Feng Wukang frowned deeply. A young lady from the Wu family. Since she wasn't one of those destined to be the central female figure in the Four Teachings of the Myriad Heavens Toad, he would have to exert a bit more effort.

However, he knew that amidst a great calamity, heavenly secrets shifted constantly, making simple generalizations impossible. Even if he currently held the reins of destiny, what the future held remained unknown.

Wu Ji exchanged a few casual words with him, then summoned Master Xu Wan to recount and analyze the current situation in Lizhou.

The Lizhou of today was vastly different from when it first began.

With the Naman as a stable, secure rear base, and having won several campaigns against the Great Tang, the Zhou Kingdom was flourishing daily. Heroes and mighty figures flocked to join them; the populace lived and worked in peace, presenting a truly prosperous facade.

Over these past few years, several Tang armies had marched to subjugate them, but under the meticulous strategy of Master Xu Wan, despite the ever-increasing strength of the Tang forces, Lizhou had held firm. Even when minor setbacks occurred, they invariably managed to turn defeat into victory.

Feng Zikang turned his gaze toward Master Xu Wan, feeling a knot of apprehension tighten in his heart.

Even now, Master Xu Wan’s identity remained a complete enigma.

Yet, he had already established an unshakeable authority within Lizhou. All the officers and soldiers obeyed his command; the people of Lizhou adored his conduct. Whether in military command or governance, this Master Xu Wan was an unparalleled talent.

If, in the future, he chose to align himself with Wu Zhou and enjoy worldly riches, the position of Prime Minister, overseeing the realm's authority, would surely be his—perhaps he would even be granted territory and titled a king, achieving supreme status.

If he was not motivated by worldly gain, then the benefits his associated cultivation faction could reap from this conflict would be immeasurable.

But Feng Zikang remained deeply troubled by his origins.

He shouldn't be one of the Three Religions or the Nine Schools, unless he belonged to that elusive family whose head was never seen—otherwise, there would be no need for such secrecy. Yet, someone from that family would not consolidate power so thoroughly.

He shouldn't be a disciple from the Central Plains cultivation world—the seventy-two major sects, the three hundred medium sects, or the countless minor ones. Such cultivation sects simply could not produce a disciple like him.

Feng Zikang had initially suspected him of being a representative of the Sea-Dwelling Demon Clan, but after Mou Canglang appeared, they seemed unacquainted, which only deepened the mystery and cost him a lead.

A visitor from the Outer Dao? Or perhaps a Northern Barbarian Shaman?

There were always all sorts of marvelous people in the Upper Realms whom Feng Zikang had never encountered. He shook his head, deciding not to dwell on it any longer. While the matter was important, it was not the most pressing issue. Since there was no immediate solution, he might as well set it aside with good grace.

“Your Majesty flatters me. Although we have won several skirmishes, we have yet to shake the foundations of the Great Tang. This time, they have sent the Insightful Fruit Chan Master, who is at the Core Condensation stage; winning against him will not be easy.”

Master Xu Wan smiled faintly, his words laced with modesty, yet his form of address for Wu Ji had already changed. Feng Zikang gave a slight sneer and said nothing.

“Fortunately, Senior Brother Feng has arrived. He has always been the great lucky general of our Great Zhou, possessing vast divine powers; he will surely be able to handle this Insightful Fruit Chan Master.”

With that artfully smooth sentence, Master Xu Wan passed the task of dealing with the Insightful Fruit Chan Master over to him. Feng Zikang smiled; though he knew the intention was not entirely pure, his purpose in coming was precisely to escalate the war and stir the waters further. Dealing with the Insightful Fruit Chan Master was an inevitable step anyway.

He nodded. “That Insightful Fruit Chan Master, while having Core Condensation cultivation, is, after all, not a Martial Monk; he is a monastic dedicated to Buddhist practice. Dealing with him should not be difficult.”

Within Buddhism, there have always been two paths: the path of the Great Monk and the path of the Dharma Protector. Those who follow the Great Monk path prioritize cultivation over divine abilities. Even if their cultivation is profound, allowing them to bloom lotus flowers with their speech and preach heavenly doctrines, their actual combat prowess might be lacking. Most of their divine arts are only for self-preservation.

Martial Monks, however, are different. Their goal is to become Arhats who protect the Dharma within their order, diligently cultivating divine abilities, taming dragons and subduing tigers. Their level of overall cultivation might be slightly inferior.

When the Insightful Fruit Chan Master fought Mou Canglang, he clearly held the upper hand but remained strictly defensive, holding back at every turn. Although his cultivation was high, he was clearly not a Martial Monk.

Since he wasn't specialized in fighting, Feng Zikang had a method to counter him. He gave a cold laugh and accepted the task.

Wu Ji was naturally overjoyed, but Master Xu Wan felt a flicker of unease.

Feng Zikang’s strength had advanced by leaps and bounds, reaching a state that even Xu Wan could no longer fully gauge. Although Feng Zikang had broken through to the Core Condensation realm, it was clear that his condensation was only in the initial stage; his cultivation was far shallower than the Insightful Fruit Chan Master’s deep attainment. Even if his divine powers were formidable, he couldn't sustain them against such a vast disparity in cultivation. Defeating the monk would not be easy.

He had intended to give Feng Zikang a tough nut to crack, hoping to chip away at Wu Ji’s impression of Feng Zikang as invincible. After all, since Feng Zikang met Wu Ji, he had never lost a single engagement. These common people couldn't distinguish between complex realms; they only knew who fought whom, and whoever won was superior.

Feng Zikang had never been defeated. Although his cultivation was long past the peak among the Zhou army’s ranks, Wu Ji still regarded him as the ultimate trump card.

During regular military councils, if they encountered an opponent too difficult to handle, Wu Ji would sigh, “If only Immortal Elder Feng were here…”

Accumulated over time, Master Xu Wan couldn't afford to ignore this. He predicted that upon hearing he had to face the Insightful Fruit Chan Master, Feng Zikang would certainly deliberate, perhaps even pushing the task onto Mou Canglang, who possessed a higher cultivation.

If that happened, even if Feng Zikang didn't lose, his standing in Wu Ji’s eyes would inevitably suffer a blow. This was far more impactful than any amount of slander whispered behind his back.

Who would have thought Feng Zikang would agree so readily to confront the monk? This somewhat surprised Master Xu Wan.

Seeing Xu Wan’s change in complexion, Feng Zikang smiled faintly. “Master Xu Wan need not worry. A mere Insightful Fruit Chan Master will surely be handled with ease!”

Despite his words, Feng Zikang dared not be careless. As the night deepened and silence reigned, he activated the Primordial Abyss of the Dan Aspect, secretly creeping toward the Tang army camp to scout their movements.

He drifted silently into the camp; as usual, no one detected his presence.

The Insightful Fruit Chan Master’s reed hut was located at the rear of the camp. He approached it, but suddenly, a burst of golden light flashed before his eyes, stinging him so intensely that he involuntarily somersaulted backward.

“What demon dare spy unauthorized!”

A furious shout erupted from within the hut. Feng Zikang was terrified. He realized that Buddhist techniques were the best restraint against demonic entities. Before he could even see the monk's true face, he had been injured!

The Insightful Fruit Chan Master stepped out of the hut, gazing around, but his face showed confusion.

His Buddhist attainment was profound; he had clearly sensed the probing by an evil spirit, but now, there was no trace left. He couldn't discern what kind of demon it was.

The Insightful Fruit Chan Master startled inwardly, then saw a young novice monk emerge from the hut, clad in a gray kasaya, small but quick-witted, following closely behind him.

“Master! Master! Did you see the demon?”

The Insightful Fruit Chan Master pondered for a long moment, then shook his head. “That evil spirit fled too quickly. In a moment of inattention, it escaped.”

In truth, Feng Zikang was still ten zhang away. Hearing these words amused him. However, when the monk was meditating, his Formless Celestial Demon Avatar could not approach closely, making it difficult to gauge his true capabilities. What was to be done?

As Feng Zikang pondered a solution, he heard the Insightful Fruit Chan Master say, “Hui Xing, look around everywhere. If you sense any demonic aura, report back to me. I must return to the hut to recite the Thousand-Fold Net Sutra a thousand times, to deliver the souls of those who died unjustly on this battlefield.”

This monk was quite industrious.

Feng Zikang sneered inwardly. So, he was trying to steal business from the military faction. Then there was even less reason to be polite.

Naturally, soldiers killed in battle were supposed to be selected by the military faction: those with good aptitude guided into the Xuan Realm, and the rest sent to reincarnation.

The Buddhist school, however, seemed indiscriminate. Its propagation in this region was much later than the other two religions and the Nine Schools, which was why the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss had relatively few inhabitants.

Thus, they accepted the good and the bad, snatching up any soul for salvation. Feng Zikang secretly found this amusing.

The young novice agreed and searched around. The Insightful Fruit Chan Master shook his head and returned to the hut to chant. Feng Zikang observed closely; golden light shimmered around the hut, obscuring any movement within. It seemed the Formless Celestial Demon Avatar's probing method was useless this time.

His gaze shifted toward the departing young monk, and he gritted his teeth.

“No other way. I didn't expect the first one to be this little monk, but I’ll have to make do!”

He gave a cold snort, his avatar retreated into his true body, and he quietly slipped out of the city, tracking the direction the monk had taken.

Feng Zikang watched as the young monk headed west. He moved with incredible speed, catching up to the western edge of the Tang army camp, but searching all around, he could not see any trace of the novice.

“Eh?”

Feng Zikang was startled. Had the little monk been so quick that he had already gone? That shouldn't be possible; it shouldn't be that fast.

While he was puzzling over it, he saw the young monk emerge from the low grass, pulling up his trousers, looking utterly relaxed, muttering to himself, “Everyone has urgent needs; monks are no exception. This is much easier now.”

It turned out he had just gone to relieve himself. Feng Zikang couldn't help but laugh silently. After noting the monk's appearance, he quietly slipped behind him, cleanly severing his head with one sword strike, and tossed the body into the grass—a move of unparalleled swiftness!

Never mind that no one was around now; even if someone had been, they would have only seen a blur before the young monk vanished.

Feng Zikang chuckled grimly, chanted an incantation, shook his body, and transformed into the likeness of a plump, burly monk!

The Art of Wind-Riding Transformation!

Since mastering this technique, although he had practiced it often, this was the first time he had applied it formally. While this divine power offered infinite possibilities, his cultivation was shallow. If he transformed into this young monk, he would be unable to change into anything else for a while. However, discerning the Insightful Fruit Chan Master’s true capabilities was paramount, making it a worthy trade-off.

The problem was that his current physique was large, and although his features resembled the young monk’s, his build was significantly different.

He smiled wryly, shook his head, and slowly began chanting the mantra, gently massaging the muscles all over his body. His form gradually shrunk, and after about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, he perfectly assumed the appearance of the young monk.

Feng Zikang gazed at his reflection and felt he was utterly indistinguishable from the novice. He nodded with satisfaction.

He wandered around the vicinity for a while, then slowly sauntered back to the entrance of the Insightful Fruit Chan Master's hut and slipped inside.

“Master, I’ve returned!”

The Insightful Fruit Chan Master had finished his chanting. Seeing him return, he nodded slightly.

“Hui Xing, did you see any demons or monsters?”

Feng Zikang shook his head like a rattle drum. “Master, I looked everywhere around. There were no demons or monsters. They must have seen your divine might and fled afar with the wind.”

The Insightful Fruit Chan Master laughed loudly. “Don't flatter me with such empty praise. We who follow the Way of the Buddha have no use for such wicked reputations. It is only about the cultivation of a single thought, and a single thought for all sentient beings.”

He looked up, his expression one of deep contentment. “Just now, while reciting the Net of Gold Sutra, I delivered another one hundred and thirty-six souls into the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. The Buddha must surely know of my merit.”

So, it was a piece-rate system after all. Feng Zikang felt a surge of contempt. However, since his Xuan Realm had yet to establish its Great Dao, he had no way to directly guide souls in yet, only slow welcoming. This method, directly transporting souls via the Net of Gold Sutra, was far more difficult than his. The souls on the battlefield, even if not taken by this monk, would eventually be drawn into the military Xuan Realm; this didn't count as his gain. It was fine for the monk to take them.

Feng Zikang smiled. “Master, with merits so easily earned, why don't you unleash your divine power tomorrow and cleanse all the rebels in Lizhou? Wouldn’t that amass boundless merit?”

“Nonsense!”

The Insightful Fruit Chan Master was both annoyed and amused. “How can one force it like that? Killing a person creates sin; even if you then deliver their soul, how can that compensate for the sin? We who follow the Buddha do no such foolish things. We only align with the will of Heaven; only when natural disasters or human calamities occur do we step in to deliver souls, thereby demonstrating the compassion of our Buddha!”

“Oh!”

Feng Zikang adopted an expression of sudden enlightenment, clapping his hand loudly onto his shaved head. “I understand now. So that’s how it is. Our Buddhist school just watches others fight and die, making profit quietly in the rear.”

“Blasphemy!”

The Insightful Fruit Chan Master kicked him in anger. “How can you calculate the Dharma this way? I haven’t taught you for several days, and you’re already acting wild again!”

Feng Zikang hastily covered his head, chuckling. “Master, I was just curious, deliberately joking, wanting to see if Master could really take on everyone in Lizhou if he truly wished. I see they have strong armies and many high-level cultivators. Master, we wouldn’t be able to defeat them, would we?”

The Insightful Fruit Chan Master shot him a sidelong glance and chuckled. “Hui Xing, I knew you little monkey were just eager to see my Dharma treasure. Hmph, my Buddha Treasure was bestowed by the Buddha himself, how miraculous! If I were to truly unleash it, heaven and earth would lose their color, and the sun and moon would dim. The million soldiers and citizens of Lizhou City would be extinguished with a mere flip of my hand. It’s just that the sin involved is too great, so I refrain.”

He spoke with immense pride, seemingly unconcerned with the newly arrived Feng Zikang, the military disciple from Longhu Mountain, also at the Core Condensation realm, or even the Core Condensation expert Mou Canglang.

Feng Zikang feigned shock. “Master, what kind of Dharma Treasure is so powerful?”

He rubbed his hands, adopting an appearance of itching curiosity. “Master, please allow your disciple to feast his eyes!”

The Insightful Fruit Chan Master was in a good mood that day and didn't mind. He reached into his robes and pulled out an object shaped like a begging bowl, handing it over. “Here, you may look. This is my Buddha’s ultimate treasure; do not desecrate it!”

Feng Zikang took it; it felt heavy, just an ordinary purple-gold begging bowl. He turned it over and over but could not discern any special features.

“Master, please guide me. What is the use of this treasure? It’s not for smashing people, is it?”

The Insightful Fruit Chan Master burst into loud laughter. “Smashing people? This treasure is extraordinary! Let me tell you its origin!”

It turned out this purple-gold begging bowl was the actual bowl that Sakyamuni used when begging for food at the start of his discourse in Shravasti. Although it was made of ordinary material, it had absorbed the spiritual energy of the Buddha, transforming it into a true treasure. It could hold the four seas and the eight wildernesses. When cast into the sky, it could eclipse heaven and earth and dim the sun and moon, sucking all enemies within into the bowl. If the bowl was then inverted and placed on the ground, and a unique spell was used to refine it for forty-nine days, all life within—whether human or beast—would be reduced to fine ash.

“That powerful?”

Feng Zikang felt a jolt in his heart. This was the first true 'Dharma Treasure' he had ever encountered, and its power was truly immense. He wondered if his own Star River Shuttle, if all its restrictions were removed, could possess similar might.

“Can I lie to you?”

The Insightful Fruit Chan Master glared at him, then lovingly took the bowl back and tucked it into his robes.

“Heh heh,” Feng Zikang scratched his ear. “Disciple certainly doesn't doubt the treasure’s power, but if this bowl truly belonged to the Buddha, wouldn't it be priceless? It’s a cultural relic!”

The Insightful Fruit Chan Master was both annoyed and amused. “Such a treasure—why speak of pricelessness? Though it passed through the Buddha’s hands, it is ultimately just an object. Its designation as a treasure comes only from the divine power it now possesses!”

“Yes, yes!”

The Insightful Fruit Chan Master lectured him again, telling him not to let worldly wealth cloud his eyes; one needed to illuminate the mind and see the nature of things to find the Great Dao. Feng Zikang naturally agreed meekly.

As the sky grew later and the monk grew tired and prepared for sleep, Feng Zikang suddenly slapped his forehead. “Master, today I heard some generals mention that the city of Lizhou is quite full of thieves and scoundrels. Master, carrying this treasure around so casually—could it be stolen?”

The Insightful Fruit Chan Master rolled his eyelids. “I am a Core Condensation cultivator; what person has the ability to steal from me?”

He was naturally very confident and showed no fear.

Feng Zikang, however, was unhurried. “Master, you don’t know. I heard those soldiers say that last time, True Person Hong Ye—he was also a Core Condensation master—was attacking Lizhou and had the upper hand. Later, for some reason, a Dharma Treasure on him was stolen, which caused the tide to turn, and he was killed by True Person Nu’s sword under Emei.”

“What?”

The Insightful Fruit Chan Master was shocked. “Such a thing happened?”

Originally, Daoist Hong Ye was a branch of the Confucian School, possessing some reputation among the Three Religions. As a Core Condensation master, many felt his cultivation was no less than True Person Nu’s, so they never understood how he could have been slain by her. It was strange. Now, hearing what the little novice said, was there such inside information?

The Insightful Fruit Chan Master’s heart began to fill with suspicion.

“Master, I think we should hide the treasure well. Otherwise, if it gets stolen, and someone uses it to suck in everyone on my side and reduce them to ash, that won't be fun!”

“Right! Right!”

The Insightful Fruit Chan Master, perhaps at a turning point of fate and momentarily confused, actually agreed with the little monk’s suggestion!

“Where shall we hide it?”