Chapter 177
The fortuitous encounters within the Heavenly Flame Secret Realm were either left behind by the Ancient Phoenix King before his ascension or sent down from the Immortal Realm.
And the various dangers within this Secret Realm were all transformed from the physical body and mental energy he had discarded before his ascension.
The Heartless River was formed from the Ancient Phoenix King’s rare hostile energy.
And these three Evil Buddhas of Greed, Anger, and Delusion symbolized the Ancient Phoenix King’s three great evil thoughts of greed, fury, and foolish delusion.
The Ancient Phoenix King was trapped at the peak of the Supreme Realm for nearly three thousand years. Seeing that he could not progress any further, he became utterly disheartened.
In his later years, he wore plain cloth and kept company with a green lamp in the Heavenly Flame Canyon, worshipping the Buddha.
Unexpectedly, a short two-year period of Buddhist cultivation allowed the Ancient Phoenix King to suddenly achieve enlightenment and clarity.
The reason he could not step into the Saint Realm was exactly because he could not sever and remove evil thoughts from his mind.
With the help of the Buddhist Dao, he smoothly severed Greed, Anger, and Delusion. Successfully vindicating his Dao and entering Sanctification.
And these three great evil thoughts, after years of accumulation, transformed into three Evil Buddhas with Supreme Realm strength. Hiding within the Heavenly Flame Secret Realm.
As for why they finally appeared during this specific Secret Realm opening thousands of years later? Naturally, it was because Knox’s Protagonist Halo had exerted its power again.
"The one who guided the Ancient Phoenix King to sever his mortal thoughts back then was the Buddhist Saint, Heavenly True One."
"And behind the three Evil Buddhas lies the fortuitous encounter left by Heavenly True One in this Secret Realm."
"Only the one who eradicates the Evil Buddhas can obtain Heavenly True One’s inheritance."
As Alex muttered to himself, a trace of utter speechlessness arose in his heart.
"The most ridiculous bullshit is that with Knox’s cultivation, it was fundamentally impossible for him to kill these three Evil Buddhas with Supreme Realm cultivation."
"As a result, relying entirely on that trace of Buddha-nature awakened in the Heartless River, he forcefully convinced the experts of the other Saint Lineages to join forces to eradicate the Evil Buddhas. Then share the fortuitous encounters."
"And after getting rid of Greed, Anger, and Delusion, Knox logically and rightfully was directly chosen by the fortuitous encounter. Becoming Heavenly True One’s inheritor."
"The other Saint Lineages weren’t having it. Successively sought him out to demand an explanation."
"He then used Heavenly True One’s ability to speak of karma and destiny. Forcibly relying on his glib, indestructible three-inch tongue to persuade these people."
"Spouting nonsense like If it is destined to be yours, you will eventually have it; if it is not destined, do not force it. He bluffed a bunch of Mahayana Realm and Supreme Realm experts into a daze. Some even knelt on the ground, revering him as the contemporary Buddhist Saint."
"Stupid. Truly fucking stupid."
"How could someone in this world write such a disgusting plot?!"
To the countless times Alex had secretly cursed the original author in his heart, he added one more.
He then looked at the Buddha wall in front of him. A smile curling at the corners of his mouth.
"Greed, Anger, and Delusion. As mini-bosses whose imposing aura was maxed out upon debut, dying at the hands of a small fry like Knox is indeed a humiliation for you all."
"Dying by my hands because of your own insufficient strength is much more reasonable."
Alex clasped his palms together, shouted resoundingly. "Vault of Divine Mirror! Manifest!"
A dazzling golden light burst from the Vault of Divine Mirror. Blasting toward the Buddha wall.
Under the illumination of the golden light, three thick streams of mist surged out from the wall. One red. One purple. One green.
These three streams of mist radiated a bizarre demonic power. Just by looking at them from afar, it would cause one to give rise to emotions of greed, furious anger, and delusion.
This was the terrifying power contained within the Ancient Phoenix King’s evil thoughts.
Of course, the power of these mere remnant thoughts absolutely could not affect Alex. His expression remained unchanged. Standing with his arms crossed, and face devoid of emotion.
A moment later, the three clusters of mist transformed into the three Evil Buddhas, revealing their forms.
Calling them Evil Buddhas was actually no different from calling them monsters.
The Greed Buddha on the far left had an entirely dark green body. Its hands, feet, body, and face. Its entire form covered in green eyes. A full several thousand eyes densely distributed all over its body. Just looking at it made one’s scalp tingle numbly.
"The so-called greed originates from the expansion of experience and the broadening of horizons." Alex muttered to himself.
"If a person wanders the streets since childhood, they will only want to own a small house."
"But after getting a small house, their broadened horizons will make them want a big house."
"And after getting a big house, they will then want a palace."
"As long as a person’s horizons can continuously and endlessly rise, then greed will never be contained."
"Therefore, as the symbol of greed, this Greed Buddha grew into this devilish appearance."
Alex then looked at the Anger Buddha right in the middle.
The Anger Buddha was entirely crimson red.
Its massive body burning with a layer of raging flames. Its entire body covered in mouths. Inside the mouths were sharp fangs. A full three thousand mouths simultaneously opened their bloody maws wide, making anyone who looked at it shudder with fear.
"Anger is precisely fury." Alex stroked his chin.
"Resentment and annoyance all stem from opening one’s mouth too much. Right and wrong only exist because one forcibly tries to stand out."
"A person’s anger mostly enters through the mouths of others, and exits through their own mouth."
"If everyone became mute and could not use words to attack others, then the anger in the world would decrease by more than ninety percent."
"So, that’s why this Anger Buddha looks like this?"
"Mm, reasonable and logical."
Alex turned his head again and looked at the Delusion Buddha on the far right.