Within the Great Buddha Temple stretching for dozens of miles, the rising smoke of incense and the resounding chanting of Buddhist scriptures, along with the Glazed Glass and bluestone bricks, pave a pilgrimage route leading to the golden Buddha.
Along this journey, the number of poor believers in tattered clothes far exceeded that of the rich believers in fine silks and satins.
But poor believers could only kneel and prostrate themselves as they walked towards the towering golden Buddha.
As for the wealthy believers... they rode in carriages on fine horses, led by the temple's guest monks through a special passage to enter the temple to burn incense and worship Buddha.
Unlike the other four sects, which either stayed away from the mortal world or established their own independent locations, this sect was different.
The origins of Great Buddha Temple lie with ordinary believers.
Therefore, they did not shy away from the mundane world, but instead displayed their Divine Ability. There were even monks with cultivation who would cast spells every day to make the golden light emitted by the Buddha's body appear multicolored, attempting to create various myths.
However, the Great Buddha Temple is also divided into front and back sections.
The front yard is the ordinary courtyard, while the back yard is the true heart of the place.
At this moment, a dozen or so monks with profound Foundation Establishment cultivation were sitting on the prayer cushions in the hall.
They were all dressed in various styles of robes, some gold, some purple, and some red, with solemn and dignified appearances, and their bodies were surrounded by a faint glow of Buddha.
A dozen or so Foundation Establishment sat cross-legged here, and even in a mortal dwelling, it felt like a grand hall. In a trance, it seemed as if golden lotuses were emerging from the ground, captivating countless believers.
Inside the hall, the sounds of gold artifacts shattering and jade artifacts breaking were suddenly heard.
" The Jade Spring Sect's actions are simply outrageous!"
Ever since Compassionate Light Temple was swiftly and decisively destroyed by Chen Shuangbai, the surrounding forces of Wind Howling Ford have been intimidated.
They had all witnessed Chen Shuangbai's methods and knew that he was ambitious and determined to Wind Howling Ford, restart the waterway, and promote the development of the local people.
But I never expected it to be so brutal now, something that had always happened gradually before.
The several forces that originally occupied Wind Howling Ford.
The local clans have been largely dealt with by Chen Shuangbai, and now they keep their heads down and dare not speak loudly.
The Rosy Clouds Abode Alliance only cared about its small territory on the Sha Province in the river and rarely interfered in matters on the shore.
Compassionate Light Temple... has been destroyed.
So Chen Shuangbai's next target... is obvious to anyone with eyes to see: the Azure Flood Dragon Society, which monopolizes the ferry crossings and exploits the boatmen.
The Azure Flood Dragon Society would certainly not sit idly by and wait for its demise.
In the past few days, there has been frequent movement of people in the Azure Flood Dragon Society building, and various spiritual materials have been flowing in, clearly indicating that they are on guard against a sudden attack by Chen Shuangbai.
Inside the building.
Within the golden censer, a calming fragrance rose, gradually suppressing the surging injuries within Bai Zhixing's body. Even so, he still coughed up a mouthful of black blood, which contained a trace of frost.
Bai Xiuyuan his brother vomit blood again.
"Brother, your injuries..."
Bai Zhixing raised his hand to stop his brother's concerned words, his gaze deep, and asked, "Have you found out where that Foundation Establishment Sword Talisman came from?"
Bai Xiuyuan, "I sent my clansmen from the nearby mountains, and we finally found Chen Shuangbai's trail. We learned that he had recently gone to Returning Dragon Bay upstream."
Returning Dragon Bay?
A glint flashed in Bai Zhixing's eyes as he said, "That's not the Jade Reef Water Manor... So that's how it is, it's also a lineage of the Jade Spring Sect."
" Compassionate Light Temple was destroyed just like that. I originally thought... Heh, I thought that a mere outer disciple like him, with his Foundation Establishment Sword Talisman and Yin Thunder Method, must have some kind of backing!"
Bai Xiuyuan, "With Compassionate Light Temple destroyed, Chen Shuangbai's next target will definitely be us. What should we do?"
Inside the building, the atmosphere seemed to be frozen solid, chillingly somber.
Bai Xiuyuan quietly watched his elder brother, waiting for him to come up with a win-win solution to save him from his predicament, as he always did.
But this time, Bai Zhixing was powerless to help.
He pondered for a long time, and in the dim light, his dark eyes gleamed with an emerald green light, making him appear particularly eerie.
We can't wait any longer.
"We can't get our hands on Yu Laoliu. The only option now is to force our way into the water, rush into that place, retrieve the treasure, and then abandon the Azure Flood Dragon Society and flee far away."
Upon hearing this, Bai Xiuyuan was greatly alarmed and said, "But... the water is extremely dangerous. Going down there rashly would mean certain death!"
"Brother, why don't we discuss this further?"
"We can't wait that long!"
Bai Xiuyuan had never seen his elder brother so angry before, and he couldn't help but feel intimidated. However, the fear in his heart gradually transformed into another emotion, and his gaze became deep and thoughtful, as if he were contemplating something else.
Bai Zhixing didn't notice, and only said, "After I've suppressed my injuries, I'll go into the water in a few days."
"Keep your subordinates in check these next few days and don't cause any trouble. Once I've succeeded, we'll go down the river together."
"Did you understand?"
Bai Xiuyuan lowered his eyes and nodded slightly, his expression remaining hidden from view.
Bai Zhixing's complexion, which had regained some color, turned deathly pale again. He groaned and hurriedly circulated his internal energy to suppress his injuries. Bai Xiuyuan took the opportunity to leave.
As Bai Xiuyuan emerged from the building, a burly man was already beside him.
The burly man followed behind him with utmost respect.
A faint emerald light gradually appeared in Bai Xiuyuan's eyes, and his tone became somewhat sinister, "Send a message to Black Cloud Cave for me, saying that I'll offer ten thousand... no, thirty thousand Lower-Grade Spirit Stone to kill someone for me."
The burly man nodded, then turned and disappeared into the crowd at the ferry crossing.
Bai Xiuyuan stood in front of the Azure Flood Dragon Society building for a long time, his originally cheerful smile turning into a sinister one.
"Brother, you've always been the one protecting me."
"Today... it's my turn to protect you."
The burly man, like a drop of water, blended into the bustling crowd at the ferry crossing, continuing upstream along the Ming River.
However, it did not head towards Returning Dragon Bay, but instead turned halfway and entered another tributary of the Ming River.
Following this tributary, after crossing several steep mountains, we arrived at a cave that resembled a skull.
Even before getting close, a bright red light could be seen emanating from the cave in the distance. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a string of red lanterns, creating an indescribable eeriness.
The burly man moved closer and landed in the cave, where a cacophony of noise immediately filled the air.
Along with it came a cacophony of cheap cosmetics, blood, and sweat, all rushing over at once, making one dizzy and disoriented.
The burly man passed through the brothels, gambling dens, and taverns, finally arriving deep inside the mountain cave.
Before a huge cave entrance that resembled a man-eating beast.
Two men in black stood guard at the cave entrance. Their faces were not visible, but they appeared to be cultivators at around the Qi Refining First Layer.
Seeing the burly men heading straight towards them, one of them raised his hand and said in a cold voice, "Where did you come from? What brings you here?"
The burly man bowed and said loudly, "My master wishes to ask the cave master to kill someone."