Chapter 43: Chapter 43: White Lotus, Compass, Poetry!
Seeing the sudden change in Su Changqing’s demeanor, Mo Lan and the others’ expressions shifted.
If Su Changqing previously appeared to be a harmless little kitten, now he was a fierce tiger ready to devour anyone in his path!
When those bright eyes glanced over, even the two great scholars had to avoid the sharpness.
The youthful vigor and unyielding belief contrasted sharply with their weary demeanor.
"This... is his true self," Yi Xian sighed lightly.
He had no idea what method the Immortal used to make such a brilliant young man so low-key.
Yet when the chess match began, as the young man set his piece at the center, a formidable aura formed behind him, using chess as the realm, everyone realized Ling Si was doomed to lose.
Chess Realm·Immortal Finger, unmatched in calculation, setting pieces to establish boundaries.
On that chessboard, facing the serious Su Changqing, Ling Si couldn’t even put up a fight.
Indeed, by the forty-sixth move, Ling Si’s black pieces had been routed beyond recovery.
"Senior sister, I concede."
Looking at the vacuous-eyed Ling Si, Su Changqing sighed and bowed, then returned beside Li Qingchen.
No one in the room spoke for a long time.
By now, the victory was clear, but they cared more about what the young man had demonstrated.
Legendary celestial arts, trained to the point of entering the Dao, by a young man!
This was news enough to cause an upheaval in the literary world!
But at this moment, Li Qingchen paid no heed to what the others thought, his attention was entirely on Wei Cang.
Yet when he saw the newly ignited resolve dissipate again, he couldn’t help but sigh.
Still lacking somewhat, but overall it was good; this proved the decision his teacher made was not wrong.
Thinking this, Li Qingchen was about to speak when suddenly he furrowed his brow and looked skyward.
"What is the Buddhist sect doing here?"
...
Outside the study, above the sky.
Su Zian was initially thrilled for Chang Qing’s accomplishment.
After all, those were celestial arts, cultivated to the Dao level, clearly indicating how frightening Chang Qing’s Confucian talent was.
As long as things progress as planned, Chang Qing becoming the next Immortal is virtually assured.
Just as he pondered where to find a set of fine scholarly tools for Chang Qing, a repulsive presence suddenly arrived.
"Really like clinging ghosts."
"Hard-earned good mood, disturbed by you again."
Su Zian’s smile vanished, his long knife swathed in overwhelming murderous energy, slashed fiercely towards the distant sky.
Boom!
A blade light of thousands of feet descended across the sky, instantly splitting the dense cloud layer many miles away.
The dozen monks hiding within suddenly became exposed.
"Buddha is compassionate, Master Su, we are not here for you, please let us pass!"
An Arhat, with a voice as deep as a wrathful Vajra, spoke up.
Beside him, a novice wrapped in monastic robe, holding a radiant white lotus, sensed something with closed eyes and then opened his dark eyes.
"Respected one, the white lotus reacted, the Eight Treasure Buddha Body is likely in that school,"
The novice pointed to the house beneath Su Zian’s feet, where Su Changqing and the others were having their literary competition.
"Buddha is compassionate! The Eight Treasure Buddha Body has emerged!"
The Arhat couldn’t help but show joy upon hearing this.
This time, with the Southern Region’s Void Forbidden Abyss open, the Buddhist sect leader had foretold the emergence of the Eight Treasure Buddha Body.
It was the companion Spiritual Treasure of the Bodhisattva of Good Deeds, or rather, the companion Celestial Buddha Body!
Outsiders only know it as the ’Eight-Treasure Compass’, but only the Buddhist sect’s greats understand.
That thing is a natural Buddha; once Buddhist techniques are cultivated to a certain level, one can occupy the Buddha Body and comprehend the ultimate Buddhist techniques!
Before anyone bears the Celestial Buddha Body, the Buddha Body is sealed in the compass, and other parts transform into eight treasures encircling it.
Initially, the Bodhisattva of Good Deeds intended to enter the Forbidden Abyss, aware of the dangers of the journey, thus splitting the eight treasures, taking only the compass and Buddha Body for protection, yet the compass remained lost for many years.
Now, after countless ages, the Celestial Buddha Body has re-emerged, the Buddhist sect must acquire it no matter the cost!
This is why, even running into the Su family in the Southern Region, the Buddhist sect refuses to leave.
"Zing zing, a Saint King, two Saints, the Buddhist sect sure has grand prestige."
Looking at the monks across, Su Zian raised an eyebrow with a mocking smile:
"You really think my Su family wouldn’t dare to march to the Western Regions?"
The Buddhist sect’s repeated disturbances in the Southern Region had sparked a sense of anger in Su Zian.
"Master Su, let me repeat, the Buddhist sect has no intention of being enemies with the Su family!"
Facing the knife-wielding youth, the Buddhist sect Arhat said somewhat angrily:
"Step aside now! Or even if we cut you down today, the Domain Master wouldn’t be able to do anything against us!"
"Hahahahaha!" Upon hearing this, Su Zian burst into laughter as if he had heard a tremendous joke, with his long knife pointing at the Buddhas,
"Baldy! Today, I stand here; you can try if you dare!"
"If the Buddhist sect dares to offend me even slightly, tomorrow Su Nan’s Emperor’s Weapon ’Great Cyan Spear’ will shatter your Lingshan Treasure Temple, do you believe it?"
Seeing the young man laughing wildly, even the Arhat with the cultivation level of a Saint King felt a headache.
"Venerable, should we kill him?" a nervous disciple of the Buddhist sect asked.
"Kill?"
The Arhat glanced at the disciple but said nothing.
Just scaring them is enough. If Su Zian were truly killed in the Southern Domain, the entire Su family would be enraged.
In less than three days, not only would Lingshan Treasure Temple be in danger, but the entire Western Regions would become rivers of blood.
"I will trap him, and the rest go fetch the Buddha Body. There are only a few great scholars in that academy, the rest are not to be feared."
The Arhat made a swift decision and personally moved forward to trap Su Zian, while the others headed straight for the academy below.
However, at this moment, a burly man clad in battle armor silently appeared behind Su Zian.
The Arhat immediately halted his steps, his hairs standing on end as a wave of immense fear surged through his heart.
The man scanned the entire scene; although he didn’t say a word, no one dared to make a single move.
In the Southern Domain, how could the second young master of the esteemed Su family not have a protector?
"Tsk, willing to make a move now?"
Su Zian looked at the person behind him, seeming amused and asked.
"Unless it’s a life or death crisis, I won’t make a move."
The man’s voice was calm.
Su Zian shrugged at the words, then looked at the Buddhist followers, teasingly saying:
"Why are you just standing there? Aren’t you going to look for your things?"
The protector cannot intervene, but there are people here who can.
"Ignore him, move!"
The Buddhist Arhat gritted his teeth, leading the crowd straight to the academy below.
But just as they approached, a terrifying aura that could change the color of the world erupted from that academy.
"Plop!"
All the Buddhists led by the Arhat, regardless of being Saint Kings or Saints, spat blood and retreated.
"Quasi... Quasi-Emperor!"
Fear flashed in the Arhat’s eyes; he never expected that a quasi-emperor would be in this dilapidated academy!
"Retreat!"
Without any hesitation, the Arhat turned and left with his followers.
But at this moment, the sky suddenly darkened. As the Buddhist crowd looked up, they were instantly stunned.
A massive hand that covered the entire sky grasped the little novice who had just spoken, crushing him like an ant.
However, it did not harm him but instead took away the brilliant white lotus.
"Venerable! The white lotus, one of the eight treasures!" the novice hurriedly exclaimed.
The Arhat’s expression changed immediately; the white lotus is one part of the Buddha Body, a significant treasure of the Buddhist sect. How could he explain this loss upon returning?
"Senior..."
The Arhat, biting the bullet, was about to say something, but a light shout suddenly exploded in everyone’s ears.
"Scram!"
"Plop!"
The Buddhist crowd spat out blood again, but this time no one dared to look back, fleeing in a panic like lost dogs.
Su Zian saw this and shook his head with amusement, "Buddhists still dare to demand something from Juvenile Immortal, truly overestimating themselves."
Back when Juvenile Immortal had not yet seized power, the Buddhist sect did not hold back at all.
This is why Juvenile Immortal is much more composed now compared to when he was young; otherwise, all these people would be dead by now.
"Juvenile Immortal didn’t kill you, but that only means I have to exert more effort."
Su Zian laughed, wielded his blade toward the distance, and simultaneously communicated with the Su family members in the Abyss of Forbidden.
...
At this time, inside the study room.
The others were still unaware of what happened outside, still immersed in the celestial four arts of Su Changqing, unable to snap out of it.
Li Qingchen was playing with a small white lotus in his hand, showing a peculiar expression.
"It shares a lineage with Chang Qing’s Compass. It seems to be one of the eight treasures missing from the Compass?"
"The Buddhists regard it so highly, it may not be as simple as just a treasure. It seems I’ll have to find some ancient Buddhist texts for Chang Qing..."
Li Qingchen was secretly contemplating, while Su Changqing and Shu Han were slowly tidying up their things.
Four matches all won, there was no need for further competition, so next, they should head home.
However, unexpectedly, Ling Si who had been sitting in a daze, suddenly stood up and stared directly at Su Changqing.
"I lost this literary competition; I’m convinced in both heart and word."
"But my teacher has painstakingly prepared for two years because of me. If I don’t win even once, I can’t face going back!"
Ling Si took a deep breath, spoke with a determined and confident tone:
"I want to compete with you one last time, this time with... poetry!"