Chapter 1363: Waiting Five Hundred Years for a Flower to Bloom

"The stars possess their own will; naturally, they cannot be defiled. However, for reasons unknown, the will of the star Alkaid has dissipated... I believe the Dragon God saw this opening."

Guanyin said, "The Origin Realm of the Forest Sea is a realm illuminated solely by Alkaid, possessing a very close and unique connection to the star Alkaid. The Dragon God seeks to control the Origin Realm of the Forest Sea and then, using it as a stepping stone, seize control of Alkaid itself."

"But the world's will of the Origin Realm of the Forest Sea itself will never approve of this. There must be conflict... and the Dragon God's method is exceedingly cruel."

"Every single life in the Origin Realm of the Forest Sea affects this world, be it little or much. The Dragon God intends to unleash fear, chaos, and slaughter across the entire Origin Realm of the Forest Sea to perceive the true nature of this world and thus capture its world will."

Jiang Wang could indeed understand this.

Wasn't the blood divination technique created by Senior Brother Yu Beidou based on a similar principle? By slaughtering the protagonists of the current world (namely, humans), he observed the ripples on the river of destiny.

It's just that the Dragon God's scheme is grander, and what he demands is far more.

Guanyin continued, "He guided the Holy Clan of the Forest Sea to become the 'protagonists' of the Origin Realm of the Forest Sea. Then, using the Yan Xiao, nurtured by the evil thoughts of this realm, he incited hatred, slaughter, and panic. The Yan Xiao constantly devours skulls, also in the process replacing the status of the 'protagonists' of the Origin Realm of the Forest Sea. Though the Yan Xiao is exceedingly evil, it was born of this realm and is not resisted by the world's will. And with the Holy Clan of the Forest Sea under one hand and the Yan Xiao under the other, the Dragon God can arbitrarily manipulate the entire Origin Realm of the Forest Sea."

"But there is still one more problem: Alkaid is a cosmic star illuminating myriad realms. The imprints of the beings of the Origin Realm of the Forest Sea alone are not enough to completely lock onto it. The Dragon God needs an important anchor point... which is the beings of the current world! Across the vast universe, two paths are laid out: one is the imprint of the beings of the Origin Realm of the Forest Sea, most closely connected to the star Alkaid; the other is the most stable imprint of the beings of the current world. Where these two paths converge... He can capture Alkaid."

"But the current world is not the Origin Realm of the Forest Sea; the human race of the current world will not let Him slaughter them at will, it is not that easy to hunt. Once His actions are discovered by some powerful individuals, even if He possesses the power of a true god, even if He hides in the Origin Realm of the Forest Sea... He cannot escape."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Wang was startled: "Dragon God Emissaries?"

"Your keenness is indeed astonishing." Guanyin's eyes held a hint of approval as he nodded and said, "The so-called Dragon God Emissaries are merely the Dragon God's scheme to devour the humans of the current world. The Dragon God, through some unknown means, connected with the Seven Stars Tower secret realm in the current world, quietly replacing a part of the original secret realm, creating the so-called 'Dragon God's Descent' miracle, offering benefits to those few individuals through the task of a Dragon God Emissary, in order to deceive and acquire a continuous supply of sustenance..."

I understand...

Jiang Wang understood too much!

A major question that had plagued their minds back then was why, in addition to her corpse, the storage pouch of Su Qiyun's friend who died in the "Night Invasion" was also missing.

One must know that in the past experiences of the Holy Clan of the Forest Sea, the Night Invasion only ever took people, and did not involve objects...

At that time, they suspected that there might be other life forms that could move freely within the Night Invasion. They even suspected if it was the others who had descended into the Origin Realm of the Forest Sea together.

Now it seems... the one who took the storage pouch was clearly the Yan Xiao controlled by the Dragon God.

Because Xiao Yu's storage pouch came from the current world.

Because that "Dragon God" needed to examine Xiao Yu's belongings to learn more about the outside world, about the current world, thus aiding Him in controlling the star Alkaid!

That the displacement of Alkaid, landing upon the throne formed by the altar's light, the so-called miracle of "Dragon God's Descent," had perplexed Jiang Wang immensely at the time. Now it seems, it clearly described the Dragon God's ambition. He desires to control Alkaid, replacing the will of the star Alkaid with His own will, thus sitting high upon the divine throne of myriad realms!

Setting aside how difficult and dangerous the process of discovering this historical truth was.

Just considering such an opponent.

Jiang Wang asked himself in his heart, if he were to discover the Dragon God's ambition, what choice would he make?

Would he pretend ignorance, obediently "complete the mission," and leave the Origin Realm of the Forest Sea?

Thinking back, after returning to the current world, he would likely find a way to report this matter to the powerful individuals of the current world. But the universe is so vast; how would one find the Origin Realm of the Forest Sea without a precise beacon?

In reality, leaving the Origin Realm of the Forest Sea is equivalent to abandoning the beings of this realm — and this is not unreasonable.

He is not connected to the Origin Realm of the Forest Sea in the first place, nor does he bear any responsibility for this realm. Moreover, this is an event far exceeding the capacity of Inner Mansion cultivators; being unable to do so is excusable. No one has the right to force others to sacrifice.

To be realistic, Jiang Wang does not know what he would choose if he were in such a crucial moment. Everything imagined at this time cannot represent the final outcome.

But Guanyin's choice is clear — to face it.

He faced the Dragon God directly!

He faced such a terrifying existence whose goal was a cosmic star, whose layout encompassed the entire Origin Realm of the Forest Sea, and whose claw even reached the human race of the current world.

What kind of courage is this?

"So senior..." Jiang Wang asked, "How does one deal with such a Dragon God?"

"Resisting the Dragon God is not a task to be accomplished overnight. How to defeat Him is a question I have pondered from over five hundred years ago until now, and I have worked towards it until now."

Guanyin looked at the decayed Divine Dragon Wood before him, with an unavoidable sense of vicissitude: "The Dragon God's layout is complete, and the plan is proceeding very smoothly. Using a legendary evil bird, the Yan Xiao, He has almost completed all the actions, step by step manipulating the Origin Realm of the Forest Sea and locking onto the world's will of the Origin Realm of the Forest Sea."

"Thus He began further actions, forcefully intruding into the world's origin, starting to devour the world's will of the Origin Realm of the Forest Sea and reaching out to the star Alkaid... And this was my only opportunity, the timing I had been waiting for."

"While the Dragon God devoured the world's will, He was also constrained and assimilated by the world's will. This is destined to be a long struggle; before the final victor is determined, neither can escape. He is an exceptionally cautious fellow; even during this period, He has three preparations: one is to erase time in this realm with the Night Invasion, second is to have the Yan Xiao act on His behalf in the world, and third is to control the Holy Clan of the Forest Sea, who have always believed in Him."

"Night is the nightmare of the Origin Realm of the Forest Sea. For half of their lives, the beings of this realm can only huddle in the so-called divine shaded places, barely surviving. This both strengthens their faith in Him and severs more possibilities for development. And with the Yan Xiao opposing the Holy Clan of the Forest Sea, slaughtering the forest sea from both sides, no being can break free."

"The first thing I did was to eliminate the elder council of the Holy Clan of the Forest Sea, severing the Dragon God's direct connection with the Holy Clan of the Forest Sea. Then, I reshaped history and cultivated traditions to cut off the source of the Yan Xiao's power. And with this, I weakened the Dragon God and delayed His assimilation of the world's will."

By this point, all of Guanyin's arrangements from five hundred years ago had a reasonable explanation.

Jiang Wang couldn't help but praise, "Senior is truly a grand figure! Using five hundred years of enlightenment to resist chaos and restrain the Dragon God is to combat evil with good, a功德 beyond measure. No wonder you forged a golden body!"

Guanyin, however, only smiled bitterly and shook his head: "The Dragon God cultivated the legendary evil bird Yan Xiao, using it as one of His physical bodies. He also often projects His form to act on behalf of the Origin Realm of the Forest Sea. To conceal Himself and avoid interference from other powerful beings, everything is done through the Yan Xiao. This includes devouring skulls, including hunting the Dragon God Emissaries... He cultivated the Yan Xiao, manipulated the Yan Xiao, and became increasingly reliant on the Yan Xiao. In a sense, the Yan Xiao is also His divine step, a step from human to god."

"But the Yan Xiao is after all a bird of ultimate evil. In the process of devouring human skulls, it also developed its own will and intelligence. It is unwilling to be controlled by the Dragon God forever. Taking advantage of the weakening power of resentment and the opportunity of power loss, it had to find a new path and chose to devour chaos to strengthen itself, thus causing a period of weakness with a chaotic backlash once a year... But this was also the Dragon God's design."

"Due to the need to avoid the world's will, the Dragon God cannot act personally. He guided the Holy Clan of the Forest Sea to create the 'Night Invasion,' using the indigenous beings of the Forest Sea world to eliminate the most beings in this realm at the fastest speed."

"But the essence of the 'Night Invasion' is the leakage of the 'World Source' and the invasion of chaos. This caused the Origin Realm of the Forest Sea to become riddled with holes. This situation, in turn, affected the Dragon God's actions after taking control of the Origin Realm of the Forest Sea. He needs a complete Origin Realm of the Forest Sea to leverage its secret connection with the star Alkaid and invade it. Therefore, He deliberately cultivated the Yan Xiao's ability to devour chaos in order to repair this world."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Wang felt a chill down his spine: "So, the Dragon God actually knew of senior's existence all along?"

Since the Yan Xiao devouring chaos was the Dragon God's design, was everything Guanyin did in the Origin Realm of the Forest Sea also under His control?

In that case, is there still any possibility of defeating the Dragon God!

"I also don't know when He discovered me, or when He started playing this game with me. But I indeed became a part of His plan. This is an opponent so powerful that it is terrifying. But since I have entered this chessboard, I must play to the very last move."

Guanyin's expression was calm, as if narrating a story completely unrelated to himself: "It was when I was fighting and killing the elder council of the Holy Clan of the Forest Sea that I unexpectedly discovered during the battle that I had actually been noticed by the Dragon God long ago. Their thoughts... gave me information."

"Playing chess with a god in the Origin Realm of the Forest Sea, there is no chance of winning a frontal confrontation. To once again return to the shadows, I burned my relic, manifested a vajra, creating the illusion of a desperate struggle to wipe out the Holy Clan of the Forest Sea. With only a shred of true spirit remaining, I hid in the world's fissures... I was gambling, gambling that the world's will of the Origin Realm of the Forest Sea would protect me."

"I gambled correctly," he said calmly.

Jiang Wang couldn't help but wonder: fighting until one's lamp is dry and oil is depleted, with only a shred of true spirit escaping, how could that be an illusion? It was clearly as dead as one could be, as real as one could be.

But if it were not for this, there would be no possibility of deceiving that cunning Dragon God.

Guanyin continued, "Under the protection of this world's will, my true spirit was able to survive. I had previously explored the possibility of true spirit cultivation, and I took this opportunity to begin exploring it."

As he spoke of these things, his tone remained calm and gentle.

It was as if fighting with only a shred of true spirit remaining was a very novel experience – which it certainly was, but it should by no means have felt so relaxed.

This is the true gentleness born from a sufficiently strong inner heart.

He can calmly deal with all the problems in this world, and only then can he treat this world gently, and even resist this world.

"Cultivating with a true spirit, this is indeed a remarkable achievement." Jiang Wang felt both respect and admiration for Guanyin, and couldn't help but say, "It can be said that you have opened up a history of cultivation!"

Guanyin, however, was very clear-headed and shook his head: "To preserve will with a shred of true spirit is already difficult. To receive the protection of the world's will instead of being assimilated is something that is hard to come by. And cultivating with a true spirit has many inconveniences, far inferior to orthodox cultivation... A cultivation that cannot be replicated, how can it be said to create history?"

Jiang Wang said earnestly, "I think, if someone were beaten to the point where only a shred of true spirit escaped, that person would surely hope for such a cultivation method to make a comeback, wouldn't they? To be able to give the world another chance is itself a measureless功德."

"Indeed, what my young friend said is reasonable." Guanyin was clearly very receptive to suggestions and praised, "Deeply imbued with the resonance of Buddhism."

"..." Jiang Wang asked, "In the state of a true spirit, how did you resist the Dragon God?"

"Little Fan..."

Every time Jiang Wang heard Guanyin call this name, he could hear infinite tenderness.

This powerful figure, who single-handedly resisted the Dragon God, couldn't help but curl the corners of his mouth simply by saying a name. He smiled for a moment before continuing, "Little Fan did very well. She firmly controlled the history of the Holy Clan of the Forest Sea, shaped new traditions, and completed the plan I left behind, slowly transforming the entire Holy Clan of the Forest Sea... creating opportunities for me."

Jiang Wang was thoughtful: "Since the Dragon God uses the Yan Xiao as His physical body and divine step, then conversely, the Yan Xiao must also be able to influence Him. Perhaps it could even be said that the Yan Xiao is one of His weaknesses?"

"I observed the Yan Xiao for a full year before reaching this conclusion!" Guanyin praised, "Your wisdom in battle is truly extraordinary!"

"Not at all, not at all..." Jiang Wang said modestly, "I am analyzing based on senior's information; the difficulty is incomparable to your insight into the truth. Moreover, I only proposed a conjecture, while you confirmed the conclusion."

Although he said this, he immediately and sensitively thought...

So in what areas is my wisdom ordinary?

Guanyin, who was not using his Mind-Reading ability, clearly couldn't spare the effort to alleviate the sequelae of Jiang Wang being constantly mocked by Chongxuan Sheng. He simply continued, "My cultivation in the true spirit state has gradually allowed me to achieve some results. The entire elder council of the Holy Clan of the Forest Sea is dead, and the Dragon God has lost the direct channel to control the Holy Clan of the Forest Sea. The severance of the Dragon God's faith is itself another rare opportunity."

"Relying on my understanding of the Holy Clan of the Forest Sea, I began to infiltrate the divine authority... This process was not easy. It took me about two hundred years. I entered inch by inch, contesting little by little."

Guanyin smiled at the corner of his mouth: "Simply put... while the Dragon God and the world's will of the Origin Realm of the Forest Sea were fighting, I temporarily replaced His divine position in the Origin Realm of the Forest Sea, seizing His divine authority."

The one speaking said it lightly, but the listener was struck with astonishment.

Jiang Wang instantly thought of many things, and finally only asked, "So the Dragon God's Descent..."

"Yes, I modified the task of the Dragon God's Descent." Guanyin smiled and said slowly, "Although the Dragon God would sometimes issue tasks to kill the Yan Xiao, how could He truly let someone kill the Yan Xiao? Only I would truly choose the Yan Xiao's weak period and, with your strength, slay it. Although the Yan Xiao can be resurrected as long as the Dragon God is not dead, your single slaying is enough to affect the world's origin, giving the Dragon God a heavy blow."

Jiang Wang remembered that he had once asked Guanyin a question in the Swallow's Nest, and at that time, he did not receive an answer. At that time, he asked—

"The Yan Xiao is dead, why hasn't the realm exit opened?"

At that time, Guanyin replied, "This question involves the Dragon God. I am unwilling to deceive you, so I cannot answer you."

Now it seems, the answer to that question is actually very simple.

Because the one presiding over this Dragon God's Descent, the one who secretly modified the task, was Guanyin!

Because the true Dragon God was still entangled with the world's will in the world's origin.

Guanyin temporarily seized the divine position, but could not match the Dragon God's control over the Origin Realm of the Forest Sea. He could not directly open the realm exit and could only do so through the Tree Altar.

"This struggle is truly unimaginable." Jiang Wang sighed and then said, "So when I left the Origin Realm of the Forest Sea, the world's origin I contacted..."

Guanyin was already accustomed to his keenness and said casually, "That part of the world's origin will soon be encroached upon by the Dragon God. Taking advantage of the opportunity of you killing the Yan Xiao and hitting Him with a heavy blow, I simply let you take that part of the world's origin, letting Him miss out. At the same time, it also allows you to grow faster... At that time, I felt that perhaps one day, you would be able to help me. But I also did not expect this day to come so quickly."

Jiang Wang had always thought that swimming through the world's origin of the Origin Realm of the Forest Sea that time was his physical origin receiving the blessing of the Origin Realm of the Forest Sea's world's origin.

He never expected that with the help of Master Guanyin, he had taken away a part of the world's origin!

Apart from making the Heaven and Earth Isolated Island more stable and liberating more Dao Yuan, that experience seemed to have no other effect. At least, Jiang Wang himself did not notice. But thinking about it now, the effect must be more than that.

That is the world's origin!

Could the Sword Immortal's divine ability, which allowed the integration of the various Inner Mansions in the Four Mansions state, also be related to this?

How much Master Guanyin silently contributed.

And later, when he repeatedly sought guidance in the Star-Moon Plain, he never mentioned any of this. There was only tireless teaching and consistent compassion.

The more one understands Master Guanyin, the more one will be impressed by him. Although he has returned to secular life, he is a true Buddha in this world!

"Is the game between Senior and the Dragon God about to reach a conclusion?" Jiang Wang asked.

"Perhaps it can be said now that I am another deity of the Origin Realm of the Forest Sea. But I can only be considered a false god, because this is a seized divine position; ultimately, it is not as legitimate as the Dragon God's. Once the Dragon God seizes Alkaid and preaches to myriad realms, He can crush me. Even if He simply returns from the world's origin, He can easily expel me."

Guanyin said, "But I seized His divine authority, of course not to keep it for Him. So... after achieving some results in the path of the true spirit, holding the divine authority, I also stepped into the battlefield of the world's origin."

Truly, describing the most magnificent waves with the most calm tone.

The star tower that did not collapse after death and could go to the current world to receive Jiang Wang, Master Guanyin only said he "used some painstaking effort."

And for his path of the true spirit, he used the word "results."

Although he still only said "some."

But that powerful imagination has already filled Jiang Wang's imaginative space.

First, seizing the Dragon God's divine authority in the Origin Realm of the Forest Sea and occupying the divine position, and then directly entering the world's origin to confront the Dragon God head-on!

Jiang Wang could no longer fathom the power of Master Guanyin.

He merely recalled the feeling of being nurtured when he swam in the world's origin, that sense of being nurtured... enveloped in warmth, experiencing the most natural and comfortable state, feeling the beauty of his body.

How could he have imagined at that time, in the very beginning of life, in the origin of the world, that the Dragon God, the world's will of the Origin Realm of the Forest Sea, and Master Guanyin were fiercely struggling against each other?

Jiang Wang said very seriously, "I do not know who the Dragon God is, but I have witnessed the evil of the Dragon God. I do not know how tragic this world once was, but the remaining fragments have already made me sorrowful. This god is an evil god, a wicked god; any intelligent spirit should execute him! You are doing a great thing. Although I am weak and insignificant, and my wisdom is shallow and virtue thin, if I can participate in it and do something, I am very willing!"

He rushed to the Origin Realm of the Forest Sea without a second thought because of a promise.

At this moment, he wanted to draw his sword, even wanting to charge into the world's origin with Master Guanyin, because of the compassion deep within human nature.

"Young friend Jiang is a person of pure heart, an unparalleled prodigy. I have merely lived longer."

Guanyin said softly, "I am not that great either. I remain here, not for thousands upon thousands of people, but for one person only..."

His eyes held imagination, and his smile had a jade-like radiance: "The Flower of Ultimate Bliss should bloom in a clean world."

Holding onto this beautiful imagination of the future, he was able to persevere until today.

Jiang Wang now knew that the true Master Guanyin was still contending with the Dragon God in the world's origin at this moment.

The one who guided him to the Origin Realm of the Forest Sea was merely a projection of divine power. Using the lost star tower he retrieved to replace the Seven Stars Tower, he used the Seven Stars Tower secret realm passage left by the Dragon God's Descent...

The very act of guiding him to the Origin Realm of the Forest Sea alone showed immense ingenuity. In the many years of struggle with the Dragon God, Master Guanyin silently did who knows how much.

"I believe that day will come," Jiang Wang said firmly.

Guanyin looked up at the star Alkaid in the sky, lost in thought for a moment: "Young friend, accompany me and wait a little longer."

"For the blooming of a single flower, you have waited for five hundred years."

For five hundred years, the Origin Realm of the Forest Sea gradually calmed down, and the Holy Clan of the Forest Sea was well-enlightened. There were those who saw righteousness, those who saw affection, those who bore heavy burdens... And beneath this seemingly natural development, was Master Guanyin's difficult struggle against the Dragon God day after day.

Jiang Wang had too many emotions in his heart to fully express, and finally they only turned into a sigh: "Truly silent, yet magnificent five hundred years!"

For these past five hundred years, it can be said to have been a four-way battle.

The Dragon God, Guanyin, the world's will of the Origin Realm of the Forest Sea, and the Yan Xiao all had their own ideas and were entangled with each other.

But the world's will of the Origin Realm of the Forest Sea and the Yan Xiao were firmly suppressed. Thus, the true opponents have always only been the Dragon God and Guanyin.

Master Guanyin once said, "There is no bright moon at night here. I have watched for five hundred years."

Where was he merely watching the moon alone for five hundred years?

He was waiting for the bright moon in the moonless long night, waiting for the flower to bloom in a chaotic world.

He was exiled in the world's fissures with a shred of true spirit, fighting the Dragon God alone for five hundred years!