566 Midway Interception

"Grand Wishes?"

Hiding behind a weathered boulder a short distance away, the thought occurred to Meng Qi when he heard the former Crown Prince's words.

This was similar to when the Buddhism sects issued Grand Wishes to cultivate and disseminate their teachings. Essentially, it all revolved around someone making a promise that he would do such and such after obtaining this or that. Meng Qi, who had once listened to Progenitor Doumu's explanation of Lanke Temple and Dharma Access to Sambhogakaya, felt that something was off.

The typical cultivation of Sambhogakaya depended on the harmony of qualities, such as one's conduct and temperament, with some kind of Great Buddha Path or operational rhythm in heaven and earth. From this, one would reap a harvest and become even closer to ultimately embodying it. It was somewhat similar to the resulting force felt by one's fist after punching a wall – it was some form of 'retribution'.

Thus, issuing Grand Wishes was a gradual process that depended on one's harmony with some kind of Great Buddha Path or operational rhythm. If one's Grand Wishes greatly surpassed the harmony, it would be a case of emptiness meeting emptiness. One would reap no harvest at all. For example, if one wanted to beat a drum located on the peak of a mountain, in order to produce a drumbeat one would need to climb the mountain. Or perhaps one might throw a stone to hit the drum with sheer strength. Otherwise, trying to sound the drum while standing at the foot or halfway up the mountain would just be a fruitless endeavor.

Take Lanke Temple for example. Its true successor, Hong Neng, had borne a "grand wish" ever since he was young. He began his cultivation at a temple, helping travelers in Immensity Sea take shelter from the sandy wind. He never spent his days fantasizing about which of his predecessors had which Grand Wishes unfulfilled or whether he could surpass them all, obtain an unimaginable power from the ambitions, and directly claim the Golden Body of Buddha. That was because if his cultivation of Sambhogakaya was insufficient, Grand Wishes would become mere 'boastful talk'. How would he gain his reward then?

Developing Grand Wishes, cultivating Sambhogakaya, proving a certain Path – these were most definitely not shortcuts for gaining Dharma Access!

To Meng Qi, the former crown prince seemed to have used empty words to incite a certain change in breath. Feelings of extraordinary solemnity, divinity, and boundlessness were apparent in his speech. It gave rise to a tranquil bliss that enveloped the formation created by the grandmasters of Buddhism and the weathered boulder. It was as if every grain of yellow sand and every black granule had turned into a blossoming golden lotus. The overgrown land had become like a pure land – genuine in every way without a trace of falseness.

"A Formation conjured and sustained by the nine Buddhist monks and treasures?"

"Still, it doesn't seem like that'd be enough..."

"Could it be that the methods of cultivation of Sambhogakaya that the Progenitor mentioned are not entirely accurate? After all, she's not a Buddhist disciple..."

While Meng Qi grappled with doubt, he focused his senses on his surroundings.

He abruptly cried out in surprise, sensing a subtle power over the body of the former Crown Prince. It fell from a dark place high above and into the former Crown Prince's head.

The sliver of power seemed to carry an unobtrusive solemnity, giving people the notion of great mercy, absolvement, and bliss. Meng Qi had barely managed to sense it, but it made him feel as if he had discarded his worries and that the world was full of illusions. He felt that it would be better to just return to the Old Buddha with the Altar Lamp.

Meng Qi forcefully restrained his mental energy, not daring to probe any further. This was too terrifying!

"Could it be that Zhao Qian is one of the big powers of Buddhism descending to earth?

"Is he using the formation to temporarily elevate himself and sense his personal pure land in order to receive its force or conjure the Gist of Trueness of Buddhism? And then from there, he can draw the Primary Instruction of Buddha's Palm to himself?"

For Zhao Qian to do something like this at this time, it was quite obvious to Meng Qi that it had something to do with the Primary Instruction of Buddha's Palm!

Inexplicably, he felt somewhat anxious and expectant. "Will Zhao Qian succeed?"

The thought had just occurred to him when he saw a half-withering, half-thriving Bodhi tree emerging from nowhere as if it had appeared by splitting open the void. It was brimming with detachment from life and death as well as a tranquil feeling of oblivion. The tree trunk was concave, with an imprint of a senior monk on it. The portrait seemed to fluctuate between existence and nonexistence, empty yet not empty at the same time.

"Does the Withering Bodhi Tree contain the Primary Instruction of Buddha's Palm?"

"It really did come!"

The nine Buddhist monks had their own unique handprints. The bluish-white lamp, ancient scrolls, and a wooden fish that floated in front of them radiated a dim light. Unwitting smiles spread across their faces when they saw the Withering Bodhi Tree flying over to them, perhaps out of much-awaited gratification or exuberant satisfaction.

"Buddha's supreme impartation will finally fall into our hands!"

As long as they grasped it, it would be possible for them to flee before the Dharmakayas managed to catch up!

Since they had dared to get involved in this matter, naturally they had also prepared to escape after obtaining the Primary Instruction of Buddha's Palm.

The solemness etched on Zhao Qian's face diminished and was replaced by benevolence and unbridled joy. He was finally going to meet "Buddha" after scheming and planning for so long!

The eunuch Wei Gao glanced at the nine Buddhist monks and repressed the urge to rush over to them.

The Withering Bodhi Tree toed the fine line between life and death, between tranquil wisdom and a withering stillness. In a wink, the tree appeared to have flown closer, becoming larger and larger, clearer and clearer. It was too late when the Dharmakayas realized that it was actually flying away from them.

"Here it comes!" Excitement seized Zhao Qian's heart and he struggled to maintain his state of Zen. Were he not required to stay at the core of the formation and maintain the connection to the pure land, he would have flown over and grabbed the tree!

Suddenly, a green goshawk with a black beak appeared in the sky. Its wings were nearly 10 feet wide. It opened its beak and snatched the Withering Bodhi Tree with its mouth!

"It... It took the tree..."

Zhao Qian and the others were left dumbfounded. They had focused all their attention on trying to prevent experts of the Exterior from approaching and neglected the presence of other creatures. However, this goshawk was massive. How could it have gone undetected by the grandmasters?

"Where in the world did this cursed beast come from?!"

It was none other than Meng Qi who had morphed into the goshawk. The opportunity had just been too great to be missed. It was so tempting that he could not help but enter the stage despite his subpar talents!

The goshawk spread its wings, preparing to soar even higher. It was unclear when a gate etched with strange patterns had appeared in the sky.

The gate swung open noiselessly and a charm the color of the Chaos flew out. The charm was brimming with a simple, unadorned breath that swirled in a dense mist. Large runes and seal scripts were floating and submerging inside. It seemed to be harboring a certain power of heaven and earth.

The second it appeared, thousands of auspicious signs and brilliant colors lit up their surroundings and shot straight to the skies.

The doors opened, revealing Yunhe!

The Dharma and Logos within a radius of one hundred miles subsequently changed, mimicking the Plenitude Gate. Gods and Buddhas, immortals and saints, demons and ghosts, Golden Crow and Jade Hare, as well as the stars inside the Chaos took shape. They trapped the nine senior Buddhist monks and the former Crown Prince inside a formation.

Yunhe saw his opportunity and took it. Rolling his sleeve, he tucked the Plenitude Gate inside it. A magic cloud was conjured, its shade enveloping Meng Qi. A golden glow radiated from Yunhe's entire body as he retrieved his charm. He seemed to be trying to pull off some great escape technique to flee from this place. He relied on numerous methods and techniques to stop the Dharmakayas from tracking him.

Compared to his excited and expectant feelings earlier, Meng Qi had become more confident. The Withering Bodhi Tree in his hand felt so tangible and real. The Primary Instruction of Buddha's Palm was indeed in his possession, which would make the subsequent events much simpler!

If Yunhe could not evade the Dharmakayas, Meng Qi would have him hide inside the Plenitude Gate and then he would tear up the Reincarnation Charm. He would idle around in a random world for two months and carefully comprehend the Primary Instruction. Even if he were not to walk on the path of becoming a monk, he could use the Eight Nine Mysteries to simulate an authentic Buddha's Palm attack. The attack might be an imitation but the murderous aura was as potent as the real thing!

On the other hand, the other Dharmakayas had no inkling about the wondrous use of the Reincarnation Charm. The only one who would be left waiting for him on the ground was undoubtedly Chong He. Whatever happened, he still had Immortal Yunhe backing him up. What did he have to fear?

More importantly, if he noticed that something was off, he could just toss the Withering Bodhi Tree once he was done comprehending it. He would discard the problem-attracting tree and escape!

"I'm so slick!"

The nine Buddhist monks, Zhao Qian, and Wei Gao were stunned by the formation that had suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Even though the suppression of the charm was quickly lifted, the layers of the Plenitude Formation were well-prepared. They were so stunned that it took them several seconds to compose themselves and forcefully destroy the formation. By then, they could only watch as a golden ray of light transformed into the glimmer of the evening's twilight, shooting into the distance before disappearing in the blink of an eye.

"Go after him!" Zhao Qian bellowed. No matter how refined his upbringing or how strong his Zen heart, he could not help losing control of his emotions. He was exasperated. After all, something that he had been working on for so long was suddenly stolen from right under his nose. It was as if the cooked duck had suddenly flown away.

Several of the Dharmakayas in Fish Sea had been rushing toward where Meng Qi had disappeared. Some of them finally managed to distinguish a direction and instantly arrived there. The fastest one was not Chong He but 'Sword Maniac' He Qi, 'Prime Asura' Meng Nan, and Dharma King Dushi who had once again merged with the void.

The Giant Vajra that was conjured from the Buddha's relics and formation could not leave the vicinity of Fish Sea and the Bogda Shan mountain range, so it could only disappear abruptly. The Dharma Kings carrying their Buddhist Commandment Blades and Buddha's relics tried to chase after Meng Qi but fell behind along with Abbess of Shui Yue Nunnery, the current Bliss Bodhisattva, and Taoist Shou Jing.

The formation dissipated, finally releasing Tan Han and the lucky experts of the Exterior stranded at the edge of Fish Sea. They were lucky enough to escape the battle of the Dharmakayas and grandmasters. The experts felt weak and dizzy, but they knew they had to leave as soon as possible. They repeatedly warned themselves never to let greed blind them in the future.

After putting some distance between them and Zhao Qian and the nine Buddhist monks, Immortal Yunhe released Meng Qi and prepared to unleash his techniques of Taoism to eliminate any traces they may have left behind. He wanted to conceal their breaths and prevent the pursuers from tracking them.

At this very moment, he suddenly had an inexplicable feeling of tranquility and compassion descending from high above!

Meng Qi's heart seized. The compassionate feeling was not overwhelming, yet it seemed to have brought about delicate changes to his environment. The heaven and earth in the vicinity turned into the pure land of a Buddhist nation, with all sorts of Dharma and Logos rejecting him. He could no longer sense the sea of Vital Qi of heaven and earth or draw the power of nature. His body lost the ability to fly through the void and he plunged to the ground like a falling stone.

A Primordial Charm of Purity floated in front of Immortal Yunhe. Barely able to steady himself, he went to grab the falling Meng Qi but found himself a step late.

Meng Qi somersaulted in midair, dissipating the momentum of his fall. He then used Thousand Pounds Falling, causing his body to fall toward Immensity Sea at a heightened speed.

He held the Reincarnation Charm in his left hand, ready to use it the moment he detected anything wrong.

Had he not noticed that the sensation of tranquility and compassion seemed to have difficulty attacking him, he would have long used his Reincarnation Charm. He would not even have waited around for Immortal Yunhe!

A strong, unyielding breath was felt from the distance. A thought suddenly crossed Meng Qi's mind. The Dominator had "shrunk" from interfering directly in Luoyang—he had made Meng Qi wait for a few days before returning. With so many Dharmakayas here today, would the Reincarnation Charm work?

The thought made him sweat profusely.

Thud! Both of his feet landed, creating a deep pit in the sand.

Zhen Hui, who had been helping Hong Neng lift a boulder, stared dumbstruck at the familiar figure and the Withering Bodhi Tree which felt exceptionally similar to A Smile on Pinching a Flower that he had once comprehended.

"It is not only the Primary Instruction that dropped from the sky but Senior Brother too..."