Chapter 715: Bodhisattva? Since When Did I, an Official, Know Any Bodhisattva

"Lord Nanyang, please keep this safe."

"Much obliged."

Shen Yi turned and left the Immortal Department's government office. Inside his thumb-ring were an additional thirty-two thousand tribulation-worth of imperial qi golden pills—two thousand tribulations of which were owed from last time, and the remainder was the reward for this transmission of the dharma.

This was a sum of imperial qi that could move even a Great Luo Immortal Venerable and a Bodhisattva.

It had nearly emptied the entire Immortal Department.

After all, converting imperial qi into golden pills also required time.

"Perhaps his appearance is somewhat disappointing, but his generosity is always there." Lady Lady Feng Xi waited outside the government office with a smile, offering a soft word of comfort.

"There's no disappointment."

Shen Yi walked the long street with her. The Human Sovereign was indeed not quite what he had imagined, but as long as the man didn't force people to drink bathwater, it had nothing much to do with him.

Besides, although the other party seemed unrestrained, his stance toward the Three Teachings was at least firm enough.

Only by serving under such a person could one avoid worrying that the Divine Dynasty and the Immortal Court would suddenly have some misunderstanding resolved, and then the one who had fought so hard would be bound hand and foot and handed over to smooth things over.

"But this token, though."

Shen Yi took out the jade token again and examined it. The imperial qi contained within was actually a full tier stronger than his own Spirit-Might Dao-Preserving Fruit Position.

"I observed earlier—yours is a three-three count, while the one in my hand is a six-six count." Lady Lady Feng Xi likewise took out her jade token and held it out.

At her words, Shen Yi paused slightly.

So even among Continent-Suppressing Generals, this "Immortal Seal" was also graded by rank.

Still, he didn't feel sour about it, thinking the imperial court was playing favorites.

After all, judging by today's situation, whether or not there was the matter of transmitting the dharma, the other continents were already nearly unable to hold on.

In other words, the Human Sovereign had already planned to restore the Demon-Slaying Token to its original form today.

After this, the Continent-Suppressing General would no longer be a sinecure, but a real, substantive wielder of heavy authority. The considerations required at the time of investiture would be no fewer than those for the Immortal Court's investiture of immortal officials.

By then, relying solely on the merit of intercepting the True Scripture, with a nominal fourth-rank strength, he might not even have been able to be enfeoffed as this Continent-Suppressing General.

He had, as luck would have it, caught the last bus.

But… he had also heard some new things.

"What is meant by a three-three count?" Shen Yi asked, glancing sideways with curiosity.

"…"

Lady Lady Feng Xi fell silent for a moment, and a few odd notes crept into her gaze at Shen Yi.

In truth, after the other party had brought one surprise after another to the Dananzhou Zhan Yao Si, everyone had silently assumed that some formidable lineage stood behind him.

Perhaps his sect was gone, which was why he had joined the Zhan Yao Si, but his lineage had certainly not been cut off.

Otherwise, there was no way to explain how a cultivator without a lineage, who had shown no intention of seeking a senior as master within the Zhan Yao Si, had managed to stand out among a crowd of prodigies.

If that Taixu Danhuang and the Subduing Dragon, Subduing Tiger Great Great Ming Wang knew they had lost to someone who didn't even understand the third-rank realm, one wondered what they would think.

"Whether Great Luo Immortal Venerable or Bodhisattva, all are in pursuit of what the origin of the Dao's order is."

"They seek that one wisp of order-origin suited to themselves, and use it to deduce the transformations of the Dao Fruit."

"And three-three is the fixed number—using thirty-three wisps of order-origin to condense a new transformation. If one passes beyond this fixed number and still has no complete transformation, then the Dao path comes to an end."

"Take me as an example. I have now grasped forty-eight wisps of order-origin, yet I have failed to complete the three-three transformation… which means these origins are only temporarily stored within me. As time passes, they gradually return to heaven and earth, until they become the original ten wisps."

"In terms of combat, with my forty-eight wisps of origin, even if I meet a cultivator who has just completed the three-three transformation, it would be hard for me to contend with them. For instance, Yan Lanting is at that realm—truly crossing hands, I am no match for him."

Mentioning cultivation, a faint bitterness surfaced on Lady Lady Feng Xi's face.

But it soon returned to normal.

The path ahead being cut off was a very common thing. Some had it cut off at Qi Refining, some at Soul Transformation. For someone like her, who had only reached that point after ascending to Great Luo Immortal Venerable, it was already a blessing across ten thousand lives.

"Understood."

Shen Yi gave a slight nod.

Actually, a moment's thought would make it clear—those truly qualified to contend for first-rank, which of them was not a giant of the Three Teachings? There was simply no reason for them to join the Zhan Yao Si.

Wasn't it better to be lofty gods and Buddhas, why stoop to serving under another?

This had led to the situation where the Divine Dynasty possessed the most perfect cultivation resources, yet could never produce a powerhouse to dominate all directions, while the Three Teachings gathered the most spiritually gifted beings in heaven and earth, yet lacked sufficient resources and could only grind away through long ages.

Tch.

Even the dullest could see the crux of the contradiction.

The Human Sovereign held what the Three Teachings needed most. In the eyes of those cultivators, this lord of Shenzhou was stingy to the extreme. One needn't even mention the giants of the Three Teachings—just take the example of that Zhikong Practitioner from back then.

A seventh-rank Practitioner was a being who could stand shoulder to shoulder with immortals, yet had to beg alms from common mortals, slaying demons and subduing devils, or doing other things, to exchange for some paltry imperial qi.

If not for the Human Sovereign's restrictions, they could have simply enjoyed this imperial qi directly.

Not everyone was Master Zhikong, able to restrain that heart in pursuit of the Great Dao.

Getting something for nothing was human nature.

The so-called founding of the Immortal Department was nothing but a fuse. Even if nothing had been done, with the trend developing as it was, the Divine Dynasty would sooner or later become livestock fattened by the Three Teachings—at most, they would simply find another pretext.

Seen in this light, the Human Sovereign could hardly be called madly impulsive—his vision simply reached further.

"You should hurry back to Dananzhou. I still need to stay a while longer—once the Immortal Department has the golden pills ready, I'll collect my colleagues' salaries and then return."

Lady Lady Feng Xi cupped her hands in salute. The situation was urgent now, with little time for idle chat.

She did not bother with the superfluous admonition to be careful on the road.

This young man had been able to intercept the True Scripture from a pile of prodigies and great-rank Arhats. Whether in experience or strength, he was far beyond the ordinary. Now, with a third-rank Demon-Slaying Token protecting him, if even such a being could come to harm within the Divine Dynasty, then perhaps heaven truly intended to destroy the Divine Dynasty.

"Farewell."

Shen Yi turned and walked into the long street, threading through the crowd. Only after leaving the Imperial City did he transform into a streak of light and vanish into the distance.

For now, he wasn't worried about anything happening in Dananzhou.

After all, the demon race had just launched a wave of attacks, and with so many Suppression Stones guarding the place, they couldn't stir up any major trouble for the time being.

The Sanxian Sect suffered heavy losses and is likely still busy settling scores with the Puti Sect.

As for that group of Monks...

Shen Yi slowly closed his eyes and sank into internal observation.

Within the Bodhisattva fruit position radiating a faint Jin Guang, inside the amber bead located at the heart, a single golden thread hung suspended like a scar.

At this moment, that golden thread was quietly flickering.

A scar in the heart is a sickness of the mind.

With a sickness of the mind, it must be treated properly.

After leaving the imperial city far behind, Shen Yi did not take the official road but plunged straight into the wild mountains and forests.

He found a flat cliff.

He decisively took out the alchemy furnace; ten massive furnaces crashed to the ground with a boom, followed immediately by surging furnace fires shooting up to the sky.

The thirty-two thousand tribulation Imperial Qi Golden Pills began their rapid transformation.

Pill after pill surged forth, falling into Shen Yi's mouth; in his vision, thick yellow mist seemed to shroud the entire heaven and earth, lingering for a long time without dispersing.

He skillfully searched within it for one golden thread after another.

Occasionally he would fail, but under the panel's demon-age deduction, opportunities that were fleeting for other cultivators offered Shen Yi considerable margin for error.

In the mountains, one knows not the passing of years.

While observing Da Nanzhou through the stabilizing stone, Shen Yi counted the extra golden threads within his body.

When the count happened to reach thirty-two threads, he stopped the act of consuming pills without hesitation.

"Hah."

Shen Yi took a deep breath; involving one's future, even with the Great Void Dao of Alchemy as a safety net, still inevitably made him somewhat nervous.

Actually, to speak accurately, he enjoyed the treatment of a direct disciple of a great sect.

After all, not every Luo Han could receive the golden threads bestowed by a Bodhisattva.

This golden thread was equivalent to a guiding lamp, already vaguely illuminating the path ahead for Shen Yi; at least regarding the number three-three, Shen Yi only needed to replicate this path.

Dense golden threads, as if guided by a divine needle, began to thread themselves toward that Bodhisattva fruit position.

First, they filled in the thin Golden Body, making it appear more solid.

Afterwards, Shen Yi did not continue down the Dragon and Tiger path but instead wished to imitate the Thousand-Armed Bodhisattva; unfortunately, he had only slightly glimpsed part of the Thousand-Armed Bodhisattva's divine powers through that single golden thread and could not achieve an exact replica.

After a brief hesitation, he settled for a lesser option, choosing to outline four arms with the golden threads.

At the same time, Shen Yi swallowed another Immortal Pill, grabbed the last golden thread from the yellow mist, and the pouring light slurry completely filled in the remaining hand.

【The Number Three-Three is Complete】

【Third-Rank: Spiritual Protection Dao True Scripture (Incomplete): Minor Success】

At the instant the panel notification surged forth, Shen Yi was like a person exhausted by effort; just a moment before he had looked perfectly normal, but the next, his whole body was soaked in sweat.

Guiding the source of Heavenly Dao order to perform the task of threading a needle is simply the most meticulous work in the world.

Even though the panel's deduction extended this process by an unknown multiple, it still exhausted all of Shen Yi's mental energy.

He looked at the remaining five thousand tribulation Imperial Qi Golden Pills in his hand, glanced casually down the mountain, showed no intention of leaving, and after a brief rest, once again ignited the furnace fire to begin alchemy.

Measuring heaven and earth with one's feet is the basic skill of a traveler.

Before the heart tribulation, they relied on this step-by-step physical tribulation to realize the Great Dao, climb upward, and pluck that supreme fruit position.

A Monk with a yellow robe fluttering on his body, eyes quietly closed, followed that faint scent as if deliberately concealed, stepping in cloth shoes and proceeding with composure.

Until he gradually deviated from the official road.

He stood before a mountain forest and slowly opened his eyes.

In an instant, even the black dog beneath the Monk's feet prostrated itself on the ground, its whole body trembling involuntarily.

"I have found you."

The corners of the Thousand-Armed Bodhisattva's lips slowly rose; he was clearly displaying a smile, yet those deep, bottomless eyes, devoid of any ripple, made that smile seem slightly eerie.

He stepped into the mountain forest without summoning the lotus throne, as if afraid of startling the foolish creature ahead.

He merely repeated that sentence continuously.

Until he reached the mountain peak, where a flat, open area appeared before his eyes.

The Thousand-Armed Bodhisattva pressed his palms together, looked ahead, and his smile gradually became more distinct: "I have finally found you."

The boundless heaven and earth beneath his feet were so insignificant.

With the world so vast, where could the other party hide?

Recalling their first meeting, when this son was humbly pinned to the ground, that look of devout submission, without the slightest resistance, had even deceived himself.

And now.

On the flat ground, ten alchemy furnaces were arranged.

What the Thousand-Armed Bodhisattva saw was not the majestic Dragon-Suppressing and Tiger-Subduing Luo Han Dharma Body from before, but a side profile that looked quite young.

As the hem of the black robe swayed slightly, the other party had his legs crossed, leaning against an alchemy furnace, resting his head on his hands, with a blade of grass even dangling from his mouth, leisurely gazing at the long sky.

Although the appearance changed a thousand ways, the Thousand-Armed Bodhisattva could still perceive from that aura that the other party was indeed the person he was seeking.

He simply did not understand why the young man's face lacked the panic and flight he had imagined.

Could this son be so ignorant as to think that changing his skin would allow him to pretend not to know?

Having thought this, a hint of killing intent quietly joined the Thousand-Armed Bodhisattva's smile as he reiterated: "I said, I have found you."

Just as before, he waited for an explanation from this Dragon-Suppressing and Tiger-Subduing Great Ming King.

The only difference was that this explanation would truly become the other party's last words before death.

"Tch, so noisy."

The young man in the dark robe frowned slightly, spat out the grass root in his mouth, and glanced sideways, revealing a handsome, Bai Xi face.

He raised an eyebrow and said coolly: "I know. So what? Do you want me to give you an award?"

This official...

The instant those two words were heard, the features of the Thousand-Armed Bodhisattva subtly twisted for a moment.

That lowly wretch who had once bowed his head beneath her lotus pedestal to receive his investiture—upon their second meeting, dared to call himself... this official?! Right in front of her, a Bodhisattva!

That lofty, imperious manner made the Thousand-Armed Bodhisattva's five fingers clench tight before she could stop herself.

He, however, did not notice that at the instant the young man turned his head, the black hound at his side suddenly raised its head, its dim grey eyes wide and round, as if it had seen something beyond imagination.

It stared blankly, and its once-foggy consciousness suddenly sharpened again.

One event after another from the past surged into its mind, letting it briefly recall the fact that it had not been born a dog.

The "woof woof" sound it had been holding back, stuck in its throat all this time, was finally swallowed down with great effort.

"You are courting death."

The Thousand-Armed Bodhisattva no longer intended to listen to any explanation.

His expression was indifferent; he suddenly flicked a finger.

The iron chain left behind from before would snap the opponent's throat in an instant.

Yet a gust of mountain wind swept past, and nothing happened at all.

Shen Yi rose unhurriedly to his feet, brushed off his hem, then extended a palm, and a wisp of swaying golden thread appeared at his fingertip.

"You, a Monk, entered the Divine Dynasty without reporting—this is one crime."

"You meant to plunder this official's property—this is a second crime."

"Two crimes, punished together."

Shen Yi's gaze fell upon the black hound; judging by its reactions just now, it was enough to confirm his earlier suspicion.

On his handsome face, the corner of his lips curved into a savage smile.

The young man looked back at the slightly dazed Thousand-Armed Bodhisattva, his five fingers slowly closing in the air: "Your head—this official is taking it."

"..."

The Thousand-Armed Bodhisattva stared fixedly at that wisp of golden thread, unable to fathom what kind of being could have taken this iron chain off that beast without him noticing at all.

He swept his gaze around, his eyes passing over the surrounding alchemy furnaces.

"Heh!"

This Bodhisattva exhaled forcefully and laughed coldly: "It seems my lord has reaped quite a few benefits in the Divine Dynasty."

He closed his eyes, Buddhist light surging forth behind him, and his voice dropped low: "What a pity."

Petals of lotus leaf emerged from the Buddhist light one after another, forming a broad treasure lotus beneath him.

The Buddhist light continued to surge, turning the azure sky gradually into a riot of colors.

Arm after arm unfurled from behind him, then suddenly clenched together in unison, making the entire heavens shudder!

"If you've got the life to take it..."

The Monk suddenly opened his eyes, stepped upon the lotus pedestal, radiance blazed for a thousand zhang, his whole body drifted upward, and the true form of a Bodhisattva was revealed: "... then I'm afraid you don't have the life to spend it."

(End of chapter)