Chapter 450: Austere Cultivation Blessing

"You three, come with me."

"Where… where are we going?"

Yu Lin halted his steps, turned his head to glance at him, and said nothing.

Long Ge immediately flinched, hurriedly put on a smiling face: "No questions, no questions! We'll go right now! Right now!"

He quickly headed toward the colorful pavilion, waving his hand at the still‑dazed Jade Rabbit Spirit:

"Little sister! Sorry! The brothers can't even protect themselves, we can't help you! You should… uh, pick a new Crown Prince yourself! Be careful!"

After speaking, he no longer stared at the Jade Rabbit Spirit's puzzled eyes, hurriedly grabbed the equally drooping‑headed White Tiger and Qilin, both wearing expressions of "we're doomed," and followed Yu Lin step by step, looking like three schoolchildren being hauled away by their parents for misbehaving.

As Yu Lin led the three away from the crowd, the "Throwing Embroidered Ball to Choose a Crown Prince" ritual, which had gone off track because of their meddling, was conducted again.

This time, without Long Ge's interference, the embroidered ball finally "lived up to expectations" and landed in the arms of the passing Xuan Zang.

Thus, Xuan Zang and his disciples, amid a "crowd" of palace attendants and guards, headed toward the Imperial Palace, staging the dilemma of "real versus fake princess" and "forcefully recruiting a Crown Prince."

On the second‑floor elegant chamber of a refined townhouse facing the street in the capital city.

Tu Shan Zhi was perched by the window, curiously watching the crowd below gradually disperse and the direction of the Imperial Palace in the distance.

Hearing the commotion, she turned around and saw Yu Lin push the door open, followed by the three dejected, scowling Long Ge, Qilin and White Tiger.

"What's wrong?" Tu Shan Zhi lightly hopped down from the windowsill, walked gracefully to Yu Lin's feet, lifted her small head, her narrow fox‑like eyes filled with curiosity:

"Those three… what trouble did they cause this time? Did they upset you?"

Yu Lin sat on a chair in the room, poured a cup of tea casually, and shrugged: "Nothing much, just a small matter."

He took a sip of tea, his gaze sweeping over the three who had tucked their necks, trying to minimize their presence:

"Speak up, why did you run to that Jade Rabbit and coax her into tossing the embroidered ball around? Bored out of your mind?"

Long Ge, seeing that Yu Lin's tone wasn't harsh, grew a bit bolder, awkwardly scratched his massive dragon head, and chuckled: "Well… it's actually a coincidence."

"The three of us were wandering aimlessly in the Tianzhu region, happened to sense a familiar aura, and when we went over, hey, it was that little Jade Rabbit from the Moon Palace!"

"Back when I took you to the Moon Palace to look for Sister Chang'e, that little rabbit even gave me osmanthus cake; we're not just free‑riders!"

He paused, then continued: "Moreover, we observed in secret that this rabbit descended to the mortal world, though she was willful and caused the real princess to disappear, taking on the princess's appearance herself, she indeed didn't take any lives nor commit any egregious deeds."

"Helping her a bit isn't a big deal."

Qilin and White Tiger nodded repeatedly beside him: "Yes, yes, that's right."

"Exactly, exactly."

"But Long Ge, when did you go to the Moon Palace? How come we didn't know?"

"Of course it was when you all hadn't emerged yet; just don't worry about it."

"Oh........"

"Alright then." Yu Lin, after listening, didn't really intend to blame them.

That earlier act was also meant to scare them, a way to repay their prank.

He set down the teacup, stood up, walked to the window, and directed his gaze toward the street below, where Xuan Zang and his disciples were no longer visible, only the distant bustle from the direction of the Imperial Palace could be heard.

"Alright, the excitement is over; you may leave. I still have some matters to attend to."

"Got it! Bye!" The three, as if pardoned, responded quickly, unable to linger with Tu Shan Zhi, and dashed toward the doorway like a gust of wind, vanishing in the blink of an eye, their speed as if a primeval beast were chasing them.

Tu Shan Zhi watched their panicked retreat, her nine tails gently swaying, a hint of smile flashing in her eyes.

Yu Lin, however, did not leave the window immediately. His gaze did not linger on the Imperial Palace; instead it rose slowly, passing over the capital's bustling buildings, over clouds beyond mortal sight, finally fixing on the sky above Tianzhu, that seemingly calm void deep.

In his perception, two massive, ancient, and fundamentally different vast auras dwelled there.

One was a Buddhist Sect aura.

The other was even more hidden and complex.

It was neither pure light nor darkness, but, like the Universe itself, Chaos and ever‑changing, containing creation, maintenance, destruction and other opposing yet unified laws, bearing a primitive, wild, almost "Dao‑like" Essential Power—an aura belonging to Brahma!

It seemed to be the faint reflection in the mortal world of the "Heavenly Realm" where deities like Shiva, Vishnu, and Brahma reside.

"If I find a secluded place, study those ascetics, endure austere cultivation for a few hundred years, and have them grant a Blessing or something…."

A somewhat absurd yet highly tempting thought suddenly sprang into Yu Lin's mind.

On this land, "austere cultivation" is a widely recognized, high‑return "investment" method.

Devout ascetics, through extreme self‑refinement and sacrifice, can often directly commune with deities, obtaining a powerful "Blessing" far beyond their own cultivation pace, almost a leap to the heavens.

Such power, directly derived from divine grace, can instantly acquire the Great Dao's governing force, faster and more domineering than the step‑by‑step path of cultivation or grasping the Authority's law!

However, the notion flashed by and Yu Lin himself dismissed it.

A Blessing, though good, is ultimately bestowed by external force.

It is a power 'given' by others.

Since it is 'given,' there must be the giver's will, restrictions, and even… the possibility of revocation.

No matter how potent, a Blessing's source isn't within oneself, always bearing the risk of being restrained, interfered with, or even stripped away.

"I'll stick to my own path; others' shortcuts are just for watching." Yu Lin withdrew his thoughts, shifting his gaze away from the void's endless mysteries.

He turned his head and said to the quietly perched Tu Shan Zhi: "That's all for here; there's nothing left to watch."

"Let's go, change the place."

Tu Shan Zhi, hearing this, rose, leapt lightly, landed steadily on Yu Lin's outstretched arm, then skillfully adjusted her posture and nestled into his embrace.

"Alright."

Yu Lin cast one last glance at the Tianzhu capital beyond the window; his figure, like a reflection in water, faded silently with a barely perceptible ripple in space.

And in front of the Imperial Palace.

Xuan Zang followed the Jade Rabbit inside, while Sun Wukong and the others waited at the doorway.

Zhu Bajie muttered, "The Daughter Kingdom passed, the Scorpion Spirit passed, the White‑Furred Mouse passed, and now a princess shows up…"

"Master, her luck with men is really something."

"I, Old Pig, am also dignified and elegant, charming and dashing—why does nobody look for me?"

"Brother Monkey, Brother Monkey, speak up—what are you looking at?"

Sun Wukong waved his hand: "Nothing much, just feel like a familiar person has left."

"Fine, you dullard, say less."

"Wait until the master comes out later..........."