2787

 **Chapter 2787: The Lich of the Buddha Kingdom Advances!**

After a moment of silence, the Third Ancestor finally spoke, "If you truly obtain that spear, it will be yours. However, I will need to borrow it for research for a period."

Lin Moyu immediately asked, "How long?"

The Third Ancestor replied, "Ten years."

"No problem," Lin Moyu agreed without hesitation.

Ten years wasn't a long time, and given the Third Ancestor's status, he was unlikely to go back on his word.

If he did, it would mean Lin Moyu had misjudged his character and would have to accept the consequences.

Moreover, Lin Moyu wasn't even sure if he could get the spear. Although he had confidence in his fortune, many prodigies had failed before him, so he wasn't certain of success.

The two left the origin spirit vein and returned to the space where the Third Ancestor resided.

Upon their return, Lu Lian's voice was the first to greet them, "The Prodigy Gathering has ended."

Lin Moyu realized that time was chaotic in the place he was, and he had no idea how much time had passed in the outside world.

He asked, "Miss Lian, how long has it been outside?"

Lu Lian answered truthfully, "Three days."

Three days had passed, no wonder the Prodigy Gathering had ended.

When they arrived, only the top sixteen remained, and even with a round-robin format, it wouldn't take long.

Lin Moyu asked, "What was the final result?"

As he spoke, a list of names appeared before his eyes.

As expected, the Holy Maiden of the Immortal Lotus secured the top spot and earned the title of the strongest prodigy.

The second place was somewhat surprising, awarded to the Holy Son of the Myriad Illusions. Although he didn't get the title of the strongest prodigy, being second was still impressive and qualified him as a contender for the successor of the Myriad Illusions Holy Land.

Third place went to Dongfang Wuwen. When Lin Moyu left, he was in second place but was eventually surpassed by the Holy Son of the Myriad Illusions.

This indicated that the Holy Son of the Myriad Illusions had superior combat strength.

Combat strength was crucial for ranking among prodigies.

The young master of the Three Spirits Sect, Wang Tianling, ranked fourth.

Fifth place went to the Holy Maiden of the Seven Stars Holy Land, Cai Xia, while Gu Bichuan of the Cold Water Holy Land ranked sixth, slightly higher than his initial position.

Seventh place was Wu Xingchen of the Wu family from Crack Wind Cliff, and eighth place went to Wang Daocheng, the successor of the Heavenly Inquiry Dao Sect.

Ninth place was Jian Jiuchuan, the successor of the Heavenly Sword Sect.

Tenth place was taken by Lu Fengyao.

As expected, the top ten were dominated by the nine top forces plus the Lu Feng Merchant Guild.

This was the norm, as most Prodigy Gatherings ended this way.

Occasionally, the Lu Feng Merchant Guild might miss out, but the nine top forces consistently occupied the top nine spots.

After reading the list, Lin Moyu asked the Third Ancestor, "How many will participate?"

The Third Ancestor replied, "Five: the top three, Fengyao, and you."

Lin Moyu was curious, "Is it always five?"

The Third Ancestor explained, "Not necessarily. It can be anywhere from three to six, depending on fortune. This time, the Holy Maiden of the Immortal Lotus has enough fortune to spare, so the top three qualify."

"Fengyao was predetermined, and you were added by me at the last minute."

Lin Moyu shrugged, "Alright, it's all up to you. When do we start?"

The Third Ancestor said, "There are still some preparations to be made. Lu Lian will notify you in three days, and you can prepare in the meantime."

"If you have any fortune-related treasures, keep them handy just in case. If not, you can ask Lu Lian to buy some."

"The same goes for life-saving treasures; it's up to you."

Lin Moyu chuckled, "No matter the situation, you never forget to do business."

The Third Ancestor replied matter-of-factly, "I am a businessman by nature."

Leaving the Third Ancestor's space, Lin Moyu initially wanted to find Lu Fengyao to congratulate her.

Lu Lian informed him that Lu Fengyao had already left to prepare for the upcoming exploration task.

Lin Moyu didn't know what preparations they were making, but since they would meet in a few days, he wasn't in a hurry.

Returning to his courtyard, Lin Moyu activated the array and entered his soul world.

In his soul world, he held a nearly shattered Buddha bead, from which a strong Buddhist aura emanated.

The bead, left by the Three-Eyed Free Buddha, was a powerful Buddhist artifact, nurtured by Buddhist teachings over time.

Even with the soul imprint of the Three-Eyed Free Buddha removed, the bead remained powerful.

The Lich of the Buddha Kingdom appeared in the soul world, and Lin Moyu handed the bead to it, "Can you absorb it this time?"

Previously, the Lich of the Buddha Kingdom couldn't absorb the bead due to the soul imprint of the Three-Eyed Free Buddha.

The Lich of the Buddha Kingdom grasped the bead, and with a chant, it swallowed the bead.

The bead melted within the Lich, causing it to emit a golden light, transforming into a golden Buddha.

The golden body is a highly regarded practice in Buddhism, and nearly every Buddhist disciple strives to cultivate it throughout their life.

Those who achieve the golden body are considered qualified Buddhist disciples.

The golden body also has many levels.

As the Lich of the Buddha Kingdom transformed into a golden Buddha, it floated in the air, and a Buddha kingdom naturally appeared beneath it. Countless followers chanted Buddhist scriptures, infusing the Lich with boundless Buddhist power.

The Lich's aura grew stronger, rapidly advancing through several realms, reaching the peak of the Heavenly Sovereign realm.

In Buddhism, this realm is known as the Peak Ancient Buddha.

The bead left by the Three-Eyed Free Buddha was incredibly powerful, and the Peak Ancient Buddha wasn't its limit.

After a brief pause, ten purple threads appeared on the Lich's golden body.

The purple threads emitted a faint glow, turning the golden body into a noble purple-gold.

A light wheel appeared behind the Lich, shining like the sun.

The Lich of the Buddha Kingdom had officially advanced to a One-Wheel Ancient Buddha, equivalent to a Dao Sovereign in human terms.

But this wasn't the end.

The light wheel grew brighter, and upon reaching its peak, it split into two.

The Lich of the Buddha Kingdom became a Two-Wheel Ancient Buddha.

Its aura continued to strengthen, still not reaching its limit.

"After all, it's an artifact left by the Free Buddha; its effect is remarkable."

Due to his limited understanding of Buddhist artifacts, Lin Moyu could only make a rough judgment.

With the soul imprint of the Three-Eyed Free Buddha, the bead could exert the power of a Six-Wheel Ancient Buddha, comparable to a sixth-realm Dao Sovereign.

Without the soul imprint, the bead's material alone was equivalent to a fourth-realm Dao Sovereign artifact.

Factoring in the summoning element, Lin Moyu estimated that the Lich of the Buddha Kingdom could advance to a Three-Wheel Ancient Buddha, equivalent to a third-realm Dao Sovereign.

Now it seemed there shouldn't be any problem.

After a while, the Lich's aura surged again, and a third light wheel appeared.

The Lich of the Buddha Kingdom successfully advanced to a Three-Wheel Ancient Buddha.

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