Xu Qi’an tried jogging, moving “as if on flat ground” without any hindrance. He immediately put aside the matter of being a Buddha’s son. The stunningly beautiful Vairocana Bodhisattva had been injured by the Diviner and couldn’t leave Alanda for two to three years.

The Vajra Guardian, and even other Arhats, might pose a threat to him, but as long as he knew how to take detours and avoid danger, Arhats weren’t that terrifying.

If he couldn’t win, he could still run.

But facing a First Rank expert like Vairocana Bodhisattva, who excelled in speed and control, he couldn’t even escape.

Liu Yun walked with difficulty. Upon entering this path flanked by Bodhisattvas and Arhats, an immense pressure descended from above. This indescribable pressure wasn’t applied to the physical body but to people’s minds.

With each complete step, one’s acceptance of Buddhism increased, as if undergoing a slow brainwashing process.

The reason for the difficult steps was that one’s original thoughts were struggling against this external ideology…

Any intelligent being with their views instinctively resists brainwashing.

This situation was within her expectations. As a local jianghu force in Leizhou, she had encountered many “believers” who once yearned to enter monkhood. Although these believers ultimately failed, they became increasingly devout after leaving the Pagoda of Buddha’s Relics.

“Can I try to accept this ‘infusion’, actively embrace this sense of identification? Would that make me move faster?”

She attempted and was delighted to find that her speed indeed increased slightly.

From this, she concluded that with good aptitude and willingly accepting Buddhist concepts, one’s speed would increase. However, the core factor was something else, because her speed had only increased a little, not as dramatically as she had imagined.

As for what that core factor was, Liu Yun couldn’t figure it out.

At this moment, from the corner of her eye, she saw a figure pass by her side.

So fast?

She looked over in astonishment.

“I’ll go ahead!”

Xu Qi’an, noticing her gaze, calmly nodded, then walked away calmly.

Watching his retreating figure, Liu Yun could only think of four words: strolling in leisure.

She slowly opened her mouth wide, her eyes widening.

“Completely unaffected? How can he be completely unaffected? Even Buddhist monks are suppressed, but he’s moving just like normal.”

Liu Yun’s mind was in chaos, unable to understand the reason.

In this way, Xu Qi’an overtook one local Leizhou native after another, leaving them all far behind under their dumbfounded gazes.

Those commoners who were concentrating on taking steps looked at this scene blankly.

“What… what’s going on?”

“Aren’t we walking on the same path? Why can he do it so easily?”

Many people stopped to observe, exclaiming and discussing in amazement.

The first to hear the discussions behind them were Yuan Yi, Li Shaoyun, the Dong Fang sisters, and Tang Yuanwu, the leader of the Twin Blade Sect.

They were in the middle position and could hear the exclamations and discussions from behind.

The Dong Fang sisters turned their heads in confusion, their beautiful faces changing slightly. In their sight, that blue-robed figure was walking slowly towards them, without any pauses, relaxed and at ease.

“Eh?”

Li Shaoyun, carrying his long spear, suddenly turned around, his spear sweeping horizontally. The Commander Yuan Yi beside him ducked his head, avoiding the sweep of the spear tip.

He was about to reprimand this subordinate, but following his gaze, his face suddenly filled with astonishment.

“Hey, how did you do it? Can you share your experience?” Li Shaoyun grinned.

The Dong Fang sisters, Yuan Yi, and Tang Yuanwu immediately looked over.

Xu Qi’an didn’t stop walking, responding coldly, “Can talent be shared?”

Li Shaoyun opened his mouth, speechless.

After the blue-robed figure had walked far away, he muttered, “Damn, this is someone born to be a monk.”

You’re the one born to be a monk… Xu Qi’an’s mouth twitched, and he quickened his pace.

Yuan Yi squinted his eyes, his gaze fixed on Xu Qi’an’s feet, and said in a low voice, “No hesitation at all, how is this possible?”

Dong Fang Wanqing frowned, “Sister, this person is strange in every way.”

Dong Fang Wanrong’s face turned serious as she nodded, transmitting, “He will reach the second floor faster than the monks from Three Flower Temple. But it didn’t matter, the Buddhist monks said that the second floor had already been infiltrated by the Master’s power. He will be trapped there.”

“But we can’t let him easily surpass us either.”

Dong Fang Wanrong shook her head:

“Haven’t you noticed? There are precepts inside the pagoda that make it difficult to take action, at least on the first floor. The Pagoda of Buddha’s Relics is a magical item for enshrining relics and imprisoning experts. If it were easy to take action, how could it imprison experts?”

Dong Fang Wanqing called out loudly, “Master Jingxin, look behind you.”

Behind? The monks ahead turned to look back, their eyes gradually widening in disbelief, the expressions frozen on their faces.

Even Chan masters like Jingxin and Abbot Hengyin felt a sense of absurdity in their hearts.

Under the “gaze” of Buddhist Bodhisattvas and Vajras, an outsider was walking so easily and comfortably, while they, as Buddhist disciples, had to “advance cautiously”, still heavily suppressed.

“Who is this benefactor?”

Jingxin stopped, looking at the approaching Xu Qi’an.

All the monks stared at him intently.

I’m the man your Buddhism can never have… Xu Qi’an didn’t stop walking: “A martial artist from Great Feng.”

They passed each other.

The Buddhist monks stared blankly at his retreating figure.

Monk Jingxin withdrew his gaze, staring at the pearl formed from the mirror beast’s tear in his hand.

Venerable Dunan must have seen what just happened.

…

Outside the pagoda.

Yierbu’s voice echoed: “Dunan, who is this person? Why can he move freely inside the Pagoda of Buddha’s Relics?”

The Panlong Abbot held the precious pearl, his wrinkled old face serious.

The temperature around suddenly rose, a wave of heat swept by, and Vajra Dunan’s figure appeared beside the Panlong Abbot. He reached out to snatch the pearl and examined it intently.

Mu Nanchi curiously observed the suddenly appearing Dunan. This monk was nine-foot-tall, tall and burly, with a bright, ever-burning halo of fire behind his head.

Is this the Vajra Guardian of Buddhism?

The little white fox curled up in her arms, shivering, saying, “So, so hot, so hot…”

Mu Nanchi hugged the little white fox tightly, stepping back repeatedly until its small body stopped shaking.

Vajra Dunan examined the pearl while saying:

“The first floor of the Pagoda of Buddha’s Relics has the power of precepts. The magical item won’t have any problems. It can only be that this benefactor has some issues. Only Bodhisattvas and Arhats who also control precepts can walk freely on the first floor.

“Even if I enter, I would be affected.”

Yierbu snorted, “Are you saying this person is a Bodhisattva or Arhat of Buddhism?”

Dunan slowly shook his head: “When Bodhisattva Faji placed the Pagoda of Buddha’s Relics here years ago, he set a restriction that those above Fourth Rank cannot enter. Arhats can’t go in, and Bodhisattvas who want to enter can only forcibly break the restriction.”

“Then how do you explain what’s happening?”

Yierbu asked.

Vajra Dunan remained silent. A guess flashed in his mind: it could also be an Arhat’s reincarnation with karmic ties to Buddhism, thus able to ignore the precepts and directly reach the golden Buddha statue.

Yierbu pondered for a moment, then said, “Forget it, fortunately, he won’t be able to pass the second floor either.”

Li Lingsu, eavesdropping on the conversation between the two extraordinary figures from afar, gritted his teeth. What kind of figure was this old codger Xu Qian?

Now he’s entangled with Buddhism too?

An unusual relationship with the Imperial Astronomical Bureau, possessing multiple insect techniques, and now seemingly having great origins with Buddhism. Who exactly was he…

…

Soon, Xu Qi’an successfully walked to the front of the golden Buddha statue, looking up at the mountain-like golden statue, grand and majestic.

“The Pagoda of Buddha’s Relics only has three floors. The first floor is used to test talents, not very difficult, with almost no danger. So, the second or third floor might be where Shenshu and Nalan Tianlu are sealed.

“I need to retrieve the dragon qi, unseal Shenshu, and prevent them from releasing Nalan Tianlu. The task is quite heavy…

“How to collect the dragon qi attached to the magical item? Surely I can’t kill the magical item. A First Rank Bodhisattva’s magical item, no matter how you look at it, would only end up killing me instead.

Xu Qi’an didn’t rush to enter the second floor, looking up at the golden statue. Seemingly in a daze, his mind was racing with thoughts.

He secretly reached into his bosom, gripping the fragment of the Earth Book, muttering incantations, trying to use the chant taught by the Diviner, along with the mutual attraction between dragon qi and national fortune, assisted by the Earth Book fragment, to absorb the dragon qi.

Unfortunately, he was disappointed.

The dragon qi showed no reaction, entangled with the pagoda, ignoring his summons.

“Is the Pagoda of Buddha’s Relics too high-ranking? Buddhism is also here for the dragon qi, I can observe secretly and reap the benefits. Breaking Shenshu’s seal and preventing Nalan Tianlu from escaping are more troublesome.

“For the former, I have the unsealing chant taught by Second Senior Brother, but being able to break the Diviner’s seal doesn’t necessarily mean I can break the seal of the Pagoda of Buddha’s Relics itself. For the latter, unless I kill all the Dong Fang sisters and Buddhist monks, how can I prevent Nalan Tianlu from escaping?

“I’ll do my best and leave the rest to fate. Getting the dragon qi would be a sure gain, if I can’t handle Shenshu’s matter now, I’ll deal with it later. As for Nalan Tianlu, I can’t force it. I’m just one person, doing my best is enough. The Diviner gave me such a difficult task.

“I’ll enter the second floor first to scout and make a plan on how to benefit as a bystander.”

He immediately set goals for himself: must obtain the dragon qi, try his best for Shenshu, and leave preventing Nalan Tianlu’s escape to chance.

Seeing Jingxin and others approaching step by step, Xu Qi’an hesitated no longer and bowed three times to the golden Buddha statue.

The next moment, a golden light shone down from the misty dome above, and he disappeared from the first floor.

…

The first thing Xu Qi’an felt was warm sunlight and a devastated land before his eyes as if a fierce battle had just taken place there.

This was a vast wilderness, the sky was azure, and the climate was dry and cold.

Is this the Buddha’s realm? There’s not a hint of the serenity a Buddha’s realm should have… As he thought this, he heard a familiar, gentle voice:

“Today, you will certainly die.”

Looking towards the voice, not far away stood a figure in blue robes, with handsome features, tall and slender, with clear eyes that hadn’t yet accumulated the weight of years. His temples were not yet grayed.

Wei Yuan!