Here is the professional English transla
The next morning, the group left Tianfu City at dawn. The weather was cold and foggy, and the sun had not yet fully risen, casting a dim grey light on the road.
As Zhang Yong had expected, about an hour into their journey, they found their path blocked by a group of fighters.
The scarred large man was present, along with ten others, all appearing tough and experienced.
They stood in the middle of the road, their weapons drawn and their gazes defiant.
"I told you we'd meet again, didn't I, boy?" the large man called out in a hoarse voice.
Zhang Yong dismounted from his horse. "Alright, as I said last night, I'll handle them."
The gang laughed. "Hehe, you're going to fight all of us?" said one of them, a thin man wielding curved daggers.
Instantly, above Zhang Yong's shoulders, Su Ming's spirit manifested behind him. When they saw it, their fighting morale plummeted.
He suddenly appeared before the thin dagger-wielding man. Before the man could react, Zhang Yong struck him in the chest with his fist. The blow wasn't exceptionally powerful, but it was precise. A cracking sound was heard, and his body split into two halves.
"One," Zhang Yong said, his red eyes gleaming coldly.
Chaos erupted. The gang attacked, but they were like children before Zhang Yong.
His body moved with terrifying agility, evading every attack with complete ease. Each of his movements was economical and deadly, each strike targeting a specific weak point.
Two. Three. Four.
The gang members fell one after another, either dead or completely crippled.
The scarred large man was the last one left, his eyes now filled with terror after realizing the immense gap in power.
"Wh-who are you?" he whispered, backing away, his hands trembling.
Zhang Yong smiled, but his eyes did not. "Just a traveler," he said calmly. Then he disappeared.
In the next moment, the man's gaze turned upside down as his head twisted in a strange manner.
Zhang Yong turned toward his comrades, who had been watching calmly. "Let's continue."
Wang Fei sighed "We could have avoided this if they hadn't insisted."
"Sometimes, some problems can only be solved by removing them at the root," Zhang Yong said, returning to his horse.
"By the way, Zhang Yong, I noticed it during our fight but didn't ask. Why does that phantom look like me?" Su Ming asked in confusion, and it was a logical question.
The group resumed their journey, leaving the gang's corpses for the beasts to consume, and they did not look back.
Meanwhile, Zhang Yong explained the theory of the Strength Path and the conditions required to achieve it.
"So that's how it is," Su Ming shook his head, unable to help but smile. Zhang Yong's creation of his spirit meant that he truly considered him a brother.
"Doesn't this mean you can use phantoms for each of us?" Liu Yan asked with curiosity.
"Let's be realistic, Liu Yan," Wang Fei said with a smile. "Su Ming already spends most of his time with Zhang Yong and has formed a deep bond with him. Our presence was light in comparison."
Liu Yan nodded in understanding, her eyes reflecting a hint of faint envy. "Ah, I see. So it really requires deep bonds."
"Exactly," Zhang Yong nodded, guiding his horse forward. "It's not just a matter of knowing the person, but understanding the essence of their power and will. Su Ming and I have fought side by side many times and shared life-and-death moments."
Su Ming smiled and raised his nose high. "And that explains why your phantom was so powerful in the training ground. Hmph, I can accept being defeated by my own spirit."
"Isn't that because you don't want to admit that I'm stronger?" Zhang Yong said with a smile, and Su Ming felt Zhang Yong's words sting him deeply.
"Stronger?!" Su Ming flared up, his eyes flashing with challenge. "Come on, let's fight here and now! Let's see who's truly stronger!"
Wang Fei sighed, shaking his head. "Not now , We're just a few days away from the Buddhist Sect's headquarters. We don't need to attract unnecessary attention."
"Wang Fei is right," Liu Yin added in her calm voice. "We need to conserve our energy for the Dao Discussion Assembly. There will be plenty of opportunities to fight there."
Su Ming grumbled unconvinced but eventually relented. "Fine, but this time will be different," he said, throwing a challenging look at Zhang Yong.
Zhang Yong laughed as he internally mocked himself. 'Why do I feel like I'm looking at a child... ah, right, I'm mentally quite old now.'
Then the group continued on their way. According to the map, they had to cross the Dantiao Mountain Range before reaching the Deep Truth Province.
The mountains were rugged and the road winding, but the scenery was breathtaking. Waterfalls cascaded between mist-covered peaks, and towering pine trees clung to the rocky slopes.
"It's said these mountains are full of ancient caves," Su Ming said, gazing at the distant peaks. "Some were training caves for powerful cultivators in the past."
"Maybe we should look for some treasures while we pass through. Who knows, perhaps some elder left something behind," Liu Yan suggested enthusiastically.
Wang Fei shook his head. "We don't have time. We need to arrive before the Dao Discussion Assembly begins."
As they spoke, Zhang Yong raised his head, staring at the caves. 'According to Wu Ruxian's memory, there was a Qi spring in this place, making the Qi abundant here. But due to many powerful figures training here, it dried up. However, couple of years from now, that spring will return to life thanks to the resonance of heaven and earth. It was one of her plans to exploit it in the future.'
Zhang Yong looked away. This period was far beyond his reach; he wouldn't live that long.
But Wu Ruxian's memory was full of useful things, like techniques and future information. This was why Zhang Yong had embarked on this training journey.
However, most of the opportunities mentioned in Wu Rushian's memory were long-term for him. So far, there were only two opportunities he wanted to seize, because they were the only ones possible for him.
After crossing the Dantiao Mountain Range, the group finally reached the border of the Deep Truth Province.
The atmosphere here was different – pure air charged with spiritual energy, with distant temple bells echoing on the horizon.
After crossing the border of the Iron Flower Province, the signs of Buddhist culture became clearly visible.
Buddha statues carved into mountain cliffs, prayer flags fluttering on peaks, and the scent of incense filling the air.
"We've finally arrived," Wang Fei said, carefully folding the map. "According to the map, we should reach the main temple of the Buddhist Sect before sunset today."
Liu Yan, who had been listening attentively, jumped off her horse. "Let's hurry then! I'm eager to see the famous Buddhist temple!"
As they advanced, they noticed the landscape beginning to change. The trees became greener, and blooming flowers spread a refreshing fragrance in the air. Even the air seemed purer and clearer.
The area where this assembly would be held was an entire mountain range. The massive central mountain was the site of the Buddhist Sect, while the smaller peaks were the sites of the discussions.
And most of the peaks discussed the most common Paths, from elemental to more complex ones. Of course, this did not include demonic Paths like the Blood Path or Curse Path.
After arriving at sunset, the group spent the night at an inn before heading to the mountain range the next day.
At the entrance of the mountain range, they were greeted by Buddhist monks wearing saffron robes. The person leading them was Huai Shen, the one who had given Zhang Yong the wooden talisman.
"It's good to see the Silent Dew Monk Huai Shen again," Zhang Yong bowed, pressing his palms together, and the others did the same.
Huai Shen returned the greeting with a calm smile. "Amitabha. It's good to see you all safely and peacefully. The journey has been long, hasn't it? Please, come this way. We have prepared accommodations for delegates from all factions."
Huai Shen turned and began walking. Because the mountain range was vast, covering the distance would take a long time.
They headed toward the short-range teleportation formation.
They arrived at a wide stone plaza where teleportation formations were intricately carved onto blue jade slabs.
They stepped onto the circle and activated it. They felt as if the world had turned upside down for a moment, before stabilizing again in a new scene.
They found themselves in a vast central courtyard, surrounded by large pavilions with tiered golden-tiled roofs.
"This is where the major sect delegates will be staying," Huai Shen indicated toward a grand building. "Your rooms are prepared. You can rest today. As for Master Zhang Yong and Su Ming, please come with me to meet the abbot."
Zhang Yong and Su Ming followed Huai Shen back to the teleportation formation and were transported again.
The scene changed immediately. There were clean, orderly stone slabs paving the way to a wide staircase, and a majestic temple stood at the end of the hundreds-of-steps-high staircase.
There were two inscriptions on the top of the temple's main door, on the sides. They were Buddhist inscriptions.
On the left it read: The sea of suffering is boundless; turning back is the shore.
And on the right: In this vast universe, one can only see the true nature by purifying the mind.
Huai Shen looked toward Su Ming and said, "Master Su Ming, you will come with me to meet the Fifth Elder. Master Zhang Yong can ascend and meet the abbot."
Su Ming raised his eyebrows in surprise. "The Fifth Elder? Why me specifically?"
Huai Shen smiled gently. "I myself don't know exactly, but I can assure you it will be something beneficial for you."
Su Ming looked at Zhang Yong with hesitation, but Zhang Yong gently pushed him toward Huai Shen. "Go. You don't need to worry about anything."
After Su Ming and Huai Shen departed, he quietly ascended the stairs. Inside the main hall, the atmosphere was cool and majestic, with a giant golden Buddha statue seated in the center of a lotus flower, its eyes half-closed as if contemplating all creatures.
Beneath the statue, an old monk sat. His features were calm, wearing a golden kashaya robe, appearing as if part of the surrounding space. He was the abbot, the Great Sage
His eyes were closed as if in deep meditation. Suddenly, the monk opened his eyes – eyes as clear as stars in a clear night sky.
Upon looking at his aura, Zhang Yong felt it. This man was at the King Realm
The old monk slowly raised his gaze, a faint smile appearing on his lips. "Welcome, young master Zhang Yong."
The old monk's voice wasn't loud, but it resonated in Zhang Yong's heart like the tolling of a great bell. For a moment, he felt as if all his secrets had been laid bare before that gaze.
He knew the capabilities of the King Realm himself, and this person was at least at the middle stage of it.
"I received your invitation, Abbot," Zhang Yong said, maintaining his composure.
"I did not expect to see the body of Life and Death in this life during my three hundred years of existence," the abbot smiled calmly and gestured toward the mat.
Zhang Yong approached and sat quietly on the mat. "So what did the Abbot summon me for?"
"Amitabha," the old monk whispered, his voice echoing in the vast hall like the tolling of a bell. "The invitation was necessary for two reasons. The first reason is that it was our predecessor's will to find anyone possessing the Body of Life and Death and bring them to our sect to receive his message."
"His message?" Zhang Yong looked at the abbot in confusion.
The abbot turned his palm over, and a jade slip appeared in his hand. "The language script is very strange, so we concluded that only someone with the same physique could read it."
Zhang Yong took the jade slip in his hand. "The same physique?" Just hearing that made Zhang Yong feel a surge of excitement.
Zhang Yong brought the jade slip close to his forehead, and his eyes widened.
'This language... English?!'