On March 3rd, fishern along the East Sea Coast felt as if there was an additional sun in the sky. Although it was early spring, the sunlight was ten tis harsher than in the sumrti.
Even with thick boots, one could feel the searing heat underfoot upon stepping outside. Without Martial Arts skills and a robust physique, one would collapse from the oppressive sun within monts of leaving ho.
Ordinary folks had no choice but to hide in their hos, where so gradually succumbed to heatstroke.
The sea was constantly evaporating water vapor, and masses of fish floated dead, their white bellies upturned on the surface.
Only salted fish could endure such weather. (laugh)
Indeed, the people’s feeling was correct; there was indeed an extra sun. The new sun overlapped the original, making it hard to detect at first glance.
Even those intending to look up couldn’t bear the intensity of light from the two overlapping suns.
At that mont, soone was confronting this additional sun.
"It’s unexpected. After hundreds of years, soone from the Esoteric Sect has managed to cultivate the ’Great Sun Tathagata Scripture’ (what a common na)," remarked the monk, Xinyuan, face representing All Living Beings, sitting aloft on Bai Yun, gazing at the sun above and sighing.
The Esoteric Sect’s "Great Sun Tathagata Scripture" is clearly aid at achieving the attributes of their highest deity, the Great Sun Tathagata.
Once mastered, this Divine Skill bestows the wielder with the Power of the Great Sun, an avatar of the sun in the Human World that can either nourish or destroy all things.
However, due to the extre difficulty of this cultivation, nearly impossible for a human, its lineage persisted without any successful practitioners.
The process of cultivating the "Great Sun Tathagata Scripture" involves emulating the sun’s daily journey.
At dawn, as the sun rises, the cultivator’s Yang Fire ignites within, radiating the Great Sun Light. This stage is quite straightforward and achievable by many.
The challenge follows next.
Once mastered, the "Great Sun Tathagata Scripture" requires continuous practice, akin to the ceaseless rise and set of the sun, unchanging despite the transformations of the world around.
After dawn, as the sun climbs higher, the Great Sun True Fire begins burning the cultivator’s True Qi and blood, fueling the internal rise of the Great Sun, growing more intense.
This aspect resembles life-risking Forbidden Techniques—True Qi and blood steadily convert into the intensely fiery Great Sun True Fire. Should one’s True Qi and blood be insufficient, the Great Sun True Fire eventually reduces the cultivator to ash.
rely having sufficient True Qi and blood isn’t enough; how could a non-Undying body withstand the ferocity of the Great Sun True Fire?
At midday, when the internal sun fully forms, emitting boundless Yang Fire, the first real challenge manifests. If one withstands this, all is well; if not, the outco remains the sa—turning to ash.
Following this, as the sun sets and the Yang Fire begins to naturally diminish until the sun falls below the horizon, the cultivator enters a state akin to Silent Annihilation, devoid of all vitality.
This marks the second great challenge; plumting here equates to true death, unless one comprehends the essence of Silent Annihilation to avoid this fatal trap.
Finally, the last challenge, Nirvana, arrives as the sun sets and rises anew the following day. Only by radiating renewed brilliance from a diminished body can one successfully attain the True Body of the Great Sun Tathagata.
Thus is the supre legacy of the Esoteric Sect, "Great Sun Tathagata Scripture," a Divine Skill that could be mastered in just a day and a night, yet preparation takes a lifeti.
For thousands of years, many in the Esoteric Sect have attempted the "Great Sun Tathagata Scripture" with nurous fatalities. Naturally, the monk Xinyuan was utterly astounded that soone had achieved this Divine Skill.
"May I ask the Venerable’s Buddhist na?"
The Xinyuan Abbot of the Great Zen Temple, ranked fourth on the Heavenly List, asked solemnly.
"Amaterasu." A voice bearing Infinite Divine Power emanated from the sun above.
Upon hearing this, Xinyuan Monk’s vision filled with transforming scenes: Esoteric Sect’s passage eastward, warriors slashing eight fierce beasts with swords, and monks spreading teachings with Martial Arts forming in foreign lands—all these visions unfolded before Xinyuan’s eyes.
The sequence concluded with an image of the Great Sun spanning the sky, with a figure bathed in sunlight, suspended high above, revered by countless people.
The figure aligned with the sun above was the supre deity of Japan—Amaterasu.
"Ha!"
With a cold snort accompanied by supre divine presence and overwhelming Yang Fire, the figure enrobed in sunlight radiated a blinding brilliance, incinerating the visions in Xinyuan’s eyes.
"Life and Death in the Palm, the Xinyuan Abbot truly lives up to his na," Amaterasu declared.
"Venerable, attaining the position of supre deity as a human, the na Amaterasu is well deserved," Xinyuan responded, with myriad faces of All Living Beings fluttering across his face, the voices eerie and overlapping.
"Do you intend to obstruct ?" A chilling voice, filled with inscrutable divine authority, inquired.
"Although this monk wishes to asure his strength against the Venerable, I cannot bear to endanger the innocent people along the East Sea Coast," Xinyuan replied. "Venerable, the battle of Northern Zhou is already decided. Mr. ng has acted, and the Esoteric Sect has no chance of victory. Venerable, please cease and spare further suffering."
"You cannot stop ," Amaterasu stated flatly.
"Venerable, having attained the True Body of the Great Sun Tathagata and received tribute from countless people, this monk might indeed fall short. However, Central Plains is not devoid of others."
As he spoke, several imposing presences traveled swiftly from afar toward them. Despite being many miles away, Amaterasu perceived the formidable power of the approaching figures, so of whom posed a threat to his life.
"Venerable must know, causes rise and fall all within Xinyuan’s grasp," Xinyuan, holding myriad colorful threads in his hands, interwove them. "This monk has alerted several Supre warriors of Central Plains to this situation. Venerable, should you not withdraw, there may be peril to your life."
During these few exchanges, Amaterasu already sensed the nearest person rapidly approaching within monts. If caught up by Xinyuan and delayed until the others arrived, even he, proud of his unparalleled divine power, would struggle to escape death.
"Monk Xinyuan, well done, I will rember you."
"This ti, you may have won, but this is not the ultimate victory. The Sun God of Extre East will eventually descend upon the Central Plains. Central Plains will fall into my hands."
"This fate is inevitable."
With that, an additional sun in the sky vanished without a trace, and the air temperature noticeably decreased. The sea ceased evaporating, and while the residual heat lingered, no one else on the East Sea Coast succumbed to heatstroke.
The entire populace along the East Sea Coast cheered in exultation.
"Next ti I enter Central Plains will be your death, Venerable. This monk has foreseen your fate." Xinyuan’s eyes flickered with countless karmic threads, ultimately settling on an image that vanished in an instant.
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