After layering on five layers of armor and hoodwinking the Toad God Tile into taking the hit from the Miraculous Tree Jade Branch using the "Postponed Payment Technique," Tao Qian finally managed to break into the Merit Pool.
In front of him was the Mechanical Demon Buddha, which for others represented unparalleled danger, but for Master Tao, it was almost defenseless.
If he had followed the original plan, simply to destroy without seizing the body, remote action would suffice, with a ninety percent chance of success.
To seize the body, however, he would need to be present himself.
This turn of events had occurred very abruptly.
Moments before, the audience from the Seventy-two Provinces and the forces of various Mountain Gates had all been watching as the three Arhats from the Demon Buddha Temple successfully forged a Mechanical Demon Buddha using despicable means.
Many warlords and powerful figures from the Northern Land had already accepted the reality that the pattern was about to change drastically once again.
They believed that Qiantang Province and several neighboring provinces would fall into the hands of the Demon Buddha Temple and be forcibly transformed into an Earthly Buddha Country.
But they hadn't expected that at the birth of the Demon Buddha, the situation would suddenly reverse.
And this time, a true "big shot" had emerged to disrupt their plans.
Master Tao was either carrying out some great plot, or he was just a naturally troublesome character.
Upon entering the Merit Pool, he revealed his true form.
In a twist, he transformed from a Wu Gou Buddha Son back to the appearance of a true disciple of the Spirit Treasure Sect.
His face was immediately captured by a multitude of Spirit Mirrors and Crystal Balls and then displayed before the eyes of the entire world.
In an instant, all Seventy-two Provinces were thrown into an uproar.
Since the Ancestor God Forbidden Technique Longevity Barrier had malfunctioned, this world had entered an era of great change, with daily new developments, grand waves, great heroes, and talent hidden among dragons, all crazily emerging.
Old monsters undergoing Daoist transformation and divine beings from the Outer Realm were difficult to compare, but as for that group of Talents, the owner of this face was now in contention for first place.
Even compared with Yu Yanshi, Si Xixin, Hong Fu, and Zhang Jinluan—the four considered most likely to seize the Human Emperor title—Tao Qian, Master Tao, was by no means inferior.
"My heavens, it's actually him; looks like there's a good show coming up."
"A big event! This is absolutely another mind-boggling big event; it might well be a new Yang Sui Uprising or New Moon Rebellion and so on."
"Spirit Treasure True Inheritor, the Duo Bao's first disciple, the number one Talent of the Daoist Sect, rumored to be involved in incidents such as the Demon City incident, the Yang Sui Uprising, the New Moon Rebellion, and so on."
"Ha ha ha... I knew it! For such a big affair, Master Tao's presence is indispensable. Given his compassionate yet trouble-making nature, there's no way he'd sit idly by and let those thieving baldies from the Demon Buddha Temple continue their villainy. What's stealing treasures? Master Tao even let the Mountain and River Map collapse; why would he care about a mere piece of iron?"
"Such boldness! It should be noted that not long ago, this person was wanted worldwide by terrifying forces such as the Demon Buddha Temple, Free Temple, the Xiu Family, Evil Sect, Alchemists, and so on, with a whole host of Ultimate Happiness Realm powerhouses seeking his trouble. Who would have thought he'd sneak into Qiantang and stir up such a huge commotion?"
"This talented individual from a Great Sect is wholly different from other Great Sect disciples, possessing an exceptional ability to cause trouble. It's said that he's skilled at plotting and excels at treasure-snatching. Even the greatest forces can fall into his traps and be defeated by his strategies."
"Heh heh, I was there in New Moon Province, watching from the sidelines, and I personally witnessed how even Ying Qingdi, along with his Outer Realm Evil God father, were defeated by Master Tao; it was truly unbelievable."
...
When Tao Qian, this celebrity of the world, appeared, the onlookers only knew there was a new spectacle to see.
But to the various warlords of the Northern Land, it represented a problem much greater than the Demon Buddha Temple.
A demon monk could conceivably be conspired with.
Looking at Master Tao's past behavior and the various opinions about him, even Si Xixin understood.
To any warlord in the Northern Land, they were nothing but "scum" in Master Tao's eyes.
Discuss collaboration?
It was impossible not to be plotted against by him.
Therefore, at this moment, despite the fact that these warlords had not yet met Tao Qian, they had reached a consensus: "Big trouble! We can only hope that the three Arhats have sufficient means to deal with this guy on the spot and prevent him from causing a catastrophe in the Northern Land."
Indeed, Kongchan, Shipi, and Lian Sha were all thinking the same.
Initially, when they saw Tao Qian burst into the Merit Pool unexpectedly, Kongchan Arhat was subconsciously panicked.
But they quickly came to their senses and shouted:
"Duobao's little thief, you're seeking your own death."
"I've heard that your body is the top-ranked Dharma Body of the Spirit Treasure Sect; it's perfect for the Demon Buddha's first snack after his descent."
"Demon Buddha, please help yourself!"
With Kongchan's declaration,
The inconceivably huge Demon Buddha, at this moment, opened its eyes.
Instantly, innumerable Buddha Lights burst forth, and everything in the world dimmed within these golden radiance.
Even the crimson sun hanging in the sky was overshadowed by the Buddha Light.
Yet, this spectacle was only the beginning.
As the Buddha Light spread, each of the eighteen thousand Buddha Arms began to move, each one slightly smaller than the Ten Thousand Marvels Sky-reaching Treasure Tower that had pierced through the world before.
These Buddha Arms formed seals, casting spells, waving treasures... In an instant, numerous Buddhist Array Techniques merged with Outer Realm mechanical secret arts, creating an inconceivable "Light Net" that could envelop both sky and earth, capturing all life within it.
The world had changed.
The Province City?
No, the entire Qiantang Province.
Any place with a Buddha fragment or where Buddhist Scriptures were being chanted,
Seemed to switch to another world, where all the people were stupefied on the spot.
In a daze, one could hear the supreme Buddha voice declare: "This realm is my Buddha Country. Chant my name, enter with your Heart Soul, and henceforth be free of all sufferings such as birth, aging, sickness, and death. Enjoy Ultimate Happiness and Longevity, everlasting peace and health."
...
This scene within Qiantang Province immediately frightened all the spectators.
When has there ever been such a world?
Some with weaker wills even began to yearn for it.
Tao Qian, of course, knew what was really going on and let out a cold laugh, looking straight at the mechanical Buddha Arms that were reaching for him from above.
Under the command of the three Arhats, they initially sought to take Tao Qian's life.
However, in the next instant, a flash of bronze burst forth, and by his side appeared a Mechanical Species.
Forged from bronze, Cast Iron, Ancient Wood, and Bai Gu, with the Creation Treasure Wheel hanging behind its head and wielding a three-pronged bronze divine fork—Lian Jing'er had arrived.
"Flesh is weak; machinery is eternal."
"Creation from life; heed my command."
This mechanical voice seemed to be some kind of extraordinary secret order.
After ringing out, that newly born Mechanical Demon Buddha seized control of the Mechanical Demon Buddhas of the entire Qiantang Province in an instant and became frozen in time.
Then, accompanied by a grating noise that made tens of millions of people grind their teeth, the Demon Buddha began to move erratically.
Its terrifying body twisted and writhed.
More than ten thousand arms, some completely still, others began attacking each other.
During this process, large chunks of colored glaze began to peel off from the Dharma Body of the Demon Buddha.
Thus, everyone could see the transformation that was already in progress within the Mechanical Demon Buddha, which at this moment had reached its climax.
Two glimmers of light were contending for territory within it.
One was the NirvanaBuddha Light, and the other the Bronze Divine Light.
Once this scene emerged, the puzzle unraveled, and everyone had a vague idea.
The Three Arhats, who possessed control over the Mechanical Demon Buddha, were directly driven to laughter, momentarily befuddled, no longer recalling who was righteous and who was evil.
Kongchan, most annoyed, most hateful, and most enraged, flew over holding the Miraculous Tree Jade Branch and shouted angrily,
"Smart little thief!"
"I thought you seized the treasure on a whim, but now it's clear this has been a long plot."
"First, you took one Great Transcendence Bodhisattva, added ingredients, tampered with it, and then deliberately got close to my good disciple to earn my trust."
"All for this moment, right?"
"Such tactics have always been this monk's expertise, but I didn't expect to be taught a lesson by you, the junior, today."
"However, your subordinates, the Mechanical Species, can only cause some destruction at most. If you think you can take possession of the Demon Buddha, you must be dreaming."
As he spoke, the Three Arhats were already closing in.
Before the last sentence was finished, the Three Arhats planned to strike ruthlessly together and encircle and kill Tao Qian.
Indeed, it did not sound good for three seniors of the Ultimate Happiness Realm to gang up on a junior.
But at this juncture, the three were not concerned at all.
Unfortunately, it was at this time
A set of Song Rhymes that Tao Qian was extremely familiar with and quite moved by suddenly rang out:
"At the cliff of the South Sea fishing for dragons and ao, inherently pure, cultivating the Buddhist path."
"How can I bear to see Arhats hurt my child; let's have another round with all of you."
The familiar rhyme, the familiar scene, altered by only a few words.
Buddha Light burst forth, the Qingjing Zen Master dressed in golden kasaya, toting the Blessing Divine Mallet, emerged, positioning himself right before the Three Arhats.
In the art of "making an appearance,"
Duobao claimed first place, and Tao Qian could only resign to second.
At this moment, he became the center of everyone's attention.
Why?
Aside from this old monk looking like a True Buddha, naturally coming with his entrance poem, but also because of his identity and his conversation with the Three Arhats.
"Duobao! Daoist!"
Quite uncommonly, Kongchan Arhat lost his composure.
The demon monk's face twisted, staring deathly at the Qingjing Zen Master, and sprayed insults like a common hustler,
"Shameless old thief, you finally dared to show up."
"The little thief has already reverted to his true form, and you, this old bastard, still put on airs?"
"What South Sea Qingjing Zen Master, you're clearly the shameless Thief of the Spirit Treasure Sect."
"This master teacher of yours is abhorred by gods and ghosts alike; the little brat is even more shameless than you."
"Today is good, both you and your disciple will die and vanish from the Dao right here."
Despite being sprayed in the face with saliva, the Qingjing Old Monk still wore a smile.
Stamping his foot, his dharma body split into three.
Each held a Demon Cleansing Divine Mallet and confronted the Three Arhats.
At the same time, shaking his head, he corrected them,
"Kongchan Daoist, what you say is incorrect. Poor monk is indeed Qingjing and not the Duobao Daoist you're looking for."
"He is he, I am I, they should not be confused."
Without finishing these simple two sentences, accompanied by several dull thuds,
The three "Qingjings" were already battered and bruised, suffering no light injuries.
In a one versus three, they had taken a beating at the first encounter.
Yet curiously, none of the three incarnations had dissipated.
And the old monk seemed not to perceive any danger, instead deeming it more important to clarify his identity.
While blocking the three, he suddenly cast a gigantic Round Light Technique.
Above the sky, a large mirror appeared.
When the audience of the seventy-two provinces saw the scene in the mirror, everyone's mouth hung open, stupefied in place.
What was in the mirror?
For Tao Qian, it was nothing out of the ordinary.
But for everyone else in the world, it was an image that should only exist in mythical and strange tales:
The Penglai Sea!
The Biyou Palace!
The Spirit Treasure Ten Thousand Immortals seemed to have gathered, filling the Heavenly Venerate Daoist Field, led by a shaggy-legged True Monarch at the forefront, watching everything unfolding in Qiantang Province City through the Round Light Mirror.
Leading the group, Duobao True Monarch chimed in smilingly,
"Daoist Brother Qingjing is correct in his words, he is he, I am I, please do not confuse the two."
"The Three Daoist Brothers needn't mind me, Duobao, and definitely should not misunderstand the situation because of this scene."
"I, Duobao, along with these fellow teachers, true disciples, and the divine immortals...are not here to support the junior Tao Qian. We have gathered only because we heard there was excitement to watch in Qiantang, just to take a look. Please do not misunderstand; we will not all emerge from our retreat."
"The mundane world is most boring, and what we Spirit Treasure Ten Thousand Immortals dislike most is leaving our retreat to squabble and fight with others."