The birthday dharma assembly was a formal ceremony of the Xuan Yin Sect. Apart from the masters presiding over the ritual and the sect's disciples and followers, only the most devout believers were qualified to take part. Of course, with Yu Ci's status as an outer disciple of the Li Chen Sect, he could easily secure a place to observe the rites—as long as he was not afraid of trouble.
Yu Ci had no intention of asking for trouble, nor did he wish to join in that spectacle. He did not even enter the main hall. Instead, he came before the rows of "Xuan Yin Stele Inscriptions" lining both sides, admiring the legends carved upon them concerning Xuan Yin Celestial's attainment of the Dao.
The biographies of immortals under heaven were mostly much of a muchness, and the Chronicles of Xuan Yin were no exception. Mysterious tales piled upon mysteries, mixed with moral instruction and the occasional ornate phrase to cultivate an immortal air—there was nothing especially remarkable about them.
Yet on the second stele to the west, one string of words might catch the eye of anyone with ulterior thoughts. Its true meaning was nothing more than that Xuan Yin Celestial had encountered the "Rakshasa King" before attaining the Dao, sat down to discuss the Dao with it, discovered some supreme principle, and experienced sudden enlightenment.
What Yu Ci cared about were the words "Rakshasa King."
It was actually the Rakshasa Ghost King, wasn't it?
Before coming to Juebi City, Yu Ci had done his homework and gained a grasp of the various factions within the city. Among them, the Xuan Yin Sect and Jingshui Altar had been his chief focus. In his view, Jingshui Altar's methods of concealment were exceedingly formidable. The Li Chen Sect's intelligence had failed