Chapter 541: 100% Task Completion

"Thank you, Master." The artifact spirit child bowed again, precise and solemn, extremely respectful.

"Get up." Tang Luo said, "This is your second senior brother Zhu Wuneng, fourth junior brother Ao Yulie, and there is also a senior brother Sun Wukong, though we haven't found him yet; we will meet later."

"Third senior brother."

"Third junior brother."

The three paid their respects separately; Ao Yulie even circled Wujing twice, making the child Wujing slightly nervous.

The two quickly began talking, basically Ao Yulie teaching this third senior brother the basic stances.

Tang Luo walked to the side.

"Master." Zhu Bajie walked over, and Nezha also floated over, looking at Tang Luo but saying nothing.

They all noticed Tang Luo's sudden emotional shift, not very happy.

"You say, is he Wujing?" Tang Luo suddenly asked.

"Could it be not?" Zhu Bajie was a bit puzzled; Sha Wujing transformed into a liuli pure robe, a true spirit reincarnated artifact spirit.

It's just Sha Wujing.

Only lacking memories of the past life, but seeing him dazed yet with a hint of familiarity, clearly he did not regard Zhu Bajie and them (Tang Luo as master doesn't count) as strangers.

Perhaps he might recall past events later.

Similar to the Heavenly Hound's situation... Zhu Bajie glanced at the Heavenly Hound lying nearby, already having truly inherited Bai Long's teachings.

At critical moments, he manages to run fast, run far, absolutely not dragging the rear, giving Tang Luo's side no worries in battle.

After battle, he returns to find them, without Tang Luo and them needing to search actively.

Having gained this favor, what more could the poop-scooping official ask for?

"Master, is there any problem?" Zhu Bajie asked.

"Nothing, just thinking of myself." Tang Luo spoke frankly.

Before, he always felt Tathagata had some scheme; he was clearly an imposter occupying a magpie's nest, yet Tathagata treated him as a reincarnation of the Golden Cicada.

But now seeing Wujing's condition, Tang Luo suddenly realized: when Tathagata looked at him, could it be for the same reason as looking at the artifact spirit Wujing?

Whether there are memories or not doesn't matter.

Although Tang Luo just asked that, deep down he naturally treats the artifact spirit Wujing as the true Sha Wujing.

Even if he never recalls past events, it doesn't matter.

We just need to get to know each other again; no need to insist.

"This is a philosophical question, Master." Zhu Bajie said, the Mountain-Sea Realm has the underworld, established the six paths of reincarnation, many cultivators undergo rebirth and retraining.

Many people also ponder, after rebirth and retraining, "Who am I?" which is quite philosophical.

"Forget it, I am I, why think so much?" Tang Luo quickly dismissed this brain-racking thought as useless, ultimately tossing the "original heart" question to the back of his mind.

In a sense, Tang Luo is absolutely a mind like a clear mirror, persisting in self without wavering, a paragon.

That brief thought merely stirred some emotions, still unable to affect him.

Closing his eyes, Tang Luo began to re-refine the Kasaya robe.

Soon, the Kasaya robe replaced the liuli pure robe he was wearing.

Not the common yellow-red monk's robe seen in films and TV, but a full blood-red waist-tied cloak, with complex golden patterns, overall presenting a gold-red hue.

Quite splendid, yet faintly revealing a hint of ferocious aura.

The forearms are normal black narrow sleeves, still wrapped with a string of small Buddhist beads; the elbow part has wide cuffs.

While being graceful and flowing, it does not hinder any movement.

This is the true appearance of the Kasaya robe; what truly looks related to Buddhism is just the Buddhist beads.

Tang Luo obtained it back then, refined it into this shape; he has rich (game, film/TV) experience, knowing whether handsome or not is a lifelong matter.

True monk's attire, really not good-looking.

But this appearance only lasted a moment, soon turning into an unremarkable outfit.

The Kasaya robe inherently possesses transformation ability, convenient for fishing.

Otherwise, that blood-red outfit would scare people away; only in battle would it reveal its true form.

Since the Kasaya robe has been retrieved, naturally there's no need to use the liuli pure robe for protection anymore; the magical artifact has been born, no need to stimulate the liuli pure robe's spirituality through "enduring beatings."

Normal cultivation is sufficient.

After greeting everyone, the artifact spirit Wujing transformed into a stream of light and merged into the Buddhist beads on Tang Luo's wrist.

This is his true form, and can completely detach from Tang Luo to act freely.

Now the artifact spirit Wujing has just been born, still needing nurturing and consolidation for a period.

"Bajie, go bring those monks, plus Ananda and Kasyapa." Tang Luo said to Zhu Bajie.

Zhu Bajie nodded, rose on clouds and departed.

"Little White Dragon, Shan Cai and them, after saying goodbye, let them come over too." Tang Luo continued, "I have matters to discuss with everyone."

"Are you sure it's discussion?" Nezha said, "Not planning to eradicate them at the root?"

"What eradication at the root? I have no deep grudge with them." Tang Luo said, waving his hand, giving Nezha enlightenment.

"Oh... huh, no feeling at all." Nezha was about to feel the comfort of injury recovery, but felt nothing.

Did Tang Luo's enlightenment go to waste?

"No feeling is normal, because this is preventive enlightenment." Tang Luo said, "When you enter final combat mode, the obsidian toxin begins to spread, then it will take effect, helping you remove the suppression of obsidian toxin."

"So my combat time will be greatly extended later?" Nezha said.

"Only once." Tang Luo said, "Good for over a decade."

This over a decade naturally does not mean being able to fight for over a decade, but refers to the validity period of the enlightenment.

"It seems you think as I do." Nezha said.

"I suppose you wouldn't want to keep following me around either," Tang Luo said with a smile.

He had once vaguely alluded to his own situation, and Nezha, who already knew the truth about so-called Outsiders, naturally understood perfectly.

Nezha wasn't like Zhu Bajie, Ao Yulie, Sha Wujing, and the others, who could just tag along with Tang Luo without a care.

He was a proud man.

Given Nezha's current strength under normal conditions, he was truly pitifully weak; even Ao Yulie could easily flick him away with a single finger.

Even the Invincible War God mecha are single-use items, requiring massive logistical support to exert their true effect, and cannot be freely brought in and out of mission worlds.

Without a mecha to pilot, Nezha only had "the strength of one battle."

Tang Luo didn't mind letting Nezha stay in a place like the House of Curses as a mascot.

If they encountered a world rich in heaven-and-earth Qi, he could recover quickly; if they encountered another world without heaven-and-earth Qi, he could just hide.

But that kind of parasite-like life wasn't what Nezha wanted.

The pride in his heart was unwilling to let him completely become a mere ornament hanging on Tang Luo's thigh.

Tang Luo could more or less understand Nezha's thoughts; some things were better left unsaid — mutual understanding was enough.

Tang Luo wouldn't feign an invitation for him to come along either.

Letting Nezha remain in this world would guarantee the mission's completion.

As for how to complete this mission, Tang Luo already had a plan in mind.

Before long, Zhu Bajie and Ao Yulie arrived leading two other groups.

Hong Haier still held the Bull Demon King's head in his arms... the massive bovine head in its true form, looking slightly terrifying.

Still, mother and son were fairly stable emotionally and hadn't given in to despair.

The dead were dead; the living had to live on better.

The Two-Faced Buddha was still unconscious, and that old monk was the same; the other monks nearby shrank back to the side.

They didn't know what this dangerous Victorious Fighting Buddha wanted to do.

Before, at the Great Thunderclap Temple, they had only heard this man's evil reputation; meeting him in person, they realized the evil reputation was a *true* evil reputation.

All sorts of "You bald Buddhist scum, I'll..." thoughts slowly came to nothing.

Even if someone else is scum, you need the ability to eliminate that scum before you open your mouth to lecture them; otherwise, it's best not to even have the thought.

"Wait a moment."

Tang Luo said to the group staring at him expectantly, walked over, and grabbed the Two-Faced Buddha's head.

This was the part of them preserved most intact.

Then, Soul Ferry!

After a moment by outside perception, Tang Luo released his hand, and Kasyapa's face opened its eyes: "Holy Monk, this is truly..."

Hard to describe.

What did Tang Luo just do?

Very simple: he performed Soul Ferry, beat that irritable, deranged monk Ananda (his soul) half to death, just keeping him hanging on by a thread of life so he wouldn't die.

And he used Enlightenment to slightly heal Kasyapa, letting him regain consciousness.

The awakened Kasyapa, faced with this scene, could only smile bitterly and shake his head — Holy Monk, as long as you're happy.

I'm awake, Ananda's beaten half to death, what can I do?

"Alright." Tang Luo dusted off his hands, drawing everyone's gaze.

Those monks trembled, their eyes darting away.

Tang Luo ignored them and spoke: "This poor monk wishes for you all to revive the human race on the Wasteland."

That's right, this was Tang Luo's method for completing the mission.

One hundred percent, an absolutely guaranteed way to complete the mission.

With these gods, Buddhas, and monsters proactively handling things, the revival of humanity on the Wasteland becomes a "simple" matter.

Although these guys' tech tree has veered a bit crooked and needs correcting.

Their tech tree has gone straight down the path of weapons, giant robots, robots, artificial humans (monsters).

Now it must be corrected onto the path of restoring and developing productive forces.

Once corrected, with these gods, Buddhas, and monsters leading, the revival of the Wasteland's humanity is just around the corner.

No matter how strict the Mission Eye is, it can absolutely be completed.

Kasyapa isn't a bad person; born into Buddhism, he wouldn't refuse Tang Luo's request.

Before, his mind was entirely on Ananda and other threats (Heavenly Court, Red Lotus Society); now the threats are gone, benefiting all beings is the proper duty of a good Buddhist monk.

Princess Iron Fan and her son aren't bad monsters either.

Hong Haier followed Guanyin for so many years and has already taken refuge in the Buddha; the Red Lotus Society's sole purpose was to resurrect the Bull Demon King.

Reviving the Wasteland's humanity isn't something they can't accept.

As for Nezha, Tang Luo's positioning for him is the Sword of Damocles, to prevent the day Ananda or Hong Haier and the others have a brain spasm and stir up trouble.

With Enlightenment protecting him, he is undoubtedly the strongest among these people.

When it comes down to it, it's just everyone continuing their old professions, but shifting the focus to human development.

A small matter; Tang Luo has spoken, these people can't possibly refuse.

The consequences of refusing, they know in their hearts — convert them on the spot, just leave Nezha and call it done.

Nezha isn't good at this sort of thing; at most it would just slow the revival speed.