Chapter 197: The Buddhist Kingdom Reopens, A Massive Whirlpool
Chapter 197 – The Buddhist Kingdom Reopens, A Massive Whirlpool
Northern Desert.
Three youths, hurrying along their path, abruptly halted.
On the distant horizon, a blinding, golden Buddhist light fractured the sky.
Cold sweat instantly beaded and dripped down Tian Xuan’s forehead at the sight.
Noticing his reaction, Chen Shisan asked, “What’s wrong?”
Gulp!
Swallowing hard, Tian Xuan asked in a strained voice, “Shisan, did Sir specify where we were supposed to rendezvous with him?”
“Sir didn’t mention it. Besides, didn’t we agree to head into the Buddhist Kingdom and wait for him there?”
Tian Xuan’s mouth twitched into a bitter grimace. “That was the original plan. But now… I’m afraid we need to adjust our course.”
“It would be best if we do not set foot inside the Buddhist Kingdom.”
“What? What are you so afraid of?”
Seeing the lingering dread on Tian Xuan’s face, Qian Baoer couldn’t help but interject.
“If my eyes aren’t deceiving me, that phenomenon ahead is simply a sign that the Buddhist Kingdom is reopening its borders.”
“Even if they are reopening, there is no need to look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
“We are merely going there to wait for Sir. It isn’t as if we are marching to wage war against them.”
The naive dismissal grated on Tian Xuan’s nerves, causing him to snap, “What do you know? Do you truly believe the Buddhist Kingdom is a place you can just stroll into?”
The sudden hostility made Qian Baoer flinch.
A moment later, Tian Xuan realized he had lost his composure.
“Miss Baoer, forgive my rudeness. But there are depths here you simply cannot fathom.”
“The Wan Tong Chamber of Commerce is a newborn entity. You have absolutely no concept of what the Northern Desert Buddhist Kingdom truly is.”
Qian Baoer crossed her arms, lifting her chin in disdain. “Enlighten me, then. Just how terrifying can this Northern Desert Buddhist Kingdom be?”
Ignoring her haughty posture, Tian Xuan kept his eyes locked on the heavy Buddhist light, his brow deeply furrowed.
“I don’t blame you for your ignorance, Miss Baoer.”
“Ever since the Desolate Heavenly Emperor claimed the Heaven’s Mandate, the great factions of the world have been sealed away, nursing their strength.”
“And following the Desolate Heavenly Emperor’s Ascension, countless minor sects and powers sprouted like weeds after a spring rain.”
“These new powers grew arrogant. The Wan Tong Chamber of Commerce spans three continents—you naturally feel you can look down upon the world.”
“But that illusion of supremacy is built entirely upon the silence of the ancient colossi.”
“The moment those primordial forces awaken and make a move, even the Wan Tong Chamber of Commerce will have no choice but to kneel.”
Qian Baoer’s rebellious streak flared at the insult to her faction.
The Wan Tong Chamber of Commerce possessed dominion over three continents and had gone unchallenged for a millennium.
How could the Northern Desert Buddhist Kingdom—a faction that had acted like a cowardly turtle hiding in its shell for thousands of years—possibly compare?
“Aren’t you exaggerating a bit?”
“True power doesn’t just passively accumulate with age.”
Seeing her stubborn refusal to grasp the gravity of the situation, Tian Xuan’s lips pressed into a thin line.
“Miss Baoer, the Xuan Bird clan was conquered by the Wan Tong Chamber of Commerce.”
“As the victor, how would you evaluate my clan’s martial might?”
Qian Baoer tilted her head, pondering the question before answering.
“Although the Xuan Bird clan fell to us, I must admit your foundation was incredibly profound.”
“It took us a massive amount of preparation and resources to finally break your lines.”
Tian Xuan nodded. “A very fair assessment.”
“Then let me share a harsh truth. The Xuan Bird clan your Chamber fought possessed only half of its original strength.”
“As for why our power was so drastically diminished, you should know the history.”
“When the Desolate Heavenly Emperor waged his bloody campaign against the demon tribes of the Western Continent, the Xuan Bird clan stood among them.”
“Do you honestly believe we emerged from that apocalyptic slaughter unscathed?”
The weight of his words finally erased the smirk from Qian Baoer’s face. Her earlier bickering had been born of youthful arrogance.
But with the brutal reality laid bare before her, continuing to scoff would not be pride.
It would be pure, unadulterated stupidity.
“I understand. If the Xuan Bird clan had possessed double its strength, our Chamber might have been the one annihilated.”
“So, are you implying that the Northern Desert Buddhist Kingdom is several times stronger than the Xuan Bird clan at its peak?”
“It is not a matter of ‘several times’.”
Tian Xuan paused, his mind searching through ancient annals for a fitting comparison.
“Let me phrase it like this. According to the secret texts of the Xuan Bird clan…”
“An ancestor of my clan once severed his worldly ties, entered the Buddhist path, and became a Dharma Protector of the Northern Desert Buddhist Kingdom.”
“At the time of his induction, this Senior’s cultivation had already reached the absolute peak of the Sixth Realm.”
“By today’s standards, that is roughly equivalent to the peak of the Life Lamp Realm—a supreme being who had already touched the threshold of the Divine Realm.”
Hiss…
Qian Baoer drew in a sharp breath of frigid air.
Peak Life Lamp Realm experts were existences bordering on myth; even the Wan Tong Chamber of Commerce possessed only a scant few.
Yet such a heaven-defying overlord was relegated to the rank of a mere Dharma Protector in the Northern Desert Buddhist Kingdom? It sounded utterly absurd.
A tremor ran through Qian Baoer’s voice as she forced out her next words.
“A peak Life Lamp expert… acting as a simple Dharma Protector? That’s impossible.”
“If the Northern Desert Buddhist Kingdom is truly that monstrous, how were they suppressed for thousands of years by a single edict from the Desolate Heavenly Emperor?”
“Because that edict was spoken by the Desolate Heavenly Emperor!”
“The Northern Desert Buddhist Kingdom didn’t seal its borders because they were weak. They sealed them because the Desolate Heavenly Emperor was an unparalleled monster!”
Qian Baoer was rendered completely mute.
She had been born long after the era of the Desolate Heavenly Emperor.
Everything she knew of him was stitched together from myths and whispers.
Relying solely on legends, her mind simply lacked the capacity to fathom the sheer, crushing weight of a singular existence capable of suppressing the entire mortal realm.
Having shattered Qian Baoer’s ignorance, Tian Xuan stared back at the horizon, his gaze heavy with dread.
“The reopening of the Buddhist Kingdom signals the prelude to an apocalyptic shift.”
“It will soon transform into a terrifying whirlpool of karma and slaughter.”
“Any cultivator dragged into its currents will be ground into blood mist. With our meager cultivation, we wouldn’t even qualify as cannon fodder.”
“Therefore, to preserve our lives, I suggest we immediately—”
“An exquisite analysis. I like it.”
Before Tian Xuan could utter the word ‘retreat’, a lazy, familiar voice drifted into their ears.
Tian Xuan’s head snapped around, tracking the sound to the space directly behind Chen Shisan.
“Sir, why are you here?”
Staring at the Chen Changsheng who had materialized out of thin air, Chen Shisan’s eyes widened with curiosity.
“I’ll explain the details to you later. For now, let us focus on the matter at hand.”
Chen Changsheng casually pointed a finger toward the blinding golden horizon.
“We are currently standing roughly twenty thousand miles from the borders of the Buddhist Kingdom. Your trial is quite simple.”
“Traverse these twenty thousand miles, pierce into the heart of the Buddhist Kingdom, and find me.”
Tian Xuan: “…”
So everything I just said was nothing more than a waste of breath?
And knowing your ruthless temperament, you probably won’t lift a single finger to save us.