As Jiang Chuan entered the Bodhi Grand Hall, a great golden Buddha shimmering with light came into view.
The great Buddha wore a Five Buddha Crown, his expression serene. Holding a Jade Ruyi, he sat cross-legged upon a green lotus throne.
Though it was merely a statue, it gave off a sacred and solemn presence, as though a true Bodhisattva had descended here, making one unable to resist the urge to prostrate oneself in worship.
"Even a statue inspires such reverence. What realm had the Bodhi Sacred Buddha, founder of Bodhi Temple, reached?"
As Jiang Chuan's thoughts turned, he looked toward the old monk seated before the statue of the Bodhi Sacred Buddha, draped in a Nine Treasures Kasaya.
The old monk's beard and hair were entirely white. His aged face resembled the bark of an old tree, covered in wrinkles.
Anyone who saw the old monk for the first time would find him kind and peaceful, knowing at once that he was an eminent monk of great virtue.
Before the old monk stood not only Elder Jingyun, but also a gray-robed monk holding a Buddhist staff, broad-backed and bear-waisted.
The gray-robed monk spoke to the old monk with a conflicted expression. "Abbot, is it really all right for us to reply to Maha Hall like this?"
"What is wrong with it? Tell Maha Hall exactly this: our Buddhist sect has set its sights on the Nine Abyss Dynasty. If they refuse to hand it over, then beat them until they do!" Abbot Kong Ming spoke with overwhelming dominance.
Jiang Chuan: "."
No, was that something a monk would say?
Abbot, were you sure you were from the Buddhist sect and not a demonic cultivator?
The gray-robed monk looked troubled. "Abbot, I think we should discuss this properly with Maha Hall."
"No need. If we discuss it properly, those little bastards from Maha Hall might think that after cultivating my character and nurturing my nature for so many years, I have become easy to bully."
There was an unconcealable trace of urgency and excitement in Abbot Kong Ming's voice.
Jiang Chuan inwardly grumbled, Bodhi Temple, easy to bully? It's clearly you who wants to bully Maha Hall. Still, in the simulation, Maha Hall actually held back the combined forces of the Three Buddhist Dao Sects. That really is rather abnormal.
The Seven Sects, Six Demons, Three Palaces, and Nine Clans were spoken of in the same breath. Their strengths might differ, but the gap would never be too great.
The Immortal Dao's ability to dominate the Qingyuan Realm had much to do with the fact that the Demonic Dao and Outer Dao were not united as one solid slab of iron.
For Maha Hall to fight one against three and still not fall into decline before Jiang Chuan's simulation ended was extremely unreasonable.
The gray-robed monk seemed to want to say more, but Abbot Kong Ming cut him off directly.
"Just do as I said."
"Yes."
The gray-robed monk sighed softly, turned, and left.
"Amitabha!"
Noticing Abbot Kong Ming looking at him, Jiang Chuan pressed his palms together and recited a Buddhist invocation.
"Jiang Chuan greets Abbot Kong Ming."
Kong Ming withdrew his gaze and spoke again.
"Jiang Chuan, Elder Jingyun has told me about your circumstances. Since you are now a disciple of Bodhi Temple, I will naturally help you reclaim the inheritance and treasures from your previous life. Go back and make your preparations. We leave tomorrow."
"Yes."
Jiang Chuan then took his leave.
After Jiang Chuan left, Elder Jingyun revealed a puzzled expression.
"Abbot, didn't you have questions to ask Jiang Chuan? Why did you not ask them?"
"According to the temple's records, the life and death of the Dragon Transformation Venerable remain a mystery. I suspect that Jiang Chuan may not be his reincarnation."
Abbot Kong Ming paused, then continued, "But when Jiang Chuan entered, I observed the cultivation technique he practiced. It was not from Bodhi Temple's lineage, yet it was grand and mighty. Compared to Bodhi Temple's supreme scripture, the Future Star Sutra, it was at most only one notch weaker."
"What?! Only one notch weaker than the Future Star Sutra!"
Elder Jingyun was greatly shaken and cried out, "Doesn't that mean the cultivation technique Jiang Chuan practices is enough to rival the core inheritances of Vajra Hall and Water Moon Nunnery?!"
The core inheritances of the major powers in the Qingyuan Realm—the highest-tier scriptures and divine abilities—were enough to turn the earth white with mourning and make countless cultivators fight bloody battles over them.
Even within the major powers themselves, only a scant few were qualified to cultivate such scriptures.
Elder Jingyun had never imagined that Jiang Chuan possessed one.
"When the core disciples of the major powers are taught supreme scriptures, restrictions are placed upon them to prevent the scriptures from leaking out. Upon death and reincarnation, those restrictions activate, eroding memories related to the scriptures and divine abilities from the soul."
Abbot Kong Ming explained, "Originally, I still had doubts about whether Jiang Chuan was the reincarnation of the Dragon Transformation Venerable. But after seeing that his inheritance was extraordinary, I am now seventy to eighty percent certain that he is the Dragon Transformation Venerable's reincarnation. That is why I did not ask."
Early the next morning, you followed Abbot Kong Ming, Elder Jingyun, and nine other elders to Chisha Island.
Upon arriving before the Annihilation Cave Mansion, Abbot Kong Ming had just prepared to act when the Annihilation Cave Mansion suddenly exploded.
Caught off guard, Abbot Kong Ming had no time to save you. You were swallowed by the aftermath and left without even a complete corpse.
This romance simulation failed.
"What the hell? Why did it just explode?!"
Recalling the scene of the cave mansion exploding, Jiang Chuan's face was filled with confusion and incomprehension.
In the previous ten simulations, the cave mansion had only exploded after Elder Jingyun and the others bombarded it for a long time.
This time, it had exploded before Abbot Kong Ming could even make a move.
"Could the formation left behind by the Dragon Transformation Venerable have a realm-detection function? I'll try it in the next simulation."
Under your warning, Abbot Kong Ming disguised himself as a sixth-realm cultivator.
This time, the Annihilation Cave Mansion did not explode immediately. Abbot Kong Ming struck directly, and starlight filling the sky transformed into a great hand that slammed toward the Annihilation Cave Mansion.
The next moment, the Annihilation Cave Mansion exploded. You were swallowed by the aftermath and left without even a complete corpse.
This romance simulation failed.
Under your warning, Abbot Kong Ming brought a High-grade Dao Artifact, the Void Stabilizing Pearl, to the Annihilation Cave Mansion.
The Void Stabilizing Pearl could stabilize space. Throughout the generations, the abbots and elders of Bodhi Temple had used it to kill multiple experts of the Eighth Realm and even the Ninth Realm.
You thought this time everything was finally foolproof, but a colorless ripple swept past, and the Void Stabilizing Pearl failed outright. The Annihilation Cave Mansion then exploded.
You were swallowed by the aftermath of the explosion and left without even a complete corpse.
This romance simulation failed.
"It exploded again!"
With an unhappy expression, Jiang Chuan raised his foot and kicked away a fist-sized stone.
"Dragon Transformation Venerable! You miser!"
"You can't bring inheritances and treasures with you alive, and you can't take them with you in death. What is wrong with leaving them to later cultivators?"
"And yet you would rather blow them up than leave them to future cultivators."
"I curse you to reincarnate as the daughter of your Dao companion's reincarnation! May your father have even less virtue than Jiang Daode! May your grandfather be your enemy from your previous life!"
After venting for a while, much of the anger in Jiang Chuan's heart dissipated.
"If I can't open this damned cave mansion, then I won't bother."
Even Abbot Kong Ming could not open it. Jiang Chuan decided not to keep locking horns with the Annihilation Cave Mansion and instead took out the Golden Essence Dagger Golden Wind had given him.
"My most urgent task is still to pass the Warrior Monk Institute's assessment. I am already at the fourth layer of the Second Realm. If I devour the Golden Essence Dagger Senior Golden Wind gave me, my strength can advance even further."
Black Rainbow Light flew from between Jiang Chuan's five fingers, enveloping the Golden Essence Dagger in his hand.
The Void Devouring Scripture could evolve a Dark Universe and devour all things, tangible and intangible.
Golden essence, a spiritual material used in artifact refinement, could likewise be devoured by Jiang Chuan and transformed into his mana.
Before you continue