IBHJ 1229

"Is that the power of the Pure Land?" Agravain stared at her uncertainly before his face twisted with rage again. "It doesn't matter! You've trespassed into the imperial palace! Do you really think our empire has no one who can stop you? Activate all palace defenses and send up the elite troops from below!"

"This humble monk hasn't come as an enemy of your empire," Xuanzang replied calmly. "I've only come to help resolve a confusion in His Majesty's heart. I hope benefactor Agravain will understand."

"A confusion in His Majesty's heart?" he scoffed. "His Majesty is omniscient and omnipotent. How could there possibly be any confusion in his heart?"

Xuanzang smiled patiently. "What benefactor Agravain doesn't know is that His Majesty once visited Pan-Human History and posed a question to my master. My master was unable to provide an answer, so he withdrew. That's why this humble monk has come—to answer on my master's behalf."

"Even if His Majesty truly did have some questions," he said coldly, "and even if your master couldn't answer it, why should you be able to?"

"Because," she replied simply, "perhaps no one is better suited to answer this question than this humble monk."

Xuanzang turned her attention back to the empty throne and bowed deeply once more. "This humble monk Xuanzang comes from the Great Tang in the East, wishing to journey west to worship Buddha and seek scriptures. That is my answer to Your Majesty."

"What nonsense is this?" Agravain sneered. "How is that an answer to anything?"

"What troubles His Majesty's heart is simply the future of his people," Xuanzang said quietly.

Agravain's expression instantly changed, and his heart leaped.

Xuanzang gazed at the throne, her eyes both firm and compassionate. After Demonic Bodhisattva had told her about the Emperor's journey to Pan-Human History in search of answers, and after learning the truth about this empire, she finally understood what truly confused the Emperor.

The thing that troubled this Holy Spirit who had created eternity was, ironically, the very eternity he had created.

Past karma had led to the creation of eternity, but that same eternity now blocked any vision of the future.

That's why the empire had remained frozen, unchanging for one hundred million years.

The empire was stuck in a paradox—even as it continued to exist, it would always look exactly the same. This created a fundamental contradiction between the vanished future and the never-ending present.

That's why the Emperor had visited Pan-Human History, the place that had given birth to both himself and the empire. He was searching for a path to the future, seeking someone who could clear up the confusion in his heart.

But ordinary mortals couldn't provide answers to Holy Spirits. True Holy Spirits hid his miracles from him, while enlightened Bodhisattvas deliberately avoided his presence.

In truth, even the Emperor himself probably didn't fully understand what was troubling him. He only felt a vague, frustrating sense that something inexplicable was blocking his way forward.

Xuanzang recognized that feeling all too well. It was the symptom of an inner demon created by two conflicting thoughts—the same mental struggle that had first pushed her to begin her journey westward.

"I come from the East, which represents the past," she explained. "My journey westward is the present, and reaching the Western Heaven to worship Buddha and obtain the scriptures is the future. Similarly, the empire was born from the Holy Grail—that's the past. Its long existence is the present. But what comes next? What is its future?"

"Hmph. A meaningless question with an equally meaningless answer," Agravain scoffed. "The future is obvious—the empire will synchronize with Pan-Human History and continue to exist eternally."

Xuanzang smiled gently. "That's still just the present, not truly the future. And besides, this humble monk came to answer His Majesty directly, not you. Please step aside."

"You break into the imperial palace and then have the nerve to ask me to step aside?" Agravain's face flushed with fury. "Did you think it would be that easy? Your intrusion alone is punishable by death! I'll send you straight back to your Pure Land! Guards! Seize her and execute her immediately!"

At his command, dozens of divine soldiers rushed in through the palace entrance. They joined the attendants already present and surrounded Xuanzang, weapons drawn.

Xuanzang calmly began to recite Buddhist scriptures. A soft golden light enveloped her body as she stood perfectly still, making no move to defend herself. The soldiers charged forward but found themselves unable to penetrate the glowing barrier around her.

Agravain watched in a mixture of shock and rage as his elite guards were rendered completely ineffective.

Undisturbed, she continued her recitation. Her voice grew steadily stronger, and the Buddhist light surrounding her intensified with each word. The energy began to concentrate above her head, condensing into a small, wheel-shaped shadow that spun continuously, casting radiant light throughout the chamber.

Since attaining Buddhahood, Xuanzang had gained the ability to channel the Enlightened One's power, though this always depended on the Enlightened One's will. Usually, she could only borrow a tiny portion of Shakyamuni Buddha's power, just enough to form Buddha's Palm.

But now, Xuanzang could sense that the Enlightened One had granted her significantly more power—enough that the small spinning wheel of light had materialized above her head.

No matter how fiercely the divine soldiers attacked, they couldn't break through the wheel's protection. Agravain watched in growing frustration as his elite forces failed repeatedly.

Then without warning, a flash of golden light streaked across the room. A golden arrow shot out from the direction of the imperial throne with incredible speed. It shattered the spinning wheel with devastating force before continuing on to strike the palace wall, causing the entire building to tremble.

With her protective light broken, Xuanzang's face paled. The soldiers immediately rushed forward, surrounding her on all sides.

A powerful presence suddenly radiated from the empty throne.

—Stop.

The soldiers immediately froze in place. Even Agravain fell silent.

The Emperor's will had manifested!

—Will you leave on your own, or shall we send you away?

Xuanzang stared at the throne in astonishment. This wasn't at all what she had expected. She'd been summoned to the Eternal Empire specifically to answer the Emperor's question. She thought once the Emperor heard her answer, he would understand and relent. But that clearly wasn't happening.

Where had she misunderstood the situation?

Just then, a crown of thorns appeared above Xuanzang's head. It separated from her, floated back toward the throne, and vanished.

Xuanzang's eyes widened in disbelief. She had no idea there had been a crown of thorns placed on her all this time!

The moment it detached from her, everything suddenly became clear. She gasped as understanding washed over her. "My Buddha nature," she exclaimed, "it was you who sealed it!"

Yes, everything suddenly became clear. The empire hadn't placed a crown of thorns on her head when she arrived because one was already there!

They hadn't underestimated her power at all. In fact, she realized she had been summoned in her fully awakened Buddha state from the beginning—only to be immediately sealed by the Emperor's thorns and then banished to Camlann under a form of gentle imprisonment.

And finally, due to Demonic Bodhisattva's stimulation, she remembered her Buddha nature, and the sealing effects of the thorns were suppressed by the power of the Enlightened One.

But why would the Emperor—

Before she could even finish forming the question in her mind, something extraordinary happened. With her Buddha nature now fully unlocked, Xuanzang could finally see the Emperor's face clearly for the first time.

What she saw left her completely stunned—surprised, shocked, and utterly incredulous.