Longzang

Chapter 261 Opportunity
The northern border of the Shattered Realm is filled with treacherous mountains, making it difficult even for birds to cross.

The mountains and valleys here are often thousands of feet high, with peaks and valleys differing by more than ten thousand feet. Both humans and witches only occupy the relatively flat areas in the southern part of the mountains. Even the witches cannot survive in such treacherous mountain ranges stretching for tens of thousands of miles.

Wei Yuan and his companions flew into the mountains, soaring higher and higher until they were over three thousand feet above the ground. Upon reaching this point, the surroundings suddenly became silent and windless.

Wei Yuan had learned in the Treatise on Heaven and Earth that this calm wind zone was the last peaceful area in the sky; beyond that, one would enter the strange and unpredictable magnetic layer, where all sorts of dangers awaited. In fact, ferocious beasts also roamed the calm wind zone, but the human-inhabited areas, especially within the range of the boundary stone, distorted the environment, depriving these beasts of their habitat and making them very difficult to encounter.

After flying for a while longer after entering the mountain, Wei Yuan indeed saw a verdant peak ahead, somewhat out of place with the surrounding dark gray mountains. Sure enough, there was a small temple halfway up the mountain, which was the place where Marquis Xiang had agreed to meet.

The mountain peak was lower than the surrounding area, but it was still steep and sheer, with towering cliffs on all sides, making it inaccessible to anyone who wasn't a Dao Foundation cultivator with significant cultivation. Even though Wei Yuan had brought out all three hundred knights, only the original dozen or so managed to reach this point.

Beside the ancient temple stood a pavilion, where Marquis Xiang was already waiting, accompanied by his maids and old servants. Wei Yuan landed outside the pavilion, entered, and introduced them: "These two are my seniors from my sect. This is Marquis Xiang, and also my future benefactor."

Marquis Xiang rose to greet them, showing no airs whatsoever despite the fact that his two senior disciples were only at the Foundation Establishment stage. Ji Liuli and Zhang Sheng returned the greeting and naturally took their seats first, then sized up Marquis Xiang, behaving quite rudely.

Although Marquis Xiang was a man of great experience and knowledge, he was still somewhat uneasy at this moment.

Marquis Xiang had seen the basic information about Wei Yuan and his two so-called elders. However, information is information, and people are people. Now that they were face to face, Marquis Xiang realized that the people he felt were completely different from what was described in the information.

The elder sister of the Marquis of Xiang was a noble consort of the State of Zhao. The siblings were similar, and his appearance and demeanor were also among the best in the world. Coupled with his illustrious status, he attracted countless people's attention wherever he went. Both men and women would take a second look at him, and Zhang Sheng and Ji Liuli were no exception.

However, Ji Liuli's gaze roamed freely over Xiang Hou, like a rogue encountering a beautiful woman alone, looking wherever he shouldn't. Xiang Hou had initially assumed that cultivators were mostly unrestrained and bold, and Ji Liuli was no exception. But he was naturally perceptive and suddenly sensed something unusual in Ji Liuli's eyes and demeanor.

What exactly is this feeling?
As he pondered, relying on his powerful divine sense, which was among the strongest in the Dharma realm, and his experience of witnessing countless beings, Xianghou finally pinpointed the source of this feeling.

In the bustling marketplace, this is the expression on a butcher's face as he stands before a white-skinned pig, pondering where to begin his cut.

For some reason, Marquis Xiang suddenly felt a chill run down his spine, a sense of dread creeping over him. He was somewhat taken aback; could this woman really pose a threat to him?
Zhang Sheng, dressed as a scholar, gave off a different feeling. He was also looking at Xiang Hou, but unlike Ji Liuli who focused on sensitive areas, Zhang Sheng looked at the hat, clothes, belt, thumb ring, jade pendant, and other valuable items, his gaze lingering longer on them.

Sitting in front of Zhang Sheng, Xiang Hou felt like an antique, waiting to be sold.

Of the three, Wei Yuan's gaze was the most sincere and fervent, and also the most normal, at least he treated Xiang Hou as a human being.

After settling down, Wei Yuan asked, "I wonder what kind of opportunity you are referring to, Lord Marquis?"

"Follow me." Marquis Xiang rose and led the way.

The maid and the old servant were both somewhat surprised. Today, the Marquis of Xiang was unusually concise, with no opening, no preamble, and no routine empty promises to attract customers. It was really unlike the Marquis of Xiang's style.

Unbeknownst to them, Marquis Xiang felt extremely uncomfortable under the gazes of Wei Yuan's two elder disciples. A few glances would usually suffice, but these two seemed to be staring incessantly, which was utterly impolite. Wei Yuan followed Marquis Xiang towards the small temple, while Ji Liuli and Zhang Sheng remained seated in the pavilion, not following. Marquis Xiang practically wore his disapproving expression on his face.

The small temple was built of stone, but it had fallen into disrepair over the years, and its outer walls had long since collapsed. Inside the courtyard, there was a main hall and a side room, but nothing else.

Marquis Xiang was the first to enter the main hall. The main hall was about the size of an ordinary family's main room, and inside was a Buddha statue.

Buddhism is not as flourishing as Taoism in this world, but it still has a great influence, with many great paths leading directly to the end, and sects like the Great Treasure Flower Pure Land that can be ranked among the immortal sects.

Therefore, Wei Yuan also learned a lot of basic Buddhist knowledge. He recognized most of the Bodhisattvas and Arhats who had attained enlightenment and were quite famous, and he also recognized the famous Dharma images. The Tai Chu Palace's education was not for disciples to learn Buddhism, but rather to avoid being caught off guard during trials. After all, the Dharma images of Buddhism are passed down through generations, and their power is far greater than the Dharma images one cultivates oneself.

Wei Yuan didn't recognize the Buddha statue in the temple. It looked like an old man with one shoulder exposed, appearing somewhat emaciated. It resembled a mummified Buddha enshrined in some small mountain temples. However, mummified Buddhas are usually not enshrined in the main position, but in this temple, he was the only Buddha.

Marquis Xiang looked up at the Buddha statue, his expression complex. After a while, he turned to Wei Yuan and said, "Long ago, a drop of Arhat's true blood fell here..."

Arhat's True Blood!

Buddhist practice differs from Taoist practice; attaining enlightenment is equivalent to achieving oneness with the Tao, thus separating the mortal from the immortal realm. By the standards of the Primordial Palace, an Arhat is equivalent to a highly accomplished immortal, not an ordinary celestial lord.

The true blood of the Buddha is no ordinary thing. At the level of Arhat, some say it corresponds to the three souls of the human body, while others say it corresponds to the three lifetimes. In short, an Arhat has only three drops of true blood. If one drop is missing, the essence is lacking.

The rank of this drop of Arhat's true blood is much higher than that of the withered branch of the laurel tree, and almost the same as that of the fully grown arhat tree.

"Such a treasure, why doesn't Your Excellency use it for yourself?" Wei Yuan asked.

The Marquis of Xiang looked complicated and said, "Buddhist treasures require a predestined connection; taking them without such connection often brings disaster."

Wei Yuan was somewhat skeptical.

The concept of affinity has already been clearly explained in the concentrated teaching sessions. It is due to the Buddhist practice methods. Most Buddhist treasures carry extremely heavy karmic burdens. If one cannot bear the karmic burdens, wouldn't disasters befall them? Once this is explained in a straightforward manner, it loses its awe-inspiring quality.

"Whose true blood is it?" Wei Yuan asked. Knowing the Arhat's name meant knowing their rank and achievements, and he could roughly guess what kind of cause and effect it might be.

But Xianghou said, "It is not an existing Arhat."

Wei Yuan's heart was suddenly filled with shock and disbelief.

(End of this chapter)