Cultivation: Fortune by Lots-Chapter 388 - 223. No one can take advantage of Master Lei for free.

"The conditions one can’t refuse... I can pretty much imagine," Yuan Mobai said, looking towards the distant battlefield.

The fact that Wei Ancheng of the Blood River Sect could persuade the Future Maitreya to come to the Southern Wilderness and rely on him as a backup plan clearly meant Wei Ancheng wouldn’t have been so confident without something substantial. He must have prepared a treasure enticing enough to make the White Lotus Sect lend him a helping hand.

In such a case, the Future Maitreya’s betrayal in the midst of battle wasn’t just about making an enemy of Wei Ancheng. Compared to Shangguan Yunbo, Xu Duan of the Mount Shu Sect, and the others from the Southern Wilderness, the White Lotus Sect was likely even more resented by Wei Ancheng now.

With the Blood River Sect regarded as a public enemy of the Mortal World and besieged from all sides, and even their Sacred Land falling early on, their experts, to some extent, were nearly free from worldly attachments, unrestrained, and more dangerous than most cultivators of the same realm. Although the White Lotus Sect was also a hidden Sacred Land with unpredictable movements, provoking a Ninth Heavenly Layer powerhouse like Wei Ancheng still posed a great threat.

The Future Maitreya’s willingness to intervene despite such karma indicated how vital Lei Jun’s offer must have been to the White Lotus Sect.

"I just didn’t expect the candelabra to be so mystical before?" Yuan Mobai mused with a sigh.

Lei Jun said, "For Our Sect and perhaps for others, it may not hold such significant meaning, but for the disciples of the Buddhist Sect, it is extremely important. It’s a Buddha Treasure left behind by one of the White Lotus Sect’s founding masters when he left the Bodhi Temple many years ago. Not only did this lead to the incomplete and lost recipe for the Purifying Pill, but also the loss of some Buddhist scriptures. I infer that it is very ancient, with ties to a time before the Bodhi Temple was established. That’s why even monks from the Xuantian Temple went to try their luck around Xianliu Mountain previously."

Yuan Mobai nodded slightly upon hearing this.

Among the Four Sacred Grounds of the Buddhist Sect that are currently known, the Bodhi Temple has the longest history and was the first to be established. Despite the recent decline of the Bodhi Temple due to the end-of-Dharma calamity, it had accumulated substantial reserves in its prime and was most closely associated with the initial rise of the Buddhist faith. The treasures in the temple must have included many that appeared inconsequential but were actually of paramount importance. The earlier destruction and loss were also because they were carried away when the founding master of the White Lotus Sect defected from his order, which indirectly proved the significance of this treasure.

"It’s a shame. The Magic Artifact is severely damaged, and after this Disciple dismantled it, the Buddhist essence within won’t last much longer before dissipating. Otherwise, I also planned to save it for a more opportune moment to exchange for favors," Lei Jun said. "Given that it’s about to dissipate, we must focus on the present. Although the situation in the Southern Wilderness is complex, no matter how it changes, it’s not good to let the Blood River Sect have too easy a time!"

Had it been someone else, Master Lei might have sat back and calmly watched the drama unfold today. But the Blood River Sect was the kind that, if not provoked by others, would take the initiative to cause trouble. When the Celestial Master Mansion faced both internal and external crises before, Blood River experts were always drawn to them, like sharks smelling blood, gathering around. Abbot Liaoyuan and the people from the Bodhi Temple served as a recent lesson.

So today, perhaps Sect Leader Wei of the Blood River Sect should just wash up and go to bed.

If he survives today’s ordeal, he can certainly continue to settle scores with the White Lotus Sect afterward. It’ll be interesting to see the two heretical Sacred Lands properly test each other’s strength.

"The Buddhist essence can’t be preserved for long?" Yuan Mobai sighed upon hearing this. "Indeed, that is a pity."

Lei Jun asked, "Does Master have old acquaintances in the Buddhist Sect?"

Yuan Mobai nodded slightly, his expression serene. "Everyone has their own karmic paths; it doesn’t greatly matter."

Lei Jun said, "Although this Disciple doesn’t understand Buddhist Law, I’ve gained some insights from studying that Buddhist essence. If Master’s old acquaintances in the Buddhist Sect have need of it, perhaps we could find an opportunity for them to converse later."

Yuan Mobai smiled. "With your Comprehension now at the Tranquil Level, your understanding is indeed different from before."

The nature of Lei Jun’s Comprehension in cultivation practice leaned towards the Yin Yang dichotomy, but was not solely limited to this. Comprehension, after all, is not a talent exclusive to Taoist Sect cultivators. If Lei Jun, now thirty-six or thirty-seven years old, were to start his cultivation practice anew with the teachings of another Taoist Heritage, relying on his Saintly Physique Root Bone and Serene Comprehension, he could still achieve a great deal. Not only would he easily reach the Middle Three Heavens before the age of fifty, but he could also attempt to break into the Upper Three Heavens before turning one hundred.

To say that Lei Jun, without having practiced Buddhist Law himself, could gain actual insights from that Buddhist essence—that one School of Dharma could make all schools of dharma clear—would be an exaggeration. However, his observation of that Buddhist essence would naturally differ from that of others. When the time comes for him to discuss the Dharma with true high-ranking Buddhist monks, those monks would surely gain something from listening to him.

"Later on, I will ask his opinion," Yuan Mobai said, his gaze turning towards the increasingly intense battle in the distance. "However, the White Lotus Sect’s momentum is certainly growing."

Lei Jun followed his Master’s gaze. "Indeed..."

About six or seven years ago, that Future Maitreya began to walk in the Mortal World. Lei Jun had even brushed past him in an Earth Valley outside Xianliu Mountain. At that time, this young monk had already reached the Seventh Layer of Heaven Realm. Now, meeting again in the Southern Wilderness, he had remarkably reached the Eighth Heavenly Layer.

As far as Lei Jun knew, among cultivators of this realm, only Tang Xiaotang was noticeably younger than this young monk. Then there were Li Tianqing, the prodigy of the Witchcraft Sect at Sleeping Dragon Lake, and that legendary new-generation Buddhist from the Great Void Temple, who seemed to be a few years younger than this Future Maitreya. The others were likely older than him.

Among the current younger generation, this young monk could also be considered a latecomer who had surpassed his peers. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

It was a rather exasperating thought. The most outstanding young figures of the Buddhist Sect—one in the White Lotus Sect and the other in the Great Void Temple—were both regarded by the world as practitioners of Buddhist heterodoxy.