“I see… Master Zhi Zhang.” Feiyun cupped his fist to show respect, almost saying the common next line, I’ve admired you for a long time.
Meanwhile, he didn’t know what to think because this t.i.tle was so strange. Who could understand the mind of a master?[1]
On the other hand, Liu Ruixin and Mu Xirou became frightened after hearing this. A Temple Sovereign from Grand Dragon Temple? They"ve messed up now.
Grand Dragon was a faction in Long but also famous across the five dynasties. It had a supreme status in their own dynasty. Even the emperor there needed permission from them before his coronation.
In short, even the current Senluo Temple couldn’t compare. A full unification of the heretical faction might still not be enough to fight them.
The abbot of Grand Dragon had the t.i.tle of Grand Sovereign and Nirvana Sovereign. He has been the imperial tutor in Long for three generations so far. His years indicated an unfathomable cultivation.
Below him were five Temple Sovereigns controlling five separate branches.
Right now, they have just messed up one of these Temple Sovereigns. Even the bold Liu Ruixin felt her legs shaking.
The two girls immediately loosened their grip and the monk along with the statue fell to the ground, looking quite sad. His head might have another welt now.
Feiyun didn’t expect that this monk was such a big shot. Of course, he wasn’t afraid either.
He came up and helped the monk up then loosened the chains before putting the naked Bodhisattva away.
“I apologize for my maids’ foolish conduct, to do something so damaging to your reputation. What if someone were to see this? What if this news were to spread to Grand Dragon Temple? Sigh, please excuse me for not teaching my subordinates correctly.”
The monk had lived for more than a thousand years and could read between the lines. He knew that Feiyun was giving him a carrot and a stick at the same time. This was nothing short of a threat and he shouldn’t take the guy seriously.
“Ask already. You don’t have much time.” He coughed out blood and said.
Now this is a smart monk. Feiyun thought before sitting down on the Bodhisattva statue.
“Master, you came so far to this place and hid your face and ident.i.ty. What is your grand goal?” He asked.
The monk has calmed down by this point. Normally, given his status, Feiyun wouldn’t be qualified to sit face to face with him. Alas, his current dilemma right now forced him to concede.
“Master, you must be afraid of your own people knowing about your trip? The Grand Sovereign, right? It’s understandable, everyone has their own pursuits. If I know about a great treasury, I wouldn’t tell anyone else either and would sneak there by myself. Don’t worry, I, Yi Zhenfeng, know the code of brotherhood and loyalty more than anyone else. I don’t take everything, we can share this treasury.”
Feiyun watched the monk carefully in order to figure out some clues. Alas, the monk looked like the water inside a well - not a single ripple of emotion could be seen.
After a while, the monk finally sighed and said: “It’s useless. The danger in the great hall is beyond your imagination. Plus, I’m not here for wealth but rather to find a world that has been forgotten for millennia.”
“A world?”
“It is called Heavenly Kingdom.” The monk nodded.
“You actually believe this kind of c.r.a.p that can only trick little kids?” Feiyun laughed.
“Heavenly Kingdom truly existed back during the golden age of Buddhism. This is recorded in many ancient scrolls. I nearly made it there but just lacked one thing. All my planning and calculation were for naught… I nearly died there too.” The monk’s eyes became serious.
“What did you lack?” Feiyun felt that this monk was telling the truth.
The three girls were interested too, especially Liu Ruixin. Her curious soul made her clench her fists tightly while her imagination run wild.
Heavenly Kingdom was the holy ground of Buddhism. All Buddhists wanted to go there.
Was this place actually real?
“The key.” The monk revealed.
“A key to open a world?” Feiyun asked.
The monk nodded; his eyes filled with longing and desires: “Only a truly enlightened monk can enter Heavenly Kingdom in the past. During its strongest point, it had three thousand enlightened Buddhas. Their chants in unison could make lotus flowers bloom.”
“No way, given the resources in Jin, it can’t produce three thousand Enlightened Beings in one generation.” Feiyun didn’t buy it.
Each Enlightened Being required a ma.s.sive amount of resources, which the land had a limited amount of.
How many Enlightened Beings did Jin have right now? This number could be counted on one’s hand.
Feiyun could believe twenty or thirty of them appearing in one generation but three thousand? Even a dynasty one hundred times the size of Jin might not have that number.
The monk shook his head and explained: “The territory during the golden age of Buddhism didn’t only consist of Jin but all five dynasties and Endless Land to the south, the ghost realm to the west of Long, the dragon source to the west of Qian among many others. Any place with humans around here was considered part of this Buddhist era. There’s a reason why the five dynasties are so close together. Ten thousand years ago, they were actually under one power around twenty times bigger than the current Jin.”
“Unfortunately, a disaster came and many places turned into uninhabitable lands for men and beasts took over. Human cultivators had no choice but to retreat into five separate domains. Chaos and darkness ravaged for several thousand years, men against men, men against beasts, resulting in countless casualties and pain.”
“It ended around six thousand years ago with the sudden appearance of Sacred Spirit Palace. With its help, the five domains eventually turned into five dynasties, hence the current situation.”
This tale wasn’t well-known, not even by the top powers right now. Only the ancient scrolls from the golden age of Buddhism contained this information.
The three girls naturally enjoyed the tale, unlike Feng Feiyun. He said: “No, it’s still impossible for three thousand Enlightened Beings to come out regardless of how prosperous and vast the land used to be.”
“Perhaps this has something to do with the legendary Heavenly Kingdom.” The monk felt the same way but he believed in the existence of the kingdom. Perhaps there was a power there that could boost wors.h.i.+ppers’ cultivation.
Feiyun contemplated and thought about the mythical Fo Canzi, the number one expert in these parts, rumored to have surpa.s.sed Nirvana and reached Heaven’s Emergence.
Similarly, the resources of Jin couldn’t produce a Heaven’s Emergence cultivator, but this might not be the case if this Heavenly Kingdom was real.
“Boom!” Feiyun finally felt the incoming danger. Many have entered the ruins just now.
“Monk Zhi Zhang, I don’t have time to negotiate with you, there are two options. The first option, offer a strand of your soul and I can heal you within two hours. You will work for me for a year then I will return your soul. It’s up to you whether to believe me or not. The second option, I will strip you naked and tie you up with that statue again so that others will see you. Then I will kill you.”
Only Feiyun was bold enough to threaten a Temple Sovereign.
Alas, the monk was hesitating. One wrong move and it wouldn’t just end with his death.
“Moreover, I might be able to take you to Heavenly Kingdom.” Feiyun added.
“Fine, one year.” The monk agreed, albeit begrudgingly. A master like him hated being controlled by others the most. Moreover, this youth might not be that reliable.
Unfortunately, the circ.u.mstances dictated his action!
“Perfect!” Feiyun used his Ascension Platform to take a strand of soul from the monk before creating a golden pill with his energy.
Due to his study of the second diagram, the pill became purer with a medicinal effect potentially higher than a fourth-ranked pill.
1. The official definition of Zhi Zhang is: learning difficulties (handicap); r.e.t.a.r.ded