Perfect World: Dream of the Immortal Era

The chance to grow stronger was right before him, and not to be missed. Once Xianzhen (Immortal Monk) and the enlightened monks aboard the treasure ship returned, there would be no way they would allow him a trial in the Reincarnation Pool.

Missing such an opportunity would make it nearly impossible to complete the cultivation of his second celestial aura in a short time. It would require scouring ancient sites and searching for various celestial paths, a perilous and time-consuming endeavor.

When considered overall, jumping into the Reincarnation Pool to temper his body and gain the ancient monk lineage's great boon was much more cost-effective.

Anyway, on the surface, he had the support of the Lord of the Forbidden Zone. The ancient monk lineage would not trouble him.

Gu Wudi was in urgent need of time. The great battle at the end of the Ancient Immortal Era loomed over him like a sharp sword. It could fall at any moment, and before that happened, he had to rise rapidly and gain the power to protect himself. At the very least, he had to become an Immortal King.

With that in mind, Gu Wudi hesitated no longer. Smiling as he chatted with a few novice monks, he sought an opportunity to enter the Reincarnation Pool.

Perhaps because the Reincarnation Pool posed little threat to beings with the physique of an ancient monk, there were no guards around it; it was loosely attended.

The so-called guardians stood motionless, like statues, while the ancient monks chanting across the way were immersed in their scriptures, paying no attention. The only ones seemingly able to stop him were Kongjue and the others.

“Huh? Master Wu Zhen, what brings you here?” Suddenly, he looked towards the steps and exclaimed in surprise.

Kongjue and the novice monks tensed, instinctively turning to look that way.

They knew that before his departure, Xianzhen had specifically instructed them not to allow the esteemed guest into certain taboo areas of the teaching to avoid any mishaps.

This extremely dangerous Reincarnation Pool was naturally one of those areas. Had it not been for Gu Wudi's persistent requests, Kongjue would never have agreed to bring him here.

Now, they had already climbed to the top of the stone mountain. Kongjue and the novice monks appeared calm, but in truth, they felt uneasy, fearful of reprimand once the elders returned.

Therefore, when Gu Wudi suddenly mentioned "Master Wu Zhen," it made them all startle unexpectedly, focusing their attention entirely on the steps leading to the top of the stone mountain.

However, the imagined angry Wu Zhen did not appear, only the emptiness was there.

The novice monks were confused—where was the "Master Wu Zhen" that Gu Wudi mentioned?

The next moment, Kongjue realized something was wrong and internally exclaimed, "Not good." He immediately turned back, trying to stop Gu Wudi.

But clearly, it was too late.

All that could be heard was the "splash" sound as water splashed violently from the Reincarnation Pool, rippling in layers, as a living person plunged into the pool, vanishing from sight.

Kongjue's eyes widened as he scanned the surface of the Reincarnation Pool, searching for the figure of Gu Wudi. Unfortunately, like the empty steps alongside it, only diminishing ripples and blazing divine light disturbed the water's tranquility.

A few young acolytes also came to their senses, calling out loudly toward the pool, "Gu benefactor! Gu benefactor!"

Meanwhile, the ancient monks who were on the shore, reciting scriptures in preparation, were startled from their meditative states.

"Who jumped in directly?"

They glanced at the lake's surface, where ripples had yet to fully dissipate, and were shocked.

This was no ordinary body of water, but the Reincarnation Pool, a grinding basin that forced anyone entering to endure pain beyond their limits. Without the ancient monk physique or protective scriptures, entering it meant facing a great calamity and being ground to dust.

Typically, monks nearing the completion of a golden body must recite scriptures for a quarter hour, fully awakening the Buddha nature within, to protect themselves from being crushed in the pool.

Even then, they entered cautiously, avoiding any rash movements that could lead to bodily destruction.

But here was a being who dared to dive headfirst, fully submerged in the pool.

The high monks looked around, confirming it wasn't anyone among them chanting by the shore, then turned their gaze toward Kongjue's group.

"Kongjue, did you bring an outsider just now? Where is he?" A supreme-level monk recognized the gravity of the situation and approached with stern inquiries.

Kongjue and the young acolytes felt a shiver across their scalps. Their bald heads, now shaved during initiation, visibly trembled under the intense scrutiny.

"Replying, Master Uncle, he's... in the Reincarnation Pool. He dove in and vanished; it's unclear if he's sunk to the bottom," Kongjue responded, bracing himself.

"What?"

The high monks were taken aback, recalling a past tragedy in the Reincarnation Pool. Once, a descendent of an Immortal King, seizing a chance encounter, desired to emulate the legendary feats of the Immortal Monk King but never resurfaced after diving in. Even the pool's guardians were powerless against the young man's arrogance and reckless dive.

Now, history seemed poised to repeat itself.

Upon confirming Gu Wudi's identity, the supreme monk's expression changed dramatically, uttering, "This is bad."

"If this Gu descendant perishes in the Reincarnation Pool, the master of the Yin-Yang Cross Forbidden Zone won't let matters rest. Sharing the same heavenly path, we monks of ancient lineage will bear this karmic burden forever.

Oh, you all have been so foolish," the supreme monk couldn't help but reprimand.

“Uncle Master, what should we do? Gu Benefactor has yet to surface from the pool. Has he already been dissolved?” A young monk’s eyes showed a hint of panic.

“Going down now won’t help either. This pool has a peculiar trait, it devours all divine powers and techniques. Anyone who enters must rely on themselves.

However, if Ancestor Liekong intervenes, there might be a chance to save that life. Ancestor Liekong has cultivated an extremely powerful golden body, not reaching the mythical heights, but very close. He can exert some influence on the Reincarnation Pool. But the extent of this influence is limited; whether Gu Benefactor can be rescued depends on his fortune.”

Upon hearing this, Kongjue and several young monks immediately ran towards the motionless statue. This was the Ancestor Liekong mentioned by the Supreme Monk, a realized immortal monk who had long sat by the Reincarnation Pool, safeguarding those who entered the waters.

The Supreme monk and others also arrived, intending to awaken this meditative immortal monk.

Just then, the Reincarnation Pool stirred. Bubbles gurgled on the surface, radiant divine light bursting forth.

The crowd was drawn to the commotion, witnessing a fragmented human head emerging from the water, with half of the skull dissolved by the pool's liquid.

“Ah? Gu Benefactor?”

Gu Wudi heard the exclamations from the shore, but did not immediately respond. He dared not pause for even a moment, urging every ancient particle within him to resist the terrifying pool water surrounding him from all sides.

He had thought that by using his body as a base and pioneering a new system, he’d become strong enough to ignore the corrosive effects of the Reincarnation Pool.

Who would have imagined that this pool’s waters were far more terrifying than expected. Extreme cold and heat were trivial, mere trifles compared to this. These crystalline fluids possessed a demonic power, like countless grinding discs, pulverizing every single particle of his fleshly body.

“Crack!”

One could distinctly hear the sound of bones fracturing from his body, his blood and flesh deforming, covered in cracks.

Blood flowed freely from the myriad wounds covering his body, staining the lake surface red.

“Gu Benefactor, are you alright? Hold on, we’re awakening Ancestor Liekong to rescue you,” a young monk shouted.

Upon hearing this in the pool, Gu Wudi’s heart stirred. Ancestor Liekong? Could it be that stone statue? If this being awakened and pulled him from the lake, all the suffering he endured would be in vain, and the great fortune would become a dream.

Thinking this, Gu Wudi immediately burst into loud laughter and responded loudly, “Ha ha, no need to trouble this meditative senior, I’m doing just fine. My whole body feels translucent, about to transform and ascend.”

Hearing this, several high monks looked at the water surface in astonishment, and the young monks were left dumbfounded.

The pool's water turned red, blood pouring forth. Was this really comfortable?

"Master Gu, are you sure? Both your ears, half of your nose, the greater part of your chin, upper and lower lips, one eye... they've all vanished without a trace, leaving just mangled flesh. Are you really okay with this?

We should call Ancestor Liekong to rescue you." A young monk widened his eyes and looked incredulously at the battered Gu Wudi, asking naively.

Gu Wudi forced a dry laugh, thinking to himself that since he had already jumped down, he'd rather die than give up now; he had to endure this trial.

"Really, look, I can still swim," Gu Wudi replied.

Saying this, he actually started swimming in the Reincarnation Pool, diving up and down, stirring up waves of divine light.

"Oh my, Master Gu is really swimming in the Reincarnation Pool; it turns out he was serious about taking a bath in there," exclaimed a young monk, recalling what Gu Wudi had said earlier.

At this moment, several eminent monks also noticed Gu Wudi's extraordinary actions.

The dive had been deep, and after Gu Wudi went under, he stayed submerged for quite some time, fully corroded by the pool's water, yet when he surfaced, he was still vigorous and lively, not only chatting away but also swimming.

If it were an ordinary genius, they would have likely dissolved by now, becoming part of the Reincarnation Pool.

"Young Master Gu is remarkable, truly deserving to be the disciple of the Lord of the Forbidden Zone. Without the physique of an old monk, nor reciting Buddhist scriptures for protection, he can persist in the Reincarnation Pool for such a long time without changing his expression," sighed a supreme monk.

"Are you really sure about this? You can see the white bones in Master Gu's thighs, and the flesh on his arms is also shredded," Kongjue expressed concern.

"It's uncertain. Judging from Young Master Gu's mental state, he seems to enjoy it, but his body is indeed disintegrating.

Back then, the descendant of the fallen Immortal King in the pool didn't seem this relaxed, but never called for help either, hoping to replicate the supreme myth of the Immortal Monk King. In the end, they missed the best opportunity for rescue, leading to tragedy.

I think it's best to awaken Ancestor Liekong and let him make the decision," the supreme monk suggested.

Afterward, the monks chanted Buddhist scriptures in unison, and the motionless statue immediately responded, its tightly shut eyes suddenly opening, shining with dazzling golden light, like two golden lamps, extremely radiant.

Liekong emerged from his meditation, immediately understanding the reason and events that had transpired.

His eyes dazzling, with profound Buddhist symbols suspended within, he lightly shook, casting off the dust from his body, revealing a bronze, withered physique.

Although he appeared dry and thin, all the ancient monks present knew that Ancestor Liekong's body strength was extraordinary, already cultivated into a golden body, pushing it to an extreme state, not far from the legendary six-foot golden body.

From the fact that he can retrieve people from the Reincarnation Pool, it is evident how powerful he is.

At this moment, Liekong fixed his gaze on Gu Wudi, who was swimming on the pool's surface, his eyes gleaming as they occasionally flashed gold. After a long while, he finally spoke in a somewhat hoarse voice.

"Where on earth did you find this little monster?"

"Huh?"

The monks were somewhat baffled but quickly understood Liekong's meaning.

"Does the Ancestor mean that young master Gu is fine and doesn't require rescuing?" the Supreme monk first clasped his hands in a greeting gesture, then asked.

"Rescue? Why rescue him? Don't you see how joyfully this kid is swimming? He's perfectly at home in the water." Liekong responded, pointing at Gu Wudi in the pool.

"It's been so long since anyone dared to enter this Reincarnation Pool without relying on Buddhist scriptures or the essence of Buddha; everyone has forgotten how terrifying this pool truly is.

Even ordinary paragons, including the descendants of Immortal Kings, freeze upon entering the Reincarnation Pool, their bodies and souls rapidly disintegrating, becoming part of the pool itself.

The boy I couldn't save back then was like that—he was too arrogant, his ambition reaching the heavens, and didn't want to fail publicly. He forced himself to resist and ultimately perished.

Look at this little monster. He's been in the pool for a while, still swimming, his movements relaxed and smooth, perfectly the sapling of an Immortal King."

"The sapling of an Immortal King?"

The Supreme monk and others exchanged glances. This was high praise, especially coming from the discerning Ancestor Liekong, giving it great weight.

"Of course, this kid is the most promising being I've ever seen to possibly replicate the miracles of the Immortal Monk King of the past.

By the way, what's this kid's background? He doesn't seem to be from our Ancient Monk lineage. Does he have a master? If not, then he shall be my disciple." Liekong asked a series of questions.

The young monks were a bit speechless. It was the first time they heard Liekong speak; they weren't even born the last time he awakened.

Thus, they were a bit puzzled. Was this really the enlightened immortal monk? Why did he sound more like some worldly old monster?

"Brother Kongjue..."

Unable to contain their curiosity, they turned to the monk Kongjue beside them for answers.

"From what I have heard, Master Ancestor Liekong did not originally belong to the lineage of the Ancient Monk, but instead later converted to Buddhism, joining the War Buddha lineage."