Chapter 854: Unexpected Discovery

One hundred and seventy years have passed.

In a full one hundred and seventy years, the entire City of Dreams has been completely transformed.

It remains an industrial city, as so many people need to be fed, and agriculture cannot sustain such a large population; productivity must be maximized.

However, distribution efficiency has greatly improved, and the Demonic Dao has almost disappeared here. Li Qi governs this region using the Shaman Dao, beginning to cultivate the Great Source of Heaven and Earth and balance natural cycles in a way ‘suitable’ for this hot sand land, allowing everything to operate in Perfection.

The so-called ‘cycle’ is actually turning waste into treasure. Many times, what is waste to some people is treasure to others. For tree demons and some other creatures, a septic tank is a buffet.

And what tree demons find meaningless, such as dead skin that falls off or products of their menstrual cycles, are delicacies or even cultivation treasures for other creatures.

As for mineral-based creatures, like mountain gods, their bodily secretions are sometimes a type of alloy or precious crystal, and many resources favored by humanoid creatures might be by-products of others.

Ultimately, in this world, everything is merely ‘energy’.

An ecosystem itself obtains various substances from environments such as the atmosphere, water bodies, and soil, and through various stages of transformation, these substances enter the ecosystem, are reused by other organisms, and finally returned to the environment. This process includes both living and non-living components.

To put it more romantically, we are all stardust.

The raw Materials for every cell in your body are billions of years old, and the elements that make up “our” bodies come from stardust, so “our” existence is far more ancient than we imagine. This is also because the cells or microorganisms on others have played a role.

And this stardust is constantly cycling, constantly becoming a part of others, and then returning to ourselves. The only thing consumed in this process is ‘energy’, while matter itself is indestructible. When flesh is eaten, it is merely transformed into another organism, not disappearing into thin air.

So, does City of Dreams lack ‘energy’?

Not at all, it has an abundance. There are countless ‘artificial suns’ here, providing endless energy for these people.

Then, Li Qi also spread the Buddha-Dharma, hoping to use some of its ideas to suppress the expanding desires and demonic thoughtss here.

This is very difficult, because the human body is a great collection of desires, full of desires.

Desires always want to be satisfied, but… the satisfaction of one desire is simultaneously the disappearance of another.

Therefore, all enjoyment is not lasting, like eating. One wants to eat delicious food, but it only lasts on the tongue for less than a second, and it’s gone once swallowed three inches down the throat.

If this is true for the desire for taste, why would other desires be any different? Satisfied immediately, they disappear immediately.

The so-called sage mode comes from this.

What follows is more emptiness, and more new desires waiting to be filled. This is the reason why ‘desire is insatiable’ and endless.

There is a saying: “When you’re not full, you only have one trouble; when you’re full, you have many troubles.” This describes the situation.

Therefore, managing the satisfaction of desires is an important means of curbing demonic thoughtss.

Li Qi propagated the Buddha-Dharma, even specifically going to the Western Paradise Buddhist Kingdom to invite some Monks to help spread the teachings, thereby suppressing the Demonic Dao.

This was the ‘helper’ Li Qi mentioned before.

Since he wanted to completely transform this place, it was better to directly introduce Buddhism and let those Monks deal with the Demonic Dao, as they specialize in this and are highly motivated.

Now, Li Qi is discussing with Sariputra.

That’s right, when Li Qi went to the Western Paradise to ask for help from Monks, he didn't seek out others, but directly found Sariputra.

He went to find Sariputra about a hundred years ago.

As Li Qi expected, upon hearing that it was to deal with City of Dreams, Sariputra agreed without hesitation and even gave Li Qi a surprise: he brought his good friend, Maudgalyāyana.

Among the Buddha’s disciples, Sariputra was known for his wisdom, called ‘Foremost in Wisdom’, while Maudgalyāyana was known for his Divine Ability, called ‘Foremost in Divine Ability’.

At this moment, Li Qi is discussing the propagation of Buddha-Dharma with Sariputra and Maudgalyāyana.

“Sirs, this is the latest situation, I have compiled a summary. The recent situation is very good; the demonic thoughtss are well suppressed. In a hundred and twenty years, the population has largely been replaced. Following your advice, I have placed Buddhist treasures at 2.6 million nodes, forming a formation to suppress demonic thoughtss. The Monks who came to assist have also been properly settled, mostly evenly distributed, and the number of people who have fallen into Demonic Dao has significantly decreased recently.”

Li Qi handed a summary to Sariputra and Maudgalyāyana, detailing the recent work.

Speaking would be too slow, so it’s better to just give the summary for easier communication.

Sariputra still looked the same, with long arms reaching past his knees, appearing thin and tall.

Maudgalyāyana, on the other hand, was very tall, looking like a villager, with bronze skin and traces of labor on his body. He was a fisherman before becoming a Buddha’s disciple, and these marks were left from that time.

Both of them were Fourth Grade, having attained Arhatship, with their minds and six senses pure, their ignorance and troubles extinguished, having transcended life and death, and entered Nirvana.

Previously, Li Qi never understood what ‘transcending life and death’ in Buddhism meant. Now that he reached Fourth Grade and observed, he realized that ‘transcending life and death and entering Nirvana’ actually meant gaining substantiality.

At this moment, Buddhist practitioners were already able to transcend the real world, existing freely and eternally.

Facing the summary Li Qi handed over, Maudgalyāyana and Sariputra both respectfully bowed to Li Qi again and again.

“Thank you, Young Master, for being so devoted to the Buddha-Dharma and for your profound research. It is truly admirable.” Sariputra bowed, then took Li Qi’s summary with both hands.

“Yes, truly, thank you, Young Master, for helping us two spread the Buddha-Dharma in City of Dreams. We must also redouble our efforts!” Maudgalyāyana was also very humble, pressing his palms together towards Li Qi and bowing his head.

Both Buddha’s disciples had a very good impression of Li Qi. This Young Master had the courage to take action against City of Dreams and dared to lead them here for the transformation. His魄力 was indeed astonishing, and he possessed strength. They had also thought about converting the Demonic Dao, but City of Dreams was indeed too difficult to conquer, with too high a challenge difficulty.

Now, Li Qi, through some unknown method, has made the Fourth Grade Demonic Lords abandon their guardianship of this place, making their transformation seem so logical and everything proceed smoothly.

“It was I who asked the two of you for help, so why are you bowing to me instead? Your help has been immense. I believe that in about another hundred years, City of Dreams will be completely transformed. By then… if the Demonic Dao wants to reclaim it, they will have to face us in a Fourth Grade war.” Li Qi smiled, “Ordinary Demonic Lords, if there are fewer than twenty, would likely be no match for us.”

“Young Master, do not take it lightly,” Sariputra said, “The Demonic Dao Demonic Lords have not made a move, which surely means they have a backup plan. Their current inaction must be part of a major scheme.”

“I know, and their plans… will most likely revolve around my daughter. I have made thorough preparations, there will be no mistakes,” Li Qi said.

“Although this conversation seems to have happened before… I’m still a bit uneasy,” Maudgalyāyana said proactively at this point.

“When we last met, we already mentioned this matter to the Young Master, but the Young Master also said he had made preparations. However, preparations are preparations, and if the Demonic Dao has some unforeseen means, it would be too dangerous for the Young Master to use his daughter as a stake. So, for the past few decades, I have been cultivating a Divine Ability, using the power of the Celestial Eye, to observe this City of Dreams.”

“Cultivating for decades? That truly is… a great effort, Buddha’s disciple.” Li Qi glanced at Maudgalyāyana, a little surprised. He didn’t know about this. These Buddha’s disciples truly have profound foundations.

Unlike Sariputra’s calmness, Maudgalyāyana had a fiery and straightforward personality, so he was quite proactive and attentive to these matters. For instance, this time, he actually cultivated for decades on his own to demonstrate his Divine Ability.

Seeing this, Li Qi did not decline. He was indeed quite worried. The reason he said ‘fully prepared’ was partly because he genuinely had made preparations, but also partly to reassure others.

Maudgalyāyana laughed heartily: “Then let me see what clues lie beneath this City of Dreams.”

As he spoke, Maudgalyāyana did not hesitate, walking straight out, baring his right shoulder, kneeling on his right knee, and pressing his palms together towards the Buddha, as he unleashed his Divine Ability.

Keen Hearing and Clear Sight

Maudgalyāyana was renowned among the Buddha’s disciples as the foremost in Divine Ability. Now, he personally employed the Celestial Eye, one of the Six Divine Abilities of Buddhism, combined with the Heavenly Ear, and the two together instantly filled him with strength, enhanced his radiance, made him diligently brave, and doubled his Divine Ability!

The Buddha Qi ascended directly to the Trayastrimsa Heaven, and with the power of Divine Ability, descended from the Trayastrimsa Heaven!

As he descended, it transformed into three precious staircases, with phantom images in the middle path, walking on the seven-jeweled staircase in the middle.

Maudgalyāyana loudly chanted: “Thus, form, sensation, perception, volition, and consciousness are impermanent. Impermanent is suffering, suffering is not self, and what is not self is also not mine. One who observes thus is called true and right observation. One who observes thus is liberated from form, liberated from sensation, perception, volition, and consciousness!”

As he spoke, his Celestial Eye instantly saw through all illusions!

Liberated from form, sensation, perception, volition, and consciousness, the five aggregates were all empty. Into his eyes and ears immediately surged the past, present, and future of City of Dreams!

Li Qi was amazed beside him.

Maudgalyāyana… truly lives up to his reputation as the foremost in Divine Ability. This technique, even the Five Aggregates Demon Lord couldn't obscure. All demonic thoughtss had nowhere to hide; all beings and things were reflected in his eyes!

An Arhat, observing with the Heavenly Eye, is imbued with the power of Heaven and Earth. Each person has their own mind, and each mind has its own view. The Celestial Eye penetrates boundlessly and infinitely, able to perceive all things. Through the eye, one obtains the pure form created by the Four Greats of the Form Realm.

What the Heavenly Eye perceives, from the earth to the beings and objects in the six realms below, whether near or far, coarse or fine, all forms can be illuminated.

Li Qi certainly couldn't achieve this kind of Divine Ability.

One must know, this is the Nine Lands Under Heaven.

In the Nine Lands Under Heaven, all Divine Abilities and spells are suppressed. Maudgalyāyana is naturally no exception. Moreover, the essence of the Nine Lands Under Heaven is very high. You might easily penetrate worlds or swim in stars outside the Nine Lands Under Heaven, but if you try to earth-遁 in the Nine Lands Under Heaven, you might have to come out and catch your breath after only a few thousand miles.

This is true for earth-遁, and even more so for investigative spells. Li Qi’s True Knowledge Dao Resonance is suppressed in the Nine Lands Under Heaven. Unlike outside the Nine Lands Under Heaven, where investigations often span ‘light-years’, True Knowledge here struggles to scan even a hundred thousand miles.

But Maudgalyāyana broke through this limitation…

No, it wasn't a Breakthrough of the limitation, but a powerful Divine Ability force, forcefully pushing against the suppression, piercing through the entire extreme south of the Nine Lands Under Heaven!

The Demonic Dao’s City of Dreams is one of the Nine Lands Under Heaven. Although the Demonic Dao doesn’t care much as long as the territory isn’t lost, it is still within the Nine Lands Under Heaven, occupying nearly one-ninth of the Nine Lands Under Heaven’ territory.

Maudgalyāyana, after decades of preparation and accumulation of power, used his great Divine Ability to see through this entire one-ninth!

Including everything three thousand miles underground, nothing was hidden.

The Celestial Eye and Heavenly Ear swept like radar, knowing every person’s face, every person’s Karma line, from a speck of dust to the structure of the entire continental shelf, everything was known.

This entire process only lasted for a few tens of seconds before Maudgalyāyana’s eyes began to bleed, with large amounts of golden blood spilling from his cracked eye sockets, and his ears also started to twitch.

But he persisted for about one hundred and fifty seconds before finally withdrawing his Divine Ability, letting out a long breath, and then closing his eyes and sealing his ears.

Li Qi didn’t hesitate either, immediately taking out several valuable Medicinal Pills and handing them to Maudgalyāyana.

Since he took the initiative to do this, he shouldn’t have to use his own medicine.

Maudgalyāyana took them, swallowed them whole, and rested for a good while, about an hour.

Fortunately, for a Fourth Grade, an hour isn't very long; they are quite patient.

An hour later, Maudgalyāyana opened his eyes again and said, “As expected, there’s a problem. The Demonic Qi suppressed by our fellow practitioners has instead connected into a single entity underground.”

“Underground? Three thousand miles below?” Li Qi asked.

“No, right within City of Dreams. We must act immediately. There are four nodes here, corresponding to the Heavenly Demon, Demon of Death, Demon of the Five Aggregates, and Demon of Affliction, four types of pulsations connected as one. Our action of ‘removing demon thoughts’ has instead become a point they exploit!” Maudgalyāyana said.

Sariputra nodded slightly: “Since that is the case, let us set out to stop them.”

“Is there no trick?” Li Qi asked.

“There must be a trick, but… we are Fourth Grade, and we have the ability to resist risks in the Nine Lands Under Heaven. Shall we try?”

Li Qi, Jing Wuzhen, Sariputra, and Maudgalyāyana, exactly four Fourth Grade, perfectly corresponding to the four.

“My Pure Land Method is the most proficient, and my Heart-Nature is the clearest among us. The Heavenly Demon node can be left to me,” Sariputra said.

“I have previously come into contact with Five Aggregates Demonic Blood, so I am most familiar with the Demon of the Five Aggregates,” Li Qi said, sending a message to Jing Wuzhen to explain the situation.

At this moment, Jing Wuzhen had already arrived.

“My killing power is the strongest, so leave the Demon of Death to me,” Jing Wuzhen said.

“Then, since my Divine Ability is the strongest and I fear none of the four, I will take on the Demon of Affliction lineage,” Maudgalyāyana nodded.