Secret Buyer

Chapter 653: Chapter 381_2

"The crucial moment is approaching, just waiting for that Fellow Daoist Fusheng to grasp what He believes is merely a shell of the Supreme Fruit Position."

As these words fell, the Primordial Celestial Venerable’s gaze was bright:

"Fellow Daoist Fusheng’s connection with us is profoundly deep. Once He succeeds in attaining the supreme position, the seeds sown over the years will bear fruit. Plucking this fruit will mark the day of true transcendence for us Three Pristine Ones..."

A faint smile appeared on Taiqing’s face,

but it quickly vanished, replaced by composure:

"The closer we get to this moment, the more we cannot afford to be careless. Fellow Daoist Fusheng will not willingly sacrifice Himself, nor will the other Daoists stand by while we Three achieve our Tao Fruit."

He paused,

gazing intently at the current juncture, where everything seemed invisible, yet as though He could see everything.

"It’s just...."

Taiqing Celestial Lord of Tao and Virtue murmured to Himself:

"Isn’t it all a bit too easy, too smooth?"

"Well then, let’s wait and see if Fellow Daoist Fusheng will swallow the Supreme Fruit Position and attain enlightenment!"

The only variable is in that Puli method."

Upon hearing Taiqing Celestial Lord of Tao and Virtue’s words, the Primordial Celestial Venerable asked with surprise:

"Puli method? Taiqing, what do you mean by that?"

Taiqing calmly replied:

"Not long ago, Fellow Daoist Fusheng used a means I couldn’t comprehend to contemplate the cause and effect related to us, seeing many things."

"Although he followed our plan and approached Xuanqing, forming a transaction, he didn’t take the path I had arranged but instead... by a stroke of luck."

The Primordial Celestial Venerable’s expression changed slightly:

"What do you mean?"

Taiqing’s tone remained tranquil, with various techniques and ways spiraling around Him:

"The mystery of the Puli method might be beyond our expectations."

"It was through the Puli method that He perceived the constraints I left behind, not through the original plan of the Netherworld collapsing, smashing Xuanqing’s Soul Spirit outer garment."

The two Supremes looked at each other in silence.

Puli, oh Puli.

.........

Present juncture.

Capital.

The smile on Zhang Fusheng’s face slowly faded, as the Six Paths of Reincarnation lay on His back; the transaction with Xuanqing had been fully completed,

just waiting for Xuanqing Daoist and Grandmaster Xundu to merge, then to attest to the Supreme Fruit Position—

At that point,

as common sense would suggest, the Taiqing Celestial Lord of Tao and Virtue would inevitably follow the cause and effect of master and disciple, absorbing the Supreme Fruit Position achieved by Grandmaster Xundu.

And the leftover shell would be sufficient for Him to ascend to heaven in one step.

But...

"Isn’t it all a bit too smooth?"

Zhang Fusheng slowly retracted the Six Paths of Reincarnation, transforming into an ordinary appearance, stepping toward the Netherworld,

As He walked, the seven souls of Puli in His deepest spiritual world trembled slightly, as if... issuing a warning.

Warning about what?

Zhang Fusheng did not know, but this feeling was very unpleasant. At His level, such foreboding usually had a reason,

let alone the unusual movements and omens caused by the seven souls of Puli?

"Do not underestimate, do not ignore."

He warned Himself, for He was gambling, one wrong step and all toils would be lost, facing the Supremes... perhaps He only had one chance.

This chance was given by Wa Huang’s Stone, the Puli method, and others; He wasn’t even sure if this "chance" was truly an ’opportunity’... or perhaps a trap.

The closer He stood to the edge of the cliff, the more cautious Zhang Fusheng became.

"Being cautious never leads to great mistakes."

Standing on the edge of the Netherworld, after a brief contemplation, Zhang Fusheng made up His mind.

Doing a little more, arranging a little more, leaving a little more backup—will never be wrong.

His thoughts sank into the Divine Realm, meeting the Eastern Emperor, meeting the Jade Emperor, and finally, after twists and turns, heading into the vast void, to where Meng Ahnan was placed in the virtual world.

"Being cautious never leads to great mistakes."

......

Virtual World.

Outside Baolin Town.

The sky was still early,

Frost wrapped in fog, spread over two hundred acres of dry fields; the overseer wore a sheepskin coat, held a copper pipe in His mouth, and with a flick of His whip, startled the cold crows by the field ridge.

"Which ones are newcomers?"

The overseer asked impatiently, soon, five or six people stood up from among the sparse crowd, including Meng Ahnan and Zhang Zichong.

"Take off your shoes!" He cherishedly rubbed His copper pipe and clicked His tongue with satisfaction.

Meng Ahnan didn’t know why He had to take off His shoes; He just followed the instruction,

threw His grass shoes aside, and stood barefoot on the cold dry field under the sun, the frozen ground was hard, and the ice chips stung His foot soles painfully.

"Seventh!"

The overseer called an old farmer:

"Teach!"

Saying this, He laid a prepared blanket on the ground, lay down, crossed His legs, wrapped in a sheepskin coat, leisurely.

Upon raising His eyes, Meng Ahnan saw that the one called Seventh was an elderly farmer,

he hunched and shuffled over, his face darkened by the sun wrinkled into a mass; seeing the overseer lying down, he coughed twice, then waved at Meng Ahnan and the others:

"Stand properly, feet apart, shoulder-width."

Most of them didn’t understand, but they obediently followed along.

Seventh coughed again, obviously frail:

"Farming under Mr. Cai is different from outside smallholders; here, Mr. Cai teaches Pile Skill—Downward Pile!"

His voice hoarse, as if choked by the cold wind:

"For us farmers, practicing this is not to fly or escape, but to gain strength for work, resist cold and hunger."

Seventh spoke while stretching His legs, His movements were sluggish and rigid, His pant cuffs brushed the frozen ground, lifting some ice fragments.

"Toes slightly apart, neither splayed out nor turned in, just like when we typically trod the furrows."

"Don’t keep your knees straight, nor too bent, as if there’s a hot bun clamped in the leg bend, reluctant to drop or squash it."