Chapter 866 - 83: Batty’s Fourth Life

Chapter 866: Chapter 83: Batty’s Fourth Life

Divpo City

In the Sarawo Mine, deep in the night, Bamuta quietly entered the mine, reaching the depths of the new mineshaft. A black oil lamp hung on the rock wall, and he saw Batty sitting cross-legged in front of the god-like statue. In the dim light of the oil lamp, his eyes shone like flames.

Batty turned to look at Bamuta, smiled slightly, and stood up. "Elder, thank you for your hard work."

Bamuta sighed slightly, using the dim light to observe Batty. He was thinner and darker, with hollow cheeks and a forehead so lean it seemed only a layer of skin needed to be scraped off to reveal the skull. During this time, Batty had been studying this god-like statue here, visually wasting away. Bamuta had tried his best to provide him with precious nutritional food, yet Batty continued to lose weight day by day.

Bamuta was full of worry. He felt a faint trace of Divinity in Batty but not to a significant extent.

Batty was at a critical moment now. To strive for Divinity is either progress or regression. Giving up or even being slack at this time could not only make previous efforts wasted but may also result in death. He took a deep breath and just handed over the hard-earned bread and black cakes from outside. "Eat something quickly."

"Okay," Batty took the bread and ate it in large bites.

"Still unable to successfully visualize?"

"Uh-huh." After swallowing the last bite of bread and feeling the warmth in his stomach, Batty clasped his hands together and sat down cross-legged again. He looked deeply at the statue once, then closed his eyes to start meditating.

In the mind, against a pitch-black backdrop, Batty meticulously depicted line by line, stroke by stroke, sketching out the outline of the statue and the loose, elegant garments.

But... Batty frowned. He tried to recall the facial features of that statue in his mind, but no matter how he meditated, it was a blur. He couldn’t remember the appearance.

Meditation broke. Batty opened his eyes, his voice hoarse. "Still missing something."

Bamuta smiled, his gaze terrifyingly bright. "It’s not that easy. It’s already fortunate enough for you to perceive a possibility of birthing Divinity. Consolidation may need further devotion. You have to gain the recognition of God and truly transform Divinity into yourself."

Batty silently nodded. He could feel the god-like statue held goodwill for him, especially when he chanted Amitabha Buddha.

Bamuta didn’t linger, gave some instructions, and climbed out of the pit, camouflaging the entrance. During these days, except for necessary appearances in front of the supervisors, Batty had mainly been here studying the statue. Bamuta looked back at the camouflaged pit with a trace of regret on his face. Following Batty’s guidance, he also chanted Amitabha Buddha and meditated at the statue but didn’t get any signs.

With a frank smile, Bamuta shook his head, casting away this little obsession. He had long decided to pin his hopes on Batty. Seeing a sliver of potential for Divinity, he was slightly shaken, but he swiftly reaffirmed his faith and quickly left the pit path.

Batty closed his eyes. However, visualization failed again, his forehead felt heavy, with pulsating pain, even the Mother Blade slightly trembled with a warning. Visualization demands consumption of spirit and Superpower.

Discontinuing visualization, Batty looked up at the god-like statue. In the dim light, he repeatedly traced the dignified and solemn expression, the compassionate and serene smile, slightly closed eyes...

Suddenly, Batty froze. The statue’s eyes moved!

The previously slightly closed divine eyes were now fully open, looking at Batty with an expression neither smiling nor frowning.

How could this be!?

Batty’s pupils contracted violently, his eyelashes trembled frantically, his eyes flipped suddenly, his pupils disappeared, and his eyes were a cold white.

Blood surged to his eardrums, buzzing loudly, sweat poured from his body, and in mere moments, he was drenched, a significant lack of water made his already slender frame even more hunched. His face alternated expressions of joy, anger, worry, fear, craving, loathing, desire, but the rolled white eyes made these expressions particularly eerie.

Breath stopped, blood slowed, heartbeat slowed, only slightly beating after a long while.

Getting slower and slower until... completely stopped!

Batty’s eyes widened, murmuring...

Murmur that caused spiritual pollution, unceasing murmuring, disappeared!

Completely disappeared!

In Divpo City, murmuring is omnipresent. Even the First Venerable Sect would hear murmuring, but they and Tishili are under the protection of the Three-Phase God, making murmuring nothing more than a neighbor’s snoring: present but harmless.

Even the wooden fish sound struck by Mr. Gemini did not make the murmuring disappear. It didn’t cover the murmuring but acted as a spiritual shield for the soul, similar to the protection the First Venerable Sect gets from the Three-Phase God, just one comes from a Divine Being, the other from Mr. Gemini.

Murmuring doesn’t disappear, it’s etched into every Divpo person’s core cognition, the iron law of Divpo City.

Even at the Round Table Conference, his soul hears the pursuit of murmuring, only he learned not to complain.

Therefore...

He’s not in the real world now!

Batty stood up, and as he did so, the statue of the Divine Being came to life, leaping down from the mural and transforming into a real Divine Being, gazing at him with kindness and compassion.

Without a word, Batty understood the gaze of the Divine Being, realizing it could lead him away from the sea of suffering. The whispers would no longer corrode him, allowing him to transcend the mundane and become like the First Venerable Sect.

If he nodded, he could immediately become... Buddha.

Buddha!

The will of the Divine Being directly imprinted into Batty’s soul. So this is the origin of the Amitabha Buddha that Mr. Gemini mentioned.

This was a direct path to true divinity, and if he nodded now, he could swiftly reach the pinnacle of this path!

His soul’s instinctive longing made him want to nod, such an opportunity for transcendence only came once in a millennium!

However, just as Batty was about to nod, he suddenly recalled "greed," something the Elder constantly reminded him of. There are no shortcuts on the path of redemption. At this moment, Batty became clear-headed.

He suddenly thought of the Divine Relic fused with his body, the Heavenly Mother Blade.

At this moment, he couldn’t sense the presence of the Mother Blade at all.

Perhaps seeing Batty’s hesitation, the dignified Divine Being’s gaze became increasingly compassionate, as new thoughts flooded into Batty’s mind.

Yes, becoming Buddha means letting go, letting go of the Mother Blade to escape the sea of suffering and become Buddha, once Buddha, all past is like smoke, he will have a new path, liberation from suffering, liberation of the body, liberation from the worldly dust.

Should he really let go of the Mother Blade?

Can’t let go? The will came, Batty could feel the Divine Being’s benevolence, transcending the earthly world, it was also a great fortune.

But how could he let go? His sister was still waiting for him, Elder Bamuta and everyone else had placed everything upon his shoulders, Yalamu, Jose... his Roto kin still struggled in the sea of suffering. Was a great fortune for one person truly what he wanted?

Yet, the pleasure of body and soul surged strongly, instincts screamed, accept him! Accept him!!

Batty’s true self, however, shook his head, he couldn’t let go not because of the Mother Blade, but due to his responsibility. From start to finish, he never thought of seeking personal liberation, that held no significance.

Such benevolence, meeting is fortune, return now.

Buzz!

A fierce buzzing sound, the whispers flooded in overwhelming waves into his ears. Batty suddenly awakened, he stared intently at the eyes of the statue; they were slightly closed!

The compassionate Heavenly Mother Blade lightly trembled, seemingly merging more deeply with Batty.

Batty glanced at the Buddha statue’s slightly closed eyes, his mouth curled into a slight smile.

Resisting temptation, he also saw his innermost self, without a hint of regret, confirming his beliefs unwaveringly!

He took a deep breath, his gaze determined, the gaunt figure deeply bowed to the statue, a grand vow surging in his heart: "Until the sea of suffering is emptied, I vow not to become Buddha, only when all beings are guided will the great path be realized."

Boom!

The Buddha statue’s eyes on the mural abruptly opened wide, spraying colorful radiant light that illuminated the mine bright, the scriptures on the cave walls lit up with dazzling brilliance, then crumbled into rubble. In the next instant, all the precious light surged toward Batty.

Scorching and burning force flowed within him, swiftly converging at his forehead, transforming into the grandest Wish Power!

Crack!

Batty heard a crisp breaking sound, like shackles being shattered, the Mother Blade joyfully trembled, Divinity suddenly emerged, a golden path appeared in his eyes—so that’s how it is, truly that’s how it is!

The Fourth Life activated, an image resembling the Buddha statue on the mural appeared behind him.

Prophecy of the Lamp-Lighting Transformative Angel!

The light faded away, leaving only the faint glow of a burning black lamp on the rock wall.

Batty pressed his hands together, reciting his grand vow aloud to the now empty cave wall: "Until the sea of suffering is emptied, I vow not to become Buddha, only when all beings are guided will the great path be realized."