White-Robed Chief

“Bang!” The Saint’s jade-like index finger shuddered, and her almond-shaped eyes glinted as she slowly withdrew her right hand.

Miss Ruolan found this odd.

Passing on martial arts through enlightenment was not something that could be completed in such a short amount of time. It would require at least fifteen minutes.

If she had withdrawn her hand as soon as she touched his forehead, it would mean that she had not passed on anything to him.

The Saint stared at Chu Li and scoffed lightly. “This old monk!”

Miss Ruolan hurriedly asked, “What happened?”

The Saint raised her head and looked at her with a huff. “We’ve been used by this old monk!”

Miss Ruolan did not understand.

The Saint explained, “This old monk’s sarira contained his legacy of Maha-Vairocana’s Immobility Scripture, and Zhao Dahe had accidentally come into possession of it. By performing this round of enlightenment, I’ve stimulated the legacy and played into his hands!”

Miss Ruolan asked, “Can Zhao Dahe still cultivate the Great Light Scripture after having learned Maha-Vairocana’s Immobility Scripture?”

“… Yes.” The Saint slowly nodded. “Maha-Vairocana’s Immobility Scripture has always been secretly transmitted among the Titanium Temple, so no outsider could ever learn it. This guy is very lucky to have been able to receive this legacy. If he cultivates the Great Light Scripture on top of that, he’ll yield twice the result with half the effort.”

Miss Ruolan frowned and said, “But the Titanium Temple’s cultivates divine powers while the Divine Light Body suppresses divine powers.”

“The Divine Light Body can suppress divine powers, but it can’t suppress those of the Titanium Temple because of this Immobility Scripture of Maha-Vairocana.” The Saint exhaled sharply. “If the two can be merged, he’ll be able to achieve greater heights.”

“His luck is truly impressive. He’s very blessed.” Miss Ruolan said with a smile.

The Saint remarked, “This is a blessing, but we’ll still have to find out if he’s capable enough to handle it. While it’s faster to cultivate both scriptures at the same time, it really depends on whether or not the wielder is capable of doing so.”

She seemed to think of something and hesitated.

Once Zhao Dahe cultivated Maha-Vairocana’s Immobility Scripture, he would be able to overcome her Mind Illumination Scripture. Thus, it would prevent her from reading his mind. The idea of not being able to grasp Zhao Dahe’s thoughts made her feel slightly uneasy.

Yet, cultivating Maha-Vairocana’s Immobility Scripture and the Great Light Scripture at the same time would allow him to advance rapidly. With that, the Holy Church of Light would gain another top-notch master.

If it were anyone else, she would have chosen the safer option of forgoing this martial arts master instead of taking such a risk.

However, Zhao Dahe was different. Given his stubborn personality, he would not look back once he put his mind to something, so his loyalty would not be easily shaken. Moreover, she still had Ruolan here, to whom he had devoted his heart. With Ruolan around, it was easy to demand his loyalty.

Should she take the risk?

In the end, she took a deep breath and smiled faintly.

Her body suddenly shone with radiance as though a sun had entered the waterside pavilion and was radiating light all around them.

Miss Ruolan quickly closed her eyes but still felt the rays pierce through her eyelids and enter her pupils. All she could see was this blinding light.

Miss Ruolan knew that this was the Saint activating her Divine Light Body.

The Saint stretched out her right hand once more, and her index finger, which now seemed as clear as crystal, gently touched Chu Li’s forehead.

There was a loud crash in Chu Li’s mind.

Another huge Buddha had fallen out of nowhere and landed behind the first Buddha. The two Buddhas stood with their backs toward each other such that they could not see one another.

This huge Buddha’s body was shining in all its brilliance with his hands forming a mudra while he chanted the Great Sun Ru Lai’s Scripture of Light. The words from the Buddhist scripture transformed into glowing white lotuses that slowly fell upon the Buddha.

Chu Li had initially been standing before the Saint with his hands drooping on either side of him, but at present, his hands had come together to form a mudra as his face took on a solemn and merciful expression. It looked as if he had turned into a Buddha statue.

“Phew…” As the Saint withdrew her index finger, she exhaled a long breath as the white veil on her face fluttered lightly. The bright light slowly stopped radiating from her body and the waterside pavilion reverted to its original condition.

Miss Ruolan opened her eyes. “My Saint, did it work?”

“Yes, he has now gained the best from both worlds,” the Saint calmly replied. “If he manages to cultivate both simultaneously, he’ll be able to master them very fast.”

However, this required the ability to multitask, which was not something everyone possessed.

“Is he another genius?” Miss Ruolan said and chuckled.

The Saint replied, “He might really end up becoming a Priest after all. What will you do when that happens?”

Miss Ruolan puckered her lips into a smile as she muttered, “We’ll see when he actually becomes a Priest. Perhaps when that time comes, I won’t even be around anymore.”

The Saint shook her head and laughed. “Bring him to the outer peak of the Great Light Peak for his isolated cultivation. You don’t have to transmit any other martial arts to him yet. Just let him cultivate the Divine Light Body and enter the Grandmaster’s Boundary first.”

“Understood.” Miss Ruolan nodded.

…

As Chu Li began to regain consciousness, the two Buddhas slowly faded from his mind.

He felt that his multitasking ability had finally come in handy.

Since the two Buddhas were both chanting at the same time, it was not an easy task to have them chant their respective scriptures without distracting each other. Nonetheless, it had been a piece of cake to him.

Much to his surprise, he had also noticed that when two different types of lotuses fell on a Buddha, there was a steep increase in the effects it brought. The benefits gained from two types of lotuses surpassed the effects from four lotuses of the same kind. This meant that by cultivating both scriptures simultaneously, he would be able to cultivate four times faster than normal.

He was overjoyed at this unexpected advantage.

When he opened his eyes, he saw Miss Ruolan alone by his side and turned his head to look around.

“The Saint has left.”

“I haven’t even thanked her.”

“You don’t have to express it with words. Just focusing on your cultivation will show your gratitude toward her,” Miss Ruolan said. “We’ll be leaving for the outer peak of the Great Light Peak tomorrow, where you’ll enter isolated cultivation. You’ll need to advance all the way into the Grandmaster’s Boundary in order to complete your isolated cultivation.”

Chu Li widened his eyes. “How long will that take?”

“It depends on your capability,” Miss Ruolan replied. “It might be one year, or it can take ten years.”

Chu Li said confidently, “No problem. I’ll definitely become a Grandmaster!”

“And then seek revenge,” Miss Ruolan added.

Chu Li scratched his head and laughed sheepishly.

Miss Ruolan brought him back to his courtyard.

The next morning, Miss Ruolan came over and returned his sarira to him.

Then, they each rode a horse and headed north.

Throughout the journey, Miss Ruolan barely spoke and mostly cultivated in silence.

Feeling bored, Chu Li used the time to cultivate the Great Light Scripture and Maha-Vairocana’s Immobility Scripture.

After traveling for three days, they finally arrived at a giant mountain peak. It was so majestic and tall that its summit stretched above the clouds where it remained hidden from view.

Chu Li could not help but sigh in awe at the magnificence of this peak, which somewhat reminded him of the Hundred-Thousand Hills.

Miss Ruolan pointed at the mountain peak and said, “This is the Small Light Peak, which is the outer peak of the Great Light Peak.”

“Then, we shouldn’t be too far away from the Great Light Peak, right?”

“We’re still very far away from it,” Miss Ruolan replied while shaking her head. “You’ll see what I mean later. For now, just stay here and focus on your isolated cultivation until you enter the Grandmaster’s Boundary.”

“Where exactly will I be staying then?” Chu Li asked.

“At the summit of the mountain,” Miss Ruolan replied.

She tied her reins to a nearby tree as Chu Li followed suit.

Then, Miss Ruolan wrapped her small arm around Chu Li’s waist before leaping into the air and gliding upward over the treetops.

Supported by her arm, Chu Li also glided up into the air as his whoops of excitement caused her to roll her eyes at him.

As they continued upward, the temperature began to drop, and the wind grew stronger. What initially felt like a lover’s caress soon turned into an enemy’s blade running over their cheeks as the piercing wind blew aggressively against their faces.

Miss Ruolan’s thin gown fluttered about as she leaped through the air.

Chu Li’s white clothing also fluttered in the strong wind, but thanks to his sturdy body, he only felt a hint of cold. Nonetheless, the violent wind was truly unpleasant as it blew on his face.

They glided further up the mountain until his view was finally blocked by the clouds when he looked down.