[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-immortality-begins-with-slaying-demons":3,"chapter-immortality-begins-with-slaying-demons-immortality-begins-with-slaying-demons-chapter-827":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Immortality Begins with Slaying Demons",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2318715,4533,"Chapter 827: The Opportunity of Master Zhikong","immortality-begins-with-slaying-demons-chapter-827",827,"\u003Cp>Broken bricks and shattered tiles littered the village in chaos.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, some rotting logs were still usable; hastily piled, they could barely provide shelter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But these beams were heavy, beyond the strength of starving refugees to move.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These dozen or so wooden huts were all built by the thin man alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man bore the marks of countless hardships—dry lips, worn-out cloth robes, neither tall nor sturdy, his straw sandals long since worn to rags from walking so far.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most striking was his head: his hair had just begun to grow back, a bristly crew cut like boar bristles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, the man carried a log thicker than his own body, moving swiftly through the crowd; when refugees thanked him, he only smiled shyly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master hero, drink some water…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A child timidly approached, offering him a broken shard of porcelain holding precious clear water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man paused, bent down, dipped his fingertip in the water, wiped his lips casually, then chuckled and ruffled the child’s head: “I’m fine. Take it back.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>War raged endlessly in Dongzhou; water and grain were worth more than human lives.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The child didn’t understand the subtext—he merely believed this mighty master truly possessed the power to quench thirst with a drop of water, and licked his lips in envy: if only he had such ability, he’d never again suffer hunger or thirst.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned and ran toward the black, gaunt old man; without this master here, his crippled grandfather would long ago have been eaten by others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But before he’d taken two steps, he tumbled headlong to the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked up—and upon seeing what lay before him, his round eyes instantly filled with terror; even at this age of innocence, he’d already been forced to learn to recognize danger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Dongzhou, these bald-headed monks were the greatest danger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A squad of warrior monks stepped silently into the village, patrolling like lions and tigers over their newly reclaimed territory; they crushed the porcelain shards underfoot, and wherever their gazes fell, refugees bowed and knelt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, their eyes turned to the man ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No pleasantries—several staffs pressed firmly onto the crew-cut man’s shoulders, forcing him to his knees.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Which sect are you from? Who permitted you to preach here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The leader stepped forward calmly, squatted, and lifted the man’s chin with his hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sixth-rank cultivation—where couldn’t he live in ease? Yet he disguised himself like this, clearly trying to steal offerings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His aura suggested a pilgrim, not a celestial; likely a disciple from one of the other two Sumeru Mountains, come to Dongzhou to beg for scraps. Otherwise, those staffs wouldn’t merely pin him down—they’d have already crushed his skull.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m no disciple. I’m just passing through, doing what I can.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The crew-cut man didn’t struggle, only gave a simple explanation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The leader, seeing he refused to reveal his lineage, assumed he’d been caught stealing offerings and felt too ashamed to admit it—so he didn’t press further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, in the current chaos, the lofty Great Arhats and Bodhisattvas were busy fighting over sacred sites, but lower cultivators also sought scraps to survive; such things weren’t rare in Dongzhou. They were all of the same teaching—no need to exterminate them, just drive them off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking thus, he raised his arm, signaling his brothers to lower their staffs, then coldly said: “If you’re too idle, find something useful to do. Don’t stick your hands into Dongzhou. Leave now. If we see you again, it won’t be so easy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that, the leader led his brothers away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The crew-cut man fell silent for a long while, then sighed helplessly, lifted the log again, carried it to the last hut, and turned to pick up the terrified child on the ground, carrying him back to the old man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man gratefully took the child, then his lips trembled: “Why didn’t you tell them you’re one of them too? You wouldn’t have had to suffer this humiliation.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He remembered clearly: when this master first arrived, his gleaming bald head and ragged robes made him look far more like a compassionate Bodhisattva than these warrior monks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I was.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhikong the monk brushed dust from his palms, looking utterly carefree as he smiled: “Now I’m not.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since witnessing his own disciples scheming to kill Master Shen, and then being captured alive by the Thousand-Armed Bodhisattva and transformed into a black dog, and seeing how both sects treated humanity ever since—he no longer felt pride in being a disciple of a great teaching.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hence he let his hair and beard grow, appearing scruffy, yet his heart felt far cleaner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It seems fighting’s about to start again.” The old man hugged the child, gazing fearfully toward Fucheng; days ago, these lands were ruled by immortals who rode clouds and summoned earthquakes—terrifying indeed. Now, things seemed to be changing again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhikong pressed his lips together, waved his hand to reassure the old man and child, then turned and walked toward the hillside, gazing toward Fucheng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could feel the violent turbulence beneath the surface of that seemingly calm place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The warrior monks’ return meant the Three Immortal Sect had lost—but the ripples in the aura showed the immortals refused to yield; a final, desperate battle loomed. When it exploded, how many of these civilians would survive remained unknown.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He shook his head and sighed deeply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only after witnessing the devastation of other continents could one truly grasp how great a virtue Master Shen had done by protecting all of Nanzhou.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Too bad Dongzhou had no second Master Shen, and his own strength was far too meager—he could only do insignificant little things.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhikong sighed, yet did not wallow in self-pity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In this chaotic world, some undertook great deeds to save all beings, too overwhelmed to attend to the smallest corners—and someone had to fill those gaps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He thought: even Master Shen, if he had time, wouldn’t stand idly by as these refugees suffered homelessness—he’d surely help them rebuild and find food.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking of that man, Zhikong the monk regained the courage to keep walking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned to leave the hillside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, a chorus of cicadas suddenly sang—yet it was winter; where were cicadas?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master, can you help me pick it up?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhikong turned and saw, beneath a large tree, a new girl with rosy lips and white teeth, braided in twin buns, sweet and delicate, dressed in tattered robes, pleadingly pointing toward the treetop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhikong closed his eyes, drew a deep breath, as if steadying himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a long while, he strode over, plucked the object from the treetop, opened his palm—and saw a finely crafted golden cicada, no larger than a thumb, lifelike in every detail.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet no matter how lifelike, it was lifeless—unable to chirp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master, can I trade with you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The girl blinked her eyes, cautiously extended her palm—where lay a living cicada, barely breathing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhikong stood still, silent for a long while.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only when he saw the girl slightly frown did he softly say: “In peaceful times, a golden cicada is worth more than a living one. But in this age, what I hold is truly less valuable than a creature that can fill a mouth.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Legends said Bodhisattvas and True Buddhas disguised themselves to guide mortals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cicadas singing in winter, gold appearing suddenly on a tree—clear signs of a divine opportunity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhikong did not speak plainly, only gently reminded her she had strayed too far from humanity, forgotten mortal ways, and used outdated tricks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once exposed, the opportunity vanished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So you won’t trade?” The girl raised an eyebrow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhikong lowered his gaze slightly, then pulled at his lips: “Fine. I’ll trade.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why trade?” The girl was puzzled now; she hadn’t intended to test him, hence chose this flawed method—essentially giving away the answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A clever person would have accepted the opportunity with the flow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A foolish one, unable to see through this, was beyond saving.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this little monk clearly saw through it—yet chose to subtly mock her, then agreed to trade the golden cicada for her living one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Because...” Zhikong thought long, then looked up: “Too many lives in Dongzhou have already died. One more alive is one more.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saying this, he extended his hand toward the girl.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhikong rejected the opportunity, wanted only a bug—and insulted her again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The girl stared at him, then suddenly burst into laughter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Honestly, he was kind of interesting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She truly wanted to know: what would this rare little monk—who dared openly mock her—do when he realized what he’d just accepted?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve raised this cicada for years. Hold it well.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She extended her delicate, pale hand—and the instant their fingertips touched, the half-dead cicada glowed golden, then spread its wings and landed in Zhikong’s palm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Simultaneously, Zhikong’s vision was instantly filled with golden mist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the mist cleared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stood amid mountains echoing with Buddhist chants; looking up, he realized he’d become a buzzing golden cicada, and ahead, the vast mountain range was a colossal hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even a single crease on that hand was a chasm he could never cross, no matter how hard he flapped his wings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Behind him, the hand’s owner wore a crimson kasaya, face serene, seated cross-legged atop a twelve-petaled golden lotus, smiling as he opened his palm toward Zhikong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In an instant, thunderous Buddhist chants rang in Zhikong’s ears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“From today, you are my second disciple. Dharma name... Jinchanzi.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the chants faded, all that had passed vanished like a dream.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhikong the master returned to the small hillside—the girl remained before him, yet neither golden cicada nor living cicada was visible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No—they were still there, within him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhikong felt the vast, surging power coursing through his body, his mind momentarily blank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he regained his senses, the girl found no expected bowing or awe—this monk still stared at her stubbornly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You don’t know who I am?” The girl stood with arms crossed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Little cultivator greets the future World-Honored One.” Zhikong bowed slightly, yet refused to kneel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing “future,” the girl’s face twitched imperceptibly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Future” meant not yet arrived—so a future World-Honored One was not yet truly a World-Honored One.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wrong. You should call me Master now.” She shook her finger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhikong finally looked away, his refusal unmistakable—he would not call her that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you know why I took you in?” The little girl slowly lowered her hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Because Xiao Xiu has a Buddha heart.” Zhi Kong was sometimes stubborn, but not truly foolish; ever since the Thousand-Armed Bodhisattva captured him and extracted nothing despite all interrogation, yet still refused to kill him outright, he had known how precious this so-called Buddha heart truly was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not entirely foolish—but this is only one reason.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Future Buddha smiled: only one with a Buddha heart could carry the two paths he had prepared. And this young monk’s Buddha heart surpassed even the Golden Toad’s; with a little digestion of the Golden Cicada’s position, he could ascend to the rank of Bodhisattva.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There is another reason—I cannot explain it to you yet.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though monks with a Buddha heart are rare, they are not irreplaceable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The more important reason is that the Future Buddha saw his own destiny in this one—though the destiny was not the monk himself, at least this young monk had once walked alongside it for a time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, he had no intention of pressing for answers now. Since it was destiny, one must follow its flow; deliberate interference would only mar it. Better to wait patiently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Regardless, everything you hate has nothing to do with your master.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Future Buddha’s form began to shift rapidly—male, female, old, young, beggar, merchant—all worldly appearances changed at will, until he became an old man with white hair and beard, leaning on a cane.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He gazed deeply at Zhi Kong: “On the contrary, I am the one in this world least willing to see this moment come to pass—even more so than the one in the Imperial City.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Go forward. You will understand someday.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He tapped his cane: “Put it this way—you cannot resist anyway, so stop dawdling. Besides, you can now do more than before.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhi Kong clenched his fists tightly. His greatest fear was that this Future Buddha would harm Master Shen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now the man had not asked any questions—if he mishandled this and ended up with his mind searched, he would only doom Master Shen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Better to placate this Buddha for now, and buy Master Shen more time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had witnessed Shen Yi’s rise firsthand. He knew that for gods, buddhas, and immortals, years—or even months—flashed by in the blink of an eye, yet for Master Shen, such fleeting moments could birth miracles beyond measure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Zhi Kong humbly obeys the Dharma’s decree.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The monk finally clasped his palms in salute, but before he could raise his head, a cane struck his skull.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wrong again. It’s Jin Chan Zi.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man shuffled forward slowly. Zhi Kong rubbed his head and followed, appearing obedient, but secretly rolled his eyes as he began probing for information about Shen Yi: “Master, why did you leave Mount Sumeru? What is your purpose in heading to Dongzhou?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I sensed something great was about to happen here, so I came to see.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Future Buddha revealed everything without concealment. At their level, even if they could not pierce the heavenly fate, they could still sense faint omens in advance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He rubbed his brow, slightly exasperated: “Also, I’m avoiding that man.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As one of the Three Great Buddhas, he was not afraid of the Ancestor God—but he was too lazy to tangle with him. The other three continents were already in chaos, yet this old fool had awoken and headed straight for Southern Sumeru. Probably slept too long and lost his wits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a mind like that, how could the Ancestor God possibly govern heaven and earth? How could he possibly persuade the other sect lords to stand down?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If this trend continues...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Will the Future Buddha... truly come?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tathagata.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2340,"2026-06-20T15:00:39.689Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","6370e0426f636c5f43690b5210121cc87dd9070017e629d25de2fbbb7624138a","immortality-begins-with-slaying-demons-chapter-828","immortality-begins-with-slaying-demons-chapter-826",840,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fimmortality-begins-with-slaying-demons-cover.jpg"]