“Explain yourselves. What’s going on? Why are all of you hiding in the servants’ courtyard?”

Lu Yang paced before the three soul entities with his hands behind his back. Although he was only at the Intermediate Divine Transfiguration Stage and wasn’t high in seniority, the three souls still trembled before him, not daring to conceal anything.

“Tell the truth, all of you,” the Everlasting Immortal Fairy behind Lu Yang demanded in a fierce tone.

“Yes, yes, yes,” the three soul entities hastily replied, not daring to utter a single “no.”

“I came to learn Arhat Fist.” Mo Xiaochou confessed first.

“Tell the truth.”

“I came to learn Arhat Fist secretly.

“Xitian Temple’s management of the servants’ courtyard is lax; it’s the easiest way to infiltrate the temple. I thought I could possess a menial monk, help him rise through the ranks, and eventually get a chance to encounter Arhat Fist.”

“I’m Duan Qingshui,” the middle-aged man at the Basic Fusion Stage said. His purpose for infiltrating Xitian Temple was the same as Mo Xiaochou’s—to learn a technique secretly. However, what he sought was one of Xitian Temple’s three great scriptures, the Great Buddhist Canon.

“What about your physical bodies?”

“Hidden outside.”

“Why separate?” Lu Yang was puzzled. Separating spirit from flesh halved one’s combat power. It was a dangerous state to be in.

“We don’t have any magical treasures that can contain our bodies without being detected,” Duan Qingshui replied with a helpless, bitter smile. Why wouldn’t we want to do that? It’s because we couldn’t. Such magical treasures are extremely rare; even if we want to buy one, there’s nowhere to buy it from.

On the other hand, the Cyan Smoke Venerable Lord had engaged in a fierce battle with Master Mingyu and was reduced to just his soul. After his soul used the escape technique “Cyan Smoke into Cyan Clouds,” it was severely wounded. Left with no choice, he possessed Xinping from the North Servants’ Courtyard.

The Cyan Smoke Venerable Lord used secret arts to help Xinping cultivate a Formless Constitution to get Xinping promoted to a higher-level courtyard and restore his own strength. That way, he could find an opportunity to wreak havoc on Xitian Temple and get revenge on Master Mingyu. He employed methods so covert that no one could trace them.

“We’ve solved a big problem for Xitian Temple.” Lu Yang could imagine that if the Cyan Smoke Venerable Lord had truly gone into hiding, he could have caused significant trouble for Xitian Temple.

But I’ve acted heroically out of a sense of justice without seeking anything in return. There’s no need to mention such a trivial matter to Xitian Temple.

“Let’s keep these three in the small world for now. When we return to the sect, they’ll be locked up in Incarceration Peak.” 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

All three had seen the Everlasting Immortal Fairy. They had to either silence them or imprison them at Incarceration Peak.

Lu Yang hadn’t expected to capture three more people for Incarceration Peak in just half a month at Xitian Temple. The only issue was that Mo Xiaochou’s and Duan Qingshui’s cultivation levels were too low, especially Mo Xiaochou, who would rank at the very bottom at Incarceration Peak.

“Oh well, even a tiny mosquito is still meat.” Lu Yang believed that all good deeds, big or small, were equal.

After dealing with these three, Lu Yang finally had time to see how Xinding was faring in his matches.

“What? Xinding is at the Level Six Qi Training Stage, yet he defeated Xin’an, who’s at the Level Seven Qi Training Stage?!”

“This is challenging beyond one’s level!”

The battle in the Qingfeng Sword’s small world had ended, and the Martial Vihara Selection matches were also drawing to a close. No one had favored Xinding, but he defeated Xin’an, the crowd favorite.

A Level Six Qi Training cultivator defeating a Level Seven Qi Training cultivator wasn’t merely a matter of crossing one level. It meant an Intermediate Qi Training cultivator defeating an Advanced Qi Training cultivator. How could the menial monks not erupt in cheers at such a sight?

The menial monks of the East Servants’ Courtyard were especially excited. It had been many years since someone from their courtyard had taken first place. Finally, they could hold their heads high before the other three courtyards.

Lu Yang massaged his temples in discomfort. The stark contrast between the battle inside the small world and the one outside was jarring. He wasn’t quite used to it yet.

“Senior Brother Zhiyuan, you’ve taught a fine disciple.” The monk from the Martial Vihara gave Zhiyuan a meaningful look. I refuse to believe that Zhiyuan hadn’t taught Xinding.

It seems that Zhiyuan’s despondency over the years has merely been a facade. Behind the scenes, he has been quietly grooming successors. Xinding is the perfect example.

With the talent Xinding displayed today, he may even make it onto the Heaven, Earth, or Human rankings and become a renowned expert.

Zhiyuan couldn’t be bothered to respond. After all, even if he clarified that he hadn’t taught Xinding, the others wouldn’t believe him anyway.

“Still, once he enters the Martial Vihara, he may become a target. After all, Senior Brother, you made quite a few enemies there back in the day,” the monk from the Martial Vihara reminded. His relationship with Zhiyuan was decent, but he couldn’t say the same for the others.

Zhiyuan’s eyes widened in anger. “They dare?! Do they truly think I’m dead?!”

“In any case, I’ll do my best to look after him, but I can’t guarantee anything beyond that,” the Martial Vihara monk said.

Zhiyuan calmed down. He pressed his palms together and thanked him. “Then I’ll have to trouble you, Junior Brother.”

~~~

“I declare Xinding the Champion of this selection,” the Martial Vihara monk announced loudly.

The East Servants’ Courtyard burst out in cheers.

“Xinding, as the Champion, you may choose any century-old herb from the medicine repository. Have you decided which one to pick?”

“Junior Uncle...”

“You may call me Junior Uncle Zhikong.”

“Junior Uncle Zhikong, I’ve decided.”

“Then come with me.”

Zhikong led Xinding to the medicine repository.

Upon arriving, he rapped the door knocker. “Junior Uncle Wunian, the servants’ courtyard selection is over. I’ve brought someone to pick a herb.”

“Come in. Be careful not to trample the medicinal seedlings by the door.”

The door to the medicine repository opened automatically, revealing a medicinal herb field. A little old man holding a watering can was sprinkling water here and there.

The little old man flew over to Xinding with his hands behind his back. Xinding felt completely naked before him, with no secrets whatsoever.

This is definitely a great expert!

“He’s just at the Basic Divine Transfiguration Stage.” The Tofu Heavenly Sovereign’s lazy voice streamed into Xinding’s ear. Anyone picked at random from the Qingfeng Sword’s small world will be more powerful than this little old man.

Even after learning of the little old man’s cultivation level, Xinding still found him formidable. A Basic Divine Transfiguration cultivator is already a big shot I can’t associate myself with.

I’m afraid I’ll never even reach the Divine Transfiguration Stage in my lifetime.

“What herb do you want?” the little old man asked.

“A century-old Lingshu Grass.”

“As I thought.” Having noticed the prayer beads Xinding wore, the little old man had roughly guessed that Xinding would ask for the Lingshu Grass.

The Lingshu Grass was rare, and few people knew of its existence.

The little old man sighed. “So Zhiyuan still hasn’t forgiven me, his shifu? He has to obtain the Lingshu Grass through you.”

“Among my disciples, Zhiyuan has the most outstanding talent and best temperament. He was single-heartedly devoted to Buddhism. Who would have thought that he would meet that Red Lotus Demoness during a mission? After several entanglements, he was stirred by worldly desires and violated the monastic precepts. If I hadn’t separated them, who would still respect those monastic precepts?

“Unexpectedly, even though I separated them physically, I couldn’t separate their hearts. He rashly attempted a breakthrough to the Nascent Soul Stage, but fell ill from the emotional turmoil. He ultimately failed, his efforts coming to naught, and regressed to the Foundation Establishment Stage.

“I had intended to give him the Lingshu Grass directly, but he resents me and refuses to accept anything from me, yet he isn’t qualified to obtain it himself...”

The little old man rambled on for quite a while. Xinding finally grasped the general outline of Zhiyuan’s story.

“There’s something I don’t understand. Please enlighten me, Junior Uncle.”

“Ask away.” The little old man spoke cheerfully, clearly treating Xinding as a grand-disciple.

“Since Buddhism is a pure land away from secular affairs, marrying someone from the mundane world is considered to be stirred by worldly desires. Then why not have the Red Lotus Demoness join our Xitian Temple as well? That way, it wouldn’t be a problem for Junior Uncle Zhiyuan to marry her, right?”

The little old man began to doubt his own judgement.

Is this boy really a disciple taught by Zhiyuan?