Two nights later, under the veil of darkness.
At this moment, Wanfo City began to adorn itself with lanterns and decorations, draping the Buddhas in colors rarely seen on the common folk.
Young monks had already taken the lead, guiding the people in chanting scriptures, while others preached the radiance of the Buddha.
Even in the dead of night, the ceaseless murmur of prayers drifted in from outside.
The city had transformed, as if it had become a realm of the Buddha itself.
Chu Xingchen stood atop the pavilion, his expression neither joyful nor sorrowful as he observed the devout citizens below, their chants giving rise to streams of faith that drifted upward, merging into the statues of the Buddha.
It seemed anything that could be extracted from the people—wealth, devotion, even their whispered hopes—was being siphoned away.
These people were unaware that their piety was paving the path beneath another’s feet.
Or perhaps… it was sharpening the blade that would one day turn against them.
Ignorance was a blade that knew no morality—it did not falter for pity, nor did it bend for fairness.
Unjust, yet impartial in its cruelty.
Chu Xingchen tapped lightly on the railing, his thoughts unreadable.
Yuan Jing had also gathered faith, but he had genuinely done something for those people, paying a real price in return.
So… it was a shame that monk had passed into nirvana.
A knock came at the door. Xu Jin waited until he heard Chu Xingchen’s permission before entering.
Stepping inside, he found Chu Xingchen standing on the balcony of the tavern, gazing downward.
Xu Jin was about to speak when his attention was abruptly stolen by the woman from the Sky Patrol Division—Lizhi, at the Foundation Establishment stage.
Her eyes were slightly narrowed, her head tilting faintly, as if studying him with an expectant gleam.
Xu Jin fell silent for a moment before turning back to Chu Xingchen, unable to resist asking:
"What’s wrong with her? She wasn’t like this last time."
How had she ended up like this after just two days by Chu Xingchen’s side?
Hearing this, Lizhi’s eyes returned to normal, her head stilling as she let out a quiet sigh of relief and took a large swig from her wine cup.
The tea in the Western Ox Continent could barely be called tea, but the wine was undeniably strong—at the very least, it was potent.
Chu Xingchen’s expression eased as he turned, a familiar smile playing on his lips.
"She was curious whether we, at the Nascent Soul stage, could actually read her thoughts. She thought I was bluffing and wanted to test it on you."
Xu Jin didn’t quite know how to respond, though he was aware of the straightforward and unrestrained nature of the Western Ox Continent’s people.
No matter. There were more pressing matters.
Xu Jin stepped to the window, his gaze settling on the crowd of devoted worshippers below.
"Strictly speaking, the Wanfo Assembly begins tonight and will reach its peak tomorrow."
"After tomorrow, we can trace the flow of this faith. If it diverges, we’ll split up and follow each path."
Chu Xingchen tapped the railing again before suddenly asking:
"So, you plan to wait until tomorrow’s end before making a move?"
Xu Jin glanced at him. "You have another idea?"
Chu Xingchen’s smile remained as he looked down.
"Since we’re here, we might as well witness the methods of the Buddhist sect."
Xu Jin followed his gaze. What methods could the Western Ox Continent’s Buddhist sect possibly have? The true teachings lay with the Central Continent’s sect.
But… was Chu Xingchen implying something he couldn’t voice outright?
After a brief pause, Xu Jin nodded firmly.
"If Brother Chu wishes to proceed, I’ll accompany you."
Chu Xingchen studied Xu Jin’s resolute expression before clapping him on the shoulder approvingly.
"Brother Xu, you’re a real man!"
Xu Jin chuckled, the solemnity on his face easing slightly as he returned the gesture.
Ignoring Xu Jin’s inexplicable amusement, Chu Xingchen retrieved a jade slip and a protective amulet from his spatial ring, tossing them to Lizhi with a command:
"You stay here and guard the base. If the protective artifact activates on its own, channel your spiritual energy into the jade slip immediately."
Lizhi caught the items reflexively before her eyes darted between the two, as if afraid they might vanish the next second.
"Wait!" she called out hastily.
Chu Xingchen turned, puzzled.
After a brief hesitation, Lizhi spoke again: "This senior isn’t from the Western Ox Continent either, right? I know some of the history and legends surrounding Wanfo Temple—the most famous in the city. It might help confirm your theories."
Chu Xingchen glanced at Xu Jin, who remained silent, leaving the decision to him.
On the main road leading from Fortune Tavern to the renowned Wanfo Temple, crowds of worshippers surged forward in anticipation of the pilgrimage.
Yet, as if by some unseen force, the throng parted to let them pass before closing seamlessly behind them.
Lizhi watched the crowd shift unnaturally and whispered:
"Won’t we be noticed? There are Buddhist cultivators in Wanfo Temple."
Chu Xingchen replied calmly, "Don’t underestimate the Nascent Soul stage."
Xu Jin shot him a questioning look, but Chu Xingchen’s expression betrayed nothing.
Lizhi nodded in understanding before turning her gaze to the tallest structure in the city—the Wanfo Pagoda.
She murmured softly:
"Whether Wanfo Temple truly holds ten thousand Buddhas, I don’t know. But one thing’s certain—even if there are Buddhas inside, none of them are real."
【Prologue: The Beginning of It All – Use holy water to heal the saintess tainted by demonic energy, then converse with her.】 Shen Nian stared at his older sister sipping yogurt, lost in thought. So you’re telling me my sister is the saintess, and yogurt is the holy water? 【Main Quest 1: Brave Youth, Become an Adventurer! Reward: Rookie Adventurer Title.】 【Side Quest 1: Find the Adorable Kitty! Reward: 1000 Gold Coins.】 Shen Nian: "Wait, I’m a high school senior here—did some guy who got isekai’d accidentally bind his system to me?" Hold on, completing quests gives gold rewards? Titles even boost stats? Is this for real? (A lighthearted, absurd campus comedy—not a revenge power fantasy.)
close your eyes and open them again, only to find yourself transmigrated into the role of a villainous male supporting character. Readers familiar with urban wish-fulfillment novels know that it is only through the relentless antics of the villainous male supporting character that the plot between the male and female leads can progress. As the villainous male supporting character, Long Aotian not only has to bully the female lead, harass the second female lead, and flirt with the third female lead, but he also has to go all out to antagonize the male lead. In the end, when his body is discovered, he is still clutching half a moldy fried dough stick in his hand. Fully aware of the plot, Long Aotian is determined to change his fate, starting with the female lead! In the beginning, the female lead lacks confidence: "Big brother, I hope I didn't scare you?" In the middle, the female lead treads carefully: "Brother Long, please don't hit me, okay?" Later on, the female lead becomes coquettishly clingy: "Aotian, it's time to pay the 'public grain' tonight." Long Aotian's legs go weak, and he feels like crying: "I taught you to be thick-skinned, not shameless!"
u serious?" Chen Feng watched helplessly as his painstakingly trained disciple, fresh off a championship victory, publicly abandoned him. "You had your chance, but you didn’t appreciate it. Now, face the consequences of your choice!" Chen Feng possessed the "Master System," a treasure trove of supreme martial arts techniques, capable of molding ordinary individuals into peerless prodigies. "Legs like yours? A shame not to train in the Crippling Kick." "Ever heard of a palm strike that descends from the heavens?" "Auntie! I see extraordinary bone structure in you—a martial arts prodigy, one in ten thousand." The once-defiant senior disciple, now watching her juniors rise to fame one after another, dominating the internet, was consumed by endless regret.
nto another world, I bought a slave for the first time, never expecting the silver wolf girl to be so cute... Lin Feng: I know it's cold, but you don't have to sneak into my bed! Yuna: Just sharing body warmth, if you dare do anything naughty, I'll definitely...
