Secret Buyer

[In forty-two days, I will have achieved total perfection in my merits]

Opening his eyes, seven thousand years of change in the mortal realm, even Heaven has become dramatically different.

Zhang Fusheng sat upright above the cloud sea of the Celestial Realm, behind him a gigantic Bodhi Tree, upon which three sacred birds perched,

two large and one small, like three radiant suns illuminating all directions, golden and resplendent like clouds,

while in the distance, countless Star Beasts roamed within the cloud sea.

A mere cursory glance.

The number of Level 1 Star Beasts had already exceeded eight million, Level 2 Star Beasts numbered in the tens of thousands, and Level 3 Star Beasts had now reached ten thousand!

The higher the bloodline, the harder the reproduction.

"Indeed..."

Zhang Fusheng murmured, clearly sensing that in a moment of seven thousand years later, his Divine Realm had become stronger.

The more numerous and powerful the life forms residing in the Divine Realm,

they provide vast feedback to one’s Spiritual Domain!

He now truly could be referred to as "He".

"The position of a Deity lies within the spirit, anyone who breaks the second spiritual limit, with the spirit resonating with the Great Heaven and Earth, can be called a deity."

"Ascending to godhood for me now is as simple as placing my spiritual will in a Different Dimension..."

Zhang Fusheng murmured deeply,

He looked down toward the human world; the population number hadn’t increased much—this was now the limit of what the Mortal Realm could sustain,

yet the number of strong ones had changed drastically.

Those two Venerate-level divine spirits had each established an ancient Taoist lineage in the Mortal Realm,

one known as Martial Lodge, the other as Divine Temple,

with a Venerate providing teachings,

seven thousand years have passed, the Celestial Humans in the Mortal Realm have exceeded a hundred in number!

And over fifty of these Celestial Humans have appeared in the past thousand years—showing an exponential increase in the number of strong individuals!

"Every lifeform beyond Grandmaster level can provide me with a certain amount of feedback, but it is too weak."

"Moreover, this feedback is limited to the spiritual aspect and cannot directly affect my complete Essence, Qi, and Spirit—this is because I have yet to truly ascend to godhood."

Understanding the cause and effect, Zhang Fusheng was clear of the various things.

Once he ascends to godhood, the lifeforms in his Divine Realm will at least bolster more than twenty percent of his strength in his Essence, Qi, and Spirit!

Over ten million Star Beasts, more than a hundred Celestial Humans, and the Mixed-Blood Golden Crow along with the Masters of Martial Lodge and Divine Temple, which mean five Venerate-level boosters...

At that time,

he would equivalently gain the combat strength of a Venerate-level entity!

Ascend to godhood, ascend to godhood.

"Forty-two days remain until I gain enlightenment under the Bodhi Tree. One day is a thousand years, making forty-two thousand years."

Zhang Fusheng murmured deeply, sensing the fundamental change after promoting to the ten-thousand-year Refining Spirit position,

In a sense, he was already one of the masters of the Great Heaven and Earth.

Each who broke the second spiritual limit will grasp a part of the special authority of the Great Heaven and Earth,

If the Great Heaven and Earth were likened to a grand temple, this authority would be the key to the entrance, whereas the celestial position, would be ’ownership’ of things within the temple.

"I am now considered to have spiritually ascended to godhood. Once both my ’Essence’ and ’Qi’ ascend to godhood, my Divine Realm will transform into a ’Domain’.

"It could also be called a Divine Country, Taoist Sanctuary, or True Domain..."

He slowly rose, the three Sun God Birds atop the Bodhi Tree startled up, and the gigantic divine tree swayed, gradually dissolving into pure Bodhi thoughts, flowing into Zhang Fusheng’s body.

"Chirp!!"

The sacred birds circled Zhang Fusheng, like three little suns revolving around Him.

After seven thousand years of companionship,

The three sacred birds appeared to recognize Him as their master—especially the newly born little sacred bird, which was extraordinarily intimate with Zhang Fusheng,

even perched on His shoulder, gently nuzzling Him with its head.

This little sacred bird was also Venerate-level—a Level 4 Star Beast, born as a divine spirit,

but it seemed to have been cursed, unable to develop its spiritual intelligence or progress further.

"Good boy."

Zhang Fusheng stroked the little Golden Crow’s head, placed it in his palm, then gently lifted it, making it soar and chirp.

He chuckled softly and then stepped into the Eight Sceneries Palace, the age-old aura gradually fading from him,

Once seated again on the meditation mat, the aura of age, treasure likeness, and Buddhist charm had all dissipated, leaving only solemnity.

"Forty-two thousand years of spiritual cultivation, where should I obtain it from?"

He murmured, knowing that there was already absolutely enough Star Beast flesh—over ten million Star Beasts!

No matter how much the effect dwindles, it will suffice for a very long time of use, even within the High Heaven Association where frequent transactions could begin.

"Go."

Zhang Fusheng softly ordered, several avatars strode out, following the cause and effect connection, heading towards the Golden Province—

With the expansion of the High Heaven Association, it is impossible for him to personally preside over and witness every transaction,

avatars with some degree of autonomy are the best choice.

Forty-two thousand years, saying too much is not too much, claiming it’s sparing is certainly not."

"There it is."

Zhang Fusheng murmured, thinking first of the Pantheon; forty-two thousand years, if spread out, is only forty-two millennia,

while a thousand-year of spiritual cultivation might be significantly large for a Celestial Human, but for a divine spirit?

It seems not so vast anymore.

"I should readily open some slots for entering my ’Ling Mountain’, but I must ensure the deities of the Pantheon recognize the preciousness of these slots."

Zhang Fusheng first thought of Lin Changle.

In the eyes of all, He appointed Lin Changle as ’Guanyin’, should the other have undergone a dramatic change in a short time,

even... achieved a celestial position?

"Guanyin Bodhisattva’s celestial position may have multiple forms, such as the Six-armed Great Black Heaven, which is an avatar of the Great Bodhisattva Guanyin but also bears a celestial position."

Zhang Fusheng pondered,

In the narrative of the westward journey, Guanyin Bodhisattva holds considerable weight; even during the starting point of this westward journey, Guanyin had participated substantially.

"The Ling Mountain system surely has a Guanyin celestial position, but following the hunt decades ago, after the fall of those who usurped the Guanyin celestial position, where did the position go?"

"No one knows—not, Yuan Feidao might know a bit."

Zhang Fusheng made a decision:

"February 9th... the explosion of the significant event will be on February 9th, but why wait until February 9th?"

He had made a decision in His heart, intending to obtain the Guanyin celestial position to bestow it on Lin Changle and then have him journey to Chang’an Town to reveal himself to all living beings!

However, the ’beginning of the westward journey’ this fated event lacks a crucial character.

Monk Tang.

Who is Monk Tang?

"Monk Tang, Chen Xuanzang, once was a disciple of the Buddha..."

Zhang Fusheng instantly locked onto a candidate.

Li Xiuyuan.

Li Xiuyuan, Living Buddha Jigong, Kasyapa Venerate, also a disciple of the Buddha, though nowadays Xiuyuan is replaced by an unknown presence,

But the recurrence of a fated event doesn’t necessitate everything being the same,

just like when he left Hangu Pass westward, riding a Red Bull, arriving from the east amidst pestilence!

As long as the main aspects align, small details can completely change, at that time, it still counts as fulfilling the fated event!

"Logically, it should wait until February 9th, when the Thousand-Mile Zhaoling opens, after Emperor Tang enters Yin Chang’an, accomplishes something akin to traversing the Underworld."

"That would lead to Guanyin and Monk Tang, along with the Water and Land Conference..."

"But Yin Chang’an is the Underworld, how is my Nine Nether Realm not an Underworld?"

Zhang Fusheng murmured, knowing this in His heart, extended His hand, gently knocking on the void, saying:

"High Heaven has opened, permit entry."

This soft knock echoed through the Divine Thought and the cause and effect connection, simultaneously in the ears of each holder of the High Heaven Order.

As the grand sound rose, there were shadows one after another outside the Taoist Palace.

They stepped on white jade steps, walking side by side, coming to meet.

"Praise, Infinite Celestial Venerate!"

Nine figures in succession, all spoke in respectful voice, yet Zhang Fusheng slightly furrowed his brow.

One person was missing.

Kong Shentong also held the High Heaven Order; there should have been ten seats for those coming to meet, but now there were only nine.

Shi Zhengyuan, he was missing.

Tracing back the cause and effect, given Zhang Fusheng’s current Fire Eyes Golden Gaze, ascended spiritual realm, and mastery of the cause and effect of All Things are Void,

yet what he saw remained hazy, impossible to see clearly.

Very strange.

Moreover, the one missing or disappearing,

happens to be Shi Zhengyuan who has the Nine-Ring Scepter.

The Great Celestial Venerate gently squinted His eyes.