Chapter 11: Immortal God Relic
The dust of history surged and turned into lines of text before him.
【Mission: Survive for one hour in the Borderland (Completed)】
【Evaluation: Grade A+】 (Note: Grades are A, B, C, D, each with Upper, Middle, and Lower levels.)
【Reward: Past Burning Lamp Root Sutra (Fragment)】
【Rank: ???】
【Description: He beheld the suffering of all beings, saw the human world as a fiery hell, where all beings were ill. With a sigh, He branded time. Over endless years, it evolved into the Past Burning Lamp Root Sutra, but due to ■■■■ mutation, it shattered. This is a fragment—Visualization Method of the Burning Lamp Fire Hell.】
“This is… a cultivation method!?”
Jiang Yan’s breath caught when he saw this.
It must be known that cultivating the nature but not the life is the first illness in cultivation.
If one only cultivates ancestral nature but not the elixir, one’s yin spirit will struggle for sainthood through countless calamities.
In the orthodox system, cultivating both nature and life is the true path of cultivation, even if this system seemed a bit bizarre…
If one likens skills to a car, then the cultivation method is the engine—continuously upgraded to make the car run faster.
Or even further—eliminating the need for fuel entirely, becoming solar- or nature-powered, forming a pseudo-perpetual machine, living as long as the heavens.
Clearly, creatures of the Diseased World possessed a complete, tailored system for cultivation and advancement, excavating the hidden potential within their bodies, thereby attaining such formidable power.
However, their mutations deepened accordingly.
Yet as a History Walker, once one accepted a Historical Gift, one would face more twisted horrors from the Diseased World and needed to continually transform one’s essence.
Otherwise, one would become prey and perish in fear.
Jiang Yan had thought he’d have to go through layer upon layer of trials, defeating various Diseased World creatures just to have a chance at acquiring a cultivation method. He hadn’t expected…
To receive it so easily.
Even if it was only a sigh, it was still an Immortal God relic!
No, this wasn’t simple either.
If he hadn’t possessed the Large Rat Guard doll, he wouldn’t have been able to stall Commander Lu.
Even awakening the Dark God Embryo talent wouldn’t have let him survive the pursuit.
In the end, he took the initiative and severed one of Commander Lu’s arms.
With all these factors combined, he finally earned such a high evaluation and reward.
It wasn’t without reason—perhaps the Historical Long River saw his potential and offered a sweet fruit to encourage him to clear more Diseased Nodes.
“Burning Lamp likely refers to the Past Burning Lamp Ancient Buddha, Dipankara Tathagata! The one known as the Great Radiance Buddha.”
Jiang Yan’s gaze deepened. As an enthusiast of folklore and mythology, relevant information quickly surfaced in his mind.
In terms of status, this one was far above Vajravārāhī—He was the teacher of Shakyamuni, the Lord of Buddhism, ruling over the past.
Most people likely knew Him from Journey to the West, where He appeared as a long-browed, kind Buddha figure. But in truth, His influence on modern Buddhist theory was profound.
The most infamous were the rebel professionals—the White Lotus Sect, who fabricated countless scriptures about Burning Lamp Buddha.
Words like “Burning Lamp,” “Buddha,” and “True Void Patriarch” could be seen everywhere.
In the famous Qing-era work Detailed Refutation of Heresies, their scriptures were recorded:
“Heaven's Dragon Flower: sun, moon, stars; Earth's Dragon Flower: water, fire, wind; Human's Dragon Flower: essence, energy, spirit.
Heaven, Earth, and Man—the Three Talents align. First meeting of the Dragon Flower is Burning Lamp; Second, Shakyamuni; Third, Maitreya. May we meet at the Three Dragon Flower Gatherings.”
Due to such frequent mentions, many suspected that the White Lotus Sect's Unborn Mother they worshipped might actually be Burning Lamp Buddha.
In the context of global mythology, Burning Lamp was a main god-level existence—an awakened one who transcended all.
There were even clues suggesting that His divinity encompassed aspects of the sun and time.
Therefore, even as a mere fragment, its level showed up as a series of question marks—signifying that its contents far exceeded Jiang Yan’s current comprehension.
Buzz!
While Jiang Yan was deep in thought, the dust of history surged and transformed into a golden foil scripture floating before him.
In an instant, myriad Sanskrit chants rang out, celestial flowers scattered, golden lotuses bloomed on the ground—it was as if he saw a Buddha-kingdom on earth.
Whispers sounded in his ears.
As long as he reached out, he could comprehend boundless Buddhist truths, transcend his mortal shell, cross the sea of suffering, attain Buddhahood, be served by countless heavenly maidens, and become eternal and undying.
He could even suppress all diseased realms and bring the world back on track.
“What a marvelous Buddhist truth this is…”
Jiang Yan did not hesitate.
Dark branches spread out behind him and wrapped directly around the scripture.
Buzz!
The moment he touched it, the originally beautiful scene of the Buddha-kingdom instantly turned into a blazing hellfire, where countless black silhouettes burned—twisting and writhing endlessly.
Suddenly, he was plunged into hell.
At that moment, the dust of history surged and dispelled the vision over the scripture.
The Historical Long River had intervened.
The scripture, having lost its power, was quickly suppressed and swallowed by the Dark God Embryo.
Jiang Yan’s expression was indifferent.
After witnessing the bizarre sacrificial conditions of Vajravārāhī and the eerie mutation of the Historical Long River, he no longer trusted any Immortal Gods from myth.
No matter how compassionate they appeared in legend.
Most importantly, many myths warned that rash contact with high-level transcendent knowledge would only bring disaster.
Therefore, he only needed offspring completely under his control!
Buzz!
Deep within his consciousness, the Mother Tree manifested from the Dark God Embryo trembled, shaking the entire chaotic sea.
Endless worlds rose and fell.
It further grew and extended more branches.
As light gathered, a fruit as radiant as the sun was born.
Pop!
The fruit burst open.
A small lamp burning with golden flames emerged, surrounded by rings of Sanskrit like a halo, dazzling as it merged into Jiang Yan’s soul.
The lamplight flickered, revealing a phantom fire-dwelling that blazed fiercely.
Relevant information emerged as well.
【Burning Lamp Fire Hell — Spell Spirit】
【Proficiency: Beginner (1%)】
【Level: ???】
【Quality: Perfect】
【Description: A spell spirit born from the fragment of the Burning Lamp Fire Hell.
It can independently cultivate the Fire Hell chapter, refining and elevating it to its pinnacle, eventually manifesting a divine lamp of essence, energy, or spirit.
Its light shines upon the vast world, from morning on the azure sea to dusk over Mount Cangwu.
With undying soul and perishable flesh, one can seize another body and be reborn.
Once all chapters are gathered, they can be fused into the Three Talents and Three Treasures Lamp of essence, energy, and spirit.
Merging the three into one will lead to a mysterious transformation.
The Burning Lamp visualization sees the Three Realms as Fire Hells.
Even a fragment allows visualization of the human world as a Fire Hell, progressing through four stages: Fire Dwelling, Fire City, Fire Nation, Fire Hell.
Practitioners must hold precepts and sever the Seven Emotions and Six Desires to pass the Four Calamities.
Failure will result in being burned by heart fire, leading to unknown mutations and being forgotten by the world.
Once achieved, one can turn their own or other living beings’ essence, energy, and spirit into lamp oil and wick, igniting brilliance that suppresses ghostly-type diseased beings.
Note: A surprising discovery—the massive number of dead in the Corpse-Dissolution Court can be refined into special lamp oil.
When applied to Buddhist artifacts, it can enhance their power and upgrade their grade.】
【The human world is a Fire Dwelling. All beings become candles.】
“As expected of a cultivation method derived from a Buddha’s sigh!”
Jiang Yan was amazed.
Even just a fragment, when cultivated to the extreme, allowed one to become a Day-Roaming God—traversing heaven and earth with an indestructible soul.
Even if the body perished, one could seize another to reincarnate.
In some myths, such beings could rank among the immortals and oversee the gods.
Unfortunately, this was a soul-cultivation chapter.
If it had been the corresponding essence-lamp chapter for the physical body, it would’ve been even better—perhaps solving his cancer.
Though still in its early stages, he didn’t know if it would worsen…
“Ding!”
As if sensing Jiang Yan’s regret, the spell spirit in the form of a phantom oil lamp trembled slightly—indicating it would do its best to improve and search for the remaining chapters for him.