Mortals: Take Mo Juren at the start

As Mo Juren had predicted, after learning of the changes at Dabeisi Temple, the Cave Rat King was indeed worried, but he had no intention of leaving.

Upon closer reflection, this is actually quite normal. The other party is currently in the process of recovery and is barely able to take care of themselves. Even if they wanted to help, they would be powerless to do so!

Besides, while 'close friends in life and death' are important, they can't compare to one's own safety. You can't risk your life for someone else, can you?

We can investigate or offer assistance when our strength is restored.

At the same time, the Cave Rat King also expressed his apologies in the message he sent back. He said he was unaware of the so-called change, otherwise he would not have recommended Ye Xuechan.

He also stated that his previous visit to Dabei Temple was not only for Ye Xuechan to seek protection, but also for another purpose: to give him the opportunity to become a disciple of Zen Master Kuyue.

In his view, Ye Xuechan was, after all, a follower of the Buddhist path, and if he could successfully become his disciple, it would be of great benefit to his future development.

Unfortunately, something happened at Dabeisi Temple, and Zen Master Kuyue disappeared without a trace, so the matter had to be left unresolved.

Mo Juren was also somewhat surprised by this!
He hadn't expected the other party to have such a meaning, but he didn't completely agree with their idea.

Ye Xuechan is indeed a Buddhist cultivator, but that doesn't mean he has to join a Buddhist sect, especially an unconventional sect like the Great Compassion Temple, whose methods of training disciples are too unique and may not be suitable for everyone.

The Buddhist lineage has countless branches, and the seven major Buddhist sects each have their own unique characteristics. None of them are inferior to Dabei Temple.

Furthermore, sects are ultimately just platforms; resources, companions, methods, and land are all supplementary. Whether one can go further on the path to immortality still depends on oneself.

Staying by his side means you don't have to worry about safety, and you'll have no shortage of wealth, companions, legal resources, or land—in fact, you'll have an abundance. With his connections, you'll also have no shortage of guidance from renowned mentors.

In all these respects, Dabei Temple simply cannot compare.

Of course, he only thought these things to himself and did not explain them to the Cave Rat King. In any case, something had happened at the Great Compassion Temple, so there was no need to mention this matter again.

Inside the room, Mo Juren fumbled for the token in his hand, wondering if he should also tell Ye Xuechan about this matter and ask if the other party had any intention of joining a certain Buddhist sect.

After all, it concerns the other party's future path. If they have such intentions, he will naturally not stop them and will even try his best to help them. If not, he will not force them.

But then I thought again, and decided against it.

The other party's physique was too 'eye-catching,' especially for the billions of Buddhist cultivators in the world. It was an 'unparalleled delicacy' full of endless temptation, making it hard not to covet it.

He wouldn't feel at ease unless it was someone he could trust completely.

Thinking of this, he stopped worrying about it and immediately put the token away. Just then, a figure suddenly flew out of Tianhua Tower and headed straight out of the market.

That was undoubtedly Ye Xuechan. Mo Juren couldn't help but smile slightly and ignored him...

……

Time flies, and before we knew it, the day of the grand auction had arrived.

Mo Juren participated as scheduled. The process was nothing special; it was just a shopping spree. His extravagance drew the attention of the other competitors.

Some were unconvinced and wanted to fight back, but the result was the same; none of them could win, and of course, the cost was considerable.

In short, he had only one principle for participating in this auction: he had to acquire any item he set his sights on, especially essential materials, no matter the cost.

In the past, he would have had some reservations, such as those who were at the Void Refinement stage or those with powerful backgrounds.

But things are very different now. As someone with a powerful background, he doesn't need to care about anyone who isn't at the Integration Realm.

Such boldness and financial resources have sparked much speculation among the bidders, who are all secretly guessing his identity.

Mo Juren naturally didn't care about these things; he only cared about whether he could buy what he needed.

Fortunately, the result was good. A large amount of spirit stones were spent, and even some rare treasures were given up in the free trading process, so the gains were considerable.

The only regrettable thing is that even though the auction successfully acquired a considerable amount of resources, it was still a drop in the ocean compared to his enormous needs.

He has now reached the late stage of the Nascent Soul realm, and everything is in preparation for breaking through to the Void Refinement realm.

Refining elixirs and refining bloodlines require a large amount of rare materials, which cannot be accomplished in a short period of time.

This auction is just the beginning; we still need to collect more items gradually, and the time and effort required for the whole process is unimaginable.

Mo Juren was well aware of this, but fortunately, he controlled Tianhua Tower, so he didn't need to worry about it.

From this perspective, the importance of Tianhua Tower is self-evident. It not only frees him from tedious tasks but also greatly improves the efficiency of resource collection.

……

"Looks like everyone had a good haul from this auction?" Half a month later, outside Tianyuan City, Mo Juren chuckled as he watched his teammates gradually gather. "We're short on cash, we can't compare to you, Captain..."

"It's only because Fairy Xue is wealthy; the others are far inferior..."

"Yes, over the years we've only done some routine patrol missions, there's hardly any income, we're almost starving..."

"..."

Everyone joked and teased each other, creating a harmonious atmosphere.

Mo Juren was also somewhat moved. He knew that the members of the Jia 17 Squad were not rogue cultivators, but each had their own background. They were just different in strength, but none of them were poor.

As everyone knows, only independent cultivators truly face hardship, having to use one spirit stone as if it were two.

However, as cultivation level increases, the amount of resources required also increases dramatically. Even if one is not a rogue cultivator but has the support of a family or sect, the resources they receive are still far from sufficient, and they still need to find them on their own.

Xue Rou is quite special; she is a true prodigy and the wealthiest member of the team besides him.

His family is very powerful, and the Star God Sect he belongs to is also a top sect. In addition, he has excellent talent and is given special training by both his family and sect, so other members are naturally inferior to him.

However, Xue Rou has a very good personality. She is humble and polite, and has never acted arrogantly in front of her teammates because of her powerful background. Therefore, she is well-liked by everyone.

Not only within the team, but also among cultivators of the same level, Xue Rou, a woman who is almost perfect in every aspect, also has considerable fame and no shortage of admirers.

Unfortunately, the other party was focused on the Great Dao and clearly had no interest in such personal matters.

"Alright everyone." After a moment, Mo Juren waved his hand, interrupting their casual conversation.
"There's no time to lose. It's time for us to set off and try to complete the mission as soon as possible to win the reward. After that, we can continue our secluded cultivation."

After saying that, he looked directly at Xue Rou, who understood immediately and waved her hand to summon the White Dragon Flying Boat.

Mo Juren naturally had better flying boats, and more than one, but he didn't use them. Firstly, he was too lazy to operate them himself, and secondly, the speed of the White Dragon Flying Boat was not bad, and everyone was used to riding it, so there was no need to change it.

Once everyone had landed on the deck, Xue Rou didn't hesitate. She immediately formed hand seals, and the flying boat transformed into a streak of white light, hurtling towards the depths of the wilderness like lightning...

……

Xue Rou's white dragon boat was already a top-tier flying treasure, and it was even inscribed with the 'Hidden Void Pattern' by Mo Juren, which also gave it stealth capabilities, thus significantly enhancing its functionality.

After entering the wilderness, the flying boat traveled smoothly all the way, and even when it occasionally encountered some ancient beasts, it was not noticed.

The final destination of this trip is the Moonlit Forest, located deep in the wilderness, which is quite far away. If nothing unexpected happens, the journey alone will take at least a year.

However, on his way to the Misty Moon Forest, he also needed to go to the Shadowy Wind Swamp to complete the transaction with Lady Yuanli of the Radiant Palace and find the 'Bewitching Lotus' for her.

Furthermore, according to the other party, there were quite a few Bewitching Lotuses in that destination, and apart from the largest one, the rest belonged to them.

What a generous reward!

However, although he was tempted, he remained very clear-headed.

That Yin Wind Swamp is no benevolent place. Not only is it vast, but it is also perpetually filled with the legendary 'Cold Mirage Yin Wind,' which can not only erode a cultivator's primordial spirit but also randomly generate various bizarre illusions. Even a Void Refinement Realm expert could perish if he entered it.

Therefore, it is not easy to find the so-called 'Bewitching Lotus' inside.

If it weren't for the generous reward, and the fact that Lady Yuanli had specially gifted him two top-grade treasures, the 'Earth-Controlling Wind Pearl' and the 'Azure Sea Clarity Talisman,' which could help him avoid the harsh environment there, he would never have agreed.

Inside the cabin, in a room somewhere.

At this moment, Mo Juren was sitting cross-legged alone, fiddling with a jade slip in his hand, deep in thought.

This jade slip is the route to the Yin Wind Swamp that Lady Yuanli gave her back then. Of course, it's not the whole route, but only a part of it that is specifically for the 'Bewitching Lotus'.

According to the route map, the location of the Bewitching Lotus is exactly in the central area of ​​the Yin Wind Swamp. In addition to the 'Cold Mirage Yin Wind', there is also an extremely dangerous place that must be passed through.

The map creator didn't specify what it was, or perhaps they were also clueless, only stating that there was water in that area and that passing through it would result in an unknown attack.

The attack was extremely terrifying; it shattered a piece of the map maker's high-grade armor in one blow. If the map maker hadn't had some other means of survival, he would likely have perished there.

The attack was as fast as lightning, disappearing in a flash, so fast that nothing could be seen clearly.

The other party guessed that it might be some kind of ancient savage beast living in the swamp, which not only adapts to the harsh environment of the 'Cold Mirage Wind', but also possesses extremely terrifying strength, at least at the Refinement Void level.

Mo Juren could only sneer inwardly. He might have some reservations about the Integration Realm, but the Void Refinement Realm was someone he didn't take seriously at all. (End of Chapter)