The origin of this bead, and whether it truly is the Sacred Buddha's Relic, is known best by the Sacred Buddha himself.
Originally, it was nothing more than a gimmick, a plaything used to draw more followers into the Buddhist faith.
To speak of it, the Western Lands had no Buddhism or monks in the beginning.
It was only tens of thousands of years ago that the Sacred Buddha stumbled upon Buddhist cultivation techniques and scriptures by chance.
The Sacred Buddha was never a virtuous man. Though he practiced Buddhist techniques and studied the scriptures, to him, these were merely tools—tools to secure greater benefits for himself.
As the Sacred Buddha's power grew, he established the Heavenly Sound Temple.
The temple's followers multiplied, and eventually, all non-Buddhist cultivation factions in the Western Lands were eradicated, leaving Buddhism as the sole dominant force.
After tens of thousands of years of effort, he was on the verge of ruling the entire Western Lands. He even felt he was not far from becoming a true Sacred Buddha.
Yet, the appearance of Chen Chang'an filled him with dread—the dread of death.
"I'll give you the Sacred Buddha's Relic. Let this matter end here. What do you say?"
The Sacred Buddha's words shocked the surviving monks.
What did this mean?
What was the Sacred Buddha implying?
In that moment, their faith crumbled. The invincible, divine image of the Sacred Buddha they had revered was shattered.
Before them now stood nothing but a coward, afraid of death.
So… this was the true face of the Sacred Buddha.
A bully who preyed on the weak but cowered before the strong?
"Hahahaha!"
"What a fine Sacred Buddha of the Heavenly Sound Temple!"
"No matter what, you are still a peak Great Emperor-level expert."
"And yet, you cower like this?"
Chen Chang'an sneered. This so-called Sacred Buddha had only risen to power through sheer luck.
The Western Lands had never been abundant in cultivation sects or powerful experts. Otherwise, how could a man like him have ever dominated?
"I ask you one thing—if I give you the bead, will you spare me and the Heavenly Sound Temple?" the Sacred Buddha said solemnly.
"Do you think you have the right to bargain?"
Chen Chang'an's words silenced the Sacred Buddha. What right did he have to negotiate?
The bead!
Yes, the bead in his hand!
"Fine!"
"So, you have no intention of sparing me?"
"Then you will never get your hands on this bead!"
With that, the Sacred Buddha attempted to destroy the fetal bead—what they called the Sacred Buddha's Relic.
Watching this, Chen Chang'an remained utterly calm. Clearly, the Sacred Buddha had no idea just how terrifying this fetal bead truly was.
Yet the monks of the Heavenly Sound Temple were horrified.
The Sacred Buddha's Relic—this was the Sacred Buddha's Relic!
"No!"
"Your Holiness, you must not!"
"This is the Sacred Buddha's Relic—it must not be destroyed!"
"Your Holiness, reconsider! Do not destroy this sacred treasure!"
"Sacred Buddha…"
Hearing their pleas, Chen Chang'an was momentarily stunned. He had assumed these people knew the so-called relic was a fake.
But now it seemed the Sacred Buddha had deceived everyone—even his most devoted followers.
"How is this possible?"
"Why is this happening?"
The Sacred Buddha tried with all his might to destroy the fetal bead, yet despite his efforts, he couldn't leave even the slightest mark on it.
This filled him with shock. When he had first obtained the bead by chance, he had tried refining it but failed.
So, he had proclaimed it the Sacred Buddha's Relic—a treasure left behind by the previous Sacred Buddha upon his ascension.
But he never imagined its durability would be so terrifying.
"Save your strength."
"You can't destroy it," Chen Chang'an said coldly.
Destroy it?
Impossible!
There must be a way—there had to be!
Though the Sacred Buddha feared death, he hadn't forgotten he was a peak Great Emperor.
How could a mere bead defy him?
No!
Absolutely not!
"I refuse to believe it!"
"I refuse to believe I can't destroy this worthless bead!" the Sacred Buddha roared.
Worthless bead?
The Sacred Buddha's Relic—now called a worthless bead by the Sacred Buddha himself?
Wasn't this the relic left behind by the previous Sacred Buddha upon his ascension?
Wasn't this the treasure the Sacred Buddha had painstakingly recovered for the Heavenly Sound Temple?
Why was it now just a worthless bead?
Even the dimmest among the Heavenly Sound Temple monks now realized—this was no relic.
They had been deceived!
They had believed themselves the Sacred Buddha's most loyal devotees, privileged to stand by his side.
They had obeyed his every command without question, even when those commands bore no relation to Buddhism, dharma, or enlightenment.
They had trusted that everything he did was right.
But now—the illusion was shattered.
The Sacred Buddha was nothing but a fraud—the greatest fraud of all!
He had deceived everyone, even his most devoted followers.
"How… how is this possible?"
"I am a peak Great Emperor—why can't I even break a single bead?"
The Sacred Buddha didn't notice the furious gazes of the monks around him. He was lost in his own despair.
"Hand it over!"
Chen Chang'an had no patience left. Most importantly, Da Huang had already rescued the surviving children.
There was no reason to hold back now.
The Sacred Buddha stared at the bead in his hand—only to realize it had vanished without a trace.
When he looked at Chen Chang'an, he saw the bead had somehow appeared in his grasp.
"You… you couldn't have taken it from me without a sound!"
"What sorcery did you use?" the Sacred Buddha demanded in terror.
Sorcery?
Really?
Anything beyond your Buddhist teachings counts as sorcery?
"You will never know how I did it."
"Because you have no future left!"
Soul Cage!
In an instant, everyone within the Heavenly Sound Temple—including the Sacred Buddha—was immobilized by Chen Chang'an's power.
Even as a peak Great Emperor, the Sacred Buddha could not move.
Though the Soul Cage's hold on a peak Great Emperor was limited, even a brief moment was enough.
Sky-Piercing Sword—a one-way trip to reincarnation!
A colossal sword descended from the heavens.
As it struck, the entire Heavenly Sound Temple was obliterated—reduced to ashes, along with everyone inside.
The terrifying energy and deafening explosion reverberated across tens of millions of kilometers.
Nearly half the Western Lands felt the overwhelming force of this strike.
"What… just happened?"
"It seems to be coming from... the direction of the Tianyin Temple."
"Could it be... the Sacred Buddha ascending to the heavens?"