A Giant Hand Seizing the Golden Crow from the Starry Sky

What do you mean we can't get out?

In Yingtian Province, Zhu Xiaoming lay in a dazzling medicinal pool, completely bewildered.

The Buddhist monk shrugged.

"It is indeed very strange. The Yingtian City on the World Plateau has suddenly disappeared, and the only sea route to the outside world has been cut off. The governor of Yingtian is working hard to repair it."

He sighed, a serious expression flashing across his face:

"It is said that a magnificent Giant Buddha easily suppressed the two deities and the Whale-Penguin Ship, and even took away the entire Yingtian City."

Zhu Xiaoming is no longer the same person he used to be. Having followed the Buddhist disciple for nearly half a year, he naturally knows the specifics of the Buddhist Sect.

He couldn't help but ask:

"If it's Giant Buddha, you don't even recognize it?"

The Withered Woman lying on the back of the Buddhist monk pouted:

"We're not omniscient."

Zhu Xiaoming lay in the dazzling pool, reached out and touched his bald head, and sighed:

"Speaking of which, what exactly are we doing in this Yingtian Province?"

The Buddhist disciple did not hide anything and spoke calmly:

"My Pope has deduced a peculiar Destiny Event, related to the Yingtian Province, and to two men named [Liu Bang] and [Xiang Yu]."

After pausing, he continued his detailed account:

"According to the deduction, the core of this Destiny Event lies with these two people. The Pope used divination to divine the secrets of heaven and came up with two sentences."

"They rose up in rebellion, and the Chu-Han Contention ensued."

Zhu Xiaoming spoke in bewilderment:

"The phrase 'rising up in rebellion' sounds like these two are planning a rebellion or something? Are they going to attack Yingtian Province?"

"I'm afraid not."

The Buddhist disciple calmly said:

"Yingtian Province itself is already a 'rebellious province,' and the Pope's deduction is that it Guanzhong Province."

"According to the Pope's speculation, this Destiny Event is meant to help the two men seize Guanzhong Province and make them the King of Guanzhong."

Zhu Xiaoming suddenly realized:

"So we're here to find these two? But, it's a rebellion. Won't the Federation come to suppress it?"

The Buddhist disciple chuckled lightly:

"Suppress? With all the provinces stirring up trouble, how can the Federation possibly manage? To be honest, your hometown, the Golden Province, is probably on the verge of independence."

Zhu Xiaoming fell silent.

For a long time.

"Golden Province." He pondered these four words, thinking of his old friends, and said somewhat absentmindedly:

"I wonder how Lao Zhang and Lu Yao are doing, and how my parents are doing?"

The Buddha smiled:

"You have transcended the mundane world; one day you will ascend to heaven and become a deity. At that time, it will not be too late to bless your ancestors."

"As for now? You're no longer from their world, well, except for Zhang Fusheng."

Zhu Xiaoming immediately perked up:

"Old Zhang? Is he quite skilled now?"

"I don't know."

The Buddhist disciple shook his head:

"The last time I saw him was in Jiangzhou, and the last time I heard news of him was when he became the Public Security Bureau Chief of a higher-level city."

"As for now?"

He said calmly:

"Perhaps he's been blessed with fortuitous opportunity, which is already quite remarkable. He's most likely the only one among your old acquaintances who can barely keep up with your pace."

Zhu Xiaoming pursed his lips, a bright smile spreading across his face:

"Hey, if I showed up in front of Old Zhang right now, I'd definitely give him a fright!"

He looked at his golden palm; according to the Buddhist disciple, he too was experiencing a small-scale Destiny Event.

It is transforming into a 'Golden Body Arhat'.

Once everything is in place, I can instantly reach the Innate Great Realm, directly aiming for the Arhat level.

Although Zhu Xiaoming still didn't quite understand what an Arhat was.

"Focus on your cultivation. Once you've completed the Great Bath and achieved the Innate Realm, it wouldn't be a bad idea to go back and visit your old friends."

The Buddhist disciple said softly:

"After all, returning home in glory is like wearing fine clothes at night—it's like wearing them in the dark." This is a quote from a fragment of an ancient book.

"And"

After a moment's pause, a rare solemn expression appeared on the Buddhist disciple's face:

"You need to get stronger faster. We're now bound together; the stronger you become, the stronger I become."

Zhu Xiaoming nodded emphatically, and couldn't help but ask:

"Has something happened?"

The Buddhist disciple nodded.

"You've heard the recent, frequent, and vast sounds; a terrifying being called [Laozi] has passed down the Dao De Jing."

"And not long ago, an ancient figure named the World-Honored Tathagata descended to earth and established the Other Shore World, independent of the Federation."

"One after another, great figures seemingly from ancient times have appeared in the world, and Age of Great Strife has fully unfolded."

Zhu Xiaoming listened, somewhat lost in thought, "Laozi, World Honored One."

He exclaimed in a soft voice.

The Other Shore World, Chang'an Town.

The Yuan residence.

After making a bet with Yuan Tiandao, Ruan Yutu moved into Yuan's residence. Also moving in were Yellow-toothed Old Man, Jiang Feinao, Cui Linglong, and Li Xiuyuan.

A quiet room.

Cui Linglong gently massaged Li Xiuyuan's shoulders:

"Xiuyuan, you don't look too good. Did something happen?"

Li Xiuyuan snapped out of his daze and patted Cui Linglong's hand:

"I'm fine."

A lingering sense of shock remained in his eyes World-Honored Tathagata he had seen earlier, and...

Nuwa.

Was that the real Nuwa?

How could that be?

But if not, who in heaven and earth would dare to impersonate that person's appearance?

Most importantly, those who gaze upon Nuwa unconsciously prostrate themselves, as if seeing their primordial mother.

Li Xiuyuan couldn't help but swallow, certain in his heart that it was most likely not the real Nuwa.

Perhaps it is an incarnation of a being whose memories have yet to awaken?

Was this a contingency plan left behind by Nuwa?

"Pity."

He sighed softly, lamenting in his heart that he had not found that truly Supreme Treasure painting.

It's unknown where the real Li Xiuyuan hid it.

"What's a pity?" Cui Linglong asked softly again. Li Xiuyuan simply shook his head and said gently:

"Fine."

Cui Linglong didn't press further, but instead said:

"Since the World Honored One you speak of has already appeared, why don't we go and find Him?"

Li Xiuyuan's eyes flickered for a moment, then he continued:

"Didn't that Jade Rabbit girl make a bet with the owner of this mansion, betting on when the World Honored One would arrive in Chang'an Town?"

"As you and I both know, the Jade Rabbit is someone close to the World Honored One—the World Honored One will definitely come here; let us simply wait."

Cui Linglong nodded silently, but then said:

"Since arriving in this town, I've had a strange feeling, as if there's someone nearby who shares my bloodline."

Li Xiuyuan casually said:

"Isn't it normal for someone from the Qinghe Cui Clan to come here?"

"No."

Cui Linglong frowned:

"It's a deeper blood connection. I suspect that a very senior member of the Cui family is nearby."

Li Xiuyuan said indifferently:

"It doesn't matter, as long as it's not your Cui family's ancestor—and it definitely can't be Him."

"After all, ordinary gods cannot enter this realm."

Cui Linglong hummed in agreement, but her brows furrowed slightly.

Thatched cottage.

Zhang Fusheng felt a bit thirsty.

He couldn't help but speak:

"You mean the Mountain River Society and Country Diagram '?"

"Yes."

Wa nodded gently:

"I don't know how I found out, but when I saw it, I realized that this was the name it should be."

Zhang Fusheng's breathing quickened; the Mountain River Society and Country Diagram!

No wonder,

The scrolls of that time depicted the real world, and one could even stand outside the scrolls and directly intervene!

"It's just that 'Li Xiuyuan' is weak, has no cultivation, and is just an ordinary person; otherwise..."

Zhang Fusheng sighed inwardly. By tracing the cause and effect, he could realize that Li Xiuyuan at that time was just an ordinary person, not even a martial artist!

But that's precisely what makes it even more terrifying.

Even an ordinary person can use the Mountain River Society and Country Diagram.

What if it were you in that situation?

Zhang Fusheng's heart trembled slightly as he tried to trace the location of the Mountain River Society and Country Diagram, but he failed and even suffered a backlash, with Golden Blood flowing from his eyes.

"Zhang Fusheng?"

Nuwa gasped in surprise, reached out, and gently wiped away his blood and tears. Then she blew into the handsome young man's eyes.

"Blow on it, and the pain will go away."

She was very gentle, and a cool breeze blew by, causing Zhang Fusheng, whose body was already cracking from the enormous backlash,

But the injury healed immediately, and the terrifying backlash disappeared as well.

He looked at Nuwa with a mixture of surprise and doubt.

"What's wrong?" Wa's eyes were pure and clear. She tilted her head slightly and stammered, "What's wrong?"

"What I learned from people is that when children get hurt, their mothers will blow on the wounds and it won't hurt as much."

Zhang Fusheng paused for a moment:

"Thanks."

"You're welcome." Nuwa smiled happily.

Although she was constantly absorbing all the knowledge known to countless people,

But it is, after all, a newborn infant, with a pure and innocent mind, like a blank sheet of paper.

"I need to go into seclusion for a while."

Zhang Fusheng spoke softly:

"If anything changes, wake me up."

He didn't plan to go find Li Xiuyuan immediately—that guy had serious problems, and even if he really possessed the Mountain River Society and Country Diagram, he would never hand it over to him.

"So, who exactly are you?"

"If the previous Li Xiuyuan was the real Li Xiuyuan, a contingency plan left behind by Kasyapa Venerable and the Living Buddha Jigong."

"What kind of being would be capable of taking over the backup plan left by such a person?"

Zhang Fusheng murmured to himself, his thoughts gradually sinking into a state of spiritual awareness.

He stood above the Heavenly Realm Sea of Clouds.

Fine star lines appeared in his eyes, reflecting the various causes and effects on himself—the causes and effects with those star beasts.

This is why Zhang Fusheng only killed but did not take anything.

Killing a star beast will create a significant karmic connection with that star beast race.

And by using cause and effect

Following the causal link between himself and the Brave Lion, Zhang Fusheng perceived one Brave Lion after another in the vast universe.

He selected the hundred best-looking ones, reached out and forcibly captured the star beasts!

One, two, three.

Until almost every type of star beast with which they had a causal connection was captured, hundreds of them were brought in.

Zhang Fusheng took a deep breath.

Killing can create karma.

You can eat it, that's fine too.

"Let me try."

He discerned the causal relationship between himself and the Level 4 Star Beast—the Mixed-Blood Golden Crow—selected the weakest one, and then followed the threads of cause and effect, tracing back with his gaze!

He wants to catch a golden crow.

A living golden crow!

A tiny bit of golden crow meat brought him immense benefits—what if it were a whole, live golden crow?

I'm hungry.

Deep in the sea of stars.

"Hard to port! Hard to port!"

The captain roared hoarsely, his face deathly pale, and the entire interior of the starship was flashing red lights, sounding an alarm!

"No, it's too late! The unknown energy source ahead is rapidly approaching; there's no way to avoid it!"

One of the crew members spoke out in despair:

"That level of energy source... that's a level 4 star beast!"

Everyone on the research vessel froze, their hearts skipped a beat!

Level 4 Star Beast

They are merely research vessels from the Research Institute, sent to survey the Xuanhuang Fragment in the Star Sea. At most, they can only handle level 1 or 2 star beasts!

On the ship, Shen Baobao, who had come with the research vessel, spoke in a low voice:

"Is there really no other way?"

"It's all over," the captain shook his head, staring blankly at the terrifying energy source getting closer and closer on the screen, murmuring in despair.

Some crew members, still maintaining basic rationality, were doing their final work, shouting:

"An unknown Level 4 life form is about to enter our observation field. Countdown: Three! Two!"

Light.

The sunlight was incredibly dazzling and blinding, surging in from afar in layers like a tidal wave.

"OMG."

Despite the protective shield and light filter, Shen Baobao's eyes were still almost blinded by the extreme light.

She murmured to herself, but did not look away or close her eyes; she simply stared blankly at the magnificent scene in the distance.

A tiny sun, an ultra-miniature sun, is hurtling towards us from afar, illuminating the very void. A nearby asteroid is being vaporized.

"Sunbird!" the crew cried out in despair. "It's not coming for us, it's just passing by, but... but its heat is hitting us! The ship is expected to withstand it for sixty-seven seconds—"

Everyone fell silent, watching the sun bird streak across the starry sky.

The other person was just passing by.

But that extreme heat was enough to destroy the entire ship.

"Gentlemen," the captain said in a low voice, removing his hat, "This is the last magnificent sight we face, and after that, the grave."

"The sea of stars will become our eternal tomb."

No one spoke; they all stared in awe as the magnificent sunbird soared through the sea of stars.

Shen Baobao felt bitter. How could this have happened when she was just participating in a routine stellar survey?

She awoke with a start, wanting to plead for help from the Heavenly Venerable, thinking of the Eighth Seat seated in the starry sky—but it was too late.

It was too late.

Suddenly.

"What is that?!" someone murmured.

The captain looked towards the intense sunlight.

In a blurry vision, one could see a void where chaotic light suddenly surged forth, and then—

It's a hand!

It's a giant hand, as big as a planet!

"Is it an illusion?" someone asked blankly, seeing a giant hand descend from the void and press down on the sun bird!

The divine bird raised its head and cried out, and the blazing sunlight surged forth, striking back at the giant hand.

But that hand was emitting a chaotic light, overshadowing the brilliance of the sun!

"I think I heard the sound of scriptures?" Shen Baobao murmured.

The captain listened intently and could clearly hear faint chanting of Buddhist Brahma Chant echoing through the sea of stars!

He saw,

A giant hand, comparable to a planet, pressed down on the back of the divine bird, then gently flipped it over.

"Ugh!" Shen Baobao, who was standing nearby, couldn't help but gag.

As that giant hand turned, the starry sky also turned, as if everything were overturned!

It's starlight, it's planets, it's the sunbird!

An uninhabited planet in that starry sky was torn apart.

That expanse of starry sky, with the overturning of the giant hand, collapsed and crushed onto the divine bird.

It seemed as if a sword flashed by, and then!

Then the divine bird cried out in anguish, the great sunlight dimmed, and it struggled helplessly as its Divine Blood fell upon the starry sky.

It had no effect whatsoever against that terrifying giant hand.

The divine bird was then captured by the giant hand.

Everything returned to silence, and the alarms on the starship were quietly lifted.

No one cheered.

Everyone stared blankly at the shattered, fragmented starry sky, at the planet that had disintegrated and collapsed within it.

My God.

Shen Baobao swallowed hard.

The content of the Brahma Chant just now seemed to be praising a supreme being called [the World Honored One].

"No way?" Shen Baobao whispered.