Chapter 248 - Cultivation Monster (2/2)

Buddha wasn't too surprised about the true form of the energy monster in Zero's void. With so many lost souls that Zero picked up along the way seeking salvation and unresolved grievances, they could be sitting and cultivating for centuries before all the karma was settled.

Buddha's halo helped to light the way and Zero didn't know why there were so many monsters hidden in the darkness. One thing for sure, they were all attracted to Buddha's golden light. The golden pool from earlier was now gone. It was devoured by the horde of nameless creatures in his inner dimension. Zero didn't know how his inner dimension was created because Hua Tuo didn't mention anything about the process of making one when he found out that Zero already had one. The teenager sulked. His inner dimension was probably not the same as other cultivators. Why would there be monsters in his inner dimension that he wasn't even aware of? Hua Tuo described his inner dimension as a garden full of exotic plants but Zero has never seen it. Then again, Buddha should have one too. Why is it that dual cultivation worked one-sidedly? Both Sage Gods have visited his inner dimension but Zero was unable to visit theirs.

While Zero entertained the questions in his head, Buddha was busy searching for something in the muck. The lost souls weren't surprising to know. A good exorcism session and chanting to put them at peace will suffice. However, there was something that kept amassing them even as they walked so unless Buddha did something about the source, the horde would continue growing.

Buddha had a vague idea about what he was looking for. He hadn't been Solo's confident and friend for no reason. According to his knowledge about the creator in the past, Solo was a rather whimsical person but also cautious. The creator didn't trust anyone and had a selfish personality. Life didn't matter much to him and everything he did was purely for his amusement. It is also where Gugu and Jevy inherited their obsessive behaviour.

Zero followed Buddha for what felt like an hour without any questions. With nothing much to do, the boy started learning parts of the mantra. It was easy and repetitive so Zero followed Buddha as he chanted. They walked in a single file along a straight line to nowhere in particular. Occasionally, Buddha would make a turn and Zero would find himself colliding in the Enlightened One's back. For a while now, they were walking on a gentle slope upwards.

Buddha was sure of it. This feeling... it's familiar.

As they closed in on the culprit, Buddha frowned. Logically, it wasn't possible. This defied every single law of the world. However, there was no other way he could explain the sense of familiarity. Solo shouldn't exist. Yet, he felt his presence here along with Zero behind him. They might be the same existence and entity but they gave off very different vibes. If Zero was warm and sweet like honey tea, Solo would be cold and sharp like a blade.

”I can see something!” Zero exclaimed and stopped chanting. It was very small and faint and far in the distance but even Buddha could see it.

At this point, the nameless creatures in Zero's inner dimension had dwindled in numbers as they got closer to it. Buddha never picked up his walking pace but Zero was bouncing and hopping, trying to jump over Buddha's shoulder to get a better view of that mysterious thing in Zero's void.

It took longer than Zero thought it would for them to reach the mysterious glowing object. To his surprise, it wasn't very big. The object was a box or a crate that was sealed. Zero could easily hold it in his hands as the box was only about a foot long. Buddha didn't stop chanting immediately but when he did, a deafening silence made Zero uncomfortable.

On closer observation, the light emitted by the box didn't look like anything Zero had seen before. The light was grey and almost black like the darkness around them. It didn't reflect the golden light coming from Buddha and seemed to be completely isolated on its own. Zero didn't know why but he felt as if the box wasn't a part of his inner dimension. It was as if it came from an external source and was planted here before he even knew it.

He was not wrong. Buddha recognised what the box was and why it was here. He helped create it after all with Solo's instructions. However, the Enlightened One didn't know what to do with it now that he confirmed his fears.

Zero looked at the Sage God curiously. For once, he saw a clear conflict in Buddha's eyes. He no longer had that serene expression on his face and Zero swallowed. If Buddha was serious, it meant that trouble was brewing.

He stared at the strange box and wondered what they were going to do about it. Was this what Buddha wanted to find? Perhaps this box was what was causing Zero so much difficulty in his progress with cultivation. He didn't have a problem when it comes to magic apart from his inability to recover mana naturally. However, Zero found a way to overcome that by absorbing things and converting energy from one form to another.

”Is something wrong?” he asked, unable to stand the deafening silence any longer. The tension was too thick and it made Zero nervous.

Buddha didn't answer right away. He was thinking.

Zero didn't know if the Sage God heard him the first time but decided that it was best not to ask a second time with the heavy frown on Buddha's face.

Not even the Sage Gods would be able to help Buddha make the decision he was forced to make at the current moment. The box in question was something Buddha helped solo store all his will in for Zero when he awoke. It was previously sealed away in a part of the void that only Buddha could access. The box was unsealed recently when Zero accepted the memory fragments from all six Great Gods. While all of it was going according to Solo's plan, Buddha didn't know if it was fair for Zero to be still under Solo's influence even when he was gone. The Mind's Eye system was stored in this very box and it was Solo's will that prevented Zero from doing many things that the teenager wanted.

Buddha turned around to look at Zero. The teenager became nervous and jittery when he did so. Zero didn't know what Buddha was thinking about but for the Enlightened One to be so serious, this must be of utmost importance.

”Zero, I have a question for you. You must answer me to the best of your abilities about what you truly feel and not what makes the most sense.”

The boy nodded and stood at attention, waiting for the most serious question that Buddha was ever going to ask him.

”What are you going to do if you have to face Solo who has become your enemy?”