Chapter 399: Chapter 398: Old Friends in Their Youth

The continent of Jiuzhou was home to a diverse array of powers, represented mainly by the righteous presided over by Yuan Shang, the demon path led by Li Wu, and the neutral factions embodied by Jindao people. It was an eclectic mix of all sorts.

Jiang Li could clearly sense that in Jiuzhou of this time, the lives of cultivators and mortals alike were cheap. The righteous sought to uphold justice, but the demon path’s influence was formidable, and there were always meddlesome individuals stirring the pot.

The Jindao people seemed to think deaths were just deaths, there was no need to hold grudges over millions of lives.

Using his Divine Sense, Jiang Li saw two sects spilling blood over a Spirit Stone mine, staining the rich veins with crimson.

The strong preyed on the weak; bulgars took advantage of the chaos and such cases were far too common. Tens of robberies took place at the same time, most of them occurring on official roads.

In this era, the Escort Bureau was a profitable business but also a dangerous one, with a horrifying mortality rate.

There were also sects devoted to the Immortals of the Immortal Realm. Due to philosophical differences, they waged war against another sect. Neither party was willing to give ground, and both vowed to fight to the death.

“Just as Immortal Chang Cun predicted, the past Jiuzhou was fraught with overt and covert strife. The current Jiuzhou is vastly different.”

The only solace for Jiang Li was the Great Zhou. Although it lacked the justice of Ji Zhi’s rule, it stood out amongst the empires, nations, and sects like a crane among chickens.

Yuan Shang returned to the Mysterious Heaven Sect disheartened and sullen. The constant struggle between righteousness and the demonic had worn him thin; the demon path always found a weakness to exploit in the righteous.

“If only I could be more patient and become an Immortal, then might I gain some sway.”

“No, merely becoming an Earth Immortal won’t do,” Yuan Shang lamented. Similar disputes exist in the Immortal Realm, the tussle between righteousness and the demonic had a long-standing history and no one could do anything about it.

“Are you Yuan Shang?” A figure greeted Yuan Shang with a fist and palm salute.

Yuan Shang was taken aback- the figure had appeared seemingly out of nowhere.

He recognized all the cultivators at the Transcendence Tribulation Stage, but this person was unfamiliar. Who could they be?

Yuan Shang could not discern the depth of this person’s cultivation.

A Heavenly Immortal descended from the Immortal Realm?

There was plenty of interaction between Jiuzhou and the Immortal Realm, and it wasn’t rare for traveling Immortals to descend from above.

“Who are you?” Yuan Shang was on guard. Having just fought Li Wu, he wondered whether this figure was a reinforcement called by Li Wu from the Immortal Realm intending to teach him a lesson.

Jiang Li smiled, “I’m not at liberty to reveal my name or my identity. I’m merely here to greet the senior.”

Yuan Shang became additionally wary of Jiang Li’s words. Jiang Li, however, did not pay it any mind and disappeared, heading for Mount Sumeru.

Yuan Shang was left in a state of confusion. He felt no hostility from Jiang Li so chose to forget about him. He returned to the XuanTian Sect.

There awaited even more cultivators, their faces etched with agony and pleading for the Sect Master to uphold justice.

Mount Sumeru was wreathed in mist and clouds. As they approached, they could faintly hear the recitation of scripture. The novices diligently paid their respects to the Buddha, oblivious to the outside world.

“Funny that the cultivators in Jiuzhou are divided into the paths of righteousness and demon. We Buddhists also have similar disputes,”

Long Eyebrow Buddha, sitting at the mountaintop and squinting at the sky where three cultivators at the Transcendence Tribulation Stage were fighting, gave a resigned shake of his head and chuckled.

The Long Eyebrow Buddha was the master of Mount Sumeru during this time.

“Do tell,”

Chang Cun Immortal, sitting across from the Buddha, was intrigued by the topic. The Buddhists of the Immortal Realm preferred solitude and seldom interacted with others, leaving him with scarce opportunities to learn about Buddhism.

The Chang Cun Immortal of this era looked young and handsome, appearing to be in his twenties or early thirties.

“The Buddhists have disputes between Theravada and Mahayana teachings. Theravada Buddhists believe in personal salvation, while Mahayana Buddhists advocate for the salvation of both self and others.”

“Buddhists have debated this issue for a long time. Most Buddhas advocate for Theravada, believing that they have not achieved self-liberation and have yet to witness the chaos of the world and the suffering of Samsara. How could they rescue others when they themselves have not been saved?”

“A minority of Buddhas advocate for Mahayana, believing that not only does saving others equate to saving oneself, but we must also eradicate our worldly desires and distractions, liberate ourselves from the Red Dust, do everything we can to assist all living beings.”

“I really don’t know much more. Even the Buddha did not come to a conclusion regarding this. It touches the very foundation of Buddhism and shakes its roots. It’s not something a Transcendence Tribulation Stage cultivator like myself can meddle in.”

“Have some tea,”

A young novice monk on the side served tea, his movements as smooth and fluid as floating clouds and flowing water.

“Allow me to introduce, this is my successor in the Peacock Country, Qin Xi, his secular name. He has inherited the Buddha fruit of Sumeru, making him more suitable to be the master of Mount Sumeru. After my ascension, he will be my successor.”

“His cultivation has made good progress; he’s already at the Body Integration Realm,” the ever-gentle Immortal Chang Cun commented.

“I, I have heard of you. You’re the longest-living Immortal in Jiuzhou,” the young novice monk looked at Immortal Chang Cun excitedly.

“After all, with limited talent, I wouldn’t be able to accomplish much even in the Immortal Realm. It’s better to return to Jiuzhou and live freely,” said the Immortal.

“That’s not what I meant,” said the young novice monk, blushing.

“Haha, just joking, don’t take it seriously,” Immortal Chang Cun burst into laughter.

Jiang Li, observing from the dark, was puzzled. The Immortal Chang Cun of this era seemed younger and more cheerful.

“I see your aura is in harmony, Long Eyebrow, and there’s a hint of Buddha light. You must be about to become an Immortal?”

“I’m no match for Jin Dao Ren. He should be the first to become an Immortal, and I’m right behind him,” said Long Eyebrow Buddha as he stared at the Ascension Stairway. He was a little bit closer to becoming an Immortal. The closer he got, the more he was aware of the existence of the Ascension Stairway and understood how mighty it was.

“The Ascension Stairway was forged by countless heavenly immortals, integrating a great deal of wisdom from the Immortal Realm. It embodies many grand laws including Spatial, Temporal, Cause and Effect, Yin and Yang… Whether it’s you or I, or even higher-level Heavenly Immortals, they are all amazed at its brilliance and complexity. As far as I know, no immortal has been able to completely understand the content of the Ascension Stairway.”

“Why did the Immortal Realm create the Ascension Stairway? I’ve been wanting to ask this. You can’t say it’s to allow more people to become Immortals. There aren’t that many Immortals descending to the lower realms to spread the word,” asked the Long Eyebrow Buddha.

“Even if an Immortal comes to Jiuzhou, it’s mainly for casual fun, comprehending the Red Dust, and occasionally leaving a legacy. This hardly affects the overall Jiuzhou. If this is the case for Jiuzhou, the other worlds should not receive much assistance from the Immortal Realm,” said the Buddha.

“There’s a lot I don’t know about this matter. My master once said, the more worlds the Immortal Realm controls, the stronger the Immortal Realm becomes,” Immortal Chang Cun whispered.

Jiang Li, watching the young novice monk stand nearby, was filled with mixed emotions. The young monk’s expression varied from agony, hesitation, and nostalgia to finally settling on a gentle smile.

The novice monk is the Long Eyebrow Buddha of nine thousand years ago.

Jiang Li returned to the Red Dust Pure Land, bypassed the Sect Protection Array, passed the Immortal Peach Tree, and came to the tomb where the Red Dust Fairy was buried.

The Red Dust Fairy looked as beautiful as she did nine thousand years later, her eyes gently closed, as if she was merely taking a nap and could wake up at any moment.

At this moment, the real Red Dust Fairy had passed away and consciousness hadn’t awakened within the body yet.

Jiang Li senses something, his head shot up and he darted into the sky.

The giant hand that had torn the Weigu world apart now reached for Jiuzhou. This time, Jiang Li was determined to identify the mysterious owner of this hand.