Elder Hui Yun of Kongnian Temple, along with the other disciples, pressed his palms together in return.

"Wangxin, have you been well in the years since you left the mountain to travel?" Hui Yun asked with a gentle smile.

"I’ve been doing well, Elder Hui Yun," Wangxin replied honestly.

"That’s good to hear." Hui Yun nodded. "However, Wangxin, our Buddhist Sect is going to hold a debate on the Buddhist Dao to select a champion from the younger generation. Will you return with us?"

Wangxin lowered her head, thinking seriously for a moment. Then she looked up at Hui Yun. "Elder Hui Yun, is it alright if I don’t go back?"

"Wangxin!"

A monk named Jue Ning stepped forward, his voice filled with concern.

"That Xiao Mo is a demon! The Blood Evil Qi emanating from him is suffocating just from him standing there. If you stay with him, you’ll be tainted by that blood-red Evil Qi, and it will be detrimental to your cultivation!"

"But, Brother Jue Ning... if it’s his color that I’m being dyed with..."

Wangxin blinked, looking at Jue Ning.

"Then I don’t mind at all."

...

「An hour later.」

Xiao Mo and Si Li had already walked thirty li.

Just then, Chaos, who was sprawled on Xiao Mo’s head, suddenly stood up. It chirped a happy "Meegoo!" toward the distance, its wings joyfully patting against Xiao Mo’s head.

Immediately after, Chaos took flight and darted toward the young woman ahead.

Wangxin caught Chaos and gently rubbed its head, then walked toward Xiao Mo step by step.

Finally, the young woman stopped in front of Xiao Mo. She raised her head, blinking as she looked up at him.

"You didn’t return to Kongnian Temple?" Xiao Mo asked, gazing into her clear, limpid eyes.

Wangxin shook her head. "No."

"They didn’t ask you to go back?" Xiao Mo continued to ask.

"They did..."

"Then why didn’t you?"

"I want to be by your side."

"You can’t stay by my side forever, and I can’t always be with you," Xiao Mo sighed softly. "If one day I’m gone, what will you do then?"

Hearing Xiao Mo’s words, Wangxin lowered her head and fell into deep thought for a long while.

"I don’t know..."

Finally, Wangxin raised her head.

"I can’t imagine such a day."

...

On the summit of the Black Dragon Sect’s main peak, Sect Leader Luo Jie of the Black Dragon Sect poured a cup of tea for the guest beside him.

Looking at the old, bald monk beside him, Luo Jie smiled. "I never expected the esteemed Abbot of Kongnian Temple would come to my humble little Black Dragon Sect."

"Sect Leader Luo, you’re too modest. If the Black Dragon Sect is considered small, then there are very few Major Sects left in the world."

Xujing chuckled and accepted the teacup with both hands.

"Moreover, not only did Sect Leader Luo not fault me for my unannounced visit, but he has also offered me tea. And this tea is truly excellent..."

"Hahaha, if Master Xujing likes it, please, take a few pounds back with you," Luo Jie offered generously.

"Hehehe... Oh, I couldn’t possibly..." Xujing chuckled and rubbed his hands together, but he didn’t refuse.

This rather threw Luo Jie for a loop.

’This world-renowned master of the Buddhist Dao... he really accepted just like that?’

’It’s not that I can’t afford it...’

’It’s just...’

’Aren’t you going to put up a little more of a polite refusal?’

"Abbot... we have returned."

Just as Luo Jie was wondering how to interact with this master, Hui Yun arrived outside the courtyard with the disciples from Kongnian Temple.

Xujing stood and pressed his palms together toward Luo Jie. "Amitabha Buddha. Sect Leader Luo, thank you for taking care of the Kongnian Temple disciples during this time. We will now return to our temple.

If you should ever need assistance in the future, Sect Leader Luo, you may send word to Kongnian Temple. If it is within our power to help, we will certainly do what we can."

Luo Jie quickly stood and returned the salutation. "Many thanks, Master Xujing."

"Not at all, not at all..." Xujing chuckled, but he didn’t leave right away.

"Is there something else, Master Xujing?" Luo Jie asked in confusion.

"Um..." Xujing glanced at the tea on the table.

Luo Jie: "..."

Fifteen minutes later, Xujing was carrying seven or eight pounds of tea leaves as he flew off contentedly with his disciples.

The monks strode through the air, white clouds sweeping past them. Every step carried them forward several li.

"It seems that girl didn’t return with you," Xujing remarked, looking at Hui Yun and the others.

Hui Yun smiled and shook his head. "There was no bringing her back. The girl is staying by Xiao Mo’s side and refused to return, no matter what."

"I figured as much," Xujing said with a nod.

"Abbot..." a monk stepped forward to ask, "Are we really not going to bring Sister Wangxin back to the temple?"

"Yes, Abbot. Wangxin is following a Demon Sect disciple. How is that proper?"

"And Abbot, she’s following that Xiao Mo. Putting aside what a pity it is for her to miss the great debate, she’s constantly taking care of his daily needs. How can she possibly cultivate the Buddhist Dharma like that?"

The monks all chimed in, one after another.

They had watched Wangxin grow up and all thought of her as their own little sister.

But now, their little sister had run off with a man...

And if running off wasn’t enough, this man was from the Demon Dao.

They were truly worried that something would happen to Wangxin.

"Hahaha..."

Xujing let out a laugh.

"I know you’re all worried about Wangxin, but she isn’t that same nine-year-old little girl anymore.

She’s grown up now and knows what she wants to do.

Besides...

Who says Wangxin isn’t cultivating the Buddhist Dharma?"

Xujing turned his head to look.

In his line of sight, a hundred li away, a young girl in a monk’s robe followed a man, walking onward step by step.

Xujing pressed his palms together, greatly gratified.

"Is she not walking the path of Buddhism right now?"

...

"CLANG!"

"BANG!"

"CLANG!"

Deep within a cavern a thousand feet beneath the Wandao Sect’s Spirit Treasure Pavilion, the sound of striking metal rang out again and again.

Descending step by step, Blood Demon finally reached the deepest part of the cavern.

Before her lay a massive Weapon Casting Pool, and what flowed within it was Emperor’s Heart Juice.

Unlike common lava, the temperature of Emperor’s Heart Juice was ten times higher, and every single drop contained pure Fire Spiritual Power.

There was a saying among Sword Forgers: Emperor’s Heart Juice might not guarantee the creation of an Immortal Soldier, but every Immortal Soldier had to be forged using it.

Several weapons of various shapes and sizes were situated within the Weapon Casting Pool.

And in the very center of the Weapon Casting Pool rested a Tang Cross Saber. It had a long, slender blade, simple in form and pitch-black all over. Yet, it sat like an Emperor upon the throne of the pool, and all other weapons could only bow their heads in submission.

This Tang Cross Saber had been given a name two years ago: Dyed Ink.

At this moment, a woman named Qing Yuan was controlling the Emperor’s Heart Juice from a distance, tempering the blade again and again.

"How much longer will it take?" Blood Demon asked her best friend.

"Three more years at most to finish it,"

Qing Yuan replied.

"But Blood Demon, you know as well as I do that what makes an Immortal Soldier an Immortal Soldier is one other crucial component: an Artifact Spirit.

But for an Immortal Soldier to naturally form an Artifact Spirit requires at least a thousand years.

Otherwise, Dyed Ink won’t be complete."

"I know." Blood Demon gazed at the long saber, growing more fond of it the longer she looked. "Don’t worry about the Artifact Spirit. Just focus on forging Dyed Ink. I’m counting on you."

"Hmph. As if you don’t trouble me enough already," Qing Yuan said irritably. "Alright, alright, you’ve seen the blade. Now get out. I’m about to begin tempering it."

"Alright." Blood Demon gave her friend’s perky rear a slap. "Can always count on a big butt."

"Get out of here!" Qing Yuan’s cheeks flushed as she playfully kicked Blood Demon out.

Fifteen minutes later, Blood Demon walked out of the cavern and looked up at the clear sky.

But just as Blood Demon was about to return to Blood Sin Peak, her chest tightened.

"COUGH, COUGH, COUGH..."

Blood Demon covered her mouth, coughing uncontrollably.

Finally, Blood Demon took out an elixir and popped it into her mouth, and her coughing slowly subsided.

’An Artifact Spirit, hmm?’

Looking at the fresh blood in her palm, the corners of Blood Demon’s lips curled into a smirk.

’Isn’t there a ready-made one right here...’