Saving the World in an Apocalypse-Style Text Game-Chapter 1107 - 504: The New Buddha of Uss City, On the Art of Skipping Classes_2

[There were seafarers who encountered a great storm that destroyed their ship; after drifting for several days, they inadvertently entered an Immortal Island. The Penglai Immortals plucked leaves to turn into a boat and bestowed Immortal Pills, sending them away from the Immortal Island.]

[The person sailed back to the Vermilion Land on the treasure boat made from tree leaves. No sooner had they landed than the treasure boat reverted to a single leaf. After consuming the Immortal Pill gifted by the immortal, the person became strong and robust, immune to all diseases...]

[However, these are but tales recorded in the strange and fantastical stories of the marketplace, their truth uncertain and not to be easily accepted as fact.]

[As the Altar Master of Uss City, they knew some internal secrets. Allegedly, in earlier years, Emperor Wu had secretly set sail and visited ’Penglai Immortal Island’.]

[If one wishes to find Penglai, blindly searching the boundless Mysterious Sea could very well take hundreds, if not thousands, of years without any guarantee of success.]

[The Buddha would do better to go to Capital City and ask Emperor Wu in person...] 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

Lin Xun twitched the corner of his mouth.

That Emperor Wu had long since fled and become a fugitive; whom was he to ask in the Capital City?

[You are aware that even though Emperor Wu has fled overseas, there should be clues regarding Penglai’s whereabouts hidden in the Capital City. If you want to go to Penglai, a trip to the Capital City is naturally indispensable.]

[According to the Altar Master, Uss City is located at the extreme west of the Vermilion State. Beyond it lies the vast expanse of the desert Gobi; the distance from here to the Emperor’s feet in Capital City can truly be said to be eighteen thousand li...]

[The Altar Master bowed respectfully and said, ’Buddha, the journey to the Capital City is long. I will immediately instruct my servants to prepare carriages and escorts to protect and accompany your reverence to the Capital.’ ]

[The Altar Master knew that, according to legend, Buddhas and Bodhisattvas often incarnated as mortals to walk the earth, experiencing the world through the body of an ordinary being, to understand the vicissitudes of life. This was also a method of cultivation.]

[As your disciple and follower, they naturally had to undertake burdensome tasks on your behalf. Although it seemed you were bent on a harsh pilgrimage to the Capital City, the Altar Master still felt obliged to offer protection...]

[You waived the suggestion, saying, ’Since the Capital City is so far from here, there is no need for carriages. Just give me a copy of the Vermilion National Map, and I can travel there by cloud.’]

[No matter how vast the mortal lands, a day’s journey by cloud would not be too much for you.]

[The Altar Master opened his mouth in surprise, somewhat stunned. He had not expected you to be so different from the incarnations of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas that journey through the mortal world, with an attitude of ’spare me the tiresome travel, I am pressed for time.’]

[Yet your request posed an even greater difficulty for him.]

[Seeing the Altar Master’s hesitant expression, you asked if there was any difficulty.]

[The Altar Master bowed deeply and said, ’Buddha, you, being a Celestial, are unaware that the control over maps in the mortal world is extremely strict. The maps are managed by the military department in Capital City. For commoners and officers alike to privately possess maps is a serious crime of treason!’]

[Currently, in Uss City, there are no true maps, only geographical records and chronicles of states and prefectures in text form, which require skilled hands to translate into maps.]

[Such maps are greatly inaccurate. If one were to travel from city to city by carriage, one could immediately correct their direction to avoid getting lost. But if you were to travel by cloud... Most likely, you would be unable to reach the Capital City.]

Lin Xun furrowed his brows, vaguely remembering that there was such a saying in ancient times.

Maps in ancient times were precious, considered as national treasures and symbols of the Emperor’s authority and political tools. Not to mention common citizens, even ordinary officials were hard-pressed to access maps; the private possession of a map was a crime that could lead to the execution of the entire family.

This made things quite difficult. Genuine maps were only available in the Capital City, yet he needed a map to get to the Capital City, wasn’t this a Death Cycle?

His eyes narrowed, understanding that this was very likely a restriction set by the Underworld Game.

The purpose was to prevent the Apostle from skipping classes to the latter half of the Chapter’s levels, forcing them to fight through each stage until reaching the final boss.

[With this in mind, you told the Altar Master, ’In that case, give me a copy of the map in textual form, and have someone draw a map based on the text for me as well.’]

[Rest assured, if there is any deviation in the directions, you will not hold it against them.]

[Upon hearing your words, the Altar Master instructed someone to bring a book, holding it with both hands and offering it, ’Buddha, this is the ’Vermilion Geography Records,’ painted maps as per your instructions will require one more day of waiting, please.’]

[You have obtained ’Vermilion Geography Records’ (Defective).]

Lin Xun twitched the corner of his mouth.

This geography record wasn’t even material, naturally preventing him from opening and browsing its content.

The Underworld Game spared no effort in ensuring that the Apostle wouldn’t skip classes.

However, he had a plan of his own and accepted the defective item for now.

Lin Xun spent another day in Uss City, incidentally inspecting how well the Altar Master was managing the incense offerings.

The Evil Treasure Pagoda, no, it should now be called the Leiyin Temple, was buzzing with repair work. Although most of the temple’s structures had collapsed and were ruined, there was still a place for the common people, now Incense Customers, to offer their incense.

However, the former ’Mother of all Evils Buddha’ statue had been replaced with the brand new ’Homage to the Great Sacred Sarira King Buddha’ statue.

Thanks to the monks’ diligent preaching, the name of this new Ancestor of All Buddhas spread quickly throughout Uss City.

With the monks’ zealous teachings, the common people soon began to offer their incense to this new Buddha.

Hidden among the Incense Customers, Lin Xun kept receiving prompts from the Underworld Game.

[You have absorbed Incense Fire Evil Thoughts, the Shell ’Son of the Original Fire of Desire’ has gained a certain amount of experience points!]

[You have absorbed Incense Fire Evil Thoughts, the Shell ’Son of the Original Fire of Desire’ has gained a certain amount of experience points!]