Immortality and cultivation begin with full comprehension.

Chapter 326 Buddhist People
Zhuang Yangming and his group possessed even more treasures.

After all, the "Soul Control Sect" has a large number of members and a much larger fortune.

After a thorough inventory, Li Yunjing found that there were as many as fifteen or sixteen spiritual artifacts and hundreds of magical artifacts.

As for low-grade spirit stones, there are five million, and mid-grade spirit stones, there are one hundred thousand.

There are also many other kinds of spiritual herbs, and even a third-tier "Breakthrough Pill", which is a true treasure with a chance to increase the chance of forming a core.

As for other aspects, there are countless talismans, formations, and rare and precious materials.

Li Yunjing calculated that all these resources combined were equivalent to at least 15 million low-grade spirit stones.

In addition to these resources, Li Yunjing also found some cultivation techniques and supernatural abilities that the "Soul Control Sect" specialized in on these people.

Of course, after looking through it, Li Yunjing found it utterly uninteresting, like a chicken rib.

It's unclear whether Zhuang Yangming and his group were simply lacking in skill and hadn't received the true teachings, or whether the "Soul Control Sect" was just an ordinary group with no particularly impressive techniques.

Li Yunjing was not disappointed by this.

He just wanted to take a look at the "Soul Control Sect's" techniques, figure out the intricacies, and see if they could give him some inspiration.

As for cultivation, Li Yunjing had little interest in it.

The "Soul Control Sect" techniques were useless; it was the inheritance from the witch that piqued Li Yunjing's interest.

In addition to the main cultivation method "Asura Blood Transformation Divine Path", there is also a method to condense "Blood Transformation Divine Thunder".

Li Yunjing specializes in cultivating thunder magic, and he is actually planning to study the cultivation method of this "Blood Transformation Divine Thunder" in depth.

As for other supernatural abilities, such as "Blood Demon Hand" and "Soul-Stealing Demon Sound," they are not very useful.

Li Yunjing would never cultivate such messy things.

He was only interested in the "Great Path of Blood," hoping to extract some methods from it to see if he could strengthen his own blood and qi.

This allows him to gain a deeper understanding of his own blood.

As for dealing with others, Li Yunjing really disdained using such cruel methods!

Li Yunjing uses thunder magic and the Five Elements Daoist techniques to kill people; these methods are sufficient to eliminate demons, protect the righteous path, and safeguard himself.

Ignoring Zhu Wanyun beside him, Li Yunjing focused all his attention on these cultivation techniques.

After examining it carefully, Li Yunjing nodded inwardly. The Asura clan's heritage was indeed extraordinary.

As for the Buddhist scriptures on the witch's body, they are mostly for brainwashing purposes, to make people convert to Buddhism.

Li Yunjing took a look and knew it was all garbage.

In Li Yunjing's view, Buddhist doctrines were illusory, laughable, and utopian fantasies.

However, the supernatural powers and spells of Buddhism are quite worth learning from.

Unfortunately, this witch did not possess any of the supernatural powers associated with Buddhism.

This is, undeniably, a very regrettable situation.

Along the way, the "Azure Cloud Boat" carried Li Yunjing and Zhu Wanyun to the coastline, where the two of them finally emerged from the "Azure Cloud Boat".

In order not to shock ordinary people.

Li Yunjing put the "Azure Cloud Boat" into his "storage ring," and the two of them first returned to Yingtian Prefecture.

Looking at the city gate of Yingtian Prefecture, Li Yunjing instructed, "Go back first! Don't say anything else!"

"Yes! I understand! Even if Father and Mother ask me, I won't tell!"

Zhu Wanyun nodded seriously and said.

"Yeah! Go ahead!"

After watching Zhu Wanyun leave and enter the city, Li Yunjing sent messages to his subordinates Li Linzi and Gu Wenzhuo.

The message was to inform them that they had discovered a special situation and needed to return to the sect to report to their elders.

Let Li Linzi and Gu Wenzhuo maintain the daily operation of "Shenxiao Temple" for the time being. We'll talk about other things when he returns!

After speaking with the two, Li Yunjing received their response and then left Yingtian Prefecture, heading west.

On Li Yunjing's way back to the "Shenxiao Mountain Range", in the distant deep sea, the "Yuhun Sect" headquarters discovered that the soul tablets of Zhuang Yangming and twelve others were broken!

In order to track the whereabouts of their disciples and see if they have perished, some sects usually make soul tablets for important disciples.

The spirit tablet will shatter as soon as its owner dies.

At this moment, the "Soul Control Sect" was shaken.

The deaths of twelve Foundation Establishment stage disciples are a very serious matter.

Some high-ranking officials were particularly shocked when they learned the purpose of this group's departure.

This is a special mission, and only a very few people in the "Soul Control Sect" know what they are going to do.

Now, the disciples were in an uproar upon learning that so many members of the sect had died at the same time.

It should be understood that, normally, these disciples are instilled with the idea that the "Soul Control Sect" is invincible, a major overseas sect, and truly invincible.

Now, this once invincible sect has lost so many people.

This is completely different from the prestige, power, and invincibility of the sect they were once taught to be part of.

For a time, many people could not bear it any longer and wrote letters demanding that the sect investigate the matter, eliminate the enemy, and avenge their grievances.

Under these circumstances, the elders of the "Soul Control Sect" gathered together to discuss the matter.

"Investigate this thoroughly! Find out exactly who killed so many of our people! This cannot be let go easily. No matter who he is or what faction he belongs to, he cannot be let go. We must wipe him out completely!"

This was an elder's opening statement.

"That's right! We must find out the truth! Also, Zhuang Yangming and the others have been gone from the sect for a hundred years. What have they been doing? Sect Master, are you still not going to tell us?"

Some elders even took the opportunity to inquire about this secret.

It should be noted that the biggest secret is the collusion between the "Soul Control Sect" and the Buddhist sect.

Apart from a few core elders, only the sect leader and the sect's patriarch knew the whole story.

No one else is qualified to know this secret.

Recently, everyone in the "Soul Control Sect" has been holding back a lot of anger.

At the same time, twelve Foundation Establishment cultivators perished, and rumors also say that hundreds of Qi Refining disciples died.

Such a tragedy was unbearable for many people, and it acted as a fuse, igniting a major storm.

Some elders in the "Soul Control Sect" were preparing to take this opportunity to uncover the truth and gain true power for the "Soul Control Sect"!

"Then I'll tell you!"

Seeing many elders making trouble, even the high and mighty sect leader could no longer sit still.

"This story goes back a hundred years. Master Mingxin of Mingxin Temple sent a decree asking us to do something for them, which is why Zhuang Yangming and the others were sent out."

Bi Ruoan, the sect leader of the "Soul Control Sect," paused, looked at the surprised expressions of the crowd, and continued, "Afterwards, I discussed it with the ancestor, and we were very satisfied with the other party's conditions, so we agreed to this cooperation, which led to today's events."

"We're collaborating with Mingxin Temple?"

The entire hall fell silent for a long time after Bi Ruoan's words, until finally an elder asked in a hoarse voice.

Mingxin Temple is a behemoth of power within Buddhism.

It is one of the branches of the Chan (Zen) sect, and its status on the Southern Continent is almost on par with the "Shenxiao Dao Sect".

In history, Mingxin Temple and Shenxiao Dao Sect have clashed at least three times, resulting in hundreds of thousands of deaths and injuries on both sides!
How did such a behemoth sect find their tiny "Soul Control Sect"?
Many of the elders present could hardly believe their ears.

Besides, one of us is from the Buddhist sect and the other from the demonic sect; we can't possibly get along!

These words truly shocked them!
That's exactly what happened!

Bi Ruoan nodded firmly and said expressionlessly, "We have no choice but to accept! First, the Mingxin Temple is too powerful, while our Yuhun Sect only has one patriarch, who is no match for us; second, real benefits have been delivered, which are very useful to our patriarch, so we have no choice but to accept them!"

Bi Ruoan had made his point so clear that everyone was naturally speechless.

"Now what?"

An elder asked.

"We still need to investigate. Zhuang Yangming and his group are stationed on 'Lingxiu Island,' which is a thousand miles away from Yingtian Prefecture. Elders Xiang Daiyu and Wei Cuitong, take some capable people and go investigate!"

“Alright! I will take my disciples and go there myself.”

Wei Cuitong nodded, her clear, cold voice echoing in the main hall... At the same time, chaos reigned in Yingtian Prefecture.

Last time, when demonic cultivators caused trouble in the city, how could it have been possible without an inside agent?

After Zhu Wanyun returned, she naturally did not mention what had happened on "Lingxiu Island".

However, the inference about an inside agent coincided with that of some members of the royal family.

Furthermore, since this matter had the consent of the Shenxiao Temple, the royal family naturally had to begin an investigation.

It's impossible that none of those dead demonic cultivators were left untouched; their portraits were copied and distributed, and constables throughout the city went door-to-door asking questions.

Chaos erupted on the main streets of Yingtian Prefecture as fierce-looking constables, aided by government troops, rampaged through the city.

This survey method is quite effective.

Soon these people obtained detailed intelligence and pointed the finger at the family of the current prime minister.

The prime minister of the Ming Dynasty was not of one mind with the royal family; he represented the power of the aristocratic families.

The emperor was overjoyed upon receiving this good news.

Soon, after discussing the matter, all the powerful members of the Zhu family prepared to take action against the prime minister.

A group of powerful figures received orders to surround the Prime Minister's residence, leaving many people speechless. What were they trying to do? Was this another court unrest?
The people surrounding the Prime Minister's residence at this moment were the most elite cultivators of the royal family. Some of these people came from the Zhu family, while others were bribed retainers.

"How is this going!"

The Prime Minister's residence is not for ordinary people. The Liu family has been in the capital for hundreds of years and is a prominent clan.

Seeing the royal family members approaching, the Liu family cultivators refused to back down and stood at the door, confronting the court officials.

"Get out of the way! Bring Liu Jianye out here!"

However, the royal family ignored this and seized this opportunity to eliminate the Liu family and take back the power of the prime minister to the royal family.

"Who calls my name!"

The gates of the Prime Minister's residence opened, and the current Prime Minister, Liu Jianye, stepped out. Behind him were numerous cultivators and assassins from the Liu family, numbering in the dozens.

This demonstrates the immense power of the Liu family.

"Liu Jianye, your crimes have been exposed! You colluded with demonic cultivators and harmed tens of thousands of civilians. Now, why don't you surrender?"

At the entrance of the Liu family's residence, a Foundation Establishment cultivator from the royal family stood with a cold expression and murderous intent. He had not expected that the other party would be so arrogant after committing such a serious mistake.

This truly shows a complete disregard for the Zhu family and the royal family!
"Hmph! If you want to find fault, you can always find a pretext."

Liu Jianye sized up these people. Among the royal family members who came to arrest him this time, there were no people below the fifth level of Qi Refining, and there were as many as four or five Foundation Establishment cultivators!

Clearly, this time, the Zhu family is going to take drastic measures against the Liu family.

"Whether it's true or not, you know the answer in your heart! Today, your Liu family shall be destroyed!"

A prince, a Foundation Establishment Realm expert from the royal family, pointed his long sword at Liu Jianye and said coldly.

"Hahaha! Destroy my Liu family? My Liu family has disciples from the 'Divine Firmament Dao Sect'! If you have the guts, go to the 'Divine Firmament Dao Sect' and wipe out my Liu family!"

Liu Jianye said coldly.

"Heh heh! If the people of the 'Divine Firmament Dao Sect' knew that your Liu family was colluding with demonic cultivators, I'm afraid even without the royal family's intervention, your Liu family wouldn't have a good ending!"

The royal prince spoke coldly, and the fleeting disdain in his eyes deeply stung Liu Jianye's heart.

If others don't know, how can he know?

The reason those "Soul Control Sect" demonic cultivators entered the city was because the Liu family secretly helped them.

Liu Jianye originally thought that keeping the demonic cultivator by his side would be useful, as he could do some dirty work and was worth winning over.

Last time, Liu Jianye suspected that the trusted Grand Preceptor and the royal family seemed to be getting close, which was detrimental to the aristocratic families. That's why he secretly planned this riot to force the new Grand Preceptor out of office.

Unexpectedly, the Imperial Advisor was so capable that he uncovered the truth through soul searching in a short time.

Now that the royal family has come knocking on their door, they're probably doomed.

"Heh heh! Say whatever you want! Your goal is to eliminate dissidents and deal with our Liu family! Let me tell you, if you want to deal with my Liu family, your Zhu family is no match for you!"

When words fail to reach a consensus, Liu Jianye roared, "Kill!"

Immediately, the Zhu and Liu families started fighting and killing each other at the entrance of the Prime Minister's residence.

"kill!"

The prince of the royal family charged straight at Liu Jianye, slashing at the precious sword in Liu Jianye's hand with his long sword.

Liu Jianye was forced back by the sword strike, his wrist throbbing with pain, and even the precious sword in his hand trembled slightly. In terms of combat prowess, he was no match for this prince of the royal family…

The battle between the two sides grew increasingly fierce, and corpses fell to the ground one after another.

The magnificent prime minister's residence was also reduced to ruins in the aftermath of the battle.

Half an hour later, Liu Jianye coughed up blood, turned pale, and collapsed to the ground, unable to get up.

This major battle between the Zhu and Liu families has attracted the attention of many powerful clans.

Near the Prime Minister's residence, countless experts were watching the great battle.

Many other Foundation Establishment experts from various families were astonished, never expecting that the royal family had quietly amassed such a vast fortune.

In the battle against the Liu family, they gained an almost overwhelming advantage.

At this moment, these powerful families all abandoned their contempt for the royal family. It seems that the power of the royal family has been underestimated by everyone...

Li Linzi and Gu Wenzhuo also took this opportunity to secretly observe the situation. These royal families and powerful clans were all within the surveillance range of the "Shenxiao Dao Sect".

This matter must be recorded and reported...

While the demonic sect's spies were being eliminated in Yingtian Prefecture, on a scenic island in the vast ocean, several monks were discussing something.

The island is small, only about three miles in size, and a small, magnificent temple has been built in the woods.

Above the gate of this temple hangs a plaque with four large, gilded characters: “Mingxin Branch Temple”.

Inside this temple, beneath the golden Buddha in the main hall, four monks sat cross-legged on prayer cushions, discussing something.

A bald monk at the peak of the Foundation Establishment realm spoke respectfully in a low voice: "The Asura demoness of the Eight Legions is dead, and the 'Blood Bodhi Tree' may also be lost."

"Don't worry, the 'Blood Bodhi Tree' is of utmost importance. Go to 'Lingxiu Island' immediately to investigate this matter!"

A white-bearded monk said coldly.

"Yes, Master Huiguo, I will take care of it right away!"

The monk Dingxin bowed with his hands clasped together, stood up, and went outside.

After Monk Dingxin left, Zen Master Huiguo, who had been calm and collected, revealed a ferocious face and roared, "Junior Brothers Huiyun and Huian! We have paid such a high price and spent a hundred years, and now the 'Blood Bodhi Tree' is gone. What a huge loss this is!"

Seeing their senior brother so excited, Huiyun and Huian secretly groaned and showed expressions of fear and trepidation.

This Zen Master Huiguo is not an easy person to talk to!
Huiyun hurriedly said, "Senior brother, 'Lingxiu Island' is not far from the mainland. Could it be that people from the 'Shenxiao Dao Sect' wiped out those good-for-nothings?"

"Yes! The people of the 'Divine Firmament Dao Sect' have always been keen on fighting against the demonic path. Perhaps those people from the 'Soul Control Sect' had their identities exposed and their whereabouts were tracked down?"

Hui'an echoed this.

"My disciple has already gone out to investigate! But that's not enough!"

Zen Master Huiguo said coldly, "You two go find the people from the 'Soul Control Sect' right now. If they can't get the 'Blood Bodhi Tree' back, I'll make them pay!"

"Yes, senior brother. But how much time should we give them?"

Huiyun and Huian breathed a sigh of relief, and Huiyun asked.

"Half a month! No more than that! If they can't find the 'Blood Bodhi Tree,' then they must compensate us at the original price, not a penny less!"

Zen Master Huiguo's expression softened slightly, and he said coldly.

"This one……"

Huiyun and Huian both looked troubled.

In their view, the "Soul Control Sect" had no chance of completing the task in just half a month.

That's asking too much.

After glancing at his two junior brothers, Zen Master Huiguo sighed and said, "It's not that I'm forcing you, but if we can't get that 'Blood Bodhi Tree' back, the three of us won't fare well even if we return to Mingxin Temple!"

(End of this chapter)