“It seems Friend Xie really does know about it.”

Xie Buchen’s reaction naturally fell clearly into Jian Chou’s eyes, since she had never moved her gaze from the beginning to the end.

Of course, Xie Buchen didn’t disappoint her either.

Just now, she simply didn’t want to let Xie Buchen have too comfortable a time, so she wanted to find something to “stimulate” him.

She had always remembered the interrupted incense in the old residence of Wangsi City in the Extreme Domain, and the words formed by water traces on the window—

Kill Xie Buchen, sever Seven Souls!

She still didn’t know who had left those words or what their background was, and thus couldn’t discern whether that person was good or evil, friend or foe.

Her mention of “Seven Souls” just now was indeed purely a probe.

But the result of the probe was obviously quite delightful.

Xie Buchen not only knew about this so-called “Seven Souls,” but his reaction was intense.

Just think—what kind of important secret must this be?

To make even such a ruthless character who had cultivated his heart to stillness like water and showed no emotion on his face actually change color!

However…

“What a pity, Friend Xie seems to have no intention of discussing it at all.”

Jian Chou smiled with narrowed eyes, appearing extremely sincere.

But that joy from her successful probe showed no restraint whatsoever, and when it fell in Xie Buchen’s eyes, it became even more piercing.

She casually pushed open her door and bid him farewell: “Well then, see you at nightfall.”

Having said this, she completely ignored what expression Xie Buchen wore, entered her room, and turned back to close the door, leaving only Xie Buchen standing alone in the narrow corridor outside, unable even to shed the sudden chill that had enveloped him.

He had clearly prepared for everything that might happen next.

Such as continued indirect probing about “Seven Souls,” or even direct interrogation, or even an all-out fight…

But none of it happened.

It was like having prepared all your defenses, waiting for a battle about to begin the next moment. But then nothing happened at all.

More uncomfortable than punching cotton.

What the condemned fear most is not when the executioner’s blade falls, but when it hangs overhead, suspended but not yet fallen.

At this moment, Jian Chou was the one holding that blade.

Xie Buchen had considered ten thousand possible sudden situations, but the one that just occurred was the only one he hadn’t considered.

The door in front of him still maintained its previous state of being about to open but not yet opened, with the pressure-cracked fissures on it like the opened mouths of spectators, revealing to Xie Buchen’s eyes a profound and bone-deep mockery and sarcasm!

He slowly closed his eyes, drawing in all the various intense emotions surging in his depths. When he opened them again, his cold eyes were like a lake surface covered with thin ice, no longer stirring with any ripples.

“Creak.”

The old wooden door made a rather harsh sound when pushed open.

Xie Buchen entered and closed the door, almost habitually setting up a formation within the room to isolate it from outside detection.

By the window in the room stood a small square table.

He walked over, and the Human Emperor Sword appeared in his hand, which he gently placed on the table surface; then a deep black ink jade ruler also leaned against the Human Emperor Sword’s side.

The sword was named Human Emperor, the ruler named Ink Regulation.

Whether sword or ruler, both were of the finest quality among Kunwu’s many treasure repositories, but in Xie Buchen’s view, these were all merely “external implements.”

He could do without the Human Emperor Sword, and he could do without the Ink Regulation ruler, but Seven Souls…

For a moment, he very much wanted to summon that ordinary sword from the hidden realm of Qingfeng Hermitage. But at this moment, his gaze merely glanced at the already closed door, and he ultimately dismissed this thought.

He was deep in cunning schemes and was not a good person.

But the woman living in the room opposite him had always been ice-snow clever, not to mention how she was now.

He could understand everything about her.

Only…

The doubt that had appeared in his mind from the moment Jian Chou mentioned “Seven Souls” had not dissipated even now—

When this sword was in the Human Island, it had not yet received the name “Seven Souls.”

After coming to Kunwu, he had only mentioned it to Gu Qingmei by chance. As for the mysteries and secrets within, only he himself knew clearly. Even True Person Hengxu, like others, thought it was just an ordinary sword…

So from where did Jian Chou learn of this, and why did she ask about this sword?

For a moment, Xie Buchen actually felt a sense of being spied upon and calculated against.

As if somewhere in the dark, someone was watching him, observing his every move, then gently moving a few pieces on the chess board he had set up…

And he, in this game, might face the danger of death.

Oppressive, suppressive.

An almost suffocating feeling that made one unable to breathe!

His fingers resting on the Ink Regulation gradually applied force, tightening until his knuckles turned white, but despite searching through all his knowledge and learning, he couldn’t find the slightest clue.

Jian, Chou.

Such a name, when considered now, was truly most fitting.

Heavy shadows immediately became impossible to dispel, quietly appearing in Xie Buchen’s eyes in these few moments. He gazed at the door as if he could see through it to Jian Chou in the opposite room.

At this time, Jian Chou’s gaze was indeed also fixed on the door.

Only, unlike Xie Buchen’s grave and gloomy expression of approaching storms, she still wore a smile at the corners of her lips, her spiritual consciousness easily reaching the opposite room but being blocked by the formation outside.

“Quite careful indeed…”

Clearly, he absolutely didn’t want Jian Chou to know what the situation inside was.

After all, though they traveled together, there was absolutely no so-called “old friendship” or “past acquaintance” between them. On the contrary, they both knew there was only irreconcilable enmity between them!

However, the more Xie Buchen acted this way, the more certain Jian Chou became that she had found the right target.

“Kill Xie Buchen, sever Seven Souls”—she was going to kill Xie Buchen, but what exactly “Seven Souls” was, she still didn’t know.

Perhaps it was related to some soul or spirit, or perhaps it was just the name of some object.

What she cared more about was the connection between these eight characters.

Were “Kill Xie Buchen” and “sever Seven Souls” connected merely by coincidence, or would there be some causal relationship between them?

It wasn’t clear.

What she knew now was really too little.

Jian Chou sat cross-legged on the kang against the wall, thinking for a while but never gaining any more clues. But thinking that on this trip, she would probably have to spend some time “conspiring with a tiger” alongside Xie Buchen, she calmed down.

There would be plenty of opportunities for probing.

Not having results immediately didn’t matter—as long as she had a direction, wouldn’t it be easy to investigate later?

Thinking this way, Jian Chou’s thoughts quickly settled.

All worldly dust departed from her spiritual platform, her thoughts becoming rounded and clear.

Body and mind entered a glass-like transparent state, and the spiritual qi and soul power in her body quietly began to circulate.

The Burning Lamp Sword lay flat across her knees.

Because it was connected to Jian Chou’s body and mind, when spiritual qi and soul power flowed through Jian Chou’s body, they also slowly flowed over the long sword.

The twenty-one precious lotus patterns on the sword body seemed to be ignited, gradually brightening.

After the spiritual power flowed through, they slowly dimmed and extinguished again.

Her breathing seemed to be the sword’s breathing.

So Jian Chou was suddenly enveloped by that zen-like quality, her entire being as if placed in a warm, glowing light.

As the spiritual power flowing over the sword became increasingly stable, gradually forming a circulating river, the entire Burning Lamp Sword gradually came “alive.”

The precious lotus pattern closest to the sword guard was the first to float up.

It became brighter and brighter, casting its phantom shadow three inches above the sword body, then began slow rotation under the wash of pure spiritual power.

One circle, two circles, three circles.

After three turns, the scattered light quietly converged, reattaching to the sword body.

The first step in sword cultivation is generally called “nurturing the sword.”

This involves using one’s own breath and spiritual power to nurture the sword being practiced, so that the sword gradually recognizes its wielder, their auras merge, and person and sword tend toward unity.

Most of the time, this is also the first realm of sword cultivation.

All famous swords have the character of famous swords.

Different swords have different cultivation methods, naturally leading to various different domain divisions and realm divisions.

Being able to nurture and wield a sword means mastering “sword forms,” gaining its external aspects, as the first realm;

Being able to comprehend the essence of the sword one uses, with emotion stirring the sword’s emergence and inspiring sword qi, gaining its internal aspects, as the second realm;

When one can achieve unity between person and sword, merging form and intent, truly “comprehending” the sword, with the sword expressing the way of intent, only then has one grasped the inner divine essence, gaining its spirit, as the third realm.

Jian Chou didn’t understand this Burning Lamp Sword very well.

But upon seeing this floating precious lotus pattern, she knew her method was correct.

Moreover, her current cultivation was extremely high, and her contact with the sword dao had begun much later than ordinary cultivators, so her current cultivation speed was terrifyingly fast.

If ordinary Foundation Establishment or Golden Core cultivators wanted to make a precious lotus pattern float and rotate three circles, they would probably need to concentrate fully for three to five hours.

But Jian Chou could complete one in just half a moment.

After confirming her method was correct, her speed needn’t be mentioned.

With no distracting thoughts, pure spiritual power simply poured into the sword.

So throughout the simple room, golden light immediately began flashing continuously, as precious lotus patterns successively floated up and slowly descended again.

From the sword body near the guard, gradually spreading toward the sword tip…

One, two, three…

The sky outside gradually darkened, and in the dim twilight, cold wind beat against the paper-pasted wooden window on the left, with vague noisy voices carrying over. But Jian Chou, immersed in cultivation, was completely unaware of this.

Her serene face, illuminated by the dark golden light scattered by the final precious lotus phantom, actually carried a few traces of compassion.

That phantom rotated lightly in the void three inches from the sword, as if dancing gracefully. The scattered, gentle light also swayed accordingly.

One circle, two circles, three circles.

After three turns, the precious lotus pattern that should have directly descended suddenly brightened intensely!

“Hum!”

The entire Burning Lamp Sword seemed affected by this pattern, immediately beginning to vibrate. The remaining twenty precious lotus patterns on the sword body subsequently floated up one by one.

A total of twenty-one patterns, all blooming with light.

One connected to another, actually forming a line. Their light scattered and intertwined together, like mixed colors, instantly becoming intense.

Before Jian Chou could even contemplate the meaning of this change, the other twenty precious lotus patterns automatically moved toward the one at the sword tip.

One stacked upon another, layer upon layer.

Their light became brighter and brighter, but when the final precious lotus pattern fell and overlapped, the light of this pattern suddenly dimmed!

Like night falling, shadows suddenly covering everything.

Also like the overly brilliant radiance of heaven and earth, after being tempered and refined, becoming rounded and restrained.

The originally warm yellow and pale gold color on the entire pattern changed to a steady and extremely simple, zen-like dark gold, then slowly descended under Jian Chou’s gaze.

Like a falling flower touching the water’s surface; like a withered leaf falling to the ground beneath a tree; even more like a weak flame flying to a long-extinguished wick…

The center of the precious lotus fell precisely on the sword’s very tip.

Then the entire pattern lay flat against the small area of the sword tip, as if wrapping the entire tip.

The entire sword’s aura suddenly changed!

If this sword had originally been old, like a lamp covered with dust and grime, now it was as if all this dust and grime had been carefully washed away and the lamp had been meticulously polished.

Brand new!

Moreover, that unique touch of dark gold, precisely positioned at the most dangerous point of the sword tip, added several degrees of sharpness, making one unable to help but feel some chill when their gaze touched it. But due to the neutralization of its dim luster with the precious lotus patterns on the sword body, it didn’t seem abrupt, instead appearing more rounded in its zen quality.

The moment Jian Chou gripped the sword hilt again, a peaceful aura transmitted from the sword body, and her mind seemed to bloom with myriad lotus flowers, echoing with thousands of li of Buddhist chanting.

Half-awakened, half-aware, she seemed to hear an ancient, weathered voice.

“Perfect reward body, like one lamp, can dispel a thousand years of darkness; one wisdom can eliminate ten thousand years of ignorance. The light of one lamp can ignite ten thousand lamps; the light of ten thousand lamps cannot be described.”

“Seven emotions suffer six desires, bodhi burns the heart lamp.”

…

Bodhi, heart lamp?

This was probably the origin of the Burning Lamp Sword’s name “Burning Lamp,” wasn’t it?

The moment she heard this voice, Jian Chou understood without teaching: regarding the Burning Lamp Sword, her three rotations of twenty-one precious lotus patterns had already mastered this sword’s first realm.

This first realm was the external aspect of “burning lamp,” similar to ordinary fire.

Then the next realm should be to go further, to comprehend the sword itself…

But where should she begin her comprehension?

For a moment, Jian Chou was at a loss. Apart from the verses that had just echoed in her mind, she had not the slightest clue.

Though her eyes gradually became clear, new doubts surged up.

The sword in her palm had returned to its original state. Apart from the point at the sword tip that gave one a strange sense of alarm when looked at for long, there wasn’t much change.

Jian Chou casually swung the sword forward—

Instantly, the twenty precious lotus patterns on the sword body rotated one after another, like the brilliant lotus pond of the Buddha realm in Buddhist murals!

The point at the sword tip also suddenly brightened.

The dark golden light turned, and the twenty rotating precious lotus patterns behind it immediately flew toward the direction the sword tip pointed!

“Boom!”

In the narrow space, a thunderous roar actually exploded!

Jian Chou had also set up a formation when she entered, but after this casual sword strike, it was struck by countless flying patterns!

She could no longer see anything before her eyes, only the lamp fire that almost engulfed her entire being!

Fortunately, there was the formation, and fortunately, she cultivated the “Human Vessel” technique.

When the light finally dispersed, all the tables and chairs in the room not protected by the formation, even the bed she had been sitting on, had turned to dust!

Only before her eyes remained that dim yellow oil lamp.

Jian Chou remembered very clearly that when she entered the room, it wasn’t yet very late, and that very simple oil lamp had been placed on the corner table. She hadn’t touched it once, much less lit it.

But after this sword strike, the lamp had been lit.

Burning Lamp Sword…

Did it have such wondrous uses?

Jian Chou’s gaze naturally fell on the dim yellow flame of this oil lamp. It was just an ordinary glance, but in an instant, that mysterious and ineffable feeling swept over her.

It was as if her entire being had been drawn into this lamp, pulled into endless memories.

Countless scenes from the past flashed through her mind like a revolving lantern…

Every scene was related to lamps.

Either trimming the wick with a silver hairpin, or copying Buddhist scriptures under lamplight, or walking through dark garden paths with a lantern, or red candles burning bright on wedding night…

But all this happened too quickly.

Even Jian Chou, the owner of these memories, hadn’t had time to capture anything useful from them when the oil lamp lit by the Burning Lamp Sword went “puff” and dimmed again.

So all the lantern-like scenes vanished without a trace.

Only then did Jian Chou see clearly—

There wasn’t a drop of lamp oil in the lamp that had just lit up.

It couldn’t possibly have been lit.

“Burning Lamp Sword…”

Jian Chou felt it mysterious and couldn’t help but murmur this, then suddenly smiled.

Seeing that it had grown dark outside, she naturally remembered her prior agreement with Xie Buchen to explore the local Zhaohua Temple after nightfall. She temporarily suppressed her impulse to continue studying this sword, sheathed it, removed the formation in the room, and pushed open the door to step outside.

All the sounds from outside immediately surged toward her.

It was indeed quite late, and the weather wasn’t very good either. Not a trace of moonlight could be seen, only the howling cold wind passing through the corridor, making Jian Chou’s robes flutter wildly.

Downstairs, other guests seemed to have arrived, creating some commotion.

Jian Chou only thought that the little girl Sangyang who ran the inn should be quite happy now, so she didn’t pay much attention to these sounds and was about to knock on Xie Buchen’s door opposite.

But just as she raised her hand, certain words from the conversation downstairs made her suddenly stop.

“Con-consort? Are you talking about me?”

“Exactly. The conch shell sounds here, proving your body and mind are pure, quite spiritual with wisdom roots, worthy of being a consort, capable of becoming a Buddha mother in the future. Even if you achieve great success in cultivation someday, becoming a dakini dharma body is not impossible.”

“Ah, really? This…”

“What, you’re unwilling?”

“No, no, it’s just too… I never imagined I could also…”

…

One voice Jian Chou was very familiar with—it was the round-faced little girl Sangyang. Only now that sweet voice was clearly full of trembling joy, as if a long-cherished dream had finally come true, making her hardly dare to believe it.

Surprise, hope, longing, mixed with a bit of cautiousness, fearing the beautiful dream might shatter.

As for the other voice, it was completely unfamiliar.

But hearing that “exactly,” Jian Chou knew it must be a monk from the esoteric sect. Given what she now understood of the situation, it must definitely be from the New Esoteric faction.

If it were Old Esoteric, they absolutely shouldn’t be running around looking for “consorts” and “Buddha mothers.”

Her brows furrowed quietly. The hand Jian Chou had raised ultimately didn’t fall, but was lowered instead. She didn’t call for Xie Buchen as agreed, but stepped out from the narrow corridor and stood at a corner upstairs, looking down below.

Sangyang was still behind the counter, her palms pressed together at her chest, her young and tender face somewhat flushed with excitement and joy, those pure eyes bright with expectation, shining as if they could expose all filth.

At this moment, this pair of eyes was earnestly watching the monks standing before her.

The deep red robes didn’t give any sense of warmth in this cold night, but instead felt oppressive due to their overly heavy color.

There were seven in total, of varying heights and builds.

The one standing at the front was the one speaking with Sangyang.

His robe was more elaborate, with bright yellow lining; a long string of prayer beads hung around his neck, a scroll of parchment in his right hand, and a conch shell about seven inches long in his left hand.

Jian Chou had never seen such a ritual implement.

Pure white throughout, the conch shell’s edges were adorned with gold, jade, and precious stones, looking extremely magnificent. Profound and complex Sanskrit characters were impressed on the conch shell’s surface, radiating mystery.

“You have already been chosen by the conch shell to become one of this year’s consorts. Pack your things immediately and come with us. Today we go to Zhaohua Temple, tomorrow when everyone is gathered, we’ll depart for the Holy Temple.”

The monk holding the snow-white conch shell continued speaking.

His pair of downward-slanting triangular eyes stared at Sangyang without blinking, vaguely revealing some greedy intent.

But Sangyang didn’t notice.

She was still immersed in the joy of being chosen as a “consort” about to become a “Buddha mother,” feeling her greatest dream in life had been realized, still somewhat unable to process it.

Hearing the monk speak this way, she became even happier: “Are we going to the Holy Temple? My father went on pilgrimage, so I can see him there! If he knows, he’ll definitely be happy for me…”

The monk immediately frowned, a flash of impatience crossing his face: “Being able to go to the Holy Temple and receive the initiation ceremony from the masters is a blessing you couldn’t earn in several lifetimes. Your family would certainly be happy if they knew. Why aren’t you quickly packing your things?”

“Ah, yes!”

Sangyang heard that trace of impatience but still felt nothing was wrong.

She knew the monks before her weren’t from nearby temples, but from the Holy Temple that was beyond reach for ordinary people like them.

For everyone in the snow region, that was the supreme place.

And monks qualified to cultivate in the Holy Temple were all messengers of the Buddha, conveying voices from the Pure Land, almost incarnations of the Buddha himself.

So as believers, how could they feel anything improper about the other party’s words and actions?

However, before packing, Sangyang suddenly remembered the two guests who had moved in during the day, and her face immediately showed some hesitation: “I forgot—the inn just had two guests check in. Now that I’m going to the Holy Temple, I should tell them about this…”

Saying this, Sangyang instinctively looked toward the second floor.

So Jian Chou’s figure standing silently upstairs came into her view, making her exclaim in surprise, apparently not expecting Jian Chou to be there.

Her reaction naturally caught the attention of the group of monks.

Several pairs of eyes almost immediately followed Sangyang’s gaze, and the moment they saw Jian Chou, the leading monk’s eyes suddenly burst with captivating light!

At the same time, the snow-white conch shell in his left hand actually began sounding on its own!

“Woo woo—”

It was a vast, almost hollow sound, yet seemed accompanied by waves of sea tide, penetrating directly into one’s heart, making one think they heard “heavenly music.”

White light scattered from the conch shell, momentarily as bright as the full moon.

This group of monks from the Holy Temple immediately opened their mouths wide and rounded their eyes, as if seeing something incredible!

Even the leading monk trembled slightly.

Dakini…

A woman who could make the conch shell sound by itself and shine like the full moon was not only qualified to become a consort and Buddha mother, but even had supreme talent to become a “dakini” who could stand shoulder to shoulder with the dharma kings!

The gazes watching Jian Chou went from captivating to amazed, from amazed to greedy, from greedy to lustful and evil, mixed with thousands of chaotic thoughts, becoming obscure and filthy…

At this moment, that monk could see no one else and directly pointed at Jian Chou—

“You, come down!”