The Buddha's Guidance Saved You? Now That the Buddha Is Here, Was It His Guidance?

The Liufeng Realm. The forest was steeped in green, and the world stretched out in a sea of emerald. Only yesterday had been the red leaves of an autumn maple woods, yet today was spring. Ning Tao stood on the mountain path, reminiscence lingering in her eyes. "This used to be an isolated peak with many caves. When I was young, I hid here for a year." The Canary chimed in at just the right moment, her eyes shining bright. "This young miss remembers there was a kind of red berry that was especially delicious! What a pity I've never tasted it again." Recalling the caves, Qi Yuan tightened his grip on the Canary's and Ning Tao's delicate hands. Inside the Gate of Myriad Demons, he had engraved his origin divine ability and experienced the reincarnation of an Archdemon. The demoness who was supposed to scheme and plot against him had been replaced by the suddenly intruding Canary. The Canary had foolishly followed him the entire time, playing the role of an unconventional demoness and even bringing him to a cave to live in seclusion. "Do you want to rewind space-time to find that fruit again?" Qi Yuan asked. Ning Tao's Divine Domain was related to space-time. She could not reverse space-time, nor could she revive the dead. Yet tracing back through space-time to reconstruct a tree from the past and bear a similar fruit was well within her power. "No. It tasted good back then, but perhaps that was only because of how I remember it. Eating it again now, it might be utterly ordinary." Ning Tao was very open-minded about it. Her gaze settled on the summit of the mountain peak. A Buddhist pagoda stood there, solemn and majestic, with bronze bells suspended from its ancient upturned eaves. When the temple bell struck, it set the bronze bells chiming in harmony. "I never expected that in today's Liufeng Realm, the myriad Buddhas would reign supreme." A trace of disappointment tinged Ning Tao's eyes. Back then, the Blood Palace had shone like the sun at zenith, the foremost power in the Liufeng Realm. Her Qi Yuan had slain formidable foes within the Gate of Myriad Demons, put down the demoness, and departed bearing the Origin of Sun Extinction. Sadly, after the Blood Lord vanished, the Blood Palace of old had only lasted a century before falling apart. As for the Blood Lord's glorious deeds, no one even sang praises of them anymore. Qi Yuan knew what Ning Tao was thinking. He smiled faintly. "Why fret over the opinions of those who don't matter?" Ning Tao nodded and said softly, "Today's Liufeng Realm is covered with Buddhist temples and monasteries. In one month, the Myriad Buddhas Assembly will convene. Those Buddha Sons from the Upper Realm will likely all attend." Qi Yuan pondered as well. "Tell me, given how that blasted Gate of Myriad Manifestations usually acts, do you think it might show up when the Myriad Buddhas Assembly convenes?" Qi Yuan had his own guess regarding the catalyst for the Gate of Myriad Manifestations to appear: it emerged when great events unfolded and the fate and momentum of an entire realm converged. "It's possible," Ning Tao agreed. Beside them, the Canary suddenly giggled in delight. "Heehee, that wretched gate is finally going to become this young miss's front door!" One could tell she harbored quite a grudge against the Gate of Myriad Manifestations. After all, back then, that Blood Pearl fellow had stared at the gate day in and day out! The Canary had never understood—was that Gate of Myriad Manifestations prettier than her? Now that the Gate of Myriad Manifestations was about to become their house gate, she was in high spirits. "The Buddhist arts here are somewhat interesting, hailing from the Upper Realm. Doesn't that mean these baldies are all my... white moonlights?" Qi Yuan mused erratically. People from the Upper Realm were bound to possess many Upper Realm divine arts. To Qi Yuan, divine arts from the Upper Realm were all provisions for the Qi Yuan Scripture. "How about we tour the Liufeng Realm and beg for alms along the way?" Qi Yuan looked up at the mountaintop temple. "It seems I have a deep karmic affinity with the Buddha!" It truly was affinity! After all, arts from the Upper Realm shared an extraordinarily deep bond with him. And the monks who could deliver those Buddhist arts were his white moonlights. While having monks as one's white moonlight didn't sound particularly flattering, true love cared nothing for worldly opinions. The Canary's eyes sparkled with laughter, brimming with anticipation. "Let's go, let's go! This young miss has never begged for alms before!" Just then, an urgent cry for help suddenly rang out. Qi Yuan focused his gaze. Down beneath the cliff alongside the mountain path, an elderly woman was dangling in midair, clinging desperately to a pine root. Anxiety was written all over her face. The pine root was already tearing, looking as though it would snap under the strain at any second. Not far off, a young girl witnessed this, frantic with worry. "Someone come quick, save her!" The girl was named Bai Baixiang, charming, naive, and endowed with remarkable strength. Unfortunately, she had caused too much trouble, and her entire cultivation had been sealed away by her master. Faced with this situation, she could only panic helplessly. Right then, a gentle voice drifted over: "Today's good deeds shall begin with you." A streak of blood-red light swept past, settling upon the old woman. She immediately rose from below the cliff and landed safely on the mountain path. Seeing this, Bai Baixiang breathed a sigh of relief. She quickly looked toward the man who had rescued the woman, then blinked in surprise. In this day and age... there were still admirers of the esteemed Blood Lord? That blood-red robe looked almost identical to the ones her master made, practically a textbook replica. Without a doubt, an admirer of the Blood Lord. Alas, admiring the Blood Lord nowadays was merely a niche subculture—nowhere near the scale of revering bald monks. When she clearly saw the rescuer's face, she grew even more delighted. Sure enough, those who admired the Blood Lord were handsome men and beautiful women. However, when her eyes fell upon the two women beside the handsome man, her pupils constricted, and a sense of inferiority welled up inside her. What peerless grace, blessed with the finest essence of heaven and earth! If one could win either of them, one could die without regrets; if one had both, one had better stay alive, or missing them would be too great a tragedy. Without hesitation, she hurried over to greet them; after all, it was rare to encounter a fellow enthusiast out on the main road. Yet she saw the blood-robed man looking at the elderly woman with an affable expression. "Hey, according to the natural course of events, you ought to say 'thank you' to me." When you did a good deed, receiving a "thank you" was only natural. The distraught woman finally snapped back to her senses. Hearing Qi Yuan's words, her expression shifted slightly. Say thank you? As if recalling something, the woman turned around, gazed at the Buddhist pagoda atop the mountain, and assumed a pious expression. "I thank my Buddha for displaying divine power and rescuing this faithful woman from peril! This believer will surely observe a vegetarian diet, chant Buddha's name, and worship sincerely!" As she spoke, she even kowtowed several times with utmost sincerity. This stunned Qi Yuan, and he grew slightly disgruntled. "Now that you've thanked the Buddha, shouldn't you thank me?" Yet the woman replied, "You coming to save me was all arranged by the Buddha. Naturally, this believer must thank the Buddha!" Toward Qi Yuan, who had saved her life, there was not a shred of gratitude in her eyes. Or perhaps she simply didn't want to show gratitude—after all, if she expressed gratitude, wouldn't she be expected to give a reward? Most importantly, when danger struck moments ago, she had cried out in her heart to the Buddha of that pagoda for salvation. Clearly, her compassionate Buddha had bestowed divine power and casually found someone to rescue her. If thanks were to be given, they naturally belonged to the Buddha. At that moment, Bai Baixiang ran over, anger written across her face. "Some followers of these monks are truly disgusting." She said "some," clearly not tarring all believers with the same brush. Hearing this, Qi Yuan chuckled. Believers in gods often had this sort of obnoxious trait. When you helped them, not only did they refrain from thanking you, but they also believed it was their god's guidance. "Are you sure this was your Buddha's guidance?" Qi Yuan asked the old woman, his expression calm. The old woman looked at Qi Yuan. Even knowing full well he was an immortal master, she showed no fear; clearly, she was a fanatic. "A true Buddha presides over the temple here. Naturally, it was the true Buddha's guidance!" the old woman declared with certainty. Toward Qi Yuan, she genuinely possessed not the slightest bit of gratitude. Sensing something unusual in Qi Yuan's eyes, the girl beside them hurriedly warned, "A Sixth-Realm Half-Buddha oversees this pagoda. Don't act rashly!" A Sixth-Realm Half-Buddha was at the Yin God realm. Bai Baixiang thought Qi Yuan was about to strike the old woman and rushed to dissuade him. Qi Yuan smiled, looked up at the pagoda atop the high peak, and extended a finger. "You Half-Buddha in seclusion, get over here! I have something to ask you!" His voice was vast and majestic, like a divine decree, echoing through the entire mountain in an instant. Inside the pagoda, the ancient bell clanged loudly as Buddhist light surged forth. Seeing this, Bai Baixiang was dumbfounded and covered her mouth. "That is a Sixth-Realm Half-Buddha! How dare you?!" Her master was a great figure from ten thousand years ago, someone who could be considered a hegemon in the Liufeng Realm. Ten thousand years had passed, and her master had also stepped into the Sixth Realm. Yet even her master kept a respectful distance from these Buddhas of the Upper Realm. After all, these Buddhas were not only formidable in strength, but also possessed profound backings. They simply couldn't be provoked. Even the Blood Palace at its peak couldn't begin to compare with them. Yet this blood-robed man had directly shouted... What was he thinking? Qi Yuan's booming voice resounded through the entire pagoda, enraging hundreds of monks. "What petty scoundrel dares clamor before the pagoda?!" "Why do you not bow before the Half-Buddha?!" Accustomed to throwing their weight around, the monks were naturally furious when someone shouted like that. Yet deep within the pagoda, the Half-Buddha, whose half-body radiated golden light, was jolted awake. Cold sweat broke out on his forehead. This... realm? Golden light flared within the pagoda, and the towering figure of the Half-Buddha appeared. Countless monks and devotees dropped to their knees in devout worship. A voice imbued with Buddhist nature rang out. "May this humble Buddha know why the benefactor visits our precious temple?" Deep within the Half-Buddha's eyes lingered a wary look. He was curious about Qi Yuan's identity. Still, with a Buddhist Holy Land behind him, he did not fear ordinary Yin Gods in the slightest. "Get over here!" Seeing the Half-Buddha still rambling, Qi Yuan crooked his finger. Instantly, the origin energy between heaven and earth froze. Terror washed over the Half-Buddha's face. Even with Buddhist light shining across his body and divine spiritual power surging, he could not struggle free at all. Horror filled his eyes. Was this... a Myth? And no ordinary Myth at that! The aloft and exalted Half-Buddha was dragged down by Qi Yuan like a helpless chick. Every monk stood thunderstruck, feeling as though something inside them had shattered. The old woman's face turned ashen as well. For that imposing, solemn Half-Buddha, whom ordinary folk could hardly ever catch a glimpse of, was currently hunched over, smiling obsequiously like a petty lackey before the blood-robed man. "Senior, how has this little monk offended you?" The other party was a Myth-level heavyweight! In the Upper Realm, beneath Yang Gods, Myths were prominent figures in their own right. A mere Half-Buddha like him didn't count for jack! As for the woman, the illusions in her heart collapsed completely, leaving her face pale as a sheet. "Just now, I saved her, and she claimed you guided me to do it. Was it your guidance?" Qi Yuan pointed at the old woman and asked. Didn't you say the Buddha's guidance saved you? Now I've hauled the Buddha right over to confront you face-to-face! Let's see what you have to say! Qi Yuan was very pedantic. He was meticulous too. If a stray dog by the road barked at him once, he would sit down and reason with it for an hour until the dog apologized. After all, living in this world and cultivating the Dao—wasn't it all for freedom and unrestrained delight? The Half-Buddha's expression shifted repeatedly. He looked at the old woman, then at Qi Yuan, crying without tears. Just for this? Over such a trivial matter? He had been hauled down like a chick over this?! His dignity was completely down the drain! And besides, why on earth did this Myth behave so... strangely?! "How could this little monk ever dare guide you? It would be an honor if you guided me!" The Half-Buddha cursed the old woman to hell in his heart. Hearing this, Qi Yuan beamed. "See that? Even your Buddha says my saving you wasn't his guidance. Now, do you care to say 'thank you' to me?" The old woman turned deathly pale, her faith crumbling. She stammered, unable to force out a single "thank you." Meanwhile, a cold glint flashed in Ning Tao's eyes not far away. "Since it was the Buddha's guidance, now that the Buddha is here, let us see if he guides anyone to save you." She cast a glance at the old woman, and the woman's body floated back below the cliff, her hands once again clutching that same tree root. "Help! Save me..." She shrieked shrilly, but this time, the true Buddha gave no guidance. ... "Senior, these are all the divine arts this little monk possesses!" Inside the pagoda, the Half-Buddha's attitude was exceedingly humble. He looked at Qi Yuan as though staring at the God of Plagues. Qi Yuan accepted the divine arts, beaming from ear to ear. "How many big baldies of yours descended to this lower realm? Are they all as rich as you?" Hearing this, the Half-Buddha was somewhat baffled, while also curious about Qi Yuan's origins. "A total of two thousand Half-Buddhas descended," he answered. Qi Yuan's eyes lit up. "I just love hairless folks like you." If he caught all those monks, how many divine arts would they cough up? Each divine art pushed forward the Stellar Golden Core Chapter of the Qi Yuan Scripture by no less than a new Stellar Golden Core. One divine art, one Stellar Golden Core! Qi Yuan was naturally overjoyed. The Half-Buddha chuckled awkwardly, not daring to reply. Just then, Qi Yuan asked, "Help me find a few people, as an apology for having me misunderstood." "Who?" the Half-Buddha asked curiously. "Hmm, Bai Ze, Daoist Yu, Ling Yayi..." Qi Yuan couldn't be bothered to look for them himself. If he went looking, he might accidentally break the Liufeng Realm. After all, he was too powerful. So it was better to let this Half-Buddha search. "Bai Ze? Could you mean the disciple of the Great Sun Radiant Buddha?" The Half-Buddha's expression shifted slightly. Not far away, Bai Baixiang's expression changed as well upon hearing this. She stared at Qi Yuan with deep suspicion. Her master was White Crane, who followed the White Emperor. And weren't the people this blood-robed man mentioned after that... former members of the Thirteen Northern Demon Fiends? Suddenly, her gaze landed on Ning Tao, her face filled with wonder. Could it be... Her heart accelerated. God-grandfather? Qi Yuan paid no attention to Bai Baixiang. He nodded. "Yes. Why, do you have news of him? He can barely be considered half a disciple of mine; we share some past ties. Judging by your expression, is he not doing well?" Qi Yuan smiled pleasantly. Shock rattled the Half-Buddha's heart. He couldn't quite fathom what manner of supreme being this Myth truly was. Bai Ze was the disciple of the Great Sun Radiant Buddha; barring any unforeseen event, he would unify the Buddha Realm and become the Buddha Ancestor. This man actually dared to claim Bai Ze was half a disciple of his—was he truly not afraid of incurring such massive karma? Or could it be... he wasn't just a Myth?!