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."
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
lanned to earn money steadily and take life at a slower pace. But he never expected... his father's remarriage, and the stepmother bringing along a dependent, would completely disrupt his life's plans...
young master of the Shen family—a figure of immense power and wealth beyond measure—and awakened the "Destined Ultimate Villain System"! His starting scenario? Running into his icy fiancée who shows up with a mountain-descending divine doctor to break off their engagement. The divine doctor arrogantly taunts: "What does your Shen family have besides a bit of stinking money? You're not even worthy of tying Qingxue's shoelaces!" Shen Fei just smiled. He completely defied the usual script: "Fine, I agree to break off the engagement. Also, notify the finance department to withdraw all investments from the Su family." Minutes later, with its capital chain severed, the Su Group teetered on the brink of bankruptcy! The once aloof and proud ice queen CEO was thrown into utter panic. That very night, she went to Shen Fei's villa, casting aside all dignity to beg and plead desperately... From then on, in this world teeming with Sons of Destiny, Shen Fei embarked on a path of extreme dimensional suppression! A mountain-descending divine doctor? Peerless medical skills? Shen Fei: "Reporting you for practicing medicine without a license! I'll gladly take your ancient medicinal cauldron and twin sister assassins." The Crooked-Smiling Dragon King? Commanding a hundred thousand soldiers with a single order? Shen Fei: "Illegal assembly and suspected treason! Let a fleet of attack helicopters sanitize the area and teach you what the state apparatus really means!" A reborn tycoon? Knows all the golden opportunities of the next decade? Shen Fei: "A trillion in capital to reverse and pump the stock market, making you blow your margin and jump on the very first day of your rebirth!" What Chosen Ones? What bearers of Heavenly Fortune? In Shen Fei's eyes, they're all just chives (i.e., suckers/marks) waiting to be harvested! Shen Fei: "Sorry, but as the Destined Ultimate Villain, I don't play by the rules of honor. I only play the game of dimensional suppression."
ut it can buy an entire year of absolutely perfect training results! Su Yu stared at his empty wallet and decisively opened up various online loan platforms. “Borrow a thousand bucks! Recharge my vitality!” Boom! His vitality broke a hundred points, shattering the limits of the human body! “Borrow ten thousand bucks! Recharge my combat skills!” Boom! A basic punching technique so common it was everywhere instantly maxed out, revealing the ultimate assassination technique of Five Elements Unity—Inner Force! When a rich kid hired assassins for a midnight ambush, aiming to break both of his legs, they instead ran headfirst into a monster—a human-shaped tyrannosaur, brimming with dragon-like vitality. With just two fingers, Su Yu snapped a steel staff reinforced with alloy. Staring at the killer’s stash of stolen cash—a staggering quarter-million dollars—he showed a corporate-sincere smile: “Thanks for the pre-exam gift pack, Mr. Zhao! I’m gonna go re-invest this!” Three days later, at the National Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, while everyone else struggled just to reach the passing line, Su Yu threw a single punch—and more than a thousand vitality points literally detonated the entire arena!
