Chapter 445: Temple of Self‑Sacrifice

His Majesty!

His Majesty, why did you suddenly abdicate?

Please, His Majesty, think it over!!

The officials knelt en masse, begging.

Yan Buji's political tactics were not particularly clever, but that does not mean he lacked a group of loyal ministers, since most of the Dragon People officials here were promoted by him personally; if Yan Buji abdicated, it was clear they would fall into another round of power struggles.

Moreover, Yan Buji's sudden, unannounced abdication gave them no time to contemplate or react, not even a successor to the throne had been decided.

How could they not be panicked?

However, Yan Buji was too lazy to care about this, looking at the Dragon People priest beside him: "From now on, I am no longer the Dragon People's king, nor a former Dragon king, and the selection of the new monarch will be overseen entirely by the priest; if any of you have thoughts, just tell the priest."

Hm hm.

Yan Buji chuckled, turned, and left.

The Dragon People priest glanced at the officials, his complexion changing, and coughed:

"His Majesty's decision is irrevocable; before choosing a new ruler, perhaps you should first consider evaluating His Majesty's achievements?"

"Achievement evaluation?"

The priest nodded: "Yes, His Majesty intends for all Dragon People to make a fair assessment of each Dragon king's deeds, using historical records to provide a model for the next king—learning from the good, improving the bad—so that every Dragon king clearly knows how to lead the development of the Dragon People."

The Dragon officials' faces twitched.

"Then... shall we first discuss His Majesty's title?"

"Title? Posthumous name, perhaps?"

"You don't want to live? His Majesty hasn't died!"

"Oh…"

After that, the Dragon officials spent three days compiling a brief biography of Yan Buji, omitting some nonessential details; after all, a ruler's reputation affects his ministers—if His Majesty's name is tarnished, theirs will be too.

It's a simple principle.

Thus, in the end Yan Buji was called "the First Generation Dragon King" and posthumously titled "Emperor Haolong the Great."

Although this bears the flavor of a mundane dynasty, a tribe's development inevitably requires drawing on political systems, and the structures of ordinary dynasties are quite suitable.

In the following years, whether regarding the selection of the throne or changes in official posts, these became hot topics among the Dragon People for nearly a decade.

And at this moment.

Yan Buji arrived before the Yellow Sand Lingyu on Snow Island.

The Dragon priest looked at Yan Buji: "His Majesty, do you wish to venture inside?"

Yan Buji waved his hand: "I am no longer the Dragon People's king; you need not address me that way. You should consider yourself my elder and call me by my given name."

The priest shook his head: "Regardless, His Majesty made a swift retreat; I will still call you King."

Yan Buji glanced at the priest, smiled: "As you wish, open this place for me."

"Very well."

Although Yan Buji did not understand why the Dragon priest did not carry himself with the bearing of a Nascent Soul cultivator, he guessed it might be related to the Heaven Demon King.

But now that he had relinquished the throne and had not yet spoken clearly with the Heaven Demon King, the priest's continued courtesy suggested that at least some of his actions were still approved.

Hmm, the controversial first‑generation Dragon King was indeed still impressive.

From now on, Yan Buji's mingling in the Five Domains cultivation world gave him a foothold.

The Dragon priest lifted the seal, and Yan Buji stepped inside.

After sensing, he nodded toward the priest behind him.

Understanding, the priest closed the Lingyu entrance again.

The Yellow Sand Lingyu, previously lacking strength and fearing that its master might pose a hidden threat, had never been explored.

But now that they were leaving, they had to take a look inside.

Moreover, after so many years of cultivation, the Heaven Gate Law had become masterful—if you couldn't defeat it, you could at least flee.

"But the view of this yellow sand is truly a different scenery," Yan Buji chuckled, following the flow of spiritual energy toward the desert's depths.

Soon, Yan Buji saw an oasis.

Within the oasis stood a palace architecture Yan Buji had never seen before.

The hemispherical structure rested on a drum‑shaped base. The dome was brick‑built, faced with red sandstone, and its top bore a ring of square stone railings. In the center stood a pavilion called the Buddha Residence. Around it, stone railings lined the trees; each of the four sides featured a centrally placed door ten meters high, with portals between the doorposts. The mortise‑and‑tenon work comprised three horizontal stone beams with olive‑shaped cross‑sections. The doors were covered in deep reliefs, their outlines adorned with round carvings.

Approaching, it seemed like a temple.

A temple?

Yan Buji suddenly recalled that the West Sand River Basin was dotted with temples where all manner of demons and monsters could enter to receive incense offerings.

However, Yan Buji knew little of that region; its cultivation forces seemed centered on various religions, which bore a striking resemblance to the oasis temple before him.

The surrounding wall reliefs confirmed this, depicting what seemed to be a story of an ancient monk attaining enlightenment on the spot.

The monk was a crown prince from a mortal dynasty; moved by the people's hardships, he opened granaries to release food, but the mortals, starved for too long, became hungry ghosts, and after the grain was exhausted they turned to eating people.

They not only devoured everyone in the nation clean, but also kept their eyes fixed on the prince.

The prince, pitying these hungry ghosts, voluntarily cut flesh to feed them...

Yan Buji saw that in the end, the skeleton sat on the ground emitting Buddha light, and the surrounding hungry ghosts, bathed in that light, reverted to humans, while the flesh‑cutting knife became an object of their worship.

"What kind of ghost story is this?"

Yan Buji was not interested in such myths, but compared with the Buddhist scriptures he had encountered, it resembled the story of the Buddha cutting flesh to feed eagles.

However, the story carved on this temple was illogical, with a chopped‑off beginning and end and an unclear middle, making it hard to believe.

"A bit odd, let's go in and see."

Yan Buji tried to push the door; there was no resistance, and he entered at once.

At that moment, the lavish temple interior not only housed countless human skeletons, but also a golden human skeleton seated on a prayer mat, reverently worshipping, making Yan Buji feel extremely uneasy.

In the blink of an eye!

Yan Buji seemed to see those vicious hungry ghosts, rushing at him, wanting to eat him.

But at this moment, Yan Buji merely shook his True Essence throughout his body, his left eye flashing with crimson-gold light as he scanned around, immediately noticing something was off.

"Who?!"

A powerful pressure surged forth, Yan Buji's expression changed, and he took out the Rift Scepter as a precaution.

All that could be seen was the golden human skeleton standing up, turning its head to look at Yan Buji, and making a bow.

"I am Chan Hu, the abbot of She Shen Temple; I have met you, benefactor."