youth, gained insight from a dream and thus met a Great Power.

In truth, such cases abound in the Three Thousand Worlds.

Buddha Country can scarcely influence the real world, thus elects inheritors by such means.

Soon after, Lu Chenzhou and his company successfully returned to the Xia Realm.

Within the Pagoda, Red Leaf and Lanshan exchanged words in low voices.

"Is he truly not the Heart Emperor?"

"Whether he is or is not, we have no other choice but to treat a dead horse as if it could live."

"Seventy years old and Seventh Realm. He may well achieve Great Power within a thousand years. Yet, the farther one walks, the harder the path of cultivation."

Lanshan murmured: "I think he will not need so long. There is a shroud about him—even borrowing a wisp of the Great Cosmic Will, I cannot penetrate it.

By my present attainment, I am not inferior to the Heart Emperor. Should the Heart Emperor have reincarnated successfully, I would surely see through... He may indeed not be the Heart Emperor."

"Then who is he?"

"I do not know. The universe wanes; the Great Destruction Era where epochs sink holds too many uncertainties."

Rumble! Suddenly, the Pagoda quaked, the entire Buddha Country shuddered thrice.

Three hundred True Buddhas opened their eyes, rarely revealing fearful expressions.

"That thing attacks the Buddha Country again."

"Its last awakening must have been a thousand years ago?"

"Let us hope Buddha Country withstands this trial."

A voice, dignified and lofty, rang out.

"Empty your heart, steady your spirit, preserve oneness!"

The True Buddhas began reciting scriptures, closing their eyes in deep meditation, spiritual power exuding without cease.

One among them could bear it no longer, form flickering, and with a pop like a bursting bubble, faded into illusion.

After some time, Buddha Country settled into calm once more.

The Great Snow Mountain Bright Buddha gazed sorrowfully at the vanished companion beside him.

Lanshan and Red Leaf’s two figures ascended, rising as if above the Buddha Country.

Here stretched a boundless ocean of collective consciousness, encompassing the Three Thousand Worlds, dotted with myriad islands.

Each solitary isle was a world unto itself.

Greed, savagery, wrath, lust, arrogance... the endless cravings of sentient beings formed this sea.

Everywhere, heart demons twisted and writhed, terrifying and hideous, countless as summer mosquitoes, filling heaven and earth.

At the very center were three forms, vast as galaxies crossing the universe, their true height immeasurable, with countless bronze chains suspended about them.

Their faces could not be discerned; their bodies lacked definite shape, shifting as nebulae, countless numb and fearsome faces appearing and vanishing upon them like waves upon the sea.

Some faces revealed greed, some wrath, some delusion—none could bear to stare upon them directly.

One among these galaxy-like figures swept over the Three Thousand Worlds and the Buddha Country with a probing gaze, like a beacon.

The just-vanished True Buddha was sucked into its abyssal maw.

Lanshan and Red Leaf descended to the Buddha Country once again.

"The Forbidden Zone awakens, the Three Demons stir... the chaos intensifies."

...

The next day.

Primordial Mountain Cave Heaven.

Lu Chenzhou’s consciousness entered the blue stone tablet before him.

Complex runes formed nine separate Heavenly Books.

"Great Void Unlimited Spell, Great Wilderness Prison Demon Curse, Great Golden Light Spell... nine mantras in all; each a Ninth Rank inheritance. Yet, only these three suit me."

"Infinite Spell, safeguards the spirit, wards against heart demon. Prisoner Demon Charm, subdues and slays all beings. Golden Light Spell, permits no evil to encroach."

"Back in the Hanhai World, the Great Tiger Subduing Seal must have drawn inspiration from the Golden Light Spell."

Lu Chenzhou rifled through Lanshan’s ’Nine Secrets Essays;’ with his present attainments, much was clear at a glance.

Moreover, this stone tablet seemed suffused with potent Reincarnation Dao Essence, which the Martial Arts Tree constantly absorbed.

Thus, Withering and Flourishing Dao attainments swelled accordingly.

Gradually, he immersed himself, with sudden flashes of inspiration flickering through his mind.

On the Martial Arts Tree, the leaves of the ’Jialan Nine Secrets’ glittered, insight brimming forth.

Roaming the ocean of knowledge, cultivation knew no passage of time; in a blink, three days went by.

[Withering and Flourishing Dao: Fourth Rank (100%) → Fifth Rank (1%)]

[Great Wilderness Prison Demon Curse: Mastery (100%) → Small Success (1%)]

[Great Void Unlimited Spell: Mastery (100%) → Small Success (1%)]

[Great Golden Light Spell: Proficient (100%) → Mastery (1%)]

Streams like silver trickled into his mind; spiritual power climbed to 1.4 million Prajna.

Nor was that all; he felt his whole body itching.

Upon his nine-colored bones, threads of Withering and Flourishing Law interlaced, weaving flesh and blood anew with a mother’s care.

The Nine-Colored Power raged like wildfires; Power of Withering and Flourishing, like wildgrass.

Wildfires blazed, wildgrass revived by spring winds time after time.

Thus, relentless struggle ensued—until, at a certain instant, wildgrass overwhelmed the flames.

Unbridled, it surged up, repressing the fire, radiating inexhaustible life force.

Until flesh regrew, every thread, every inch suffused with nine-colored, jasper brilliance.

With a thought, nine-colored flames danced over his skin, like armor forged anew.

"No easy feat! Flesh restored at last. Erniang, strike at me—hold nothing back!"

"Master, this... I fear to wound you. I am, after all, a Seventh Rank High Grade Spiritual Weapon."

"Do it—I cannot be killed."

"Master, watch my spear!"

Erniang plunged from above, and heaven and earth filled with the phantom of a beautiful, wolf-headed, dragon-bodied spirit, descending amidst whirling streams of water.

This thrust—not even a Middle Stage Seventh Realm would dare withstand it head-on, but only evade.

Lu Chenzhou crossed his arms, guarding before him.

Metal clanged on metal. With a shout, Erniang was blown away, spinning to embed herself in the earth.

Lu Chenzhou himself was knocked flying, gouging up dirt, crashing hard against the cave’s barrier.

"Master, are you unharmed?"

"Look." Lu Chenzhou stretched out his arm—his nine-colored, jade-like flesh bore only fine cracks, which, with a thought, soon healed.

Without invoking the Undying Body, his physical form could already stand firm against a Seventh Rank High Grade Spiritual Weapon.

As for ordinary Low Grade Spiritual Weapons, they could not match the hardness of his fists.

"Long tempered by Heavenly Tribulation Refinement, your body has evolved beyond imagination," Erniang praised him.

"Let me try as well." The Fox Woman swung her whip, striking Lu Chenzhou’s back incessantly.

Yet in the end, nothing more than wounds upon flesh and blood; no grievous injury could she inflict.

Had an ordinary Seventh Realm dared meet such blows, they would have been torn asunder.

"Young lord’s precious body is not inferior among his realm to certain True Spirits famed for defense," the Fox Woman exclaimed in wonder.

"It seems our junior brother gained not a little fortune in the Buddha Country," said Master Turtle with a smile.

"Mm, I have accepted the favor of the elder Lanshan," replied Lu Chenzhou, helpless.

If others force a gift upon him, there is naught he can do.

"You need not fret; when you reach Great Power, decide then and not before."

Master Turtle had already learned of Lanshan’s request, but the minds of Great Powers were unfathomable and advice could not rightly be given.

...

Three days later.

Kun Gu Realm, High Grade Ore Veins—Lu Chenzhou’s spiritual embodiment opened its eyes.

With Small Success in Prisoner Demon Hand and Infinite Spell, he was among the best of Seventh Realm Heart Cultivators.

"I may now venture to explore the Ancient Cultivation Cave Mansion."