In the golden carriage, Xuan Yuanlian suddenly laughed. “Do you know that the Second Jia Blood Ancestor is a member of the Quantity Organisation?”
Jia Tianxia’s face was filled with shock. His scalp prickled. His eyes nearly bulged from their sockets. Then he dropped to one knee. “This old man does not know from where Young Master Lian obtained this information, but I truly know nothing of it. If he is indeed a member of the Quantity Organisation, no matter how deep our bond, I would personally execute him.”
Jia Tianxia knew full well that Xuan Yuanlian must have absolute certainty to speak such words.
To say it in his presence was tantamount to pronouncing his death sentence.
Though he could not see Xuan Yuanlian’s sword, that sword was already poised at his throat.
Long moments passed in silence inside the golden carriage. Sweat beaded on Jia Tianxia’s forehead. His heart sank into an abyss as he desperately tried to work out the truth behind it all.
How had the Second Jia Blood Ancestor become a member of the Quantity Organisation?
At last, a voice emerged from the golden carriage. “In truth, this young master trusts you. Otherwise, I would not have come alone to meet you. Instead, I would have brought the gods of the Heavenly Court to seize you directly and take you back to the Heavenly Palace for trial.”
“But, after all, you are a renowned figure in the Heavenly Court, a peak Taixu realm powerhouse. If your suspicion is not completely cleared…”
Jia Tianxia said, “That Young Master Lian trusts this old man is my greatest honour. Whether it be the divine realm world or my physical body and divine soul, Young Master may investigate freely. Raising that scoundrel Second Jia is an unforgivable sin on my part.”
“Very good!”
Seeing Jia Tianxia cooperate so fully, Xuan Yuanlian secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
This old fellow held considerable prestige among the Heavenly Court’s great gods. If he dragged in the Paradise Realm faction’s gods for a death struggle, matters would surely spiral out of control.
No matter who won or lost in the end, the one to profit would be the Hell Realm.
From the golden carriage flew strands of truth rule light patterns, like billions of tentacles, surging into Jia Tianxia’s body.
…
Under the blazing sun, in the shade of trees, two monks sat on the ground.
A pot of spring water, a table of melons and fruits.
Zhang Ruochen said, “Most fist techniques in the world are supremely rigid and yang, striking with the force of ten thousand thunders. Yet I have heard that in the Western Heaven Buddhist Realm there is a supremely yin and soft fist technique called the Great Compassion Fist?”
The ancient Buddha of Putuo nodded. “The Great Compassion Fist is one of the ten great divine abilities of the Western Heaven Buddhist Realm. In the heavenly-level divine abilities of the Taixu Divine Ability Codex, it ranks eleventh. Truly mastered to great completion, its power would not be much inferior to a Heavenly Lord’s divine ability.”
“But only one who harbours great compassion and great sorrow can achieve anything in this fist technique. Martial Uncle, why do you suddenly ask about this?”
“I have had some insights recently. I feel that cultivating Buddhist Dharma should go hand in hand with cultivating the martial path. Otherwise, before evil demons, would one not be utterly defenceless?” Zhang Ruochen said.
The ancient Buddha of Putuo nodded deeply in agreement.
Zhang Ruochen had cultivated Shaoyang, one of the four images. The next step was naturally to cultivate the second image, Shaoyin.
Solitary yang does not endure.
Only with yin and yang in balance could his cultivation surge greatly once more. Then, even against a peak Taixu powerhouse, Zhang Ruochen would have confidence in victory. Against his maternal grandfather or the Great God Huang Tian, he would dare to contend.
After repeated calculations and reflection, Zhang Ruochen chose the fist path and the origin path to condense Shaoyin.
Since embarking on the path of cultivation, Zhang Ruochen had devoted vast time to palm and fist techniques, second only to swordsmanship. As for the paths of space and time, they were eternal paths, his more vital foundation, reserved for condensing Taiyin and Taiyang.
His definition of the four images was Taiyin and Taiyang as the foundation, Shaoyin and Shaoyang as the means.
The fist path corresponded to the sword path within Shaoyang.
The origin corresponded to truth within Shaoyang.
Zhang Ruochen’s fist path had always been yin-attributed.
But to condense Shaoyin, his current fist path attainment was far too lacking. He had to swiftly remedy this shortfall.
The fastest way to strengthen the fist path was to cultivate a powerful fist technique and draw upon fist path profound meanings.
Fist path profound meanings could aid inner realisation.
Cultivating a fist technique could aid outer realisation.
Combining inner and outer, how could the fist path fail to catch up rapidly to the origin path?
Of course, compared to the truth path, Zhang Ruochen’s origin path attainment was actually still a great distance behind and required vast time to cultivate.
With his current cultivation, neither the Luoshui Fist nor the Heavenly River Divine Fist could meet the needs of condensing Shaoyin. Thus, he turned his gaze to the foremost fist path divine ability of the Buddhist sect, the Great Compassion Fist.
The ancient Buddha of Putuo said, “If Martial Uncle wishes to cultivate a fist technique, it need not be one from the Buddhist sect. The Great God Treatise compiled by the Red Cloud Flying Immortal Valley lists the fist techniques cultivated by the top ten fist path experts, all renowned for their might.”
“First in fist path, Xian Mingkong cultivates the Pangu Heaven-Opening Fist, created by the ancient god Pan Yuan, now listed among the heavenly divine abilities.”
“Second in fist path, Yan Fengjue cultivates the Three Thousand Star Rivers Collapse, also a heavenly divine ability.”
“Third in fist path, Murong Hengkong cultivates the Overlord Fist, likewise a heavenly divine ability.”
…
The Great God Treatise comprises twenty-five sections. Besides the seven major rankings of cultivation, physical body, speed, divine abilities, mental strength, divine soul, and comprehensive, there are nine technique rankings such as illusion, arrays, witchcraft, and so on.
There are also nine human-created supreme saint path rankings, such as sword path, blade path, axe path, hammer path, fist path, palm path, halberd path, and others.
Twenty-four rankings list only the top ten.
Only the comprehensive ranking has more entrants and most truly reflects strength.
With the Immeasurable’s northern expedition and great gods dominating the universe, more and more cultivators discuss the Great God Treatise.
Zhang Ruochen naturally knew of the Great God Treatise and had specially researched various fist techniques of the world. However, most of these were supremely rigid and fierce, unsuitable for cultivating a yin-attributed fist path.
The ancient Buddha of Putuo said, “In truth, the world’s strongest fist technique should be the Immovable Ming Wang Fist. Regrettably, after the Great Venerable Immovable Ming Wang passed into immortality, this fist technique was not passed down. Otherwise, on the Heavenly Lord divine ability ranking, the Immovable Ming Wang Fist would surely rank near the front.”
Zhang Ruochen’s eyes brightened slightly. In his mind emerged the great tomb deep in the ancestral land.
Back then, Tribulation Venerable could enter the ancestral land and find the great venerable’s divine source. Why could he not seek the Immovable Ming Wang Fist?
With this resolve, Zhang Ruochen found a breakthrough in his fist path cultivation. He lifted his cup, drank a sip of spring water, and said, “It is said that in the Western Heaven Buddhist Realm there is a hidden realm called Posuo. Cultivators with inner demons or unstable mental states can enter it to train?”
The ancient Buddha of Putuo was utterly open with Zhang Ruochen, smiling. “In the past, Ancestor Kaye gathered the six desires of the mortal world and, with Brahmic fire, condensed the Mani Pearl. The place that held those six desires is the Posuo hidden realm, containing three thousand red dusts.”
“But Martial Uncle may not know that not only those with inner demons can enter to train and resolve heart knots. Those with sufficiently firm resolve can also enter to temper themselves, enhancing Buddhist Dharma and mental strength.”
“Three thousand red dusts means a cultivator can experience at most three thousand lifetimes within.”
“One lifetime lasts how long?” Zhang Ruochen asked.
The ancient Buddha of Putuo said, “One lifetime is one instant!”
Because Zhang Ruochen had closed up with the Sundial for too long, many after-effects had appeared. Thus, he wished to undergo some tempering.
Ordinary tempering methods took too much time.
Yet he had once undergone tempering that lasted seven full lifetimes, passing only seven days and nights. Indeed, it was the Painting Sect’s supreme treasure of the Kunlun Realm, the Seven Lives Seven Deaths Diagram.
It was precisely from the Seven Lives Seven Deaths Diagram that he thought of the Western Heaven Buddhist Realm’s Posuo hidden realm.
If, while resolving the after-effects of closed cultivation, he could also rapidly elevate his mental strength, then a trip to the Western Heaven Buddhist Realm was essential, no matter what.
There was no better timing than now.
Throughout history, countless talents had emerged, leaving behind treasures far beyond what Zhang Ruochen’s current cultivation could comprehend.
In terms of cultivation shortcuts, time could indeed rank first, but it was not the only one.
Every path in the world had shortcuts forged by predecessors.
Existences at the level of the ancestors or the Great Venerable Immovable Ming Wang could even pierce the river of time. To them, what did time truly mean?
No longer mentioning cultivation, Zhang Ruochen and the ancient Buddha of Putuo discussed Buddhist scriptures and classics.
Feng Xi held an ancient scripture scroll and approached beneath the tree, bowing respectfully to the two Buddhas.
Zhang Ruochen glanced subtly at Feng Xi, then calmly and composedly picked up a grape and placed it in his mouth.
Feng Xi knelt seated, offered the scroll in her hands to Zhang Ruochen, and said, “Master Yuanchen’s grace in saving my life is hard to repay, but the Feng clan never owes favours to anyone. After much thought, Xi believes this scroll of the Amitabha Sutra left by the Sixth Ancestor should interest Master Yuanchen.”
“The original?” Zhang Ruochen showed delight.
Feng Xi nodded.
Zhang Ruochen quickly accepted the scroll and pored over it as if entranced.
As a disciple of the Sixth Ancestor, even if only pretending, he had to show some excitement.
Did he not see the ancient Buddha of Putuo opposite, neck craned forward, eyes blazing with fervour?
After an unknown time, Zhang Ruochen finally closed the scroll, as if he had just experienced something deeply satisfying, savouring the aftertaste, entering a sage-like state.
Seeing the ancient Buddha of Putuo’s impatience, Zhang Ruochen passed the scroll over.
The ancient Buddha of Putuo cradled it reverently, immersed within, entering a state of self-forgetfulness.
Feng Xi, seeing Master Yuanchen greatly pleased with her thank-you gift, secretly sighed in relief. Then she said, “Master is an enlightened high monk. Xi has a knot in her heart. Might Master offer guidance?”
Zhang Ruochen had a guess and said, “Benefactor, speak freely.”
“To love one person and hate one person, how to let go of attachment?” Feng Xi said.
Zhang Ruochen smiled bitterly inside yet maintained his high monk demeanour. “The same person?”
“The same person.” Feng Xi said.
Zhang Ruochen said, “Why love, and why hate?”
“For the grace of saving my life, for his upright and unyielding character, for his extraordinary speech and pursuit of the Dao, thus love. For his deception, thus hate.” Feng Xi said.
“He did not do it intentionally.”
Zhang Ruochen very much wanted to say this, but as Master Yuanchen now, he could only continue patiently. “Might you recount your story?”
Feng Xi began to narrate.
The more Zhang Ruochen listened, the more ill at ease he felt.
In her telling, he was utterly a righteous hero who hated evil as his enemy, of noble character, sincere in affection, viewing death as returning home. To protect her, he would even sacrifice himself.
In short, every beautiful word in the world could describe him.
Only at the very end did everything reverse. This upright and noble Qing Pingzi turned out to be a pretence.
The former admiration, reverence, gratitude, and love collapsed in an instant, turning to hatred.
Zhang Ruochen’s palms sweated, mainly from guilt. He calmly said, “Does Benefactor believe he deceived you intentionally?”
