Meng Jingzhou was telling the absolute truth; even Lu Yang had to admit this.
According to the records, Old Meng was the only person with a Bachelor Spiritual Root who had driven himself to the brink of death. His courage was commendable, and his perseverance praiseworthy.
Wu Qihang's defeat was devoid of suspense; even if they fought again, the outcome would be the same. Wu Qihang conceded defeat whole-heartedly; the disparity between their hearts in pursuing the Dao was simply too vast.
The moment he heard Meng Jingzhou's utter disdain for innate constitutions, he knew he was no match for him.
"I have learned much."
He was helped up by a Shining Sun Cult protector, who tended to his wounds and escorted him to the rear courtyard.
Cult Master Yun took a sip of tea to moisten her throat and remarked unhurriedly, "Cult Master Chi, your esteemed cult's Holy Son seems to have flaws in his cultivation. Once you return, you must instruct him with great care."
"Naturally, naturally." Cold sweat streamed down Cult Master Chi's face. Once again sensing the unfathomable depth of the Heavenly Court Cult, he resolved that he had to cling firmly to this colossal thigh.
He shot a look at Mu Baiyi, who had remained silent all this time, hoping he would smooth things over, but Mu Baiyi acted as if he had seen nothing.
*You insisted on showing off how powerful your Shining Sun Cult is. What does your face being slapped have to do with me?*
Mu Baiyi pulled a storage ring from his robes and offered it to Yun Zhi with an obsequious smile. "Cult Master Yun, these are the profits from our restaurant. In accordance with our agreement, sixty percent belongs to your esteemed cult."
Yun Zhi swept her divine sense over it briefly, then tossed it back into Mu Baiyi's hands.
Mu Baiyi did not understand her intention and thought he had done something wrong and offended the Heavenly Court Cult.
"The barbecue restaurant is currently expanding and needs capital. Keep this money with you for the time being. Once it achieves steady profits, it will not be too late to return our share."
Hearing this, Mu Baiyi was overjoyed. This meant the other party had been paying close attention to the barbecue restaurant's progress all along, and the Heavenly Court Cult had seen all of his hard work.
With these spirit stones, the pace of opening new branches would only be faster than before!
The entire Great Xia would be within their grasp.
"Cult Master Mu, I have some new ideas regarding improving the quality of the skewers. Why don't you give them a try?" Lu Yang said with a smile, retrieving a scripture from his storage ring.
"This is...?"
"The Rebirth Mantra. When livestock is slaughtered, resentment arises within them and lingers in the meat, affecting its quality. As long as you chant the Rebirth Mantra while butchering the animals, this problem will be resolved smoothly."
"I tried it, and it really does make the skewers taste better."
Mu Baiyi's eyes widened, and he was so pleasantly surprised that his mouth hung open.
Young Cult Master Lu had already tested it in practice; what room was there for doubt?
"However, the Rebirth Mantra... Does your esteemed cult dabble in the Buddhist Dharma as well?"
Judging from the Heavenly Court Cult members he had interacted with, none of them seemed to belong to the Buddhist path.
"Buddhist Dharma?" Lu Yang chuckled softly, as if finding the question utterly ridiculous.
"My master, Dou Tianzun, was one of the founders of Buddhism. How could he not be well-versed in the Buddhist Dharma?"
"What?!"
Neither Mu Baiyi nor Cult Master Chi could sit still anymore, and the protectors of both cults were no exception. The terrifying greatness of Dou Tianzun far exceeded their wildest imaginations!
Founder of Buddhism—how weighty a status was that! This was likely something Buddhism itself was completely unaware of; otherwise, they would have long since come to kneel and worship Dou Tianzun.
If Dou Tianzun were to make his identity as Buddhism's founder public, all of the world's Buddhist sects would have to look to Dou Tianzun to legitimize their orthodoxy.
Such was the terrifying might of figures from antiquity. What they had done in ancient times continued down to the present day, wielding profound and far-reaching influence.
Mu Baiyi inquired further, "I also witnessed Senior Jiang display boundless divine might in Demon City, utterly defeating Supreme Zhu Tian, the Ancient Dijiang. Since then, the Phoenix Clan has even taken the initiative regarding the Demon Empire. Could that mean the Demon Empire..."
"You junior certainly have a sharp mind." Jiang Lianyi admitted directly without the slightest concealment. "You guessed correctly. Zhu Tian is under my control, and the power of the Demon Empire can be used at my disposal."
Silence. Absolute silence.
Hearing this news, the people of both cults held their breath, and dead silence enveloped the hall.
*Gulp.*
Cult Master Chi swallowed hard, his hands turning cold.
The immense Demon Empire—just like that, it had become the Heavenly Court Cult's?
Mu Baiyi had anticipated this, yet when Jiang Lianyi admitted it outright, he was still thoroughly shaken.
Yun Zhi's cool, aloof voice held an indifferent air. "The Tianzun's enemies are the Four Immortals, including Immortal Ying Tian. If we could not even control the Demon Empire, how could we speak of dealing with the Four Immortals?"
"The waters of Great Xia run deeper than I imagined; there is at least one immortal here. Previously, your two cults engaged in petty skirmishes that the imperial court did not take seriously. But if you continue down this path... in such turbulent times, unexpected disasters easily arise."
"The Immortal Cult serves as a cautionary tale. Had the Immortal Cult still existed, the demonic cults would have possessed one more half-immortal. What a pity."
*A half-immortal?*
"Cult Master Yun, do you mean..."
What answered Mu Baiyi was a cold, indifferent gaze.
"Speaking of which, how did your Nine Nether Cult discover the 'Nine Nether'?"
"According to my investigation, ever since the ancient Nine Nether vanished, no trace of the Nine Nether has remained in the present world. Yet your Nine Nether Cult insists that there is a Nine Nether where souls undergo reincarnation. How did this come about?"
The origin of the Nine Nether Cult had always been an unsolved mystery known only to its highest echelons. Seizing this opportunity, she decided to ask.
Since the Heavenly Court Cult had asked, Mu Baiyi naturally had to answer. Before that, however, he needed to see off the Shining Sun Cult.
"Fellow Daoist Chi, the hour grows late. Shall I see you off?"
Cult Master Chi clearly recognized the polite eviction. In any case, his purpose for tonight had already been fulfilled; what did the origins of the Nine Nether Cult have to do with him?
"Let us go."
Once the Shining Sun Cult departed, Mu Baiyi, seeing that only their own people remained, spoke with peace of mind. "In truth, it is hardly much of a secret. The reason we believe in the existence of the Nine Nether must be traced back to our Cult Founder."
"Eighty thousand years ago, our Cult Founder was born. He was like someone born with innate knowledge; all kinds of cultivation knowledge continually sprang up in his mind. As his cultivation advanced, that knowledge grew increasingly distinct. All of it could be verified—save for one piece of knowledge that contradicted the theories of that era."
"Reincarnation?"
"Correct. Reincarnation. His memories mentioned that all departed souls in the world undergo reincarnation in a place called the 'Nine Nether,' and he was no exception. The only difference was that while all others had their memories wiped after reincarnating, he retained the memories of his past life."
"Because of this, he secretly established the Nine Nether Cult, hoping to investigate the mysteries of reincarnation and find out where the Nine Nether truly was."
"Our Cult Founder could not be considered a true reincarnation either. His memories were vague. To speak somewhat irreverently, it could also have been the result of an almighty expert's failed body seizure."
"As for the most recent instance, that would be my predecessor, Cult Master Qin Haoran."
"After Cult Master Qin passed away, three vice cult masters happened upon a page from his diary. In it, Qin Haoran recorded his confusion regarding his past life and his bewilderment about the future."
"So each of them found a cultivator who claimed to be Cult Master Qin's reincarnation in order to inherit his legacy."
At this point, Mu Baiyi showed a fawning smile and leaned forward slightly. "Naturally, I put no faith in the people they found. I trust only your esteemed cult's discernment—your esteemed cult's Qin Yanyan is the true reincarnation of Cult Master Qin."
Chapter 644