Ascending to Godhood: I Can Foresee All Futures

"Someone must stay behind to cover the rear and buy you time. At the same time, someone needs to... attract the Government Office’s attention, make them think our main force is still in the temple. Remember, do not hesitate, do not look back. Move now!"

He was old, his vitality failing. His path in life had long since reached its end.

Qingfeng Temple was his root, his very path. He was born here, grew up here, and he was willing to be buried here.

Staying behind was his responsibility, and also his destiny.

"Grand-Uncle!" Elder Wang’s voice choked with emotion.

"Go! Don’t be so sentimental! The government soldiers will be here any moment. Any delay could lead to disaster!"

Yu Huayuan bellowed, and with a wave of his sleeve, a Soft Force gently ushered Elder Wang out of the Council Hall.

"I... obey your command!"

Elder Wang kowtowed heavily outside the door, then wiped away a tear, his figure vanishing like the wind at the end of the corridor.

Yu Huayuan looked at the remaining gaunt elder, his voice softening, but still leaving no room for doubt:

"Elder Li, come with me to activate the Mountain Protection Array and put us on full alert. At the same time... organize the remaining disciples. We will use the Grand Array for support and prepare... to fight to the death."

"Yes."

Elder Li gave a deep bow, his face a mixture of grief and resolve.

...

After successfully obtaining the Golden Spring Spiritual Liquid, Chen Sheng wasted no time. He immediately found a relatively intact quiet room and tried to refine a single drop.

The moment the Spiritual Liquid entered his mouth, it transformed into a gentle yet powerful warm current. It quickly coursed through his entire body, nourishing the Meridians damaged in the fierce battle and restoring his depleted vitality. At the same time, it replenished his nearly exhausted True Essence with astonishing efficiency.

"Truly extraordinary."

Chen Sheng opened his eyes, a sharp glint flashing within them as he praised in a low voice.

Just a single drop had allowed him to recover nearly thirty percent of his True Essence in a very short time, and with no feeling of sluggishness or pill toxins. The effect was far beyond his expectations.

After briefly entrusting the miscellaneous tasks of cleaning up the battlefield, taking inventory of the spoils, and securing the prisoners to Chu Kuangfeng, Chen Sheng delayed no longer. His figure transformed into a streak of light, soaring into the sky and speeding straight towards Qingfeng Temple.

’Golden Spring Temple must still contain a wealth of resources, but those can be tallied later.’

’The most urgent task at hand is to ride the momentum of this great victory, press the advantage, and completely eradicate Qingfeng Temple, the final stumbling block.’

’Once I take Qingfeng Temple, everyone in Ning’an Prefecture, from the Jianghu to the government, will look to me, Chen Sheng, for leadership!’

As he flew, below him lay Golden Spring Mountain, gradually quieting but still shrouded in the smoke of battle and the stench of blood.

The large-scale, chaotic battle had mostly ended, with only sporadic pursuits and mopping-up operations still taking place throughout the mountain forests.

The government soldiers and the allied forces of the Three Sects were casting a wide net, searching for the remaining enemies.

Suddenly, Chen Sheng’s gaze narrowed, locking onto a figure fleeing in panic through the forest below.

The man’s monk robes were bloodstained, and his aura was in disarray, but his Body Technique was quite nimble. He specifically chose dense forests and treacherous paths, clearly extremely familiar with the terrain of Golden Spring Mountain.

Chen Sheng paused mid-air, looking down like a hawk as a smirk played on his lips.

At this moment, Monk Fazang’s heart was consumed by endless grief, indignation, and terror.

’I could never have imagined that in a single day, the thriving and magnificent Golden Spring Temple would meet with such a catastrophe of utter annihilation.’

’The temple halls collapsed, monks lay dead, the Abbot, the First Seat, the elders... The pillars of the temple fell one after another, and even the Mountain Protection Array was breached.’

’And I, a True Disciple who was once held in high esteem and hailed as the future light of the temple, am as insignificant as an ant in the face of this great calamity, unable to change a thing.’

’I could only watch helplessly as it all happened. In the end, relying on my familiarity with the terrain and a bit of luck, I barely managed to fight my way out of the encirclement.’

Now, two powerful thoughts dominated his mind.

Revenge! And the need to grow stronger!

’I have to survive, report the truth of Golden Spring Temple’s destruction back to the Celestial Dragon Temple Upper Sect, and call down their thunderous wrath to avenge the dead souls of my temple. I must also preserve a spark to rebuild the sect in the future.’

At the same time, he had never craved strength with such bone-deep intensity.

’The same Chen Sheng who was once my equal, someone I had even looked down upon, is now high above, wielding the power of life and death, while I can only flee like a beaten dog!’

’The weak don’t even have the right to cry out in sorrow!’

"Fellow Daoist Fazang, you seem to be in a hurry. Where might you be going?"

A calm voice, laced with familiar mockery, suddenly echoed from ahead of him as if from a phantom.

Fazang shuddered violently, looking up in horror.

There, on a branch of an ancient tree before him, a figure in a dark official robe stood silently, looking down on him condescendingly.

Chen Sheng!

A chill crept into Fazang’s heart. His throat went dry, unable to make a sound.

’Even a master like Abbot Kongxu, at the peak of Profound Mastery, fell at this man’s hands. I, a mere Innate Martial Master, am probably no different from an ant in his eyes.’

"Chen Sheng..."

Fazang’s voice was hoarse and grating as he stared fixedly at the other man.

"You slaughtered my entire temple and stained the sacred ground of the Buddhist Sect with blood. Your methods are so ruthless! The heavens are watching! You... you will face retribution one day!"

"Retribution?"

Chen Sheng’s smirk widened.

"Fazang, doesn’t your Buddhist Sect often tell people to ’drop the butcher’s knife and immediately become a Buddha’? What, does that principle suddenly not apply when the knife is at your own throats?

"Or are your Buddhist principles only meant for others, not for yourselves?"

"You... That’s just sophistry!"

Fazang’s face flushed red with anger as he retorted:

"A Demon like you who has slaughtered countless people has no compassion in his heart. How could you ever truly lay down your blade!"

"Oh?"

Chen Sheng seemed intrigued, looking at him with great interest. "Fazang, if you sincerely repent right now and say with your own mouth, ’The destruction of Golden Spring Temple was deserved; we brought it upon ourselves,’

"then today, I will honor the Buddhist principle of laying down the blade and spare your life. What do you say?"