Hunting the Living Buddha

"Above High Heaven, we beseech the Heavenly Venerable to communicate with Exchange Heaven and Dao."

The 'True Person's' voice rose and fell in cadence, and with a light tap of his finger, a scroll of light and shadow intertwined appeared.

"In exchange for a seat in the Above High Heaven, granted the right to trade freely Above High Heaven, through the Snake Fist technique that Limit-Breaking."

"Are you sure?"

He asked that question.

Huang Qiuxian swallowed hard and nodded vigorously:

"I'm sure!"

Everyone saw that the True Person turned around and bowed to the Heavenly Venerable.

The Celestial Venerable slightly raised his head, and the chaotic mist churned, emitting a solemn sound like a great bell.

"Allow."

'Buzz!'

The Yin Snake True Intent that had been swirling around Huang Qiuxian suddenly dissipated. He was horrified to realize that his memories of the Serpent Fist, or rather the Yin Serpent Fist, were being erased and stripped away!

Did they really, truly dedicate themselves to it all?

The Dao Palace fell silent.

At this time.

This time, Zhang Fusheng wasn't trading away time for honing his skills, but rather [his progress].

Because he felt that his comprehension was probably not as good as Huang Qiuxian's, at least not before he planned to bring Liao Xianji Huang Qiuxian here.

It's better to just check the progress for this kind of thing.

The Limit-Breaking Yin Serpent Fist was stored in the Contract Book, ready to be used at any time.

He first checked the Contract Book's cooldown period—90 days—and then, under the cover of the chaotic mist, he suddenly swallowed nearly two hundred grams of the Unicorn Giant Rhinoceros Meat.

As the Contract Book cools down.

'Zhong Shan' bowed to the Heavenly Venerable, turned to face the crowd, and spoke calmly:

"Two of them, plus her."

Zhong Shan pointed at Chen Nuanyu:

"She had already completed her offering Above High Heaven. The three of you are now seated in the high heavens and can 'exchange' with each other. In addition, the Exchange Heaven and Dao originally required you to offer the Star Beast Meat as sacrifices."

"But since you weren't prepared, I can lend you some. Remember to bring it next time."

Du Mingsheng a deep breath and looked at Huang Qiuxian:

"Brother, I'll give you a hundred years of my lifespan in exchange for fifty years of your Spiritual Cultivation?"

They were shrouded in darkness, unable to see each other's faces, and their voices could only be identified as male or female, so they did not know each other's age.

"Can."

Huang Qiuxian nodded without hesitation, and the two bowed to the dimly lit [Celestial Venerable], following the words of the True Person:

"Above High Heaven, we beseech the Heavenly Venerable to communicate with Exchange Heaven and Dao."

Zhang Fusheng quietly drafted the three-party transaction agreement on the Contract Book.

Du Mingsheng paid for a hundred years of his lifespan, Huang Qiuxian paid for fifty years of spiritual cultivation, and he himself would take 30% from these two payments.

Then, the two exchanged items.

The contract was successfully drafted, and all three parties were willing to comply.

Only then did he nod.

"Allow."

Thirty years of lifespan and fifteen years of Visualization Method practice time quietly fell into Zhang Fusheng's pocket.

Under Shi Zhengyuan's unwavering gaze, the person who had bought the lifespan, though not clearly visible, was visibly radiating vitality!

As for the other person...

Du Mingsheng.

He closed his eyes, then opened them again, and sighed softly.

"It's actually true! What a pity!"

"Thirty-five years of arduous cultivation still couldn't break through my mental Great Limit!"

Shi Zhengyuan's pupils contracted; it seemed that even the person with the greatest spiritual Great Limit was a Great Grandmaster.

Du Mingsheng and Huang Qiuxian bowed respectfully to the mysterious Celestial Venerable.

"Homage to the Boundless Heavenly Venerate!"

Beside,

Shi Zhengyuan exhaled a breath of stale air, his mind racing with a thousand thoughts.

It seems that anything can be offered as a sacrifice, but the 'True Person' said that sincerity is essential.

This celestial being seems terrifyingly powerful; if one tries to fool him carelessly, even if he doesn't care,

Suppressing the pounding in his heart, Shi Zhengyuan stepped forward:

"I am willing to offer up all the Breathing Technique I have learned in my life to the Heavenly Venerable, in exchange for a seat. I hope the Heavenly Venerable will grant my request!"

This was the most suitable thing for him after much thought.

Once one achieves the status of Great Grandmaster, Breathing Technique become useless; one no longer needs to rely on Breathing Technique to access Mysterious Factor.

Although Breathing Technique can also be used as a means of killing, he is not lacking in this skill.

On the meditation cushion.

After secretly finishing over 100 grams of Unicorn Giant Rhinoceros Meat, 'Celestial Venerable' nodded again.

"Allow!"

The contract was drafted, and the transaction was completed.

Shi Zhengyuan had completely forgotten the Breathing Technique; both his memory and his body were as if he had never practiced it at all.

The transaction categories proposed by Zhang Fusheng were not the progress of Breathing Technique, but the course of cultivation.

The number startled him.

Two hundred and seventy-three years.

Old Shi lived to be at least nearly three hundred years old!

Zhang Fusheng raised an eyebrow slightly. If he remembered correctly, even Grandmasters and Great Grandmaster only gained two hundred years of lifespan.

Three hundred years old.

Old Shi is probably nearing the end of his life.

How come you're not worried at all about your lifespan?

And then there's Du Mingsheng. Others can't see him, but Zhang Fusheng can see him perfectly clearly—this guy lost a hundred years of his lifespan, yet he hasn't aged at all!

What happened?

Suppressing his doubts, Zhang Fusheng manipulated the illusion of Zhong Shan and asked Shi Zhengyuan:

"If you wish to make a deal with the All Seats, you may begin."

Shi Zhengyuan shook his head:

"I haven't decided what I want, nor what I can give, but I do have a question I'd like to ask this person."

He looked at Du Mingsheng:

"I would like to know about the Mandala Buddhist Child who went to Jiangzhou to hunt down the Living Buddha of Lingshan."

Zhang Fusheng's spirits lifted; this was exactly what he wanted to know.

Du Mingsheng stared at the shadowy figure before him:

"Could it be that you are from the Lingshan lineage?"

Shi Zhengyuan also made no attempt to conceal anything:

"That's true."

Huang Qiuxian and Chen Nuanyu both pricked up their ears. Since they were both in Jiangzhou and their conversations involved high-level matters such as Buddhist Sect (Buddhist disciples) and Living Buddha, they naturally paid close attention.

After a brief moment of thought, Du Mingsheng made a decision immediately.

"To be honest, I belong to the Mandala lineage, and you and I are probably natural enemies."

Shi Zhengyuan hardened, while Zhang Fusheng, sitting upright on the futon, was full of questions.

How did this Green Gang leader, the beggar under Old Shi, suddenly become a member of the Mandala System?

Zhang Fusheng's expression was somewhat strange. What if these two knew each other's true identities?

Du Mingsheng suddenly changed the subject:

"But I've also come to understand. Now that I'm Above High Heaven and have caught the eye of the Celestial Venerable, I'm no longer the person I was yesterday. The Federation is becoming increasingly chaotic, and even those above the Great Grandmaster can't guarantee absolute stability."

"Since the Celestial Venerable has bestowed such fortuitous opportunity, mutual help is the best way forward."

He bowed to the three of them.

"Before we reveal their true identities, let's use the order in which we took our seats as code names."

Du Mingsheng pointed at Chen Nuanyu:

"First Seat."

He then pointed to himself:

"Second seat."

Huang Qiuxian and Shi Zhengyuan nodded, one referring to himself as the Third Seat and the other as the Fourth Seat.

Du Mingsheng spoke in a low voice:

"To be honest, I am a [High Envoy] of the Mandala System, with the cultivation level of Great Grandmaster. My body has now reached its critical point, and I am only one step away from breaking through the mental Great Limit to enter the Innate Great Realm."

Shi Zhengyuan pondered for a moment:

"Let me also reveal my secrets first."

He said in a low voice:

"I am also a major sect, and I have been living in seclusion in Chunhe City since the decline of the Spirit Mountain System."

Du Mingsheng readily agreed:

"I have wandered far and wide, and now I have just arrived in Chongshan City."

Chunhe and Chongshan are both small cities within the Golden Province.

Huang Qiuxian, codenamed Third Seat, stepped forward:

"To be honest, I am a follower of the East Cult, and I am currently preaching in a small mountain town near Longzhou City."

Shi Zhengyuan and Du Mingsheng's expressions shifted slightly.

Then, the three of them looked at the unknown woman who had already made her offering Above High Heaven, namely First Seat.

Chen Nuanyu spoke softly:

"I am a follower of the Western Sect, and I happen to be in Jiangzhou City right now. My cultivation level is far inferior to everyone else's, and I am still among the ranks of martial artists."

On the prayer mat, Zhang Fusheng resisted the urge to rub his forehead.

Why is this girl so honest?

Of the four people, you're the only one telling the truth!

Du Mingsheng, is currently speaking eloquently:

"A year and a half ago, my Venerable One received a divine revelation that Living Buddha of the Spirit Mountain System would be born in the Golden Province. Three months ago, the search area was narrowed down to fourteen cities."

"Thirteen of them have been investigated, leaving only Jiangzhou City."

"As far as I know, there is a disciple of the Jifen Venerate who is about to arrive, or has already arrived, in Jiangzhou, to hone his skills by hunting Living Buddha."

His deep voice echoed throughout the Dao Palace.

Zhang Fusheng was slightly taken aback.

It was locked in a year and a half ago?

Then, this Living Buddha isn't me!