Chapter 854: Let’s Go

Chapter 854: Chapter 854: Let’s Go

Western Niu Continent. Wanqing Mountain.

A range of peaks stretched endlessly, covered in little more than dry, barren rock and the occasional scattering of sparse, green-tinged trees.

Strange creatures lingered here — six-armed, long-headed figures with tall, gaunt frames. Cracked mud-like armor clung to their bodies as though it had dried and fused with their skin. Most of their forms were buried within this lifeless terrain, hidden beneath the earth.

They did not move. From a distance, one would see nothing at all.

Sand shifted lightly. The wind was heavy. Pebbles ground together with a faint, gritty sound.

This place seemed to produce nothing more than the most tedious of noises.

And yet, in the span of a single breath, a dazzling light descended from the heavens.

Pure white radiance crashed down — the pinnacle of all peaks before it, terrifying might trailing behind.

There was no time to react. The figures merely raised their eyes and caught a flash of the rainbow arc before it had already struck.

This blow was not aimed at anything in particular. It was as though someone had simply struck at random.

The supreme might of the Tribulation Transcendence realm revealed itself with casual ease in this single strike. The peaks of Wanqing Mountain, stretching endlessly, were severed cleanly in half.

To say "severed in half" was not quite accurate — the dissipating energy of the blow erased an entire half of Wanqing Mountain from existence, carving a chasm so deep the bottom could not be seen.

As the light faded.

Dozens of golden Buddhist rays descended from the sky and began sweeping through the remains of Wanqing Mountain, hunting down stragglers the strike had missed.

High above the clouds.

Chu Xingchen raised a hand lightly. Wanban instantly shot through the air in a blink and transformed into a translucent longsword. Its terrifying pressure lingered on and on, refusing to fade.

The shockwaves cleared. In the depths of the chasm left by the severed mountain, underground water surged upward and began to fill the valley.

"Western Niu Continent lacks water. Give it a few years and this could become a fine place," Chu Xingchen said evenly, his gaze drifting to Huawu True Buddha beside him. "Though whatever those demons were doing here, it would be best to check the water source first."

Huawu True Buddha nodded gently. "Leave the rest to us."

Chu Xingchen sheathed his sword and looked toward Lizhi, who was peering over from nearby with an expression of undisguised shock.

This trip to Western Niu Continent was never going to be a leisurely sightseeing tour — he had to put in real effort, especially in a place like this where personal spiritual energy and technique auras would linger for a long time after use.

After enough idle busybodies came to investigate and discovered that Chu Xingchen had joined forces with the Buddhist Sect to eliminate demons...

Or the Buddhist Sect promoted the narrative on its own, projecting an image of true goodness and beauty, proving they would never associate with Heavenly Demons...

Either way, Chu Xingchen had to act. And he had to go big — even if the actual targets were trivial.

Lizhi stood on the cloud as well, watching the terrifying Dao resonance still sweeping through the valley below. She swallowed hard.

Damn.

She had watched with her own eyes as Chu Xingchen arrived at the site, hooked a finger around Wanban, and without so much as charging up or even glancing at the target twice — unleashed this level of destructive power.

This was the kind of might Lizhi wouldn’t dare dream of.

Chu Xingchen glanced at Lizhi and spoke quietly:

"Let’s go. Time to head back."

"Oh — oh, right." Lizhi nodded hastily.

Zhengyin Dharma Temple.

Once they returned and there were no senior Buddhist figures within earshot, Lizhi immediately reverted to her usual brash self:

"Boss! You’re insane!"

"Nothing special. You could do it too, if you trained properly."

"Really? Boss thinks that highly of me?"

"What I think highly of is your self-awareness. But hearing you say that... I may have overestimated you."

"Boss?!"

"Kidding. You’re Lizhi, the genius of Western Niu Continent — a Great Perfected Person at the Golden Core stage. Of course I think highly of you."

"Really, Boss? Don’t tease me just because I’m dumb."

Chu Xingchen chuckled, then relied on his reputation to walk Lizhi straight into the Great Hero Hall of Zhengyin Dharma Temple:

"I brought you here nine days ago. You must have seen quite a few grand displays by now?"

Lizhi’s expression stiffened at once:

"Boss, I feel like you’re about to deliver some bad news for me."

Chu Xingchen nodded approvingly. "Good instincts. I think even more highly of you now. As you guessed — I’m leaving for Eastern Divine Continent tomorrow. You’ll be taking over affairs here."

Lizhi’s eyes went wide. Over the past few days she had indeed accompanied Chu Xingchen and witnessed numerous powerful figures, along with the terrifying methods of both the Buddhist Sect and Chu Xingchen himself.

She had even successfully upgraded her address for Chu Xingchen to "Boss."

But beyond that, Lizhi genuinely had no idea what she was supposed to do. Chu Xingchen had never briefed her on anything.

She had assumed his silence meant he wasn’t leaving so soon — that these days were just about familiarizing her with the atmosphere. She never expected that Chu Xingchen truly had no briefing at all.

Lizhi hurriedly spoke: "Boss, stop joking. All I’ve seen these past few days is your overwhelming power. Beyond that, I’ve seen nothing."

"I don’t even know what I’m supposed to do now. I can’t exactly just sit there as an ornament under the Honored Buddha, can I? You know I can’t sit still, Boss."

Chu Xingchen looked at Lizhi’s panicked expression and chuckled softly:

"A decorative Lizhi? That would have quite the style to it."

"Boss... this isn’t the time for jokes. Or — are you still joking with me?"

"Do I joke that often?"

"Well... not really."

Chu Xingchen reached out and patted Lizhi’s shoulder, speaking with measured gravity:

"I told you what to do before we came — just investigate how the wish-power is flowing. If you don’t like the look of those Buddhist temples in Western Niu Continent, go poke around and find fault. It’s pretty much the same as your Patrol Heaven Department work."

"These past few days I’ve been showing you the world so you wouldn’t be afraid of cultivators stronger than you. Especially don’t let some Spirit Transformation monk intimidate you — remember, you’re Lizhi, the one who dares to tease even the Honored Buddha."

Lizhi followed in Chu Xingchen’s footsteps, but did not dare respond to that remark.

For no particular reason other than...

In the course of their conversation they had already walked into the Great Hero Hall — and were standing right before Honored Buddha Runan.

Never mind whether Runan’s cultivation was high enough to have heard their conversation from the temple gates — they were standing right in front of him now, and those two remarks of Chu Xingchen’s were already somewhat dangerous.

Facing Runan’s indescribable gaze, Lizhi thought for a moment and answered with a guilty conscience:

"I wasn’t teasing... I just expressed myself poorly."

Runan’s gaze shifted to Chu Xingchen. He did not engage with the earlier nonsense — he understood perfectly well that if he responded, Chu Xingchen would keep going. Better not to invite trouble.

"Thank you for your help these past few days, Daoist Friend."

Chu Xingchen nodded. "I am a bit tired. Will the Honored Buddha reimburse travel expenses?"

"Naturally."

"And a hardship bonus?"

"Also naturally."

Runan’s replies came quickly as ever, but his gaze drifted to Xie Lingyu, who was processing messages on a jade token nearby. The meaning in his eyes was clear — someone needs to rein in Chu Xingchen.

These days, Chu Xingchen was probably the first person in history to hit up the Buddhist Sect for expenses.

Xie Lingyu rose to her feet and looked at Chu Xingchen:

"Let’s go. There are matters to deal with on Eastern Divine Continent."

Chu Xingchen did not say much in response. He simply cupped his hands toward Runan:

"Daoist Friend, I’ll be taking my leave."

Runan answered quickly as ever:

"Go."