Chapter 176: Influence 161

The grand hall suddenly became as silent as death, and although the Jade Emperor did not speak, the air around him seemed to freeze.

Yin Qi knelt on the ground, daring not to let out a breath, quietly awaiting his fate.

This wait was so torturous, it made Marshal Tianpeng, who wielded great power, feel an unbearable impatience.

"Buddhist Sect," the Jade Emperor sighed leisurely in the great hall.

It was clear that he, the Supreme, was deeply wary of this top force of the Three Realms.

His cold gaze landed on Yin Qi, making Yin Qi feel as though a great mountain weighed upon his shoulders.

Yin Qi knew the moment that would decide his fate had arrived.

He heard the Jade Emperor say with dignity, "You have insulted the majesty of the Heavenly Court, and you should have gone to the Immortal Slaying Stage, but considering this is your first time commanding the army, I will spare your life this time and allow you to redeem yourself through meritorious deeds."

At these words, Yin Qi felt as if he had heard the sound of heavenly music, and quickly kowtowed in response, "Thank you for Your Majesty’s mercy, please give your command."

His display of such sincere fear and trepidation made the Jade Emperor silently nod his head, for compared to other subjects, at least Yin Qi was impeccable in terms of respect.

"I have heard that in Luzhou in the North, a gang of remnants of the Demon Court are acting secretly, intending to restore the Demon Court. Go and check out who is involved. Remember, I want the big fish," the Jade Emperor said softly.

Yin Qi did not dare to be negligent in the slightest, engraving these words deep in his mind.

He had heard of these remnants of the Demon Court, and had always sneered at them; not even in the heyday of the Demon Court were they a match for the Heavenly Court, and now these people were actually deluding themselves with thoughts of restoration, which was ridiculous.

"Your Majesty, rest assured, this humble servant will do his utmost to root out these mice lurking in the shadows," Yin Qi vowed.

Yin Qi slowly left the Lingxiao Treasured Palace, not until he had stepped through the palace gate did he slowly wipe the cold sweat from his forehead.

Serving a monarch is like living with a tiger – this saying is no lie, especially since the one sitting above was not an ordinary emperor of the Mortal World, but the Master of Heaven and Earth who could command the Three Realms.

He had been able to survive this danger, probably because of the matter concerning the traces of the Buddhist Sect. It seemed the alliance of His Majesty with the Supreme of Mount Ling had likely crumbled to dust.

He seemed to see a tide sweeping across the Three Realms, and this time, who would fall, and who would ride the storm to ascend high into the skies?

Yin Qi did not wish to be the one overturned by the tide; the flames of ambition within him were burning fiercely.

After Yin Qi had left, the Jade Emperor, looking at the empty Lingxiao Treasured Palace, couldn’t help but sigh.

"Why are you troubled, Your Majesty?" A woman’s voice came through. It was the Queen Mother of the Jade Pool, who had unnoticeably arrived by his side.

"Did you hear what Yin Qi reported?" the Jade Emperor asked softly.

"I did hear it. It seems the ambition of the Buddhist Sect is great," the Queen Mother said quietly.

"The ambition of those monks has never been small; they just didn’t dare make a move before out of fear of the strength of the Three Pure Ones. Now that the Buddhist Sect is thriving, they naturally cannot sit idle," said the Jade Emperor.

He knew the nature of the Buddhist Sect all too well; after all, compared to the Heavenly Court, the Buddhist Sect cared more about faith and about the Mortal World.

"I just didn’t expect them to move so quickly; now they’ve already left a hidden hand in Luzhou in the North."

"Nine times out of ten, it was the handiwork of the Buddha Ancestor from the East. Compared to Buddha, his ambition is much stronger," the Queen Mother said softly.

The Jade Emperor responded with a soft chuckle, "He is called the Future Buddha, said to one day control Mount Ling. However, Mount Ling is not so easily controlled. Buddha reformed the Buddhist Sect, glorified the Buddhist Law, and only then did he secure his position as Buddha today. Maitreya also has to establish an undying contribution."

Compared to Buddha, who preaches ’all is emptiness,’ this Maitreya seems much easier to deal with, but it’s a pity that it’s not yet his turn to take charge of Mount Ling.

"I wonder what exactly the Venerated Way of the Three Pure Ones is thinking?"

Upon hearing this, the Jade Emperor also sighed, "No one can grasp the thoughts of those three old Daoists. They remain transcendent of the Mortal World, seemingly indifferent to worldly affairs, yet every major event in the Three Realms is closely related to them."

At this point, the Jade Emperor paused abruptly. He suddenly remembered that the three Taoist Masters hadn’t appeared for quite some time, especially the Venerable Shangqing Taoist, who had not been seen for many years. He wondered what they were plotting behind the scenes.

A single stone can create a thousand ripples; Lin Fang’s act of stealing the Treasure Ship was subject to different speculations by various forces, yet no one anticipated that it was the work of a recently emerged monster. After all, the profoundness of runes is well known, and without years of study, how could one possibly master them?

At this moment, he was inside his own treasure, attentively studying the seized Treasure Ship.

His fingers gently glided over the hull of the Treasure Ship, the smooth texture revealing the extraordinary nature of the material.

"It’s really extravagant of the Heavenly Court, using such Spirit Wood that is nearly extinct in the Three Realms to build a ship. What a waste of heavenly materials," Lin Fang muttered to himself.

A strange gleam appeared in his eyes. If possible, he even wanted to raid the treasure vault of the Heavenly Court, as there surely were plenty of great treasures there.

As Lin Fang’s fingers brushed over it, some runes began to light up on the ship’s body. They didn’t exist in isolation but combined in a special way, together forming the colossal Treasure Ship.

It was precisely because of the enhancement of these runes that the Treasure Ship was so impregnable, with ordinary attacks unable to harm it in the slightest.

Upon reaching the control room, the control core was radiating light. Many Demon Kings were gathered here, all eager to see how Lin Fang would operate the legendary Treasure Ship.

"Yo! Everyone’s here," Lin Fang said with a smile on his face.

"Come on, get to work. We’ve all been waiting for you. Fly it for a test," the White Dragon urged.

"I’ve arrived, haven’t I? Don’t rush," Lin Fang replied with a smile.

Lin Fang walked up, took hold of the Rune Stone of the control core, and as mana surged, the entire Rune Stone suddenly lit up, turning crystal clear like a piece of crystal.

Golden runes blossomed with light on its surface, combining in an exceptionally mysterious manner that could make one’s head spin just by looking at it.

Many Demon Kings involuntarily closed their eyes; even that brief exposure made them feel dizzy, attesting to the enigmatic nature of the object.

At that moment, Lin Fang smiled and said, "Many runes here are actually useless items meant only to confuse and mislead. Among them are some that can bewitch the Primordial Spirit, so if you gaze for too long, you’ll feel dizzy."

While saying this, Lin Fang thought to himself, "The Heavenly Court is certainly cautious, having set up a decent anti-theft system."

It’s just a pity that such an anti-theft system still seemed somewhat childish in Lin Fang’s eyes.