Let go of all attachments, be without desires or wants, empty your mind... that's roughly it. Regardless of the school of thought or philosophy in Eastern countries, this aspect is actually quite similar.
There are countless things in the world, yet all of them are ultimately worthless. Emptiness encompasses everything. To gain everything, one must relinquish everything. Relinquishing everything eliminates the cause of suffering. Entering the state of non-thought, everything in the world, including suffering, ceases to exist; all is relinquished.
"Form is emptiness, emptiness is form. All things in the world are empty, so there is nothing to cling to."
Hayden recited these words as if chanting a hymn, then laughed even harder.
"Don't you understand yet?"
Mithra's consort avatar frowned: "What?"
"You say you're pursuing the goal of saving the world and defeating the alien invaders, so that all sentient beings in the world can enter a state of liberation from all thoughts—isn't that just clinging to something?"
So Hayden suppressed a laugh and began to explain in a serious tone.
"Because of the obsession with victory... all beings strive for a state that can only be achieved by relinquishing attachment."
"If you are fixated on winning or losing, you will never be able to reach a state of no-thought; when you reach a state of no-thought, winning or losing is no longer important."
"...Oh dear? What a pity! — The pursuit of 'no thought' in order to save the world and defeat the enemy is completely meaningless! Hahahahahahahaha!!"
Then he couldn't hold back anymore and burst into laughter again: "If it's about wanting to transcend suffering, wanting to pursue Nirvana, wanting enlightenment... then so be it, I can understand. But you, the most obsessed person with the world, forcibly throw a bunch of people who don't want to practice Zen into the cycle of reincarnation, forcing everyone to achieve Nirvana, just to help you defeat external gods—how can such nonsense possibly succeed? Isn't it the biggest joke in the world?"
"No wonder those 'Five Hundred Arhats' you summoned were all pigs and dogs that I easily defeated. In the end, their transcendence and nirvana were probably all fake! Hahahahahahahaha!"
Hayden laughed wildly in this cosmic illusion created by the StarNet, laughing at the top of his lungs until his stomach hurt.
Mithra—the Kalachakra Consort—was stunned for a long time. For a moment, she did not speak again... but Hayden could sense that the dazedness in her heart was fading, and then a new anger was brewing.
Hey, Mitra isn't the only one thinking about breaking down the barriers in Hayden's mind. The StarNet is a world of mind and will, and Mitra is its master. His silent form is an unmoving manifestation—so Hayden naturally wants to let her taste the bitterness of verbal slaps, otherwise how could he defeat her here? Simply slashing her with a sword is useless. Even bombarding her with meteorites wouldn't work.
Although no weapons were clashed, the battle of words within the StarNet was far more intense and effective. Hayden's words fundamentally negated Mitra's actions and efforts, thus transforming those words into a ferocious sword capable of tearing Mitra apart.
The sharp blade that spews from his mouth is Hayden's "sword of words," capable of severing even the Dharma body of a Bodhisattva!
"……Shut up."
Finally, Consort Ming spoke, her whisper filled with quiet anger.
"You intend to break my meditation with such nonsense? It's utterly filthy and unbearable to hear!"
She's anxious! She's anxious!
"I bear the fate of the world and all mankind on my shoulders, yet you intend to stop me from saving humanity with a few words? Your despicable thoughts are simply unbearable to behold!"
Before she could finish speaking, Consort Ming's fury and thoughts materialized and bombarded her!
This time, she was anxious and enraged, and the power of her supernatural abilities was naturally even greater than before. Gravity gathered, and a black vortex began to stir and twist in the universe, distorting everything around her, from light to space itself!
[Reincarnation]! In her haste, she was about to activate [Reincarnation] again!
"How sad."
So Hayden stopped laughing and just said softly,
"Mithra, what do you want to say to me in the end? No matter what I say, you will not believe it in the end, just as you do not believe anyone in the world. So much so that in the end, even your closest friends will be abandoned by you and cast into the cycle of reincarnation; your most loyal subordinates, Acala and Mira, will be despised by you for being useless and eventually transformed into incongruous pawns."
Let's not even talk about Acala; just look at that Great Wheel King fusion monster outside, and you'll understand why Kallen is furious. The one before us is an incarnation of Kalachakra Vajra, clearly created by Mithra somehow using Mira.
"However... those words are a boomerang to me too. Perhaps my biggest mistake was not spending enough time befriending you four hundred years ago. That must be the biggest mistake I've ever made in my life."
At this point, Hayden shook his head, a look of frustration—even regret—on his face.
“If I hadn’t been prejudiced against you because I was a ‘person from the future,’ and if I had trusted you from the beginning, perhaps twenty years would have been enough to change history. Mithra, we both failed because of our arrogant judgment of the future.”
Finally, Hayden spoke his heart to Mitra.
"But making mistakes isn't the worst thing; the worst thing is refusing to learn from them. Magic can't rewrite the past, can't make things disappear, but people can always choose to change the present and the future. We can still make up for past mistakes—stop being stubborn, Mitra, old friend! Let me help you this once!"
Unfortunately, it was clear that Kalachakra Consort did not like Hayden's persuasive methods at all.
"Nonsense!"
She was furious, absolutely furious with Hayden.
"You and I both possess eyes that see through time, yet you can only see your own trivial matters, petty sentimentality, and you even dare to compare our individual difficulties! I am disgusted by your narrow-mindedness! With your kind of stubbornness, you will surely be cast into the cycle of reincarnation a thousand or ten thousand times before you awaken, which will only affect the overall efficiency of the cycle of reincarnation. But since things have come to this, I have no other choice!"
The cycle of reincarnation began to spin, and an immense gravitational force started to pull Hayden inward. Regardless of Mithra's obsession, the technology of reincarnation itself was undeniably powerful. Even Hayden wielding his "Sword of Words" could not easily shatter it.
If Hayden is truly drawn into the cycle of reincarnation, even setting aside whether he will be brainwashed, he will certainly be sealed within the cycle of reincarnation. This is extremely bad.
Fortunately, Kalachakra Vajra Consort's mind was already in turmoil, and Hayden's "sword of words" had a surprisingly good effect on her. Therefore, it was time for Hayden to bring out his pre-prepared plan—to deal with "reincarnation."
it's time!
"Very well, Mitra. Then open your eyes wide and see how many realms I, Hayden, have, and how I will save you, save everyone, and save the entire world!"
Faced with the endless pull of reincarnation, Hayden remained calm, allowing it to draw him in while simultaneously elevating his will and love to their peak, shouting aloud,
"Friends! It's time to come out! You're the first one I'll call, Adam!"
It's too late, it's faster than that!
In a fraction of a second, countless souls surged forth from Hayden's mind! And the giant at the head, with his two-meter-tall, muscular body, was clearly Hayden's old friend and good brother (deceased)—Adam!
441: Mocking the Wheel of Cause and Effect
Looking back at the material world, the surface of the moon,
The final battle between the Great Wheel Vajra King and the allied forces of the gods... is not going well.
The situation is not optimistic for the coalition forces.
Although this possibility had been considered, no one had seriously thought about it at first: a combined army of five main gods, a large number of powerful gods, and a hundred thousand warrior gods...
They actually managed to be overwhelmed by a mere Great Wheel King plus five hundred Arhats!!
Mithra's silence may not be truly silent; he could be pushed to his limit by Hayden.
However, Mithras in his wrathful form was truly wrathful! This four-meter-tall colossus wielded a vajra wheel in his right hand and a vajra pestle in his left, fighting fiercely amidst the siege of the gods. Every casual strike possessed the power to annihilate a hundred gods and destroy everything. A single hurled strike of his vajra wheel turned a thousand heroic warriors and Olympian heroes into dust, and the aftershocks even cleaved mountains on the moon.
Vajra represents an indestructible and unstoppable force, an unstoppable power. Yet, none of the gods besieging the Great Wheel Vajra King were unshakeable.
So no matter what kind of war god Tyr, wisdom god Minerva, Freyjaveda, Jupiter Mercury, or whatever else! When they besieged the Great Wheel King, there were only two possible outcomes!
Not dead!
Instant injury!
When the Great Wheel King thrust his vajra, it caused the heavens to collapse and a crater to explode on the moon. Even a wise and resourceful deity like Minerva Freya, lacking sufficient power, could only barely escape with her life.
What is the current situation of the main gods?
Mars, the bronze god, a taciturn war god who was confident in the invincibility of his armor, was smashed by the Great Wheel King with his indestructible treasure wheel, and his armor was shattered on the spot.
Thor, the valiant god of thunder, hurled his hammer with all his might at the back of the head of the Great Wheel King—he could be quite unscrupulous when necessary—but the Vajra is also a thunderbolt, a more powerful and potent one. As a result, Thor was retaliated against by the Great Wheel King with an even stronger thunderbolt, leaving him utterly helpless.
The radiant Apollo, god of light, a handsome man bearing a striking resemblance to Mithras, is one of the three principal gods of the Mars Group. He is both beautiful and sexy, his physique a symbol of strength. He draws his silver bow and releases a golden arrow. In an instant, the sun shines brilliantly in the universe, golden rays pouring down upon the Great Wheel King, its power akin to a solar flare.
—However, the Great Wheel King is an incarnation of Mithra. And Mithra is none other than the invincible sun wheel hanging high at noon! Whatever solar flare erupts, he catches it all with a single spin of his Vajra Wheel, then throws it back at Apollo! KABOOOOOM! The sun's flames blasted a crater the size of an ocean on the moon, knocking Apollo to the bottom of the crater and utterly destroying his will to fight!
Invincible! Mithra is invincible, invincible, invincible!
He not only possesses all the powers and attributes that all gods are proud of, but he can also use them even more powerfully and effectively! He is an omnipotent god, and he will surely become an all-powerful god!
The five hundred Arhats didn't even need to launch an attack. They only needed to meditate in mid-air, protect themselves, and then further chant sutras and praise the Great Wheel King for blessings, which was enough to rout the combined forces of the gods.
Even with Kallen's unwavering will, there's no guarantee she could do anything at this point...?
"Karen!"
Freya, who was unusually wearing armor but had been blasted back by the Vajra Wheel, retreated behind Karen and said to her, "If you or that kid Hayden have any secret plans, it's time to bring them out!"
"No."
Karen answered decisively,
“There’s no secret strategy at this stage! Mithra’s peaceful body and wrathful body are two separate entities. Our only option now is to continue our relentless attack and put pressure on him. This pressure will help Hayden attack the peaceful body within the StarNet, while his attacks on the peaceful body will create openings for the wrathful body outside!”
"A weakness that could give us the upper hand!"
In this final battle, if either the material or spiritual world fails to secure victory, everyone will lose everything.
Karen was no ordinary woman who only talked the talk. She had already fought the Great Wheel King several times, and even when she was defeated and driven back, she charged back into battle time and time again. The Five-Colored Divine Light continuously burst forth on the battlefield, saving the defeated and dying soldiers of the Allied Army and rescuing them at the last moment before they fell into the Cycle of Reincarnation.
She wasn't four meters tall, nor was she as imposing and invincible as the Peacock King; she had a slender, elven body. But when she stepped forward and slammed her Light Fist into the body of the Great Wheel King, who dared say she was inferior to her father?
...Unfortunately, even if the Peacock King reappeared, he alone would not be a match for Mithra's invincible wrathful form.
With the near-infinite energy supply from the Dream Flower and the Tree of Life, the allied forces of the gods are not yet defeated. However, this stalemate cannot last forever.
Are they just supposed to keep attacking like this, without any real understanding?
A turning point? Will this turning point really come?
There was no progress in sight, and no sign of what was to come. They were no longer fighting for any clear hope; they were driven purely by an indomitable will to survive. They didn't want to die, nor did they want to be captured by Mithra!
Sometimes, this will to survive can indeed bring about a turning point.
Suddenly, without any warning, the meditation of the five hundred Arhats was broken!
The Allied Gods had no idea what was going on—in fact, this was exactly the moment Hayden used the "Sword of Words" to break Kalachakra Consort's defenses.
The unity of the two was shaken, the five hundred Arhats stopped chanting, and the Great Wheel King also showed a look of astonishment.
The weakness that the Allied Gods have been searching for has finally arrived.
"Now!" Karen's voice echoed throughout the army. "Hold back, attack with full force!"
Without a moment's hesitation, they immediately unleashed their final, all-powerful attacks. All their will, all their magic, supernatural abilities, divine artifacts, all their life force—everything—was condensed into a single will to survive, and they blasted towards the Great Wheel King!
The Great Wheel Vajra King was finally forced to retreat!
He had previously held a significant advantage, but now surprise and bloodlust were visible on his face.
The terrifying power cleaved a chasm in the moon's surface, visible even to people on Earth. Many Mithra factories on the moon were swept away and torn to shreds by this force. Even the Five Hundred Arhats were largely affected.
Looking more closely at the Great Wheel King, his complexion finally turned pale.
Mithras's peaceful body and wrathful body, yin and yang, female and male, mind and matter, are two manifestations that harmonize with each other. Although they are very powerful when they work together, and if one side is not defeated, the two are invincible... However, now that both sides are under pressure, their situation has become very awkward.
Where's the original body? Please save the original body!
Oh no. Mithra's true form is busy with other important matters. Compared to that, the rebellion of Hayden, Karen, and the Allied Gods is not so important to Mithra. His two avatars must work on their own.
Therefore, the choice they made together was quite natural.
The Vajra Wheel in the hands of the Great Wheel King began to turn.
The Vajra Wheel in Kalachakra Consort's hand began to turn.
"I take refuge and pay homage to (Om) the future Buddha-mitra!"
In the material world, within the star network, two incarnations simultaneously chanted the incantation of certain victory.
"Life, which comes into being and then departs, will ultimately be illuminated by the light of enlightenment at the end of the next life!"
On the moon, amidst the star network, the same great and cold sun rises slowly.
Three enormous metal wheels encircled it. The largest gold wheel rotated once per second, completing a full circle every sixty rotations. Each time the large gold wheel completed a full circle, a smaller silver wheel would rotate once, which in turn caused another bronze wheel to rotate slightly.
The core of the great magic [Reincarnation] is the ring formed by these three large metal objects encircling the sun, which is also a giant clock. It holds the power over life and death, controls time, and determines the future.
Hayden… perhaps he does have some way to resist [reincarnation], perhaps. After all, he has grown to an astonishing level.
But Karen hasn't reached that level yet. She doesn't have enough time to grow to that level like Mithra.
All the Allied Gods, the Daughter of the Peacock, and the Azure Emperor of the Land of a Hundred Flowers are still unable to withstand the Wheel of Reincarnation, which even suppresses and guides time, space, life, and death!
The light of [Reincarnation] shines simultaneously on both the surface and the yin-yang sides of the moon. Hayden may have his own solutions, but what about Karen?
This time, the Peacock King won't come to save her.
...But Karen was already prepared.
"All troops retreat and create distance! God-level beings, protect the weaker ones, and combine your forces—absolutely do not get sucked in!"
She telepathically communicated commands to the entire coalition force.
Immediately afterward, as the entire army retreated and created distance, Karen did something that appeared to be extremely foolish.
She rushed into [reincarnation].
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