"Buddhism is still Buddhism."
"If it can bring blessings to the people, then it is supreme Buddhism."
"It seems you've come to understand this truth." Zhao Feng smiled slightly.
Buddhism, Immortal Arts, Daoism, Confucianism, Military Strategy...
The Hundred Schools of Thought.
Ever since Zhao Feng became the Crown Prince of Great Qin, his philosophy toward governing the nation had been one of embracing all ideologies, drawing from each school's strengths to empower and strengthen Great Qin.
No matter what path it was, Zhao Feng never rejected it as long as it was useful, Great Qin would use it.
That was also why, after conquering the Western Regions, Zhao Feng had preserved the Buddhist temples.
Not because he opposed Buddhism, but because he intended to promote it.
Having lived two lifetimes,
Zhao Feng knew that everything had both a positive and negative side.
In his past life, there were ascetic monks devoted to doing good and relieving the suffering of others but also false monks who indulged in luxury.
Yet Buddhism's teachings of compassion and morality held real value for the nation. That was the reason for its existence just like every other school of thought.
"I am enlightened by your words."
"You are no demon or heretic you are a sage."
"I was ordered to capture you, but that was my sect's mistake."
"Now, I take my leave. If we meet again, I shall honor you as a guide."
Golden Cicada solemnly pressed his hands together and bowed deeply to Zhao Feng.
Seeing him like this, Zhao Feng felt a bit worried.
This guy had a very upright and serious nature. Once he returned to the Buddhist sect, he would cause a stir.
"Golden Cicada."
"Though you've understood the true meaning of Buddhism, you'd best restrain yourself when you return to your sect."
"The Buddhist sect in the Immortal Realm is not like Great Qin's Buddhism. If you try to preach our ways there, it will be nearly impossible." Zhao Feng reminded him.
"Thank you for the warning."
"But I always remember what Kṣitigarbha once said 'If I don't go to hell, who will?'"
"Buddhism is boundless. If I cannot lead my sect onto the true path of Mahayana Buddhism, then what meaning is there in my cultivation?" Golden Cicada said seriously.
Zhao Feng didn't know how to respond to that.
But seeing how... "different" Golden Cicada was, Zhao Feng had a feeling that when he returned to his sect, he would stir up trouble.
"Well then."
"If he can disrupt the Buddhist sect, that might be a good thing. Besides, this Golden Cicada is destined by the heavens to play a major role in the sect. If they plan to start the Journey to the West, there must be a divine mandate."
"But if Buddhism is to spread eastward, the destination should be the Eastern Continent. Could this continent be the future birthplace of the Sui and Tang Dynasties?"
Looking at Golden Cicada, Zhao Feng fell deep into thought.
The development of the Immortal Realm seemed to be progressing exactly like the Journey to the West from his memory.
"The Mortal Realm returning to the Immortal Realm is something both the Heavenly Court and Buddhist sect agreed on."
"They want to seize the fate and fortune of the Mortal Realm's human race. Could the Journey to the West be just a ploy for that?"
"Or... is it just a smokescreen?"
"No, that can't be it."
"If the sole purpose was to spread Buddhism into the Mortal Realm, it wouldn't warrant such attention. Their true target must be the Eastern Continent and the battle with the Daoist sect for fortune and fate." Zhao Feng speculated silently.
Though he had entered the Immortal Realm,
Zhao Feng still didn't understand the deepest secrets.
"Fated One, farewell."
Golden Cicada pressed his hands together once more. Suddenly, a powerful aura surged from his body stronger than a Grand Golden Immortal.
In an instant,
A force from the Mortal Realm's world laws descended, enveloping Golden Cicada. A spatial passage to the Immortal Realm opened and pulled him inside.
The Mortal Realm
It was difficult to enter.
But once someone surpassed the Immortal level, they would be rejected by the Mortal Realm's laws. If they withstood the tribulation, they could ascend to higher realms.
Zhao Feng watched as Golden Cicada disappeared into the light, a faint smile forming on his lips. "Not bad at all."
Without hesitation,
Zhao Feng took out the Mirror of Space
Preparing to use it to enter the Immortal Realm.
"But if an immortal ascends directly, they might go straight to the Heavenly Court, right?" Zhao Feng suddenly thought of something crucial.
In the Immortal Realm,
Once one reached the Immortal level, the Heavenly Court's Thunder Division would descend with tribulation lightning. If one survived, they'd form an immortal body and could choose to either remain in the Immortal Realm or ascend to the Heavenly Court and serve.
"The Heavenly Court is overflowing with resources. Why don't I go stir up some trouble there?"
"Since we're already enemies to the death, why not use this chance to ascend?"
A sudden idea took root in Zhao Feng's mind.
The more he thought about it,
The more a cold smile spread across his face. If he entered the Heavenly Court, the chaos he'd cause would be far greater than anything Sun Wukong did in Journey to the West.
If he didn't flip the place upside down, he'd be letting himself down.
"Transformation."
Zhao Feng immediately used one of the Seventy-Two Transformations, altering his appearance.
In an instant,
Zhao Feng's appearance changed into that of an immortal-looking old man, and his clothing turned into Daoist robes.
"My true essence aura must also change."
"Otherwise, the Heavenly Court will spot me immediately."
"Immortal energy... My Chaos Canon should be able to simulate it."
Zhao Feng activated his Chaos Canon, and the aura around him instantly shifted. His body now radiated with celestial energy.
At a glance, he now looked just like an enlightened true immortal.
The surrounding imperial guards, seeing Zhao Feng's transformation, did not dare to approach.
Had Ren Chuan not personally witnessed Zhao Feng's transformation, he might have attacked on the spot because not only had His Highness the Crown Prince's appearance changed, but even his true essence had vanished and been replaced by immortal energy.
"I'm off."
Zhao Feng smiled lightly.
He simulated the aura of a peak Fusion Ascension cultivator.
In an instant
The laws of the mortal world sensed it.
Above the void, dark clouds began to gather, slowly condensing into the Immortal Ascension Tribulation.
The next moment
Lightning locked onto Zhao Feng. No matter where he ran, the aura of this heavenly tribulation was fully locked onto him there was no escaping it.
"This Immortal Ascension Tribulation isn't that strong."
Watching the lightning descend, Zhao Feng didn't even dodge he simply let it strike him directly.
After six bolts of lightning struck
The tribulation passed.
The clouds gradually dispersed.
A beam of immortal light descended from the heavens, landing on Zhao Feng.
"Immortal Ascension Light."
"So it does take you directly to the Heavenly Court."
Zhao Feng smiled, offering no resistance. He simply allowed the beam of immortal light to carry him toward the Heavenly Realm.
If one were to try and storm the Heavenly Court by force, its core the Thirty-Three Heavens was heavily guarded. Rushing in would be walking straight into a trap.
Although Zhao Feng had made the Heavenly Court suffer many losses before, he knew very well that its true strength was far from simple. If it were really that easy to deal with, then the Heavenly Court and the Buddhist Sect wouldn't still be the two dominant powers in the Celestial Realm.
With so many other factions ultimately bending the knee to the Heavenly Court even the ancient great cultivators of old it was clear just how formidable they were.
"Storming the Heavenly Court isn't an option. But this Immortal Ascension Light this is a straight path inside." Zhao Feng chuckled inwardly.
Carried by the light, his body rapidly rose into the sky and swiftly left the mortal world.
Watching Zhao Feng's figure vanish
Zhao Qi's gaze carried a trace of melancholy: "And once again, I'm left alone."
...
The Heavenly Realm!
Thirty-Three Heavens!
Location: The Immortal Ascension Platform.
"Oh? Now this is rare."
"Someone flew up here after passing a proper Six-Nine Lightning Tribulation."
A group of heavenly soldiers guarding the Ascension Platform looked on in surprise.
Clearly
Though they wore the armor of celestial soldiers, these were not soul-bound puppets fused with armor, but actual immortal cultivators.
Under the watchful eyes of these immortals
Zhao Feng's figure appeared atop the Ascension Platform of the Thirty-Three Heavens.
As soon as he arrived, dozens of gazes landed on him, all filled with astonishment.
"There's no trace of blood or demonic aura… he hasn't consumed human flesh?"
"His immortal energy is pure."
"He's a proper, orthodox cultivator."
Looking at Zhao Feng, many of the celestial soldiers' eyes gleamed with a kind of greedy, bloodthirsty light.
Perhaps
This was one of the reasons why Guiguzi (Ghost Valley Master) was hunted down and forced into the mortal realm.
To these corrupted immortals, those who hadn't consumed blood and flesh those who cultivated by absorbing pure spiritual essence were considered orthodox cultivators in the Celestial Realm. Their pure immortal energy was incredibly nourishing and seen as a powerful supplement for those who had fallen into demonic cultivation.
Right now
The way these celestial soldiers looked at Zhao Feng was as if he were a juicy piece of meat.
If not for certain restrictions, they might have torn him apart on the spot.
"Stand down."
At that moment
The leading celestial general, at the Heavenly Immortal stage, barked a stern order.
The many celestial soldiers, constrained by authority, backed off but their eyes remained locked on Zhao Feng, filled with undisguised hunger and bloodlust.
"Name, place of origin, and sect affiliation?"
"Report all of it."
The general stepped in front of Zhao Feng and asked in a deep voice.
"I am Yuanyangzi."
"From the Ao Lai Kingdom in the Eastern Victory Divine Continent. A rogue cultivator."
Zhao Feng replied immediately.
"No wonder he's an orthodox cultivator."
"So he's from the Eastern Victory Continent that makes sense. After all, that continent is directly governed by the Heavenly Court. There are proper sects there, not like the chaos of the Southern Continent. Him being an orthodox cultivator is just sheer luck."
"Exactly. To survive and ascend as a proper immortal that kind of luck is unbelievable."
"Such a pity. If I'd encountered him down in the lower realm, I'd have drained his spiritual essence and devoured his flesh. It would've boosted my cultivation for sure."
"But now that he's in the Heavenly Court, once he registers his immortal status, we can't kill him anymore."
...
The celestial soldiers whispered to each other via divine sense, all of them expressing regret in their thoughts about Zhao Feng.
That regret, naturally, came from not being able to share in feasting on Zhao Feng.
However
Though their divine sense conversations seemed well concealed…
Zhao Feng could hear every word.
"Immortals and gods… truly rotten to the core."
"If even the Heavenly Court that governs all of creation is like this, no wonder the Four Continents are in such chaos."
Listening to their exchanges, Zhao Feng now fully understood both the Heavenly Court and the Buddhist Sect in this world were corrupt to their very roots. If they weren't reformed, this realm was bound to face a catastrophic disaster one day.
"Since you've chosen to ascend to the Celestial Realm, you've chosen to serve the Heavenly Court."
"Now that you've entered the ranks of the immortals, there's no turning back."
"This is the Ascension Platform of the Thirty-Three Heavens, the seat of the Heavenly Court."
"You have three choices."
"First: become a celestial soldier. You will be organized into one of our military divisions, tasked with eliminating demons and evil spirits on behalf of the Heavenly Court. Which division you enter will be decided by a future heavenly official."
"Second: if you possess talents in pill refining, artifact crafting, or formations, there may be better options available to you."
The celestial general spoke to Zhao Feng.
"Reporting to the general," Zhao Feng said respectfully, "I was a fifth-rank alchemist in the lower realms."
"This is my alchemist's flame."
He raised a hand, and a crimson flame appeared in his palm.
Upon hearing "fifth-rank alchemist," the celestial general's expression changed. The surrounding celestial soldiers were visibly shocked.
"He's a fifth-rank alchemist!"
"If he joins the Pill Hall, his status will be extraordinary."
"No wonder he triggered the Six-Nine Lightning Tribulation that explains it."
The expressions of the celestial soldiers around Zhao Feng completely changed.
A fifth-rank alchemist
Someone who could refine true immortal-grade pills. Even within the Heavenly Court's Pill Hall, such individuals held considerable status.
After all, the spiritual essence harvested by the Heavenly Court had to be processed by alchemists into pills to be useful.
Even mortal blood and flesh needed alchemists to refine them.
In both the Heavenly Court and the Buddhist Sect, alchemists held very high positions.
"Didn't expect you to be a fifth-rank alchemist."
"You're just the kind of talent the Heavenly Court needs."
The previously arrogant celestial general immediately changed his tone and gave Zhao Feng a flattering smile.
"I wonder which department this old man would be assigned to?" Zhao Feng asked innocently, though he sneered inwardly.
"Fellow Daoist," the celestial general now called him, "as a fifth-rank alchemist, you can join the Pill Hall of the Wealth Division."
"I can personally escort you there."
"Wealth Division?" Zhao Feng asked with a trace of confusion.
"Fellow Daoist, you may not know yet," the general explained, "but our Heavenly Court has eight divisions."
"There are divisions like the Battle Division and Thunder Division that are responsible for eliminating demons and upholding justice."
"There's the Wealth Division, which manages all of the Heavenly Court's resources."
"There's also the Plague Division, which governs water, fire, and natural disasters."
"The Wealth Division is the hardest to enter of all eight divisions."
"If you join it, your future will be limitless."
"Though you're a newly ascended immortal, just a few decades in the Wealth Division and you could reach the Heavenly Immortal stage."
The celestial general smiled as he spoke.
His attitude had taken a complete 180-degree turn, now even referring to Zhao Feng as "Fellow Daoist."
"The Eight Divisions of the Heavenly Court… so it's true."
"This truly is the same Heavenly Court I once learned about in my previous life. Only back then, though full of internal conflict, the Court still maintained order across the heavens. It wasn't like… this."
"I've come to the right place."
"This is the perfect chance to probe the depths of the Heavenly Court."
Zhao Feng thought to himself silently.
"Then I shall trouble General for the escort," he said aloud, calmly accepting the general's hospitality.
Hearing that, the celestial general looked quite pleased.
He turned to his subordinates and barked, "Guard this place well. I shall personally escort this esteemed alchemist to the Pill Hall."
"Yes, sir!"
The celestial soldiers bowed respectfully, not daring to be rude.
"Fellow Daoist, please follow me."
The general smiled and took the lead.
Zhao Feng, of course, followed right behind.
His gaze swept across the surroundings, and his divine sense spread out to observe.
"The Celestial Realm truly lives up to its name."
"The spiritual energy here… it's a thousand no, ten thousand times richer than in the Eastern Victory Continent."
"As expected of the Heavenly Court… the strongest blessed land in existence."
Zhao Feng marveled silently.
Then
Without drawing attention, he asked, "Fellow Daoist, when I was in the lower realm, I often heard people speak of the Thirty-Three Heavens. Could you tell me the differences among them?"
Hearing the question
The celestial general chuckled. "Fellow Daoist, you may not know our Heavenly Court reigns supreme above the lower realms. Each layer of heaven is its world, providing endless resources to the Court."
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