267: Chapter 267 Sitting on the Mountain and Watching the Tigers Fight!

Wisdom Empty tucked his prayer beads into the wide sleeves of his Buddhist robe.

The golden lotus beneath his feet spun rapidly, its five-colored radiance brutally tearing through the gloom of the deep sea.

The old monk crossed layer upon layer of ocean trenches, heading straight for the Chaotic Star Sea Region.

He formed a seal with one hand, and an extremely obscure golden stream of light flicked from his fingertip.

The stream of light silently sank into the depths of the Chaotic Star Sea Region's earth veins.

An invisible Foundation stone for a Life Transformation Altar was thus buried.

Endless greed grew crazily within the old monk's heart.

Half a day later.

In the Thousand Reef Sea Region, outside the 'Hundred Herb Pavilion', a core property under the Longevity Tower.

The street was filled with a nauseatingly strange scent of sandalwood.

Hundreds of ragged, low-level Loose Cultivators surrounded the three-story wooden building so tightly that not a drop of water could leak through.

There was none of the usual clamor and cursing in the crowd.

There was only a synchronized, extremely fanatical sound of chanting.

"Divide resources equally, deliver all from the sea of suffering~"

"Wherever the Buddha's light shines, all shall be a pure land~"

The Loose Cultivators pressed their palms together, their faces showing a bizarre flush.

They moved their stiff legs, closing in on the defensive Formation step by step.

With every step, a trace of golden Power Of Will, barely visible to the naked eye, rose from the tops of their heads.

It gathered continuously toward that illusory five-colored Life Transformation Altar in the sky.

One-Eyed Shark stood behind the Formation's light barrier, holding a nine-ringed greatsword.

Veins bulged on his bald scalp, and his knuckles cracked as he gripped the sword.

These low-level ants usually didn't even dare to breathe loudly when they saw him.

Today, they actually dared to come en masse to wreck the Longevity Tower's business!

"The Tower Master has ordered: those who dare to cross the line shall be killed without mercy!"

One-Eyed Shark bellowed, his Foundation Establishment Stage blood-qi exploding outward.

He swung the nine-ringed greatsword with one hand, stepping beyond the Formation's light barrier.

He slashed down fiercely toward the few Loose Cultivators rushing at the very front.

The violent blade-light pulled out a several-zhang-long ribbon of energy.

Clang!

The tooth-aching sound of metal clashing rang through the street.

The blade struck the neck of a scrawny Loose Cultivator, unexpectedly exploding into a long string of blinding sparks.

A very thin layer of five-colored golden light surfaced on the Cultivator's body without warning.

The golden light was not a shield, but rather dense chains of Sanskrit text.

They tightly bound the Cultivator's flesh and blood, forcibly locking in his life force.

It stubbornly withstood the full-force strike of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

The blade only left a white mark on the opponent's skin.

One-Eyed Shark's whole body shook, and the web of his thumb was numbed by the shock.

How is this possible!

This scrawny Loose Cultivator clearly only has a cultivation of the Qi Refining Third Layer!

The Cultivator didn't even look at the blade mark on his neck.

His withered hands death-gripped the back of One-Eyed Shark's blade.

Opening a mouth full of yellow teeth, he bit toward One-Eyed Shark's wrist.

"Benefactor, lay down your butcher's knife and take refuge in my Buddha~"

One-Eyed Shark was furious and lashed out with a kick to the other's chest.

Bang!

The Loose Cultivator was sent flying back, his sternum collapsing over a large area.

But before he even landed, that layer of five-colored golden light writhed frantically.

The Loose Cultivator crawled up from the ground in an extremely distorted posture.

His bones made cracking sounds of dislocation as he lunged forward again, unafraid of death.

Not just him.

Hundreds of surrounding Loose Cultivators all turned their heads in unison.

Bearing that strange shackle of Power Of Will, they were like zombies without a sense of pain.

They frantically hammered at the Hundred Herb Pavilion's Formation.

The Formation's light barrier dented severely, the Formation runes flickering uncertainly.

"To hell with this!"

One-Eyed Shark retreated repeatedly, back into the interior of the Formation.

These people haven't been converted at all.

They've been damn well drained of their sanity!

They've become meat-shield Puppets controlled by someone else!

Inside the underground karst cave.

Gu Changsheng leaned back in his armchair, a water mirror hovering at his fingertips.

The chaotic scenes outside the Hundred Herb Pavilion were clearly reflected in the water mirror.

Deep within his Sea of Consciousness, the golden system panel hummed and vibrated.

Lines of text cascaded down like a waterfall.

【daily intelligence refreshed】

【Intelligence 1: Western Desert Buddhist Cultivators have officially entered the Eastern Sea. Sixth Prince Ao Ming has allocated two sea regions for them to establish 'Life Transformation Altars'.】

【Details: Ao Ming reached a deal with the Buddhist Cultivators, intending to use the Buddhist secret technique 'Sūtra of Destiny' to deduce the whereabouts of 'eternal regret'.】

【Annotation: Buddhist Cultivators are using this opportunity to widely spread seeds of Power Of Will, forcibly brainwashing low-level Cultivators in an attempt to steal the Eastern Sea's Foundation.】

Gu Changsheng's gaze swept over those few lines of crimson text.

His face twitched, letting out an extremely contemptuous cold laugh.

Ao Ming, that idiot.

Tortured by his Heart Demon to the point he doesn't even want his brain anymore.

Inviting the wolf into the house.

These old bald donkeys of the Buddhist Cultivators claim to deliver all sentient beings, but they're actually engaged in the business of sucking marrow from bones.

Using that meager golden light of Power Of Will to protect the Loose Cultivators' Physical Bodies.

In reality, they are frantically squeezing the potential of their Divine Souls.

Splendor Qi.

This kind of Dao path built on consuming the Power Of Will of Mortals may look solemn, but it is actually the most sinister.

Once the utility of these Loose Cultivators is squeezed dry.

They won't even have a chance at Reincarnation; they'll turn directly into fly ash beneath the Life Transformation Altar.

Gu Changsheng's knuckles lightly tapped the armrest of the chair.

These bald donkeys' manners are too ugly.

They've just arrived at the Eastern Sea and already dare to stretch their hands into the profit pie of the Thousand Reef Sea Region.

The transmission Jade Slip vibrated violently.

One-Eyed Shark's anxious voice crashed through the Restriction.

"Tower Master! These lunatics simply can't be killed!"

"The Formation is about to break. Should we mobilize the elites from the Water Manor and chop them all up!"

Gu Changsheng gripped the Jade Slip with one hand.

His voice was flat, without a single ripple.

"Withdraw."

The other end of the Jade Slip went instantly silent.

It took a full three breaths before One-Eyed Shark stammered out a reply.

"Withdraw? Tower Master, the Hundred Herb Pavilion is holding a large batch of Spirit Materials we just plundered last month!"

"We're just going to hand it over to these bald donkeys?"

Gu Changsheng stood up, his green robes moving without any wind.

"Withdraw everyone and all the goods."

"Not just the Hundred Herb Pavilion. Give up all nine outposts of the Longevity Tower in the Thousand Reef Sea Region and the Chaotic Star Sea Region."

"Remove the Formations and leave the doors wide open."

One-Eyed Shark was completely bewildered.

The Longevity Tower had always been one to take but never give, and the Tower Master was a ruthless character who would pluck feathers from a passing goose.

How did his nature change today?

But he didn't dare to disobey this decree which radiated absolute control.

"Your subordinate obeys!"

In the water mirror.

The Hundred Herb Pavilion's Formation light barrier collapsed.

The Longevity Tower's elite guards were well-trained and did not linger for the fight.

They evacuated rapidly through the back door.

The fanatical Loose Cultivators, having lost all resistance, surged into the Spirit Medicine shop like a bursting dam.

The Buddha's light shone over the street, solemn and holy.

But inside the Spirit Medicine shop covered by this light, the most primitive and barbaric looting was taking place.

Loose Cultivators frantically smashed glass counters, stuffing the remaining Spirit Medicines into their mouths haphazardly.

An old man with half an arm missing was bathed in Buddha's light.

Yet he used his only remaining hand to death-grip a young Loose Cultivator's neck.

He forcibly gouged a blood-stained Qi Gathering Pill from the other's mouth and swallowed it whole.

His mouth was still indistinctly mumbling "Buddha is merciful".

Blood splattered on the walls radiating golden light.

It exuded a silence and madness that was bizarre to the extreme.

This was the "equal division of resources" the Buddhist Cultivators spoke of.

Half an hour later.

One-Eyed Shark, carrying a scent of blood, strode into the underground karst cave.

He dropped heavily onto one knee on the stone floor.

"Tower Master, everyone has been withdrawn."

"Those bald donkeys didn't even show their faces. Relying only on a group of brainwashed trash, they've taken seven of our outposts."

One-Eyed Shark's chest heaved violently; he was clearly aggrieved to the limit.

Gu Changsheng leaned back in his armchair.

He picked up the coarse ceramic teapot on the table and poured himself a cup of cold tea.

"Does it hurt your heart?"

One-Eyed Shark gritted his teeth.

"Your subordinate does not understand."

"We are strong and well-manned now. Even if these Loose Cultivators have Power Of Will protecting them, a few more slashes would still chop them to pieces."

"Why give our territory away for nothing?"

Gu Changsheng raised his teacup, gently swirling the murky tea.

"What's the use in killing a bunch of controlled meat-shields, besides wasting magic power?"

"If the Buddhist Cultivators want to take root in the Eastern Sea, they need believers and territory."

"Right now, they are like a starving mad dog, biting whatever they see."

Gu Changsheng raised his eyelids, his gaze crossing layers of seawater as if seeing much further away.

"In these two sea regions, the Longevity Tower isn't the only power."

"These local snakes have been entrenched for years; they value their territory more than their lives."

One-Eyed Shark froze.

Gu Changsheng slammed the teacup down on the stone table.

Water splashed everywhere.

"Our proactive retreat will only make the Buddhist Cultivators' appetite grow larger."

"Once those fanatical Loose Cultivators have tasted sweetness, they will go and attack the markets of other Schools."

"Let these local snakes go head-to-head with the Buddhist Cultivators."

"We will sit on the mountaintop and watch the tigers fight."

One-Eyed Shark suddenly understood, his face twitching violently as a bloodthirsty grin broke out.

"Tower Master is brilliant!"

"These bald donkeys have provoked public anger. When the time comes, all the local forces in the Eastern Sea will see them as a thorn in their side!" Most importantly, those bald donkeys have Golden Cores behind them; if he could avoid acting personally, he would, to prevent it from being traced back to him in the end.

He nodded slightly.

"Go."

"Take a few clever subordinates and change into Loose Cultivator clothes."

"Go wander around the territories of the Sea Sand Gang and Spirit Snake Island."

"Help lead the way for those fanatical believers and point them in the right direction."

Gu Changsheng's knuckles tapped the tabletop, making dull thudding sounds.

"Remember, the bigger the commotion, the better."

"Make sure everyone feels that the Buddhist Cultivators want to annex the entire sea region."

"Whoever dares to resist is a heretic."

Driving the tiger to swallow the wolf.

This was the optimal solution to break the situation.

The Buddhist Cultivators wanted to use the lives of Loose Cultivators to test the Eastern Sea's bottom line.

Gu Changsheng would add fuel to the fire, directly burning it to the eyebrows of all the major powers.

One-Eyed Shark trembled with excitement.

"Rest assured, Tower Master, I know what to do."

"I'll have people mix into the crowd to specifically lead the way in smashing the Sea Sand Gang's spirit mine shops."

"And I'll have them shout slogans like 'Flatten the Sea Sand, Establish the Buddha Kingdom'."

"I'll guarantee the Sea Sand Gang's leader will be so angry he'll ascend on the spot!"

He stood up abruptly, turned, and strode out of the karst cave.