“Why am I going up to Xitian, the Western Paradise, during the New Year?”[1]

Lu Yang’s expression turned odd. Although he was a cultivator and not superstitious, it didn’t feel auspicious.

Initially, the characters “Xitian” had startled him, but he quickly realized this was Xitian City, governed by Xitian Temple. It was a city on par with the Great Xia’s imperial city.

“Can Nian Year Beasts run this fast? It brought me to Xitian City just like that?” Lu Yang felt that he hadn’t been riding the Nian Year Beast Tribe Chieftain for a long time.

It was a rare chance for him to come to Xitian City during the New Year. Recalling his treatment in Kaihuang City, Lu Yang figured it wouldn’t hurt to have a look around Xitian Temple.

“Hello, I’d like to enter the city.”

Although it was New Year’s Eve, Xitian City’s gates remained wide open, guarded by monks.

Lu Yang handed his identification token to the monk on duty.

“Lu Yang?” The monk saw the name on the token and froze. When he saw Lu Yang’s familiar face, he was even more startled.

So this is the legendary Lu Yang?

Lu Yang entered the city without being stopped.

“The only hassle is leaving the Buddhist Kingdom. That will be a bit troublesome. I’ll have to smuggle myself out.”

Lu Yang sighed. There’s no other way. I have no departure record. How am I supposed to explain having only a return record?

Even if I tell the Great Xia officials that a Nian Year Beast had forcibly taken me out of the country, probably no one else but Jiang Ping’an would believe me.

“Xitian City is quite lively.”

Lu Yang strolled around, taking in the scenery. The New Year’s atmosphere in Xitian City was far stronger than at the Dao-Seeking Sect. At the very least, the fireworks and firecrackers here can’t kill anyone.

Children could be seen everywhere, squatting on the ground and lighting firecrackers with incense sticks. Lu Yang hadn’t played like this in ages. His hands itched at the sight, so he squatted down and joined them.

He also rummaged through the remnants of exploded firecrackers, finding small ones that had remained unlit. He gathered them in his palm, and as he walked, he would ignite one with Three Flavor True Fire and toss it aside, having a whale of a time.

A deep, resonant bell tolled. Countless fireworks rose into the sky and exploded simultaneously, scattering golden sparks. Cheers and Buddhist chants erupted in waves throughout the city.

The new year had arrived.

Lu Yang turned toward the source of the sound. The bell tolled from within Xitian Temple.

Inside his mental space, it was equally lively. Gongs and drums thundered, and firecrackers went off. The Everlasting Immortal Fairy grinned and offered her New Year’s greetings.

“Also, Second-in-Command, your whereabouts have been exposed. Time to get ready to run,” the Everlasting Immortal Fairy added helpfully.

“Ah? Immortal Fairy, what did you say? I can’t hear you!” Lu Yang shouted. It was deafening within the mental space.

He vaguely caught fragments of the Everlasting Immortal Fairy’s words—something about “command” and “where.”

In the real world, a beam of Buddha light suddenly enveloped an area, then shrank until it covered only Lu Yang.

A monk draped in a kasaya uttered “Amitabha.” He was the one who had released the Buddha light. “Benefactor Lu Yang, we are honored by your presence. Forgive Xitian Temple for failing to receive you properly. Would you care to accompany this humble monk to Xitian Temple as a guest?”

He had received the news from the monk on duty that the Dao-Seeking Sect’s prodigy, Lu Yang, had arrived in Xitian City. As an elder of Xitian Temple, he naturally had to welcome him personally.

Suddenly, another monk flew over, his expression unfriendly. “Senior Brother Kongchan, you arrived so quickly.”

“You flatter me, Junior Brother Kongxing.”

Elder Kongxing snorted coldly. “Hmph, you think I don’t know? You want to use Lu Yang to find Ye Zijin’s whereabouts.”

Elder Kongchan replied unhurriedly, “And you share the same idea, Junior Brother?” 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

“Senior Brother Kongchan, Junior Brother Kongxing, you’re both here.” Another Xitian Temple elder flew over. Though he addressed Kongchan and Kongxing, his gaze kept drifting toward Lu Yang.

More and more elders flew over from Xitian Temple.

Lu Yang’s eyelids twitched.

“Uh, if I say I don’t know where my second senior brother is, would you believe me?”

“Heh heh, Benefactor Lu Yang, we will believe you if you come to Xitian Temple as a guest.”

The moment Lu Yang heard that, he took to his heels. These elders are targeting me because of my relationship with Second Junior Brother. They’re determined to extract something from me.

I can handle one elder, but a whole crowd? Who could withstand that? If I don’t run now, it’ll be too late!

“After him!”

Seeing Lu Yang flee, the elders instantly gave chase. They displayed their various mighty abilities—Buddha light shot skyward, arhats chanted sutras, Guanyin[2] delivered souls, the World-Honored One comprehended the Dao... Unusual phenomena appeared one after another, illuminating Xitian City as bright as day. Even a ghost king would be purified here.

Witnessing this scene, the bewildered citizens emerged to kowtow. It was even livelier than the earlier New Year’s bell-ringing and fireworks.

Lu Yang used Shrinking Earth to burrow into the ground, scurrying in all directions. Every now and then, he had to change course to evade the pursuit.

“Isn’t this New Year’s Eve a bit too eventful?”

I’d wanted to spend a peaceful New Year. Who could have guessed I’d run into a Nian Year Beast, enter the river of time, and somehow end up at Xitian Temple, only to be “enthusiastically welcomed” by a crowd of elders?

Among his peers, Lu Yang was undoubtedly one of the fastest. Even the Kunpeng Tribe might not match his speed.

But this was Xitian Temple. The skies were filled with Fusion experts. Even if he had three heads and six arms, he couldn’t escape.

“This won’t do. I need to think of a way.”

An idea struck Lu Yang. He vaulted over a high wall, created a bodhi wood clone to draw attention, and hid his true body inside the Qingfeng Sword’s small world. The sword fell to the ground, disguised as an ordinary blade. The Qingfeng Sword’s design wasn’t particularly ornate, and no one could discern its grade.

Just as Lu Yang had expected, the Xitian Temple elder’s spiritual consciousness swept over the area several times, but none noticed the seemingly ordinary sword lying on the ground, smeared with dirt.

“Hmm, why is there a sword here?” A young novice monk had just finished his business in the latrine when he happened to spot an ordinary-looking sword lying in the grass.

“It doesn’t have a name on it either. Did some cultivator leave it here? But did any cultivator come to our servants’ courtyard today?”

The young novice monk was baffled. He didn’t know much about swords, but he knew that the owner who lost it would be anxious.

“Let me hand it over to the administrator.”

Lu Yang immediately figured out his situation. He hadn’t paid attention to his surroundings while hiding and had simply vaulted over a wall. So I’m now in Xitian Temple.

I can’t let this little monk hand me over to the administrator.

“Hehe, you’re a kind-hearted little monk.”

“Who’s there?!” The young novice monk was startled, his nerves on edge.

“Stop looking around. This esteemed one is speaking.”

The young novice monk’s pupils contracted sharply. He was so frightened that he nearly threw the sword away.

The sword is speaking!

“W-who are you? I’m warning you, this is Xitian Temple!”

“Hehe, so what if it’s Xitian Temple? Can they do anything to this esteemed one?”

“W-who exactly are you?”

“This esteemed one is the Tofu Heavenly Sovereign. Little monk, have you heard of me?”

The young novice monk looked befuddled.

The consciousness within the sword noticed his expression and felt a tinge of melancholy.

“The ages pass in a snap of the fingers; past worldly affairs are reduced to nothing but smoke. This esteemed one once reigned over all heavens, laughed proudly above the nine heavens, befriended heaven and earth, shone alongside the sun and moon, and witnessed the passage of countless ages. Yet upon awakening, have the later generations completely forgotten this esteemed one?”

1. “Going up to the Western Paradise” means to die. ☜

2. Guanyin is the Bodhisattva of Compassion. ☜