The Empress's No.1 Lackey-Chapter 527 - 400, I am waiting for you in the palace.

Open his eyes? No... What does that mean? Old Zhang's booklet didn't have a record of this situation...

On the high platform, filled with fervor, Zhao Douan, who had just finished the Debating Scripture, paused abruptly and suddenly lifted his head, his pupils dramatically constricting.

He saw through the enormous hole in the center of the sky's massive cloud layer, the huge, mysterious shadow of Buddha's head looming over the earth just as before.

Only now, the clouds centered around Buddha's head suddenly rippled outward with circle upon circle of golden ripples.

Like the intensely trembling surface of water, the Buddha's tightly closed eyes were slowly opening at this moment.

Instantly, a pair of majestic yet compassionate giant golden eyes filled Zhao Douan's entire field of vision; he was stunned, feeling his whole body seized by an indescribable mighty force.

Then, before he could react, two columns of Buddha Light descended from the "World Honored One's" eyes, piercing through heaven and earth, merging into one and enveloping the entire platform.

"Ah..."

Both the Red Sect Master and Master Bian Ji simultaneously gasped, pushed off the platform by a gentle force.

Thus, only Zhao Douan remained on the platform, bathed in the Buddha Light, looking like a divine being.

"Wait... Trouble's coming..."

Zhao Douan's expression changed, his heart finding no joy but instead recalling long ago when Zhenbao first opened his "Heavenly Eye" and warned him not to look directly at the "World Honored One."

Otherwise, this deity in charge of "Wisdom" would forcibly instill wisdom in a person, lightly causing dizziness and disorientation, severely leaving one foolish and stupid.

The moment this thought arose, Zhao Douan felt his entire body submerged in a warm spring.

The anticipated information overload poised to burst his brain did not occur.

Instead, his mind was clearer than it had ever been. The injuries left in his body by the sneak attack from the Da Jing Master were healing rapidly at this moment.

With each breath, he regained his peak condition.

The Qi Sea churned, the Qi within his Dantian glowed with golden light, and on his forehead, a faint blue flame appeared, flickering momentarily.

Vaguely visible within the flame was a swaying blue lotus.

"World Honored One's Baptism!"

In the square, after a moment of shock, someone murmured, and almost everyone showed an expression as sour as having bitten into a lemon.

"What is that?" The young monk, Dan Che, looked confused.

Stepping down from the platform, the Red Sect Master, far from being disheartened and radiating exuberance, had a fervent look of devotion in his eyes, whispering:

"Throughout history, only those who have greatly contributed to Buddhist Law and pioneered wisdom have been favored by the deity and received the World Honored One's Baptism… Spanning the annals of history, all who received the Baptism later became sages. Yet, it is unprecedented for someone not of the Buddhist faith to receive this honor!"

The Red Sect Master stared fixedly at Zhao Douan, bathed in the Buddha Light on the platform, muttering:

"Folks who are baptized, their Divine Souls get greatly nurtured. Simply reading allows one to memorize ten lines at a glance. These are just side benefits, the real advantage is receiving the World Honored One's care, having a Blue Lotus planted in the sea of consciousness, with endless vigor...

It might not show at low realms, but the benefits increase as one progresses. If one practices Buddhist Magic, the results come twice as fast..."

Dan Che listened, bewildered and opened his mouth, wanting to ask:

Could it be that this great traitor is the "Wisdom" you were seeking, Master? The World Honored One's incarnation in the mortal world?

But… does that make sense?

"World Honored One's Baptism... Debating Scripture has ended..."

Bodhisattva Prajna had already stood up in shock, this buxom dual cultivation-minded female Bodhisattva's expression blank. Her heart violently thumped as she looked at Zhao Douan with extremely complex eyes.

Previously, after Mr. Zhengyang's defeat, she had forcefully barged into Zhao Mansion because she sensed Zhao Douan had great potential in Buddhist studies.

Driven away by the official girlfriend, the Empress, she had given up hope.

But unexpectedly, the situation turned around. This excellent Lu Ding had today helped her complete the Zen she practiced.

"After the Baptism, one naturally has a Buddha's body, making Dual Cultivation twice as effective..."

Prajna bit her lower lip, rubbed her legs together, and then, sensing a piercing gaze from afar, reluctantly drooped her eyebrows and sighed softly,

"What a pity..."

...

Inside the Water Viewing Tower.

With the Empress at the head, all the court officials had already stood up, staring in astonishment at the magnificent scene unfolding before them.

Xu Zhenguan's eyes flickered with extraordinary colors, and as a Heavenly Human Realm, she well understood that the World Honored One's Baptism held no harm for Zhao Douan, thus did not interfere.

Merely watching quietly, while her mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, she suddenly somewhat understood why the Grand Ancestor Emperor's Dragon Essence had chosen him.

However, her gaze catching sight of the shameless Bodhisattva Prajna on the edge of the square, a sense of crisis emerged immediately.

"Why would the Buddhist deity favor a person of great wickedness and cruelty?"

Princess Wen Zhu was dumbfounded beside her, her mind a mess.

She was puzzled, at this moment yearning to meet the man who was her niece's boyfriend, to clarify things face to face.

...

The Zhao family.

"Mother, look!"

In the courtyard, Zhao Pan, dressed in a padded jacket, excitedly pointed towards the descending Buddha Light in the distance and remarked in amazement:

"It looks very lively, though I'm not sure which side won. I have to ask my big brother when he returns."

Then she'd have quite the gossip to share with her newly acquainted young ladies…

You Jinhua, trying to shoo away the Pekingese dog entwined around her legs, lifted her head upon hearing the words and looked at the sky in amazement, muttering:

"These bald monks sure put on quite a show."

...

Heavenly Master Mansion.

One priest after another came out of the buildings, pointing and discussing the strange phenomenon in the distance.

Even Jin Jian and Gongshu Tianyuan came out curiously from their dwellings, using the latter's bizarre inventions to observe from afar.

Deep within the branches of the Great Banyan tree swayed.

Zhong Pan, naturally fierce-looking and carrying a crimson great sword, hugged his arms and stared in surprise at the distance, saying:

"Master, did you foresee this step coming? Heh, this is going to be interesting. Just earlier, the Divine Dragon Temple was at odds with Zhao Douan, and now, the World Honored One's Baptism...slap in the face, huh? Tsk tsk..."

The tall, narrow-eyed Old Heavenly Master, holding a Heavenly Book and embodying a strategic and calculating master's demeanor, remained indifferent.

As if everything were calculated.

But his heart was actually shocked and he gasped for air,

"This guy... this guy... I told you to cause trouble, not to wreak such havoc... Fortunately, fortunately that foolish bald donkey Xuan Yin had already made an enemy of this mysteriously-originated kid; otherwise, had he been taken to become a monk, that would have been awful...

It's good that the Xu family girl moved quickly... Jin Jianer, how could you lack persistence? Such a pity, such a pity..."

...

At this moment, the believers near the Divine Dragon Temple in the city were repeatedly bowing at home, honoring Buddha in their words.

Little did they know that once they found out who was being baptized was actually the one they cursed daily and was the cause of the "Ban on Buddhism," their expressions would be quite spectacular.

Eventually.

The Buddha Light lasted for about a dozen breaths, then gradually dimmed, narrowed, and returned to the clouds.

The enormous Buddha's Head also slowly closed its eyes, faded slowly in conjunction with the dispersing clouds, and vanished without a trace.

All unusual phenomena had disappeared; Zhao Duan felt a refreshing coolness all over, looked at his body unsurely, and just felt spiritually fulfilled with endless energy with nowhere to vent.

Below, a group of monks looked at each other:

All the manifestations of Buddha have disappeared; should we still continue with the Debating Scripture?

It seemed, they hadn't started when everything had already ended.

The feeling that all the prepared lines were wasted...

Suddenly, a cold winter wind conjured a great howl, and from a distant building, a figure floated out. In the blink of an eye, it appeared mid-air above the courtyard.

Hair flowing, dressed in white as snow, her appearance was unparalleled.

"Your servant greets Your Majesty!"

Zhao Duan startled, feeling a bit hollow inside, and without much backbone, was the first to bow.

Other monks then came to their senses, suppressed their emotions, and bowed to the Empress one after another.

Xu Zhenguan silently watched the loyal, fawning attitude of Little Zhao, and suddenly felt an inexplicable urge to laugh, but she forcefully held it back.

She maintained her dignity, nodded at Xuan Yin and the Red Sect Master, then turned to Zhao Duan and said,

"I'll be waiting for you in the palace."

With that, the Empress turned into a breeze and disappeared into the thin air.

Not... just came to convey a message? Zhao Duan was stunned for a moment, then quickly realized that the Empress showed up to "protect" him.

To prevent him from being targeted by the irrational Buddhist monks from both factions.

"Your servant obeys!"

Zhao Duan saluted half-heartedly, then glanced at the monks around him, didn't speak, and walked straight away.

The monks looked at one another, out of reverence for the Empress' intimidating presence, reluctantly made way.

Zhao Duan left, only leaving two groups of monks looking at each other.

"Given the circumstances, we should take our leave first."

The Red Sect Master suddenly spoke up first, breaking the awkward silence, dropped such a remark, turned around, leading the confused monks from the Western Regions, and left like that.

"Abbot...what do you think..."

Master Bian Ji looked as if he had lost a loved one; he couldn't understand why a perfectly good Debating Scripture turned out this way.

Long Shu Bodhisattva didn't utter a sound, he still hadn't snapped out of it, lost in a daze.

Eyes turned towards Xuan Yin.

Since appearing, Master Xuan Yin, who had hardly spoken, looked thoughtfully at Zhao Duan's departing figure for a while, then suddenly turned and walked towards the temple.

Simultaneously, Master Bian Ji heard Xuan Yin's aged voice echo in his ear: ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom

"Return to the temple, and explain this person in detail to me."

Master Xuan Yin, who had not cared about worldly affairs for many years and even during the major Buddhist Tao debates hadn't paid much attention, finally remembered the name "Zhao Duan."

...

Following the Empress and monks' departure, the imperial officials atop the Water Viewing Tower also descended and hurried off in their carriages with mixed emotions.

"Princess..." The tall female warrior assisting Princess Wen Zhu into the carriage said, "Where shall we go?"

Princess Wen Zhu hesitated for a moment, then said, "First to the Golden Wind Pavilion to meet the 'Holy Monk,' then back to the palace."

"Yes."

Elsewhere, Ma Yan led a group of Jinyi out when suddenly a subordinate ran over from a distance and whispered:

"Lord, the Lin Ke that Your Majesty ordered to be investigated, we have a lead."

Ma Yan paused for a moment, his gaze intensifying. He took a folded piece of paper from his subordinate, glanced at it, and his expression became extraordinarily vivid.

"...Wait a while, later on, send it to the palace to His Majesty."

"Uh, how much later?"

Ma Yan fell silent for a moment and then said, "See when Master Zhao enters the palace, and send it about an hour after him."

"Oh."

...

...

After the crowd dispersed, news about today's Debating Scripture began to spread wildly across the entire Capital with the crowd.

Meanwhile, Zhao Duan, who had left the scene, mounted a horse he had prepared earlier in the alley, and galloped directly to the Imperial Palace.

Before long, Zhao Duan reached the palace gates in the winter, reported his arrival, and entered on foot.

After finding a familiar palace maid and inquiring, he confirmed that Zhenbao had indeed returned to the palace earlier.

"Being able to fly is indeed fast... not even taking me back with her, making me come all this way..."

Zhao Duan muttered under his breath and went straight through the palace walls to arrive outside the Empress' bedroom.

In a moment, a palace maid came out with a peculiar expression:

"Mr. Zhao, Her Majesty said she doesn't want to see you."

...

10,000 words offered today.