"Reporting to the host," the system responded, "those 800 Karma Points were awarded because those eight bandits were originally supposed to die at your hands. By merely immobilizing them, you altered their fate."
"Oh, so that's it!" Monkey King nodded in realization. Then he asked, "What if I kill them now?"
"It would deduct double the Karma Points—1,600 points."
"Uh…"
Monkey King fell silent. It seemed better to let Tripitaka handle them with his preaching. If that didn't work, he'd just go through the hassle of delivering them to the nearest jail, and what happened to them after that would be none of his business!
No way was he going to give back the Karma Points he'd already earned. Absolutely no chance.
"Well, let's check out the system's shop. I need to exchange for something useful; staying stuck at my current level isn't ideal."
Switching to the shop interface, the first item he saw was the Pangu Axe, listed with a staggering number of zeros, which immediately made his heart ache.
"Hey, system, I know your fancy, but can't you just show me things I can afford? Being able to see but not buy is just cruel!"
The system, ever attentive, adjusted the display to only show items within his budget.
"Much better!" Monkey King was satisfied at first, but his excitement quickly faded.
The most powerful artifact he could afford was a lowly post-Heaven Treasure, which wasn't even as good as his Ruyi Jingu Bang. He immediately lost interest.
As for defensive items, with his body being as tough as a Post-Heaven Spiritual Treasure, he certainly didn't need any extra armor. None of the available items in the shop compared to what he already had.
The selection of immortal arts was equally unimpressive. Compared to the skills he'd mastered, these were pitiful, and there were no new divine powers or secret techniques worth considering. He swiftly dismissed them.
As for natural treasures, only the Innate Spiritual Roots were appealing, but with just over a million Karma Points, trying to exchange for one of those was nothing more than a pipe dream.
"System, why don't you recommend something for me? I need to focus on a breakthrough," Monkey King admitted, resigning himself to his lack of resources.
Ultimately, it all came down to one word: poor. Clearly, he'd need to milk his walking ATM for more Karma Points!
Tripitaka, deep in his preaching, suddenly shivered, glancing around in confusion, yet he found nothing amiss. After scratching his head in puzzlement, he resumed his fervent lecture.
"Ding! Heaven-Sealing Formation: As the name suggests, this formation can seal the heavens and hide all auras—even the Heavenly Dao cannot penetrate it. Exchange value: 1,000,000 Karma Points."
This was exactly what he needed right now! Monkey King's eyes lit up.
But the price... Monkey King winced.
One life of Tripitaka, traded for one formation.
Wait, had Tripitaka just turned into a unit of measurement?
Gritting his teeth, Monkey King made his decision: he'd exchange for it. Worst case, he could always squeeze more points out of Tripitaka later!
"Ding! Congratulations, host. The Heaven-Sealing Formation has been successfully exchanged!"
Monkey King closed the system shop. Until he found another way to "dispose" of Tripitaka, there was no further use for the shop.
He already had a plan for when to use the formation—right when Bodhisattva Guanyin came to deliver the Golden Headband. That would give him ample time to break through.
With his business settled, Monkey King was about to check on the progress of his late-night meal when he noticed the old farmer and his wife staring at him with terrified expressions.
Monkey King was puzzled. With everything under control, why were they still so frightened?
"Old man, what's the matter?" Monkey King asked, perplexed.
"G-great Immortal… your master…" The old farmer stammered, unable to finish his sentence.
Curious, Monkey King turned to look at Tripitaka, who was still preaching without any apparent problem. Why were they reacting like this?
After watching for a while, Monkey King finally realized what was amiss.
Tripitaka's mouth… it just wouldn't stop!
Monkey King had been listening, and not a single word was repeated. The man was not only delivering an unbroken sermon but seemed to be doing so with an almost manic enthusiasm!
It seemed he had somehow unlocked Tripitaka's hidden "chatterbox" trait!
This wasn't normal. Monkey King had been with him all day and hadn't seen him behave like this. Did the chatterbox trait require certain conditions to be activated?
Unable to make sense of it, Monkey King asked the old farmer to bring over the stewed chicken. He planned to enjoy his meal while observing Tripitaka's condition.
Tripitaka, on the other hand, was in high spirits.
Despite being a high monk, back in Chang'an, his preaching was limited to formal sermons, usually attended by one very specific audience: Emperor Taizong, Li Shimin.
And he certainly didn't dare prattle on in front of the emperor—Li Shimin would put him in his place fast! So, while he was nominally an imperial monk, it only meant he held some prestige in the eyes of commoners. In the emperor's presence, he was still a junior.
Now, however, things were different. His devoted disciple, Monkey King, had immobilized these bandits and given him free rein to lecture them, with the added bonus of earning merit!
Even if his preaching failed, Monkey King would just hand them over to the authorities. Moreover, the bandits were frozen in place and couldn't argue back. Tripitaka could say whatever he wanted without fear of contradiction.
Freed from all restraint, Tripitaka was elated.
This disciple was simply too wonderful. Tathagata and Bodhisattva Guanyin deserved all the credit for sending him!
As he continued, a strange aroma wafted into his nose…
This book comes from：m.funovel.com。