Lao Tzu is Ji Gong

"Once upon a time, there was a bird on this continent. It was similar to what you described, behaving strangely and not taking many actions. But once, it suddenly appeared in this dark forest. And that appearance turned the dark forest into what it is today. Moreover, the dark forest didn't have a name at first. People's cultural and cognitive levels were generally low back then. The reason it was later called the dark forest is because a third of the forest was destroyed overnight."

"If you have any doubts about whether that third is the very center of the Dark Forest, the place no one dares to venture into, I can assure you that yes, that is the place. But the truth is that the place is not as terrifying or evil as the outside world says."

"The danger in that forest lies in its uncertainty. No one knows when it will unleash a tremendous and unpredictable force. So many people who strayed in simply had bad luck and therefore could not survive. Or rather, even if they survived the ruins, no one could ever leave the forest alive."

"You ask me why? It's simple. That ruin was a formation set up by that strange bird. You could go in standing up and come out sideways. Although many top cultivators worked together and put aside their past grievances to defeat the strange bird, no one ever saw where its soul was. And when they were about to leave, the formation was activated, and those cultivators who were already exhausted were subjected to a devastating massacre. In the end, very few people managed to walk out of the formation and leave this forest."

"Moreover, shortly after they returned to their mountain gates, their families, or other places, they all announced that they would go into seclusion and never leave their mountain gates again. As for the reason, no one knows to this day. Later, as time went by, the matter was gradually forgotten by the martial arts world. Until one day, an unknown descendant of a cultivator who had participated in that battle and survived into seclusion found the place where his predecessor had secluded himself when he was a child and opened it, and the matter resurfaced."

"Many people think that this family is just rehashing old news and trying to increase their family's fame. Because no matter who you are, how could a grandson possibly open the barrier set up by a senior master? Even if we don't talk about those barriers, the mountain gate alone is impossible. But when many people arrived at that so-called secluded place, they found that things were far more complicated than they thought."

"Upon their arrival, the cave was presented to them exactly as it was. First, the cave had no barrier, or rather, the barrier had long since disappeared. Second, even the stone door used to seal the entrance had crumbled into pieces, crumbling to dust at the slightest touch. Finally, they found numerous bloodstains on the cave walls, indicating the presence of a large-scale battle. However, their predecessor was not inside the cave; in other words, he had vanished without a trace, leaving no sign or clue whatsoever. Therefore, they realized the gravity of the situation."

"That's why the leaders panicked. They hurriedly sent messages to the mountain gates and families that had participated in the great battle and whose ancestors had survived and gone into seclusion, asking them to check their ancestors' caves. After some time, all the messages were transmitted back. There were no barriers, no traces of ancestors, and signs of a great battle."

"The sensation caused by this incident was no less than that of the battle with the strange bird back then, but before it could escalate, it was inexplicably suppressed. A considerable number of those involved were killed without any trace of the killer, without any method of execution, and even the victims showed no resistance, some even with smiles on their faces. Later, someone finally discovered a common feature among all the victims: a faint scratch mark on their chests, right above their hearts. So everything went back to the beginning."

"Just when everyone was at a loss, another message came: someone found a message with just a few words: 'No need to investigate, I did it voluntarily.' This sentence stunned everyone. They really couldn't understand why. They thought it was just someone playing a trick on them, but later they discovered the strangeness of the cave and another common point among all the dead: they all committed suicide."

At this point, the Holy Buddha suddenly stopped. He saw that Li Xiuchen looked puzzled and confused, with a kind of bewilderment that he wanted to say but dared not.

"Say what you want to say, and I'll tell you." The Holy Buddha smiled as he looked at him.

"What I'm trying to say is, since they found that claw mark on their chests, why do they still think those people all committed suicide? And why do they feel like they're being led by the nose?" Upon hearing the Holy Buddha's words, Li Xiuchen didn't hesitate and threw out all his questions at once.

"They have the same questions as you, but no one can provide answers. What do you think of this explanation?" Saint Buddha answered Li Xiuchen's question calmly. "As for how they determined that those people committed suicide, no one knows."

"So what do these things have to do with us? Listening to all this, it doesn't seem to give us any reason to return to Tianwu City immediately." Li Xiuchen was clearly puzzled by this explanation.

"Because someone saw this strange bird in the Dark Forest, just like you, resting in a cave, then fell into a coma, and saw the strange bird, which aroused a hint of murderous intent in him," Saint Buddha calmly answered her question.

"In other words, someone in Tianwu City is going to die. Do you understand now?" The Holy Buddha's tone was calm, but it sent chills down Li Xiuchen's spine.

Chapter 1222 Puzzling

"So what do these things have to do with us? Listening to all this, it doesn't seem to give us any reason to return to Tianwu City immediately." Li Xiuchen was clearly puzzled by this explanation.

"Because someone saw this strange bird in the Dark Forest, just like you, resting in a cave, then fell into a coma, and saw the strange bird, which aroused a hint of murderous intent in him," Saint Buddha calmly answered her question.

"In other words, someone in Tianwu City is going to die. Do you understand now?" The Holy Buddha's tone was calm, but it sent chills down Li Xiuchen's spine.

"So...so that bird, that bird was so terrifying..." Li Xiuchen muttered to himself. He really couldn't imagine that a strange bird that had only appeared in his illusions had such a huge story and such a strange influence. He also couldn't believe that after being banned for so many years, it was still so powerful just from illusions. He suddenly realized that he still knew too little. He suddenly felt a little melancholy and a little lost.

"But...but this doesn't make sense. That strange bird has no physical body and has been suppressed by those predecessors for many years. How could it, how could it have the power to do these things? And it was just an outsider who saw those illusions. Those people didn't even know each other, so why would they willingly commit suicide for that illusion?" Li Xiuchen was a little confused. He didn't know if his mind was too slow to process what he was saying or if he had been too shocked to listen carefully to the other words of the Holy Buddha, causing him to miss some important information.

"You're curious, aren't you? I'm curious too." Saint Buddha couldn't help but smile bitterly after hearing Li Xiuchen's words, and with a bitter smile on his face, he sighed in response to her question.

"But do you know what? In this world, in this vast martial arts world, everyone who knows about this is curious. But what's the use? Curiosity won't bring you answers, nor will it tell you the reasons or justifications. This matter has been shelved for several years for various reasons. It's not that we don't want to solve it. It's just that no one knows how to solve it. And do you know what? Not even anyone knows where that strange bird came from, or how its cultivation was formed."

“But, in that forest, like the Dark Forest…” Li Xiuchen was taken aback by the words of the Holy Buddha. He was about to refute the Holy Buddha, but before he could finish speaking, the Holy Buddha interrupted him.

“I know, I know what you’re trying to say. You’re saying that, for example, the beasts in the forest, in this dark forest, also have cultivation, right? And that their cultivation is provided by the demon crystal on their foreheads, right? But don’t forget, did I tell you before? Those seniors joined forces to seal that strange bird. In other words, not even a trace was left. Let alone the demon crystal.”

“We once wondered if the power of those predecessors was so immense that it shattered the demon crystal of that strange bird. But later someone told us that the strange bird didn’t have a demon crystal at all, and it’s very likely that the strange bird was just an avatar.” The Holy Buddha’s tone remained very calm. The only difference was that the Holy Buddha now seemed to be immersed in a different environment, and her expression was constantly changing. Li Xiuchen saw this but did not dare to disturb her.

However, the Holy Buddha's words once again made Li Xiuchen feel extremely uncomfortable. He truly couldn't imagine that a monster requiring the combined efforts of many top-tier cultivators to eliminate might just be an avatar. He found it unimaginable how terrifying it would be if the real thing descended. If that conjecture was true, if the strange bird that took the entire continent's strength to defeat was just an avatar, then the consequences were something no one wanted to contemplate, accept, or even imagine.

"Of course, it's just a conjecture. No one has been able to provide concrete evidence to prove it. All we have are inferences drawn from bits and pieces. So, how should I put it? This conjecture is very likely not true, but a lie fabricated by some ambitious people. Their main purpose is probably just to cause social unrest so that they can carry out their plans, seize power, and firmly control the stability and morale of their entire empire, in order to achieve their imagined immortality."

Upon hearing the Holy Buddha's words, Li Xiuchen couldn't help but chuckle. This action left the Holy Buddha quite embarrassed and completely bewildered. He stared blankly at the still-laughing Li Xiuchen, as if watching a fool chuckling to himself, leaving the Holy Buddha speechless. However, he only silently cursed him as an idiot in his heart, without uttering his true thoughts.

"Ah, hahaha, well, hahaha. This, this really isn't my fault. An empire wanting to exist for thousands of years is just a load of nonsense, how could that be possible? The reason I laughed was only because of this, not because of anything else, and certainly not because I was laughing at you!" Li Xiuchen finally noticed the strangeness of the Holy Buddha, and hurriedly suppressed his smile, sincerely explaining to the Holy Buddha with a forced laugh on his face.

"I know you're not laughing at me, but I really didn't expect this to make you laugh like this. You've really broadened my horizons. But why are you so sure? Do you really think it's true? How could that be! Have you ever been to school? You're acting like an idiot, aren't you ashamed?" Saint Buddha's expression didn't soften after hearing Li Xiuchen's words. He still looked at Li Xiuchen as if he were an idiot, refuting him with eloquent arguments.

"Ah? Ah! No, I went to school!" Li Xiuchen looked at the Buddha's expression and wanted to defend himself, but he hesitated when he got to the words. He didn't know whether he should tell the truth or not. He fell silent and seemed to be thinking about it carefully.

"Holy Buddha, I think... I should tell you something." After a struggle with himself, Li Xiuchen seemed to have made up his mind, and spoke to the Holy Buddha with a serious expression.

"Hmm, go ahead and speak." Clearly, the Holy Buddha's expression was much more casual, and his attitude didn't seem to take it very seriously.

"Actually...actually...actually I don't belong to this world. I come from another place, a place called Earth. There, I'm not a cultivator either. There are only ordinary people, just like the people on this continent. We don't cultivate, and we don't have those precious secret manuals. If we have to talk about precious things, I'm afraid only giant pandas and golden monkeys are relatively precious. Uh...do you know what giant pandas and golden monkeys are?" Li Xiuchen paused here, afraid that the Holy Buddha would have difficulty digesting and understanding.

"You think..." The Holy Buddha was about to answer Li Xiuchen's question, but was ruthlessly interrupted by Li Xiuchen.

"Oh, never mind, whether you know it or not is unimportant! What's important is that I'm going to talk about some historical knowledge I learned in my hometown. In the history of our country, there has never been a country that has experienced thousands of years of changes and upheavals. Of course, that includes those mythical dynasties, uh, not even dynasties, but the history of tribes that weren't even states. Can you imagine that more than a dozen dynasties changed hands in two thousand years?" Li Xiuchen said these words with a fairly serious tone.

"Um... do you understand what I'm saying?" After Li Xiuchen finished speaking, the Holy Buddha did not respond, but instead looked at Li Xiuchen indifferently.

“I know you don’t belong to this world.” Upon hearing Li Xiuchen’s question, the Holy Buddha remained calm and answered Li Xiuchen’s question in a calm and indifferent tone.

"Huh? How did you know! I didn't tell anyone!" Li Xiuchen looked at the Holy Buddha in shock, wondering how the Holy Buddha knew this secret.

"Because in the beginning, your aura didn't belong to this world. It was before you started cultivating, when you were just an ordinary citizen." The Holy Buddha's voice remained calm, unlike what Li Xiuchen had imagined. Not even the slightest surprise could be seen on the Holy Buddha's face.

"But don't you even feel the slightest bit of shock, the slightest bit of surprise, just the slightest bit, not even a little bit?" Li Xiuchen pressed the Holy Buddha relentlessly.

"No, what's so shocking about this? I'm not a child anymore, and I'm not an idiot either." The Buddha's calm tone suddenly made Li Xiuchen feel like an idiot.

"Do I have to act like, 'Oh my god! How is this possible! You're not from this world! How did you get here! My God! How could you be like this!' Is that the kind of attitude you'd want to be satisfied with?" The Holy Buddha asked Li Xiuchen for his opinion, feigning surprise.

"No, no, no, no, no, it's not, it really isn't. I... I thought you didn't know..." Li Xiuchen waved his hands repeatedly. He felt that his request was a bit idiotic when the Holy Buddha suddenly acted like this, making him look like a moron, which made him feel very embarrassed.

"Since you don't need it, what are you even saying? Honestly, what a waste of time and emotion. I really don't know what you're thinking. You vulgar man." The Holy Buddha looked at Li Xiuchen with disdain, speaking to him without any attempt to hide his contempt. Hearing this, Li Xiuchen felt his face flush red. If it weren't for the urgency of the situation, requiring him and the Holy Buddha to rush back to Tianwu City, Li Xiuchen would have wanted to find a mouse hole to crawl into and escape the Holy Buddha's naked, utterly contemptuous gaze. Although he knew the Holy Buddha was inside his body, there was no point in hiding.

"Since we've come this far, I'll give you a brief overview. The dynasties existing on this continent have existed for at least a hundred years, or even nearly a thousand years. Each one possesses profound foundations and boasts one or two reclusive figures who stand at the pinnacle of cultivation and martial arts. Although these individuals generally cease to concern themselves with martial arts affairs after reaching this level, they are, after all, born or living in the imperial cities of those empires. Therefore, if an empire truly faces a severe crisis, they will still lend a helping hand." The Holy Buddha glanced at Li Xiuchen indifferently and began to recount all this to him.

"What kind of situation would plunge the empire into dire straits and a state of extreme crisis?" Li Xiuchen suddenly became curious upon hearing this. He really wanted to know what would happen to make those old monsters take action.

"For example, like what I just told you, encountering that strange bird, or having powerful cultivators helping other countries attack an empire—not just any ordinary attack, but when a country is about to be destroyed. Things like that. Other than that… I can't think of any others right now. Anyway, you don't have the ability to do that, so why do you care how other countries are destroyed or how they force the old monster to take action?" The Holy Buddha's voice remained calm, without any ripples.

"As for other things, I'll tell you when I have the chance. It's useless for you to know now; it's a waste of time and my breath. It's not worth it. You can't even fly." Saint Buddha muttered, trying to appease Li Xiuchen, indicating that he didn't want to get entangled with him on this issue any further. Upon hearing this, Li Xiuchen suddenly felt helpless, but he couldn't say anything. After all, the other party was strong, and he couldn't beat him, especially since he was still inside his body.

Chapter 1223 Encounter

"As for other things, I'll tell you when I have the chance. It's useless for you to know now; it's a waste of time and my breath. It's not worth it. You can't even fly." Saint Buddha muttered, trying to appease Li Xiuchen, indicating that he didn't want to get entangled with him on this issue any further. Upon hearing this, Li Xiuchen suddenly felt helpless, but he couldn't say anything. After all, the other party was strong, and he couldn't beat him, especially since he was still inside his body.

"And then?" Li Xiuchen couldn't help but remind the Holy Buddha to continue, seeing that he hadn't spoken for a long time.

"And then? What then? What are you going to do next?" Saint Buddha was taken aback and couldn't help but ask back. He suddenly felt that he didn't quite understand Li Xiuchen's thought process.

"And then? That's it? Aren't you...aren't you going to continue?" Li Xiuchen was stunned for a moment when he heard the Holy Buddha's question. He paused for a while before saying what he originally wanted to say.

"Ah~ so you want me to continue." The Holy Buddha finally realized what was going on and nodded at Li Xiuchen with a sudden understanding.

“Yeah, otherwise I’d…” Li Xiuchen nodded blankly, but before he could finish speaking, the Holy Buddha ruthlessly interrupted him, thwarting his desire to continue.

"I'm not going to say anything more," the Holy Buddha replied calmly to Li Xiuchen's question. "Anyway, given his IQ, there's no point in talking to him anymore. It's good enough that you can remember what I just said." Although the Holy Buddha only glanced at Li Xiuchen casually, Li Xiuchen felt deeply hurt. A huge knot was stuck in his heart, and he felt extremely frustrated. He really never thought that one day his intelligence would be questioned.

"Hey... Holy Buddha, this...this...is so hurtful..." In order to prevent the Holy Buddha from further damaging his intelligence, Li Xiuchen hesitated for a while but decided to take the initiative and cut off the possibility of the Holy Buddha continuing to insult him.

"Don't insult my intelligence like that! You used to call me master, how come you've changed so much? Is this world really that realistic and cruel?" Li Xiuchen sounded just like a little woman full of complaints.

"Oh! Master! Look at what you're saying! You've always been my dearest and most beloved master! Master is awesome~" Saint Buddha coldly watched Li Xiuchen ramble on and on from beginning to end. After Li Xiuchen finished speaking, a little while later, Saint Buddha suddenly changed into a coquettish manner and said these words to Li Xiuchen with a fawning expression.

Li Xiuchen was caught off guard and couldn't withstand the shock. He involuntarily trembled three times, looking at the Holy Buddha with a terrified expression. Seeing the Holy Buddha's delicate, shy, pitiful, and fawning appearance, Li Xiuchen felt an indescribable... nausea. Yes, that's right. Li Xiuchen had previously hesitated about what this feeling was, but now he could say with certainty that it was definitely nausea.

The atmosphere became awkward with the sudden convulsion of the Holy Buddha and Li Xiuchen's disgusted expression. The two stared at each other silently, looking into each other's eyes, but neither uttered a word. After a while, Li Xiuchen and the Holy Buddha simultaneously turned away and began to retch on the ground. After retching for a while, they both stood up and turned away again, but as if they had reached some tacit understanding, they avoided each other's gaze, neither mentioning what had just happened, as if nothing had occurred.

Li Xiuchen continued his journey silently, while the Holy Buddha closed his eyes, ignoring Li Xiuchen and the events unfolding outside. Time passed quietly in this wondrous atmosphere.

After a long while, the Holy Buddha suddenly opened her eyes, her gaze sharp and icy. She stared ahead, remaining silent and offering no words of warning to Li Xiuchen. A short while later, the Holy Buddha finally spoke.

"Xiuchen, there are people ahead. Judging from their aura, they should be from the Wen family. I will conceal my presence later. Be careful on your own. Avoid them as much as possible. If you can't avoid them, go up and say hello. But remember, don't look for me, don't mention me, and don't let it show that you know they are there." The Holy Buddha slowly explained everything that Li Xiuchen would encounter.

"But why can't I let them know that I know I'm aware of their existence? It's not like I can't sense their fighting spirit and cultivation level." Li Xiuchen felt a little puzzled by the Holy Buddha's request; he didn't know what the Holy Buddha was trying to express.

"Then, if I don't tell you, go and try to sense their presence." The Holy Buddha didn't rush to answer Li Xiuchen's question, but instead asked Li Xiuchen a question in return.

"How could I feel... I feel... I can't feel anything." Li Xiuchen thought to himself, how could he not sense those people? But when he actually tried to sense them carefully, he suddenly realized that he really couldn't sense any sign of anyone in front of him. Li Xiuchen was a little shocked. Although his cultivation level wasn't very high, it wasn't that low that he couldn't even see a single person.

"This isn't your fault. They concealed their cultivation and aura; how could you possibly detect them? When your cultivation deepens, you'll understand. And then you'll be able to do it yourself. After all, this skill isn't anything rare on this continent." Seeing Li Xiuchen's shocked expression, the Holy Buddha explained the phenomenon in a calm, emotionless voice, simply stating a fact.

"Alright, that's enough for now. If we go any further, they'll be able to sense me. I'm going to hide now. Remember what I said." With that, the Holy Buddha suddenly disappeared.

Wen Chong didn't resent Wen Xiang's words, nor did he care whether they were right or wrong. Wen Chong felt that the truth was unimportant. What he cared about was very simple: he just wanted to know that his father hadn't deceived him, hadn't hidden anything from him, and hadn't fabricated these unheard-of lies.

Wen Chong even felt that even if Wen Xiang himself told him, "I'm going to betray the Wen family, I want you to walk this path with me," Wen Chong would follow him without hesitation. Even if he ended up disgraced, even if he received the Wen family's harshest punishment, even if he was despised by everyone and infamous for a thousand years, Wen Chong felt he would do anything. But Wen Xiang chose to deceive him; at least in Wen Chong's eyes, Wen Xiang was indeed betraying his trust in him.

"Wenchong, I have something to tell you, listen carefully." Wenxiang didn't pay much attention to Wenchong's anger. Perhaps, in his view, there were more important things for Wenxiang to worry about. He listened to Wenchong expressing his opinions, while he hesitated about his own decision. Finally, Wenxiang gritted his teeth and made up his mind. He looked at Wenchong in front of him with a serious expression, his eyes revealing an unyielding determination.

"I..." Wen Chong wanted to refuse his father Wen Xiang's request, but as soon as the words left his mouth, he looked at his father's serious expression and suddenly swallowed back what he was about to say. No matter what, Wen Xiang was still Wen Chong's father, and deep down, Wen Chong couldn't refuse, nor did he want to. He decided to listen to what Wen Xiang had to say next.

“I think I told you before that you were once sent on a mission by the old patriarch, that is, your grandfather, right?” Wenxiang suddenly brought up this matter. Wenchong was taken aback for a moment, but still nodded in agreement. Seeing Wenchong’s reaction, Wenxiang nodded slightly, licked his dry lips, and continued.

“I have a general idea of ​​what the old patriarch wanted you to do, but I still don’t have solid evidence to prove it, so I can’t say whether he is right or wrong.” Wenxiang explained the whole situation to Wenchong in detail.

"So, in other words, this is still just your guess, right? You still can't make up your mind to confirm the accuracy of this matter, right? If that's the case, then why are you still talking to me?" Listening to Wenxiang's words, Wen Chong gradually felt angry again. In the end, what Wenxiang, his father, was trying to tell him was still something vague and uncertain. What was the fundamental difference between this and what he had said before?

"No, Wen Chong, let me continue." Wen Xiang waved his hand, intending to continue talking to Wen Chong, when suddenly his pupils contracted and he lowered his voice to say to Wen Chong, "Wen Chong, someone is coming. Be ready to greet them."

Seeing Wenxiang's sudden change in movement, Wenchong was initially stunned. Only after hearing Wenxiang's words did he react, sensing someone approaching him from not far away. Wenchong cursed himself under his breath for being such a fool, forgetting to constantly observe his surroundings. If the person on the periphery was a skilled fighter, taking advantage of his momentary lapse in attention to attack, having a quick reaction would be a pipe dream. If he were hit, he'd be severely injured, if not killed. Wenchong glanced at Wenxiang beside him; Wenxiang had returned to his original calm and collected expression. Seeing this, Wenchong clenched his fists inwardly.

Although Wenxiang is still hiding many things from me, ultimately, Wenxiang possesses qualifications and experience that I cannot match. Even though I'm improving every day, constantly thinking of ways to advance further on my solid foundation of cultivation, the gap is still there. As one of the outstanding members of the Wen family, Wenxiang's strength is undoubtedly formidable.

While Wen Chong was silently calculating in his mind, Li Xiuchen had already strolled over to where Wen Chong and Wen Xiang were. However, when Li Xiuchen stood on that spot, he didn't see a single person. Li Xiuchen looked around, scratched his head, and thought to himself, "This Holy Buddha is unreliable. This is clearly an open space; there's no one here!" Li Xiuchen stood there pondering for a moment, then prepared to continue on his way. Since the Holy Buddha hadn't told him whether to just pass by or not, he figured it was better to avoid trouble and not make things difficult for himself.

Seeing Li Xiuchen about to leave, Wen Chong and Wen Xiang, who had originally planned to continue observing, suddenly frowned as if they had thought of something, each silently assessing him. From the very beginning, when Li Xiuchen set foot on this land, Wen Chong and Wen Xiang had been secretly observing him. But no matter how they looked at him, he was merely a Dou Wang stage cultivator, nothing more than a tiny ant to them.

But when the two of them inadvertently discovered the direction he came from, they both remembered something.

"Hey! The one standing over there!" Wen Chong was the first to jump out from his hiding place.

Li Xiuchen's foot, which had just taken a step, trembled violently at the sound of the shout, and he almost lost his balance and fell flat on his face. He looked at Wen Chong in surprise, thinking, "Wow, there really is someone. So what the Holy Buddha said was true." Although Li Xiuchen was startled not by the words, but by the sudden appearance of Wen Chong, he couldn't help but mutter to himself as he carefully examined the person in front of him.

“I also wanted to say something. Hey you standing over there, come over here, I have something to ask you.” Wenxiang also walked out from behind Wenchong.

Chapter 1224 Asking Questions