Since emerging from the Extreme Ice Abyss until now, a full two years had passed, and this was the first time Zanxing had encountered such a formidable opponent.

This stone carving truly possessed some kind of magic. The moment she touched it, her entire body seemed unable to move, and she couldn’t let go either. The black long horn was sharp as a sword, seemingly glowing with a ghostly luster as it thrust straight toward her throat.

At this critical moment, Zanxing suddenly circulated her yuanli. An azure mark quietly bloomed from her forehead, and the awakened Heavenly Demon power caused the Xiezhi’s movements to hesitate for an instant. In that split second, Zanxing exerted force with her wrist, gripping the horn tightly to prevent it from advancing further.

One drop, two drops, three drops—bright red blood flowed down from the horn along her palm, seeping into the dark-colored soil.

To outside observers, only an instant had passed.

In those black, cold eyes, a trace of bewilderment seemed to appear. The next moment, an earth-shaking roar erupted as the silver giant lion leaped forward, striking the stone carving at the entrance with its paw.

The lion’s paw contained violent yuanli that came crashing down like an overwhelming mountain, the stirred dust nearly obscuring everyone’s vision.

The stone carving remained completely motionless, standing quietly in place, not swayed even a fraction by the giant beast’s massive paw.

Yet Zanxing could see that in those black eyes, a flash of fear seemed to flicker past.

She frowned slightly, and before she could think it through, she saw the Xiezhi’s eyes suddenly blink. The next moment, a dazzling white light surged before her. She raised her head, and a delighted voice came from beside her: “Junior Sister, you’ve entered too!”

The surroundings no longer contained the white pagoda and statues. This was a huge circular hall. Tian Fangfang and the others stood beside her. Meng Ying breathed a slight sigh of relief, and Mu Cengxiao laughed: “Seeing that you delayed entering for so long, we thought something had happened to you. Senior Sister was worried.”

Meng Ying nodded lightly at Zanxing, and Tian Fangfang hurriedly added, “Master Uncle too!”

Zanxing looked toward Gu Baiying nearby. The young man was holding his Embroidered Bone Spear, leaning against the stone wall with a furrowed brow as he watched Zanxing. When he saw Zanxing looking over, he immediately turned his head away, averting his gaze and walking further inside.

Zanxing smiled slightly, then suddenly remembered something and hurriedly used a transmission talisman to speak to Xiao Shuang outside: “Xiao Shuang, I’ve already entered the pagoda. The Xiezhi statue is somewhat strange—don’t enter for now.”

She wondered to herself: though she was of the demon race, she hadn’t done a single bad thing, so how could she be “guilty”? The Xiezhi had intended to kill her just now. If Zanxing hadn’t used her Heavenly Demon bloodline to resist at that moment, and if Mimi hadn’t noticed something wrong and rushed forward, her fate might have been the same as Gao Quan’s. That statue was extremely eerie—even she found it troublesome, so Baigu Fu and the others would be no match for it.

It was better not to act rashly.

Soon, Xiao Shuang’s voice came back: “But Young Mistress, with you alone in the pagoda, what if…”

Zanxing glanced at Tian Fangfang and the others, her voice suddenly becoming cheerful: “Who says I’m alone in the pagoda?”

Her senior brothers, senior sisters, and master uncle were all here. Come to think of it, she had the most people on her side.

Xiao Shuang, outside, was stunned for a moment, seemingly still unwilling to give up. Zanxing said, “I feel this Buddhist pagoda isn’t quite right—perhaps it’s not an ordinary trial ground. It’s good that you’re outside; if anything changes, you can provide support. Oh, and help me take care of Mendong. The people in the Demon Suppression Army are mixed in quality, and I’m afraid he’ll suffer losses.”

“Yes, Young Mistress.” Xiao Shuang didn’t insist further, only asking: “However, Young Mistress, did Master Ming Jing also enter?”

Zanxing: “Hm?”

She was still wondering when she saw that from the center of the pagoda’s bottom floor, another person had somehow appeared. The gray-robed monk breathed a light sigh of relief upon seeing Zanxing and walked forward: “Young Mistress.”

“Master Ming Jing,” Zanxing looked at him with some puzzlement: “How did you enter as well?”

On the way here, Zanxing had already asked—Ming Jing had brought many cultivators to this pagoda before, but he had never stepped foot inside it. This person seemed uninterested in worldly matters, paying no attention to trials or rewards. Perhaps in Yushan, whether people from Siyou Kingdom or Liuquan Temple, most had a somewhat world-weary attitude. Things that ordinary people pursued frantically were less important to them than a single flower or blade of grass.

Therefore, Master Ming Jing following them into the pagoda was somewhat unexpected for Zanxing.

“Before you came, your mother sent me a letter asking me to take good care of you.” Ming Jing said flatly, “The Buddhist pagoda is dangerous, and you’re the only demon among them. I was worried.” When he said this, a trace of restrained compassion flashed in his eyes, like an elder looking at a junior who hadn’t yet grown up, making Zanxing break out in goosebumps.

A young Buddhist cultivator looking at her with such gentle, kindly eyes, though she knew this monk’s age might be greater than her grandfather’s, at this moment, it still made Zanxing feel uncomfortable all over. Ming Jing looked at her almost like looking at a daughter. What did this mean—did he want to be her stepfather? But the people wanting to be Zanxing’s stepfather could form a line from Heishi City to Gufeng Mountain, and Ming Jing’s… chances of success really weren’t very good.

While the two of them were whispering here, Gu Baiying’s gaze swept over, his brow furrowing. He coughed twice, struck his Embroidered Bone Spear heavily on the ground, turned around, and walked away.

Hearing the commotion, Zanxing said to Ming Jing, “Let’s go as well.”

The Five-Wheel Pagoda appeared massive from the outside, but inside it wasn’t very spacious. There were no stairs leading upward anywhere, only the circular hall. The stone walls on all four sides were covered with exquisite colored murals, all featuring patterns of lions, elephants, and peacocks.

Lions, elephants, and peacocks were auspicious beasts of the Buddhist realm, carrying meanings of good fortune. The Five-Wheel Pagoda was built by Master Jingshan, so these colored paintings naturally came from his hand as well. Zanxing felt a sense of solemnity just from one glance, realizing they must contain the power of natural laws—something ordinary cultivators couldn’t achieve.

She said to Ming Jing, “It seems this Master Jingshan had very profound cultivation.”

Ming Jing slightly lowered his eyes: “What made Master Jingshan most admirable wasn’t his cultivation level, but his moral character. Years ago, there was a drought in Duzhou, with countless starving people and tens of thousands of refugees. It was Master Jingshan who broadly bestowed kindness and saved countless common people. His immeasurable merit is sung in every household.”

Zanxing nodded: “I see.”

Just as they were speaking, Nie Xinghong’s amazed voice came from ahead: “What is this?”

Zanxing and Ming Jing walked forward, with Mimi following beside her.

In the center of the first floor’s hall stood a circular sand platform, and within the sand platform grew a single flower.

This flower had slender branches and leaves with brown vine patterns. The blossom hadn’t yet fully opened, swaying gently and fragilely within the white pagoda, immediately capturing everyone’s attention.

“This is…” Zanxing wondered.

Ming Jing spoke: “Winter honeysuckle.”

Everyone turned to look at him.

The monk explained softly: “Zifeng vine. Because of its strong adaptability and fearlessness of severe cold, it symbolizes the immortality of the soul and eternal rebirth in the Buddhist realm.”

Zanxing was about to ask more when she saw the delicate flower stem suddenly tremble. Immediately after, the slender petals stretched open toward her, as if blooming into a smile just for her.

The winter honeysuckle had blossomed.