Longevity by Grinding Skills

Chapter 503: Chapter 503: Clones Aiding Growth

But for all who witnessed it within the pass, the shock and terror were branded into their hearts.

From that point on, all those who had been restlessly plotting because the Guardian Envoy neglected worldly affairs—whether local Cultivation Clans, traveling Commerce Association Stewards, or unruly Loose Cultivators—instantly abandoned their schemes. Those who had been planning to test his limits, feign compliance, or even act in the shadows all became more law-abiding and cautious than ever before.

These people finally understood completely.

That Guardian Envoy of theirs was not incapable of governing, nor was he weak and easily bullied.

He was simply too lazy to bother with such mundane trifles. As long as the annual taxes and tributes were delivered to the Defender’s Treasury in full and on time, didn’t interfere with his quiet cultivation, and didn’t threaten his fundamental control over the pass, he couldn’t be bothered to waste his energy dealing with things personally.

Naturally, Xu Yunfan couldn’t be bothered with this; he wouldn’t have cared even if he had known about their petty schemes.

In a place like Cold Crow Pass, a gathering point for wild and untamable Demonic Cultivators,

Xu Yunfan knew full well that it would be strange and unnatural if these Demonic Cultivators didn’t harbor some petty thoughts of testing boundaries, feigning compliance, or even plotting in the shadows.

If they were actually honest and obedient, Xu Yunfan would have to spend more effort figuring out what they were really up to. If they were secretly brewing some grand scheme, that would be a real disaster.

Xu Yunfan’s logic was simple.

Pay your dues quietly, and all will be well.

Dare to cause trouble, and Xu Yunfan would naturally deal with you.

With his current cultivation and strength, he was more than capable of suppressing anything in Cold Crow Pass.

For Xu Yunfan, this incident was merely an interlude. If the Wansheng Sword Sect dared to send more people, Xu Yunfan would naturally ask the Primordial Sect for aid. He would be delighted if it triggered a war between the two sects.

If he could stir these stagnant waters, he could find a way to fish in the ensuing chaos. With his clones, Wukong and Han Shi, he might even reap some unexpected rewards.

During the past ten years, he had dedicated most of his heart and spirit to painstakingly cultivating his main body, but his attention to his clones never wavered.

And with the full support of the Puchen Pure Land, Xu Yunfan’s Clone Wukong was no longer alone.

After Wukong, Sanzang took a second disciple, Sha Wujing. He had originally been a formidable Water Demon who stirred up trouble in the Western Desert’s Desert River of Flowing Sand. Wukong subdued him with the Great Virtuous Ming King Fighting Buddha Scripture. Grateful for his Buddha’s Destiny, he converted and became a disciple with the monastic name Wujing. He wields a Crescent Treasure Shovel and excels at controlling water.

Later, he took another disciple with the monastic name Wuneng.

When Xu Yunfan first observed this Wuneng, he was quite surprised.

This demon’s original form was a peculiar Black-Maned Pig Demon, but his origins seemed rather extraordinary.

He had entrenched himself in a place in the Eastern Wilderness called Fuling Mountain Yunzhan Cave, calling himself "Pig Konglie." Not only was he immensely strong, but he also possessed a few strange techniques of Levitation and Transformation, as well as Swallowing Divine Techniques. His temperament was lazy and slick, yet shrewd.

Even Wukong went through considerable trouble in his magical combat with him.

Although this pig demon was fierce and stubborn, he wasn’t tainted by significant Evil Karma. On the contrary, he got along "harmoniously" with some of the local lesser spirits.

Following Sanzang’s guidance, Wukong used the profound principles of the Great Virtuous Ming King Fighting Buddha Scripture, supplemented by the enlightenment of Buddhist Dharma, and promised him the righteous future of a Dharma Protector on their eastward journey. Only then did he finally subdue this lazy oaf, bestowing upon him the name Wuneng and teaching him a portion of the Guardian Vajra Secret Technique.

Wuneng wielded a Nine-toothed Nail Rake which, despite its odd appearance, contained hidden Magic Bans.

And so, with Sanzang in the lead and his three disciples—Wukong, Wuneng, and Wujing—following behind, the party of four hacked their way through all obstacles. They traveled across the vast and chaotic Eastern Wilderness Land, following a path that seemed both preordained and fraught with uncertainty.

Xu Yunfan, of course, watched this unfold in silence. He couldn’t help but feel that it was strangely similar to the Journey to the West he had read about in his past life.

’It’s all about spreading Buddhism to the east, it’s a master and three disciples, and it’s all driven by a great Wish Power.’

He pondered for a moment. ’There must be something more to this, but with my current strength, I can’t yet uncover the truth.’

Sanzang’s group of four continued on their journey, slaying Demon Fiends, cleansing Dirt Qi, and dispelling resentment and hostility along the way.

What moved even Xu Yunfan’s main body was the terrifying combat instinct displayed by his Clone Wukong.

Wukong had used the Great Virtuous Ming King Fighting Buddha Scripture for his Foundation Establishment, giving him an incredibly solid base.

But his true terror lay in battle.

It was a combat consciousness that seemed innate, etched into his very Origin.

His movements were without flair yet precise to the extreme. His dodges, advances, and bursts of power always culminated in a fatal strike launched from the most impossible of angles.

The "Sea-Crossing Purple Gold Rod" in his hands seemed to have a life of its own. Its points, pokes, sweeps, and smashes were wreathed in the Bright King’s Fury Flame and Demon Suppressing Power. His techniques were stripped of all complexity, simplified to pursue only the most direct and efficient kill.

Having just entered Foundation Establishment by refining the Celestial Spirits and Earthly Fiends, he could already identify the weaknesses of Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment Demon Fiends. He would use his absolute strength and speed to forcibly break through their defenses, fighting and defeating those of a higher stage. He was incomparably ferocious, and his powerful Dharma Body was like Divine Iron.

It was as if he were born for combat, having completely inherited the combat experience and awareness of Divine Techniques that Xu Yunfan’s main body had accumulated through countless stat-point allocations and extreme optimization of his Cultivation Techniques.

But then again...

’His talent... isn’t that just my talent?!’

Xu Yunfan’s clone, Han Shi, also possessed unimaginable potential in the Sword Dao. A portion of this potential, through Clone Wukong’s comprehension of the Great Virtuous Ming King Fighting Buddha Scripture and his battles, had transformed into world-shaking Combat Divine Techniques!

The resources invested by the Puchen Pure Land catalyzed this potential to its absolute peak.

As his clones fed their progress back to him, Xu Yunfan’s own power increased dramatically.

Although his level of Daoist Cultivation hadn’t increased, his actual combat strength far surpassed what it once was.

On this day, Xu Yunfan’s main body had just finished a round of tempering his Golden Body with Thunder Fire. He habitually extended his Heart and Spirit to check on his clones’ locations.

The shared vision connected instantly.

What appeared before his eyes was not the familiar barren mountains, wilderness, or Demon Nests, but a quaint Daoist temple perched atop a misty mountain peak.

The temple had an extraordinary air about it.

It was built into the mountain itself, with upturned eaves, interlocking brackets, green tiles, and red ridges, all appearing and disappearing amidst the swirling Spiritual Qi.

In front of the temple, a winding stone staircase descended from the depths of the mist, its moss-covered steps hinting at a long and ancient history.

The temple was surrounded by lush woods, mostly ancient pines and resilient cypresses. Their branches were gnarled like coiled dragons, seemingly containing an ancient spiritual essence and radiating vigorous Vitality.

What was even stranger was the Pure Qi that suffused the temple, both inside and out. A single breath was enough to refresh the mind and cleanse worldly impurities. It was completely different from the chaotic Dirt Qi common in the Eastern Wilderness, making the place seem like an Immortal’s grotto that had fallen to the mortal world.

A flicker of emotion crossed Xu Yunfan’s face.

The Eastern Wilderness was crawling with Demons and Monsters, and a chaotic, foul aura permeated the land. For a sacred place like this, resembling an immortal’s domain, to appear so abruptly was definitely not normal.

Just as Clone Wukong was noting how out of place it was, his vigilance rising, he heard Master Sanzang suddenly speak from beside him. His voice was calm, yet carried an imperceptible gravity.

"Amitabha Buddha. Wukong, Wuneng, Wujing."

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