Wuxiang Temple.
The Great Heroic Hall.
Rows of resplendent and solemn Buddha Statues, Bodhisattva Statues, and Arhat Statues were enshrined in the center and along the sides, the air thick with the smoke of flourishing Incense!
Ever since Wuxiang Temple beca the Alliance Leader of the Western Regions, its followers had surged in number.
Every day, an endless stream of worshippers ca to the temple to pay their respects to the Buddha.
Furthermore, with Wuxiang Temple producing a once-in-a-millennium Buddha’s Son like Wang Xiao, the temple’s reputation had reached an unprecedented, historical high.
It wasn’t just believers from the Western Regions; even common folk and people from the Jianghu traveled thousands of miles from other states to burn incense and pay a visit!
Nowadays, under the arrangents of Wang Xiao and Zen Master Zhi Kong, Wuxiang Temple had already completely absorbed and rged with Yuan Chu Temple, ending the five-hundred-year-long schism within Buddhism.
The entire Western Regions had been transford into a Buddhist Sacred Land.
Almost every household enshrined a Buddha Statue!
At this mont, Wang Xiao had summoned the upper echelons of Wuxiang Temple, including his own master, to the Great Heroic Hall to announce his intention to go to the Wilderness.
Zen Master Zhi Kong’s brows furrowed slightly as he spoke:
"Wu Chen, Zhi Shang is already leading a team from Wuxiang Temple to the Wilderness. There’s no need for you to go as well, is there?"
"Although your strength is extraordinary now, if you were to encounter the Demon Lord of the Wilderness, the consequences would be unimaginable."
During these three years, Wuxiang Temple had also experienced unprecedented developnt.
Two Demi-Immortals who were already at Five Viscera Refining Perfection successfully managed to Open All Passages and beco Human Immortals of the Refining Acupoints realm.
Zen Master Zhi Kong’s junior brother, Zhi Shang, was one of them!
This ti, Celestial Sword Mountain had summoned the major Sects of the Central State to journey to the Wilderness and crusade against the Demon Cultivators.
To prevent any mishaps befalling Wang Xiao, Wuxiang Temple did not send him, sending Zhi Shang to lead the team instead!
The other high-ranking mbers of Wuxiang Temple also chid in, trying to persuade him.
"Indeed. Based on past experience, this war between the righteous and demonic paths will last at least ten years. Nephew Wu Chen, there’s no need for you to take such a risk and go to the Wilderness."
"In ten years, with your Talent, Wu Chen, you will very likely break through to the Celestial Human Realm. At that ti, by coordinating with the Sword Holder of Celestial Sword Mountain, you might be able to eradicate the Demon Lord and completely end this five-hundred-year-long chaos."
"Wu Chen, you are our Wuxiang Temple’s once-in-a-millennium Buddha’s Son. You must not put yourself in harm’s way!"
Listening to Zen Master Zhi Kong and the others, Wang Xiao put his palms together and said:
"The Buddha once said: If I don’t enter Hell, who will? Now that the war between the righteous and demonic paths has broken out, how can I stand by and watch?"
"Besides, I have my reasons for going to the Wilderness this ti."
"My Cultivation hit a bottleneck a few years ago. The Celestial Human Realm may seem to be just a hair’s breadth away, but in reality, the distance is vast."
"Through my explorations these past few years, I’ve discovered that the Demon Crystals of Demon Cultivators are extrely helpful for breaking through my bottleneck."
"However, Demon Crystals from ordinary Demon Cultivators at the Refining the Five Viscera realm are no longer of much help to . I need to go to the Wilderness to obtain High Tier Demon Crystals."
"Uncles and senior brothers, please rest assured. With my current strength, even if I am no match for the Demon Lord, I am still capable of escaping."
What Wang Xiao said was not untrue.
Over the years, refining Demon Crystals had also greatly strengthened his Spirit.
In fact, he could even feel the Celestial Gate that lay between the Five Viscera and the Mud Ball Palace beginning to loosen.
Relying on this, the Martial Arts he executed were now several tis more powerful than before.
Even the Demon Lord, who was in the Celestial Human Realm, might not be able to kill him.
Moreover, Wang Xiao wasn’t foolish enough to go to the Wilderness with great fanfare under his own na.
He would certainly conceal his identity before going, hunting Demon Cultivators in secret.
The Wilderness was so vast; even the Demon Lord might not be able to find him.
Hearing Wang Xiao’s words, Zen Master Zhi Kong recited a Buddhist mantra:
"Amitabha. Slaying demons to protect the common people is also a Technique for tempering one’s character. Wu Chen, you have been gifted and intelligent since childhood. In these past few years leading the various Sects to eliminate demons, you have developed the ability to stand on your own. Since you have already made your decision, I will not try to persuade you any further. However, you must rember that the Wilderness is not the Western Regions. If sothing is not ant to be, do not force it."
Wang Xiao nodded. "Yes, Master. Thank you for granting your permission."
He wasn’t worried about the safety of Wuxiang Temple after he left.
After three years of recuperation, although Zhi Kong hadn’t returned to his peak Cultivation, he had at least maintained his Realm as a Human Immortal of the Refining Acupoints stage.
With the addition of another Human Immortal of the Refining Acupoints stage, Wuxiang Temple could be considered a first-rate power even without Wang Xiao.
Besides, Wang Xiao only planned to conceal his identity and travel to the Wilderness in secret, just like the Sword Holder of Celestial Sword Mountain.
This way, the Demon Cultivators would remain wary of him and wouldn’t dare to attack Wuxiang Temple rashly.
Since Zhi Kong had spoken, the others, though still sowhat worried, no longer objected. They only reminded Wang Xiao to be extra careful.
「Three days later.」
Wang Xiao bid farewell to Zen Master Zhi Kong. After packing so simple dry rations and silver, he casually descended the mountain.
With his current Cultivation, aside from the Blood Pool deep within the Wilderness, he could go anywhere he pleased in the world!
Wang Xiao didn’t ride a horse; he traveled on foot.
By circulating his Inner Qi, he could cover several hundred zhang in a single step, his speed already surpassing that of sound.
Although he couldn’t maintain this state for long, it was still far more convenient than riding a horse.
Unfortunately, he was not yet able to fly through the air. He could only use his Inner Qi to levitate for short periods.
Otherwise, he really would have liked to know what it felt like to fly using Sword Control.
’It seems one has to beco a Tier Six Life form and gain control over the rules of Heaven and Earth to achieve true Flying in the Sky,’ Wang Xiao mused.
A Tier Six Life form was the strongest life on Earth, known as ’Heaven and Earth Level’!
They were equivalent to a human-shaped nuclear bomb!
Experts of this level were already beginning to explore the Cosmos and rarely appeared on Earth.
「Half a month later.」
Atop a mountain peak.
Wang Xiao, dressed in plain cloth robes and a straw hat, gazed into the distance, his eyes filled with emotion.
In the distance, a continuous line of border fortifications had been built, stretching for over ten thousand li.
Like a great, prostrating dragon, it completely separated the Central State from the Wilderness, dividing them into two different worlds.
Beyond the border lay a range of desolate mountains, dense forests, and sprawling swamps—a scene of utter desolation.
Within the border, however, were cities that rose from the ground one after another.
Faintly, one could even see all sorts of crowds bustling within them.
The Wilderness was not a dilapidated, lifeless place.
On the contrary, quite a few normal humans lived inside.
So places were even more prosperous than the cities of the Central State.
However, behind this prosperity was naked, bloody, and filthy slaughter.
This was because the humans within the Wilderness were raised like livestock by the Demon Cultivators.
The Demon Cultivators would let them reproduce and grow freely.
Then, at a certain ti, a portion of them would be chosen by the Demon Cultivators and corrupted to beco the next generation of Demon Cultivators.
Another portion would beco ’Vegetable People’.
The so-called Vegetable People were treated like vegetables, left to grow and develop slowly.
In the end, they would be harvested and eaten by the Demon Cultivators!
This "sustainable" thod of draining the pond to catch all the fish had been going on for a full five hundred years!
At this mont, wolf smoke was already rising from the various border posts.
Clearly, the righteous path’s crusade against the Demon Cultivators had officially begun!
Wang Xiao was just about to take advantage of the chaos, choose a border entrance, and enter the Wilderness.
Then he would hunt High Tier Demon Cultivators and, while he was at it, look for the next Sword Holder of Celestial Sword Mountain.
However, just then, his eyes flashed as he looked toward a mountain path below the peak!
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