Chapter 1137: "Report on the Meng Family's Operation to Exterminate the Relentless Cult in the Buddhist Kingdom"

"Buying live-money?" The statues of the Bodhisattva rippled into life, crowding around the merit box in sheer curiosity, having never heard of such a practice.

"It likely did not exist in antiquity; it was invented during the Great Qian or Great Yu era," Lu Yang explained.

Lu Yang felt a peculiar tether form between this pouch of spirit stones and his own lifespan; the hidden party was attempting to barter wealth for his remaining years.

"Buying live-money is a wicked art of longevity. It usually entails leaving a pouch of coin within a graveyard or at a crossroads, so that whoever picks it up—"

The spring breeze swelled once more, rich with a verdant allure that coaxed even the moon behind the clouds, leaving only the nocturnal wind to carry the unrestrained expansion of springtime longing.

The Black Carp Pool plunged fifty meters deep, and upon slamming into its floor, another mouthful of fresh blood erupted from Wei Ping's lips. Yet, fortunately, the water dragon's momentum had spent itself; he guided his sword at an angle toward the surface, even executing a sharp veer just before breaching, terrified Hua Muliu might unleash another torrent that would surely leave him dead or grievously wounded.

"But what exactly does this 'Divine Weapon Cultivation' mean? Does one wield legendary armaments?" Lin Xueyun laughed, posing the question immediately.

Moreover... at the thought of the Lin clan that stood behind him, Liu Li could not help but feel the tips of her ears burn as a quiet fervor kindled in her heart.

Shangguan Wan'er was entirely satisfied this time and smiled. "Did we actually best Taiping for once this time? Hehe, Brother Han has finally indulged us!" As she spoke, her countenance swelled with pride once more.

"Princess Taiping, Prince Regent Cheng meant nothing by it; your Highness need not misunderstand. The elder prince likely drank too much yesteryear, and his mind is a bit muddled today!" Shangguan Yi hastily stepped in to smooth things over.

Naturally, the distribution of yin energy across the islands varied; those shrouded in lowering dark clouds were paradises, while those beneath clear skies were blest lands, with Abandoned Island ranking as the least of these sanctuaries.

"Dammit!" The middle-aged man, entirely blind to Cassia's thoughts, slammed a heavy fist against the stone wall.

Now he had to alter his aura, to transform everything he was, and abandon the power that rendered him a formidable expert even within the main world, all to begin anew.

The True Body of the Heavenly Dao ought to possess peerless spiritual roots, supreme elemental affinity, and blood vitality of the highest caliber, alongside profound divine abilities like manifesting as all creation, regenerating from a single drop of blood, and projecting cosmic forms.

This Cang Ziyi was herself a formidable Three-Star Heavenly Venerate; more importantly, her lineage ran unfathomably deep. Though the likes of Li Longyun and Xue Yuanyang greatly admired Xintian, they would never dare cross Cang Ziyi on his account, and thus kept their lips sealed, content to remain mere spectators.

Yet, perhaps proving that "after surviving a great disaster, fortune follows," a pale azure orb within Xintian's blood fused effortlessly into a colorless sphere, causing the newborn globule to shimmer with a faint, ghostly blue light.

"Compared to divine beasts, or powerful races like the Heaven-Swallowing Bug—one of the three great soul insects—who possesses the greater might?" Xintian asked, giving voice to his latent curiosity.

Upon the streets, the capital city of Dongzhou Prefecture blazed with light as brilliant as daytime; gazing upon the surging crowds, it felt exactly like wandering through the night markets of a past life.

At the Dragon-Welcoming Inn, Lin Liang had readied every necessity—spirit crystals, weapons, elixirs, his wine gourd, and the like. Calculating the time, it was high time to depart for the Hegu City branch; if he delayed any further, he might fail to return in time for the two-year pact.

A child as pure and clever as Baozheng was a rare sight in the monastery; upon entering the temple, the abbot had taken an immediate liking to him, shaving his head and adopting him as a disciple.

"Yang Zecheng told me all of this already. What happened afterward? How did you end up like this?" I inquired.

Softening the light required nothing more than a mere thought from Xintian, and the "divine water" that the foreign experts marveled at was, in truth, the Water of Myriad Transformations.

"Are you in such a hurry to leave? Do you not wish to hear this old man's perspective?" Sacred Lord Fengxing asked flatly, his usual playfulness replaced by an uncharacteristic gravity.

Zeus, his veins instantly bulging with fury, flew into a towering rage; leaping from his chair, he stabbed a finger at the God of Darkness and roared so fiercely he nearly tore his throat asunder.