Cultivating Immortality, Starting from Childhood Sweethearts

Xu Ming had a feeling that this little monk, who called himself Maitreya, had figured something out. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have said those words.

But the monk couldn’t have known too much.

He had probably realized that Xu Ming didn’t belong to this world, but he wouldn’t know how Xu Ming had arrived in this realm—let alone the existence of the system. If he had, he wouldn’t have said he “couldn’t see through” him.

That aside…

Was this little monk really the “Future Buddha” of this world?

Or was it just a coincidence that his name happened to be “Maitreya”?

“Monk! Was that place we were just in your doing?!”

A man stepped forward, glaring fiercely at the little monk who had introduced himself as Maitreya.

His body was covered in blood—some his own, some belonging to others.

Maitreya nodded slightly and met the man’s gaze. “Indeed, it was the work of this humble monk.”

“You! You killed my wife! You must pay with your life!”

As he spoke, the man brandished his longsword and thrust it at the little monk.

Yet, when the blade was only three inches from Maitreya, it came to a dead stop in midair.

A golden radiance blocked the tip of the sword.

An invisible golden barrier of spiritual energy surrounded Maitreya.

Xu Ming recognized this spell—it seemed like something Shi Xin had used before.

The man exerted all his strength, but he could not push the sword forward even an inch.

“Why is it that benefactors always want to kill me?” Maitreya asked, puzzled.

“You demon! You caused my wife’s death!” the man gritted his teeth and roared.

Maitreya formed a hand seal and calculated for a moment. Soon, he understood everything.

“Strange, strange indeed,” the little monk shook his head. “It was you who killed your wife—how can you blame it on me? I never laid a hand on her.”

His eyes were filled with innocence.

“Lies! It was you! You trapped us in that strange place and used illusions to deceive us! At first, I killed seven or eight of them, thinking they were illusions.

“But who would have thought the last one was my wife?

“My wife thought I was fake, and I thought she was fake.

“You made us slaughter each other on purpose!”

The man’s voice was filled with grief and hatred, tears streaming down his face.

“Not so, not so.”

Maitreya shook his head and sighed softly.

“The illusions you saw in that barrier were not my creation. They were the manifestations of your own fears and desires.

“In other words, what you call illusions were merely the demons of your own heart.

“Whether you saw through them or not had nothing to do with me—so how can I be blamed?

“Furthermore, that barrier was the protective formation of this temple, not something I deliberately lured you into.

“It was your own greed that drove you here, seeking fortune and opportunity, which led you into the formation.

“Everything was your own choice—how does that have anything to do with me?

“And even if we take a step back…

“When your wife appeared before you, you struck without hesitation, without even trying to discern the truth.

“In that barrier, were all the illusions truly out to harm you? I think not.

“Some of them must have represented the things you longed for.

“Yet you believed you had ‘seen through’ them all and deemed every single one unworthy of mercy.

“You never once gave them a chance.

“In the end, when you saw your wife, you still did not give her a chance.

“You acted with blind conviction, assuming all illusions were evil and must be destroyed.

“But tell me—how is that any different from the wicked?

“You were the one who killed your wife. That was your own doing.

“What does that have to do with this humble monk?”

“Utter nonsense!”

The man, as if completely losing control, raised his longsword once again and swung it down at the little monk.

“Sigh…”

The little monk pressed his palms together, shook his head, and let out a soft sigh.

“Boom!”

A thunderous sound echoed through the temple.

At the very moment the man’s sword struck down on the little monk—

It was as if he had cut himself instead.

In an instant, his entire body exploded into a mist of blood.

Everyone present, including Xu Ming, frowned deeply.

They all knew very well that the little monk had not made a move at all.

That man had been killed by his own sword.

To be precise, he had died at the hands of his own attack!

And based on what the little monk had just explained, Xu Ming was beginning to piece together the truth of this place.

Earlier, Hong Xiu had told Shi Xin that the Rootless Secret Realm was actually a fragment of the main world, shattered in ancient times. This fragment had become a small, independent world, later named the Rootless Secret Realm.

Because of that, many ancient relics still remained here.

If Xu Ming was right, then this temple had likely existed since those ancient times.

And within this temple, a special formation had been set up.

The moment someone stepped into it, they would enter an enchanted barrier.

Inside that barrier, some things were mere illusions, while others were real.

This temple had seamlessly blended truth and falsehood, reality and illusion, making it nearly impossible to distinguish between them.

And the hardest thing in the world to tell apart… was something that was both real and fake at the same time.

At first, one might believe everything they saw was just an illusion and attempt to kill all the “phantoms.”

But eventually, when they encountered real people—especially those most important to them—if their killing intent remained unchanged, if they treated all illusions the same way, then the one they would end up killing…

Would be the person they cared about most.

That man was a perfect example.

And Xu Ming had nearly fallen into the same trap.

If he hadn’t recognized Shi Xin in time, there was a very real chance she would have already died by his hand.

But then again… what did the little monk just say?

That everything inside was a manifestation of their inner demons?

And that these “inner demons” were either what they feared the most or what they desired the most?

Back then, when Shi Xin ran toward him and hugged him…

Did that mean that, deep down, what he truly wanted was Shi Xin’s affection?

“…No way.”

Xu Ming furrowed his brows.

He had to admit—Shi Xin was indeed beautiful.

In fact, as long as a man’s preferences were normal, as long as they weren’t part of the LGBT community or anything like that, they would naturally find her attractive.

But attraction was one thing.

Finding a woman beautiful didn’t mean he had any improper thoughts about her. He was just appreciating her beauty, nothing more.

Likewise, Xu Ming found Shi Xin beautiful, but that was simply an instinctive reaction.

He had never seriously considered wanting to be with her.

…Had he really been swayed by lust?

As Xu Ming stood there lost in thought, Shi Xin was just as dazed.

She, too, was thinking about the little monk’s words.

She recalled how, in the secret realm, Xu Ming had treated her so kindly—

And then, how he had suddenly drawn his sword against her.

“Could it be that, deep down, I actually want Xu Ming to treat me well?”

“But why does it matter whether he treats me well or not?

“What difference does it make?

“Why would I expect kindness from Xu Ming?

“And then… why did he draw his sword against me?

“Was it because I fear he might harm me?

“But why would I fear that? Why would I ever think Xu Ming would harm me…?”

Shi Xin was utterly confused.

She realized that she cared about Xu Ming far more than she had thought—

But she didn’t know why.

“What is the difference between humans and demons? And what about humans and devils?”

The little monk paced back and forth in front of the crowd, speaking as if delivering a sermon on Buddhist philosophy.

“What does it mean to be a good person? What does it mean to be an evil demon? And what does it mean to be a wicked devil?”

He stopped in his tracks, pressed his palms together, and bowed toward everyone.

“Good and evil… all lie within the heart.

“There are no true saints in this world.

“And there is no such thing as a perfect Buddha.

“There was once a scholar who saved a fox. The fox wanted to repay his kindness.

“But one night, the scholar had a dream—he dreamed of a fox devouring humans.

“When he awoke, he was overcome with fear. And so, he killed the fox.

“Humans always think demons are terrifying.

“But in truth… those who fear demons are far more terrifying than the demons themselves.

“If you can understand this, perhaps it will be more valuable than any treasure.”

The little monk smiled faintly, then continued, “Still, since you have come seeking fortune, I will not let you leave empty-handed.

“The Rootless Secret Realm is on the verge of destruction.

“The treasures within it do not wish to fade into oblivion.

“But at the same time, they do not wish to follow masters they do not approve of.

“So, in the end, it will all depend on you.

“Taoism speaks of cause and effect. Buddhism, too, speaks of cause and effect.

“Even that old scholar of Confucianism believes in cause and effect.

“In this world, every cause must have its effect.

“If you give nothing, how can you expect to gain anything?”

As soon as the little monk finished speaking—

The entire temple began to shake violently.

Dust and stone fragments rained down from the ceiling.

Cracks spread across the temple floor, and the pillars started to crumble one by one.

The entire structure was rapidly collapsing.

The only things that remained unmoved…

Were the statues of the Buddhas.

“Amitabha. May fortune smile upon you all.”

The little monk closed his eyes, his form gradually fading into nothingness.

“ROAR!”

A deafening dragon’s cry echoed through the temple.

A massive emerald claw tore through the roof and swiped down, crushing several cultivators in an instant.

At the same time, all the Buddha statues began to crack.

The very next moment—

Beams of dazzling light shot out from within them, piercing through the roof and scattering in all directions.

Taking a closer look—

They were treasures.

A myriad of artifacts burst forth—some were top-grade spiritual weapons that had already birthed artifact spirits, some were half-immortal weapons, and even a few true immortal weapons appeared!

In an instant, everyone’s eyes turned bloodshot with greed.

There was no need to even mention the value of half-immortal or immortal weapons.

Even those top-grade spiritual weapons that had birthed artifact spirits were an unimaginable fortune.

First of all, a top-grade spiritual weapon was already an incredibly rare treasure.

And for a top-grade spiritual weapon to develop an artifact spirit? That was even more difficult—an almost impossible feat.

When a spiritual weapon successfully birthed an artifact spirit, it meant that it had the potential to evolve into a half-immortal or even an immortal weapon.

Of course, for that to happen, it would still require countless precious materials and great opportunities.

But at least… the possibility existed.

Most top-grade spiritual weapons didn’t even have the potential to ascend.

And on top of that, a spiritual weapon that had birthed an artifact spirit was already far superior to an ordinary top-grade spiritual weapon.

But the most crucial point was this—

For a cultivator, half-immortal and immortal weapons could not be forcibly refined into a life-bound artifact unless they recognized their wielder.

But top-grade spiritual weapons were different.

As long as one obtained one and subdued its artifact spirit—

Even if the weapon didn’t truly acknowledge them, they could still forcibly refine it as their life-bound artifact.

In other words—

Half-immortal and immortal weapons could only be won over with patience and persuasion.

But with top-grade spiritual weapons… force was always an option.

At that moment, countless cultivators shot up toward the roof, scrambling to seize the spiritual weapons.

Of course… obtaining them wouldn’t be that easy.

All of these top-grade spiritual weapons, half-immortal weapons, and even immortal weapons had transformed into artifact spirits.

If the artifact spirit took on a human form, they would carry their own weapon.

Anyone who rushed toward them would be mercilessly slain on the spot.

If one wished to subdue them, they could try—

But first, they had to wager their own life as the price of admission.

If the artifact spirit was not in human form, it often appeared as a rare divine beast or even a ferocious beast.

In such cases, their weapon body would manifest as part of their features.

At this moment, the emerald dragon and the Heluo fish were also locked in battle with the cultivators.

They, too, were artifact spirits.

However, what truly piqued Xu Ming’s curiosity was—

What exactly were their original forms?

What kind of weapons had they once been?

“You got your eye on any of them?” Xu Ming turned to Shi Xin and asked.

Shi Xin tilted her head, puzzled. “Huh?”

Xu Ming repeated, “I’m asking if there’s a weapon or an artifact spirit you’re interested in. If there is, I’ll go get it for you.”

“I also have a weapon in mind, I wonder if Young Master can help me get it?”

“Nonsense, of course—”

Xu Ming turned his head and was about to refuse, when hee saw Qin Qingwan walking toward him.

“…Of course, I can!” Xu Ming immediately corrected himself, nodding with a serious expression.

For some reason, when he saw Qin Qingwan, a faint sense of guilt stirred in his heart.

Especially after his deep exchange with Wu Yanhán—

Xu Ming felt even more uneasy, as if she might see through something.

But he quickly took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.

What’s done is done.

Since I’ve done it, I have to take responsibility. What’s there to feel guilty about?

Even if Qingwan finds out—so what?

It’s not like I can just run away from it.

Besides, Yanhán isn’t even here, so I really don’t need to panic.

“Really? That’s wonderful~ I’ll have to trouble Young Master, then.”

Qin Qingwan smiled sweetly before turning toward a woman not far away.

“Yanhán, why are you standing all the way over there? Come over! This young master is going to snatch some treasures for us~”