Chapter 251 - - 249 Buddha and Demon, One Body Two Faces_1

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Are you insane?!

No matter if they were top ten or not, everyone who came to know of Duge's actions as an Alien Warrior couldn't help but curse.

Then.

Those who were cautious remained cautious, those who caused trouble continued to do so.

The ones jumping out were those who believed that Wang Chong's momentum was unstoppable, and that if they did not strive now, it would be over.

Those who were cautious insisted that with Wang Chong acting so rashly, someone would inevitably grow impatient and deal with him---be it an Alien Warrior or a native;

The latecomer doesn't call himself fat, it's the one who gains weight later that breaks the bed.

Because of the experience of many predecessors, quite a few were convinced that the Alien Battlefield would not end within a mere two to three years. They thought Wang Chong was but a shooting star, merely shining the last of his light in life.

Of course.

It could also be because he became number one at the start and just gave up on everything.

No one believed that a single person could fight against the whole world...

...

Over a month's time.

Many of talent successively broke through their limits. Chen Da, Ouyang Ting, Zheng Tingwen, and others from the Supervisory Academy broke through to the Integration Realm;

Li Anjiang and Yao Liang from the Medical Immortal Sect and the Seventh Junior Brother broke through to the Void Refinement Realm and Divinity Transformation respectively;

Hundreds advanced through Foundation Establishment and Golden Core...

This was all thanks to the "Wisdom" character bestowed upon them by Dan Cong, which seemed to unlock their understanding, allowing them to break through swiftly.

Otherwise.

Based on their usual rate of breakthrough, spending months or even years in seclusion was the norm.

Unfortunately, the output of Dan Cong was too low, the "Wisdom" character was even harder to create than those of sealing...

No matter what.

Through the cooperation of Duge and Dan Cong, the Spirit Power Mutual Aid Alliance's strength collectively ascended to a new level.

All those who had received Duge's grace were grateful and revered him like a deity, sparing no effort in completing the tasks he assigned to them.

...

"Junior brother, there's a new newspaper that's surfaced among the common folks called 'Warning Record.' The pages are filled with little stories that have drawn public attention. After garnering interest, it began to predict a downfall of Seven Star Gate's stocks, claiming that all investors would eventually lose everything, and listed many examples..."

Li Anjiang briefed Duge on various reports.

"Pay them no mind. As long as people are making money, they won't give up on stocks," Duge said unconcernedly, flashing a smile. His keyword was plundering, not actual trade.

If that group of people truly touched his base, then there would be great fun to watch.

It's appropriate to disguise the keywords.

Duge recalled the sentence from the educational guidelines, feeling secretly proud. Who else in this world could disguise their keywords better than him?

"Hmm." Li Anjiang nodded, then moved past the topic. His pursuit was longevity; as long as he could improve his realm, he was satisfied. To be honest, he didn't care about the wealth and poverty of the common people.

His interest in this matter was solely because it was his junior brother's doing.

"Right, have someone investigate who's behind 'Warning Record?' Once you find out, don't act recklessly. Wait for me to handle it," Duge instructed. With keywords like spread, public opinion, and information, there's indeed a possibility they could ride on his coattails to gain attributes for themselves, so he had to be wary.

"Hmm." Li Anjiang nodded again.

"Any movements from the sects?" Duge inquired.

"There has been no news for the moment," replied Li Anjiang.

The patients Duge had released earlier joined the Spirit Power Mutual Aid Alliance after enjoying its benefits and resolutely started to recruit more people.

These individuals were involved with various sects, and naturally took on the role of scouts.

But the time Duge had given them was too short.

The pyramid scheme couldn't keep up with Duge's own development, let alone gathering intelligence.

Duge was progressing rapidly, not only could enemies not keep up with him, but even his own people and the enterprises he had created were left far behind, unable to match his pace.

Although no intelligence had come his way, Duge knew that those Alien Warriors would not stay put...

Strike first is strong, strike late suffer wrong.

No news was the best news. Duge looked at Li Anjiang and instructed, "Brother Li, notify Director Liu and the others to gather people. We attack Lanning Temple tomorrow."

"Yes." Li Anjiang replied, his voice rising with excitement.

Since ascending to the Void Refinement Realm, Duge no longer transferred spiritual power to him. Accustomed to receiving support, they couldn't possibly return to arduous cultivation. Recently, everyone had been sharpening their knives, eager to invite higher realm people to join the Spirit Power Mutual Aid Alliance.

...

More than ten in the Integration Realm, over fifty in the Void Refinement Realm, and over a hundred in the Divinity Transformation Realm...

Duge gathered all the experts of the Spirit Power Mutual Aid Alliance, and after enhancing them with attributes like "Agility" and "Strength," they proceeded mightily towards Lanning Temple.

Lanning Temple was a major sect of the contemporary world. Ranked ninth amongst many sects in terms of size.

It was rumored within the temple resided two Mahayana Stage masters, nearly thirty in the Integration Realm, with high-end combat capabilities far surpassing the Supervisory Academy, which had only one in the Integration Realm. This was precisely why esteemed sects couldn't bother with the Supervisory Academy.

However,

The number of disciples at Lanning Temple is not large, with the sum of both outer sect disciples and inner sect disciples merely exceeding a thousand or so.

Due to the scarcity of spiritual energy, most martial arts sects control the number of disciples to ensure that every novice has access to abundant cultivation resources; they emphasize quality over quantity.

The current abbot of Lanning Temple is Zen Master Hui Hang, a mid-Integration Realm powerhouse.

In this world, the heads of various major sects are generally at the mid-Integration Realm. Those at the peak of Integration withdraw to break through to the Mahayana Stage, while those at the Mahayana Stage prepare for ascension and seldom show themselves.

…

“Zen Master, strictly speaking, your disciple is indeed not a person of this age.”

Zuo Zhonghou sat cross-legged before Zen Master Hui Hang, his expression serene, “Naturally, I’m also not a person from a chaotic era. To be accurate, I am the reincarnation of a high monk from another world. I spent over thirty years in a confused state, but three months ago, I unlocked my previous wisdom, leading to my achievements today…”

“How is the Buddha’s teaching in that other world?” Zen Master Hui Hang seemed to have expected this answer and smiled gently, as immovable as a mountain.

“The Buddha’s teaching is boundless.” Zuo Zhonghou brought his hands together, his face filled with longing, “The Buddha in my previous life foresaw five thousand years into the past and future, could hold Mount Sumeru in a mustard seed, and in a single glance, could see through all three thousand worlds…”

Looking at the elderly man in front of him, Zuo Zhonghou felt an immense sense of grievance. If it hadn’t been for this man, he wouldn’t have unwittingly made it into the top ten.

Initially, after taking over a handyman’s body, he randomly obtained the keyword “Mindful Enlightenment.” In Lanning Temple, he planned to lay low for some time before gradually revealing himself.

To protect himself, he recited some Buddhist verses he had learned while watching replays of battles on an alien battlefield:

Passages like “Mindful Enlightenment, to see one’s nature is to become enlightened. Where speech falters, the conduct of the heart extinguishes,” “To level the Earth, one must first level the mind. Only when the mind is leveled, will the Earth naturally follow”…

Unfortunately, Zen Master Hui Hang overheard him.

And Zen Master Hui Hang, along with a host of other Zen Masters, even took insights from it, significantly boosting Lanning Temple’s combat prowess. The impact was considerable, forcibly elevating him into the top ten.

After becoming a disciple, upon learning the truth, he almost spat out blood there and then.

What is an unprovoked disaster?

This is an unprovoked disaster!

Fortunately, “Mindful Enlightenment” was very much in line with the cultivation of the monks at Lanning Temple. His cultivation progressed swiftly, and relying on Lanning Temple’s growth for a while, he could safeguard himself in this world. A Buddhist scripture he remembered had even helped him secure his footing in the temple.

Yet that damned Wang Chong, with a list of people from chaotic times, had again thrust him into the eye of the storm.

After hearing about Wang Chong’s madness from down the mountain, Zuo Zhonghou could not have been more depressed and went straight to Zen Master Hui Hang to expose himself.

He had to eliminate that bastard using Lanning Temple’s power before Wang Chong could target him.

At this moment,

His only advantage over Wang Chong was that Lanning Temple’s power was unfathomably stronger than that of the Supervisory Academy.

And that was enough.

Zuo Zhonghou did not believe that an economic keyword could withstand an attack from someone of the Integration Realm.

“Three thousand worlds?” Zen Master Hui Hang, after hearing about the Buddha’s powers, mused longingly, “Fa Zhao, is that place Buddha Land?”

“No,” Zuo Zhonghou answered, “Buddha Land is the Pure Land, one must cultivate Buddha’s Divine Skills to journey to the Pure Land.”

“Do you possess the Buddha’s Divine Skills?” Zen Master Hui Hang asked.

“Zen Master, my previous wisdom has not fully awakened yet,” Zuo Zhonghou shook his head and said, “Once my wisdom is fully unlocked, perhaps I can pass down the Divine Skills of the Buddhas in this era, helping the monks of this world to journey to the Pure Land.”

“Most excellent.” Zen Master Hui Hang brought his hands together and, with a slight bow, paid respects to Zuo Zhonghou.

“But before that, Zen Master, you must vanquish the Evil Demon.” Having set the stage, Zuo Zhonghou abruptly changed the subject. “Buddha and Demon are two sides of the same entity; when Buddhism prospers, there will inevitably be Demons hindering it. When the Demon prospers, Buddhism weakens. When Buddhism strengthens, the Demon diminishes; this cycle repeats endlessly through countless lifetimes. The list of individuals from chaotic times sent by the Supervisory Academy is the Demon’s evidence, and Wang Chong is the great Demon of this age, causing turmoil in the world. Eliminating him will grant peace to Buddhism for the next decade…”

Zen Master Hui Hang frowned, “And the other eight…”

Before he could finish,

A disciple burst into the room, “Zen Master, it’s terrible! The Supervisory Academy has stormed in, the disciples within the temple have been stripped of their clothes, their limbs dismembered, and they’re pinned to the ground…”

The two conversing in the room both stood stunned.

An uneasy premonition suddenly rose in Zuo Zhonghou’s heart, and a torrent of questions surfaced.

What the hell? They actually dared to attack us? Who gave them the courage?

Stripping people’s clothes, dismembering limbs—what kind of skill is that?

Or had Wang Chong found a new ally in addition to Dan Cong?

Zen Master Hui Hang’s brow furrowed, “Truly fiends without the Dao, Fa Zhao, wait here; I will go and sever the Demon Head and then return to discuss Buddha with you…”

With that,

In a flicker,

He vanished from the Zen room.

Zuo Zhonghou hesitated for a moment, exchanged his inner sect disciple’s robes for those of an ordinary disciple, and also rose to leave the Zen room.

He wanted to see what backing Wang Chong had to rely upon, daring to use the modest means of the Supervisory Academy to attack Lanning Temple.

After all,

Lanning Temple was a great sect of the contemporary world.

Whether he lost or won, it meant standing in opposition to all the prestigious great sects.

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