A master of comedy!

Aside from the mysterious Taotie ferocious spirit, this inner core is arguably the most essential part of this tens of feet long dragon, and its preciousness is unparalleled in the world.

Within this inner core, the size of a pigeon's egg, lies the accumulated cultivation of a dragon over hundreds of years, the essence of the sun and moon, making it an undisputed treasure of the water element.

With this treasure, even a mortal can breathe in water, control wind and rain, and command many aquatic creatures.

If word gets out about this item, even powerful beings at the Tribulation Transcending Realm would be tempted by it.

“Abbot, your Medicine Buddha Temple suffered heavy losses in this battle, and you should rightfully have a share of the dragon's inner core.”

Zhou Sheng drew his Breaking the Precepts Blade, giving the other party no room to refuse, and with a clang, he cleaved the dragon's inner core in two.

The moment the crimson blade flashed, a faint dragon's roar could be heard, and even the sharpness of the Breaking-the-Precepts Blade seemed to struggle against it.

Fortunately, he was highly skilled, and Yazi was an unparalleled divine weapon, so he managed to cut it in two.

“Benefactor Zhou, this…”

The abbot was taken aback, and a look of emotion appeared in his eyes.

It was precisely because he knew how precious the dragon's inner core was that he understood how admirable Zhou Sheng's actions were.

Such treasures are one in a million, an incredible stroke of luck.

Even masters and disciples, fathers and sons, might turn against each other on the path of cultivation.

It should be noted that their magical power is almost exhausted, and they have suffered heavy casualties. Nine of the seventeen senior monks of the Ci generation have perished, and they no longer have the strength to fight.

Zhou Sheng was not seriously injured and his fighting ability remained intact.

"Don't refuse, otherwise I will throw away this half of the inner core. It's not mine, I won't take even a hair of it."

Zhou Sheng looked at the group of "wandering ghosts". From hundreds of monks to a few lonely figures, those who survived were all transparent souls, looking tired and injured.

If we can share hardship, we should share happiness.

Zhou Sheng was grateful for their life-risking help, and therefore would never keep the spoils for himself, as that would be the greatest disrespect to his friends.

"Amitabha, then thank you very much, Benefactor Zhou!"

The abbot finally stopped refusing and accepted the half of the inner core. This item could indeed help them stabilize their souls, recover from their injuries, and might even allow them to advance further.

"It is our good fortune to have the help of Master Zhou!"

The one who spoke was Huinian. He had also suffered serious injuries, and his cassock was tattered, but his smile remained pure and innocent.

In his eyes, Zhou Sheng was like a chivalrous hero in a story, traveling thousands of miles to keep his promise and vanquish demons.

Even when faced with a priceless treasure, he remained righteous and indifferent.

This kind of demeanor deeply impressed him.

"And then there are the dragon horns, which can control water and turn it into ice, summon wind and thunder—they are also rare treasures. We have already taken many of your temple's treasures, so these dragon horns—"

Before Zhou Sheng could finish speaking, the abbot firmly refused.

"Half an inner core is enough. We will not touch the dragon horns, bones, flesh, or blood. Otherwise, please take back this half inner core!"

In the abbot's view, Zhou Sheng had helped them far too much, from delivering the relics and performing the Yin Opera to even slaying the dragon; most of the credit went to him.

He would never have taken this half of the inner core if it weren't for the sake of the monks who were still alive.

After a pause, the abbot gazed at the corpse of the dead dragon, his long eyebrows twitching slightly, his eyes filled with complex emotions, and he sighed with melancholy.

"This White Snake General was once a benevolent deity who brought blessings to the region. He even had a legendary story of curing a plague with our temple's ancestors. It is truly lamentable that his corpse lies lying in the wilderness today..."

"I observed that the demonic energy resembled a Taotie, which did not seem to belong to General White Snake. Perhaps its demonic possession was related to it, but I have not been able to find the Taotie."

At this point, the abbot gave Zhou Sheng a deep look and said something meaningful.

"Please be careful, Benefactor Zhou."

Zhou Sheng's heart skipped a beat, knowing that the abbot had already seen through something. The ferocious soul of the Taotie was hidden in the Reverse Scale, and the Reverse Scale was in his hands.

This was not because he intentionally concealed it, but because this item was extremely important, and its true owner was a person far more dangerous than the demon dragon.

Zhou Sheng must keep it for future planning and strategizing.

"I understand."

Upon hearing this, the abbot nodded and changed the subject, saying no more.

"In this battle, I observed that you seem to have cultivated an extremely powerful external martial art, making your body as tough as bronze armor, indestructible. However, this art is extremely malevolent, and if you cultivate it to a high level, it may affect your future."

Zhou Sheng was taken aback; this was something he hadn't expected.

The Zombie Technique is extremely powerful and does indeed possess a malevolent aura, easily making people irritable, easily angered, and bloodthirsty. To be honest, this level of side effects can actually increase combat power during battles.

His primordial spirit was powerful, and he was confident that he could control this malevolent energy, so he never paid any attention to it.

Seeing that Zhou Sheng seemed unconcerned, the abbot continued, "If you have only reached the sixth level of cultivation, you need not worry about this malevolent energy. But if you still want to undergo tribulation, you must find a way to neutralize this malevolent energy, otherwise it will be a flaw under the heavenly tribulation."

Zhou Sheng's heart stirred, and he suddenly realized that his sixth uncle, with such high aptitude, had never undergone tribulation in his entire life.

Sixth Uncle only reached the sixth level of cultivation. With the completion of the "Zombie Skill", he was able to briefly contend with those who had just undergone tribulation. Logically speaking, undergoing tribulation should not be difficult.

But Master said that Sixth Uncle was reluctant to undergo the tribulation back then, as if he was wary of something.

Could it be that after cultivating to the level of "Golden Armor Corpse", the malevolent energy will surge rapidly, thus becoming a hidden danger for tribulation?

That seems quite plausible.

After all, this technique was created by Sixth Uncle by integrating the unique skills of various schools, and it has not been passed down or improved by successive generations of disciples, so it is not surprising that it contains problems.

"Does the abbot have a solution?"

Zhou Sheng humbly asked for advice, since the compassionate abbot had brought it up, it meant that he must have a way to solve this problem.

"Amitabha Buddha, resolving this hidden danger is not difficult. Simply incorporate Buddhist teachings into it, and this malevolent energy will naturally be neutralized."

After saying this, the abbot took out a scripture and handed it to Zhou Sheng.

"The Medicine Buddha's Lapis Lazuli Golden Body?"

Zhou Sheng was greatly surprised. Wasn't this the Golden Body Technique that Master Cizhou had comprehended?

"This skill is derived from the Medicine Buddha Sutra of my Medicine Buddha Temple. It was created by my junior brother Cizhou with painstaking effort. The method is hidden in the relics returned by the benefactor, but it can only be opened by Buddhist means."

"I have copied it down. You can cultivate it on your own. In time, you will be able to get rid of the resentment. It will also be helpful when you overcome your tribulation in the future."

Zhou Sheng held the thin booklet, yet it felt incredibly heavy.

He knew that the other party was returning a favor.

His actions finally convinced the compassionate abbot to teach him this precious golden statue inheritance.

"I will certainly not let down Master Cizhou's hard work, nor will I let down everyone's trust!"

Zhou Sheng accepted the cultivation technique and bowed to the monks.

The monks returned the greetings, then smiled and walked away, chanting scriptures as they strode off, quickly disappearing from sight.

The sound of the waves remains the same, only the twelve great vows of the Medicine Buddha linger, drifting away with the wind.

"My first great vow: When I attain Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi in my next life, may my own light shine brightly upon countless, endless, and boundless worlds..."

"My second great vow: When I attain enlightenment in my next life, may my body be like crystal, clear and bright inside and out, pure and without blemish; may my light be vast and my merits towering..."

……

"The seventh great vow: When I attain enlightenment in my next life, if sentient beings are afflicted by numerous illnesses, with no help or refuge, no doctor or medicine, no relatives or home, and are poor and suffering greatly; once they hear my name, all their illnesses will be cured, and they will enjoy peace and happiness in body and mind..." (End of this chapter)