Heavenly Perspective, Difficulty and Battle

The tall and short old men sitting above the mortal world could hardly believe their eyes as the monk left the scene of his "crime," leaving those healing craters behind.

'... So these are the effects of Enlightenment within a living body?'

"Still... To think that he was this violent..." The Taller Old Man muttered as he looked at the scene with concern.

"Yet, through his violence, he returned into nature purer Origin Energy than the one he consumed..." The shorter Old Man looked at the scene with wonder.

Neither of them had managed to do much with their enlightenment. They were only able to achieve it properly before their deaths, and it was likely how they had ended up presiding over the mortal world. 

But they were not given a chance at reincarnation. Yet, the monk in front of them was.

And they were now more than certain that he was a monk. They had seen the Mantras and greeting he was using.

'His school of thought seems to be different, yet he seems to hold the same core beliefs as us...'

Beliefs alone were not enough though, the two old men had learnt that the hard way. 

Thankfully, the Enlightened Monk seemed to be very willing to fight for his ideals and safety. He was certainly not like them. Not like any other monks that they had seen in fact. Well, aside from those of a more demonic nature. 

But those who fell into the temptation of Demonic Arts were cursed to never reach enlightenment. So they could safely infer that the soul that had taken over Mo Yangling's body was by no means demonic. 

"Do you think he'll be able to do it?" The short monk looked at the tall one, his gaze seeming a bit hopeful.

"... Maybe what this world really needs is a fresh perspective. Maybe he can be the one to bring it." 

The taller monk stroked his long beard, his gaze turning back to the lotus on their table, which was looking a lot more energised than before.

The jewel in the center of that lotus showcased the world. And in that small world, Mo Yangling continued his travels. 

The Monk sighed as he passed through what felt like an endless forest. 

'How the hell did the previous Mo Yangling run this far on his diet of starvation, his own blood and bandit steel?' 

It was a tad confusing to the monk, but it seemed that, somehow, the previous owner of his body had made it quite deep into the forest even before being chased down by bandits.

'The capital of the Guozhi kingdom shouldn't be further than 3-4 days away, though. It was built right on the border of the forest, to defend the nation from attacks, if I remember correctly...' 

A fact that the Monk learned from his body's memories was that Kings and rulers in that world were not like in his previous world.

They were not really just leeches feeding off of the power of their family name and money to oppress others.

Leaders needed to be strong in the Vermillion Continent, they needed to set an example and be there on the frontlines at all times. 

Being of royal blood was as much a privilege as it was an obligation to put your life on the line to protect your people.

And it wasn't just about raising an army. The King himself needed to be the strongest in the capital, he was the last line of defence between mortals and the demonic beast swarms. 

It was one of the main reasons why mortals respected the Royal Families. Riots and revolts were almost unheard of in that world...

'Though the ruling class also has a monopoly over the overwhelming powers that are cultivators... Mortals wouldn't be able to riot even if they wanted.' 

The more thought he put into it, the more complex things felt. But it was hard for him to tell how things really stood in the world.

Mo Yangling didn't have the life perspective of a regular mortal in that world. 

He came from an extremely fortunate background, and most of the people who frolicked around him were of similar, if not only slightly lower backgrounds.

As a prodigal young master, he may have interacted with many and treated others well, but he never really went into the worse parts of town, he never really got into any actual trouble. 

And he never really interacted with the genuinely unfortunate people of the world. 

In the first place, it was unlikely for anyone to run into them right in the middle of the capital, where Mo Yangling used to squander his family's wealth.

The Young Master was so disconnected from the real world that he hadn't even been all that aware of the existence of slums or smaller villages. But the Monk was certain that they existed. 

'If there are large bandit groups, then there must be a breaking point somewhere. Crime on such a large scale only when unfairness is in the picture... This world, much like any other, is flawed.'

The group of bandits that had tracked down and attacked Mo Yangling was exceedingly large, and they seemed to have taken their time playing around with the young man, hunting him down in that forest for days on end.

It was clear that many of them were sadistic bastards, but the Monk didn't believe that people were born into the world like that.

'Oftentimes, the circumstances surrounding our lives shape us into the people we grow up to become. I was a good example of that too once...'

The monk, above all, believed in change. He believed that humans if under the right tutelage, could overcome their innate violent and selfish survivalist instincts. Once again, he had himself to use an example for that. 

The ground underneath him quaked as the monk pondered further on the intricacies of the world he found himself in.

'What now?' A stampede of sound came from the grand forest behind him, steps were booming in the distance. 

The Monk raised an eyebrow, as he turned around, only to lay his eyes on what was likely the biggest swarm of demonic beasts he had ever seen.

'Weren't these things avoiding me in the past?!'

The Monk clenched his fist for a moment. He did think about running away, but at the same time, he figured that bringing that stampede towards human civilization was not a good idea.

Only after a few seconds did he remember the advice given to him previously.

'Did Brother Ren foresee that this would happen? The beasts are certainly targeting me, I can feel their eyes fixated on me, they see me as prey...'

A lot of the beasts that formed that swarm were not intelligent, the monk could tell that much. They moved like ants at the beck and call of some of the more intelligent ones.

And at the very centre of that swarm stood a familiar figure to the monk.

'That stupid snake is really keen on dying...' 

The monk didn't feel any fear when faced with such a large horde of beasts. He still remembered the sheer destruction his fists caused with even the most basic starting move of the Vraja Fist. 

'Martial Arts are really something else in this world. Brother Ren was right about me needing to practice a bit more though.' 

The beasts were getting closer and closer, but the monk was not moving yet, he still seemed to be deep in thought. 

'Should I use 'Thunderbolt' again? It certainly seems fitting for this many enemies... But at the same time, I want to try a few more moves. The effects that they can have may surprise even me after all!' 

With his mind decided, the monk quickly dug his soles into the ground, stepping so heavily that he cracked the ground all around him. 

The Origin Energy around him got thicker and more visible as it seeped into his surroundings. That aura spreading around the Monk seemed to be slightly flickering with lightning. 

The beasts at the front of the pack all stopped when sensing the monk move, it was like a tidal wave crashing against the shore. 

All of their instincts told them to flee, and the monk couldn't blame them. 

Before he acted, however, he gave his enemies one last courtesy.

"All life is sacred, plant, animal or otherwise! You all still have a chance to live if you turn around right now!" 

The monk's voice thundered outwards, but the beasts that were intelligent enough to understand him didn't budge.

Even the unintelligent ones at the front weren't budging, choosing not to follow their instincts due to the powerful beasts at the very backline of their horde. 

'Such a shame.' 

The monk shook his head, before digging both of his arms in the ground and arching his back in an odd manner.

He immediately adopted the starting position of a runner. 

It was not the usual way to perform that move, but the Monk had also used it in the past to impress beginners.

'Vraja Fist: Vajra's Wrathful Charge'

The monk gave the beasts a feral grin, and for a split second, a massive demonic statue flashed behind him.

Its gaze bore into the beasts with the same feral expression that the monk sported, further putting fear into the beasts. 

In an instant, the front line of beasts broke apart as the Monk broke through it with a full body tackle enhanced by Origin Energy.

Beasts and monster body parts were blown away as the Monk continued to charge forward. Cutting a straight line directly through the front line of the horde. 

Demonic Boars, Wolves, and even Bears couldn't stop his advance at all, they turned into warm butter in front of the Monk's unstoppable charge. 

The Millennium Deers tried to impale him in their horns, but the Monk broke through them without even stopping.

Larger, spiked moles rose from the ground, trying to stop him, but he broke through them with his head.

And before he knew it, he was straight in the middle of the horde. His feet dug into the ground, breaking dirt and rocks and sending them forward like a shotgun, further injuring the beasts in front as the Monk brought himself to a stop. 

The Monk smiled once more as his muscles flexed and his body brimmed with Origin Energy. His eyes gained an excited hue as he looked at the beasts surrounding him. 

"Come now!"