[Seven: What could there be about the Buddha? Surely He didn’t appear to fight you.]
Trying to change the subject? What a poor attempt… Li Lingsu sneered inwardly, not falling for it, and transmitted:
[Let’s continue discussing your marriage with Princess Lin’an. I’ve seen Princess Lin’an before, oh my, she’s breathtakingly beautiful, even three parts more beautiful than Miaozhen and Princess Consort Huai Qing.]
To avenge the social death at the Sword Province Martial Alliance, the Holy Son was willing to engage in mutual destruction with Xu Qi An.
The Tiandi Society members weren’t enthusiastic about the “Buddha-related” intelligence. First, matters of Supreme Beings were too far removed from them. Second, Xu Qi An’s attempt to change the subject was too obvious.
He was trying to use the Buddha as a hook to gloss over the marriage arrangement.
[Three: The last time I mentioned going to the Southern Borderlands was to break Shen Shu’s seal. Aren’t you curious why? What connection does Shen Shu have with the demon race? Why did the Buddhist sect seal Shen Shu?]
Bringing up old matters isn’t interesting… Li Lingsu pursed his lips, about to smooth things over when he saw his junior sister Li Miaozhen transmit:
[Can Shen Shu’s matter be made public now? Can you tell us about it?]
What does this mean? Junior sister seems to place great importance on this Shen Shu… Li Lingsu was startled.
[Four: when you mentioned fighting Asura last time and breaking Shen Shu’s seal, I wanted to ask.]
They knew of Shen Shu’s existence – Xu Qi An had already confessed to the Earth Book members about the sealed being from beneath Lake Sang possessing his body.
They hadn’t asked before because it involved Xu Qi An’s secrets and demon race mysteries. Unless it involved themselves or they were participants, they shouldn’t casually inquire about highly confidential matters.
The Tiandi Society members at least had this much social awareness.
[Three: Before this, I need to correct something. The half-step Martial God that Lady Li Na mentioned appearing during the Jiazi Demon Purge wasn’t the Ten Thousand Demons Nation’s ruler, the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox, but Shen Shu.]
By now, he had completely recalled the content of those past transmissions.
Li Na had only said that a half-step Martial God had intervened during the Jiazi Demon Purge – it was they who had assumed the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox was the half-step Martial God.
[One: The sealed being beneath Lake Sang, that Shen Shu, so he was the half-step Martial God?]
Even Huai Qing, who usually liked to lurk, couldn’t help but jump out – showing how great an impact this news had on the other members’ hearts.
After ten seconds, Heng Yuan sighed:
[A half-step Martial God, to think he was once so close to me.]
Because of his junior brother Heng Hui’s matter, he had been involved in the case and nearly killed by Shen Shu’s right arm.
[Two: Li Na tricked me.]
After the shock, Li Miaozhen instinctively transmitted her feelings. She too had assumed like Xu Qi An that the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox was the half-step Martial God.
[Four: The half-step Martial God who appeared during the Jiazi Demon Purge was Shen Shu, he was sealed by the Buddhist sect, and he was from the Buddhist sect, yet stood with the Ten Thousand Demons Nation during the Jiazi Demon Purge. *Inhales sharply* The implications behind this are terrifying to contemplate…]
Chu Yuanzhen took enough time to digest this news before beginning to write at length, making him the last to transmit.
[Seven: May I ask, who is Shen Shu? How could there be a half-step Martial God? Wasn’t it said that a martial artist’s limit is First Rank? Throughout history, there has never been a Martial God.]
Li Lingsu, having been offline for half a year, wasn’t familiar with past events.
When he held the seventh fragment, the third and ninth fragments were under Golden Lotus Daoist’s management.
No one responded to Li Lingsu. Huai Qing transmitted:
[But what does all this have to do with the Buddha?]
The Princess Consort was good at grasping key points, not forgetting the topic despite being shocked by the half-step Martial God news.
[Three: During the initial battle to help the demon race restore their nation, Shen Shu’s remains also fought. Because of Bodhisattva Guangxian’s targeted methods, Shen Shu fell into madness. After we finally subdued him, he said he remembered things from before, remembered his true identity.]
After transmitting this passage, Xu Qi An deliberately created suspense.
[Two: His true identity? Hurry up and say it, why are you dawdling?]
Li Miaozhen, who had waited several minutes without seeing a follow-up, was furious.
The other members didn’t speak, but they were all cursing Xu Qi An in their hearts.
[Three: He said he remembered who he was, he is… the Buddha!]
The Earth Book chat group instantly fell into dead silence.
Xu Qi’an sunbathed while casually grabbing a water bag, taking a gulp, and patiently waiting.
Just then, Mu Nanzhi caught a big fish. The Flower Goddess happily pulled the fishing rod, leaning forward at such an exaggerated angle that Xu Qi An worried she might fall into the sea, weighed down by her chest’s adipose tissue.
“Bai Ji, quick, help!”
Mu Nanzhi called out.
Bai Ji, who had been dog-paddling around the small boat, responded with a sweet voice and dove into the water to help Mu Nanzhi catch the fish.
The sea surface churned violently, seemingly from Bai Ji wrestling with the big fish below.
A few seconds later, Bai Ji surfaced, her right paw covering her cheek, crying:
“It slapped me…”
Mu Nanzhi was exasperated:
“Useless thing, and you’re still an elder of the Ten Thousand Demons Nation.”
After a struggle, the big fish successfully broke free. Mu Nanzhi was both angry and disappointed, then full of hope as she started her second cast.
Only then did Xu Qi An receive a heart-palpitating sensation – finally, someone had transmitted.
[Two: I just dropped my Earth Book on the ground…]
Upon hearing the news, her whole body felt like electricity was coursing through it, directly causing her to lose the ability to think, forgetting to breathe.
[Four: Incredible, simply incredible. I somewhat regret hearing this news now.]
Chu Yuanzhen was the second to transmit.
[Seven: This poor Daoist’s whole body is covered in goosebumps.]
Li Lingsu had to admit that the news Xu Qi An dropped was indeed shocking enough to easily divert attention from topics like Princess Lin’an and Xu Qi An’s marriage, or even if the emperor wanted to marry Xu Qi An.
[Six: Is this true…]
Master Heng Yuan didn’t express feelings but asked for confirmation.
Xu Qi An sighed as if he could see Master Heng Yuan’s blank gaze and pale face at this moment.
[Three: True. Also, it’s best to keep this secret, don’t spread it outside, to avoid bringing trouble upon ourselves.]
He had no obligation to keep secrets from the Buddha, so he spread it within this trusted small circle, but since it involved a Supreme Being, he still needed to remind the Tiandi Society members.
[Six: Thank you for telling us, Sir Xu, thank you…]
[Four: Thank you for sharing.]
This news was too terrifying, the level too high – no reward could buy such news. This wasn’t a matter of money but of status.
How could mortals have the qualifications to know of matters concerning immortals and gods?
[One: What does Constable Xu think is the truth behind this matter?]
Huai Qing’s words made the Tiandi Society members quiet down, focusing intently on the mirror surface of their Earth Book fragments – nothing could make them shift their gaze.
Why did the Buddha become “Shen Shu”? Who sealed Him? What was the truth behind the Jiazi Demon Purge?
Though they self-deprecatingly called themselves mortals unworthy of such news, undeniably, the truth behind this was too tempting. No one could resist their curiosity.
Since Xu Qi An was involved in this matter and understood some of the truth behind it, they were naturally happy to “freeload” this information.
This is the benefit of being in the Tiandi Society… Li Lingsu sincerely sighed.
[Three: This matter is a long story. First, we must start with Shen Shu’s physical identity…]
He spent a quarter of an hour detailing the process of Shen Shu’s transformation from Asura King to Buddha and told the Tiandi Society members his two theories.
In doing so, he also wanted to hear the Tiandi Society members’ analysis.
Mainly from Huai Qing and Chu Yuanzhen – the Heavenly Sect’s Crouching Dragon and Young Phoenix could be selectively considered.
[Four: You’ve already listed all possibilities, what’s missing is verification. If you had a way to contact Asura or Du’e privately through letters, you could ask them.]
[One: No, they might not be able to uncover the truth. The level involved likely exceeds what Second Rank can reach. Forceful investigation could be life-threatening.]
Chu Yuanzhen continued transmitting: [Only Supreme Beings can suppress Supreme Beings. If it’s the first possibility, then we just need to count the Supreme Beings throughout history to make some guesses.]
[One: You mean the Dao Sovereign? The Dao Sovereign is the most mysterious of all Supreme Beings.]
At the mention of the Dao Sovereign, Li Lingsu and Li Miaozhen perked up.
Li Lingsu transmitted a rebuttal:
[What reason would the Dao Sovereign have to usurp the Buddha’s position? When He first achieved the Dao, He was unmatched in the world. If He wanted to do something, He could just do it directly. Whether it’s fate or establishing teachings, His foundation was deeper than the Buddha’s.]
For a moment, no one could refute this.
The Holy Son was right – the Dao Sovereign achieved the Dao earlier than the Buddha, and His self-established Heaven-Earth-Human Three Sects had a longer history.
If the Dao Sovereign had usurped the Buddha’s position, then there must have been something He wanted from the Buddha, but cultivation, status, incense, and fate were all insufficient reasons.
[Four: Then it must be the second possibility.]
The second possibility was that Shen Shu and the Buddha were the same person, with different aspects. The two sides had disagreements over the Southern Demon matter.
[One: This palace also thinks the second possibility is extremely likely. But this palace has another theory – from the perspective of usurpation, if that being wanted to replace the Buddha and seize the Buddhist sect’s incense and fate, then they should be inferior to the Buddha.]
This logic made sense – the Dao Sovereign was “richer” than the Buddha, having no reason to usurp.
But what about someone who wanted to rise?
Huai Qing continued transmitting: [We only know of five Supreme Beings, but what about those above First Rank, the half-step Supreme Beings? We know nothing about them.]
It was a perspective, but if you put it that way, the case would be hard to investigate… Xu Qi An rubbed his chin, deciding to end this group chat.
At this time, Li Na transmitted a message:
[Five: Xu Ning Yan, when you marry the princess, can you bring me and Ling Yin back to the capital? I don’t want to drink at the wedding, I just want to give you my blessings.]
“…” Xu Qi An’s mouth twitched.
I’m going to beat the shit out of you… He hurriedly put away the Earth Book fragment, not looking at Li Lingsu’s sarcasm or Li Miaozhen’s mockery.
…
Jing Mountain City.
Desolate mountain peaks rose and fell in waves, the distant sea surface reflected sunlight but appeared dead and still.
During the battle at Jing Mountain City that day, Salun Agu had drained this land of spiritual power, causing the soil to no longer grow crops, the sea to no longer nurture fish and shrimp, and the mountains to no longer revive.
It would take at least ten years of recovery for the area within dozens of li around Jing Mountain City to regain vitality.
Salun Agu wore a hemp cloth robe, standing at the desolate mountain peak, holding a lamb in his arms.
Suddenly, he turned his gaze to the sky, toward the sea of clouds above.
A few seconds later, the sea of clouds suddenly dispersed, revealing a giant head like a mountain.
With an ox nose, crocodile lips, and lion’s mane, a pair of horns on its forehead, and azure vertical pupils that were beautiful yet demonic.
The moment this strange beast appeared, the dead-still sea surface churned with waves, water’s spiritual power frantically gathering, bringing forth vitality.
It had become a sea capable of cultivating fish and shrimp again.
“I hate dead seas.”
White Emperor’s tone was low and calm as if having done something trivial.
“I never expected to see a divine-demonic bloodline of such status in the Nine Provinces continent today.” Salun Agu said with a smile:
“Come down and talk.”
The giant beast’s head disappeared, and a white light descended from the sky, condensing in the void before Salun Agu.
Salun Agu examined the strange beast before him and said:
“White Emperor!”
White Emperor’s azure eyes stared at the Great Shaman, its voice deep:
“A First Rank of the shamanic system, you know me?”
As it spoke, the scales on either side of its face opened and closed, revealing pink gills.
Amphibious.
Salun Agu nodded:
“The Shamanic God Religion has infiltrated Cloud Province for years. Of course, we’ve heard of the famous White Emperor.”
White Emperor was silent for a moment, nodded slightly, and said:
“When I returned to the Nine Provinces continent years ago to test the Dao Sovereign’s reaction, the result was unexpected. The Dao Sovereign who drove us out of the Nine Provinces in ancient times did not react to my probing.
“I gradually sensed something was wrong, and left means of contact in Cloud Province until more than ten years ago, when an artificer called Xu Pingfeng deciphered my method and established contact with me.
“From his mouth, I learned of the Nine Provinces’ history after the Dao Sovereign, and also learned that He had already disappeared.”
Salun Agu listened patiently, then asked:
“What is your purpose in returning to the Nine Provinces continent and coming to find me at Jing Mountain City?”