You Must Not Slander My Innocence

Clang!

The flying sword was like a dragon swimming through the void, radiating a chilling killing intent, and like a streak of silver lightning.

Under the phoenix-eyed monk's control, it reached Jiang Chuan in the blink of an eye.

Treasured Mountain Seal!

Jiang Chuan curled his five fingers. The mountain that seemed capable of propping up heaven and earth appeared to merge with his fist, smashing the void apart as it crashed toward the flying sword.

Bang!

It was like mountains and rocks collapsing, like ten thousand horses trampling across and shattering the wilderness.

As Jiang Chuan sent the flying sword flying with a punch, the tremendous commotion also alerted the elders of Bodhi Temple, and they hurried toward his location.

"It seems I can only abandon my Divine Law Body."

Before the phoenix-eyed monk had finished speaking, his entire body turned into a streak of golden Rainbow Light that tore through the sky and shot straight toward Jiang Chuan.

"Take my blade!"

Jiang Chuan shouted, using his palm as a blade as he chopped down at the phoenix-eyed monk.

The blood-colored blade light was incomparably dazzling, as though the world-shaking killing intent emanating from the Avici Hell had condensed into form and slashed down upon the phoenix-eyed monk.

Facing the blade light descending upon him, the phoenix-eyed monk sneered.

"Remember this! The one killing you is Ji Yuansheng of Maha Hall!"

The next moment, Ji Yuansheng's Divine Law Body raised a hand, revealing a treasure pearl flickering with violet lightning.

"Careful! It's Sky-Destroying Evil-Quelling Lightning!"

Rumble!!!

Before Elder Jingyun's words had faded, the Sky-Destroying Evil-Quelling Lightning exploded with a thunderous roar. Like an erupting volcano, it swallowed Jiang Chuan in an instant.

"Ji Yuansheng! I'll remember you, damn it!!!"

Ji Yuansheng's Divine Law Body struck you with Sky-Destroying Evil-Quelling Lightning.

Fortunately, you had cultivated the "Supreme Yang Limitless Body" to the initial stage of the Supreme Yang Realm. Your fleshly body was comparable to a Low-grade Treasure Artifact, so you were not blasted to death on the spot. However, you were still severely injured.

Abbot Kong Ming personally refined a mid-grade Heaven-tier Silver Moon Vitality Nourishing Pill to treat your wounds.

After confirming that your life was no longer in danger, Abbot Kong Ming directly led Vajra Hall and Water Moon Nunnery into war against Maha Hall.

You recuperated while studying and comprehending various formation manuals.

A year later, your injuries had fully healed, and your understanding of formations had advanced another step.

For the first time, you successfully controlled the Star Spirit Myriad Transformations Light and evolved your first formation.

Another half a year passed. With the pills the prince and princess had left you, you successfully broke through to the ninth layer of the third realm.

Because you cultivated the "Supreme Yang Limitless Body," your strength had already reached sixty thousand jin, twice that of an ordinary third-realm peak cultivator.

You attempted to draw an Inner Scenery Map and break through to the fourth realm, but failed.

You went to the Warrior Monk Institute and sought Elder Jingyun's guidance.

"Jiang Chuan, let me ask you: do you know how the Immortal and Buddhist Dao describe the mortal world?" Elder Jingyun held prayer beads in his hand.

"The mortal world?"

Jiang Chuan pondered for a moment before answering, "The Daoist texts say that once one enters the mortal world, all five colors bewilder the eyes. The Buddhist scriptures compare the mortal world to a sea of suffering."

"But there are also cultivators who regard the mortal world as paradise."

Elder Jingyun raised a hand and pointed at the cloudless sky stretching for thousands of miles.

"The same mortal world is seen by some as a sea of suffering, by some as a calamity, and by some as paradise. Heaven and earth are the same."

"What the Inner Scenery Map depicts is precisely the world in your heart. Jiang Chuan, let me ask you: what does the world in your heart look like? Is it a pure land, hell, or something else entirely?"

"What does the world in my heart look like?"

"What does the world in my heart look like?"

"..."

Jiang Chuan's thoughts surged like waves as he murmured to himself.

``` You racked your brains but found no answer. Since the Three Buddhist Dao Sects had already suppressed Maha Hall, Elder Jingyun suggested that you travel through the Qingyuan Realm to seek the answer to this question.

You gladly agreed. After bidding Elder Jingyun farewell, you left Bodhi Temple and went to the Heavenly Dao Pavilion branch in the imperial capital of the Nine Abyss Dynasty to purchase information on Que Jinling of the Fire Sparrow Clan.

To your surprise, you encountered Jiang Daode there.

"Thirty thousand Spirit Stones!"

"Why don't you just rob me?"

Jiang Chuan looked at Jiang Daode's broad, rosy face and truly wanted to hit him with the Treasured Mountain Seal.

Jiang Daode laughed. "Fellow Daoist Jiang Chuan, Heavenly Dao Pavilion runs an honest business. We would never do something like robbery for wealth."

Jiang Chuan: "..."

An honest business?

If I hadn't personally seen how you threatened me, I might actually have believed your nonsense!

"I only paid two thousand Spirit Stones for a Demonic Dao prodigy like Lu Chenling. No matter how formidable Que Jinling is, can she really be worth fifteen times as much as Lu Chenling?"

Upon hearing Jiang Chuan's words, Jiang Daode shook his head.

"Fellow Daoist Jiang Chuan, that is not how the accounts are calculated. Fellow Daoist Lu does not conceal her tracks, so obtaining her whereabouts is very easy. But I have never even heard of this Que Jinling you speak of."

"To learn her whereabouts, divination is required. Calculating heavenly secrets and fate makes it very easy to suffer backlash; death is entirely possible."

"I am only asking you for thirty thousand Spirit Stones out of consideration for your temple's sake. If it were another Rogue Cultivator, I would never sell this information for less than sixty thousand Spirit Stones!"

Jiang Daode wore the expression of someone who had given Jiang Chuan an enormous bargain.

The corner of Jiang Chuan's eye twitched slightly.

So being fleeced by you still counts as me getting a bargain?

Jiang Chuan then took out a Low-grade Treasure Artifact Flying Sword and tossed it to Jiang Daode.

"This was a gift from the tenth prince of the Nine Abyss Dynasty. Selling it for fifty thousand Spirit Stones would not be a problem."

"Besides Que Jinling's information, I also want information on some of the fairies of the Qingyuan Realm."

Jiang Daode took the flying sword, a strange expression appearing on his face.

"Fellow Daoist Jiang Chuan, are you certain you cultivate Joyous Zen? Won't Abbot Kong Ming beat you to death?"

Jiang Chuan: "..."

You're the one who cultivates Joyous Zen!

Your whole household cultivates Joyous Zen!

I only wanted to complete the Qingyuan Realm Fairy Directory!

You must not slander my innocence!

After obtaining information on Que Jinling and more than ten fairies, you left the Heavenly Dao Pavilion.

At the same time, you noted in your little notebook that the time for suppressing Jiang Daode would be raised from three hundred years to five hundred years.

Reading through Que Jinling's information surprised you somewhat.

For Que Jinling, a royal member of the Demon Race, was not in the Northern Territory, but at Purple Bamboo Market in the East Sea.

You boarded a Flying Boat and arrived at Purple Bamboo Market once again.

Unlike before, the moment you stepped off the Flying Boat, you encountered cultivators conducting inspections. They even used Bone-Illuminating Mirrors.

What surprised you even more was that, among the cultivators carrying out the inspections, there were not only cultivators from Bamboo Immortal Island, but also Immortal Dao Cultivators.

After making inquiries, you learned the reason.

Looking at the imposing young man on the wanted poster in his hand, Jiang Chuan's thoughts turned.

"To make several sects of the Immortal Dao, Demonic Dao, and Outer Dao join forces to hunt him down, what exactly did this fellow called Wan Shanhe do?"

Suppressing his curiosity, Jiang Chuan entered Purple Bamboo Market.

After changing out of his monk's robes and taking a Hair Growth Pill, you followed the Heavenly Dao Pavilion's information and set out to find Que Jinling, who was disguised as a Rogue Cultivator.

As though she had noticed your arrival, Que Jinling left Purple Bamboo Market and went to a nearby deserted island.

"Fellow Daoist, you have followed me all the way here. Will you not show yourself?"

Que Jinling, with her bright eyes and gleaming teeth, was already a rare beauty.

Her tall figure and black robes only made her appear more valiant.

Blue formation patterns manifested from the void, then vanished.

Jiang Chuan's upright figure appeared out of thin air.

"So Bamboo Immortal Island discovered me after all."

A resolute expression appeared on Que Jinling's face. She then drew a crimson sword from its scabbard and pointed it at Jiang Chuan.

"To die for the Dao, I, Que Jinling, would have no regrets even after a hundred deaths! But killing me, Que Jinling, will not be so easy!"

Jiang Chuan: "..."

What was all this about dying for the Dao and having no regrets after a hundred deaths?

What the hell was she even talking about?

And miss, when did I ever say I wanted to kill you?