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

Chapter 191 News of the Demonic Sect's Revival

The black whirlwind flapped its wings and soared high, carrying Chen Ye and the monk Bu Mei, speeding towards Luoyan Town.

This was the second time the two had ridden this bird together. However, the last time they rode it together, Chen Ye still needed the protection of the monk Bu Mei to dare to deal with those fierce demons.

Now, Chen Ye is the head of a sect, and his cultivation has increased by two realms. He has already undergone a complete transformation.

The monk Bu Mei was also filled with emotion. He put his hands together and said, "Amitabha. My master once told me that you are no ordinary person and will surely become famous in the future. However, my master probably never expected that you would reach the Tongxuan Realm in the blink of an eye and become the leader of a sect."

Upon hearing this, Chen Ye quickly replied humbly, "Master, you flatter me. If it weren't for Master Fangyuan's compassion in passing on the secrets of Cixin Temple, my cultivation path would never have been so smooth."

These words came from the bottom of his heart. Without the secret techniques of Cixin Temple, even if Chen Ye had cultivated his eighteen Qi Seas to the point of exhaustion, he would still have found it difficult to reach the next realm.

But then again, if he hadn't coincidentally killed the traitorous monk Ku'e of Cixin Temple, this good karma wouldn't have been formed.

The word "fate" is truly mysterious.

“By the way, Master,” Chen Ye remembered something and asked, “I wonder if Master Fang Yuan has any free time lately? My Huangquan Sect is about to hold its founding ceremony. I wonder if we could have the honor of inviting you to attend?”

He had already sent a formal invitation to Cixin Temple, and the temple replied that they would definitely send someone to attend the ceremony, but did not specify who. Today, he happened to meet Monk Bumei, which was a good opportunity to find out.

Upon hearing this, Abbot Bumei looked apologetic and said, “Amitabha. I’m afraid it will be difficult for you to leave. Recently, demonic traces have reappeared in the southern islands. Everyone at Cixin Temple is busy with this matter, and the abbot cannot easily leave the temple. Therefore, it will be up to you to handle this personally.”

Cixin Temple has more disciples than Huangquan Sect, but only the abbot and Monk Fangyuan can hold their own.

This world is vast, encompassing the Northern Frontier, the Central Plains, the East China Sea, and the southern islands. Although Cixin Temple is a side sect, it is an extremely famous one, and a large portion of the southern islands are protected by Cixin Temple.

Upon hearing the news that another demon was causing trouble, Chen Ye frowned slightly and couldn't help but sigh, "I always feel that the world has been turbulent lately. I don't know where these demons come from, and they can never be completely eradicated."

“Amitabha.” Monk Bumei sighed, “For thousands of years, although the demonic path has been suppressed many times and seems to be in decline, as long as the demons in people’s hearts are not extinguished, there will never be a day when demons disappear. My master once said that the peace in this world is entirely due to the suppression of demons by Master Zhang of the Qinghe Sword Sect. After Master Zhang’s merits are fulfilled and he ascends to heaven, I am afraid that the demons hiding in the shadows will launch a full-scale counterattack.”

Monk Bumei paused, his tone becoming even more solemn: "Especially recently, when Master Zhang wielded his sword in the Northern Frontier to save the common people, although he annihilated a powerful enemy, he probably also shortened his time in the mortal realm. As a result, many lurking demons naturally sensed that the time was approaching and began to stir."

Chen Ye asked in confusion, "After Master Zhang, isn't there also Sect Leader Lu of the Incense Burning Sect? He is also a great cultivator in the Dao Integration Realm."

The two universally acknowledged masters of the Dao Integration Realm are Zhang Qi, who is a master of swordsmanship, and Lu Xingzhou, who is in charge of the Burning Incense Sect.

Of course, this is only the information that is publicly available. No one can guarantee that there may be other reclusive elders who are quietly waiting to ascend to immortality.

"Since Sect Leader Lu is still alive, after Master Zhang ascends to immortality, he should rightfully take over the responsibility of suppressing the demonic sect. Why do you and many others seem to believe that once Master Zhang is gone, the righteous path will be leaderless?"

The monk Bu Mei put his hands together again and chanted a Buddhist prayer: "Amitabha, if what I say next is disrespectful, I hope Buddha will forgive me."

After reading this, Monk Bumei slowly revealed his opinion: "The reason why Master Zhang is so famous throughout the world is not only because of his unparalleled swordsmanship, but also because he never cares about personal gains or losses, nor about the losses of his sect, when he slays demons and monsters. He only cares about the common people. However, Sect Leader Lu... in his heart, the inheritance and interests of the Incense Burning Sect are probably the top priority."

Chen Ye instantly understood what the monk Bu Mei meant.

Zhang Qi's actions in slaying demons and monsters were driven by a sense of righteousness, while Lu Xingzhou's actions would inevitably prioritize the gains and losses of the Burning Incense Sect.

He would not easily take risks and risk his life, and he was even less willing to let his disciples sacrifice themselves in vain for the sake of the vague "righteous path".

Once righteous cultivators begin to "cherish their lives" and start calculating costs and benefits, demons will naturally have many more opportunities.

However, Chen Ye did not expect that the monk Bu Mei's next words would make his heart sink even more: "Moreover, this humble monk once heard Master mention a secret: the Wujiu Demon Lord suppressed within the Burning Incense Sect seems to be about to be resurrected. If this Demon Lord is truly resurrected, it is unknown whether the Burning Incense Sect can hold onto the seal, and it may be powerless to do anything else."

Chen Ye asked, "Wasn't Demon Lord Wujiu's soul completely shattered? How can he be revived?"

Rumors circulate that the Demon Lord Wujiu cultivated an extremely strange and mysterious art, granting his physical body near-infinite regenerative abilities. Even with only a drop of his essence blood remaining, he could reassemble his body in a very short time.

Therefore, in order to completely kill him, the righteous path used a forbidden technique specifically targeting the soul, utterly annihilating it. Only after the Demon Lord Wujiu became a "living corpse" were they able to successfully seal his physical body.

A corpse whose soul has been completely destroyed is essentially just a lump of flesh and blood that has not yet decayed. How can it be "revived"?
The monk Bu Mei explained, “This humble monk has only heard this secondhand, and it is difficult to distinguish between truth and falsehood. However, my master once said that evil spirits and heretics in the world often cut open the fetuses in pregnant women’s wombs and use vicious and evil methods to refine them into various magical treasures. It can be seen that the soul already exists before the physical body is fully formed. Whether the soul is born before the body or the body nurtures the soul is a mystery of heaven and earth, and no one has ever been able to say for sure.”

"Although the soul of the Demon Lord Wujiu is shattered, his physical body has remained incorrupt for thousands of years, and the vitality and demonic energy it contains are still immense. Who can say that this body cannot give birth to a completely new soul? If so, when the new 'Demon Lord Wujiu' awakens, the current Incense Burning Sect may not be able to suppress him."

"To regenerate the soul..."

Upon hearing this, Chen Ye couldn't help but think of the word "reincarnation." Was this newborn soul born naturally from the demonic body's flesh and blood, or was it the true spirit of the fallen Demon Lord Wujiu, who had undergone reincarnation and returned once more?
If given the chance, he would really like to witness such a strange event with his own eyes.

However, Monk Bu Mei was clearly not as optimistic as Chen Ye, and lamented, "If Master Zhang ascends to heaven, the righteous path will be leaderless, and the resentment suppressed by the demonic sect for thousands of years will surely launch a full-scale counterattack. Now, it is only a sign, and I don't know if the five righteous sects can withstand it. If they cannot stop the resurgence of the demonic sect, I'm afraid the world will be plunged into chaos."

Chen Ye pondered, "I wonder how many demons are lurking in the shadows in this world, and how many of the eighteen demon lords from back then have survived?"

Chen Ye thought of the Venerable One who was in seclusion in the Yellow Springs Palace.

This man is none other than the direct descendant of the Crimson Serpent Demon Sect, and the most orthodox heir. He just realized his mistake and changed the demonic sect into a side sect.

Chen Ye could tell from their daily interactions that the only person the Venerable Master feared was that Master Zhang, and he truly didn't take Lu Xingzhou of the Incense Burning Sect seriously.

Is there only one sovereign in this world who inherits the ancient demonic sect?
Who knows how many of the demons lurking in the shadows have reached the Void Return stage, and how many have reached the Divine Transformation stage?

Thinking about it this way, I'm afraid that great chaos is really on the horizon.

My cultivation level of only the Profound Realm is really too low.

He had originally planned to use the autumn chrysanthemum to test his newly comprehended third level of hellish techniques after finding her.

Upon hearing this, Chen Ye lost interest. What was the point of bullying a mere Transcendent Realm cultivator? He'd rather resolve this quickly and return to seclusion.

With this in mind, Chen Ye composed himself and turned to ask Monk Bu Mei, "Master, how did you discover the traces of the Autumn Water Fairy in Luoyan Town?"

The monk Bu Mei explained, “This humble monk is not entirely certain either. I had been tracking this fiend for a long time in various parts of the northern frontier, but without any news, so I thought I would return to Luoyan Town to rest for a while. It’s quite a coincidence that when Qiu Shuixian disguised herself as a brothel madam, she fled in panic after the incident, and the brothel in Luoyan Town was also implicated and abandoned for a long time. When this humble monk returned to the old place, I was surprised to find that the abandoned brothel had been renovated and reopened.”

"At first, this humble monk thought that Qiu Shuixian had returned to Luoyan Town with her wicked intentions, so I secretly investigated. But I found that the brothel seemed to have changed owners, and its business model had also changed drastically. It was said that all the women in the brothel were virgins who sold their art but not their bodies..."

Hearing this, Chen Ye couldn't help but interject, "Oh? If that's really the case, wouldn't that be a good thing?"

The monk Bu Mei shook his head, his expression solemn: "Amitabha. If that were truly the case, it would naturally be a meritorious deed. However, I must say something that might spoil the mood: in this world, there are few acts of kindness that can be accomplished so easily. Most ordinary people value profit over righteousness. 'Selling art but not one's body' is often just a gimmick to raise one's value and attract patrons. To expect all the women in an entire brothel to uphold this principle while also maintaining the business would be extremely difficult."

"According to my observation, this newly opened brothel is doing exceptionally well, even more so than when Qiu Shuixian was in charge. Something is definitely amiss. I feel there must be something fishy going on. However, due to my unsuitable status, I am not in a position to investigate the brothel in depth, nor have I been able to find any substantial clues. Therefore, I have no choice but to ask Benefactor Chen for help, hoping that you can lend a hand and find out the truth."

There's some truth to what Monk Bumei said. There are certainly people in this world who do good deeds, but we can't go against common sense.

Chen Ye did not refuse. He immediately closed his eyes, his fingertips moving as he began to practice divination. The surrounding wind howled, but it did not affect the tranquility of his mind in the slightest.

A moment later, he slowly opened his eyes, a look of surprise on his face: "That Autumn Water Fairy seems to really be hiding in this Luoyan Town!"

Chen Ye did not directly calculate the exact location of the chrysanthemum, but instead obtained a hexagram called "Water and Fire in Harmony".

With Kan above and Li below, water and fire blend together, yin and yang are in harmony, signifying great success and the fulfillment of wishes.

Their purpose in this journey is to find the whereabouts of Qiu Shuixian, and "Ji Ji" implies that this journey will yield results. Therefore, it is no surprise that the demon is hiding in Luoyan Town.

Chen Ye had often heard the saying "the more dangerous the place, the safer it is", but he always thought it was a survivor bias.

Normally, one should avoid standing under a dangerous wall and run away as soon as possible.

Therefore, no one expected that there would be a demon hiding in Luoyan Town. If it weren't for the monk Bumei's firm determination to eliminate the demon and his long journey through the northern frontier before finally returning to Luoyan Town, Qiushuixian might have really escaped.

The monk Bu Mei said with great relief, "Amitabha, it is fortunate that you are so resourceful, otherwise I do not know when we would have found this demon."

Cixin Temple has an unwritten rule that the pursuit of demons must be carried out to the end.

The monk Fangyuan spent a hundred years hunting down the traitor Ku'e, neglecting his cultivation and becoming as unkempt as a beggar.

If Chen Ye hadn't encountered a misfortune and killed him, who knows how many more years it would have taken for the monk Fang Yuan to finish the job.

Chen Ye said confidently, "Master, rest assured, this time we will definitely slay the demon and eliminate the evil, and prevent future troubles."

(End of this chapter)