586. Chapter 568: Tathagata perishes
Within the Space transformed by the Chaos Bell, Emperor Tang roared three times. Billions of rays of light erupted from his body, shooting straight into the depths of Space, stirring Heaven and Earth and changing the color of the Wind and Clouds.
In his clash with Tathagata, his heart surged with fervor, and his combat will soared to an unprecedented height! As the fight intensified, he didn't even borrow the power of the Chaos Bell, relying solely on a pair of iron fists to relentlessly hammer down towards Tathagata.
His entire body was surrounded by golden Qi flow, constantly vibrating. Infinite Incense and Fire Power integrated into his body during the fight, continuously rotating and combining, as if forming tiny formations and divine abilities to empower Emperor Tang's strength.
His Body of the Heavenly Emperor was originally formed from Incense and Fire Thoughts. What constituted his Body of the Heavenly Emperor was not the flesh and blood recognized by ordinary people, but particles of Divine Power Thought Crystals.
As infinite Incense and Fire Power surged in, the strange particles that formed his Body of the Heavenly Emperor also underwent transformation, experiencing tremendous change. Fist technique divine abilities condensed from within his body.
That's right, condensed out.
This divine ability was not something he obtained from the Jambudvīpa World brand; instead, it seemed to inherently belong to him, naturally surfacing in his memory.
If someone could see the situation within his body, they would see that after the Incense and Fire Particles within his body formed divine abilities, his fist force and speed nearly doubled! Moreover, what he unleashed again was no longer the World-Destroying Great Mill carrying the True Intent of Yin-Yang Reincarnation, nor the slaughter methods of the various Ancestral Wu.
It was a completely new divine ability that had broken free from the confines of Tang Song's True Body.
"End of Dharma Calamity, the Myriad Worlds are without Dao, but my technique is boundless! Deliver all living beings from suffering!"
In an instant, after tens of millions, billions of clashes, a vast, muffled, distant, and profound chanting echoed through Space. The World Honored Tathagata's sixteen-foot golden body expanded to infinite size in a millionth of a second, so much so that even the Space transformed by the Chaos Bell seemed unable to contain Him.
Emperor Tang looked up and saw a colossal "Buddha" facing him with a look of compassion. That golden face held a look that was neither smiling nor crying.
The giant Buddha, enveloping Space, slowly pushed a palm forward. Within this palm, Emperor Tang seemed to see the destruction of all things, the perishing of Gods. Among these Gods were many figures familiar to him: Lane, Kane, Frank, Skye, Rogue... He saw Hela turn into horrifying white bone before his eyes, saw Heaven and Earth collapse, his Heavenly Court destroyed, the cosmic extinction occur, and blood rain fall from Heaven like a downpour. He stood alone in this blood rain.
The sounds of ghosts wailing and deities howling echoed through the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands! Between Heaven and Earth, nothing is eternally long, eternally strong, eternally peaceful, eternally fighting, eternally existing! At the end of the era, all things are annihilated; Gods, Immortals, Humans, Ghosts, Demons cannot escape.
In the doomsday tribulation, countless Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Arhats performed divine manifestation! These solemn Buddhas and Bodhisattvas simultaneously emitted countless grand chanting sounds, using Buddha sound to soothe the doomsday tribulation, using Spirit Mountain as the doomsday ark, saving the living beings from crossing this sea of suffering of the final calamity.
The vast will within that Buddha palm seemed to be hostile to these Buddhas, even hostile to the multitude of living beings.
"What a 'Deliver All Living Beings from Suffering'! Your Buddhist Sect certainly has a big mouth!"
Emperor Tang's gaze was cold and stern. He formed a fist seal and met the giant Buddha's Buddha palm without hesitation. He unleashed the Heavenly Emperor Fist he had just comprehended, smashing two consecutive fists towards the Buddha. One fist caused Heaven and Earth to flow, all things to be born and perish. The other fist caused the Three Realms to submit and Gods and Buddhas to worship.
Around his entire body, countless Incense and Fire Thought Particles evolved into countless Deities. Four hundred and eighty million Incense and Fire Particles transformed into four hundred and eighty million Golden Armored Gods Phantoms, all simultaneously empowering and pushing his fist.
*Whoosh!* It was as if a surging Milky Way truly appeared in Space, but what flowed within this Milky Way was not water, nor stars, but the transformation of Emperor Tang's fist force.
One fist, Heaven and Earth and living beings submit! Two fists unleashed, Three Thousand Worlds are born and perish! *Bang! Bang! Bang!* The Buddha palm and the Heavenly Emperor Fist collided, erupting with a terrifying force capable of killing Celestial Immortals and Golden Immortals.
Emperor Tang's fist wind exploded upon the Tathagata golden body, creating a sound far greater than the explosion of countless stars. Cracks appeared on the Tathagata golden body.
Similarly, in a millionth of a second, with a terrifying speed exceeding Emperor Tang's thoughts, the Buddha palm seemed like The Void, penetrating his fist seal and enveloping him. Amidst a chorus of Buddha sound, Emperor Tang was also enveloped within: "Decay of Spiritual Power, Decay of Outer Appearance, Decay of Wisdom, Decay of Comprehension, Decay of Dharma Flower!"
"Decay of Inner Technique, Decay of Spiritual Bone, Decay of Qi Containment, Decay of Nascent Divinity, Decay of Lifespan."
*Boom! Boom! Boom!* Ten consecutive explosive Buddha sound rang out, vibrating within Emperor Tang's head.
Emperor Tang's complexion changed drastically. He felt that his Body of the Heavenly Emperor was gradually weakening, his wisdom declining, the rotation of his thoughts becoming sluggish, and his memory starting to blur! The balance of magic power within his body was broken, the Gods formed by particles fell into chaos, his tendons and bones, internal organs, bone marrow, and even every minute part began to continuously weaken.
His Primordial Qi, Divine Soul, and even his already immeasurable Lifespan began to decline! What was even more terrifying was that his Divine Position as Heavenly Emperor began to waver! This was the End of Dharma Calamity, the Five Signs of Heavenly Decay! Emperor Tang felt his state drop to freezing point, as if his thoughts had stopped rotating! Tathagata also deeply understood the reason of 'striking him when he's down'. Seeing Emperor Tang fall into the Five Signs of Heavenly Decay, the End of Dharma Calamity, He raised that tens of thousands of miles wide Buddha palm and sent another palm print towards Emperor Tang.
"Hoo!"
Seeing the giant palm descend upon him like a piece of Space, Emperor Tang's mind stirred, and he exhaled a long breath.
Forcing up a breath of magic power, carrying a fierce and unparalleled, overbearing Qiankun Momentum, he leaped thirty thousand miles into Space, uttering a clear and domineering statement: "I am the Heavenly Emperor, what can a tribulation do to me!"
The arrogance within his words filled the Eight Directions and Six Harmonies, causing even the Buddha to look sideways.
He leaped thirty thousand miles high, then suddenly swooped down, crashing towards the Buddha's giant palm.
This fist was like a divine mountain collapsing, mixed with the True Intent of Gonggong's furious collision with Mount Buzhou. In an instant, it pushed aside billions of acres of smoke and dust and starlight, crashing towards the Buddha palm with a fierce, overbearing, and crushing will.
"Such a fist technique, such will..."
Tathagata's gaze was somewhat hazy, as if covered by a layer of mist. His cultivation base was already immune to all evil. This technique, the Five Signs of Heavenly Decay, the Great End of Dharma Calamity, drew upon the artistic conception of Heaven and Earth collapsing and the great destruction of an era.
He had once used his mystic eye to observe later generations. After his perishing, the End of Dharma Calamity would arrive, Heaven and Earth would be without spiritual power, and the Buddhist Sect would also suffer tribulation. Feeling this End of Dharma Calamity, he integrated this artistic conception into his palm.
A single palm strike was enough to cause Heaven and Earth to sinking, yet this Heavenly Emperor before him could break free.
Although Tathagata was surprised, he still struck the Heavenly Emperor with a palm. This Heavenly Emperor was still deeply trapped in the tribulation; having not overcome the End of Dharma Calamity, he would not be able to withstand his second palm.
Just as Emperor Tang crashed into Tathagata's Buddha palm, *Dong!* A bell toll echoed in Space, overpowering everything else.
The Buddha palm unleashed by Tathagata collided with the invisible fluctuation generated by the bell sound, forming an extremely violent World Destruction Tidal Wave that fiercely swept in all directions, covering millions of miles of Space!
Millions of miles of Space suddenly became still.
In the instant the bell sound rang out, everything seemed to freeze.
As if suppressed by this layer of invisible bell wave.
*Crack!*
In this collision, everything else was unharmed. Only the giant Buddha's golden body, already covered in cracks like burnt porcelain, suddenly retreated, shattering The Void and withdrawing millions of miles away. The Chaos Bell sound rang out, washing away the mark of the End of Dharma on Emperor Tang's body again and again. His head regained clarity, and he regained control of his Divine Soul, Magic Power, and body.
"I am the Heavenly Emperor of the Myriad Worlds! Even if the final calamity arrives, at worst, I will reopen Heaven and Earth in the Chaos Sea!"
Emperor Tang looked at the giant Buddha millions of miles away, the flames in his heart burning fiercely, transforming into immeasurable radiance illuminating Space.
Behind him in the boundless The Void, a giant bell phantom appeared. The bell wall instantly flickered with countless starlight essence, appearing and disappearing, illuminating the Sky with dazzling star-like colors, shining upon everything! "Observe The Way of Heaven, execute the actions of Heaven, control the Three Realms with technique, create nature! I am the Heavenly Emperor, I shall defeat all enemies!"
As soon as he spoke, Emperor Tang's body instantly expanded infinitely, transforming into a giant God King thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, tens of millions of feet tall.
One fist swung out, unstoppable. Living beings were like ants, The World (Empire) was in mourning, blood flowed like rivers.
The Heavenly Emperor's Fist, the God King's Fist! This fist struck out, millions of miles of The Void collapsed and shattered. The stars blocking the fist wind silently disappeared into a chaotic void.
The next moment, this strike that split Heaven and Earth instantly smashed onto the giant Buddha golden body!
*Rumble!*
The Heaven and Earth within the Chaos Bell trembled. Amidst a tremendous roar, a huge wave suddenly rose in Space, instantly spreading unknown millions of miles from the point of their collision.
A crimson-gold ripple, like a World Destruction frenzy, instantly spread across tens of millions of miles of Space, destroying and collapsing countless small stars. Even the Chaos Bell was forced to reveal its main body in their clash, nearly being sent flying.
*Rumble!* The vast and terrifying Divine Might mutually annihilated each other under their continuous impact, with only tiny points flying out. However, even these scattered points, upon falling into The Void, seemed to transform into ten thousand bolts of lightning, triggering fierce and violent explosions.
*Crack!*
Tens of millions of collisions transformed into one fist. Emperor Tang's fist seal, like the Heavenly River pouring down, heavily slammed into Tathagata's chest.
"Ha!"
The haziness in Tathagata's eyes deepened. He only had time to place his palm horizontally in front of his chest before Emperor Tang's fist pierced through both his palm and his chest! *Boom!*
A giant roar, like the explosion of a thousand thunderclaps, echoed within the World Honored Tathagata's body. Buddha Blood scattered across Space like a waterfall.
Tathagata's body was struck as if by lightning, sent flying tens of thousands of miles through Space by Emperor Tang's fist, crashing through a large star.
*Bang!* And Emperor Tang's body also trembled at the moment of impact. The millions of miles of Space behind him were almost turned into dust by his impact.
"Pfft!"
Emperor Tang lightly spat out a mouthful of golden blood, which streaked across a hundred miles like a golden long rainbow, lingering for a long time.
"Cough cough! Cough cough!"
Amidst the wreckage of the large star shattered into dust by Tathagata, Tathagata slowly stood up, leaning against the bell wall.
His current state had fallen to the extreme.
His bright yellow monk robe was tattered, and a huge, front-to-back empty space remained on his left chest. His Internal Organs and even his heart had disappeared. His originally golden complexion was now gray and withered, clearly having suffered unimaginable injuries from this fist.
"Unexpected..."
Tathagata stood up, looking at Emperor Tang, his look slightly melancholic.
He gently stroked the large hole in his chest, looked calmly at Emperor Tang by the side of the Star River, and seemed to see a certain old friend: "This defeat, I accept wholeheartedly!"
"Back then, I used that Monkey's hand to strike you down. Now, I perish by your hand. What goes around comes around, this is Heaven's Will!"
Tathagata slowly sat down cross-legged in the air. His entire aura dissipated into the ethereal, a point of Spiritual Light scattered into Heaven and Earth, perishing on the spot.
As Tathagata perished, This World, the Heaven and Earth above, slowly turned blood-red. Pouring blood rain fell rustling down, like a downpour.
Heaven and Earth mourned together!
Outside the Dragon Carriage, Li Shimin, clad in Mingguang Armor and holding the Seven Star Dragon Abyss Sword, stood beside the Dragon Carriage curtains. Behind him were thousands of Black Armored Soldiers. Sticky blood rain poured onto Li Shimin, seeping through his armor into his underclothes.
His face covered in bloodstains, his gaze was resolute, as if he had returned to the front of the Xuanwu Gate a hundred years ago.
The path was one he chose himself; he would not regret it, absolutely not.
Looking up at the pouring blood rain in the Sky, Li Shimin tightened his grip on the Treasured Sword in his hand and looked inside the curtains. He had made up his mind: if Tang Song lost, he would lead these three thousand Xuanjia Army in a final struggle, just like at the Xuanwu Gate back then. If he lost, he would accept it. The victor is king, the loser is bandit; there is only death.
At this moment, the bright yellow curtains were lifted, revealing a hand with clearly defined joints. Emperor Tang looked at the sky full of blood rain, held his left fist with his palm, and coughed once. The sky full of blood rain, along with the dark clouds in the Sky, instantly dissipated. The clear Night Sky revealed the sky full of Stars. The Starlight transformed into tangible Azure Moonlight Essence, falling onto the Land. Behind Li Shimin, the many injured armored soldiers and Exorcists, as long as they had one breath left, their wounds rapidly healed.
"Uncle Tang!"
Bathed in the Moonlight Essence, the blood mist on his body dissipated into streaks of golden light. Li Shimin's expression relaxed. He took Little Dumpling from the Elderly Maid beside him.
Holding Little Dumpling, he got onto the Dragon Carriage. Before getting on, he handed Little Dumpling to Emperor Tang and said with a playful face, "We won?!"
Emperor Tang took Little Dumpling, who was sleeping soundly wrapped in a mink great cloak, and gently rubbed her little head.
"Mm! It's still early. We'll reach Mount Zhongnan before dawn!" Emperor Tang glanced at Li Shimin. "These Armored Soldiers under your command are good. I have two worlds that still need manpower for conquest. If you can take them down, those two worlds will be yours. I only need thirty percent rent from you!"
Li Shimin was ecstatic. He had gambled correctly! What if it was a Buddha? This cheap uncle's thigh was thick enough.
"Uncle Tang, are those two worlds you mentioned similar to the Great Tang Dynasty? What about resources, population, is the land fertile, what about weapons and armor?"
(end of chapter)