Chapter 135: The Buddhist Heir

After exchanging views with Tianling on whose tongue was more slippery, Zhou Tian had to admit, in the face of ironclad evidence, that his own was indeed the slippier of the two. He offered an apology to Tianling, acknowledging that he was indeed a "slick-tongued" person, and the two temporarily parted ways.

Ling Yu and Musu were still waiting for him to attend to them. Guided by a servant, Zhou Tian arrived at the temporary residence arranged for them. Since they were his friends, the accommodations were quite excellent. At that moment, both were in Musu's room; naturally, having arrived in a strange place, two people from the same origin were simply huddling together for comfort. They were not doing anything untoward, which left Zhou Tian feeling slightly disappointed.

"Zhou Tian, you're here..."

Seeing him arrive, the two stood up to greet him, their expressions complex.

"My apologies, you two," Zhou Tian said with a hint of regret. "The situation happened so suddenly. I never expected to encounter the Holy Demon, which led to you being dragged into this."

He was genuinely apologetic toward Ling Yu and Musu; it was not a feigned attitude.

"It is of no consequence; we came to no harm," Ling Yu replied. The appearance of the Holy Demon was something none of them could have anticipated. One moment they were contemplating how to compete for the throne of gods, and the next they were here. Such is the impermanence of worldly affairs. Although Ling Yu felt some resentment at suffering this unprovoked disaster, she had witnessed Zhou Tian’s constant efforts to ensure their survival. Most importantly, this was now Zhou Tian’s territory, so she would not openly display her frustration.

"Regardless, the responsibility for this matter is mine. It is just that the outside world is somewhat unstable these days, so you may have to stay here for a while," Zhou Tian said, feeling a bit embarrassed. He had promised to take them to the Pantheon, but he had failed to keep his word. Although it was not his fault, he still felt guilty.

"But rest assured, once the Pantheon reopens, I will certainly secure a divine throne for you. I understand your mother's intentions, and I will handle it properly. As for you, Musu, I will never go back on the promise I made to you."

Zhou Tian made his vow. Though he was often frivolous, he had his bottom line. To treat others with sincerity as one wishes to be treated was his code of conduct in his previous life.

"...Thank you!"

Ling Yu and Musu remained silent for a long time before finally sighing out their gratitude. Matters had reached this point, and there was no need for Zhou Tian to deceive them. They could see how vast the power behind him truly was.

Zhou Tian did not linger. He could see that the attitudes of Ling Yu and Musu toward him had shifted slightly. He felt helpless regarding this change; it was a matter of the human heart, which no one could alter.

After leaving Musu, Zhou Tian ran into Zhou Zui, who was searching for him in a hurry.

"Zhou Tian, come with me, quickly."

Without another word, Zhou Zui released a pale golden tassel from his hand, which formed a protective barrier around them, and then they soared into the sky.

"What is the rush? Did Liu Yan find another man?" Zhou Tian asked in surprise, finally finding a gap to speak.

"Impossible. Zhou Xunchuan is going to battle a Buddhist son from the Luotian Temple today. This is a rare fight to witness."

"The match was originally scheduled for tomorrow, but hearing that you had returned, they moved the time up. They want to welcome you back with a victory."

Welcoming me back with a victory? That is truly... Zhou Tian had nothing to say. Since they had put it that way, how could he decline?

"Did our people get into a conflict with the monks of Luotian Temple? Why would they agree to a duel?" Zhou Tian asked.

"No, but you know the current situation. We can only move within the range covered by the great formation and cannot travel far. Being bored to death every day, we either find low-combat-power wandering holy spirits to fight or challenge others to duels. It’s the only way to kill time."

The distance was not far. The arena was not on the ground but floating in the sky, resembling an inverted conical mountain with four thick, mysterious iron chains extending into the blue void.

By now, many people were already there. Their eyes were brilliant, their heads glowed with divine light, and their vitality surged into the heavens. Some had single horns, others possessed divine wings—most were special holy bodies, bearing organs unlike ordinary people and possessing unfathomable power. They stood proudly with majestic momentum; these were the contemporary prodigies of the Eight Great Forces.

Most stood scattered, looking down upon the world, except for one spot that was bustling and noisy, sounding like a marketplace.

"One quarter of an hour left before the battle begins! Place your bets now. On one side, the son of the Qin Emperor; on the other, a contemporary Buddhist son. Both possess unparalleled fame. Odds are 1:1. The more you bet, the more you win—hurry up!"

A large crowd had gathered, including not only young prodigies from the Eight Great Forces but also wandering cultivators from the Nine Provinces, all pulling out rare items to wager.

"These are the people from the Treasure Pavilion. Only they would set aside the so-called dignity of the strong and act like merchants. Come, let’s place a bet too."

"Nine bets out of ten are rigged. Cherish life, stay away from gambling," Zhou Tian said righteously, but Zhou Zui had already crowded in. Thinking he couldn't let Zhou Zui sink into this, Zhou Tian followed.

The person running the gambling den was a lean young man with a banner on his back inscribed with large characters: "Treasure Pavilion, Li Rulong."

Zhou Tian was speechless. No wonder there were so many people; it was because of the reputation of the house. The Treasure Pavilion valued its reputation above all else and would never default on a debt, nor would they allow their subordinates to do so.

"One gram of Ancient Qingyuan Gold, betting on the Luotian Temple Buddhist son to win. Very well, take your receipt."

The young man named Li Rulong skillfully took a small piece of iron, shimmering with green light and speckled with gold, from a middle-aged man and placed it into a brass-colored, dark-gold toad statue before him. The toad’s eyes flashed with golden light, and it spat out a jade token, which he handed to the middle-aged man.

"Ten grams of Dark-Veined Green Dragon Iron, Zhou Xunchuan to win."

Zhou Zui flipped his hand to reveal a piece of cyan iron with black patterns. Faint dragon roars seemed to emanate from it, shaking the surroundings and drawing everyone's gaze. This was a precious material that could be used as a primary component in forging Holy King-level weapons. Though small, it was definitely a rarity. However, upon seeing it was Zhou Zui, the crowd was unperturbed; with his wealth, he could certainly afford it.

Yet, they looked at Zhou Tian, who stood beside Zhou Zui, with confusion, having no real impression of him.

"I remember now, isn't he that mortal from the Qin King's..."

Someone spoke up but didn't finish, as Zhou Zui’s icy gaze fell upon them. The speaker was a wanderer from the Futian Province and dared not offend the Heavenly Qin.

"Why, can't people speak? He's just the useless son of the Heavenly Qin's Qin King, what is there that can't be said?"

Not everyone belonged to the Futian Province, and there were always those who spoke with malicious intent.

"Are you looking for death?" Zhou Zui’s eyes were cold. The person shrank back but retorted stiffly, "What, are you going to use your status to bully others?"

Zhou Tian frowned and pulled Zhou Zui back. "Just barking dogs, ignore them."

This person had ulterior motives. If they started a fight, they might become the target of public ire. Zhou Tian had not expected the atmosphere here to be so unfriendly. He hadn't yet grasped the situation here; after all, this wasn't his home turf in Heavenly Qin where he could handle anything. The people here were no lower in status than him. However, he wasn't afraid. If pushed too far, he had his "30-second true man" ability—he had never feared anyone. No, wait, it was 31 seconds now.

Some of the true prodigies remained silent and didn't even pay attention to the commotion. For example, a young man in the southeast corner sat cross-legged in the void, eyes closed, his body wreathed in chaotic energy. The space around him was almost crushed, and no one dared to stand within several dozen feet. He hadn't moved since Zhou Tian arrived, as if nothing could disturb his inner peace.

"Om mani padme hum."

A burst of Buddhist sound arrived. From the northwest, a bald monk in white robes approached, treading on air. He was barefoot, his eyes half-open, his hands pressed together. The Buddhist chanting seemed to descend from the nine heavens, following him as he moved.

"That is Master Sheyin, one of the three Buddhist sons of the Luotian Temple. It is said his mastery of Buddhism has reached the realm of perfection. He once subdued a Saint-level ferocious beast with a single chant and is highly regarded by the ancient Buddhas of Luotian Temple," someone exclaimed. He was famous, and many had heard of him.

Stepping onto the floating mountain, Sheyin did not converse with anyone but found a secluded spot, sat cross-legged, and began to chant quietly. Shadows of ancient Buddhas and Bodhisattvas surrounded him, resembling a Buddhist kingdom on earth.

"Why didn't you keep him back then?" Zhou Tian asked, nudging Zhou Zui. Though the question was out of the blue, Zhou Zui understood.

"Keeping a few insignificant monks is one thing, but if we had kept him, those old monks in death-defying seclusion would have surely rushed out to fight us to the death."

"Don't they advocate that all living beings are equal?"

"Exactly. All living beings are equal to one of them. No problem there."

Zhou Tian was speechless. Zhou Zui could certainly spin a yarn.