Your Spell Version is Too Low!

As he opened his eyes, the once-deep, sharp, and chilling light in them—a gaze that pierced through the Ten Thousand Laws—had vanished.

In its place was a tranquil clarity—a "Wisdom Eye" that could seemingly perceive the afflictions of all living beings, yet remain serenely detached.

His gaze was gentle, yet it possessed an undeniable power of wisdom.

At this moment, Qi Yun stood on the mountaintop in the darkness. A clear Light Appearance spun gently behind him, and his entire being was suffused with Buddha’s Rhyme. He was the very picture of a great, virtuous master from the Buddhist Sect, one of profound cultivation and pure heart.

No matter who saw him, it would be impossible to connect him with that Foundation Establishment Master from the Northwest Demon Sect, a man known for his ruthless and domineering methods.

Cai Shen flew two circles around him, looking him up and down and clucking in amazement.

"Perfect! It’s just too perfect!

You’ve even got that compassionate air down—the kind that sees all but says nothing!

Qi the Kid, this Primordial True Body of yours is simply incredible!

But..."

He landed on Qi Yun’s shoulder and lowered his voice. "Is this transformation stable? What if you have to fight someone, or if a truly high-ranking monk decides to probe you...?"

Qi Yun smiled faintly, and with a mere thought...

In an instant, the Light Appearance behind his head vanished, the wisdom light in his eyes retracted, and the harmonious Buddhist aura around him receded like the tide.

The deep, restrained bearing of the Profound Yellow Taoist reemerged, an aura of Commanding All Skills.

Although he didn’t reveal its full extent, he already seemed like a completely different person.

"I can switch back and forth at will. It all depends on a single thought," he said calmly. "Unless I encounter a mighty expert whose cultivation far surpasses my own, or one who specializes in Causality and Destiny Communication and deliberately probes deep, there is nothing to worry about."

Cai Shen was finally at ease. Rubbing his little hands together, a golden light flashed in his eyes.

"Excellent! With a method like this, we can really make a stir in the Nanyin Buddha Country!

So we head down the mountain tomorrow?"

Qi Yun’s gaze once again fell to the south, upon the vast domain shrouded in a strange Buddha Light.

"We head down the mountain tomorrow."

’I’ll go see just what kind of storm is brewing in this "Earthly Buddha Country."’

The mountain wind howled, sweeping past the cliff’s edge.

The figure remained ramrod straight, but his aura had already blended perfectly into the night steeped in Buddha’s Rhyme, no longer the least bit out of place.

For him, at this moment, the distinction between real and fake, Taoist and Buddhist, was no longer a simple matter of disguise.

Rather, it was the first manifestation of the supreme, miraculous power of the Primordial True Body—Commanding All Skills and manifesting all appearances.

...

On the mountaintop, the night fog gradually dispersed as a sliver of dawn’s light appeared in the eastern sky.

Qi Yun turned and looked at the human, the demon, and the Divine Puppet waiting silently behind him.

Qi Yun’s gaze swept over the three. ’A decision had already formed in my mind.’

"For this trip deep into Nanyin, you need not accompany me."

His voice was calm, yet it carried an air of finality.

Ling Master’s brow twitched, Situ Huaji’s face showed surprise, and even Wu Changsheng’s gaze flickered beneath his cloak.

"Brother Qi, Nanyin has become the domain of Buddhist Cultivators. It’s fraught with danger. For you to go alone..." Situ Huaji couldn’t help but speak, his tone filled with worry.

Qi Yun raised a hand to cut him off.

"It is precisely because it has become the domain of Buddhist Cultivators that it is inappropriate for you to come with me," he said slowly, his gaze once again sweeping over the three.

"Xuan Ling’s true form is that of a demon, Situ cultivates a Demon Technique, and Wu Changsheng has the body of a puppet.

Buddhist Skills are extremely sensitive to Demon Qi, Demon Fiends, and things that are neither living nor dead.

The moment you set foot in their heartland, I fear you would draw attention before you even traveled a hundred miles."

He paused, then continued,

"My purpose on this trip is not conquest, nor is it to investigate everything.

My objective is clear: to borrow an old artifact and seek a clue.

Fewer people make for a smaller target.

Traveling alone, on the other hand, allows me to come and go as I please and react more quickly."

Ling Master was silent for a moment before bowing.

"My Lord is thorough in his considerations.

We subordinates can provide support from the outside and monitor the movements of the Buddha Country. If there are any unexpected developments, we will send a message immediately."

Situ Huaji also suppressed his worries, cupping his fist and saying in a solemn voice,

"Take care, Brother Qi. We will operate in secret along the border, gather intelligence from the periphery, and await your return."

Wu Changsheng bowed slightly, and a low voice emerged from under his cloak. "I will obey my Lord’s command."

Qi Yun nodded, saying no more.

With a flick of his sleeve, several hidden Communication Talismans, along with their pre-arranged contact methods, turned into streams of Flowing Light and shot toward the three of them, vanishing into their clothes.

"Consider this our boundary. Do not cross the Nanyin border lightly.

If there’s an emergency, proceed with the second plan."

"Yes!"

With the arrangements made, Qi Yun took one last look toward the Northwest, then turned to face the south. Before him lay a vast land, gradually becoming clear in the morning light, gently enveloped by a pale golden Buddha Light.

He took a deep breath, and the aura around his body began to subtly change.

Deep within his Ancestral Acupoint, a point of Immortal Light began to quietly circulate.

A halo naturally appeared behind his head, and all of his pure Magical Power transformed into a gentle, clear Buddha Light that carried a hint of enlightened awareness.

His Deep Blue Daoist Robe remained unchanged, yet the impression it gave now faintly harmonized with the surrounding Buddha’s Rhyme.

The deep sharpness between his brows, characteristic of a Taoist Master, had transformed into the peaceful wisdom of a great virtuous one from the Buddhist School.

At this moment, he was the very image of a Traveling Monk from a distant land who had wandered here—travel-worn, yet with a heart that shone with an inner light.

Without any earth-shattering fanfare, Qi Yun stepped off the cliff. His body drifted down as lightly as a falling leaf, landing in the mountain forest below, which was shrouded in morning mist and a faint Buddha Light.

After a few leaps and bounds, he vanished completely into the thin haze where green and gold intertwined.

Ling Master and the other two stood on the clifftop, watching until the figure disappeared, remaining motionless for a long time.

Not until the first ray of morning sun pierced the clouds, making the golden roofs of the distant Buddha Towers within Nanyin’s borders shine brilliantly, did Situ Huaji finally let out a slow breath.

"Let’s go. We mustn’t fail Brother Qi’s arrangements."

The three figures quietly retreated into the shadows of the mountains behind them, vanishing without a trace like drops of water returning to the sea.

...

The moment he took his first step into Nanyin’s territory, Qi Yun sensed an omnipresent, domineering "order."

The air was still fresh, and the Spiritual Mechanism was still present—it was even gentler and more abundant than it had been outside the border.

But this Spiritual Mechanism was mixed with a faint, almost imperceptible scent of sandalwood, as well as a more subtle, strange rhythm that involuntarily guided one’s Heart and Spirit toward tranquility.

The ground underfoot was firm. The road had clearly been maintained, paved with flat bluestone slabs and clean enough to be free of dust.

The weeds by the roadside were trimmed with uniform neatness. The variety of blooming flowers was limited, consisting mostly of lotuses, udumbara, and other species rich in Buddhist symbolism.

Their colors were pure, their fragrance subtle and serene.

The further south he walked, the more populated it became.

In the villages and towns, the architectural style was vastly different from the "old look" that Situ Huaji had described previously.

Low-slung earthen or wooden houses were rare. Most buildings had white walls and gray tiles, with simple Buddhist Shrines or prayer flags adorning the corners of their eaves.

In the center of any larger settlement, there was invariably a Buddha Tower of gold or bronze, its Tower Bells chiming with the wind, producing a clear, distant, and solemn sound.

The farmers tilling the fields, the merchants traveling the roads, the women washing clothes by the river...

Regardless of age or gender, everyone wore simple, clean clothes, mostly in colors like gray, white, and ochre.

Many had Prayer Beads wrapped around their wrists. Even during breaks in their labor, they would murmur low chants, their faces peaceful, almost wooden.

The liveliness and boisterous noise typical of a mortal marketplace were rarely seen.

When they saw Qi Yun—a lone traveler, dusty from the road, with a faint, clear halo behind his head—they showed little surprise, merely stopping their work or their steps.

They would press their palms together, bow in salute, their respectful gazes holding a near-numb submission.

Then they would return to their own business, with little conversation and even less prying.

Qi Yun returned the gesture with the standard single-handed salute of the Great Brightness Sect. His pace was unhurried and his gaze fixed forward, but in his mind, it was as if a Bright Mirror was raised high, capturing every minute detail of what he saw.

’It’s too quiet. And too orderly.’

’This isn’t the natural tranquility of the wilderness, but an "orderly quiet" that comes after some will has forcibly smoothed away all dissonance.’

’The Buddha Country. The Earthly Buddha Country.’

’They haven’t just converted in faith. Their very way of life, their behavioral norms, and even their mental and spiritual states have been completely reshaped.’

Qi Yun maintained the posture expected of a Traveling Monk, but internally, he was on high alert.

’A transformation this profound could never be achieved simply by spreading doctrine.’

’There must be some powerful and persistent external force at play.’

’It’s likely some kind of large-scale Array or ritual, one that covers the entire region, is in continuous effect.’

’These Buddhist Cultivators... just what kind of game are they playing?’

...