Chapter 1842 (Raw 1853): Respect from Me

“A stone pillar suddenly collapsed, but I did not see either of them.”

“Strange, what exactly happened?”

“Could someone possibly survive after falling there?”

Three Demonic Dao sect Elders exchanged confused looks on top of the stone pillars.

The stone pillar that suddenly collapsed attracted the three over. However, when they investigated, they found nothing.

As for going down, the Sovereign Personages of the three great Demonic Dao sects all had their own thoughts. The Sovereign Personages from the Blood Demon Palace and the Fantasy Cloud Sect were definitely opposed to taking the risk.

Although these two were Sovereign Personages, their physical bodies had not reached a heaven-defying level. They would not be in a much better situation than the Holy Venerates.

As for the Heavenly Eagle Castle’s Sovereign Personage, he was confident of surviving if he went down.

However, coming back up would still be a problem for him.

The Heavenly Eagle Castle’s Sovereign Personage also had to worry about the other two preventing him from coming back up after he went down. It would not be worth it if he would be trapped there for tens—hundreds—of years.

“Brother Hong, your Heavenly Eagle Castle’s main Cultivation Technique focuses on the physical body. How about you go down and take a look?”

An old man holding a ghost pennant suggested politely to the Heavenly Eagle Castle’s Sovereign Personage.

“Tsk! How could that be ordinary gravity down there? It is clearly the legendary Heart Force. I might be fine if I go down, but as for how to get back up…”

The rather stout Heavenly Eagle Castle’s Sovereign Personage shook his head, showing no intention of going down.

“We have become muddle-headed. If the two were really below, even if they did not fall to their deaths, they would not be able to come out. If we want to break this Heart Force, our three Sect Masters will have to work together,” the Blood Demon Palace’s Sovereign Personage said softly from atop an Underworld Ghost Bird.

“The Faux God Flame is sufficient to get the three sects to work together. However, what if there is no one there?”

The three Sovereign Personages discussed endlessly but failed to come to a consensus.

---

At the bottom of the pitch-black abyss, the little monk and Xiao Chen could not hear what was going on above.

The two only felt a few incredibly horrifying wills of soul penetrating the obstruction of Heart Force to scan the area several times before withdrawing.

“Big Brother, what should we do?” the little monk asked somewhat anxiously.

Xiao Chen replied calmly, “After they leave, the two of us should split up and see if there is an exit or not.”

Actually, even if the two could not find an exit, Xiao Chen also had a risky way to leave as a backup plan.

“Alright.”

Xiao Chen’s calm influenced the little monk, setting Yan Chen much more at ease.

The vast space was like a maze; all of the stone pillars were like pillars connecting the sky to Xiao Chen and the little monk, stretching far into the gloom above and out of sight.

After half a day, the two reconvened at the stone pillar of the divine flame. They shrugged at each other when they met. Clearly, neither found anything.

“I also did not find any fortuitous encounters,” the little monk said depressedly as he rubbed his bald head.

Xiao Chen felt like ridiculing the little monk. Do you think that fortuitous encounters are like cabbage, available everywhere?

“Let’s rest for a while before continuing the search, then.”

This space was quite expansive. The two of them had not managed to search the entire place, so there might still be a chance.

“Right.”

Xiao Chen sat down cross-legged and consumed another Medicinal Pill for treating injuries. Then, he circulated his Veritable Essence Energy and worked on recuperating.

Since breaking through to peak early-stage Star Venerate, he had yet to check on his current cultivation.

Xiao Chen looked within himself with his Spiritual Sense and saw that the space within his 9-Star Primal Core had expanded significantly. The nine stars etched on his Primal Core had become increasingly resplendent, as though they were about to come out and form a marvel of nine stars surrounding the Primal Core.

Deep inside the Primal Core, the Demonic Qi Veritable Essence Energy and Spiritual Energy Veritable Essence Energy remained in balance.

However, they did not fill the entire space of the Primal Core, no longer ever-present, unlike before, where there was no gap between them at all.

How to balance the two Veritable Essence Energies would be a headache for Xiao Chen in the future.

Although the Purple Thunder Divine Incantation had unusual origins, it was a bona fide Righteous Dao Cultivation Technique that absorbed Spiritual Energy.

Demonic Dao Cultivation Techniques also absorbed Spiritual Energy. However, they came from the ancient Great Desolate Eon ferocious beasts.

Demonic Dao Cultivation Techniques were starkly different from those of the Righteous Dao, taking the ferocious, tyrannical, and selfish path.

The amount of Spiritual Energy required to cultivate a Demonic Dao Cultivation Technique would be several times, even tenfold, more than for a Righteous Dao Cultivation Technique. Of course, the advancement in the early stages was also very horrifying.

Due to the vast amount absorbed, it was hard to avoid trace impurities and some other energies that would be suppressed by the Demonic Dao Cultivation Technique.

This resulted in the Demonic Qi Veritable Essence Energy contrasting with the Spiritual Energy Veritable Essence Energy—pitch-black, tyrannical, and horrifying.

The merits and drawbacks of such cultivation methods were very clear; they were in opposition to Righteous Dao cultivation. It was like the relationship between humans and the Great Desolate Eon ferocious beasts. This was inevitable.

Right now, Xiao Chen needed a Demonic Dao Cultivation Technique.

He retracted his Spiritual Sense, and his consciousness entered his Soul Pool. He valued his Soul Energy more than he did Veritable Essence Energy.

Xiao Chen had already learned about the importance of Soul Energy while in the Major Primal Core Realm.

Now that he was a Star Venerate, his consciousness could easily scout out his Soul Pool.

Like before, Xiao Chen’s Soul Pool was incredibly vast and boundless. The azure-colored dragon seal formed by his soul hovered in the very center.

A white fog obscured the surroundings. Many bright spots shone in the sky, looking like stars, lighting up the Soul Pool.

A Star Venerate’s cultivation was known as the Starry Sky Stage. These spots of lights filling the sky of the Soul Pool were the inspiration for the name. This was a sight that would appear only after one became a Star Venerate.

When the starlight flickered in one’s eyes, it was like many stars lighting up. Then, one’s will of soul could fly out.

The experts might even make their will of soul truly wander the Starry Heavens.

It was like an Immortal’s Yuanying coming out.

When Xiao Chen next opened his eyes, most of his injuries had healed already. Then, he casually chatted with the little monk.

The two continued exploring the surroundings. However, when they met again, neither of them had accomplished anything.

------

Three days later:

“Big Brother, it looks like the two of us will have to live here alone for the rest of our life.”

The two had already explored the space at the bottom of the stone pillars. It was a dead-end in every direction.

Now that the two figured it out, the little monk seemed more open-minded about it. “Being able to die here with Big Brother is not too bad. After leaving the temple, aside from my master, most people would flee when they see me or try to cheat me on account of my age. I…”

Yan Chen jabbered on, speaking a lot. He still seemed normal at the start. However, as he continued, he started tearing up.

In the end, the little monk was still very young, his looks had not developed yet, and his face retained some childishness.

He still found dying somewhat hard to take.

“Little monk, speaking of which, how old are you now?”

“Sniffle…! Sniffle…! Sniffle! Seventeen, why?” the little monk said with a somewhat choked voice.

Seventeen…

Xiao Chen knew that Yan Chen had not reached twenty. However, it was surprising that Yan Chen was not even eighteen yet.

That made sense. Yan Chen was only seventeen. How could he easily accept the thought of dying here?

If it were Xiao Chen, he might not be able to do so, either.

Wait…wait…

Seventeen years old. Silver Buddhist light. Master said that being born is my greatest fortune. I am definitely the reincarnation of an esteemed monk. A comprehension ability and talent that are even more terrifying than the powerful demonic geniuses Many thoughts suddenly appeared in Xiao Chen’s mind.

The information that the silver Buddhist light did not represent an esteemed monk’s reincarnation popped into mind from the incomplete memories of the Dragon Race expert’s Faux God Flame.

What the silver Buddhist light represented was the reincarnation of a Buddha, the reincarnation of a Buddha of the previous epoch, someone who rivaled an Immortal.

Seventeen years. When Xiao Chen counted the time, it happened to match up with when he met that Buddha.

The Maheśvara Buddha! The Maheśvara Buddha!

Xiao Chen suddenly felt excited. He finally had an answer to everything.

In that instant, the Maheśvara Buddha’s last words rang out in Xiao Chen’s mind. Buddhists pay particular attention to fate and believe in karma. I see a connection to the Buddhist sect on you. Perhaps we might be able to meet again in the future.

This fate had not ended; the karma was still there.

The little monk was drenched with sin, covered with a past of massacre. His entire body could be said to be contaminated. However, his heart was pure and clear, like a transparent crystal.

Maheśvara, greatly unrestrained. The little monk’s character thoroughly fit these words.

[TL Note: The Chinese words for Maheśvara in the Maheśvara Buddha means greatly unrestrained.]

If one had Buddha in one’s heart, one was a true Buddha; if one’s heart did not have Buddha in it, where could one find a true Buddha?

With Buddha in one’s heart, even with overwhelming sin and endless slaughter, one would be free and unrestrained.

Xiao Chen pressed his palms together and bowed solemnly to the little monk in respect.

This fate has not ended; the karma is still there.

Venerate, you were right. Thank you. Be it the Udumbara Flower saving my, Xiao Chen’s, life on my Emperor’s Road, Dharmic World, a Buddhist sect Magic Skill that saved me from danger multiple times, all your advice before you passed away, or even now when your śarīra entered my body and suppressed the demonic nature in my body, you are worthy of my, Xiao Chen’s, respect.

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