[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-simulated-to-reality-i-once-looked-down-upon-ten":3,"chapter-simulated-to-reality-i-once-looked-down-upon-ten-simulated-to-reality-i-once-looked-down-upon-ten-chapter-596":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Simulated to Reality: I Once Looked Down Upon Ten Thousand Ages?",{"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},2347611,4587,"Chapter 596: The Two Clash, One Form: The Vajra Zen Buddha Hand","simulated-to-reality-i-once-looked-down-upon-ten-chapter-596",596,"\u003Cp>You calmed your mind, like a great snow mountain resting on your shoulders, pressing down until you could barely breathe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for the middle-aged man’s words, you ignored them completely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If you begged for mercy now, you’d have no chance left—anyone could kill you at will.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You clenched your teeth, your mind swirling, visualizing the “Sword of Demon-Slaying” to stabilize your soul; the blood and bone you’d painstakingly built over days never wavered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As you pondered the standing posture of the “Taizu Sacred Fist Stance,” a pure Buddhist inner power entered your body without warning, guiding you to shift the pressure from your shoulders down to your legs, then into the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The green stone slabs beneath you cracked under the strain!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A faint smile appeared on the middle-aged man’s face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old monk closed his eyes slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Zhiqian’s gaze was cold; at your age, you’d barely reached the fourth realm of martial cultivation—nothing remarkable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only now, as the pressure vanished, did you find the strength to speak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Die, then die. Begging for mercy isn’t the way of a man.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jiangxian said: “Aren’t you afraid of death? A wise man knows when to yield—die, and you lose everything.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You slowly lifted your head, your back drenched in sweat, face pale, steam rising from your brow; yet you exhaled sharply and smiled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course I’m afraid—but Xie Guan knows you won’t kill me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jiangxian’s aura weakened; his white robes stirred in the moonlight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh? Why are you so certain I won’t kill you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your aura is terrifying, but I sense no true intent to kill,” you said slowly. “And if you truly meant to kill me, you wouldn’t have gone through so much trouble.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I wouldn’t be alive now if I’d knelt and begged—it would only make you look down on me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jiangxian growled: “You’re honest. I’m from the Demon Cult—aren’t you afraid I’ll just kill you without reason?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He pointed at the three guards and Shen Kuan: “Look at these three—if I’d given them a chance to beg, they’d already be kowtowing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The three guards—one wielding a staff, one a shield, one controlling a flying sword—looked at him with complex expressions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pressure on you vanished; you took a breath and said: “Whether one is demon or righteous depends on the person, on your own choice.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“One thought turns to demon; one thought turns to Buddha.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“At your realm, every word and deed aligns with the Dao. Killing me would be simple—and yet, it would still be reasonable.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jiangxian smiled faintly, his tone softening slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Demon or righteous… you’re a clever boy, speaking well.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you live, you must prove your worth—otherwise, you’re no different from these corpses littering the ground.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sima Muqing watched this younger branch of the Xie family: in mere words, facing life or death, he spoke calmly, composed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When facing life-or-death matters, mind as still as a calm lake—worthy of becoming a General.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In her heart, she valued Xie Guan even more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jiangxian turned to the old monk: “Master, you only need to protect these few.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Will you protect these two as well? One killed fifty here; the other cultivates soul banners—their evil far outweighs their good.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Does the Buddhist path also save the wicked? Or does dropping the knife instantly make one a Buddha, erasing all past sins?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old monk remained silent, only murmuring: “Amitabha.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The lame old man’s face darkened; after a pause, he said: “My master is Su Xiang of the Great Qi—please, Master, consider his favor…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He said no more, made no threat—should he truly fight the Demon Master, death would be certain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jiangxian smiled: “I know Master San well—do you think I’d honor his favor?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The lame old man’s face froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jiangxian turned his gaze to the old monk: “Master Lianchi, do you have any past connection with this Fourth Master?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jiangxian was testing—whose orders had Lianchi truly followed?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old monk clasped his hands and spoke slowly: “I have had little contact with the Fourth Master.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This matter is complex, entangled in many karmic threads—I wish to avoid involvement.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I only act because someone entrusted me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jiangxian looked at the lame old man and Shen Kuan, his voice cool: “Since the Master won’t protect you, your lives are mine.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The “Five Dragon Prosperity Talisman” you’d long shaped in your mind screamed a warning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Your spirit surged—you activated the “Yin Fu Jing” technique, “Loss and Exchange: Spirit Substitution,” the body-switching method.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instantly, you broke free!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A talisman drifted down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jiangxian blinked in surprise, then moved like a shadow, closing in again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You tried “Loss and Exchange: Spirit Substitution” once more—but it failed; your body was locked, your Primordial Spirit powerless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Your eyes hardened; in your mind, the “Sword of Ghost-Slaying” and “Sword of Demon-Slaying” coalesced; your two fingers formed a sword point, bristling with sword intent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those around you stared in shock—none expected the Demon Master to strike so suddenly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An invisible golden Liuli  Buddha hand enveloped you.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Bang—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ding—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Demon Master lightly tapped it—and a sound like clashing gold and silver rang out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The gray-robed old monk clasped his hands, golden Liuli  light glowing between his palms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jiangxian chuckled: “Master Lianchi, weren’t you indifferent to the lives here? Why did you intervene?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The lame old man stared at the half-emerged Buddha hand—this was the Buddhist method of Vajra.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Vajra Zen Buddha Hand is the most unyielding technique under heaven.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This Master Lianchi cultivated the “Muscle\u002FMarrow Change Sutra” and the “Vajra Indestructible Body Divine Art,” possessing the Great Vajra Body of Buddhism.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ninth rank of martial cultivation is seen as its peak, divided into three sub-realms: Vajra, Dao Xuan, and Haoran—each stemming from Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism, symbolizing the ultimate perfection of body, qi, and spirit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Buddhist arts pursue the “Vajra” realm; Daoist arts seek the “Dao Xuan” realm of refining essence into qi; Confucian arts seek the “Haoran” realm of spirit and mind unified.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The lame old man Chang Qi had once reached the first realm, Vajra—but after grievous injuries, he could only maintain a “Vajra Body,” yet even that was enough to suppress eighth-rank martial cultivators.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet the world always produces extraordinary talents.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This Master Lianchi was a ninth-rank Xuan Dan cultivator, dominating all under heaven with his first-rank “Vajra” state—the supreme Vajra master of the world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had refined the three bodily gates to the human extreme, hailed as possessing a “ Liuli  Golden Body, unbreakable in this world.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He once, with only his Vajra Body, forced a ninth-rank Haoran martialist to exhaust all his blood and qi without ever breaking his protective aura—unrivaled in the Vajra realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All great masters of the world are beyond ordinary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You stared at the fading “ Liuli  Hand,” turned to the old monk, and bowed deeply: “Thank you, Master!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just now, he had sent you a thread of Buddhist inner power, helping you channel the pressure into the ground and avert disaster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The gray-robed old monk smiled faintly: “Young friend, you’re quite remarkable!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My old friend hasn’t lost his legacy after all.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You blinked in surprise—the old monk extended a withered hand, on which was stuck a yellow talisman.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You recognized it at once—it was the “Substitution Talisman” you’d just used.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old monk smiled silently at you, his gaze gentle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lianchi clasped his hands, looked at Xu Jiangxian, and said: “This one—I will protect.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jiangxian had long sensed the old monk’s covert aid—he’d merely been testing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The boy’s “Substitution” technique had surprised him slightly, reminding him of someone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jiangxian said coldly: “Master Lianchi, are you deliberately opposing me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’d like to test this supreme Vajra Buddha Hand of yours!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The kind-faced gray-robed monk replied: “I’m not afraid—I’d like to test your ‘Purple Blood Great Art’ and ‘Heaven-Shaking Demon Art’ as well.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two faced off, tension flaring instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jiangxian showed no intent to fight; he said slowly: “Master, if we clash, the disturbance will be great—and hard to contain. You wish to protect these few; I wish to purge my own ranks.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The middle-aged man smiled and proposed: “How about this? Since we must determine superiority, we won’t fight directly—we’ll each demonstrate our methods.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He pointed at Xu Xiyue and the others: “If I win, Master, hand them over.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Xiyue and Sima Muqing’s faces changed slightly, but they remained silent—they knew everything depended on Master Lianchi’s decision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Master Lianchi frowned slightly: “How will this contest be conducted?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jiangxian smiled: “You may choose any of these people—but you may only teach them Buddhist martial arts. I’ll choose one person too, but I’ll only use Demon Cult arts. If either uses another method, they lose—agreed?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sima Muqing immediately protested: “Master, this is too dangerous!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her voice brimmed with dread for this contest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She looked at Zhu Zhiqian behind the Demon Master: “He’s from the Demon Cult—a Holy Son of the Blood God Sect, steeped in demonic arts.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jiangxian ignored her, smiling: “Master, dare you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old monk looked at the young man he’d just saved: “If I win, what then?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jiangxian answered: “If you win, I’ll leave, and this matter ends.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old monk nodded: “I accept.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jiangxian chuckled: “Master, you’re so confident you’ll win me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master, who will you choose?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The gray-robed monk suddenly grinned and said, “Old monk’s luck has been fairly good.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is there any other choice?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I humbly ask, Young Master Xie Guan, to lend old monk a hand.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jiangxian’s gaze lingered on you for a moment; to outsiders, you appeared to be at the fourth rank of martial cultivation, yet you concealed within you a pure Daoist mystery art, possessing the power of the seventh level of Primordial Spirit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had just struck out to test your cultivation base—you activated the “Slaying Demon Sword,” and only then did he realize you possessed a magic treasure capable of concealing your Primordial Spirit’s aura.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Daoism and Buddhism are vastly different!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If you could learn a Buddhist sacred technique here, it would be nothing short of a fantasy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Zhiqian was originally the Holy Son of the Blood God Sect, having cultivated demonic arts since childhood; merely teaching him a few demonic techniques would allow him to wield them effortlessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Zhiqian is at the seventh level of Primordial Spirit and the fifth rank of martial cultivation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jiangxian smiled and said, “How about a contest after one hour?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It will decide not only life and death, but also superiority.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The monk led you and Xu Xiyue and the others to one side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The lame old man and Shen Dao were somewhat bewildered and had no choice but to follow the Demon Master to the other side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Zhiqian’s face lit up with delight; receiving the Demon Master’s guidance was an unparalleled blessing he had long sought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jiangxian looked at him solemnly and said, “I shall impart to you one form of the ‘Heaven-Shattering Earth-Striking Demonic Art.’ May you deeply comprehend it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Zhiqian’s eyes burned with fervor—the “Heaven-Shattering Earth-Striking Demonic Art” was recorded in the Heavenly Demon Scripture, a sacred art accessible only to the head of the Blood God Sect among the Nine Bloodline Sects of the Holy Gate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jiangxian, hands behind his back, gazed at the gray-robed monk and the approaching youth, a hint of anticipation crossing his face as he murmured:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The sword intent legacy of that person?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Xie Guan, the illegitimate son of the Xie family… intriguing!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The monk led you and the others to a vacant patch of ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Xiyue and Sima Muqing finally relaxed; the pressure from the Demon Master had been crushing, as if standing atop the edge of a blade, where one misstep could plunge one into the abyss.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only then did you learn from the two of them that this pair were none other than the famed Demon Master Xu Jiangxian and Master Lianchi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sima Muqing, however, was growing increasingly anxious; she knew Zhu Zhiqian’s strength well—he had already reached the fifth rank of martial cultivation at a young age, and had also cultivated both martial and Primordial Spirit realms, making him outstanding among his peers in Bianjing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, he was a member of the Demon Cult; he likely concealed even greater strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She looked at you with concern—Xie Guan was only at the fourth rank of martial cultivation; how could he possibly stand against Zhu Zhiqian?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And how could one possibly learn a Buddhist technique in such a short time?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Xiyue, the lady of the Sima family, remained remarkably calm; she gently patted her daughter’s sleeve and said, “Trust the Master.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Whether fortune or misfortune, we, mother and child, accept it as fate.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The gray-robed monk looked at you and said, “Young friend, don’t rush.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In his eyes shimmered a lustrous, glass-like radiance, and a voice echoed only in your ears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Three Truths Sect has a deep connection with you, otherwise you wouldn’t have become its World Walker.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You furrowed your brow slightly—you had never heard such a term before: “World Walker.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Young friend, don’t you know that the jade pendant on your chest is the Tian Shi Du of the Three Truths Sect?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“To wear this pendant means you are authorized by the Three Truths Tian Shi as a World Walker, empowered to command all disciples of the Three Truths Sect.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tian Shi?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A bizarre thought suddenly flashed through your mind—could Lu Hua be the Tian Shi of the Three Truths Sect?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But that seemed impossible—if he truly were the Tian Shi of the Three Truths Sect, how could he appear daily in your small courtyard to tutor you?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The gray-robed monk stood in the center, his demeanor solemn, his voice compassionate:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is one form of my own creation: ‘Vajra Zen Buddha Hand.’”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The monk made no effort to conceal it, slowly reciting the technique in the open.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The three guards all listened with rapt attention—a Buddhist Grand Master’s self-created technique.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even a single scale or fragment could benefit them for life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sima Muqing, however, was in turmoil, unable to focus at all; her thoughts drifted to Brother Xue Bai—would she ever see him again in this lifetime?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2376,"2026-06-21T01:33:01.587Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","e33b71b63d9c55870ddc20de7118e5d6917fa198c16e3cfb1040d41f317d648b","simulated-to-reality-i-once-looked-down-upon-ten-chapter-597","simulated-to-reality-i-once-looked-down-upon-ten-chapter-595",728,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fsimulated-to-reality-i-once-looked-down-upon-ten-cover.jpg"]