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The Nanyin Dynasty, the northwestern border.

There was once a town here named Qingshi Town.

The town was not large. It was nestled by a mountain and a river, and its people mostly made a living by quarrying and selling a fine-grained bluestone.

Most of the townsfolk worshiped the local Mountain Deity and Water Monarch.

It was also not uncommon for wandering Daoists to travel here, and they had established a few small Daoist Temples.

Though the incense offerings weren’t abundant, they sustained a simple Daoist tradition in the area.

However, that all changed thirty years ago, when the Nanyin Emperor abruptly announced in his court that he was abdicating the throne to become a monk.

Following this, Buddhist Cultivators from Overseas landed with great force. Using their supreme Buddhist Skills and iron-fisted methods, they rapidly transformed this ancient Dynasty.

Everything changed.

The Qingshi Town of today was a shadow of its former self.

The weathered memorial archway that once stood at the town’s entrance, inscribed with "Ancient Town of Qingshi," had been replaced by a Buddha Tower. It stood thirty feet tall, was coated entirely in gold dust, and shone with a blinding glare in the sunlight.

The body of the tower was covered in dense reliefs of Sanskrit and Buddha Preaching Paintings.

Copper Bells hung from the top of the tower, chiming in the wind with a dull, solemn sound.

The streets within the town were still paved with bluestone slabs, but the buildings on either side, whether homes or shops, almost all had yellow cloth prayer flags hanging above their door lintels.

The flags were inscribed with Cinnabar or gold paint with phrases like "Namo Amitabha Buddha" and "Take refuge in the Three Jewels."

The places that once held Eight Trigrams Mirrors or Door God Paintings had been replaced with small Buddhist Shrines. Inside were gilded or clay Buddha Statues, wreathed in the smoke of incense all day long.

The greatest change was in the people.

Most of the townsfolk had shed their former short, practical clothes for simple monastic robes or Layman’s Attire in plain or ochre-yellow colors.

Though not all had shaved their heads, many wore Prayer Beads on their wrists. The lively, worldly vigor had vanished from their expressions, replaced by a wooden piety and a timid caution.

The clamor of children chasing each other and playing in the streets was gone. In its place was the low, uniform sound of chanting, drifting out in waves from the Great Hero Hall—a conversion of the old Mountain God Temple—to blanket the entire town.

When passersby happened to meet, they would mostly just press their palms together in salute, recite a Buddha’s name, and rarely make eye contact.

The air was no longer filled with the Pure Qi of the mountains and wilds, nor the lively scent of hearth and home.

Instead, there was the thick scent of sandalwood and burning ghee lamps.

And along with it, a strange, unidentifiable smell that involuntarily calmed one’s Heart and Spirit, numbing it into placidity.

Even the small, once-clear and cheerful river outside the town seemed to flow more slowly now.

Occasionally, pieces of yellow paper covered in scripture would float by on the water’s surface.

"SCREEE—!!!"

Just as the border town was shrouded in Buddha Light and Brahma Chanting, a long, clear cry, sharp enough to pierce the clouds and tear through the oppressive silence, suddenly rang out in the sky!

High above in the vast expanse of the sky, a colossal shadow broke through the clouds and descended with incredible speed!

It was an extraordinary, majestic, cyan-black giant bird!

Its wingspan was a full ten thousand feet, and the shadow it cast instantly covered more than half of Qingshi Town and the surrounding miles of wilderness!

The giant bird’s eyes were as sharp as lightning, and its body was wreathed in both a faint Demon Qi and the pure, wind-riding light of the Taoist School.

This bird was none other than the true form of Ling Master himself!

Nourished over many years by the essence of Qi Yun’s Soul-Shaking Potion and conditioned with his Mastering All Skills Divine Technique, his bloodline had reverted to its ancestral state. His Demon Power had surged, and his size and presence far surpassed what they once were, making him an excellent means of transport and a formidable deterrent in Qi Yun’s hand.

And on the bird’s back, as wide as a small plaza, sat a young Daoist. He wore a deep blue Daoist Robe and had a placid expression. He was seated cross-legged, his robes whipping about in the gale-force winds of their high-speed flight, yet his figure remained as steady as a mountain.

It was Qi Yun, who had quietly left the Cyan Mountain Daoist Temple and traveled south.

He lowered his gaze slightly, his eyes sweeping over Qingshi Town below, which was shrouded in Buddha Light and faint Brahma Chanting. His expression was as placid as still water, with only the barest hint of scrutiny flashing in their depths.

The Profound Feather Cyan Feather did not linger above the town. Instead, it partially folded its wings, transforming into a streak of cyan-black Flowing Light. It headed for the main peak of a mountain range several dozen miles outside of town—the highest peak, a place of deep forests and strange, towering crags.

The downdraft of its landing bent the ancient trees on the peak and sent loose stones rolling.

The giant bird landed lightly, retracted its sky-covering wings, and transformed into a middle-aged man with a cold, hard face, dressed in a black robe. He stood silently in attendance behind Qi Yun.

The moment Qi Yun’s feet touched the ground, his gaze shifted to one side of the peak.

There, from behind two massive boulders, two figures emerged almost simultaneously and hurried forward to greet him.

The one on the left was tall and burly with a rugged face. He wore a set of practical, dark-red tight-fitting clothes and had a ferocious, sheathless ghost-headed saber hanging from his waist. He exuded the air of a battle-hardened veteran, weary from the road. It was Situ Huaji.

But the wild abandon was now gone from his eyes, replaced with a solemnity and the exhaustion of a long journey.

The person on the right was much stranger. He was slightly shorter and shrouded in a wide, gray cloak that obscured his face. His aura was faint, almost non-existent. His gait was stiff as he walked, yet it possessed a peculiar rhythm.

It was the Divine Puppet Wu Changsheng.

"Brother Qi." Situ Huaji spoke first, his voice slightly hoarse. He cupped his fist in salute, a flicker of excitement and relief crossing his eyes.

Wu Changsheng gave a slight bow, and a low voice with a hint of metallic grinding emerged from under his cloak. "My Lord."

Qi Yun nodded slightly. His gaze swept over the two of them, noting the obvious signs of hardship on their bodies and the damage to the puppet, before he asked calmly:

"You’ve worked hard.

What have you discovered about the situation here?"

Situ Huaji and Wu Changsheng glanced at each other, their expressions turning grim. Situ Huaji took a step forward, his voice low but his words coming quickly:

"The situation is even more troublesome than we anticipated.

This transformation of Nanyin into a Buddha Country is far more than just an emperor favoring Buddhism."

He raised a hand, pointing toward the faint golden Buddha Light of the distant town below:

"All of Nanyin, from the Imperial City to backwater towns like this one, has had its foundation of faith forcibly twisted in an incredibly short period of time by a powerful and bizarre force.

The original Daoist Temples and deity temples have either been demolished or converted into Buddhist temples.

The common people... it’s as if they’ve been collectively hypnotized or converted. Their faith in the World Honored One is fanatical and uniform, and they’ve almost completely lost the will to think for themselves or resist."

Wu Changsheng added, his voice even colder:

"We tried to infiltrate and get close to a few temples that seemed to be key locations.

But we were blocked by a ubiquitous, pale-golden Buddha Light Dharma Realm.

That Dharma Realm not only detects stealth, but it also slowly erodes the Magical Power and Divine Soul of any non-Buddhist Sect Cultivators, like a frog being boiled in lukewarm water."

He paused, and the gaze under his cloak seemed to flicker. "We suspect there is more than one Buddhist Cultivator Arhat presiding over this.

They act in secret and rarely show themselves directly.

But the occasional wisp of aura they let slip is enough to make one’s heart palpitate."

Situ Huaji chimed in, his tone heavy. "What’s even stranger is that, according to the information we got from using Soul Search on a few low-tier Buddhist Cultivators we managed to capture, it seems they’re... systematically collecting something. This isn’t just simple proselytizing.

It’s related to the Earth Veins all over Nanyin, ancient ruins, and even living-being sacrifices at specific hours.

It’s as if they’re setting up an... unprecedented Grand Array, or performing some kind of massive ritual."

Qi Yun listened quietly, his deep gaze once again falling on the land below, shrouded in that strange Buddha Light.

’Forcibly twisting a nation’s faith, a bizarre Grand Array or ritual...’

’This "Earthly Buddha Country" is certainly not as simple as it seems.’

"It seems the waters in Nanyin run deeper than I thought," Qi Yun said slowly, his voice calm and even.

"You’ve done well. Go and rest for now. You can report the details later."

At the summit of the high mountain, the wind howled, whipping at Qi Yun’s deep blue Daoist Robe.

He stood alone at the cliff’s edge, gazing out at the territory of the Buddha Country, which was enveloped in an unnatural tranquility. His eyes were as deep and dark as an ancient well.

’These Buddhist Cultivators from Overseas... they haven’t come with good intentions.’

’I’ll need to be extremely cautious with every step from here on out.’

...

The night was as black as ink, soaking the mountains on the northwestern border of Nanyin.

Qi Yun stood alone by the cliff, his deep blue Daoist Robe stirring in the quiet mountain wind.

In the distance, faint Brahma Chanting still drifted on the wind from the direction of Qingshi Town, mixed with the scents of sandalwood and ghee lamps, weighing heavily upon Heaven and Earth.

The little golden figure that was Cai Shen sat on his shoulder. His small face was uncharacteristically solemn, and he had even stopped swinging his legs.

"Your official position is too low. If you want to activate the power of my main body, you have to get extremely close." Cai Shen’s voice was hushed, but every word was clear on the silent mountain peak.

"Given the current situation, Nanyin has become an iron fortress. The Buddha Light covering it is like a Celestial Net.

I’m afraid not even a single unusual moth could get into the core region.

Let alone a Demon Sect Master like you!"

He paused, a rare gravity in his tone:

"The speed of these Overseas Buddhist Cultivators’ actions is unnatural.

To change the entire color of a Dynasty in just thirty years... that’s not something that can be achieved through ordinary preaching and conversion.

Their scheme must be enormous, and their guard must be extremely tight.

For you to approach my main body’s location undetected... it’s difficult. As difficult as a mortal trying to ascend to the heavens."

Qi Yun remained silent, merely gazing at the land below, stained by the halo of Buddha Light. The distant, scattered golden lights of the villages were reflected in his deep eyes, like fragments of stars that had fallen to the mortal world.

The night wind whistled through the ancient pines on the cliff’s edge, producing a low moan, like the silent wail of this land whose faith had been forcibly twisted.

After a long moment, the corners of Qi Yun’s mouth slowly curved into the faintest of smiles.

"Unless..."

"Unless what?" Cai Shen tilted his head, his small eyes fixed on him.

"Unless... I were also a Buddhist Cultivator."

The moment the words left his lips, a Heart Thought stirred within Qi Yun.

"VMMMM—"

A clear and magnificent vibration resonated on the level of the Divine Soul, rippling through every inch of the Buddha’s Rhyme-infused air!

Without any warning, a halo of light bloomed in the void behind Qi Yun! It was perfectly clear, whole, and as gentle as newly-set glass.

At first, the halo was only about a foot wide. It was pure and flawless, its color neither gold nor white, but a near-transparent clarity. Within it, countless minuscule Sanskrit seed-syllables seemed to appear and vanish in a constant flow.

With each cycle of creation and destruction, they scattered specks of soft radiance.

The edge of the halo shimmered with the faint colors of the Seven Treasures.

The faint, ethereal quality only added to its sacred dignity.

This was the external manifestation of a Divine Technique that only those of the Buddhist Cultivator lineage at or above the Arhat Fruit Position could condense—the Great Light Appearance!

The moment the Light Appearance emerged, the aura around Qi Yun changed dramatically.

The profound, aloof coldness of a Taoist Sect Master silently vanished, replaced by a sense of perfect harmony, Compassion, and a tranquil wisdom that saw through all things.

At this moment, he stood at the cliff’s edge with the clear Light Appearance slowly revolving behind him, scattering a pure radiance. He still wore his deep blue Daoist Robe, but it seemed to have been plated with a layer of invisible Buddhist solemnity.

His expression remained placid.

But deep within that placidity, the wisdom of Prajna seemed to flow, illuminating the Grand Thousand and showing pity for all living things.

As the mountain wind blew past, his robes fluttered slightly. The radiance of the Light Appearance behind him flowed and shifted, faintly resonating with the Buddha Light that blanketed the town below. There was nothing jarring about it; instead, it created a strange sense of harmony.

It was as if he was always meant to be a part of this "Earthly Buddha Country."

Or even... a being of considerably high Status within it.

Cai Shen’s mouth fell open. He sat on Qi Yun’s shoulder, his little face tilted up, staring blankly at the clear Light Appearance. After a long while, he finally snapped back to his senses and clucked his tongue in amazement:

"You rascal! You’ve really got some tricks up your sleeve!

You can even simulate a Buddhist Cultivator’s Great Light Appearance?

This isn’t just some simple illusion made with Magical Power. It looks even more real than a real Arhat’s!

Is this... the marvelous effect of the Primordial True Body?"

...