Chapter 682: Discussing the World's Experts, I Am in the Human Realm

Wudao is dead.

He turned into a headless corpse quite cleanly.

He used his own life to illustrate a principle.

When one's life is in the hands of another, one should not spout harsh words; otherwise, dying is only what one deserves.

Guanhai Monk sighed, and the golden Buddhist light on his body gradually dissipated. Since the person was already dead, there was naturally no need to trade blows with Yu Liancheng again.

Of course, it was also because Guanhai Monk understood that if they truly fought, he would likely repeat the same mistakes as the monk Wudao, which was not worth it.

"This humble monk wishes to take away the corpse of Brother Wudao; I wonder if that is permissible?" Guanhai Monk said with his hands pressed together.

"I couldn't ask for anything better," Yu Liancheng nodded and smiled. "Remember to clean up the blood on the ground as well; I am a kind-hearted person and cannot stand the sight of blood."

The corner of Guanhai Monk's mouth twitched. After pondering for a moment, he added, "Mr. Yu, it seems the Hanging Temple will also send people to this year's Ullambana Festival, so you..."

Yu Liancheng said, "Rest assured, I will arrive as promised."

Guanhai Monk could only smile bitterly.

As things stood, he naturally did not want Yu Liancheng to attend the Ullambana Festival. After all, Wudao's status was no small matter, and now that he had died at the hands of Yu Liancheng, he feared a bloodbath would be unavoidable at Lanke Temple. But since Yu Liancheng had made up his mind to go, Guanhai Monk could only feel helpless; this was a powerhouse that even the Xiling Divine Palace could not deal with.

"Very well, we shall meet again at Lanke Temple." Yu Liancheng turned and left.

After Mo Shanshan spoke a few words with Yu Liancheng, she headed back toward her own small hut on the cliff.

Tianmaonv walked quickly to Yu Liancheng's side and hugged his arm, her large eyes filled with reverence: "Sir, what realm are you exactly?"

Yu Liancheng said leisurely: "I suppose I can barely be considered to be in the Knowing Destiny Realm."

"Liar."

"It's 'liar to a cat,' actually."

"Annoying."

"Your name is Tianmaonv; you could add a 'meow' to the end of every sentence, and it would be even cuter."

"I won't, meow."

In the world of Haotian, the Buddha Sect has been silent for a thousand years, closing its doors to practice. Occasionally, when they enter the world, they are content to be vassals of the Dao Sect, and they are better known for their philosophical Zen practice. Many high-ranking Buddhist monks even believe directly that the cycle of fate is merely another manifestation of Haotian's will.

This perspective has kept the Buddha Sect quietly nestled under the system of the Dao Sect.

Because of these various reasons, Buddhism is not prosperous. In countries like Southern Jin and Dahe, it is extremely difficult to find a temple, and monks are considered rare.

The only exception is the Yuelun Kingdom. Because it is very close to the Buddha Sect's Buzhi Zhidi, the Hanging Temple, it is deeply influenced, and practicing Buddhism is extremely popular; there is even the description of "seventy-two temples in the misty rain."

However, the seventy-two temples in the misty rain have never been able to surpass an ancient temple among the famous sites of the southeast. Whether in terms of its importance to the Buddha Sect or its status in the hearts of believers, this ancient temple far exceeds all the temples in the Yuelun Kingdom.

This ancient temple is Lanke Temple.

Below Mogan Mountain, a carriage is heading toward Lanke Temple to attend that grand gathering of the Buddha Kingdom.

Inside the spacious and ornate carriage, Yu Liancheng sits in the cabin, flipping through a copy of the 'Sha Scroll' at his leisure.

Among the seven volumes of the Heavenly Book, the most important one is the 'Ming Scroll,' which records the most essential laws of the world. It was lost to the Demon Sect a thousand years ago and should now be in the hands of the Academy's Great Teacher, First Brother Li Manman. Next is the Heavenly Scroll, which was taken away in advance by the Temple Head. Following that is the 'Sha Scroll,' which records countless profound techniques.

As for the other four volumes, they mostly represent rules and certain strange powers, and are of little use.

Mo Shanshan is also in the carriage, practicing small regular script. This carriage was modified by Yu Liancheng, a Divine Talisman Master; it is not only extremely fast but also very steady.

Tianmaonv rests her chin on her hand and tilts her head: "Sir, Sir, you still haven't told me what realm you are actually in."

"You girl, you've been pestering me for days, aren't you tired of it?" Yu Liancheng stretches out a finger and smiles, tapping Tianmaonv between her brows.

"I'm just curious," Tianmaonv rubs her brow and pouts.

"I already told you I'm in the Knowing Destiny Realm, why don't you believe me?" Yu Liancheng shakes his head.

"If being in the Knowing Destiny Realm were enough to come and go as one pleases in the Xiling Divine Palace and sweep away all the peach blossoms on the mountain, then Taoshan would have been razed to the ground long ago."

Tianmaonv pulls on Yu Liancheng's lapel and acts coquettishly in a sweet, high-pitched voice: "Come on, Sir, tell me, tell me meow, I'm curious meow."

This girl is indeed a beauty in the making, and her coquettish behavior is truly hard to resist.

Yu Liancheng sighs and says: "Pour me some wine."

"Wait a moment, Sir meow." Tianmaonv smiles like a flower, busily fetching the wine jar and cup, pouring a full cup, and handing it to Yu Liancheng. Then she sits up straight, her large eyes staring at Yu Liancheng without blinking, like a little cat waiting to be fed.

Yu Liancheng drinks the wine and says calmly: "Practitioners in this world cannot be purely divided by realms. For example, Liu Bai; his Great River Sword Intent is continuous, vast, and majestic. Those who can get within a foot of him are likely few and far between. Although he has not crossed the Five Realms, he already possesses a level above the Five Realms. Many experts above the Five Realms might not necessarily be his match if they were to truly fight."

"Take the Xiling Sect Leader for another example. Although this Sect Leader has reached the Heavenly Revelation above the Five Realms and can receive the radiance of Haotian, his temperament is too poor, and his cultivation is not solid at all. If he were to fight Liu Bai head-on, it would be almost certain defeat. Therefore, while realms are important, they are not the only standard."

Although the topic had drifted somewhat, Tianmaonv listened with great interest and asked curiously: "Then in your opinion, Sir, who is the most powerful in this world?"

"Of course, it is that." Yu Liancheng points upward.

Tianmaonv looks up, but only sees the carriage roof with faint talisman light flickering.

"Hao... tian." Mo Shanshan, who is practicing small regular script on the side, spits out the two words solemnly from her cherry lips.

Yu Liancheng smiles and nods.

Tianmaonv says with some awe and some confusion: "But, but how can Haotian be counted?"

"Haotian is a collection of rules and originally could not be counted." Yu Liancheng gazes leisurely at the firmament: "But now that Haotian has consciousness and has likes and dislikes, it is no longer pure Heavenly Dao, so naturally, it counts. And in Haotian's world, there is absolutely no one who can defeat Haotian head-on. Kehaoran couldn't do it back then, Fuzi cannot do it now, and I... cannot either."

For some reason, when talking about Haotian, Tianmaonv always feels an indescribable sense of oppression, and she hurriedly says: "Then below Haotian? Is it Fuzi, meow?"

"Correct, below Haotian is Fuzi." Yu Liancheng takes a sip of wine.

"I guessed it right!" Tianmaonv claps her hands happily.

Yu Liancheng laughs: "But do you know how strong Fuzi is?"

Tianmaonv shakes her head.

"Fuzi is very strong." Yu Liancheng's expression is slightly serious.

"Back then, Kehaoran declared war on the heavens and died from divine punishment. In a fit of rage, Fuzi went up to Taoshan and cut down all the peach blossoms on the mountain. Behind the Xiling Divine Palace is the Zhishou Temple; as the saying goes, 'to beat a dog, one must look at its master.' At that time, those reclusive powerhouses in the Zhishou Temple came out one after another to fight Fuzi. Among them were many legendary figures above the Five Realms, but none were a match for Fuzi in a single exchange; some were even injured just by a glance from Fuzi."

"Subsequently, the Zhishou Temple Head Chen Mou, together with the Hanging Temple's Peak Master, fought Fuzi. There is no need for me to elaborate on the strength and status of these two, but in the end, they were still miserably defeated. Since then, Chen Mou has drifted in the South Sea, not daring to set foot on land for even half a step."

"Fuzi has no realm, or rather, his realm is 'No Rules'—the 'rules' of regulations. He does not need to follow any rules and ignores all laws. Except for Haotian, perhaps everyone else combined would not be a match for him alone."

"Fuzi himself is indeed a peerless powerhouse who can be called unprecedented and unrepeatable. However, what is even more praiseworthy than this is his ability to teach disciples. Although Kehaoran is known as Fuzi's junior fellow apprentice, he is actually Fuzi's disciple, and his entire cultivation is inextricably linked to Fuzi. Currently, Fuzi has eleven disciples, and not one of them is mediocre."

Listening to Yu Liancheng's account, Tianmaonv found it hard to believe, her jaw almost hitting the floor. Mo Shanshan also set down her brush, a look of astonishment on her face.

The world knows that Fuzi is powerful, but I fear no one could ever imagine that Fuzi could be this powerful; it has already exceeded the scope of imagination.

Especially when Fuzi drank wine and slashed through the entire mountain of Peach Blossom in the past; it was thought that at most a few Sect Leaders from the Xiling Divine Palace would take action, but no one expected the entire Zhishou Temple to pour out in full force, and yet they still lost.

They lost miserably.

"Then who is the Third in the World?" Tianmaonv asked.

"Below Heaven is Fuzi, and below Fuzi is the Temple Master. The current Xiling Sect Leader is nothing more than a dog raised by Chen Mou." Yu Liancheng took a sip of wine.

"Don't look at how the Temple Master was chased out by Fuzi with a stick as if he were a dog; in reality, he is also a truly extraordinary figure. He is the youngest person in the world to break through the Five Realms, with astonishing talent, cultivating the Buddha, Dao, and Demon paths simultaneously. Above the Five Realms, besides Heaven's Revelation and No Distance, he also possesses the three supreme realms: the Demon Sect's Jiemie, the Buddha Sect's Boundless, and the Demon Sect's Heavenly Demon Realm. It is only thanks to Fuzi suppressing him now; if Fuzi were to die, I fear Datang would be in danger, teetering in the wind and rain."

After finishing the discussion about the Temple Master, without waiting for Tianmaonv to ask, Yu Liancheng did not hold back and continued.

"Below the Temple Master are a group of top-tier Five Realms experts. For example, the Hanging Temple's Peak Master who expounds the scriptures; this person has refined his spirit and flesh until both have become Buddha, invulnerable to blades and spears, and is known as the 'Human Buddha'. However, his speed is too slow, and although he possesses the 'Word of Truth', he is still far from being comparable to Fuzi or the Temple Master."

"Or take, for example, the Butcher and the Drunkard who survived the Eternal Night, or the world's number one 'Sword Saint' Liu Bai. These are all top-tier cultivators above the Five Realms; it is not an easy task for them to kill one another. Haotian, Fuzi, and the Temple Master each occupy their own tier, while these people can barely be classified into the same tier."

"Below the top-tier Five Realms are ordinary Five Realms powerhouses like the Academy's First Senior Brother Li Manman, Demon Sect Leader Lin Wu, or the National Master of the Golden Tent Royal Court. They belong to the category of 'not good enough to reach the top, but better than those below'. However, for a brilliant talent like Li Manman, as long as he learns how to fight, he could quickly enter the same tier as the Peak Master who expounds the scriptures."

"Then there are experts like the Xiling Sect Leader, who have surpassed the Five Realms but whose true strength cannot keep up with their realm. Or perhaps someone like the world's number one Divine Talisman Master, Yan Se, a Knowing Destiny powerhouse who exceeds the standard."

"As for the common masses below them, I cannot be bothered to rank them."

Yu Liancheng finished speaking in one breath, his throat feeling a bit dry, and he couldn't help but take another sip of wine.

Ignoring the completely stunned Tianmaonv and Mo Shanshan, Yu Liancheng flicked his sleeve, and a force that confused the heavenly secrets dispersed, as if isolating this carriage from the mortal world.

"Alright, you two, you've heard enough; it would be impolite to keep listening, so let's disperse."

Datang, the cliff face of Shuyuan Houshan.

This is a beautiful and shocking new world.

Standing on the edge of the cliff, looking down at the clouds and mist below. More than ten waterfalls fall like bundles or pillars into the clouds and mist, splashing circles of cloud waves, and then disappearing without a sound, beautiful to the point of being dreamlike.

Beyond the sea of clouds, one can see Chang'an City, the golden sunlight shining on the dark blue city walls, reflecting a most solemn and sacred luster.

That is the most magnificent grand city in the human world, the most perfect masterpiece of humanity.

Someone is here enjoying the scenery.

This is a tall, white-haired old man.

He looks no different from an ordinary old man, other than being a bit more robust.

The old man let out a sigh of admiration.

Although he has watched this scenery for a thousand years, he still cannot grow tired of it.

Of course, since he is enjoying the scenery, he must always bring food; he loves to eat, and eating while watching is a kind of enjoyment.

Every time he travels through the Zhiguo, the reason he brings his eldest disciple along is because he knows how to take care of people and how to make delicious food, even if his movements are a bit slow.

The old man lifted the food box beside him, took out a small wine jar to fill his cup, and drank the wine in one gulp, possessing the heroic style of a Datang person. Then he picked up a slice of scallion-oil-marinated lamb to eat, looked at Chang'an City in the distance, and suddenly slapped his thigh and laughed.

"Interesting, a very interesting young man. If people outside were all this interesting, I would definitely go out and take a look. Hmm, I wonder how the food outside is, if it's delicious or not. I still have to keep Li Manman by my side; being without a cook just won't do."

South Sea, the green-robed Daoist who has not set foot on land for many years holds this Peach Blossom Branch in his hand, looking at a cluster of peach blossoms on the thin branch. He watches with great concentration, as if the most profound mystery were hidden within this cluster of peach blossoms.

Immediately, the green-robed Daoist's figure swayed slightly, and a tyrannical aura escaped from beneath his feet, causing the entire small path to instantly crack with countless fissures.

His eyelids trembled as he slowly closed them, yet two lines of blood tears slowly fell.

"A person from beyond the heavens; even Haotian finds it difficult to calculate, let alone a mortal like me."

On the carriage, Tianmaonv and Mo Shanshan finally recovered from their shock.

Tianmaonv grabbed Yu Liancheng's lapel, her eyes bright as she said: "Mr. Yu, Mr. Yu, you still haven't said where you stand! You were able to enter Taoshan alone and take away the entire mountain of peach blossoms. Even if it was because the Zhishou Temple was severely weakened when dealing with Fuzi, that should still place you in the same tier as the Hanging Temple's Peak Master, am I right?"

Yu Liancheng patted Tianmaonv's head.

"Me? I am among the common masses."

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