Chapter 484: Investment Is a Form of Wisdom

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"The Queen of the Women's Kingdom is a mortal—likely long gone—so I'm not surprised you never got to see her beauty."

Meng Qi rode his horse, speaking softly: "That scorpion demon was quite beautiful; she only wanted your primordial yang. Why be so stingy? In ancient times, the Buddha once cut his flesh to feed an eagle—why can't you, Master Sanzang, offer your body to the scorpion?"

"Well said." Su Lin lay on the back of the green ox, basking in the sun, holding up a trembling white scorpion inside a glass bottle: "What's there to fear? You didn't even prick my finger—why would I use you to soak in liquor?"

Su Lin casually pulled out an orange and tossed it to the young man ahead, then asked: "By the way, Meng Qi, you seem a bit upset?"

"How could I be? But when are you returning my old Sun's ox?" Meng Qi replied with a forced smile.

Since using an orange to lure the horned green ox out of the Golden Rhinoceros Cave, Meng Qi had naturally acquired a new mount.

This dumb ox was powerful, carried several treasures, and was loyal to him—Meng Qi even planned to take it along after this mission was complete.

But the demon monk ahead had seized the mount, claiming it violated the Monkey archetype.

"The Dao that can be spoken is not the eternal Dao," Su Lin chanted the Dao De Jing leisurely, conjuring a purple aura streaming from the west.

You're even stealing my disguise?!

This is something a monkey can't tolerate!

Shi Hao urged Meng Qi to lower his Ruyi Jingu Bang: "Li Shixiong, that monk doesn't know the Tightening Circlet Spell, but he knows others."

"Warn me before you strike," Kleine said from behind: "I'll start a livestream and take bets."

Meng Qi lowered the Ruyi Jingu Bang, and as the "Endurance Secret" activated, another technique—Body Immobilization Spell—appeared in his mind.

"Thank you, Saint Monk Su Lin!"

"Nonsense, what's there to thank between us?"

"Can I borrow the Azure Void Sword for a few years?"

"Hahaha, Wukong, your joke-telling has improved!"

Water-Repelling Spell loaded.

"Saint Monk," Meng Qi twitched his lips and said: "If you keep this up, you'll never achieve full synchronization with what Master Sanzang left inside the Nine-Ringed Staff—including his Buddhist cultivation."

Though he didn't know how strong the Tang Sanzang of this world truly was—or whether he was truly mortal—if he played the role well, even accounting for his past life as the Golden Cicada, there would still be some gains.

"Synchronization?" Su Lin sat up, turning his head: "Didn't that reach ninety percent on day one? The only thing I learned recently was the Tightening Circlet Spell."

"Oh, om ma ni pad me om ma ni…"

Ahead, Su Lin stopped chanting the Dao De Jing and began singing the Tightening Circlet Spell.

But Meng Qi felt no joy—nor did those around him; they had unconsciously pulled their reins, halting their horses, all lowering their heads.

"Wait, seriously?"

Watching Su Lin's figure riding the ox into the distance, several faces darkened.

Meng Qi took a deep breath and burst into laughter: "Hah! What a hellish joke—that monk's definitely lying to me!"

"Even King Buren III's reforms for the people, and Amon's repentance, are less hellish," Kleine said flatly.

Lu Mingfei widened his eyes: "Zuo Wang Dao! It must be Zuo Wang Dao—he's joined Zuo Wang Dao!"

Li Huowang looked at Lu Mingfei, eyes confused: "Should I say Brother Su pulled a good trick—or that God Himself pulled the better one?"

"Could Bodhisattva Mo's mistaking Su Lin for the Buddha be connected to that time's Buddha Palm?" Han Li mused.

"Though Meng Qi and Su Lin's Buddha Palm share the same origin, when I observed that day, I noticed many differences—plus his Dharma Body seems altered too. This change might…"

No one replied.

They still didn't know what kind of being the original Tang Sanzang of this world truly was—the good monk spoken of by the Tang Emperor.

Until the second night fell.

Su Lin and the others, having accepted the side quest, arrived at Bibo Pond.

Su Lin asked Meng Qi the same question he asked every day: "Wuneng, what meat are we eating tonight?"

"How about dragon meat?" Shi Hao glanced at the green pond and replied instinctively: "We should get to eat it this time—hope they haven't been attacked by Reincarnators."

Su Lin beamed: "Excellent! Wukong, draw a circle to protect your master!"

'If a demon comes, you'll have to walk out yourself to get snacks, right?' Meng Qi sighed, lifting his staff and entering the water.

Body Double loaded: The human attains an immortal body, spirit emerges, transforms without limit, one becomes ten, ten becomes a hundred, a hundred thousand million transformations—all are methods of the Body Double.

"Maybe we could ambush them with tens of thousands of mass-produced Holy Grenades? Back home, there was a guy named Li Yunlong who did this against the Yamazaki Regiment."

Swish—

Su Lin's image, with six luminous wings sprouting from his back, projected into the air: in the scene, he held a radiant, holy light that purified countless demons and monsters—including a squad of Reincarnators.

Watching this scene were various Reincarnators, dressed as demons, ghosts, immortals, or sages.

"Alright, damn it—we ran into a Holy Archangel. Anyone wanna PvP with our squad?"

"Perfect. Let's head to Lingshan."

A Reincarnator disguised as a Leopard Demon and another with peach blossoms on his head waved to their teammates, signaling them to leave.

The two groups sized each other up—some taunting, some dismissive—but the killing intent on both sides grew heavier.

Just as they reached the edge of the mist-shrouded Buddhist hall, a red-haired woman in a tight-fitting suit appeared.

"Miss Lati, this isn't a superhero movie set—unless you plan to block the door with your incomplete Phoenix power?" the Leopard Demon Reincarnator asked: "Your Dang Hun shouldn't be this overbearing."

"Then why not sit down and talk?" Lati pointed to the spot behind her.

"I've heard of your two squads' reputations. Not as famous as Bai Mingsheng's, but still among the top-tier A-rank teams."

"Top my ass!!!" The peach-blossom Reincarnator, following Lati's gesture, exploded:

"You yourselves said that monkey is a Supreme Being from another realm—and this Tang Sanzang is some kind of mythic angel from who-knows-where! Three A-rank squads, plus the instantly wiped-out Chechi Three Demons, didn't last ten minutes—do you expect us to walk into that?!"

"Sis, if even you can't handle it, what use are we, low-tier nobodies?"

The Leopard Demon Reincarnator rubbed his mustache and nodded: "I once suspected the Reincarnation Space wanted to kill us. Now I'm certain—it does."

"Don't worry—that Tang Sanzang isn't an angel," Bodhisattva Mo appeared silently between the two squads, smiling: "He's merely the Buddha Shakyamuni from another world."

Leopard-skin Reincarnator: «»

Peach-blossom-wearing Reincarnator: «»

We might as well find a way to kill the other teams.

«This matchmaking system must be broken, » said the Gray Wolf, head bowed on the table, lips twitching as he recalled his own past ordeal:

«Those others are probably not simple either—all possess temporal law abilities. Could they be some god or immortal? »

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Wu You, captain of the Huanyu team, sat aside; her group had not yet exited the instance. Previously at Mount Fuling, their team had been sealed inside the Jade Pure Vase by Mu Yan, who bore the essence of Guanyin.

"An entire team, all of them"—Leopard-skin Reincarnator opened his mouth: "Even my homeland's myths don't have this kind of gameplay."

As everyone knows, the Reincarnation Space has its own fair and reasonable matchmaking system. While team battle instances may have power disparities, it's rare for someone like the figure on screen—with wings like a Buddha—to slaughter everyone in a crushing manner.

«Are those guys really Reincarnators and not natives?! » someone asked. «I'm not well-educated—don't fool me. »

Someone slammed the table: «I'm f***ing you—»

Despair and relief spread among many Reincarnator teams: despair because the Tang Seng meat was essentially wasted, relief because they themselves hadn't been sacrificed yet.

More people now agree with the idea of «killing a few competitors to complete the mission and return to the Reincarnation Space early, » even

Some have already begun preparing to strike.

The temperature plummeted abruptly; all Reincarnators present felt as if plunged into the frigid Ninth Abyss, their souls chilled to the bone, dissolving much of their chaos and selfish thoughts.

Indeed, here, at least, no one can strike.

Their gazes turned collectively toward the depths of Lei Yinsi, where a shadow flickered like flame, then coalesced into a pale-skinned, solemn middle-aged man.

Herbak, captain of the S-class team 【Soul Shaker】, his power

«Congratulations. It seems you've crossed that threshold, Herbak. Even renowned SS-class teams would extend olive branches to you personally, » said the Peach-blossom-wearing Reincarnator seriously, without flattery:

«In the pinnacle pyramid structure of team development, other members channel part of their resources toward the one with the greatest potential and ability, and the nurtured individual, after each breakthrough, spends time to

«This cycle requires three prerequisites: trust, restraint, and stakes. »

«Our team follows a different developmental path, with more dispersed power distribution. You've seen it—we can't help even if we stay here. »

Herbak propped his chin, sweeping his gaze over these A-class Reincarnators.

Wei Wu stepped forward, puzzled: "I can't understand how they reached this level of power to enter this instance."

«Uncle Wu, do you remember that unverified rumor circulating only among top-tier teams in the Reincarnation Space? » Herbak asked:

«Unlike us, selected Reincarnators, some special ones were invited. »

Their team has already lost three members, even one transformed into a grotesque and was suppressed.

«But none of that matters—what matters is our team must complete this promotion mission, » Herbak said, looking at the group, a faint smile curling his lips:

«The greatest trait of Reincarnators is that they come from different universes, different timelines, with different backgrounds and identities. »

«Let me be blunt: our team came up from the A-class tier. At this stage, which team doesn't have a few trump cards and rare encounters? »

«Let's make a deal—or you can treat this as an investment. »

A sliver of black light flashed and vanished.

Immediately, countless tormented souls surged from the horizon's end—a pitch-black river devouring all color in the world.

The wails and anguish of the dead became the river's roar, tearing apart light, splitting the heavens into two halves until reaching the peak of the Buddha-lit Lingshan.

«Amitabha, » Bodhisattva Poxun closed his eyes.

Instantly, the few remaining traces of eternally damned souls were erased, transformed into the purest power in the world, pouring into Wu You, captain of the Huanyu team.

Herbak rose from the Wang Zuo, walked atop the Underworld River, and reached Wu You's side: "This is the advance payment I promised. I said I wouldn't let you down."

Wu You pressed her lips together; the scholar-dressed woman withdrew a scroll from her bosom. Herbak glanced at it, then summoned even more pure soul energy.

All the countless souls of the Myriad Worlds—from celestial immortals and demons down to mortals and beasts—were under his control.

As Wu You flung the scroll, she immediately knelt before it and bowed: «Student Wu You humbly implore the Sage of Confucianism to return! »

The faint, long-dormant light within the scroll flared brightly again; the scroll unfurled with a rustling sound, revealing a plain man in Confucian robes, his eyes slowly opening.

The righteous Qi of Hao Ran echoed through heaven and earth; the bone-chilling cold vanished instantly.

Countless universes swallowed by the abyss will endlessly cycle through countless similar and dissimilar stories.

Once-extinguished kindling, once-glorious symbols, ancient histories of other worlds—all can be reignited upon this ruin.

Until all other things are turned into fuel, to illuminate the path of the one who holds the flame.

Poxun, watching this scene, formed a dharma seal with his hands; compassion and wisdom radiated around him: «The scripture seeker has broken seven trials. Now they've reached Lion-Camel Ridge. That Jin Chida may prove useful. »

The sky trembled; countless lightning bolts danced wildly. A piercing shriek echoed from the void.

Crack! A celestial vessel flew from the distant horizon, shattering through layers of space, as if encountering resistance—its entire hull screamed in madness.

The celestial vessel could not hold together—it shattered and scattered. One larger fragment crashed into the Skull Ridge, a mountain range dense with bones like a forest.

«Why has the Upper Realm become like this? »

Human hair woven into felt sheets; human flesh and skin rotted into mud and dust. Human tendons coiled around trees, dry and shimmering like silver.

«My cultivation is indeed suppressed. Qingyao, as you foresaw. »

Several cultivators dressed in attire resembling the Qin dynasty stared at a girl with a younger appearance.

«It's over, just like a dream. It's all over, » Qingyao whispered, her brown eyes filled with terror as she gazed despairingly at the mountain of corpses and seas of blood.

«We can't escape. The demon lord is coming. »

Since long ago, she had possessed a unique precognitive talent, which she had hidden, using it to gain entry into the immortal sect.

But months ago, she first foresaw the invasion of the demon from beyond heaven, then foresaw the sect's immortals ascending and fleeing, abandoning their disciples.

Only then did she reveal her talent to others, proving her worth.

She had thought ascending to the Upper Realm would ensure survival—but upon arrival, the future changed again.

It was the image of an immortal being snatched up by an elephant's trunk and shoved into its mouth, senior brothers and sisters sucked into the jaws of a green lion, and himself shattered at random by an invisible Jin Guang.

No matter how he fled

No matter where he fled or what spell he used.

The sect's senior and junior brothers, as well as the elders, all stared at him, but Qing Yao gazed toward a direction in the distant sky.

Ti—!

A piercing shriek came from the Sea of White Bones, as if it had been waiting for this moment.

"It's over."

"Venerable ones, may I ask if this is Shituo Ridge?" A gentle voice sounded behind him.

Qing Yao turned around dazedly and saw a monk riding a blue ox appear silently behind her.

A Bai Yu elephant trunk suddenly appeared, whooshing away the monk and his ox in an instant.

An unfamiliar scene