18: Chapter 19 The Four Sages Test the Mind of Zen

The battle at Liusha River concluded, and the four Disciples bid farewell to the turbulent river, continuing their journey westward while singing.

Ao Lie walked beside the team, dressed in white as snow, his posture upright, his aura several times more stable than before.

Just moments ago, when he killed Sand Monk and turned him into a Shadow Servant.

He clearly felt a surging power pour into his body; his previous cultivation at the Middle Stage of the Mystic Immortal Realm.

Took advantage of the momentum to break through the barrier, steadily reaching the Peak of the Mystic Immortal Realm, only one step away from entering the Golden Immortal Realm.

Not only that, but the two thousand two hundred Shadow Servants under his command also improved in strength alongside him.

The two thousand ordinary-level servants were all stabilized at the Heavenly Immortal Realm, their auras becoming increasingly condensed.

The hundreds of knight-level servants saw their cultivation in the Mystic Immortal Realm rise to a new level, their combat power silently skyrocketing.

As for the leader-level Xiao Hei, Shadow Servant, and Tiger Overlord, they already possessed the strength of the Taiyi Golden Immortal Realm.

Nourished by his cultivation, the path to advancing to the Grand Unity Golden Immortal became clearer, and their foundations grew deeper.

Ao Lie calmly restrained all the aura around him, suppressing the skyrocketing power within his body, not daring to leak even a fraction.

He always kept in mind that the gazes of the Buddhas of the Western Heaven and the gods of the Heavenly Court were always secretly watching the westward journey team.

If his cultivation advanced by leaps and bounds, any slight sign would surely bring about a fatal disaster.

He could only continue to endure, hiding the trump card of the Shadow Monarch.

Only by using his Senior Brothers to cover for him could he accumulate strength step by step on this journey filled with murderous intent.

Monkey King and Pigsy saw this and understood, but did not mention it at all.

They already knew Ao Lie's secret and understood that his cultivation would surge after he killed demons and gathered Shadow Servants.

The servants would also advance simultaneously, but they tacitly kept silent, tacitly helping him cover it up so that Tang Seng, who was beside them, would not notice anything.

Tang Seng remained in that compassionate manner, hands together, single-mindedly heading to the Western Heaven.

He was completely unaware of the fierce battle at the bottom of the Liusha River, Ao Lie's cultivation Breakthrough, or the advancement of the Shadow Servants.

He only thought that the river demon had been beaten away by his three Disciples, and along the way, he was still exhorting his Disciples to avoid arrogance and rashness and to stick to their original intentions.

The group traveled for several days; it was late spring, the weather was pleasant, and the mountain road was flat.

In the distance, a magnificent manor gradually appeared, with vermilion gates and high walls, deep courtyards, thousands of acres of fertile land around it, and bursts of floral fragrance; at a glance, it was the residence of a wealthy family.

Seeing this, Tang Seng was happy and pulled on the reins.

He smiled at the Disciples behind him: "Disciples, it is getting late. There is a manor ahead; why don't we go and stay for the night, rest, and continue our journey tomorrow."

Monkey King narrowed his Fiery Eyes slightly and swept over the manor.

A flash of understanding crossed his eyes, but he remained calm, only scratching his head and saying: "Master is right, it is just right to take a break, and Old Monkey can also catch his breath."

Pigsy was already exhausted, his waist sore and back aching; seeing the luxurious manor.

His eyes immediately lit up, his fat face filled with smiles, and he nodded hurriedly: "Good, good, good! Master is wise. In this wilderness, to have such a good place, we can just eat a full meal and sleep peacefully!"

Only Ao Lie, with a calm expression, cast a faint glance over the manor.

Although his cultivation was only at the Peak of the Mystic Immortal Realm, the perception of the Shadow Monarch was far beyond that of ordinary people.

He vaguely sensed wisps of extraordinary Immortal Qi lingering in the manor, which was definitely not possessed by an ordinary wealthy family.

He already understood in his heart that this was likely an Incarnation of a powerful being, coming to test the Zen Heart of the four Disciples.

He still maintained a low profile, following beside Tang Seng without saying a word.

Completely acting like an ordinary Disciple, only secretly paying attention to the movements around him.

At the same time, his mind moved slightly, sensing the state of his Shadow Servants.

Ensuring that if there was any change, he could instantly summon servants to protect himself, but would never easily expose himself.

The four walked forward together and knocked gently on the courtyard door.

Not long after, a maid in green opened the courtyard door, saw the four Disciples, and hurriedly went back to report.

A moment later, a middle-aged woman walked out from the courtyard, dressed in luxury, with a beautiful face and a gentle temperament.

She called herself Lady Jia, her husband had passed away early, and she had three daughters.

The family was wealthy with countless fertile lands, only worrying that there was no good son-in-law to inherit the family business.

Lady Jia invited the four Disciples into the main hall and served hot tea.

She was increasingly polite in her speech, swept her eyes over the four Disciples, and bluntly said she wanted to recruit the four Masters as sons-in-law.

To entrust all the family property and her three daughters, to enjoy the glory and wealth of the world, and not to have to travel far to the Western Heaven and suffer the hardships of the journey.

Upon hearing this, Tang Seng put his hands together, lowered his eyes without speaking, and his expression was solemn.

He was not moved at all, single-mindedly thinking about the great cause of obtaining scriptures in the Western Heaven, completely ignoring Lady Jia's temptation.

Monkey King had already seen through the truth, deliberately playing dumb, and occasionally chiming in with jokes.

His eyes darted between Lady Jia and the three daughters, looking like he was watching the fun, but in reality, he was secretly vigilant, protecting Tang Seng's safety.

Pigsy, however, had his mortal heart greatly stirred, completely fascinated by the glory, wealth, and beauty.

His fat face was flushed, he was scratching his head, and his eyes were staring straight at Lady Jia and the three beautiful daughters.

He had long thought about becoming a son-in-law, and he couldn't help but start echoing her words.

He had completely forgotten the vow of going to the Western Heaven to obtain scriptures, wishing he could stay immediately to be a son-in-law.

Ao Lie sat quietly to the side, lowering his eyes, remaining silent the whole time.

He neither took up Lady Jia's topic nor expressed any emotions.

He knew in his heart that this Lady Jia and her three daughters were the Incarnations of the four Saints: Mount Li's Old Mother, Guanyin Bodhisattva, Manjushri Bodhisattva, and Samantabhadra Bodhisattva.

This time they came specifically to test the Zen Heart of the Disciples; if he showed even a trace of greed.

He would surely be detected by the four Saints, which would then lead to the exposure of his secrets.

His own cultivation was only at the Peak of the Mystic Immortal Realm, far less than one ten-thousandth of the four Saints.

If his identity were exposed, let alone fighting against the Western Heaven and the Heavenly Court, he would likely be suppressed by the Saints on the spot.

Therefore, he became even more forbearing, and the aura around him was restrained to the extreme.

It was as if he were just an ordinary Cultivator with no desires or demands, having no greed for the wealth and beauty before him.

Lady Jia saw that Tang Seng was single-mindedly devoted to Buddha and unmoved, so she continued to tempt him, counting the glories of the human world.

But Tang Seng always sat as before, closing his eyes and chanting sutras, sticking to his original intention, and remained unmoved.

She turned to look at the three Disciples; Monkey King was slick and cunning, not falling for it at all.

Ao Lie was silent and taciturn, his heart as calm as still water.

Only Pigsy was obsessed, impatient, and full of eagerness in his words, wishing he could immediately agree to the marriage.

Seeing this, Lady Jia already knew in her heart, and deliberately followed Pigsy's words, pretending to make things difficult.

She said that the three daughters each had their own temperament, and she was afraid that Pigsy could not handle them.

Afterward, she took out a handkerchief and asked Pigsy to cover his head and bump into the marriage, and whichever daughter he bumped into, he would marry.

Pigsy was overjoyed, hurriedly covered his head with the handkerchief, and bumped around in the hall.

But after working hard for a long time, he didn't even touch the corner of anyone's clothes, but instead fell until he was bruised and swollen, looking extremely embarrassed.

Ao Lie, who was on the side, was always watching coldly, as motionless as a mountain.

While maintaining his low-profile persona, he secretly operated his Shadow Power to stabilize his cultivation at the Peak of the Mystic Immortal Realm.

At the same time, he sensed the state of his servants: the ordinary and knight-level servants were dormant in peace.

The leader-level Xiao Hei, Shadow Servant, and Tiger Overlord were also on standby at all times, but would never show any abnormalities.

He knew that the eyes of the four Saints likely fell on Pigsy, whose Zen Heart was not firm, and Tang Seng, who was single-mindedly obtaining scriptures.

His low profile and forbearance would definitely not be focused on, and he could just take this opportunity to hide all his trump cards.

After tossing for a long time, Pigsy ended up with nothing, full of disappointment, but still unwilling to give up, and was still muttering about wanting to be a son-in-law.

Just at this moment, the weather changed suddenly, and the originally magnificent manor was instantly surrounded by clouds and mist. Lady Jia and her three daughters flickered, turning into four brilliant golden lights, rising into the sky.

The true forms of the four Saints—Mount Li's Old Mother, Guanyin, Manjushri, and Samantabhadra—appeared, solemn in appearance, surrounded by Immortal Qi, overlooking the four Disciples.

A majestic voice of the Saints came from the air, pointing out that this time it was specifically to test the Zen Heart of the Disciples.

Tang Seng stuck to his original intention, unmoved by wealth and beauty, and his Zen Heart was firm; Monkey King was clear-eyed and not confused by the world.

Ao Lie was quiet and restrained, with no desires or demands, all of which were qualified.

Only Pigsy had not cut off his mortal heart, and greed had arisen, so he needed to be punished and encouraged to repent.

As the voice fell, the figures of the four Saints gradually dissipated, leaving only Pigsy sitting on the ground alone.

He looked at the empty courtyard, full of annoyance and shame, his fat face flushed, wishing he could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.

Seeing this, Tang Seng put his hands together, bowed to the direction where the Saints had left in the air.

Reciting Amitabha, he sternly reprimanded Pigsy, telling him to discard his mortal heart, remember the great cause of obtaining scriptures, and not have any crooked thoughts again.

Pigsy admitted his mistake repeatedly, lowering his head, not daring to say anything more.

Although he was unwilling in his heart, he also knew that he had made a big mistake and could only obey the reprimand.

Ao Lie walked up, still with that plain look, and spoke softly: "Master, Second Senior Brother has already realized his mistake. This test has also made us vigilant, and in the future, we will definitely head west with one heart, without any distractions."

His tone was peaceful, neither arrogant nor impatient, neither claiming credit nor showing off.

He perfectly hid the secret of his skyrocketing cultivation and the Heaven-Defying power of the Shadow Monarch.

After this incident, the look Monkey King gave Ao Lie had a bit more approval.

This White Dragon brother's cultivation had quietly improved, yet he remained steady and forbearing, doing things without any leaks, which was truly reassuring.

Pigsy was dejected and had no intention of thinking about becoming a son-in-law again, so he could only carry his Nine-toothed Rake and follow behind the Disciples.

Tang Seng reorganized his thoughts, no longer paying attention to what had just happened, and led his Disciples to continue on the journey to the West, single-mindedly heading to the Western Heaven.

Ao Lie walked at the end of the team, his fingertips moved slightly, feeling the thick power of the Peak of the Mystic Immortal Realm in his body.

And the Shadow Servants under his command who were advancing simultaneously and becoming increasingly powerful, a flash of imperceptible brilliance crossed his eyes.

The test of the four Saints seemed to be a test of the Zen Heart, but in reality, it was also a secret investigation of those traveling west.

He was lucky to have concealed it from the eyes of the Saints by forbearance, but he also knew that this was just the beginning.

The surveillance of the Heavenly Court and the Western Heaven had never stopped, and the tests and murderous intentions on the road ahead would only increase.

He must accumulate strength as soon as possible, improve his own cultivation, and let the leader-level servants under his command break through to the Grand Unity Golden Immortal Realm as soon as possible.

Let more servants advance and upgrade; only if his strength was strong enough could he in the future.

Compete with those high and mighty Saints, Buddhas, and gods!