Chapter 62

Cihang Pudu knelt on the ground and asked, "I don't understand, what kind of high-level figures in the human world could obstruct the Buddha's great cause?"

Wutian sneered and said, "You have lingered in the Western Ox-Heaven Continent for a long time. How can you not know the principle that dragons and tigers lie in wait in the three realms? In the human world, aside from the ancient monsters like you who live in seclusion, and the Immortal Zhenyuanzi of the Wanshou Mountain and the Zen Master Wuchao of the Futo Mountain, even the scattered immortals in the Ten Great Caverns, Thirty-Six Lesser Caverns, and Seventy-Two Blessed Lands are all formidable."

Cihang Pudu was stunned; he had never heard of the Thirty-Six Caverns and Seventy-Two Blessed Lands.

Wutian explained, "It's no wonder you don't know. Over a thousand years ago, there was an unparalleled emperor in the human world. He was followed by some human cultivators, known as fangshi or shushi, who formed their own lineage, neither worshiping gods nor respecting ghosts. They almost unified the Southern Jambudvipa."

"During his lifetime, he designated one hundred and eighteen places of spiritual energy as the Caverns and Blessed Lands. After his defeat, the fangshi under his command scattered, mostly hiding in these Caverns and Blessed Lands, ready to eliminate evil whenever it dared to challenge the authority of the human emperor."

He sneered again, "If not for this, how could mere mortals ever claim supremacy over countless gods and demons?"

This was a great secret of the world, and at that time, Cihang Pudu was still roaming the Western Ox-Heaven Continent, so he naturally wouldn't care about the affairs of mortals. Wutian left many details unspoken, which were not what Cihang Pudu and the Vulture King should know.

Cihang Pudu didn't dare to ask, but only nodded and said, "Now I understand why the Buddha chose me to infiltrate the Song Dynasty court."

Among the demons in the dark abyss, there were few like Cihang Pudu who had originally cultivated immortal techniques. Only he could move freely in the court without attracting attacks from the Caverns and Blessed Lands.

Even the Vulture King, who had been learning Buddhism by Wutian's side, had to change his appearance in the Asura Realm's workshop to infiltrate the human world.

The Buddha Wutian said, "As for you, Vulture, and Xuan Kong, you can test the person's background. But remember, don't harm his life and provoke the sages of the Thirty-Three Heavens."

Cihang Pudu and the Vulture King received the black lotus bestowed by the Buddha Wutian, each transforming into a long rainbow to go about their tasks. Meanwhile, Xuan Kong and the others, who had been leisurely traveling on the road, finally arrived at Wang Qi's hometown, the Ninghai Prefecture by the Northern Sea.

Wang Qi suddenly stopped the carriage at the city gate, standing still with a tender look.

The little fox lay on the horse's back, her black eyes darting around, trying to figure out where to bite to wake him up. Suddenly, a hand reached out from behind and pinched the soft skin on her neck. Xuan Kong smiled, "Little junior brother is feeling homesick. Don't tease him now."

The little fox, who always listened to Xuan Kong, shrank and leaped onto his head.

Wang Qi was lost in thought, slowly walking to the city wall of Ninghai Prefecture, touching the blue bricks and tears streaming down his face, "I'm back, I, Wang Qi, am back!" Xuan Kong's eyes also glistened with tears. This world was different from the previous one, where you could set off whenever you wanted.

With all kinds of transportation available, even a trip to space was not out of the question.

But here, it was different. The journey was long, and if not for the cultivators, ordinary people would have to walk for an unknown amount of time, even for a distance that was just two fingers wide on a map. Moreover, the journey was fraught with dangers, including man-eating demons and bandits who ruled the mountains.

No wonder Wang Qi was so excited. When he left home in a fit of anger, he almost never thought he would return.

Wang Qi pulled Xuan Kong and said, "Senior Brother, do you remember when I went to Mount Laoshan?"

Understanding his junior brother's emotional turmoil, Xuan Kong nodded, "I remember you introduced yourself as the seventh son of a declining noble family, and asked us to call you Wang Qi."

Wang Qi sighed, "My family is a noble one, but not declining. We have great influence in Ninghai Prefecture. I was young and admired the Dao, and heard that there were many immortals on Mount Laoshan. I wanted to learn the Dao, but my family disagreed, so I left with a bamboo box on my back."

"My elders and brothers probably thought I had died on the road." He laughed bitterly, "I can't blame them. Only now do I realize how hard the path of cultivation is, not as easy and pleasant as others see it."

Xuan Kong nodded in agreement, and Wang Jun, standing beside him, listened intently.

Wang Qi recalled, "When I went to Mount Laoshan, I saw the Shangqing Hall and felt it was very serene. When I entered the hall, Master was lecturing the senior brothers, and every word was profound and enlightening."

Xuan Kong thought to himself, "Of course, although Master's own cultivation still needs improvement, he inherited the ancient thunder techniques of Wen Zhong, which are naturally profound and obscure."

Wang Qi smiled through his tears, "When I first arrived, I didn't understand anything. Master asked me to chop wood, and it took a whole month. To be honest, I regretted it at the time. But when I saw you practicing magic in front of the peonies and mountain tea flowers, I felt the power of the Dao and decided to stay."

Xuan Kong blushed; he was showing off, trying to attract the two beauties, Xiangyu and Jiangxue, from the Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio.

But he didn't expect that not only did he attract those two beauties, but also strengthened the resolve of a junior brother who was about to leave the path of cultivation.

Wang Qi talked a lot, and Xuan Kong didn't find it tedious. He stood with his disciple Wang Jun, listening to him. The little fox, who had been lying on the carriage, was bored and had no interest in these human emotions.

She just looked at the passersby, and when the townspeople saw her gaze, they hurriedly moved to the sides. Some of the bolder ones even returned home with weapons to surround Xuan Kong and his group.

Xuan Kong looked at the surrounding heroes, puzzled, "I haven't harmed this Ninghai Prefecture, right? Why do the people here look at me like I'm a monster?"

He didn't like being gawked at like an animal in a zoo, so he tugged at Wang Qi's clothes and said, "Junior brother, the customs of your hometown are not very good. It seems they are a bit hostile to strangers."

Wang Qi, pulled by his senior brother, came to his senses and realized they were surrounded.

He scratched his head in confusion, "That's strange. When I left, it wasn't like this. Could it be that my family has been strict these past two years, and the townspeople are ordered to capture me and bring me home?"

Wang Jun was startled. From Wang Qi's words, he sensed some underlying meaning. It seemed that Wang Qi's family was a local power in Ninghai Prefecture. He frowned slightly; as Wang Jun, he didn't like such local strongmen, especially those with family ties.