Chapter 405: Chapter 404: Mahayana Realm

The news of Monk Long Eyebrow falling into madness reached the ears of other practitioners at the Transcendance Tribulation Stage, who hurriedly rushed to see for themselves.

Upon learning why Monk Long Eyebrow had fallen into such hysteria, those at the Tribulation Stage were rendered speechless.

The fate endured by Monk Long Eyebrow that day could possibly be their tomorrow.

They were just one step away from becoming immortals, yet they were unsure how long they would need to take this leap. Who could endure such torment?

This was an experience that none of their predecessors had ever undergone before, and they were the ones to bear its burden.

“Friend Long Eyebrow, it’s me. Can you hear me speaking?”

The Immortal Elder infused Monk Long Eyebrow with a sliver of his immortal power to stabilize Long Eyebrow’s breathing.

But that was all he could do.

Monk Long Eyebrow opened his eyes slightly, not looking at the others at the Tribulation Stage, but instead turned his gaze towards the Immortal Elder, the only immortal among them, “So it is the Immortal Elder.”

“Elder, tell me, when will the Heavenly Ladder to Immortality be rebuilt? When can I become an Immortal?”

The others were also waiting for the Immortal Elder to give an answer.

But no matter what, the Immortal Elder could never disclose the truth to them; that would only make the situation worse.

Yet under the watchful eyes of the masses, he could no longer dodge or sidestep.

The Immortal Elder looked at the unsteady Monk Long Eyebrow, stood up, glanced at the group at the Tribulation Stage, pondered for a while, and started speaking in a low voice.

“Friend Long Eyebrow, also to other friends, as practitioners at the Transcendance Tribulation Stage, becoming immortal is not the only pursuit.”

“To my knowledge, above the Transcendance Tribulation Stage, there is still the Mahayana Realm.”

At this revelation, the crowd was stunned into silence.

“The Mahayana Realm?” Monk Long Eyebrow had never heard of this realm before, yet it sounded familiar to him.

The others at the Tribulation Stage also looked at each other in doubt.

They could be forgiven for not knowing about the existence of Heavenly Demons in the Immortal Realm, but suddenly mentioning a new realm, stating that the Tribulation Stage is not the end, and that above it lies the Mahayana Realm, was hard to swallow.

“Didn’t friend Long Eyebrow mention to me about Hinayana and Mahayana Buddhist Law before? The concept of a Mahayana Realm exists in cultivation as well.”

The tone of the Immortal Elder was filled with undeniable confidence, “What is Mahayana? Mahayana signifies great accomplishment. It means the peak of mortal cultivation, beyond which there is no further path.”

“The Tribulation Stage is not the limit for mortals. The true limit for mortals is the Mahayana Realm.”

“Once one reaches the Mahayana Realm, one could compete against immortals with a mortal body.”

“It’s understandable if you didn’t know. The Immortal Realm is filled with extraordinary individuals, but few have cultivated to the Mahayana Realm. It’s rare to even see one in tens of thousands of years.”

“Have you ever heard of the Immortal Minghuo of the Immortal Realm? Thirty thousand years ago, he broke through the Tribulation Stage and reached the Mahayana Realm, then ascended to the Immortal realm, bypassing the Earthly Immortal stage and directly becoming a Heavenly Immortal. Later, he broke through several limitations, breaking the record for fastest cultivation time and becoming a powerhouse in the Immortal Realm.”

“This is just a recent example. I heard from my master that almost seventy to eighty thousand years ago, there was also a practitioner in the continent of Jiuzhou who reached the Mahayana Realm. Upon ascending to the Immortal Realm, they remained undefeated through countless battles. That practitioner was respectfully referred to as the War Immortal, you must have heard of him.”

“The War Immortal had a certain relationship with my master.”

On hearing the names of these two immortals, everyone sucked in a cold breath of air.

Both were renowned in the Immortal Realm as being invincible among their peers.

Though they were not familiar with Immortal Minghuo, as he was not from Jiuzhou, they were somewhat familiar with the War Immortal, who was known to be remarkably talented and unparalleled in the world.

The events of seventy to eighty thousand years ago were too antiquated. Many of the facts and events were contradicting and confusing.

The seniors present had elders who had lived for seventy to eighty thousand years and were contemporaries with the War Immortal. However, they knew extremely little about the War Immortal.

The War Immortal was aloof and proud, rarely engaging in conversation. Moreover, his cultivation speed was extremely fast, ascending to the Immortal Realm before people could even react, leaving no disciples or successors behind in Jiuzhou. After ascending to the Immortal Realm, he became even more reclusive, making it difficult for those who ascended from Jiuzhou to even meet him once.

Only the master of the Immortal Elder, who dared to be referred to as the “Ancestor”, had the opportunity to converse with the War Immortal.

“The Mahayana Realm is difficult to cultivate, which is one of the reasons why it’s rarely known. After the Tribulation Stage, one could become an immortal, making the Mahayana Realm a less pursued level.”

The Mahayana Realm was an idea the Immortal Elder came up with on the spot, inspired by Monk Long Eyebrow’s advocacy of the Mahayana Buddhist Law.

However, once he reached this point in his explanation, he had no choice but to continue tailoring his narrative.

“The Mahayana Realm, while difficult to cultivate, naturally leads to immense power. I heard that Immortal Minghuo, at the Mahayana Realm, could withstand thirty blows from a Heavenly Immortal without dying!”

The practitioners at the Tribulation Stage, who in Jiuzhou were treated like myths and revered by all living beings, felt as if they were listening to a mythical tale on hearing about Immortal Minghuo resisting a Heavenly Immortal with a mortal body.

“May I ask Elder, how should we cultivate for the Mahayana Realm?” Li Wu asked, as this was their most pressing concern.

Immortal Elder shook his head: “I don’t know. This is also one of the reasons why few people cultivate to the Mahayana Realm. Even my master doesn’t know the specifics.”

“Wouldn’t your esteemed master have some secrets due to his relationship with the War Immortal?”

“Li Wu, are you joking? How can the secrets of how the War Immortal cultivated to the Mahayana Realm be passed on?”

Immortal Elder continued: “Although there is no concrete information, I have some speculations that you could consider.”

“The Mahayana Buddhist Law emphasizes supporting oneself and others, doing everything possible to help all living beings. And Immortal Minghuo and the War Immortal have always acted righteously, never killing innocently.”

“The Mahayana Realm might have some connection to the Mahayana Buddhist Law.”

Yuan Shang stated: “Indeed, considering the similarity in their names, this is likely not a coincidence.”

Most people were skeptical of the Immortal Elder’s statements. Given the introduction of a new realm, suspicions were natural.

The Immortal Elder was also helpless. He couldn’t devise better explanations. They could choose to believe or disbelieve and he was powerless to influence their decision.

“Immortal Elder, you never lie. Tell me, does the Mahayana Realm truly exist?” Monk Long Eyebrow asked.

“Yes, it does.” the Immortal Elder replied without hesitation, knowing that if he hesitated now, there would be even more doubters.

Now was not the time to test his conscience.

Moreover, he felt that Monk Long Eyebrow might not truly believe his words. Monk Long Eyebrow simply wanted a new goal, one that was not related to becoming an immortal, which might help him let go of his obsession with becoming an immortal.

As Monk Long Eyebrow was advocating the Mahayana Buddhist Law, he laughed heartily upon hearing what the Immortal Elder said.

“Good, I believe you!”

Monk Long Eyebrow’s aura changed abruptly, a mighty energy coursed through him. He soared into the sky and deliberately invoked the Immortal Ascension Tribulation.

During the Heart Devil Tribulation, someone from the Immortal Realm came to repair the Heavenly Ladder to Immortality, allowing Monk Long Eyebrow to resist the divine thunder and advance to immortality.

Monk Long Eyebrow resolutely refused.

The Heart Devil Tribulation dissipated, Monk Long Eyebrow passed the Immortal Ascension Tribulation, giving him a profound and complete aura.

“Friend Long Eyebrow…what is going on?” Li Wu frowned, surprised that Monk Long Eyebrow not only did not suppress himself but actually took the initiative to endure the Immortal Ascension Tribulation.

If one couldn’t go to the Immortal Realm now, the Immortal Ascension Tribulation would still descend and its power would be even greater than the first time. Even if one could endure it once, could one endure the next and the next after that?

He didn’t understand what Monk Long Eyebrow was doing.

Most people shared this sentiment with Li Wu.

“I intend to cultivate to the Mahayana Realm and promote the grand Mahayana Buddhist Law. I don’t want to become an immortal just yet.”

“Furthermore, we cultivators should be eager for progress, and face challenges bravely. How can we cringe and cower in the face of heavenly tribulation?”

Monk Long Eyebrow chanted a Buddhist mantra, his whole body bathed in Buddha’s light.