"The Aura of a Saint King, Dragons and Phoenixes crying out in harmony—it is the advent of a Saint King! How is this possible? After ten thousand years in Yunhuang, a Saint King actually appears in this world? No, I cannot be mistaken. If it is not the Aura of a Saint King, if it is not the entanglement of Dragon and Phoenix, how could it wound the Eye of Divine Scrutiny?"

Hua Ruo's hysterical muttering trailed off, while the two beside him stared blankly at Zong Shou, their faces etched with bewilderment.

Zong Shou, for his part, was deeply displeased. No one enjoyed having their destiny and fortune scrutinized.

With a cold snort, Hua Ruo's brow suddenly exploded, sending a spray of crimson blood forth.

Even the hand covering his forehead could not stop the flow, instantly stained a bloody red.

"Qilin! It is the Sacred Beast, the Fire Qilin! Accompanied by a Qilin, the nation’s fortune fueled by fire—he is without a doubt the Sagely Monarch!"

Hua Ruo murmured under his breath, his body staggering before he finally collapsed onto the ground, his complexion ashen.

Zong Shou recalled the time Kong Rui used the Wen Wang Divination Coins to glimpse his destiny and fortune. The situation had been nearly identical, though Hua Ruo lacked any of the supreme treasures of Wen Wang in his hands. Kong Rui had later claimed that experience cost him a century of life, and that was only because the Wen Wang Coins had served as a shield against calamity. Zong Shou wondered what fate awaited the man before him.

Thinking of this, Zong Shou’s mood brightened considerably; he felt not a shred of sympathy, but rather a wicked sense of glee.

He decided against offering Ling Chen any further pleasantries. After a brief cupped-fist salute as a farewell, Zong Shou departed immediately.

He was eager to return home. Since his reply had satisfied the Sword Sect, there was no need to linger and exchange idle words with these few.

Ling Chen offered a wry smile and bowed apologetically before grasping Hua Ruo’s arm. A surge of True Force entered his companion, treating the fellow disciple who excelled in the art of numerology.

He was inwardly shocked. Not only had Hua Ruo’s 'Eye of Divine Scrutiny,' cultivated over hundreds of years, been destroyed, but almost every meridian in his body was shattered.

While the Way of Numerology was wondrous, it also inspired deep caution and distance. To recklessly glimpse the profound secrets of the cosmos—the heavenly retribution was this severe!

After stabilizing Hua Ruo's injuries, Ling Chen turned his gaze toward the streak of escaping light that marked Zong Shou’s departure.

Meanwhile, Ruo Tao was still lost in thought.

"The advent of the Sagely Monarch, and Hua Ruo’s severe injury—this cannot be false! The person the world viewed as a Demon King, a corrupt ruler, an enemy of Confucianism—is he truly the living Saint King? How truly interesting—"

Ruo Tao was startled back to awareness by Ling Chen’s words. He took a deep breath: "Even if that is so, it does not necessarily mean he is the Future Buddha Lord that man spoke of."

He held a good rapport with Zong Shou and admired his martial path and character, naturally hoping the Sword Sect would align with the Great Qian. However, he was unwilling to let his own feelings influence his sect's judgment.

"Regardless of whether he is the Buddha Lord, the mere title of 'Saint King' is enough reason for our Sword Sect to spare no effort in fully supporting him."

Ling Chen shook his head: "It is just somewhat dull! Our Sword Sect staked a huge gamble on this engagement, fully expecting the battle to be heart-stopping and nerve-wracking. Instead, before the fighting even began, the outcome seems predetermined. Zhu Ziqingxuan truly chose the wrong opponent this time."

Having spoken, he looked down at the now-unconscious Hua Ruo in his hands and sighed softly. It wasn't just serious injury; his junior brother's life force had been halved in that instant. His already limited lifespan was now only half what it was. Still, today's incident was Hua Ruo's doing; Zong Shou was not to blame.

※※※※

At the very same moment Ling Chen was fretting over Zong Shou, a thousand li from the Azure Vast Firmament Realm, several aged monks were also watching the streak of light that marked Zong Shou's flight.

A white jade alms bowl, intricately painted with Sanskrit characters, floated overhead, casting down a thousand streams of auspicious energy that enveloped the area entirely.

Within this sanctuary were four figures: Ci Fang, who had returned to the Cloud Realm, and Venerable Ling Hai of Jianan Temple. Both held positions of no small importance in the Cloud Realm. Yet, at this moment, both possessed solemn and respectful expressions, behaving like novice novices.

Between these two sat the Ancient Buddha Leng Jia, whom Zong Shou had met once, and another old monk, Zhi Lun, one of the Guardian Venerables of the Cloud Realm.

Before Leng Jia, countless spiritual Sanskrit characters were coalescing, appearing from a distance like a pair of gigantic eyes. These 'eyes' subtly revealed boundless divine power, emanating an overwhelming sense of majesty.

After only a brief moment, the Buddha's eyes faded, and the Sanskrit characters vanished without a trace.

"Is this child truly the Boundless Beginning and End, the Future Buddha Lord?"

Ling Hai asked impatiently. Venerable Leng Jia had just employed a secret technique, borrowing the power of the Buddhas from ten thousand worlds outside to peer into the truth. He assumed the result could not be wrong.

"He is indeed the Boundless Beginning and End!"

Leng Jia nodded slowly, his face grave. "I truly saw the boundless light and endless darkness upon him just now."

Boundless light, endless darkness! He had never imagined that Zong Shou, who had brought seventy worlds and a multitude of believers to Buddhism, was actually the future Buddha Lord of their faith.

"Five years ago, I witnessed him display the art of the Boundless Beginning and End—he is unquestionably the one commanded by the Buddha's decree! It is regrettable that my current status as a Guardian Venerable—"

Zhi Lun, standing nearby, snorted, clearly discontented. He had repeatedly offered warnings, skirting the issue, yet Ling Hai remained stubbornly obtuse. This had caused him five years of intense anxiety. Guardian Venerables could not interfere in Cloud Realm affairs unless the survival of the realm itself was threatened.

However, since Zong Shou had now revealed his own identity, there was no longer any impediment for him to speak freely.

Ling Hai looked slightly awkward, deliberately avoiding Zhi Lun's reproachful gaze. He frowned again: "Then what about Zhao Yanran? This woman also used the divine power of the Boundless Beginning and End—"

"This woman is Zong Shou’s reversed Cauldron Fetus; it is not strange that she was reflected into the Void of his soul sea by Zong Shou's Dharma Image," Ci Fang replied from the side, then attempted to soothe Zhi Lun: "With such extraordinary talent, how could the Azure Vast Dao simply abandon this child? Or perhaps that Xiu Guan manipulated things within, preventing us from detecting it—that possibility remains."

Ling Hai let out a bitter laugh; he truly had not expected this. Leng Jia found Ci Fang's explanation highly plausible. If Xiu Guan truly achieved the Eternal Way through his Profound Yellow Great Strength Art, as the rumors suggested, then he was certainly a figure whose power could stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the Buddhas. If that were the case, concealing himself from the eyes and ears of Buddhism would be exceedingly easy for him. It must be so!

Zhi Lun was not appeased; his displeasure only deepened. He glared furiously at Ci Fang: "You have followed him, opening territory and cooperating for over several years now. Did you not sense anything unusual? If the Boundless Buddha Lord had not actively used the Boundless Beginning and End divine technique to severely injure the Grand Beginning Demon Lord in the struggle for the Dao path, would our Buddhist sect have only realized the truth thousands of years later?"

Ci Fang fell silent, utterly ashamed. He truly had failed to notice Zong Shou's connection to the Boundless Buddha Lord. (To be continued)