The boundless world of light revealed no trace of clutter, only infinite radiance and the assimilating heat permeating everything.

Song Lin manifested the Wutian Dharma Body, using Demonic Qi to shield himself from the light.

Standing firm, he gazed ahead and saw a golden sun hanging in the sky.

Upon closer inspection, Song Lin realized this was no ordinary sun but a Buddha Relic.

After the Buddha's Nirvana, his entire Taoist Realm condensed into an immaculate relic, akin to the Taoist Golden Core, containing the essence of the Buddha's cultivation.

This relic was the source of all the light.

Song Lin tried multiple times, yet he could not draw closer to the relic.

Soon, he chose to give up temporarily and began observing the surroundings.

Looking around, he saw nothing but flames and light, with no other landmarks.

The sky and ground were inundated similarly.

Moreover, this space was sealed, and Song Lin's Divine Thought couldn't discern his specific location.

Since he was merely an avatar, he could not use the Time-Space Dao to teleport over.

"Even if my true self were here, they likely wouldn't be able to teleport either."

Though he lacked the means, his perception remained intact.

The peculiar nature of this space made it likely his true self couldn't overcome it either.

It might even fare worse than him.

Song Lin began contemplating another method.

The relics of Randeng Buddha hidden atop the Golden Bowl Cliff at Lingjiu Mountain certainly caught him off guard—why hadn't those before him discovered it?

Serving as the past Buddha's sacred site, even if the Heavenly Court now occupied this land, it was certain that the Buddhist Sect would have conducted investigations prior.

The fact that they allowed the Heavenly Court to claim it without protest indicated the site held no significance in their perspective.

His true self had lived here for a thousand years without sensing any Buddha Country.

Thus, seeing this site couldn't merely be coincidence—there must be a reason.

"What is the reason that allows me to see Randeng Buddha's relic?" After deep contemplation, Song Lin suddenly experienced an epiphany. "I've found it!"

He understood the reason.

The answer resided in his own roots.

Where did Wutian Buddha Ancestor originate?

It was during the Great Sun Pure Land's incarnation as Bao Guangming.

Back then, Song Lin cultivated the Bright Path, his entering Dao grounded upon discussions of Buddhist Law with Randeng Buddha at Jin Bifeng.

Entering Buddha through Taoist teachings, with a shallow understanding of Buddhist Dao, Lingwei Buddha later seized his Taoist Realm, inadvertently enabling him to grasp the Destructive Black Lotus Dao.

This was Wutian Buddha Ancestor's origin.

Everything stemmed from Jin Bifeng.

From Tao to Buddha, and from Buddha to Demon.

Though its nature transformed, its essence remained rooted.

With this realization, Song Lin sat atop the Destructive Black Lotus and dispelled all Demonic Qi and defenses.

With a roar! White flames cascaded down, their immense heat engulfing Song Lin's demonic body.

The sacred nature of the white flames, designed to cleanse Evil Demons and external heresies, easily infiltrated Wutian's form. Soon, the fire penetrated his body, spreading through his veins.

Song Lin was engulfed entirely, the fire inflicting unimaginable agony, his Divine Soul seemingly destined to disintegrate into ashes.

Despite this, he did not resist. Instead, he immersed himself in understanding while reciting the Divine Spell passed down from Jin Bifeng.

This avatar could afford sacrifice—the opportunity could not be forsaken.

A saying goes: no destruction, no creation. Perhaps this was his chance to reshape the Wutian Dharma Body.

Time melted away uncountably as the demonic body gradually absorbed the white flames, replacing the Black Lotus Golden Core within with a White Lotus Golden Core.

The formerly ruthless and sinister Wutian Demon displayed, for the first time, a faint expression of compassion.

A demon's body harboring Buddha's heart—a merging of right and wrong, of opposites.

Wutian ceased to be solely demon, nor exclusively Buddha.

The fire and light could no longer threaten him.

Song Lin opened his eyes and inspected his body, finding no apparent changes apart from the now more temperate Demonic Qi.

Upon deeper scrutiny, he discovered his demonic thoughts had become even heavier.

If previously his demonic thoughts resembled an overwhelming torrent, now they had become a silent abyss.

Deeper and more concealed, once attached to the heart of humanity, it magnifies inner flaws to extremes, leading inevitably to doom.

Buzzing softly… the relic in the sky radiated golden light and emitted profound sounds of the Great Dao.

Buddha's voice and Buddha's light coalesced into a humanoid figure.

This figure, aged in appearance, bore white hair and beard, wearing a red kasaya—a benevolent old monk. His arrival brought light everywhere, transcending lamps, suns, and celestial flames.

Neither wholly real nor illusory, his form suggested he was not a True Person.

Song Lin also saw the figure, their gazes locking together.

Though the figure's appearance differed from that at Jin Bifeng, Song Lin recognized him at once. This was Randeng Buddha.

"How curious, the Bright Path comprehended by a demon," Randeng Buddha mused aloud, "A demonic body with Buddha's heart. What a fascinating notion."

"Buddha is also demon, as light begets darkness. Is darkness itself not a product of light? As Buddhist and Taoist teachings flourish, demons only grow. This is the source of heaven and earth's myriad tribulations."

Song Lin replied with a chuckle.

With this experience, his insights deepened immensely.

Demon symbolizes evil. One saturated in demonic deeds, as he, cannot escape the path's misdirection.

His entry into the Buddhist sect hinted at similar tendencies—a compulsion to pull others downward, indiscriminate of virtue or vice. Continuing this way, either this avatar would face destruction, or he would succumb entirely to demonhood.

But with the presence of a Buddha's heart, akin to Ksitigarbha's example, he could ensure freedom in both advance and retreat.

Demons are the bane of the world. Killing them merely releases the Demonic Qi back to the earth, awaiting a time to condense anew.

Thus, imprisoning demons is insufficient—they must be wholly transformed to achieve lasting tranquility.

"No wonder the relic recognized you. The ten-direction Buddhas failed to locate this relic of mine, yet a Taoist disciple like you managed to obtain it."

Randeng Buddha appeared intrigued.

He discerned Song Lin's Taoist disciple origins instantly.

Where Buddhist paths emphasize the intangible, Taoist ways prioritize the tangible—a distinction between mind and matter, self and cosmos.

"It was mere good fortune; I also connect profoundly with the Buddha Ancestor's philosophy," Song Lin said.

Present-day Buddhist practices preach redemption and transformation—perhaps driven by the assimilation of myriad demons within its teachings. Regarding demons, the lines of discrimination haven't remained as once they were.

Randeng Buddha, on the other hand, adhered to methods of subduing demons and eradicating calamities—a path of rescuing sentient beings from peril.

His approach to demons didn't end with mere absolution; the sins committed must be repaid before discussing becoming Buddha.

Randeng Buddha cast a deep gaze upon Song Lin and said, "I am aware of the Three Realms, spanning past and future. I know a little of your origins and prospects. This Buddha Relic, along with its parasitic Bright Treasure Wheel, is yours to use. If you wish to alter the Three Realms, there remain fifteen relics. In time, seek out Zhen Yuanzi—he will reveal the locations of these fifteen relics."

With that, Randeng Buddha's figure dissipated.

Before disappearing, Song Lin asked, "Honored senior, what does my future hold?"

"The Great Thousand World, the Three Realms, all celestial beings, Buddhas, and demons face a tribulation."

"What tribulation?"

Song Lin understood Randeng Buddha was referencing more than this world.

Tribulations come in many forms—Heavenly Tribulation, Transcendence Tribulation, perhaps even Demon Tribulation or Devil Tribulation—all categories of destruction.

Was his ultimate path to become the calamity of the Great Thousand World?

"It is determined by your heart…"

With that, Randeng Buddha faded away entirely.

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