w.a.n.g Wei's next destination was the mortal groups under Buddhism, the Emperor Enlightening Academy, Sage Lin Qi, and many other lineages. w.a.n.g Wei did not have enough manpower, so he had to use these people as aid. As expected, the model of development was similar to his. With protectors providing knowledge in specific fields, these groups tend to develop in that area.
For example, the group under Buddhism has made significant progress in the field of spiritual power and even has some accomplishments regarding incense. w.a.n.g Wei did not hesitate to put them in charge of the creation of the [Law Soul] that he mentioned to Du Cong.
The group under the Flame Blacksmith and another Weapon Refiner from Sage Lin Qi focused on material development. The new Tier 5 energy source and Tier 5 armor from Du Cong's group were made possible due to the research from those two, and Wanh Wei knew he would have to rely on them to develop the technology on how to use materials that could hold the power of laws.
'Everything is going well,' w.a.n.g Wei a.n.a.lyzed. 'Now, we only need time to develop.' If the mortals can develop to be on par with Quasi-Emperors, this catastrophe will be handled without much issue. However, will things be so smooth? w.a.n.g Wei knew it would not.
w.a.n.g Wei s.h.i.+fted his entire focus to the war. Everyone was waiting for the climax, and so was he. However, a few weeks later, w.a.n.g Wei received an alarming message:
"It's from her? And she wants to see me? Is this a trap?" w.a.n.g Wei was in a dilemma. The message indicated it was something important, but the circ.u.mstances were more than suspicious. "Let's see her, but I need more protection."
w.a.n.g Wei first contacted Feng Heng and visited him at the Ten Thousand Buddha Haven. The sight was truly remarkable. He found himself in this endless dimension surrounded by this white mist that stretched as far as the starry skies. Countless Golden Buddhas with their palms extended, and people lived on top. Subtle chants of scripture echoed in the background. It was hard to hear without focus, but its effect on soothing the mind remains eternal.
"Donor, what do you think?" Feng Heng asked.
"It deserves its name," w.a.n.g Wei praised. "If I remember correctly, only Buddhist Emperors can have the t.i.tle of Buddha and leave a golden body here, correct?"
"The donor is both correct and right," Feng Heng replied before pointing in the distance. "Notice the difference?"
"There are no monks living on that golden body's palm."
"Any monk who proves the Dao will have the t.i.tle of [Buddha], but that is the lowest level in our sect," Feng Heng explained. "True or Enlightened [Buddhas] are people who have a deep enough understanding of the Dharma, have created their own schools or contributed enough merit.
"The monks living in their palms are proof that they have the wisdom to teach or enlighten others."
"It seems Buddhism hasn't lost its roots," w.a.n.g Wei commented. Proving the Dao is proof that someone has high fighting prowess, not that they are enlightened or have achieved a high state like [Nirvana]. w.a.n.g Wei was glad that Buddhism still recognized this truth.
"Indeed," Feng Heng nodded. "Donor, your status as Honorary Buddha is enough to leave your mark here."
"Is that so? In that case, I'm welcome," w.a.n.g Wei said. "What do I do?"
"Manifest your t.i.tle's power and your understanding of Buddhism, and this world will do the rest."
"Very well."
w.a.n.g Wei's body suddenly released a golden light, and an unknown power from this dimension descended and took the light to condense it into a towering golden body with mist surrounding it.
"It's indeed different from the others," w.a.n.g Wei commented as he compared his body to the ones from the enlightened Buddhas. "There is no Dao, or should I say, Dharma Rhyme, that can help monks."
"Your body is better than most honorary members I've seen," Feng Heng commented. "Donor, have you spent some time studying Buddhism?"
"You can say that," w.a.n.g Wei agreed. He still planned to acquire his future self's ability to change the world by naturally helping him solve his problems. However, after discussing the plan with his future wife, they found a better approach than using Buddhism and other religions — Domains. Wu Hong and even his father w.a.n.g Tian's application of their pa.s.sive domains was a better approach to this plan. Of course, w.a.n.g Wei will not abandon studying religion and its powers, but it will not be his main focus.
"Donor, please follow me."
The two flew away and soon arrived at a new golden body. It was a woman with an aura of peace and tranquility. The moment w.a.n.g Wei laid eyes on her, he had a feeling that this was the closest he could come to the realm of [Nirvana] sought after by all monks.
"I'm guessing this is not your body," w.a.n.g Wei jokes.
"The master told me to move in here."
"Master? So, it's official?"
"As fate would have it — yes," Feng Heng nodded.
"I reckon this is the holy place of Buddhism," w.a.n.g Wei stated as he followed Feng Heng toward that golden palm. "Is it alright to bring me here?"
"Donor is a guest worthy of the highest reception," Feng Heng said calmly.
"In that case, I'm flattered."
They soon reached a destination: a cave inside a mountain with minimal appliances. The entire locale screamed recluse or hermit, but w.a.n.g Wei did not mind. "Donor, what is the purpose of your visit?" Feng Heng asked after serving tea.
"I came for protection," w.a.n.g Wei said. He did not believe Supreme Unity could kill him while his true body was here.
…
w.a.n.g Wei's projection arrived at the destination — a desolate dimension. He found no signs of his target — Zhen Biyu. He checked the surroundings and detected no ambush. So, with the utmost caution, w.a.n.g Wei entered to find a talisman floating at the center. He quadruple-checked before receiving the information, and his pupil immediately shrunk.
The information he received was straightforward: Seven Cauldron was Supreme Unity's direct bloodline; in other words, she was his daughter. He had her long ago but never claimed or revealed it to the world. 'How did she get such news?'
The talisman revealed that information. Seven Cauldron has seven commanders, all Empyreans with the highest fighting abilities. The most powerful one, who boldly called himself the Prime Cauldron, was enamored with Zhen Biyu, and he revealed the fact he was not only Seven Cauldron's direct son but also the grandson of one of the two suns.
'This is too much to a.n.a.lyze now. Let's leave first,' w.a.n.g Wei thought before dissipating.
Ten Thousand Buddha Haven:
w.a.n.g Wei opened his eyes and frowned. The information revealed was shocking. Supreme Unity was a mystery. According to his a.n.a.lysis after talking to Maitreya and others, Supreme Unity was always highly low-key, with his influence being the weakest in Taoism despite his talent and strength. He may also have created this persona, and his real personality is unknown.
'It would not be easy for someone of his strength to have such a low presence that no one knew whether he secretly had children or not,' w.a.n.g Wei thought. 'However, none of that matters. The genuine issue is whether this information is reliable.
'No, there is no way it is. How could Zhen Biyu find such information about Supreme Unity if he could hide it for so long? In that case, he's the one who released the information? But for what?
'He can't possibly think I'll use or act on it, but if he knows this, what's his purpose in releasing it?'
w.a.n.g Wei frowned as he pondered.
'I'm operating on the basis that this information is true, but is it? Hmm, Seven Cauldron is his vessel, so that could explain why he chose her. However, vessels don't have to be blood-related — unless blood relations.h.i.+ps allow him to use more power.
'However, the fights with Maitreya showed their vessels were similar in strength — unless Supreme Unity was hiding for a trump card. But if that's true, why reveal this information to me? d.a.m.n it, there are too many possibilities and variables.'
w.a.n.g Wei felt like ripping his hair. Instead, he opted to walk back and forth to help stimulate his mind. He a.n.a.lyzed and thought of all the possibilities but never could find an explanation with high enough probabilities.
'No, I overlooked something,' w.a.n.g Wei thought. 'What if he released this news as a distraction? He knew how I would a.n.a.lyze everything and waste my time figuring out what he was doing. In the meantime, he can focus on something else. "But what?" he muttered. "Where is his next move coming from? The war? The other parasites? Or maybe an extreme approach by directly attacking Buddhism?"
w.a.n.g Wei suddenly paused: "I came to this place, so did he lure me here to ensure he could kill me directly during the attack?"