Jingxin took a deep breath, calming his turbulent heart, and said, “Uncle Master Duruo, are you saying that he…”

Duruo Jingang calmly replied, “Aside from not knowing why the Pagoda of Rebirth went with him, I can confirm it’s him.”

Warrior Monk Jingyuan said in a deep voice, “He, he still dares to roam the jianghu? Countless people want to kill him. He’s truly fearless.”

The monks from the Western Regions were visibly excited. Even a Zen master like Jingxin had almost lost control of his emotions earlier.

The monks of the Three Flower Temple were confused. Abbot Panlong glanced at Jingxin and Jingyuan, then at the Dharma Protector Vajra, and asked:

“Elder Brother Duruo seems to have recognized this person?”

Duruo Jingang didn’t answer, but spoke in a low voice, “Everyone, leave. Do not come near.”

The monks exchanged glances, silently stood up, bowed with palms together, and left the meditation room.

After everyone had left, Duruo Jingang took out a bronze mirror with the fierce visage of a Vajra carved on its back from his kasaya and placed it on the meditation cushion beside him.

His lips moved, silently chanting a mantra. Soon, the bronze mirror emitted a soft golden light that shone on the beam above…

Within the golden light, a slightly illusory Dharma form sat cross-legged.

This Dharma form was entirely golden, without a beard, eyebrows, or hair, as if cast from gold. Its muscles were well-defined, exuding a sense of power.

As soon as it appeared, the room was filled with an aura of utmost strength and positivity, as heavy as a mountain, as vast as the ocean. This wasn’t a manifestation of power, but the significance symbolized by the Dharma form.

“Bodhisattva Calotropis!”

Duruo Jingang put his palms together and bowed slightly in salutation.

Calotropis is the foremost of the four great Bodhisattvas.

Master of the Vajra Dharma form and the Immovable Wisdom King Dharma form, the Buddhist sect’s number one combat strength.

The Vajra Divine Skill, known for its unparalleled defense, is a simplified version of the Vajra Dharma form.

“What is it?”

Though the Dharma form didn’t open its mouth, a distant and majestic voice echoed in the void.

“The Buddha’s Son has appeared. How should we proceed?”

Duruo Jingang recounted the struggle for the dragon essence and the theft of the Pagoda of Rebirth in detail.

The Vajra Dharma form frowned for a while, then slowly said, “Call me again in a quarter of an hour.”

With that, the Vajra Dharma form dissipated.

A quarter of an hour later… Duruo Jingang knew that Bodhisattva Calotropis was convening the Buddhist leadership to discuss this matter.

In the Holy Mountain of Arantha, setting aside the Law and Compassion Bodhisattva who had been missing for over three hundred years, there were currently two Arhats, two Vajras, and three Bodhisattvas. Among them, two Vajras and one Arhat firmly supported Bodhisattva Calotropis and the Hinayana Buddhist doctrine.

Bodhisattva Guangxian and ArhatDue advocated abandoning Hinayana and practicing Mahayana.

Bodhisattva Liuli belonged to the neutral faction but leaned more towards Mahayana Buddhism. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have personally gone to Great Feng that day, attempting to bring the Buddha’s Son back to Arantha.

…

“Amitabha!”

Outside, Abbot Panlong asked in confusion, “Nephew Jingxin, does this Xu Qian have another identity?”

He knew Xu Qian wasn’t simple, but he didn’t know what hidden identity he possessed. Based on the conversation between Jingxin and the others just now, it seemed they had figured out Xu Qian’s true identity.

Abbot Panlong had noticed the loss of composure from Jingxin and Jingyuan earlier.

An ordinary person wouldn’t be able to cause such a reaction from two Fourth-Grade experts, let alone make Duruo Jingang dismiss everyone.

Jingyuan snorted, “Who else could it be? Xu Qian is Xu Qi’an.”

Xu, Xu Qi’an… Abbot Panlong felt as if thunderbolts were striking his head one after another. His expression changed repeatedly, and it took him a while to regain his composure. He put his palms together and chanted the Buddha’s name several times.

After completely calming down, he said in a deep voice, “How can you be sure? Rumors say that Xu Qi’an is already a Third-Grade Martial Artist. If it’s him, then in the Pagoda of Rebirth…”

Jingxin shook his head, “Abbot, you don’t know. When Xu Qi’an was struck by the Demon Sealing Nail, all his earth-shattering cultivation was sealed. He should have been rendered useless. We didn’t expect him to turn to insect techniques.”

This explanation makes sense, Abbot Panlong murmured, “No wonder, no wonder Duruo Jingang said he was useless.”

He didn’t know about the Demon Sealing Nail.

After completely calming his emotions, Abbot Panlong asked again, “Just now, Duruo Jingang was…”

Jingxin said, “You must have heard about the dispute in Arantha, Abbot.”

Abbot Panlong nodded, “It was this very person who proposed the concept of Mahayana Buddhism.”

The Buddhist sect is different from the Taoist sect. Taoist concepts are closely related to their cultivation methods.

Buddhism is more idealistic.

In the view of some Buddhists, the Mahayana Buddhist concept proposed by Xu Qi’an pushed the entire Buddhist doctrine up to a higher level.

Mahayana Buddhism is more suitable for spreading the faith, and far more promising than Hinayana Buddhism.

Jingxin said, “This person is the founder of Mahayana Buddhism, with deep karmic ties to the Buddhist sect. If he could convert to Buddhism, the prosperity of Buddhism would be heaven’s will.”

Moreover, this person carries half of Great Feng’s national fortune.

…

Inside the meditation room, within the golden beam of light emitted by the bronze mirror, the Vajra Dharma form condensed once again.

A majestic and solemn voice echoed in the meditation room:

“Arhat Duqing and Vajra Dufan will lead the disciples to the Central Plains to capture the Buddha’s Son and convert him to Buddhism. You shall assist from the side. You must bring back the Buddha’s Son. Whether Buddhism can spread its light across the Nine States depends on whether the Buddha’s Son can be converted to Buddhism.

“Anyone who hinders your efforts to enlighten the Buddha’s Son may be killed.”

As expected… Duruo Jingang had guessed this outcome. He put his palms together: “I will respectfully follow the Dharma instructions.”

After a pause, he asked, “What about Jian Zheng…”

“Someone will deal with him. You need not worry.”

“Understood.”

“This matter must not be disclosed or leaked.”

With that, the Vajra Dharma form dissipated.

Must not be disclosed or leaked, Xu Qian is still Xu Qian… Duruo Jingang put his palms together and bowed deeply.

…

Inside the Pagoda of Rebirth, Xu Qi’an summoned the Holy Son of the Heavenly Sect and said:

“The soul of Hengyin, the head monk of the Three Flower Temple, is still here. Summon him, I want to question his spirit.”

“Why summon him? I’ve finally accumulated some soul power, it shouldn’t be wasted…” Li Lingsu reluctantly made hand seals and muttered incantations.

Summoning souls is an ability possessed by Sixth-Grade Yin Spirit realm cultivators. Although his cultivation was sealed, his grade remained the same. Li Lingsu was still in Fourth Grade, just unable to exert too much power.

This was different from Xu Qi’an, after all, Dong Fangwanrong’s sealing technique couldn’t compare to the Buddhist sect’s supreme treasure, the Demon Sealing Nail.

As the soul summoning incantation was chanted, a great wind arose on the third floor, and a faint figure appeared, with a blank expression and a plump, round face. It was Hengyin.

Xu Qi’an nodded with satisfaction: “Step aside for a moment.”

Li Lingsu didn’t think much of it and turned to walk towards the second floor. When he reached the stairs, he realized no one else had moved. He suddenly came to his senses:

“Am I the only one stepping aside?”

“Who else?” Xu Qi’an glanced at him.

“You’re not treating me as one of your own!” Li Lingsu glared.

Bah, men most fear being considered comrades. I’m different from you, you scoundrel… Xu Qi’an waved his hand, sending him off to the second floor.

After the sound of footsteps on the stairs gradually faded away, Xu Qi’an looked at Hengyin and asked:

“Did Duruo Jingang and the others come for the dragon essence?”

Hengyin answered with a wooden expression: “Yes.”

“How did they discover the dragon essence?”

“Many days ago, the Abbot saw a dragon shadow coming from the distant sky, merging into the Pagoda of Rebirth. He investigated without results, so he reported this to the Holy Mountain of Arantha,” Hengyin replied in a hollow tone, matching his blank expression.

Xu Qi’an nodded and asked again, “Does the Buddhist sect also want to seize the dragon essence?”

Hengyin stared straight ahead and mumbled:

“Duruo Jingang said that after seizing the dragon essence, they would walk through the Central Plains and convert the host of the dragon essence to Buddhism.”

Converting the host of the dragon essence to Buddhism, these bald donkeys have sinister intentions… Xu Qi’an’s heart sank. After asking a few more detailed questions, he called Li Lingsu back and dispersed Hengyin’s soul.

“Jian Zheng once said that obtaining the dragon essence gives one the qualification to compete for the world. Xu Pingfeng wants the dragon essence, the Witch God Cult wants it, and now the Buddhist sect wants it too. I have quite a few opponents. Hmm, looking at it differently, they’re all competitors to each other as well.

“They don’t have an effective way to extract the dragon essence, but they can ‘recruit’ the host of the dragon essence into their respective factions, which achieves the same effect. The downside is that when I deal with them, I can use underhanded methods to snatch people, catching them off guard.

“We don’t need to worry about the scattered dragon essence, but the nine crucial dragon essences must be obtained. I’ve already collected one.”

Xu Qi’an immediately formulated a plan, postponing the task of unsealing Shensu to focus on securing the dragon essence first.

After all, there were too few clues about Shensu’s remains, and searching for them one by one would be like looking for a needle in a haystack.

But he urgently needed strength to deal with his enemies, so cultivating insects would be less difficult and more feasible than searching for Shensu’s remains.

Thinking of this, he couldn’t help but look at the pagoda spirit, the old monk, and was reminded of the Law and Compassion Bodhisattva which had been missing for over three hundred years. The Buddhist amulet must have fallen into my hands by chance, right?

I don’t believe all this was within the Law and Compassion Bodhisattva’s predictions.

No, I can’t think like that. I once thought Jian Zheng couldn’t have predicted everything, but the facts proved me wrong.

Jian Zheng could achieve this level because of the uniqueness of the Fate Master, it’s a professional skill.

But that Law and Compassion Bodhisattva controlled the Great Wisdom Dharma form… Before fully understanding the abilities of the Great Wisdom Dharma form, I shouldn’t jump to conclusions.

I wonder if the pagoda spirit can unlock the Demon Sealing Nail. Hmm, I can’t ask directly, I should probe first.

He then looked at Sun Xuanji and said, “Second Senior Brother, take them to the second floor.”

“Alright!”

Sun Xuanji stomped his foot, and a teleportation array enveloped Mu Nanchi and Li Lingsu, making them disappear from the third floor.

Xu Qi’an put his palms together and bowed to the pagoda spirit, the old monk: “Master, do you know who I am?”

The old monk smiled and said, “I’ve heard many rumors about you at the Three Flower Temple.”

And I thought you were oblivious to the outside world… Xu Qi’an asked in return, “What rumors?”

Li Shaoyun had said that this monk possessed an uncanny ability with numbers and high intelligence. Xu Qi’an was afraid of being tricked, so he sought confirmation.

The old monk spoke frankly: “You patrons were the first to walk to the Buddha statue. I assume it’s because of Mahayana Buddhism.”

He indeed knows my identity… Xu Qi’an smiled and said, “Master, have you heard of the Demon Sealing Nail?”

“Legend has it that when Buddha was spreading his teachings in the Western Regions, he encountered obstruction from the Asura clan. Later, most of the Asura clan was moved by Buddha and converted to Buddhism.”

Was it being moved, or was it brainwashing? Xu Qi’an inwardly criticized.

“But the Asura King was unyielding. Even Buddha couldn’t persuade him, so he used the Demon Sealing Nail to seal him and suppress him in Arantha for forty-nine years before refining him,” the pagoda spirit said.

Xu Qi’an exclaimed at the expert knowledge and asked:

“Have you ever seen the Demon Sealing Nail? Do you know how to use it?”

The old monk shook his head: “Patron, this poor monk is merely a pagoda spirit.”

What does that mean… Xu Qi’an’s expression stiffened slightly.

“A pagoda spirit cannot cultivate. This poor monk is essentially the consciousness born from this Pagoda of Rebirth, different from ordinary living beings. My abilities come from my master’s refinement.”

This means that the pagoda spirit’s abilities are fixed. Whatever abilities the Pagoda of Rebirth has, the Pagoda spirit has the same. It can’t cultivate spells like normal people, nor can it use spells that the magical artifact doesn’t possess… So, does that mean my Taiping Blade will only know how to cut people in the future? As expected of a Martial Artist’s magical artifact, truly crude… I’ll only believe half of what the old monk says. I’ll ask Second Senior Brother later, he’s an occultist, and no one understands magical artifacts better than him.

Not getting the answer he expected, but not having had high hopes to begin with, Xu Qi’an didn’t dwell on the matter of the Demon Sealing Nail. Instead, he pointed at Shensu’s severed arm and said:

“Master, can I communicate with him?”

The pagoda spirit, the old monk, pondered for a moment and said: “You may!”

Xu Qi’an immediately took out the bracelet, walked to the edge of the formation, and shook it. The bell sound was clear and melodious.

The index finger of Shensu’s left arm moved slightly.

“Ding ding ding…”

The bell sound became more intense, and the fingers of the left arm moved faster. Soon, a strong wave of malice arose, enveloping the entire third floor.

This almost tangible malice made Xu Qi’an’s heart race as if he were surrounded by a pack of wolves, being stared at by green eyes ready to devour him, without a shred of a sense of safety.

“Shensu?”

Xu Qi’an probed.

He could openly mention Shensu in front of the pagoda spirit for two reasons. First, the Buddhist sect already knew that Shensu was within him; this secret, like his fate, had already been exposed.

Second, his previous attempt to unseal Shensu had been completely exposed to the pagoda spirit.

As Xu Qi’an uttered the name, a deep voice full of malice came from the arm:

“Who are you, to know my name?”

“Someone who happened to learn your name,” Xu Qi’an pondered for a moment and said, “I’ve come at someone’s request to ask you some things. The ankle bracelet is the token. Hmm, do you remember the owner of this ankle bracelet?”

“…I don’t remember.”

Shensu muttered. After a while, he said again: “I remember now. Come closer, I’ll tell you.”

Xu Qi’an’s expression remained unchanged: “Are you trying to trick me into coming closer so you can do something bad to me?”

“…” Shensu said grimly: “Little thing, you’re quite perceptive.”

Xu Qi’an had a sudden realization: “So you were planning to do something bad to me.”

“…”

Shensu didn’t speak again. A moment later, he suddenly became violent, using his fingers as feet, rushing left and right, the chains stretched taut.

“Let me out, let me out! Buddha, you treacherous villain!!”

The roar echoed within the space of the third floor, causing the entire pagoda to tremble slightly.

Xu Qi’an frowned, feeling his temples throbbing, as if the blood was about to burst through his blood vessels, his head aching terribly.

Enduring the headache, he shouted: “What did Buddha do to you back then? Explain clearly. Also, you know the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox from the Myriad Beast Kingdom, don’t you? What’s your relationship?”

But Shensu ignored him, continuing to curse Buddha frantically, shaking the Pagoda of Rebirth incessantly.

After about ten minutes, he finally calmed down and sighed lightly:

“You want to know? Come closer, I’ll tell you.”

“Why don’t you come out a bit?” Xu Qi’an pouted: “Do you know how long you’ve been trapped in the pagoda?”

Hearing this question, Shensu suppressed some of his malice and reflexively asked: “How long?”

Time was unknown within the pagoda.

Xu Qi’an said seriously: “It’s been five thousand years.”

Shensu was silent for a moment, then laughed softly: “You’re lying to me.”

His tone was very certain.

Huh, how can he be sure I’m lying? Time is unknown in the pagoda, he shouldn’t be able to tell I’m lying… Xu Qi’an frowned.

Shensu’s malicious voice, seemingly able to penetrate the soul, came through: “I naturally have ways to discern. I also know that it won’t be more than eight hundred years.”

Is eight hundred years some kind of reference value? Xu Qi’an said: “Indeed, you’ve been sealed in the Pagoda of Rebirth for five hundred years.”

“Five hundred years…”

Shensu’s tone became distant, as if somewhat dazed.

“Master Shensu, if you recognize the ankle bracelet, you should know that I’m someone trustworthy.”

After a pause, seeing that Shensu didn’t refute, Xu Qi’an pressed on: “Where are your other remains?”

Shensu asked: “You want to help me break the seal?”

Xu Qi’an couldn’t help but look at the pagoda spirit, seeing him sitting quietly, not paying attention to this side. He inwardly sighed in relief:

“Before that, I have another question. Do you know about the Demon Sealing Nail?”

“An artifact crafted by Buddha,” Shensu answered.

“Can you undo it?”

“Heh, that’s a trifling matter.”

Hearing this, joy flickered across Xu Qi’an’s face, but then he heard Shensu say: “Come closer, I’ll tell you.”

You… Xu Qi’an’s mouth twitched.

“Whatever your reason for asking about the Demon Sealing Nail, it’s none of my concern. If you break my seal, I’ll tell you the incantation to use the Demon Sealing Nail,” Shensu’s deep voice added.

If I break your seal, I’ll be done for… Moreover, this left arm belongs to an evil person like the Earth Sect leader. Who knows if he’s lying about knowing the control incantation for the Demon Sealing Nail…

Xu Qi’an didn’t dwell on this and returned to the main topic: “Where are your other body parts?”

Shensu’s severed arm laughed deeply: “There’s no need for such trouble. Just find my head, and I can break the seal myself.”

“Where is your head?” Xu Qi’an’s eyes lit up.

“Perhaps in Arantha. Heh, Buddha wouldn’t be at ease unless he suppressed my head. On this point, you can investigate. If Buddha has been in slumber since five hundred years ago, then my head must be in Arantha.”

Arantha, personally suppressed by Buddha… Xu Qi’an’s mind was filled with expletives. Only a Martial God could clear this dungeon, right? Even a First-Grade Martial Artist couldn’t do it.

Back then, even the half-step Martial God ruler of the Myriad Beast Kingdom died at Buddha’s hands.

If I had the strength to steamroll Arantha, would I need you?

“You said Buddha was a treacherous villain. What’s that about? And what’s your relationship with the Myriad Beast Kingdom?”

After speaking, he held his breath, ready to hear some extraordinary secrets.

“Little thing, with your level of cultivation, you’re not qualified to know about matters at this level. As for my relationship with the Myriad Beast Kingdom, I can’t remember clearly. You can investigate the truth about the Buddhist sect’s destruction of the Southern Beasts yourself.”

Shensu’s evil laughter suddenly turned hoarse: “Of course, if you break the seal and release me now, I’ll tell you.”

Goodbye!

Seeing that he couldn’t uncover more information, Xu Qi’an turned and left, putting his palms together to bow to the pagoda spirit: “Master, I’ve finished my questions.”

The pagoda spirit opened his eyes, nodded, and flicked out a beam of golden light with his finger.

Shensu’s left arm struggled but couldn’t resist falling into a deep slumber.

…

In the northwestern part of the Central Plains, Yuyang County is under the jurisdiction of Jing State.

Chu Yuanzhen sat on horseback, his saddlebag filled with bloody severed heads. To his left was the beautiful female Taoist Li Miaochen in her Taoist robe, and to his right was the grievance-filled Hengyuan.

Behind them followed the yamen runners of Yuyang County.

The yamen runners followed on foot, having given the county’s few horses to the three heroes to ride. They looked exhausted but excited.

The Evil Wolf Stronghold, which had been a scourge near Yuyang County for years, was finally eradicated. This was a joyous occasion worth celebrating.

The leader of the Evil Wolf Stronghold was a Spirit Refinement realm Martial Artist, extremely fierce, often raiding villages and towns within the county and robbing passing merchant caravans. Successive county magistrates had been unable to deal with the Evil Wolf Stronghold.

Until a few days ago, when the legendary Flying Swallow Heroine came to the county with her two companions.

The Flying Swallow Heroine truly lived up to her famous reputation as a great hero. As soon as she heard about the nearby mountain bandits causing trouble, she immediately went to the county magistrate and volunteered to eliminate them.

In just half a day, the Evil Wolf Stronghold that had plagued Yuyang County was annihilated. All two hundred mountain bandits were killed, leaving none alive.

Chu Yuanzhen looked at Hengyuan and said: “Weren’t we supposed to be out looking for Xu Qi’an, to help him collect dragon essence? Why are we suddenly being led around by Li Miaochen to eliminate evil everywhere?”

Hengyuan was stunned: “Amitabha, this poor monk doesn’t know either.”

Li Miaochen’s beautiful brows furrowed slightly: “Isn’t it good to uphold justice and eliminate evil? That dog Xu Qi’an deliberately ignored our messages, clearly not wanting to meet up with us. Fine then, he can go his way, and I’ll go mine.”

Chu Yuanzhen shook his head: “Your reputation is too big. Going with him would expose his identity. What if his father finds out?”

The three went to the yamen to hand over the heads and collect the reward. Li Miaochen said: “Let’s exchange the silver for grain and distribute porridge in the city.”

“…” Chu Yuanzhen’s mouth twitched: “Miaochen, I think I need a new pair of boots.”

Li Miaochen was about to speak when her gaze suddenly focused on the wall of an inn on the street, where a simple drawing of a nine-petaled lotus was sketched.

“This is our Heavenly Sect’s secret communication symbol.”

Li Miaochen’s eyes flashed, and she pouted: “You two, you’ll be able to see Number Seven soon. Heh, this guy escaped from the Eastern sisters?”

Number Seven?!

Hengyuan and Chu Yuanzhen looked at each other in bewilderment.