Chapter 569: Merit!
"I said before, I don’t want to kill you. You’re one of the few Buddhists left. If you still wish to fight, I will accompany you to the end."
Chen Lan spoke calmly. Such Buddhists are already rare. If the other continues to delve into the Buddhist Dao, he would surely go further.
Moreover, the Buddha Domain needs a new leader.
As the words fell, Chen Lan waved his hand, and the environment changed back to the original place.
Golden Cicada silently watched Chen Lan, feeling a bit confused.
If the other was truly a wicked man beyond redemption, why would he say such things?
Could it be that he only said this because he couldn’t defeat him?
Obviously not, Chen Lan’s strength was equal to his own.
"Golden Cicada, what are you doing?"
Just as Golden Cicada hesitated, unsure whether to continue fighting Chen Lan, an angry voice sounded from behind.
Looking back, he saw an old man with an angry expression.
That was Golden Cicada’s master, a Buddhist on the verge of entering the Divine Dao realm.
Golden Cicada was born with a Buddhist root, focused on Buddhism, and rapidly grew by virtue of his comprehension of the Buddhist Dao, surpassing his master, stepping into the Divine Dao realm.
It could be said that the waves behind in the Yangtze River push the waves in front, and the waves in front die on the beach.
"Master." Golden Cicada quickly placed one hand on his chest and bowed respectfully.
"Golden Cicada, kill this person. He is the Celestial Domain Demon Emperor, the most hated entity by the Evil Races. If you kill him, we can bring his head to see the Evil Buddha to receive rewards, and you will surely become the ruler of the Buddha Domain in the future."
Hearing this, Golden Cicada froze, looking up in surprise at his master, who also realized he had misspoken and quickly corrected himself: "This person is deeply sinful. Killing him can advance your Buddhist Dao."
"Golden Cicada, you meditate on Buddhism day and night, without understanding human affairs or the world’s treachery, dedicated to Buddhism, but your master seems to have long since forsaken it," Chen Lan smiled faintly.
As these words fell, Golden Cicada’s body trembled, and the old man cursed: "Demon Emperor, stop trying to sow discord!"
"Disciple, quickly kill him, this person seeks to divide us."
"Golden Cicada, aren’t you a Buddhist? I remember there’s a Divine Technique in the Buddhist Dao called the Buddha’s Eye that sees the heart?" Chen Lan smiled, looking at the trembling old man. "Why not see if your master’s heart is black or white?"
"Golden Cicada, are you going to defy me? The Buddha’s Eye, seeing the heart, is a disrespect to your master. Do you not trust me?" The old man spoke coldly, resisting vehemently, gritting his teeth as he looked at Chen Lan: "Demon Emperor, don’t think that sweet talk can sway my disciple. You are doomed today!"
"Oh? Doom, are you referring to that Evil Buddha coming over?" Chen Lan smiled.
Golden Cicada’s body trembled sharply, turning to look; he sensed an extremely evil aura coming swiftly, the opposing power was of the Divine Dao realm, an Evil Buddha from the Evil Realm, invading the Buddha Domain!
He had long desired to eliminate this scourge, but unfortunately, he could not defeat it.
"Old man, how come you haven’t finished yet?"
A voice resounded through the sky as a large, black-skinned, fat and massive figure from the Evil Race flew over, looking coldly at the old man, Chen Lan, and Golden Cicada, finally fixing its gaze on Chen Lan.
"Demon Slayer, you have quite the nerve, daring to venture alone into the Celestial Domain, even into my territory." The Evil Buddha spoke coldly, as if it was within his expectations.
"Master, why is this?" Golden Cicada looked at the old man full of disappointment and disbelief, hearing from the Evil Buddha’s words that his master seemed to obey the Evil Buddha.
But wasn’t he the one who taught him daily to align his heart with the Buddhist Dao, not to put faith in others, for Buddha is compassionate, saving the world from evil?
Seeing Golden Cicada had understood, the old man decided to stop pretending, sneering: "Golden Cicada, what’s the use of your dedication to Buddhism? Buddha can’t save us; now the Celestial Domain is under the control of the Evil Races. Only by relying on them can we survive. Insisting on opposing the Evil Races is just courting death."
Hearing this, Golden Cicada felt as if struck by lightning, stumbling back, unable to believe his ears coming from his master.
Was this still the master who once taught him the clear distinction between good and evil, to be merciful?
Golden Cicada’s heart wavered, somewhat unstable, unsure if the Buddha he believed in all these years was indeed right.
"Golden Cicada, if you follow the Buddhist Dao, then follow your heart. You are the most promising person to become the supreme of the Buddhist Dao that I have ever seen," Chen Lan said at this time.
His previous words came from the heart.
Such people as Golden Cicada are already rare, so pure, solely pursuing the Buddhist Dao, even renouncing the seven emotions and six desires, which many Buddhists cannot do.
For so long, the Buddha Domain had been gradually collapsing under the oppression of the Evil Races, one Buddhist after another joining them, sacrificing women to the Evil Races, which was a betrayal of the Buddhist Dao.
These people are not worthy of being Buddhists!
Hearing Chen Lan’s words, Golden Cicada was amazed; he did not expect that in the end, the Demon Emperor was the one helping him, yet wasn’t the other a demon?
"Perhaps you are very surprised why I would help you, because we walk the same path. You are a Buddhist; I am a demon. Although it sounds completely opposite, the things we do are the same," Chen Lan said calmly.
Though he was a demon, he never did anything heinous. Being called a demon was merely slander by others; true demons never stoop to robbery, murder, and other vile acts.
"Heh, Demon Slayer, you speak so nicely. You have killed more humans, monsters, Buddhas, and gods than any of us," the old man sneered.
He had heard rumors of the Demon Emperor, who had killed countless people, impossible to count. Now he claims to walk the same path as the Buddhists?
"Oh? Is that so, do you have one of these?" Chen Lan smiled.
In the next second, a halo appeared behind him, shining with brilliant rainbow light, one ring after another stacked upon each other, a massive Buddha figure manifested behind him, illuminating heaven and earth, as if the Buddha himself had appeared!
Seeing this sight, Golden Cicada and the old man were shocked, stumbling back.
"Light of merit, how do you have so much merit?" the old man cried in terror.
Merit, a power born from saving people and the world, greatly assists in practicing Buddhism. The Demon Emperor’s merit had surpassed countless others; if he practiced Buddhism, he might enter the pinnacle of the Buddhist Dao in a second, revealing the true Buddha!
His future achievements would absolutely not be less than Golden Cicada’s!
But wasn’t he the Demon Emperor? Why such immense merit? How many did he have to save to possess it?
Golden Cicada looked at the halo of merit behind Chen Lan, dumbfounded, he didn’t have so much merit, yet an Emperor of the Demon Race had more than him.
At this moment, he felt his faith crumble; could it be that demons were truly misunderstood?
They weren’t as evil as imagined, and the sins on Chen Lan were from killing those who deserved to die?
No, sin is sin, different from merit.
But the merit he carried could already offset these sins, a true Buddha reincarnate!
"It seems, I misunderstood demons too deeply."