Born with immortal seed

Chapter 766 The Mysterious Mastermind

"Among Buddhist practitioners, some regard the physical body as a burden and only cultivate the primordial spirit. Others forge a golden body and cultivate the physical body into a raft for crossing tribulations, thus enabling them to ascend to immortality."

Bai Zichen glanced at the tattered sack-like Arhat with the green lamp, his face ashen, already a walking corpse.

"I never imagined that this monk, who walks on two legs, would be a rare practitioner of both physical and spiritual cultivation. No wonder he was once considered one of the few in the cultivation world with the best chance of becoming a deity."

The primordial spirit of the Green Lamp Arhat is enough to be used nine times in the Great Void Rebirth Mantra before the lamp runs out of oil.

After so many soul searches, we finally obtained some useful information.

"Madam Mu, the lord of the black market, amassed an astonishing amount of spirit stones every year through underground markets that spanned the cultivation world, and also had a certain degree of control over the well-known thief cultivation organizations in the world."

"When Qingfeng Sect was attacked, the mastermind behind it was Xingxiu Hai, who used the black market. His family often acted as a front for various forces, taking advantage of the victims and then the clients, committing numerous crimes."

"Madam Mu was originally a maidservant and a furnace vessel for a dual cultivation sect, of lowly status. Later, she disappeared for hundreds of years without knowing what opportunity she had, and then reappeared as a Nascent Soul True Monarch."

"She wiped out the entire sect she came from, then took over the black market, making a spectacular transformation without any foundation or background. Yet, there were so many villains in the black market who were stronger than her, and no one dared to challenge or oppose her."

"Later, news spread that his Daoist partner was Ren Tianxing, the Eight Desolate Sword Lord of the Five Phoenix Sword Sect."

It took Bai Zichen a long time to digest what he saw in this soul-searching memory.

These are things that the Nascent Soul sects should all have knowledge of.

Although Qingfeng Sect is now a genuine Nascent Soul level sect, its rise has been too rapid, and its intelligence gathering capabilities are still lacking.

Other sects are even less likely to offer help out of kindness; everyone is a direct competitor.

"The Eight Desolate Sword Lords... are all figures from the same era as the Nebula Twin Saints. Could they still be alive and well?"

This Nascent Soul ancestor of the Five Phoenix Sword Sect has not shown his face for over a thousand years.

During the critical moment of the last war between humans and demons, no one was seen, and everyone thought that the Eight Desolate Sword Lord had perished.

Judging from the memories of the Green Lamp Arhat, the underground cultivation world has been quite accommodating to Madam Mu, suggesting that the Eight Desolate Sword Lord is still alive; otherwise, there would be no need for such concessions.

"No matter what, those who harmed my sect's disciples must be held accountable by the black market... So what if he's a Nascent Soul Sword Master? At his age, he'd probably die instantly if he even showed his sword in the real world."

There is also a secret related to the Kassapa school: tens of thousands of years ago, a Buddhist disciple proposed a deviant path of practice.

In the Buddhist realm, the more believers and novices there are, the more space can be created in the void.

A positive cycle leads to a powerful Buddhist realm, which in turn allows Buddhist practitioners living within it to reap greater benefits.

Starting from this point, a shortcut was found, using the magic of sweet talk to bewitch the common people.

The entire ordinary city was transformed into a Buddhist land, and everyone became a devout believer who could contribute their faith.

Ordinary people have no power to resist wonderful sounds; a novice monk can persuade an entire city to do good.

If this method is followed, within a hundred years, most ordinary people in the Central Region will become devout Buddhists.

Among the major schools of spiritual practice, only Buddhism plays such a significant and direct role for ordinary humans.

This proposal caused a major upheaval as soon as it was put forward, sparking endless debate within the Kassapa school.

Opponents mainly felt that this method violated human ethics and was close to the methods of demonic sects.

Furthermore, if the population is encroached upon too much, it will provoke a collective attack.

The process dragged on for several generations without a decision being made to implement it, until one day an envoy from the Daode Sect came to the door and exposed the actions of the sect's disciples, who had been secretly carrying it out outside all along.

Involving over ten million ordinary people, it transformed remote small countries into Buddhist lands, with pagodas standing like forests and temples every ten miles.

Under the guise of encouraging good and suppressing evil, countless tragedies have occurred.

All this is to earn more incense offerings and religious faith.

Under the questioning and supervision of the Daodezong sect, the Kasyapa sect had no choice but to deal with this group of Buddhist monks and nuns.

To my astonishment, I discovered that nearly half of the disciples here had been tainted by demonic influences and had lost their original compassion and great vows.

The most radical and farthest-reaching individuals possess a dark Buddhist heart, capable of simultaneously wielding both Buddhist and demonic powers without hindrance.

It's no longer a matter of ideological differences; they've completely embarked on diametrically opposed paths.

The Kasyapa sect, with a heavy heart, severed its arm and captured all these disciples, imprisoning or stripping them of their cultivation.

However, a small number of Buddhist practitioners escaped and claimed to be of the Demon Buddha lineage, and it is rumored that they went overseas.

The Daode Sect suspected that the Kasyapa Sect had orchestrated the whole thing, so they let the disciples go, but they were helpless because they had no evidence.

"So the Kassapa school has such a history. It was after that that they established an ironclad rule that they could not expand their Buddhist kingdoms in the real world, lest they be unable to control their greed and anger and fall into the demonic path."

The lineage of the Demon Buddha is a painful taboo for the Kasyapa sect.

More than 30% of the Arhats directly stood on the opposite side, while some had ambiguous attitudes and sympathized with the Demon Buddha.

After internal purges and several major battles, when things finally calmed down, three of the five major treasure masters remained, and two of the seven palace masters had died.

The remaining temples, abbots, and head monks were mostly gone, almost causing the Kasyapa sect to enter a period of decline.

The most serious consequence is that several of the most promising disciples of the Kasyapa sect who were destined to reach the Divine Realm have fallen into the demonic path and turned to cultivate the methods of the demonic Buddha.

Even if they didn't die, they all escaped.

This incident was something that every disciple of the Kasyapa sect had been reminded of day and night when they first entered the sect, leaving a deep impression, which is why it was discovered by the Taixu Rebirth Mantra.

The final memory segment from the soul-searching session explains why the Green Lamp Arhat wanted to harm Bai Zichen.

"Even the Green Lamp Arhat himself doesn't know who is orchestrating everything behind the scenes. This person is hiding so deeply... But is there really someone in the cultivation world who can freely enter and leave the Ruyi Buddha Kingdom and make all these arrangements without deceiving the Treasure Wheel Buddha?"

Having just fought against the Buddha Baolun, Bai Zichen was well aware of the Buddha's power within the Buddhist realm.

Without the blessing of the Buddha's realm, the Buddha of the Wheel of Jewels was merely an ordinary early-stage Nascent Soul.

In the Buddhist realm, he is equivalent to a fully realized deity.

Even with his confidence, Bai Zichen didn't believe he could pull off such a heaven-defying feat.

He couldn't do it, nor could the once undisputed number one cultivator in the cultivation world, the Heavenly Punishment Peak Master.

It's completely unimaginable what kind of supernatural power would be needed to achieve this.

If the mastermind behind it all is the Buddha Baolun, then everything can be explained.

"Stealing my luck and shifting my destiny, there are such secret techniques... It doesn't seem like orthodox Buddhist methods, but rather it's sinister and evil."

With a flick of his finger, he ended the life of the monk with the green lamp.

Regardless of the reason or whether he was misled, the other party has already made a substantial threatening move, so it is impossible for him to remain in the world.

For Bai Zichen, failing to uncover the mastermind behind it all felt like having a fishbone stuck in his throat—an indescribable discomfort.

So much so that I had little interest in the relics of the Green Lamp Arhat, and only glanced through them briefly.

Several top-grade spirit stones, multiple top-grade spiritual treasures, and many fifth-order spiritual objects, all imbued with strong Buddhist qualities.

The most eye-catching items were the several relics that shone with a pure, crystal-like light, each with a different shape.

There are also hundreds of jade slips, all of which record Buddhist scriptures, Buddhist teachings, various Buddhist practices and supernatural powers, almost equivalent to a small library.

One major difference between Buddhist and Taoist cultivators lies in their realms.

It cannot expand its boundaries, but it can refine a mustard seed world on a spatial spiritual object, which can also be used for storage.

Once one reaches the Buddha's realm, the mustard seed world can be transformed into the prototype of a Buddha kingdom.

Perhaps because the Buddhist realm is more stable than the grotto heaven, and the mustard seed world is different from the realm, Arhats do not immediately float into the void after death, but instead appear in the world.

There is enough time to retrieve the items stored in the Mustard Seed World.

This is why the relics obtained from the Green Lamp Arhat are far more numerous than those obtained from other cultivators of the same level.

These were all Buddhist treasures, of little use to him.

They can either be exchanged with other Buddhist practitioners or placed in the Qingfeng Sect's secret hall, awaiting selection by future generations.

"Forget it, it is at least a direct descendant of the Jingming Sect and a Celestial Lord. How can Buddhist techniques be mixed in? It's better to keep it simple. Let's discard these things later."

Bai Zichen packed up and left the Ten Thousand Evils Mountain.

These mountains, which used to be feared by everyone, will no longer be so terrifying.

The fifth-tier seven-colored moths and a large number of fourth-tier demonic beasts died at the hands of the ancient demon Asura, greatly reducing the danger level of the Ten Thousand Evil Mountains.

After leaving the Southern Frontier, Bai Zichen made a special trip to the Five Elements Sect.

Qu Songshi had completed his travels and returned to the mountain gate, preparing to embark on the path of Nascent Soul.

Currently, there are five Core Formation disciples in the sect, which fills the positions of the Five Elements and Five Peaks.

Of the five, apart from Qu Songshi, the others were still quite far from the late stage of Core Formation, let alone Nascent Soul.

Bai Zichen walked to the tombs of Qingmu Zhenren and Heishui Zhenren to burn incense and pay his respects, inevitably recalling scenes from that year.

At that time, he was still a Foundation Establishment disciple. Two True Persons from the Five Elements Sect received the request for help and came from afar.

They risked their lives to escort him back to Jade Moon Lake, using the formation to protect the spiritual vein.

That kind of selfless, mutual support and assistance is no longer possible for the Qingfeng Sect today.

The surrounding forces all humbled themselves to the dust, only hoping to become vassal sects.

There are very few sects left that can be on equal footing with the Qingfeng Sect, let alone those that share the same bloodline.

It is this small, seemingly insignificant emotion that makes it all the more precious.

Before leaving, Bai Zichen gave Qu Songshi a Nascent Soul Pill, hoping to fulfill the dream of so many generations of disciples of the Five Elements Sect to return to the Nascent Soul level.

At that time, both sects faced their own bottlenecks and immense external pressure.

The ultimate goal is to cultivate a Nascent Soul True Monarch and sweep away the weakness accumulated over a thousand years.

To this day, the Qingfeng Sect has exceeded its target, producing one Nascent Soul cultivator and one Divine Transformation cultivator.

The Five Elements Sect remains stuck in the same place, not knowing where its first Nascent Soul True Monarch came from.

Qu Songshi was moved to tears, knowing that this was the grace of his predecessors.

Even the best sect relationship can change when the two sects are too disparate in status. No one would believe that a new disciple of the Qingfeng Sect would consider the Five Elements Sect as a brother sect.

This isn't something that can be accomplished simply by having teachers instruct you a few more times.

Conversely, the disciples of the Five Elements Sect dare not claim too much reliance on the Green Maple Sect when they are outside.

In fact, the Five Elements Sect only held some place in the hearts of the two patriarchs, Bai Zichen and Ge Cang.

Especially Bai Zichen, after all, they had fought side by side before.

Below the elder level, very few have had in-depth dealings with the Five Elements Sect.

This Nascent Soul Pill was enough to excite Qu Songshi. In the cultivation world, there were no more than five sects that could reliably refine such a spiritual pill.

You can't buy it just by having spirit stones.

Many Nascent Soul level sects have to fulfill a host of prerequisites and wait patiently for a single Nascent Soul Pill.

Normally, a sect at the Core Formation level shouldn't even be coveting such a spiritual pill.

With the addition of the Nascent Soul Pill, Qu Songshi's chances of achieving the Nascent Soul stage more than doubled.

……

The ancient demon Asura has been dealt with by the Sword Lord of Time!

This news caused a stir in the cultivation world and attracted worldwide attention.

After all, the demonic invasion directly threatens everyone. Just dealing with those infected demons results in the deaths and injuries of tens of thousands of cultivators every year.

The ancient demons haven't caused much harm in recent years because they've all been stopped in time by the Sword Lord of Time.

Who would still act the same way after learning that there is an ancient demon at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage in the cultivation world?

No one wants to live with a sword hanging over their head, ready to fall at any moment.

Even the most optimistic people only dare to guess that the Sword Lord of Time will have to wait until he joins forces with the Holy Lord of Propagation of Dharma before he can defeat or temporarily trap the Ancient Demon.

Kill him outright?

It was a feat accomplished single-handedly without causing any alarming damage.

It was absolutely beyond everyone's imagination, so much so that after the news spread, everyone was asking for confirmation.

The title of "the number one swordsman throughout the ages" is spreading more and more widely in the cultivation world.

From initially being recognized only by a group of Kendo enthusiasts, it has now become a basic consensus.

Even if the scope is broadened to include all cultivators, he is still a strong competitor, ranking among the top five.

His main achievements are so impressive that, in an evaluation system that favors the past over the present, his cultivation level is at a significant disadvantage. To have this level of recognition is unprecedented.

The following month, the authorities of Rotten Axe Mountain issued a letter to all cultivators.

It was dictated by the Sword Master of Time and written down by his disciple, and spread throughout the world.

Aside from official confirmation that the Asura Ancient Demon is no longer a threat, the statement directly targets the Datong Army and the underground black market, demanding that those directly involved in the murder of the Qingfeng Sect disciple be brought to the scene within seven days to await punishment.

If the deadline is not met, the target should be expanded without limit.

Both organizations will be targeted and subjected to the most severe crackdown from all angles.

"Someone tell me, why did the ancient demon die so easily!"

In the heart of the black market, Madam Mu was smashing a cup and denouncing someone, instantly freezing the tense atmosphere in the entire setting.

"You so-called experts who study true demons told me with absolute certainty that ancient demons only cycle between slumber and wakefulness, and that no one can truly eradicate them. Who can tell me what has happened?!"

"Madam... this was an accident. The assessment of the Ancient Demon Asura was correct. It's just that we didn't expect the Sword Lord of Time to be so unpredictable."

The think tank maintained by the black market responded meekly and quietly.

"And that Green Lamp Arhat is a piece of trash! He said he would use the Ancient Demon to hold that person back, but he didn't even make a move until the Ancient Demon was killed!"

After scolding her subordinates, Madam Mu vented her anger on her business partner, Qingdeng Luohan.

"Go and retrieve the list of the cultivators who participated in the siege of the Qingfeng Sect back then, and see how many are still alive..."

Madam Mu waved her hand weakly, deciding to back down and admit defeat.

"Madam, think it over! If you betray the bandit cultivators who have our backing, what credibility will the black market have left?"

(End of this chapter)