Snatching Disciples

But then they saw an old monk sitting inside the palace lantern.

The palace lantern was about the size of a small bucket, with a miniature old monk sitting inside. Behind him was a candle flame, and the firelight reflected on the lampshade, as if casting a halo of Buddha behind the old monk's head. The scene did indeed look somewhat mystical.

Taotie curled his lip. It was just a shrinking spell, but it even used a bit of Illusions.

The shrinking technique isn't exactly weak; it possesses a certain artistry. To truly shrink to this extent without Illusions is quite remarkable. However, compared to Qin Yi's truly magical ability to turn lead into gold and revive withered trees, it's on a completely different level.

Of course, in the eyes of a being of the Taotie level, they were all weaklings, except for Qin Yi, who was barely a little weaker.

Taotie was unaware that Qin Yi had already mastered the art of giantification and shrinking during the Cloud Soaring stage, though he hadn't reached the Law, Heaven, Image, Earth Divine Ability technique... and now he didn't really enjoy playing with it anymore.

This old monk was a Huiyang cultivator, and a late-stage Huiyang cultivator at that. At this point, he was still using shrinking techniques to scare people, clearly regarding it as something very mysterious...

However, if it were just an ordinary girl, she might actually exclaim in amazement and have her eyes sparkle when she saw it.

Unfortunately, the old monk encountered Li Wuxian.

She held the Black Fur Ball, leaned back slightly, and looked at the old monk with extreme disgust, as if she had seen spoiled food.

The old monk felt extremely uncomfortable under those gazes. He looked down at his robes, then lifted the sleeves and sniffed them to make sure they weren't spoiled.

"What does Your Majesty mean by this?"

"So young, yet you want to be someone's master." Li Wuxian said disdainfully, "You didn't come here just because I'm young, to give me a toy, did you? You're not as cute Tao Tao."

"Playing... toys?" The old monk was both amused and exasperated. He finally returned to his normal form, sitting cross-legged in mid-air. "Your Majesty, that is a very profound immortal technique. It can be as vast as heaven and earth, or as small as a speck of dust. It contains the deepest Dao. Once you learn it, you can Summon Wind and Rain and rain, subdue dragons and tigers. It's not just for fun."

Li Wuxian's eyes flickered slightly.

At this moment, Taotie understood what she meant.

She just thought it was fun, and Qin Yi thought so too. The master and apprentice both felt that the greatest value of these things was actually that they were fun. Of course, simply saying "fun" isn't quite accurate. To put it more elegantly, it's about experiencing different novelties and discovering the various pleasures and landscapes that have been missed in the world.

Qin Yi even sighed, realizing that in order to survive in battle, he had to spend more energy on offensive techniques and missed out on many opportunities.

Everyone here doesn't share the same mindset as this old monk. It's hard to say who's superior or inferior, right or wrong, but it's clear they're incompatible.

Taotie could also clearly sense the old monk's greed.

It's obvious that all the powers in Shenzhou are now fully aware of the relationship between the Human Emperor and Qin Yi, and it's no secret that Qin Yi is currently residing in the palace. You can do other things, but taking on disciples? Knowing they already have a master, you're poaching them? This is a grave taboo in the cultivation world, leading to a blood feud with their sect.

If Zuo Qingtian this, it would be understandable, but where did this monk come from?

They either came from afar without knowing, or they knowingly committed the crime, coming for the sake of the Emperor's fortune.

That is greed.

The old monk then said, "You are young and ignorant, only looking at appearances. If you despise it for being small and useless, how about becoming bigger?"

As he spoke, his body swelled up, and soon his head touched the roof beam, making him several feet tall.

"How?"

"Uh..." Li Wuxian, "Monk, touch your head."

The old monk scratched his head. "What's wrong?"

Li Wuxian asked curiously, "People say that a monk who is only a few feet tall can't figure things out, so how come you can still figure it out even when you're only a few feet tall? Are you a fake monk?"

The old monk almost fell. Is this the mysterious change that interests you?

Li Wuxian, "Monk, you know I have a master, right?"

"Of course." The old monk composed himself. "Today, when you attended court, This Old Monk observed you for a long time and determined that you possess exceptional Spirit Root, a talent that comes along only once in a thousand years. You should not waste your time in this mortal world, missing your chance at the Great Dao. Your master is clearly shallow in his cultivation and does not understand this principle, thus squandering such a promising talent, which is a pity."

Li Wuxian laughed and said, "You think you're better than my master?"

"Of course, your master is only at the early stage of Huiyang, and he comes from the Recent Ancient New Dao of the Ten Thousand Dao Immortal Palace. Not only is he unorthodox, but his lineage has not been passed down for more than five thousand years. His understanding is shallow, and he does not know the Profound Scriptures and mysteries. As for your aunt, she is just a pure Martial Cultivation, and she only cultivates the body. She does not know the soul and has no hope of immortality. If you want to see the Great Dao, following them will be useless."

Taotie almost burst out laughing.

You're saying that a man who carries Liusu around his head has only studied the Chaos Origin Chapter, that his knowledge is shallow and he doesn't know the profound mysteries of the Profound Scriptures?

How could you drink like this after just a few dishes?

Li Wuxian laughed and said, "Monk, getting bigger isn't fun. Can you turn into a turtle?"

The old monk said, "... This Old Monk have already said, our profound Dharma is not something to be trifled with."

"Fine, this is really boring." Li Wuxian curled his lip and said, "Then what's your background that makes you dare to look down on the Ten Thousand Dao Immortal Palace and Penglai Sword Pavilion?"

The old monk said slowly, "I Chief Seat of the Arhat Hall Heavenly Thunder Temple in the Western Regions, and my Dharma name Miao Di."

"That name sounds like a girl's."

"..." Miao Di decided to stop arguing with her about this and continued, "Our Heavenly Thunder Temple has a history of ten thousand years, and many of its members are Qian Yuan level cultivators who have already glimpsed Bodhi. We won't boast that our strength surpasses that of the Ten Thousand Dao Immortal Palace and the Penglai Sword Pavilion, but our lineage has its own system, capable of proving the Formless, which the Ten Thousand Dao Immortal Palace lacks. We, on the other hand, can reach the Yang Shen level, which the Penglai Sword Pavilion cannot. Does Your Majesty understand?"

"Do you possess the formless form?"

"... No. But if Your Majesty were to learn the Dharma from us, perhaps Wuxiang would become Your Majesty."

"Then stop talking big. How can you prove you're better than them? By getting bigger?"

Miao Di pondered for a moment, then looked at the Black Fur Ball that Li Wuxian was holding.

"This beast harbors an extremely strong ferocity, This Old Monk can purify. At that time, it will transform into a malevolent form, which Your Majesty will be able to discern at a glance."

As the words were spoken, a beam of Buddhist Light shone upon the Taotie.

Black Fur Ball stretched out its short forelimbs and scratched its head.

There was no reaction at all.

Using normal methods of damage, a Taotie with a soul power at the Soaring Cloud level definitely couldn't withstand this Huiyang monk. But you're using methods to purify ferocity... Please, this is the manifestation of human greed. You want to purify it? Have you even reached the Supreme Clarity Perfection stage?

Miao Di blushed furiously, while the Black Fur Ball remained unresponsive, blinking its eyes at her.

Seeing Li Wuxian's suspicious gaze, Miaodi used all her Miao Di Law Power, and slowly, sure enough, a void Dharma image appeared above the Black Fur Ball.

Miao Di was overjoyed. "This is it!"

Li Wuxian looked down and asked, "Are you sure?"

Above the Black Fur Ball is a roasted chicken leg.

In fact, it reveals Taotie's own view of the Miao Di...

Miao Di: "This... this..."

"Alright, Master," Li Wuxian said calmly. "If you wish to accept me as your disciple, what will I be required of you? To become a monk with you? Or to preach for you throughout this land?"

"Of course, becoming a nun is unnecessary. We are not the Great Joy Temple; we do not accept female disciples," Miao Di said happily. "As long as Your Majesty promotes the Heavenly Thunder Temple within the Da Li territory and makes the world respect the Buddha, that will be enough."

Taotie's eyes lit up. At this moment, the other party's greed was so clear that it resonated with it.

A mocking smile appeared on Li Wuxian's lips.

To put it bluntly, that's what they're fighting for. For Buddhist, Daoist, or Witch God Sect sects like them, competing for Incense and Fire Prayer Power they can do. Witch God Sects, on the other hand, often offer sacrifices to ancient witch ancestors or similar entities. While they may have some need for this kind of humanistic fortune, it's not that important to them. For Buddhist sects, this is what's truly important.

This was not only a struggle for the fortunes of the Western Regions and the Central Lands, but also a struggle for their own missionary work. Ultimately, they were after the terrifying power of the special human emperor that he could bring them.

Once all the human emperors are their disciples and grand-disciples, then the Central Lands Plains of China will become Buddha Country.

They'll exploit us completely, so what's the point of talking about master and disciple, or about Spirit Root?

Li Wuxian stroked the Black Fur Ball.

The candlelight in the main hall suddenly dimmed, Buddhist Light had been swallowed up, and the entire hall was filled with black mist, so dark that one could not see their own hand in front of their face.

From within the black mist came Miao Di's terrified voice. "What... what is this! Why is my soul out of control?"

"This is what you need to purify." The voice of the gluttonous, neither-male-nor-female soul faintly echoed, "Once this greed is revealed, whether you are a god or a Buddha, you are still food."

"You are Taotie... Taotie! The Human Emperor of the Central Lands, why do you possess such... Ah!"

Miao Di's terrified voice abruptly stopped.

When the black mist dissipated, the hall was completely empty; even the remains had vanished.

The black mist reformed into Black Fur Ball and let out a burp.

Li Wuxian, as if she hadn't seen anything, sat on the edge of the bed and said, "Tao Tao, tell me, isn't Master the best Master in the world?"

Taotie hesitated for a moment, but this time it didn't refute anything.

Whoever wanted to take this special emperor as their disciple must have had ulterior motives. Whether it was for his talent, his fortune, or his imperial status, they must have had a purpose.

Qin Yi was the only one who didn't have it.