Chapter 90

Hai Gongzi is not actually surnamed Hai; it’s just that everyone doesn’t know his real name, and since he has lived overseas for a long time, they all call him Hai Gongzi.

He always wears a pure, gilded golden robe, with a jade hairpin in his hair, and two strands of long hair hanging down from his ears. He has thick eyebrows and star-like eyes, a high nose, and seems to always have a smile on his lips, making people feel as if they are basking in a warm spring breeze. However, upon closer inspection, one realizes he isn’t actually smiling.

If he were in the secular world, he would more resemble a dashing young noble.

Since the Nine-Headed Demon King occupied this sea, Hai Gongzi had already gained a great reputation, so he must have lived for many years. No one knows his true age, but his appearance has never changed.

However, many demon kings and even great cultivators are certain that Hai Gongzi is not human but belongs to another race. Unfortunately, no one has ever seen his true form, and few have seen him in action. But every time he does act, it is always with ease, swiftly defeating powerful enemies, so no one dares to underestimate him.

Hai Gongzi has not traveled for twenty years. Some say he went to other continents, while others say he was in seclusion. He suddenly reappeared a year ago.

Whenever Hai Gongzi appears, he brings his mount, a giant whale with the bloodline of an ancient Kunpeng. Although it has not yet transformed into a human form, its magical power is already on par with that of a typical Earth Immortal.

When the giant whale travels, swallowing and exhaling primordial energy, powerful cultivators within a thousand miles can feel it, and thus know that Hai Gongzi has appeared.

Hai Gongzi did not bring his mount when he came to visit the Nine-Headed Demon King, as it was too large.

In the underwater palace, a string of demon maidens danced in the hall, their fair, smooth arms and long, beautiful legs, and the faintly visible depths of their thighs, made the shrimp and crab guards wish they had more eyes.

The Nine-Headed Demon King and Hai Gongzi clinked their cups and chatted freely.

Hai Gongzi is indeed a very graceful person. Even when the Nine-Headed Demon King speaks crudely, he can still chat and laugh with him, without any awkwardness.

He is well-versed and familiar with many strange and unusual stories, which he can recite effortlessly, making the Nine-Headed Demon King laugh heartily.

Suddenly, Hai Gongzi frowned. The Nine-Headed Demon King, noticing this, asked curiously, "Brother, what’s wrong?"

Hai Gongzi smiled at the Nine-Headed Demon King, then slowly took a sip of wine and said calmly, "Nothing major, one of my concubines was suddenly killed."

"I said, what could be a big deal? It’s just a woman. With your abilities, you could even marry a Holy Maiden from the Jade Pool. If you’re angry, I’ll catch the murderer for you and deal with him properly," the Nine-Headed Demon King laughed heartily.

"It’s just a small snake I enlightened a few days ago. Even if no one killed her, she would just be a pile of bones in a hundred or two years. We’ll talk about this later. I came here not just to drink with you, Brother Jiu, but also to ask for your help with something," Hai Gongzi casually brushed the matter aside and prepared to state the purpose of his visit.

The female snake demon had accidentally gained wisdom and spent some years in a pleasure boat on earth, where she learned some seductive skills. She was enlightened into human form by Hai Gongzi when they met by chance.

Enlightening ordinary demons into human form is a powerful magical technique. Some sects also enlighten mountain demons into human form to serve as their disciples or as guards when they travel.

The great demon kings enlighten demons in large numbers, but these demons have varying levels of wisdom. Even when they transform into human form, they retain many characteristics of their original forms.

After being enlightened, these demons almost lose the possibility of becoming demon kings, with very low potential.

Hai Gongzi is free-spirited and has had countless concubines, many of whom have died over the years. The female snake demon, though still relatively new, could be discarded at any time.

The Qingxuan Sect does not have the tradition of keeping enlightened demons as guards, and the books Shen Lian read did not record all the information about the cultivation world in detail, so he did not know that there was such a thing as enlightenment besides demons transforming on their own.

The Nine-Headed Demon King’s expression became serious. Hai Gongzi is powerful and has boundless magical power. If he needs help, it must be something significant.

The two are not close friends, and the Nine-Headed Demon King has already started thinking about how to refuse without hurting their relationship.

But he continued to speak, laughing heartily, "Brother, just say it."

Then he shouted angrily at the demon soldiers and maidens, "You blind fools, can’t you see that we are discussing serious matters? Get out of here."

His methods were brutal, and his voice was like a rolling wave, instantly driving all the demon soldiers and maidens out of the hall. Yet the hall remained orderly, and his powerful magic was truly impressive.

Hai Gongzi’s face also showed approval at the right moment, and he smiled, "Brother Jiu’s magical power has become even more profound. In time, perhaps another ‘Great Sage’ will appear in this world."

In the world, the supreme beings among demons and devils are called ‘Great Sages,’ who are unparalleled and do not need to bow even to the Daoist Lords or Buddhas.

The Nine-Headed Demon King thought to himself: The higher the praise, the more difficult the matter. If you really need my help, you’ll have to pay a high price.

The two continued to flatter each other, and Hai Gongzi, understanding that the Nine-Headed Demon King is a well-known figure and not easy to deceive, finally said softly, "Brother Jiu, have you heard of the Moon陀 Country?"

"Of course, five thousand years ago, a Bodhisattva in the Moon陀 Country attained enlightenment, transcended the great universe, and left behind the tradition of the Golden Light Temple. There is also a monk named Baoyue, who is said to be quite capable and even captured the Flying Eagle King."

"Brother Jiu is right, but you may not know that the Moonlight Bodhisattva attained enlightenment because of a Buddha’s relic, comprehending the great Dao within it. After attaining enlightenment, the relic became useless and was left in the Golden Light Temple. I want to obtain that relic to help me break through. However, Baoyue is quite troublesome, and I need your help. If we get the relic, we can study it together."

Hai Gongzi calmly revealed this secret, then lowered his head, picked up his wine cup, and waited for the Nine-Headed Demon King’s response.

The Nine-Headed Demon King was half-believing and half-doubting what Hai Gongzi said, but the sudden enlightenment of the Moonlight Bodhisattva was indeed suspicious, and the Golden Light Temple has always been guarded by powerful monks.

It is important to note that although Buddhist teachings are profound and not inferior to Daoist teachings, they are difficult to trace, unlike the orthodox Daoist teachings, where the Daoist Lord has established nine realms, allowing one to climb the heavenly ladder step by step.

This is why the Daoist sects consider themselves orthodox and view Buddhism as a side branch.

However, Buddhism is deeply rooted in the secular world, accepting all comers, so each generation has high monks and virtuous ones who achieve enlightenment in the secular world. In terms of influence and power, Buddhism surpasses the Daoist sects.

PS: Thank you to "Love Life, Love Shenwu" for the 1888 reward and to "Little Xun" for the support.

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