The vast expanse of the Divine Firmament Secret Realm remained veiled, yet to be unveiled to the contestants of this epoch.

Even the precise location of the Treasure Ship ‘Flying Light’s’ wreckage remained a mystery, known at this moment only to Zen Master Line of Thought.

As for Deer Seven Lang, Ape Dream Extreme, and the others, their journey halted upon the sacred mountain, their gaze temporarily confined to its peaks.

Zen Master Line of Thought, with a five-hundred-year design, employed the Divine Firmament Gambit to orchestrate his affairs. He tampered with the content of ‘Buddha Says Fifty-Eight Chapters’, calculated the position of the Flying Light within the Divine Firmament Secret Realm, accounted for Spider Yi’s stratagems, borrowed the might of Tiger Tai Sui, seized the treasure amidst the life-and-death struggle between Deer Nature Empty and Cicada Dharma Edge, and utilized the monks of Ancient Difficult Mountain to answer the call of the Knowing Hear Bell.

From naught he conjured existence, manifesting the distance between the Divine Firmament Realm and the present world. With the waters of the Never-Aging Spring, he filled the Eternal Heavenly Chasm. With the Knowing Hear Treasure Boat, he isolated the forces of Divine Decay. The boundless perils of the Eternal Heavenly Chasm even compelled the Ape Immortal Court to lend him passage…

This layout, spanning five centuries, could not be deemed anything less than profound.

Yet, the Great Sage Who Knows the Origin, ranked among the Heavenly List and the foremost in divining power amongst contemporary Heavenly Demons, stood as a peer.

This world, from its inception, was not one individual’s exclusive chessboard. Just as men plotted against tigers, tigers too plotted against men. Those who laid ancient schemes were legion.

At this juncture, karma’s threads strangled, and the river of destiny churned. The Heavenly Secrets were a chaotic mess!

Zen Master Line of Thought’s thoughts cleared in this moment. Five hundred years ago, upon the demise of Martial Uncle Bright Stop, the Great Sage Who Knows the Origin had already harbored suspicions. For that single net woven to ensnare multiple Great Bodhisattvas of Mount Sumeru and numerous nascent path practitioners of the Human Race had yielded insufficient harvest… Throughout these five hundred years, he had been tirelessly seeking him!

Five hundred years had been his own period of hibernation and waiting, but how could it not also have been the Great Sage Who Knows the Origin’s silent endurance!

The Great Sage Who Knows the Origin might not have fully grasped his overall scheme. However, under suspicion, there were several key junctures that were not difficult for the Great Sage Who Knows the Origin to seize.

For instance, the critical moment of life and death between Deer Nature Empty and Cicada Dharma Edge presented the best, perhaps even the only, timing to seize the Knowing Hear Bell. Therefore, no matter how he obscured karma and concealed the Heavenly Secrets, as long as he chose to act at that time, the moment of action was fixed.

This was not a fair contest.

The Great Sage Who Knows the Origin fundamentally did not need to calculate everything, nor even calculate him directly. He only needed to plant a contingency within the myriad possibilities of the Divine Firmament Gambit.

Being within the Demon Realm, the Great Sage Who Knows the Origin could mobilize resources beyond measure, while his own choices were far too few!

Zen Master Line of Thought had not just realized these facts in this moment.

He had, in fact, always been aware.

But to miss this opportunity, how long would he have to wait for the next?

Would there even be a next time?

The Knowing Hear Bell, once lost in that segment of the secret realm, would be beyond recovery for anyone.

If it ultimately fell into the hands of Black Lotus Temple, one could only imagine how fiercely they would guard this bell to prevent a counterattack from Ancient Difficult Mountain.

And if Ancient Difficult Mountain successfully safeguarded the Knowing Hear Bell, having experienced this near-seizure by Black Lotus Temple, thereafter they would surely prefer to leave the treasure mountain empty rather than risk moving it again…

Looking five hundred years forward and five hundred years back, this was almost the only opportunity.

Though his schemes were many, he had to act!

The so-called ‘Three Hearings, Three Buddhas’ Faith’ was an eternal scripture of the Buddha Sect. Now, having heard the bell, and with the Broad Hear Bell within reach, only the Knowing Hear Bell remained lost in the Demon Realm, unreturned for countless years.

This was the greatest shame Mount Sumeru had suffered since its founding.

How many eminent monks and great virtues had, at the brink of their earthly demise, gazed towards the Demon Realm with regretful hearts.

It was time to bring this matter to a close!

The regret of his master should not be repeated.

The sacrifice of Martial Uncle Bright Stop should not be repeated.

To avoid leaving a trace, he had spent most of these five hundred years, scattered within the scriptural texts, in a state of extinction.

During each interval of thought that arose with destiny, he had asked himself one question:

Are my preparations sufficient?

To manifest the distant journey is enough to reach the other shore of the present world.

The Never-Aging Spring water is enough to fill the Eternal Heavenly Chasm.

The Knowing Hear Treasure Boat is enough to isolate the forces of Divine Decay.

But at this moment, a great tempest suddenly arose, infinite wind and waves upon the Heavenly River.

The first to descend were Deer Nature Empty’s Extinguish Law Zen Staff and Cicada Dharma Edge’s Cross World Treasure Wheel.

When Zen Master Line of Thought manifested heaven and earth on this side, the lost path of time had already lost its effect.

Two Great Bodhisattvas, both stripped of their sect’s true inheritance and left with nothing, sensing they had been deceived and treated as mere pawns, were clearly enraged.

Without prior agreement, they ceased their struggle and simultaneously unleashed their power upon the Eternal Heavenly Chasm.

The dark Extinguish Law Zen Staff dyed the sky in shades of black, shattering the void into phantom bubbles… Where this Zen Staff fell, the world’s laws were extinguished, and compassionate voices were heard no more. The entire Knowing Hear Treasure Boat, along with the Never-Aging Spring water, was plunging downwards.

The other shore seemed even more distant, the cliff even higher, the Heavenly River water level plummeting three hundred zhang!

Meanwhile, the Cross World Treasure Wheel resembled a bright moon’s reflection, bobbing and sinking within the turbulent Heavenly River. Its influence continuously expanded, illuminating myriad realms, the entire surface of the Heavenly River forming an illusion of the treasure wheel.

It was truly like a terrifying ringed abyss, connecting to an unknown world of extinction.

The ferry boat returning home, the traveler returning home, stood at the very center of this terrifying ringed abyss, surrounded by towering waves, carrying the Never-Aging Spring water imbued with the forces of Divine Decay.

Above, there was no rising sun, no bright moon, no hometown, only the future of extinguishing law brought by Deer Nature Empty.

Zen Master Line of Thought stood on the small boat, alone and without support. Giant waves encroached from all sides, causing it to drift precariously.

At this moment, the Knowing Hear Ferry Boat upon the Heavenly River, how similar was it to him within the Demon Realm?

Jiang Wang, observing this scene from the mirror world, felt a profound sense of empathy.

But then he heard a song escape the monk’s lips—

“Life holds regrets one endures turning back, worldly affairs’ impermanence, how to endure the grind.”

This seemingly handsome monk, who knew how many times he had drifted through the tides of worldly affairs.

Though now a Great Bodhisattva, for the myriad beings, how many times had they truly turned back?

He looked directly at the Extinguish Law Zen Staff, which brought endless shadows and pressed down like a towering mountain. On his face, there was no pain, resentment, or grievance, only peace, composure, and indifference!

He spread his hands open, as if embracing this world that did not welcome him. He brought his palms together, as if healing all the fissures within hearts.

He sang in a long, resonant voice:

“Bitter sea once heard the evil tide’s sound, I row my boat to fix the winds and waves!”

The towering waves instantly ceased!

The Knowing Hear Ferry Boat beneath his feet resonated without cause, the sound of the bell echoing the rhythm of oars.

The terrifying ringed abyss’s reflection was cleaved open by the Knowing Hear Ferry Boat.

From this point, the tidal waters parted, bringing clarity to both sides.

And Zen Master Line of Thought on the ferry boat, his palms finally joined together, actually catching the Extinguish Law Zen Staff!

He looked up at the high sky, seemingly piercing through time and space, seeing Deer Nature Empty on the other side, and said in a leisurely voice: “The future is not what you seek, nor can Black Lotus save the world. Depart now…”

His palms twisted!

That majestic, mountain-like Extinguish Law Zen Staff exploded into spiral-shaped broken shadows from below to above.

Vast swathes of black night were shattered, and the high sky of the Divine Firmament Realm returned to its own divine nature.

The era of Extinguish Law awakened by Deer Nature Empty seemed to have never truly existed, and was destined not to appear at some future moment.

Though Deer Nature Empty and Cicada Dharma Edge acted with full force, it was ultimately a descent of power across realms, their ten parts of strength failing to manifest as even one part.

Zen Master Line of Thought, however, was truly present here, and had long harbored an awakening to extinguish the world with himself.

He desired to go home!

To navigate the waters of the Never-Aging Spring, to sail the Knowing Hear Treasure Boat.

But in the next instant, countless fresh flowers bloomed upon the Knowing Hear Treasure Boat.

A profusion of blossoms, like embroidered silk, encircled Zen Master Line of Thought.

The treasure boat transformed into a flower boat.

The Heavenly River was indeed like the mortal world.

The karma of the mundane world, strange and bizarre.

Limitless, endless power, grew from its very nature.

At this moment, the Knowing Hear Treasure Boat seemed to have born its own will.

It clung to the Demon Realm with greedy love, insisting on remaining in this place, lingering in the red dust, unwilling to depart!

Waves slapped the boat, the sound of oars shattering dreams.

Amidst the collision of Dao Principle powers, countless beautiful sounds arrived as if by appointment: “Divine Fragrance Flower Sea’s Deer West Cries, towards the Zen Master, borrowing a segment of fate’s law!”

This sound was like the river tide, rising and falling unpredictably.

Delusional thoughts, like a sea of flowers, bloomed and withered ceaselessly.

Thousands of threads and ten thousand strands of the red dust lines converged. Zen Master Line of Thought merely lifted his profound Buddha eyes: “You also understand fate?”

His golden body extended a palm, infinite might scattering into something akin to floating floss, descending lightly, extremely gentle… pinching off a single branch of flowers.

This branch was entirely bright red, its lines graceful. It had three leaves, nine petals, and a single drop rounded and exposed.

Zen Master Line of Thought pinched the flower…

Would he cast it away!

He ruthlessly cast it into the Heavenly River!

The forces of Divine Decay instantly withered this flower.

The fresh flowers on the Knowing Hear Treasure Boat also withered, one after another.

The profusion was now far away, only the body entering the Empty Gate.

The only regret was the old monk’s regret. The only thought was of the green lamp and yellow scrolls.

This Heavenly Chasm was almost infinitely distant, and it was only through the filling of the Never-Aging Spring that this visible distance existed.

And the Knowing Hear Treasure Boat knew and heard the ‘visibility’ of this segment of the distant journey. It held the possibility of carrying someone home.

At this moment, Zen Master Line of Thought stood at the boat’s bow, alone battling the Heavenly Demons from all directions, sailing towards the other shore without turning back.

But Jiang Wang, in the mirror world, knew that he could not go back…

One who could view the past and future like Line of Thought, how could he himself not know?

At this moment when the Heavenly Demons were massing to cause trouble, he was no longer confronting just one entity.

How heavy was the gravity of an entire Great World of the Demon Race?

In the distance, a great tide arose.

River waves that rose as high as towering mountain peaks and dangerous cliffs. They rolled in, covering the sky and earth, and had already become a flood!

This terrifying might seemed to have already pulled up the entire Heavenly River.

To pour out the waters of the Heavenly River, to prevent this person from returning!

He had rowed the boat to this point, yet the other shore remained on the other shore, its edge surprisingly unclear.

Only those majestic waves approaching, roaring and rolling in, formed into a vast, colossal fist.

The fist faced squarely towards Zen Master Line of Thought and struck.

Not to strike him back to this shore, but to strike him dead directly!

This was the fist of Tiger Tai Sui!

Dominate this world, and those who defy me shall perish!

The Heavenly River water seemed to have already drenched Zen Master Line of Thought’s monk robes. He wore simple attire, and his sigh was equally simple.

He only sighed halfway before swallowing it.

The three copies of ‘Buddha Says Fifty-Eight Chapters’ that had returned to his body and erased all texts.

One of them suddenly leaped out, rustling, moving on its own without wind.

That galloping, roaring flood seemed like a story happening in another piece of time and space.

Though it arose noisily, coming with thunderous might, it rolled over silently and soundlessly.

It would either pierce the Knowing Hear Ferry Boat, or be pierced by the Knowing Hear Ferry Boat.

In any case, no contact occurred.

The ferry boat remained the ferry boat, the Zen Master remained the Zen Master.

A copy of the scriptures flipped a page.

This single fist, turned a chapter.

The road home, still continued.

Having almost struck Spider Yi dead, and entangled in the karma of killing destiny with the Great Sage Who Knows the Origin, he had successively resolved the offensives of the Ape Immortal Court, Cicada Dharma Edge, Deer Nature Empty, Deer West Cry, and Tiger Tai Sui…

One by one, confronting so many Heavenly Demons.

Zen Master Line of Thought looked at the black line on his palm, a trace of loneliness in his eyes.

What truly could not be resolved was this.

This Vrishabha insect, whose karma was not eliminated, had already become entangled with his Wheel of Destiny.

In the round of Spider Fierce’s demise, he could not shake it off. Although it caused no harm, at most it would dissipate after twelve years.

But where could he seek these twelve years now?

Where could he seek true life?

Heaven denied, Heaven denied!

At this moment, many Heavenly List Demon Kings and young demon race heavenly prodigies present in the field looked at the human race monk rowing his boat upon the Heavenly River, their eyes now mixed with sighs amidst the hatred.

Almost all the Heavenly Demons participating in the Divine Firmament Gambit, save for the dying Spider Yi who escaped, had already acted. Could it be that he would actually be allowed to depart?

They had witnessed such shocking scenes, one after another, and also what they had not witnessed.

At this moment, the Demon Realm was still shrouded in long night.

Tonight, there was no starlight, the blood moon concealed.

A ten thousand li long night, a good breeding ground for loneliness!

And then a voice spoke…

This voice said: “You will stay here.”

In the endless dark night, a fire peak rushed to the sky!

Perhaps it was only a single figure, a figure even stronger than an absolute peak. Its boiling power became a torch in the long night.

A torch like a mountain.

Its voice exploded: “Do you view me as nothing?”

A pole-closing saber, cleaving through time and space, fell upon the Heavenly River!

Again, a fierce light pierced the heavens, connecting with the color of fire.

“How could the Demon Race have no strong ones!”

The sound of a drawn sword whistled through ten thousand li, the long sword laid horizontally in front of the ferry boat.

Again, a red flame peak, shaking the long night.

“Come then come, but there’s no need to go!”

A rough, large hand wrapped in cloth strips overturned this world, covering Zen Master Line of Thought’s bald head.

This one night, the vast Demon Race either saw, or unfortunately did not see but would surely hear of later.

Throughout the lands of the Demon Realm, beacon fires rose everywhere!

Countless Heavenly Demon powerhouses, through the chessboard laid by the Great Sage Who Knows the Origin, guided by the signal anchored by the Great Sage Who Knows the Origin, descended their power upon the Eternal Heavenly Chasm, to intercept and kill Zen Master Line of Thought!

Zen Master Line of Thought drove the boat home with supreme divine power, but the Knowing Hear Treasure Boat could not advance a single inch.

The saber cleaved.

The sword fell.

The palm covered.

The Heavenly River waves surged one after another!

Tide came, tide went, tide rose, tide fell.

The golden body flickered between bright and extinguished, extinguished and bright.

The scriptures flipped page after page.

The last copy of the scriptures had already flipped to its beginning.

Standing on the Knowing Hear Ferry Boat, Zen Master Line of Thought finally sighed: “How distant is the other shore!”

The transmission lost, how could a hundred generations redeem it.

His already fragmented golden body ignited with karmic fire.

The ferry boat beneath his feet, constantly spinning under the impact, ignited with karmic fire.

The Heavenly River beneath the ferry boat, with its ceaseless coming and going of waves, ignited with karmic fire.

Deep red karmic fire, burning him.

He joined his palms in this karmic fire, closed his eyes, and recited—

“When I attain bodhi, the world shall have no karmic fruit, bitter delusion no guilt, the ordinary heart shall obtain itself.”

“When I attain bodhi… Heaven! Outer! No! Evil.”

The karmic fire rushing to the sky swept everything, burning the Knowing Hear Ferry Boat, burning the Never-Aging Heavenly River, burning the Eternal Heavenly Chasm… Burning that monk who wished to bring all this home, burning him to a state of purity.

And afterwards, the Never-Aging Spring continued to surge falsely, and afterwards, the Divine Firmament Realm still had the clouds of the Divine Firmament.

Upon the divine mountain, stood a silent group of demons.

In the mirror world, a red-eyed person fell.

The void had healed.

At the summit of the ninety thousand zhang Asking Dao Peak.

The Great Sage Who Knows the Origin had just completed that single piece of dragon slaughter.

“Annoy your grandfather to death!”

The scolding voice of the Ape Immortal Court echoed around Asking Dao Peak, then gradually faded like distant thunder.