The Saints' Covenant

Everyone knows that Buddhism and Daoism are not on good terms. Generally, Daoist True Person would never invite Buddhists to their Celestial Person Ceremony and man. The exception was when Daoist Longshan invited the ascetic sect.

But now.

Great Enlightenment Temple came uninvited.

Some people had strange expressions.

They all knew more or less about the past of the True Mystery Sect, and understood that the True Mystery Daoist had a conflict with a Buddha, and it was even more impossible for him to have any connection with Buddhism. The Great Awakening Great Enlightenment Temple was vaguely the head of Buddhism.

What kind of show is this?

All eyes followed the booming voice, and Ning Qi was no exception. His eyes flickered slightly, knowing that today's events were probably not simple, because the usually carefree old Daoist from Bai Shan had become unusually serious.

"Amitabha Buddha, greetings to all fellow practitioners. This old monk has come uninvited; please forgive me!"

What comes into view.

A group of monks, draped in golden-red robes and barefoot, arrived, each with their eyes fixed straight ahead, chanting Buddhist mantras with their heads bowed. Their solemn and dignified appearance sent a chill down one's spine.

The one who spoke was the leading old monk.

Some people have already recognized his identity: Abbot Miaokong of Great Enlightenment Temple. His strength is extremely remarkable, even surpassing that of Bai Xiang True Person.

The White Elephant True Person wore a smile, but his eyes remained completely expressionless.

"So it is Master Miaokong. May I ask what brings you to this humble place?"

Master Miaokong, with a kind and benevolent expression, smiled and said:

"Naturally, this is to celebrate your esteemed sect's True Person Bai Shan's ascension to the realm of Celestial Person!"

The White Elephant True Person laughed heartily.

"Guests are always welcome. In that case, please take a seat, esteemed masters. May I ask what gifts you have brought? I would be honored to have you all see them."

The two exchanged words with smiles, but everyone could sense the underlying tension.

The host didn't act like a host, and the guest didn't act like a guest.

Master Miaokong remained smiling.

That's exactly what I was thinking.

He chanted Buddhist mantras, and immediately two young monks carried an object ten feet tall to the side. The object was covered with a red cloth, making it impossible to see what was inside. The crowd's gaze grew increasingly curious.

With a whoosh, the red cloth was lifted.

A murmur of surprise immediately arose.

Master Miaokong's voice is still as powerful as ever:

"I have come across a rare Heavenly Crane Tree; I humbly request the True Person of the True Mystery Sect to appraise it."

The once composed True Profound Sect disciples now wore grim expressions, and several True Person' eyes flashed with anger.

Ning Qi raised an eyebrow, immediately understanding the reason.

These past two days, I've learned a lot from the old Daoist of Bai Shan and also learned some secrets of the Zhenxuan Sect. The reason why Zhenxuan True Lord fought with that Buddha was because of the Heavenly Crane Tree. This Heavenly Crane Tree is named for its resemblance to a heavenly crane. It bears fruit only once every hundred years and has a significant effect on Martial Saint.

It was later stolen by a spy during a certain generation of the Zhenxuan Sect, and unexpectedly it has now appeared in the hands of the monks of Great Enlightenment Temple.

only.

The crane tree is now completely lifeless and withered beyond recognition.

This is undoubtedly a double attack on the True Mystery Sect's face.

That's exactly like how you humiliate your wife and then publicly display her mutilated body.

The three True Person, including Bai Xiang, were all enraged. They stared coldly at Master Miao Kong, and True Person Bai Ye sneered:

"Back then, a spy from my True Mystery Sect stole the Heavenly Crane Tree, our sect's most treasured artifact, and its whereabouts have remained unknown ever since. I never imagined it was done by someone from your Buddhist sect! Stealing a major precept—your Buddhist sect is strict with others but lenient with itself!"

True Person Baihe went even further and cursed without any politeness:

"So that's why you bald monks showed up uninvited! You were up to no good. If you don't give us an explanation for what happened today, you won't be leaving the mountain!"

He didn't need to worry about maintaining the demeanor of a sect leader, so he spoke his mind freely.

The words had barely left his mouth.

The True Mystery Sect disciples, their expressions solemn and their auras surging, surrounded the group from Great Enlightenment Temple.

But the monks remained unfazed, and Master Miaokong lowered his hands and said:

"True Person, you have misunderstood. This Heavenly Crane Tree was acquired by my Great Enlightenment Temple by chance. It was already in this state when we first obtained it. Considering that this Heavenly Crane Tree seems to have a connection with your sect, we offered it to you."

"If you, True Person, are displeased, then this humble monk will destroy the tree now as an apology."

He finished speaking.

Without the slightest hesitation, he raised his palm and struck out. Golden light shone from his palm, and the faint sound of Buddhist chants could be heard.

"You bald monk, how dare you!"

The White True Person glared angrily. The old Daoist had been trying his best to maintain his composure, but when he saw that Master Miaokong was going to destroy the Heavenly Crane Tree, he could no longer hold back. The Heavenly Crane Tree was withering away, but now that the True Lord had returned, he might have some amazing means to restore it. How could he allow Master Miaokong to destroy it?

He flicked his whisk, which shot towards Master Miaokong like an elephant's trunk pointing skyward.

Boom!

With a deafening roar, Master White True Person had already begun his struggle against Master Miaokong.

The power of heaven and earth erupted.

The White Elephant True Person and Master Miaokong stood facing each other, vying for power, with the Heavenly Crane Tree serving as the medium of their struggle. If things went wrong, the Heavenly Crane Tree would be reduced to dust.

But it's obvious.

Master True Person was still a notch below Master Miaokong. Master Miaokong still had some energy left, but True Person's robes were already billowing like drums, and his white hair and beard were flying.

Seeing this.

True Person Baihe and True Person Baiye stepped forward together and managed to stabilize the situation.

Everyone was astonished.

Unexpectedly, tensions escalated in the blink of an eye. The Celestial Person Ceremony, which was originally going well, had just reached the sermon segment that everyone was most looking forward to, when this unexpected turn of events occurred.

Those who had been invited were mostly close associates of the True Mystery Sect, and they hesitated upon seeing this situation.

Daoist Longshan immediately stood up. He instinctively wanted to help, but then felt it was inappropriate.

Now that this is the True Mystery Sect's home turf, and they are being provoked by the Great Enlightenment Temple, it would be a disgrace to their reputation if they needed outside help to suppress it.

The others also had this consideration to some extent.

After all, the True Mystery Sect still has a newly promoted Celestial Person who has not yet made a move.

Some people looked at the old Daoist priest from Bai Shan, only to find that he wasn't paying any attention to them at all. Instead, he was looking at the other monks, as if searching for something.

At this moment, the old Daoist priest of Bai Shan was completely different from usual; his eyes seemed to radiate divine light, exuding majesty.

Suddenly.

His gaze fell upon a seemingly unremarkable young monk among the monks of Great Enlightenment Temple, and a cold smile crept onto his lips:

"Baoshu, after all these years, you still love to play these little tricks."

Everyone was puzzled.

No one from the monks responded.

Ning Qi raised an eyebrow. He followed the gaze of the old Daoist priest of Bai Shan and carefully explored the area. He then discovered that there was another person among them whom he could not see through. He was shocked. Connecting the dots, he vaguely understood something. When he looked at the old Daoist priest of Bai Shan again, he even had a slight guess about the old Bai Shan priest's identity.

He was deeply shaken, a hint of disbelief flickering in his eyes, before gradually becoming excited.

If the guess is true, then this trip might really have been worthwhile!

Ning Qi had been somewhat lazy, had now become fully focused.

Seeing that no one responded, the old Daoist of Bai Shan slowly rose into the air, and then slowly raised his right hand. In an instant, the wind and clouds changed, and all the Celestial Person Realm present felt immense pressure. Even the few Celestial Person Realm experts were no exception. They looked at the old Daoist of Bai Shan in shock and disbelief.

It seemed as if a celestial palace was floating in the palm of the old Daoist priest from Bai Shan.

The light, slowly pressing down on Master Miaokong, was already compressed to its limit. Before the old Bai Shan, he was like a child, utterly powerless to resist.

The three White Elephant True Person all consciously stopped and respectfully landed behind the Bai Shan Old Daoist, their eyes filled with deep admiration and excitement.

Everyone was dumbfounded.

The newly appointed True Person Bai Shan is actually the strongest person in the True Mystery Sect?

Master Miaokong's expression changed drastically; he was filled with fear and unease. He wanted to speak, but he couldn't.

At this moment.

A Buddhist chant, seemingly resonating in everyone's hearts, arose naturally, as if all spirits could hear it. The sound was grand yet without any sense of oppression; instead, it inspired reverence in everyone.

"Amitabha Buddha, how mysterious! Only someone as powerful as you would bully the weak."

After the unremarkable young monk opened his eyes, his entire demeanor changed.

Those eyes seemed to hold the vicissitudes of life, witnessing countless changes throughout the ages, and nothing external could shake his will.

He walked slowly towards them, giving Master Miaokong a chance to catch his breath. He quickly retreated in alarm behind the young monk, chanting Buddhist mantras incessantly.

Upon hearing the words "True Profound," Ning Qi's eyes flashed with a sharp light, and he became even more certain.

Then they heard the old Daoist priest from Bai Shan slowly stop, and he chuckled:

"I'm bullying the weak? Baoshu, you old bald monk, you're still as shameless as ever after all these years! You like to hide your true colors and are very petty. It seems you haven't improved at all over the years."

He casually beckoned the Heavenly Crane Tree over, examined it closely, and then sneered:

"You petty, bald monk, all you did was steal a tree back then. Why are you holding onto it for so long? You even went out of your way to snatch it back to annoy me. You old bald monk probably don't know that I put Restriction on this Heavenly Crane Tree back then. Even if you took it, it would be useless to you. You must have been disappointed back then."

"However, do you think the Heavenly Crane Tree is dead? With a little effort from this old Daoist priest, it can naturally come back to life. I should thank you for bringing it back to me."

He flashed a sly grin, revealing his large, yellow teeth, looking utterly infuriating.

The Buddha of the Precious Tree fell silent.

He had originally intended to annoy True Mystery Dao Lord, but unexpectedly, he ended up being annoyed himself instead. He sighed and said:

"Zhenxuan, why are you so malicious in your assumptions about my thoughts? It's just that we haven't seen each other for many years, and I've come to see an old friend. In the long years, I don't know how many old friends I'll still be able to meet. Our past conflicts are nothing more than mountain clouds and mist, easily laughed off."

The two chatted casually, like old friends teasing each other.

It also seemed like they were reminiscing and reminiscing.

But Mount Zhenxuan was already completely silent.

Those present were not fools.

The expressions of True Person Baixiang and others also revealed some clues, and combined with the conversation between the old Daoist of Bai Shan and this Master Baoshu, many people had already guessed the identities of the two.

In other words, this True Person Bai Shan was actually the legendary founder of the True Mystery Sect, True Mystery True Lord!

And the one opposite him was none other than the Buddha Baoshu, who was rumored to have had a conflict with Zhenxuan True Lord!

But the fact that they guessed it made everyone even more bewildered and horrified.

After all, these two figures are from who-knows-how-many years ago, how could they possibly reappear in the present world?

Such unbelievable events left everyone feeling as if they were in a dream. Many were even secretly pinching their thighs, wincing in pain, yet daring not to utter a sound. Even the disciples of the True Profound Sect were dumbfounded, as they had no prior knowledge of the true identity of the Daoist Baishan.

Ning Qi's breathing became somewhat erratic.

These two people in front of me are actually the legendary Martial Saint level experts!

The path to becoming Martial Saint, which he had been searching for so desperately, now had two living fossils standing before him.

"Could Martial Saint expert live for such a long time? Absolutely impossible! Judging from their words, they both seem to have extended their lives to this day through some means, and these means may even be risky, as some Martial Saint experts have completely perished!"

"But... what is their purpose in doing this? And what is its connection to the cataclysmic changes that occurred back then?"

Ning Qi had a series of questions in his mind.

He held his breath in anticipation.

I feel that my trip to Zhenxuan Mountain, after a period of quiet contemplation, was truly worthwhile.

Everyone stared intently at the two peerless experts.

The Buddha of the Precious Tree walked slowly, his entire body now bathed in golden light, and his previously ordinary face now possessed an extraordinary and dignified appearance. He clasped his hands together, seemingly with satisfaction.

"I thought you, my old friend Zhenxuan, hadn't woken up yet, so I came to check on you. Now that I know you are safe and sound, I am greatly relieved."

The Daoist Baishan said calmly:

"Now the old Daoist is called Bai Shan, and Zhenxuan is long gone. You and I have lived to this day, experiencing many ups and downs, and are no longer the people we once were. We must recognize reality and look forward."

The Buddha remained silent for a moment.

Then he shook his head:

"When you see a mountain, it's not a mountain anymore; when you see a mountain again, it's still a mountain. You are still you, and I am still me. Why must you be like this, my old friend? The long years cannot diminish our will."

Ning Qi seemed to be deep in thought.

The old Daoist priest from Bai Shan casually waved his hand:

"You know the truth best in your heart. If you want to run away, that's your business, it has nothing to do with me. Spit out what you have to say. I'll spare you this time because you returned the Heavenly Crane Tree. Get down the mountain yourself and don't delay my Celestial Person Ceremony."

He was already getting impatient.

I never expected that the old friend I had been waiting for would turn out to be this old bald monk. I'm in a bad mood.

The Buddha of the Precious Tree chanted the Buddha's name in a low voice. He sat cross-legged in the void, with golden lotuses blooming beneath him, making him appear even more sacred.

"I have come today because I have a great fortuitous opportunity to give to an old friend."

The old Daoist priest from Bai Shan just sneered.

He didn't believe a word of it. Back then, he had gotten into a huge argument with a Heavenly Crane Tree, let alone a great fortuitous opportunity being given to him?

The Buddha whispered under the precious tree:

"My old friend, have you forgotten the covenant with the saints? Haven't you spent all these years for this very purpose?"

The Covenant of the Saints!

Everyone was stunned by these four short words, as if they were watching a magnificent scroll slowly unfold.

The old Daoist priest of Bai Shan stared intently:

"So what if it is?"

"Since that's the case, why don't we help each other? With our abilities, we're sure to seize this fortuitous opportunity," said the Buddha Ratnakūṭa earnestly.

But the old Daoist priest of Bai Shan laughed, laughing so hard he bent over backwards, laughing with unrestrained abandon, that even the Buddha of the Precious Tree gradually frowned.

Why is my old friend laughing?

The old Daoist priest of Bai Shan stood with his hands behind his back, exuding an indescribable sense of ease.

You don't deserve it.