Apotheosis

The last time Zen came to the Sacred Mallow Temple, there were three groups of people waiting there.

The disciples of the small forces had managed to reach the Other Shore with a few soul pills to their names. However, the real obstacle standing in their way was the Other Shore Keys. Even those of Stage One were hard to get, so they would often try their luck at the entrances of the temples.

It was common for them to wait there for ten or fifteen days, sometimes even two months.

Compared to the last time, Zen was shocked to see over a hundred people were waiting outside of the temple.

As soon as he appeared on the scene, everyone directed their attention towards him.

It was a rare sight to see a physical body appear on the Other Shore, and they began to whisper among themselves while staring at his profile.

As Zen made his way towards the gate of the Sacred Mallow Temple, the people saw a glimmer of hope and followed close behind him.

When he looked back to see the swarm of people crowding up towards him, he couldn't help but frown.

Although the thing in the crack at the top of the temple couldn't be taken away by anyone else, he still didn't want anyone to see it.

"Sir, can you open the door of the temple?" a middle-aged man asked politely, bowing to Zen.

The group of Souls of Light knew their place in contrast to Zen. They were inferior in power, so they showed him respect.

Upon hearing his question, Zen turned around to look at the people surrounding him with hopeful eyes.

Once he opened the door for them, they would all flock inside.

"Yes, I can," Zen replied with a slight nod.

At this answer, their eyes lit up with joy, and their faces relaxed.

They had been waiting for days. Finally meeting someone owning a key to the gate made them disregard everything. Amid their happiness, they even forgot about how Zen had entered the Other Shore with his physical body intact.

"That would be great, haha!" The middle-aged man laughed heartily, and everyone else got ready to head inside.

"But I will enter the Sacred Mallow Temple by myself. Please don't follow me," Zen requested equally respectfully.

The rejection hit them hard as their smiles were wiped clean off their faces.

"But, the Sacred Mallow Temple is so big. We can go in together. I promise we won't get in your way."

"Yeah, it's a waste for you to go inside all by yourself after using one Other Shore Key."

"Sir, we are all from the same human race. I beg you to reconsider. We should help each other."

Some people began to beg him with desperate eyes to allow them in with him.

But, nothing was going to move Zen into changing his decision. He was firm on going in alone.

While he s

hought for a moment before he stopped knocking the bricks. Then he put more than two thousand soul pills at the gate of the Sacred Mallow Temple and called out to the people, "Those who haven't obtained the bricks yet are going to guard these pills for me till I'm back."

These people were waiting for the bricks impatiently. Although over two thousand soul pills was not a small amount, they were more interested in the bricks. They didn't want to offend Zen by stealing his pills, especially since he was the only one who could get them what they wanted.

After Zen exited the Other Shore, he took out the Other Shore Key and recited the Sanskrit words that Geoffrey deciphered for him. Tiny lines continuously orbited his palm.

Upon activating the Other Shore Key, Zen once again appeared in front of the Sacred Mallow Temple.

Calmly, he closed his eyes, put his hand on the door of the temple and opened it. Then he moved all the soul pills to a hidden corner of the temple and continued to knock the bricks.

Before long, most of these one hundred people received their respective square bricks.

Now, they had to keep their end of the deal and help Zen guard the entrance of the Sacred Mallow Temple.

Zen walked into the temple and left the Other Shore again.

Before he entered, he activated the Truth of Godly Way and went to the Other Shore with his Soul of Light.

The people outside had no clue that Zen's body had left, so they still guarded the door. He could only be able to take the soul pills if he entered the temple with his Soul of Light.

However, just as Zen's Soul of Light had stepped foot on the Other Shore, he encountered Dorothy's Soul of Light.

Zen looked at Dorothy, with his head tilted to the side dumbfounded. He never expected her to still be where they left last time.