Zhou Ji glanced in the direction Laughing Monk pointed, seeing only shimmering waves like ribbons of silk and drifting clouds crossing the sky, shifting into myriad forms.
At the far corner of the sky where the seawater surged, he could faintly make out dozens of great islands arranged in the formation of the Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams, surrounding an immense jeweled lotus at their center.
Above, that giant lotus met the clouds and sunlight, almost staining half the sea and sky an ethereal blue-green, as though wreathed in colored smoke.
Below, it met the boundless sea, standing immovable no matter how fiercely the waves surged and battered it.
It was like a mother root of heaven and earth, its grandeur extraordinary!
"The Heavenly Noble Dharma Lotus..."
Looking at the towering palaces and tier upon tier of pavilions atop the giant lotus, Zhou Ji sighed faintly inwardly and said,
"So, you intend to make a move against Rou Xuan Prefecture?"
Laughing Monk chanted the Buddha's name, then shook his head.
"Among the juniors of Rou Xuan Prefecture, only a few have decent potential and barely catch this monk's eye. But the Bodhi Dharma-Wisdom Demon is the foremost of the Ten Demons. Though they have some talent, theirs is hardly the finest innate aptitude, and they are still far from being fit hosts for my Bodhi Dharma-Wisdom Demon.
"But if I wish to accomplish this, I cannot bypass Rou Xuan Prefecture here.
"I must discuss matters with someone within.
"It will inevitably take some thought..."
Once he had finished speaking, Laughing Monk abruptly vanished from the spot.
Only his voice still echoed low where he had stood, saying with a laugh,
"Chief, though I am arrogant and rash, I am not without manners. This monk will remember your kindness in helping