Starting Immortal Cultivation from a White Dog

The Northwest land stretches for thousands of miles.

The mountains rise like halberds, piercing the sky; the desert stretches endlessly, with yellow sand swirling in the air. This place has been a place of demons and gods since ancient times, a land of malevolent spirits, where a layer of hazy, turbid air shrouds the world year-round, obscuring the sun.

However, today, a golden light shot up from the depths of the mountains.

The golden light was clear and pure, untouched by a speck of dust, like the first rays of dawn, like a lotus in full bloom. Wherever the golden light touched, the turbid and malevolent energy that had lingered for millennia melted away like snow being splashed with boiling water.

Deep in the mountains, there stands a Bodhi tree.

The tree is not tall, only a few feet; its leaves are not numerous, only a few hundred. But each leaf shimmers with a faint golden light, and each branch droops naturally, like the Buddha with lowered brows.

A boy sat cross-legged under the tree.

He was dressed in a plain white monk's robe, barefoot, sitting cross-legged, his hands forming a mudra. His features were delicate, yet there was a serenity and compassion between his brows that transcended his age.

The boy slowly opened his eyes.

His eyes were very clear, as clear as two deep pools, reflecting the light of the sky and the shadows of the clouds.

"My name is Shakyamuni."

"Now, under the Bodhi tree, I attain perfect enlightenment."

"I am willing to sacrifice myself to save all the demons and gods of the Northwest."

"I wish to use my heart to transform this ominous place into a pure land of Buddha."

May all sentient beings in the three realms hear my name, see my form, and be liberated from all suffering.

The words fell.

A beam of Buddhist light shot up from between his eyebrows.

The Buddha's light illuminated the entire Northwest Continent in an instant. The turbid and malevolent energy that had lingered for countless years melted, evaporated, and dissipated at a visible speed under the Buddha's light, like ice and snow being burned by a raging fire.

The Buddha's light soared into the sky, piercing straight through the nine heavens.

boom!!

The entire Heavenly Court was shaking.

Almost all the immortals, Buddhas, gods, and demons focused their attention on the northwest, especially those ancient beings who had lived for countless years, who were the first to realize what had happened.

"He is the reincarnation of the Buddha."

"That one is finally going to reappear in the world..."

"Where is that patriarch of Kunlun?"

For some ancient people, the fact that Buddha and Jade Void Celestial Venerable fought and both disappeared into the long river of time is not a secret.

The appearance of the Buddha's reincarnation now likely signifies a change in the state of these two powerful immortals within the river of time.

Those who truly control the rise and fall of the Three Realms have always been the most powerful beings.

Thinking of this, many immortals and gods were moved.

……

Just as the gods of the three realms were unable to calm down because of the Buddha's reincarnation appearing in the world, Shakyamuni under the Bodhi tree slowly raised his head.

Because at that moment, the sky collapsed.

Directly above the Northwest Continent, the gray sky, which was already shrouded in turbid evil energy, suddenly cracked open with eighteen huge fissures.

Each crack stretches for thousands of miles, lying across the sky.

Then--

Eighteen figures descended simultaneously.

Those were eighteen demon gods.

They are also invincible beings who suppress the Northwest Demon Gods. They have survived from the end of ancient times to the present day. Even after the disappearance of the Lord of the Azure Sky, these eighteen Demon Gods joined forces and dared to challenge the Golden Immortals and occupy a region.

The Northwest Demon God Path, with its eighteen demon lords.

Each one of them is an ancient monster who has lived for tens of thousands of years, who has slaughtered hundreds of millions of living beings, and who has made the gods and immortals of the Three Realms tremble.

Some of them are shaped like giant beasts, some resemble skeletons, some have three heads and six arms, and some have a thousand hands and a thousand eyes.

But one thing remains the same—

The aura emanating from them was enough to change the color of heaven and earth and make ghosts and gods flee.

That was an aura that surpassed that of ordinary immortals.

That was a terrifying existence capable of slaying gods.

At this moment, eighteen demon lords descended simultaneously, hovering in the heavens above, looking down at the small figure under the Bodhi tree.

Eighteen pairs of eyes fell on him at the same time.

The murderous intent, malice, and demonic power contained in that gaze were enough to cause any immortal's Dao heart to collapse on the spot, resulting in the destruction of both body and soul.

But Shakyamuni simply raised his head and quietly looked at them.

His eyes were clear, like a child gazing at the starry sky.

"Tathagata".

A demon lord, resembling a skeleton and shrouded in deathly aura, spoke. His voice was like the simultaneous wailing of countless dead souls, sending chills down one's spine.

“When you were the Buddha, I listened to your teachings for three days.”

"Three days later, I will comprehend life and death, slaughter all living beings in this world, and attain the Great Dao of Life and Death."

"Speaking of which, I owe my current status to your guidance back then."

He grinned, and a hint of genuine gratitude appeared on his skeletal face.

Shakyamuni listened quietly and said, “I do not know the past, nor do I believe in the future; I only cultivate the present. Therefore, the Tathagata you speak of is not me.”

"If what you say is true, and you slaughtered all living beings in this world, what you attained was not the Great Dao, but karmic obstacles."

"The death you see is the death of all living beings; the birth you do not see is the birth of your own mind."

“Your practice is biased, and this manifests outwardly; you have already lost your Dao heart.”

The face of the Bone Demon Lord froze.

That sincere gratitude, little by little, solidified, then shattered, and finally transformed into overwhelming killing intent.

"Good, good, good."

He uttered three "good"s in a row, each word as heavy as a mountain, causing the void to tremble.

“When you were the Buddha, I feared you, respected you, and looked up to you.”

"Now that you have been reincarnated and have only just attained enlightenment, how dare you spout such nonsense before me?"

"Do you think you're still the Buddha you used to be?!"

He roared and raised his hand!

In an instant, the sky over the entire Northwest Continent darkened.

Boundless death energy surged from his palm, transforming into a compass that blotted out the sky, pressing down fiercely on the boy under the Bodhi tree.

The compass was so large that it covered thousands of miles; the two currents of life and death circulated, causing mountains and rocks to crumble, vegetation to wither, and even the void to be stained black and white.

Shakyamuni raised his head.

As the compass, which blots out the sky, drew ever closer.

He spoke calmly and indifferently, “I have now attained enlightenment and established a blessed land called Lingshan. Lingshan has a grotto-heaven called Daleiyin Temple.”

"Under my blessed land, I shall open up eighteen layers of hell."

"One day, I will suppress all eighteen demon lords into the eighteen levels of hell, and I will gain supreme merit and attain supreme enlightenment."

"If I wish to become a Buddha, I must first enter hell."

The moment his words fell...

The compass that blotted out the sky stopped.

It hovered in mid-air, no more than a hundred feet above the head of Buddha.

The Bone Demon Lord stared wide-eyed, desperately channeling his magic power, but the compass remained completely still.

A sacred mountain, radiating Buddhist light, floated above the head of Shakyamuni. On the mountain stood an ancient temple, from which the sounds of morning bells and evening drums could be heard. When the bells rang, their booming sound was like thunder.

Therefore, it is called the Great Thunder Temple.

Shakyamuni slowly rose to his feet.

He stood barefoot under the Bodhi tree, his monk's robes pristine white, spotless.

He looked at the eighteen demon lords in the sky, his gaze calm as still water.

"Are you all willing to follow me into the eighteenth level of hell?"

No one answered.

But the eighteen demon lords moved at the same time.

They stopped testing each other, stopped wasting words, and attacked simultaneously. The aura and demeanor displayed by the reincarnation of Buddha were terrifying, even though the other party had only just attained enlightenment, and in terms of cultivation, his level was equivalent to that of a Buddhist Bodhisattva and a Taoist immortal.

However, his temperament and will were enough to terrify all eighteen demon lords.

Do not know the past, do not ask about the next life, only cultivate the present.

Once he attained enlightenment, he intended to establish eighteen levels of hell and use his own blessed land to suppress eighteen demon lords.

To convert demons and gods, and to attain supreme enlightenment.

What compassion! What courage! What pride and confidence!

If such beings were to continue living, they probably wouldn't even be able to sleep peacefully.

Eighteen terrifying auras soared into the sky, and eighteen completely different Great Daos bloomed simultaneously—

The Great Path of Life and Death, the Great Path of Light, the Great Path of Yin and Yang, the Great Path of Fear, the Great Path of Chaos...

The eighteen Great Daos, the eighteen divine powers capable of destroying the heavens and the earth, intertwined at this moment, transforming into a vast sky.

The reason why the Eighteen Demon Lords dared to challenge the Golden Immortals was that when they joined forces, they could create a celestial realm in a short period of time.

The demons of the Northwest Demon God Path refer to him as the Great Free Heaven.

The Great Free Heaven possesses immeasurable power, and in essence, it is in no way inferior to the Golden Immortal, and may even surpass it.

The moment the Great Free Heaven appeared, the Northwest Continent, which had been shrouded in turbid evil energy, was completely transformed into chaos.

The boundaries between heaven and earth have blurred, the distinction between up and down has disappeared, and all directions—east, west, south, north, up, and down—are shrouded in a gray, chaotic void.

In the chaos, eighteen enormous demon gods appeared simultaneously.

Each demon god was ten thousand feet tall, radiating an aura powerful enough to make even immortals tremble. They opened their eyes simultaneously, and eighteen pairs of eyes fell upon Shakyamuni.

Then--

Same family together!

At this moment, the void collapsed and time stood still.

The Great Free Heaven descended, and the entire Northwest Continent trembled, as if it were about to shatter completely at any moment.

Shakyamuni stood under the Bodhi tree.

He looked up at the Great Free Heaven descending from the sky.

The monks' robes fluttered in the wind, and the Buddha's light shone brightly.

Then--

He smiled.

With a mere wave of his hand, the Great Thunderclap Temple of Mount Ling fell into his palm.

In an instant, boundless golden light surged from his palm.

The golden light was so brilliant, so pure, so intense that it instantly illuminated the entire Great Free Heaven.

The golden light continued to spread and expand, and wherever it reached, chaos dissipated, evil energy dissolved, and the void returned to clarity.

At the same time, Shakyamuni's figure slowly disappeared.

……

Suddenly, a bell rang out in the Great Free Heaven, sounding like thunder, sweeping across the heavens and earth.

boom!!!
The entire northwestern continent trembled.

The Great Free Heaven, which had been created by the joint efforts of eighteen demon gods, was suddenly tinged with a faint golden light.

The expressions of the eighteen demon lords changed simultaneously.

"Shakyamuni—"

The Bone Demon Lord's voice was shrill and piercing, filled with barely concealed shock and rage: "You madman! How dare you merge your own blessed cave with the Great Freedom Heaven that we created?!"

Not to mention the incredible supernatural powers that Shakyamuni used to merge his own blessed land with the immortal heavens created by others, such methods were unprecedented and awe-inspiring.

But what's even more terrifying is the terrifying will that Shakyamuni displayed at this moment.

Another demon lord with three heads and six arms roared, "You think you can escape with your life like this?!"

His voice boomed like thunder, shaking the chaos to its core.

The Great Free Heaven was created by the eighteen demon lords working together. Its power is immeasurable, and when it descends, it is enough to kill any god or bodhisattva.

Shakyamuni Buddha had only just attained enlightenment, and his spiritual practice and cultivation were no more than that of a Bodhisattva. If he had directly confronted Shiva, he would have undoubtedly died.

However, he entered the Free Heaven and, with unprecedented supernatural powers, merged his own blessed land into the Great Free Heaven, causing the two to intertwine and become one within the other.

In this way, the eighteen demon lords were unable to forcibly obliterate it with their supernatural powers.

Forcibly erasing the Great Free Heaven is to eradicate their own Great Dao; forcibly destroying Mount Ling requires first destroying the part that is intertwined with their Great Dao.

To hesitate to act for fear of breaking the law.

A demon lord with a thousand hands and a thousand eyes opened all his eyes, each one flashing with a terrifying light: "Shakya, you truly have audacity! You think you can seize the authority of the Great Free Heaven by your own will? That's utterly delusional!"

Shakyamuni's methods were open and aboveboard, upright and fearless.

Since we cannot fight with force, we shall contend with the Way.

After the Great Free Heaven and Mount Ling merge, who can truly control this world depends on whose Dao heart is more steadfast, whose understanding of the laws of heaven and earth is more profound, and who can suppress the other with their own will.

This is a contest of principles.

This is a battle of wills.

This is a battle of will and belief.

The voice of the Bone Demon Lord was as dark and sinister as the depths of hell: "Shakya, you are too arrogant!"

"You have only just attained enlightenment and achieved the status of a Bodhisattva, yet you dare to presume to fight against the eighteen demon lords of our realm by yourself?"

"Who do you think you are? Do you think you're still the Buddha you once were?!"

His words were filled with anger and sarcasm, but also with a barely perceptible hint of... apprehension.

Although Shakyamuni's methods were crazy and arrogant, they did theoretically have the potential to succeed.

If he could truly suppress the eighteen demon lords with his will and defeat and convert them with the Dao and principles he had comprehended, then the Great Free Heaven and the Great Thunderclap Temple of Mount Ling would be completely merged and transformed into a brand new world.

At that time, Shakyamuni will ascend to heaven in one step and directly cultivate into a golden immortal.

From initially attaining the Dao Fruit to directly entering the realm of Golden Immortal.

What confidence! What courage!

Another demon lord spoke, his voice booming like thunder: "Shakya, do you know how steadfast our Dao hearts are when we eighteen demon lords join forces? How profound our understanding of the laws of heaven and earth is after ten thousand years of studying the Great Dao?"

"How can your single heart possibly contend with the hearts of eighteen of us?"

"How can your single-minded approach possibly overcome the combined approaches of my eighteen?"

The struggle for one's Dao heart is the most dangerous, but also the fairest.

There was no shortcut, no luck involved; it all depended on one's own understanding of the Tao, cognition of reason, and control of the mind.

The eighteen demon lords have lived for tens of thousands of years. Which one of them didn't emerge from mountains of corpses and seas of blood? Which one didn't endure countless tribulations?

Their unwavering faith in the Dao is enough to change the very fabric of heaven and earth; their profound understanding of the Dao is enough to make even ghosts and gods tremble.

Shakyamuni was only a young boy, and had just attained enlightenment.

What gives him the right?
How could he possibly take on eighteen opponents single-handedly?
How can one person's heart prevail over eighteen demonic hearts honed over millennia?

At this moment, in the chaotic Great Free Heaven, a Bodhi tree grew out of nowhere. The Bodhi tree was radiating Buddhist light, and the figure of Shakyamuni slowly appeared beneath it.

His monk's robes were pure white, without a speck of dust.

He looked up at the eighteen towering demon gods, his gaze calm as still water.

"If I don't go to hell, who will?"

"Today is the day I must face this calamity with my own body."

"If I can liberate you all, I will attain unsurpassed, perfect enlightenment."

If not—

He paused slightly, and a smile appeared on his lips.

The smile was light and faint, yet it possessed a radiance that was impossible to look directly at.

"That means my Dao heart is not firm enough, and the Great Dao is not pure enough."

"That is none other than Shakyamuni."

"It is my destiny to perish here."

His voice was calm, without hysteria or screaming.

After speaking, he slowly closed his eyes. (End of Chapter)