The Living Buddha

The crimson dawn scattered the last wisps of mist as a fiery sun leaped above the horizon, casting its soft golden rays across the world.

Jin Sanyi yawned widely, his peach-blossom eyes dull and lusterless, dark circles clearly visible beneath them—a man who had indulged far too much in wine and women. He climbed out of bed with obvious reluctance, revealing for once his fair, delicate skin, and stretched with lazy abandon.

Beside his bed, a snow-white little donkey shook its head and swished its tail, spirited and incomparable, snorting impatiently as if urging Jin Sanyi to rise.

“Alright, alright, I know,” Jin Sanyi muttered. When no one else was around, his speech flowed quite smoothly, not a hint of a stammer in sight. “I didn’t ask you to wake me any earlier than usual, did I?” He pulled on his gaudy, flamboyant clothes and grumbled, “Normally I rise when the sun is three poles high; now it’s barely half a pole.”

Half an hour later, on an island in the midst of the sea, Jin Sanyi’s shouts rang out:

“Niu, Niu, Niu, Niu—get up!” “Yu, Yu, Yu, Yu—get up!” “Niao, Niao, Niao, Niao—get up!” “Liu Mu, Mu, Mu—get up!” …

But Niu Ren, Yuwen Feng, Huo Niao, and Liu Mu had already been standing on the beach for some time, training under the morning glow. Beside them, a fire crackled over an iron pot, and the fragrant aroma of various seafood had already begun to waft through the air.

“Up, up, up? What’s the hurry?” Jin Sanyi grabbed a giant lobster, sat down by the fire, and began to peel its shell, eating contentedly without a care.

The five of them had been living in seclusion on this island for over a decade, never once participating in the Trial War. However, with Jin Sanyi—a strongman of the assassin organization—among them, they could still obtain news from the outside world at the earliest moment.

When they learned of Xiao Chen’s reappearance, they decided to go see him.

“Let’s go. Time to head out.”

After breakfast, Liu Mu carved a spell array into the sand on the beach. The group stepped into it, light flashed, and they vanished in an instant.

This was a spatial teleportation formation capable of crossing great distances. In the blink of an eye, they appeared on another island fifty li away.

Here, two Dragon Kings awaited them. One was Liu Mu’s Azure Dragon King, the other was the Emerald Dragon King that had once belonged to the monk Yizhen. They had long since withdrawn from the Ancestral Dragon evolution war, giving their Ancestral Dragon essence to the Black Dragon King and the Inverse Dragon King respectively, content to live as ordinary Dragon Kings without further ambition.

As for the Black Dragon King and the Inverse Dragon King, they had been locked in battle with several other Dragon Kings for over a decade, both having advanced to the Heavenly King level. For the moment, no conflict had erupted between them, but a future battle was inevitable.

When Jin Sanyi and his group finally found Xiao Chen, he was quite astonished, amazed at their divine abilities. He had been traveling incognito, hiding his traces and even changing his appearance—even a Half-Ancestor would not necessarily be able to detect him.

“No need to be surprised. With Liu Mu here, none of this is a problem.” Yuwen Feng revealed the reason.

Liu Mu had not yet reached the Heavenly King level, but his spatial spell arts had reached great perfection. Back when they had parted ways, he had kept a few drops of Xiao Chen’s blood. With this essence blood, he could rely on a spatial cross-dimensional formation to locate Xiao Chen. Of course, if they had not been in the same world, he would have had no way to do so.

Meeting old acquaintances naturally called for much conversation. The group ascended a tavern and, in a private room, raised their cups and clinked them together.

“Come, come, come—a toast to our reunion!” “Xiao Chen, aren’t you being far too reckless, challenging Half-Ancestors to a decisive battle?” …

As they ate and talked, the topic turned to the Shura King, who was mobilizing to take Xiao Chen’s life. Jin Sanyi, stammering and speaking with a thick tongue, said, “I-I-I-it’s actually quite simple. Br-br-brothers, I’m an assassin—that’s no secret now. Y-y-you should all know that behind my organization, there’s an unfathomable Assassin Supreme. Back in the day, he even dared to go after the White Tiger Ancestor. Although… although he failed, his strength is easy to imagine.”

“Are you saying you can persuade the Assassin Supreme to make a move?” Huo Niao asked with a skeptical expression.

“Y-y-you rotten bird, you talk without any pain in your backside! I may have some small reputation, but can I really invite the patriarch of my own organization?” Jin Sanyi squinted his peach-blossom eyes and hiccupped from the alcohol. “Speaking of which, your origins are really something special—turns out you’re the illegitimate son of Phoenix Island. Now that your phoenix father baptized you with divine light and awakened your phoenix bloodline, your power has soared. The more I think about it, the more I feel that your phoenix father has an extraordinary background. Otherwise, how could a single divine-light baptism send you flying forward, making you the strongest among us? Could it be… that your father is the island master of Phoenix Island? The younger brother of the late Phoenix Matriarch? Then he’d be a Half-Ancestor as well!”

Jin Sanyi’s words left the others somewhat shocked.

The Phoenix race was extremely scarce, numbering less than a hundred today, but every Phoenix was an exceedingly powerful cultivator. The clan had once had two Half-Ancestors: one was the current Phoenix clan leader, and the other was the Phoenix Matriarch, who had perished in the great war against the Otherworld Ancestral Gods.

“Don’t talk nonsense,” Huo Niao frowned as the fire-phoenix mark on his forehead glittered. “Just now, you mentioned the Assassin Supreme—can you really invite him?”

“R-r-rotten bird, y-y-your father’s background is absolutely terrifying.” Jin Sanyi swirled his wine glass. “Our organization is very pragmatic. As long as the price is reasonable, you could even buy the head of the Shura Half-Ancestor. D-d-don’t all look at me—I only brought up one line of thought, just one.”

“I have here a Half-Ancestor sacred artifact—the White Bone King Banner. But for some reason, I cannot currently use it. Go back and ask the head of your assassin organization what this banner is worth and how many Heavenly King-level heads it can fetch.” Xiao Chen did not want to reveal his trump cards too early, or they might lose their effectiveness against the old Yaksha.

Jin Sanyi’s peach-blossom eyes instantly lit up. “A major killing artifact! This deal might just work!” Then, grinning slyly at Huo Niao, he said, “R-r-rotten bird, I’ve brought in a major combatant. Shouldn’t you go and invite an old Phoenix? I hear the Phoenix clan and the Shura race are mortal enemies.”

“Don’t,” Xiao Chen said, shaking his head. He did not want to provoke a war between two races over this. He was perfectly content to use a Half-Ancestor sacred artifact to hire the assassin organization—it was a clean exchange. If he dragged the Phoenix clan into it, he would feel uneasy.

Just then, the window creaked open, and a snow-white little donkey squeezed through, landing lightly on the floor. It trotted up to Jin Sanyi and whispered a few words in his ear.

“Wh-wh-what?” Jin Sanyi’s expression showed alarm, his peach-blossom eyes going round. “The Yaksha Half-Ancestor has also sent out two Heavenly Kings?”

The white little donkey nodded, then flew out the window and vanished.

“Just received an intelligence report from the organization. That old Yaksha seems to feel it’s beneath his dignity to duel you directly, so he’s dispatched two Yaksha Heavenly Kings to the Nine Provinces to take your head, thus avoiding a decisive battle.” Jin Sanyi had completely stopped stammering, his speech flowing smoothly. “The Yaksha race only has six Heavenly Kings in total. Sending two at once means they are sworn to utterly annihilate your body and soul.”

“They’re playing for keeps. Ruthless and decisive. One Shura King plus two Yaksha Kings—unless a Half-Ancestor comes in person, who could possibly withstand that? It’s certain death,” the chubby Niu Ren said, his usual silly smile gone as he frowned. “I’ll go back to the Barbarian tribe and the Forest Tribe’s sacred land…”

“Don’t disturb those old people. I can handle this myself.” Xiao Chen knew Niu Ren wanted to go to the Pure Land to ask for help and stopped him immediately—he had no desire to disrupt the peaceful lives of those elders.

Niu Ren said, “Qingqing’s grandfather already knows you’ve been reborn. The old man was both sad and happy. He instructed me that if you ever faced great danger, I must tell him.”

Thinking of Qingqing, and then of Elder Ye, Xiao Chen felt a pang of sorrow. But he firmly shook his head. “I’ll visit the old man when I have time. Don’t disturb them. Perhaps one day I will bring Qingqing back!”

“What are you saying?” Niu Ren grew agitated. He had known Qingqing even longer than Xiao Chen had, and even after all these years, he could not forget her—though theirs was only a sibling-like bond, not romantic love.

“Don’t ask now. I’ll do my best.”

The window opened again, and the Inverse Dragon King arrived, brought by the white little donkey. The moment he entered, he said, “I might be able to invite a Heavenly King-level expert.”

He was no longer the youthful figure of before; he had grown into a stalwart young man with an even sharper gaze and an unmistakable draconic aura.

“Years ago, a Heavenly King once asked me for a few drops of my essence blood. I saw that he was a close kin of the Dragon race, so I did not refuse. He said that if I ever faced difficulty, I should go to him without hesitation.”

Hearing the Inverse Dragon King’s words, everyone showed expressions of curiosity.

“An Earth-Penetrating realm expert—that’s extremely rare. Who is it?”

“Yazi,” the Inverse Dragon King replied calmly.

“Ah—a descendant of the Ancestral Dragon’s own child!”

“Yazi repays every grudge, but also every kindness. That’s a fierce and terrifying being you absolutely cannot afford to offend. But if you show him kindness, he will repay it all the same.”

Liu Mu smiled and said, “This is good news. I’ve heard that Yazi, this Heavenly King-level expert, always moves with Suanni and Pixiu. If we can invite him, it’s like inviting three Heavenly Kings at once.”

Xiao Chen furrowed his brow slightly. “That’s too great a favor. Asking them to come and fight a life-and-death battle doesn’t sit well with me.”

Yuwen Feng, who had been mostly silent, spoke up: “Actually, we could go to the imperial capital and borrow the Empress of the Nine Provinces, Zhao Lin’er’s, apocalyptic weapons. I hear the ultimate weapons she controls can rival a Heavenly King.”

One after another, the others offered suggestions, eager to help Xiao Chen through this crisis. But Xiao Chen himself did not feel much urgency.

Not long after, everyone soared into the sky and flew toward the imperial capital.

The imperial palace was magnificent and sprawling, its halls and pavilions stretching endlessly like a celestial palace descended upon the earth.

At night, the palace was brilliantly lit with lanterns, resplendent in gold and jade.

Zhao Lin’er, peerlessly beautiful, stepped out of the deep palace and entered the imperial garden, quietly watching the hundred flowers compete in beauty.

Over the years, her appearance had not changed in the slightest—still the same beauty that could outshine the moon and shame the flowers.

On an artificial mountain built from strange rocks, spring water gushed forth; around it, lush trees and exotic blooms flourished.

A night breeze gently blew, carrying the fragrance of flowers and the murmur of flowing water. On a small white-jade arch bridge, Zhao Lin’er stood in white garments as pure as snow, appearing as if she did not partake of the mortal world’s food. No one who saw her could imagine that this was the Empress who ruled the Nine Provinces.

Xiao Chen, Jin Sanyi, Liu Mu, Huo Niao, Niu Ren, and the others descended from the sky and landed in the imperial garden.

Zhao Lin’er showed not the slightest trace of surprise. She smiled lightly, as fresh as a tree piled with snow and as gentle as a spring breeze brushing the face. “Everyone, please be seated.” Her slender jade finger pointed to jade seats amid the flowers and trees.

“Zhao Lin’er, let us settle the enmity between us today,” Xiao Chen said calmly as he sat down.

“Over the years, many have wanted to kill me, but in the end, I have survived.” Zhao Lin’er walked gracefully, her steps light and delicate, without a trace of fear, and sat down opposite Xiao Chen. She smiled radiantly, making even the hundred flowers pale. “In the past, many unpleasant things happened between us. I admit that at first I was willful, but everything that followed was because I had to survive—I had no other choice. Now, I have the power to defend against a Heavenly King, yet I still let you enter the palace. I did this only to show my sincerity. There will be no further conflict between us.”

“And the grudges of the past?” Xiao Chen stared straight at her.

“If you want to kill me, go ahead. But I must make one thing clear: if I die, the entire Nine Provinces will be utterly destroyed along with me.” Zhao Lin’er spoke as casually as if she were narrating an insignificant matter.

“What she says is true,” Liu Mu transmitted telepathically. “A certain Half-Ancestor once said that those apocalyptic weapons seem to have established a strange connection with her body. If she sustains the slightest injury, all the great killing tools that can open black holes will detonate simultaneously at the same moment.”

“B-b-b-beauty, don’t be so crazy, okay?!” Jin Sanyi felt cold sweat running down his spine upon hearing this.

“I am but a weak woman—everything I do is only to survive.” Zhao Lin’er gave a light laugh. “I know why you’ve come. Xiao Chen, I will give you an apocalyptic weapon—keep it safe. Additionally, I will tell you another piece of news: the Shura Half-Ancestor, to avoid any accidents, has dispatched a second Shura King, guaranteeing your complete annihilation of body and soul. Furthermore, the Skeleton King has also sent a Skeleton King. At this moment, five Heavenly King-level experts have entered the Nine Provinces to claim your head.”

Everyone present drew in a cold breath.

As they flew out of the imperial capital, Xiao Chen pondered silently. Should he reveal his trump card now? How would he deal with the old Yaksha later?

His trump cards could not be revealed yet. In the end, he decided to return to the World of the Dead and recruit helpers there.

“It’s nothing serious. So long as it’s not a Half-Ancestor, it’s not really a problem.” Xiao Chen bid farewell to the others. “I’ll go and invite a few Heavenly Kings as well.”

At the Bone Well, light shimmered, and Xiao Chen swiftly ascended.

He did not go to the God Village. Although the elders Li Mu and Zhao Ying of the Divine Tribe were Heavenly King-level experts, they were clearly not the type who liked to court trouble. He did not want to force them against their will.

Instead, Xiao Chen flew directly into the depths of the Death Continent. The last time he left, the old skeleton king Lian Po had told him that he could enter the Nine Provinces whenever he wished. The old skeleton king had even joked that next time, he would come to the Nine Provinces with Xiao Chen—if Xiao Chen had any enemies, he would speak up and help eliminate them.

Passing through the territory ruled by the Sovereign Yi Tianzhong without incident, Xiao Chen smoothly entered the domain of the young female sovereign.

The Sovereign City came into view—towering, majestic, grand beyond compare.

When he met the old skeleton king again, that Skeleton Emperor was overjoyed.

“Perfect timing. I’m free right now—I’ll go with you to the Nine Provinces and have a look.”

“I’m in great danger this time. I’ve come to ask you to come and help me in battle.”

“Oh? Are your enemies formidable?”

“Five Heavenly King-level experts, though they are not coming all at once.”

Lian Po laughed heartily. “You really know how to stir up trouble, don’t you? I could invite five War Kings, but the Sovereign is not here right now, so I can’t let too many Heavenly Kings leave. Tell you what—I’ll go invite one more person to enter the Nine Provinces with you.”

Xiao Chen and the old skeleton king left Sovereign City and flew toward a desolate ancient battlefield. When they landed before a dilapidated temple and Xiao Chen learned who they were going to invite, he felt somewhat dazed. It turned out to be a great power of Buddhist legend—Daoji, the famously celebrated Living Buddha.

Perhaps the dharma name Daoji was far less known than his other title: the monk Jigong.

Xiao Chen felt a little light-headed. Meeting the great general Lian Po was already shocking enough; now he was about to see the Living Buddha Jigong.

“Hahaha… haha… pig!”

Before he even stepped into the broken temple, he heard this voice coming from inside, which left him utterly dumbfounded.

When he entered the main hall together with the old skeleton king Lian Po, Xiao Chen finally saw this legendary Living Buddha in person.

He was nothing more than a skeleton of pure white bone, yet he could actually produce real sounds rather than spiritual fluctuations—one could only imagine how terrifying his cultivation must be.

The scene before him was truly bizarre. The snow-white skeleton of the Buddha Jigong clasped his hands together, mouth wide open in roaring laughter, then suddenly pointed at a skull lying ahead and bellowed, “Pig!”

Xiao Chen was bewildered, utterly unable to understand what was going on.

“Hahaha… haha… pig!”

When Xiao Chen heard this laughter again and then saw Jigong pointing at him, he suddenly felt a creeping sensation all over his body—he could not move!

The old skeleton king Lian Po urgently exerted all his strength to pull him aside.

The very spot where Xiao Chen had been standing—a broken skull suddenly transformed into a fat pig!

This was utterly absurd. Xiao Chen could hardly believe his own eyes.

“Hahaha… haha…”

When he saw Jigong clasp his hands together and begin to laugh again, Xiao Chen’s scalp went numb. The old skeleton king rushed over and covered Jigong’s mouth. “That’s enough! A rare guest has come—don’t scare the little fellow.”

Xiao Chen stared wide-eyed at this Buddhist master. He was far too eerie.

“This is derived from the Great Prophecy Art, which itself evolved from the Closed-Mouth Meditation. It’s now reached great perfection—you could say whatever he says becomes reality. From now on, no one will dare provoke you.”

When Xiao Chen heard this from Lian Po, he finally understood. But at the same time, he kept wiping cold sweat from his brow. This Buddhist master was ridiculously overpowered. His skill was downright sinisterly uncanny.

“Don’t practice your Closed-Mouth Meditation in front of me. Are you interested in traveling to the Nine Provinces?”

“The Nine Provinces?!” The snow-white skeleton Buddha’s interest was immediately piqued.

“That’s right. If you’re interested, come with us. But you can’t just go for free—you’ll have to lend a hand when the time comes.”

“No problem!”

Inviting these people went smoothly, but Xiao Chen was still uneasy. After all, his enemies included five Heavenly King-level experts, and he had only managed to invite two so far.

When he tactfully voiced his concern to Lian Po, the old skeleton king replied with great confidence: “Even among Heavenly Kings, there are grades. With the two of us here, you need not worry.”

His self-assurance was utterly undisguised.

The next day, as they entered the Bone Well, Lian Po marveled at it, and Jigong the skeleton Buddha was equally astonished.

When the three of them emerged before the Dead City, however, both Heavenly King-level experts immediately became as if facing a great enemy. Confronted with the Dead City, they both looked extremely grave.

“It looks too much like the primordial demon cities deep in the Death Continent!”

“Yes—it’s almost identical to those ruins!”

Both War Kings were greatly surprised. They questioned Xiao Chen closely about the Dead City’s origins, nodding thoughtfully as they listened but offering no opinions.

“Seniors, what secrets lie within? Could you tell me?”

“This is a matter of great consequence. The Buddha says: it cannot be spoken.”

Xiao Chen rolled his eyes. Jigong the skeleton Buddha sure knew how to pull that one—dragging in the ‘Buddha says’ line.

“Seniors, your appearances…”

Both skeletons—one shining with seven-colored radiance, the other pure and white as jade—would certainly attract far too much attention if they entered the Nine Provinces like this.

“Easily done. The Buddha says: grow flesh.” Jigong the skeleton Buddha pointed at his own bones, and instantly, flesh and blood regenerated.

The Great Prophecy divine art was truly mysterious beyond measure—speak and it becomes reality.

“Hahaha… haha…” He then pointed toward Lian Po.

“If you dare turn me into a pig, I’ll fight you to the death!” Lian Po knew this troublesome friend’s temperament well, and his eyes shot daggers immediately.

Jigong swallowed the word “pig” that had been on his lips and changed it to “pretty-boy.”

In an instant, the great general Lian Po transformed into a fair-skinned, rosy-cheeked youth—tender, handsome, and breathtakingly beautiful.

“You…” Lian Po pointed at him, speechless with rage.

When Xiao Chen saw Jigong start laughing again and prepared to point at him, he hastily shouted, “I don’t need to change—I’m fine like this!”

This was a thoroughly crooked monk! Walking with him was enough to make anyone’s heart skip with terror.

When they met up with Niu Ren and the others, everyone present showed strange expressions.

Jin Sanyi murmured under his breath, “Th-th-th-this… is the expert you invited?”

“Hahaha… haha… beauty!”

When Xiao Chen heard Jigong’s trademark laughter, he cried out inwardly that it was all over—and when he heard the word “beauty,” he didn’t even dare to look at Jin Sanyi.

Light flashed. Everyone stood dumbfounded as Jin Sanyi was instantly transformed into a stunningly beautiful young girl.

“I-I-I-I… I f***!” Jin Sanyi completely lost it. When he realized what had happened to him, he immediately tried to fight Jigong to the death.

“Y-y-y-you old bastard! H-h-hurry up and change me back, or I’ll fight you to the death!”

Xiao Chen hastily grabbed him and, with a wry smile, pleaded with Jigong: “Senior… this joke has gone too far.”

“In the light shining from his eyes, all I saw were beauties—so I gave him a gift,” Jigong said leisurely.

Jin Sanyi had calmed down after Xiao Chen pulled him back and realized he had met a supreme expert. With a mournful face, he said, “Senior, I like beauties, but that doesn’t mean I like turning into one.”

“Ox-head, horse-face, little bird…” As he spoke, Jigong pointed at Niu Ren, Yuwen Feng, and Huo Niao in turn. In an instant, they all transformed into their animal counterparts.

“Buddha, please stop playing around. This will be the death of us…” Xiao Chen found it utterly speechless.

Lian Po also glared at Jigong.

“Fine. Return to your original forms.”

Only then was everyone’s embarrassment relieved.

Jin Sanyi kept wiping cold sweat, still shuddering from the after-effects.

“I’ve received confirmed intelligence. The first Shura King to enter the Nine Provinces is less than three hundred li from here.”

The old skeleton king Lian Po nodded. “Then let’s go and meet him.”

Three hundred li was but a stone’s throw for these people. Before long, they had arrived outside a small city.

“Boom!”

An immensely powerful spiritual fluctuation immediately swept over them—this was the divine sense of a Heavenly King-level expert, sensing their presence at the very first moment.

Light flashed, dreamlike and surreal. An old Shura crossed through space and appeared before them.

His face was covered in wrinkles, folded like a sheet of paper that had been crumpled into a ball and then smoothed out again. His bald head bore only thirty or forty sparse hairs, long and thin. He was aged beyond measure.

But no one dared to underestimate him, for he was a Shura King!

“Xiao Chen… I have come to reap your head.” His aged voice sounded as if it had risen from the Nine Netherworlds, chilling the very soul.

“Hahaha… haha… pig!” The Living Buddha Jigong first clasped his hands together and laughed heartily, then suddenly pointed at the Shura King and spoke a single word: “Pig.”

The Shura King was taken aback, but in that instant, he felt a mysterious and unfathomable power envelop him. Though he strained with all his might to resist, in the end, he could not avert the calamity.

Jin Sanyi, Niu Ren, Huo Niao, the Inverse Dragon King, and everyone else stood dumbstruck. The Shura King—a supreme Heavenly King—had actually turned into a… great fat pig!

This was far too theatrical. Even though they had personally experienced it, it still felt utterly surreal. That was a Shura King, after all!

The veteran of the Shura clan realized what had happened to him in an instant and nearly fainted from rage. This was… too damned sinister!

But his divine powers and cultivation had not disappeared. However, he had lost all heart for battle. He shot into the sky and fled toward the sea without looking back.

How could he still fight? He was more ready to die than to continue!

“Ancestor… Ancestor, save me!”

When the Shura Half-Ancestor heard the furious, frantic shouts from his cave dwelling, he was startled at first. Had someone pursued the Shura King into the island? What had happened? He hurried out of his cave.