Chapter 59: Chapter 52: The People on the Wave-Tossed Boat, Aiding the Dragon Transformation
These newly risen factions were grassroots movements that understood nothing.
When they saw a Daoist Temple or a monastery, they felt no sense of reverence.
They would just bring their armies to surround them, and then they’d beat, smash, rob, and kill!
"Those long-nosed old Daoists, those bald donkeys—chop ’em all down for me!"
"The Buddhist Sect and the Daoist Sect have occupied so much land. How much wealth have they hoarded over the years?"
"Hand it all over!"
"My army is out of rations! I don’t give a damn about your Daoist and Buddhist sects!"
"If you don’t hand over the money!"
"Chop them all down!"
"Burn down all your Daoist Temples and monasteries!"
Things like this happened from time to time all over the world.
Unlike the Shang Yin incident, the Daoist and Buddhist Sects didn’t always dispatch personnel with true Magical Power to stand up for the ordinary Daoists and Monks who were killed.
In short, Magical Power was difficult to cultivate.
Every use consumed a portion of one’s own Dao Practice.
Intervening everywhere across the land? The expenditure of Magical Power would be outrageous!
The reason they had intervened in the Shang Yin incident was because his faction was powerful enough.
After subduing Shang Yin.
For the past six years, the entire territory around Anqing had been under Shang Yin’s rule!
And ever since then, Shang Yin had shown reverence to the Daoist and Buddhist sects!
This made it all worthwhile!
It was an incredibly successful return on investment!
From that point on, within the territory ruled by Shang Yin, the Daoist and Buddhist Sects existed independently of the chaotic times.
They had truly achieved the state of ’standing aloof from the mortal world’.
They became transcendent places, havens outside the secular world amidst the chaos.
In other regions, the Daoist and Buddhist Sects had also intervened a few times.
But those investments, it seemed, were not as successful.
The factions they had just subdued would soon be defeated and absorbed by other powers.
As a result, many monasteries and Daoist Temples in various places were destroyed.
The ordinary Daoists and Monks inside were even massacred.
The Daoist and Buddhist Sects simply turned a blind eye to this, pretending not to see.
After all, for a force of nearly ten thousand men—or sometimes even fewer...
Was it worth using Magical Power to perform a ’decapitation strike’ just to intimidate them? No!
Intimidating their core figures? A waste of Magical Power!
Wiping them out directly? Impossible. Using Magical Power to kill ten thousand people would be an astronomical waste.
Besides, it wasn’t even feasible. Ten thousand men could completely drain the Magical Power of many of the Buddhist Sect’s most eminent monks.
After painstakingly cultivating the Longevity Technique for so many years, were they going to use it to deal with such a small, ragtag army in these chaotic times? Not a chance!
Thus, they were sometimes left with no good options.
They could only pretend not to see.
The Daoist and Buddhist Sects would only act in secret to intimidate some of the larger powers in the world.
They did this in the hope that the Daoist and Buddhist Sects could preserve themselves and remain above the fray in these chaotic times.
But the struggle for supremacy was a vast, unstoppable tide!
Not even the Daoist and Buddhist Sects could stop it!
Take the region of Anqing, for example. Even if Shang Yin no longer wanted to contend for supremacy...
...it would be impossible!
The countless troops and subordinates under his command would never agree!
Their cause was illegitimate to begin with; it was an act of rebellion!
It was like sailing against the current!
Fail to advance, and you will be forced back!
Only by growing ever stronger could they survive.
Furthermore, the other warlord factions across the land would never allow it!
Because those other powers were also constantly scheming to unify the world.
If you showed weakness, you would be devoured!
Even if the Daoist and Buddhist Sects could intimidate the leaders of the various factions into showing them reverence...
...they still couldn’t make them stop their struggle for supremacy.
Thus, the Daoist and Buddhist Sects could only drift along in the chaotic times.
They were like two people sitting in separate boats.
The chaotic era was the raging sea beneath them.
Although these two, the Daoist and Buddhist Sects, had special abilities that allowed them to stay in their boats and not be drowned by the turbulent waves...
...their clothes still got wet from time to time, and they constantly had to waste energy rowing to keep their boats from capsizing.
Occasionally, the boats would hit reefs, and sometimes it wasn’t worth the effort to struggle against these obstacles, whether big or small.
But a situation like this was bound to affect the Cultivation of the people in the boats.
This was the Buddhist Sect’s pain point!
And what Xu Lei intended to do now was solve this very pain point!
The reward would be ’Inheriting the Dao Seed’.
"Amitabha Buddha."
Xu Lei said, "A monk does not tell lies!
"Though I suppose saying that in front of you, Senior Brother, is a bit laughable.
"After all, in your eyes, Senior Brother, I probably don’t even count as a True Monk.
"But this time, I’m serious.
"Senior Brother, Nephew, if you want this chaotic era to end...
"...and for an age of peace and prosperity to arrive sooner...
"...then just go and report this.
"I want to see the higher-ups of the Buddhist Sect, whether it’s the Elder Precepts you mentioned or someone else.
"The point is, I have a way to end these chaotic times.
"Once I meet them, I will state my conditions.
"As for my conditions, don’t worry. They aren’t much.
"We’ve known each other for over twenty years. When have I ever made an empty boast?
"If I say I can end the chaotic era, then I can end it.
"I am serious."
The reason Xu Lei spoke with such confidence was not only his faith in the advanced science and technology from Earth that he held in his mind. He had also been paying close attention to the state of the world over the years and understood the current situation.
As long as he introduced the Steel Refining Technique from Earth—a technique far more advanced than this world’s existing methods for smelting weapons...
...he was certain it would be the final straw that tipped the scales!
Hui Ming and Wu Gui exchanged a look, their expressions flickering with uncertainty.
"Amitabha Buddha."
Afterward, Hui Ming sighed. "Master Wu Tan, you still haven’t given up, have you."
"Very well."
Wu Gui said, "If you can truly end this chaotic era, Junior Brother, then what’s the harm in the Buddhist Sect giving you this Dao Seed and letting you learn the hard way?"
"So you two really did know what I was thinking."
Xu Lei also laughed. "You’re all clever people."
"How could we not?"
Hui Ming said, "Master Wu Tan, you lack for nothing you desire, be it fine food, fine wine, wealth, women, or power.
