Tao Qian, blessed by the Great Freedom Dharma, had just opened his mouth when the Buddha Bird Relics within him responded, and all hundred Buddha Bird Protectors wanted to surge forth to assist him.
Among them, a Buddha Bird Protector, seemingly most excited upon hearing the words "Alligator Dragon," instantly squeezed to the forefront.
This Buddha Bird Protector had a human face and bird body, with a beak like an eagle's, wearing a pointed Treasure Crown on its head, hair draped over its shoulders, clad in a jeweled heavenly robe, with bracelet rings on its hands, and a pair of golden-red large wings spread outwards. Moreover, its face dawned an angry expression, and a large round fleshy bump grew on its forehead—truly a vision of both majesty and ferocity.
Tao Qian, now the master of this relic and with considerable knowledge himself, recognized the origin of this Buddha Bird Protector upon one glance—it was the Garuda, a Dharma-protecting God that specialized in preying on the Dragon Clan.
Clearly, it was the mention of the Alligator Dragon that aroused its interest.
If Tao Qian were truly able to summon this Garuda Dharma-protecting Vajra, the mere presence of a Nine-headed Turtle Dragon might not even suffice for its appetite.
Unfortunately, this was something he temporarily could not do.
Let alone Tao Qian, even Bai Qin himself rarely summoned such Dharma-protecting Gods of Alien Species.
When Tao Qian first learned some information about the Buddha Bird Relics, he had wondered: since Bai Qin had used the Great Freedom Dharma to refine a full hundred Buddha Bird Vajras, including Dharma-protecting Gods like Garuda, if he summoned all of the Buddha Birds and endowed himself with their blessing, wouldn't he be able to sweep through Southern Yue.
What need was there for him to conceal his moves and resort to plots and scheming strategies.
Only when Bai Qin perished and Tao Qian obtained the Buddha Bird Relics did the roots and details, along with the Record, get triggered and become known to him, and then he finally understood the reason.
It wasn't that Bai Qin was unwilling!
Rather, he simply couldn't do it.
The iron law of the Cultivation World—that everything comes with a price—once again took effect.
Summoning different Bird Demons required the expenditure of Mana and Divine Soul, which were not of the same magnitude by any means. Summoning Ape Demons, Pig Demons, Sheep Demons, Snake Demons, and other such Bird Demons had already brought Bai Qin to the brink of losing control and falling into demonhood. To then summon a Dharma-protecting God with terrifying Divine Power like Garuda would likely have caused Bai Qin to fall into a Mutated Demon state on the spot, making even reincarnation and re-cultivation difficult.
"Years ago in the Tuo County region, Bai Qin had only refined about twenty or so Bird Demons. The remaining seventy or eighty kinds were simply based on the Buddha Demon Magic Skill, which he predicted; they only had form but did not capture the true meaning."
"Later, after joining the Great Freedom Temple, he used more profound Buddhist Laws to complete the subsequent ones, but like Garuda and other Alien Buddha Birds, the required Mana and Divine Soul were not ordinary by comparison, and even Bai Qin himself rarely used them. This is also why Bai Qin established the [Bai Qin Temple] lineage; he alone could not achieve Perfection, but if he were to establish a separate lineage and become the ancestor Buddha, it would be a completely different scene."
"If Bai Qin had succeeded, years later, it's possible that the Cultivation World might have seen the emergence of a Buddha like Bai Qin Bodhisattva, who could summon a hundred Buddha Birds with a single thought—who then could stand against him?"
"Unfortunately, despite his meticulous planning, in the end, he merely became a stepping stone for me."
These thoughts flashed quickly through Tao Qian's mind.
He then saw Tao Qian smiling and waving his hand at the restless Garuda Dharma-protecting God:
"Easy there, easy there, my humble Mana surely cannot summon a great deity like yourself."
"Why not examine our Karma to see which protector is more compatible with me, and tonight I shall trouble that protector to accompany me."
As Tao Qian's words fell, he immediately used the Spirit Treasure Returning Immortal Technique, revealing the Mana he could borrow.
Although Tao Qian, due to his Talent, could borrow far more Immortal Spiritual Qi of the Lingbao than other Foundation Establishment Realm disciples of the Lingbao,
the Foundation Establishment Realm was still just Foundation Establishment Realm, far inferior to Bai Qin.
Soon enough, one after another, the Buddha Birds within the relic began to hide, all deities too powerful for Tao Qian to summon.
Before long, only ten Buddha Light apparitions remained before Tao Qian.
Tao Qian gazed at them and was suddenly struck with realization.
These ten Buddha Birds were precisely the Pig, Sheep, Dog, Chicken, Cow, Snake, Eagle, Horse, Elephant, and Ape.
Almost immediately, Tao Qian thought of the "Bai Qin Play Fragment" he had bought in Seeking Immortal County with a silver coin some time ago, with only ten Bird Skills remaining inside. If they were all to be cultivated, they would correspond to the ten Buddha Bird Vajras now before him.
"It seems, indeed, my connection with Buddha is no shallow matter."
Tao Qian, still in the image of Nirvana, muttered to himself.
His gaze then sharply fell on the Buddha Ape Guardian's body, saying:
"That Nine-headed Turtle Dragon is leading a group of Alligator Dragon Species Clan in the Daze Water Mansion causing havoc. To subdue them would not be simple, and it is precisely the Buddha Ape Guardian's Undying Body that is impervious to fire and water, and the strength to tear apart Devil with Dharma Manifestation Heaven and Earth that are needed tonight. So please, Buddha Ape Guardian, accompany me on this venture."
Ascending Immortal Island, after nightfall.
Within the rather shabby and desolate Cliff Sea Pavilion, a clump of auspicious cloud suddenly rose and flew.
In just a short time, it met with a barrier, stopping before a large mass of thunderclouds.
Below the thunderclouds was a vast and turbulent expanse of a swampy lake, with such broad waterways that one might not even see the other end of the great swamp unless viewed from high above.
Even at this deep hour of night, this swamp was far from tranquil.
In the region where the essence of the Great Swamp Water was concentrating, creatures touched by the bloodline of the Dragon Clan, visibly Alien Demons, frolicked and played in the swamp, their natural, extraordinary bloodline powers causing unimaginable commotions even in their play.
The bursts of thunderclouds, the flashes of lightning that intermittently struck down, and the torrential downpour of rain—all declared the dominion over this swamp.
On the outskirts, upon the auspicious cloud, Tao Qian led the Little Age, Lian Jing'er, Zhong Doudou, Shan Jiu, and a Mermaid perched on the cloud, all peering toward that region.