Under the leadership of the Sacred Emperor of Nine Heavens, the Nine Abyss Dynasty arrived at Bodhi Temple.
As the only genius disciple of Bodhi Temple's Jing Generation to be taught the "Future Star Sutra," you were assigned to welcome the Nine Abyss Dynasty alongside many elders.
"Roar!"
The dragon's roar shook the vault of heaven.
Under Jiang Chuan's gaze, a black dragon and a crimson phoenix pulled a golden war chariot through the sky toward Bodhi Temple.
Behind the chariot, princes and princesses with noble brows and striking looks, along with the civil and military officials of the Nine Abyss Dynasty, followed upon clouds.
A thousand rosy rays and ten thousand auspicious lights descended from the heavens, making the Nine Abyss Dynasty's officials appear all the more majestic and sacred.
Their powerful aura swept across heaven and earth like a vast ocean bursting through a broken dam.
Many mortals who witnessed this took it for the Heavenly Emperor leading a sky full of immortals down to the world, and dropped to their knees in worship.
"To use a dragon and phoenix to pull their carriage—they truly are a force second only to the Seven Sects, Six Demons, Three Palaces, Nine Clans!" Jiang Chuan secretly marveled.
Though the crimson phoenix and black dragon were not pure-blooded divine beasts, they still belonged to the royal bloodline among the Demon Race.
Using two royal demon beasts to pull a carriage was enough to show just how powerful and fearsome the Nine Abyss Dynasty was!
As the Nine Abyss Dynasty visited Bodhi Temple, you, one of Bodhi Temple's favored talents, were assigned to receive Li Kaitai, the Nine Abyss Dynasty's Third Prince.
Third Prince Li Kaitai was the legitimate eldest son and was regarded as one of the princes most likely to become the next Sacred Emperor of Nine Heavens.
After learning that you had been taught the "Future Star Sutra," Li Kaitai treated you with great courtesy. He took the initiative to converse with you and tour Bodhi Temple together.
During the tour, Li Kaitai also deliberately and casually inquired about your preferences, hoping to win over a genius of Bodhi Temple like you.
When you arrived at the Foreign Affairs Hall, you declared before everyone that your favorite pastime was studying formations.
That evening, when you returned to your pavilion, princes and princesses one after another sent people bearing invitations and volumes of formation-related classics.
"Junior Brother, don't you like slacking off the most? Since when did you start liking the study of formations?" Jing Hui asked, utterly bewildered.
"Slacking off? Who's slacking off? Senior Brother, don't smear my good name."
Jiang Chuan spoke with a straight face. "My greatest goal in life is to become a formation master without equal throughout all ages."
Jing Hui: "."
Can you draw formation patterns?
Do you know how to set up a formation?
What kind of formation master without equal throughout all ages did not even know how to deploy formations?
"Honestly."
"I really do want to learn formations now."
As Jiang Chuan spoke, he spread open his palm.
Five azure streams of light flew from Jiang Chuan's fingers.
Under Jiang Chuan's control, they writhed and circled before Jing Hui's eyes like five little swimming snakes. Then they tangled together, becoming an azure longsword before transforming into an azure pearl.
"This is..."
"This is the divine ability Star Spirit Myriad Transformations Light, recorded in the 'Future Star Sutra.'"
Jiang Chuan explained, "Unlike ordinary divine abilities, Star Spirit Myriad Transformations Light's greatest feature is its endless transformations. With it, I can evolve formation after formation to fight my enemies."
"The 'Future Star Sutra' truly deserves to be one of our Buddhist sect's supreme scriptures!" Jing Hui's eyes were filled with shock and envy.
The power of the human body had limits, but heaven and earth had none.
Formations took heaven and earth as their body.
By combining and constructing them with all manner of spiritual treasures and magical artifacts, one could draw upon and control the heaven-and-earth essence energy at dozens or even hundreds of times a cultivator's own capacity.
The emergence of the Inner Scenery Map had likewise been influenced by formations.
Jiang Chuan could use Star Spirit Myriad Transformations Light to evolve great formations for battle, and with a wave of his hand, formation after formation would span the sky.
Cultivators of the same realm would be wiped out in a single exchange. Even fourth-realm cultivators would be defeated and suppressed.
Looking at the formation manuals piled on the table, Jiang Chuan's face was full of sorrow.
"I just hope formations aren't too hard to learn!"
"Junior Brother, dripping water pierces stone. As long as you persist, I believe you'll definitely learn it," Jing Hui encouraged.
"Senior Brother, next time you encourage me, I hope you'll say, 'Junior Brother, you're a formation genius. You'll definitely learn it after reading it once.'"
"Monastics do not speak falsehoods."
"."
After obtaining so many formation books, you began studying them tirelessly every night.
Seven days later, you felt that you had made a preliminary start.
After asking around, you learned that most formation masters needed roughly ten days to get started.
You had gotten started in seven days. Though that did not make you a genius, you had already surpassed ordinary people. You were quite pleased with this.
While studying formations, you also continued attending the invitations of the Nine Abyss Dynasty's princes and princesses.
In order to win you over, these princes and princesses sent many treasures and medicinal pills, all of which you gladly accepted.
At the same time, several accompanying disciples of Maha Hall also set their sights on you.
These Maha Hall disciples had murderous glints in their eyes, as though they dearly wished to strangle you—a genius of the Jing Generation and the only one taught the "Future Star Sutra"—in the cradle.
"Does Maha Hall have the nerve to make a move within Bodhi Temple?"
Jiang Chuan stroked his chin and muttered to the candle stand.
"Abbot Kong Ming's stance is unyielding, with no room for compromise. Maha Hall and Bodhi Temple going to war is basically a foregone conclusion."
"The future visit of Maha Hall's elders to Bodhi Temple is really just going through the motions. Otherwise, Maha Hall's chief would have come personally."
"At a time like this, if they could kill a Bodhi Temple genius and snuff out a future Buddhist powerhouse, Maha Hall would absolutely be tempted. After all, both sides have already torn away all pretense."
The more Jiang Chuan thought about it, the more he felt that Maha Hall might directly make a move to kill him, this Buddhist genius.
You directly told Elder Jingyun about your suspicions.
Elder Jingyun immediately arranged for an elder to protect you at close range, set up formations around the pavilion where you lived, and dispatched people to keep a close watch on Maha Hall's disciples.
Perhaps having noticed Bodhi Temple's actions, the murderous intent of Maha Hall's disciples visibly lessened.
Half a month later, you reluctantly saw off the Nine Abyss Dynasty's princes and princesses, who had been like little gods of wealth.
You then prepared to leave Bodhi Temple before the war between Bodhi Temple and Maha Hall began, in order to seek out Que Jinling of the Fire Sparrow Clan.
Because your status was now utterly different from before, leaving Bodhi Temple required Abbot Kong Ming's approval. Thus, you headed to the main hall to find Abbot Kong Ming.
Just as you were flying toward the main hall, an accident occurred.
"Junior Brother Jiang Chuan."
Jiang Chuan instinctively looked toward the voice and saw a monk in bright yellow robes with phoenix-shaped eyes, riding a flying sword toward him.
"May I ask what business this Senior Brother has with me?"
Jiang Chuan found the monk before him somewhat familiar, but Bodhi Temple alone had several thousand monks of the Jing Generation. There were simply too many monks he had met once or several times.
The phoenix-eyed monk grinned, killing intent bursting from his gaze.
"Naturally, to send you on your way!"
Clang!
A sharp sword cry rang out.
The flying sword beneath the phoenix-eyed monk's feet became a sudden flash of cold light and shot straight toward Jiang Chuan.
Not good!
Jiang Chuan's pupils suddenly contracted.
He had not expected Maha Hall to remain determined to kill him.
Nor had he expected Maha Hall to launch a sudden assassination while he, Elder Jingyun, and the others had lowered their guard!
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