“`
“Jiang Canghai led a million soldiers, stationed in the northern oasis, about… twenty thousand miles from here.”
“But half a month ago, Jiang Canghai split his forces into two. One group dispersed into the desert to conduct guerrilla warfare, while the other vanished without a trace. As for Jiang Canghai himself, he stayed to guard the oasis, as if ready to go down with the ship at any moment.”
“The Arhats and Bodhisattvas, out of compassion, saw that Jiang Canghai was old and did not press too hard, allowing them to cause some trouble. After all, the Buddhist Kingdom’s land is vast, occupying nearly a third of the Wilderness, so it doesn’t matter much.”
The old monk spoke rapidly, revealing all the information he knew, fearing that if he slowed down, he would be forced to break his vows.
Meng Qingzhou placed his palm on the old monk’s bald head, playing with it as he pondered for a moment, then muttered to himself:
“Splitting forces?”
“Sending only one group for guerrilla warfare, what’s the point? Even I can see through the Buddhist Kingdom’s strategy—surround but don’t attack. There’s no need to split forces to delay.”
After a pause, Meng Qingzhou hesitated and said:
“Old bald donkey, are you hiding some information?”
As he spoke, he grabbed the old monk’s sword-wielding wrist and pushed the sword three feet into the belly of a beast, causing fresh blood to ooze out.
The old monk’s face turned black, and he said patiently:
“I don’t know, but I heard Buddha mention once that he suspected Jiang Canghai split his forces to divert attention, with the real target being the Moon Clan in the secret realm.”
“The Moon Clan are the original inhabitants of the Buddhist Kingdom’s territory. Many years ago, due to the stubbornness of the Moon Clan’s leaders, they refused to allow us Zen Buddhists to enter the desert, leading to conflict. The Moon Clan was nearly wiped out, with only a few remnants escaping into the secret realm. Over the past few thousand years, it’s likely that many strong individuals have emerged.”
“That’s all I know!”
“Please, let go of me, both hands!”
Meng Qingzhou coughed and reluctantly let go of the old monk’s head, retracting his Cicada Song sword.
I have to admit, the bald head feels pretty good.
“By the way, one more question.” Meng Qingzhou smiled warmly and asked, “Which of the eighteen Arhats are you?”
Silence.
Only the sound of the wind blowing the yellow sand.
The old monk’s expression tightened as he coldly stared at Meng Qingzhou: “As expected of the Space-Time Sword Saint, my breath-concealing technique is unparalleled, yet you saw through it.”
Su Qingqiu and Wu Die were first shocked, then took a few steps back, drawing their weapons and watching the old monk warily.
This old bald donkey is an Arhat!?
“You’re too kind. I didn’t see through it; I was just bluffing.” Meng Qingzhou said calmly, “With the golden body of an Arhat, the strength to subdue dragons, and bones that resonate with thunder, you must be the Dragon Subduing Arhat.”
The Dragon Subduing and Tiger Taming Arhats are the strongest combatants in the Buddhist Kingdom, specializing in physical cultivation, almost reaching the level of a holy body.
The Dragon Subduing Arhat’s eye twitched.
If it were an ordinary person, it wouldn’t matter, but this Space-Time Sword Saint is renowned, rumored to be elegant, handsome, modest, and polite.
Turns out he’s a rogue! Constantly toying with him.
“Don’t worry, I won’t kill you.”
“It’s rare to find a proper monk, not a tantric lama. It would be a pity to kill you.”
“Go back and tell Buddha that Heaven-Watching has chosen the next Human Emperor.”
Meng Qingzhou waved his hand and continued northward with the three women.
…
…
The old monk stood in place, watching the four figures gradually disappear from sight. His expressionless face suddenly changed, his black pupils turning into a seven-colored glaze, his body becoming misty, almost like the void.
“Heaven-Watching has chosen the Human Emperor?!”
The old monk turned his head, looking towards Sky State across the sea, his gaze piercing through endless space.
Sky State also has followers of the Buddhist Kingdom, whose wishes are drawn upon.
After a while.
The old monk’s eyes flashed with brilliance as he muttered to himself: “Ji Wushuang, reaching the Sky-Reaching Realm at a hundred years old, sweeping through Sky State, with nearly half the forces submitting to him.”
“In at most two or three months, Sky State will be unified.”
“Two or three months…”
“The deadline set by Heaven-Watching. It seems the chosen Human Emperor is Ji Wushuang.”
The old monk calculated with his fingers, suddenly puzzled: “Strange, could Heaven-Watching be blind? Although reaching the Sky-Reaching Realm at a hundred years old is impressive, the Space-Time Sword Saint is only twenty. In at most a year and a half, he will surely break through to the Sky-Reaching Realm.”
“Why didn’t Heaven-Watching choose the Space-Time Sword Saint?”
The old monk shook his head slightly, glanced at the beast lying on the ground, tamed by the Zen light emanating from him, and casually snapped its neck.
Then he chanted a Buddhist mantra and said indifferently:
“Crossing the sea of suffering, I’ll send you on your way.”
As the sunlight shone and the yellow sand blew, the old monk vanished into thin air.
…
…
“Young master, why didn’t you kill that Dragon Subduing Arhat?” Dongfang Liuli asked in confusion.
He didn’t believe Meng Qingzhou’s nonsense. Despite appearing gentle and kind, when faced with trouble, he was the most ruthless.
Of course, it could also be that he found constant trouble annoying and preferred to eliminate it at the root, which would fit his lazy nature.
Meng Qingzhou walked on foot, covering the four of them with his Time Domain. Although they were walking, each step covered dozens of miles.
When they occasionally stopped, they could enjoy the scenery along the way without delaying their journey, killing two birds with one stone.
“He wasn’t the Dragon Subduing Arhat.” Meng Qingzhou shook his head.
Su Qingqiu laughed heartily: “Could it be that he was Buddha himself?”
Hearing this, Meng Qingzhou didn’t respond, silently continuing on his way.
Su Qingqiu was stunned, then turned her head in shock, stammering: “No… don’t tell me I guessed right.”
“You guessed right.”
After a long while, Meng Qingzhou confirmed.
The three women were simultaneously stunned, a chill running down their spines.
That old monk was a Sky-Reaching cultivator, the Buddha who had dominated the Wilderness for thousands of years!?
“Then why did you touch his head and threaten him? Aren’t you afraid Buddha will retaliate?” Su Qingqiu was startled.
Meng Qingzhou chuckled:
“Don’t worry, that wasn’t his true body. If I’m not mistaken, Buddha has likely… merged with the vast desert. The sand under our feet, the clouds above our heads, the oasis, and the harsh weather are all his incarnations.”
Su Qingqiu quickly clung to Wu Die’s arm, feeling a chill despite the scorching heat.
“What do you mean?” Dongfang Liuli asked in confusion.
Meng Qingzhou recalled the original story.
Regarding Buddha, the original text had little detail. The protagonist Zhao Gou was always arrogant and dismissive of the Buddhist Kingdom, considering it a place full of bald donkeys, not worth his time.
In the original story, Heaven-Watching decided to delay the plan to create a new Human Emperor, waiting for the next golden age, likely because of this reason. Buddha was in no hurry to break through to the Sky-Reaching Realm.
But once, the protagonist Zhao Gou was chased and fled into the Buddhist Kingdom, encountering Buddha. After a philosophical discussion, he learned about Buddha’s principles.
No self, no appearance, no sentient beings, no cause and effect, no past, no future.
Buddha’s principles were the way of creation!
“Buddha broke through to the Sky-Reaching Realm, merging with the Buddhist Kingdom’s territory, erasing his flesh body, and integrating his soul, will, and principles into the vast desert, forming a world of his own.”
“Old monk, am I right?”
Suddenly.
In the distance, on a sand dune, the old monk clasped his hands together and bowed: “The Space-Time Sword Saint’s insight is admirable. I am impressed.”
Meng Qingzhou couldn’t see him, but he knew who it was by the sound. Pointing in that direction, he laughed: “See, I bluffed him out again.”
“`
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