Longevity Chronicles
Chapter 653 - 423: Refining the Bodhisattva with Outer Heaven Flame Essence, Mechanical Essence Subduing Alien Species

"Last time," Tao Qian turned the stolen "Great Compassionate and Merciful Transcendent Bodhisattva" into a sky-reaching Floating Pagoda, suspended above Suzhou City.

Such a miraculous sight shocked millions of mortals, and with the news of taking in disciples, it even sparked huge waves.

Starting from Suzhou City and spreading to the surrounding areas, countless people came to behold the Floating Pagoda. Millions, regardless of whether they were talents or possessed any spiritual aptitude, old or young, all squeezed into the city, chanted a Buddha's name, and were then guided by the Buddha Light of the Floating Pagoda to experience the joy of flying to the heavens.

Strikingly, among the millions desiring to enter the pagoda, there were not only young talents but also those naturally endowed with Buddha Seed.

Also, since Master Wu Gou had previously said that one could become a disciple even with learned skills,

many wilderness Loose Cultivators, heresy and heterodoxy practitioners, and those who'd become Buddhist Practitioners halfway through life, all rushed to Suzhou to seek entry to the sky-reaching Floating Pagoda.

Because of the propaganda spread by the Demon Buddha Temple, everyone in Qiantang knew:

There was a Hidden Cultivator in the Buddhist Sect of the South Sea, known as Qingjing Zen Master.

He was to undergo a Daoist Transformation and open a new lineage.

His strength was even stronger than that of the Arhats Kongchan and Lian Sha.

His True Disciple, Master Wu Gou, after embarking on a worldly experience and setting foot in Qiantang, had even clashed with Buddha's son Shenxiu Master from Great Freedom Temple, pressing him hard.

Who wouldn't want to join such a Mountain Gate?

Regrettably, despite many trying, one after another, not a single person succeeded.

For a while, many demon monks and Cultivators in Qiantang Province half-enviously, half-surprisedly said:

"The threshold of this Clear Lineage is so high?"

"Not a single person in Qiantang Province can catch the eye of Wu Gou?"

"Don't tell me they're just toying with us, I don't believe it. Millions crowd in Suzhou, and not a single one can become a monk at Fishing Cliff."

"Look at this sky-reaching Floating Pagoda, tsk tsk, even the Demon Buddha Temple doesn't have such a grand spectacle. It seems the bumpkins from the South Sea really want to step right over our threshold."

"It must be that Qingjing Zen Master is too proud and aloof. He does not accept ordinary disciples, only those truly talented Buddhists, those who possess top-level Buddhist Practitioner talents such as the Bodhi Heart, Vajra Body, Bright Dharma Body, and so on."

"Heh, if they truly have such talents, why should they go and worship him? Demon Buddha Temple, Free Temple, Vajra Temple... even Guanyin Temple, wouldn't they be free to choose?"

Despite the sourness, it did not prevent the name of Master Wu Gou, whom Tao Qian was impersonating, from becoming increasingly renowned.

Seeing that the timing was about right and to prevent anyone from taking advantage to stir up trouble and damage his reputation, affecting the plan,

Tao Qian, accompanied by Yunrong, began to bestow blessings.

Hence, in the following several hours, Suzhou, both inside and out, was in complete uproar.

First was Miao Yin Bodhisattva!

She displayed her Dharma Image, sprinkling willow branches, and suddenly sweet rain descended from heaven and Sanskrit filled the air.

Mortals who received it were cured of all diseases, and Cultivators found their Spirits at peace.

Then came Master Wu Gou!

He preached and demonstrated, making flowers fall from the sky and Earth Bursting Golden Lotus emerge, not to mention that at each event's end, there would mysteriously appear cracks and pits that spewed out all kinds of treasures and baits.

Those Cultivators and mortals who had some understanding of the secrets of Buddhist Practitioners all knew that these miracles could only be performed by a true Buddha or high monk.

Thus, the reputations of the two grew even greater.

Even if a few discontented sour voices arose, they were immediately drowned out by the shouts of the many mortals and Cultivators who had received the duo's benefactions.

Of course, outsiders could not know that these Buddhist miracles were actually created by Tao Qian and Yunrong using other Divine Skills.

Like the treasure bursting from the earth, while it would be somewhat difficult for other cultivators of Cavernous Mystery or even Ultimate Happiness Realm to accomplish, it was extremely simple for Tao Master.

Inside his People Species Bag, mountains of gold and silver were already piled high.

If he felt it wasn't enough, he could even take that Toad God Tile and tap it against his own forehead to receive a reward from the Toad God.

Of course, he wouldn't actually do that—it would be too undignified.

...

After making a scene, Tao Qian saw that he still had some time to spare and thought it would be best to consume the bait himself before the fish bit, lest it be dragged away to his great loss.

With this thought, he no longer delayed and, taking Little Lian Jing'er with him, headed straight for the deepest part of the Floating Pagoda.

It seemed like a Secret Realm, yet also like an Exotic Realm.

The dark Void was filled with myriad Buddhas standing tall.

From within each Buddha Body extended a thread of blood as thin as cow hair, densely packed and converging towards the center.

Upon closer inspection, one could see that those blood threads were actually made from a blend of Essence Blood, Source Qi, and mechanical filaments.

Ingeniously unparalleled, eerily indescribable.

At this moment, Yuan Gong, who had been snubbing Tao Qian out of spite, could not help but contact him upon seeing this bizarre scene.

Before he could offer guidance, he started by naming a string of Buddha's titles, as if listing dishes:

"Namo Amitabha Buddha, Namo Shizi Buddha, Namo Xiangji King Buddha, Namo Xiangshou Buddha, Namo Akasagarbha Buddha, Namo Ratnaketu Buddha... Tsk tsk, those bald thieves from the Demon Buddha Temple really know how to play."

"This method cuts the Buddha Nature from myriad Buddhas and concentrates it into one Wisdom Demon."

"The ghostly thing refined in this way is truly fierce, and subduing an ordinary Ultimate Happiness Cultivator would probably not be difficult."

"No wonder they had to use an Outer Realm Mechanical Seed, which indeed is a Life but lacks Karma and desire, naturally embodying emptiness on all four fronts, perfectly able to bear the Buddha Nature of myriad Buddhas. If it were a member of the Human Clan or another Devil Species, they would explode on the spot."

After listening to Yuan Gong, Tao Qian understood even more how peculiar the means of the Demon Buddha Temple were.

Before long, entering deep into the Void of myriad Buddhas, he saw a majestic Buddha Image holding many Buddha Treasures and Mechanical Species, with closed eyes, at the center.

Between its twin breasts, in front of the chest and abdomen, there was an "alien heart" roughly the size of a millstone, throbbing boom boom boom, with more than a billion mechanical blood threads extending into it.

On its surface was a face of compassion.

Male or female was unknown, capable of a thousand manifestations.

Yet it seemed devoid of true intelligence, mechanically chanting:

"Great Compassion! Amitabha Buddha!"

"Great Compassion! Amitabha Buddha!"

"Hiss"

Seeing this, Tao Qian couldn't help but inhale sharply, also muttering curses under his breath.

"Damn bald thieves, really know how to play."

"Lucky I seized it, otherwise if this inhuman thing was refined, big trouble would ensue."

As he said these words, the Human Dao Destiny surged within Tao Qian's body, spontaneously bringing forth a perception, and immediately he fell silent again.

The Demon Buddha Temple had been plotting the creation of this "Great Transcendence Bodhisattva" for a long time—the Silver City was but one of its manifestations.

The reason why Kongchan, Shipi, and others were not anxious to reclaim it, besides Duobao's deception,

A more important reason: They had already refined not just one statue.

Not long after, Tao Qian regained his focus and, along with Lian Jing'er, approached the compassionate heart that glowed crimson all over.

Without a word from Tao Qian, Lian Jing'er's "Creation Treasure Wheel" rose from behind his head, casting a profound divine light that swiftly swept through the entire Sky-reaching Floating Pagoda.

And immediately after, a mechanical voice delivered the detailed plan into Tao Qian's mind.

"This object has interlinked prohibitions and must be refined simultaneously to prevent the escape of the Mechanical Seed."

"After you have trapped the Seed within, you may domesticate it."

In the blink of an eye, Tao Qian pinpointed the critical gates.

Without further questions, he sat down cross-legged in front of the compassionate visage.

Closing his eyes, he connected with the Outer Realm.

When that mysterious Secret Realm of the Exotic Realm within the Great Abyss opened up, an endless array of fine specks of light appeared before Tao Qian.

Each speck of light represented a being of wisdom.

They were incredibly pure, chirping and chattering, rushing toward him like countless children.

Outer Heaven Flame Essence!

Truly dangerous beings.

Tao Qian originally wanted to refine some Elixirs but unintentionally made a connection with them.

"If it were just refining Elixirs or using them like when subduing the Eight Hundred Fire Demons on Ascending Immortal Island, there wouldn't be much danger."

"But now, to refine these tens of thousands of mechanical blood threads in an instant is extremely perilous."

"One possibility is destroying the Great Transcendence Bodhisattva, and another is allowing the Outer Heaven Flame Essence to escape."

"Keep in mind that a single Flame Essence can cause great destruction."

"If tens of thousands of Flame Essences enter this world through me and burn mountains and boil seas, it would likely be no small matter."

"If I truly cause this catastrophe, I will have to bear the consequences."

"It's like when Sun Wukong kicked over the Furnace of Eight Trigrams, and the Mortal World got a Flame Mountain."

While contemplating, Tao Qian's spirit fully immersed itself in the Flame Essence Secret Realm, patiently communicating with each Flame Essence until he was sure they had a "heart-to-heart understanding" before allowing them to pass.

It sounds simple, but it's extremely difficult.

These Flame Essences often have childish temperaments.

They would sometimes tease Master Tao.

One moment they were burning his Taoist Body red hot, the next scorching off his eyebrows and hair, and then roaring incessantly…

It forced Master Yuan Gong to fly out, assembling from a red mist, half in awe and half complaining:

"In the Cultivation World, there are some who borrow Outer Heaven Flame Essence to refine Elixirs, tools, and Divine Skills."

"But one would be hard-pressed to find such a refining method, nor had I ever heard that the Spirit Treasure Sublime Body can have such an effect."

"However, the Fire Star Body is rumored to have this miraculous power."

After Master Yuan Gong finished speaking, another hour passed. ThischapterwasfirstseenonNovelFire.

Tao Master, wholly charred black and pathetically disheveled with all hair burnt off, finally came to his senses at that moment.

Opening his eyes, he made a move.

His body turned from the inside out into a gem-like fire jade, with tiny spheres detaching from it.

In the blink of an eye, their number reached hundreds of thousands.

They were supposed to be chirping and creating a ruckus, but remarkably, they didn't.

These Outer Heaven Flame Essences obediently followed Tao Qian's intention, silently filling the entire Void.

Then, at a certain breath.

"Refine!"

In an instant, it was as if hundreds of thousands of children cheered in unison.

Dark Void turned to bright light.

Those thin, sticky, and icy cold blood threads, as fine as cow hairs, were simultaneously engulfed by the Flame Essences. Like meeting their nemesis, they transformed from sanguine red to crimson red, turning the blood threads into jade silk.

In this abrupt change, the compassionate visage mechanically chanting "Great Compassion, Amitabha Buddha" in front of Tao Qian suddenly froze.

The heart seemed about to burst, an alien entity attempting to break out.

With a sizzle, Lian Jing'er, holding a bronze divine fork, stabbed into that visage.

Dazzling divine light poured into it.

The alien shrieked an ear-piercing screech.

Lian Jing'er paid it no heed, continuously repeating:

"Detecting in progress… Target confirmed as a Great Abyss Mechanical Species."

"Altering the life source essence... Domesticating in progress… Domesticating in progress… Domestication successful."

Suddenly, a long cry echoed in the Void.

Tao Qian and Master Yuan Gong both saw the compassionate visage above the heart come to life.

The link with Wisdom Mother was now complete.

But for some reason?

The visage now bore a striking resemblance to Lian Jing'er.

...

Despite having foreseen success earlier, Tao Qian still found the scene marvelous.

Master Yuan's gaze lingered solely on Lian Jing'er, his face thoughtful as he muttered to himself:

"How strange, how strange!"

"I had thought this little thing was related to the legacy behind the Heavenly Mechanism Building, but now it seems unlikely; could it be connected to what the Ancestor Dragon once held…?"

He fell silent halfway through, annoyance flickering across his face.

He often forgets that he has long perished, now just a residual soul lingering in a statue, struggling to survive.

He's only reminded of his severe memory loss every time he realizes it.

Looking at the incomplete red mist, he said with a touch of melancholy:

"A long-dead ghost, who's there to blame?"

"At least I had my moments back in the day, having defeated Duobao, cleaved through Xuandu…"

Then losing interest in his own words, Master Yuan no longer paid attention to others, dived straight into his statue, and returned to Tao Qian's embrace.