Under everyone’s watchful gaze, the young man appeared dazed and distracted, not knowing what he was thinking about. His eyes and brows carried a rare trace of unnaturalness.

Putao’s gaze was fixed tightly on him, her expression somewhat lost and bewildered.

Seeing that he remained silent, Zanxing asked again: “Gu Baiying?”

As if suddenly awakened by this call, he looked deeply at Zanxing and suddenly said: “Go.”

The Demon Suppression Army behind him became unwilling, with someone shouting: “Why should we enter the pagoda? There might be traps inside. This group of people might be working together from inside and outside, just waiting to catch us all in one net!”

“That’s right. There’s a demon inside, a group of demon clan members outside, and a monk with unclear connections to the demon clan. Who knows what they’re plotting? I’m not going!”

“I’m not going either! Whoever wants to be the scapegoat can do it—I won’t!”

Zanxing sighed inwardly. Master Lingxin truly hoped for Gu Baiying to die. With such a team, never mind encountering Gui Yansheng—even normal people would find them annoying. One person holding back would be bad enough, but a whole group holding back—even the demon clan felt sorry for him.

“Those who don’t want to go don’t have to.” Gu Baiying sneered coldly: “As if you’d be of any use going in.”

“You!”

“Where did my martial uncle speak wrongly?” Tian Fangfang nodded in agreement: “Besides cursing when you encounter problems, what else can you do? Why would we want you to go in to cause trouble?”

The demon clan, seeing the Demon Suppression Army starting to fight among themselves, immediately became excited. The Earth-Eating Ghost clapped his hands: “Fight, fight!”

Mountain Spider laughed so hard he bent over: “Look at this group of people—they’re truly like adding pig hair to rotten hemp, a complete mess!”

Zanxing glanced at them, and they didn’t dare say anything more.

On the other side, Meng Ying also said: “We’re going to enter the pagoda. Those unwilling to go can return to their sects on their own or wait outside the pagoda. However, if you’re leaving, leave cleanly. Don’t jump out one by one when it comes time to discuss merits—such behavior is despicable.”

When Meng Ying said this, her expression was cool and indifferent, without a trace of emotion, but the more she spoke this way, the more sarcastic it seemed. Those troublemakers glanced at them, gritted their teeth, threw down a line: “Then go die!” and left resentfully with about ten people.

Whether the remaining people truly wanted to enter the pagoda or had other thoughts, they didn’t leave the group. Since both sides had already decided, Master Ming Jing gave a few instructions to his senior brother and set off with the group.

The Wulun Pagoda looked like it was not far away on the mountain, but when walking, there was still quite some distance. The terrain here was special and not convenient for sword flight. Qiongniang and Youlang escorted the group to this point before returning, as they were reportedly going to lead their clanspeople in tree planting later. It was no wonder they regarded tree planting so seriously—the higher up the mountain they went, the closer to the Wulun Pagoda, the more desolate the mountain became.

At first, there were still some sparse shrubs and grass, but later, only jagged, strange rocks remained, with dried branches visible only occasionally. It was somewhat similar to Heishi City.

Zanxing looked toward Ming Jing walking beside her and couldn’t help asking: “Master, this mountain seems very desolate. Has it always been like this?” When they were at the outer mountains of Mount Yuea, the forests there were beautiful and serene, with fragrant flowers and grass.

Ming Jing replied softly: “The spiritual energy in the mountains has gradually become sparse in recent years. Originally, it wasn’t so desolate here.”

Zanxing nodded, secretly pondering whether the sparse spiritual energy of Mount Yuea was connected to the spiritual vein depletion of Heishi City.

While thinking, she heard Ming Jing beside her say softly: “Your mother… is she well?”

Zanxing was stunned and turned to look at Ming Jing.

The monk had a handsome appearance, with peaceful and calm eyes and brows. Wearing gray robes, he looked pure and untainted by worldly dust. Yet when he said this, his eyes lowered, as if afraid of having his thoughts seen.

The Demon Empress Bujiang had countless lovers throughout heaven and earth. Even before entering Mount Yuea, Zanxing had speculated that this “old friend” might also be one of Bujiang’s former lovers. However, seeing such a clear and transcendent Buddhist cultivator who had once had an affair with Bujiang still made her want to cover her face.

The world was so vast—why were other people’s lives always so rich and colorful, truly eye-opening?

She replied as politely as possible: “Quite well.”

Ming Jing said nothing more. Looking at him, Zanxing inexplicably felt he was somewhat pitiful.

The sight of the two whispering appeared differently in everyone else’s eyes. A disciple from Yinfeng Sect—the same one who had previously claimed Zanxing would capture and torture him—couldn’t help but speak with heartbroken indignation: “Look at that demon woman. She’s taken a fancy to that handsome Buddhist cultivator and plans to coax him into bringing him back for abuse. That Buddhist cultivator looks simple-minded and probably doesn’t know he’s already fallen into demonic claws.”

His junior brother beside him nodded repeatedly: “Exactly, after all, she has seven male favorites—she definitely wouldn’t mind having more.”

These words reached Gu Baiying’s ears, and the young man’s face darkened as he said coldly: “Shut up.”

The surroundings became quiet.

After walking for about an hour, the path ahead became increasingly open. There were no more miscellaneous trees around. At the end of the distant mountain peak stood a majestic white pagoda. This white pagoda had one side close to the cliff edge, as if it might tilt and fall from the high cliff at any moment. White clouds and dense fog merged into one color, with sunlight illuminating the golden mountain, quite zen-like.

Ming Jing stopped: “We’ve arrived.”

“This is the Wulun Pagoda?” Mendong looked at the white pagoda not far away and spoke in surprise: “How is it so large?”

Zanxing was also somewhat surprised. For a Buddhist pagoda, this white pagoda appeared far too enormous.

“I heard that several hundred years ago, a giant beast once caused havoc here. The abbot of Liuquan Temple, Master Jingshan, subdued and killed the giant beast. After the giant beast died, its body decomposed, leaving behind a skeleton like a mountain. Later, Master Jingshan used this skeleton to construct this pagoda.” The speaker was Xiao Shuang, who smiled and said: “Seeing once is better than hearing a hundred times. What we see today—the Wulun Pagoda is indeed magnificent.”

Zanxing looked at the Buddhist pagoda before her. This pagoda looked like a small mountain at first glance. With even the skeleton being so enormous, one could imagine how fierce that giant beast had been. Master Jingshan, who could subdue such a giant beast, must have had profound cultivation.

She wasn’t the only one thinking this. Tian Fangfang laughed: “Such a large giant beast would be difficult for cultivators in Duzhou to resist. Where is that Master Jingshan now? Is he still at Liuquan Temple?”

Hearing this, Ming Jing slightly lowered his head: “Master passed away and ascended to heaven a hundred years ago.”

“He passed away…” Tian Fangfang was somewhat disappointed: “What a pity.”

“No need for regret.” Ming Jing said calmly, “To permanently leave the troubles of life and death, achieve supreme perfect enlightenment, be born in the human world, grow in the human world, and attain Buddhahood in the human world—this was Master’s lifelong wish.”

Since he said this, everyone couldn’t say anything more. Ming Jing pressed his palms together and walked straight ahead: “Let’s go.”

He walked toward the Wulun Pagoda.