"Buddha! Reincarnation of the Buddha!?"
"That's right. So, what do you think? My child is quite extraordinary, isn't he?" Maierin beamed, looking every bit like a proud father bragging about his son's achievements.
"Maierin, we need to leave immediately and return to Sanctuary," Ashura said, his expression turning serious and anxious.
"Not yet. The sealed divine artifacts from back then haven't all been recovered. There are still a few places I need to check." Maierin replied.
"You can go, but this child must return to Sanctuary immediately. Otherwise—"
"Otherwise, the old relics hiding in the Buddhist realm will try to snatch him?" Maierin asked with a smirk.
"Since you already know, why are you still hesitating? You're well aware that those hypocrites are useless at everything except preserving their own existence. Among all the mythological factions, they have maintained their integrity the best. With your current strength, this could be a serious crisis."
"Heh, crisis? At most, just some minor trouble. They wouldn't dare make a direct move against me. If they do, it'll only be through underhanded schemes—and even then, they wouldn't dare to admit it." Maierin sneered.
"You're being too optimistic… Wait, no, that actually makes sense." Ashura reconsidered and realized that Maierin was right.
If it were any other deity, the hypocrites of the Buddhist realm would undoubtedly bully them. But Maierin… They genuinely wouldn't dare. Because here, Maierin was alone.
To deal with Maierin, they would have to eliminate both him and his wife at once—or else not lay a hand on him at all. Otherwise, they would face brutal retaliation.
As for underhanded tactics, with Maierin and himself around, how could they possibly be in crisis? At worst, it was just a bit of trouble—small trouble. Realizing this, Ashura finally relaxed, and his gaze toward Shaka grew increasingly passionate.
"Maierin… So, uh…"
"If you have something to say, just say it. I don't recall hesitation being part of 'keeping up with the times'."
"It's just… this child… Can I be his teacher?" Ashura asked.
"You want to teach him?" Maierin paused, glancing between Shaka and Ashura before slapping his forehead. "Right! How did I forget? You're a genuine master of both martial arts and Buddhist teachings. There's no one more suited to be Shaka's teacher than you."
"Heh, right?" Ashura grinned triumphantly.
"But…"
"But what?" Ashura tensed.
"That depends on Shaka's own decision. I won't force him." Maierin said.
"…Then move aside!" Ashura impatiently pushed Maierin away and, with a fawning smile, turned to Shaka. "Hey, little Shaka, how about becoming my student?"
Maierin rolled his eyes from the side. This old guy actually shoved him aside just to flatter a kid? Fine, his work meals were getting cut in half—and maybe with some extra seasoning added.
Also, where did the straightforward and bold Ashura from before go? Why did he suddenly seem like some creepy old man trying to lure a child in? Did Maierin mistake him for someone else?
Shaka didn't answer immediately. Instead, he looked at Maierin with a calm smile.
As the Virgo Saint, Maierin was one of his divine patrons. He naturally had to follow his god's orders—making a decision on his own would be overstepping his bounds.
Ashura was momentarily stunned before turning to look at Maierin—only to be met with a smug and challenging expression.
Maierin chuckled at Ashura's dumbfounded face before nodding at Shaka. Joking aside, he had to admit that Ashura was indeed the best teacher for Shaka.
Shaka was the reincarnation of the Buddha and would inevitably seek enlightenment in Buddhism. But at the same time, he wasn't a pure monk—he was also a Saint, a warrior. Ashura, being both a Buddhist and a martial artist, was the perfect mentor.
"I am willing to learn from you," Shaka agreed, but he carefully chose his words—he would learn from Ashura, but he wasn't calling him his master.
Ashura caught the subtle meaning but didn't mind. As long as he was the one who trained Shaka, that was enough.
The Ashura clan, being practitioners of both Buddhist teachings and martial arts, had long been ostracized by both the Buddhist realm and the Deva pantheon. Both sides saw them as outcasts. However, if the reincarnation of the Buddha—destined to become the leader of the Buddhist realm—was trained by him, then…
Heh, just imagining the expressions on those hypocrites' faces made Ashura happy.
"Heh… Heh heh heh…"
"Alright, Ashura, wipe the drool off your face. I really don't understand your definition of 'keeping up with the times'—how did you turn into this?" Maierin said in exasperation.
Ashura snapped out of his thoughts, hastily wiping his mouth, his face turning red in embarrassment and frustration.
"What do you know!?"
"Sure, sure, trendy old man, I know nothing." Maierin waved him off dismissively before turning serious toward Shaka. "Shaka, learn Buddhist teachings and combat techniques from Ashura—but nothing else."
"Yes, my lord." Shaka nodded with a serene smile.
"Maierin! You… I… You…!"
"Enough with the 'you-you-you'. Let's go. I may not be afraid of trouble, but that doesn't mean I want to deal with it." Maierin pulled Shaka along, leaving Ashura behind, fuming in silent rage.
The trio continued on their journey until they arrived at the Ganges River—the mother river of Indian civilization and the Buddhist realm. This river had nourished countless beings throughout history and played a key role in Buddhism's rise.
A mysterious power had guarded the Ganges since ancient times. During the mythical era, a civil war broke out between the Deva pantheon and the Buddhist realm. Enraged, Shiva attempted to obliterate this sacred river entirely, intending to evaporate it into nothingness. However, not only did he fail, but he also suffered a backlash. Even to this day, Maierin couldn't fully uncover the secrets behind it.
"Every time I see this river, I remember the civil war. My father died in that conflict." Ashura sighed.
"Yes. Though Sanctuary didn't participate in that war, based on the intelligence I gathered, after that conflict, the Buddhist realm closed its doors, and both Shiva and Vishnu suffered severe injuries—nearly shattering their souls. It took them thousands of years to recover." Maierin replied.
"They were just injured. But do you know why the Buddhist realm chose isolationism?" Ashura asked.
"I assume they suffered heavy losses. Otherwise, I can't see why the once-arrogant Buddhist realm would change so drastically."
Just as Maierin said, the Buddhist realm was the ultimate survivor among deities—despised by all other divine factions. But it hadn't always been that way.
The Buddhist realm, unlike traditional deities, wasn't born with divinity. Instead, its founders—like Maierin—achieved godhood as mortals. This led to relentless persecution from established divine factions.
However, the three great Buddhas—Medicine Buddha, Shakyamuni, and Amitabha—stood their ground and fought back, forcing the other pantheons to acknowledge their legitimacy.
But after the civil war, the Buddhist realm changed tactics drastically, choosing to withdraw from external conflicts.
Before Maierin could continue reflecting on this, space around them distorted. They were forcibly isolated, and four familiar cosmic presences emerged. The scenery around them warped.
"So, they've come knocking after all. What a hassle," Maierin muttered. He called it a hassle, but he showed no concern.
"Heh, as expected. I was wondering who would show up first. Turns out it's them. Perfect—I've got some old scores to settle." Ashura sneered, his killing intent flaring uncontrollably.