Communicating with Shenshu

Jingxin took a deep breath to calm her turbulent heart and said, "Uncle-Master Dunan, you mean him?"

Du Nan Jingang said calmly, "Aside from not knowing why the Floating Pagoda went with him, I can basically conclude that it is this person."

The monk Jingyuan said in a deep voice, "He... he actually dares to roam the martial world? There are countless people who want to kill him; he's truly audacious."

The monks from the Western Regions were visibly agitated; even a Zen master like Jingxin had nearly lost control of his emotions.

The monks of Sanhua Temple were completely bewildered. Abbot Panlong glanced at Jingxin and Jingyuan, then at the Dharma Protector, and asked:

"Brother Du Nan seems to recognize this person?"

Du Nan Jingang did not answer, but spoke in a low voice, "Everyone, leave. Do not approach."

The monks exchanged glances, silently rose, bowed, clasped their hands in prayer, and left the meditation room.

After everyone had left, Du Nan Jingang took out a bronze mirror with a Vajra's wrathful expression carved on the back from his robe and placed it on the prayer mat beside him.

He opened and closed his lips, silently chanting an incantation. In an instant, the bronze mirror emitted a soft golden light, which shone on the beam.

Amidst the golden light, a somewhat ethereal Dharma image sat cross-legged.

This statue is entirely golden, without beard, eyebrows, or any other features, as if cast from gold, with bulging muscles that exude power.

The moment he appeared, the room was filled with an aura of utmost strength and masculinity, as imposing as a high mountain and as vast as the ocean. This was not a manifestation of power, but rather the meaning symbolized by his Dharma form.

"Galoka Bodhisattva!"

Du Nan Jingang clasped his hands together, bowed slightly, and paid his respects.

The Gara tree is the foremost of the four great bodhisattvas.

He controls the Vajra form and the Acala form, making him the number one fighter in Buddhist School.

The Vajra Divine Skill, renowned for its unparalleled defensive capabilities, is a simplified version of the Vajra Dharma Form.

What is it?

The Dharma Image did not speak, yet a faint and majestic voice echoed from the void.

"The Buddha's disciple has appeared; how should we decide?"

The Vajra of Salvation recounted in detail the events surrounding the struggle for the Dragon's Qi and the theft of the Floating Pagoda.

The Vajra Dharma Image frowned for a long while, then slowly said, "Call me again in a quarter of an hour."

Having said that, the Vajra Dharma Form vanished.

A quarter of an hour later, Du Nan Jingang learned that Jia Luo Shu Bodhisattva was summoning high-ranking Buddhist School to discuss this matter.

In the sacred mountain of Alanda, aside from the Bodhisattva Faji who disappeared more than three hundred years ago, there are currently two Arhats, two Vajras, and three Bodhisattvas. Among them, two Vajras and one Arhat are steadfast supporters of the Bodhisattva Gara Tree and supporters of Theravada Buddhism.

The Bodhisattva Guangxian and the Arhat Du'e advocated abandoning Hinayana and practicing Mahayana.

The Bodhisattva Lapis Lazuli belongs to the neutral school, but leans more towards Mahayana Buddhism; otherwise, she would not have personally gone to Great Feng that day to try to bring the Buddhist disciple back to Aranya.

"Amitabha!"

Outside, Abbot Panlong asked in confusion, "Nephew Jingxin, does Xu Qian seem to have another identity?"

He knew Xu Qian was no ordinary person, but he didn't know the true identity Xu Qian was hiding. Based on the conversation between Jingxin and the others just now, he seemed to have figured out Xu Qian's true identity.

Abbot Panlong had noticed the lapse in composure that Jingxin and Jingyuan had just displayed.

Ordinary people are not capable of causing two fourth-rank experts to lose their composure like this, let alone making Du Nan Jingang dismiss everyone.

Jingyuan snorted, "Who else could it be? Xu Qian is none other than Xu Qi'an."

Xu, Xu Qi'an. Abbot Panlong felt as if lightning was striking his forehead one after another. His face changed repeatedly, and it took him a long time to recover. He put his hands together and chanted the Buddha's name several times.

After he had calmed down completely, he said in a deep voice, "How do you know? Rumor has it that Xu Qi'an is already a third-rank martial artist. If it really is him, he's inside the Floating Pagoda."

Jingxin shook her head, "Abbot, you are unaware that Xu Qi'an was struck by the Demon-Sealing Nail, which sealed away all his earth-shattering cultivation. He should have been crippled. Unexpectedly, he switched to cultivating Gu techniques."

"That explains it," Panlong Abbot murmured. "No wonder, no wonder the Vajra of Salvation said he was crippled."

He knew nothing about the Demon-Sealing Nails.

After completely calming down, Abbot Panlong asked again, "Is the Vajra of Salvation the one who truly saves us?"

Jingxin said, "The abbot must have heard about the dispute in Aranya."

Abbot Panlong nodded. "It was this young man who proposed the Mahayana Buddhist concept."

Buddhist School differs from Daoist School; the Daoist School philosophy is closely related to its methods of cultivation.

Buddhist School is even more focused on the mind.

Some Buddhist School believe that Xu Qi'an's Mahayana Buddhist philosophy elevates the entire Buddhist School doctrine to a higher level.

Mahayana Buddhism is more suitable for spreading the teachings and has a much brighter future than Theravada Buddhism.

Jingxin said, "This child is the founder of Mahayana Buddhism and has a very deep karmic connection with Buddhist School. If he can convert to Buddhist School, the prosperity of Buddhist School will be the will of Heaven."

Moreover, this person carries half of the Great Feng Dynasty.

Inside the meditation room, the Vajra image solidified once more within the golden beam of light emanating from the bronze mirror.

A majestic and awe-inspiring voice echoed within the meditation room:

"The Arhat Who Delivers Love and the Vajra Who Delivers the Mundane will lead their followers to the Central Plains to capture Buddhist disciples and convert them to Buddhist School. You will assist them from the side and make sure to bring back the Buddhist disciples. Whether Buddhist School can spread its light throughout the land depends on whether the Buddhist disciples can convert to Buddhist School."

"Anyone who obstructs you from guiding the Buddha's disciples may be killed."

As expected, the Vajra of Salvation had anticipated this outcome. He clasped his hands together and said, "I will obey the Dharma's decree."

He paused, then asked, "What about the supervisor?"

"Someone will deal with him; you need not worry."

"Clear."

This matter must not be publicized or leaked.

Having said that, the Vajra Dharma Image dissipated.

"Do not make a sound, do not reveal," Xu Qian, still known as Xu Qian Du Nan Jingang, put his hands together and bowed in respect.

Inside the pagoda, Xu Qi'an summoned the Holy Son of the Heavenly Sect and said:

"The spirit of Hengyin, the abbot of Sanhua Temple, is still here. Summon him; I need to perform a spirit summoning ritual."

"Why summon him? I've finally accumulated some soul power; I shouldn't waste it." Li Lingsu reluctantly made hand seals and chanted Method Formula.

Summoning souls is an ability possessed only by those at the sixth rank of the Yin God realm. Although his cultivation was sealed, his rank remained. Li Lingsu was still at the fourth rank, but she couldn't unleash her full power.

This is different from Xu Qi'an, since Dongfang Wanrong's sealing technique could not possibly compare to the Buddhist School treasure, the Demon-Sealing Nail.

As the incantation to summon the soul was recited, a strong gust of yin wind arose on the third level, and a phantom voice appeared, its face blank and round and plump—it was Hengyin.

Xu Qi'an nodded in satisfaction. "Step aside for a moment."

Li Lingsu didn't think too much about it and turned to walk towards the second floor. When he reached the stairwell, he noticed that no one had moved, and he suddenly realized:

"Am I the only one backing down?"

"Otherwise what?" Xu Qi'an glanced at him sideways.

"You're not treating me like one of your own," Li Lingsu said, glaring at him.

"Pah! The worst thing a man can do is to be like-minded. I'm not like you, you scumbag! "Xu Qi'an waved his hand, sending him to the second floor.

As the sound of footsteps on the stairs faded into the distance, Xu Qi'an looked at Heng Yin and asked:

"Did Du Nan Jingang and the others come here for the dragon's aura?"

Hengyin answered blankly, "Yes."

How did they discover the dragon's aura?

"Several days ago, the abbot saw a dragon shadow coming from the distant sky and merging into the pagoda. He searched for it but found nothing, so he reported the matter to the holy mountain Aranya." Hengyin's tone was hollow, just like his wooden expression.

Xu Qi'an nodded, then asked, "Does the Buddhist School also want to seize the dragon's energy?"

Hengyin stared straight ahead and murmured:

"The Vajra of Salvation said that after seizing the dragon's energy, he would travel to the Central Plains and convert the host of the dragon's energy into Buddhist School."

"These bald monks are up to no good by bringing the host of dragon energy into Buddhist School." Xu Qi'an's heart sank. After asking some more detailed questions, he called Li Lingsu over and dispersed Hengyin's soul.

"The Supervisor said that obtaining the dragon's energy grants one the qualification to contend for the Central Plains. Xu Pingfeng wants the dragon's energy, the Witch God Sect wants the dragon's energy, and the Buddhist School also wants the dragon's energy. I have quite a few rivals. Hmm, let's change our perspective: all sides are competitors."

"They don't have an effective way to extract dragon energy, but they can 'recruit' the dragon energy host to their own faction, which has the same effect. The downside is that when I deal with them, I can use insidious means to snatch people, making it impossible for them to defend against."

"The scattered dragon energy can be ignored, but the nine crucial dragon energies must be obtained. I have now collected one."

Xu Qi'an immediately devised a plan to postpone the task of unsealing the divine seal and deal with the dragon energy first.

After all, there were very few clues about Shen Shu's remains; searching for them one by one was like looking for a needle in a haystack.

However, he urgently needs strength to deal with his enemies, so raising Gu is less difficult and more feasible than finding the remains of the Divine Being.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but look at the old monk Taling, and couldn't help but think of the Bodhisattva Faji who had been missing for more than three hundred years. The amulet must have fallen into my hands by chance, right?

I don't believe that all of this was within the Bodhisattva's prediction.

No, we can't think like that. I also thought it was impossible for the supervisor to foresee everything, but as it turns out, I was proven wrong.

The reason Jian Zheng was able to do this was because of the unique skills and professional expertise of the Fate Master.

However, that Bodhisattva Faji possesses the Dharma of Great Wisdom. One should not make rash judgments before fully understanding the Dharma of Great Wisdom.

I don't know if the tower spirit can unseal the demon-sealing nails. Hmm, I can't say directly, I'll test it first.

He immediately looked at Sun Xuanji and said, "Second Senior Brother, take them to the second level."

"Good!"

Sun Xuanji stepped forward, and the teleportation array enveloped Mu Nanzhi and Li Lingsu, causing them to disappear into the third level.

Xu Qi'an clasped his hands together and bowed to the old monk Taling: "Master, do you know who I am?"

The old monk smiled and said, "I've heard many rumors about you at Sanhua Temple."

"I thought you were oblivious to what was going on around you," Xu Qi'an retorted. "What is it?"

Li Shaoyun said that the monk possessed unfathomable mathematical abilities and was highly intelligent. Xu Qi'an was afraid that he was being deceived, so he confirmed it again.

The old monk spoke frankly, "The fact that you were the first to approach the Buddha's seat is likely due to the Mahayana Buddhist teachings."

He knew my identity after all. Xu Qi'an smiled and said, "Master, have you ever heard of the Demon-Sealing Nail?"

Legend has it that when the Buddha was preaching in the Western Regions, he encountered resistance from the Asura race. Later, most of the Asuras were moved by the Buddha and converted to Buddhist School.

Was he moved, or was he brainwashed? Xu Qi'an thought to himself.

"But the Asura King was unruly and even the Buddha couldn't subdue him, so he used the Demon-Sealing Nail to seal him away and imprison him in Aranda for forty-nine years before finally refining him," the tower spirit said.

Xu Qi'an immediately recognized the expert's expertise and asked:

"Have you ever seen the Demon-Sealing Nail? Do you know how to use it?"

The old monk shook his head. "Benefactor, this humble monk is merely a spirit of the pagoda."

What does that mean? Xu Qi'an's expression stiffened slightly.

"The spirit of the tower cannot cultivate. This humble monk is essentially the consciousness born from this pagoda, unlike ordinary beings. This humble monk's abilities originate from the master's refinement."

In other words, the tower spirit's abilities are fixed. Whatever abilities the pagoda possesses, the tower spirit possesses too. It cannot cultivate Law Technique like a normal person, nor can it cast Law Artifact that Law Technique lack. That means my Taiping Blade will only know how to kill people from now on—truly a martial Law Artifact's weapon, so crude. I only believe half of what the old monk said. I'll ask my second senior brother later; he's Warlock, and no one understands Law Artifact better than him.

Not getting the answer he expected, but since he hadn't held out much hope, he stopped worrying about the Demon-Sealing Nails and instead pointed to Shen Shu's severed arm, saying:

"Master, may I communicate with him?"

The old monk Taling pondered for a moment and then said, "Alright!"

Xu Qi'an immediately took out the bracelet, walked to the edge of the formation, and shook it; the bell rang clearly.

Shen Shu's left arm, the index finger twitched.

"Ding ding ding"

The ringing grew more intense, and the fingers on the left arm moved faster and faster. In an instant, a strong sense of malice surged up and enveloped the entire third floor.

This palpable malice made Xu Qi'an's heart race, as if he were surrounded by a pack of wolves, stared at by their menacing, oily green eyes, feeling utterly unsafe.

"Divine intervention?"

Xu Qi'an probed.

He could openly mention Shenshu in front of the pagoda spirit because, firstly, Buddhist School already knew that Shenshu was within him; this secret, like destiny, had long been exposed.

Secondly, his previous attempt to unseal the divine seal was completely exposed to the tower spirit.

As Xu Qi'an uttered the name, a deep, malicious voice came from inside his arm:

"Who are you, and do you know my name?"

"Someone who learned your name by chance," Xu Qi'an said after a moment's thought, "Was asked to come and ask you some questions. The anklet is a token. Hmm, do you remember the owner of this anklet?"

"I don't remember."

Shen Shu murmured, and after a while, he said again, "I remember now. Come closer, and I'll tell you."

Xu Qi'an said expressionlessly, "Are you trying to trick me into going there so you can take the opportunity to do something bad to me?"

"..." Shen Shu said coldly, "Little thing, you're quite perceptive."

Xu Qi'an suddenly realized. "You really did want to do something bad to me."

"."

Shenshu didn't speak again. After a moment, it suddenly went berserk, using its fingers as feet to charge left and right, causing the chains to snap straight.

"Let me out! Let me out! Buddha, you treacherous and despicable man!!"

The roar echoed within the third level of space, causing the entire pagoda to tremble slightly.

Xu Qi'an frowned, feeling a throbbing sensation in his temples, as if his blood was about to burst through his veins, and a splitting headache.

He suppressed his headache and asked loudly, "What did Buddha do to you back then? Explain yourself clearly. Also, you know the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox of the Kingdom of Ten Thousand Demons, right? What is your relationship with her?"

But the god ignored him and cursed the Buddha madly, causing the pagoda to tremble uncontrollably.

After more than ten minutes, it finally calmed down and sighed softly:

"Want to know? Come closer, and I'll tell you."

"Why don't you come out a little?" Xu Qi'an scoffed. "Do you know how long you've been trapped in this tower?"

Upon hearing this question, Shen Shu toned down some of his malice and instinctively pressed, "How long?"

The tower stands, its age unknown.

Xu Qi'an said in a serious tone, "Five thousand years."

Shen Shu paused for a moment, then chuckled softly, "You're lying to me."

His tone was very confident.

"Huh? What makes him so sure I'm lying? The tower is ancient; it couldn't possibly know I'm lying. "Xu Qi'an frowned.

A malevolent voice, seemingly capable of piercing the soul, rang out. "I naturally have ways of discerning, and I also know that I will not live more than eight hundred years."

"Is eight hundred years some reference value?" Xu Qi'an replied, "Indeed, you were sealed inside the Floating Pagoda for five hundred years."

"Five hundred years"

Shen Shu's tone became ethereal, as if he were somewhat dazed.

"Master Shenshu, if you recognize the anklet, you'll know I'm someone you can trust."

After a pause, seeing that Shen Shu did not refute, Xu Qi'an pressed on, "Where are your other remains?"

Shenshu asked, "Will you help me break the seal?"

Xu Qi'an couldn't help but look at the tower spirit, and seeing that he was sitting quietly cross-legged, ignoring them, he breathed a sigh of relief.

"Before that, I have another question. Do you know about the Demon-Sealing Nail?"

"Law Artifact crafted by the Buddha," Shenshu replied.

"Can you solve it?"

"Heh, it's nothing."

Upon hearing this, Xu Qi'an's face lit up with joy, and then Shen Shu said, "Come closer, I'll tell you."

Xu Qi'an's lips twitched.

"Whatever your reason for asking about the Demon-Sealing Nails, it's none of my business. You release my seal, and I'll tell you the Mnemonic to use the Demon-Sealing Nails," Shen Shu added in a deep voice.

If you break your seal, I'll be gone. And this left arm clearly belongs to Evil Dao person of the Earth Sect type. He says he knows the Mnemonic to control the Demon-Sealing Nail, but who knows if he's lying to me.

Xu Qi'an didn't dwell on that and returned to the main topic. "Where are your other bodies?"

The severed-armed Shen Shu chuckled in a low voice, "No need for such trouble. As long as you find my head, I can break the seal on my own."

"Where is your head?" Xu Qi'an's eyes lit up.

"Perhaps in Aranya, ah, the Buddha will not be at ease unless he personally subdues my head. You can inquire about this; if the Buddha has been asleep for five hundred years, then my head must be in Aranya."

Aranya, Buddha himself suppressed Xu Qi'an's mind was full of "Holy crap", only a martial god could be in this dungeon, even a first-rank martial artist could not.

Even the Kingdom of Ten Thousand Demons, who was a half-step Martial God back then, died at the hands of the Buddha.

If I had the strength to easily clear the Aranya dungeon, would I need you?

"You say the Buddha is a treacherous and despicable person, what's that all about? Also, what is your connection with the Kingdom of Ten Thousand Demons?"

After he finished speaking, he held his breath, ready to listen to the incredible secret.

"Little thing, with your cultivation level, you are not qualified to know about matters at this level. As for my relationship with the Kingdom of Ten Thousand Demons, I don't remember clearly. You can investigate the truth about the Buddhist School's extermination of the Southern Demons back then yourself."

The evil god's laughter suddenly turned hoarse. "Of course, if you release me from the seal now, I'll tell you."

Goodbye!

Seeing that he couldn't get any more information, Xu Qi'an turned and left, bowing respectfully to the tower spirit with his palms together. "Master, I've finished asking."

The tower spirit opened its eyes, nodded, and flicked its finger to release a beam of golden light.

Shen Shu's left arm struggled, yet it was unable to resist falling into a deep sleep.

Yuyang County, under the jurisdiction of Jingzhou, is located in the northwestern part of the Central Plains.

Chu Yuanzhen sat on horseback, his bag filled with blood-soaked human heads. To his left was the beautiful female Daoist priest Li Miaozhen in a Daoist robe, and to his right was the bitter and vengeful Hengyuan.

Behind him followed the yamen runners from Yuyang County.

The yamen runners followed on foot, giving up one of the few horses in the county to the three heroes. They looked exhausted, but their faces were filled with excitement.

Near Yuyang County, the evil wolf stronghold that had plagued the area for many years has finally been eradicated, a joyous occasion worthy of celebration.

The leader of the Wolf Pack was a martial artist at the Spirit Refining Realm, incredibly brave and valiant. He frequently plundered villages and towns within the county and robbed passing caravans. Successive county magistrates had been unable to deal with the Wolf Pack.

Until a few days ago, the legendary Flying Swallow Heroine arrived in the county with two companions.

The Flying Swallow Heroine truly lived up to her reputation as a renowned heroine. Upon hearing of bandits causing trouble nearby, she immediately sought out the county magistrate and volunteered to suppress them.

In just half a day, the wicked wolf stronghold that had plagued Yuyang County was completely wiped out, with all two hundred bandits killed without exception.

Chu Yuanzhen looked at Hengyuan and said, "Weren't we out looking for Xu Qi'an to help him collect dragon energy? Why are we being led around by Li Miaozhen to fight evil and eliminate wickedness?"

Hengyuan was taken aback. "Amitabha, this humble monk doesn't know either."

Li Miaozhen frowned slightly. "Isn't it good to uphold justice? That scoundrel Xu Qi'an deliberately ignored our message, clearly showing he doesn't want to join us. Fine, let him go his way, and I'll go mine."

Chu Yuanzhen shook his head. "Your reputation is too great. Walking with him will expose his identity. What if his own father takes notice?"

The three went to the yamen to hand over their heads and receive the reward money. Li Miaozhen said, "Let's exchange the silver for grain and distribute porridge in the city."

"..." Chu Yuanzhen's lips twitched. "Miaozhen, I want to change my boots."

Just as Li Miao was about to speak, her gaze suddenly sharpened as she looked at the wall of an inn on the street, where a nine-petaled lotus flower was drawn in simple strokes.

"This is our Heavenly Sect's secret communication code."

Li Miaozhen's eyes flashed, and she sneered, "You two, you'll be seeing Number Seven soon. Hey, this guy actually escaped from the Dongfang sisters?"

Number seven?!

Hengyuan and Chu Yuanzhen looked at each other in bewilderment.

P. S.: This chapter has a good word count, please give me some monthly votes.