I will be stronger after the remake

After hanging up the phone, Tang Ping let out a sigh of relief. With that, the last hidden danger was eliminated—even if Fu Zhengyi exposed his undercover identity, it would be meaningless.

In fact, he understood that the possibility of Fu Zhengyi doing this was very small. After all, there was no deep hatred between the two sides, and this move was obviously against justice. To suffer the backlash of spiritual power for a little personal grudge was not something a person with normal intelligence would do.

But a small probability doesn't mean it won't happen. If this person is narrow-minded and insists on doing something even if it harms others and doesn't benefit themselves, it will inevitably bring them huge trouble.

It is always wise to plan ahead. Tang Ping felt that his achievements in martial arts were not enough to make him act recklessly, and it was best to eliminate unnecessary risks in advance.

"I make a living with my brain, not just some barbarian who knows how to fight and kill."

Shortly after making the call, Tang Ping received a call to gather and immediately set off for Guiyuan Temple in the Illusionary Realm.

When he arrived, all three members of the Public Security Bureau were already there, along with five spider demons who had been converted and were now guarding the altar like sentinels.

"Everyone's here, let's begin."

"I can't wait to say it!" Ling Chong said, brimming with confidence.

Chapter 184 Easily Overcoming Tribulation

On the makeshift altar, Ling Chong closed his eyes and regulated his breathing, gradually releasing his spiritual pressure. The spiritual core behind him appeared, becoming increasingly solid, causing a faint golden ripple to spread across the surrounding space.

“Subhuti! If a virtuous man or woman receives, upholds, reads, and recites this sutra, and is despised by others, it is because of the sins they committed in their past lives, which should have caused them to fall into evil realms, that their sins are eradicated because of the contempt they receive in this life, and they will attain Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi…”

Xiang Yun sat in front of Ling Chong, striking a wooden fish and chanting Buddhist scriptures to enhance the atmosphere.

For psionicists who lean towards stream of consciousness, atmosphere is also quite important.

The time required to advance to the third level varies, ranging from as short as ten minutes to as long as three hours, depending on individual experience and accumulation. The more substantial the experience, the faster the advancement.

This "accumulation" does not refer to solid cultivation, but simply to spiritual power cultivation. After all, in the path of spiritual cultivation, taking shortcuts is the right way. No matter whether one improves their cultivation through spiritual evolution or rare and precious materials, there is no such thing as an unstable foundation.

According to Ling Chong's own estimate, his accumulation was at a medium level, and it would take him about an hour.

Seeing that the surroundings were relatively calm and no enemies had appeared, Tang Ping asked Gui Taxi, "Is there any precedent in the organization for what kind of enemies a martial monk-type psychic would typically encounter when advancing to the third rank?"

"Someone has already figured out the pattern: when a Buddhist's spiritual level advances, they will encounter attacks from the three evil realms. Advancing to the second level leads to the animal realm, advancing to the third level leads to the animal realm plus the hungry ghost realm, and advancing to the fourth level adds the hell realm," Gui Taxi quickly replied, clearly having done his research.

Tang Ping asked in confusion, "But I don't recall encountering any attacks when I advanced to the second stage?"

"The animal realm consists of birds, beasts, worms, and ants, while you were advancing in the Spider Cave, where there was the aura of a third-level demon. How could any small demon dare to approach you?"

Tang Ping nodded, about to ask for details, when she suddenly sensed a sinister aura surging from all directions, accompanied by chilling roars. She immediately shut her mouth and stood ready.

Before long, countless evil spirits from the animal realm swarmed in. Birds could be vaguely seen circling and swooping in the air, their sharp cries piercing the sky; beasts bared their fangs and claws, their eyes filled with fierce killing intent; and worms and ants crawled densely from the ground and walls, leaving behind a nauseating trail wherever they went.

They came on strong, but when they saw the five large spiders, they quickly lost their courage and became hesitant and timid.

Seeing this, Tang Ping and Gui Taxi remained vigilant and did not rush to make a move. After all, their mission was to protect Ling Chong's advancement, and they only needed to stall for time; they did not need to defeat anyone.

For a moment, the scene became one of staring at each other blankly.

The animals dared not approach, but they did not leave either, and just stood there staring at each other.

Twenty minutes later, the yin energy suddenly became denser, and several hungry ghosts whose auras had reached the peak of the second stage appeared in the mist.

Gui Taxi quickly said, "According to the Buddhist definition, the hungry ghost realm is divided into three categories: external obstacle ghosts, internal obstacle ghosts, and food obstacle ghosts. External obstacle ghosts are ghosts that can never get enough to eat and are always hungry, so they all have bloated bellies. Be careful, once you break open their bellies, a bunch of ghosts will crawl out."

"The internal bulge ghosts are hungry ghosts who cannot eat. Some breathe fire, some have throats as small as pinholes, and some are simply disemboweled. What they eat comes out of their stomachs, so most of them look strange."

"The most mysterious aspect of the food-obstructing demons is that they are said to cause fruit to rot and rivers to dry up when they see them, thus making it impossible for them to find food. However, when it comes to the demons in the illusion world, they are skilled in illusions and can trap both themselves and their targets in an illusion that is very difficult to break free from."

“The external and internal obstacles are easy to deal with, but the food and drink obstacle is something I can only rely on you for. I know that the ‘bhikkhu’ has the spiritual ability to see karma and is not affected by illusions.”

While explaining, he took out several talismans and stuck them on his body, clearly to guard against illusions.

"Alright, leave the food-obstructing ghost to me."

Tang Ping was full of confidence. Even if "Insight into Karma" was ineffective, he still had "Three-Eyed True Radiance." This spiritual ability could even see through the illusions of the Spider Cave, so there was no reason for him to be deceived by a mere second-stage hungry ghost.

The next moment, led by the hungry ghost, the animals finally mustered the courage to attack and rushed forward like a tidal wave.

The spider demon didn't take these little monsters seriously. It sprayed thick spider silk to form a large net that trapped them inside. Then it sprayed venom, corroding them into a pool of liquid, just like a dam blocking the rushing water.

Occasionally, some might slip through the net, but the spider demon itself is not afraid of melee combat. Its hard shell ignores sharp teeth and claws, allowing it to easily kill its opponent and eat it as food, thus fighting and eating at the same time.

The outer barrier ghost rushed forward the fastest. It was tall, more than two people tall, with bulging muscles and bluish-black skin. It swayed its huge belly, which was comparable to a water vat, and emitted a nauseating stench.

The inner demons followed closely behind. They had all sorts of strange appearances, but most of them were ethereal and emaciated, as if a gust of wind could blow them over. Their eyes gleamed with an eerie light, and they used all sorts of dark magic.

Gui Taxi was prepared. He clapped his hands together, and the surrounding Arhat statues shone brightly. Golden Buddhist light soared into the sky, with faint Sanskrit characters flickering, exuding compassion and majesty.

This is precisely why Ling Chong chose to be promoted at Guiyuan Temple.

The Buddha's light spread rapidly, enveloping both the inner and outer demons. The former roared in pain, attempting to charge, but found its power gradually weakened in the Buddha's light, and golden burn marks began to appear on its bluish-black skin. The latter's Yin-Yang magic dissipated under the illumination of the Buddha's light, and its originally elusive figure became sluggish, making it easy to pinpoint its location.

Seeing that the plan had succeeded, Gui Taxi took out several more talismans from his pocket and released a large number of electric snakes and fire dragons, which intertwined and severely injured and knocked away the inner and outer barrier ghosts.

On the other hand, Tang Ping did not use the unfamiliar "Insight into Karma" and directly activated "Three-Eyed True Radiance". He made several preparations, but found that there was no chance to use them at all.

The Devouring Demon has a mouth as big as a basin, sharp teeth, and constantly roars with hunger. It rushes forward and uses its power to try to pull Tang Ping into an illusion where she can never find food.

However, Tang Ping was completely unaffected, and could not even sense whether the other party had activated an illusion. As if immune, he pointed his fingers and shot out a series of golden finger energies. With the blessing of the Arhat statue, he easily hit the vital point and killed the Food and Drink Demon.

Now he was certain that the level of "Three-Eyed True Radiance" was much higher than he had imagined.

The defense went exceptionally smoothly, and no one felt any pressure.

Twenty minutes later, Ling Chong's spiritual pressure suddenly erupted, and he completed his advancement faster than expected.

Chapter 185 Testing New Psychic Power

After his advancement, Ling Chong was not used to the surge in spiritual power and was unfamiliar with the new spiritual energy, but that did not prevent him from smashing all the evil spirits of the animal and hungry ghost paths.

After all, the improvement brought by advancing to the third level is too great. In terms of spiritual power alone, it increases tenfold. Even if Ling Chong can't exert 50% of his strength, he is still invincible.

Using the same Brahma Wheel Breaking Finger technique, he unleashed dozens of crisscrossing strikes, resembling a laser net, slicing the evil spirits in front of him into a shower of blood and flesh, completely clearing the area in front of him.

The surviving monsters had no courage to continue fighting and turned to run away without a trace. The others were too lazy to chase after them; it was pointless, as the monsters in the Illusionary Realm could never be completely killed.

"Thank you all for your support."

Ling Chong held his palms up in front of him, bowed slightly, and wore an expression that seemed to indicate enlightenment, truly resembling an enlightened monk.

Gui Taxi, his longtime partner, wasn't buying it and asked directly, "Is it the Venerable One or Vajra?"

These are the two known branches of the Monk lineage: the Venerable Ones lean towards magic, while the Vajra Ones lean towards martial arts.

Gui Taxi had always thought that Ling Chong would become Vajra, but the crisscrossing finger energy he just saw confused him; it looked too much like magic.

Ling Chong replied truthfully, "Vajra."

"Well, that's expected."

Gui Taxi suppressed her doubts and didn't ask any further questions; information about a third-level psychic needed to be carefully protected.

Ling Chong waved his hand triumphantly and said, "I'll rest tomorrow to adapt to the new realm. We'll hold a celebration banquet the day after tomorrow!"

All three had no objection to this.

……

Two days later, Tang Ping went to the banquet.

It was supposed to be a celebration banquet, but the matter of the psionicists couldn't be revealed to ordinary people, so in the end, they gathered their friends in the circle to celebrate.

Besides the local security officers, Lingchong also invited friends from the Spirit Energy Administration Bureau from other places, as well as several superiors, barely managing to fill two tables.

During the banquet, Gui Taxi secretly explained to Tang Ping that a psychic who advances to the third level can usually invite three tables of guests, but Ling Chong, thanks to the blessing of converting the spider demon, had two or three years less of his accumulated experience than expected, which also meant he had two or three years less of connections.

In a sense, the fewer guests attending a banquet, the greater your potential is.

Everyone understood this to some extent, so they were exceptionally enthusiastic towards Ling Chong, showering him with flattery and empty compliments from the beginning to the end of the banquet.

Tang Ping has gained some understanding of the dynamics of the psychic world these days and expresses his comprehension.

The significance of being promoted to the third rank is no less than being promoted to a higher rank. It means that you have truly gained a voice in the psychic world and become a leading figure. You are no longer just a nobody. In the future, you will be listed separately on the list of attendees, instead of being categorized as "etc."

At the height of the banquet's atmosphere, the higher-ups announced the reorganization of the Armed Forces Section of the Jiangcheng Spiritual Energy Administration, with Ling Chong appointed as its director.

Tang Ping observed Gui Taxi's expression and found that he showed neither surprise nor reluctance, but simply clapped silently, clearly having anticipated this situation.

After the banquet, Gui Taxi invited Tang Ping to accompany him on his return journey.

"Did Ling Chong invite you to the Armed Forces Section?"

"No."

"Hmph, at least he has a conscience."

Gui Taxi showed a hint of relief, then asked, "What do you think? Do you want to stay in the Security Section or go to the Armed Forces Section? I won't mince words. The Security Section is mainly responsible for maintaining order in the present world. We don't have much work on weekdays. We're busy now because we have to take care of the Armed Forces Section as well. Once Lingchong sets up the Armed Forces Section and redefines the responsibilities, our work will only consist of daily patrols. We won't go on missions more than ten times a year. If you want to gain experience and grow, it's better to transfer to the Armed Forces Section."

It feels like any random leader could easily beat Fu Zhengyi.

Tang Ping gave her former superior another disdainful look and asked, "Does staying in the Public Security Section mean I can no longer freely enter the Illusionary Realm?"

"This is unaffected. You can enter at any time as long as there are no missions."

"Then I'll stay in the Public Security Section. I'm not the kind of person who likes working, and besides, the main theme of the novice monk's spiritual path doesn't require fighting and killing; on the contrary, it requires staying in the real world."

Gui Taxi looked Tang Ping over again and sighed, "I had prepared a set of persuasive words for you, but I didn't expect you to see things so clearly. You completely outsmarted Ling Chong in terms of insight. It was a waste of time. Everyone has an environment that suits them. It's not that the more competitive the place, the more growth you can achieve. You understand this, which makes you better than many people."

After saying that, he extended his hand and said, "To be honest, I haven't officially said it yet—welcome to the Public Security Section!"

Tang Ping reached out and shook hands.

Gui Taxi had witnessed Tang Ping's fighting prowess. Although he didn't understand how a mere "novice monk" could achieve such a feat, he was too lazy to delve into his subordinate's secrets. As long as Tang Ping could fill the void left by Ling Chong's departure, that was enough.

"Oh, right, there's something I almost forgot to mention. The mission report to clear out the Spider Cave has been approved, and we've been awarded a collective first-class merit. However, the official notification will take some time to be published. Just tell me what reward you want, whether it's pills to increase spiritual power or magical treasures."

Tang Ping's original plan was to get a chance to communicate with the Arhat statue, but that was on the premise of a collective second-class merit. Using a first-class merit for the Arhat statue would be a waste.

Moreover, now that he has advanced to the second stage, the benefits of the Arhat statue will inevitably be greatly reduced—the increase in spiritual power is fixed, so the overall improvement in cultivation level will decrease.

"Then let's use a magic weapon. I happen to be lacking a suitable weapon."

"What are your requirements for the magic weapon? Just a heads up, any outrageous requests will be rejected. The higher-ups can't just craft a magic weapon specifically for you; they'll just select one from their inventory that roughly meets your requirements."

Tang Ping said, "My requirements are not high. I just need a knife-shaped weapon with a sturdy enough blade and easy to carry."

Gui Taxi nodded: "This requirement is indeed very low. We should be able to find a suitable match. Go back and wait for our notification."

"I'll wait patiently for good news."

……

While waiting for the rewards to be distributed, Tang Ping didn't sit idle; she started testing her newly acquired psionic abilities.

After some experimentation, he discovered that "Insight into Karma" was not a prophetic psychic ability at all. If it had to be categorized, it should belong to the identification type, just like "Three-Eyed True Radiance".

It cannot see into the past, nor can it predict the future; it can only perceive the present state.

Of course, if the user has a certain reasoning ability, they can indeed infer the other person's future based on the current state. For example, if they know that the other person is terminally ill, they can make a prediction that the other person will not live for more than three days.

Judging from the results, this form is no different from prophecy. After all, even true prophetic psychic energy has a large margin of error and cannot be 100% accurate. However, there is a fundamental difference between the two.

Tang Ping couldn't understand how the rumor that the second-stage spiritual masters of the novice monk lineage possessed prophetic abilities had spread. Not only did Zhou Canglan, who was not an official, firmly believe it, but Gui Taxi also held the same belief.

After much thought, he could only come to one conclusion: the psychic who was initially promoted to Bhikkhu lied to others about having prophetic psychic abilities in order to conceal his own information, and disguised it. After all, judging by the results alone, it was indeed difficult for outsiders to tell the truth.

The reason it wasn't exposed was because the other "bhikkhu" psychics, upon learning this, unanimously chose to perpetuate the lie, because they were all beneficiaries of this lie and subconsciously chose to maintain it.

For example, Tang Ping herself would never explain to others what the specific effects of "insight into karma" are, letting others misunderstand. After all, the battles of psychics are battles of intelligence. Being able to mislead others' judgments might save one's life at a critical moment, so there is no reason to actively reveal one's trump card.

Upon discovering this, Tang Ping couldn't help but let his thoughts wander. Since the "Bhikkhu's" psychic information was falsified, the information from other spirits was likely also deliberately misleading.

Based on shared interests, psychics with corresponding spiritual attributes will choose to uphold the rumors rather than spread them. Even if there are one or two fools, they won't cause any trouble.

However, he put his worries aside, because "Three-Eyed True Radiance" could directly see the other party's psionic information, and the spread of rumors was actually to his advantage.

After personally testing, Tang Ping confirmed that "understanding karma" is only effective for living beings, or to put it more rigorously and professionally, only for sentient beings; insentient beings do not have the concept of karma.

Give him a flower, and he won't know where it came from; give him a test paper, and he won't know the correct answers.

However, he knows who picked the flower and who set the questions on the exam paper.

Furthermore, the karma attached to an item will fade over time. The closer to the time, the stronger the karma and the more information you can obtain. Conversely, you can only obtain a small amount of information if you are further away from the item.

After gaining a general understanding of the principles, Tang Ping decided to connect theory with practice and deepen his understanding through application. After much consideration, he finally set his sights on "pet retrieval".

The reasons are simple: firstly, pets are sentient beings; secondly, pets are usually not lost for too long, generally more than three months, at which point pet owners will give up and abandon the search; and thirdly, people who are willing to spend money to find their pets often value them very much, and they will sincerely thank Tang Ping for helping them find their family members, which is beneficial to the interpretation of spirituality.

Using his psychic powers, Tang Ping helped five people find their pets in a single day, an astonishingly efficient feat. And since this community was already small, his reputation quickly spread throughout the pet world after several owners posted their messages.

In the following days, people all over the city who had lost their beloved pets came to him for help.