Upon hearing Ji Cangming's well-reasoned analysis, Daoist Pujin of Blackwood Island struck the ground hard with his Coiling Dragon Staff.
"Brother Ji's words certainly make sense. Over the years, the Condensed Jade Sect has scoured every corner for resources and acted high-handedly, clashing constantly with Ghostly Manor. The two sides have long harbored grudges, so there is indeed a basis for cooperation.
"Perhaps Ghostly Manor is also hoping to deal a harsh blow to the Condensed Jade Sect's arrogance. If we join forces with them, we could hit it off at once."
At that moment, Master Xuanku, the abbot of Black-White Temple, who had stood quietly to one side without speaking for a long time, pressed his palms together and intoned a Buddhist salutation. A string of glossy black prayer beads spun rapidly between his fingertips.
"Amitābha. Fellow Daoist Pujin speaks truly, but even if Benefactor Ji has long been in contact with Ghostly Manor, we must not let down our guard. A cautious hand keeps a boat sailing for ten thousand years."
Master Xuanku's voice was rich and resonant. The others' excitement over the prospects of cooperation instantly cooled somewhat, and composure gradually returned to their eyes.
As the abbot of Black-White Temple, Master Xuanku was no ordinary figure.
Black-White Temple appeared to be merely a Buddhist Sect monastery, but its origins were far from simple.
Three thousand years earlier, the Impermanence Sect had secretly established this branch in the Cold Mountain Archipelago.
At the time, the Condensed Jade Sect had only recently been founded. Its Sect Master, a Pseudo-Nascent Soul powerhouse, had led the sect in a rapid rise, and it was then blazing like the sun at its zenith.
The name Black-White Temple and the foundations it concealed held even deeper mysteries.
The words "black-white" in the