Longevity by Grinding Skills

Chapter 505: Chapter 505: Not Eating is Not an Option

In short, Wukong was indispensable, as was the True Martial Demon Suppressing Scripture.

The Puchen Pure Land would go to any length to secure them.

This was precisely why the Puchen Pure Land had once gone so far as to summon the mortal incarnation of the World Honored One Tathagata, Amitabha Buddha. If Ancestral Master Chunyang hadn’t intervened, and with the World Honored One Tathagata being wary of the Wansheng Sword Sect’s Daoist Lord, Xu Yunfan would have been doomed.

Now, for that True Monarch from the Primordial Sect to reveal the fruit tree so openly was obviously a ploy to see if the Puchen Pure Land would take the bait.

It was a blatant, overt scheme.

Given the Puchen Pure Land’s disposition, they naturally wouldn’t take the bait so easily.

But Wukong was a different story. So were Wujing and Wuneng.

A restless heart and a flighty mind—it was only natural.

By all accounts, it was only right for Xu Yunfan to stir up some trouble for the Puchen Pure Land.

The Daoist Child Qingfeng looked toward Sanzang, a smirk playing on his lips.

"Master Sanzang, would you care for a taste? My master, the True Monarch, said that if you wish to eat, he would naturally have one served to you."

Master Sanzang placed his palms together. His face was impassive, showing neither sorrow nor joy, but his eyes held a hint of pity mixed with rejection.

He gave the Daoist Child Qingfeng a slight bow, his voice gentle yet incredibly firm. "Amitabha Buddha. I appreciate the Immortal Child’s kind intentions in my heart. However, my disciples and I seek a Pure Land within our hearts; all else is but dust on the mortal coil.

"These Immortal Peaches are born of the Heaven and Earth Evil Qi. Though they are a miracle of creation, they are ultimately not items of purity befitting the Buddhist Sect.

"To covet such external objects is to risk giving rise to a Heart Demon, which would corrupt the very purpose of our quest for the True Scripture.

"Furthermore, for such a rare treasure of heaven and earth to be formed, it must have been irrigated with an immense amount of baleful, bloody energy..."

Sanzang’s gaze seemed to pierce through the fruit’s translucent skin, seeing scenes hidden deep within. His brow furrowed, and his tone grew graver. "From extreme evil, light is born. Though it has become a Spirit Fruit, I fear a boundless, lingering resentment born of bloodshed remains coiled within its very origin.

"It cannot be purified without the great vows of the Buddhist Dharma, nor can it be refined without the wrathful flames of a Wisdom King.

"My disciples and I are not yet profound enough in our Cultivation to dare bear such a karmic burden.

"I absolutely cannot accept these Immortal Peaches."

Standing to the side, Xu Yunfan glanced silently at Sanzang, a hint of mockery rising in his heart.

’This Sanzang... his mouth refuses what his heart desires.’

’How very typical of the Puchen Pure Land’s style.’

"Uh... This..."

The smug look on the Daoist Child Qingfeng’s face froze. He clearly hadn’t expected them to reject such a wondrous opportunity so outright.

Meanwhile, Wuneng and Wujing, who stood at the side, were practically drooling.

The Essence Qi of the Celestial Spirits and Earthly Fiends.

All obtainable just by eating an Immortal Peach, with no need for the arduous process of gathering and refining it.

It was a stroke of fortune so great they wouldn’t have dared to dream of it.

As their origins were rooted in Demon Fiends, the two of them rarely ate well. To cultivate even a single strand of Celestial Spirit or Earthly Fiend Qi, they had to endure untold hardships, and most of the time, they couldn’t find so much as a wisp.

How could that compare to now, with fruits condensed from such abundant Celestial Spirit Evil Qi laid out right before their eyes?

How could their hearts not yearn for them? How could they not stare with desperate longing?

"Master! My Lord Buddha, your venerable self possesses profound Buddhist Dharma and a resolute Dao Heart. Naturally, you’re impervious to all temptation.

"But this old pig... the gluttony worm in my stomach... oh, no, the gluttony *god* in my stomach can’t withstand this lure!"

Zhu Wuneng rubbed his hands together, puffing out his large belly. His small eyes gleamed as he stared at the peaches. "They say a great opportunity is right in front of us! You miss this village, you won’t find this inn.

"Look at the Immortal Child’s kindness! If we refuse, won’t we be causing the True Monarch to lose face? This old pig has thick skin. How about I help you shoulder some of that karmic debt?"

Though Sha Wujing was a man of few words, he couldn’t help but tighten his grip on his Crescent Shovel. In a low, rumbling voice, he said, "Master, the Immortal Peaches... are truly a great opportunity."

Wukong—or rather, Xu Yunfan—naturally wanted to fan the flames. But with Wuneng and Wujing already speaking up, he remained perfectly composed and still as a mountain, simply waiting to reap the rewards.

Sanzang merely closed his eyes and shook his head firmly. "External objects are a temptation to the heart and the source of tribulation. Unacceptable. Unacceptable."

After a pause, Sanzang added, "Wujing, Wuneng, you must not harbor improper thoughts."

Hearing Sanzang’s words, Wuneng and Wujing reluctantly backed down, suppressing the agitation in their hearts.

As they were Demon Fiends by nature, they had never tasted such immortal-grade delicacies. Used to eating nothing but scraps, their hearts naturally yearned for more.

At this moment, Xu Yunfan also spoke, his voice carrying a hint of defiant mockery. "Master, your precepts are strict, so you won’t eat the Evil Fruit.

"But I and my junior brothers, our conversion wasn’t quite so thorough.

"We protect you as you travel over mountains and through rivers, enduring the elements and slaying Demon Fiends. Even if we’ve earned no great merit, we’ve certainly toiled hard. Now that we’ve come across something good, isn’t it only right to let my junior brothers satisfy their cravings?"

He looked at the two Daoist Children and grinned, baring his teeth. "Little Immortal Children, how about you give my master’s share to us, his unworthy disciples?"

He had cleverly turned Sanzang’s refusal into a convenient way out: if the master wouldn’t accept them, his disciples could.

A flicker of change crossed Sanzang’s expression. He subconsciously glanced at Wukong, only to see the monkey scratching his ears and cheeks, looking unbearably impatient.

He sighed to himself. ’It’s a monkey’s nature, after all. This Innate Dao Embryo was first defiled by a scheme from that Demon King of the Eastern Wilderness. Then, to allow Wukong to quickly become a capable fighter...

’...the *Great Virtuous Ming King Fighting Buddha Scripture*, which was deduced by several Bodhisattvas within the Puchen Pure Land, was not infused with Buddhist Dharma. True mastery would have required him to worship the World Honored One Tathagata day and night, cultivate a Pure Heart Bodhi, and recite Buddhist Scriptures.

’But this particular Fighting Saint Technique was designed for Wukong’s rapid progress and required none of that; he only needed to focus on his Cultivation.

’He was walking the path of refining the body to achieve ascension.

The two Daoist Children, Qingfeng and Ming Yue, exchanged a look. After a moment’s hesitation, they recalled that the Observatory Master hadn’t specified that the peaches were only for Sanzang. They nodded and said, "That... is also acceptable. Please wait a moment, everyone."

Xu Yunfan turned his head and said to Sanzang with a playful laugh, "Don’t be upset, Master. Your disciples need these Celestial Spirits and Earthly Fiends, too. If we can consume them, our strength and Daoist Cultivation will naturally grow. Won’t that make the journey for the scriptures much easier?

"Think about it. In over ten years of hardship, the four of us have only traveled a few tens of thousands of miles. If we don’t increase our strength, who knows how many more years it will take to obtain the True Scripture."

Sanzang’s eyes were half-closed. He had already reached a conclusion in his heart. ’That True Monarch Pu Du planted this Daoist observatory squarely in our path. It’s clear we won’t be allowed to leave without taking something from him.’

’The Zizai King Buddha Fruit Position is a top-tier Supreme Fruit Position even in the Taihua Spirit Ruins Realm. How could the Wansheng Sword Sect and the Primordial Demon Sect simply sit by and do nothing?’

’No one wants to see either of the other two sects gain another Great True Monarch.’

"Amitabha. Amitabha."

Sanzang uttered the words and then fell silent.

Watching from the side through Wukong, Xu Yunfan couldn’t help but feel a flicker of surprise. He truly hadn’t expected Sanzang to not even lash out at this.

The hook had been set; there was no need to do anything more. Xu Yunfan temporarily released his control over Clone Wukong.

Clone Wukong simply scratched his head. A check of his Attribute Panel revealed nothing out of the ordinary, so he just assumed that he’d been so captivated by the sight of peaches condensed from Celestial Spirits and Earthly Fiends that he couldn’t tear himself away.

Just then, Qingfeng and Ming Yue executed a Body Technique, leaping gracefully into the peach tree. They carefully plucked four Immortal Peaches and presented them to the master and his three disciples.

Wukong accepted Sanzang’s portion on his behalf.

Once plucked from the tree, the fruits’ exotic fragrance grew even more intense.

Wuneng impatiently reached for one, but a look from Wukong stopped him in his tracks.

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