I subdue demons and monsters, and cultivate immortality in hell to become a saint.

No matter how furious the monks of Honglun Temple were, the internet had already erupted in a frenzy, with the hashtag dominating the top of the trending topics list and its popularity breaking all previous records.

"Is the spiritual energy revival coming? Does that mean I can cultivate immortality and fly to the heavens?"

"I knew Heaven wouldn't let mortals down! We have to go for it!"

"Riding the winds on my sword, I soar through the heavens, vanquishing demons and protecting the righteous path with unrestrained freedom! Just you wait, I'll be the greatest swordsman in the world someday!"

"Don't dream upstairs. The revival of spiritual energy isn't just about opening back doors for people; demons will also become stronger. Who knows, some ancient ferocious demons might even awaken!"

"That's still better than before! Before, when we encountered danger, we could only lie down and wait to die. Now, at least we have a chance to defy fate. Let's just do it!"

"Stop pretending! I'm a one-in-a-million cultivation prodigy! Everyone, quickly like and favorite this post, and once I become an immortal, I'll personally tutor you all and bestow upon you great fortune!"

……

Netizens argued heatedly, with all sorts of bizarre comments flooding the screen, setting a new record for online buzz.

Who hasn't dreamed of cultivating immortality while riding a sword?

The resurgence of the supernatural is a celebration of ghosts and monsters, while the resurgence of spiritual energy is a golden opportunity for mortals to rise up and achieve success.

The official news clearly states that after the spiritual energy recovers, the latent cultivation potential within mortals will be activated, and there are at least eight or ten thousand people who believe they can become the chosen ones.

The revelry of the secular world naturally drifted into the world of cultivation.

In the cultivation chat group that Zhong Jiu joined, messages were being posted faster than online novels were being updated, and the complex mentality of the cultivators could be seen from the content of the group chat.

The vast majority of people were overjoyed: with the concentration of spiritual energy soaring, wouldn't these veteran cultivators be able to break through their bottlenecks and soar to new heights?

Even mortals can embark on the path to immortality, so these pioneers are destined to stand out from the crowd!

A few people, however, were clearly displeased and sarcastically complained, "In the past, cultivators were extremely rare, treated like gods wherever they went. Now that spiritual energy has recovered, even cats and dogs can cultivate immortality. Doesn't that mean our special status is gone?"

While ordinary cultivators are preoccupied with their status and face, the major sects have already been calculating from a higher perspective.

At this moment, inside the main hall of the Mysterious Sect.

The high-ranking officials sitting around discussing matters had far more inside information than netizens.

"No wonder Buddhism was making such a fuss about becoming the state religion, vying for the position of imperial preceptor, and even forcing the government to help them recruit disciples. Turns out they were plotting this wicked scheme to revive spiritual energy!"

An elder slammed his hand on the table and stood up, his tone full of disdain.

"Absolutely! It's all thanks to the authorities' decisive action; otherwise, those bald monks would have reaped all the benefits!"

"Back then, our junior master was killed by those bastards from Honglun Temple. That old bald monk Zhihong wants to become the Imperial Preceptor? Did he even ask our Xuanmiao Sect?"

"Whoever wants to steal the nation's fortunes, Buddhism is out of the question! We must thwart their scheme!"

Amid the discussion, everyone reached a high degree of consensus.

The sect already had a century-long feud with Buddhism. If Buddhism succeeds, the Xuanmiao Sect will certainly not have a good life in the future.

Moreover, with the spiritual energy about to recover, who wouldn't want a piece of the pie?

The Buddhist community has ambitions, and so do they; they're simply competing for opportunities based on their own abilities!

The Xuanmiao Sect Leader flicked his whisk, his robes fluttering in the wind, exuding authority, and said coldly, "Since everyone has made up their minds, then it's settled! Starting tomorrow, all inner disciples, deacons, elders, lay practitioners, along with everyone from the Pill Hall and Weapon Hall, will march to the capital!"

"If the Buddhist sect is planning something big, let's go join in the fun and cause them some trouble! Besides, the capital city is a place where fortune gathers, the spiritual energy is definitely the most abundant, and the probability of encountering opportunities is the highest!"

"As you command!"

The crowd responded in unison, their voices shaking the roof tiles of the hall. Everyone was eager to settle scores with the Buddhist sect.

There are quite a few sects like the Xuanmiao Sect that are eager to make a move. Those in the know understand that the capital city is a place where hidden talents reside, a land of outstanding people and abundant resources. Once the spiritual energy is restored, it will be the first choice for a blessed land, whether it is for national fortune, luck, or clever opportunities.

On the day of the incident, five top sects set off for Kyoto in a grand procession. As time went on, more and more sects came after hearing the news, and even sects that had been in seclusion for thousands of years sent people out of the mountains.

The Buddhist community felt the pressure immensely, and top Buddhist forces such as Honglun Temple and Lingxiao Temple set off together overnight, heading straight for the capital.

Add to that a group of rogue cultivators looking to take advantage of the chaos and seize treasures, and the vast capital city instantly becomes a melting pot of all sorts of people.

These people were at odds with each other, and their interests clashed sharply. Several times when they bumped into each other on the street, they were on the verge of a fight.

On the surface, the atmosphere in Kyoto seemed tense enough to ignite, but in reality, it was all part of Old Jiang's plan.

As he watched as all the forces gathered in Kyoto, Old Jiang tapped his fingertips on the table, a cold glint of confidence in his eyes. This was exactly the effect he wanted; now he could finally turn the tables and take the initiative.

Some sects need to be genuinely won over, some need to be subtly hinted at, some need to be forcefully suppressed to establish authority, and some need to be openly distanced while secretly engaging in illicit dealings.

Master Jiang is a master of this system of checks and balances; otherwise, he wouldn't be in his current position.

The demons that had originally inhabited Kyoto were terrified when they saw so many cultivators flocking to the city. Most of them fled overnight, and the security in Kyoto improved significantly, with order visibly restored.

In the stillness of the night, Old Jiang sat by the window, a cup of hot coffee in his hand, a hint of worry crossing his brow: "When will the gods finally arrive in Kyoto?"

On the surface, he was strategizing and had gathered a group of cultivators to expand his power, but in reality, he was walking on thin ice and only managed to stabilize the situation by relying on the mutual wariness among the various forces.

It's like walking a tightrope; once the balance is broken, or these people team up against him, he's powerless to resist.

Lacking sufficient personal strength, one ultimately lacks confidence.

Old Jiang desperately hopes that the gods will descend soon and support him.

Meanwhile, at the Honglun Temple's residence in the capital, a group of monks were complaining.

A thin monk clutched his chest, complaining with a face full of resentment, "Those bastards from the Xuanmiao Sect are too much! My junior brother and I were walking along the road when they surrounded us without saying a word. Not only did they gang up on us, but they also stole my Body Tempering Pill, and before leaving, they even called us bald monks!"

"That's right! I was cornered by them a few days ago. Not only did I get beaten up, but they also mocked me, saying that Buddhist disciples are all incompetent!"

The other monk gritted his teeth, clearly having also suffered a lot of anger.

A monk with a fierce face slammed his fist on the table and stood up, a ruthless glint in his eyes: "A gentleman will not leave this grudge unavenged! Tomorrow we'll stake out the Xuanmiao Sect's base. If anyone is alone, we'll teach them a lesson and let them know that Buddhist disciples are not to be trifled with!"

"Don't act impulsively..."

In a corner, a young monk hunched over, his voice trembling, "Qingsong Temple and Lingxiao Temple were fighting yesterday, and I heard that one of our senior brothers even died on the spot..."

His face was filled with terror; he was clearly terrified by the scene.

As more and more cultivators gathered in Kyoto, the various sects, which already had old grudges, found that the higher-ups not only failed to restrain their disciples but also secretly instructed them to cause trouble for their enemies. Those who won were rewarded, while those who lost were punished.

How could the disciples below possibly behave themselves?

The conflict escalated, and resentment grew stronger.

If an ordinary person were here, their understanding would be completely overturned: these seemingly high-ranking cultivators are, in essence, just a group of ordinary people with superpowers, competitive, vindictive, and lacking any semblance of otherworldly grace.

The complaints of the disciples outside reached the inner hall, and Abbot Zhihong's face grew increasingly grim, his Buddhist aura pressing down so heavily that the air inside the hall almost solidified.

"The Mysterious Sect is getting more and more outrageous. Do they really think we Buddhists are easy to bully?"

Zhi Chen clenched his fists, his eyes flashing with murderous intent. "Tomorrow I'll personally take action and cripple those core disciples to teach them a lesson!"

Zhi Hong slowly shook his head, his tone icy: "No. This is just a fight among juniors. If you get involved, you'll be at a disadvantage. The Xuanmiao Sect will then have an excuse to unite with other sects against us. I'm sure they want to provoke us and force us to make the first move, then we'll become the target of everyone's attacks."

There are rules for disputes among juniors, but when elders intervene, the nature of the conflict changes.

Zhi Chen angrily flicked his sleeves, his face full of resentment: "Abbot, how could I not know this principle? But they've gone too far, I simply can't swallow this insult!"

Zhihong sighed, his gaze deep: "The situation in Kyoto is complicated right now. Everyone is watching and waiting to see who will be the first to step forward. Our Honglun Temple must not fall into their trap. If we make the first move, we will inevitably be attacked by other sects."

"A moment of patience brings calm. As the Buddha said, all forms are illusory. If one sees all forms as non-forms, then one sees the Tathagata."

Zhihong paused for a moment, then said in a deep voice, "Let the younger generation handle their own affairs. You can offer them a few pointers in private, but you must never get involved yourself."

Although Zhichen was filled with resentment, he knew that Zhihong was right, so he could only nod reluctantly.

How did such a perfectly good game of chess get ruined like this?

He grew angrier the more he thought about it, slamming his fist on the table and shouting, "Who on earth is so malicious as to leak the information to Old Man Jiang, ruining our grand plan!"

Upon hearing this, Zhihong's expression instantly darkened. He glanced around warily and lowered his voice, saying, "Junior Brother Zhichen, I've actually found some clues about this matter."

Zhi Chen raised an eyebrow, a fierce glint in his eyes, and leaned closer to ask, "Abbot Brother, which sect did this? I'll go and tear down their gates right now!"

Zhihong shook his head, tapped the ground lightly with his fingertip, and said solemnly, "Not any sect."

"Someone found out that Old Master Jiang went to Xingsha City a few days ago. He originally planned to stay for a few days, but he returned in a hurry just a few hours after getting off the plane. When he went there, he had a furrowed brow and looked preoccupied, but when he came back, he was all smiles, as if he had found the key to breaking the deadlock."

Zhi Chen's pupils constricted sharply. Even with his impulsive nature, he reacted instantly, exclaiming in shock, "It's the Underworld?!"

The area around Xingsha City is now the domain of the Underworld. Everyone knows that the Underworld's influence has surged in recent years, and Nanling Province has been completely transformed because of its existence.

"So, Elder Jiang made a special trip to Xingsha City to seek an audience with the Underworld, and obtained the information from there?"

Zhi Chen grew increasingly alarmed as he thought about it, a chill running down his spine.