Chapter 157: Demonic Methods, One Palm Obliterates the Temple, the Heavenly Demon Elder Appears at the Prince

Inside Ata Temple.

High monk Luo Ze let out a wailing cry amid the raging fire.

He kept saying that Gu Jin Nian had an obsession that turned into a slaughtering blade.

At first it was okay to say a little, because that was his perspective.

But with Gu Jin Nian's appearance, plus the emergence of resentful souls, the thinking should now shift.

What a person sees is inherently limited; you have your view, which is not wrong, and it does not belong to obsession.

True obsession is when you realize the matter differs from your expectation, or you know in your heart it is wrong, yet you keep moving forward, which creates obsession.

And this obsession becomes a blade, yielding only two outcomes.

One uses the obsession as a blade to cut off one's own shackles, achieving transcendence.

The other makes the obsession into fire, igniting the karmic burden on the body, thus turning into raging fire.

This terrifying raging fire cannot be extinguished, causing mental collapse and total death, a clean demise.

High monk Luo Ze died from an obsession that was too deep; he should have understood his condition, yet he stubbornly twisted right and wrong.

His words were correct: the Buddhist sect differs from Confucian and Daoist schools; Gu Jin Nian targets strong Confucian/Daoist figures through poetry and scriptures, which cannot be applied to the Buddhist sect.

But in reality, this is also the Buddhist sect's fatal flaw.

Buddhist monks' greatest taboo is obsession, because it can become raging fire; once the fire burns, even immortals cannot save them.

Immortal sects fear cause and effect; the reason immortal cultivators stay out of the world is that once entangled in karma, they unknowingly pay a price—sometimes a trivial act can alter one's fate.

Luo Ze's wail echoed throughout Ata Temple.

However, Gu Jin Nian paid no heed to Luo Ze, and stepped steadily into the main hall.

At this moment.

Li Lengqiu's body trembled, his eyes filled with terror; he had expected High monk Luo Ze to protect him, but did not anticipate Gu Jin Nian summoning an even harsher opponent.

Now he has no escape; before a Seventh Realm strongman, he cannot get away.

"Gu Jin Nian, you and I are both princes; by that count, you should still call me brother."

"I know, I did wrong, but it was only my momentary anger; after all, when one's younger brother dies, one would feel the same."

"Gu Jin Nian, spare me. My father is Prince Ning; though my father says he won't protect me, he will certainly protect me; he has only me as a son. If I die, he will definitely rebel."

"Then, for Da Xia's interior, it would certainly not be a good thing. I promise you, from now on I will stay in Prince Ning's residence, I will go nowhere, and I will never commit wrongdoing again."

"Even if you don't believe me, think for the sake of all beings."

"If Da Xia falls into civil war, the common folk suffer the most; their rise and fall brings suffering. Spare me, and I will live honestly this life, sincerely repent, and prevent Da Xia from descending into civil war—why not?"

Li Lengqiu remained very calm; he begged for mercy, but unlike others who cry and shout, he analyzed the situation for Gu Jin Nian, outlining the consequences of killing him.

That was clever; if Li Lengqiu still dared to threaten, or cried and begged Gu Jin Nian to spare him, he would die even faster.

Hearing Li Lengqiu's words, Gu Jin Nian indeed fell silent.

Because none of his statements were wrong; if he killed him, Prince Ning would inevitably seize the chance to find a pretext for rebellion.

Then the Da Xia Dynasty would inevitably plunge into civil war, and if that truly happened, it would be a bad thing for the entire dynasty.

However, Gu Jin Nian only thought for a moment, then understood many things.

"Therefore," Gu Jin Nian stepped forward, came before Li Lengqiu, and slowly said.

"I will not kill you."

"I will personally send you to the capital, and in front of the people, have you executed by slow slicing."

"You are right; if you die, your father will certainly use the opportunity to rebel, but do you know one thing?"

Gu Jin Nian spoke, his voice low yet indifferent.

Upon hearing about being sent to the palace for slow slicing, Li Lengqiu breathed a sigh of relief; as long as he is not killed now, he believes someone will come to rescue him.

However, he was somewhat curious about what Gu Jin Nian said.

"Do you know why your father lets you two brothers go unchecked?"

"Do you know why, despite all your misdeeds, your father never punishes you?"

"Because to your father, you two brothers are merely two chess pieces; Prince Ning has long wanted to rebel, and you are his excuse, so he deliberately spoils you."

"He hopes that one day you will cause a great disaster, thus being killed."

Gu Jin Nian spoke; he now understood Prince Ning's thoughts.

Prince Ning is truly ruthless.

At first Gu Jin Nian didn't grasp it, but later he noticed several glaring inconsistencies. Prince Ning, as Da Xia's top aristocrat, naturally has privileges; his own son being a bit arrogant is no big deal.

But Prince Ning intends to rebel; logically he should curb his son, even if only for show, yet he lets him run wild.

If he truly dotes on Li Lengqiu and Li Lengxin, why does Prince Ning act so indifferent when he himself comes to request people? Up to now, Gu Jin Nian finally comprehended.

He treats the two as chess pieces, staging this drama for Da Xia's nobles to watch.

Back then, Emperor Yongsheng rebelled because he was forced into a corner; now Prince Ning's son is dead, ending the lineage.

There are three kinds of unfilial conduct; having no descendants is the gravest. The Da Xia populace deeply believes that lacking heirs is the greatest unfilial act, so Prince Ning's rebellion was justified.

Listening to Gu Jin Nian, Li Lengqiu's eyes filled with hatred; clearly he knew the truth but refused to admit it.

Li Lengqiu said nothing; words were useless.

"I can give you a chance."

"I will not kill you, but keep you imprisoned for life; I won't make it easy, yet I can let you live."

"For the crime of killing civilians and becoming a bandit, you must turn in everyone, including whether Prince Ning committed it; the higher the rank of those you expose, the higher your own status, and I can even let you spend your life peacefully in prison."

"At least you won't lack food and drink; how about that?"

At this moment, Gu Jin Nian spoke; whether Li Lengqiu lives or dies is not the most important matter now.

What matters is the crime of killing civilians and becoming a bandit.

Surely it's not just him who got involved; after killing Li Leng Qiu, what else can be done? Can the dead come back to life?

But if we can eradicate it at the root, we can save more people.

Of course, it depends on who Li Leng Qiu confesses to; if they're just small fry, we'll turn Li Leng Qiu into a human pig—still alive, but more painful than death.

If he really confesses to some big shot, it counts as Li Leng Qiu atoning for his sins, letting him live—except his legs will be broken, so it won't be comfortable.

Making a mistake means paying the corresponding price.

As for people like Li Leng Qiu, living is always better than dying; they enjoy the ultimate pleasures of the world—what haven't they played with? Letting such people die is true agony for them.

So he immediately nodded and directly agreed to Gu Jin Nian's request.

"I confess, I confess."

Li Leng Qiu opened his mouth, directly wanting to confess everyone.

But just then.

"Amitabha."

"Today this old monk sacrifices himself to become a Buddha."

A roar sounded, coming from High Monk Luo Ze; he bellowed, carrying karmic fire, and rushed over here.

"Be careful."

The Heavenly Demon Old Man hesitated not at all, went straight to Gu Jin Nian's side, and took him away.

"Senior, please take him along as well."

Gu Jin Nian spoke up, hoping the Heavenly Demon Old Man would also take Li Leng Qiu away.

"Can't take him."

The Heavenly Demon Old Man spoke, but before he finished, High Monk Luo Ze lunged and grabbed Li Leng Qiu; in an instant, Li Leng Qiu's whole body was suffused with terrifying karmic fire, and a piercing, miserable wail rang out.

Countless resentful spirits wrapped around him, and he emitted a wail from the depths of his soul.

His body twitched incessantly; to ordinary people it seemed only a brief moment, but for Li Leng Qiu he had already entered a special state, just as Gu Jin Nian had when undergoing his tribulation.

In that spatial dimension, Li Leng Qiu suffered the revenge of all resentful spirits; muscle cramps and skinning were trifles, the pain made him doubt life, the fear made one's gall tremble.

Li Leng Qiu wailed and thrashed wildly on the ground, while High Monk Luo Ze trembled all over, pain-stricken to despair.

He was at the critical moment, bringing Li Leng Qiu to die together, because if Li Leng Qiu confessed the list of those who murdered civilians and posed as bandits, it would cause great trouble, even involving the Buddhist Gate.

Otherwise, High Monk Luo Ze wouldn't have gone to such lengths.

"Karmic fire clings to my body; I dare not touch it, otherwise it would be a major trouble for me."

The Heavenly Demon Old Man spoke, looking at the two wailing individuals, and said thus.

Although he is the strongest of the demonic path, this High Monk Luo Ze is covered in karmic fire; he is already in a dead-end situation—if he goes berserk, one must indeed yield, there's no need to clash head-on with Luo Ze.

Of course, if it were just one person, that would be easier to say.

But Gu Jin Nian is also present; he can only protect one, and naturally he chooses Gu Jin Nian.

"He deserves to die."

Gu Jin Nian watched this scene, his eyes involuntarily turning cold.

From this we can see that the matter of murdering civilians and posing as bandits involves not only Da Xia officials, but also Buddhist Gate forces.

"Father!"

"You have such a ruthless heart."

Li Leng Qiu's miserable wail sounded; his body twisted, his eyes filled with hatred, endless hatred.

"Gu Jin Nian."

"Marquis of Shooting Sun."

"The Marquis of Shooting Sun participated in this."

"He has a secret with my father that cannot be spoken of."

"Also, the White Egret Manor affair is related to the Buddhist Gate and the Xiongnu."

Li Leng Qiu barely restrained himself; he let out a heart-rending roar, at this moment revealing some related information.

High Monk Luo Ze rose directly and slapped Li Leng Qiu to death with one palm.

As for High Monk Luo Ze, he too turned completely to ashes at that moment.

In the end, Li Leng Qiu also turned to ashes; the two, under the influence of karmic fire, left only a pile of gray.

But after Gu Jin Nian heard these words, his expression involuntarily changed greatly.

"Marquis of Shooting Sun?" He was extremely familiar with that name; upon reflection, he immediately knew who it was.

Wu An's father.

He was the first person to appear at the academy, on good terms with him; his father is the Marquis of Shooting Sun.

Soon, Gu Jin Nian thought of something else.

His own drowning incident.

It was Wu An.

It was Wu An who caused his drowning.

For a moment, many inexplicable things seemed to find an answer now, though it would take time to think it through.

This information is very important, even extremely important.

As for the White Egret Manor matter, it actually involves the Buddhist Gate and the Xiongnu state; Da Xia has also been investigating it, and Gu Jin Nian knows that someone wants to cultivate demonic arts.

Because there are no other clues.

Now it seems it is indeed related to the Xiongnu state, only I didn't expect there to also be a Buddhist Gate involved.

This Li Leng Qiu, though hateful, played a huge role at the critical moment.

"Is this important?"

Just then, the Heavenly Demon Old Man suddenly spoke, asking this out of the blue.

Gu Jin Nian looked at the Heavenly Demon Old Man, not understanding what he meant.

But he still nodded and said.

"Important, very important."

Gu Jin Nian gave the answer.

The Heavenly Demon Old Man nodded, then flicked his sleeve; in an instant, clumps of black qi transformed into demonic birds, like sharp blades, directly slaughtering all the monks of Ata Temple, leaving none alive.

Even his gaze fell upon Kong Xuan.

"Senior, he is my close friend; he won't betray me."

Seeing this, Gu Jin Nian didn't have time to be startled; he spoke up first, fearing the Heavenly Demon Old Man would also kill Kong Xuan.

Indeed, upon hearing this, the Heavenly Demon Old Man did not attack, but instead looked at Gu Jin Nian and asked.

"Are you sure?"

"Sure."

"Senior, there's actually no need to kill these people."

Gu Jin Nian nodded, also showing a shocked expression; as expected of demonic cultivators, they kill so many monks just to prevent the secret from leaking.

"They must be killed."

"Disciple, you are a Confucian scholar, but you must not have womanly kindness; some people ought to be killed and must be killed; if they live, they will only ruin your plans; if this matter gets out, your enemies will immediately change their approach to target you."

"For you, that would be extremely disadvantageous."

"You are my future disciple; that's why I'm doing this. If it were anyone else, I wouldn't even bother. Do you understand?"

The Heavenly Demon Old Man, however, did not agree.

"Jin Nian disciple, remember: anyone who poses a threat to you must be killed; don't consider whether they will, but whether they could."

"If so, then even if that possibility is tiny, you must eradicate it completely."

The Heavenly Demon Old Man said seriously.

"What if not?"

Gu Jin Nian couldn't help but ask; in fact, he didn't feel much pity for those Ata Temple monks, after all he had a compassionate heart, but not an overly saintly one.

He was merely saying that these people didn't really need to be silenced; a lesson would suffice.

"Even if not, kill them."

The Heavenly Demon Old Man said firmly.

"Even if not, kill them? Why?"

Hearing this, Gu Jin Nian really didn't know how to answer.

If there is a possible threat, killing them is reasonable.

"If there's no possible threat, why kill them?" "Because I am a demonic cultivator."

"Do you need a reason?"

The Heavenly Demon Old Man replied lightly.

As soon as he said that, Gu Jin Nian fell silent.

Because you still haven't said...

That actually makes sense.

Indeed, do demonic cultivators need a reason to kill?

The answer is quite obvious.

Really, they don't need one.

"Jin Nian disciple, according to my meaning, you should just become my disciple now; if you do, honestly, who in the world would dare provoke you?"

"Don't look down on the Demonic Gate; the Demonic Gate does as it pleases. Look, just like the Kong family, they dare to offend you like this; if you were my disciple, I would directly help you wipe out the Kong family."

"Those who follow me prosper; those who oppose me perish. Isn't that great?"

The Heavenly Demon Old Man said seriously, hoping Gu Jin Nian would become his disciple now.

But upon hearing this, Gu Jin Nian couldn't help but wryly smile repeatedly.

"Senior, you are alone, so you naturally do as you wish, but we are different; I still have family, and I may someday need to find a wife. If I were like you, honestly, even if my strength were great, one day I would let my guard down, which would be a huge loss."

Gu Jin Nian said helplessly.

What the Heavenly Demon Old Man said is not wrong at all; he is powerful and does as he pleases.

But the problem is, being alone is completely fine, free and unrestrained; no one should think of binding oneself.

But I have family.

It's impossible that I enjoy myself while my family suffers, right? As for the saying 'misfortune does not affect family,' in this xianwu world, it's a feudal society; if you bully me and I can't beat you, I still can't bully your family.

Are you joking?

Don't underestimate the darkness of human nature; if the profit is high enough, even the family dog will be silenced.

"Well, anyway, I don't care."

"You've already used the jade pendant once; you have two uses left. After you use them up, whether you like it or not, you must become my disciple."

"Do you understand?"

The Heavenly Demon Old Man doesn't care about all that; he only cares how many times Gu Jin Nian has used the opportunity.

"Yes, please rest assured, senior; I will definitely keep my promise."

Gu Jin Nian nodded.

There's still time; using it once is enough. I still have one chance left, the final chance; let's talk about it in ten years.

Seeing Gu Jin Nian like this, the Heavenly Demon Old Man was also satisfied; he wasn't in a rush to take Gu Jin Nian as his disciple now, and still had some matters to attend to.

Gu Jin Nian, my disciple.

There are two things I, as your master, want to tell you.

First, the Taihao Immortal Realm is about to open; if nothing unexpected happens, there will surely be a peerless treasure inside, not inferior to your jade palanquin, and it is also related to the legendary divine artifact of the dynasty.

I don't know exactly what it is, Master. This is a Taihao Immortal Command; hold onto it well. If you wish to go, after the Taihao Immortal Realm opens, crush the command and you will be summoned there; inside there are certainly many treasures.

The strongest thing of the Xiongnu state is its warhorses; within the Taihao Immortal Realm there exists a breed stronger than the Xiongnu warhorses. If you bring it out, the Da Xia Dynasty would find it hard not to become strong.

The Devil Elder took out an immortal command, handed it to Gu Jin Nian, and said thus.

Thank you, Senior.

Faced with the Devil Elder's kindness, Gu Jin Nian accepted it directly, not being polite, after all, in ten years he might truly become his disciple.

The second matter concerns Heaven's Mandate.

Do you still remember how many Heaven's Mandate paths appeared when it emerged?

The Devil Elder spoke, asking Gu Jin Nian.

Fifty paths, plus one more in the heavens above.

Gu Jin Nian recalled a bit and then informed him.

Yes.

If nothing unexpected happens, there remain seven or eight paths in the world that are unclaimed marks.

Once those seven or eight unclaimed marks are completely obtained by someone, the true Heaven's Mandate conflict will begin; only then will it be truly terrifying.

The Devil Elder spoke, his expression resolute: "Only after the unclaimed marks are obtained is it the true Heaven's Mandate conflict?"

Senior, what exactly is the Heaven's Mandate conflict?

Gu Jin Nian was somewhat surprised; he had thought the conflict was already underway, but didn't expect it hadn't begun yet? "The first forty-nine paths select a portion of people; those who receive heaven and earth's acknowledgment—you can understand it as: whoever gains Heaven's Mandate acknowledgment gains the qualification to participate in this competition."

Those who haven't received Heaven's Mandate acknowledgment can also participate, though they will suffer many disadvantages compared to those bearing the Heaven's Mandate mark, but you must never underestimate these people.

These people hide in the shadows, scheming things, just to make you fight each other and finally reap the rewards.

Just like the Confucian Dao, don't you think there aren't many strong Confucian Dao practitioners, and if given ten more years you could become the foremost in Confucian Dao?

The Devil Elder asked thus.

Yes.

Gu Jin Nian answered without hesitation; facing the Devil Elder, he had no need to hide his thoughts, answering exactly as he thought.

Completely wrong.

How could the Confucian Dao, after so many years, consist of only these people?

Some people hide in the shadows; after Heaven's Mandate appears, they don't receive it because their age is too great, not meeting Heaven's Mandate's selection, for Heaven's Mandate also has its own will, choosing the younger generation.

At least you have infinite possibilities ahead, whereas their future has already reached its end.

But these people, having lived so long, are all old foxes; for example, this time you went to the Kong Family's Main Residence because the Kong Family attracted scholars from the entire Eastern Wilderness to criticize you.

Have you ever wondered why the Kong Family has such great ability? Do they really have the power that whatever they say, everyone does?

If the Kong Family truly had such power, could the Da Xia emperor have succeeded in his rebellion initially?

The Kong Family are merely the leaders; there is a group of old foxes in the shadows fanning the flames, they sit on the mountain watching tigers fight; you bear Heaven's Mandate, if you lose, the Mandate dissipates, and they can vie for it.

If you win, the Kong Family will suffer misfortune, inevitably falling from their divine pedestal; look at the Kong Family now—haven't they plummeted?

And once the Kong Family's suppression is lost, they will gradually emerge and take their place.

This is their prowess; they need do nothing but stir up a bit of discord in the middle, then they can watch you fight to the death—do you understand?

The Devil Elder said with utmost seriousness.

As he explained thus, Gu Jin Nian at that moment suddenly understood.

Indeed.

My struggle with the Kong Family, the intensity of the conflict stems precisely from the Kong Family using the power of scholars worldwide to attack me.

My enmity with the Kong Family has become irreconcilable; thus, when at the Kong Family's Main Residence, I invited a sage.

It seemed I had won.

Actually, the winner was not me, but another group.

If the Devil Elder hadn't said so, Gu Jin Nian truly wouldn't have thought of it.

Dear disciple Jin Nian.

You are a heavenly pride, not bad, but this world never lacks geniuses; fifty years ago there was also a group like you, radiant with Holy Punishment's Light, but fifty years later some talents declined while others chose another path.

Like Su Wenjing of the Da Xia Academy; back then he was not inferior to you—at Jixia Academy, with his own strength he debated the Confucian scholars, dismissed a hundred Confucians; such achievements, could they be inferior to yours?

Only Su Wenjing didn't hide, but some people did hide—his elder brother, who is not weaker than him; have you heard of his elder brother's deeds? Have you seen him?

Nothing at all.

The Devil Elder pointed out Su Wenjing.

In a moment, Gu Jin Nian fully understood.

Put simply, this world is far more complex than I imagined; what I see is not necessarily true.

One must never be arrogant, knowing that beyond the heavens there are more heavens, beyond people there are more people.

A single word from you, Senior, outweighs ten years of study.

Gu Jin Nian bowed deeply to the Devil Elder; without the Devil Elder's reminder today, Gu Jin Nian truly wouldn't have thought of it, or at least would have needed some time before realizing this.

No problem.

As long as you understand, that's fine.

However, you needn't worry too much; their hiding isn't entirely a concealment tactic, merely a loss of fighting spirit—put bluntly, if someone truly had peerless ability, who would hide? Look, have I, your master, hidden myself?

Be upright and proper; do what you ought to do, do what you wish to do.

As long as you deem it right, you dare to act; whereas they scheme and calculate, ultimately it may well amount to nothing.

"Your conflict with the Confucius family—they miscalculated, but they didn't expect you to summon Confucius, which dealt a blow to the Confucian Dao; the Confucius family suffered a great loss, they suffered a minor loss, you are the sole winner—that's the unforeseen part."

The Heavenly Demon Elder didn't exaggerate them either.

The secretive person—you are right that he is scheming, and you're also right that he is timid.

It was merely a reminder to Gu Jin Nian to watch these people, to think twice before acting; once you have thought it through and decided, act directly—no need to become hesitant because of their existence.

"I have learned, thank you, senior."

Gu Jin Nian bowed respectfully again.

"It's good that you understand."

"As for this Heaven's Mandate contest, I am also researching it; this Mandate differs from previous ones, its impact is enormous, and all forces must take part in this contest."

"Whether it's a dynasty, a celestial sect, a Buddhist sect, or a demon sect, anyone with ambition will join; at least the Central Continent dynasty has already begun planning and researching, taking a big step ahead of all Eastern Wilderness dynasties."

"This Heaven's Mandate contest will inevitably be endlessly beneficial; once it begins, you must not miss any opportunity, must win step by step, giving the opponent no chance, otherwise you may be forced into a desperate comeback."

"By the way, how many Heaven's Mandate seals do you currently possess?"

Regarding the Heaven's Mandate contest, the Heavenly Demon Elder also doesn't know the specifics; he can only say that this thing can affect the great trends of heaven and earth.

"Five."

Gu Jin Nian thought for a moment and answered truthfully, with no intention to conceal.

He himself has one, the Da Xia Poetry Society has one, later public opinion has one, plus the Peace Edict has one, and Confucius gave him one, making exactly five seals.

"Five?"

"Not bad, at least the first three."

"The Great Jin Dynasty has one person of considerable strength, the Buddhist sect also has one of comparable strength, the celestial sect has two, but those two together are roughly equal to you."

"I am not clear about the Central Continent dynasty; I dare not step into that realm lightly, but the Central Continent emperor is a terrifying figure. Since you haven't encountered him yet, there's no need to worry too much."

"If you tally them, you are likely the first, but you could also be second."

"However, Su Wenjing has one, and the Da Xia Dynasty has another Heaven's Mandate; you should quickly obtain those two."

"When the Jixia Academy opens, if you can establish New Learning and Confucius has sealed three Heaven's Mandate seals, then you alone will control ten seals; when the Heaven's Mandate contest begins, you will have the greatest advantage."

"I am not idle either; on this trip to the Taihao Celestial Realm, I will go and see if I can slay a few people bearing Heaven's Mandate seals to snatch a few for you."

"To ensure you are number one."

The Heavenly Demon Elder was domineering, directly offering to help Gu Jin Nian snatch a few Heaven's Mandate seals.

That's ruthless.

Gu Jin Nian didn't respond to that, but changed the subject.

"Senior, have you truly reached the Seventh Realm now?"

Gu Jin Nian switched topics and asked the Heavenly Demon Elder.

"No."

"Almost Seventh Realm, you could say; due to my spirit root, I am a lower‑grade spirit root. If I had a heavenly spirit root, breaking through to the Seventh Realm wouldn't be difficult."

"But rest assured, I have a secret technique; at a critical moment I can forcefully reach the Seventh Realm to protect you fully."

The Heavenly Demon Elder was straightforward and held nothing back from Gu Jin Nian.

"Haven't reached the Seventh Realm?"

"Almost Seventh Realm is that strong?"

Gu Jin Nian was somewhat surprised and couldn't help clicking his tongue.

"Do you think the Seventh Realm is that easy? Throughout history, those who reach the Seventh Realm are few, and for the Eighth Realm, not a single one appears in a thousand years."

"Just look at your Confucian Dao saints; throughout history there have been only four."

The Heavenly Demon Elder was somewhat irritated.

But that is also the case; for the Eighth Realm, the Confucian Dao has only four people; excluding the first founder, actually there are three.

And the celestial, Buddhist, etc., have far fewer.

"Senior, who in the world has reached the Seventh Realm?"

Gu Jin Nian asked curiously.

"There should be only three people."

"One from the celestial sect, one from the Buddhist sect, and one from the martial path."

"The Demon sect will soon have one as well."

The Heavenly Demon Elder answered, and the 'Demon sect will soon have one' clearly referred to himself.

"There are that many?"

"Then I, as a junior, will have to be more vigilant from now on?"

Hearing there were so many, Gu Jin Nian couldn't contain himself; he had thought that having reached the Martial King Realm made him unrivaled, at least self‑defense was fine, but he didn't expect there to be so many Seventh Realm masters. The Heavenly Demon Elder said three; a conservative estimate would be five.

"Isn't that how it is?" "Don't overthink it, rest assured."

"The celestial one uses a Heaven‑Stabilizing Talisman covering his whole body; if that old fellow truly hasn't died, he's lived three thousand five hundred years. Once his aura leaks, heaven and earth will slay him without you needing to act."

"He lives by stealing a Heaven's Mandate and has only one chance to act; using it on you shows you think too highly of yourself."

"As for the Buddhist one, his situation is worse; he survives only because he made many grand vows. He wishes to die early, but heaven and earth won't allow it, forcing him to repay his debts slowly, leaving no time to target you."

"If the debts aren't repaid, the Buddhist sect will also suffer misfortune."

"If you truly despise the Buddhist sect, you can find him, provoke him, make him act, and the Buddhist sect will be finished."

"As for the martial one, there's no news at all; for nearly two centuries, not a single piece of information, rumors say he cultivated a very special technique to reach the Seventh Realm."

"He reverted to youth, living a second life, but lost his memories, essentially being reborn, so his behavior is especially odd."

"I don't know the specifics."

The Heavenly Demon Elder described the situations of these three.

It also let Gu Jin Nian breathe a sigh of relief.

Fortunately there are so many restrictions; if there weren't, and I actually did something in the future, others would spare no expense and I would be gone.

"Understood."

"Then senior, I still have matters, so I'll leave first."

Gu Jin Nian spoke.

The matter has already been resolved, and he now wants to hurry back to Da Xia Capital to tell his uncle about it.

"Fine."

"If anything arises, just call me master."

"By the way, I will give you a little gift."

The Heavenly Demon Elder spoke, but when departing, he still wanted to give Gu Jin Nian a present.

At that moment, Gu Jin Nian extended his hand.

"Senior, it's unnecessary, truly unnecessary."

"You have already been very kind to me."

Gu Jin Nian stretched out his hand, his face resolute, and said.

To eat with a soft mouth and take with a soft hand—unnecessary, truly unnecessary.

"It's not a treasure for you."

"When you return to the capital, you will know."

The Heavenly Demon Elder was somewhat irritated; this Gu Jin Nian keeps calling him senior, yet when he calls Gu Jin Nian his beloved disciple, Gu Jin Nian shows no resistance at all.

That's a bit shameless.

I don't even know who this resembles.

"Oh."

"Take care, senior."

Learning it wasn't a treasure, Gu Jin Nian felt a little disappointed, but still bowed deeply to the Heavenly Demon Elder.

The next moment.

The Heavenly Demon Elder vanished from the spot.

Inside Ata Temple, it was also exceedingly quiet.

He cast a glance around.

Gu Jin Nian gradually withdrew his mind, looking at the two piles of ash on the ground, and fell silent.

After a quarter of an hour.

Gu Jin Nian rose, stepped onto the Immortal King Jade Sedan, and left with Kong Xuan and others, heading for Da Xia Capital.

About two hours later.

A Black Water Iron Cavalry appeared, surveyed the surroundings, then spurred their horses and galloped toward Ning Wang Mansion to report the news.

Meanwhile, above the Heavenly Dome.

Kong Xuan stood within the Immortal King Jade Sedan, gradually regaining his senses.

He did not expect that Gu Jin Nian actually knew a peerless strongman of the Demon Sect and had exterminated the High Monk Luo Ze; although Luo Ze died from his own karmic fire, in any case it was linked to Gu Jin Nian.

"Alas."

"Brother Jin Nian."

"Offending the Buddhist Sect this time will surely bring trouble."

Kong Xuan spoke, feeling the trouble deeply.

After all, the Buddhist Sect differs from the Confucian‑Taoist path; the latter has many varying scriptural meanings, spawning numerous factions, and scholars look down on each other, so although Confucian‑Taoism appears as a single rope, it is not.

But the Buddhist Sect is different; it is truly united, mainly because it seeks to spread the Buddha's teachings across the entire Shenzhou Continent.

The more faith they acquire, the higher their cultivation, and the greater the benefits.

Thus, expanding the Buddhist Sect benefits every monk; now that Gu Jin Nian has acted and slain Luo Ze, it will inevitably cause a tremor in the Buddhist Sect, and they will certainly come to demand an explanation.

That is actually not a good thing.

"What are you afraid of?"

"Just a bunch of pseudo‑Buddhists."

"Dare to make a racket, not a single one will be left."

Gu Jin Nian did not think so.

Although the Buddhist Sect is powerful, it still must obey rules; if one offends a strong figure of the Demon Sect, Gu Jin Nian would indeed be a bit scared.

Just like the Heavenly Demon Elder, who orders a kill and kills, giving no chance for explanation.

But Buddhist monks cannot act that way.

Everything must follow the rules, and for Gu Jin Nian, as long as he follows them, he is fearless.

"Brother Jin Nian."

"You must quickly become a Great Scholar, even a Half Saint; only then can you oppose the Buddhist Sect."

"The Buddhist Sect truly is terrifying; their power of faith and the law of cause and effect are indeed dreadful, and the Kong family dares not offend the Buddhist Sect."

"The most frightening thing is that the power the Buddhist Sect controls exceeds the Kong family by a hundredfold; the Kong family only commands scholars, and not all scholars, and most scholars actually can discern right from wrong."

"Just like in the previous conflicts, many scholars did not take part."

"But the Buddhist Sect is different; their followers have no reasoning, and as long as a High Monk of the Buddhist Sect says something, they would even give up their lives."

"My younger brother, when traveling the nations before, often saw some followers, disregarding their starving wives and children, clutching their last silver coins, performing three bows and nine prostrations, heading to a temple for pilgrimage; even when the temple gates were closed, they could only deposit the silver outside."

"That is the terrifying aspect of the Buddhist Sect."

"Such things are rare in Da Xia, after all there are not many temples in Da Xia, but in the western border regions they are countless; that place is terrifying, and as soon as I enter it I feel an indescribable strangeness."

"There have been several times when I even felt the urge to convert to Buddhism, and there is an inexplicable power that disturbs the heart."

"Kong Xuan traveled among the states, saw much and knew widely, so he knows the terror of the Buddhist Sect."

"Upon hearing this, Gu Jin Nian also fell silent."

"After a moment."

"Gu Jin Nian's voice also sounded slowly."

"Exactly because of that."

"Brother, my resolve to destroy Buddhism is only firmer."

"Gu Jin Nian's voice was calm, but his gaze was extraordinarily firm."

"Because of cultivation, these Buddhist Sects are no longer merely that simple; they want to control all people under heaven and make them their followers."

"Thus they gain the power of faith and increase their cultivation; what difference is there between such methods and demons? It's merely a pretense."

"Listening to Gu Jin Nian's words."

"Kong Xuan fell completely silent."

"Gu Jin Nian did not answer, but was thinking about other matters."

"Killing civilians and becoming bandits."

"Marquis Sheyang."

"White Egret Prefecture, Buddhist Sect, Xiongnu State."

"But just then."

"Finally, the Da Xia Capital appeared before Gu Jin Nian's eyes."

"He returned to the capital."

"At the same moment."

"The northwestern region of Da Xia."

"Qi Lin King's Manor."

"Above the firmament."

"A figure slowly appeared."

"It was the figure of the Heavenly Demon Old Man."

"He stood towering in the void."

"Appearing in this region."

"This is the gift he sent to Gu Jin Nian."

"He wants to vent his anger for Gu Jin Nian."

"To cause trouble for the Qi Lin King."

"(End of chapter)"