Chapter 43 Return

However, at this moment, it seemed that this goal was about to fail.

This young Daoist had strong cultivation and profound knowledge; he could remain calm even when facing him. He was likely not from an ordinary Daoist lineage, but probably a direct Disciple from some prominent sect.

Converting him to Buddhism was just a passing whim; it didn't matter if it failed.

"Your Excellency is truly eloquent. You must not be from an ordinary background. May I ask your Daoist name?" Vajrabodhi began to probe Jiang Chen's background.

Jiang Chen had nothing to hide. After learning Vajrabodhi's identity, he was certain that Vajrabodhi must also have been invited by Emperor Xuanzong of Tang to attend the Mid-Autumn Feast in Chang'an.

Even if he tried to hide it now, it would be exposed eventually, and it would only make him look petty.

Not only would it cause others to look down on him, but it would also needlessly cause them to look down on the Maoshan Sect.

"My Daoist name is Great True Lord Xuanyi."

"Great True Lord Xuanyi... What a bold spirit. This Daoist name is not something an ordinary person would dare to hold." Vajrabodhi's eyes twitched; he was increasingly certain that this young Daoist had an extraordinary background.

"Your Excellency has come to Jingzhao Prefecture; could it be that you are also heading to the Mid-Autumn Feast in Chang'an?"

Jiang Chen replied, "Indeed, I have been invited by Your Majesty to attend the feast."

Vajrabodhi nodded. "Then it seems I shall see you again when the time comes."

The abbot couldn't help but look at Jiang Chen in shock. This Daoist didn't look old, yet he was actually invited by Your Majesty? What exactly was his background?

Jiang Chen couldn't help but ask Vajrabodhi, "I have heard that Your Excellency has a duel scheduled with the high expert of the Dao, Ye Fashan. I wonder what you think your chances of winning are?"

Upon hearing this, Vajrabodhi smiled and said, "Ye Fashan is obsessed with the prestige of the Daoist sect and has fallen into the trap of cognitive barriers, trapped in the sea of suffering without escape. For decades, he has long lost his drive for progress. He is, I presume, not worth worrying about."

Jiang Chen asked again, "Your Excellency says Ye Fashan is trapped by the prestige of the Daoist sect, but are you not also spending your days building momentum for the Buddhist sect?"

Vajrabodhi laughed and shook his head. "How can the two be mentioned in the same breath? The momentum I build for the Buddhist sect is, in the dark, a way to ferry people across the sea of suffering. This is already in line with the essence of my Mahayana Buddhist teachings."

At this point, Vajrabodhi paused and continued, "I have brought the Mahayana Buddhist teachings from the Esoteric School to the Central Plains to spread the Dharma, and I have been invited by the Emperor of the Great Tang. This already shows that the momentum of the Buddhist sect is unstoppable."

The abbot was already so fired up by Vajrabodhi's words that his face was flushed, his eyes gleaming with excitement; he wished he could charge straight up to the Maoshan Sect to declare the status of his Buddhist sect.

Jiang Chen just watched this comical scene, smiling without speaking.

After a while, he said, "If Your Excellency invited me here today just to speak these meaningless words, then I shall take my leave."

"Wait." Vajrabodhi called out to Jiang Chen, who was preparing to leave, took a string of dark brown prayer beads from his wrist, and handed them to Jiang Chen.

"The fact that I have met Your Excellency can be considered fated. I shall gift you this string of prayer beads; let it be a piece of Karma."

Having said that, Vajrabodhi didn't give Jiang Chen a chance to refuse and continued.

"After the Mid-Autumn Feast, I, along with the Great Master Subhakarasimha and Amoghavajra, will decide the outcome with three experts from the Daoist sect. Your Excellency is welcome to come and watch."

After saying this, Vajrabodhi walked out of the courtyard first, with the abbot following closely behind, leaving Jiang Chen alone.

"Is this guy crazy?" Jiang Chen's expression was strange. A monk giving prayer beads to a Daoist? Even a TV show wouldn't dare to film it like this.

However, this string of prayer beads was a true Magical Artifact, with Buddhist aura flowing on it. Whether for focusing one's mind or warding off evil spirits, it could be called a Sharp Weapon.

Jiang Chen couldn't see any problems with it. If there were any, the System would likely have given a prompt, so he didn't casually throw it away.

Keep it for now; who knows, maybe next time he kills someone, the prayer beads will accidentally be lost?

...

Jiang Chen opened his eyes; it was already broad daylight.

Outside were high-rise buildings and heavy traffic, with the constant honking of cars mixed with a hint of industrial atmosphere.

He had gone to sleep last night, and upon waking, he had returned to reality.

Jiang Chen quickly got up, absorbed the faint trace of purple Qi from the rising sun, then washed up and ate.

After eating, he actually felt a bit idle!

Having stayed in the Tang Dynasty of his dreams for too long, he found it difficult to distinguish which was the true reality for a moment.

Moreover, in the modern world, the spiritual energy was weak; one day of Cultivation was not even as effective as half an hour of Cultivation in the dream.

However...

Jiang Chen sensed the spiritual energy in the world.

"It seems to have grown a bit stronger than yesterday. Could it be that the spiritual energy of this world is gradually recovering?"

If it could continue to recover, perhaps one day in the future, it would truly reach the height of the prosperous Tang Dynasty.

"How about I go back to Mount Mao to see?"

Jiang Chen had a sudden thought. More than a thousand years had passed; he didn't know if Mount Mao was still the Mount Mao he knew.

Just then, Jiang Chen casually pressed the TV channel and inadvertently switched to the Binhai City channel, which was currently broadcasting the morning news.

"According to reporters, the Ancient Tomb on Mount Bulao in the eastern suburbs of Binhai City is currently being studied and analyzed, and excavation work is expected to officially begin within 7 days."

"Next, we have invited Professor Zhang Wenqian, a professor in the Department of Archaeology at Binhai University and the main person in charge of the research team for the Ancient Tomb in the eastern suburbs of Binhai City, to the stage."

Then Jiang Chen saw the short-haired woman on TV invite an elderly man wearing a loose white practice uniform, black-rimmed glasses, with half-white hair and a spirited appearance, onto the stage.

The two sat down in turn, and the short-haired woman held the microphone, asking the old man with a hint of respect.

"Professor Zhang Wenqian, hello."

"Hello." Zhang Wenqian responded kindly.

"Professor Zhang Wenqian, I wonder to what extent the research on that Ancient Tomb in Binhai has progressed?"

"Currently, through isotope dating of some items related to the Ancient Tomb, we have determined that this is an Ancient Tomb built during the Tang Dynasty."

"Then, in your opinion, what kind of status would the owner of this Ancient Tomb likely have?"

"This Ancient Tomb is grand, divided into multiple burial chambers and a main tomb, with more than one tomb passage. The specifications are extremely high. According to the study of other excavated tombs from the Tang Dynasty, whoever is buried here is at least an ancient person of noble or princely rank; perhaps, it might even be someone famous in history."

While he was speaking, the bottom of the TV screen also broadcast some modeling of the Ancient Tomb that Zhang Wenqian's team had simulated using various methods.

Besides the main tomb, the Ancient Tomb was surrounded by nine burial chambers, and the height of these nine chambers was even higher than the main tomb.

Jiang Chen had originally just been watching casually, but as he watched, he unconsciously became serious and furrowed his brows.

Because, looking at the deduced model published by Zhang Wenqian, why did the layout of this Ancient Tomb look so much like a Formation?

If there were Magical Artifacts suppressing each of these nine burial chambers, it would form the Maoshan Feng Shui layout, the Zanlong Array.

He only had a smattering of knowledge about the Zanlong Array, but looking at this layout, it was indeed somewhat similar.

If this were true,

what kind of good thing could it be that required the spiritual energy of an entire mountain to suppress?

...

Dear readers, do you have any suitable names for supporting characters? I'm collecting them, gender doesn't matter.