Esoteric Buddhism: To live as king in America

"I have heard that some esoteric sects are trying to study mortal familiars, or supernatural animals, in order to overcome the problem that the supernatural beings on the outer walls cannot manifest in the mortal world for a long time."

Li Zhaoning opened his mouth to explain:

"I suspect that the mental hospital where Ain is located might be the site of some secret cult conducting such experiments. And this bird might be a product of such experiments."

"Isn't it possible that it's a 'lackey' in disguise?"

Mian asked, his mind replaying Org's half-beast, half-human form.

In response, Li Zhaoning stuck out her tongue.

"Absolutely impossible—"

She deliberately drew out her tone to show her affirmation.

Have you forgotten which path I belong to?

Li Zhaoning patted his chest.

"I'm a 'Skin Changer,' a path adjacent to 'Minions.' I might not recognize other types of superhumans. But if I can't recognize these muscle-bound brutes called 'Minions,' then I might as well go home and marry some old man... Oh, little Ain, you're not included in the 'muscle-bound brutes' category."

Li Zhaoning winked at Ai Yin, who was holding a bird, then turned to Mi An and said:

"This bird may have come from such an institution, where it was given certain supernatural abilities through special modifications. By chance, it escaped and then used these supernatural abilities to influence Carol—probably through some kind of continuous mental suggestion or hypnosis—making Carol the bird's protector without her even realizing it."

Mian nodded heavily. Li Zhaoning's guess coincided with his own. Ordinary skuas could never do that.

"We have to protect them."

Mian made a decisive decision, his voice low and firm.

"We need to figure out what exactly happened to this bird and Carol. We need to find an 'expert' who is better at the mental realm or... animal communication."

Li Zhaoning immediately understood:

"Understood. I'll contact my channels and see if I can find a suitable 'fisherman' or someone who has studied the 'Skuas' path. Until then, let's take Carol and the bird to the Black Tower for protection."

This was naturally a perfectly reasonable arrangement, but an unexpected event occurred the moment Li Zhaoning uttered those words.

Suddenly, a lot of white characters appeared in Mian's field of vision.

The familiar, slightly cold white text, like a spotlight on a stage, was projected directly onto his retina without warning, so clear it was blinding.

That's Mian's cheat code.

After that near-death experience, it seemed no longer needed the reflection of the mirror, but had completely broken free from its constraints and was directly imprinted into his consciousness.

As the ruler of this country, you have always been generous in protecting its people. However, just as a speeding chariot will inevitably encounter maggots blocking its path, Your Majesty, as king, has sensed that these evil creatures are already lying in wait, ready to deliver a fatal blow to your backs.

[Your Majesty, teach them a lesson. Let these maggots know who truly rules this country.]

The text still uses a playful, fairytale-like tone to describe things from another world.

"Ugh."

Mian sighed.

He had to admit that he always envied his counterpart in that other world, who possessed such formidable power and was able to uncover all hidden conspiracies and schemes.

But he also knew that envy was the most useless emotion; at least he could indirectly glimpse a corner of the conspiracy through his cheat-like abilities.

"Wait, Zara!"

Mian stopped Li Zhaoning, who was about to persuade Carol to leave, and restarted the telepathic dialogue.

"There's an ambush. My thing, tell me what's lying in ambush on our way back."

Li Zhaoning's movements stopped instantly.

She didn't question Mian's words at all, but merely glanced around with her cunning eyes, then responded in kind with telepathy:

"If that's the case, then we're in trouble. Ain's killing intent is still too vague, and she can't detect the trap. Facing an ambush by a superhuman, protecting a mortal and a bird will put us at a significant disadvantage."

"Can you use a detection spell?"

Mian frowned, thought for a moment, and said:

"If we could locate them in advance, it would be simpler."

Upon hearing this, Li Zhaoning showed a bitter smile and helplessness.

"Mian, my lord, you overestimate the power of my magic. In the open countryside, my detection spell can indeed cover a radius of two kilometers, but in a place like Free City?"

She pointed out the window to the noisy, chaotic slum, teeming with countless diverse and vibrant lives.

"This place is packed with people, a cacophony of desires, emotions, and life forces, like a pot of boiling porridge. My detection spells are at least halved in effectiveness, and their accuracy is greatly reduced, making it difficult to precisely distinguish specific supernatural signals from the countless 'noises.' Moreover..."

She paused, a pained expression on her face.

"This kind of wide-range, continuous detection spell consumes more than just my mental energy; it requires specific extraordinary materials as fuel. These aren't roadside cabbages; they have to be obtained from the outer walls using special methods. Every bit used is a bit less, and it's impossible to keep it running like a radar indefinitely. The materials I have left simply can't support prolonged, precise detection in this environment."

These words immediately created a tense atmosphere in the room.

Just when she was at her wit's end, Mian's gaze fell on her arm. A bold, even somewhat absurd, idea flashed through her mind.

"Extraordinary materials..."

Mian muttered to herself, then looked at Li Zhaoning with an unusually serious expression.

"Zara, you said you need specific extraordinary materials... how about my blood?"

Li Zhaoning was stunned for a moment, then looked at Mi An as if she were a madman.

"Your blood? Are you kidding me? Do you think you're a walking potion ingredient bank? The meager life force contained in mortal blood is simply insufficient to support this level of spell. Even if you were chosen by the gods, you could only serve as a partial material for a specific path. The materials required to detect spells aren't just one or two, but rather..."

Her rebuttal came to an abrupt end.

Because Mian had already rolled up his sleeves without hesitation, revealing his forearm, and used the dagger that Li Zhaoning had forged earlier to make a shallow cut on his arm.

Bright red blood immediately seeped out and slowly slid down the skin.

"Now that things have come to this, let's give it a try, no matter what. At least I did manage to use it as material once."

As Mian said this, she stretched out her bleeding arm in front of Li Zhaoning.

Li Zhaoning seemed somewhat skeptical, but he was not the kind of person who hesitated.

Because she used entirely new materials, Li Zhaoning couldn't easily cast spells using the curse marks left on her body. So she took some of Mian's blood and immediately began setting up the spell in Carlo's room.

Under Carol's utterly astonished gaze, Li Zhaoning skillfully manipulated the threads that had separated from his clothes to draw the entire magic circle. Before long, he had completed the task, with only the final step remaining.

Drip Mian's blood into it.

With a complex expression, Li Zhaoning took out the silk thread stained with Mi An's blood and suspended it above the magic array.

Blood dripped slowly, and then the entire magic circle actually emitted a dazzling light.

The detection spell, using Mian's blood as a catalyst, has been activated.