Hanging from the tip of Gu Xiu’s Green Bamboo Rod was an extremely unique mask.

Crafted from material resembling white jade, its visage was a fusion of a Rakshasa demon and a Buddhist Vajra guardian. Flowing light shimmered across its surface, giving it a dreamlike, illusory quality—simultaneously real and unreal.

As Gu Xiu held it, he found it to be as thin as a cicada’s wing and virtually weightless. Traces of supreme Dao Rhyme circulated faintly within it, nurturing a profound sense of Zen.

“This is…”

“The Three-Body Mask?”

“And… it really is Jiang Xun’s opportunity?”

A flicker of astonishment crossed Gu Xiu’s face. For a moment, he was genuinely taken aback.

He recognized this mask. He had seen it in that dream of ten thousand years—it was, without a doubt, another one of Jiang Xun’s destined opportunities.

This artifact was known as the Three-Body Mask. It carried the Zen essence of Buddhism and was inextricably linked to the Buddhist sect. Most importantly, it possessed a singular, terrifying ability.

The Three Bodies of Buddhism!

This concept referred to the belief that a Buddha possessed three distinct forms: the Body of Essence, the Body of Reward, and the Body of Incarnation.

As the Buddhist scriptures stated: The pure Body of Essence is one’s nature. The perfect Body of Reward is one’s wisdom. The myriad Bodies of Incarnation are one’s actions.

This Three-Body Mask possessed the power of all three.

Gu Xiu lifted the mask and placed it upon his face. Instantly, his appearance and aura underwent a drastic transformation.

His stature grew slightly taller. While his white hair remained unchanged, his facial features shifted completely. He became an illusory figure, his countenance perfect to an unreal degree.

More importantly, his Supreme Dao Bone and Innate Dao Rhyme were now fully unleashed, no longer concealed. Infinite Dao Rhyme swirled around him. A mere glance at his form would leave anyone awestruck by his dazzling brilliance.

At this moment, he seemed born for the Dharma.

Every gesture carried spiritual energy and Dao Rhyme. It felt as though a simple wave of his hand could form complex spells.

Gu Xiu tested his spiritual energy and found that it flowed with unprecedented freedom. Even the simplest techniques felt several times more powerful than before.

This was the Body of Essence!

The mind encompasses the vast emptiness; its measure pervades all worlds!

Immediately after, Gu Xiu’s appearance shifted again.

From the flawless, divine visage, he became utterly ordinary. His stature shrank slightly, and his white hair turned into coarse black strands. There was nothing eye-catching about him whatsoever.

He was like a speck of dust within the Great Dao. Unremarkable. Unexceptional.

Even the Supreme Dao Bone and Innate Dao Rhyme, which usually required his utmost effort to suppress, were now perfectly hidden without him lifting a finger. It was as if they had vanished entirely.

This was the Body of Incarnation!

A moment later, Gu Xiu activated the final form.

He appeared to be his true self. No mask was visible, and nothing seemed to have changed physically. However, his cultivation aura completely vanished. He stood there like a mortal, devoid of any spiritual fluctuation. Even those with profound cultivation would fail to detect anything extraordinary about him.

This was the third form.

The Body of Reward!

The Body of Reward is the vessel that receives karmic retribution; it is the true self in the world. But the true self is also not ‘me.’

Only when Gu Xiu removed the mask did everything return to normal.

He stared at the Three-Body Mask in his hand, his eyes filled with wonder.

Superficially, this item seemed similar to common Disguise Talismans or appearance-changing magic treasures. In reality, it was leagues apart.

Talismans and standard treasures were merely illusions or transformations. They could be seen through.

But the Three-Body Mask was different. This was the genuine Three Bodies of Buddhism. All three bodies were false, yet all three were real. They were impossible to see through and impossible to expose because they were all, in a sense, the true self.

No matter what secret realms or Mahayana Supreme Beings he encountered, none would be able to pierce this disguise!

This Buddhist treasure was powerful!

However… Gu Xiu frowned slightly, sensing that something wasn’t quite right.

It wasn’t just because this object was originally Jiang Xun’s opportunity. It was the timing.

“I was just worrying about how to discreetly sell these talismans without drawing attention to myself as a lone cultivator, and now I suddenly obtain this Three-Body Mask…”

“Isn’t this a little too coincidental?”

Gu Xiu murmured to himself, a knot of suspicion forming in his heart.

The deeper one understood the Dao, the less one believed in coincidences. Everything had a cause; what mortals called coincidence was merely the convergence of conditions.

This principle held true whether in Buddhism or Daoism.

So… where did this condition come from?

Unable to deduce the answer, Gu Xiu shook his head and stopped overthinking. He ignited a Spirit Gathering Talisman, sat cross-legged, and closed his eyes to resume his cultivation.

Conditions arise, conditions cease; all things find their end. Flowers bloom, flowers fall; all returns to dust. Unmoved by honor or disgrace, I watch the flowers bloom and fade before the court. Indifferent to staying or leaving, I watch the clouds roll and unfurl at the sky’s edge.

Cultivation was the only fundamental truth!

While Gu Xiu immersed himself in diligent cultivation, events were unfolding elsewhere in the Heaven-Leveling Mountains.

At an ancient temple nestled deep within the range, a group of disciples from the Azure Mystic Sacred Land were working frantically to dismantle a set of restrictions.

Around the temple perimeter, the corpses of nameless cultivators lay scattered in the dirt.

A few survivors, covered in blood and wounds, watched the Azure Mystic formation masters from a distance. Their eyes held deep resentment and hatred, but they concealed it well, terrified of inviting death upon themselves.

Two days ago, a few lone cultivators had stumbled upon this temple.

Thinking it was merely an abandoned ruin, they approached, only to trigger a burst of brilliant Buddhist light and fierce restrictive power. Speculation ran wild that a tremendous opportunity lay inside.

Unfortunately, the first discoverers exhausted all their methods and failed to even scratch the formations at the gate. Reluctantly, they sought assistance.

They never imagined that seeking help would be the beginning of their nightmare.

News leaked. The rumor that a Buddhist inheritance was hidden in the Heaven-Leveling Mountains spread within half a day, drawing numerous cultivators.

Initially, after much scheming and negotiation, the loose cultivators reached a fragile alliance: everyone would work together to break the restrictions, see what was inside, and then decide ownership.

But then, the Azure Mystic Sacred Land arrived.

With a true Sacred Land stepping in, the loose cultivators became irrelevant.

Some dissenters tried to reason with them. They became bleached bones before the temple gates.

Now, everyone’s gaze fell upon an azure-robed youth with fear and awe.

This was the Azure Mystic Sacred Son, Jiang Xun.

His cultivation was merely at Foundation Establishment, yet his strength was monstrous. Even Foundation Establishment Perfection cultivators were as fragile as clay chickens and pottery dogs before him. He could even battle early Golden Core cultivators—a truly peerless genius!

Even more terrifying was his escort.

For this outing, he was accompanied by a Mahayana Supreme Being from the Azure Mystic Sacred Land!

It was simply bullying.

Jiang Xun, however, appeared quite humble. He bowed respectfully to Guan Xuelan.

“Thank you, Master, for bringing this disciple here. If Master hadn’t intervened, this disciple likely couldn’t have obtained this opportunity.”

“You are my disciple; naturally, I must protect you,” Guan Xuelan said with a faint, indulgent smile. “If you were facing enemies of a similar level, I wouldn’t interfere. But if anyone tries to bully my disciple with superior strength… how could I stand by and watch you be humiliated?”

She practically had the word ‘overprotective’ written across her forehead.

Jiang Xun looked immensely grateful, bowing repeatedly.

Nearby, the severely injured cultivators watched with bitter sighs. They could only accept their misfortune as fate.

Who asked them to lack overwhelming backgrounds? Who asked them not to have doting masters and powerful sects?

At that moment, a sudden rumble erupted from the ancient temple, accompanied by panicked shouts from the Azure Mystic disciples.

The temple’s restrictions had counterattacked!

Even the Golden Core cultivators among them were sent flying, vomiting blood.

Fortunately, Guan Xuelan was present. With a casual flip of her palm, a protective barrier shielded the disciples. Though they were injured, their lives were preserved.

“Sect Master!” one disciple gasped, clutching his chest. “This ancient temple contains not only dangerous formations but also extremely profound Buddhist power. We cannot dismantle these restrictions!”

“These are clearly Buddhist restrictions, yet they are bizarre beyond measure. It likely requires Fourth Uncle-Master or Fifth Uncle-Master to handle this!”

“Even dismantling them might be useless,” another added fearfully. “The defensive power possesses Buddhist karmic retribution. It can likely only be broken by a Mahayana Supreme Being. We implore Sect Master to take action!”

Guan Xuelan frowned slightly.

She hadn’t expected this ancient temple—abandoned for who knows how many years—to possess such potency. But since she was here, she wouldn’t stand idly by.

She focused her gaze on the temple and extended a single finger.

Boom!

A beam of power, carrying the weight of the Mahayana stage, collided with the terrifying Buddhist light protecting the temple.

Instant radiance erupted, blinding everyone present.

When their vision finally cleared, they saw that the temple’s terrifying restrictions had vanished entirely.

As for Guan Xuelan, she stood with her right hand behind her back, her fingers hidden within her sleeve. Her expression remained utterly calm and unruffled.

The injured cultivators gasped in collective shock.

“A Mahayana Supreme Being truly possesses unmatched might!”

Simultaneously, a wave of resignation washed over them. Even if this opportunity were handed to them on a silver platter, they lacked the capability to break the seal.

“I wonder what lies inside?”

“Restrictions requiring a Supreme Being’s personal intervention… the treasure must be extraordinary!”

“The Buddhist sect rarely operates in the Eastern Wastelands. Who knows when this was built? But such a concealed location and such terrifying power… it cannot be simple!”

“A pity. We encountered the opportunity, yet we are unworthy to possess it.”

In the cultivation world, strength reigned supreme. With a Mahayana Supreme Being involved, the outcome was decided. Merely surviving was already a fortune.

Compared to the crowd’s disappointment, the Azure Mystic Sacred Land members were ecstatic.

Restrictions broken!

Hesitating no longer, they rushed inside en masse, desperate to be the first to lay eyes on the hidden treasures.

Jiang Xun burned with eagerness.

This opportunity was destined for him by the Heavens! Losing that Heaven-grade sword recently had been a blow, but obtaining this item would more than make up for it!

He was already grinning as he prepared to enter.

But his smile froze.

The group of disciples who had rushed in were already walking back out, their faces pictures of utter dejection.

“Bah! Bad luck!” one spat on the ground. “Aside from some bald monk’s corpse, there are just some tattered scriptures! There’s nothing else!”

Jiang Xun’s expression stiffened instantly.

“Wh… what???”