Lingshan, the foremost of the three sacred lands on the continent of Jile. It is also the abode of Sakyamuni Buddha, the patriarch of Buddhism. The headquarters of Buddhism is also located within Lingshan.
Although Maitreya Mountain and Dongxu Mountain also have Buddhist powerhouses stationed there, they do not compare to the sheer number of strong individuals at Lingshan's headquarters.
Twenty stone platforms, each about two Zhang in size, floated in the air above Lingshan. The lords of various invited factions were now seated on the meticulously arranged pavilions and terraces.
Halfway up Lingshan, a clear pool of water was churning as if boiling. wisps of spiritual energy floated around, creating an ethereal, otherworldly scene. The lords of the various factions and the onlookers alike were all gazing at this pool, a hint of greed in their eyes.
Clearly, this pool was the Lingshan Spiritual Pool.
If not for the twelve figures seated around the pool, the crowd present would have long since been unable to resist the urge to dive in and drink their fill.
"Is this Spiritual Pool truly that magical?" He Shumíng, also seated in a pavilion, looked down at the Spiritual Pool with curiosity.
Jiang Shàng's eyes flashed with a touch of eagerness as he nodded slightly. "Young friend Shumíng, do not underestimate the spiritual water of this pool. Besides prolonging life, this spiritual water is also a great tonic for Spiritual Masters."
"Legend has it that those who reach a bottleneck can cultivate and gain insights in this pool. The path to breakthrough becomes exceptionally easy. Moreover, long-term consumption of this water can transform the physical body. As for other benefits, I am unaware. After all, this is a sacred site of Buddhism, and opportunities to witness it are rare."
"Furthermore, it is rumored that a single drop of this spiritual water weighs a thousand jin, and such a vast pool of water is not easily stolen. Therefore, the Spiritual Pool naturally garners immense attention. Indeed, the more mysterious it is, the more it attracts everyone's gaze."
Hearing this, He Shumíng looked at the Spiritual Pool again with surprise. Its ability to help Spiritual Masters break through bottlenecks was enough to incite contention from all sides. However, it also indirectly revealed the formidable strength of Buddhism.
Otherwise, this spiritual water would have already been plundered. Moreover, the existence of benefits unknown even to Jiang Shàng, whose forte was intelligence, attested to the mystery of the Spiritual Pool.
"Counting the time, young friend Li and young friend Shuqian should be arriving soon. The competition for the top ten Buddha Sons is about to commence," Jiang Shàng murmured to himself, then turned his gaze towards Maitreya Mountain.
As soon as Jiang Shàng finished speaking, streaks of spiritual light suddenly flickered into existence. Then, figures floated into the air, bowed respectfully to the twelve figures by the Spiritual Pool, and descended.
Hum.
Concurrently, two more beams of spiritual light flashed. The newcomers glanced around, bowed to the twelve figures by the Spiritual Pool, and then shot towards the pavilion where Jiang Shàng and He Shumíng were seated.
These two were none other than Li Xuán and He Shuqian.
"Young friend Li and young friend Shuqian seem to have advanced considerably in their cultivation over the past month." Seeing Li Xuán and He Shuqian arrive, Jiang Shàng's face brightened considerably. He then stood up and said with a smile, "Welcome, young friends Li and Shuqian."
Li Xuán and He Shuqian returned the greeting with clasped fists. After a brief exchange, they sat down to wait.
Time flew by, and an hour later, the scorching sun was high in the sky, marking midday.
The Golden Wheel Buddha Venerable, who had been meditating beside the Spiritual Pool, slowly opened his eyes. With a movement, he instantly appeared in mid-air.
"The time has come. The pursuit for the top ten officially begins. As you all can see, there are twenty floating stone platforms around Lingshan. You will need to seize foundation stones within this Spiritual Pool to enter these platforms."
"It is important to note that the foundation stones are not inanimate objects. They are elusive and change form. Without formidable strength, it is exceedingly difficult to control them."
"Furthermore, you are all fighting for yourselves. If you happen to obtain a foundation stone and are then attacked by others before you can activate it, you are responsible for your own life and death. However, participants can use their tokens to be teleported out, resulting in disqualification."
"Finally, every drop of water in the Spiritual Pool carries a thousand jin of force. In addition to searching for foundation stones, this also tests your body's resilience and limits. To ensure fairness and impartiality, we have adjusted the gravity of the spiritual water. The longer you stay, the heavier the gravity becomes."
"If you cannot bear it, you can also use your token to be teleported out. There are a total of twenty foundation stones in the Spiritual Pool. You must rely on your own means and fortune."
"Do you all understand the rules?" Golden Wheel Buddha Venerable finished speaking and looked down at the thousand Buddha Sons who were now flying in from all directions.
"Golden Wheel Buddha Venerable, the Spiritual Pool is barely five Zhang in area. Even if a thousand of us stand, there probably won't be enough space," a participant asked as soon as Golden Wheel Buddha Venerable finished speaking.
As if anticipating such a question, Golden Wheel Buddha Venerable replied, "A sand grain contains a world, a blade of grass a paradise. Since someone has raised a question, it is time to activate the 'mustard seed containing a Sumeru mountain' technique."
As Golden Wheel Buddha Venerable spoke, he waved his hand.
A beam of spiritual light shot into the Spiritual Pool, instantly creating ripples. Strangely, these ripples shimmered with an unusual luminescence. The area of the Spiritual Pool immediately expanded.
"Why do you still not enter? What are you waiting for!"
Just as Li Xuán and the others were observing the changes in the Spiritual Pool, Golden Wheel Buddha Venerable's voice boomed like thunder. Everyone snapped back to attention and quickly shot into the Spiritual Pool.
In a mere instant, figures vanished. As Li Xuán and He Shuqian also entered the Spiritual Pool, a round mirror about five Zhang in size appeared above the pool, reflecting the scene.
The figures of the thousand participants flashed rapidly on the mirror. If Li Xuán and the others were still outside the Spiritual Pool, they would have been astonished to find that the area of the pool had not changed at all.
Instead, after they had flown into the Spiritual Pool, they had all disappeared. Now, they seemed to be within the mirror.
Witnessing this scene, the lords of various factions exchanged stunned glances. They were clearly astounded by Buddhism's methods.
At this moment, Li Xuán, upon entering the water-filled Spiritual Pool, felt a slight gravitational pull. Fortunately, Li Xuán's physique was exceptionally robust, and this slight gravity was almost negligible.
"I cannot linger here too long. If I stay too long, not only will the gravity increase, but if the foundation stone is found by someone else, my chance will diminish. To obtain the Snow Lotus Nine Petals, I must enter the top ten. Now, only this one step remains. However, I still don't know what the foundation stone looks like."
Li Xuán mused inwardly, a frown creasing his brow.
"Golden Wheel Buddha Venerable said that the foundation stone is not inanimate. Since that's the case, it should be easy to find."
With that thought, Li Xuán moved his mind and released his divine sense. After a brief scan, he shot off towards the southeast.