Chapter 711: I Too Sit Upon the Lotus Platform

【First Tribulation: You flipped through the Lingwei Dao-Protecting Great Scripture, and a hazy, indistinct figure gradually appeared in your mind. It was not clear or vivid, yet it seemed to be etched into your divine soul, impossible to forget.】

Shen Yi sat cross-legged, his pupils gradually focusing, as if an extra ring of gold had appeared around them.

The Bodhisattva fruit position has no specific form; it places greater emphasis on the word "intent."

As the panel prompts emerged, Shen Yi found that he felt faintly familiar with that blurry figure, as if he had seen it long ago, and had even employed some of its power.

"So the Thousand-Armed Bodhisattva Dharma Body is derived from this shadow?"

"The Lingwei Dao-Protecting Scripture — the key lies in the two words 'protecting the Dao.'"

Shen Yi clumsily and stiffly mobilized the six golden threads within his body. The threads swayed as light as goose feathers, yet his divine soul seemed to bear the weight of countless mountains.

It was like a person with impaired hands and feet — merely picking it up made their palms tremble as if sifting chaff, let alone performing any delicate action, such as weaving it into shape.

But time can smooth away all discomfort.

Before the demon lifespan measured in tribulations, the six golden threads still managed to wrap around the amber-colored orb.

Shen Yi kept the true meaning of the shadow he had just seen firmly in mind, moving slowly, letting the golden threads gradually interweave and wrap around the orb.

But it was obvious that with only six golden threads, even something as crude as the roughest bamboo weave — full of gaps — could not fully take shape; it could only barely form the upper half of a human figure.

He suddenly accelerated the rate at which he poured in the demon's lifespan.

Every thousand tribulations of lifespan that passed would add another golden thread within his body.

Not until he had thoroughly mastered this third-rank true scripture did Shen Yi finally understand what the golden threads truly were.

A Zhengshen is the embodiment of the Heavenly Dao's order. For a cultivator to imitate one, they must seek the origin of the Great Dao's order from within the vast tribulation force.

And these golden threads are one such element of the Great Dao's order, called by the Puti Sect the "Power of Dao-Protection."

Soon, four thousand tribulations of demon lifespan were exhausted, and the four additional golden threads barely completed the lower half of that bamboo-weave-like little figure.

The amber orb slowly levitated, resembling the little figure's heart.

At the same time, Shen Yi's own heart began to beat in sync with the amber orb at the same rhythm.

The golden threads served as bones, with luminous pulp flowing through them, forming a thin membrane like skin, covering the gaps on the golden figure and concealing the amber orb within.

At this point, a new prompt emerged.

【Third-rank. Lingwei Dao-Protecting True Scripture (Remnant): Initiated】

The power of ten thousand tribulations and ten golden threads finally converged into a third-rank Bodhisattva fruit position.

But as of now, Shen Yi still could not possess a title like the Thousand-Armed Bodhisattva, because his Bodhisattva fruit position was only in its embryonic form. Even though he had vague ideas in his heart, he did not have enough golden threads to construct those miraculous features.

To be honest, before seeing the luminous pulp pour forth, Shen Yi had felt a chill in his heart.

After all, merely weaving a crude human-shaped framework had cost him ten golden threads. Could the thousand arms on that Bodhisattva have required a thousand threads of origin power?

Now it seemed that was not the case.

The other party might be somewhat stronger than him, but the gap was absolutely not that terrifying — otherwise, the Seven Treasures Bodhisattva's fruit position would only require seven golden threads to complete.

It was probably just different manifestations of the luminous pulp.

"Huu."

Shen Yi slowly closed his eyes. The remnant scripture on his knees stirred without wind, its pages flipping with a rustling sound.

He pressed his palms together.

Though dressed in a plain, clean ink-colored robe, a wisp of golden Buddhist light quietly emerged along the outline of his entire being.

The golden lotus that had originally resided within his body, used to hold the amber orb, slowly emerged from his body and reassembled beneath him in the form of flowing light.

When Shen Yi opened his eyes again, the golden rings at the edges of his pupils had grown more solid, and his entire being appeared exceedingly majestic.

He sat upright upon the lotus platform and suddenly shot up into the sky!

……

At the bustling gate of Songfeng Fucheng.

A fair-skinned youth dressed like a scholar stepped in slowly. His appearance shifted through countless forms, but the one constant was the black dog he led by a leash in his hand.

The Thousand-Armed Bodhisattva had still received no reply.

Finally unable to restrain himself any longer, he personally set foot within this divine dynasty's territory.

The binding he had left behind allowed him to sense very clearly that the Dragon-Subduing, Tiger-Taming Great Great Ming Wang was still alive.

If he was alive, why had he not replied?

Most likely, he had joined the Pan Sect.

Beings like the Daluo Immortal Venerable and the Bodhisattva paid little heed to evidence, acting instead according to their hearts.

The reason the Thousand-Armed Bodhisattva had not used that golden thread to directly erase the Dragon-Subduing, Tiger-Taming Great Great Ming Wang's life was that he too had learned of what this Great Ming Wang had done while protecting the scripture.

The other party's performance in suppressing those of the same realm had even far surpassed that of Jin Chan the Luo Han back in the day.

If Jin Chan had taken his seat upon the lotus platform and attained the Bodhisattva position, whether he would be willing to re-enter the mortal world to undergo tribulation was still uncertain.

When that time came, the Dragon-Subduing, Tiger-Taming Great Great Ming Wang would become the most promising candidate within the Puti Sect.

Such a fine jade of a talent — he was willing to give Shen Yi one more chance to meet with him. After all, as long as the chain remained in his grasp, even if Shenzhou were boundless and the heavens and earth vast, the other party could never escape.

Finding this Great Ming Wang was merely a matter of time.

Thinking of this, the Thousand-Armed Bodhisattva quietly stepped into the crowd, his expression calm. Only when he heard those irritatingly noisy voices would he faintly furrow his brow.

"Isn't it rumored that the Putida Sect intends to aid the imperial court in quelling the demon calamity? Why has there been no movement for so long?"

"Could it all be empty talk, deceiving the imperial court?"

The casual gossip of the common folk also reflected the doubts in the hearts of Zhan Yao Si and others.

Inside the Xishan government office.

Yang Mingli stood in the great hall together with Feng Xi and a group of titled generals.

However, this time, no one was seated.

The ever-resourceful my lord Yang had actually guessed wrong this time.

Throughout all twenty-seven prefectures of Dananzhou, not a single yao calamity had been raised until now.

Those three great yao, infamous for their ferocity, did not know whether they had been scared out of their wits by General Nanyang's battle at Songfeng Prefecture, and so gave up this once-in-a-thousand-years opportunity.

"It is not your fault."

Even Lady Feng Xi had no intention of blaming the other party at this moment.

Because the yao race's actions simply did not conform to common sense.

"Besides, just as you said, with Zhan Yao Si's strength, even if we went out, it would not change anything."

"..."

Yang Mingli stood with his hands clasped behind his back; his dry lips moved, and his voice came out hoarse and unspeakable: "Even if it is only a tiny bit, it is still better than sitting idle and waiting."

If the Sanxian Sect had only lost to the Puti Sect by a little, yet because of his own misjudgment, the imperial court had failed to take part, and that scripture-bearing procession had set foot upon the soil of Shenzhou—

Then he, surnamed Yang, would be a sinner deserving death ten thousand times over.

Perhaps, like Yan Lanting, thinking less about everything and acting according to one's true intent would instead better conform to the heavenly principle, and better earn the favor of the great Dao?

Hearing this, the many titled generals all dared not make a sound.

Lord Yan was severely wounded and had not yet recovered; Lord Yang's emotions grew ever more subdued, the powerful figures of the three sects had not truly made their move, yet their own General Zhennan had already lost two of his men.

Lady Feng Xi sighed and no longer tried to persuade further.

Since back then he had chosen to leave it to fate, now he could also quietly wait for news.

Everyone fell silent and looked toward the west.

As if in the next moment, a great sedan wreathed in ten-thousand-zhang of radiant light would come, borne aloft by that majestic arhat.

No one knew how long had passed.

Lady Feng Xi suddenly raised the tips of her brows.

Under such circumstances, any tiny change would stir up ripples in everyone's hearts.

But what came into view was not the imagined radiant light—rather, it was a figure that came fleeing in disarray.

The black-bearded man was precisely that titled general who had once been stationed to defend Songfeng Prefecture.

Upon discovering there was no yao calamity, he had volunteered to go scout for news, yet in less than half a day he had already returned.

As a dignified fourth-rank Taiyi Zhenxian, the moment he landed, his footsteps were unusually unsteady.

Such an abnormal scene made everyone's heart tighten.

Even if those arhats had truly come, everyone had long since prepared themselves in their hearts—how could they have lost composure to such a degree?

"Ha chi! Ha chi!"

The black-bearded man panted heavily, his gaze sweeping over his many colleagues and superiors; even his lips were trembling slightly, his face full of disbelief.

The next moment, he let out a hoarse voice like a wild beast: "Dead! All dead!"

This sentence without beginning or end made Yang Mingli pause briefly, but as the head of Zhan Yao Si in Dananzhou, he now had to rally his spirits once more and face whatever the situation might be.

"Speak slowly—what exactly is the situation."

Hearing this, the black-bearded man clenched his fists tightly, as if he had not yet fully digested the horror in his heart: "The Puti Sect's arhats, and the Sanxian Sect's prodigies—sixteen in total—were all killed at the hands of the Great Ming King of Subduing Dragons and Tigers and Taixu Danhuang."

"The two sects suffered heavy losses, among which Mount Tianwu suffered most severely; two beloved disciples, Qingluan and Xuanwu, fell one after another. It is heard that Shenxu Laozu was furious and has already set out for the Puti Sect!"

"And the true scripture last appeared in the hands of the Great Ming King of Subduing Dragons and Tigers, only to be intercepted halfway by Taixu Danhuang. The two vanished into the Taixu realm, and there has been no news of them to this day!"

As three consecutive sentences fell, even strong ones like Yang Mingli and Lady Feng Xi, who had reached the third-rank, now had their pupils contract slightly.

The matter of transmitting the scriptures was, in truth, still a matter of chipping away at the Shen Dynasty's corner—it merely involved the prestige of the other two sects.

But merely contending for prestige—how could it possibly require life-and-death fighting to such a tragic degree?

In just these few sentences, of the immortal ranking Zhan Yao Si had set, the top fifty had half of them struck off at once—this was undoubtedly an event capable of shaking all of Dananzhou!

And the most terrifying thing still lay in the black-bearded man's very first sentence.

"Taixu Danhuang... the Great Ming King of Subduing Dragons and Tigers..."

Yang Mingli's breathing grew slightly heavy; he had never underestimated the three sects' foundations, but General Nanyang's performance had been too stunning—slaying eight great yao in one go—and only then had he begun to harbor a thought of contending with the three sects.

But only when true fire had been drawn in the fight could one see just how terrifying the three sects truly were.

These two cultivators of the three sects who had so suddenly appeared before the world must have been figures hidden away and cultivated for many years, yet they possessed the strength to single-handedly slay eight great-rank arhats and prodigies.

It was hard to imagine what horrifying existences they would become once they stepped into the third rank!

"Regardless, this is good news for us."

Lady Feng Xi glanced sideways, pressing her lips together: "At least for now, it is."

Even knowing of two future foes difficult to withstand, for the present—before these two decided a victor—the great sedan bearing the true scripture should be unable to enter the Shen Dynasty.

With this time, the imperial capital would have the opportunity to formulate a response.

"Perhaps."

Yang Mingli was about to turn around when his footsteps suddenly stumbled; the titled general beside him hurriedly supported him. Looking up, he saw that this General Zhennan's eyes held no light at all.

He actually knew why Lord Yang was like this.

After all, given the other's temperament, he had long since stopped holding any expectations for Dananzhou, merely fulfilling his duties and barely maintaining the overall situation.

But after the matter at Songfeng Prefecture, although Lord Yang's mouth still wore that thoroughly dispirited look, in his heart he had clearly rekindled a sliver of hope.

That sliver of hope had been brought by General Nanyang.

Even though Nanyang had quietly departed under such circumstances without giving anyone a word, Lord Yang still had not said anything about it—he still clung to the thought that the other might return.

But now, the world-shaking display of Taixu Danhuang and the Great Ming King of Subduing Dragons and Tigers had snuffed out the last trace of spirit in Lord Yang's eyes.

"Let me help you inside to rest."

By common sense, as General Zhennan, he should not reveal any sign of weakness under any circumstances, for it could easily shake morale.

For example, Lord Yan back then—even though heavily wounded, he still forced himself to go and meet with Generals Nanyang and the others; that was the reasoning.

But now, under the gaze of his many subordinates, Yang Mingli did not shake off the arm supporting him—clearly he no longer had the inclination to mind such things.

At that moment, a voice filled with confusion and slight surprise came from behind them: "You..."

Everyone instinctively turned around.

There, outside the hall, a tall figure had appeared without warning—his familiar attire, and his pale, handsome face with its ever-unmoving calm—could belong to no one but the missing General of Nanyang!

"You've returned!"

Feng Xi showed no hint of blame; her face held only delight.

No matter what had happened, for him to return under these circumstances was already an unexpected blessing.

On any other day, Yang Mingli would have pressed for details, but now he fell silent, glanced once at Shen Yi, then gave a slight nod—enough of a greeting—before turning his gaze away and continuing deeper into the hall.

"Where did you go?"

Feng Xi was not interrogating—she simply cared, and also needed to give these sealed-rank generals, who still guarded Dananzhou, some explanation.

After all, they all drew imperial court rations; they couldn't allow the General of Nanyang, merely because of his strength, to leave whenever he pleased, while they were forced to hold this ground—even unto death.

Indeed, the sealed-rank generals all looked at him with complex expressions.

They didn't demand the truth—only that Nanyang offer some excuse, just enough to ease their hearts.

"..."

General Wushan, hidden among the crowd, strained his face with exaggerated eye-rolling, hoping Nanyang would soothe his brothers' unease.

But Shen Yi ignored his signals, wearily rubbed his wrist, and stepped into the hall.

"I received word, so I went to retrieve something."

As he spoke, he reached the table and casually pulled a plain-looking ancient book from his sleeve, placing it down.

Everyone stared in confusion—until their eyes fell upon the cover, where the glaring characters leapt into view, and their pupils shrank in unison.

The True Scripture of Lingwei Protecting the Dao!

In an instant, the entire hall fell utterly silent.

Even Yang Mingli, who had merely glanced over casually, froze as if struck by lightning.

The True Scripture of the Puti Sect—the treasure representing the Bodhisattva's third-rank attainment—now lay quietly inside the Xishan magistrate's office.

(End of Chapter)