Thought I Was Negotiating With You

"Elder Kong Bei's most accomplished disciple."

Li Yuejiao smiled charmingly, "May I trouble fellow Daoist Jing Hui to introduce us to the spirit beasts within the Spirit Beast Courtyard?"

Jing Hui introduced, "There are a total of 368 types of spirit beasts in the Spirit Beast Courtyard, including Spirit Cranes, Black-backed Xuan Turtles, and White Jade Rhinoceroses."

"Dragon Horses? Are the Dragon Horses in Bodhi Temple descendants of the Divine Beast Dragon Horse, or are they Dragon Descendants?"

The Third Prince Li Kaitai, dressed in green robes and holding a folding fan, exuded an elegant demeanor as he asked curiously.

Both Divine Beast Dragon Horses, birthed by heaven and earth, and hybrid demon beasts resulting from the mating of the Dragon Clan and Horse Demons, were referred to as Dragon Horses.

Jiang Chuan replied, "The Dragon Horses in our temple are descendants of the Seven-Colored Divine Dragon and Heavenly Steeds."

A flicker of surprise flashed in Li Kaitai's eyes, "Descendants of the Seven-Colored Divine Dragon!"

True Dragons have nine claws.

While Golden Dragons, Silver Dragons, White Dragons, and Black Dragons bore the name 'Dragon', they were, in essence, Five-Clawed Dragons.

The Seven-Colored Divine Dragon, like the Azure Dragon, were descendants with a relatively strong True Dragon bloodline.

They had even produced powerful figures who achieved Deification during the distant Primordial Era, leading many cultivators to consider them divine beasts as well.

"Descendants of the Seven-Colored Divine Dragon! Bodhi Temple truly lives up to its reputation as the foremost of the Nine Outer Sects, possessing such spirit beasts," Li Yuejiao exclaimed with emotion.

"Amitabha! While the Eldest Princess is a guest of Bodhi Temple, you cannot insult us."

Jiang Chuan's voice turned icy, laced with undisguised killing intent.

"How dare you!"

Princess Lingchan Li Chanyu shouted in reprimand.

The guards behind Li Yuejiao and the numerous venerated attendants all wore fierce expressions.

With just a command from Li Yuejiao, they would all unleash their attacks and slaughter Jiang Chuan.

"Our Bodhi Temple is the foremost of the Three Buddhist Dao Sects, not an outer sect."

A cold light flashed in Jiang Chuan's eyes as he questioned, "If the Eldest Princess categorizes Bodhi Temple as an outer sect, what are her intentions?"

The Buddhist Dao was merely considered an outer sect by Immortal Dao cultivators, but never had Buddhist Dao cultivators admitted to being an outer sect themselves.

Furthermore, the foremost of the Nine Outer Sects had always been a point of contention.

Some cultivators believed it to be Bamboo Immortal Island, others Maha Hall, and some Bodhi Temple.

Li Yuejiao's statement, made in the presence of many Maha Hall cultivators, clearly carried ill intent.

This was why Jiang Chuan had retaliated so mercilessly.

Li Yuejiao's expression shifted to one of apology, "This was indeed my mistake, Eldest Princess. I humbly ask for fellow Daoist Jiang Chuan's understanding."

"The Eldest Princess still hasn't realized her mistake,"

Jiang Chuan shook his head. "Our Bodhi Temple was established by Patriarch Bodhi-Born Buddha during the Late Middle Ages and has endured hundreds of thousands of years of trials and tribulations. Countless disciples and elders have perished at the hands of Immortal Dao cultivators in our efforts to shed the label of 'outer sect'."

"Your referring to our Bodhi Temple as an outer sect is not only disrespectful to Bodhi Temple but also to the past generations of our ancestors."

"According to Bodhi Temple's rules, the Eldest Princess must construct a Sin Mountain and place it within our temple as atonement."

"Presumptuous! Jiang Chuan, do you know what you are saying?!" Li Chanyu angrily rebuked.

Li Yuejiao's delicate eyebrows furrowed, a look of displeasure on her face.

The origin of the Sin Mountain stemmed from Bodhi Sacred Buddha.

Before Bodhi Sacred Buddha founded Bodhi Temple, humans and demons frequently engaged in fierce battles.

During one demon hunt, due to a moment of oversight by Bodhi Sacred Buddha, he mistook a snake demon with Ba Serpent bloodline for an ordinary one, leading to the demise of all his hunting companions.

To atone for his mistake and to honor his friends, Bodhi Sacred Buddha relentlessly hunted demons.

He piled up the countless demonic beasts he slew into a colossal mountain, placing it before his friends' cenotaphs.

This was the origin of the Sin Mountain.

After Bodhi Sacred Buddha established Bodhi Temple, if an elder or disciple violated severe precepts, they would hunt demonic beasts and pile them into a Sin Mountain for atonement.

"Fellow Daoist Jiang Chuan, while my Imperial Sister undoubtedly erred, constructing a Sin Mountain would require at least tens of thousands of demons."

The Seventeenth Prince Li Shaoheng slowly stated, "If this were to reignite conflict between the human and demon races, it would not benefit the common people."

"Indeed, Seventeen Brother speaks with good reason."

The Twenty-eighth Prince Li Yunwen, dressed in blue and with a long sword at his waist, resembling a noble son from the secular world, also voiced his agreement.

Hunting tens of thousands of demons was an extremely arduous task, even for the Nine Abyss Dynasty.

This was because any carelessness could provoke the intervention of Great Demons from the Seventh or even Eighth Realm of the Demon Race.

"Do the two princes believe I am negotiating with them, or do they think Bodhi Temple can be easily insulted?" Jiang Chuan spoke word by word.

Li Shaoheng and Li Yunwen's expressions drastically changed.

Jiang Chuan's words had undeniably trampled their dignity into the ground.

"Little monk, your Bodhi Temple truly wields great authority!"

Ji Yuansheng let out a cold sneer and stepped out from behind Li Shaoheng, looking at Jiang Chuan with utter contempt.

"I honestly don't know how such an idiot managed to get the Great Sun Divine Bell. However, this presents me with a heaven-sent opportunity!"

In his eyes, Jiang Chuan was irredeemably stupid.

The Nine Abyss Dynasty was currently allied with Bodhi Temple, and this was a critical juncture.

The Eldest Princess Li Yuejiao was highly likely to become the next Sacred Emperor of Nine Heavens.

If she were displeased, it could very well cause the alliance to crumble.

By stepping forward now to support Li Yuejiao, he also aimed to increase Maha Hall's standing in her eyes and contribute to preventing the cooperation between the Nine Abyss Dynasty and Bodhi Temple.

Jiang Chuan looked at Ji Yuansheng before him, and his mind involuntarily recalled the simulation where Ji Yuansheng, controlling his Divine Law Body, had attempted to strike him down with the Sky-Destroying Evil-Quelling Lightning.

"Does your Maha Hall even qualify to meddle in Bodhi Temple's affairs?"

Ji Yuansheng was stunned at first, then fury surged, and he roared, "How dare you insult my Maha Hall?"

"If you dare spout more nonsense, I'll kill you," Jiang Chuan's eyes grew colder.

"Kill!"

Ji Yuansheng remembered the instructions from the former elders of Bodhi Temple to kill Jiang Chuan, and he could no longer suppress the killing intent within him.

The Divine Law Body materialized behind Ji Yuansheng.

Ji Yuansheng's Divine Law Body stood ten feet tall, clad in a yellow earth-toned robe, wielding a mountain-taming whip. Its brow was filled with majesty, as if it were an ancient deity capable of moving mountains and driving rivers with a single thought, descended from mythology.

"Junior Brother, be careful," Jing Hui shouted a warning.

Maha Hall condensed their Divine Law Body through the power of faith.

Ordinary cultivators fighting against Maha Hall disciples were essentially facing two opponents at once.

Within the same realm, those who were not prodigies nurtured by major powers would find it difficult to defeat Maha Hall disciples.

Ji Yuansheng and his Divine Law Body attacked Jiang Chuan in unison.

Li Yuejiao's lips curved into a smile, which seemed to be one of triumph or perhaps a cold smirk.

"With Ji Yuansheng coordinating with his Divine Law Body, it's equivalent to two Fourth Realm cultivators attacking together. Jiang Chuan is certainly doomed!"

"Die!"

The Divine Law Body raised the mountain-taming whip in its hand and smashed it down towards Jiang Chuan.

"You're courting death!"

Jiang Chuan employed the Treasured Mountain Seal, borrowing the power of the low-grade Dao Artifact, the Daytime Sky Blade.

An awe-inspiring killing intent erupted from Jiang Chuan's body like an erupting volcano.

The Demon Slaying Saber!