101: Chapter 101 The Three Ancient Buddhas

Western Wasteland.

Great Leiyin Temple.

The atmosphere within the Mahavira Hall was oppressive.

The Abbot sat upon his lotus throne, gazing down at the several Arhat corpses lying below.

The old monk who had gone to the Eastern Domain to seize the Dragon Emperor knelt nearby, his face ashen as gold paper. Having lost the Dragon-Subduing Bowl and suffered damage to his Origin, his cultivation had plummeted to the Early Stage of the Creation Realm.

"Senior Brother Abbot. The Heavenly Secrets Pavilion goes too far. Those Sword Cultivators from the Sword Burial Abyss wield Demonic Techniques, slaughtering our Buddhist Disciples at the border. The Dragon-Subduing Bowl was also seized by the Ye Family." The old monk's voice trembled.

The Abbot rotated the prayer beads in his hand.

"Amitabha. The struggles of the Great Era, the cycle of Karma. The Gu Family of the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion, the Hidden Ye Family. These two families act without restraint; there must be great powers supporting them from behind."

The Abbot stood up and walked towards the depths of the hall.

"Go and invite the Three-Life Ancient Buddha to end his seclusion. The Buddhist Sect has been insulted. This debt must be settled."

At the back mountain of the Great Leiyin Temple, a stone pagoda sealed for a hundred thousand years collapsed with a thunderous roar. Golden Buddhist light illuminated the entire night sky of the Western Wasteland. Sanskrit chants resounded throughout heaven and earth.

Three elderly monks with completely withered bodies walked out from the ruins.

The Peak Saint King's pressure forced all living beings in the Western Wasteland to prostrate in worship.

Southern Border.

Deep within the Hundred Thousand Mountains, Demonic Qi soared to the heavens.

The mountain ranges surrounding Baicao Valley stretched out in undulating waves.

Su Qianxue was leading her Disciples in taking stock of the losses in the medicinal fields. The Grand Elder of the Wan Jian Holy Land, Zhao Tiangang, was shirtless, digging for Extreme Cold Ice Souls within a mine shaft.

A mighty Creation Realm expert, tortured beyond human recognition.

"Valley Revered Master." A mountain-guarding Disciple ran over. "There's movement to the south. Within the Yao Race's territory, a red light has manifested."

Su Qianxue raised her head to look southward.

The horizon was dyed blood-red. A savage, tyrannical aura traversed tens of thousands of miles to reach them.

Danqingzi's voice sounded from within the ring: "Girl, a great Yao has emerged among the Yao Race. This aura... at least at the level of a Demon Emperor. The Southern Border is about to descend into chaos."

Su Qianxue tightened her grip on the long sword at her waist.

Baicao Valley was now the imperial medicine garden of Great Xia. If the Southern Border Demon Race truly intended to cause trouble, Baicao Valley would bear the brunt of it.

"Pass down the order. Activate all Formations. All Disciples retreat to the inner valley." Su Qianxue decisively commanded.

Great Xia Imperial Palace.

Side Hall.

Ji Ruxue sat cross-legged. The golden light of the dragon vein swirling above her head had completely merged into her body.

The barrier at the Peak of the Soul Transformation Stage shattered.

Void Refinement Stage.

She opened her eyes and exhaled a turbid breath. A replica of the kunlun mirror lay quietly beside her hand. This had been sent by Gu Sheng.

She picked up the bronze mirror, her fingertip brushing over its surface.

An Immortal Artifact from the Upper Realm. Her Revered Master had casually bestowed it upon her.

"Nine Nether." Ji Ruxue looked towards the direction of the Western Wasteland. "The people you sent died in the Lower Realm. Next, it will be your turn."

Xia Qingyue's voice came from outside the door.

"Ruxue. Spies from the Southern Border and Northern Wastes have sent back news. A Yao Race Demon Emperor has emerged in the Southern Border, and ancient corpses have also awakened on Heaven Burial Island in the Northern Wastes. The Great Era has completely descended into chaos."

Ji Ruxue pushed the door open and walked out.

Xia Qingyue wore the dragon robe, exhaustion etched between her brows. Although Great Xia had annexed the Taichu Holy Land, facing the old monsters from the four great domains, its foundation was still too shallow.

"Your Majesty need not worry." Ji Ruxue's tone was steady. "With the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion here, the sky of Great Xia will not fall. Revered Master is holding an auction on the first day of next month. This is precisely to set the rules for the world."

Heavenly Saint City.

Star-Plucking Tower.

Gu Sheng stood by the window. The streets of Heavenly Saint City bustled with activity. Half a day after the news of the auction was released, all major inns were already fully booked.

Countless Cultivators rushed from all over Central Province, just to catch a glimpse of the Enlightenment Tea Leaves.

The System panel flickered.

[Ding! Southern Border Demon Emperor emerges, Heavenly Dao Laws tremble.]

[Ding! Ancient corpses on Northern Wastes' Heaven Burial Island revive.]

[Ding! Great Leiyin Temple's Three-Life Ancient Buddha ends seclusion.]

[Golden Great Era progress: Eighty-five percent.]

Gu Sheng closed his folding fan.

"All are emerging. Good."

He turned his head to look at the Void Realm behind him.

A middle-aged man dressed in white robes, with a thin and refined face, stood there quietly. Not a trace of his aura leaked out, yet the surrounding space was in a state of absolute stillness.

White-robed God King, Jiang Taixu.

"God King." Gu Sheng spoke.

Jiang Taixu bowed slightly. "The Pavilion Revered Master commands?"

"First day of next month, the auction. You are responsible for maintaining order." Gu Sheng toyed with the teacup in his hand. "Whoever dares to cause trouble, be it Ancient Buddha or Demon Emperor, kill them directly."

"As you command." Jiang Taixu's voice was gentle, yet carried an extremely strong aura of slaughter.

Gu Sheng finished the tea in his cup.

This game of chess had finally reached the moment of checkmate. The old monsters of the four great domains wanted to step on the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion to rise to prominence. Well, let's see if their bones were hard enough.

Su Jiuer ran up from downstairs, panting.

"Pavilion Revered Master. A reply has arrived from the Great Leiyin Temple."

"Read it."

"The Abbot says, the Buddhist Sect is a place of purity, free from distracting thoughts. However, the Enlightenment Tea Leaves have an affinity with the Buddha. The Three-Life Ancient Buddha will personally come to Heavenly Saint City to welcome back the sacred object of the Buddhist Sect."

Gu Sheng laughed.

"An affinity with the Buddha? These bald donkeys have such a limited vocabulary. Even robbing things is described so elegantly."

Gu Sheng threw the teacup onto the table.

"Send a reply. The Heavenly Secrets Pavilion recognizes Spirit Stones, not affinity. If they have no money, have them bring the land deed of the Great Leiyin Temple as collateral."

The curtain of the Great Era was fully drawn. Central Province was about to welcome a true storm of blood and violence.

And the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion was the sole center of this storm.

Ye Yuan was packing his belongings in the Eastern Domain. Jian Wuji was polishing the Broken Precepts Blade in the Western Wasteland. Su Qianxue was standing ready for battle in the Southern Border.

Gu Sheng sat in his Revered Master's chair, quietly awaiting the arrival of the first day. The harvester of destiny points was already fueled up.

Who lived and who died rested entirely on a single thought of his.

Outside the window, the Spiritual Qi cloud sea churned even more violently. Golden raindrops began to fall once more.

This was the Heavenly Dao sounding the funeral bell in advance for the great powers about to fall.

Gu Sheng closed his eyes, listening to the sound of the rain.

This sound was truly pleasant.

Heavenly Saint City, the first day.

A long line formed outside the city gate. Elders from Holy Lands, usually aloof and superior, now obediently paid the city entrance fee. Great Xia's black-armored troops guarded the entrance, their long spears standing like a forest.

A war chariot pulled by three Soul Transformation Stage Silver Flood Dragons rumbled over the bluestone road and stopped before the city gate.

The carriage curtain was lifted, and Ye Yuan leaned out. A golden dragon tendon was coiled around his waist, and he twirled two night pearls the size of dragon eyes in his hand—those were the eyeballs of the East Sea Dragon Emperor.

Chu Kuangren drove the chariot, his back ramrod straight. The Sect Master of the Penglai Sword Sect was now performing the work of a coachman more skillfully than anyone.

"Entrance fee." The city guard captain spoke up, steeling himself.

Ye Yuan casually tossed a fist-sized Top-Grade Spirit Stone, which landed in the captain's arms.

"Keep the change."

The war chariot drove straight in.

The Loose Cultivators queued nearby gasped in shock. The Divine Son of the Hidden Ye Family, the living King of Hell from the Eastern Domain who had skinned and deboned the Dragon Emperor.

At the back of the crowd, three old monks clad in tattered kasayas walked forward in straw sandals. With each step, a withered golden lotus bloomed beneath their feet. The Western Wasteland's Great Leiyin Temple, the Three-Life Ancient Buddha.

The leading old monk raised his eyes, meeting the dragon tendon coiled around Ye Yuan's waist. That was the Opportunity the Great Leiyin Temple had originally set its sights on.

The old monk's fingers, which had been moving his prayer beads, paused.

Ye Yuan sensed the gaze, turned his head, and grinned widely: "Old bald donkeys, what are you looking at? Should this Divine Son take out the Dragon-Subduing Bowl to offer you some alms?"

The Three-Life Ancient Buddha did not speak, lowering their eyelids. The Buddhist Sect emphasized Karma, but if they truly fought now, they were not confident of gaining an advantage on the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion's turf.

Moreover, an invisible sword hung in the sky above Heavenly Saint City.

Top floor of the Star-Plucking Tower.

Gu Sheng leaned against the window, tossing a peeled spiritual fruit into his mouth.

In his mind, the System interface frantically scrolled.

[Resentment from the Great Leiyin Temple's Ancient Buddha, destiny points +20000]

[Awe from Eastern Domain Cultivators, destiny points +15000]

[Apprehension from the Southern Border Demon Emperor, destiny points +30000]

"Ye Yuan's talent for drawing hatred is even stronger than mine." Gu Sheng clapped his hands.

The System displayed words: [Host, please recognize reality. Ye Yuan is you, you are Ye Yuan. The pervert is yourself.]

Gu Sheng ignored the System'sMake complaints.

He turned his head to look at the white-robed man brewing tea in the corner.

Jiang Taixu's movements were unhurried, hot water rinsing the tea leaves, the aroma of tea filling the air. "Pavilion Revered Master, a few with passable cultivation have entered the city. Should we give them a warning?"

"No need." Gu Sheng picked up his teacup. "Businessmen emphasize harmony to generate wealth. It's not too late to give them a warning after they've emptied their pockets of Spirit Stones."