"Oh, right. And you."

He looked at the first person to pass the three trials, finally remembering him.

Seeing Abbot De Hou's gaze turn to him, the man's face lit up with joy, but he didn't forget to glance at Yang An.

He had heard everything Yang An said earlier. This guy had also passed the third trial, just like him, but had done so in a way that was countless times more brilliant. It was certain they would now enter the Great Virtue Temple together.

'Someone like that is terrifying. If I can't befriend him, I'll have to get rid of him before he becomes too powerful. Otherwise, he's bound to become my greatest rival in the Great Virtue Temple.'

'Once a person like this gains momentum, the light he shines will be bright enough to overshadow everyone else, leaving them in the dark. And I would just be one of them.'

'By then, all the opportunities and resources will be his for the taking, and those beneath him will get nothing.'

'But whether he's an enemy or a friend is still uncertain. I need to interact with him first before deciding.'

Having made his calculations, the man put on a wide smile, ready to follow Abbot De Hou and leave for the Glazed Tower.

He had just taken a step forward when he saw Abbot De Hou suddenly raise a hand toward him. He was overjoyed.

'He's going to lead me personally!'

'It seems the Abbot is treating us equally after all. He hasn't neglected me because of Yang An's appearance.'

He immediately prepared to walk over quickly, not daring to delay.

But the next moment...

HUMMM!

A sudden vibration echoed. Confused, he looked up at the Secret Seal above his head and saw it begin to tremble violently.

'I get it! I've already passed the third trial. Abbot De Hou is going to retract the Secret Seal from above my head.'

'But... why do I have such a bad feeling about this?'

Just as this inexplicable thought appeared in his mind, he saw the Secret Seal instantly expand, then plummet down toward him.

Huh?

BANG—

Along with the Secret Seal, the man who had been standing there just a moment ago instantly exploded into countless wisps of black smoke that quickly dissipated.

Witnessing this, Yang An, whose hand was still held firmly by De Hou, couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

'This time I saw it clearly. De Hou just eliminated that person directly.'

'Because for a split second, I even saw the look of agony on the man's face.'

'This is bad! I was too outstanding!'

'It's precisely because my performance was so dazzling that, in comparison, this 'fated person's' status in De Hou's eyes plummeted. He became disposable, to be wiped out at a whim!'

'This is not a good sign.'

'A situation like this only means I'm going to attract even more attention, which completely contradicts my intention to lie low as an undercover agent.'

'But on the bright side, entering the Great Virtue Temple is now practically a sure thing. This means I've succeeded in the most crucial step of my undercover mission. I'll just have to be more careful from now on.'

"Let's go!"

De Hou retracted his hand, his expression nonchalant. He clearly gave no thought to the man he had just killed.

'He was just a fated person. Compared to the Holy Child, what would even a hundred of them matter? How can a firefly compete with the bright moon?'

'A Holy Child has appeared in Celestial Buddha City this time. This is a major event for the entire Great Virtue Temple. As for that fated person... he's gone, and that's that.'

Grabbing Yang An's hand, De Hou flew straight up into the air with him, speeding toward the Glazed Tower.

In just over ten breaths' time, the two of them arrived outside the Buddha-Worship Glazed Tower in Celestial Buddha City.

"De Hou, Abbot of Yan'an Temple, requests an audience with Zen Master Qing Nan!"

De Hou pressed his palms together and bowed respectfully in the Buddhist tradition. Yang An followed obediently behind him, waiting to be received by Zen Master Qing Nan, the highest-ranking figure in the Glazed Tower.

But after several breaths, no response came. Instead, a few figures appeared before them.

It was three monks who, like De Hou, wore white monk's robes with gold trim on the cuffs and collars. They all looked to be in their sixties or seventies.

However, unlike De Hou, the monk's robes these three wore had a pattern of a pointed tower embroidered over the heart—an exact likeness of the Buddha-Worship Glazed Tower before them.

This was the first time Yang An had seen the Buddha-Worship Glazed Tower. He had only heard of it before, but never seen it with his own eyes.

Before him stood a seven-story pagoda. Shrouded by the night, a faint cyan light surged from its peak, flowing down continuously like a waterfall, enveloping the high tower and emanating a mysterious and solemn aura.

'This pulsating cyan light looks identical to the cyan light from the Treasure Light Glaze Purification Technique that I've mastered. This must be why it's called the Glazed Tower,' he mused.

The three monks seemed to have come because of the announcement. They first glanced at De Hou, then at Yang An standing behind him.

"Amitabha! Junior Brother De Hou, for this Buddhist Assembly in our Celestial Buddha City, is this truly the only fated person?"

The monk who spoke was named De Yu. He was the head of the three venerated masters in the Glazed Tower, and also De Hou's senior brother.

De Hou had come here because the Buddhist Assembly had concluded and the three trials of the heart were complete. Thus, he had brought the fated person to report.

But seeing only one person, De Yu's face showed clear dissatisfaction.

Celestial Buddha City hadn't produced a single person who passed all three trials in nine years. This time one finally appeared, but it was only one.

'When this is reported to the Great Virtue Temple, I'm afraid the entire Cyan Lotus State will become a laughingstock.'

'Wouldn't this mean that the Cyan Lotus State, which is under our jurisdiction, is a land with weak Buddhist affinity?'

"Reporting to Senior Brother De Yu, it is true that this Buddhist Assembly has produced only one fated person who passed the three trials. However, this person..."