"You wished to convert a Holy Sect Disciple to your Buddhist Sect.

Then I shall give you a taste of your own medicine!

I will let you, a Saint Monk from the Great Brightness Temple, taste the endlessness of my Demon Sea!"

Qian Xin Master’s voice was not loud, but it carried an unyielding authority.

The overwhelming azure light that suppressed Little Monk Ming Xin suddenly transformed!

Countless faces with varied expressions slowly emerged—men and women, old and young, some weeping, some laughing maniacally, some filled with venomous hatred, others with obsessive desire...

These faces were disturbingly lifelike, as if they embodied all the love, hate, passion, vengeance, greed, anger, and ignorance of the mortal world.

They were not physical entities, but illusory Heart Demons manifested by Qian Xin Master through his Supreme Demon Technique.

The next moment, these innumerable lips opened and closed in unison. They chanted not Buddhist True Words, but a host of demonic scriptures and wicked verses designed to stir one’s Heart Demon and lead them to ruin!

Decadent melodies, hateful Curses, greedy ravings...

Countless negative emotions and chaotic thoughts coalesced into an invisible tide that pierced the protection of the Buddha Light, striking directly at the core of Little Monk Ming Xin’s remnant soul—a core formed of pure Buddha’s Will!

"Om Mani Padme Hum... Hatred! Why was I not the one to achieve Buddhahood!"

"All composite things are like an Illusory Bubble... Power! Women! Longevity! I want it all!"

"Drop the butcher’s knife and instantly become a Buddha... Kill! Kill everyone who stands in my way!"

Buddhist and demonic scriptures intertwined bizarrely, righteous teachings clashing wildly with heretical doctrines.

The resplendent Buddha Light surrounding Little Monk Ming Xin began to fluctuate violently.

On his originally compassionate and serene face, a hint of struggle, a trace of pain, and even a glimmer of... savagery began to appear.

He pressed his palms together, desperately clinging to the clarity of his mind and chanting Buddha’s name to resist.

But the insidious demonic whispers were chiseling minuscule cracks into his unyielding Buddhist heart.

They stirred obsessions and inner demons he had harbored for countless ages, ones he himself might never have even noticed.

After all, he was merely a wisp of a remnant soul, manifested by the Buddha Power accumulated in the Earth Temple.

How could he possibly contend head-on with a living, breathing Foundation Establishment Master like Qian Xin Master?

Little Monk Ming Xin’s figure grew increasingly dim under the corrosion of the azure light and the Heart Demons.

He unleashed one Buddhist Divine Technique after another: the Golden Light Hand Seal, the Prajna Lion’s Roar, and even tried to draw upon the Earth Temple’s source Buddha Power to fight back.

But under the suppression of Qian Xin Master’s azure light, which was imbued with the bizarre Dao Rhyme of his "Thousands of Thoughts" technique, all his efforts were like a clay ox sinking into the sea, failing to make the slightest ripple.

His resistance was futile. The Buddha Light dimmed.

Little Monk Ming Xin finally stopped struggling.

He slowly pressed his palms together, the look of pained struggle on his face gradually subsiding.

It was replaced by a look of clear-eyed resignation and a deeply hidden sense of helplessness.

He chanted a Buddha’s name. His voice was no longer magnificent, but carried a desolate wisdom that had seen through the ways of the world.

"Amitabha Buddha... Such is the will of heaven. To go against it will ultimately lead to a grim end.

So be it, so be it..."

As his voice faded, his form suddenly erupted with a final, and purest, burst of light.

This light was not for offense or defense, but was the self-immolation and sublimation of his remnant soul’s very source.

In this ultimate radiance, his youthful figure melted away like ice and snow, gradually turning transparent before completely dissipating within Qi Yun’s Sea of Consciousness.

Only a single object remained—something utterly pure, as brilliant as a diamond, perfectly clear and pristine, radiating a gentle yet majestic Buddhist essence.

It was a perfectly round and flawless Relic, about the size of a lychee!

Seeing this, Qian Xin Master’s lips curled into a satisfied smile.

His phantom hand made a grasping motion in the air, and the floating Relic drifted gently into his palm.

Then, he formed a profound Spell with one hand and made another grasping motion.

In an instant, the ownerless, pure Bright Buddha Power that had dispersed throughout the Sea of Consciousness when Little Monk Ming Xin dissipated was drawn by an unseen force, gathering frantically toward Qian Xin Master’s palm!

The light compressed and condensed.

Finally, beside the Relic, it transformed into a string of twelve Buddha Beads, each one perfectly round, shimmering with a platinum luster and an internal Treasure Light!

Qian Xin Master weighed the Relic and Buddha Beads in his hand, his gaze shifting to Qi Yun’s Divine Soul, which had been observing quietly from the side. He spoke slowly.

"This string of Buddha Beads was formed from most of the Buddha Source that bald donkey’s remnant soul drew upon.

The Great Brightness Temple’s ’Pure Thought Method’ is one of a kind.

This Dharma Gate places the greatest emphasis on the purity of one’s Heart Thought and spiritual Cultivation.

Although these Buddha Beads were formed from a mere wisp of a remnant soul, the pure Telekinesis and Buddha Essence they contain are more than enough to help you break through smoothly to the Qi Refining Ninth Layer. Your foundation will be stable, with no hidden dangers whatsoever."

He paused, his tone lifting slightly. "Furthermore, that bald donkey’s original plan was to forcibly cleanse you of your Demon Technique, seize your body and Dao Foundation, and use you for his own rebirth.

That’s why the Buddha Light baptism he performed earlier was a genuine cleansing, using Merit Buddha Power to flush your meridians, bones, and constitution.

While it didn’t change your fundamental Cultivation Skill, it did raise your innate talent and aptitude by a full notch.

It also purged many hidden injuries and impurities you’ve accumulated on your cultivation path."

Qian Xin Master looked down at Qi Yun, his tone laden with meaning.

"You rascal. First, you used yourself as bait to lead the wolf into your den.

Then you turned his power against him, provoked me into action, and reaped all the benefits while we fought.

You made out like a bandit.

Your Hundred Acupoints have opened, you’ve entered the Eighth Layer, your aptitude has been enhanced, and you’ve even gained a Creation sufficient to reach the Ninth Layer...

Heh. With that cunning and luck, even I am a little envious."

He put the Relic away, apparently having another use for it, and handed the string of platinum Buddha Beads to Qi Yun’s Divine Soul.

Qi Yun accepted the platinum Buddha Beads, which were warm and smooth like jade. The moment he touched them, he could feel the pure, tranquil, yet immense and boundless Telekinesis they contained.

He then cupped his fist toward Qian Xin Master’s fading figure and said:

"You flatter me, Martial Uncle. This disciple only received such a Creation because of your boundless Magical Power and your timely intervention to suppress that wicked fiend.

If not for your Divine Techniques, Martial Uncle, with my meager Cultivation, this worthless body would have long since been claimed by that bald donkey and become the Resources for his rebirth."

"Hahaha..." Qian Xin Master let out a bright, airy laugh upon hearing this, his phantom form growing even more indistinct.

"Such a smooth talker.

Alright, our business here is done. I will handle collecting the Earth Temple’s core and dealing with those nuisances outside. You need not concern yourself with it.

You have performed a great service this time. Focus on consolidating your Cultivation.

Look forward to your reward when you return to the Holy Sect."

With that, the Holy Sect Master’s figure began to dissipate like a wisp of azure smoke.

Yet, in his final moments, his nearly transparent gaze fell upon Qi Yun’s face once more. With a hint of probing curiosity, he asked the question again:

"Right, you rascal... to so decisively lure that bald donkey’s remnant soul into a vital place like your Sea of Consciousness.

Was it really... just a gamble?"

Faced with this seemingly casual yet pointed question, the smile on Qi Yun’s face never wavered. He neither confirmed nor denied it.

He simply maintained his smile, responding with silence.

Seeing Qi Yun’s reaction, Qian Xin Master’s nearly-vanished brow twitched slightly. A thoughtful expression flickered across his illusory face.

Finally, like a popped bubble, his figure vanished completely from Qi Yun’s Sea of Consciousness.

The Relic that Little Monk Ming Xin had become was gone as well.

Once he confirmed that Qian Xin Master’s Divine Thought had completely departed, Qi Yun’s Divine Soul, which had appeared so poised and upright within his Sea of Consciousness, suddenly staggered.

Its light dimmed noticeably in an instant.

"Ugh..." ’I can’t vomit blood in this state, but the violent tremors and profound weakness coming from my Divine Soul are all too real.’

Enduring a fight between two Master Level beings in the very core of his Sea of Consciousness was no small feat. Even though he wasn’t the direct target of their confrontation, the aftershocks and clashing Daoist Intents from a battle of this magnitude were far beyond what an ordinary Qi Refining Cultivator’s Divine Soul could endure.

If he hadn’t spent years using his wondrous ability, Devouring Essence, to absorb the vital energy, blood, Soul Spirit, and Spiritual Rhyme of his opponents—subtly tempering and strengthening his own Divine Soul until its resilience and density far surpassed others of his Realm—he likely would have lost consciousness the moment Little Monk Ming Xin’s Buddha Light flooded his body and Qian Xin Master’s azure light came down to suppress it.

’A gamble?’

Qi Yun steadied his illusory Divine Soul, calming the turbulent energy within, and smiled faintly to himself.

’When it comes to a matter of life and death that concerns my Dao Foundation, even my very life, how could I, Qi Yun, possibly rely on a gamble?’

He lowered his gaze to the platinum Buddha Beads in his hand—condensed from a Master’s remnant soul and Buddha Source—and a true victor’s smile finally touched his lips.

’Of course, I had a trump card.’

When the Skull Curse had upgraded into the Nether Spring Bone Technique, the greatest improvement had not been its devouring efficiency.

The core life-saving ability—the Substitute Death and Rebirth technique—had also undergone a qualitative transformation!

Before, Death Replacement had focused more on reshaping and repairing the physical body.

If he had encountered a vicious Magic that specialized in attacking the Divine Soul, or had his Divine Soul been crushed by a being of a higher Realm, it would have been hopeless.

The Death Replacement method within the Nether Spring Bone Technique was called Bone Rebirth.

This was a powerful Dharma Gate, through and through, one that involved the complete rebirth of both life force and the Divine Soul!

He could even actively extinguish all of his own life force and Divine Soul fluctuations, then re-form his body and Divine Soul, achieving a true new birth.

Of course, the price for using this Daoist Skill was just as high.

Activating the Death Replacement ability of the Skull Curse would cause the skill itself to dissipate.

After using Bone Rebirth, the Nether Spring Bone Technique would fall into a dormant state.

For three years, it would be impossible to activate it in the slightest.

It was precisely because he possessed this ultimate trump card—one that could secure a slim chance of survival even against the methods of a Master—that he dared to take such a risky gambit. He had allowed that Buddhist Cultivator’s remnant soul, with its unknown origins and feigned Compassion hiding a malicious heart, to worm its way into his most critical Sea of Consciousness!

What he had "gambled" on wasn’t that Qian Xin Master would definitely intervene.

It was that even if Qian Xin Master didn’t intervene, or couldn’t intervene in time, he still had a final way out and wouldn’t have his body and Dao obliterated.

In the end, just as he had predicted, Qian Xin Master took action.

So naturally, he rode the momentum, turning this extremely high-risk situation... into the most profitable deal possible!

After meditating for a moment to stabilize his Divine Soul, Qi Yun’s phantom form, clutching the Buddha Beads, cast its gaze toward his physical body outside the Sea of Consciousness—a body that had now achieved Hundred Acupoints Spirit Communication and possessed even greater aptitude.

’Now, it’s time to absorb this Creation.’

...