Volume One, Chapter Twenty-Nine: Don't Underestimate a Realm Lord

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Don’t Treat the Realm Lord Like a Mere Official

Tu Zhe bowed deeply to Mara, saying,
"Great Realm Lord, the glory of the Desire Realm's prosperity and stability, its harmony and strength, are a testament to your honor. Wherever your radiance touches, darkness recedes, light becomes eternal, illuminating the weak and humble, allowing them to bask forever in your mercy."

Mara smiled warmly at Tu Zhe. Not bad, kid, you’ve got the makings of a preacher, and you managed to slyly needle me between the lines… but I like it.

Mara turned to Zhuan Chi Yuan Bei Gao and said, "That one who specializes in devouring plaintiffs and defendants alike, originally, the trial of your case was meant to be an internal affair of your Sumeru Mountain in the Heaven of Sharp Benefits… ah, haha..."

Zhuan Chi Yuan Bei Gao inwardly sneered. So you know it's our internal business, and you know you're overstepping, huh? Damn you old bastard, you're no good bird yourself.

Mara changed his tone. "But, the Six Heavens of the Desire Realm are one family, aren’t they? All illuminated by the same Buddha, all led by the same Buddha, right? Ordinarily, I am reluctant to exercise my authority as Realm Lord, but today’s situation is a different matter, haha. I must suggest to the Lord of Sharp Benefits Heaven, although the Lords of the Four Great Kings’ Heaven, Tusita Heaven, and Joyous Heaven are absent, with the Lord of Shakra, the Lord of Muchulunda, and myself present, we can surely form a temporary committee to guide the trial, can’t we? Lord Shakra, do you have any objections?"

Shakra unfolded his smile, though inwardly he cursed Mara’s ancestors for generations. Damn, you’ve already intervened forcefully—would it make any difference if I objected?

Shakra replied, "The Realm Lord is correct. If sufficient evidence can be presented, the trial should proceed. I second the Realm Lord’s proposal to form a temporary committee for the trial."

Muchulunda nodded, "I second as well."

Mara straightened his imposing figure, his expression suddenly solemn. "Since that’s settled, I remind all the celestial beings observing—if anyone witnessed the events, step forward now and testify. Do not bring misfortune upon yourself. That is all. The trial may proceed."

Zhuan Chi Yuan Bei Gao struck the bench with authority. "The trial continues. Any celestial beings present at the scene are obliged to provide witness testimony. Those involved, please come forward."

The assembled gods were instantly unsettled. What should they do?

To testify meant offending the Eight Princes, and more so Lord Shakra. Not to testify meant offending the Realm Lord, which was comparatively less dire, since he wasn’t their direct superior. But if evidence proved you were present at the scene, wouldn’t you be implicated and imprisoned?

Hulu Zhina saw the gods’ panic and, fearing chaos, sneered, "Those who saw, come forward and testify—are you worried someone might retaliate afterwards?"

Damn, if you dare testify, I’ll beat the crap out of each and every one of you afterward. That’s a promise.

Tsk—

That was blatant intimidation. Testifying was possible, but one had to endure retaliation.

Damned if you do, damned if you don’t. No way out. Why did I come here, eager to watch this spectacle?

A cold silence was inevitable. But to let the Realm Lord Mara’s proceedings stall was a slight—an affront to his dignity, treating him as a mere bureaucrat.

So Mara decided to demonstrate his authority as Realm Lord:

"Fine, since none of the celestial beings will come forward, that means those present were not actually there at the scene..."

Mara turned to Shakra, "Brother, I fear your Sumeru Mountain’s prison won’t be able to hold so many people, haha."

---

Then, without waiting for Shakra’s response, Mara’s voice thundered through the heavens, "Lord Muchulunda, I would like to see you employ your time-reversal technique, manipulate time, and return us to the day of the incident outside the Heavenly Artisan’s Treasure Pavilion. I want to see if, apart from the parties involved, there wasn’t a single bystander—"

Mara’s voice rolled like thunder, shaking the void, causing the earth to tremble, and striking the souls of the celestial beings like a hammer.

In that moment, the faces of the gods turned pale, their bodies shivered, as if the end of days had arrived.

Damn, manipulating time, reversing its flow—this is defiance against the grand order of the heavens.

It was said that Yama Heaven measured day and night by the blooming and closing of lotuses, hence its many names—Heaven of Time, Heaven of Good Time, Heaven of Excellent Time, and so forth. But no one had ever heard of reversing time itself.

This is a trap—

A chorus of despair rose in the sky.

Hulu Zhina’s face turned ashen, his fierce gaze swept over the gods. But faced with such a mighty power as time reversal, could his intimidation and warnings have any effect?

Shakra had never imagined that Muchulunda had mastered the divine art of manipulating time.

In the Desire Realm, there were perhaps eighty or a hundred beings capable of manipulating space—large or small, it wasn’t considered extraordinary. But to manipulate time? Not a single one. That was time itself.

Over countless millennia, how many gods and Buddhas had mastered the law of time? Those who could halt time for a few breaths—that alone was a mighty power, such as immobilization spells, which essentially paused time.

But now, Muchulunda wasn’t merely pausing—it was reversal, returning to the past, bringing the vanished back. Damn, what other powers do you have hidden from me?

Shakra’s expression grew grave—not only because Muchulunda’s time-reversal could ruin his schemes today, though that mattered less.

The most important thing was his secret, his grand plan, his cherished wish—at this moment, it was under grave threat.

The verdict would go against Hulu Zhina. Was that serious? Yes. But for Shakra, it was tolerable.

What he couldn’t bear was the intrusion of unforeseen external factors into his plan.

Thirty lifetimes—he had reincarnated thirty times for this plan, quietly carrying it out, enduring in silence. Must the surprises and setbacks from the heavens continue, forcing him to endure, to reincarnate again?

But if he didn’t endure, what then?

He truly didn’t know what other secrets the heavens held.

At this moment, Tu Zhe’s eyes burned as he stared at Muchulunda, his heart in turmoil.

Damn, I can’t take this shock.

Why did I die unjustly in my previous life? Because, in the face of a powerful machine of violence, all I could oppose it with was my fragile body. Why was my mother taken from me? Because her son—me—wasn’t strong enough.

I’ve been in Sumeru Mountain’s Four Heavens for many days now, wandering the void as a soul with my dog, drifting for countless days. The world of my past life is long gone, my mother and all my kin long since departed, centuries or millennia have passed.

---

Time has passed, but why does my heart ache so deeply?

Because of longing, because of the indelible love of my previous life, the gentle bonds of blood.

I never imagined time could flow backward, that the past could reappear. Does this mean, if I had such divine power, I could manipulate time, return to Earth, to my parents’ side?

Ah—

My blood boils, I cannot restrain myself, my soul is unhinged, I yearn to be strong, to once again kiss the wrinkles on my parents’ faces.

Tu Zhe was so moved he nearly crushed his dog’s waist. Tears streamed down his face, and the dog, feeling his grief, refrained from crying out in pain or biting him, silently baring its teeth.

Now, Muchulunda rose, forming seals with both hands, his fingers spinning, golden light surging from his finger-wheel.

He flicked his index finger, chanting, "Kakyuka—"

Five golden runes shot from his finger, fixed in the void, flickering.

As his finger flicked, the mantra flowed:

"Chacha Shasharaja—

Tathata Juna Tathata Danna—

Papapamama—

Yalalala Vasasa Goga—"

In the air, thirty-three golden runes formed a wondrous wheel seal, suspended in space.

Then, as if beside the ear, as if deep within the soul, a roaring river sounded, rushing closer, seven-colored waves flashing overhead, and with a great "whoosh," it surged into the golden wheel seal suspended in the void.

Everyone saw the wheel seal blaze with golden light, a rain of radiance pouring down, enveloping the world.

In an instant, the wheel seal spun like a vortex, forming a golden whirlpool.

Time flowed backward.