Everything about the man elicited Zhending’s subconscious loathing. Despite wearing what appeared to be Buddhist-style clothing, the unknown man did not shave his hair. He even carried a saber on his waist. All in all, he looked like the exact opposite of a Buddhist monk.
“Master, is he the envoy? He doesn’t seem to be a Buddhist.” Zhending said, doubt coloring his words.
Abbot Ding’s face paled. “Please for—”
He never had the chance to finish. The handsome man smiled, but a tremendous pressure forced the three abbots and Zhending onto their knees. Although their heads were facing down, they could see the man. A golden aura radiated from him.
It was as if the temple had disappeared and the man stood alone in a vast land. A giant golden humanoid manifested behind him. The humanoid had a dragon’s head with skin of gold and sat atop a dazzling lotus. Two five-clawed golden dragons coiled around each arm, which were in a prayer position.
There was no doubt of the light of Buddhism the golden avatar manifested, but it was different from the ethereal sensation Zhending and the abbots thought a Buddha should emit. It felt more tyrannical, dominant, like all things were ants in front of supremacy.
Just as fast as the dragon-headed giant appeared, it vanished. Sweat coated the three abbots and Zhending’s back, soaking their robes. Still, when they looked around, all they saw were the temple walls and the smiling man. It was as if everything that had occurred was but an illusion.
“Just because I followed the Buddhist Way doesn’t mean I have to be a monk, or even look like one. Much less shave my head,” the man said. He clasped his arms behind his back and glanced at Zhending. That gaze wasn’t as terrifying as the illusion of the dragon-headed giant, but it still weighed Zhending down. “You can address me as the Dragon Bodhisattva.”
“Dragon Bodhisattva?” Zhending muttered to himself. His eyes widened in shock when he looked up again.
Although the highest realm a monk could cultivate in the Tieniu Realm was the Kshatriya Realm of the Theravada Realm, the Iron Robe Temple still knew that those who transcend the Theravada Realm would enter the Mahayana Realm. And those that enter the Mahayana Realm were known as bodhisattvas.
Was that man, who appeared the polar opposite of a Buddhist, such a great existence?
Not just Zhending, but also the three abbots couldn’t help but shake at the revelation. In truth, they only knew that the man was an envoy from the Buddhist Pure Lands. In fact, they also questioned the veracity of that. If it weren’t for the man’s superior strength and the oracle from the Iron Bell, the three abbots really wanted to fight him.
The Iron Bell was the name given to the Iron Robe Monastery’s sacred treasure. It was a relic discovered by the founder of the Iron Robe Monastery, the Iron Arhat. Although arhat was a title given to those in the Brahma Realm, the Iron Arhat had already ascended to a higher realm. Surely, he must have already reached that realm, maybe an even higher realm, the Mahayana Realm, and returned to the Pure Lands.
The Iron Bell wasn’t just a mere artifact. The whole reason why the Iron Arhat could rise and become the number one human force against the demon was because of it. Because the Iron Body Sutra, the Iron Arhat and all monks of the Iron Robe Monastery cultivated, came from the Iron Bell.
For some reason, the Iron Arhat did not bring the Iron Bell with him when he ascended to a higher realm and left it at the monastery as its guardian artifact. But because of his selfless action, the Iron Robe Monastery was able to reign over the Tieniu Realm’s humans. Even if a Kshatriya ascetic didn’t appear for a generation in the Iron Robe Monastery, they could use the guardian artifact to repel any invaders.
Not just that, but the Iron Bell would ring once a month. Any monk who heard the bell would be able to achieve twice the effect with half the effort for half a day. As a result, all monks anticipated the bell ring once a month. The Iron Bell was the envy of all forces in the Tieniu Realm. Even the bull demons were no exceptions. After all, they had attempted to invade and destroy the Iron Robe Monastery many times in the past, only to fail because of the guardian artifact.
However, only the abbots of the Iron Robe Monastery knew the Iron Bell’s true purpose.
The Iron Bell was actually an inheritance treasure. Its true purpose was to create new lineages of Buddhism throughout the Three Thousand Immortal Realms System. Furthermore, once a truly excellent seed appeared, it would bind itself to that monk and impart a divine sutra. However, to this day, no one could cause the Iron Bell to take a fancy.
Even this generation’s genius, Zhending, could not receive the divine sutra.
Still, for the Iron Robe Monastery’s abbots, they used its second hidden features more. Not only was it an inheritance treasure, but it also acted as a communication device. So far, the abbots only delivered news to the Iron Bell. They didn’t know if it had any effects, but they did out of tradition since the Iron Arhat created the monastery.
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The only time they received a message from it was from a year ago, announcing the descent of a Buddhist envoy. This was also the reason why the three abbots didn’t attack the mysterious man despite their own dislike. It was as if he went against everything Buddhism had ingrained into them.
“Dragon Boddhisattva!” one abbot exclaimed, his eyes full of fiery heat. Even someone over twelve hundred years old like him couldn’t contain his excitement upon hearing this. It was as if he had forgotten every tenant he learned and taught.
“Are you here to lead us back to the Pure Lands?” the second abbot asked, tears nearly falling out of his eyes.
Just as hope rose in the abbots’ mind, the Dragon Boddhisattva sneered. “If it’s that guy.” He pointed at Zhending. “I can bring him along with his talent when I go back, but you three have no hope. At the very least, you have to show talent to break through to the Brahma Realm for me to take you back.”
His words were like a bucket of cold water dousing a blazing fire cold.
It was Abbot Ding who broke the silence before it could deteriorate. He was already reaching the limit of his life.
Theoretically, a Kshatriya ascetic could live for thirty-six hundred years, and Abbot Ding was only twenty-one hundred years old. However, his foundation was not the best, and he received a serious injury in his younger years that left a sequela that shortened his lifespan.
At best, he only had a few decades left. It was also because of his diminishing lifespan that Abbot Ding selected Zhending as his disciple. With death so near, he allowed one last selfishness. Even after he falls, the Ding family will still continue strong with Zhending alive. It was only his luck that Zhending was so talented in the Buddhist path.
With his last worries gone, Abbot Ding’s desire to enter the Buddhist Pure Lands was not so strong. He knew that even if he entered, his hope of entering the Brahma Realm was slim. He clapped his hands and bowed. “Forgive us. We simply sought to reach a new level of understanding. Dragon Boddhisattva, please enlighten us on your purpose here.”
The Dragon Boddhisattva waved his hand. “No matters. I won’t care what a few mortals in the Theravada Realm do. Unless you dare to attack me, that is.”
Although the Dragon Boddhisattva didn’t do anything, all four monks felt an invisible hand shackled around their neck.
“We don’t dare,” Abbot Ding quickly said.
The Dragon Boddhisattva looked away, interest fading. “As for why I’m here, you don’t need to know, either. You just need to report to me everything important that happens in this world.”
“An incident just happened recently, so I came to report to you,” Abbot Ding said.
“Oh? What is it?” the Dragon Bodhisattva asked, turning to face him.
Abbot Ding explained what happened to Zhending in Karmlight City, causing the Dragon Bodhisattva’s eyes to light up. “Interesting.”
Without waiting for the three abbots and Zhending to react, he disappeared from the temple halls. He disappeared so fast, it appeared akin to teleportation to the four monks. After he left, the four monks stared at each other, not knowing what to do.
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The Dragon Boddhisattva, no, the Dragon Emperor shook his head as he appeared in the streets of Karmlight City. That’s right, he was Long Aotian, who had stolen Lovespot’s body after Tianyi forced him from Lei Jingye’s body.
The reason he appeared in the Tieniu Realm after disappearing from the Huang Realm after the war of unification was because Emperor Begonia solicited. To reiterate, Emperor Begonia had joined the Buddhists after the fall of Begonia Tower, becoming the Begonia Bodhisattva. The Emperor Begonia that died under Sovereign Xi’s hand was his clone.
Of course, the Dragon Emperor didn’t decide to join the Buddhists just because of the Begonia Boddhisattva’s words. He originally planned to lurk in the Buzhou Immortal Sect until he had a chance to take revenge on that damn Xi Tianyi, but the war opened his eyes.
Even in his heyday, the Dragon Emperor didn’t dare to say that he could kill Tianyi. In addition, the trump card the Buzhou Immortal Sect took out really shocked him. Compared to when the Buzhou Immortal Sect allied with all the forces in the world to kill him, it was several fold more powerful.
A part of him was unwilling to admit that the Buzhou Immortal Sect didn’t take him seriously, but his cold, logical mind forced him to admit it. If he stayed, who knows how long it would take for him to reach the Origin Immortal Realm? Even then, he had to contend with Xi Mengfei.
Not even if his body’s grandfather came would the situation become better. Staying in the Buzhou Immortal Sect also constrained him. He couldn’t show any signs of his true identity, meaning he had to hide most of his trump cards and strength. Rather than being limited by a worthless mask, why not be free and return to his true self in the Buddhist Pure Lands System?
The straw that broke the camel’s back was that the Begonia Boddhisatva knew of his identity. Although he didn’t think that the Begonia Boddhisattva would expose him, it also meant that his current identity wasn’t as seamless as he thought. If the Begonia Boddhisattva could see his true self, then did it mean the Buzhou Immortal Sect also had a chance to see through his disguise?
With all those considerations, the Dragon Emperor decided to accept the Begonia Bodhisattva’s offer and join the Buddhist Pure Lands System. He didn’t leave alone, but also cajoled Zi Zun to leave with him. He couldn’t help but smile when he recalled that he made the Buzhou Immortal Court lose one disciple capable of becoming an immortal monarch.
Of course, the Dragon Emperor’s motive wasn’t solely out of pettiness. After dying the first time and suffering under Tianyi’s hands, he realized that he wasn’t invincible. He needed allies, people who would stand on his side during crises. Zi Zun was one such candidate. As long as he became an immortal monarch, the Dragon Emperor would think of a method to promote him to an immortal emperor.
Still, all his calculations paled in comparison to when he actually arrived in the Buddhist Pure Lands System. Unlike the Three Thousand Immortal Realms System, the Buddhist Pure Lands was composed of one giant realm orbited by several smaller realms that formed planets. Its size exceeded even the Primordial Realm.
Still, the most shocking thing was when he ascended Mount Meru.