Xu Qi’an tried jogging, and found himself “as if on flat ground” without any hindrance. He immediately cast the matter of the Buddha Son to the back of his mind; that Vaidurya Bodhisattva, with stunning beauty, had been wounded by the Jianzheng and would not be leaving Ananda for two or three years.
As for the Protector Vajras and the other Arhats, even though they posed a threat to him, as long as he knew to be flexible and take detours to avoid danger, the Arhats were not so terrifying.
If he could not win in a fight, he could still run away.
But faced with a first rank expert like the Vaidurya Bodhisattva, who excelled in speed and control, there would be no chance of escape.
Liu Yun was struggling forward. As she stepped onto the road flanked by the Bodhisattvas and Arhats, an immense pressure descended from the heavens. This indescribable pressure was not placed upon the flesh, but rather upon the hearts and minds of the people.
With every step forward, she felt herself draw a little closer to the teachings of the Buddhist sect, as if undergoing a slow process of brainwashing.
The reason she was struggling was that her original beliefs were at odds with this foreign ideology.
Any intelligent and strong-willed being would instinctively resist such brainwashing.
This situation was within her expectations. As a local force from Leizhou’s jianghu, she had encountered many “believers” who longed to escape the mundane world and enter the Buddhist fold. Although those believers had ultimately failed, they emerged from the Stupa tower even more devout.
I could try accepting this ‘instillation’, and actively embrace this sense of identification. Would this make me any faster?
She gave it a try, and to her surprise, it really did speed her up a little.
From this, she concluded that those with good aptitude, if they wholeheartedly accepted Buddhist doctrine, would indeed move faster, but the key lay elsewhere, for she had only become a little faster, not to the exaggerated degree she had imagined.
As for what exactly this core was, Liu Yun had not figured it out.
At this moment, she glimpsed a figure passing by her.
So fast?
She stared in astonishment.
“I’ll go ahead.”
Noticing her gaze, Xu Qi’an nodded calmly, and then walked on at an unhurried pace.
Watching his receding back, Liu Yun could only think of one expression: taking a casual stroll.
Her mouth slowly fell open, her eyes widening.
Completely unaffected? How could he be entirely unaffected? Even the monks of the Buddhist sect are clearly suppressed, yet he is exactly as he was.
Liu Yun’s mind was a mess, she simply could not understand it.
And so, Xu Qi’an overtook one Leizhou native after another, leaving them all in the dust, their faces frozen in disbelief.
Those who were painstakingly taking one step at a time stared blankly at the spectacle.
“What’s going on?”
“Aren’t we on the same road? Why can he walk with such ease?”
Many stopped and watched, exclaiming and marvelling.
The first to hear the voices behind them were Yuan Yi, Li Shaoyun, the Dongfang sisters, and Shuangdao Sect Master Tang Yuanwu.
They were in the middle of the group and could hear the exclamations and discussions behind them.
The Dongfang sisters turned their heads in confusion, their beautiful faces changing ever so slightly, for they saw that figure in azure strolling towards them, proceeding smoothly without any hesitation, at ease and unhurried.
“Eh?”
Li Shaoyun, carrying his long spear, spun around, the shaft sweeping across. Commander Yuan Yi ducked to avoid the spearhead.
He was about to reprimand his subordinate, but when he followed Li Shaoyun’s gaze, he was immediately dumbfounded.
“Hey, how are you doing that? Care to share your secret?” Li Shaoyun grinned.
The Dongfang sisters, Yuan Yi, and Tang Yuanwu all looked over at once.
Xu Qi’an did not stop, and replied coldly, “Can you share your innate talent?”
Li Shaoyun opened his mouth, speechless.
When that figure in azure had gone some distance, he muttered, “Damn, he was born to be a monk.”
You’re the one born to be a monk… Xu Qi’an’s mouth twitched, and he quickened his pace.
Yuan Yi squinted, his eyes always on Xu Qi’an’s feet, and muttered, “Not a hint of sluggishness, how could that be possible?”
Dongfang Wanqing furrowed her delicate brow. “Sister, there is something strange about him.”
Dongfang Wanrong replied with a serious “Mm”, and sent a voice transmission:
“He’ll reach the second layer faster than the monks from Sanhua Temple. But that’s fine. The monks of the Buddhist sect said the second layer has long been corroded by Master’s power, he’ll be trapped there.”
“But we mustn’t let him surpass us without hindrance.”
Duanmu Wanrong shook her head.
“Haven’t you noticed? There are precepts inside the tower making it difficult to fight, at least, on the first layer. The Stupa tower is a magical artefact for enshrining Sharira and imprisoning experts. If fighting inside was so easy, how could it hold anyone?”
Dongfang Wanqing said loudly, “Master Jingxin, look behind you.”
Behind us? The monks ahead turned and looked, their eyes gradually widening, disbelief frozen on their faces.
Even monks with composure like Jingxin and the Head Monk Hengyin felt a sense of absurdity spring up within them.
Under the ‘gaze’ of the Buddhist Bodhisattvas and Vajras, this outsider was walking with utter ease, while they, the Buddhist disciples, were advancing step by step under heavy suppression.
“Who are you, benefactor?” Master Jingxin halted and looked at the steadily approaching Xu Qi’an.
All the monks stared at him intently.
I am the man your Buddhist sect will never be able to obtain… Xu Qi’an continued without pausing: “A martial artist of the Great Feng.”
The two sides passed each other.
The Buddhist monks stared blankly at his receding back.
Master Jingxin withdrew his gaze and fixed his attention on the bead in his hand, formed from the Mirror Beast’s tear.
Senior Uncle Du’nan, you must have seen what just happened.
…
Outside the tower.
Irbu’s voice echoed, “Du’nan, who is this person? How can he come and go freely within the Stupa Tower?”
Abbot Panlong held up the precious bead, his wrinkled old face solemn.
The temperature suddenly rose around them, a wave of heat swept by, and Vajra Du’nan appeared beside Abbot Panlong, reached out to take the precious bead, and examined it intently.
Mu Nanzhi studied the suddenly appearing Du’nan with curiosity. This monk stood nine feet tall, built like a giant, and behind his head burned a bright, ever-blazing halo of fire.
Is this one of the Buddhist sect’s Protector Vajras?
The little white fox curled up in her arms, shivering, and said, “So- so hot, so hot…”
Mu Nanzhi held the little white fox tighter and retreated repeatedly, only stopping when its small body stopped trembling.
While Vajra Du’nan examined the bead, he said,
“The first floor of the Stupa Tower possesses the power of precepts. There is nothing wrong with the artefact; the problem must lie with this visitor. Only those who control the precepts themselves, that is, Bodhisattvas and Arhats, can move freely on the first floor.
“Even if I entered, I would be affected.”
Irbu snorted, “Are you saying this person is a Bodhisattva or Arhat?”
Du’nan shook his head slowly. “When Bodhisattva Dharmapara placed the Stupa Tower here all those years ago, he set a restriction, those above Rank Four cannot enter. Arhats cannot get in, and if a Bodhisattva wishes to enter, they must forcibly break the seal.”
“Then how do you explain what just happened?”
Irbu asked.
Vajra Du’nan remained silent, a guess flashing through his mind: Perhaps it was an Arhat reborn, who shares karmic ties with the Buddhist Sect, and thus is able to ignore the precepts and reach the Buddha’s golden body directly.
Irbu mused for a moment, then said, “Forget it. Fortunately, he won’t get past the second floor anyway.”
Li Lingsu, eavesdropping on the two extraordinary figures from afar, bared his teeth. That wretched old man Xu Qian, just who is he?
Is he entangled with the Buddhist Sect as well now?
He has an unusual relationship with the Sitianjian, is skilled in multiple Gu techniques, and now seems to have deep ties to the Buddhist Sect. Who on earth is he…?
…
Before long, Xu Qi’an smoothly reached the Buddha’s golden statue. He looked up at the towering figure, grand and imposing.
The Stupa Tower has only three floors. The first is for testing talent, not very difficult, and almost no danger. Next, the second or third floor is likely where Shenshu and Nalan Tianlu are sealed.
I must recapture the Dragon Qi, break Shenshu’s seal, and stop them from releasing Nalan Tianlu. The tasks is getting hard to bear…
How am I supposed to collect the Dragon Qi attached to this artefact? I can’t very well destroy the artefact. With a first-rank Bodhisattva’s artefact, it’s almost certain to be disastrous for me.
Xu Qi’an did not hurry into the second floor. Instead, he looked up at the golden statue, appearing to be in a daze while his mind raced.
He quietly reached into his robe, grasped the Earth Book fragment, and recited an incantation, trying to use the mantra the Jianzheng had taught him, using the attraction between the Dragon Qi and national fortune, with the Earth Book fragment’s aid, to draw out the Dragon Qi.
Unfortunately, he was disappointed.
The Dragon Qi did not react; it remained tightly bound to the pagoda, ignoring his summons.
Is the Stupa Tower’s rank too high? The Buddhist Sect wants the Dragon Qi as well. I could observe in secret and reap the rewards when others fight. On the other hand, breaking Shenshu’s seal and stopping Nalan Tianlu from escaping, those are real headaches.
For the first, second senior brother gave me the unsealing mantra. It might break the Jianzheng’s seal, but it may not work on the Stupa Tower’s own seal. For the latter, unless I kill the Dongfang Sisters and the Buddhist monks, how else can I stop Nalan Tianlu from escaping?
I’ll do my best and leave the rest to fate. As long as I get the Dragon Qi, that alone is a great reward; if I can’t deal with Shenshu, I’ll try again later. As for Nalan Tianlu, I can’t force it. I’m only one person, I’ll just do my best. The Jianzheng really has tasked me with something this difficult.
I’ll check out the second floor first and make a plan to benefit from everyone else’s efforts.
He immediately set his priorities: he had to obtain the Dragon Qi, he would try his best to rescue Shenshu, and stopping Nalan Tianlu from escaping would be down to fate.
Seeing Jingxin and the others approaching step by step, Xu Qi’an hesitated no longer and paid his respects to the Buddha’s golden statue three times.
The next moment, golden light shone down from the misty dome above. He vanished from the first floor.
…
The first thing Xu Qi’an noticed was the warm sunshine and the devastated land all around, there clearly had just been a fierce battle here.
It was a vast wilderness, the sky a deep azure, the air dry and cold.
Is this the Buddhist realm? There’s not a trace of the tranquillity one would expect in a Buddhist domain… As he thought this, he heard a familiar, gentle voice beside his ear:
“Today, you are certain to die.”
He looked towards the voice. Not far away stood a figure in azure robes, handsome features, tall and slender, eyes clear and bright, yet not bearing a trace of world-weariness. His temples had not yet turned grey.
Wei Yuan!
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