I’m Still Young, Only Five Hundred Years Old

Su Min did not linger long in Wei Wu Province. She left in a hurry, just as she had never truly considered this place her homeland. There was little nostalgia in her heart. To be honest, her impression of this place could only be described as terrible. The final years of a dynasty were filled with too much chaos and darkness. The only thing that gave her some comfort was that the land was no longer as lifeless as when she had left. Yet, disorder still reigned.

"Martial heroes disrupt the law with force."

But the current situation could hardly be called "heroic." The Great Yong Dynasty's control was far weaker than the sect Su Min had established. Still, it was infinitely better than the reign of that dog emperor—though, by now, the weeds on his grave must have grown several feet tall. In any case, Su Min traversed Wei Wu Province in less than a day.

Finally, she arrived at Lingxi Province, home of the Great Thunder Temple. Yet the moment she stepped into its borders, she was enveloped by a dense, golden radiance.

"Such intense Buddhist light… Just how vast is Lingxi Province?"

Muttering to herself, Su Min continued forward on her flying sword. Unlike Wei Wu Province, this land was bathed in Buddhist radiance so thick it felt tangible. Among the three major Buddhist sects, each occupied a great province. Su Min's destination was Lingxi Province, but first, she needed to visit the Great Thunder Temple—the heart of this land.

Even from thousands of kilometers away, she could sense the overwhelming Buddhist aura.

Soon—

"So this is the Great Thunder Temple of the cultivation world… Honestly, it's quite impressive."

Before her, a massive temple loomed amidst mist and rain, surrounded by orderly rows of buildings. Su Min couldn't help but sigh.

"Just like the ancient verse—'Four hundred and eighty temples of the Southern Dynasties, how many towers stand in the misty rain?'"

Now, this very scene unfolded before her eyes. How could she not feel moved?

"Amitabha. May I ask why the benefactor has come here?"

A voice suddenly sounded beside her. As a Nascent Soul cultivator, she was no ordinary visitor. If she were to go berserk here, who knew what kind of disaster she might cause?

"Hmph."

Su Min didn't waste words. Instead, she took out a token.

"I received an invitation from Kong Hui. I'm here to participate in the Dharma Assembly hosted by your three sects. This is the invitation."

"Since it is an invitation from Patriarch Kong Hui, please follow this humble monk."

Upon seeing the token, the owner of the voice materialized before her. Su Min's pupils contracted sharply. Because the person standing before her was— Nascent Soul (Late Stage).

"In the current state of the world, unless one is at the Divine Transformation stage, Nascent Soul cultivators should only have broken through in recent years. Yet here, there's actually a late-stage Nascent Soul monk… And his aura isn't unstable like those who relied on secret techniques to forcibly advance."

"Amitabha. This humble monk's Dharma name is Jing Xin. This is my fourth reincarnation. Reaching the Nascent Soul stage is already a familiar path. The only question is whether, in this life, I can surpass my previous three incarnations and step into the Divine Transformation stage."

Seeing Su Min's surprised expression, the monk smiled faintly. His "reincarnation" was completely different from Yao Xian'er's situation. This was true rebirth—retaining most of his past life's experiences. After undergoing the Buddhist sect's unique rituals, he could swiftly recover his cultivation to the late-stage Nascent Soul level. But whether he could go further was uncertain. After all, if he hadn't reached Divine Transformation in his past lives, breaking through now would be even harder. Still, it was astonishing enough.

"Then, please lead the way, Master."

Su Min said nothing more, simply offering a slight bow. The temple complex was so vast that without guidance, she'd either get lost or trigger some strange restriction. As they walked, the young monk studied her curiously.

"Benefactor, may I ask where you learned our sect's core technique?"

"Hm?"

Su Min was momentarily taken aback. Although she cultivated the Great Sun Tathāgata Sutra, her body also contained other energies, making it difficult to discern. Moreover, she usually suppressed the Buddhist aura completely. Aside from Xie Yingying, very few knew about this. Yet this monk had seen through her at a glance.

"Benefactor, this is our Mahavira Hall. The fact that the Buddhist light envelops you can only mean one thing."

"Your Patriarch—Kong Hui—taught me."

Su Min waved the token again.

"I see. Then, please follow me. However, I must warn you—the Great Sun Tathāgata Sutra is our sect's supreme technique."

With that, the monk led her to a massive meditation chamber and gestured for her to enter. Su Min didn't hesitate. She pushed open the door and stepped inside. The moment she did, the door slammed shut behind her. A flash of light later, she found herself standing in a vast plaza. On elevated platforms on either side, ten colossal figures sat cross-legged.

"One, two… Ten Divine Transformation experts?! And those three… Their auras are already half a step into the Dao Comprehension stage! To reach this level just twenty years after the world's revival… Their past lives must have been monstrously powerful."

Su Min's heart pounded. This was the might of Buddhism—their foundation was a thousand times stronger than the Blood Puppet Sect's. Moreover, these reincarnated monks didn't just rely on cultivation. With accumulated experience from multiple lifetimes, their combat prowess was no joke. No wonder, in past campaigns to suppress Buddhism, the entire continent's forces had to unite.

"Kong Hui… Is this the one you spoke of?"

A deep, authoritative voice rang out from the foremost figure. Instantly, Su Min felt as if needles were pressing against her back. Every pair of eyes in the hall locked onto her.

"Nascent Soul cultivation… Two divine artifacts within her body… She must possess the ancient Five Elements Holy Body. A pity—she is already a polished jade, no longer malleable. Kong Hui, why did you not guide her into our sect back then?"

With just a single glance, most of Su Min's secrets had been laid bare.

"Elder Brother, each person has their own destiny. We cannot force it. Those blessed by heaven carry their own fate. Moreover, Benefactor Su has come today to repay a debt of gratitude."

Kong Hui, seated just below the leader, replied calmly. His aura had already transcended Divine Transformation, nearing the Dao Comprehension stage. Clearly, his status in the Buddhist sect was extremely high—otherwise, like Su Min, he would have been bound by the strictest soul oath to prevent the Great Sun Tathāgata Sutra from being leaked.

"First place on the Golden Core Heavenly Ranking, the one who defeated that woman… For the world's sake, this is a good thing. However, Benefactor Su, the Great Sun Tathāgata Sutra is our sect's supreme technique. By tradition, you should have undergone trials in the Reincarnation Pagoda to qualify. Yet since you've already learned it, it means you passed the Buddha's Heart Trial. Today, we invite you here for one purpose."

"And that is?"

Su Min's eyebrow twitched. She was curious. Given the sheer power of these people, what could they possibly need a mere Nascent Soul cultivator for?

"Debating scriptures? Don't joke around—I'd probably end up resorting to personal insults, escalating into a brawl. As for fighting… that's even more unnecessary."

Even the monk who had guided her earlier would be an extremely tough opponent.

"Because the Water-Land Dharma Assembly includes a alchemy competition. We Buddhists, regardless of cultivation level, are exceptionally poor at refining pills due to our techniques and cultivation methods. Yet I've heard that Benefactor Su has already reached the fifth-grade alchemist level."

"As I thought…"

Su Min's eyes narrowed. No wonder they were being so polite—even though she'd learned their core technique, they hadn't made a fuss. They needed her alchemy skills. But this was fine. It meant she had leverage.

"I came here primarily for the legacy of Bhaiṣajyaguru (Medicine Buddha). That inheritance is my goal."

"The legacy of Bhaiṣajyaguru can only be inherited by alchemists, and it does not belong to any of the three main Buddhist sects. It exists in a neutral realm. If you can achieve victory in the Water-Land Assembly, the inheritance will naturally descend upon you."

"Victory?"

Su Min's eyebrow twitched again as she looked at the leading monk in confusion.

"Correct. There will be an alchemy competition. The other two sects each have a fifth-grade alchemist at the Divine Transformation stage, but our sect only has a fourth-grade alchemist."

"Divine Transformation stage?!"

Su Min's lips twitched.

"Are they really expecting a 500-year-old youngster like me to compete against centuries-old reincarnated monsters with who-knows-how-many-lifetimes of experience?"

"Since Benefactor Su has learned the Great Sun Tathāgata Sutra she may participate in our sect's name. What we seek is a greater share of resources from the Buddhist Light Secret Realm. As for the Medicine Buddha's legacy, it shall belong to you."

"So that's how it is."

Su Min nodded. Though the information was sparse, she could guess the gist. A Buddhist secret realm was about to open, and the three sects were vying for resource allocation. But all-out war was undesirable—the losses would likely outweigh the gains. Thus, the compromise was this Dharma Assembly, where the results would determine resource distribution. Of course, this had little to do with Su Min. Her goal was only the Medicine Buddha's legacy.

"Kong Hui, there is still over a year before the Water-Land Dharma Assembly. Take Benefactor Su to train—see if she can make another breakthrough before then."

"Understood."

In an instant, the grand hall vanished. Only Su Min and Kong Hui remained in the quiet meditation chamber.