Gentlemen, it's time to enter the Banner of Ten Thousand Souls.

Chapter 121 The Uncivilized People of the Northern Frontier
The black whirlwind flapped its wings and soared high, flying towards the northern border at lightning speed.

Black Whirlwind has gained weight recently, but his size has also increased significantly. He doesn't seem to find it difficult to carry two people on his back.

Chen Ye originally wanted to chat with Monk Bu Mei a bit more on the way, at least to find out what methods he had for subduing demons, so that he wouldn't have to wait until he met the demon to help him out.

But Black Whirlwind just couldn't learn the spell to block the wind. Every time Chen Ye opened his mouth, a mouthful of wind would rush in, making it impossible for him to speak.

I wanted to communicate by writing, but then I remembered that the monk Bu Mei couldn't see, so I had no choice but to close my eyes and rest.

Even as the monk Bu Mei rode on the back of the Black Whirlwind, he continued chanting scriptures, his mouth still filled with wind, yet he remained tireless in his practice.

Black Whirlwind traveled north, crossing mountains and rivers, and the weather quickly turned cold.

When they were finally able to land and rest, Chen Ye took a moment to ask, "Has Master Bu Mei ever been to the Northern Frontier?"

The monk Bu Mei nodded and said, "Before I became a monk, I was from the northern frontier. However, my hometown is not Luoyan Town, but further north than that town."

Chen Ye asked with delight, "No wonder Master Fangyuan asked you to come with me. Could you tell me what this Northern Frontier is all about?"

Arriving in an unfamiliar place and searching for a long-lurking demon is no easy task. However, it would be much easier if a local could guide you.

After a moment of recollection, the monk Bumei said to Chen Ye, "I became a monk at Cixin Temple when I was young, and I haven't returned for many years. It seems that the dynasties of the mortals have changed twice, and I don't know much about what the northern frontier looks like now. But this harsh land has been a battleground between the Central Plains dynasties and the barbarians from beyond the borders since ancient times. There are wars every year, and rivers of blood flow."

"The barbarians beyond the borders are uncivilized and have their own ancestral gods. Although they do not cultivate immortality, they possess many supernatural arts. Oh, this land beyond the borders is also the birthplace of the Nirvana Sect, but the Nirvana Sect was severely damaged a thousand years ago and has long since fled elsewhere. The remaining traditions have been integrated into the barbarian traditions. This belief is neither good nor evil, but most of the rituals are somewhat bloody and cruel."

"If there are really disciples of the Nirvana Sect in the Northern Frontier, they are probably trying to dig out the treasures left behind by the Nirvana Sect."

Upon hearing the word "treasure," Chen Ye immediately perked up and couldn't help but ask, "What kind of treasure could it be?"

"These are probably items that the Nirvana Sect didn't have time to take with them when they fled the Northern Frontier. As for what they are, this humble monk has no way of guessing."

Chen Ye guessed that it was no wonder the Venerable Lord had suddenly urged him to go to the Northern Frontier. He guessed that the Nirvana Sect's treasure was about to appear in the world, so he sent him to stop it. The Venerable Lord wanted to reap the benefits without lifting a finger. He was quite shrewd in his calculations.

However, Chen Ye thought again that if there really was a treasure, he would definitely take it for himself first and would never leave it to the Venerable Lord.

Chen Ye then asked curiously, "If the barbarians believe in what the Nirvana Sect left behind, why haven't the five righteous sects done anything about it? Isn't slaying demons and eliminating evil their duty?"

There shouldn't be any excuse about being too far away to help. The Qinghe Sword Sect won't let a demon go just because it's too far away. Being unable to spare the time for a while is another matter, but the fact that no one has intervened for so many years suggests there must be something wrong.

"It's because they don't believe in the Buddha of Nirvana. For many years, the barbarians have worshipped their ancestors, whom they call ancestral spirits. This is somewhat similar to a Buddha formed from the power of incense and vows, but much weaker. The barbarians don't believe in cultivating immortality; they simply receive blessings from the ancestral spirits through sacrifices. It's difficult to categorize this kind of tribal belief as demonic."

It's truly disheartening to say that a demon can transform into something that has been passed down through generations in other people's families since ancient times.

But that's often the reality. Many ordinary people can worship stones, but will fight tooth and nail if someone even touches one. Even if the cultivators of the Qinghe Sword Sect were to intervene, they couldn't possibly kill all the mortals.

If you destroy their ancestral spirits today, they will worship a new one tomorrow. Unless you have the ability to educate everyone, the cycle will continue indefinitely.

Chen Ye estimated that he would definitely have to deal with these barbarians who believed in ancestral spirits during this trip to the northern frontier, and then asked, "Can these ancestral spirits really bestow blessings upon the barbarians? Has anyone ever seen it with their own eyes?"

The monk Bu Mei nodded and said, "It is true. Ancestral spirits are also formed from the power of incense and vows. Although they are far inferior to the real Buddha, they are still somewhat miraculous. They can make people infinitely powerful or cure some diseases, but the price required is not small, often requiring a large amount of blood sacrifice." After resting for a while, the two mounted the Black Whirlwind again and headed deeper into the heart of the Northern Frontier.

The further north you go, the colder the weather becomes, snow begins to fall, the ground is covered in silver, and the biting wind is like a knife.

Chen Ye was having a hard time; what he lacked was a protective magic weapon.

At this moment, the monk Bu Mei chanted Buddhist scriptures, and a layer of golden light enveloped the two of them along with the black whirlwind. Chen Ye immediately felt warm as spring, and the biting cold wind was kept out.

Chen Ye recognized the sight and asked in surprise, "Master Bu Mei, is this supernatural power of yours some kind of Zen called 'Open Speech'?"

The monk Bu Mei explained, “Amitabha, this humble monk is not good at debating scriptures and cannot learn the supernatural power of speaking Zen. This method is something I have only recently come to understand. If I really want to talk about it, this supernatural power can be called the method of self-sacrifice.”

"The method of self-sacrifice?"

"This humble monk merely transferred the chill emanating from you to himself."

Chen Ye reached out and touched Monk Bu Mei's shoulder in surprise, and sure enough, he felt a chill that was even more biting than the cold wind from before.

Chen Ye quickly said, "Master, there's no need for that. I'll just have Black Whirlwind slow down a bit."

The monk Bu Mei laughed and said, "This humble monk has already completed the body tempering of the Qi and Sha, so this chill is no problem for me. Helping you shield yourself from the cold wind is just a small favor. You should hurry to Luoyan Town. If you delay, those demons might harm one more person. Amitabha."

The monks of Cixin Temple are indeed all compassionate and merciful. This self-sacrifice method is actually to suffer for others... Wait, can it also help resist the pain of the Gang Sha body refinement?

If everyone in Cixin Temple learns this self-sacrifice technique, then the Qi Sha Body Refinement should no longer be an obstacle for Cixin Temple.

One is responsible for the pain, while the other focuses on manipulating spiritual energy to repair flesh and blood; the Vajra Powder can be omitted.

Thinking about it this way, Chen Ye even suspected that Monk Fangyuan had specially sent Monk Bumei to help him cultivate, since this bone marrow refining was really painful.

Lost in these wild thoughts, Black Whirlwind had already flown over the mountains.

Freed from the torment of extreme cold, Black Whirlwind flew even faster and finally found a small town before nightfall on the second day.

Judging from its appearance, this should be the so-called Luoyan Town.

The black whirlwind slowed down and hovered in the sky, allowing Chen Ye to observe the town more closely.

It is said to be a small town, but it is actually quite large. It is surrounded by mountains on two sides, and is separated from Luoyan Town by a passage in the middle. The city walls are three or four zhang high, making it a formidable city that is easy to defend and difficult to attack.

Chen Ye said to the monk Bu Mei, "This is probably not some remote border town, but a heavily guarded military stronghold. It looks like it has a large population, so it won't be easy to investigate."

The monk Bu Mei asked, "Then, Benefactor Chen, do you have any clues about those demons?"

Chen Ye smiled and said, "Not now, but I should know after I take a nap."

(End of this chapter)