An exceedingly difficult mission

Xu Qi'an tried jogging and felt "as if walking on flat ground" without any hindrance. He immediately put the matter of the Buddhist disciple out of his mind. The stunningly beautiful Lapis Lazuli Bodhisattva had been injured by the supervisor and would be unable to leave Aranya for two or three years.

Even if Dharma protectors or other Arhats pose a threat, they are not so scary as long as you know how to take a roundabout route and avoid danger.

If you can't win, you can always run away.

However, when facing a top-tier expert like the Lapis Lazuli Bodhisattva, who excels in speed and control, there's no way to escape.

Liu Yun walked with difficulty. When she entered the path where Bodhisattvas and Arhats lined up on both sides, an immense pressure descended from the sky. This indescribable pressure did not affect the physical body, but rather the hearts of the people.

With each step taken, one gains a greater sense of identification with Buddhist School, much like undergoing a slow brainwashing process.

The reason for the difficulty in making progress is that the original ideas are now in conflict with this foreign concept.

Any intelligent and independent-minded being instinctively resists brainwashing.

This situation was within her expectations. As a member of the local Jianghu (martial arts world) in Leizhou, she had come into contact with many "believers" who had once longed to enter the Buddhist order. Although these believers ultimately failed, they became even more devout after leaving the pagoda.

"Could I try to accept this kind of 'indoctrination' and actively embrace this sense of identification? Would that make me move faster?"

She tried it and was pleasantly surprised to find that the speed was indeed a bit faster.

Therefore, we can conclude that good aptitude and a sincere acceptance of Buddhist School principles can make one's speed faster, but the most crucial factors are others, because her speed is only slightly faster, not as exaggerated as imagined.

As for what that core was, Liu Yun couldn't figure it out.

Just then, she caught a glimpse of a figure passing by her out of the corner of her eye.

So fast?

She stared in astonishment.

I'll go first!

Noticing her gaze, Xu Qi'an calmly nodded, then calmly walked away.

Watching his departing figure, only four words came to Liu Yun's mind: leisurely stroll.

She slowly opened her mouth wide and stared into her eyes.

"Completely unaffected? How could he be completely unaffected? Even Buddhist School monks are clearly suppressed, yet he's completely the same as usual."

Liu Yun's mind was a complete mess; she couldn't figure out why.

In this way, Xu Qi'an overtook one Leizhou native after another, leaving them far behind in their astonished gazes.

Those ordinary people, focused on their steps, watched this scene blankly.

"What, what's going on?"

"Aren't we on the same path? Why is he able to do it so easily?"

Many people stopped to watch and discussed it in amazement.

The first to hear the murmurs behind them were Yuan Yi, Li Shaoyun, the Dongfang sisters, and Tang Yuanwu, the leader of the Double Swords Sect.

They were in the middle and could hear the gasps and whispers behind them.

The Dongfang sisters turned their heads in confusion, their expressions changing slightly. In their line of sight, the figure in green was walking slowly towards them, without any hesitation, relaxed and leisurely.

"Huh?"

Li Shaoyun, carrying a long spear, suddenly turned around, and the spear shaft swept horizontally. Yuan Yi, the commander beside him, ducked his head and dodged the sweeping spearhead.

Just as he was about to reprimand the subordinate, he followed the man's gaze and was immediately taken aback.

"Hey, how did you do that? Can you share your tips?" Li Shaoyun grinned.

The Dongfang sisters, Yuan Yi, and Tang Yuanwu immediately looked over.

Xu Qi'an didn't stop, coldly replying, "Can talent be shared?"

Li Shaoyun opened his mouth, but was speechless.

After the man in blue had walked away, he muttered to himself, "Damn, he's got the makings of a monk."

"You're the one who's got the makings of a monk," Xu Qi'an's lips twitched, and he quickened his pace.

Yuan Yi squinted, his gaze fixed on the man's feet, and whispered, "Without any hesitation? How is that possible?"

Dongfang Wanqing frowned. "Sister, this person is strange in every way."

Dongfang Wanrong gave a serious "hmm" and transmitted her voice:

"He will reach the second level faster than the monks of Sanhua Temple. But it doesn't matter, the Buddhist School monks say that the second level has already been corrupted by the master's power, and he will be trapped there."

"But we can't let him easily surpass us."

Duanmu Wanrong shook her head:

"Haven't you realized it yet? There are rules inside the pagoda, making it difficult to act, at least on the first floor. The Floating Pagoda is a sacred Law Artifact used to enshrine relics and imprison powerful figures. If it were easy to act, how could it imprison powerful figures?"

Dongfang Wanqing called out loudly, "Master Jingxin, look behind you."

The monks behind them and those in front turned around, their eyes widening in disbelief, their expressions frozen on their faces.

Even Zen masters like Jingxin and the head monk Hengyin felt a sense of absurdity.

Under the watchful eyes of Buddhist School bodhisattvas and Vajras, an outsider walked so easily and freely, while the Buddhist School disciples, who "advanced step by step," were also deeply suppressed.

Who are you, benefactor?

Jingxin stopped in her tracks, watching Xu Qi'an getting closer and closer.

The monks stared intently at him.

I am the man your Buddhist School can never have. Xu Qi'an kept walking. "Great Feng Warrior."

The two passed each other.

The Buddhist School monks stared blankly at his retreating figure.

Monk Jingxin withdrew his gaze and stared at the bead formed from the condensed tears of the mirror beast in his hand.

Uncle-Master Du Nan should have seen what just happened.

Outside the tower.

Irbu's voice echoed, "Du Nan, who is this person? How can he move freely inside the Floating Pagoda?"

The abbot, holding a precious pearl, had a solemn expression on his deeply wrinkled old face.

The surrounding temperature suddenly rose considerably, and a wave of heat swept over. The figure of Du Nan Jingang appeared beside the Panlong Abbot, reached out and snatched the precious pearl, examining it intently.

Mu Nanzhi curiously observed the suddenly appearing monk, Du Nan. He was nine feet tall, imposing and robust, with an ever-burning bright ring of fire behind his head.

Are these the Dharma Protectors of Buddhist School?

The little white fox huddled in her arms, trembling, and said, "It's so hot, so hot."

Mu Nanzhi hugged the little white fox tightly and backed away repeatedly until its small body stopped trembling.

Du Nan Jingang examined it closely and said:

"The first level of the pagoda is protected by the power of precepts, so the Law Treasure won't malfunction. The problem lies with this benefactor. Only Bodhisattvas and Arhats, who also control the precepts, can move freely on the first level."

"Even if I were to enter it, I would be affected."

Irbu scoffed, "You mean, this person is a Bodhisattva or Arhat in Buddhist School?"

Du Nan slowly shook his head. "When Bodhisattva Faji placed the pagoda here, he set up a restriction that prevents anyone above the fourth rank from entering. Even Arhats cannot enter, and Bodhisattvas can only enter by forcibly breaking the restriction."

"Then how do you explain what's happening right now?"

Irbu asked.

Du Nan remained silent, but a guess flashed through his mind: he might also be an Arhat reincarnated, with karmic ties to Buddhist School, thus able to disregard the precepts and directly reach the Buddha's golden body.

Irbu pondered for a moment, then said, "Never mind, at least he can't get past the second level either."

Li Lingsu overheard the conversation between the two extraordinary individuals from a distance, and grinned. Just who exactly is this old geezer, Xu Qian?

Is it getting involved with Buddhist School again?

His relationship with the Bureau of Astronomy is extraordinary, he possesses various Gu techniques, and now he seems to have a deep connection with Buddhist School. Who exactly is he?

Before long, Xu Qi'an walked smoothly to the golden statue of Buddha, looked up at the towering golden statue, which was magnificent and imposing.

"The pagoda has only three levels. The first level is used to test talents. It is not difficult and there is almost no danger. So, the second or third level is probably where Shen Shu and Nalan Tianlu are sealed."

"I have to reclaim the dragon's energy, break the divine seal, and stop them from releasing Nalan Tianlu. The task is quite demanding."

"How do we extract the dragon energy attached to the Law Treasure? We can't just kill Law Treasure, can we? A Law Treasure belonging to a first-grade Bodhisattva seems destined to be counter-killed."

Xu Qi'an didn't rush into the second level. He looked up at the golden statue, seemingly lost in thought, his mind racing.

He quietly reached into his robes, grasped the fragment of the Earth Book, and muttered incantations, attempting to use the Mnemonic taught to him by the Supervisor to absorb dragon energy by leveraging the affinity between dragon energy and national fortune, in conjunction with the fragment of the Earth Book.

Unfortunately, I was disappointed.

The dragon energy remained unresponsive, entwined with the pagoda, ignoring his summons.

"Is the pagoda too high-ranking? The Buddhist School is also here for the dragon's energy. I can observe secretly and reap the benefits. On the contrary, the two more troublesome matters are unsealing Shenshu and preventing Nalan Tianlu from escaping."

"The former has the Mnemonic my second senior brother taught me to break the seal, but while it can break the seal on the supervisor, it might not be able to break the seal on the Floating Pagoda itself. As for the latter, unless I kill all the Dongfang sisters and the Buddhist School monks, how can I stop Nalan Tianlu from escaping?"

"Let's do our best and leave the rest to fate. If we can get the dragon's energy, we'll be set for life. As for the divine favor, we can deal with that later. As for Nalan Tianlu, we can't force it. I'm all alone, so I'll just do my best. The supervisor is really something, giving me such a difficult task."

"Let's first explore the second level and devise a plan to reap the benefits."

He immediately set a goal for himself: he must obtain the dragon's energy, he would do his best to obtain it, and he would leave the matter of preventing Nalan Tianlu from escaping to fate.

Seeing Jingxin and the others approach step by step, Xu Qi'an no longer hesitated and bowed three times to the golden statue of Buddha.

The next moment, a golden light shone down from the cloud-shrouded dome, and he disappeared from the first level.

The first thing Xu Qi'an felt was the warm sunshine and the ravaged land, as if a fierce battle had just taken place here.

This is a vast wilderness with a clear blue sky and a dry, cold climate.

Is this a Buddhist realm? There's not a trace of the peaceful atmosphere one would expect from a Buddhist place. As he thought this, he heard a familiar, gentle voice:

"Today, you will surely die."

Looking in the direction of the sound, a figure in green robes stood not far away. He had delicate features, a tall and slender build, and bright, clear eyes that showed no signs of age. His temples were not yet gray.

Wei Yuan!

P. S.: This chapter is a bit short, but the previous chapter had 6,000 words, so the word count is still acceptable.