Jiang Li saw the thick darkness from the sound world’s perspective and was immediately shocked. He woke up from his sleep.
Looking outside, it was already bright outside.
What was that black color?
When he was dreaming, Jiang Li had tried many times. Only living creatures with a certain amount of intelligence could appear in the sound world’s perspective.
Therefore, that black color was most likely something alive. It was either a cultivator or a demon beast.
However, he had seen more than one or two people from the sound world’s perspective, but he had never seen such a dark color.
What was the source of that black color?
Jiang Li immediately stood up and ran towards the entrance of the Benevolent Travel Temple.
The vermilion door had just been opened as Jiang Li approached it. Before he could walk out, a dense and slightly pungent medicinal smell surged from outside.
Monk Kong’e was welcoming the guests with two monks.
On the other hand, a group of Hundred Tempering Mountain cultivators in crimson robes with a volcano pattern on their chests walked in!
Why were they here? Weren’t Benevolent Travel Temple and Hundred Tempering Mountain not too happy previously? Why would they suddenly visit today?
They really brought quite a number of people. There were at least a hundred people.
Especially the group of disciples behind him. Although Jiang Li had never seen them before, they always gave him a familiar feeling.
Could it be that the black color he saw earlier were the people from the Hundred Tempering Mountain?
Although Jiang Li did not know why the people from the Hundred Tempering Mountain had come to Benevolent Travel Temple, he immediately knew that something was amiss.
After all, only the Scripture Storage Valley knew what the Hundred Tempering Mountain was secretly doing. Before the other two families’ interests were destroyed, they might not be as determined to stop them.
If they argued in this aspect, there might be many variables that could arise.
“Isn’t this the esteemed disciple of the Scripture Storage Valley, Jiang Li?”
When Jiang Li saw the group from the Hundred Tempering Mountain, the other party naturally saw him as well.
What had happened between the two sides had not been completely exposed.
However, the Scripture Storage Valley knew that the other party had attacked their flying ship.
The Hundred Tempering Mountain knew that their dirty secrets were in the hands of the Scripture Storage Valley.
The two sides might not fight to the death, but a battle was inevitable.
Under such circumstances, it was naturally the most cost-effective thing to rope in allies. The Scripture Storage Valley had originally planned to take the initiative to attack, but they did not expect the other party to not be stupid. After discovering that silencing the witnesses had failed, they decisively made a move and sent people here.
“Greetings, Elder Situ. I still have to pay my respects to Master. I’ll take my leave first.”
Jiang Li cupped his hands towards the elder and intended to leave. However, a hand was placed on his shoulder from behind.
Although Jiang Li was not weak, he was still as powerless as a child in front of a Nascent Soul cultivator.
A strange medicinal fragrance immediately entered his nose.
Jiang Li’s resistance was extremely shocking, but even then, he was still stunned by the smell and was unable to stand steadily.
At the same time, a sharp pain came from his shoulder. The multiple defenses of his Overlord Body Art were easily corroded by the palm.
It began to spread from his right shoulder as he gradually lost control of his body.
Jiang Li’s center of gravity was unstable, and his vision was in chaos. His body was gradually becoming numb, but fortunately, his consciousness could still maintain clarity.
Bang!
The power of the Armored Horse Divine Travel exploded from beneath his feet, and Jiang Li suddenly fled to the side before escaping the other party’s palm.
However, because he could not determine his direction at all, he had just fled when he collided with a copper bell beside him.
With a loud sound, the bronze bell caved in.
Shaking his head, the scene before Jiang Li’s eyes gradually recovered its clarity. When he looked at the shoulder that the other party had placed on, it was already pitch black.
The dignified Second Elder of the Hundred Tempering Mountain, Situ Tingxin, actually attacked Jiang Li, this junior, without any hesitation!
“Little friend Jiang is indeed capable. Let me size you up again.”
Situ Tingxin looked at his palm and was slightly surprised that Jiang Li was actually able to escape from his grasp. However, he did not give up and intended to attack as soon as he finished speaking.
However, at this moment, someone stood in front of him.
“Amitabha. This is a quiet place of Buddhism. Benefactor Situ, don’t be rash.”
It was Monk Kong’e.
“Hahahaha, Dharma Master Kong’e, what are you saying? I was just playing around with the junior.”
“Dharma Master, don’t take it to heart. Let’s get down to business.”
Situ Tingxin glanced at Jiang Li for the last time before he sneered and followed Monk Kong’e towards the distant hall.
Although Monk Kong’e stopped Situ Tingxin from attacking, he did not arrange for anyone to save Jiang Li.
The few disciples of the Hundred Tempering Mountain who were behind even revealed expressions as if they were watching a show.
After being struck by a Nascent Soul cultivator’s move, a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator would lose half his life even if he did not die. This outstanding junior who was famous throughout the Great Mountain Region was already crippled.
However, after they left, Jiang Li flipped over and lightly stood up from the ground.
That damned Situ Tingxin’s move was extremely sinister.
If he was not saved in time, his bones would have melted in an instant. To a body cultivator, even if he was alive, he would be crippled!
Jiang Li looked in the direction they left in and made a mark on the Hundred Tempering Mountain.
‘If I don’t make sure all of you die, I’ll never sleep in peace again!’
Suppressing his anger for the time being, he amplified his hearing and penetrated hundreds of meters in an attempt to eavesdrop on their conversation.
“Master Kong’e, our Hundred Tempering Mountain has come with extreme sincerity this time. Your esteemed temple will definitely not be disappointed.”
“In addition, this is a small token of my appreciation. Please put in a few words of praise to the Abbot of your esteemed temple.”
However, he had only spoken a few words when Situ Tingxin suddenly stopped. He waved his sleeve and caused the surrounding air to buzz.
“What’s wrong, Elder Situ?”
Seeing Situ Tingxin’s actions, Kong’e also understood something. However, he did not know who was so bold to eavesdrop on the two Nascent Souls.
“It’s fine, it’s just a small problem. On the other hand, I saw that Jiang Li from the Scripture Storage Valley is in the monastery as well. I wonder who else came over?”
Jiang Li rubbed his ears. He was not injured by something like this, but he could no longer hear the other party’s voice.
Jiang Li’s Bodhisattva Heart Sutra had been passed down to an ancient Buddhist Mighty Figure, but his cultivation level was too low.
On the other hand, at the Nascent Soul realm, the cultivator’s mind would be able to sense things. As long as someone placed their attention on them, they would sense something. It was too difficult to eavesdrop on their conversation.
However, with just these two sentences, Jiang Li roughly knew that the people from the Hundred Tempering Mountain planned to come here to seek cooperation. Were they going to use benefits to first pull Benevolent Travel Temple to their side?
Jiang Li could not be bothered to tear off the poisonous clothes on his body. He immediately ran to find Elder He and explained the situation to his master.
When Elder He saw the poisonous handprint on Jiang Li’s shoulder, anger arose in his heart.
He directly led Jiang Li and Dharma Master Le Chi to the Buddhist Hall.
When the Abbot and the six Divine Monks were not around, the others had no right to open the Great Hall for discussion.
Therefore, Monk Kong’e brought them to a side hall. He did not tell everyone but brought a few Dharma Masters related to this matter to discuss a plan. When the time came, they would report it together. The Abbot only had to approve it.
“Elder Situ, are you serious?”
The few Dharma Masters who were in charge of external affairs, internal affairs, and medicinal pills were all shocked. It was as if the other party had given an extremely impressive suggestion.
“The promise of the Hundred Tempering Mountain is naturally true. As long as the Abbot of your esteemed temple nods and hands over the spiritual herbs mined from the Misty Mountain Range to our sect to refine, after the medicinal pills are completed, our sect will only take 10%!”
“Everyone should know that in the cultivation world of the Great Mountain Region, no other sect can compare to our Hundred Tempering Mountain in terms of pill refinement.”
“If it was refined by your esteemed temple, the losses would probably be more than 20%. Other than my sect, no one else can offer such sincere cooperation.”
Situ Tingxin spoke frankly and confidently in the hall. He used his advantage in alchemy to tie up the other sects. In the past, he did not need it, but now that it was chaotic, making deals was almost instinctive to alchemists.
The ridiculously low price of substitute refinement was indeed tempting.
Right at this moment, the door to the side hall was kicked open by someone, and Elder He walked in first.
“Situ Tingxin! How bold of you!”
At the first moment he saw Situ Tingxin, Elder He’s figure had already vanished before Jiang Li’s eyes. The spiritual qi that erupted almost caused Jiang Li, who was following behind, to tumble.
An even greater air wave followed. Before Jiang Li even stepped into the door of the side hall, the violent wind blowing from inside pushed him back by more than two meters.
Taking another look, there was a purple-gold gourd in front of Situ Tingxin. Elder He’s fist smashed into it.
The two bursts of spiritual qi seemed to want to tear apart the side hall.
Situ Tingxin was naturally furious when he was suddenly attacked. Elder He came with anger, and both sides were about to fight in this side hall.
“Don’t attack!”
“This is the Benevolent Travel Temple! Stop!”
Including Le Chi and Kong’e, a total of four Nascent Souls hurriedly stepped forward and blocked the two of them.
“Barbarian He! You dare to sneak attack me? Do you want to suffer the wrath of the Hundred Tempering Mountain?!”
Situ Tingxin pressed a hand on the purple-gold gourd. Hot medicinal flames overflowed from the mouth of the gourd as he cursed at Elder He.
“Heh, shameless old thing, you actually attacked my disciple. If you have the guts, follow me outside to fight!”
Both sides were already prepared for war, so how could they care about this threat?
Elder He was skilled and bold. The other party had more people on their side. If this was not the territory of the Benevolent Travel Temple, they would definitely have fought.
“Enough!”
“Both of you have come to my Benevolent Travel Temple to discuss important matters. We can’t make the decision today. The Abbot will come out of seclusion tomorrow. If there’s anything, you can go out of the temple to settle it!”
At this moment, an old monk’s voice sounded. It was a Master Monk from the Dharma Hall. He heard the commotion and rushed over from afar.
The old monk’s aura was clearly above that of the true cultivators present. His words forcefully suppressed the situation.
The Benevolent Travel Temple had existed longer than the Scripture Storage Valley, and its foundation was stronger. Apart from the Abbot and the six Divine Monks, there were always some unexpected experts hidden.
With this person’s forceful mediation, both sides could only temporarily stop.
However, before leaving, an unlucky Hundred Tempering Mountain Golden Core cultivator wanted to come up and say a few harsh words, so Elder He casually broke his neck.
After Elder He brought Jiang Li back to the room, he directly took out the communication spirit stone and informed the sect about this.
The other party clearly did not have good intentions. They had to be prepared.
Jiang Li thought for a moment and sent an order to the Nine Nether clone.
…
At the core of the Benevolent Travel Temple, in the Relic Buddha Pagoda.
The Buddhist light that reflected the sky became even more dazzling. The golden light that could only be seen at night had already become dazzling in broad daylight.
Jiang Li originally thought that it was the Buddhist light naturally emitted by the entire Benevolent Travel Temple. However, that was not the case. The source of this light was completely at the place where the Abbot and the six Divine Monks were in seclusion.
If one was knowledgeable, they would definitely recognize that this was a sign that a Buddhist treasure was about to appear.
When Earth-rank and above treasures were born, such phenomena would appear. For example, when Jiang Li advanced to the Yin Burial Coffin, he was attacked by a group of desert bandits because of the surging rays of light.
However, in Benevolent Travel Temple, no one would risk their lives to seize any Buddhist treasures.
“Uncle-Masters, there’s only a trace of demonic qi left in this treasure lotus. Tomorrow at noon, when this demonic qi dissipates, it will be the day the Buddhist treasure appears!”
The six Divine Monks nodded and did not speak. They only repeated the six Clarity Incantations again and again.
It had been many days since the six of them entered seclusion. At the final juncture, they were afraid that their previous efforts would be wasted. Therefore, even Abbot Le Ku, who was presiding over the array, personally guarded the entrance and did not leave.
“Once the Buddhist treasure appears, the Benevolent Travel Temple will definitely rise to a new height.”
…
Soon, the third day arrived.
In order to prevent the Hundred Tempering Mountain from attacking with more people, the sect had already sent out warships to receive them.
On the Benevolent Travel Temple’s side, it was decorated brightly today.
Early in the morning, the monks of the Benevolent Travel Temple began to set up everything. A large amount of golden powder covered every tile, causing them to sparkle.
No matter where Jiang Li went, he could hear the chanting of Buddhist scriptures. The scriptures that had been infused with Buddhist spiritual qi directly transformed into golden words that danced and interwove in the air, causing the clouds in the sky to be dyed with an oppressive auspicious qi.
Under such an environment, even if Jiang Li was not a Buddhist, he still felt a sense of peace. If this Buddhist light and music was a little stronger, he might be able to get another free status.
In the square of the Relic Buddha Pagoda, thousands of meditation mats were neatly arranged. Apart from the disciples on duty, all the monks would come here to witness a grand scene and receive the Buddhist light’s baptism.
As guests, Jiang Li and the group of people from the Hundred Tempering Mountain were arranged to sit at the front. When they raised their eyes, they could see the towering Buddhist pagoda.
It was said that in this Buddhist pagoda, the Buddhist Relic of an accomplished monk who had passed away was worshiped. It was equivalent to the Scripture Storage Valley’s Scripture Imparting Hall and the Sword Pool Demon Subduing Pagoda of the Shu Mountain Five Elements Peak. It was one of the most important places in the entire Benevolent Travel Temple.
“Master Le Yuan, what are they doing?”
Jiang Li and Master Le Yuan stood together and pointed at a group of disciples carrying Buddha statues while asking.
These Buddha statues looked familiar. Weren’t they the ones that the disciples of the Hundred Tempering Mountain usually dug out from the rocks?
There were quite a number of them in this temple. Now that they were moving in, it seemed a little crowded.
“Uncle-Master said that this Buddhist Dharma Assembly is a rare opportunity. We have to bring more items here and soak in the Buddhist aura. In the future, these items will represent us in front of outsiders.”
Jiang Li understood when he saw this. Many monks held their artifacts in their hands and were prepared to receive more benefits later.
As he looked at the Relic Buddha Pagoda ahead that was emitting more and more golden light, Jiang Li knew that it was definitely not a small matter to be able to tie down the seven great experts for so long.
However, the Benevolent Travel Temple’s grand event did not have much to do with them.
The three people from the Scripture Storage Valley were still worried that after this matter, would the Benevolent Travel Temple stand up to the Scripture Storage Valley uprightly or would they be tied up by the benefits given by the Hundred Tempering Mountain, causing the order in the cultivation world of the Great Mountain Region to completely collapse?
At noon, the Buddhist light in the Relic Buddha Pagoda increased once again. The top of the Buddha Pagoda automatically opened, and a huge golden lotus flower slowly rose from within, pouring out bright golden energy.