Killing the Chicken to Warn the Monkeys, the Great Tang Sage

Zhang Fusheng is aging, aging at a rate visible to the naked eye—this is the price he pays.

This is the price that allowed Hong Tianbao and Wei Lingzhu to steal time for cultivation.

Wei Lingzhu lived through five hundred years, and Hong Tianbao Scripture took a thousand years to comprehend.

Then.

Zhang Fusheng then grew to be 1,500 years old.

But this aging process came to an abrupt end.

These days, the most frequent trade in the Gaotian Association is lifespan, and he also takes the largest cut from lifespan.

Fifteen hundred years of life quietly merged with his own being, and the feeling of aging suddenly ceased.

And thus, it came into the view of outsiders.

The Buddha descended to earth, and with a smile, his life was like a flower withering; yet with another flick of his finger, he brought spring back to life, transforming the withered tree back into the radiant youth he once was.

The Buddha spoke of Wither and Flourish, and then it truly Wither and Flourish in an instant.

The young man, leaning on his Nine-Ringed Zen Staff, walked past the five major believers and out of the Martial Arts Academy. The dark clouds in the sky were still rolling, and the night was deep.

When the Old Master and Shi Zhengyuan arrived, they were caught in the void.

They saw that along the entire long street, more than a thousand believers, from martial artists to high-ranking members, all had solemn expressions, their hands clasped together, and said:

"World Honored One!"

World Honored One

Shi Zhengyuan was bewildered. The Old Master, as a Divine Walker of the Ancient Sage Faction, worshipped an ancient sage and had a wide range of knowledge, yet he did not know the meaning of the World Honored One.

People in the world only know Buddha as Tathagata, but they do not know that the title "World Honored One" is also one of the ten epithets of Buddha.

"What exactly did he do?" the Old Master exclaimed in astonishment. "Just a rainstorm, and people from all religions and sects came, even five innate beings favored by the gods."

"They've all converted?"

"World Honored One, what is his heavenly position? Is this his true status before his descent into the world?"

Standing to the side, Shi Zhengyuan was also dumbfounded, repeatedly muttering the words "Living Buddha."

Although he had ascended to the Above High Heaven and witnessed the power of the great celestial being, he had still been a vegetarian and chanting Buddhist scriptures for countless years. At this moment, seeing the Living Buddha saving all beings, his obsession of decades was released, and his eyes filled with tears.

They saw it.

The Buddha raised his head and gazed at the dark sky.

Then.

"It's almost dawn."

Zhang Fusheng stated that he had never used the Nine-Ringed Zen Staff, nor had he drawn upon the power of the vast Buddhist kingdom.

He was merely communicating with and touching the two ethereal [divine] aspects deep within his own spirit.

One is the [Divinity of the Central Extreme Cult Master], which comes from the prayers of dozens of Flawless Soul over thousands of years, and from the devout worship of tens of millions of people in the Land of Exotic Treasures.

Secondly, it is the [divinity of the World-Honored One].

The source of this knowledge naturally came from the followers—five Innate Great Realm who had served for thirteen hundred years.

The Incense and Fire Prayer Power generated are far beyond what ordinary people or Flawless Soul can match!

As a result, the divine nature of the newly born World Honored One was even more profound and solid than that of the Nine Netherworlds!

Then!

Divinity trembled in the Ancestral Aperture between the eyebrows, communicating with heaven and earth, and the mind visualized the blazing sun.

Daylight broke.

Day and night were forcibly reversed, the dark clouds were pierced, and what shone down was not the bright moonlight, but the scorching sun.

A single thought can change everything.

"My own heart is acting on behalf of Heaven!" The Old Master gripped his long beard tightly, his gaze burning fiercely, and murmured to himself:

"He planted divinity in the Ancestral Aperture between his eyebrows; he truly is a bodhisattva descended to earth."

"It is Buddha."

Dali King Bodhisattva?

The Old Master didn't believe it; perhaps it should be called the Dali King Buddha, or the Dali King World Honored One?

Although I had never heard the words "World Honored One" before, hearing them for the first time now gave me a sense of tranquility, as if I were hearing the words "Tathagata".

It is probably a very prestigious title in the Buddhist Sect.

The Lingshan lineage, after decades of decline, seems to have finally turned its fortunes around.

The next day.

"Venerable One, we all understand."

Xu Daoren bowed and said softly:

"After I return, I will try to cast a statue of the deity, blurring its face, and claim it to be a new god of the East Cult, and then I will worship it."

The Divine Envoy of the West Cult also nodded:

"I would also say that this is a new divine position from the Western Sect, an attempt to spread it within the religion—we are all the same."

With his back to them, the World Honored One gazed silently at the scenery outside the window, while the Old Master, who had been observing everything, couldn't help but speak:

"In every sect, a god named 'World Honored One' has appeared, and the signs will soon be discovered, and..."

After pausing for a moment, he continued:

"The followers who came to the dragon boat all went back to worship a deity called [the World Honored One]. This is a big problem; it will be seen through."

Zhang Fusheng nodded silently.

He was the Central Extreme Cult Master, the Nine Nether Sin-Removing Heavenly Venerate, and also became the World Honored One, and even took on the name of Taiqing—since he walked among mortals, he could call himself Laozi.

Three seats were allocated to one person.

Zhang Fusheng already had a vague plan in mind: Lin Yusheng would lead the Nine Nether Cult, while Old Shi would develop the Luofeng Cult; both would worship the Heavenly Venerate of Sin Removal.

If the Buddha wanted to spread his teachings across the earth, would he create another sect?

It felt a bit crowded.

It would be better to let the Buddha take root among various religions and sects, and attempt a sleight of hand.

As for whether it will work?

You have to try to find out.

Zhang Fusheng began in a melodious voice:

"No sect would refuse a True God who has descended to earth. I am not the true Buddha, but merely a manifestation of that god."

"My wish can be summed up in just two words."

"Datong."

"Great Harmony Under Heaven."

The Old Master's pupils contracted as he pondered those four words, saying incredulously:

"Great Harmony Under Heaven, you... you desire, the unification of all religions?"

Zhang Fusheng certainly hadn't considered the unification of all religions; this was clearly a matter of immense karmic consequences.

His casual remark that the six Heavenly Lords were all incarnations of the Central Extreme Cult Master immediately brought him a heavy burden of karmic retribution.

He was personally 'visited' by the Azure Emperor, who came from an unknown period of the past.

If he were to bear the name of [Taiqing] and casually utter a statement like "all religions are fundamentally one"?

The causal relationship then involves far more than just the six heavenly positions.

He just wanted to find a reason that would resonate with his followers.

A reason that allows the 'World Honored One' to brazenly parasitize various religious sects and leech off their wealth.

Only.

Zhang Fusheng suddenly felt dazed.

In some mythological stories and in some Daoist canons, the Supreme Dao Ancestor taught the Great Accomplishment Supreme Sage Teacher and also transformed into Buddha Ancestor to enlighten the barbarian lands.

In a sense, Taiqing truly represents the unification of the three religions.

Composing himself, Zhang Fusheng continued:

"However, you are right about one thing: I have not yet returned to my rightful place, so how can I convince the various religions that a World Honored One has truly arrived?"

"A Buddha who does not belong to any sect and can be won over."

He sighed:

"Let's make an example of them."

The five innate beings were perplexed; was this a case of killing the chicken to scare the monkey?

Whose chicken is this?

Shi Zhengyuan asked directly:

"Living Buddha, who are you planning to harm?"

Zhang Fusheng closed his eyes and pondered for a moment, then suddenly sensed something and smiled.

"Why not?"

"The High Gate Cui Family of Golden City, I suppose."

The Old Master's expression changed slightly, and he asked softly:

"When?"

The World-Honored One simply said:

"No rush, no rush."

As he spoke, Hong Tianbao, who was sitting cross-legged, opened his eyes, his body radiating a dazzling light that reflected divine brilliance—he had succeeded.

He has made the ultimate leap from the Grandmaster level, successfully circumventing the Different Dimension with the illusory divine realm of Minor Perfection.

He became a [primordial being] unbound by deities.

On the other side, Wei Lingzhu also slowly opened her eyes, having spent three hundred years comprehending Spiritual Cultivation.

In addition, they possess the qualities of never giving up and believing that hard work always pays off.

She actually managed to Perfection the Visualization Method and achieve True Spiritual Realm despite being a low-level martial artist!

Zhang Fusheng turned his head, stared at the girl, and couldn't help but marvel.

Back when I reached the True Spiritual Realm, my cultivation level was probably around this level.

He stepped forward.

Looking at the dignified young man, Wei Lingzhu quickly bowed:

"Master!"

Zhang Fusheng smiled and gently touched her forehead with his hand.

"Let me see your divine realm."

Wei Lingzhu lowered her guard without hesitation, allowing her master to descend into her divine realm.

Zhang Fusheng looked around, remaining silent.

Was this apprentice truly taught by him?

Although they had only been with me for a few days, in those three hundred years of divine realm, the other party used me as a reference and practiced the Dense White Bone Contemplation.

But in Wei Lingzhu's divine realm, there was not a gloomy sky and a barren land, but rather a beautiful landscape with birds singing and flowers blooming.

It's a small pavilion in the lake, and an academy in the mountains.

What kind of Confucian sage body cultivation is this!

"It seems that the Seventy-Two Sage Scripture is indeed the most suitable for you."

Zhang Fusheng sighed.

Wei Lingzhu nodded seriously:

"Master, Seventy-Two Sage Scripture, it was indeed smoother than the Great Sun Scripture, but..."

She asked, somewhat confused:

"But I always feel that the Seventy-Two Sage Scripture is incomplete. It's not that it's missing or incomplete, but rather that it's too long and tedious. There's something about it that I can't quite put my finger on."

Zhang Fusheng's heart skipped a beat. After a moment of contemplation, he said:

"I will inquire with an ancient sage on your behalf to see if I can obtain an answer."

Wei Lingzhu's breathing quickened.

Ancient saints?!

Over the past few days, she has come to understand the meaning of an ancient sage, no longer knowing nothing!

Zhang Fusheng then reached out and supported him:

"Come, try anchoring to a scene from Different Dimension."

The Nine-Ringed Zen Staff emerged, and the girl's Mental Intent enveloped it. After a moment...

A flash of inspiration, and a wondrous scene descended upon the girl's divine realm.

Zhang Fusheng turned and looked into the distance, stunned.

Yes, it is an entire ancient city.

Inside the city,

The neighborhoods and markets were well-organized, containing Buddhist temples, Daoist monasteries, and even Confucian academies.

The very center of the city,

It was a majestic imperial palace, with the Xuanwu Gate, the Taiji Palace, and the two characters [Chang'an] on the plaque above the city gate.

Chang'an City.

Chang'an, the capital of the Tang Dynasty.

Zhang Fusheng raised an eyebrow and led Wei Lingzhu into the ancient city. They approached the palace, but found it difficult to enter, as if some inexplicable thing was blocking their way—but it only blocked him, not Wei Lingzhu.

The girl walked straight in, looking around curiously.

As for Zhang Fusheng...

He silently sensed it and discovered that the reason he couldn't enter the palace was actually divinity?

The palace wasn't blocking him; it was blocking the divine nature he had planted in his Ancestral Aperture between his eyebrows.

He floated in the air, looking down at the palace, and saw a solemn stone tablet in front of the Taiji Hall.

That's the source of the resistance.

The stone tablet simply bore eight large characters.

[No immortals or deities may enter without an imperial decree]

There's also a signature on the side.

[The Great Tang Sage, Heavenly Khan, Li Shimin]

Zhang Fusheng was astonished. Was this stone tablet erected by Old Li?

Does Er Feng really have such abilities?

"Perhaps it is the power bestowed upon him by the position of ruler?"

Zhang Fusheng murmured, gesturing to Wei Lingzhu, who was wandering aimlessly within the deathly silent palace:

"Lingzhu, go to the Taiji Hall in the Taiji Palace. There should be an imperial throne there. Try to see if you can sit on it."

"Alright, Master!"

The girl skipped over excitedly.

After a few breaths.

"Ouch!"

A small figure shot out from the Taiji Hall, crashed to the ground, and rolled twice.

She got up, baring her teeth:

"Master! I was bounced out before I even sat down!"

Zhang Fusheng looked at the disheveled Xiao Lingzhu and couldn't help but chuckle.

He gestured for Wei Lingzhu to come out, pondered for a moment, and then used the Helplessness Bridge and the Nail Head Seven Arrows Book to guide her to anchor in turn.

Unfortunately, the former anchored itself to a patch of unremarkable shady land, while the latter anchored itself to a mountain range that was equally unremarkable.

He had originally wanted Wei Lingzhu to borrow the Six Ding Divine Fire to try anchoring again, but ultimately gave up.

Zhang Fusheng was still unable to control the Six Ding Divine Fire, and he feared that if he attracted the fire, he might accidentally burn the girl's divine realm to nothingness.

"A city of Chang'an, a Great Tang Imperial Palace —that's quite something."

That was all he could say.

Wei Lingzhu asked curiously:

"Master, judging from your expression, you seem to know about this ancient city called Chang'an, and that... Tang Dynasty?"

She pointed inside the palace, to the stone tablet bearing Li Shimin's name:

Was Li Shimin a deity or Buddha?

"No."

Zhang Fusheng shook his head:

"But he must be a very capable person, as for how capable, even I can't say for sure."

Zhang Fusheng sighed softly and said calmly:

"Alright, you can go out now. I'm going to see that ancient sage."

"By the way, prepare to kill the chicken to scare the monkey."

The girl seemed to understand but not quite:

Are you going to the Golden City?

The young man shook his head:

"No need, just stay on the dragon boat, draw your bow and nock your arrow."

He smiled gently:

"This is Merciful Divine Arrow from the dragon boat."