Chapter 371: The Choice!
[Fuxi: This time, the choice might not be so difficult. If the Crimson Demon Mirror is useful to Laozi, he will surely choose it. But I'm afraid this item is of no use to him at all!]
The chances of a Saint making practical use of such an item are very slim.
When Laozi saw the second reward, he frowned because it was far from what he expected. Everyone could see that such an item only demonstrates its utility in the hands of those with relatively low power.
For someone like him, a powerful Saint, he would defeat his opponent outright in a battle, leaving no opportunity to use such an item. It was entirely useless to him unless he had some specific purpose, which he did not at the moment.
Thus, this time, the choice was relatively simple. As others had predicted, Laozi could only choose the first reward.
This was not because he wanted to, but because he had no other option. Unlike the choices given to other powerful beings, which often came as surprises and offered more opportunities, the choices presented to Laozi were clearly inferior. After a brief consideration, he could only choose the one reward that would enhance his strength.
[Laozi: I choose the first reward!]
When others saw Laozi's choice, they all expressed their understanding.
Ancestor Minghe, in particular, was quite pleased because these items greatly restrained him. As long as Laozi acquired this treasure, it would make dealing with him significantly easier. If the Crimson Demon Mirror did not appear in the Primordial World, Ancestor Minghe would have been far more worried.
After Laozi made his choice, Tongtian Jiaozhu, who had been in seclusion in his cave dwelling, let out a deep sigh and said faintly:
"Everyone knows that becoming a Saint is difficult, but no one understands that becoming a Heavenly Path Saint is even harder. I never expected that such a powerful treasure as the Chaos Primal Bead in my possession would still be of such limited use."
Tongtian Jiaozhu had initially harbored high hopes for this retreat. He intended to gain insights from the pearl, with the best outcome being a step closer to the Heavenly Path Saint realm.
If his luck was sufficient, he might even ascend to the realm he most desired in one step.
However, from the start of his retreat to its conclusion, he had gained nothing from it. He could not comprehend the profound rules of the pearl, and the mysterious Heavenly Dao contained within had temporarily halted his progress.
The Chaos Primal Bead has limitations on its comprehension. Each attempt consumes the energy within it. If the pearl's energy is completely depleted without successful comprehension, it can no longer be used.
Tongtian Jiaozhu saw that only two-thirds of the pearl's energy remained, meaning he had only two more opportunities.
At his current pace, even ten attempts would not suffice for success, let alone the two he had left.
This was why he sighed in frustration just now.
What he had thought was an opportunity for a breakthrough in his strength turned out to be nothing more than wishful thinking. To make matters worse, the treasure he envied so many other Saints for ultimately only wasted his time and choices.
Tongtian Jiaozhu even had an ominous premonition that he might not gain any insight at all.
Realizing he was caught in a dilemma, he decided to stop being greedy. Otherwise, he would waste his last two opportunities in vain. For now, he had no choice but to suspend his retreat.
This was a situation other Saints could not fathom. Only Ye Tian and the Ancestor Hongjun knew how extraordinarily difficult it was for Tongtian Jiaozhu to comprehend anything from the pearl.
Meanwhile, the ninth-ranked reward was about to be announced, and the next recipient, the Buddha Jieyin, was already very excited.
Seeing how each reward so far was far superior to those from previous lists, he eagerly awaited his turn. This time, his ranking was much better than in the last two instances.
The Buddhist disciples were equally impatient, wondering when the reward would be revealed.
The Golden List didn't keep them waiting for long. To their delight, the announcement finally arrived.
[Ninth Place on the Technique List Reward: The Ten Thousand Buddha Formation]
[A grand formation formed by 99,999 Buddhist disciples proficient in Buddhist principles, capable of manifesting the true form of the Buddha Wutian. It can unleash techniques such as Buddha's Palm Bone and Myriad Immortals' Tide, rivaling a Heavenly Path Saint!]
This formation left all Buddhists stunned. No one had expected such a powerful Buddhist formation to exist. Not even ordinary disciples, let alone Buddha Tathagata or Guanyin, had ever heard of it.
When the two Western Saints, Zhunti and Jieyin, saw this formation, they exchanged glances and smiled.
If this formation could be arranged as required, its power could rival even the weakest of Heavenly Path Saints.
However, Zhunti and Jieyin were troubled by the stringent conditions for setting up the Ten Thousand Buddha Formation.
Finding 99,999 disciples proficient in Buddhist principles was an almost insurmountable challenge. Disciples who demonstrated Buddhist principles typically held the status of Arhats or Bodhisattvas, and even combined, their numbers fell short.
The key issue was that they simply didn't have enough disciples to arrange the full formation.
Even if they chose this reward, they would have to use a scaled-down version of the formation. While its power might not significantly decrease, it would never reach its peak potential.
At best, it could stall a Saint for a time. While still formidable, it would lack decisive utility, serving only to protect the Western World rather than attack enemies.
At this moment, Buddha Jieyin deliberated over whether to choose this reward. Although the second reward had yet to appear, the first one already left him conflicted.
This formation, while beneficial, would not enhance his personal strength. It would only elevate the overall strength of Buddhism.
However, the peak power of this formation was impossible to ignore. Rivaling even the weakest Heavenly Path Saint, it represented an unmatched force. Even the combined strength of him and Zhunti fell short in comparison.
If enough disciples could be assembled, the two Saints themselves could join the formation as its core operators. This would make the formation even stronger.
As such, the Ten Thousand Buddha Formation became an agonizing choice. Many Buddhist disciples also hesitated, as the formation was clearly significant to them.
If Buddha Jieyin chose it, their overall strength would increase. However, they also understood that it might not be the best choice for him personally.