Longevity, starting from being a chicken raising servant Chapter 2381: 196: Wisdom None
Previously on Longevity, starting from being a chicken raising servant...
The monk possessed a lengthy beard, yet his scalp and countenance were remarkably bald and smooth, lending him an air of youthfulness.
Right now, he positioned himself steadily within the emptiness, surveying his surroundings with a trace of nostalgia reflected in his gaze.
Yet shortly after, a flicker of unease crossed his features.
He creased his brow faintly, whispering to himself:
“Sin permeates this realm; even Bodhisattvas hesitate to venture here, wary of hindering their virtuous deeds, unable to linger for long. Still, without such circumstances, this merit would not be mine to claim…”
With no pause, he casually retrieved a ring adorned with a pavilion motif.
Upon a gentle infusion of power, an expansive star map unfurled from the ring.
Scattered across the star map lay numerous yellow specks alongside one prominent red mark.
“The Sea Market has vanished, as expected.”
The monk’s gaze swept over the star map, his fingers tracing calculations in the air, before he gave a subtle shake of his head.
Wasting no more time, he spotted a black speck close to the red one and morphed into a ray of golden brilliance, hurtling toward it.
It wasn’t long before he reached the spot, only to find a scorched wasteland, clearly the aftermath of a brutal, unimaginable clash.
Emerging from the radiant streak, the monk’s brows knitted together almost imperceptibly.
With a mere intention, he extended a finger toward the devastation.
Instantly, an ethereal projection materialized over the ruins, teeming with overlapping figures of cultivators, vibrant energies streaking through the air in a chaotic dance…
“Has the Three Great Realms truly turned their might against those beyond the Domain?”
Observing the forms of those cultivators, many with striking yet ordinary looks, the monk registered no shock.
Prior to his arrival, the Bodhisattvas had already foreseen the turmoil in the Sea of Chaos Realm, foretelling a savage confrontation between the Three Great Realms and invading outsiders triggered by the Sea Market’s absence. The scene before him confirmed their foresight.
With a light gesture, the spectral visions scattered like grains of dust, fading away without a sound.
After a moment’s reflection, he recalled the yellow specks on the star map and set off for the next one’s position.
He drifted above seven or eight sites, each revealing nothing but barren desolation and wreckage.
Treasures from various factions had been thoroughly plundered, stripped clean of all value.
Seeing this extent of ruin, the monk at last felt a sense of security, a glimmer of ease in his eyes.
“I feared the postponement had ruined everything, but it appears I’ve spared myself considerable hassle.”
“Evidently, the bulk of those external powers have ended up under the Jade Pot Realm’s control.”
Hailing originally from the Sea of Chaos Realm, he was well aware of how vastly superior the Jade Pot Realm’s foundations were to the other two. In the wake of a massive disturbance in the Sea of Chaos Realm, the Jade Pot Realm stood as the prime candidate to claim dominance.
Without further holdup, he dashed toward the Jade Pot Realm, navigating without the star map’s aid.
En route, he skimmed past the bases of the external invaders, confirming they too lay in total ruin.
Not stopping to inspect, he pressed onward, and even sans teleportation arrays, he arrived at the Jade Pot Realm’s borders after little more than ten years.
Gazing upon the territory enclosed by enormous dark boulders, the monk alighting from his light stream revealed a spark of contentment in his expression.
In the instant that followed, he ceased suppressing his cultivation aura, unleashing it in full!
Nearly at once, a streak of light shot forth from the domain’s interior, unveiling a slender elder with a grave and alert demeanor, who hailed from a distance:
“Who approaches, fellow Daoist?”
The monk responded with a grin:
“You’re Yuan Kong’s apprentice, Qiao Zhongxu, aren’t you?”
The slender elder jolted in surprise, fixing his stare on the monk’s visage, his face shifting through astonishment, uncertainty, and outright incredulity:
“Could you be—you’re Zhang Yangui, Ancestor Zhang?!”
At those words, the monk offered a kind smile:
“That’s right. By my reckoning, it’s been ten thousand years since I departed the Jade Pot Realm, and yet you recall me still…”
“It really is Ancestor Zhang!”
Qiao Zhongxu brimmed with shock and joy, hastening to add:
“Your portrait hangs within the domain. As a disciple, I study it frequently. What brings you back now, Ancestor?”
Then, catching sight of the monk’s robes and the third eye on his brow, he paused briefly:
“Ancestor, that eye of yours…”
The monk took it in stride, replying with a smile:
“It’s a sacred technique granted by a Great Bodhisattva after I sought refuge in the True Buddha, enabling me to pierce through deceptions and distinguish truth from falsehood.”
Qiao Zhongxu nodded in comprehension and pressed on eagerly:
“So you’ve pledged yourself to the Supreme True Buddha? What’s your current cultivation level? How fare the elders who departed before, and why have they not come back?”
His questions tumbled out, betraying the weight of long-buried curiosities.
The monk remained unperturbed, laughing lightly as he answered:
“The True Buddha’s compassion knows no bounds, his power infinite. For sinners like us by birth, refuge in the True Buddha offers the sole path to salvation. You may speak freely here, but tread carefully henceforth.”
Qiao Zhongxu froze, grasping the implication in the monk’s tone, worry clouding his eyes:
“Are you here to lead me from the Sea of Chaos Realm this time, Ancestor?”
Noting his anxious look, the monk chuckled:
“I’ve returned in person; what cause for concern is there?”
“I know the sentiments circulating in the realm, believing they were tricked and thus feigning compliance, but that’s a profound error!”
He shook his head gently as he spoke, then continued with utmost sincerity:
“The Supreme True Buddha seeks a paradise for every sentient being. Yet the cultivators beyond cling to petty views, spawning ceaseless sins through their greed. The two paths clash like oil and water. Since the prior elders ventured out, they’ve battled on the front lines with no chance to return.”
“Rest easy, though. The majority remain unharmed, and several have risen to remarkable heights.”
“Take your Grand Ancestor Liu, for instance—he stands but a single stride from the Great Bodhisattva stage, equivalent to the late Crossing Tribulation phase. Furthermore, one Patriarch has ascended to the ranks of the Four Directions Great Bodhisattvas. Who can say, perhaps soon he’ll reach the Great Mahayana Buddha realm!”