Staying Alive Cautiously in the Celestial Realm and Becoming the Strongest

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Amidst a sky filled with floral rain, eight Water Mirrors slowly rose around the grand Buddha of the Spirit Mountain Temple.

The mirrors emitted boundless Buddhist Radiance, projecting the scene of the Spirit Mountain Dharma Meeting for miles so that all the worshippers who came to pay homage could see it clearly.

Tens of thousands of worshippers prostrated in unison on the ground, fervently chanting the Buddha's name with faces full of devoted zeal.

The chanting prayers surged like a tide into the Spirit Mountain Temple, and the radiance around the central grand Buddha shone even brighter!

At this moment, the sunlight fell on Spirit Mountain behind the temple, and golden light shone resplendently, illuminating the entire land.

This scene rendered many visiting cultivators speechless.

This was their first time representing their sect to attend the ceremony at Spirit Mountain, and despite being prepared, they were still shocked by the magical sight.

Luckily, there was a protective array around the viewing stands, or there would definitely be some who would convert to the Buddhist Sect on the spot.

That would truly be a joke.

The next moment, a Lotus Stage emerged before the grand Buddha, each petal white as jade and faintly glowing.

A monk appeared floating onto the Lotus Stage.
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"This is the Abbot Faxin of the Spirit Mountain Temple.."

Sitting next to Wang Chen, Xu Yingyi's expression was extremely solemn, and he spoke in a lowered voice to Wang Chen, "A Vajra Grand Virtue senior monk!"

Xu Yingyi's voice was very light, but just as his words fell, Xuyuan, who sat on the Lotus Stage, suddenly looked toward their location, a smile shining through his slender eyes.

This senior monk who carried 'Fa' in his monastic title appeared to be in his twenties or thirties, extremely handsome, wearing a white kasaya that implied a carefree ease.

Xu Yingyi was so startled by the gaze that he quickly shut his mouth.

Wang Chen's heart also skipped a beat.

But Abbot Faxin soon retracted his gaze and began to preach, "All phenomena are inherently empty, if one sees all characteristics as non-characteristics.."

His voice was clear and serene, reaching the ears of every listener distinctly.

Striking straight through to the Divine Soul!

Both inside and outside the Spirit Mountain Temple, whether it was the monks of the Buddhist Sect from the Western Region or the worshippers, all showed rapturous, almost maniacal expressions.

The world fell into silence.

However, this senior monk only preached on the Buddhist Law for half an instant before he gently flicked the wooden fish in front of him and gave the monks below the stage a palms-together salute.

All the monks bowed in unison in response.

Abbot Faxin waved his sleeve and his figure gradually faded away on the Lotus Stage until he completely disappeared.

This scene was astonishing.

Wang Chen watched and understood in his heart—he was witnessing an Emanation Body!

Following that, high-ranking monks from different temples of the Western Region Buddhist Sect each ascended the Lotus Stage in turn, interpreting scriptures and discerning the essence of Zen.

Wang Chen noticed that their preaching times were almost exactly the same, which seemed to be predetermined.

Although on the surface it looked like the monks freely expressed their views with unfettered style, he detected an undercurrent of tension.

It was said that there were many factions within the Western Region Buddhist Sect, and for thousands of years there had been continual covert conflicts, uniting tightly only to confront the Taoist Sect.

But a single-minded unity among ten thousand monks was truly impossible.

With the Spirit Mountain Dharma Meeting as a window, Wang Chen had glimpsed the true face of the Western Region Buddhist Sect.

Even if what he saw was just the tip of the iceberg.

The discussions continued from morning until noon and then paused, giving everyone time to adjust and rest.

However, to everyone's utmost surprise, just as the last high monk finished preaching and descended the Lotus Stage, a tall and burly monk with a Crescent Spade jumped up onto it.

"Hey!"

The monk's eyes flashed fiercely as he yelled toward the viewing stands, "Wang Chen of West Sea Sect, do you dare to come up here and fight with me?"

The cultivators were all taken aback.

At such an important event as the Spirit Mountain Dharma Meeting, this monk dared to ignore the rules of the Buddhist Sect by jumping onto the Lotus Stage and challenging someone directly.

He truly must have the boldness of a bear and the courage of a leopard.

And his challenge was directed at none other than Wang Chen, the lead representative!

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"Senior Brother Wang, the visitor bodes ill!"

Standing nearby, Xu Yingyi sternly warned, "Don't fall for his provocation!"

Xu Yingyi worried that Wang Chen, being young and impetuous, might be spurred into a duel by the other's taunts—a victory would bring trouble, and a defeat would disgrace both the West Sea Sect and the Taoist Sect.

"Zhi Hai, have you gone mad?"

A middle-aged monk below the Lotus Stage's face turned beet red as he roared at the tall monk, "Get down!"

"Wang Chen, are you scared?"

But Zhi Hai ignored him completely and continued to stare at the viewing stands, "You were so imposing a few days ago when you forced my master, Xu Wen, to death. Why are you silent now?"

He turned out to be a disciple of Xu Wen, the Warden of Mysterious Origin Temple.

Now Wang Chen could not avoid the confrontation.

Whether Zhi Hai was instigated by someone to cause trouble or was mad with the desire to avenge his master, Wang Chen could not afford to hide like a turtle in its shell or seek excuses to avoid battle.

Otherwise, the face he would lose would not be just his own.

Ignoring Xu Yingyi's attempts to stop him, Wang Chen rose to his full height and declared loudly, "If it's a battle you want, then a battle you shall have!"

Seeing Wang Chen stand up, a ferocious light appeared in Zhi Hai's eyes, "Come up!"

Xu Yingyi, stomping his feet in frustration and sweating profusely, said, "Senior Brother Wang, that Lotus Stage has hidden mechanisms; if you go up, you're going to suffer a great loss!"

The Spirit Mountain Temple was a holy land for the Buddhist Sect, and the Lotus Stage that Zhi Hai occupied was a treasured artifact of Buddhism. Though he could not control it, he could completely absorb the aura of the Lotus Stage to augment his own strength.

Boosting his combat power.

Conversely, on the Lotus Stage, the effectiveness of Taoist Sect's spells and magic artifacts would be greatly diminished!

Given this advantage, even if Zhi Hai's cultivation level was equivalent to or even slightly weaker than Wang Chen's, he would still have a stable upper hand.

This was his home ground!

What good could come to Wang Chen by going up there?

But Xu Yingyi was too late to stop him because Wang Chen had already leapt into the air and landed firmly on the Lotus Stage.

Confronting Zhi Hai directly.

The diameter of this Lotus Stage was around fifty feet, which was quite spacious, but for cultivators, the area available to move, dodge, and cast spells was indeed very limited.

And all the monks present watched with cold eyes, no longer voicing any objections.

It seemed as though they had tacitly accepted the reality of the duel.

"Wang Chen!"

Standing about ten paces away, Zhi Hai gripped the shimmering Crescent Spade in his hands and said with hatred, "Let it be known that I, Zhi Hai, am a disciple of Xu Wen, the Warden of Mysterious Origin Temple. Today, it's a fight to the death between us!"

"Today you will die…"

Wang Chen reached out and instantaneously grasped a metal long staff.

Standing on the Lotus Stage, he could fully feel the influence and rejection of the surrounding space on himself.

Just as Xu Yingyi had warned, the Lotus Stage under his feet had its mysteries!

But Wang Chen paid it no mind.

Unless the Buddhist Sect shamelessly sent a Golden Core Zen Master, he feared no mage of any tier.

Even if the opponent was the strongest martial monk.

Watching his adversary, Wang Chen gripped the Hidden Dragon Staff in his hand.

Today, he intended to play the role of the victorious warrior against Buddha!

"I live!"

No sooner had the words faded than Wang Chen violently swung the staff in his hands.

The Hidden Dragon Staff broke through the wind and expanded in size tenfold in an instant, accompanied by the might of wind and thunder, and slammed heavily towards Zhi Hai.

With the force of one blow, he could shatter mountains and break hills!

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The second update is here.