Chapter 910: Guanyin

Help me up. Qin Shi Huang, lying face up and tilted at a forty-five-degree angle, said.

Meng Yi helped him up: "Your Majesty?" He was a little worried.

He felt not only bodily injury but also heart injury.

It's fine, it's just a Xianyang City model, right? It's just a bunch of figurines, right? Qin Shi Huang said with difficulty, "I still have many, many!"

Your Majesty, please mourn. Meng Tian could guess what had just happened.

Qin Shi Huang dragged Tang Xuanzang into his Imperial Domain, where there was a huge Xianyang City and various powerful Terracotta Warrior figurines.

Frankly speaking, Meng Yi, Meng Tian brothers, and the Wang family father and son—four people—entered the Imperial Domain, yet had no confidence of fighting their way out.

Adding a mysterious Xu Fu with all sorts of strange methods gives it some possibility.

However, the Imperial Domain is probably already……

Qin Shi Huang's Imperial Domain is very similar to Hades's Underworld, but stronger, and its connection to Qin Shi Huang is not as tight as that between Hades and the Underworld.

If Hades suffered the same degree of attack, he would already be dead.

Qin Shi Huang himself is stronger, and the connection is not so tight, so he only suffered serious injuries—no outward sign, just a pale complexion.

By comparison, the God Master is in a much more sorry state.

His crimson blood soaked the entire steps, the bleeding was huge, flowing down from the top of the pyramid and almost forming a waterfall in midair.

What are you standing there for?

The scene fell silent, and Tang Luo spoke again.

Qin Shi Huang supported Meng Yi with one hand, and with the other hand he simply untied his waist sword and threw it toward Tang Luo: "Loser wins the bet; my Son of Heaven Sword is yours!"

Actually we didn't make a bet, forget it... Tang Luo took that bronze sword, examined it closely, and discovered it really was just an ordinary bronze sword.

No wonder Qin Shi Huang gave it so readily—it was merely an ornament.

Of course, one cannot say it's worthless just because it's an ornament, after all it's also a Son of Heaven Sword, a symbol of the emperor.

With this sword, Tang Luo can walk sideways across the Qin Empire—if he doesn't take it, he can still do so, but he'd have to fight his way through.

Qin Shi Huang gave it, Tang Luo looked at the God Master, "What about you?"

The God Master's face twisted slightly, he pulled out his scepter and likewise threw it toward Tang Luo.

Tang Luo took the scepter, glanced at it, and found this person to be much more straightforward—the scepter is not merely a symbol but actual weapon equipment.

Master, that thorn crown is also a good thing—I mean, it's a weapon of mass destruction! Zhu Bajie said, indicating there was still another weapon of mass destruction to be confiscated.

Good. Tang Luo continued staring at the God Master, "You know what to do."

This is for defense! the God Master squeezed out a few words from between his teeth, "Unfair! Even his defensive artifact is being taken."

This also has lethal power—how can you deny it? Tang Luo said righteously.

The Crown of Thorns is naturally not merely a defensive artifact.

What about him! the God Master pointed at Qin Shi Huang, the bleeding increased somewhat, making people suspect he might bleed to death.

Sorry, I'm just wearing ordinary clothes. Qin Shi Huang snorted, as the ruler of the Qin Empire, just the clothing alone requires tens of thousands of people to manage, make, launder, etc.

If Qin Shi Huang changed into a set of magical treasures, that would mean many people would become "unemployed."

As an emperor, changing clothes requires twenty or thirty attendants; if he didn't return the clothes, what would those people do?

A good emperor cannot consider increasing unemployment.

So, Qin Shi Huang really is dressed in ordinary clothes from head to toe.

Wearing indestructible, self-cleaning magical treasure clothing is actually not special at all—it's too common.

As an emperor, one must be somewhat special.

…… The God Master wanted to curse, but his chest hurt, so he couldn't.

He took off the thorn crown and smashed it toward Tang Luo, but Tang Luo easily caught it.

It's so sharp, yet you say it's not a weapon of mass destruction—I could toss it casually and shatter a world. Tang Luo said.

What are you throwing that can't destroy a world! the God Master roared inwardly.

On the surface he maintained a gloomy expression mixed with pain, while his inner thoughts were rich.

One can judge by the fluctuating amount of bleeding.

Handing the thorn crown to Zhu Bajie, Tang Luo said, "Come over, everyone, let's talk about the issue of peace."

The God Master pressed his hand to his chest; the incessant bleeding finally stopped, but that huge wound did not heal.

That is not an easily recoverable injury.

Pa, pa.

Meng Yi reached out and clapped twice; soon some artisan-clad people walked out from the chariot road.

Using local materials, within half a minute they crafted an elegant pavilion floating in midair.

In the middle was a stone table, beside it three stone stools.

Please.

Qin Shi Huang maintained the aura of an eternal emperor, first entering the pavilion and sitting down.

Tang Luo also sat down; lastly came the God Master, all in gold-red and in a most sorry state.

It was obvious that the God Master had noticed Tang Luo's differential treatment.

What do you want? After the three sat down, Qin Shi Huang asked.

World peace. Tang Luo was very serious and earnest.

You are a trial-taker, a wanderer. Is what you want related to your mission? the God Master asked.

Tang Luo nodded; now restrictions are fully lifted, including missions, and informing others is irrelevant.

……

The God Master and Qin Shi Huang were silent for a moment.

If it's a mission, it would be very difficult to get the other side to concede.

"What is your mission?" the God Master asked further.

"I said, world peace." Tang Lo said, "Cease hostilities, quell your conflicts."

"So we must cease fire?"

"Hmm." Tang Lo said, "Not only that, since we've quelled the conflict, I think a short ceasefire definitely won't work. Look, you've already stopped fighting, but my mission remains unfinished."

"So then?" the God Master asked.

"So, following my suggestion, reduce military expenditures, surrender armaments, and weaken both sides' forces to the point that, for a long time to come, you won't be able to fight and can't bear it. That way, my mission should be considered complete."

"Are the mission demands that high?" Qin Shi Huang couldn't help but interject.

Tang Lo said in a matter-of-fact tone, "Of course, after all, I'm that strong."

"..." the God Master wanted to speak but held back; the hollow in his chest reminded him that this wasn't boasting—the other party truly was that strong.

"I can't make sense of the current trial." Qin Shi Huang furrowed his brow.

"Speaking of the God-Demon Game, which is what you call the trial, have you figured out what's going on?" Tang Lo asked.

This is a topic familiar to all three parties and shared among them.

Having been beaten into submission, we can certainly chat.

The God Master is a God-Demon Walker who appeared earlier than Qin Shi Huang, and even before them, there were already God-Demon Walkers.

The history of the God-Demon Game seems to run through the entirety of human civilization's history.

The God-Demon Game itself is indeed constantly evolving, becoming more perfected.

The two of them and that member of the Deadlocked Council share the same inference: that the God-Demon Game is a particular manifestation of the "Source."

This also confirms that the power of the Source is very special.

"Your weapon possesses Source power." Qin Shi Huang said, then muttered, "Actually, my Xianyang City also has it."

Too bad it's not much use.

The Source is indeed a special and powerful force, but it is not an absolutely invincible force.

Moreover, regarding the Sunk Lands, both Qin Shi Huang and the God Master actually have the ability to fish out several God-Demon Walkers from the Sunk Lands.

This is the ability of powerful Transcendents.

The premise is that the person they want to find is still struggling to survive in the Sunk Lands, not having completely sunk to death and vanished.

As for letting "trial participants" leave their missions early, that's false, or rather, powerful Transcendents have never received confirmation of such speculation and false promises.

You should know that only now have the restrictions on God-Demon Walkers truly been lifted, allowing them to meet Transcendents.

Before that, Transcendents could not possibly come into contact with God-Demon Walkers who were still carrying out their missions (trial participants).

Put bluntly, the Sunk Lands are like a "garbage dump," where Transcendents can pick up some human waste to make use of.

However, before the God-Demon Game discards God-Demon Walkers, if Transcendents wanted to directly seize people, it's probably impossible; producing fate fragments is already the limit.

For now, no Transcendent has actually tried to do this.

Even if Transcendents have become free, their connection to the God-Demon Game remains, not completely severed.

It sounds like some kind of inexplicable karmic entanglement.

Besides their two forces, the Great Thunder Sound Temple, the Heavenly Court, Qin Shi Huang, and the God Master all affirm that there are not a few Transcendents.

As for the Jade Emperor and Mile, it's uncertain whether they are Transcendents.

The might and mystery of these two sovereigns are such that even the proud Qin Shi Huang and God Master cannot bring themselves to say these two are not worth mentioning.

Here's something rather interesting.

In the Mountain and Sea Realm, the six definite strongest are the Three Pure Ones and the Three Buddhas.

Among the Three Pure Ones, Lingbao (Tongtian) and Yuanshi have remained in a "missing" state, leaving only Taishang Laojun present.

Among the Three Buddhas, Tathagata is held in highest esteem.

Although these six are said to be on the same level of Buddha and Great Luo,

but in the end, everyone feels that Taishang and Tathagata are the strongest, while the others are still a notch below.

The fact that Lingbao and Yuanshi have never appeared is one thing,

but Ran Deng and Mile are indeed present, yet not a single sound has been issued from them.

Mile's most "glorious" utterance so far was actually calling Tang Lo the epithet "demonic monk."

Consequently, there is inevitably a theory that Ran Deng and Mile have not actually stepped into the realm of a true Buddha.

This is the Buddhist sect deliberately giving itself a boost so as not to lose to the Daoist sect.

Whether this theory is true or false is unknown. Another theory is that the perpetually low-key Jade Emperor has actually half-stepped into the Great Luo realm.

Like the previous theory, this rumor is merely some market gossip and has never been confirmed.

Looking at the situation where the Mountain and Sea Realm shattered and the two subsequently reestablished the Heavenly Court and the Great Thunder Sound Temple,

the rumors may not be entirely false.

Perhaps Mile is indeed a Buddha inferior to Tathagata, while the Jade Emperor is a low-key "half-step into Great Luo."

Regardless, Mile Buddha and the Supreme August Heaven God Emperor are now extremely powerful.

Toward these two, Qin Shi Huang and the God Master still maintain a certain respect, have occasionally yielded appropriately, and will not lightly give offense.

Unlike Tang Lo, who came out as an enemy of the Buddha and the Heavenly Court, not putting those two and the forces they built in the slightest regard.

This isn't because Tang Lo looks down on everything; rather, whether it's the Jade Emperor or Mile, everyone has previously not gotten along well with them.

Sun Wukong causing havoc in the Heavenly Palace goes without saying. When Mile sees Tang Lo, he always wears a strange, neither-yin-nor-yang smile.

Judging by Mile's normal outward attitude, one can almost say he is displaying disdain.

Becoming an enemy of the Buddha and the Heavenly Court is also not solely Tang Lo's fault.

When everyone looks at each other with mutual dislike, they become enemies; if one side dies, everything is cleared up.

Anyway, the Tathagata and the Supreme aren't weighing down on us like great mountains anymore.

Come on, let's fight—who's afraid of whom?

The topic jumped from the god‑demon game to the Heavenly Court's Jade Emperor and the Maitreya Buddha of the Great Thunderclap Temple, then swung back to the god‑demon game and Tang Luo's mission.

"How about you sign a peace‑friendly treaty that lasts a hundred million years?" Tang Luo said.

The God Lord and Qin Shi Huang said nothing, using silence to voice their protest.

They each wanted the other dead, and the moment Tang Luo left, they would instantly start fighting again.

Even their present grave wounds couldn't stop them.

"You won't sign?" Tang Luo asked.

"A treaty is just meant to be torn up." Qin Shi Huang said.

The God Lord also nodded: "Such things are as useless as toilet paper."

I don't know why he compared it to toilet paper—clearly toilet paper is useful. Oh, for the God Lord it truly is useless.

"All right." Tang Luo looked amenable, "Then, as we said at the beginning, reduce military forces. Please have both of you call out all your strong warriors under your command."

"What do you want to do?"

"Beat them half to death, confiscate their weapons, and quell your feud."

"Not possible." The God Lord shook his head, "There are other forces lurking nearby."

"For example?"

"The Scorching Council."

"Huh? You mean the Scorching Council that loves to incarnate via sand‑clone avatars, has thirteen members, and also has the Heavenly Knights under its command?"

"……Yes." The God Lord suddenly felt this answer might not be correct.

"Oh, no need to worry. I happened to meet them on the last mission and casually converted them." Tang Luo said, "Now they are wholeheartedly devoted to goodness and won't do evil again."

"……" Fresh blood welled again from the God Lord's bowl‑sized wound.

Mentioning the Scorching Council was really just a pretext, but I hadn't realized the other side had already wrecked that pretext.

What are we to do?

"All right, let's just leave it like this—this won't work, that won't work either. As a poor monk, I can only sever karma, not people; killing to protect life." Tang Luo's voice carried a sense of danger.

Killing everyone, or picking one side to wipe out, would also bring peace.

If there are no people, there's no dispute—what would they fight over?

"Master, are you really that confident?" Qin Shi Huang asked.

"Yes." Tang Luo naturally had confidence.

The God Lord and Qin Shi Huang involuntarily exchanged a glance.

They each felt a twinge of regret, wishing they had gone all out to eliminate this person earlier.

Both are now seriously wounded, and their main forces have also suffered heavy losses (mainly the Holy Alliance), missing the best chance to strike.

Individually, neither side has confidence they can defeat him.

Even if they could, it would be a pyrrhic victory, with the mantis catching the cicada while the oriole waits behind.

As for an alliance, that's impossible; stabbing each other in the back is the only option.

As things stand, it seems the only viable option is to accept it—there's no alternative.

"Xuanzang."

Just as the God Lord and Qin Shi Huang were still pondering, a voice came.

It flowed like a clear spring, giving both the illusion that their wounds were beginning to heal.

"Bodhisattva?"

Tang Luo rose to his feet and gazed toward the sky.

There are many Bodhisattvas at the Great Thunderclap Temple, but Tang Luo omits all honorifics and calls only one "Bodhisattva"—Guanyin.