Longzang

Chapter 1023 Life Should Be Like the First Encounter

Having said all that needed to be said, and with the sun already high in the sky, Wei Yuan crouched down, patted the mountain range formed by the molten dragon's body, then stood up and, after several flashes, returned to the side of the cultivators of Taichu Palace.

Without Nine Eyes' help this time, Wei Yuan had already reached a speed similar to that of the Heavenly Witch through his own authority. Nine Eyes, on the other hand, sat cross-legged on the spot, rambling on and on to the Molten Dragon.

Looking back, even though they were thousands of miles apart, Wei Yuan could still see that lonely figure on the mountaintop.

Wei Yuan did not spend much time with Jiu Mu and Rong Long, and for most of that time they were on opposing sides, with their races having a life-or-death feud.

They share only one trait: when faced with a great calamity, they are all willing to bear the misfortune of heaven and earth for their people.

Wei Yuan had come to believe at some point that since he had gained great power, he should stand before all his people and face the calamity head-on.

Wei Yuan sighed softly and withdrew his gaze.

He scanned his surroundings with his divine sense and went to the nearest place, Feng Tingyu. At this moment, Feng Tingyu was still fighting with the Dharma Image, and she was clearly a bit overwhelmed. A ball of black mist appeared and disappeared at an extremely high frequency. In Wei Yuan's eyes, it looked like her whole body was flashing incessantly, with blurred edges. Just one glance at Feng Tingyu made Wei Yuan dizzy.

So Wei Yuan slightly shifted his field of vision, aligning the frequency of his eye's sampling with the flickering frequency of the black mist. As a result, Feng Tingyu's body stopped flickering and appeared before Wei Yuan as it was. Wei Yuan's head spun even more.

Her health is really not something to be looked at too much; looking at her too little will lead to mistakes, while looking at her too much will harm the country.

"It's time to go back," Wei Yuan said.

Feng Tingyu initially thought that three days was still a long time, and besides, she could sunbathe even in thirty or three hundred days. But she sensitively noticed that Wei Yuan's mood was a bit off; he seemed particularly...happy?
Feng Tingyu quickly put on her clothes and didn't ask any further questions. For someone like Wei Yuan, any unusual emotional fluctuation, whether joy or sorrow, meant something serious had happened. Therefore, at this moment, Feng Tingyu suppressed her antics and simply obeyed.

Wei Yuan made a round and summoned all the cultivators of Taichu Palace who were scattered in various places back. Everyone had gained a lot, except for Xiao Yu, who had a slight problem. Shao Yang Xingjun's parasol had a big hole in it. Wei Yuan appeared suddenly, and Shao Yang Xingjun did not have time to close the parasol and was seen by him.

Wei Yuan saw it but didn't say anything. The combined power of three suns in the Desolate Realm was terrifying; relying on a sun umbrella to withstand a whole day's heat was simply impossible. With Xiao Yu's cultivation level, she should have sought shelter under a sunshade more often. But Xiao Yu insisted on displaying the airs of a high-level cultivator, so getting sunburned was inevitable.

After gathering the cultivators outside, Wei Yuan returned to the sunshade, picked up Princess Ningguo, who was already somewhat delirious from the sun, and led the cultivators back to Qingming.

Now that Wei Yuan possesses authority over the Desolate Realm, he can activate a teleportation array to send all cultivators directly back to their home realm.

Returning to the Azure Netherworld, Wei Yuan went straight into the mortal realm, then entered the Pure Land Temple. There, six incense sticks were burning in the incense burner, their smoke curling upwards.

Wei Yuan suddenly forgot whether seven or nine incense sticks were needed in the incense burner for a fundamental change to occur in the Pure Land. He originally knew this, but after receiving the life force of the Heavenly Pillar, the secrets of heaven had changed, and the small temple in the Pure Land could no longer see them clearly.

However, Wang Fo's methods were extraordinary. At this moment, as Wei Yuan stood in the temple and looked back on his past, he finally saw some traces of his destiny being arranged. He was like a donkey with a carrot dangling in front of him, always following the path set by Wang Fo, and thinking it was his own choice.

When the Heavenly Pillar's vitality was expanding most rapidly, it was Honglian and Lian Deng who used the power of the Buddha King to deliver a head-on blow to the Heavenly Pillar, thus stabilizing the situation in one fell swoop.

The price to pay was the six sticks of incense burning in the burner.

At this moment, Wei Yuan was only one step away from the golden lotus seat.

If it were just him, Wei Yuan wouldn't really care, but now...

Wei Yuan turned and left the small temple. The lotus lantern sweeping the courtyard quickly turned around, its back to Wei Yuan, not daring to meet his gaze.

Wei Yuan ignored the lotus lantern and took another step, arriving at the residence of the young girl Yin Yang in the central city. It was a quiet little courtyard, with lush green trees, where Yin Yang was sitting alone, setting up a chessboard on a stone table.

Wei Yuan sat down opposite her and casually asked, "You can play chess too? How long have you been learning?"

The girl, Yin Yang, raised her head and said, "As long as you."

In an instant, a surge of blood rushed to Wei Yuan's head, his cheeks burned, and he was speechless for a moment.

His state of mind was unusual just now, so he naturally spoke according to his usual habits. As a grandmaster of the world, it was not a problem for him to have a few words of conversation about chess from his superior position. The problem was that the essence of Wei Yuan's so-called grandmaster was the human touch. And the core of the human touch was the girl in front of him.

This is like a cheating student saying to the person they hired to take the test for them, "How was my test? I can teach you a thing or two if you need it..."

Seeing Wei Yuan's face as red as the sun and his beautiful buttocks like a monkey's, Yin Yang covered her mouth and chuckled softly, then took off her clothes one by one.

All these impacts came at once, and Wei Yuan was momentarily at a loss as to how to defend himself. The girl said slowly and deliberately, "No matter what I learn, I will remain the same as I was at the beginning."

Wei Yuan finally suppressed his overwhelming embarrassment. He didn't think too much about Yin Yang's words, just nodded, then calmly got up and fled.

After Wei Yuan left, Xi He appeared on the table.

She had actually been sitting to the side the whole time. Even amidst the everyday hustle and bustle, she could make Wei Yuan ignore her if she wanted to.

Xihe looked at the girl Yinyang with some curiosity and said, "I have to say, you actually look quite good without clothes. But what did you mean by that just now?"

The girl remained silent for a moment before saying, "What else could it mean? Seduction! But nothing works, and I don't understand why. Those guys outside can get their hands on me with just a strip, why can't I?"

Xihe remained silent.

The girl said sarcastically, "Why don't you help me think of a solution?"

Xihe remained expressionless: "I am a sword cultivator."

"What's wrong with sword cultivators?"

Xihe remained expressionless: "I am a sword cultivator who has never been in a relationship."

“We haven’t talked about it…” The young girl Yin Yang was somewhat confused about Xi He’s meaning.

Xihe said helplessly, "You ask me how to seduce men... I can only say that it's simpler to just chop them down with a sword."

The young girl Yin Yang seemed to be deep in thought: "Isn't Zhang Sheng also a sword cultivator? They're both sword cultivators, so how come there's such a big difference?"

The next moment, a soaring sword aura rose from the central city, the yin and yang dragons clashing fiercely, neither giving an inch. Then, a burst of intense light suddenly erupted from the sword aura, illuminating the entire human world in pure white! Lian Deng let out a scream, fell backward, her eyes swollen and red, tears streaming down her face, unable to open them at all. Those who dared to peek suffered the same fate.

Within the myriad realms and grotto-heavens, only the mirage demons were busy with their own affairs, most of them not even noticing that the sky had once turned pure white.

The world and its people were in turmoil, yet Wei Yuan remained completely unaware.

He further optimized the output of various resources within Qingming, mainly adjusting the priority of transporting resources to Ji Kingdom, and then took the secret realm route back to Ji Kingdom.

After returning to Guantun County, Wei Yuan went back to Zhang Sheng's side and told her what had happened as soon as possible.

After listening, Zhang Sheng seemed to be deep in thought, and asked, "Why are you willing to do what the ancient emperors were unwilling to do?"

Wei Yuan had long considered this issue in depth, saying, "Times are different, and circumstances are different. Back then, the human race was weak and lacked resources, and was still struggling to survive. At that time, our race's greatest enemies were other races, not extraterrestrial demons. It was only because the Human King refused to take responsibility and allowed the extraterrestrial demons and other races to weaken each other that the human race had the opportunity to rise."

If we had taken on this responsibility for the sake of the so-called "greater good," what would have become of humanity's role in the future development of this world? In fact, history books contain many similar examples; those who ask others to prioritize the "greater good" often end up having little to do with the "greater good" themselves.

Zhang Sheng nodded: "That's right. What's different now?"

Wei Yuan said, "Now the human race is divided into nine kingdoms, with a vast territory that is more than a hundred times larger than in ancient times. Whether in terms of population or the number of immortals, our human race is one of the most powerful forces in this world. Since we are already part of the overall situation, we can consider the overall picture."

I've carefully considered all aspects, and to sum it up in one sentence: While accepting this responsibility will be fraught with peril, the benefits will be immense; refusing it will bring enormous harm, with unfathomable consequences.

"Yes, I've considered all aspects carefully. What did I consider? The everyday realities of life?"

Wei Yuan paused, then nodded, instantly sensing something amiss. The mortal realm? The mortal realm was vast, containing countless things, practically a world unto itself. For instance, the Pure Land of Bliss was also part of the mortal realm. The Pure Land of Bliss…?
Wei Yuan suddenly woke up and said, "That... was influencing me in secret?"

Fortunately, Wei Yuan was quick-witted and pulled back from the brink, without revealing the name of the Great Joyful Buddha.

Zhang Sheng sighed softly and said, "It can't be called a covert influence. It simply presents you with two paths, one advantageous and one disadvantageous. You will naturally weigh the pros and cons and make a choice. As long as you're not stupid, you won't make the wrong choice. Wang Fo's moves are subtle and leave no trace; you can't resist them right now."

“Indeed… Ah!” Wei Yuan jumped up suddenly, looking at Zhang Sheng in shock.

Zhang Sheng remained calm and said, "I have cultivated the Sword Tomb of the World, and my clear sword heart is rare in the world. Just sitting in your mortal world for a while, I can naturally hear many things. You've even built a temple, so how could I not know that you are the reincarnation of the Great Joyful King Buddha?"

Wei Yuan felt as if countless bolts of lightning struck down from the sky, leaving his mind blank and unable to remember anything. Moreover, if she had overheard such a huge secret, what else could she not know?

Zhang Sheng said calmly, "Don't worry, I didn't listen to anything except the most important thing. Otherwise, if I heard too much of your nonsense, I would be driven crazy by you sooner or later."

Wei Yuan felt guilty and dared not reply.

Zhang Sheng stretched his straight legs forward, his robes tracing a wave-like arc, then slowly crossed them. He placed his hands on his knees and said, "Back then, I only wanted to force a marriage between you, this troublesome girl, so I pushed Bao'er. If I had known that we would have so many entanglements later, I would never have opened that door, and you would have had far fewer happy days."

Wei Yuan could only remain silent on this topic.

Zhang Sheng sighed softly and said, "There are already six sticks of incense in the incense burner. If you have anything to say to me, say it quickly. After seven sticks of incense, many things may be forgotten."

Wei Yuan was taken aback: "Isn't it the Nine Pillars?"

Zhang Sheng was also taken aback: "Nine pillars?"

Zhang Sheng, having cultivated a clear sword heart, could see into his own being and immediately discovered a small, unnatural part in his memory, suggesting that cause and effect had been altered. Perhaps another powerful being intervened in secret, but whether it was the Seven Pillars or the Nine Pillars, it was essentially the same.

Things had come to this point, and both of them knew very well that that day was inevitable.

Thinking of Wei Yuan's past behavior, Zhang Sheng's heart softened suddenly, and he sighed, "This Heavenly Pillar of Life is both a crisis and a great opportunity. I suspect that if you miss this opportunity, you may never find another chance in the Great Sun Cave Heaven. Therefore, whether for yourself, for your fellow disciples in the Primordial Palace, for your friends who are powerful sorcerers, for the Molten Dragon, or even for the world of this realm, you should accept it."

A sudden pang of sadness welled up in Wei Yuan's eyes. His desperate resistance to Wang Fo's karma stemmed from only one reason: her. He hadn't expected that the crisis facing Tianzhu would suddenly be so close. Just as Zhang Sheng had said, he had no choice.

Wang Fo's layout was perfectly executed, and there was no solution to this situation.

Wei Yuan's voice trembled slightly as he said, "What if that day comes and I truly forget my ties to you?"

Zhang Sheng said, "I said that no matter what you become, I will face it with you. Whether the sky shatters or this world is destroyed, I will be by your side. That was true then, that is true now, and that will always be true in the future."

At this moment, silence speaks louder than words; all words seem pale in comparison. Wei Yuan could only hold her in his arms, cherishing every moment, treasuring the time when he could still remember her uniqueness.

The sunlight, like vines, quietly climbed over them and then slipped away. Their breaths mingled and intertwined, as if they would always have this feeling.

After an unknown amount of time, Zhang Sheng gently struggled, and Wei Yuan finally released his grip.

Zhang Sheng raised his head slightly, looked into Wei Yuan's eyes, and said, "Are you afraid that once you become a Buddha, you will forget your feelings for me and only be able to toy with me from now on?"

Wei Yuan never expected that Zhang Sheng would voice his long-held worries.

Zhang Sheng suddenly chuckled softly, his eyes sparkling, and said, "It's nothing really, I'll just let you play with me!"

These words were like an unprecedented heavenly tribulation, striking Wei Yuan's consciousness into a blank and nearly causing the Heavenly Demon to perish on the spot.

Zhang Sheng lightly traced Wei Yuan's sculpted jawline with one finger, his eyes gleaming with brilliant sword energy, and said, "If your master were to become reckless, what chance would Bao Yatou and the others have? In the next few days, we'll explore together what suitable positions are available to the King Buddha. If you truly become the King Buddha, I'll cultivate in that direction."

Today, the Tang Dynasty has seen two emperors, and the two have finally reached a juncture of fortune and destiny. Their every move has begun to subtly influence the course of human affairs.

The world changes and the world transforms, but the figures that walked with me have never changed, just like in the Taichu Palace, just like when I first left Fengyuan County, and just like back then behind the old Wei family mansion, under the ancient trees.

End of Volume of "How Can One Have It All in This World"

(End of this chapter)