All the evil beasts in the world, I feed on demons and monsters

Chapter 411 The Master's Discourse on Scales
The location of that guru is easy to find.

Simply head towards the center, and you will see a towering pagoda with a gilded plaque that reads "Ghost Gold Maitreya Temple".

Sure enough.

Ji Ran clearly remembered that the demonic monk Yuan Kong, whom he had killed in the underworld, was from this Guijin Maitreya Temple. He had taken the palm-leaf scripture containing evil magic from Guijin Maitreya Temple, intending to go to Guanchao Mountain to offer it to the Mahayana Maitreya sect and perform it at the national sacrifice.

He was later pursued by Chen Qingyan and eventually died at his own hands.

All twenty-eight ancient temples are under the control of the Mahayana Maitreya sect, yet the Guijin Maitreya Temple among them is able to produce heretical scriptures that allow people to glimpse higher levels of enlightenment. Clearly, this temple is backed by Guijin Yang.

If my guess is correct, the Ghost Golden Sheep here is probably the legendary demon star official, one of the Twenty-Eight Mansions. Its strength is likely more than level 7.

Why did it appear in this world, causing the ghostly calamity of the Southern Han Dynasty and the destruction of the world by purple rain?
Ji Ran sighed softly; this second-tier world indeed held secrets.

"That should be it, right?"

At this moment, the two red-sticked warriors who were with Ji Ran stood with their fists clasped and looked ahead.

The streets became more crowded, yet quieter still. Many sat cross-legged on the ground, while others leaned against doorways, listening intently.

In front of the temple, in the center of a flat area, eight monks were chanting the "Qingjing Jing" (Sutra of Purity and Tranquility). It was rather strange for monks to chant Taoist scriptures, but their devout, low-pitched chanting was particularly calming.

At that moment, the boy carrying a hunting bow and with a leopard skin wrapped around his waist stood in the center of the monks, bowing respectfully.

On the futon among the monks sat a young boy dressed in a bright yellow Taoist robe. He was about thirteen or fourteen years old, with delicate features and a fair, slender profile, and thin, long eyebrows. Although the boy looked young, his gaze was calm and his smile was warm, giving people a sense of trustworthiness.

"Yes."

Ji Ran nodded, walked past the crowd, and stood in front of the prayer mat.

"A few..."

The Taoist priest was seeing off the young hunter when he turned his head and saw Ji Ran and the others. His eyes flickered, and he stood up.

"Why have you, living people, come to the underworld?"

"We came to break through the scales."

The handsome Taoist priest was taken aback. He glanced at Ji Ran, then looked at the three people behind him, and shook his head, saying, "Not enough."

"This calamity is the result of the cause and effect of heaven and earth, and the fate of all living beings."

The Taoist pointed to the sky and said, "This earth vein dragon has endless scales and armor; all living beings need to break this predicament themselves."

"Moreover, as long as even one of those countless scales remains, this earth vein dragon will continue to reflect the souls of the dead, enriching its scales."

Ji Ran nodded and said, "In other words, this earth vein dragon is destined to ascend."

"Yes."

Ji Ran sized up the Taoist priest in front of him and asked with great interest, "May I ask, young Taoist priest, which sect do you belong to?"

"It's nothing but a heretical or unorthodox approach."

The young Taoist priest waved his hand, offering no explanation. Ji Ran didn't press further, only asking, "Then, young Taoist priest, could you tell me how to break the scales?"

"It's impossible."

The young Taoist priest nodded, pointed to the black dragon in the sky, and said, "The fate reflected on the scales is a person's entire life."

“The scales, good and evil, are like yin and yang; only when the two realms reflect each other can they form a balance.”

"But even if you kill the evil spirits in the mortal world, their souls will not be extinguished, and the evil spirits will be reborn."

"But if a good soul is killed, one will suffer the karmic consequences and be doomed to eternal damnation."

The young Taoist priest paused, his brows furrowing slightly, and then said, "Moreover, the process of killing benevolent souls is a slaughter that incites fear and pain."

"This process may not make the evil spirit disappear, but rather allow the soul in the underworld to give birth to evil thoughts in the process of death. In this way, the balance of the scales will not be broken, but the evil thoughts on both the yin and yang sides of the scales will be completely solidified."

Ji Ran didn't speak, but just looked at the young Taoist priest.

His words seemed to be a double-edged sword, offering no solution whatsoever. But Ji Ran knew he had a way.

As expected, the young Taoist priest immediately followed up with, "The sea of ​​suffering is boundless; one can only save oneself."

"The only way to break through the scales is to cut through the past and sever the future!"

With a whoosh, the young Taoist priest waved his bright yellow sleeves, pointed his slender finger to the sky, and said, "Let my true self in the underworld sever that ghostly body in the mortal realm!"

"Only in this way, when good thoughts cut off evil thoughts, can the balance of Yin and Yang be disrupted and the scales and armor be broken."

"What if evil thoughts extinguish good thoughts?"

"do not know."

Ji Ran: "?"

The young Taoist priest glanced at Ji Ran and said, "Logically speaking, an imbalance of Yin and Yang should cause the scales to collapse. However, there is the Purple Rain Dragon Plague outside."

"It's no surprise that the scales shattered from the underworld. But if they shattered from the outside, the continuous purple rain will inevitably bring unexpected changes."

"How do we do this?"

Ji Ran nodded and said, "Have them leave the Buddhist Kingdom and then enter the mortal realm?"

"of course not."

The young Taoist priest shook his head and said, "Once a person goes out, they will regain their memories. Very few people can understand the past and the future. Once they regain their memories, they become their future selves, completely different from the present ghosts."

"Like a hunter who came in before you."

"Now, he can draw his bow and shoot at the vengeful ghost. But now that his soul has returned, he can't even lift a bow and arrow, let alone have the spirit that has been worn down by decades of life."

"Upon encountering the vengeful spirit that is a reflection of himself, he will only kneel down and await death."

The young Taoist priest paused for a moment, then said, "The souls of the dead in the Buddhist kingdom are already completely different from the original beings."

"How exactly do you do it?"

"Entering the earth's veins."

The young Taoist pointed to the dragon's body, which was faintly visible in the sky, and said, "Find the scales that reflect the soul of the deceased, and send him inside to enter the earth's veins."

"The land records a person's life."

"The earth vein dragon can attract the souls of the dead because it is the foundation of the Southern Han Continent. It is like a home for everyone, and on the seventh day after death, it attracts all the dead in the Southern Kingdom."

Ji Ran frowned and said, "The people here are all in their past state. Let alone ordinary people, even a cultivator like you couldn't possibly defeat your future self, right?"

"Moreover, the living world consists of people who have become demons."

"Do not."

The young Taoist priest shook his head and said, "This Buddhist kingdom and its corresponding mortal realm are actually a small void."

"The earth vein dragon is the foundation of this small void."

"You should know that the evil spirits in the mortal world are reflections of the souls in the underworld. They will follow the deceased as they walk in the underworld, and thus they will act accordingly."

"The same applies to entering the scales."

"When a person enters the scales, the demonic version of him also enters."

The young Taoist priest looked around at the crowd and said with a hint of pity, "The underworld is the past, the mortal world is the future."

"When the two get closer and closer and meet, that moment will be now!"

"You can think of the scales as a mirror of time; the closer you are, the closer you are to the present."

"When they merge, their strength is almost equal. But the future demon body, with its insane evil thoughts, can unleash its full combat power. And the past body, that is, the true soul of the underworld..."

"Then it depends on whether he can still have the courage to face life's wasted potential, or even the bloody tragedy and despair, and to wield his sword against it."

After the young Taoist priest finished speaking, he looked steadily at Ji Ran with his clear eyes and said, "This layman, what do you say—"

"When a person witnesses their own remorse and despair, and faces an unyielding evil spirit, who will prevail?"

"Who can win this battle of fate?"

Ji Ran chuckled softly, glancing at the three people behind her, then at the countless peaceful, happy, and bustling street scenes.

His fingertips lightly tapped the broadsword, his voice calm yet resounding: "I win."

(End of this chapter)