Chongming Xianzong

Chapter 432 Blessings
—Outside Xuanwei City, on the mountaintop
"Half a month ago, Fu Neng brought Xianyu Shi into Chuzhou. The six sword masters of Gujian Manor were no match for him and were defeated in the time it takes to burn an incense stick. Fu Neng gave them generous gifts and left with Dang Shi, the daughter of the Gujian Manor Master."

"Ten days ago, Fu Neng brought his two daughters to Zhangzhou. The Guo family of Baishui opened their main gate and welcomed them in with great courtesy. Fu Neng preached at the Guo family for half a day, gave them generous gifts, and then left with the Guo family."

Nine days ago, Fu Neng brought his three daughters to Rongzhou. The She family of An Yun did not dare to stop them and politely escorted their eldest daughter out. Fu Neng gave them generous gifts and left with the She family.

Eight days ago, Fu Neng brought four women with him.

"Two days ago, Fu Neng brought seven women into Weizhou. Ma'er, the patriarch of the Jiebu clan of the Qiang lineage, fought against them with three True Cultivators. They were no match for them, and most of the five or six hundred cultivators in the clan were killed or wounded. The Jiebu clan was exterminated and removed from Weizhou. The Yunshui Sect, which was in charge of Weizhou, did nothing upon hearing the news and let Fu Neng leave with Ma'er's wife, Liu."

The military report about Funeng came to an abrupt end there. Fei Bofeng put away the silk scroll in his hand and presented it to Jun Tianqin and Fei Nanying.

The former then realized that today was different from the past. When it came to such a secret and crucial matter, the most senior fake alchemist in Sheshan Hall, Granny Fei Liu, was not there.

Jun Tianqin showed little interest in the military report on the spirit silk, and merely sneered:
"The Liangyi Sect of Tengwen Prefecture, the Xianyu Family of Bozhou, and the Yunshui Sect of Tangzhou are all Golden Core sects with some reputation in Shannan Road. Now they don't even bother to put on an act. They just let a junior Buddhist cultivator act arrogantly over their heads. Aren't they ashamed?"

Fei Bofeng also dared to chime in: "Fu Nengdang also has a sense of proportion. Otherwise, given the style of Benying Temple, how could he have only killed one Jiebu? It's remarkable that he was able to find the Mingfei token that Xuan Yue Sect had left behind back then, and also find a suitable candidate like Liu Shi in such a short time."

Fei Nanying carefully examined the spiritual scroll from Fei Bofeng's hand. Perhaps feeling that what the latter said was not of any concern to the overall situation, he did not respond to him, but only echoed what Jun Tianqin had said earlier: "After all, Fu Neng had been granted permission by Zhaixing Tower, so they probably wouldn't dare to stop Fu Neng. Otherwise, when this temple protector was in Bozhou, he wouldn't have been able to take Xianyu away so easily."

Jun Tianqin then said coldly, "Yes, she is just a daughter of the Shu clan. What is there for the Xianyu family to be reluctant about? Why should they hate someone with such a promising future as Fu Neng because of this?"

It is true that Ge Lie is a top Buddhist cultivator who is renowned throughout the Immortal Dynasty, but when he sent his disciples to Shannan Road, they all knew to greet the Lord of Zhaixing Tower, yet they were stingy with a single word to our Fei family.
In that case, I, the patriarch, cannot hand over the Yuan family.

Now that the Earl of Nan'an has become a high-grade Golden Core cultivator, according to the blood oath his family made with the late emperor and the Palace Master of Lanmeng, the Nascent Soul cultivator of Benying Temple should still not be allowed to go east to spread the Dharma.

What do I, the old ancestor, have to fear?!
"It's perfect that those useless, lewd monks who can't even form an infant spirit have arrived. Let's see how the Ancestor pries out their golden cores and exchanges them for some top-quality spiritual medicines from the Dragon Tiger Sect to prolong my brother's life."

Fei Nanying didn't seem to be much affected by the old bird's heroic spirit. He simply said, "Ancestor, Fu Neng has been rushing here from one prefecture to another almost every day. This shows how eager he is. We still need to make preparations as soon as possible."

"If he didn't act this way, how could he demonstrate his extraordinary status as a disciple of a major sect, and how could he instill in the nine juniors we selected the sense of urgency that the enemy was at the gates?"

Jun Tianqin sneered again and said, "With such a string of victories, his morale should be soaring. Why doesn't he take advantage of this momentum to cause trouble for the Yunjiao Prefecture Court? Instead, he hasn't shown his true form for three days."

"If he's not healing, then he's conserving his energy," Fei Bofeng chimed in from the side.

Fei Nanying added, "I hope those nine juniors are as intelligent as you. If they can see things clearly, Fu Neng's psychological warfare plan will be largely ruined."

After speaking, he sighed again, thinking that if Fei Bofeng and Fei Zhongyun were ten or eight years younger, the chances of winning would increase by another ten percent.

Jun Tianqin sighed again, thinking to himself, "Forget it, no need to think about it anymore. Who knows how many old codgers are lurking in the shadows among these twenty-seven paths, trying to sabotage that old bastard Gelie's plans!"

Even if that brat Fu Neng really managed to abduct the Yuan family from the Yunjiao Prefecture court, he probably wouldn't be able to return to the Snow Mountain Road. He would most likely perish and rot in some remote village.

However, the Earl of Nan'an, Kuang Liu, is young and impetuous, and very concerned about his reputation. I wonder if he will take his anger out on me when he returns. If this boy has truly learned great skills from that person in the outer sea, I am actually quite afraid of him.”

"Ancestor, Ancestor"

"What is it?" Jun Tianqin, drawn back by Fei Nanying's call, was somewhat displeased. Fei Nanying pointed to the sky and said respectfully, "We should go set up the formation."

"Hmm, let's go. I'm already worried just looking at those rotten apples you've picked out."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

In the training ground, Jiang Qing and Kang Dabao were gathered together. Jiang Qing was not as excited as Kang Dabao had expected. Instead, he was serious and asked in a low voice, "Senior Brother, how many rounds do you think we will each lose this time?"

Kang Dabao ignored his junior brother and instead pulled out a luxurious, colorful food box containing several trays of exquisite dishes, all of which Fei Shuhe had taught Huo Ying to make before the trip.

First, he used his clumsy fingers to pull out each of the small drawers, and then tasted each of the expensive and visually appealing side dishes. Kang Dabao's lips curled slightly, but he didn't feel any surprise.

It's clear that this noblewoman from the Fei family isn't very skilled in cooking; the taste of the dishes is far less appealing than her stunning beauty. She also doesn't know how to cater to the diners' tastes, as the large food box doesn't even contain a single braised pork knuckle.

But Master Kang also looked pleased and could hardly stop eating with his chopsticks.

Only when Jiang Qing urged him urgently did he reply somewhat impatiently, "I don't know. Why worry about something we can't even decide ourselves?"

"Senior Brother, that's the guardian abbot of Benying Temple, almost as important as the Daoist Master of Zhaixing Tower!"

The headmaster Kang paused in his chopsticks, looking at Jiang Qing's anxious expression with surprise: "How many years has it been since we've seen Little Sanzi so excited?"

Before he could respond to Jiang Qing's words, others in the room approached him, bowing and striking up a conversation:
"Even when Mount Tai collapses before him, he remains calm and composed. Before the battle, he even has the leisure to enjoy a drink and conversation. He is truly a rare and noble person among us, and we admire him greatly."

The sect leader, Kang, had been staying indoors for a long time and had indeed heard many flattering words. Upon seeing the visitor, he stood up and bowed, saying, "Kang Dabao of Chongming Sect greets Fellow Daoist Yang."

"Greetings, fellow Daoists." Yang Wuwei was clearly a sociable person, very kind and approachable, without the slightest airs of a noble family.

It should be noted that even though the Yang family of Yezhou was split into two branches, the direct and the indirect, the direct branch still had two senior cultivators, Yang Baoshan and Yang Yongcheng, who were still the mainstays of the family, making it a legitimate powerful family in the border region.

It is rare to find that Yang Wuwei, as a member of such a family who is capable of shouldering heavy responsibilities and upholding the family's honor, has no trace of arrogance.

Kang Dabao and Jiang Qing invited Yang Wuwei to sit on the ground. Just as Kang Dabao was about to change the wine, Yang Wuwei grabbed his wrist and said, "Sect Leader Kang, why are you being so polite?"

Kang Dabao immediately objected, saying, "How can we let you drink this leftover wine?"

Yang Wuwei, however, said boldly, "Wine is not a fine thing, but it is valued when paired with good friends. If Sect Leader Kang refuses to let me drink this wine, does that mean he does not consider me a friend?"

Although Jiang Qing thought Yang Wuwei's words made sense, he still wanted to help his senior brother persuade him. Unexpectedly, Yang Wuwei snatched the wine cup, tilted his head back and drank it down in one gulp. After laughing loudly, his expression changed slightly.

"Well, Master Kang is being a bit too frugal."

He couldn't bring himself to say these words against his will, and after a bitter laugh, he couldn't hide his embarrassment. Kang and Chiang also laughed.

Jiang Qing chuckled inwardly: "The spirit wine brewed by Cai Keqing of my Baiyi Tower is cheap and of high quality, but as for the taste... well, apart from my senior brother who is always self-disciplined and dedicated to public service, I think there are few Foundation Establishment cultivators in the world who can stomach it."

The two brothers immediately brought out a fine wine, and the three bronze wine cups rang out in a welcoming and farewell ceremony, which warmed up the relationship between the three brothers considerably.

Yang Wuwei was clearly the type of person who didn't need prompting to speak. After putting down his wine cup, he took the lead in speaking: "I heard you two brothers talking about the order of the battle beforehand. Now that I have come uninvited, I wonder if you two still have anything to say about it?"

Kang Dabao waved his hand and laughed: "Fellow Daoist Yang is too kind. I think this matter will be decided by the seniors. My brother and I were just joking. How can we talk about whether it can be discussed or not?"

"Since it's just a joke, then I'll humbly offer my thoughts to get the ball rolling."

Jiang Qingxian also had a good impression of Yang Wuwei. The usually taciturn man even chimed in, "I was just about to hear your insightful opinion, fellow Daoist."

Yang Wuwei bowed his head in humility and then said, "I heard that this colleague used four top-grade spiritual artifacts—a bowl, a bottle, a pearl, and a lotus—when he was in Bozhou the other day. The first two were protective tools, and the latter two were offensive weapons. Each one is not to be underestimated; the slightest mistake would result in a great loss."

Kang Dabao had also heard this news. He said, "What you say is very true, fellow Daoist. I heard that apart from the time when these four artifacts appeared in Bozhou, in the other seven places, only one or two spiritual artifacts appeared. Without exerting their full strength, they won a great victory and suppressed all the cultivators on the other side."

Yang Wuwei also agreed, saying, "The Xianyu family of Bozhou is one of the 'three pillars' of our Shannan Dao since Zhaixing Tower. There must be a reason why they can stand on equal footing with the Liangyi Sect and Yunshui Sect."

Even if it were merely a perfunctory act, it would still be far superior to the Ancient Sword Manor of Chuzhou, a sect that only produced its first Golden Core cultivator a hundred years ago. Therefore, in my opinion, of all the previous encounters with that brat Fu Neng, only this one is worth mentioning.

"Lan Ming, a retainer of the Xianyu family, has been a late-stage cultivator for over a hundred years and is capable of wielding six spiritual artifacts to achieve perfection. He was in the lead but failed to break through the Fu Neng child's Sea Ice Marrow Bowl and returned to the formation in a sorry state."

"The patriarch of the Xianyu family cultivated the fire-based Daoist arts and reached the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage. He was quite famous in Bozhou and held a position in the second formation. He had mastered the essence of fire techniques and broke through the light of the Sea Ice Marrow Bowl, forcing the Pure Karma Sweet Spirit Bottle to appear. The two artifacts combined, making the power even greater. The patriarch of the Xianyu family could not break through and returned in shame."

The third and fourth ranks of the concubines, the fifth and sixth ranks of the concubines, and the fifth and sixth ranks of the concubines, all had reputations under the jurisdiction of the Xianyu family, yet none of them could break through this blessed bowl and bottle.

It wasn't until the seventh battle that Xiao Yun, a disciple from the outer sect of White Horse Mountain in Central Plains, appeared out of nowhere with his Tiger Zen Staff Skill, a low-grade technique of the Universe Rank, finally breaking through the two protective shields of the brat Fu Neng.

At this point, Yang Wuwei paused, his tone becoming much lower: "Even so, Xiao Yun was defeated in just a few breaths, only managing to force out the Karmic Fire and Evil Pearls of Fortune for a brief appearance."

Xianyu Gu, a member of a collateral branch of the Xianyu family and not recorded in the clan annals, used talismans to shatter the two layers of spiritual artifact's profound light. He then used the low-grade body-refining technique of the Lesser Completion Realm, the "Bull Demon Manifestation Technique," to suppress the karmic fire in the arena, ultimately forcing Fu Neng to shed blood again and destroy the mountain lotus. However, with the appearance of this artifact, no matter how hard Xianyu Gu fought, he was defeated.

Afterwards, Yang Wuwei sighed again: "Xianyu Guang, the third son of the Xianyu family, truly deserves to be called one of the most outstanding disciples of the Xianyu family. In the short time it took to drink a cup of tea to fight between the Xianyu family and Fu Neng, Xianyu Guang withstood a third of the attacks. What a pity."

Kang Dabao, intrigued, tentatively asked, "May I ask, fellow Daoist, have you ever met Xianyu Guang in person?"

Yang Wuwei replied with a smile, "To be honest, Sect Leader Kang, Bozhou is adjacent to my Yezhou, and I am a man who enjoys making friends with heroes, how could I not know him?"

"Then, fellow Daoist, how do you consider yourself to be compared to Xianyu Guang?"

"I haven't directly competed with him yet. However, there is a rogue alchemist in Sanbai County, Bozhou, who is very public-spirited and likes to guide the younger generation. Both Yang and Xianyu Guang have brought gifts to learn from him. Ten years ago, Xianyu Guang was defeated after a hundred breaths; three years ago, Yang was able to last for half a cup of tea."

"In that case, you and Xianyu Guang are probably on par."

After thinking for a while, Yang Wuwei frankly admitted, "Perhaps Xianyu Guang is still a step ahead of me. When I arrived, that senior alchemist was recovering from a serious illness and still needed to recuperate, so he probably didn't fight me with all his might." He noticed Kang Dabao's expression change for a moment, and then added, "But don't worry, Sect Leader Kang, the others in the Xianyu family are far inferior to me. I, Yang, will definitely not hold you back."

Kang Dabao looked surprised, then laughed: "I thought Fellow Daoist Yang was here to compete with me for this final battle."

Yang Wuwei smiled wryly and repeatedly bowed to decline, saying, "Sect Leader Kang, please don't try to entice me with words. You know your own situation. I may be slightly better than your brother-in-law, Sect Leader Kang, but I can't win as easily as Sect Leader Kang."

Previously, I had only heard that Sect Leader Kang's pupil technique was amazing, but I never thought that even his halberd technique was so astonishing. This has truly broadened my horizons.

I thought that in the entire Shannan region, besides the few direct descendants of Zhaixinglou, only the disciples of the uncultured senior of the Yuan family in Jingnan could achieve this.

A perfectly good compliment meant to build rapport was suddenly pointed out in two awkward places by Yang Wuwei, making this sociable eldest son of the Yang family momentarily think he was drunk after drinking two cups of wine.

Fortunately, apart from Jiang Qing looking somewhat embarrassed, the main figure, Sect Leader Kang, didn't seem to care at all. Instead, he cheerfully brought up Jue Jinglai again, saying, "Fellow Daoist is too modest. It is indeed an overstatement!"

After thanking him, Yang Wuwei drank in large gulps and said, "Although I am not competitive, my two cousins ​​are even more incompetent. In my opinion, they should be placed in the first or second round to reduce some trouble for Fellow Daoist Jiang. But there may be one more person in this battle who may have to compete with Fellow Daoist Kang."

Jiang Qing's eyes lit up, and he finally spoke up: "Cao Xianlu?"

Yang Wuwei's lips curled slightly: "Fellow Daoist has sharp eyes. That soldier's aura is extremely strong. He once captured and killed the Golden Core cultivator Lie Zijun while serving in the army. He has high aspirations and naturally wants to compete with Sect Leader Kang for the final battle."

"It's alright, we'll just follow the arrangements." Kang Dabao didn't seem to care, but at that moment Cao Xianlu also came over. Just as Yang Wuwei had said, the blood energy on his body was so thick that it was almost solidifying.

"A person who can enlist in the army from a menial job and then earn a future as a Golden Core Sect Master's personal disciple after returning to the sect is indeed not to be underestimated and is much stronger than Yang Wuwei."

Such people are not as easy to deal with as Yang Wuwei. Kang Dabao had no intention of talking to him either, but simply raised his wine cup and offered a toast from afar as a sign of greeting.

The latter understood, nodded, found a place to sit cross-legged and close his eyes to rest, and then remained silent.

After a while, Yang Wuwei's two cousins, Yang Wudi and Yang Wuxin, Fei Wen from Sheshan Hall, Zhou Yun, the chief disciple of Wufeng Shangxiu, and Qin Sufu, the military commander of Sima Mansion, also arrived one after another.

Kang, Jiang, and Yang calculated that the time was approaching, so they immediately packed up the wine vessels and food, dispersed, chose a place to settle down, and waited for the arrival of their respective superiors.

Wu Feng was the first to arrive at the training ground. He had been a Core Formation cultivator for nearly 30 years, making him a seasoned cultivator. Moreover, he was a rare rogue cultivator among Core Formation cultivators, and thus had a high reputation among the lower-level cultivators in the surrounding states.

However, since he formed his core, he has rarely won against opponents of the same level. It is said that sixty years ago, he fought against Yue Lin and Yuan Buwen in Yunjiao Prefecture. All three of them used their trump cards, but the battle ended in a draw. I don't know if this is true or not.

It is said that Fei Nanying summoned him this time with the intention of establishing a sect in Dingzhou and Wufeng, which were left behind by the Hongyi Sect. After all, the Supreme Elder Jieyi of the Hongyi Sect was also a cultivator who was not good at fighting.

Yang Baoshan and Yang Yongcheng came after Master Wufeng.

Under the leadership of the two aforementioned cultivators, the direct line of the Yang family has been living quite well in recent years, and now most of the counties and towns in Yezhou have been occupied by the direct line of the Yang family. The collateral branches of the Yang family seem to have received instructions from the Liangyi Sect, and their resistance is not fierce. It is unknown whether they will lie low and make a move later.

Just when Kang Dabao thought that after the two Yang family elders had finished their cultivation, Jun Tianqin and Fei Nanying would arrive, a couple descended on auspicious clouds.

The husband was thin and frail, with hardly any flesh on his face; the wife, on the other hand, was extremely beautiful, with a captivating charm that aroused the envy of countless people in the room.

"Lady Qi has come too?" Kang and Jiang were surprised, but upon reflection, they found nothing particularly surprising, since the Marquis of Nan'an had achieved the Golden Core, the prefectural government's authority had indeed become much more effective.

At this point, they could not approach and start a conversation. The two brothers simply bowed as usual, not daring to overstep their bounds.

Only after the aforementioned four high-level cultivators from the three parties had all arrived did Jun Tianqin and Fei Nanying finally arrive, albeit late. The previously aloof Golden Core cultivators instantly adopted the same respectful expressions as the younger generation present.

"Greetings, Senior Fei."

Jun Tianqin didn't care at all and simply flicked his left wing in return. He was a nobleman of the Immortal Dynasty who had been ennobled during the reign of the late emperor. Even if these Golden Core cultivators in the room had lived for hundreds of years, they were still just juniors in his eyes. He was certainly worthy of this greeting.

This old bird, who never liked idle talk, didn't consult with the other cultivators, but simply pointed and said:

"Fu Neng will arrive soon. The order of the rounds is as follows: Zhou Yun will be in the first round, Fei Wen in the second, Yang Wuxin in the third, Qin Sufu in the fourth, Jiang Qing in the fifth, Yang Wudi in the sixth, Yang Wuwei in the seventh, Cao Xianlu in the eighth, and the Kang family boy in the ninth."

All the Golden Core cultivators, including Fei Nanying, remained silent and held their breath. Regardless of whether the order listed by Jun Tianqin matched their prior guesses, no change was observed in their expressions.

As soon as the words were spoken, only Cao Xianlu, who was standing in the Eight Formations, laughed, which made Fei Nanying's face darken. Jun Tianqin was even more furious and said in a cold tone, "What, you want to have a fight with Kang Dabao first?"

The old bird made no attempt to conceal the chilling intent in his words. Only a few days had passed since the incident with Fei Enxing. If even the personal disciple of the Barbarian Ghost Sect's leader dared to be so disrespectful, Jun Tianqin would show no mercy.

If it were truly provoked, this old bird might even dare to twist Cao Xianlu's head off and drop it directly into the Barbarian Ghost Sect leader's rice bowl.

Cao Xianlu was a composed man. Despite being glared at by the giant bird's fierce eyes, he showed no sign of panic and replied with a smile, "Elder Zong may have misunderstood. I am only grateful for Elder Zong's kindness in helping me and also feel sorry for Fellow Daoist Kang."

"Why do you feel sorry for him?" Jun Tianqin's tone remained unchanged, but the killing intent within seemed to have intensified.

Cao Xianlu, however, stood tall and fearless, and said with a smile as usual: "Since Xianlu is ranked before Fellow Daoist Kang, then the third-tier beast core that Elder Zong promised beforehand will naturally not be available to Fellow Daoist Kang."

"Good lad!!" Jun Tianqin's anger turned to joy, and he laughed a few times: "You have some ambition! You should be like that!"

Cao Xianlu's words drew praise from the Fei family elders, and the cultivators in the room also turned their gazes toward him, though outsiders could not discern whether it was praise or criticism.

After receiving the praise, Cao Xianlu looked at Master Kang with a hint of provocation in his eyes. The latter, however, didn't seem to mind and instead smiled and nodded in response.

Cao Xianlu found Cao Xianlu's reaction, which was as dull as dough, to be incredibly boring. He thought to himself, "This fellow is so dull. If I make him angry, this second elder might actually switch places with me."

The Huangzhou Barbarian Ghost Sect is not considered a major sect. Over its thousand-year history, each generation has only had one or two Golden Core cultivators presiding over it. This level of strength might make it a regional hegemon in the border barbarian prefectures, but in the capital region, it would hardly be considered a leader.

Therefore, compared to serving as an elder or protector in the family, Cao Xianlu would much rather climb the ranks in the Fei family's Yingshan Army. Ideally, he could marry a legitimate daughter of the Fei family, just like Kang Dabao, and thus rise to prominence.

However, Cao Xianlu's regret was short-lived, as he soon saw varying degrees of annoyance on the faces of the officials before him.

Immediately afterwards, strange movements appeared on the horizon.

A blood-red lotus platform shattered the flowing clouds and rushed over.

An indescribable, sweet-smelling odor filled the air. A handsome monk leaned against the center of a six-petaled lotus, his eyes lowered. He wore a bright yellow monk's hat, and his robe revealed his pale collarbone. The Sanskrit tattoos that snaked beneath his skin flickered in and out, like a row of centipedes crawling endlessly in his flesh.

The monk leaned against a lotus petal, his body bathed in crimson light, and smiled faintly as he plucked a flower. His phoenix eyes were tinged with gold dust at the corners, and his gaze seemed to dance with the rhythmic patterns of Sanskrit.

Her snow-white skin made the cinnabar between her brows appear even more alluring, and around her neck hung a string of white necklaces, each about two fingers wide, made from the skulls of Foundation Establishment cultivators, swaying incessantly.

With each breath, the monk seemed to exhale wisps of miasma that swirled and danced around him. His knuckles, which held the human bone prayer beads, were bluish-white, and his wrists were still wrapped with faded prayer flag fragments, the gold thread embroidery forming snake-like dark patterns, eerie and unpredictable.

During the journey, the handsome monk lightly tapped the lotus platform with his finger, and the sound of his knuckles striking the solidified blood light was like the sound of gold and jade.

The eight barefoot women behind him, barely clothed, tensed up instantly, their silver bells jingling incessantly beneath their thin veils, arousing a burning desire within him.

As the handsome monk drew closer, the resounding chanting of sutras echoed through the air, the golden Sanskrit characters seeming to dye half the sky into a Buddhist kingdom.

As the chanting and the blood-red lotus platform drew closer, Cao Xianlu's heroic spirit gradually dissipated.

He wasn't the only one in the arena who was extremely nervous; the expressions of the nine people who were scheduled for rotation all turned solemn. Even the Golden Core cultivators in the arena showed a hint of seriousness on their faces.

Despite facing so many enemy high-ranking officials alone, Fu Neng's smile only deepened.

He rode the blood-red lotus platform for a hundred feet and then stopped, and the disturbing Buddhist chanting gradually ceased.

As Fu Neng descended through layers of white clouds, he clasped his hands together and said humbly, "I respectfully wish you good health and peace. I am Fu Neng, the 126th abbot of Benying Monastery, and I pay my respects to all my seniors."

No one answered him, but Fu Neng remained fearless, undisturbed, and unperturbed. He raised his head, clasped his hands together, and bowed again, saying, "May you, senior, attain Buddhahood!"

His smile was sincere, like that of a jade Buddha.

"Zi La"

Fu Neng's smile froze. His monk's robes and outer ornaments were completely destroyed. He was unharmed, but his hair stood on end and he was naked.

"Ha, what a little bastard! Pretending to be a god, what are you doing wearing those worthless ornaments and making such a big show of yourself like those lewd monks in your family? I thought it was one of your Zen masters from Benying Temple who broke his promise and secretly left the Snow Mountain to spread the Dharma in the east!"

The mountain wind that blew was nothing compared to the chilling, bone-piercing mockery that followed. Fu Neng never expected that her enemy, Gao Xiu, would be so unseemly. Her jade-like face flushed red, and she was about to cover it up.

"Stop covering up, we've already seen everything! Bring out all your useful magical artifacts and let's start naked! I still need to go to Cold Crow Mountain to retrieve the beast cores I promised these kids! Don't delay!!"

(End of this chapter)