Chapter 1974

Zhong Ling stared in shock: "Why not?"

Mu Wanzhen sniffed: "I wouldn't say such a thing—it'd be too shameful. We can cultivate on our own too."

Zhong Ling immediately felt disheartened.

Was the shortcut just gone?

As she pondered, a series of bell sounds drifted in—it was Shaolin Temple, arrived.

A Zhu asked: "If all realms across the heavens and earth exist, then—is the Buddha real too? If we rob Shaolin, won't we offend Fomen?"

Mu Wanzhen shook her head: "Don't worry. According to Su Xiao, Fomen is nothing but a name—it's not that strong. Dao Jun has already killed several Buddhas."

Upon hearing this, everyone was stunned.

The Buddha was supposed to be a transcendent being in the sutras—how could he just vanish?

Mu Wanzhen ignored their thoughts and descended directly from the sky to the outside of the Scripture Pavilion.

Many monks saw the group descending from the sky and nearly fainted.

Who could descend from the heavens?

Clearly, they were celestial beings.

"Amitabha Buddha—may I ask where the noble immortals come from, and what instruction do you bring to Shaolin?"

Suddenly, a monk stepped forward and asked.

Mu Wanzhen pointed at the Scripture Pavilion and said: "We've come to collect interest. Also—who is Xuan Ci?"

Footsteps sounded as a monk in a kasaya hurried over.

"This humble monk is Xuan Ci!"

Mu Wanzhen glanced at the monk and sneered: "You allowed Ye Hei to commit atrocities outside—do you know your crime?"

These words exploded like thunder in Xuan Ci's mind, leaving him speechless.

"Immortal, you say the abbot tolerated Ye Hei?"

A monk, utterly baffled, asked aloud.

Zhong Ling, very proud, said: "Ye Hei? Back then, Abbot Xuan Ci..."

She had heard the story once already and now gleefully recounted it.

After finishing the tale, she added: "Your henchmen are already dead. Today, we've come to send you Guixi!"

At these words, the monks tensed—some raised monk's staves, others raised demon-subduing clubs, preparing to attack.

Mu Wanzhen sneered, flicked her sleeve casually, and before anyone could react, Xuan Ci was blasted away—he landed without a single sound.

"I don't wish to kill unnecessarily—but if you refuse to show respect, this Miss won't mind leveling Shaolin to the ground."

The crowd was furious but helpless.

"Amitabha Buddha, Miss, you are merciful. Since you seek Shaolin's martial arts, please enter the Scripture Pavilion."

As everyone hesitated, a low voice sounded, as if whispering directly into their ears.

The Shaolin monks were startled—suddenly they had a pillar of strength.

They hadn't realized their temple still harbored such a master who could take charge.

Mu Wanzhen stepped forward, leading Zhong Ling and the others into the Scripture Pavilion, flipping through the temple's texts as if they were her own, making the monks' teeth ache.

In little more than half a day, Mu Wanzhen used her divine perception to locate all seventy-two Shaolin supreme techniques, plus the Yijin Jing and other martial arts, and sold them all clean.

Even Zhong Ling and the others gained greatly, feeling profoundly enriched.

Mu Wanzhen once again manipulated her true qi and soared into the nine heavens.

"Master... are we just letting this go?"

A monk entered the Scripture Pavilion, saw the gray-robed monk, and voiced his doubt.

The gray-robed monk sighed: "What else can we do? Beings who can fly through sky and earth—even if the entire temple attacked, it would only be suicide."

"Our deaths aren't frightening—but the Chan lineage may perish forever."

The monk immediately understood: "Amitabha Buddha, Master speaks truly."

On the other side.

Mu Wanzhen had gained even more points and was in high spirits.

With no other matters to attend to, she sped swiftly toward Star Sea.

Less than half an hour later, a wondrous landscape appeared before her eyes.

From the sky, lakes dotted the earth like a celestial chessboard—this was the origin of the name Star Sea.

A Zhu worried: "Is this Star Sea? Such a vast place—where do we even begin looking for Zi Zi?"

Mu Wanzhen smiled: "What's hard about that? You haven't even entered the true qi path—you haven't cultivated divine perception, so you don't know its wonders. Otherwise, you'd never ask such a question."

With a sweep of her divine perception, she instantly located the true heart of Star Sea.

"Go!"

Manipulating her true qi, in moments they hovered above a cluster of buildings.

Zhong Ling exclaimed: "Star Sea is well hidden—if not for Sister Mu, it'd be nearly impossible to find. No wonder Ding Chunqiu has ruled unchecked for so long—no one ever took him down."

Mu Wanzhen shook her head: "Besides its hidden terrain, the key is Ding Chunqiu's poison arts. Look at the ground—it's teeming with venomous creatures. One misstep, and you'd fall right into his trap."