Who is spreading rumors that my filial piety towards them has changed?

Hui Chen's powerful physical body was so weak in front of this ice woman, just like an ordinary person who could not withstand the cold winter and was frostbitten.

“I had predicted it beforehand. Your background is not simple. Even if you have the power inherited from the successive sect leaders of Wenqing Pavilion, your power is still a bit strange. I didn’t expect that my little temple could contain such a great god. Shen Xuejun, you really have the patience to hide for so long.”

The Asura King feigned surprise, raising his delicate eyebrows slightly to reveal an astonished expression, and said to Yu with a playful tone;

"Huh? Holy Master Huichen, aren't you planning to threaten Shen Xuejun with something, like using her clansmen, or something else? Why did you skip it all?"

"..." Huichen remained silent, his expression stiff.

His gaze swept across the area, which was the space of the Rakshasa Society, a small divine kingdom under his control.

But now he was surrounded by enemies. None of the remaining dragon-level experts in the Rakshasa Society were on his side. He seemed to be the outsider here.

The foundation of the Rakshasa Society was not affected too much, but the group that was about to blossom and bear fruit was cut in half. It is unknown how many years it will take before they can send people to the higher-ups again.

Huichen wanted to give an explanation to those above him, so he had to take down Empress Yin. But now that the Asura King and Shen Xuejun had stepped forward to protect her, he had no other choice.

However, the extraordinary strength that Shen Xuejun displayed was enough for him to use as an explanation and excuse.

"Since there's nothing else, we'll be going then." The Asura King stretched and then turned to Ba Sheng, saying, "Empress Yin, would you mind if I took a look around your underworld?"

Seeing that Ba Sheng did not refuse, the Asura King leaped onto the Black Blood Giant's arm, squeezed behind Zuo Qiuchi, and got into the sedan chair to wait for departure.

Xiao Yunhan glanced at her younger brother Chu Mingkong several times. Shen Xuejun knew what she was thinking and said:

"Go see it if you want."

Soon, another person appeared on Chu Mingkong's arm; his older sister, Yunhan, sat behind Zuo Donglu.

Chu Mingkong was still a little dazed and didn't know what the situation was.

It all looked like things were about to escalate to the point of conflict, but now it seems like they're saying they won't fight.

Where is Huichen's face? He made wild claims that he would deal with Xia Basheng, but as soon as the Asura King and Shen Xuejun showed up, he immediately stopped moving.

Group slip 3 bar Sanling flow 49th period

When Grandma Basheng got up and landed on his shoulder, the firm, elastic feel of her plump buttocks against his shoulder brought Chu Mingkong back to his senses, realizing that it was time to leave.

Shen Xuejun, who was sitting opposite, also disappeared from the scene and left first.

Chu Mingkong turned and walked into the cave tunnel. Only after returning to the underworld did he speak:

"What just happened? Why did you start fighting and then stop?"

The Asura King was only interested in touring the underworld, so it was Grandma Basheng who enlightened him:

“Huichen initially wanted to fight desperately because he needed to give an explanation. If he didn’t deal with me, he would have no explanation. Either way, he would die. Even with the help of the Asura King, he would still fight to the death, preferably to the point of serious injury. That way, even if he failed in his duty, he could blame it on a traitor in the Rakshasa Society, and he would have a reason to escape.”

Upon hearing this, Chu Mingkong sensed a hint of political maneuvering among court officials, where self-interest trumped face, and scheming was rampant for the sake of profit.

"Then why not make a move now? Has he given up? Didn't he say he was going to die anyway, so he might as well fight to the death and get seriously injured, and put on a pitiful act for the Buddhist sects of the Heavenly Realm to see?"

"Because Shen Xuejun made a move, and her move was quite special. The strength she displayed has already overwhelmed Hui Chen, the agent of the Heavenly Clan."

Chu Mingkong was quite surprised. He didn't really have a clear sense of his master's wife Shen Xuejun's strength because the cold air hadn't targeted him. Chu Mingkong only felt a cool sensation, and because he had also absorbed Shen Xuejun's original spiritual energy, he even felt a bit comfortable and at ease at the time.

"Is Master's wife that strong? She made Huichen lose all will to struggle? She's strong enough to subdue the enemy without a fight!"

After looking around for a while, the Asura King finally spoke, but her first words were a helpless sigh as she corrected herself:

"Wrong. Huichen did not lose the will to struggle, but rather there was no need to struggle anymore. Shen Xuejun's extraordinary strength was enough to provide an excuse for her to give an explanation."

For example, if a disciple of a martial arts school in the mortal world suffers a loss outside, the master will definitely beat the disciple to save face for the school. However, if the disciple says that the person who bullied him was a cultivator, then the master will find it difficult to blame the disciple.

This enormous difference in their levels of understanding had already given Huichen a reason.

There is no doubt that the Rakshasa Society is a subordinate organization of the Buddhist sect in the Heavenly Realm. However, Huichen, the "Sect Leader," is also from the Heavenly Realm, and his realm and strength are not worth comparing with anyone in the lower realm.

Master's wife's cultivation level far surpasses Huichen's...?

Ba Sheng knew what Chu Mingkong was thinking and said:

"There's no need to be curious about who Shen Xuejun is. Even in the current Heavenly Domain, the level she has reached is only that of a few. In the future, you just need to find out who the strong people in the Heavenly Domain are, and you will naturally know who she is."

Chu Mingkong nodded, accepting this explanation. However, if this was indeed the case, then his master's wife could have pretended to have narrowly won to eliminate Huichen, but instead, she directly revealed her cultivation level. This kind of "frankness" made him suspicious.

He then went to ask the original body, and Chu Mingkong turned his attention to the matter of the Asura King:

"King Asura, is it really alright that the monk Huichen mentioned the matter of our clansmen?"

Chapter 130 Self-Imprint

Chu Mingkong's concern for the Asura King was not just a polite formality.

Humans cannot achieve complete empathy; they can only connect physically. Since he had shown concern for the people of Xiling, the Asura King's concern for his own people would only be even deeper.

Even though she had just successfully left the Rakshasa Assembly, none of the Asura King's clansmen accompanied her.

"You don't need to worry about that. Why do you think I send my people around the New Moon Kingdom and other places from time to time? This time when I came out, I also had my people make excuses to go out on missions and leave the Buddhist Pure Land."

If I really have to worry, it's probably that one day a Bodhisattva will appear and chant some mantras to send my people back to their origin.

So she was prepared all along. No wonder she wasn't scared at all. This Asura King only thinks about fighting all day long, but I didn't expect her to be so meticulous despite her rough exterior... Chu Mingkong felt a little more at ease for her.

"However, your entire clan left safely? You left in one go. Didn't the Buddhist sect suspect anything? That's a bit of a relief, isn't it?"

The Asura King leaped lightly from his arm, her jade feet landing on his head, as she ascended to a high vantage point, gazing upon the wondrous sights of the underworld.

As he gazed upon this ancient divine kingdom, the Asura King spoke:

"Of course I didn't take everything. I only took a portion of what I could carry, including those clansmen who had Buddhist mantras embedded in their bodies. But I left behind some clansmen who had been completely converted."

Although I secretly sent the Compassionate Dharma Protector to try to convert them back, it was completely useless. These people clearly weren't even restrained by Buddhist mantras...

"..."

Chu Mingkong had no reply.

What the Asura King wanted to say was simply that some members of the Asura clan had been completely "domesticated," and the new generation of Asuras had come to regard themselves as one with Buddhism.

Those Bodhisattvas didn't even need to exert any control over the new generation of Asuras. Unlike when they controlled the Asura priests, they didn't need to directly have the Bodhisattva of Boundless Intent possess their bodies. They had already "stabilized" the Asuras.

The fact that the Asura King said these words means that he must have tried many times but failed, and had no choice but to abandon his people.

Children raised by their enemies forget the hatred they carry and instead help their enemies—Chu Mingkong had heard many similar stories in teahouses before.

In general, the subsequent development of such stories usually involves the child accidentally learning the truth about the hatred, then avenging himself and achieving a happy ending.

However, when such a scenario occurs among the Asura race, the only outcome is to give up.

The Asuras who had been "reformed" could not be brought back.

After a long silence, Zuo Qiuchi, who had been acting as a lucky cat for a while, finally spoke. She asked in bewilderment:

"My wife has done such a thing so quietly. Why didn't she just take care of Huichen? It would have been better to have one less powerful enemy."

Ba Sheng explained:

"If a real fight breaks out, it might not be a good thing. Under normal circumstances, Huichen might not have the opportunity to invite a powerful expert from the Heavenly Domain of their Buddhist sect to descend and possess his body, but it would be easier when he is on the verge of death. However, if Huichen has no other means of survival after the descent, he can basically be declared dead."

He valued his life and didn't want to die, while Shen Xuejun didn't want to fight another battle. Parting ways was the best option.

This is incredibly rational. Even after things have fallen apart, they still have this kind of tacit understanding; they've already completed a negotiation without saying a word...

Zuo Qiuchi nudged Xiao Yunhan next door with his elbow:

"You often accompany your master, but did you know that she possessed such a formidable level of cultivation?"

"I don't know." Xiao Yunhan shook her head, her beautiful face somewhat blank; she was also unsure of the situation.

Ba Sheng had just said that Shen Xuejun's identity was easy to find out, but Zuo Qiuchi couldn't suppress her curiosity. Since she had nothing else to do, she asked another possible person in the know:

"King Asura, what's the deal with Shen Xuejun? Wasn't it said that people from the Heavenly Realm face great restrictions and backlashes when they come here? Why is she still so arrogant?"

Perhaps out of consideration for face, Ba Sheng had just accepted Shen Xuejun's help and was not in a position to talk too much about Shen Xuejun behind her back, but the Asura King did not care about such things at all.

"There is a power in the Heavenly Realm called Snow River Divine City. I don't know which part of it Shen Xuejun belongs to, but she is definitely related to this power. As for why she didn't encounter any backlash, perhaps she was born and raised in this world?"

Chu Mingkong recalled that the Asura King had said that there were also Heavenly Realm people active in this world in various forms. If the Buddhist sect could create a Rakshasa Society to collect resources, then other forces should also be able to do something similar.

At the very least, opening up a passage similar to the one that sends people to heaven would be acceptable, but there would be more restrictions, allowing only one person to use it exclusively.

The Asura King continued:

"It's very difficult to come down directly from the Heavenly Realm, and there are also great restrictions. But there are many ways to achieve 'unrestricted movement in the Lower Realm.' Should I be considered one of them?"

"What method do you belong to?" Zuo Qiuchi asked in surprise.

"Reincarnated with self-imprint to cultivate anew."

"Huh? Then who were you in the Heavenly Realm in your past life?" Zuo Qiuchi was very surprised.

She always thought that reincarnation was a joke.

Those folk tales are merely expressions of the working people's longing for their deceased relatives and friends, and their hope that their lives continue somewhere.

Can your Buddhist community really do that?

"I do not know."

The Asura King's confident statement left everyone speechless. Fortunately, she went on to explain, instead of simply saying "I don't know" and that was it.

"After reincarnation, I only have a portion of my power left, and I have no memories for the time being. When I am ready to fully accept the inheritance, it will mean that I will know my past life memories."

"Aren't you afraid that if you gain memories of your past life, your personality will change drastically, and you might be possessed by someone without your knowledge?" Xiao Yunhan asked sharply.

"This is indeed a major concern, so I can leave it to my own choice. If I believe that gaining knowledge of the memories is equivalent to being possessed, and I constantly resist and guard against it, then after I die, my cultivation in this life will be integrated into a part of my self-imprint, and I will continue to reincarnate until there is an 'I' who is willing to accept all the past."

“That must be a really painful thing,” Ba Sheng suddenly interjected, expressing her strong aversion to this alternative form of immortality.

"Rather than saying this is reincarnation or resurrection, it's more like the 'seed' of your self-imprint, which sprouts again in spring after autumn, reviving you once more. So how can this imprint feel like your true self?"

Did the Asura King leave his self-mark, or did his self-mark hatch the Asura King?

Zuo Qiuchi rarely engaged in philosophical contemplation, but after a moment's thought, she realized that this kind of problem was just making things difficult for herself, and her mind soon became tired.

She swayed and fell into her younger sister Zuo Donglu's arms to rest.

Upon hearing these words, Chu Mingkong was reminded of the absurd yet philosophical Niu Niu literature.

Did I grow a calf, or did I grow out of the calf?

However, at this moment, he was more concerned about going to the Heavenly Realm to explore.