"Are you also headed to Celestial Buddha City, sir? Could it be you're a Mortal Cultivator preparing to participate in the Buddhist Assembly?"

As Yang An had proactively struck up a conversation, one of the accompanying Cultivators spoke up and asked.

'The speaker's identity was obvious. The vibe was just too strong—a classic monk, through and through.'

"I am!"

Yang An replied at once.

'Although he didn't know what this Buddhist Assembly was, he figured that since it had 'Buddha' in the name, it must be related to the Great Virtue Temple. Naturally, he wouldn't reject their assumption about his identity.'

There were a total of six Cultivators with the caravan: three at the Primordial Feeding stage, and three at the Fake Food stage.

Although Yang An's Cultivation Level was suppressed, his perception was not restricted in any way. These were all Low-tier Cultivators, so he could see through them at a glance.

Perhaps because his own Cultivation Level seemed equally low to them—only at the Middle Stage of Fake Food—they figured he couldn't cause any trouble, and so their earlier wariness had lessened.

"If you wish to travel with us, sir, you'll have to ask the caravan's owner. We're not in a position to decide."

The Cultivator who had spoken said to Yang An, then looked toward a man being protected behind them who appeared to be an old man.

Then again, "old man" wasn't quite right. His face looked aged, but his physique was that of a man in his prime.

"If the Immortal Master can offer us his protection along the way, we would be most grateful."

Seeing that none of the Cultivators objected to Yang An, the caravan owner immediately spoke up.

"Of course."

'Seeing the other party agree, Yang An replied at once, realizing at the same time that these escorting Cultivators were probably just like him.'

The caravan continued on its way, now with the addition of Yang An, who had joined them midway.

'He hadn't expected it to be so easy to travel with them. A bit of wariness grew in Yang An's heart; he had thought they would refuse.'

The Cultivators, for their part, paid little attention to Yang An. It was clear that after sensing his Cultivation Level, they didn't take him seriously.

'Little did they know that in Yang An's eyes, he didn't take them seriously either. He was only with them to get information about the Great Virtue Temple.'

"Now, where were we?"

Yang An, walking at the rear, heard one of the monk Cultivators up ahead ask.

"We were talking about the Buddhist Assembly. Please tell us more, Master," one of the Cultivators said eagerly. The others also focused their attention on the Monk.

"Right. We were talking about the Buddhist Assembly held once every three years by the Great Virtue Shangshan True Buddha. We must first head to the Buddha-Worship Glazed Tower in Celestial Buddha City…"

The caravan moved at a moderate pace, neither fast nor slow. The group chatted idly as they followed along.

Yang An, meanwhile, remained silent off to the side, simply listening to their conversation. He finally managed to gather some information.

These six Cultivators were all Loose Cultivators, the kind with no sect or clan. Five of them had encountered the caravan on the road and joined it midway.

Only one had been hired by the caravan to protect everyone along the way—a Primordial Feeding Cultivator.

This was why Yang An had been able to join the group so easily; five others before him had done the same.

'He hadn't thought that Cultivators here would accept employment from a mortal caravan. Yang An had assumed all Cultivators were haughty and viewed mortals as ants, but it seemed that wasn't always the case.'

The Buddhist Assembly they were discussing was held in every State Territory under the jurisdiction of the Great Virtue Temple, with the venue being the main city of each State Territory.

Held once every three years, it was revered as the Great Virtue Shangshan True Buddha's Scripture-Listening Assembly.

Legend had it that during this Buddhist Assembly, High Monks from the Great Virtue Temple would preach scriptures and teach the Dharma. Anyone who achieved enlightenment would be considered to have an affinity with the Great Virtue Temple and would be granted an audience with its High Monks.

If one could seize this opportunity, they might even become a member of the Great Virtue Temple.

For the many Loose Cultivators, this was undoubtedly a chance to leap the dragon gate. After all, the Great Virtue Temple's status as the overlord of the Treasure Temple Domain was unquestionable.

Of course, the Great Virtue Temple turned no one away from the Buddhist Assembly, be they Loose Cultivators, Cultivators from sects and clans, or even ordinary mortals.

Thus, every Buddhist Assembly was a major event for all the State Territories under the Great Virtue Temple's rule.

All who participated in the Buddhist Assembly were also called "devotees."

'Hearing their conversation, Yang An finally understood. No wonder Elder Zhuan Yu had chosen to send him over after a two-month wait—it was so he could attend the Buddhist Assembly.'

'This was an excellent opportunity for him. At any other time, getting into the Great Virtue Temple would not be so easy.'

"If we can prove our Wisdom Root at the Buddhist Assembly, we'll be the chosen few, one in ten thousand. Joining the Great Virtue Temple is like entering the Enlightenment Sect—we must cherish such an opportunity."

"Masters, you both chant true words, but you aren't Buddhist Cultivators from the Great Virtue Temple? Are there other Buddhist Halls in the Treasure Temple Domain besides the Great Virtue Temple?"

Someone asked, directing the question at the two Monks. This was something Yang An found puzzling as well.

"Amitabha. Though we are Monks, we come from small temples with minor buddhas. How could we compare to the True Buddhas of the Great Virtue Temple? To the Great Virtue Temple, we are no different from you—just Mortal Cultivators."

"There's such a distinction?"

"Of course. Although we are Monks, what we actually cultivate is the Dao to become immortals. It's an improper mix. Only in the Great Virtue Temple do they hold the true teachings. There, they cultivate the scriptures to become Buddhas."

"What's the difference between the Dao and scriptures, between immortals and Buddhas?"

This question seemed to stump the two Monks, leaving them speechless for a moment.

'Seeing the look on their faces, Yang An found it secretly amusing. These two were probably just repeating hearsay. The sheer existence of the Great Virtue Temple had led them to invalidate their own path.'

'The reason for this was, in fact, the transcendent status of the Great Virtue Temple in the Treasure Temple Domain.'

'Might makes right, after all.'

'This was really no different from the principle that the strong make the Rules.'

Yang An continued to listen silently from the side. As the caravan ambled on, they traveled for the better part of a day. Just as the sun was setting, they arrived at the foot of a mountain.

'Demon Fiends!'

With the perception of his true Cultivation Level, Yang An immediately sensed Demon Fiends hidden in the distance—and quite a few of them. But the Cultivators before him hadn't noticed a thing.

'However, these Demon Fiends hiding in the shadows were just small fry, about a dozen of them. The strongest was only at the Primordial Feeding stage.'

"This is the territory of Yinfeng Mountain. It's teeming with Demon Fiends, so everyone be careful."

At that moment, the Cultivator hired by the caravan immediately warned the group, putting everyone on alert.

The few Cultivators who had been chatting fell silent and began scanning their surroundings.

They were surrounded by a jungle thick with overgrown weeds. Only the path underfoot, worn by frequent travel, resembled a road.

This was an unavoidable route to Celestial Buddha City, so many people took the risk of traveling this path. The alternative, a detour, would add at least ten more days to the journey—something no one was willing to do.

Heeding the Cultivator's warning, the caravan moved forward cautiously. Although the people tried to avoid making noise, the horses pulling the cargo couldn't be controlled.

The horses' hooves went CLIP-CLOP on the ground, and sometimes they would step on dry branches and leaves, making even louder noises.

The surroundings grew quieter and quieter. The jungle was devoid of the chirping of insects and birds, and the air grew increasingly cold and sinister.

In Yang An's perception, the Demon Fiends were beginning to move. Having noticed the caravan's presence, they were now stealthily closing in.

But the Demon Fiends were still quite far away. The other Cultivators with the caravan had yet to discover them and were still just scanning the area.

'Since he had promised to travel with the caravan and help them in times of crisis, Yang An naturally wouldn't go back on his word.'

Pinpointing the direction from which the Demon Fiends were approaching, he subtly moved his foot and flicked a small stone without a trace of movement. It shot toward the Demon Fiends' location and landed in the forest.

The group heard a faint PAT. Though the sound was small, it was immediately noticeable in the exceptionally quiet jungle. The gazes of the several Cultivators instantly snapped toward the source of the noise, their vigilance rising.

The Cultivators were all gathered in the middle of the caravan, where the owner was also in his carriage. He looked as if he were facing a great enemy, cold sweat trickling down his face, not daring to say a word.

'Having drawn the Cultivators' attention, Yang An considered his job of warning them done. With three at the Primordial Feeding stage among them, they should be able to barely handle the impending attack from the Demon Fiends.'

'If things got really bad, he could always act from the shadows and ensure the caravan's safety.' 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

'His current Cultivation Level might only be at the Middle Stage of Fake Food, but one mustn't forget that the entire Outer Continent was suppressed by the Power of Rules. Under this suppression, whether one was at the Fake Food or Primordial Feeding stage, they were not much stronger than a mortal.'

'But he was different. He was unaffected by the Outer Continent's Power of Rules. With his Fake Food Cultivation Level, taking on a Primordial Feeding Cultivator—or even ten of them—would be no problem.'

But what Yang An never expected was that just as he thought he had put them on guard and things would be easier to handle, he found all of their gazes turning to him in unison.

"The Demon Fiends are attacking, and we're having trouble pinpointing their location. There was an unusual noise over there just now. Would this benefactor please go and investigate? We will guard the caravan from the rear. How about it?"

The one who spoke was one of the two Monks, the same one who had spoken to Yang An before he joined the caravan.

'These Cultivators all respectfully addressed the two Monks as 'Masters.' It seemed that within the territory governed by the Great Virtue Temple, Monks—whether they were from the temple or not—held a higher status than other Cultivators.'

"…"

Yang An was speechless. He took a deep breath.

'He had thought these guys seemed relatively normal. Their words and actions hadn't shown any signs of abnormality, but now they were suddenly targeting him.'

'Great, just great. So this is how they're going to play it, huh?'

'He could guess the reason. It was simply that his Cultivation Level was the lowest among them. In front of those with higher Cultivation Levels, the weak naturally have no rights.'

"Fine!"

He agreed readily with a nod, his expression unchanging.

And so, under the watchful eyes of the group, Yang An slowly left the caravan and walked toward the direction from which the Demon Fiends were approaching.