In Huigu…
“This woman… still has time for this?” one of the Nascent Soul cultivators muttered.
“Heh, women are always troublesome,” another replied.
These Nascent Soul cultivators, being of the same realm, couldn’t see through Nan Yan’s returned-to-simplicity technique. To them, she appeared to be just an ordinary female cultivator. Someone frowned, looking towards Nan Yan impatiently. “Teams have already entered the silver tree maze. Can we hurry up, friend?”
“Just a moment,” Nan Yan replied, unconcerned with others’ gazes. She took out a bamboo tube containing white ointment from her storage ring and quickly applied it to her face. She then enthusiastically offered it to a confused Mo Xing Zheng.
“What is this?” he asked.
Nan Yan whispered, “It’s a long story. Just apply it. My second brother likes it very much.”
Mo Xing Zheng looked puzzled. Nan Yan turned to Ji Yang, seemingly wanting to say something, then added, “You don’t need it. These insects probably won’t dare bite you, seeing your ghostly body.”
Ji Yang realized, “Oh, it’s resin from the Silver Cicada insect mother tree. You’re clever. I thought you were as nervous as I am about meeting your elders, wanting to look our best.”
Nan Yan replied, “Amitabha. Monks have few material desires. We only do this when necessary.”
Ji Yang fell silent, allowing Mo Xing Zheng to enter the maze with the cultivators from Shen State.
They followed at the rear of the group. As they ventured deeper, the demonic and ghostly auras intensified, causing the Seven Buddhas’ Karma Sutra within Nan Yan to stir restlessly. Soon, beads of sweat appeared on her face, which, combined with the insect mother tree resin, gave her skin a pearl-like, lustrous glow.
Ji Yang’s gaze traveled from her seemingly serious brow to her pink lips. “May I ask a question?” he inquired.
Nan Yan replied, “Of course, please do.”
Ji Yang asked, “I wonder… what desires aren’t diminished for a monk?”
Nan Yan stammered, “…That question is beyond this poor nun’s scope of knowledge. Next question, please.”
At that moment, the cultivators ahead stopped. Someone exclaimed excitedly, “Look! Isn’t there a bodhi leaf on that skeleton?”
Nan Yan looked up and saw a silver corpse lying in the middle of the passage. Everyone hesitated, fearing a trap, but she and Ji Yang stepped forward. As she touched the bodhi leaf, golden light flickered on its surface, forming a short incantation that entered her brow.
A thunderous sound resonated in her consciousness. Her eyes flashed with realization. She didn’t need confirmation; the resonance of spiritual energy within her body told her… this Buddhist phrase belonged to the final chapter of the Seven Buddhas’ Karma Sutra – the Sin-Vanquishing Chapter.
The Sin-Vanquishing Chapter was the finale of the Seven Buddhas’ Karma and the key to entering the Void Transformation realm.
This was destined to be her path!
When she opened her eyes again, she saw the envious and hateful gazes of the Confucian cultivators who had come with them.
“Friend, what inheritance did you receive?” one asked.
Nan Yan tried to speak but found herself unable to, just like years ago. She could only shake her head and say, “This inheritance has restrictions. I cannot discuss related matters.”
The Nascent Soul cultivators’ gazes immediately turned cold. As the atmosphere grew tense, Ji Yang pointed upward. “Look there,” he said.
Everyone looked up. On the once silver-brilliant Silver Cicada insect tree, a palm-sized green leaf had grown, covered in dense ink marks. With her keen eyesight, Nan Yan quickly discerned that the bodhi leaf contained a cultivation technique, though some mystical power obscured it.
“So the opportunity lies here, and it’s this simple!” The leading Nascent Soul Confucian cultivator exclaimed joyfully. But he didn’t act rashly. After careful observation, he said, “Unfortunately, insect spheres surround the green leaf. Earlier, that friend merely approached and was discovered and devoured by these insects. We don’t know how to obtain it.”
There were five Confucian cultivators in the group. The tallest one glanced disdainfully at Nan Yan’s trio and said, “I have a Sumeru pouch from my clan, made from an ancient Sumeru turtle’s shell fragment. It can hold seven cultivators. These insects likely lack intelligence. After we obtain the bodhi leaf, we can enter the pouch and wait for the insect swarm to disperse before coming out.”
“Excellent, but this Sumeru pouch can only hold seven people, and there are eight of us here.” The tall cultivator looked around, his mocking gaze finally settling on Nan Yan. “I don’t associate with women.”
…
In Mao State…
Dense Buddhist chants resonated through heaven and earth. Countless golden seed characters flew out from the numerous Buddhist pagodas in Chou Mountain Temple, constantly repairing the mountain-protecting grand formation battered by ghost tides.
“Dharma Seat, Brahma Sea Temple has resisted for ten days and nights, suffering heavy casualties. These two Lords of the Nether River from Daosheng Tian commanding ghost tides are each worth thousands of troops, and they’re endless. We can’t continue like this!”
The Dharma Seat of Chou Mountain Temple in Chou Mountain Brahma Sea sternly replied, “The Dragon Lord and others entrusted Nan Fangzhu’s remains to Chou Mountain Temple for soul summoning and protection. Moreover, the Bitter Spring River is suppressed under the Nine Tribulation Pagoda. If we retreat even slightly, we’ll be abandoning Mao State’s people to disaster! We cultivate Buddhism precisely to deliver evil ghosts. If we fall, what hope remains for this world? We must not lose this battle!”
The Nether River hung in the sky. Among all States, only the Mao State specialized in countering ghosts and demons. If Mao’s State fell, Daosheng Tian would establish their might in one battle, likely becoming unstoppable thereafter.
Though the other monks didn’t retreat, they remained worried. “But the Dragon Lord still hasn’t appeared, and Chen State hasn’t responded. We don’t know…”
The Dharma Seat rebuked, “I believe the Dragon Lord isn’t one to break faith. In such a situation, a State’s ruler can only command from the rear. If he acts prematurely, who will be left to face Daosheng Tian’s Xuanzai when he appears?”
The monks looked ashamed. Soon after, Chou Mountain Temple’s senior disciple, Zhen Heng, rushed in and bowed to the Dharma Seat. “Master, the Yun family from Shen State has sent aid.”
“Shen State?”
Normally, Mao State would be overjoyed, but now, although Shen State had long claimed neutrality, the current Yun family head – the leader of Confucian cultivators – had leaned towards Daosheng Tian for a long time.
Zhen Heng relayed, “The Yun clan’s letter states that although they previously followed Daosheng Tian’s lead, recent widespread suffering has made them unwilling to be accomplices. To avoid shared fate, they’ve especially sent envoys bringing Shen State’s treasure, the ‘Ten Thousand Poem Screen,’ to protect Chou Mountain Temple.”
Confucian cultivators’ poetry was a powerful weapon, the most versatile among all paths. This “Ten Thousand Poem Screen” contained over ten thousand poems from ancient times to the present. Once activated, it could simultaneously release ten thousand spells. If controlled by Void Transformation cultivators in turns, the attacks would be ceaseless, ideal for countering ghost tides.
“The Yun family…” The Dharma Seat frowned, murmuring, “I’ve long been out of touch with worldly affairs, only remembering that Shen State’s Yun family has always followed Daosheng Tian’s lead. What does the Abbot of Brahma Sea Temple say?”
“Reporting to the Dharma Seat, Ancestor Baoqi is currently suppressing the Bitter Spring River’s disturbance and can’t attend to external matters.”
As the Dharma Seat paced back and forth, Chou Mountain shook violently again. Looking up, he saw two Nether Rivers descend another hundred zhang from the sky. From the rivers, faces with wooden expressions and eyes burning with ghostly fire slowly emerged.
“Yin Zhu!!”
At that moment, an urgent telepathic message came from outside Brahma Sea Temple: “Dharma Seat of Chou Mountain Temple, I am the head of the Yun family from Shen State. We’ve come to aid after a perilous journey, but now we’re being hunted by Daosheng Tian. Our disciples lie dead in foreign lands. Will the Dharma Seat still keep us at arm’s length?!”
The Dharma Seat’s expression tightened. His divine sense spread out, shocked to see thousands of Confucian cultivators who had rushed from Shen State outside Chou Mountain Brahma Sea’s protective formation, desperately resisting the ghost tide’s invasion. Young Confucian cultivators constantly fell, dragged away, and torn apart by fierce ghosts, turning the scene into a human purgatory.
“This…”
As he hesitated, the Yun family head telepathically shouted again, “My Shen State’s sons have already suffered such casualties. With your Chou Mountain Temple’s hundred thousand monks, are you still so wary?! Don’t chill the hearts of cultivators across the world!”
At this moment, a young Buddhist cultivator from Mao State who had just reached the Nascent Soul stage, his face pale, said, “Uncle Dharma Seat, although Shen State wavers, the Yun family’s imperial son, Yun Nian, once stood with us in the Mountain Sea Forbidden Decision. Perhaps we can trust them a little for now.”
“… Very well.” As the Law Seat didn’t object, someone immediately relayed the order.
“Open the formation! Let the Shenzhou cultivators enter!”
The remaining 3,000 Confucian cultivators from Shenzhou rushed in as the Choushan Fanhai formation opened. The Yun family patriarch of Shenzhou entered with a bitter smile.
“The Law Seat is overly suspicious,” he said. “The fate of the cultivation world is every cultivator’s responsibility. All states are interdependent; if Maozhou falls, Shenzhou will be next.”
The Law Seat replied coldly, “It’s not too late to turn back.”
Smiling, the Yun patriarch tossed out a small jade screen. It grew as it flew, reaching a hundred zhang in size. Thousands of poems and writings appeared on it, emanating a powerful spiritual aura.
Meanwhile, thousands of Yin Curses emerged from the two Nether Rivers above, their gloomy aura locking onto Choushan Fanhai below.
“These Yin Curses are extremely vicious beings, born only once in a thousand fierce ghosts,” someone explained. “They’re nearly impossible to kill. Even we Nascent Soul cultivators can only temporarily repel them unless we expend our true essence and lifespan to seal them in spatial rifts forever.”
Twelve Nascent Soul Buddhist cultivators, the core strength of Choushan Academy, gathered before the school.
The Law Seat commanded, “Brothers, follow me in sacrificing our longevity to clear a path for the living!”
The Yun patriarch interjected, “Buddhists sacrifice without regret to save all beings. But if you sacrifice like this, what happens after you temporarily repel the Nether River? Better to combine the power of over ten Nascent Soul cultivators to activate this Myriad Poem Screen. One strike should disperse the ghost clouds.”
“This…”
“We can’t waste this opportunity. I’ll go first,” the Yun patriarch said.
Without further words, he channeled his spiritual power into the screen. Over a thousand poems lit up instantly.
“Very well, let’s assist Fellow Daoist Yun.”
At this command, the twelve Nascent Soul Buddhist cultivators poured their full strength into the screen. In moments, all ten thousand poems blazed, illuminating the ghost clouds above like daylight.
Just then, the Dharma-protecting Buddhist disciple Zhengheng noticed something odd. He saw a Confucian cultivator from Shenzhou holding an inkstone artifact behind the Yun patriarch. “Wasn’t that Mountain Wave Inkstone refined by Fellow Daoist Yun Nian?” he asked, puzzled. “How is it here?”
Refined treasures don’t change owners easily for at least three to five years, unless… they were forcibly taken from the original owner.
The atmosphere shifted abruptly. The Law Seat shouted, “Fellow cultivators, withdraw quickly! I’ll hold them off!”
Despite his timely warning, only three Nascent Soul Buddhist cultivators managed to retreat from the Myriad Poem Screen. At that moment, the Yun patriarch’s face turned vicious. “The first merit in taking Maozhou belongs to me! Destruction Iron Arrows, rise!”
As he spoke, the screen’s energy suddenly changed direction. Countless tiny arrows, filled with destructive energy like magma, shot out. At such close range, they pierced through the Nascent Soul cultivators’ protective spiritual energy. On contact, the arrows incinerated both body and primordial spirit, leaving not even a trace of soul behind for the three Buddhist cultivators.
Destruction Iron—the world’s most terrifying weapon.
“What… a clever scheme!” Only the Law Seat, with his profound cultivation base, could still speak despite his flesh being burned to the bone. “To curry favor with Dao Sheng Tian, you’d sacrifice even your disciples’ blood?!”
“As long as Dao Sheng Tian achieves the grand plan of unifying the Nine Hells, my disciples can be reborn and revived in the future. It’s you fools who don’t understand the great Dao!” The Yun patriarch didn’t linger. After blocking a few enraged attacks, he opened a spatial rift behind him to escape. “It’s a pity the Treasure Qi Tathagata isn’t here. Law Seat, even immortals, and gods can’t save you once you’re struck by Destruction Iron. Go meet your Buddha in peace.”
As the Yun patriarch stepped into the spatial rift and waved to close it, he suddenly felt a tremor. The void solidified, preventing his teleportation.
Then, a wild voice echoed from afar:
“Damn it, you think you can run? I’m sealing this void, old man!”
“Impossible!” Nascent Soul cultivators could traverse space in the blink of an eye, covering thousands of miles. Unless one had reached the peak of the Fifth Heavenly Tribulation, it was impossible to seal space at will, unless…
The Yun patriarch suddenly recalled that when the Hall of Righteous Law was established, all states, including Dao Sheng Tian, had granted its Emperor the power to seal space. This was to solidify the Hall’s position as the cultivation world’s enforcer.
That power had been bestowed by the world’s top Nascent Soul cultivators. Even knowing this, he couldn’t possibly break free. Furious, he could only return to Choushan Academy through his spatial passage.
“You brat, didn’t you defect from the Hall of Righteous Law?!”
In the distant sky, the previously domineering ghost creatures fled, creating a path as countless beams of light flashed. A snow-white, eight-tailed fox spirit, seemingly bathed in moonlight, charged towards the Choushan Fanhai formation carrying Mu Zhanting. Without waiting for them to remove the barrier, its eyes flashed purple, and it passed through the formation directly. Upon landing, it tossed Mu Zhanting down, then shrank into a huge ball of fur, only its vigilant eyes visible as it trembled, watching the evil ghosts flying chaotically above.
Mu Zhanting’s grand entrance ended with an undignified landing. He rolled once before standing up, glaring at the Yun patriarch.
“You stupid old man, the Hall of Righteous Law doesn’t belong to Dao Sheng Tian! You want to be their lackey, but I don’t! My position as the Star Lord of Literary Prosperity is set. Whoever dares to usurp it can come face me!”
— What nonsense is this?
The Yun patriarch was furious, but the Buddhist cultivators he had just betrayed were even more enraged. As they tangled in battle, he angrily commanded his remaining Confucian disciples:
“He’s Dao Sheng Tian’s target. Whoever takes his head, Dao Sheng Tian will grant them the resources to reach Nascent Soul in the next life!”
Those Confucian cultivators’ eyes flashed an unnatural green. Hearing this, the 3,000 Confucian cultivators, each wielding their treasured writing implements, charged at Mu Zhanting.
The Buddhist cultivators of Choushan Academy, mostly aware that Mu Zhanting had brought reinforcements from Chenzhou, immediately engaged to protect him. Chaos erupted.
Mu Zhanting’s principle was to fight whenever possible. Wielding the Tianba Axe and leading the supporting cultivators from Chenzhou, he fought exhilaratingly for a while. Returning, he saw Yin Ya, who had come with him, still curled up defensively in a furry ball. He couldn’t resist tugging at his fur.
“Brother! What happened to fighting side by side? Did running through the ghost pit use up all your righteous aura? Those ghosts were most afraid of you just now!”
“Don’t touch me! You just hid behind my tails earlier, and now you’re acting tough. If you want to die, go die alone. Don’t drag me into it.” Yin Ya’s eyes darted around. As Mu Zhanting was about to leave, he wrapped his tail around him, pulling him back. “Wait, did you see that big screen?”
Mu Zhanting looked up, his spirit-stirring: “Could this be the legendary Pantheon of Literary Heroes Throughout History?”
Yin Ya: “That’s right, it’s the… What the hell? There’s no such thing. Don’t make stuff up if you don’t know better. This is Shenzhou’s state treasure, a powerful weapon anywhere. Such treasures have their consciousness. I can use my nightmare-inducing illusion technique to make your aura blend with the Myriad Poem Screen. Initiate a competition for ownership, and if you defeat the Yun patriarch, the screen will be yours.”
Mu Zhanting exclaimed excitedly: “Oh my! Isn’t this like ‘No ancients before me, no successors behind, a screen before my eyes that I can’t inscribe, so I’ll write my poem upon it’?”
Yin Ya: “…Stop reciting. I’m illiterate; I don’t understand. Also, let me be clear: if your boss sees this, he’ll beat you to death.”
In less than a breath, Mu Zhanting stood up resolutely: “The Dragon Lord will find out sooner or later that the third prince took Nan Yan away. I’m dead either way, so if I have to choose—”
Yin Ya thought he was about to make some momentous decision, but when he looked up, Mu Zhanting had already dashed out of the formation.
Mu Zhanting: “Hahaha! My fate is in my own hands! Today, I shall challenge this lucky Confucian cultivator to a public poetry duel!!!”
“…”