Taking a deep breath, the Red Dragon King smiled gently. "Remember, the Buddha is the true god. The Buddha made a grand vow to save all sentient beings and resolve all suffering. This humble monk is an incarnation of the Buddha!"

The Federation officers remained silent. The Buddha was a concept from Buddhism; the Romans naturally had their Pantheon. If the Buddha were to reincarnate, he would surely be reborn as an Earthling, not someone related to the Romans. But looking at the Red Dragon King’s robust, monstrous physique, all the Federation officers bowed their heads in bitter acceptance of his claim. "Very good! You have great insight!" the Red Dragon King stated gently. "Now that you have acknowledged my identity, you can help this humble monk meditate."

He pointed to the dozen or so limp Roman noblewomen slumped in the room and chuckled, as if to say, "These women can help me comprehend the Joyful Zen. So can you!"

The faces of the Federation officers turned exceedingly grim. Joyful Zen? A few timid officers stared at the Red Dragon King’s extraordinarily massive frame, their eyes occasionally rolling back in their heads.

The Red Dragon King waved his hand as if thinking he was being witty. He laughed, "Of course, this humble monk will not ask you to help me comprehend the Joyful Zen technique, because this monk has no interest in men." "Hoo!" The Federation officers present all rolled their eyes and let out a long sigh of relief. The major cautiously asked, "Then, what kind of Zen do you wish to contemplate?"

The Red Dragon King smiled faintly. "What this humble monk contemplates is the 'Salvation Zen' I created myself, specifically to save the world and free humanity from all suffering."

He suddenly snatched the major by the neck, lifting him up, and asked with a smile, "Are you suffering?"

The major was nearly strangled to death by the Red Dragon King. He quickly nodded, emitting muffled groans to prove just how much pain he was in.

The Red Dragon King sighed and nodded solemnly. "The three thousand aspects of the mortal world are the root of all pain. If you detach from the mortal world, you will cease to suffer!"

With a crack, the Red Dragon King snapped the major's neck and tossed his corpse carelessly far away. The Federation officers cried out in unison, startling them into stepping back in unison. The Red Dragon King immediately grabbed a Federation Second Lieutenant, asking with the compassionate smile only the Buddha possessed when saving all beings, "Are you suffering?"

The Second Lieutenant froze. Seeing the major’s corpse in the distance, he desperately shook his head, "No suffering, no suffering! I... I am very happy!" The Red Dragon King frowned, nodding thoughtfully. "No suffering? If you do not feel suffering, does that not mean my Zen method is flawed? Hmm, disciple!"

A Roman man strode forward a few paces and handed the Red Dragon King a jièdāo (monk's sword) over a meter long. The Red Dragon King flicked his wrist, and the Second Lieutenant's left thigh was severed completely from his body. A torrent of blood erupted. The Second Lieutenant was stunned for a long moment before realizing the horrific reality of what had just occurred. He trembled violently, crying out. "Crying! Crying!" The Red Dragon King cheered joyfully, throwing his hands up and laughing boisterously. "You suffer, you suffer greatly! Therefore, you need salvation!" With a snap, the Red Dragon King crushed the Second Lieutenant's skull and grabbed another Federation soldier. He posed the same familiar question to this soldier: "Are you suffering?"

The soldier stared blankly at the Red Dragon King, then suddenly burst into heartbroken wails, "No~ You can't kill me... My Lillimare is waiting for me at home!"

The Red Dragon King paused, shaking his head and sighing. "The Buddha spoke wisely. All attachment, ignorance, craving, love, desire, and hatred are the roots of suffering! Foolish child, foolish child, let this humble monk transmute you!"

The jièdāo flashed, and the soldier's head, trailing a fountain of blood, shot out tens of meters. The Red Dragon King flicked his wrist, dropping the corpse, and seized a Sergeant who was backing away repeatedly. The Red Dragon King looked at the Sergeant with his fists clenched, asking with a gentle smile, "Are you suffering?"

The Sergeant remained silent for a while, then suddenly burst into tears, "Mom... My mother is still in the hospital... I... I need to visit her..."

The Red Dragon King sighed deeply, shaking his head. "Indeed, the world holds endless ties. These manifold ties intertwine to form karma, karmic affinity, the three thousand realms of desire, the sins of the mortal world, and the karma you can never cleanse across endless rebirths! Bodhi is inherently not a tree, nor is the bright mirror a stand. Originally empty of a single thing, where can dust alight? The so-called emptiness of the five aggregates means stillness!"

With a fierce shout, the Red Dragon King cleaved the Sergeant’s head off with his blade, then launched a punch. From the crimson fist energy, a bizarre, dragon-like aura roared out. This explosive punch blast pulverized the remaining three hundred-plus Federation officers into bloody pulp.

The Red Dragon King set down the jièdāo. Several Romans approached carrying golden basins, using clear water to clean his blood-soaked arms and soiled lower body.

Feeling refreshed, the Red Dragon King sat cross-legged in the pool of corpses and blood, chanting in a low voice, "The emptiness of the five aggregates, the severance of all suffering—after slaying hundreds of thousands of deluded men and women over hundreds of years, this humble monk’s Salvation Zen has finally reached Great Accomplishment... This monk's Zen skill can be named the 'Nirvana Zen Technique'! Everything in the world ultimately returns to stillness, and only in stillness can one endure forever!" "Once entering stillness, there is never again the pain of birth, aging, sickness, and death, nor the agony of the seven emotions and six desires. This is the true (gōng) of salvation! Beyond the Buddha’s three thousand methods, my Nirvana school must be added!"

At that instant, strange black clouds rolled beneath the Red Dragon King's skin, and his eyes filled with a profound, deathly aura, like an ancient tomb deserted for billions of years.

"Heh heh heh, Venerable Red Dragon, congratulations on achieving Great Accomplishment in your Zen skill."

A gentle, jade-like, clear, and powerful voice suddenly resonated within the circular hall.

"King of the Romans... Speak plainly!" the Red Dragon King said calmly. "You are the King of the Roman race, and I only obey your commands."

The King of the Romans chuckled a few times. He said with a smile, "Venerable Red Dragon, you are much better than those other three. Right here, there is a matter that requires your personal attention."

The Red Dragon King hesitated, frowning. "In the War of Ninety-Three, this humble monk and the Corpse Emperor of the Nine Hells suffered mutual injury, and we both signed a declaration of seclusion. Asking this monk to act now is perhaps..."

The King of the Romans smiled, saying lightly, "It is not about attacking the Earthlings, but helping this King with a small favor. After the matter is settled, the Mên'èbōliè family will become one of the Nine Chosen Emperor Families." "Mên'èbōliè..." The Red Dragon King was stunned, the deathly aura around him intensifying.

After a long while, he slowly nodded. "The seven emotions confuse the nature, and the six desires cloud the spirit. This humble monk has still not achieved true Great Liberation, True Stillness. The Nirvana Zen Technique still requires more fated individuals to assist. Very well, very well. The Mên'èbōliè family must at least become a top-three Chosen Emperor Family. For this, I will make an exception and act!" The King of the Romans smiled in satisfaction. The Red Dragon King lowered his head and closed his eyes.

Nearly a hundred Roman men and women walked in. They danced and sang before the Red Dragon King, finally stripping bare and coupling wantonly around him. The Red Dragon King’s cold, emotionless eyes swept over the writhing bodies, and the deathly aura around him grew stronger.