“Creak!”

“Thud! Thud!”

The prison cell opened. Dunan and the Spirit Cat were thrown in.

The former had one side of his head completely bald, obviously scraped off by the stone slabs. The latter’s face was swollen all over, obviously beaten by Little Demon Fairy.

Zhao Doudou, who had just fallen asleep, heard the commotion and immediately shot up, then instinctively shrank into a corner, muttering quietly, “It’s not another spirit beast, is it!”

“Huff!”

Dunan struggled to get up, sat cross-legged, and said with difficulty, “If I don’t enter hell, who will?”

“You… you want to enter hell, can… can you not drag me along?” The Spirit Cat lay on the ground with a tearful expression, looking utterly despondent.

When coming up, it had thought the escape journey was about to begin again, but hadn’t expected they’d be captured and viciously abused by a little loli.

Although that feeling was, well, a tiny bit special, the pain it brought was still too much for its small body to bear!

Here we must give Dunan a thumbs up.

After Jun Changxiao purchased the sect protection formation, he was the first to sneak into Wangu Sect!

If it were anyone else, even knowing the sect protection formation wasn’t activated, they wouldn’t dare go up even with ten times the courage, because everyone living inside was a monster. Entering through illegal channels was equivalent to entering hell!

The next day.

The prison cell opened. Jun Changxiao walked in and glanced at Dunan who seemed to be meditating. “From the Great Tang of the Eastern Land?”

Yesterday he had also discovered this guy. Observing his cultivation at most at the Martial Grandmaster level, he hadn’t paid much attention.

“Amitabha.”

Dunan put his palms together. “Benefactor, this poor monk had no malicious intent.”

“No malicious intent?”

Jun Changxiao said, “Then why did you come to my Wangu Sect?”

“This poor monk came to…” Dunan’s expression froze, blurting out, “Wangu Sect?”

During this period, although he’d been busy redeeming people and had no time to watch the Dragon-Tiger Contest, he still knew about the sect that had won the championship.

Mainly because he’d been in a constant state of fleeing. When he discovered an evil cultivator, he got too excited. If he’d calmed down or made even a simple inquiry in the town, he would definitely have known what sect was on the mountain.

“It’s over, it’s over…”

The Spirit Cat lying on the ground playing dead thought darkly, “This time we’re completely done for. Whether we can even leave alive is hard to say!”

“You didn’t know?” Jun Changxiao said.

Dunan smiled bitterly. “Benefactor, this poor monk only discovered there was an evil cultivator on the mountain, so I came to redeem him. I didn’t know it was Wangu Sect.”

Heh.

So he’s a monk who subdues demons and eliminates evil.

Jun Changxiao said, “There are indeed evil cultivators in this seat’s sect, but they’ve always cultivated on the mountain and have never gone down to harm people. Why do you need to redeem them?”

Dunan said seriously, “Evil cultivators’ cultivation methods are equivalent to demonic cultivators. The longer they cultivate, the harder it is to stabilize their hearts, thus they cannot control their emotions and commit heinous acts. Although this poor monk’s cultivation is shallow, I still have an inescapable responsibility to redeem them.”

“As the saying goes…”

“Stop!”

Jun Changxiao quickly interrupted. “Without permission, sneaking into my Wangu Sect—by law you should be executed.”

“Ah!”

The Spirit Cat playing dead immediately jumped up, its eyes tearful. “I haven’t lived enough yet!”

“However.”

Jun Changxiao said, “Considering that heaven has the virtue of cherishing life, this seat has decided to spare your lives.”

“Thank you, thank you!” the Spirit Cat said hurriedly.

“Though the death penalty is unavoidable, a living punishment is hard to escape.”

Jun Changxiao said, “First stay in the sect and sweep the courtyards. I happen to lack a real sweeping monk here.”

Dunan’s expression became grave. “If the benefactor permits this poor monk to redeem that demonic cultivator, let alone sweeping, even cleaning latrines would be acceptable.”

This guy had truly entered Buddhism.

Completely unaware of his own situation, he still wanted to redeem an evil cultivator.

Jun Changxiao said, “Cultivate yourself before cultivating others, redeem yourself before redeeming others. You speak of redeeming others at every turn—have you ever redeemed yourself?”

“This…”

“From your hesitant eyes, I can already see that your understanding of Buddhist teachings only stops at the surface level. When you’ve redeemed yourself and understood clearly, then go redeem others.”

Jun Changxiao stood up to leave, but at the cell door he added, “If the heart is calculating, obstacles are everywhere. If a person doesn’t pursue matters, worldly affairs won’t trouble them. Always pursuing right and wrong is not what a Buddhist disciple should do.”

The System said, “What nonsense!”

Dunan sat cross-legged in the prison cell. His facial expression gradually froze because every sentence and every word Jun Changxiao said impacted his consciousness sea, especially that line—cultivate yourself before cultivating others, redeem yourself before redeeming others.

Reflecting on the past, he had always rushed forward on the road of redeeming and converting people. When had he ever considered himself?

“Amitabha.”

Dunan put his palms together and chanted, his face showing shame.

…

The next day.

In the inner courtyard appeared a monk wearing a kasaya with no hair on the left side of his head, holding a broom to sweep the courtyard. As for the outer courtyard, that was handed over to the Grand Elder of Extreme Cold Palace.

They had a gatekeeper disciple, and now they had sweepers for both inner and outer courtyards. Wangu Sect’s various facilities were becoming increasingly complete.

“Why did the Sect Master keep this guy?”

“He sneaked up here. How can we not make him do hard labor?”

Passing disciples discussed in low voices.

Dunan didn’t care. While sweeping, he pondered the words Jun Changxiao had said yesterday, feeling increasingly guilty about his own understanding of Buddhist teachings.

Alas.

He’d been led astray.

“Dead baldy, don’t block the way.”

Just then, Yao Mengying walked out of her room, hands on hips with furrowed brows and raised eyes.

Dunan looked up in astonishment. “It’s you!”

“I told you not to block the way. Are you deaf and didn’t hear?” Yao Mengying said irritably.

“Amitabha.”

Following the principle of good men not fighting with women, Dunan stepped aside.

Yao Mengying walked past indignantly, then went to find Jun Changxiao. “Sect Master, that guy is very annoying. Can you kick him out?”

“No rush, no rush.”

Jun Changxiao said, “Let him sweep for a few more days.”

Actually, he’d been considering whether to convert this Buddhist cultivator into a Wangu Sect disciple. After all, to establish the continent’s strongest sect, at minimum it had to be all-encompassing.

Moreover, Yao Mengying was a demonic cultivator. If she could establish fellowship with a Buddhist cultivator, that would prove that in this world, the righteous and evil paths could coexist peacefully, not necessarily having to fight to the death upon meeting.

“Sect Master!”

Just then, Li Luoqiu hurried over. “Disciple Ren Shan went out on a mission and discovered a place of spiritual energy recovery in a mountain valley. There’s very likely a spirit stone vein!”

“What?”

Jun Changxiao directly stood up, overjoyed. “This kid is truly a lucky koi!”

…

A thousand li east of Tiegu Mountain’s easternmost point was a deep mountain forest.

Wangu Sect disciple Ren Shan had received a mission to collect a certain medicinal herb and came here.

Because the environment was too complex, he got lost after entering. In a daze, he came to a mountain valley and saw flashing lights, determining it was a sign of spiritual energy recovery. He immediately used sound transmission to contact the sect!

This guy had once discovered a spirit stone vein in a cave in the Black Demon Forest. Now going out and discovering another one—his luck was simply explosively good.

However.

Ren Shan wasn’t at all happy right now.

Because at the valley entrance, over ten warriors had suddenly appeared, claiming the spiritual energy recovery site was discovered by them first, telling him to quickly leave.

“Bullshit!”

Ren Shan argued with reason. “I clearly discovered it first. If anyone should leave, it’s you!”

He was so certain because the valley had natural restrictions. Spiritual perception simply couldn’t discover it. Before he entered, the entrance was full of spiderwebs, indicating no one had entered at all!

Indeed, Ren Shan had discovered it first.

However, spiritual energy recovery naturally produced anomalies.

This group happened to be training in the mountain forest. Seeing the rising light, they rushed over. Otherwise, they definitely wouldn’t have been able to discover it.

“Stop the nonsense.”

The leading man’s gaze was cold. “Get lost quickly, or your life won’t be spared.”

“Thud!”

Ren Shan stood at the entrance. “This was discovered first by my Wangu Sect. The ones who should get lost are you.”

“Wangu Sect?”

The leader’s expression changed slightly, coming to a realization. “No wonder you’re so confident. Turns out you’re a disciple of the sect that won the Dragon-Tiger Contest championship.”

“Senior Brother.”

A person beside him said in a suppressed voice, “This sect is somewhat formidable.”

The one called Senior Brother said, “There’s spiritual energy recovery in the valley. There must be a spirit stone vein hidden inside. It will definitely attract many major sects. We must seize the initiative to gain more advantages for our sect. No matter how amazing Wangu Sect is, how could they swallow an entire vein!”

“How about this.”

He said, “This place was discovered by us together.”

Ren Shan could see these people were wary of his sect and didn’t dare go too far. “Do you have any shame?”

“Whoosh whoosh—”

Just then, a stream of light flew over from the distance, suspended in mid-air, revealing a middle-aged man. He said in surprise, “I didn’t expect this obscure place would actually have signs of spiritual energy recovery!”

“Hm?”

He looked downward and saw someone had already discovered it. He frowned. “You little brats below, quickly leave this place.”

Several warriors’ faces changed dramatically.

Being suspended in mid-air was enough to prove this person was definitely a Martial Emperor level expert. They hurriedly left in panic.

“Why aren’t you leaving?”

The middle-aged man looked at Ren Shan, displeasure clearly rising between his brows.

Ren Shan also knew this guy’s strength was formidable, but still guarded the entrance. “This spiritual energy recovery site was discovered by me first. Why should I leave!”

“You discovered it first?”

The middle-aged man smiled. “Little guy, in this world, some things don’t belong to whoever discovers them first, but to whoever has the ability to obtain them.”

“Therefore.”

He raised his hand and pointed into the distance, saying coldly, “I’ll give you three counts. Leave quickly.”

“One.”

“Two.”

“…”

Ren Shan stood firm before the valley entrance throughout.

Although his heart was already extremely nervous at this moment, the sect’s many primary tenets kept ringing in his ears, making him struggle to support his iron bones clanging spine!

I cannot leave!

The Sect Master and fellow disciples haven’t arrived yet!

“Three.”

The middle-aged man called out lightly. His person also instantly descended, lightly raising his hand, gathering powerful spiritual energy to envelop Ren Shan. He shook his head. “Obstinate fool.”

Ren Shan was bound and gradually suspended in the air, his face contorted. “If you dare touch a single hair on my head, my Sect Master will never forgive you!”

The middle-aged man smiled. “Does this mean your Sect Master is very powerful? Speak up and let me hear.”

“Listen well…”

Ren Shan said with difficulty, “My Sect Master is Jun Changxiao!”

“Jun Changxiao?”

The middle-aged man was quite surprised. “The Wangu Sect Master?”

“Correct!”

Although Ren Shan was bound and speaking was difficult, from his words one could still hear he was extremely proud!

“This newly risen sect winning the Dragon-Tiger Contest championship is pretty good, but…” The middle-aged man said coldly, “Using him to threaten me is not enough weight.”

Whoosh!

With a wave of his large hand, Ren Shan was immediately thrown flying.

The several warriors who had fled looked up, their mouths twitching. “Does this guy have a problem with his brain!”

“Whoosh—”

A stream of light flew over from the distance at low altitude, stopping at the position where Ren Shan was flying, catching him. When the light dispersed, it revealed Jun Changxiao’s handsome figure. His face darkened as he said, “Who threw him?”