Are You Still in Need of a Lord Buddha?

Bai Baixiang was shaken. The Half-Buddha's heart pounded even more wildly. The master of Buddha Son Bai Ze? "Could it be that Senior also hails from the Buddha Realm?" As he spoke, he couldn't help glancing again at the Canary and Ning Tao beside Qi Yuan. Had this senior once belonged to the Buddha Realm, only to sever ties because he was attached to the mortal world? However, as for his claim that Bai Ze was half a disciple of his, the Half-Buddha did not believe it. Bai Ze was a disciple of the Great Sun Radiant Buddha; ordinary True Buddhas wouldn't dare claim to be Bai Ze's master. This man was remarkably audacious. "Do I look like someone from the Buddha Realm?" Qi Yuan held a beauty in each arm, flaunting them to the Half-Buddha. After all, at first glance, this Half-Buddha was clearly a bachelor dog. Qi Yuan was brimming with superiority. The Half-Buddha was surprised. Not from the Buddha Realm? Yet before descending to the lower realm, the disciple of the Great Sun Radiant Buddha had never left the Buddha Realm. How could he be half a disciple of this man? Was this person posturing? If that were the case, it made total sense. As a member of the Buddhist sect, the Half-Buddha naturally understood that worldly mortals harbored countless desires. Even he was no exception. Wasn't becoming a True Buddha also an obsession? Just then, Bai Baixiang's eyes widened, and she summoned her courage to ask, "Could Senior be... the Blood Lord?" Her voice trembled with excitement. If it was the Blood Lord, everything made sense. Qi Yuan's gaze fell upon Bai Baixiang, slightly surprised. "There are still youngsters in this world who remember the Blood Lord?" Within a game, there was no need to hide one's identity. Sincerity was the ultimate trump card. "You really are the Blood Lord, Adoptive Grandpa!" Bai Baixiang exclaimed, lunging forward to throw herself at Qi Yuan. Yet halfway through her leap, Ning Tao froze her in midair. Ning Tao furrowed her brows. "Smelling of sweat all over! Besides, my husband is still young!" Beside them, the Half-Buddha was stunned, an expression of shock surfacing on his face. The Blood Lord? He had heard of this person. He was a legendary figure from nearly ten thousand years ago in the Liufeng Realm—the kind who could stir the winds and clouds of the entire world. Yet no matter how much he had stirred the world, hadn't he only been a Fifth-Realm Purple Mansion? How had he suddenly become... this formidable? One had to know that tempering a Yin God and opening divine apertures was an immensely time-consuming ordeal. The Buddha Realm had the aid of incense faith power, allowing divine apertures to be opened at remarkable speed. Yet across ten thousand years, this Half-Buddha had only progressed from Step One Sky Treading to Step Two Sky Treading. Qi Yuan looked at Bai Baixiang with curiosity. "How did I end up with an adoptive granddaughter?" "Adoptive Grandpa, my master is White Crane! She's your adoptive daughter, did you forget?" Bai Baixiang said excitedly. A white crane surfaced in Qi Yuan's memory. That crane maiden had been from the White Emperor Palace. Back then, when Qi Yuan held down the City of No Return and swept through the realm, that White Crane had been rather shameless, calling Qi Yuan adoptive father right away. Or rather, she went around telling everyone Qi Yuan was her adoptive father. Qi Yuan had never acknowledged it. He looked at Bai Baixiang as though looking at a fool. "I'm human, and your master is a bird. Can a human give birth to a bird? Therefore, she's not my daughter. I currently have only two daughters!" Bai Baixiang blinked, feeling that made some sense, but then blurted out, "Wait, that's not right! My master is your adoptive daughter!" "Why are you just as shameless as your master?" Qi Yuan didn't dwell on it further and asked, "Is your master still following Bai Ze?" Bai Baixiang shook her head, clearly unaware. Just then, the Half-Buddha spoke up: "In three months' time, the Myriad Buddhas Assembly will convene. By then... Buddha Son Bai Ze should be present." "Oh, a bachelor dog assembly?" Qi Yuan grew rather delighted. Didn't that mean he could go out begging for alms? The Half-Buddha had an awkward look on his face. This Blood Lord's mouth was truly asking for a beating. "Please do not speak rashly, Senior Blood Lord. When the Myriad Buddhas Assembly convenes, True Buddhas in the Upper Realm may listen to Buddhist discourses and jointly select the Holy Buddha Son." As the Half-Buddha mentioned this, his expression held awe and excitement. In the Upper Realm, the Buddha Realm had been embroiled in endless conflict. Now, there was finally an opportunity to unite and end the disputes, so Half-Buddha Cankuo was naturally glad. "What use is the Holy Buddha Son?" Qi Yuan asked. "Can he obtain divine arts from the divine realm for free?" An idea struck Qi Yuan. Going around begging for alms was too troublesome; why not invest in Bai Ze and make him the Holy Buddha Son? If Bai Ze attained that position, wouldn't cultivation techniques be his for the taking? "He can," Half-Buddha Cankuo replied. "Do you think Bai Ze has the countenance of a Holy Buddha Son?" Qi Yuan asked. "How about you all support him?" Half-Buddha Cankuo wore an odd expression. "Buddha Son Bai Ze indeed has a chance, but having lost the Great Sun Golden Lotus, he will likely be held accountable. Unless he recovers it." Hearing this, Qi Yuan mirrored Half-Buddha Cankuo's odd expression. It seemed it would be rather tough for Bai Ze to become the Holy Buddha Son. The Great Sun Golden Lotus had long since been swallowed by Qi Yuan to forge his Glazed Flawless Golden Body. Returning it... was utterly impossible. Suddenly, a thought struck him, and he whispered to Half-Buddha Cankuo, "Are you guys still in need of a Lord Buddha?" Half-Buddha Cankuo: "..." He didn't dare answer this question—in fact, he couldn't answer it. After the Great Sun Radiant Buddha passed into Nirvana, none of the True Buddhas of the Fifth Heaven yielded to one another. In the Buddha Realm, there was simply no Lord Buddha. Currently, jointly selecting a Holy Buddha Son was merely intended to halt conflicts and temporarily unite the Buddha Realm. But a Holy Buddha Son becoming... the Lord Buddha? Wishful thinking. "Well... we likely are in need of one," Half-Buddha Cankuo stammered. Such monumental matters were not to be discussed lightly. If a True Buddha sensed it, he would suffer immensely. "I have a friend who's very handsome and has karmic affinity with your Buddha. I recommend him to be your Lord Buddha... What do you think?" Qi Yuan said excitedly. Cold sweat beaded on Cankuo's forehead. He already understood that this man was definitely not at the Mythological level! How could any Mythological figure be so audacious! He had to be a Yang God Heavenly Venerable without a doubt! Yet even for a Yang God Heavenly Venerable, this was too daring—he had actually ventured into the lower realm alone! "Well, Senior, this humble monk dares not speak rashly on the matter of the Lord Buddha. To become the Lord Buddha, being handsome is not enough. One also needs profound Buddhist teachings to convince myriad Buddhas, and must cause the Buddha Realm to tremble as Buddhist light illuminates all!" Half-Buddha Cankuo said with utmost caution. How could becoming the Lord Buddha be so simple? Within the Buddha Realm, there were even True Buddhas of the Ultimate Principle Realm, yet none could command the conviction of all Buddhas as the Great Sun Radiant Buddha once had. One crucial reason was that to become the Lord Buddha, one had to receive the acknowledgment of the Creation Treasure, the Buddha Realm. The entire Buddha Realm was itself a Creation Treasure. To this day, only the Buddha had received the acknowledgment of the Creation Treasure Buddha Realm. "Those points you mentioned—I feel my friend, wait no, several of my friends fit the bill. How about you recommend them up the chain for me?" Qi Yuan said expectantly. Qi Yuan felt he was truly a good person. Unable to bear seeing the Buddha Realm without a master, he was recommending candidates to be their Lord Buddha. To spare the other party embarrassment, he even employed "advanced sales techniques" that only a "sales manager" would master, offering choices. It was just like asking someone in a restaurant whether they wanted green tea or milk—most people would pick one. If asked whether they wanted a drink at all, they might refuse. Therefore, Qi Yuan directly offered multiple candidates. "Well... how about this humble monk makes an inquiry?" Refusing was something Half-Buddha Cankuo didn't dare do. He feared this somewhat unhinged Blood Lord would beat him to death. After all, to beings of their caliber, the old woman earlier was more insignificant than a speck of dust, not worth paying any attention to. Yet this Blood Lord had insisted on talking so much with her; his actions were simply too bizarre and incomprehensible. "However, this humble monk is of lowly station. My inquiry might not reach the ears of a True Buddha." "No problem, no problem. Just ask for me." Qi Yuan was in no hurry. Even if no answer came of it, he could simply ask directly when the Myriad Buddhas Assembly arrived. Surely all the Buddhas would receive his good intentions. ... The Liufeng Realm. The City of No Return of former days was now dilapidated and broken, reduced to a wasteland. A tall, upright man looked on with a sigh in his eyes. "I once hoped to return home in glory and wealth, yet where are my fellow townsfolk?" Seven thousand years ago, the man had broken through the Fifth Realm into the Sixth Realm and ascended to the Upper Realm. After knocking about in the Upper Realm for thousands of years, he had achieved modest success. Later, he heard that the disputes of the Buddha Realm had spread to his homeland, the Liufeng Realm. Without a second thought, he returned directly to the Liufeng Realm. After all, the Liufeng Realm was too small to endure the conflicts of the Buddha Realm, and he feared it would cause widespread turmoil. He had returned to the lower realm to look after old acquaintances. Yet upon returning, he discovered that he was far too weak. He was no match for even a random Half-Buddha. Chen Huan felt disappointed and helpless. Following the Blood Lord had been so much more satisfying—carefree, with nothing to worry about. Regardless... the Blood Lord would always work miracles. All he had needed to do was manage the suona troupe well. "Old friends have drifted east, and nowhere to be seen is the red-robed suona troupe of yesterday." Chen Huan couldn't help composing a poem, his voice lonely. Beside him, the little old Daoist Kunxia smiled with glittering eyes. "This Blood Lord is rather interesting; he does seem to possess a bit of fortune and destiny." After Daoist Kunxia descended to the lower realm, he had lain low in hiding. Coming across Chen Huan, he had deliberately befriended him. After all, since he had to stay hidden, it was inconvenient to openly gather information everywhere. "To put it bluntly, if the Blood Lord were willing to acknowledge me as his adoptive son, I would slide onto my knees and call him father on the spot!" Chen Huan said, his eyes filled with deep regret. Regrettably, he hadn't seized the opportunity back then. Along the way, he had told Daoist Kunxia a few things about the Blood Lord, though naturally withholding certain details. Suddenly, Chen Huan's expression shifted slightly, and he looked toward a desolate tavern. "What did you say?" A powerful aura swept out, causing the cultivators inside the tavern to turn pale. "Senior, we were saying that the Blood Lord has reappeared in the world..." "The world is growing more chaotic by the day. Even relics like the Blood Lord are showing up." "Indeed. What a shame it's no longer the Blood Lord's era." The cultivators in the tavern sighed, expressing pity for a hero past his prime. Chen Huan felt no such thing, asking excitedly instead, "Where is the Blood Lord now?" He was overjoyed. Back then, the Blood Lord had left carrying the Source of World Destruction; no one believed he could survive. Now that the Blood Lord was actually alive, how could he not be thrilled? Even if it was false, he had to go see for himself! "The Blood Lord has no fixed abode. He mentioned that he will attend the Myriad Buddhas Assembly three months from now," someone replied. The news of the Blood Lord's reappearance was like a grain of sand cast into a lake, creating barely a ripple. Nowadays, the Buddhist sect reigned supreme in the Liufeng Realm. As for any Blood Palace or Blood Lord, apart from those with ulterior motives or special ties, no one paid any mind. As for the news of the Blood Lord's emergence, it had actually been spread by Qi Yuan. If old acquaintances wished to meet him, they could come to the Myriad Buddhas Assembly. As for anyone else, Qi Yuan didn't care. At present, he was still wandering about, accompanying the Canary and Ning Tao along paths they had never traveled before. Along the way, he was searching for that naughty door of his that had run away from home. He had heard of turning one's back on one's hometown, but carrying a door away from home was a first even for Qi Yuan. "Fellow Daoist, here is where we part ways. I'm heading to the Myriad Buddhas Assembly to see the Blood Lord!" Chen Huan took his leave of Daoist Kunxia, brimming with excitement. He was eager to show off in front of the Blood Lord: *Look at this... my divine apertures!* Of course, what thrilled him even more was that the Blood Lord hadn't died after all. Just then, Daoist Kunxia narrowed his eyes. "This humble Daoist is also rather intrigued by this Blood Lord. Why don't I travel with you to see this former legendary figure, and take in the Myriad Buddhas Assembly as well?" Daoist Kunxia's thought process was simple. Although he was lying low in the lower realm, he couldn't actually play the cowardly grandson forever. Nor did he dare recklessly make moves to establish a faction. If he did, should people from Taihuang Palace trace their way here, it would be easy to discover him. The best approach was to usurp an indigenous faction. Yet he was exceptionally cautious. Among these factions, he didn't dare touch anything connected to the Buddha Realm. Wasn't this Blood Lord and his so-called Blood Palace an attractive prize ripe for the picking? It possessed a bit of strength, some elders, and some fame. When the time came, he could employ a few tricks to turn the Blood Lord into a puppet, and everything would be set. As for Chen Huan, it wasn't convenient to make a move on him just yet. After all, Chen Huan had come down from the Upper Realm and retained connections there; if he vanished, it could prove troublesome. Daoist Kunxia had a gentle expression, smiling eyes. This trip to the lower realm was going smoothly in every way—heaven's mandate was with him! ... "Alas, too tragic! Too tragic!" "I don't want to be a bald donkey! I still want to take a wife!" Ling Yayi wailed, his expression enough to move anyone to pity. Buddha Son Wuguang looked at him with a calm gaze. "It has been ten thousand years and you still haven't wed a wife; could you even manage to marry one now? Whether you marry or not seems to make no difference to you. You might as well... enter our Buddhist sect." The corner of Ling Yayi's mouth twitched, his expression freezing awkwardly. Buddha Son Wuguang did have a point. Did abstaining from lust really make any difference to him? In all ten thousand years of living, had he ever chased after anyone? Was it to blame on women in the world looking too strange to suit his taste? Maybe he should just... cut it off! "By the way, there is some news I should tell you." A complex look flickered in Buddha Son Wuguang's eyes. "What news?" Ling Yayi paused. "A True Buddha received word that the Great Sun Golden Lotus is on the Blood Lord." Buddha Son Wuguang had only just learned this news himself. What happened back then in the Gate of Myriad Demons could not be concealed forever, and some True Buddhas had found out. "So what if it's on Master? Could you people actually find him?" Ling Yayi wasn't afraid in the least. Master had departed after swallowing the Source of World Destruction; the best outcome was that some scraps remained of his corpse when he died. Could these Buddhas actually locate Master's corpse and summon his soul back? "The latest news: word has spread that the Blood Lord has reappeared and will attend the Myriad Buddhas Assembly. Perhaps he wishes to use this assembly to see old acquaintances." "What?!" Ling Yayi was completely stunned. His body trembled as immense delight surged through him, followed immediately by dread. "If Master appears, what will those True Buddhas do to him?" If Master was still alive and deeply bound to the Great Sun Golden Lotus, he could hardly imagine what would happen. Buddha Son Wuguang shook his head with a complicated expression. "This humble monk cannot say either." The implication of those words was already obvious. The Great Sun Golden Lotus could definitely not be left inside the Blood Lord's body. If the Great Sun Golden Lotus was taken away, the Blood Lord's fate would be no different from death. Ling Yayi's gaze shifted erratically. Only after a long silence did he ask, "If I become the Holy Buddha Son, could I save Master's life?" "You could." "Wuguang, shave my head! Hurry!" "Also, bring on real beauties—ten times more than before!" "Today, I'm going to challenge my limits!"