Chapter 270 - 296: Prajna Venerable Buddha Scripture! Leader of Gui Chen Sect, [Demon Subduing Seal] [Wood God Technique]

The Thirty-Three-Layered Buddha Tower of the Wansheng Institute was solemn and dignified, with dozens of tall monks standing guard before it.

These monks were like statues forged from metal, unmoving, yet they exuded a powerful, intimidating aura.

In reality, these monks were Dharma Guardian Vajras, created by the Rebirth Buddha Venerable using a Secret Technique. Any single one of them possessed the power to shatter mountains and raze cities.

"I must see the Dean!"

After a slight bow, the thin old monk didn’t wait for the Dharma Guardian Vajras to respond and rushed into the Buddha Tower.

After ascending many flights of stairs and reaching the thirty-third layer, the old monk finally stopped.

"Dean! For what reason have you interrupted your seclusion?"

"An anomaly has appeared in the Desolate State Mansion."

"Unfortunately, Desolate Province was the old lair of the Netherworld Venerable Master. The Celestial Secrets he threw into disarray have yet to recover, and I am still unable to discern the true nature of this anomaly..."

A sigh, as heavy as a mountain, emanated from the sealed chamber.

"An anomaly? Regarding the Desolate State Mansion?"

"Should we send people there?"

The old monk suppressed his surprise and asked.

"There is no need."

From behind the closed doors, the Rebirth Buddha Venerable spoke slowly, "The outcome of this conflict with the Gui Chen Sect won’t be decided by the fate of a single province or prefecture. It will be decided between him and me."

"Whether we succeed or fail in carving up the Incense of the State Mansion, it won’t affect the final outcome."

After listening, the old monk hesitated before speaking.

"Dean, the Buddhist Sect has been in decline in recent years, and the Wansheng Institute’s name is no longer as prominent as it once was. If we don’t handle this matter well, I fear our reputation will suffer."

Although the Wansheng Institute doesn’t rely solely on the Power of Incense for cultivation, it still accounts for a very large portion. The Incense and Candle Power is directly tied to the cultivation of the institute’s monks, making it of utmost importance.

"Everything can wait until I have mastered the Prajna Venerable Buddha Scripture."

"Otherwise, everything will be as illusory as the moon in a mirror or a flower on the water, vanishing in an instant."

The Rebirth Buddha Venerable replied calmly and then fell silent.

The Prajna Venerable Buddha Scripture!

Prajna stands at the pinnacle of All Buddhas, and this Cultivation Technique could be called the greatest of the contemporary Buddhist Sect.

Within the Wansheng Institute, it was a Supreme Technique of the Buddhist Sect, equal in fame to the Great Sun Tathagata Scripture.

Prajna and Tathagata—if the two were to become one, they would form the Ultimate Buddhism that the Wansheng Institute has pursued for countless years.

The old monk nodded at his words, then bowed and said:

"Understood!"

He was about to withdraw when he heard the Rebirth Buddha Venerable speak again from within the secluded chamber:

"Watch the Gui Chen Sect’s movements. If he sends people, you send people as well."

"Whomever Gui Chen wants to kill, I shall save! Whomever Gui Chen wants to save, I shall kill!"

A chill ran through the old monk’s heart as he slowly withdrew.

...

North of Yu Province was once a desert, but a thousand years ago, the land underwent a dramatic transformation.

The endless desert vanished, replaced by lush forests and babbling brooks.

A Daoist temple, exuding a majestic aura, was situated here.

The Daoist temple was resplendent, its interior lavish. White jade was everywhere, and gold and bronze filled one’s sight, making it even more opulent than some ordinary royal capitals or Prefecture Cities.

Yet in the very center of the Daoist Temple was a simple thatched hut surrounded by a wicker fence.

Behind the hut was a thousand-foot-tall rockery, with a clear mountain spring diverted from hundreds of miles away, forming a silver waterfall that cascaded down.

Every inch of soil around the thatched hut was Spiritual Land taken from an Immortal Mountain Spiritual Land, and all around it were planted rare and exotic herbs.

These rare Spirit Grasses were irrigated by a Power of Incense so dense it was almost tangible.

The fruits they bore were naturally priceless treasures, coveted by all Martial Arts Practitioners.

Consuming them could strengthen one’s Physique, enhance their Divine Spirit, and expand their True Qi; they were among the most supreme Spiritual Objects in the world.

WHOOSH!

At that moment, a middle-aged man hurried over, stopping outside the wicker fence, not daring to step within.

"Sect Leader! Xiao Yu requests an audience!"

Inside the fence, a Daoist was sitting cross-legged and fishing by a clear stream. Hearing the call, he didn’t turn his head but spoke calmly:

"Pay it no mind. This commotion is just that old bald donkey sensing something. A breakthrough is easier said than done."

"But that old bald donkey is the Wansheng Institute’s strongest figure in a thousand years. Sect Leader, why are we waiting for him to emerge from his seclusion? Why not just..."

As he spoke, a cold look appeared on Xiao Yu’s face.

He was the steward in charge of all the Gui Chen Sect’s affairs. In recent years, as the Rebirth Buddha Venerable’s power and influence grew, the Wansheng Institute had begun showing signs of a resurgence.

Relying on the support of some influential figures within the Immortal Dynasty, the Gui Chen Sect had suffered quite a few setbacks during this period.

Therefore, not a moment passed where he didn’t want to take the Wansheng Institute...

And tear it out by the roots!

"Enough. Say no more, and think no more of it."

The Leader of the Gui Chen Sect unhurriedly lifted his empty hook, baited it, and gently cast it back into the water.

"The Wansheng Institute has a long heritage. It is no simple sect. Few in the Cultivation Realm can compare to it, though it has declined considerably since the sudden emergence of the Netherworld Venerable Master."

"But if it hasn’t been destroyed after all these years, how could it not have some hidden trump cards?"

Xiao Yu lowered his head. "Then, you mean to say..."

’The Rebirth Buddha Venerable himself is a formidable expert of the Feather Transformation Realm. Don’t tell me there’s an even more powerful existence hidden within the Wansheng Institute?’

"Let it be."

The voice of the Gui Chen Sect Leader was as placid as an old well, flowing like a stream:

"Pay it no mind."

"Sect Leader, to do nothing... feels a little humiliating."

Xiao Yu gritted his teeth, finding it hard to endure.

Lately, the Wansheng Institute’s presence wasn’t just in Desolate Province; those bald donkeys have been showing up in other provinces as well.

As a result, a significant portion of the Incense that should have been theirs has been carved up by those bald donkeys.

How could he not be furious?

"If he wants to contend with me, then let him. As the Netherworld Venerable Master once said, all fortune is preordained by fate."

"Water nourishes all things, yet does not contend. A man stands on a mountaintop, yet is not hurried."

The voice of the Gui Chen Sect Leader was serene as he continued:

"Be it Prajna or Tathagata, can either of them compare to this boundless world?"

"A thousand schemes and ten thousand plots are ultimately just illusory bubbles, like the moon in a mirror or a flower in the mist."

"Since that is the case, why be in such a hurry to burst the bubble?"

"There is so much suffering in the world. A beautiful dream is a rare thing, so I shall be merciful this once."

"Let him have his dream."

"And when he awakens, I will personally take his head!"

...

「On a barren peak in Celestial Origin Mountain.」

Su Bai sat cross-legged on the summit.

With his eyes lightly closed, he could sense the omnipresent fluctuations of Spiritual Qi. The slightest sound from any direction could not escape the grasp of his Divine Thoughts.

Slowly opening his eyes, Su Bai gazed down at the sea of clouds. As his Divine Thoughts spread out, scenes from all over the mountain forest were reflected in his mind with perfect clarity.

Birds circled in the sky, crying out in ceaseless sorrow.

Overnight, trees had been blasted apart and their nests destroyed. They could only mourn for their lost homes.

Countless beasts and Demon Beasts also scurried through the forest, searching for new lairs...

And the plants just beginning to break through the soil greedily absorbed the radiance of the great sun...

Somewhere near Celestial Origin Temple, an old, crimson fox directed a large group of foxes carrying bundles on their backs, beginning their migration.

Beside it, an exceptionally clever-looking young fox helped direct the others, calling out, "SQUEAK SQUEAK SQUEAK..."

Chen Teng, having struggled out of a crevice, looked utterly disheveled as he headed north in search of rare Spirit Grass. Upon finding some, he became ecstatic...

All of this, and more, fell within the range of his Divine Thoughts.

His Divine Thoughts continued to expand, spreading out from the point between his eyebrows as he experienced these myriad changes.

After a long while, Su Bai seemed to have an epiphany, and new ideas about the miraculous applications of Divine Thoughts formed in his mind.

’Next, time for the prize draw.’

Returning to his senses, Su Bai began to spin the prize wheel.

The moment he had the thought, a massive prize wheel materialized. It was made of brilliant gold and emanated a hazy green light.

As the dark green pointer spun, Su Bai ultimately won 300 million Experience Points and over 3 million Tier Two Experience Points.

He checked the amount of experience needed for a breakthrough, then channeled all the points he had just won into his cultivation.

BOOM!

Amidst surging waves of air, the aura of Su Bai’s Realm skyrocketed before finally settling down.

His Realm had risen to the Ninth Tribulation Realm Fourth Layer!

At the same time, the Experience Points for his Fourth Immortal Golden Body Transformation broke the ten million mark, reaching eleven million!

At this moment, small, exquisite golden True Dragons circled around him, letting out triumphant roars as Daoist rhythm flowed from them, their cries shaking the world.

After his breakthrough was complete, Su Bai murmured softly:

"The Wansheng Institute is widely known for its Nine Great Hand Seals. And that Elder Hui De cultivated one of the nine—the Demon Subduing Seal. I hope the power of this technique won’t disappoint me."

As soon as he finished speaking, Su Bai began to draw Elder Hui De’s Cultivation Technique.

VMMMM!

Orbs of multicolored light appeared before Su Bai’s eyes, and finally, a golden orb shot into his mind.

There wasn’t much worth seeing in Elder Hui De’s memories.

Aside from cultivating within the institute, he was almost always out vanquishing demons.

But when he vanquished demons, he was arbitrary and tyrannical. He paid no mind to whether they were good or evil, nor did he care about the circumstances; he simply struck them all down with a palm strike.

That was why, over the years, the sins he had accumulated reached a Seven-Star rating.

After reviewing the man’s memories, Su Bai began to inspect his new gains.

[Cultivation Technique: Demon Subduing Seal (Ninth Grade)! Realm: Returning to the Essence (1,600,000)!]

The Demon Subduing Seal was a Ninth Grade technique, and its power was quite decent.

Next, he began to draw the Elder Wood Demon’s Divine Technique.

A moment later, Su Bai obtained that special Divine Technique for absorbing Heaven and Earth Essence Qi.

[Divine Technique: Wood God Technique (Ninth Grade)! Realm: 9th Layer (30,000,000)!]

’I see.’

Having obtained the Divine Technique, Su Bai finally understood.

To put it simply, by using this Divine Technique, one could absorb the essence qi of the world’s flora, gather it within their body, and use it to augment their Physique. It was a special, amplification-type Divine Technique.

The higher the layer of the Divine Technique, the more Heaven and Earth Essence Qi it could absorb, and the stronger the augmentation effect would be.

However, the specific augmentation effect was influenced by the user’s own Physique.

For example, the Elder Wood Demon had pushed this Divine Technique to its limit, forcibly multiplying its Physique several times over, allowing it to completely overwhelm Elder Hui De for the entire fight.

However, this also caused its physical body to tear, making the state impossible to maintain for long.

Overall, however, it was still a decent Divine Technique.

Although its Ninth Grade rank alone wasn’t enough to provide the outrageous effect of multiplying Su Bai’s Physique several times over.

But upon using it briefly, Su Bai discovered it could augment his Physique by about a third, which was still quite impressive.

After all, his Physique was already so powerful that even a one-third increase was terrifying.

After finishing the prize draw, Su Bai returned to his small courtyard in the Prefecture City.

"Senior! You’re back!"

Seeing Su Bai return, the old Daoist Cui Yanliang said with an eager expression.

Not long ago, Su Bai had returned and taught him a profound Daoist Skill, from which he had benefited immensely.

As a result, his reverence and awe for Su Bai had grown even deeper.

Su Bai said casually,

"Go buy some food and wine. I’m expecting a guest today."

"Expecting a guest?"

Cui Yanliang was stunned for a moment, then turned and hurried out.

Although he had no idea what kind of guest the usually solitary Su Bai was expecting.

’But this is a small task, so I have to make sure I do it perfectly!’