Chapter 577: I Am Called Cha

"What a magnificent world!" Wang Muran, Dao Master Lin Xuan, and others looked around in awe. They saw that Supreme Emperor Heaven was truly splendid, with massive altars emitting black light that connected to the sky. Two suns shone overhead. Everyone was full of admiration, completely unaware that the black light was an anomaly caused by the arrival of the Demon Ancestor from Youdu.

"I heard the suns here were originally unbearable to look at, so I dared not come," Dao Master Lin Xuan said with a smile. "Now that the Imperial Preceptor has recreated the suns, I finally have the courage to set foot here."

As they approached the outskirts of Lizhen, soldiers came to check their identities. Upon hearing they were divine arts practitioners from Yankang, the soldiers quickly explained, "There have been many demon sightings recently, so we've had to increase our vigilance. Forgive the intrusion."

Wang Muran glanced around and saw armies drilling outside the city walls. Battle flags fluttered in the air, and divine arts practitioners moved swiftly and powerfully within massive battle formations. Their cultivation was impressive, and their combat strength was formidable, making Wang Muran eager to join.

"Muran, calm down," said the Reclusive Mountain Dweller. "Supreme Emperor Heaven's heritage is complete and a cut above Yankang's. Although you've learned some traditions from Fengdu, you're still slightly inferior to Supreme Emperor Heaven's divine arts practitioners. If you want to spar with someone, you should find a practitioner a realm below you."

Wang Muran, quite unconvinced, shook her head. "Uncle, in Yankang, aside from Cult Master Qin, I'm second to none in my realm!"

Dao Master Lin Xuan raised an eyebrow and let out a cough.

Wang Muran looked at him and calmly asked, "Does Dao Master Lin have an opinion?"

Dao Master Lin Xuan smiled faintly. "If you haven't fought, how do you know you're second to none?"

A light shimmered in Wang Muran's eyes. "That's true. Although you and I are leaders in the Heavenly Alliance, we've never competed. After all, you are the Dao Master of the Dao Sect, your status is too high, while I am merely an an apprentice from Little Jade Capital. But with such high status, you rarely have opportunities to act. I truly doubt if you can still fight."

Dao Master Lin Xuan said leisurely, "You have fought many people, but you've only fought those weaker than yourself. Sometimes, one match against a strong opponent is worth a hundred against mediocre ones. What do you think, Senior Brother Muran?"

Their tempers flared, and just as they were about to make a move, a startling roar echoed. Everyone quickly looked over and saw two female generals clashing in the battle formation: Princess Ling Yuxiu of Yankang and Saintess Si Yunxiang of the Heavenly Saint Cult.

These two women belonged to different factions within the training formation. The moment they met, they began to fight fiercely. Ling Yuxiu stomped her foot heavily, sending dirt flying, and countless bolts of lightning instantly appeared in the sky, forming a massive vortex. Streaks of lightning-infused green dragons danced within the whirlpool.

Boom— The two women clashed, amidst thunder and lightning. Ling Yuxiu swung her hammer, and countless lightning-infused green dragons descended from the sky. Her divine arts erupted with such power that it made Wang Muran and Dao Master Lin Xuan's eyes twitch.

Ling Yuxiu had taken the path of integrating combat skills and Dao arts. Her Daoist divine arts were hidden within her combat techniques. She tempered her body with lightning, and her magic power was incredibly profound. Every attack unleashed divine arts of terrifying power.

Si Yunxiang, her opponent, followed the path of sword-concealing divine arts. Si Yunxiang had inherited the Heavenly Saint Cult's advantage of mysterious and unpredictable divine arts. While her cultivation was inferior to Ling Yuxiu's, combining the various divine arts of the Heavenly Saint Cult made her power extraordinary.

"Cult Master is so unfair, teaching you the Ancestral Dragon Grand Profound Art! Xiu girl, even if you kill me, I'm still the legitimate Cult Master's wife!""Xiang girl, you're the Cult Master's wife? I'm the one who officially married him. Even if you line us up, you'd only be second! My cattle-herding childhood sweetheart and I already exchanged tokens of love; this grand hammer is what he gave me!""Bah! Who gives a grand hammer as a token of love? The Cult Master and I secretly pledged our lives to each other; he gave me his Junior Protector Sword!""Bah! You clearly extorted that Junior Protector Sword, and then you sold it!"

Dao Master Lin Xuan and Wang Muran stared wide-eyed as various divine arts and Dao methods erupted from the two girls within the battle formation. Their power was truly terrifying. Fueled by their escalating anger, the two women ignored the shifting positions of the battle formation and continued their head-to-head combat.

Suddenly, a long-braided girl burst between them, separating the two women. "Sisters, this is just a drill, not a real fight!"

"Sang Hua, are you getting involved too?"

The three women fought with earth-shattering intensity. Lin Xuan and Wang Muran were aghast. They exchanged a heavy glance. While they didn't recognize Sang Hua, they were very familiar with Ling Yuxiu and Si Yunxiang. These two girls were also members of the Heavenly Alliance; although excellent, their previous strength was somewhat inferior to theirs.

Ling Yuxiu and Si Yunxiang had entered Supreme Emperor Heaven just over a month before them. They hadn't expected that in such a short time, the two women's cultivation and strength would advance by leaps and bounds, putting significant pressure on them.

"After just over a month apart, we might not be able to defeat them anymore. What's the point of us arguing over who's superior?" Dao Master Lin Xuan said with a bitter smile. "For now, let's just humbly be students and learn the cultivation methods of Supreme Emperor Heaven."

Wang Muran nodded. "The fact that Princess Xiu and Saintess Xiang could improve so much in such a short time indicates that Yankang's cultivation system indeed has significant shortcomings. As long as we address these deficiencies, we'll also experience a leap in strength!"

As the battle formation evolved, several more armies entered the fray. Dao Master Lin Xuan looked on, noticing that many Yankang scholars were also among the drilling troops. Wei Yong, Qin Yu, Shen Wanyun, Yue Qinghong, and others had also made rapid progress, their combat power increasing dramatically, which put even more pressure on them.

"Xu Shenghua entered Supreme Emperor Heaven a few days before us. That fellow is incredibly clever; he's probably already grasped the cultivation mysteries of Supreme Emperor Heaven and can likely pass the God Suppressing Pagoda's test with ease."

They entered the city and saw many academies of the Heavenly Saint Academy lining the streets. Scholars from the academy were inside, listening to gods or powerful experts of the Divine Bridge realm from Supreme Emperor Heaven imparting cultivation methods.

"Cult Master Qin really knows how to work the system!" Dao Master Lin Xuan was stunned. He looked at the old Daoist priests and nuns beside him and said, "Our Dao Sect is too closed off. We must learn the cultivation methods of Supreme Emperor Heaven, or we will be suppressed by the Heavenly Saint Cult and never be able to rise. Cult Master Qin's approach is excellent; if it works, we should learn it."

Danyangzi and others all agreed.

As they passed a palace, they heard Buddhist chants resonating. Looking inside, they saw that almost all the monks and elderly abbots from the Great Thunderclap Monastery were present, seated in the hall. Ma Rulai sat at the center, surrounded by numerous eminent monks chanting Buddhist mantras, with layers of Buddhist Heavens appearing above their heads.

These Twenty Heavens became increasingly real, with the figures of Buddhas, gods, and Bodhisattvas in each layer appearing indistinctly, seemingly on the verge of stepping from nothingness into reality!

"Uncle, what are they doing?" Wang Muran asked the Reclusive Mountain Dweller.

"They're opening a path to the Buddhist Realm," the Reclusive Mountain Dweller explained. "According to the records of Little Jade Capital, Buddhism has its own world called the Buddhist Heavens. During the Kaihuang era, the Buddhas ascended to the Buddhist Heavens, leaving behind the Great Thunderclap Monastery. After the Kaihuang era ended, the path to the Buddhist Realm was cut off. The heavens themselves were a false illusion, a great seal, naturally preventing anyone from reaching the Buddhist Realm. Supreme Emperor Heaven's world barrier is incredibly weak, so Ma Rulai must intend to open the Buddhist Heavens here and establish contact with the ancient Buddhas."

Long Yu asked, "Is Ma Rulai intending to find the subsequent cultivation methods for the Mahayana Sutra of Tathagata?"

The Reclusive Mountain Dweller nodded. "Most likely. The Mahayana Sutra of Tathagata can only be cultivated to the twentieth heaven, barely entering the Buddhist realm, with no further cultivation methods. Ma Rulai has grand ambitions; he must be seeking the cultivation paths for the subsequent heavens of the Mahayana Sutra of Tathagata."

Dao Master Lin Xuan was filled with envy. He asked Danyangzi, "Uncle, does our Dao Sect have a Dao Realm?"

Danyangzi shook his head. "I've never heard of one."

Lin Xuan felt a headache coming on and sighed. "If our ancestors didn't strive, their descendants will suffer in vain. The previous Dao Masters were far too indifferent to fame and fortune, weren't they? If we don't work harder, we'll be surpassed by the Great Thunderclap Monastery! How can we remain a Daoist sacred land in the future? The Dao Sect cannot continue to stagnate like this!"

Danyangzi whispered, "Dao Master, although our Dao Sect doesn't have a Dao Realm or similar heavens, there are enlightened deities hidden across all realms. This Supreme Emperor Heaven is also one of the great heavens, so there should be a Daoist expert here. If we find such an expert, we can complete our Dao Sect's cultivation system, perfect the Fourteen Chapters of Dao Sword, and even receive the complete Innate Grand Profound Art..."

Dao Master Lin Xuan's spirits lifted significantly, but then he immediately looked dejected. "There's absolutely no one from our Dao Sect in Supreme Emperor Heaven. Otherwise, why would the divinatory arts here be so terrible?"

Just as he spoke, a Supreme Emperor Heaven deity approached. Dressed in a Daoist robe and holding a whisk, with an aura of a celestial Daoist, he inquired, "Are you young friends from the Dao Sect?"

Dao Master Lin Xuan and the Daoist priests were overjoyed. Lin Xuan quickly returned the bow, his voice trembling. "This junior is Lin Xuan, humbly serving as the Dao Master of the Dao Sect. Esteemed senior, are you an enlightened expert from our Dao Sect?"

The Supreme Emperor Heaven deity said joyfully, "Indeed, you are from the Dao Sect! This humble Daoist is also of the Dao Sect. My name is Cha, and my Daoist name is Daoist Cha. I was originally an exotic beast guarding the mountain gate of Kunlun. When the catastrophe struck, I followed Daoist Tianqing in cultivation and attained enlightenment. After Daoist Tianqing died in battle, I remained here in Supreme Emperor Heaven."

The Daoists' eyes widened, somewhat at a loss. There was indeed an expert from the Dao Sect in Supreme Emperor Heaven, but it was an exotic beast that had attained enlightenment while guarding a mountain gate. It seemed unlikely that he would be proficient in the Innate Grand Profound Art and the Dao Sword!

Because all the Dao Sect's profound arts were based on arithmetic and divination, and the divinatory arts in Supreme Emperor Heaven were so terrible, it was impossible for any advanced arithmetical attainments to have been passed down!

This Daoist Cha had most likely attained enlightenment through other cultivation methods!

The Daoists looked disheartened. Dao Master Lin Xuan forced a smile and said, "Senior Cha, you've worked hard these past years. Could you do us a favor and help our Dao Sect settle down? These few Daoist friends from Little Jade Capital also currently have no place to stay."

Daoist Cha chuckled, "That's easy. Cult Master Qin and the Yankang Imperial Preceptor instructed that any friends from Yankang must not be neglected. Speaking of which, do you know Cult Master Qin? He's truly an extraordinary man, with a prominent reputation and unusual status here in Supreme Emperor Heaven. I hear he's also the Cult Master of the Heavenly Saint Cult, a genuine sage, and a renowned Hegemon Body. Many people have gone to join the Heavenly Saint Cult specifically to meet him..."

Dao Master Lin Xuan's expression was peculiar, and he muttered inwardly, "Isn't he from the Demonic Cult?"

Daoist Cha continued, "The Heavenly Saint Cult inherited from the Heavenly Master, and its reputation is enormous. Our Dao Sect mustn't be overshadowed. Oh, by the way, Daoist Tianqing left some things with me before he died in battle. I've kept them all this time..."