Second floor of the inn.
Yujian Fo lightly knocked three times on the door.
Hearing the words "please enter" from inside, she pushed the door open.
Inside, a figure draped in a plain white veil was engrossed in reading a scripture, seemingly captivated by the Daoist text.
She clasped her hands together and slightly bowed, saying, "Little monk has come to see the Heavenly Maiden."
"We are of the same generation; there is no need for such formality."
Yuhua closed her book and looked up at Yujian Fo, smiling, "You have quite the charm now; I wonder if those old bald donkeys would spit blood upon seeing you."
The summit of the mountain was small, and those standing at the peak inevitably knew each other.
As the Daoist Heavenly Maiden, Yuhua naturally recognized the new generation candidate for the Buddha's position before her.
However, this candidate was quite peculiar; she neither followed the Mahayana nor the Hinayana.
She was neither a Shravaka nor a Pratyekabuddha.
She did not speak of cause and effect, did not look to the world, nor did she gaze into the future; she only cultivated the present.
The Three Buddhas of the past, present, and future—only the present Buddha was vacant.
Outsiders believed her to be short-sighted, yet they did not know that Yujian Fo's vision extended further than anyone else's; she aimed to directly ascend to the supreme fruit position of the Three Buddhas.
Yujian Fo's voice was ethereal as she praised, "Amitabha, I did not expect that after a year, the Heavenly Maiden has made further progress, even harnessing the power of immortals."
Yuhua smiled but said nothing more; she couldn't possibly mention Gu Wen and let others dwell on it, could she?
Though she was a nun, a nun was still a monk, and bald donkeys loved to say, "This person has a connection with my Buddha," but it could not be guaranteed that they were not lustful hungry ghosts.
The three teachings of Buddhism, Daoism, and Demonic Cultivation often borrowed from each other, and the higher one ascended, the more they realized that different paths could lead to the same destination.
"What brings you here today?"
"I wish to inquire about the changes at Tianquan Mountain; I wonder if it is due to the Immortal Medicine."
"I do not know, but I must go up there regardless."
Yuhua gazed at the towering green mountains outside, gradually glowing with golden light under the sunlight.
This height was no different from flat ground for her, but the real trouble lay in the aura emanating from within, matching her own level.
It was stronger than the previous ancestral tree spirit, and there existed 'immortal' level power within.
However, Yuhua would not reveal this to Yujian Fo; they were neither of the same sect nor the same school.
It was even possible that they could become mortal enemies due to the Immortal Medicine.
Yuhua had already prepared to crush all past affections.
Yujian Fo continued, "There is a secret in the Buddhist teachings regarding Tianquan Mountain; I wonder if it can be exchanged for an answer from the Heavenly Maiden."
"Speak; if it is worth it, I will answer you."
Yuhua's tone was indifferent, as if she were trying to catch a white wolf with empty hands, but she had this capital, and Yujian Fo had no other choice.
In today's world, the one closest to the existence of immortals was Yuhua alone.
She was the only immortal walking among mortals; even if she was not a true immortal, she held a certain status, referred to by the Buddhist sect as the Other Shore.
Yujian Fo said, "There exists an immortal sword at Tianquan Mountain, not a magical weapon or Daoist soldier, but a sword that can make one an immortal. I wonder if the Heavenly Maiden can sense it?"
Yuhua did not answer immediately and asked, "What is the origin of that sword?"
"Tianquan Mountain was jointly crafted by my Buddhist sect and Zhejian Mountain; it is the Daoist ground of the Sword Sovereign, and the sword is the Sword Sovereign after achieving the Dao."
Yujian Fo revealed another Buddhist secret, the greatest secret of the Immortal Land, known only to the holy places of the three teachings.
The Immortal Land was not a place for prodigies to enter and forge their paths to immortality; rather, it was where those who had become immortals practiced their Dao.
It was about returning to become an immortal, not going out to become one; immortals were born from here.
The so-called heavenly decree was not protection but rather the tribulations faced by those who became immortals.
"Using bones as blades, skin as handles, blood and flesh for tempering, and spirit and soul for awakening. For ten thousand years, it has not appeared in the world; the Buddhist sect thought it was a failure, but now..."
Yujian Fo also looked towards Tianquan Mountain, the meaning unspoken.
It was either triggered by the Immortal Medicine or the immortal sword had achieved the Dao.
And if the immortal sword had truly achieved it, then only Yuhua could sense it.
The Void Return could not peer into the Mahayana, mortals could not glimpse immortals, and the difference between immortals and mortals was even greater than that between mortals and the Mahayana.
Yuhua pondered for a moment; perhaps it was only a few breaths, but for Yujian Fo, it felt like several years had passed, each breath heavy as a mountain.
"There indeed exists an entity on par with me at Tianquan Mountain."
If the other party did not reveal the existence of the immortal sword, Yuhua would not disclose what she sensed; the opposite was different.
Yujian Fo remained silent for a long time, then clasped her hands and bowed, saying, "Thank you, Heavenly Maiden, for your answer."
Yuhua asked, "Does the Buddhist sect and Zhejian Mountain plan to take that sword?"
If the immortal sword were taken away, ascending Tianquan Mountain would be much easier for her, and even the sword formation would cease to exist.
Yujian Fo shook her head, "I do not know; how could the immortal sword be something we can arrange? The Buddhist sect merely seeks to establish a good connection. But if there is an opportunity, I too wish to experience the might of the immortal sword."
Downstairs at the inn.
Gu Wen arrived at the innkeeper's counter.
The innkeeper, as before, kept his head lowered, always smiling with a demeanor that seemed to invite prosperity.
When they first met, Gu Wen smashed the table with a slap, demanding a price reduction, thinking he was dealing with a price-gouging businessman, only to discover he was a True Monarch.
Upon closer inspection, the innkeeper looked somewhat familiar.
He remembered that on the day he forcefully killed a True Monarch, another True Monarch had come to take him back.
Gu Wen asked, "Was it you who brought me back that day?"
"That can only be counted as half; I carried half, and it was Senior Ao who took the other half."
The Wine True Monarch replied with a smile, showing no airs of a True Monarch, and asked, "What does the young master wish?"
He came to the Immortal Land to open a shop, partly to make up for the Dao foundation and partly to cultivate good karma.
The prodigies gathered here throughout the ages were all future rulers of the human race, ranging from the Daoist Heavenly Sovereigns of the three teachings to the Demonic Lords and Buddhist Patriarchs, down to powerful beings who ruled over certain territories, almost encompassing the entirety of humanity.
And the land of humanity was vast and boundless, occupying half of the heavens and earth, potentially becoming the next speaker of the heavens and earth for the coming millennium.
Some sought to seize the bodies of prodigies to relive their lives, while others wished to offer timely assistance to cultivate good karma.
"Senior, just call me Xiao Gu. Thank you for your previous assistance; this is a small token of gratitude from the younger generation."
Gu Wen immediately replied, his humble attitude contrasting sharply with his previous arrogance, as he placed three large gold ingots on the counter, each stamped with the official seal of the Da Qian Dynasty.
The gold was heavy; these three ingots amounted to one thousand taels of gold.
While this was not a tremendous benefit for the Wine True Monarch, it could at least buy some low-grade spiritual items.
If other juniors came to curry favor with the Wine True Monarch, it would not be surprising, but the other party was the protector of that Heavenly Maiden, a madman who dared to kill a seven-layer True Monarch with a four-layer Dao foundation, even if the actual difference was only one layer.
Such a fiery young man was indeed rare in a millennium.
Now, with this smooth demeanor, the Wine True Monarch was momentarily taken aback, yet no one knew that Gu Wen used to be in this line of work.
Small merchants seek profit, while large merchants seek relationships; the truly profitable business is selling favors, building connections, and forming circles.
"I have heard that you are the Wine True Monarch, reputed as the world's number one wine master, and I am a wine lover. I wonder if you could sell some to me."
The Wine True Monarch came back to his senses, somewhat amused yet not refusing, saying, "I do have many wines, each with different effects and prices. What kind are you looking for?"
"One that can accelerate Dao foundation cultivation."
This was a characteristic Gu Wen had discerned; anything that could accelerate Dao foundation cultivation contained heavenly essence.
The Wine True Monarch took out a jar of the most common wine from beneath the counter, poured a bowl for Gu Wen, and said, "This is the Meridian Wine you just drank; it is of high quality, and I generally do not sell it casually."
Gu Wen took a sip; the amount of heavenly essence increased slightly compared to before, and the medicinal power was richer and longer-lasting.
He asked, "How much is it?"
"Yellow and white items are only sold at low quality; high quality requires spiritual items."
Gu Wen placed a spiritual treasure and a broken blade on the table, items he had taken from the two True Monarchs he had killed earlier.
The Wine True Monarch examined them briefly and offered a price of twenty jars of Meridian Wine.
Gu Wen estimated that five hundred taels of low-quality wine contained a year’s worth of heavenly essence, while high-quality wine only had a few more portions, making it seem a bit of a loss.
However, the Meridian Wine could also accelerate the refinement of the Dao foundation, yielding both heavenly essence and a perfected Dao foundation.
The value of goods is calculated based on the market, but Gu Wen only calculated based on his own needs, just as he had sold family heirlooms before.
But when he inquired about how much low-quality wine there was, indicating he wanted to buy it all, the Wine True Monarch refused him.
This was because it was a means for the inn to attract customers; they sold quite a bit daily, and there would not be much stock left, nor could they sell it all to Gu Wen.
Gu Wen slightly cupped his hands and bowed, saying, "The younger generation is a wine lover; if the senior could fulfill this wish, I would remember it in my heart."
"..."
The Wine True Monarch was somewhat swayed; although this would mean he could not make a living for a while, if he could befriend Gu Wen, it would be worth it.
Moreover, how could a brewer not like a wine lover? Gu Wen, as such a prodigy, bending down to seek purchase was enough to show his love for wine.
"Alas, fine, I will sell you one jar for five hundred taels, and I will also give you another jar of Tianling Wine."
"Thank you, senior!"
Twenty jars of Meridian Wine of high quality were worth two spiritual treasures, forty jars of low quality were worth one thousand three hundred taels of gold, and a jar of Tianling Wine was a friend’s fee.
Previously, he had spent one thousand taels of gold and all his silver in the bustling market, and now Gu Wen still had eight thousand taels of gold on him.
As he had anticipated, no matter how much gold he had, it could not be converted into heavenly essence all at once.
A sip of Tianling Wine estimated to contain about ten years' worth of heavenly essence altogether.
This amounted to seventy years of heavenly essence, but he still needed ten more years!
He could not possibly wait for next month’s friend fee from the divine tree, could he? Moreover, the time required for conversion was also a problem; he did not know if he could catch up with the true opening of Tianquan Mountain.
Gu Wen returned to his seat and began to gulp down a jar of spiritual wine.
He Huan sighed in amazement, saying, "Hongchen brother, you truly are adaptable."
If he were the protector of the Daoist Heavenly Maiden, and someone who had killed a True Monarch across levels, He Huan would never be so humble as to seek a miscellaneous True Monarch for favors.
The other party was at most a Harmonization stage, while they, as heirs of major sects, could basically reach the Mahayana; Gu Wen becoming a Three Clear Heavenly Sovereign was not a problem.
"What is a favor worth?" Gu Wen scoffed, saying, "Besides, I am indeed the younger generation; calling you senior is not an overstatement."
If he had completely surpassed the Wine True Monarch, he naturally would not need to address him as senior, but the problem was that the other party was indeed stronger than him.
In the realm of cultivation, those who have achieved mastery take precedence, and the later generations should humbly seek guidance without feeling ashamed.
The previous robbery was profitable, and Gu Wen felt he was indeed better than those inferior goods, rather than thinking, "What can you do to me?"
He Huan joked, "Then you might as well go find Yujian Fo; as the Sword Buddha of this generation, wouldn’t it be wonderful for her to guide you in the true meaning of the sword?"
As soon as he finished speaking, a figure in a white and gold kasaya, resembling a Bodhisattva descending to the mortal realm, walked down.
The once somewhat noisy inn fell silent.
He Huan, who had just been discussing the other party, immediately shut his mouth and lowered his head, not daring to glance again.
She ignored the many prodigies from various sects in the inn and walked straight out, appearing like a white lotus amidst the vast sea of people.
"Senior, please wait."
A voice rang out, and the crowd in the inn instantly gathered around the speaker, staring at Gu Wen in astonishment.
This madman could actually address his peers as seniors?
Yujian Fo halted her steps, turning back with a face resembling Guanyin, showing a look of surprise, and smiled, "Little monk is but a hundred years old, of the same generation as you; how can I be called a senior?"
In the cultivation world, three hundred years is one generation, and strictly speaking, a hundred years is one generation.
"Those who have achieved mastery take precedence; your cultivation far surpasses mine, senior."
Gu Wen caught up, inexplicably feeling a chill run down his spine, the coolness vanishing in an instant, unsure if it was just an illusion.
"The reason why a sage is a sage is simply because they are eager to learn and ask questions. The younger generation wishes to inquire about the true meaning of the sword from you, senior."
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone was stunned.
Eagerness to learn is also a virtue in cultivation, but asking peers for guidance is not.
For young prodigies, this is an admission of inferiority, which is hard to accept.
Yet Gu Wen's statement, "The reason why a sage is a sage is simply because they are eager to learn and ask questions," not only did not lower his status but subtly elevated it by several levels.
Yujian Fo took a serious look at Gu Wen for the first time.
His features were ordinary, his skin slightly yellow and rough, which could be considered unremarkable among cultivators.
At this moment, she regarded Gu Wen with a higher perspective and smiled, "Please follow me, this place is not suitable for discussing the sword."
As soon as she finished speaking, the nun felt her smooth head tingle slightly, as if it were about to grow hair.
(End of Chapter)