“Wuliang Tianzun, this humble one did indeed choose these two stone materials, and did not expect to disturb the immortal maiden.” Ye Fan recited a Daoist mantra and performed a Daoist greeting.

The Jade Pool Immortal Maiden returned the courtesy gracefully, mist and wind swirling around her, her white robes fluttering. Her full head of black hair flowed down like rippling water, smooth and glossy, gleaming with points of light.

Around her, flower petals drifted down in a gentle rain—rare blossoms, exotic stamens, jade-like leaves, glittering and translucent, as if carved from colorful gems, yet exuding a fragrance like orchid and musk.

Wrapped in the falling flowers, her entire figure was hazy and magnificent, stirring the hearts of all who saw her.

Her skin had the texture of a newborn infant’s, smooth and delicate, rosy and fair, glistening and sparkling. Her slender figure was astonishing—her narrow waist was not merely thin but rounded and supple, and when she swayed gently, it moved like the waist of a beautiful serpent-woman, captivating and alluring.

Her long legs were slender, straight, and light, as if they were the painstaking masterpiece of heaven itself. As she swayed, her proud figure was set off to breathtaking effect, making all flowers lose their color by comparison.

Her lotus steps were graceful. Beneath her trailing long skirt, her jade-white feet appeared and disappeared from view, seemingly untouched by shoes, her toes glistening and flawless, with points of jade light flickering.

Unfortunately, one could only catch the briefest glimpse before it vanished again—a halo of light rose from beneath her feet, transforming into immortal flowers that cradled her jade feet, each step producing a blossom, each step radiating charm without limit, beauty at its very peak.

What was most regrettable was that no matter how one looked, her face could not be seen clearly, could not be seen through—an immortal aura drifted like a hazy veil, blocking her countenance.

Even so, though her immortal beauty was not fully shown, her jade-like figure half-hidden, her charm was still boundless, making people sigh that in this vast world, in this mortal realm of red dust, there could still exist such a captivating woman.

This was the first time Ye Fan had been in close proximity to the Jade Pool Holy Maiden. A faint fragrance drifted from her toward him, intoxicatingly sweet, and he could not help but take a deep breath.

This small motion naturally did not escape the Jade Pool Holy Maiden’s notice. She lightly stepped back a few paces and said, “Daoist Priest, what basis do you have for choosing these two stone materials?”

The people around were astonished—could it be that this “unreliable” young Daoist had actually spoken the truth? Why had the Jade Pool Holy Maiden come in person? She rarely appeared before others.

“This humble one merely went by intuition, feeling faintly that these two stones made my qi and blood stir, difficult to calm.” Ye Fan revealed only a small portion of what Wang Shu and Er Lengzi had sensed.

Even a formidable enemy like the Yaoguang Holy Maiden had not been able to recognize him—proof that the Heaven-Reversing Technique was nearing completion. He could now show himself before the Jade Pool Holy Maiden without worry, and even if he went to the Jade Pool itself in the future, he need not fear exposure.

“Oh, such a thing actually happened…” The Jade Pool Holy Maiden nodded, offering no further comment.

Then she turned toward the Prince of Great Xia and said, “Has Your Highness discerned anything? Have you chosen your stone material?”

The Prince of Great Xia carried himself with imposing bearing, nine strands of dragon qi coiling around his body as if a god had descended to earth, his stride commanding. Hearing her question, he nodded and said, “I too have chosen two stones.”

He pointed to the largest one, weighing over two thousand jin, then patted a stone weighing over a hundred jin in front of him.

“Your Highness truly possesses discerning eyes—one of them has already been confirmed to contain a divine spirit within.” The Jade Pool Holy Maiden smiled and nodded.

The Prince of Great Xia was quite modest. “Mere luck. The Imperial Dao Dragon Qi I cultivate has an innate ability to sense certain special sources.”

“The Grand Emperor Sutra is worthy of its name as one of the four strongest ancient sutras in the Central Continent—it truly possesses uncanny, unfathomable power. Yet Your Highness is also a genius of extraordinary brilliance; otherwise how could you have grasped the profound mysteries of an ancient sutra? As far as I know, this sutra cannot be learned by just anyone—only a peerless genius could achieve mastery of it.” The Jade Pool Holy Maiden’s red lips parted slightly, her voice pleasant, like a beautiful melody being played.

All around, others who heard this were moved, discussing animatedly.

“The Grand Emperor Sutra is the most renowned ancient sutra in the Central Continent, its power incomparable, earth-shaking beyond imagination—especially its offensive strength, said to be able to break through all methods in the world.”

“One of the four great wonder-texts of the Central Continent, naturally beyond comparison—a supreme scripture rare since ancient times, one that only extraordinary talents can cultivate, demanding the utmost in innate gift. This Prince of Great Xia is unfathomably deep—his true strength cannot be predicted. Among his generation, few could likely stand shoulder to shoulder with him.”

Through the discussions of those present, even those unfamiliar with this ancient sutra came to learn just how formidable it was.

A young man, still somewhat puzzled, said, “Is the Grand Emperor Sutra really so mysterious and powerful? That the Imperial Dao Dragon Qi could sense a source—isn’t that a bit too incredible?”

An old man, both a stone gambler and a cultivator, who appeared to hold no ordinary status, said, “If you knew the origins of the Grand Emperor Sutra, you wouldn’t have such doubts. Its emergence was quite strange, and there are many different legends about it.”

“Is the origin of the Grand Emperor Sutra really that mysterious?” the young man asked.

In fact, the vast majority of people did not know, and all turned to look at the old man, waiting for his explanation.

Ye Fan was no exception. He himself cultivated the Battle Sage Technique, said to be a supreme offensive secret art possessing inconceivable combat power. At this moment, hearing that the Grand Emperor Sutra was incomparable in offensive power, said to be able to break through ten thousand methods, naturally caught his attention.

He had a feeling that the offensive secret art within the Grand Emperor Sutra might well be a match for the Battle Sage Technique. Which of the two was stronger or weaker would likely have to be proven by a contest in the future.

This was not something his will could change—rather, it was that such extreme offensive secret arts would inevitably have to be settled against one another someday, to determine which was truly the strongest.

“There is a saying that the Grand Emperor Sutra was unearthed from underground, extracted from a source—the most mysterious of ancient sutras.” As soon as the old man spoke these words, everyone was shocked.

“That’s far too fantastical—it’s really hard to believe.”

“Taken from within a source—it’s only natural that it would have some resonance with a few special sources.”

“The Great Xia Imperial Dynasty has never admitted it was taken from a source stone. They claim it was created by the first ancient emperor of the immortal Great Xia Dynasty.” Beside him, another old man spoke up. “As for what its true origin actually is, outsiders cannot truly know.”

At this, everyone turned to look at the Prince of Great Xia. His expression remained calm, showing no reaction whatsoever.

At this moment, on the other side, the Yaoguang Holy Son had also finished selecting his stone material and was conversing with the Jade Pool Holy Maiden.

Yaoguang and Jade Pool had grown quite close recently, and were soon to travel together outside the Taichu Ancient Mine to transport a batch of mysterious stone materials.

“I have received my master’s command—the nine stones will no longer be displayed. This event has come to a complete end.” The Jade Pool Holy Maiden suddenly announced this news.

“This… we haven’t yet had our chance to truly show our skill. How can it end so hastily?” Someone was displeased.

“Indeed, we traveled a thousand miles to stand here—how can you let us down like this?” Many people pleaded for an extension.

The Jade Pool Holy Maiden’s voice echoed like an immortal melody, clearly reaching every corner.

“Everyone still has their chance. Choose a stone and state your reasoning—if it is sound, my Jade Pool will offer generous reward.”

Only then did the crowd relax, stepping forward one after another, with dedicated Jade Pool disciples assigned to record their reasoning.

Just then, the Jade Pool Immortal Maiden invited the Prince of Great Xia and the Yaoguang Holy Son to another area, saying, “Your Highness, Holy Son, this way please. There are a few more stones here—please take a look.”

“Your Highness, it’s been a long time. How have you been?” Tu Fei called out with a smile, greeting the Prince of Great Xia.

On this side, Wu Zhongtian, Li Heishui, Liu Kou, and Jiang Huairen were all present—they had actually received invitations, and were here viewing the other stone materials.

The Prince of Great Xia responded politely. Though the Yaoguang Holy Son was a mortal enemy to them, he too maintained a spring-breeze smile, unwilling to cause a scene on Jade Pool’s territory.

Besides them, there were another thirty or so people. The Jade Pool Immortal Maiden had traveled through many cities across the Northern Region, and many people had passed the trial of the nine stones. Some had continued to follow along, while others would enter the Jade Pool Sacred Ground in the near future.

That a few small bandits were among the invited caused some surprise, though on reflection it made sense—among the great sacred grounds, the Jade Pool handled its relationships with all parties very well. They stayed out of conflicts, and even the Thirteen Great Bandits had never plundered them.

At this moment, if anyone was most surprised, it was Ye Fan—he had not expected that after choosing those two stones, he would not receive an invitation.

Just as he was puzzled, Yao Xi walked up with a charming smile and said, “I’m here on behalf of my Jade Pool sister to invite you. She said not to leave—she’ll send for you shortly.”

Ye Fan nodded upon hearing this, setting his mind at ease. He had not expected that today would be the Jade Pool Immortal Maiden’s final display of the nine stones—if he missed it, he would lose the opportunity.

Nearby, the little nun in white, untouched by worldly dust, happened to glance curiously in his direction.

Ye Fan smiled kindly and said, “Little Master, I have a few Buddhist artifacts here—would you care to take a look?”

Ye Fan promptly took out a vajra pestle. Though it had already been broken in half, it still appeared ancient and dignified, giving off an extraordinary feeling, as if a Buddha’s clenched fist hung suspended in the air.

Yao Xi, standing right beside Ye Fan, immediately showed a look of astonishment. She sensed this object was no ordinary thing—though damaged, one could still feel the remnant Dao charm lingering within it, clearly from an extraordinary origin.

Not far off, the white-robed little nun’s large eyes instantly went wide, an odd expression crossing her face. She opened her mouth as if to ask something, even seeming to want to walk over.

But the guards beside her kept her confined to the center, clearly under orders from the Prince of Great Xia—she was not permitted to approach.

“What is this?” the Yaoguang Holy Maiden asked.

“I don’t know what it is either. It seems to be an ancient Buddhist artifact. The Great Xia Princess would surely be able to appraise it—Immortal Maiden, could you invite her over?”

Yao Xi smiled faintly. “You want me to lure the Great Xia Princess over here? Daoist Priest, you really do have quite the scheme.”

While chatting pleasantly with Yao Xi, Ye Fan took out an intact ancient lamp and gently shook it in the direction of the white-robed little nun.

The Great Xia Princess’s beautiful eyes widened again, her small mouth parting slightly. She spoke in a low voice to the guard captain beside her, as if wanting to come over.

“What exactly is this?” The Yaoguang Holy Maiden was moved. Though the ancient lamp was extinguished, mottled with green rust, she could sense an even more extraordinary aura from it.

“Immortal Maiden, why don’t you go bring the Great Xia Princess over? She’ll surely be able to recognize it, and perhaps she can tell us the origin of these artifacts.” Ye Fan’s expression turned solemn. “It might even lead back to matters concerning Tathagata and Shakyamuni.”

“Shakyamuni?!” Yao Xi was startled. There was so much she did not understand—this was the first time she had heard the name Tathagata today. Judging from the reactions of the Prince of Great Xia and the Yaoguang Holy Son, this was clearly no ordinary, terrifying figure.

A gap of over two thousand years in history had occurred because of Tathagata, erased and expunged by someone. As this suspicion arose in her heart, she felt an urgent desire to know everything about it.

“Tathagata…”

To make the prince of an immortal, ancient dynasty so wary—what kind of origin did this figure have, and what standing did Shakyamuni hold within Buddhism?

The Yaoguang Holy Maiden pondered briefly, then smiled and said, “It wouldn’t be right for me to lure the Great Xia Princess out. Why don’t we go over together instead? We can converse with her in detail.”

“Good!” Ye Fan could not have asked for more. He held the vajra pestle in his left hand and carried the bronze ancient lamp in his right, striding forward.

In truth, he very much wanted to pull out the Great Thunder Sound Temple’s bronze plaque directly, but did not dare do so. This plaque might seem like nothing to ordinary people, but in the eyes of a Buddhist expert, it would be no different from a world-shaking thunderclap, capable of piercing through the heavens.

He believed that if someone within Buddhism understood this and recognized the miraculous nature of the Great Thunder Sound Temple plaque, the storm it would stir up would be boundless.

The Great Thunder Sound Temple was said in Buddhist legend to be a fundamental, sacred site—it was hard to imagine what kind of upheaval such a plaque’s appearance would cause within Buddhism.

“Halt!” The Great Xia guards eyed Ye Fan as if guarding against a wolf.

The Yaoguang Holy Maiden smiled sweetly and walked forward, a beauty capable of toppling nations, like a jade tree blossoming with immortal flowers, like warm jade radiating gentle mist. Whatever was said of fish sinking and geese falling, of the moon hiding and flowers shaming themselves, of beauty that could topple cities and nations—all would pale before her.

Indeed, the charm of a peerless beauty knew no bounds. With just a few soft words to the guards, permission was granted, and the two were allowed to pass through.

Of course, as for Ye Fan, this unscrupulous, silver-tongued Daoist, the guards still watched him as if guarding against a thief.

“Esteemed Princess…” Ye Fan offered a greeting.

The white-robed little nun ignored him, her large eyes darting about, repeatedly glancing at the pestle in his hand.

“Little Sister Nun, don’t you want to take a closer look?” Ye Fan asked with a gentle smile.

Beside them, the guard captain and the others all glared furiously.

“Watch your words!”

“How dare you show such disrespect to the Princess!”

These people could not help but be angered—they kept feeling as though Ye Fan was like a big bad wolf, eyeing a little white rabbit.

“Liar, it’s definitely fake!” Just then, the loli little nun spoke for the first time, her voice as pleasant as an oriole’s song.

“Genuine, no substitute—this is a relic left behind by Tathagata.” Ye Fan weighed the broken pestle in his hand.

“I… want to see it.” The white-robed little nun sounded somewhat lacking in confidence, a bit embarrassed.

Ye Fan handed it over casually, as if he did not think much of the vajra pestle at all.

“This is…” The little nun’s beautiful eyes widened, and she stammered slightly, “There really is… is a trace of Buddha’s aura.”

Beside them, a glimmer of spiritual light flashed briefly in the Yaoguang Holy Maiden’s beautiful eyes, then quickly faded.

“Which Buddha are you referring to?” Ye Fan asked, and quite naturally took the pestle back.

“The World-Honored One, of course.” The loli nun looked at him as if to say he was hopelessly ignorant.

“Is the World-Honored One Shakyamuni?” Ye Fan had finally gotten this chance, and naturally wanted to press for details.

“Who is Shakyamuni? I don’t know.” Her large eyes rolled about, appearing innocent and childlike, making it hard to tell whether she spoke the truth or not.

“Doesn’t your Buddha have a title or a name?”

“The Buddha is you, the Buddha is me. The Buddha said all beings in this world possess Buddha-nature and can become Buddha. He has no special name.” the little nun answered innocently.

“Oh!” At this point, she suddenly cried out in surprise. “These Buddhist artifacts of yours have demonic energy in them—they’re not from a true Buddha.”

“What are you talking about?” Ye Fan raised the pestle and the ancient lamp, saying, “These are clearly filled with a sacred, pure aura—how could there possibly be demonic power in them?”

“There clearly is.” She stretched out her small hand, gripping the two Buddhist artifacts, closed her eyes, and sensed carefully. “There’s the aura of a Buddhist traitor on these. Though his cultivation is profound beyond compare, he is not a true Buddha.”

Ye Fan let out a scoffing laugh. By the little nun’s account, wasn’t she saying Tathagata was a traitor to Buddhism? How could that possibly be!

“This is the aura left behind by Shakyamuni. Surely you’re not talking about him?”

“Ah, the greatest traitor to Buddhism!” The little nun jerked her hands back as if stung by a scorpion.

“You don’t even know who Shakyamuni is—how do you know he’s the greatest traitor?”

“But I can sense that this aura feels like that of a traitor.” The little nun pouted, puffing out her cheeks in frustration.

“Very well then, let me show you another good item.”

Ye Fan put away the pestle and the ancient lamp, and took out a prayer bead necklace strung from six Buddha relics, placing it on his own wrist.

The little nun’s eyes instantly went straight, unable to look away, and she grabbed hold of Ye Fan’s hand, refusing to let go.

“If the Princess wanted to see it, you could have just said so directly. But I do have a few questions I’d like to ask you…”

In the distance, Li Heishui’s eyeballs nearly popped out, sighing, “Sure enough, sure enough—he’s finally made a move on a nun.”

“What a beast, what a beast, such depraved taste, a nun of all things, a nun…” Tu Fei rubbed his hands together.

“I say, Your Highness, what’s wrong?” Jiang Huairen asked the Prince of Great Xia.

At this moment, it was hard for any trace of a smile to remain on the Prince of Great Xia’s face. Even in front of the Jade Pool Holy Maiden, he found it difficult to appear pleased.

They had only just left for a short while, and that unscrupulous little Daoist had already stuck himself on like a piece of plaster, daring to flirt with his, the Great Xia Prince’s, own sister—this was truly…

He had never encountered a Daoist priest like this before—one who clearly knew she was an imperial princess of an immortal dynasty, and yet still dared to strike up conversation.

“I…” The Prince of Great Xia opened his mouth, but found he had nothing to say.

Meanwhile, the white-robed little nun was in high spirits, gripping Ye Fan’s hand, turning the string of beads this way and that to examine it.

“This is… I sense the aura of the Buddha again—even more concentrated, as if the Buddha’s true form were right here. Quick, take it off and let me see.”

“Keep going—you mentioned Tathagata just now.” Ye Fan pressed her.

“Over two thousand years ago, there was someone named Tathagata who suddenly appeared in this world. I don’t know what he did, but afterward, everything about him vanished.” The little nun tilted her head, thinking. “Take off the beads, and I’ll be able to remember everything.”

Ye Fan was immediately delighted. “Alright.”

“Not a true Buddha—still the aura of a Buddhist traitor…” The little nun pouted, quite dissatisfied, as she examined the beads.

“What exactly did Shakyamuni do?” Ye Fan pressed further.

“His power was boundless, overflowing the heavens—he carved out Mount Sumeru…”