“Big Senior Sister, Junior Brother Meng and I are planning to go to the Buddhist Kingdom.” Lu Yang was an honest person who always informed his elders before traveling out.

“You’re going to the Buddhist Kingdom?”

Yun Zhi took the letter sent from Kaihuang Temple, rather surprised.

I didn’t expect that while Shifu and Second Junior Brother have such terrible reputations in the Buddhist Kingdom, Little Junior Brother gets to receive an invitation from one of their temples. This is genuinely no small feat.

I knew it. Little Junior Brother is nothing like Shifu. His reputation in the outside world is excellent; he is an outstanding cultivator.

“Go ahead then. Remember to stay safe.”

“Should we visit Second Senior Brother while we’re at the Buddhist Kingdom?” Lu Yang remembered that Ye Zijin had frequent dealings with the major temples and was deeply enmeshed in the Buddhist Kingdom.

As Yun Zhi neatly folded the letter and slipped it back into its envelope, she replied, “Judging from the letters your Second Senior Brother sends from time to time, he has quite the number of enemies, more than he can handle. For safety’s sake, Little Junior Brother, it would be best not to meet him, lest you invite trouble upon yourself.”

Anyone capable of being Ye Zijin’s opponent would at least be at the Fusion Stage, and there were countless of them. No matter how confident Lu Yang was in his own cultivation, he had no confidence in dealing with so many people. At the critical juncture, even tossing Old Meng out as bait wouldn’t be useful.

Thinking of the second junior brother she hadn’t seen in a long while but had frequently heard of through diplomatic exchanges with the Buddhist Kingdom, Yun Zhi couldn’t help but sigh.

“Come to think of it, the four of us each learned something different from Shifu. It’s just that your Second Senior Brother learned nothing but Shifu’s ability to draw hatred. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

“Your Third Senior Sister is far better. What she learned from Shifu was musical arts. Although she stirred up a bit of trouble in the Demon Region, it was also to temper herself.

“You haven’t spent much time with Shifu, but a portion of your Sword Dao capabilities does originate from him.”

Lu Yang nodded. Indeed, the Sword Dao theories and techniques that Shifu imparted to me on a few occasions have benefited me immensely, especially Ten Thousand Swords Return to One, which I learned not long ago. It counts as one of my trump cards.

He was curious. “Big Senior Sister, what did you learn from Shifu?”

It doesn’t look like Big Senior Sister’s formidable abilities have anything to do with Shifu. Even for his Sword Dao skills, which he prides himself on, she has only studied the theory. As for drawing hatred and musical arts, I’ve never seen her use them, so she probably doesn’t know them either.

“I learned a principle.”

This only deepened Lu Yang’s curiosity. “What principle?”

With an expressionless face, Yun Zhi replied, “A disciple need not be inferior to their shifu, nor need a shifu be more sagacious than their disciple.”

Lu Yang. “...”

~~~

“Map of the Buddhist Kingdom, Introduction to Buddhist Teachings...” Lu Yang borrowed several books related to the Buddhist Kingdom from the scripture library, hoping they would be useful.

The Buddhist Kingdom was relatively insular, and his knowledge of it was limited.

“Why would you need an introduction to Buddhist teachings when you have me, the founder of Buddhism?” The Everlasting Immortal Fairy demonstrated her omniscience and her function as a golden finger cheat at the critical moment.

Considering the Everlasting Immortal Fairy’s identity, Lu Yang decided to bring along more Buddhist texts.

Exiting the scripture library, he found Meng Jingzhou waiting for him at the entrance.

“All packed? Shall we go?”

“Is True Lord Horse not coming?” Normally, Meng Jingzhou would bring the old horse along when they traveled out.

“He went back to the East Sea ten days ago to visit his family. If we wait for him to return, we may miss the Buddha Bathing Festival.

“With our cultivation levels, we’re more than capable of protecting ourselves outside. It’s fine even if the old horse isn’t with us,” Meng Jingzhou said cheerfully. Though he was initially not interested in the Buddhist Kingdom, now that they were about to depart, he couldn’t help but feel somewhat excited.

“True that.”

In the outside world, the two could barely qualify to establish a first-grade sect. Wherever they went, they could be considered a local tyrant.

Had they lived in the Great Yu Dynasty, they could have commanded the wind and rain as they pleased. Fusion cultivators would have addressed them as “fellow Daoists,” and the two could have become city lords, wielding authority over life and death within their territories, turning their cities into kingdoms within kingdoms. Mortals who beheld them would have trembled and offered up their wives and daughters.

~~~

“Hello, we’re heading to the Buddhist Kingdom.” Lu Yang handed his identity credentials to the border officials and waited for verification.

After examining and confirming Lu Yang’s identity and ensuring he didn’t carry any contraband, the officials granted him passage.

“You may proceed.”

“Thank you.”

This was the border between the Great Xia and the Buddhist Kingdom. Both cultivators and mortals had to pass through here to head to the Buddhist Kingdom.

Lu Yang noticed that those waiting behind him in line were a motley assortment. Some wore dirty monk robes, chanting sutras. Others were shrouded entirely in black robes, revealing only a single scarred eye. Some were burly, carrying greatswords that were two fingers thick. Others clutched delicate wooden boxes, shivering like a leaf.

Noticing Lu Yang’s gaze, they responded with gentle smiles or warning glances, and some averted their eyes, unwilling to meet his. They all seemed to harbor secrets.

Lu Yang easily discerned their cultivation realms: mortal, Level Four Qi Training Stage, mortal, Level Two Qi Training Stage...

To avoid the possibility of failing to recognize a mighty expert playing around in the mundane realm, Lu Yang specifically asked the Everlasting Immortal Fairy to check their cultivation realms. Her findings matched his own.

Lu Yang pressed his hand to his forehead. Could you all stop acting as if you carry world-shaking secrets? You’ve got me worried for nothing.

The two crossed the border smoothly, flying over a barren desert. With a disorienting spin, they arrived in the Buddhist Kingdom, where yellow sand filled the sky.

Cough, cough. “I knew the Buddhist Kingdom had a lot of sand, but this is absurd.”

Right as the two set foot in the Buddhist Kingdom, a fierce gale whipped up the sand, forcing them to erect spirit energy shields just to move normally. Although the sand sticking to their faces caused no real harm, it was ultimately unpleasant.

“The Buddhist Kingdom has been established for three hundred thousand years. Did they never think of planting trees?” Annoyed by the sand pelting his face, Meng Jingzhou inhaled deeply and exhaled forcefully, opposing the gale and blowing away all the sand ahead.

A Divine Transfiguration expert’s lung capacity was astonishing. Lu Yang estimated that Meng Jingzhou could blow for a quarter of an hour with a single breath.

Unlike the Central Continent, where dynasties constantly rose and fell, the Buddhist Kingdom occupied the Western Continent. Its founding coincided roughly with that of the Great Qian Dynasty, its history spanning three hundred thousand years.

The Buddhist Kingdom was founded on Buddhist faith, which gave it a relatively loose structure. Unlike the Great Xia, where imperial decrees were enforced across every city, the Buddhist Kingdom’s cities were more independent.

Lu Yang rolled his eyes. “Plant trees? The Buddhist Kingdom’s landmass is the same as that of the Great Xia, and there’s sand everywhere. Even if you get a Transcendent Tribulation cultivator to toil their entire life, they wouldn’t be able to plant enough to cover the whole place. It wouldn’t be effective even if the Western Temple issued a command.”

The Western Temple had a long history. It was the largest monastery in the Buddhist Kingdom and its governing body. The official documents the Dao-Seeking Sect frequently received from the Buddhist Kingdom, requesting that Ye Zijin be brought back, were all sent from the Western Temple.

“When the Four Ancient Immortals shaped the continents, they probably gathered all the deserts from every star here, along with those barren, uninhabitable stars. That’s how they created the Buddhist Kingdom as it is today. The fact that anyone can live here at all is already remarkable.”