All the treasures' brilliant light returned to the East Great Ascension Temple, along with the vast aspirations collected by the Milong Casino using these treasures over many years.
"In this region of Jining, within this county town before us, whether it be the government or the common folk, setting aside those travelers and merchants coming and going, the fixed residents are almost all divided into two factions: either fervent gamblers of the Milong Casino, or fervent devotees of the East Great Ascension Temple."
"The immense aspirations accumulated over so many years have finally reached the time for harvest. The Milong Casino, in its insatiable greed, does not realize it cannot simply take it all. Allowing them to corrupt the Daoist associations, the government, and the local gentry and landowners was all for this moment."
"Aspirations from one person are few, but from ten thousand people are many!"
Xu Hongru spread his arms, welcoming these great aspirations!
At this moment, he began to feel triumphant.
Perhaps Ji Xiang had the upper hand in verbal arguments, and might even surpass him in magical power, but what of it? The people of this world believed in the Wenxiang Sect. Even if they believed in the White Lotus Sect, regardless of which deity they worshipped, they would never worship your orthodox teachings!
The great flourishing of unorthodox arts is bound to have its factors and soil for prosperity!
The decline of orthodox arts is bound to have its problems and reasons for decay!
"Two thousand years ago, the arts of the Penglai alchemists were considered unorthodox."
"Fourteen hundred years ago, the Yellow Turban Rebellion for太平 was considered unorthodox."
"Orthodoxy and heterodoxy change in accordance with the shifts of the world! The Wenxiang Sect, in a hundred years, or a thousand years, may not necessarily be unorthodox!"
The aspirations gathered at this time had already reached the level of "ten thousand people"!
Ten thousand people is just a conceptual number; ten thousand people is ten thousand people, a hundred thousand people is ten thousand people, and a million people is still ten thousand people!
How many common people are there in this county town?
Perhaps one in ten believes in a sect, which is not many. But locally, at least eight out of ten are Milong gamblers!
And it was only in the past few years that the Wenxiang Sect had become more discreet. Otherwise, they would have dragged even those traveling merchants and boatmen into the temple to discuss their doctrines and tenets. The reason for their discretion was the previous arrests by the government. The founder of the Wenxiang Sect, Wang Sen, was apprehended, but he quickly bribed the officials who captured him with money, regaining his freedom.
However, due to the excessive attention, the founder of the Wenxiang Sect feared a second imprisonment. He could only limit his proselytizing scope. Simultaneously, his son and his chief disciple, Xu Hongru, who was also the third leader of the Wenxiang Sect, went to regions like Hebei and Shandong, changed their identities, shed the outer appearance of the Wenxiang Sect, and donned the robes of folk religions.
As for the remaining treasures, they were transferred to the Milong Casino. Xu Hongru feigned weakness at the time, expressing his willingness to give up most of the Wenxiang Sect's magical artifacts and treasures, especially a supreme treasure corresponding to the Maitreya attribute, which would enhance the treasures on Milong's Seven Treasures Platform and thus complete the cultivation of ascending to Buddhahood on the Seven Treasures Platform.
This supreme treasure was actually a manuscript of Tang Dynasty prose titled "Record of the Painting of Maitreya's Ascent to Heaven."
It contained a powerful divine utterance of aspiration, known as "May I, in the future, ascend to Maitreya's heaven together with all sentient beings, and descend with Maitreya. For countless eons, may I be with Maitreya; may I be forever free from the cycle of birth and death, and ultimately attain supreme enlightenment!"
Its wondrous effects are beyond words!
This made Milong extremely happy. In fact, Xu Hongru merely sneered inwardly, unaware that this fat pig was using a "cuckoo occupying a magpie's nest" maneuver.
This religion, now certified as "legal" by the local government, had now completely revealed the true face of the Wenxiang Sect, as the name was merely a guise... Of course, the difference between the Wenxiang Sect and the ordinary White Lotus Sect was that they did not worship the Lifeless Mother, but rather revered Tai Shang Lao Jun.
From this perspective, they could legitimately roam about in the guise of folk religions, collecting followers.
Why are you carrying the wardrobe of folk religions?
It is because of religions like yours that the reputation of folk religions is ruined!
"Milong, a mere gambler, aspiring to attain the fruition of Maitreya through unorthodox arts, what a joke! Even the White Lotus Sect cannot attract such things, and a mere demon dares to wear a kasaya and enjoy incense offerings?"
He even wants to become a Buddha by borrowing a guise, truly considering himself a descendant of Bajun!
Now, these immense aspirations will become the capital for the Wenxiang Sect's resurgence. Of course, first, these aspirations are to be supplied to the great figures in the inner mountains and rivers.
And according to the agreement, a great figure from the inner mountains and rivers will cross over to have a good "talk" with that Grandmaster of the North Pole!
...
Feng Menglong, carrying the little fox, fled wildly, escaping this place of trouble.
Meanwhile, the treasures on the Seven Treasures Pavilion scattered and flew away, transforming into countless streaks of escape light. This made Milong furious, attempting to stop them. However, his aura was weak, and blood flowed intermittently from his seven orifices. He had been forcibly interrupted at a critical juncture of his cultivation, forced to damage his vital energy and cultivation, and even his physical body was affected.
He grabbed a few streams of light, about to stuff them into his mouth, unwilling to let them fly away. But those things shook violently, as if something far away was calling them. Even when swallowed, they exploded with a rumble, spraying light from his seven orifices and re-entering the sky!
Milong could not catch them, could not trap them, and his anger surged, his sorrow filled his lungs.
Ji Xiang looked at the enraged, obese, humanoid demon king. The description given in his Inner Scene Divine Tablet was:
[Milong: True God (conferred by the local government, concealing his true nature and reporting to the prefecture, where multiple officials deliberated and promoted him to a high position in the Human Department).]
[Lord of the Yin Realm! Twenty-fifth rank of the Human Department's Great Position! Milong sits high, drawing in profits, leading to great wealth!]
[Human Body Cultivation (fallen to): Primordial Spirit Realm!]
[There is a God of Gambling in the Yin Realm, known as Milong, with thousands of gambling ghosts under his command, all driven by him. When investigating someone about to be reborn, they would ask Milong to affix his seal into their celestial skull. From the moment this person enters the womb, their nature becomes fond of gambling; even strict fathers and virtuous wives cannot save them!]
[This god has existed since ancient times. Or perhaps, one's heart is consumed by gambling, allowing others to eat their delicious food, and letting others sleep with their beautiful wives; all of this is caused by Milong!]
[This god carries the incense offerings of ten thousand people!]
The Inner Scene Divine Tablet continued to display floating text, but at this moment, Milong's angry voice affected Ji Xiang, briefly interrupting his viewing of the Inner Scene Divine Tablet.
This Great King Milong possessed the ability to bewitch the mind and interrupt others' thoughts. Although the treasures he had refined, those on the Seven Treasures Platform, had all flown away, he himself still carried powerful aspirations. After all, he had been a casino owner for so many years!
Milong's voice was ferocious and angry, intending to vent all his fury upon Ji Xiang!
"A pig or sheep entering a butcher's house, stepping towards its own death!"
Upon hearing this, Ji Xiang's lips curled, his eyes slanted upwards, and he laughed heartily:
"Well said! Is it not now that I am the cleaver and you are the pig or sheep! Truly, you are stepping towards your own death!"
"As expected of you. Seeing this humble Daoist, you know you are outmatched and even want to prepare your epitaph! This humble Daoist is very pleased with this. I will show no mercy when I strike later, so bear with it; it will hurt for a moment, and then it will be over soon!"