Mount Sumeru.
The grand main hall stood tall, bathed in a radiant golden glow.
The air pulsed with the deep, resonant hum of Buddhist chants—each syllable a ripple of divine power.
The entire temple exuded a sense of sacredness and majesty.
Yet—
A heavy silence hung in the air.
Countless Buddhas stood in solemn rows, their expressions grim.
None spoke.
But in their eyes—
Shock. Disbelief. Fear.
Because moments ago, they had received an earth-shattering piece of news.
Venerable Buddha had fallen.
A Seventh-Rank Eminence, one of the most powerful figures in Mount Sumeru.
And yet—
Not only had he perished, but even his true spirit had been annihilated.
No trace of him remained.
Impossible.
Could it be that some peerless existence had made their move?
A power that not even a Seventh-Rank Eminence could resist?
The Buddhas stood in silence, waiting.
Waiting for their Lord Buddha to speak.
At the center of the hall, seated upon a golden lotus, was the Lord Buddha himself.
Time and space twisted around him, forming an endless, flowing river of golden light.
His eyes flickered with an ethereal glow as he searched the river—seeking traces of cause and effect.
After a long moment—
The light dimmed.
The phantom river of time vanished.
The Lord Buddha sighed.
"I see nothing."
A murmur rippled through the ranks of gathered Buddhas.
Shock.
Even the Lord Buddha himself—a being of unfathomable power—could not trace the cause and effect of Eminence Buddha's death?
Then, what exactly had happened?
Was this the work of those hidden forces that Mount Sumeru had long been wary of?
Had they finally revealed their fangs?
Aged and wise, one of the senior monks finally spoke.
"Lord Buddha, what now?"
The Lord Buddha slowly turned his gaze toward a solitary figure standing at the far end of the hall.
A man.
Unlike the other Buddhas, his head was not shaved.
Instead, long black hair flowed down his back, stark against his dark robe.
His face was cold and expressionless.
In this temple of golden light and holiness—he was an anomaly.
Yet, no one showed the slightest discontent toward his presence.
Only deep reverence.
Martial Heaven Buddha.
One of the Four Great Buddhas of Mount Sumeru.
A being of unfathomable depth, standing just a step away from the Lord Buddha's realm.
His strength was terrifying.
The Lord Buddha's voice was calm.
"Martial Heaven, I need you to investigate this matter."
For the first time—
The black-robed Buddha opened his eyes.
Abyssal. Cold. Infinite.
His pupils were like black holes, devouring all light, swirling with an aura of boundless destruction.
Behind him, a faint yet eerie black lotus loomed, its petals shifting like shadows.
The air trembled.
"Understood."
Martial Heaven Buddha's deep voice resonated through the hall.
The black lotus behind him began to spin.
Reality fractured.
And in the next instant—
He was gone.
The moment he left, the hall plunged into an even heavier silence.
The Buddhas dared not utter a word.
For they knew—
The appearance of Martial Heaven Buddha marked the beginning of chaos.
For centuries, the Azure Continent had known peace.
But now—
That peace was about to be shattered.
The Monster Royal Clan – Place of Worship
The tension from earlier had settled.
But curiosity filled the air.
The High Priest held a strange bottle in his hands.
He studied it with a frown.
A dark liquid sloshed inside, bubbles fizzing at the surface.
He looked at Luo Chuan hesitantly.
"Senior… what is this?"
Before Luo Chuan could reply, Yao Ziyue grinned excitedly.
"Grandpa Xu, that's Coke! It can heal injuries instantly!"
The High Priest raised an eyebrow.
Healing properties?
To him, it looked nothing like the elixirs or sacred pills refined by human cultivators.
"Something to heal wounds?" He muttered skeptically.
Still—
He did not hesitate.
Luo Chuan had no reason to harm him.
He uncorked the bottle and took a swig.
Fizz.
His eyes widened.
A strange sweetness and acidity exploded across his taste buds, followed by a sharp, tingling sensation.
"What an odd taste!"
The Monster Royals exchanged puzzled glances.
"Wait—"
The High Priest suddenly froze.
His body trembled.
Then, in the span of a few breaths—
His wounds vanished.
The internal injuries he had suffered earlier?
Gone.
Even old, lingering hidden wounds—ones he hadn't even been aware of—had been completely eradicated.
Unbelievable.
The High Priest stared at the now-empty bottle in utter shock.
Such a small drink…
Yet its healing effects were beyond comprehension.
This was no ordinary potion.
This was something divine.
Luo Chuan remained indifferent, as if such a result was only natural.
Yao Ziyan, however, smiled knowingly.
She had seen this reaction many times before.
The first time someone experienced an Origin Mall product… the reaction was always the same.