Funeng

---- Xuanwei City, on the mountaintop

"Half a month ago, Funeng brought Xianyu Clan Chu Prefecture. The six sword masters of the Ancient Sword Manor were no match for him and were defeated in the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. Funeng them generous gifts and left with Lady Dang, the daughter of the Ancient Sword Manor."

Ten days ago, Funeng brought his two daughters to Zhang Prefecture. The Baishui Guo Household opened their main gate and welcomed them in with great courtesy. Funeng preached at the Guo Household's residence for half a day, presented them with generous gifts, and then left with the Lady Guo.

Nine days ago, Funeng brought his three daughters to Rong Prefecture. The Anyun She Household dared not stop them and politely escorted their eldest daughter out. Funeng presented them with generous gifts and left with the Lady She.

Eight days ago, Funeng brought four women with him.

Two days ago, Funeng brought seven women into Wei Prefecture. Ma Wuer, the patriarch of the Jiebu Clan of the Settled Qiang lineage, fought against them with three True Cultivators. They were no match for them, and most of their five or six hundred cultivators were killed or wounded. The Jiebu Clan was exterminated and removed from Wei Prefecture. The Cloud Water Sect, which was in charge of Wei Prefecture, ignored the news and allowed Funeng to leave with Ma Wuer's wife Lady Liu.

The military report about Funeng came to an abrupt end there. Fei Bofeng put away the silk scroll in his hand and presented it to Juntian Bird and Fei Nanying.

The former then realized that today was different from the past. When it came to such a secret and crucial matter, the most senior False Core in the She Mountain Hall, Fei Granny Liu, was not there.

Juntian Bird showed little interest in the spirit silk military report, and merely sneered:

"The Two Instruments Sect of Tengwen Prefecture, the Bo Prefecture Xianyu Household, and the Cloud Water Sect of Tang Prefecture are all Golden Core sects with some reputation in Shannan Circuit. Now they don't even bother to put on an act. They just let a junior Buddhist cultivator act arrogantly over their heads. Aren't they ashamed?"

Fei Bofeng also dared to chime in. "Funeng Nengdang also has a sense of proportion. Otherwise, given the style of Original Response Temple, how could he have only killed one Jiebu Clan? It's remarkable that he was able to find the Mingfei token that Mystic Moon Sect had left behind back then, and also find a suitable candidate like Lady Liu in such a short time."

Fei Nanying carefully examined the spirit scroll from Fei Bofeng's hand. Perhaps feeling that what the latter said was not of any concern to the overall situation, he did not respond to him, but only echoed what Juntian Bird had said earlier, "After all, Funeng had been granted permission by the Star-Picking Pavilion, so they probably wouldn't dare to stop Funeng. Otherwise, when the temple protector was in Bo Prefecture, he wouldn't have been able to take Xianyu Clan away so easily."

Juntian Bird then said coldly, "Yes, she's just a daughter of the Shu clan. What is there for the Xianyu Household to be reluctant about? Why should they let such a promising person like Funeng suffer because of this?"

It is true that Gelie is a top Buddhist cultivator who is renowned throughout the Immortal Dynasty, but when he sent his disciples to Shannan Circuit, they all knew to greet the Master of the Star-Picking Pavilion, yet they were stingy with a single word to our Fei Household.

In that case, I, your ancestor, cannot hand over the Yuan Clan.

Now that the Earl of Nan'an has become Upper-Grade Golden Core, according to the blood oath his family made with the late emperor and the Palace Master of Billowing Dream, the Nascent Soul of Original Response Temple should still not be allowed to go east to spread the Dharma.

What do I, the old ancestor, have to fear?!

"It's good that those useless, lewd monks who can't even form a Nascent Soul have arrived. Let's see how the Ancestor pries out their Golden Core and exchanges them for some top-quality spirit medicine from the Dragon and Tiger Sect to prolong my brother's life."

Fei Nanying didn't seem to be much affected by the old bird's heroic spirit, but he said again, "Ancestor, Funeng has been rushing here almost every day, which shows how eager he is. We still need to make preparations as soon as possible."

"If he didn't act this way, how could he demonstrate his extraordinary status as a disciple of a major sect, and how could he instill in the nine juniors we selected the sense of urgency of an impending attack?"

Juntian Bird sneered again, and then said, "With such a string of victories, his morale should be soaring. Why doesn't he seize the opportunity to cause trouble for the Cloud Horn Prefecture Court? Instead, he hasn't shown his true form for three days."

"If he's not healing, then he's conserving his energy," Fei Bofeng chimed in from the side.

Fei Nanying added, "I hope those nine juniors are as intelligent as you. If they can see things clearly, Funeng's psychological warfare plan will be largely ruined."

After speaking, he sighed again, thinking that if Fei Bofeng and Fei Zhongyun were ten or eight years younger, the odds of winning would have increased by another ten percent.

Juntian Bird sighed again, thinking to himself, "Forget it, no need to think about it anymore. Who knows how many old codgers are lurking in the shadows among these twenty-seven paths, trying to sabotage that old bastard Gelie's plans!"

Even if that brat Funeng really did manage to abduct the Yuan Clan from the Cloud Horn Prefecture Court, he probably wouldn't be able to return to the Snow Mountain Circuit. He would most likely perish and rot in some remote village.

However, the Earl of Nan'a Kuangliu, is young and impetuous, and very concerned about his reputation. I wonder if he will take his anger out on me when he returns. If this boy has truly learned great skills from that person in the outer sea, I am genuinely afraid of him."

"Ancestor, Ancestor"

"What is it?" Juntian Bird, drawn back by Fei Nanying's call, was somewhat displeased. Fei Nanying pointed to the sky and said respectfully, "We should go set up the formation."

"Hmm, let's go. I'm already worried just looking at those rotten apples you've picked out."

In the training ground, Jiang Qing and Kang Dabao were gathered together. Jiang Qing was not as excited as Sect Leader Kang Da had expected. Instead, he had a solemn expression and asked in a low voice, "Senior Brother, how many rounds do you think we've each lost this time?"

Kang Dabao ignored his junior brother and instead pulled out a luxurious, colorful food box containing several trays of exquisite side dishes, all of which Fei Shuhe had taught Huo Ying to make before the trip.

First, he used his clumsy fingers to pull out each of the small drawers, then tasted each of the expensive and visually appealing side dishes. Kang Dabao's lips curled slightly, but he didn't feel any surprise.

It's clear that this noblewoman from the Fei Household isn't very skilled in cooking; the taste of the dishes is far less appealing than her stunning beauty. She also doesn't know how to cater to the diners' tastes, as the large food box didn't even contain a single braised pork knuckle.

But Sect Leader Kang Da also looked pleased, and it was difficult for him to stop eating with his chopsticks.

Only when Jiang Qing urged him urgently did he reply somewhat impatiently, "I don't know. Why worry about something we can't even decide ourselves?"

"Senior Brother, that's the guardian abbot of Original Response Temple, almost as important as the Daoist Master of the Star-Picking Pavilion!"

The Sect Leader Kang Da paused, his chopsticks still in his hand. He looked at Jiang Qing's eager expression and was taken aback. "How many years has it been since I've seen Little Sanzi so excited?"

Before he could respond to Jiang Qing's words, others in the room approached him, bowing and striking up a conversation:

"Sect Leader Kang when Mount Tai collapses before him, he remains unfazed. Before battle, he even has the leisure to enjoy a drink and conversation. He is truly a rare and noble figure among us, worthy of our utmost admiration."

Sect Leader Kang Da, who hadn't left his residence in a long time, felt he had indeed heard many flattering words. Upon seeing the visitor, he rose and bowed, saying, "Kang Dabao of the Chongming Sect greets Fellow Daoist Yang."

"Greetings, fellow Daoists." Yang Wuwei was clearly a sociable person, treating everyone with great kindness and without the slightest airs of the Aristocratic Clan.

It should be noted that even though the Ye Prefecture Yang Household was split into two branches, the direct and the indirect, the direct branch still had two senior cultivators, Yang Baoshan and Yang Yongcheng, who were still the mainstays of the Yang Household, making it a legitimate powerful family in the border region.

It is rare to find someone Yang Wuwei, who, despite being a pillar of such a family and capable of upholding its honor, possesses not a trace of arrogance.

Kang Dabao and Jiang Qing invited Yang Wuwei to sit on the ground. Just as Kang Dabao was about to change the wine, Yang Wuwei grabbed his wrist. "Sect Leader Kang, why are you being so polite?"

Kang Dabao immediately objected, "How can we let you drink this leftover wine?"

Yang Wuwei, however, declared boldly, "Wine is not a fine thing; its value lies in good friends. If Sect Leader Kang refuses to let me drink this wine, doesn't that mean he doesn't consider me a friend?"

Although Jiang Qing thought Yang Wuwei's words made sense, he still wanted to help his senior brother persuade him. Unexpectedly, Yang Wuwei snatched the wine cup, tilted his head back and drank it down in one gulp. After laughing loudly, his expression changed slightly.

"Well, Sect Leader Kang is being a bit too frugal."

He couldn't bring himself to say what he didn't mean, so he gave a bitter laugh, unable to hide his embarrassment. Kang and Chiang also laughed.

Jiang Qing chuckled inwardly, "The spirit wine brewed by Guest Elder Cai of my Hundred Arts Pavilion is cheap and of high quality, but as for the taste... well, apart from my senior brother who is always selfless and dedicated, I doubt there are many Foundation Establishment True Cultivator the world who could stomach it."

The two brothers immediately brought out a fine wine, and the three bronze wine cups rang out in a welcoming and farewell ceremony, which warmed up the relationship between the three brothers considerably.

Yang Wuwei was clearly the type to speak without being prompted. After setting down his wine cup, he spoke first, "I heard you two discussing the order of battle beforehand. Now that I have arrived uninvited, do you two still agree on the matter?"

Kang Dabao waved his hand and laughed, "Fellow Daoist Yang, you flatter me. I believe this matter will be decided by the seniors. My brother and I were merely joking around; how can we talk about whether it's acceptable or not?"

"Since it's a joke, then I'll venture to offer my humble opinion as a starting point."

Jiang Qing also had a good impression of Yang Wuwei. The usually taciturn man even chimed in, "I was just about to hear your insightful opinion, fellow Daoist."

Yang Wuwei bowed his head in humility and continued, "I heard that this official used four top-grade Spirit Artifact— a bowl, a bottle, a pearl, and a lotus—when he was in Bo Prefecture the other day. The first two were protective tools, and the latter two were offensive weapons. Each one is not to be underestimated; the slightest mistake would have resulted in a great loss."

Kang Dabao had also heard this news. He said, "What you say is very true, fellow Daoist. I heard that apart from the time when all four artifacts appeared in Bo Prefecture, in the other seven places, only one or two Spirit Artifact appeared. Without exerting their full strength, they won a great victory and suppressed all the opposing cultivators."

Yang Wuwei also agreed, saying, "The Bo Prefecture Xianyu Household is one of the 'Three Administrations' of our Shannan Circuit since Star-Picking Pavilion. There is a reason why they can stand on equal footing with the Two Instruments Sect and Cloud Water Sect."

Even if it were merely a perfunctory act, it would still be far superior to the Ancient Sword Manor of Chu Prefecture, a sect that only produced its first Golden Core cultivator a hundred years ago. Therefore, in my opinion, of all the previous encounters of that brat Funeng, only this one is worth mentioning.

"Lan Ming, a Xianyu Household, has been a late-stage cultivator for over a century and is capable of wielding six Spirit Artifacts to achieve perfection. He was at the forefront of the battle, but failed to break through the Sea-Containing Ice Marrow Bowl the young Funeng, and was forced to retreat in disarray."

"The patriarch of the Xianyu Household cultivated the fire-based Daoist arts, reaching the Foundation Establishment Peak. He was quite renowned in Bo Prefecture, holding a position in the Second Rank. He had mastered the essence of fire techniques, breaking through the light of the Sea-Containing Ice Marrow Bowl, forcing the Pure Karma Sweet Spirit Vase to appear. The two artifacts combined, their power was even greater, and the patriarch of the Xianyu Household could not break through them, returning in shame."

The third and fourth ranks of the concubines, the fifth and sixth ranks of the concubines, and the fifth and sixth ranks of the concubines—all families under the jurisdiction of the Xianyu Household were renowned, yet none of them could break through the blessed bowl and bottle.

It wasn't until the seventh battle that Xiao Yun, a disciple from the outer sect of White Horse Mountain in Central Prefecture, emerged with his Fierce Tiger Buddhist Staff Art Cultivation Method, Cosmos Rank, Lower Grade, finally breaking through the two protective shields of the brat Funeng.

At this point, Yang Wuwei paused, his tone becoming much lower. "Even so, Xiao Yun was defeated in just a few breaths, only managing to force out the Karmic Fire All Evils Bead Funeng for a brief appearance."

Xianyu Gu, a member of Xianyu Gu branch of the Xianyu Household and not recorded in the clan annals, used talismans to break through the two layers of Spirit Artifact's profound light. He then used the "Bull Demon Manifests in the World Art," a low-grade body-refining method at the Minor Accomplishment Realm Cosmos Rank, Lower Grade, to suppress the karmic fire in the arena, ultimately forcing Funeng to Blood-Leaf Mountain-Crushing Lotus. However, with the appearance of this artifact, no matter how Xianyu Gu fought, he was defeated.

Afterwards, Yang Wuwei sighed again, "Xianyu Guang, the third son of the main branch, truly deserves to be Xianyu Household. In the short time it took to drink a cup of tea to fight Xianyu Household and Funeng, Xianyu Guang withstood a third of the attacks. What a pity."

Intrigued, Kang Dabao tentatively asked, "May I ask, fellow Daoist, have you ever met Xianyu Guang in person?"

Yang Wuwei replied with a smile, "To be honest, Sect Leader Kang, Bo Prefecture is adjacent to my Ye Prefecture, and I am a man who enjoys making friends with heroes, how could I not know him?"

"Then, fellow Daoist, how do you consider yourself to be compared to Xianyu Guang?"

"I haven't directly competed with him yet. However, there is a Rogue Cultivator Pill Master Sanbai County Bo Prefecture, who is very public-spirited and likes to guide the younger generation. Both Yang and Xianyu Guang have gone to learn from him. Ten years ago, Xianyu Guang was defeated in a hundred breaths; three years ago, Yang was able to last for half a cup of tea."

"In that case, fellow Daoist and Xianyu Guang are perhaps of equal strength."

After thinking for a while, Yang Wuwei frankly admitted, "Perhaps Xianyu Guang is still a step ahead of me. When I arrived, that senior Pill Master was recovering from a serious illness and still needed to recuperate, so he probably didn't fight me at full strength."

Seeing Kang Dabao's expression shift for a moment, he then said, "But don't worry, Sect Leader Kang, the others in the Xianyu Household are far inferior to me. I, Yang, will definitely not hold you back."

Kang Dabao's eyes widened in surprise, then he laughed, "I thought Fellow Daoist Yang was here to compete with me for this final battle."

Yang Wuwei smiled wryly and repeatedly bowed, declining the offer. "Sect Leader Kang, please don't try to entice me with words. You know your own situation. I may be slightly better than your brother-in-law, Sect Leader Kang, but I can't win as easily as Sect Leader Kang."

Previously, I had only heard that Sect Leader Kang's pupil technique was amazing, but I never imagined that even his halberd technique was so astonishing. This has truly broadened my horizons.

I originally thought that in the Shannan Circuit, besides the few direct descendants of the Star-Picking Pavilion, only the disciples of the uncultured senior of the Jingnan Yuan Household could achieve this.

A perfectly good compliment meant to build rapport was unexpectedly pointed out in two awkward places by Yang Wuwei, making this sociable eldest son of the Yang Household momentarily think he was drunk after drinking two cups of wine.

Fortunately, apart from Jiang Qing looking somewhat embarrassed, the main Sect Leader Kang Da, didn't seem to care at all. Instead, he cheerfully brought up Jue Jinglai again, saying, "Fellow Daoist is too modest. It's an overstatement!"

After thanking him, Yang Wuwei drank deeply and then said, "Although I am not one to compete, my two cousins are even more incompetent. In my opinion, they should be placed in the first or second round to reduce some trouble for Fellow Daoist Jiang. However, there may still be one person in this battle who will have to compete with Fellow Daoist Kang."

Jiang Qing's eyes lit up, and he finally spoke up, "Cao Xianlu?"

Yang Wuwei's lips curled slightly. "Fellow Daoist has sharp eyes. That soldier's Blood Qi is incredibly strong, and he once captured and killed the Golden Core cultivator Lie Zijun while serving in the army. He's ambitious and will naturally want to compete with Sect Leader Kang for the final victory."

"It's alright, we'll follow your Xiu An." Kang Dabao didn't seem to care, but just then Cao Xianlu came over. Just as Yang Wuwei had said, his Blood Qi was so thick it was almost solid.

"Someone who could rise from a menial laborer to enlist in the army and, upon returning to the sect, earn a future as Golden Core cultivator and a direct disciple of the sect leader is indeed not to be underestimated; he is far superior to Yang Wuwei."

Such people are not as easy to deal with as Yang Wuwei. Kang Dabao had no intention of talking to him either, but simply raised his wine cup and offered a toast from afar, which was enough to show his respect.

The latter understood, nodded, found a place to sit cross-legged and close his eyes to rest, and then remained silent.

After a while, Yang Wuwei's two cousins Yang Wudi and Yang Wuxin, Fei Wen from the She Mountain Hall, Zhou Yun, the chief disciple of Senior Cultivator Wufeng, Qin Sufu, the military commander of Sima Office, also arrived one after another.

Kang, Jiang, and Yang calculated that the time was approaching, so they immediately packed up the wine vessels and food, dispersed, chose a place to settle down, and waited for the arrival of their respective superiors.

Senior Cultivator Wufeng was the first to arrive at the training ground. He had been a Core Formation Core Formation for nearly 30 years, making him a seasoned cultivator. Moreover, he was a rare Rogue Cultivator among Golden Core Formation cultivators, and thus had a high reputation among the lower-level cultivators in the surrounding states.

However, since he Core Formation, he has rarely won against opponents of the same level. It is said that sixty years ago, he fought against Yue Lin and Yuan Buwen in Cloud Horn Prefecture. All three of them used all their trump cards, but the battle ended in a draw. I don't know if this is true or not.

It is said that Fei Nanying summoned him this time with the intention of establishing a sect in the Hongyi Sect Ding Prefecture, and Senior Cultivator Wufeng. After all, the Supreme Elder Xie Yi of the Hongyi Sect is also a senior cultivator who is not good at fighting.

Yang Baoshan and Yang Yongcheng came after High Person Wufeng.

Under the leadership of the two aforementioned cultivators, the direct line of the Yang Household has been living quite well in recent years, and now most of the counties in Ye Prefecture have been occupied by the direct line of the Yang Household. The collateral line of the Yang Household seems to have received instructions from the Two Instruments Sect, and their resistance is not fierce. It is unknown whether they will lie low and make a move later.

Just when Kang Dabao thought that after the two Yang Household family members had finished their cultivation, Juntian Bird and Fei Nanying would arrive, a couple descended on auspicious clouds.

The husband was thin and frail, with hardly any flesh on his face; the woman, on the other hand, was extremely beautiful, with a captivating charm that aroused the envy of countless people in the room.

"Madam Qi has come too?" Kang and Jiang were surprised, but upon reflection, they found nothing particularly surprising, since the Earl of Nan'an had achieved the Golden Core Formation, the prefectural government's authority had indeed become much more effective.

At this point, they could not approach and start a conversation. The two brothers simply bowed as usual, not daring to overstep their bounds.

Only after the aforementioned four high-level cultivators from the three parties had all arrived did Juntian Bird and Fei Nanying finally arrive late. The Golden Core cultivators, who had been quite aloof just moments before, instantly adopted the same respectful expressions as the juniors present.

"Greetings, Senior Fei."

Juntian Bird didn't care at all and simply flicked his left wing in return. He was a nobleman of the Immortal Dynasty who had been granted a title during the reign of the late emperor. Even if these Golden Core cultivators in the room had lived for hundreds of years, they were still just juniors in his eyes. He was certainly worthy of this greeting.

This old bird, who never liked idle talk, didn't consult with the other cultivators, but simply pointed and said:

"Funeng will arrive soon, and the order of the rounds will be as follows: Zhou Yun in the first round, Fei Wen in the second, Yang Wuxin in the third, Qin Sufu in the fourth, Jiang Qing in the fifth, Yang Wudi in the sixth, Yang Wuwei in the seventh, Cao Xianlu in the eighth, and the Kang Household boy in the ninth."

All the Golden Core cultivators, including Fei Nanying, remained silent and held their breath. Regardless of whether the order listed by Juntian Bird matched their prior guesses, no change was observed in their expressions.

As soon as the words were spoken, only Cao Xianlu, who was arrayed in the Eight Formations, chuckled, causing Fei Nanying's face to darken. Juntian Bird was even more furious, his tone cold and menacing. "What, you want to fight Kang Dabao first, kid?"

The old bird made no attempt to conceal the chilling intent in his words. Only a few days had passed since the incident with Fei Enxing. If even the personal disciple of the Savage Ghost Sect's leader dared to be so disrespectful, Juntian Bird would show no mercy.

If it were truly provoked, this old bird might even dare to twist Cao Xianlu's head off and drop it directly into the Savage Ghost Sect leader's rice bowl.

Cao Xianlu, however, was a man of composure. Despite being glared at by the giant bird's fierce eyes, he showed no sign of panic and even replied with a smile, "Elder, perhaps you have misunderstood. I am merely expressing my gratitude for your guidance and also feeling sorry for Fellow Daoist Kang."

"Why do you feel sorry for him?" Juntian Bird's tone remained unchanged, but the killing intent within seemed to have intensified.

Cao Xianlu, however, stood tall and fearless, and smiled as usual, "Since Xianlu is ranked before Fellow Daoist Kang, then the Third Tier beast core promised by Elder Zong beforehand is naturally out of Fellow Daoist Kang's reach."

"Good lad!!" Juntian Bird's anger turned to joy, and he laughed a few times, "You have some ambition! You should be like that!"

Cao Xianlu's words drew praise from the Fei Household elders, and the cultivators in the room also turned their gazes towards him, though outsiders could not discern whether it was praise or criticism.

After receiving the praise, Cao Xianlu looked at Sect Leader Kang Da with a hint of provocation in his eyes. The latter, however, didn't seem to mind and instead smiled and nodded in response.

This dough-like reaction instantly bored Cao Xianlu, who thought to himself, "This fellow is so dull. If I were to provoke him into anger, this second elder might actually switch places with me."

The Huang Prefecture Savage Ghost Sect is not a major sect. Over the past thousand years, each generation has only had one or two Golden Core cultivators presiding over it. With such strength, it can still be a regional hegemon in the border barbarian prefectures, but in the capital region, it can hardly be considered a leader.

Therefore, compared to serving as an elder or protector in the family, Cao Xianlu would much rather climb the First Tier in the Fei Household 'Ying Mountain Army. Ideally, he could marry a legitimate daughter of the Fei Household, just like Kang Dabao, and then soar to great heights.

However, Cao Xianlu's regret was short-lived, as he soon saw varying degrees of annoyance on the faces of the officials before him.

Immediately afterwards, strange movements appeared on the horizon.

A blood-red lotus platform shattered the flowing clouds and Swift Movement over.

An indescribable, sweet-smelling odor filled the air. A handsome monk leaned against the center of a six-petaled lotus, his eyes lowered. He wore a bright yellow monk's hat, and his robe revealed his pale collarbone. The Sanskrit tattoos that snaked beneath his skin flickered in and out, like a row of centipedes crawling endlessly in his flesh.

The monk leaned against a lotus petal, his body bathed in Chiguang, and smiled faintly as he plucked a flower. His phoenix eyes were tinged with gold dust at the corners, and his gaze seemed to dance with the rhythmic patterns of Sanskrit.

Her snow-white skin made the cinnabar between her brows appear even more alluring, and around her neck hung a string of white necklaces, each about two fingers wide, made from the skulls of Foundation Establishment cultivators, swaying incessantly.

With each breath, the monk seemed to exhale wisps of miasma that swirled and moved about. His knuckles, which held the human bone prayer beads, were bluish-white, and his wrists were still wrapped with faded prayer flag fragments, the gold thread embroidery forming snake-like dark patterns, eerie and unpredictable.

During the journey, the handsome monk lightly tapped the lotus platform with his finger, and the sound of his knuckles striking the solidified blood light was like the sound of gold and jade.

The eight barefoot women behind him, barely clothed, tensed up instantly, their silver bells jingling incessantly beneath their thin veils, arousing a burning desire within him.

As the handsome monk drew closer, the resounding chanting of sutras echoed through the air, the golden Sanskrit characters seeming to dye half the sky into a Buddhist kingdom.

As the chanting and the crimson lotus platform drew closer, Cao Xianlu's initial arrogance gradually dissipated.

He wasn't the only one in the arena who was extremely nervous; the expressions of the nine people who were scheduled for rotation all turned solemn. Even the Golden Core from various families in the arena showed a hint of seriousness on their faces.

Despite facing so many powerful enemies all alone, Funeng's smile only deepened.

He rode his blood-red lotus platform for a hundred feet and then stopped, and the disturbing Buddhist chanting gradually ceased.

As Funeng wishes. I am Funeng, the 126th abbot of Original Response Temple, and I pay my respects to all my seniors."

No one answered him, Funeng remained fearless, unperturbed, and unangry. He simply raised his head, clasped his hands in prayer, and bowed again, saying, "May you, senior, attain Buddhahood!"

His smile was sincere, like that of a jade Buddha.

"Sizzle"

Funeng's smile froze. His monk's robes and outer ornaments were completely destroyed, but he was unharmed, only his hair stood on end and his buttocks were exposed.

"Ha, you little bastard, putting on airs and acting all high and mighty like those lecherous monks of yours, wearing those worthless ornaments and making such a grand show of yourself? I thought it was one of your Zen masters from Original Response Temple who broke their promise and secretly left the Snow Mountain to spread the Dharma eastward!"

The mountain wind that blew was nothing compared to the chilling, bone-piercing mockery that followed. Funeng never expected that her enemy, Gao Xiu, would be so unscrupulous. Her jade-like face flushed red, and she was about to cover it up.

"Stop covering up, we've already seen everything! Bring out all your useful Spirit Artifact and let's start naked! I still need to go to Cold Crow Mountain to retrieve the beast cores I promised these brats! Don't delay!!"