Immortal Travel of Longevity

“An opportunity...”

“Yes.”

Chen Changsheng looked at him and said, “And this is also a choice.”

In an instant, Xiao Dongxu seemed to grasp the underlying truth.

“Mister means...”

Chen Changsheng gave a slight nod. “Gathering the world's qi destiny can reshape heaven and earth. The key lies in the fluid nature of qi destiny—it is incredibly difficult to gather in one place. Taotie, however, is an exception. Not only can he devour the Spiritual Energy of this world, but he can also swallow its qi destiny and merge it into one.”

“Therefore, no matter what, he cannot die right now.”

“For you, the time to choose has come. Will you let nature take its course and depart for another world, or will you rise up to fight and rewrite the order of heaven and earth?”

“And some people have already made their choice.”

Chen Changsheng glanced at him. “Many people. In short, it couldn't be just one. The upcoming overt struggles and covert battles will all revolve around Taotie.”

“And you, Xiao Dongxu, are also someone of vital importance.”

“Me?”

“Correct.”

Chen Changsheng said, “You are pushing forward the march of time. You are also the one capable of leaving a profound impression on Jiu Fengchun. This current game depends on who can persuade Jiu Fengchun to make his choice.”

Everything suddenly became clear to Xiao Dongxu. He linked it all together, and his previously stuck train of thought began to flow smoothly.

He let out a long breath, then asked, “And what about you, Mister? How will you choose?”

Chen Changsheng paused. “This Chen leaves it to fate.”

Chen Changsheng had always been making choices. Whether right or wrong, he had made them all, yet the final results had never been ideal.

Faced with a choice that left him holding a chess piece, unable to decide, he ultimately chose silence, simply leaving all these sweeping changes to the people of this era.

Life and death would follow their natural course.

When the moment came that he truly went mad, perhaps it would be no different from death itself.

Xiao Dongxu departed.

He always had many matters to attend to. As a current guest elder of the Literary Dao, and with the Mysterious Gate having suffered heavy losses, Xiao Dongxu had become the bridge of communication between the Literary Dao and the Mysterious Gate.

This also meant that every shift and change across the world would fall upon his ears.

But right now, his heart was equally filled with confusion.

Just like Chen Changsheng, he could not provide a clear answer.

So he endlessly questioned others. He went to Tianji Mountain, asked Kong Ru, and consulted many highly respected seniors in the Cultivation World.

Everyone held a different view.

The time to truly pick a side had arrived.

Yet throughout all of this, Xiao Dongxu continually overlooked one question.

Just where exactly had Jiu Fengchun gone?

...

Bursts of Sanskrit chanting echoed through the Thousand Buddha Hall.

To the rhythmic striking of wooden fish, numerous Buddhist cultivators chanted sutras in perfect unison.

Monk Shizhen sat cross-legged off to the side, gripping a string of prayer beads to center himself. Meanwhile, before the Buddha statues in the great hall, Jiu Fengchun kept his eyes tightly shut. Beside him rested a Green Lotus Buddhist Pagoda, gradually calming his state of mind.

This was the only place left that could bring him back to his senses.

The Sea Spirit Gold had saved his life, but it had also drastically deepened his hunger. He felt that no matter how much he ate, he could never satisfy his appetite.

This was despite the fact that Mister Xiao had once warned him never to come here again.

But now, he had no choice.

And the facts proved he had bet correctly. The divine sense techniques of the Buddhist dao were indeed effective. They made him forget the agony of his physical body, letting his spirit return to the Buddhist kingdom and restoring his initial peace.

Yet that dreamscape of the Buddhist kingdom kept flickering in and out of existence.

From time to time, the scene of the Mysterious Gate cultivators rising up to attack him that day would reappear.

Even more so, he recalled his Master.

He knew his Master couldn't stop worrying about him. His Master had actually been there all along.

Knowing this was enough.

When the chanting in the hall gradually faded away...

Jiu Fengchun also awakened from this grand dream.

The surrounding Green Lotus Buddhist Pagoda dissipated along with it, ultimately transforming into a small tower that landed in Shizhen's palm.

Monk Shizhen looked at him and asked, “Does Almsgiver understand the great dao?”

Jiu Fengchun shook his head. “I don't understand.”

Shizhen gave a slight nod but did not press the matter. After he stood up, the surrounding Buddhist cultivators all dispersed.

The Thousand Buddha Hall, situated by the water, possessed a unique scenery.

As the river breeze brushed across his face, Jiu Fengchun's mind filled with memories of the past.

“Zen Master, was I never supposed to exist in this world to begin with?”

Monk Shizhen shook his head. “Everyone in this world has the right to live. A few misdeeds are not enough to deny a person's entire existence.”

Jiu Fengchun let out a chuckle. “But I have never done a single good deed. I am an ominous existence to begin with.”

“Almsgiver, then what is considered ominous?”

Jiu Fengchun thought for a moment before answering, “Bringing suffering and disease to this world is ominous. I don't know how many people have lost their lives to my mouth. To do evil for the sake of appetite is hardly a good thing.”

“The Buddha says the shore is just behind you when you turn your head. But as for you, Almsgiver, you never intended to eat people from the very beginning. It was everything in the outside world that pushed you to it. The fault does not lie with you.”

“Is that so...”

Jiu Fengchun smiled bitterly. “Judging by my heart or by my actions... I can't even say clearly anymore.”

Monk Shizhen reached into his robes and pulled out a sutra.

Jiu Fengchun did not understand his intent.

“The answers are in the book.”

Jiu Fengchun paused upon hearing this. After some thought, he accepted the sutra.

The scripture spoke of human good and evil, discussing both intentions and actions. Even more, it contained words to calm the mind, holding boundless Sanskrit tones within.

Jiu Fengchun couldn't quite understand the principles inside and even found some of its arguments somewhat morbid, but it was the only method that could temporarily restore his reason. He had no choice but to keep reading.

He didn't know what this Monk Shizhen was scheming, but given his current predicament, he could only accept it.

And so, Jiu Fengchun sat within the Thousand Buddha Hall.

It seemed as though this place had been prepared for him from the very beginning. The numerous Buddhist cultivators in the Thousand Buddha Hall also seemed to have been waiting for his arrival.

He didn't know why, but the very first time he walked in here, he had felt this exact way.

He joined the many Buddhist cultivators in meditating and chanting sutras, listening to the bursts of Sanskrit chanting as he drifted into dreams of the Buddhist kingdom.

He had not entered the Buddhist dao, yet he was already someone of the Buddhist Schools.

Watching all these changes, Monk Shizhen let out a long sigh of relief.

“The Buddha says: If I do not enter hell, who will?”

“Amitabha...”

He chanted a Buddhist epithet, thinking of the endless changes the Buddhist Schools had endured over countless years.

Scene after scene surfaced in his mind as the small mallet in his hand struck the wooden fish.

This would be a lengthy period of Cultivation.

Furthermore, it was the only way the Buddhist Schools could rise to prominence today.

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