Chapter 35: Chapter 34: Grand Scheme Unveiled
Surya stood before Skanda, the Grand Marshal of the Heavenly Hosts, who had just declared his allegiance to a path that seemed darker than any Surya had ever imagined. Skanda's words echoed with an almost divine authority, but the madness in them was unmistakable. Surya's brow furrowed with confusion and curiosity. He needed answers.
"Why this madness, Skanda?" Surya pressed, his voice calm yet piercing. "Why betray everything you've stood for? Why resort to such extremes?"
Before Skanda could respond, Chen Yi and Zhou Lei, Ma Liang's men who had been at Skanda's side, stepped forward, their eyes filled with a mixture of contempt and eagerness. "Why waste time with words, Boss?" Zhou Lei sneered, his eyes fixated on Surya. "Let us finish him now, right here. That's what Ma Liang would have wanted!"
Chen Yi nodded, his hand already gripping the hilt of his sword, his energy simmering with anticipation. "We'll cut him down, end this before it even starts."
But Skanda raised a hand, stopping them in their tracks. "You underestimate him," Skanda stated, his voice heavy with a strange blend of admiration and disdain. "Defeating Surya is a task neither of you could accomplish. His Dao is that of limitless freedom—a Dao that defies the very laws that bind us all."
The Dao of Limitless Freedom. Born with the essence of enlightenment, Surya had forged his own path, not tethered by the rigid laws of karma or the traditions of the Dharma. His Dao wasn't just one of defiance; it was one that embodied the infinite possibilities of existence. Where others sought boundaries and control, Surya found boundless paths. He was like a river carving its own course, flowing around obstacles instead of being restrained by them. This Dao, unique and unorthodox, wasn't something that could be replicated or contained—it was a Dao born of rebellion, of refusing to be chained by fate or divine decree.
Skanda's face twisted with both frustration and grudging respect. "The world itself seemed to have paved a way for you, Surya," he continued. "A Dao that should not exist—yet here you are, standing as proof of the world's favor."
Surya remained calm but pressed on, still seeking clarity. "What the world think's of me does not matter, why act now? Why this sudden shift in purpose, Skanda?"
Skanda laughed, a bitter, almost mocking sound. "Sudden?" he echoed, his eyes gleaming with a manic light. "You think any of this was sudden, Surya? You were just a pawn in a much larger game, one I've been playing for years."
He leaned forward, his eyes narrowing with intensity. "You see, I've long yearned for control, for the feeling of being the guide, the guardian, the keeper of order. And when you, a future Buddha blessed by the world itself, came to Xianzhou, I was... delighted. Finally, a chance to mold a new age, to steer a gifted Buddha down the path of righteousness. But imagine my fury when I realized you were nothing but a rebel, seeking to carve your own path!"
Surya's eyes remained steady, but he could see the threads of Skanda's delusions weaving together. "So all of this… the talk of the First Female Buddha, the killings, the sacrifices… all of this was your doing?"
Skanda's lips curled into a cold, satisfied smile. "Who do you think whispered into Ma Liang's ear about the possibility of Tara's revival? Who set in motion the countless sacrifices, the rivers of blood needed to bring forth a Buddha's rebirth? I was behind it all, and for a single purpose—to rewrite the fate of this world."
The realization of Skanda's machinations began to settle in. His madness ran deeper than Surya had anticipated. But Skanda wasn't done.
"And it goes further," Skanda continued, his voice dripping with malevolence. "The siblings—Mei Lin and Li Wei—their family, their lands, all destroyed by my hand. I, disguised as a humble wanderer, guided them to you, the Rebel Buddha, knowing it would all lead to this very moment."
Chen Yi and Zhou Lei, standing guard by the hostages, could barely contain their excitement. Mei Lin and Li Wei's eyes widened in shock and horror as the truth of their family's demise sank in. Their bodies trembled with a fury that they were helpless to act on, bound as they were.
Skanda's laughter filled the chamber, echoing off the cold stone walls. "You see, everything has led to this. Every death, every sacrifice. A grand design, perfectly orchestrated!"
Surya stood unfazed, his expression one of serene understanding. He had listened to Skanda's madness, his delusions of grandeur, and now he spoke, his voice calm, unyielding. "Do you feel rage, Skanda? Do you feel a need for vengeance?" Surya's eyes held an almost pitying gaze as he continued, "All the negative Karma in this room, all of it, has accumulated within you."
Skanda's grin faltered, his eyes narrowing in contempt. "You dare mock me, boy?"
Surya's voice was like a blade, cutting through the tension. "I'm not mocking you, Skanda. I'm stating the truth. You've gone down this path because of a petty obsession, a need to control that's turned into madness. You've become blinded by your own role, forgetting the very essence of what you were meant to protect."
His words struck deep, sharper than any weapon. Skanda's face contorted with a mix of rage and disbelief. "Petty? Obsession? You insult me, Surya!"
Surya remained steady, his expression softening with a touch of genuine sympathy. "I don't feel anger, nor the need for vengeance. What I feel is pity—pity for a noble figure like you, Skanda, who has fallen so far. It's sad to see a protector of Dharma lost in his own darkness."
Skanda's expression twisted with fury, his composure cracking under the weight of Surya's words. "Enough!" he roared, his voice shaking the very foundation of the temple. "You think you're wise, but you're just a fool! And if pity is all you feel, then you shall feel it for yourself soon enough."
He pointed his Vajra at Surya, his eyes blazing with a fury that seemed almost divine. "The last requirement for Tara's revival," he said, his voice cold as ice, "is you, Surya."
The chamber grew silent, the weight of his words sinking in. The warrior siblings exchanged horrified glances, their hearts filled with a rage they could not unleash. Surya, however, remained as calm as ever, his gaze steady, his spirit unbroken.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone