What the Fighting Victory Buddha lacks, Wukong possesses.
It is, in fact, my teaching, Lily Elbrite.
In that moment, Wukong lifted his head as if he had gained great enlightenment.
“…Storm.”
Clearly, it wasn’t the enlightenment that the Tathagata spoke of.
I’m not a Buddha, and I don’t even know what it means to share enlightenment.
One thing is certain: even if enlightenment is gained again, it won’t be the same as the one that ‘Buddha’ awakens.
That much was for sure.
[Wow]
[To Lily]
[Lily’s teaching is a bit different, haha]
“Win”
“To be honest, after learning from Lily for years, I can’t lose.”
[For real, haha]
“Well then… excuse me.”
Ta-gak.
Wukong soared into the sky.
The two Wukongs faced each other, while the Fighting Victory Buddha scoffed at Wukong with a look of disdain.
“With just that sort of technique to defeat me—”
BOOOOM!!!
The roar obliterated the Fighting Victory Buddha.
Wukong had completely internalized the roar, and having been struck by Zeus’s attack and revived, his vessel had also grown.
As the storm shattered the Fighting Victory Buddha into pieces, a tiny crack appeared on the once-gentle face of the Tathagata.
—As expected…
“Ugh, ugh…”
“Is that all it takes for you to fall? I’m quite disappointed for ‘my’ standards.”
“I will, I will kill you!!!”
Splat!
The regenerating Fighting Victory Buddha was crushed once again.
This time, it was a blow by the Magical Staff.
Of course, due to the Buddha’s superior body and rank, the damage was minimal, but he was already in a mess from the roar.
Eventually, after a flurry of attacks, Wukong was pushed back heavily.
The Fighting Victory Buddha, infused with lightning and a smoky cloud, flashed a fierce gaze and evaded all attacks.
It seemed he was using a considerable amount of power.
Seeing Wukong giving it his all, it looked like the fight between the two would continue for a while.
‘That aside…’
“Now we need to resolve our business, right?”
—He who inherits the light. I have seen you.
Whoooom.
─A challenger from another world. However, the being within is no mere sentient or weak form of enlightenment, so one conclusion can be drawn.
“What conclusion?”
As enormous energy surged around the Tathagata, even Zeus frowned and went into a defensive stance.
Dozens of palms surged behind the Tathagata.
Each one held power comparable to an unnamed Intermediate Angel, equal to that of a Demon Race.
─You are equal to the Master of the Tower. That power can be compared to the Creator from the beginning, Bonchobul, and your intellect and wisdom can perceive the universe’s manifold.
“Hmmm…”
─Moreover, your rank has already risen high enough to look down on all celestial bodies…
“Enough, enough.”
I definitely felt like there was going to be a showdown, but what’s going on?
It’s a bit confusing.
[LOL]
[Surprise worship? LOL]
[Great Lily]
[Suddenly. Amazingly. Impressive.]
[Why is the Tathagata suddenly bowing? LOL]
[Info: Truly impressive]
[It is impressive that Yena, who is loved by that Lily, is amazing…]
[Isn’t this habitual worship?]
“What do you want to say?”
─…I want to hear the truth. The great truth that neither the Master of the Tower nor Bonchobul knows. If it’s you, it must be possible.
The Tathagata’s tone changed.
The Tathagata was seriously seeking answers to questions.
At the same time, I felt the ‘perception’ of the entire heavenly realm increasing dramatically.
Just as I made Wukong spend nearly six years by extending his perception time, this time the Tathagata had extended the time difference of the heavenly realm itself.
‘Is he trying to avoid the external gaze? That’s why the broadcast was cut for a bit.’
Of course, he could have resisted or collapsed the space itself, but he didn’t do that.
‘Seems like there’s a lot you want to say.’
In the end, whether it’s the masters of the tower or the universe, they’re just rulers of a dimension.
Compared to the Celestials or Demon Race who manage the entire dimension, they’re not that impressive.
As proof, the raccoon, who seemed to be empowered by someone presumed to be the master of Deoen, was showcasing its strength by smashing countless celestial spheres.
‘Even that raccoon is still in the ‘growth’ stage.’
This world was created to mimic the past before the raccoon worked as the administrator of Deoen.
It was still in a very weak state before fully gaining power.
“Ah.”
In that moment, I realized why the Tathagata had created this situation.
A world mimicking the Journey to the West of the past.
The past Wukong and the future Wukong who has become a Celestial living there.
In the end, if the past existence failed to reach the desired position, then it encountered the ‘enemy’ that is future Wukong…
“You’re also afraid of a predetermined future, aren’t you?”
─…!
In the end, the Ancient Growth Tower is no different from this space.
This place is a dimension created to mimic the past of the Growth’s Altar, and in the distant future’s Tower of Growth, there were no Celestials or celestial spheres at all.
‘Only the rabbits and the imprisoned upper Demon Race, Immensus, existed.’
In other words, they are destined to either die or disappear somewhere in the distant future.
The Tathagata’s face was completely cracked.
“Did you expect possibilities from Wukong? Hoping there might be a way out of destruction?
─…The moment I first saw your existence, I felt something unusual. But that was merely a feeling derived from ‘strength.’
However.
─The moment Bonchobul ‘perceived’ you, something changed.
The Buddha is the one who sees the universe.
As he observed me, who stands at the same level as the Master of the Tower, the renowned Buddhas witnessed a single scene.
As he from the Chi watched me, the esteemed Buddhas beheld a singular scene.
─I have seen the fragments of the universe. There lay nothingness (無).
“Nothingness?”
─A place devoid of any traces. The moment ‘light’ manifested in the world, everything crumbled. The tower, the universe, the dimensions—all of it.
A circular form of light emerged in the void.
The light obliterated all the worlds.
And that world reemerged in the form of the Growth’s Altar.
“Light…”
─I cannot discern the details. If it’s Bonchobul, perhaps more information could be uncovered, but much isn’t permitted to me…
“Understood. I see.”
This is quite crucial information.
The primary goal of being here is the raccoon.
‘The raccoon was undergoing the trials laid down by Deoen’s master in this place. But that tower was wiped away in an instant?’
What could have prompted that?
The raccoon surely needs this place, and it seems unlikely it harbors enough ill will to massacre those living in other dimensions.
Seeing the aspect of ‘light,’ its probability of being Celestial is high, but if it’s a high-ranked demon, it could easily deceive lower beings using illusions and phantoms.
I briefly fell into thought and emerged with a familiar conclusion, letting out a chuckle.
Not that different from Celestials or demons, but a situation I’ve witnessed countless times recently.
“They wiped it out.”
─…?
“It was removed for the ‘Regressor.’”
The raccoon is a ‘Regressor’ who has conquered the tower multiple times.
Of course, time does not ‘absolutely’ turn back, so a high-ranking existence constructs the same environment with the same gods, then wipes it all away once it serves no purpose.
It could have been left as a parallel world, but it chose to erase all of them instead.
‘Like a dungeon that repeats creation and deletion endlessly.’
“I wonder if the raccoon knows. Perhaps it has a rough idea.”
The raccoon already understands that time doesn’t flow backward.
Listening to this entire conversation, Zeus furrowed his brow and poked me.
“…What are you talking about?”
“It’s easier not to know.”
In truth, most living beings are oblivious to such deletion and creation and go on with their lives.
They wouldn’t even consider that the world they reside in is merely a ‘fake’ modeled after the memories of the past.
With their abilities, they are unable to uncover the truth even if they wanted to.
─…Is that so.
But among them, there are bound to be ‘mutants’ who stumble upon the inconvenient truths of the world.
Just like me, forced to open my eyes against my will.
“A fake? This world cannot be fake! How dare anyone claim I am alive and well—who could…!”
“There can’t possibly be a fake world! How dare anyone suggest I’m living just fine?!”
“Of course, there’s no such thing as a fake world. With everyone alive like this, how could it be fake?”
As Leo’s hair got messed up, Zeus went off again.
“There is no fake world.”
“Everyone is living their best, moving and thinking as if this life is their last.”
“Only to someone does this world feel fake.”
─Is Nirvana far away…
And then, the hand of that ‘Someone’ who seemed fake begins to move.
It changes.
As the Tathagata’s enlightenment becomes a play on words, his emotions stir greatly, and that realization gets completely replaced by ‘rank.’
The Tathagata’s power grew as strong as Baal, who absorbed all demons.
─Show me the truth, One Who Denies the Light. I relinquish my claim to Nirvana from today onward.
“Doing that won’t change anything…”
─You did not share your enlightenment yourself. I too was like that, so I am entitled to awaken to the truth.
“…I think you’re under some kind of misconception, let me make it clear.”
Firstly.
“I am not Buddha. I don’t even know what Nirvana is, and enlightenment is a different story.”
─…But.
“And I lack it.”
In the end, this fake, or saying it’s fake is ridiculous. Just like ‘Lily Elbrite’ in the interference dungeon, to escape this world, one must choose one of two options.
One is to receive help from an ‘Upper Being’ like me, who pulled in Deoen’s System or Gapwoo with my soul.
“You’d need enough power to escape that world.”
But merely having the power of the Tathagata, who got close to the upper tier, wouldn’t cut it.
‘Helping to get you out would just be a case of being nosy.’
If I helped everyone escape like that, my soul’s inner space would have been filled with thousands, tens of thousands of monsters, gods, and humans.
I brought Gapwoo along because he was useful for dealing with Karabus.
The Tathagata shook his head, as if reading my thoughts.
─I do not wish for escape or survival. I gave up on that long ago. What I desire is the truth surrounding this world.
“I’m sorry, but the lack of ability is an issue on my side as well.”
─I will prove it.
“…Didn’t you just say you attained Nirvana?”
Considering what he said to Wukong out of sentiment, it seems he himself has the most sentiment left.
For the first time, the Tathagata smiled.
─I have let it go.
A palm pressed down on me.
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