Sarira, Stone Buddha

Outside Tiandu City lay Vertical Light Mountain, where the temple founded by the Stone Buddha once stood.

Stone Grotto Great Buddha Temple.

Within a cave deep inside the temple, an old monk in plain clothes knelt on a meditation cushion. His hands were pressed together before him, his eyes naturally closed, his head bowed as he murmured something under his breath.

Yuan Tiangang appeared before the offering table. There was no Buddha statue upon it, only a golden bead the size of a cherry. The bead was the cave's sole source of light.

The moment Yuan Tiangang saw the bead, he knew what it was.

Sarira!

As he reached out and picked it up, the kneeling old monk's eyes suddenly flew open, like an enraged Vajra.

Golden light filled the old monk's eyes, and a beam of golden radiance shot forth, carrying the might of heaven and earth as it streaked straight toward Yuan Tiangang.

Behind the old monk, the phantom of an Arhat emerged. It gradually solidified, soaring through the heavens.

Yuan Tiangang waved his right hand, scattering the golden beam from the old monk's eyes. Then he turned his palm downward, true qi surging from it as the pressure of heaven and earth descended.

The old monk was instantly crushed flat against the ground, and the Arhat phantom behind him shattered at once.

The old monk lying on the ground slowly raised his head to look at Yuan Tiangang. The golden light had vanished from his eyes, leaving behind only endless terror.

After just one move, he knew he was no match for him.

He looked around again, only then realizing that the entire cave had long been sealed off by the power of heaven and earth.

"This junior, Mingxin, pays respects to Senior. May I ask what brings Senior here, and what guidance you may offer?

"This junior acted rashly in his urgency and offended Senior. I hope Senior will forgive me."

"No matter. I came here to make a deal with Stone Grotto Great Buddha Temple."

Mingxin's inner monologue: Senior, must I make this deal while lying flat on the ground?

The morning was the key to the day. After some morning exercise, Chu Xuanao freshened up under Qiuyue Shuangxue's attendance.

Then he heard Yuan Tiangang's report.

"So my Fourth Brother went to Weihu Mountain yesterday to pick a fight with me? Haha!

"Two Ascension Realm experts died. My Fourth Brother must be heartbroken!"

After hearing Yuan Tiangang's words, Chu Xuanao smiled broadly. He had tried to steal a chicken, only to lose the rice used to bait it.

He had merely sent Zhu Wushi to take over Weihu Mountain's manpower. Who would have thought he would run into them there?

"The Fourth Prince flew into a rage at his residence last night.

"However, the Fourth Prince's foundations are quite substantial. There is actually a Celestial Phenomenon Realm expert in his residence.

"Besides the two who died, he still has five Ascension Realm experts."

"I never expected my Fourth Brother's household to be so well-stocked!"

Chu Xuanao had never imagined that his Fourth Brother truly had so many people under his command. There was even a Celestial Phenomenon Realm expert, though he was nearly dead.

That was right. According to Yuan Tiangang, that old fellow was nearly five hundred years old. If he fought a few more battles, he would probably keel over and die on the spot.

Moreover, Yuan Tiangang had added a little something extra. It was now certain that the old man would be dead within two months.

"There are only seven Ascension Realm experts in total, and six of them are foreign devils. They even sent a Celestial Phenomenon Realm expert. The Divine Kingdom is truly generous!"

Both Chu Xuanao and Yuan Tiangang understood the Divine Kingdom's intentions perfectly.

That bunch simply loved stirring up trouble.

But now, only five Ascension Realm experts remained. That Celestial Phenomenon Realm expert was nearing his end as well.

"Then let's wait and see. This King is quite curious to know what the Divine Kingdom will do next.

"How are Zhu Wushi and the others?"

"Rest assured, Your Highness. Nothing is wrong."

"What did we gain last night?"

"The gains were considerable. Dagan's foundations cannot be underestimated. Its National Destiny is formidable; even I would not dare enter rashly.

"However, there is no need to worry about that. Your Highness is of the legitimate line, so it will save us quite a bit of trouble in the future."

At the mention of National Destiny, a trace of gravity flashed through Yuan Tiangang's eyes, though it quickly faded.

Because Yuan Tiangang did not need to worry about National Destiny.

"Even you couldn't do it?"

After hearing Yuan Tiangang's words, Chu Xuanao understood. Yuan Tiangang had intended to scout the Imperial Palace last night, but Dagan's National Destiny had stopped him—or rather, it could not quite be called stopping him.

With the divine artifact Mountain River Cauldron suppressing it, Dagan's destiny remained gathered and unscattered. Yuan Tiangang was not confident that he could investigate the Imperial Palace at night without causing any disturbance in that destiny.

Once the destiny stirred, the Heavenly Being Realm experts of the imperial clan would sense it immediately. One careless move, and Yuan Tiangang risked exposing himself.

At that point, Tiandu City would no longer be a place where they could remain. Even any future plans would easily draw the vigilance of all sides, so Yuan Tiangang had ultimately not gone.

As for why there was no need to worry too much about the National Destiny, it was because Chu Xuanao himself was also of Dagan's legitimate line. No matter how fiercely they fought, it was still a family matter. Even if things became utterly chaotic, it would not reach the point of mobilizing National Destiny.

He was not an outsider. This realm would ultimately bear the Chu surname.

"I present this to Your Highness."

Yuan Tiangang opened his palm. A golden bean the size of a cherry lay in his hand, radiating waves of golden light.

"This is... a medicinal pill?"

"Your Highness, this is the sarira of a Celestial Phenomenon Realm expert. Last night, I went to Vertical Light Mountain and made a deal with Stone Grotto Great Buddha Temple's Celestial Phenomenon Realm expert. Although much of the energy within it has been used, what remains, supplemented by my supremely yang Heavenly Gang power, will still be enough to stabilize Your Highness's foundation."

"Vertical Light Mountain? Is this the Stone Buddha's sarira?"

Chu Xuanao's expression froze slightly.

It was not difficult to guess. There were very few Buddhist cultivators in Dagan, and only one Buddhist cultivator who had reached the Celestial Phenomenon Realm was known publicly: the Stone Buddha of old.

Not to mention that the Stone Buddha's sect had been established on Vertical Light Mountain.

"Yes, Your Highness. Last night, I went to Vertical Light Mountain and made a deal with Stone Grotto Great Buddha Temple's Celestial Phenomenon Realm expert. This sarira has extraordinary foundations and will be useful to Your Highness, so I brought it back."

"Stone Grotto Great Buddha Temple really has a Celestial Phenomenon Realm expert? What deal did you make, Yuan Tiangang?"

Chu Xuanao had suspected that Stone Grotto Great Buddha Temple still possessed a Celestial Phenomenon Realm expert, but it was only now confirmed.

After all, the Stone Buddha had been far too astonishing. It was only natural for him to have left behind some foundations.

The Stone Buddha had originally been a young beggar in Cloud Province. By chance, he obtained a Buddhist scripture and comprehended the path of cultivation from it, soaring ever onward from that day forth.

Relying solely on an ordinary Buddhist scripture he had picked up, the Great Vajra Sutra Theory, he comprehended cultivation on his own at the age of ten. At thirty, he reached the peak of the Ascension Realm, becoming Dagan's first cultivator to enter the Celestial Phenomenon Realm through the Buddhist path.

At thirty-six, he held his first martial discourse on Buddhism at Vertical Light Mountain in Jingzhou. For three consecutive months, he faced challengers from every side.

The imperial clan, the Xuantian Dao Sect, and various other forces all made their moves, yet all were defeated.

Not a single person could match him.

After that battle, the Stone Buddha firmly claimed the title of the strongest beneath the Celestial Phenomenon Realm. The Martial World called him the Indestructible Arhat.

Once it ended, his fame soared, and he established Stone Grotto Great Buddha Temple on Vertical Light Mountain.

At the age of one hundred, he obtained a heavenly treasure and broke through into the Celestial Phenomenon Realm.

Yet when he reappeared at the age of two hundred, the Stone Buddha had already reached the peak of the Celestial Phenomenon Realm.

The prodigies and experts of the top forces could comprehend the Heavenly Dao, receive instruction from Heavenly Being Realm experts, and gain endless precious treasures. Yet the Stone Buddha had surpassed them all through comprehension alone.

Later, he debated the Dao at Great Yan's border in Cloud Province. He remained invincible, sweeping aside everything before him.

Whether in martial cultivation or Buddhist doctrinal debate, he left everyone utterly convinced.

He even debated scriptures with a Heavenly Being Realm expert of Great Yan, and the result was declared a draw.

There were even rumors in the Martial World that the Stone Buddha had actually won that debate. However, because his opponent was a Heavenly Being Realm expert, it was declared a draw instead.

And Zen Heart Temple did not refute those rumors.

The Arhat Divine Skill he created was praised by Great Yan's imperial clan as being comparable to their own Immovable Wisdom King Skill.

One had to know that Great Yan's imperial Immovable Wisdom King Skill was like the Mountain River Myriad Forms Scripture of Dagan's imperial clan. It had been refined and supplemented by generation after generation of ancestors, continuously perfected through the accumulation of countless generations, and stood among the world's supreme cultivation arts!

The Vajra Dharma Eye divine ability he created was hailed as an unrivaled divine art no weaker than the Heavenly Eye among the Six Buddhist Divine Powers.

This was not empty praise from the Martial World. It had been personally acknowledged by Celestial Phenomenon Realm and even Heavenly Being Realm experts from Great Yan's top forces.

Great Yan was filled with Buddhist sects. Several of the Great Yan dynasty's top forces cultivated the Buddhist path, and even the imperial clan was no exception.

The entire nation was practically a Buddhist kingdom.

The Stone Buddha had never set foot upon Great Yan's soil, yet Great Yan was filled with tales of his peerless renown.

Everyone in the world called him the reincarnation of a True Buddha.