"How long has Fairy been at Mount Jiujia?"
Qin Sang rose to welcome her.
"Three months."
Liuli walked inside and took off her cloak.
The cloak she wore was very wide and voluminous, concealing not only her face but also wrapping her slender, graceful figure tightly. In Buddhist territory, such an attire appeared somewhat out of place, but on Mount Jiujia, where fish and dragons mingled, it did not seem particularly unusual.
She had adopted this disguise because she had run into several reckless rogues while traveling across the Northern Wilderness.
In the world of immortal cultivation, not every cultivator possessed sufficient restraint, and peerless beauty easily attracted trouble.
It so happened that Liuli shared Qin Sang's temperament: when walking in the outside world, she always maintained a low profile and would never reveal her true cultivation unless absolutely necessary.
No matter how renowned Xuantian Palace and Snow Listening Tower were, their fame could not reach Zhongzhou, nor could it intimidate petty villains.
Those few men had all been slain by a single strike of Liuli's sword, but to avoid further hassle, she simply donned a cloak, and her journey had indeed become much quieter after that.
"Three months—that coincides precisely with the time I was delayed in Heavenly Fissure Valley..."
Qin Sang invited Liuli to take a seat and briefly recounted his recent experiences.
"Heavenly Fissure Valley is not far from the Nineteen Misty Rain Prefectures, which originally made it an excellent choice. Unfortunately, the immortal cave was destroyed. On the road, I saved a Core Formation cultivator and sent him to the Nineteen Misty Rain Prefectures to gather intelligence. Once I obtain the buddha bone relic, I will head over in person. If Senior Xiaoxiangzi's records are correct, with any luck, we might have the chance to take over a top-tier daoist sanctuary..."
It was true that the Nineteen Misty Rain Prefectures were a holy land for cultivation, but as far as Qin Sang understood, the sacred mountains and great rivers had basically all been claimed.
This was not an era of turmoil. The various forces were deeply entrenched and intricately connected, united in purpose and supporting one another.
Forcibly seizing another sect's mountain gate was clearly out of the question; doing so would make them the target of public wrath.
Moreover, Deity Transformation cultivators presided over the Central Plains, and their own strength was still far from the point where they could act with reckless abandon.
If one wished to establish a foothold in Zhongzhou, they either had to attach themselves to an existing sect or find a place to carve out a cave dwelling in the Northern Wilderness, the Western Desert, or the overseas immortal mountains.
However, in that case, the cave dwelling's location would be too remote and far from the center of the cultivation world. News would not arrive in time, and if some major event occurred, by the time word reached them and they hurried to the Central Plains, it would already be over.
Qin Sang's goal was not merely his own cultivation, but also to gather all kinds of intelligence and seek an opportunity for Deity Transformation.
Mentioning the cave dwelling to Liuli face-to-face was an implicit invitation for her to accompany him. Liuli was not only a powerful ally; most precious of all, she was someone he could trust.
She had come for the buddha bone relic and was not entangled in various karmic ties like Qin Sang. Her primary tasks afterward were cultivation and investigating the mystery of the Ziwei Palace ascension, so it made little difference to her where she stayed.
Liuli hesitated, neither agreeing nor refusing.
Qin Sang knew Liuli's temperament well and paid it no mind. Recalling what he had noticed while ascending the mountain, he asked, "Did something happen on Mount Jiujia? Those Buddhist cultivators seemed a bit strange."
Liuli gave a soft nod and said, "A month ago, Moonlight Bodhisattva arrived here and set up an altar on Mount Jiujia, drawing numerous monks into debate over scripture."
"A Bodhisattva?"
Qin Sang was taken aback.
Buddhism venerated Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.
Could someone have carried a statue of Moonlight Bodhisattva from a temple out on a pilgrimage?
Liuli shook her head. "Moonlight Bodhisattva is said to hail from the depths of the desert, is well-versed in Buddhist scriptures, and possesses profound cultivation. Calling himself a 'Bodhisattva,' he declared that unless someone defeats him in debate, he will not change his dharma name. That was what led to the scriptural debate a month ago."
Qin Sang clicked his tongue.
Even Deity Transformation cultivators of the Buddhist sects held only the title of Saint, such as Saint Huiguang of the current Ganlu Zen Monastery.
To dare adopt the title of 'Bodhisattva'—was that not sheer presumption?
A debate over scripture was already getting off lightly.
If that person had been besieged on Mount Jiujia, Qin Sang would not have been surprised in the least.
In the depths of the Western Desert, where human tracks were rare and news was cut off, calling oneself a Buddha or patriarch in such a place was one thing, as nobody would care. But to dare run rampant on Mount Jiujia—was he truly not afraid of drawing a Buddhist Saint?
"What was the outcome of the debate?" Qin Sang asked with curiosity.
Liuli paused for a moment. "I am not versed in Buddhist scriptures... The debate lasted for three days. Afterward, all the monks were struck speechless, and Moonlight Bodhisattva drifted down the mountain without anyone daring to stop him."
"Since he had the audacity to call himself a 'Bodhisattva,' he must indeed have real skill."
Qin Sang nodded. Those monks had likely rushed here to help after receiving the news, but Moonlight Bodhisattva was no longer on Mount Jiujia.
Mount Xuelian was hailed as the source of Buddhism, but it served more as a spiritual holy ground for Buddhist cultivators. The premier super-sects of today's Buddhist path were not here, but mostly in the Central Plains.
To debate for three days and depart as soon as word spread—that person was certainly wary as well.
"During this time, Buddhist disciples gathered here from all directions, and I took the opportunity to uncover a great deal of information."
With that, Liuli produced a sheepskin map, spread it out on the table, and pointed to a spot in the desert. "The buddha bone relic is very likely here—the Seven Stars of the Vast Sea!"
Qin Sang was overjoyed.
"Many thanks for your trouble, Fairy!"
He hastily leaned forward to look and found that the place Liuli was pointing to was a very large oasis.
This oasis was not a single contiguous landmass, but seven oases of varying sizes connected in a line across the desert, not far from one another.
On each oasis, an eye-catching lake illustration was drawn.
The map was very simple, containing only this information.
Liuli explained in detail, "The Western Desert is not uniform; its landscape is ever-changing, and kingdoms stand in great numbers. Cultivators of the Western Desert divide the desert roughly into several regions based on distinct features, such as Mount Xuelian, the Vast Sea, and so on... These seven lakes have never dried up, nourishing the oases like seven stars in the desert. Later, Buddhist cultivators built temples beside the lakes, so the Seven Stars of the Vast Sea also refers to the seven Buddhist temples beside the lakes today. They stand united, acting as the overlords of the Vast Sea, and their strength cannot be underestimated. According to my investigation, this place originally had continuous oases and over a hundred large and small lakes, which gradually merged until only seven large lakes remained. The previous environment matches Senior Xiaoxiangzi's records."
"Dengci Nunnery, Zhulan Temple..."
Qin Sang's gaze swept over the seven Buddhist temples, and he looked up in puzzlement. "There is no Yinchan Temple?"
Senior Xiaoxiangzi had stated that the buddha bone relic had been formed upon the parinirvana of an enlightened monk from Yinchan Temple.
Liuli explained the reason for her judgment that the relic lay within the Seven Stars of the Vast Sea: "There were originally no Buddhist temples here. Legend has it that a monk of great virtue traveled here alone, and seeing that the myriad mortals were unruly and uncultivated, he built a temple nearby to propagate the Dharma. That temple was Yinchan Temple. Later, great turmoil erupted in the Vast Sea, and Yinchan Temple vanished for unknown reasons, yet more and more Buddhist temples were built instead, which suggests the Buddhist path prevailed. If Yinchan Temple's lineage was broken, the treasures within the temple most likely fell into the hands of these seven temples."
Qin Sang lapsed into silent contemplation.
Indeed, oceans turned into mulberry fields, and the world changed with time.
In the affairs of the world, a miss of an inch could lead a thousand miles astray.
Even if Liuli's conjecture was entirely correct, what if Yinchan Temple had successors at the time who were forced to flee, taking the temple's treasures with them and concealing their names? Finding their trail would be as difficult as reaching the heavens.
Liuli said, "Whether this Yinchan Temple is the one we seek still needs to be verified after entering the Vast Sea."
Qin Sang nodded and said in a heavy voice, "Without delay, we should set out as soon as possible!"
There was another underlying worry that neither of them voiced.
If they stole the relic from Yinchan Temple, they would have faced the experts of a single temple.
Now, they might very well provoke all seven great temples at once!
It was still too early to worry about this; they could devise a plan once they confirmed the whereabouts of the buddha bone relic.
Having spent three months in the Mount Xuelian region, Liuli had essentially uncovered all available information, so there was no need to waste any more time. Early the next morning, they departed the mountain together.
On the way down, the increase in Buddhist cultivators was visibly noticeable.
The turmoil caused by Moonlight Bodhisattva was still brewing and had cast a wide ripple.
After leaving Mount Jiujia, it did not take long before endless yellow sand stretched out before them. The air was dry and scorching, forming rolling heat waves clearly visible in the void.
Of course, no matter how treacherous the Western Desert was, it could not compare to the storm belt, and the Ten Directions Earth-Cleaving Divine Shuttle could easily handle it.
Though the environment appeared harsh, this was actually the most vibrant place in the Western Desert.
The melting snow from Mount Xuelian fed several main tributaries and underground rivers flowing southward. Though their scale was far smaller than the Tiantuo River, they injected vigorous vitality into the desert.
Mortals lived along these rivers, forming countless kingdoms, most of which venerated Buddhism and were known as the Three Thousand Buddhist Kingdoms.
The Vast Sea lay south of the Three Thousand Buddhist Kingdoms.
This was not yet considered the deepest part of the Western Desert; continuing westward led to the true desert of death, an absolute barren ground devoid of living beings.
Qin Sang and Liuli traveled in stops and starts, gathering news as they progressed. Crossing countless Buddhist kingdoms and experiencing exotic customs, the journey proved worthwhile.
As they were about to exit the Three Thousand Buddhist Kingdoms, they unexpectedly learned a piece of news related to Moonlight Bodhisattva.
After the three-day debate on Mount Jiujia, Moonlight Bodhisattva had departed and vanished without a trace. Buddhist cultivators of the Western Desert searched everywhere, all to no avail.
Unexpectedly, ten days ago, Moonlight Bodhisattva had suddenly appeared in one of the Buddhist kingdoms, once again making bold proclamations and setting up an altar.
Unfortunately, the monks of great virtue there fared even worse than those on Mount Jiujia; in less than a day, they were left speechless by Moonlight Bodhisattva and departed covering their faces in shame.
Having been provoked repeatedly, the Buddhist community was boiling with indignation, and even many eminent mortal monks were beginning to stir.
Regardless of how the Buddhist sects responded, Qin Sang and Liuli crossed straight through the Three Thousand Buddhist Kingdoms, traversed the desert, and entered the Vast Sea.
The Seven Stars of the Vast Sea lay in the heart of the region.
They did not make direct contact with the Seven Stars, settling instead in a market town on the edge of the oases.
Only upon arriving did they learn that the seven major oases contained far more than just those seven temples; excluding monasteries built by mortal monks, there were several hundred in total.
One could readily see how prosperous Buddhism was in the Western Desert.
At this moment, Liuli was still cloaked, while Qin Sang wore a dark Buddhist lay robe and bamboo conical hat, disguised as a lay Buddhist making a pilgrimage.
The Vast Sea was prone to wind and sand; fierce gales whipped up grit that slashed against the face like knives, so the locals dressed in similar fashion.
*Creak.*
Qin Sang pushed open the inn's door and saw that Liuli had already returned.
They had just split up to gather intelligence.
"I obtained a list of the many Buddhist temples in the Vast Sea," Qin Sang said softly as he closed the door. "It includes mortal monasteries. I gave it a cursory glance, and there is no Yinchan Temple, so we will need to verify them individually. Among them are several large temples suspected of housing cultivators; we can start with them and quietly make contact with the Seven Stars of the Vast Sea."
Liuli offered a theory: "During the great turmoil, it is possible that only the cultivator lineage of Yinchan Temple was severed, while the mortal monks changed the temple's name to escape disaster."
Hearing this, Qin Sang pondered briefly. "It's possible. But in that case, we would have to visit every single temple."
"I'll go," Liuli said.
Qin Sang understood her intention.
There was no doubt that Nascent Soul cultivators presided over the Seven Stars of the Vast Sea, but ever since their renowned reputation spread, no power had dared challenge the seven temples' status for a very long time.
How strong the seven temples were now was difficult to gauge out of thin air.
However, there was most likely no great cultivator among them.
The Deity Transformation cultivators of Zhongzhou were elusive figures, making late Nascent Soul experts the peak powerhouses of the world.
In Buddhism, once an eminent monk broke through to the late Nascent Soul stage, a grand Water-and-Land Assembly was traditionally held, inviting fellow Daoists from all around in celebration.
According to the information they had gathered, the Seven Stars of the Vast Sea had never hosted such an assembly.
Qin Sang possessed materialized divine sense and could conceal himself deliberately; unless a cultivator below the late Nascent Soul stage cast a specialized investigative secret technique directly before him, they could not see through his cultivation. It was safest for him to make contact with cultivators.
Liuli was somewhat less adept at this.
"Very well."
Qin Sang immediately took out the list, and the two divided the temples into two categories, setting out separately.
***
Parting ways with Liuli, Qin Sang began traveling alone across the oases, either making overt contact or conducting covert inquiries to investigate the backgrounds of these Buddhist temples.
Rushing things might arouse suspicion, so Qin Sang disguised himself as a devout lay Buddhist engaged in pilgrimage, which prevented him from moving quickly.
Beishan Temple.
One of the Seven Stars of the Vast Sea, ranked sixth.
During this time, Qin Sang had already entered Dengci Nunnery, the lowest-ranked of the seven. Unfortunately, he had not been able to meet the abbess, interacting only with several young novices of shallow cultivation, and had failed to uncover any valuable information.
Neither Beishan Temple nor Dengci Nunnery possessed a Nascent Soul cultivator; the abbots were said to be merely at the late Core Formation stage.
However, the formations within the temple were no ordinary setups, clearly originating from the hands of a Nascent Soul expert.
After observing for a long time, Qin Sang determined that it would be difficult to infiltrate without alerting anyone, so he curbed his impulse and searched patiently.
Beishan Temple was built by the lakeside and did not turn away mortals.
Carriages and people bustled before the temple gates.
Qin Sang behaved dutifully, queuing alongside the devout men and women to enter the temple.
He did not reveal his cultivation, but the bearing cultivated over many years of practice manifested in his every gesture, making him stand out among mortals like a crane among chickens. This prompted the guest-welcoming monk to cast several extra glances in his direction.
Offering incense, bowing to the Buddha, listening to scriptures...
Qin Sang had become thoroughly familiar with these routines.
After listening absently to an eminent monk expound the scriptures, Qin Sang stood up and followed the congregation of believers out of the hall. Just as he was about to summon a novice to find a pretext to tour the temple, his heart suddenly stirred.
A moment later...
A monk walked over from not far away.
This man approached head-on, yet the pilgrims were completely oblivious to him.
"Amitabha. Greetings, lay devotee."
The monk walked straight up to Qin Sang, pressed his palms together, and gave a bow.
"This humble student pays respects to the abbot."
Qin Sang hurriedly returned the courtesy, recognizing that this person was a late Core Formation cultivator who was likely the abbot of Beishan Temple. He thought to himself that this had come effortlessly without the slightest exertion.
Both knew the other was a cultivator, so they dispensed with mundane formalities and exchanged dharma names.
The abbot's dharma name was Sengyan.
Qin Sang maintained his previous tale, claiming that he had been taken in by a monk during his youth and given the name Mingyue. He was originally meant to take the tonsure, but after an unexpected upheaval struck the temple, he was cast adrift in the world once more.
Though fortunate enough to touch the path of cultivation, he had also accrued boundless karmic sin. Now looking back, he had repented completely, making a great vow to travel the ten directions and pay homage to a hundred thousand Buddhas to expiate his sins.
As they spoke, Qin Sang was invited to follow the abbot into a secluded Buddhist hall.
Chapter 1535