Limitless Ascension: Strength Amid Adversity – Chapter 104

“Ding! Due to the rapid breakthrough in your disciple’s cultivation level, you’ve achieved the status of a renowned master. Reward: 9th-grade Mystic Artifact—Cangyuan Sword!”

“[Cangyuan Sword]: A mysterious and ancient flying sword with unimaginable power, which will enhance its quality in line with the user’s cultivation level.”

Ye Junlin had a strange expression on his face.

“Is this how you unlock the master achievement? I thought I was just having tea and chatting with them!”

“But this Cangyuan Sword seems pretty badass. I’ll have to give it a try sometime.”

A 9th-grade Mystic Artifact, and the next level up is a Magical Artifact. That proves just how powerful the Cangyuan Sword is.

“Little Black, you’re already at the Great Ascension level. Why haven’t you transformed into a human form for me to see?” Ye Junlin commanded, thinking of something.

Everyone turned to look, curiosity etched on their faces.

The Great Mushroom King hesitantly stammered, “B-but I prefer to keep my original form…”

Ye Junlin replied, exasperated, “I just want to take a quick look; the rest of the time, feel free to do as you please. Are you really going to deny your master’s face?”

“Alright, alright.”

The Great Mushroom King swallowed his nerves and began casting a transformation spell.

Swish!

With a flash of milky-white light, a young boy’s figure appeared.

He had a classic bowl-cut hairstyle, thick eyebrows and big eyes, skin as dark as chocolate, and his fingers were intertwining nervously as he dared not look up. He seemed very shy and uneasy.

“So this is how you look,” Ye Junlin said, curious as he sized him up.

“Fourth junior brother, there’s no one else here. You really don’t need to be so nervous,” Li Wujie said with a chuckle.

The Great Mushroom King stared blankly at the middle-aged man, recalling how he’d just munched on golden ginseng, growing even more timid, and quickly took a few steps back.

“Uh,” Li Wujie rubbed his nose, feeling a little awkward.

The Great Mushroom King transformed back, feeling much calmer.

After all, in mushroom form, he felt more secure and at home!

“Little Li, you’ve got the recording orb, right?” Ye Junlin asked.

“Don’t worry, Master. I’ll keep it safe!”

“Good, then let’s head to the Hanging Temple. I’m going to demand an explanation from those bald monks!”

At these words, Li Wujie froze for a moment, then grew excited.

All cultivators born and raised in the Eastern Domain knew how significant the Hanging Temple was. It’s the supreme sanctuary for all meditation practices, ranking among the top five of the ten major sects!

And his master was going to confront them personally—it was hard to imagine what would happen!

Hong Qianye, who generally harbored no fondness for Buddhist practitioners, perked up at the thought of Ye Junlin going to the Hanging Temple.

“Ding! Congratulations! You’ve triggered a new mission. Please head to the Hanging Temple to check in and receive a fantastic reward!”

The system’s alert chimed.

Ye Junlin sighed, “To be understood, truly a master of the universe!”

“Ding! The host is quite the charmer. Love it!”

Then, the Kunpeng changed direction and headed for the Buddhist Prefecture, one of the thirteen states in the Eastern Domain!

The Kunpeng moved swiftly, especially after being fed pet food during the journey, its cultivation breaking through to the Tribulation Stage, showing significant improvements in all aspects.

Now, it was a genuine Virtual Immortal-level mount!

In the vast five domains, that’s a seriously explosive entity!

Because, in common knowledge, as long as the Immortal has not appeared, the Tribulation Stage represents the ceiling of combat power, possessing terrifying strength that could destroy heaven and earth—an important foundation for any top-tier power.

Moreover, beings at this level often carry a great deal of pride; willingly submitting to others is a rare occurrence, let alone taking the role of a mount!

Amid swirling mists, the Kunpeng raced forward, soon entering the range of the Buddhist Prefecture.

The Buddhist Prefecture is the land of meditation in the Eastern Domain, where the status of meditation practices is the highest.

Here, all countries or sects are deeply influenced by the Buddhist Sect, with monks visible everywhere.

Even an ordinary citizen could recite a Buddhist scripture and have a basic understanding of reincarnation and causality.

“Master, according to the map, we’ve reached the far western part of the Buddhist Prefecture, which is relatively remote, quite a distance from the central area where the Hanging Temple is located,” Li Wujie said, holding the parchment scroll.

Ye Junlin nodded, releasing his Divine Sense to extend infinitely.

Mountains, trees, flying birds, animals, and villages along the way—all the subtle changes in this place were under his control.

Ye Junlin was astonished to discover that the Buddhist Prefecture deserved its name; every inch of space here was imbued with the laws of Buddhism, exuding an indescribable tranquility.

Suddenly, a peculiar situation three hundred miles away caught his attention.

A group of bare-chested, muscular monks in yellow robes were rampaging through a city, wantonly burning, killing, and looting. Local soldiers tried to intervene but were brutally killed, with many young and beautiful women unable to escape their clutches…

The scene was horrifying, filled with cries and pleas for mercy everywhere.

“Mom!”

A terrified six-year-old was being dragged away by a tall, menacing monk. The child’s mother knelt, tears streaming down her face, begging him not to take her child, only to be smashed into pulp by the monk’s staff.

“You demonic monks! You’ll get what’s coming to you!” a middle-aged man yelled angrily, wielding a weapon to resist, only to have his head crushed by a monk’s punch, his decapitated body collapsing into a pool of blood.

“I, Buddha, am merciful~”

Leading them was a middle-aged monk with a necklace of skulls, a face bloated with scars, and a towering physique, standing with one hand on his chest, eyes closed as he chanted a Buddha chant.

“Stop! You Hanging Mountain folks are getting way out of line! This is the territory of Joyful Kindness Nation. How can you behave like this?!” Murong City Lord stormed in, accompanied by elite troops.

All the way, Murong City Lord swung his sword, slicing through the air, with Sword Qi raging along the path, many monks being cut down.

Swish!

The middle-aged monk opened his eyes, a burst of brilliance erupting within them. His stomach deeply caved in, suddenly expanding as he raised his voice in a roar.

Boom!

Visible soundwaves swept through like a hurricane, forcing Murong City Lord and his men to retreat continuously, with many soldiers spitting blood, screaming in agony.

Murong City Lord strained to suppress the turmoil in his body, wary as he warned, “Demonic monk, I’ve already reported this to my superiors. Reinforcements will come soon. I advise you to leave quickly; otherwise, you’ll face the consequences!”

The middle-aged monk replied coldly, “Reinforcements? Does your nation’s lord dare offend me, the Hanging Mountain? But this benefactor has repeatedly opposed me; my patience has limits!”

“Rubbish! You Hanging Mountain folks are too domineering! Every few years, you abduct boys and girls for your sustenance. Recently, the frequency has only increased, leaving the people in misery. Have you even thought about the consequences?” Murong City Lord scolded fiercely.

“Ah, those children are fated for the Buddha, possessing wisdom. Under the teachings of the kind-hearted mountain lord, they’ll soon head for the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. You, a mere mortal, blocking them, is the real crime!” the middle-aged monk said pompously.

Murong City Lord laughed angrily, “Bullsh*t mountain lord! It’s just a beast in a monk’s robe! And you dare talk about Buddhism? Truth be told, you just want to satisfy your cravings. Those poor children you’re abducting—no doubt they’ve already ended up in your belly, right? You, a human, serving their needs—isn’t that pure evil!”

These words undoubtedly provoked the other party.

The middle-aged monk flew into a rage, wrapping cloth bands around his hands, clenching them into fists, a blazing orb of light blooming at his fists, blindingly bright.

Then he unleashed the Arhat Fist, a surging aura charging toward Murong City Lord, shaking the heavens with a chilling killing intent, “How dare you insult the mountain lord! You will pay the price for your words today!”