Chapter 649 - 66: The Crude Brute, Fellow Daoist Lu, and a Fat-headed Fish Surpassing the Tang Monk (2)

Chapter 649: Chapter 66: The Crude Brute, Fellow Daoist Lu, and a Fat-headed Fish Surpassing the Tang Monk (2)

Lu Xuan, with a gentle and refined air, pushed the hot tea forward and flashed a brilliant smile.

"Fellow Daoist Bodhi, you flatter me. I was merely a bit lucky and gained the acknowledgment of the Will of Heaven and Earth, allowing me to borrow a fraction of its power. It’s nothing, really, nothing at all..."

The corner of Ancient Bodhi Buddha’s mouth twitched. He was completely unable to connect the gentle, middle-aged man before him with the barbaric ruffian from a moment ago.

He could only swallow his pride and, stifling his rage, grit out:

"Quite the skills you have, Fellow Daoist Lu. Quite the skills!"

"Enough with the praise, enough with the praise."

Lu Xuan smiled gently, took a sip of hot tea, and asked with a placid smile:

"So, Fellow Daoist Bodhi, regarding your interference with the Tribulation Taker, how should we settle this?"

The phantoms of the Heaven-Opening Banner and the Four Immortal Slaying Swords shimmered faintly to Lu Xuan’s left and right. A vein twitched on Ancient Bodhi Buddha’s forehead, but he chuckled and said:

"Fellow Daoist Lu must be joking. I merely sent that monkey to Fangcun Mountain on a whim. Who it takes as a master, what Dharma it learns, what Dao it cultivates—that is up to the monkey itself..."

After a pause, Ancient Bodhi Buddha lowered his eyelids.

"Besides, my incarnation on Fangcun Mountain is neither Buddhist nor Daoist. It cannot be considered a violation of the rules..."

Lu Xuan’s face still wore a brilliant smile.

"But you interfered nonetheless. How about this: you hand over the Victorious Fighting Buddha to me, and we’ll consider this matter settled. What do you say?"

Ancient Bodhi Buddha gave a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.

"I’m afraid that won’t do..."

"Insolent guest!" Lu Xuan shot to his feet, his gentleness vanishing, all refinement gone. He revealed his True Fighting Form, its three heads and six faces simultaneously displaying wrathful expressions, baring fangs and brandishing claws!

"Actually, it’s not impossible!" Ancient Bodhi Buddha immediately changed his tune.

Hearing this, the green-faced, tusked, three-headed, six-faced, nine-armed fighting form dissipated. Lu Xuan, once again gentle and refined, sat back in his original spot and chuckled lightly.

"Fellow Daoist Bodhi is truly magnanimous. Since it is so, we shall consider this matter settled... Would Fellow Daoist Bodhi care to stay for dinner?"

Ancient Bodhi Buddha clenched his fists, practically grinding his teeth.

"That won’t be necessary!"

"Then what is Fellow Daoist Bodhi still doing here? Why not go back and hurry up and send the Victorious Fighting Buddha over... If you don’t leave soon, you might find you can’t leave at all."

Bodhi turned and left.

After Ancient Bodhi Buddha’s figure had completely disappeared, Lu Xuan began to cough violently. Cracks appeared on his body, and he began to bleed!

He had just clashed with Ancient Bodhi Buddha thousands, even tens of thousands of times. He had appeared fine, but in reality, his injuries were not light.

Ancient Bodhi Buddha was an Enlightened One, after all. Even though he relied on his Transcendent Dao Body—capable of battling an Ancient One—and the power of the Great Will of Heaven and Earth,

he had still been wounded, and that was while under the protection of the Heaven and Earth Profound Yellow Exquisite Pagoda!!

’It seems the gap between an Ancient One and an Enlightened One is even greater than I imagined...’

Lu Xuan coughed up two mouthfuls of blood and wearily rubbed the bridge of his nose. The exertion just now had been too great; he had been on the verge of depletion, merely putting up a strong front.

After briefly calming his aura and healing his wounds, Lu Xuan glanced at the untouched hot tea and pursed his lips.

’Not even a single sip. What a waste of my good tea. This was brewed with Bodhi Leaves, you know... Hmm, I’ve got it.’

With a casual grab, a baffled fat-headed fish materialized from the void. It looked around in confusion, then shuddered and said with a mournful face:

"Ben Bo’Erba greets Elder Lu..."

"What’s with that look? Why the long face? Come, have some tea!"

Lu Xuan magnanimously pushed the tea, brewed with Bodhi Leaves, forward.

"Drink up. This tea has endless wonders. It opens wisdom, enhances spiritual light, perfects one’s nature, and contains the Great Dao!"

Ben Bo’Erba took a trembling sip. The entire fish began to glow as Innate Primordial Qi surged from its seven orifices. Behind its head, a Golden Wheel formed from the Great Wisdom Light appeared, shining brilliantly!

"Th... Thank you, Elder Lu!"

Ben Bo’Erba’s expression grew even more miserable. ’One shouldn’t be rewarded for no merit. To be given something so good for no reason... I’m... in trouble!’

At this moment, it just wanted to go back in time and give its past self a hard slap. Why on earth did it have to be such a yes-man!

’This is it. The payback is here!’

Lu Xuan looked the fat-headed fish up and down, then nodded in satisfaction.

"Mm, your wisdom has been opened, so your mind should be a bit sharper now. Good. I want you to go to Huaguo Mountain, declare yourself its king, find an opportune moment to befriend the monkey, and join the westward journey. How about it?"

The woeful look on Ben Bo’Erba’s face intensified, and it almost started to cry.

"Master Lu, please don’t! Take over Huaguo Mountain? Lord Great Sage will kill me in three punches! If I die, there will be no one left to accompany the Lady!"

Lu Xuan didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. He scolded,

"The monkey right now isn’t even Immortal. You, on the other hand, are at least at the Celestial Realms level. You’ve eaten plenty of Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures over the years and even nurtured a body of Innate Perfection. What are you afraid of?"

"Huh?"

Ben Bo’Erba froze for a moment, then grew visibly excited.

"Hey, that’s right! I forgot about that! Lord Great Sage can’t beat me right now... I’ll go, I’ll go!"

It remembered its own simple wish from long ago, remembered the boasts it once made,

To pummel the Sandalwood Merit Buddha and kick the Great Sage Equal to Heaven...

’It seems... it might not be impossible after all?’

’Marvelous, marvelous!’

Ben Bo’Erba immediately made two respectful bows and departed joyfully. Watching it go, Lu Xuan couldn’t help but shake his head and laugh.

"This fat-headed fish..."

He paused, gazing at the distant fat-headed fish’s form, at the incredibly dense Innate Primordial Qi and the faint wisps of Transcendent Dao Rhyme it had accumulated over the years.

Lu Xuan clicked his tongue in wonder.

"Such truly amazing fortune..."

He reckoned that during this westward journey, it was uncertain whether mortals and demons could truly achieve Longevity by eating a bite of Tang Monk’s Flesh.

But if they ate a bite of this fish’s flesh, they could probably become an immortal on the spot, with a lifespan equal to the heavens!