“Hehe, hehehe…”

A deep growl came from Fayuan’s throat.

He raised his drooping head abruptly, staring intently at Zheng Yi, who was sitting not far away.

“Emperor Zhengyong! Emperor Zhengyong! How dare you treat my Buddha like this! Are you not afraid of my Buddha raining down the fire that burns the heavens?”

Zheng Yi shook his head and said, “If Master Fayuan has nothing else to say, I’ll come to see you another time.”

Saying this, he stood up, intending to leave.

Zheng Yi couldn’t help but admire Fayuan’s resilience in enduring for so long.

Ordinary people under the Punishment of the Imprisoned can only last six or seven days before falling into disorders, brain hemorrhages, ruptured blood vessels, and death.

But Fayuan persisted for seventeen days!

Seventeen days without sleep or rest, truly worthy of a cultivator!

Understand that every moment beyond the seven-day limit is torment, yet Fayuan managed for seventeen days.

It’s simply a miracle!

Yet, it’s unknown whether other cultivators can last even longer?

Fayuan shouted angrily, “Stop! Stand where you are for this Buddha!”

“What on earth do you want? I came to the Capital City to save you, yet you treat my Buddha like this!”

Zheng Yi shook his head and said, “Master Fayuan, don’t struggle. There are many things I wish to know.”

“For example, your origin, how you obtained a cultivation technique, how you became the abbot of Tianlong Temple, and whether you have other accomplices, etc.”

“I must know all these intelligence!”

“You…!”

Zheng Yi smiled slightly and said, “Master Fayuan, you haven’t slept in seventeen days. If you can tell me these things, I will let you rest, how about it?”

“A promise kept?”

“Of course!”

“Heave, heave…”

Fayuan stared fiercely at Zheng Yi, gritting his teeth and said, “Fine! This Buddha agrees with you!”

“If you dare to deceive a cultivator, even if I turn into a ghost, I won’t forgive you!”

At this moment, his mind was incredibly confused, not knowing where to start, his breath began to quicken.

He felt his body burning, especially the blood vessels around his head pulsating fiercely, looking exceedingly ferocious.

“Elder Chen, light this incense.”

A little eunuch stepped out from behind Zheng Yi, carrying a wooden tray.

On the tray, there was a finely-crafted sandalwood incense.

This incense, named Clearing Spirit Incense, has the effect of calming the mind and stabilizing the spirit, and it was obtained from Cui Xiabing.

It’s also a cultivation auxiliary tool for Cui Xiabing, used only during breakthroughs and cherished immensely.

“Yes!”

Elder Chen lit the Clearing Spirit Incense, and a faint fragrance lingered around, enchanting those who inhaled it, making their limbs lighter by three parts.

“Clearing Spirit Incense?”

Fayuan also raised his head slowly, showing a strange smile.

“You surely have cultivators on your side.”

“Zhao Xizheng? Or who?”

“Unexpectedly, I, the Buddha, met companions in this Spiritless Land, truly…”

Zheng Yi interrupted him and said, “My Heart Harmony Immortal Technique has been seeking Immortal Fate for several years. If Master Fayuan could have generously taught me back then, perhaps you would now be the Great Yu State Preceptor.”

“It’s a pity, though, that Master Fayuan chose to take risks, forcing me to take this last resort.”

Fayuan vigorously shook his head and said, “Taking risks? Forget it, you want to know my secrets, I’ll tell you.”

“My real name is Gao Zhijian, originally just a fisherman by the sea, following my father fishing when I was a child…”

After a narration, Zheng Yi quickly learned Fayuan’s background.

According to him, during a childhood fishing trip, he unexpectedly dug out a golden jade pendant from the belly of a big fish, which his father then gave to Fayuan, hanging it around his neck with a red headband.

For seven or eight years, it was worn as a pendant.

No one knew, during a clash with the village bullies from other fishing villages, someone stabbed his shoulder with a fish fork, and blood dripped onto the jade pendant.

Afterward, he fell unconscious.

While unconscious, a gigantic golden Buddha shadow appeared in his mind, continuously whispering sutras.

Under the influence of this sutra, Gao Zhijian chanted along.

When he woke up, it was seven days later, and surprisingly, all his wounds had healed completely.

The gigantic Buddha illusion in his mind had disappeared as well.

However, he had memorized the sutra firmly in his mind, titled “Sutra of the Ten Directions Bodhi Relief.”

Then he chanted sutra daily, rapidly growing his physique, and waves of magical power appeared in his Dantian.

Upon joining Tianlong Temple, he realized he was on the path of cultivation.

The technique he cultivated belonged to the Buddhist Sect.

Upon discovering this, the abbot and several elders of Tianlong Temple swiftly accepted him as a true disciple, teaching him wholeheartedly.

Even gave him the temple-guarding magical artifact, preserved for hundreds of years by Tianlong Temple.

Vajra Buddha Beads.

Over thirty years of cultivation elevated his cultivation to the fourth layer of Qi Cultivation, and mastering Buddhist Dharma made him the true master of Tianlong Temple.

After hearing Fayuan recount his past, Zheng Yi frowned and said, “What about the Thousand Illusions Glazed Painting?”

“Don’t tell me that the Thousand Illusions Glazed Painting was also gifted by Tianlong Temple’s old monks?”

Fayuan whispered, “The Thousand Illusions Glazed Painting was not given to me by the old monks of Tianlong Temple, but it was obtained from there.”

“After reaching the fourth-layer Qi Cultivation, I also cultivated the Celestial Eye of the Buddhist Sect, akin to the so-called ‘Spiritual Eye’ in the Daoist Sect, able to discern anything containing Spiritual Qi.”

“This Thousand Illusions Glazed Painting was found in the side hall of Medicine Buddha Glaze Hall at Tianlong Temple, capable of confusing people’s minds, so I named it Thousand Illusions Glazed Painting.”

“Thousand Illusions Glazed Painting?”

Zheng Yi murmured, his tone suddenly tightening, “What about that jade pendant, which records the ‘Sutra of the Ten Directions Bodhi Relief,’ where is it?”

“Cough, cough, cough…”

Fayuan suddenly coughed violently and gritted his teeth, saying, “You, come here, there are too many people here. I, I will only tell you.”

“Really?”

Zheng Yi seemed intrigued and rose to walk towards Fayuan: “Quickly tell me, as long as you tell me the whereabouts of that jade pendant, I will release you, and can even make you the National Preceptor of Great Yu…”

“That jade pendant is right… why did you stop?”

Fayuan suddenly struggled, but was locked by chains all over his body, and shouted angrily: “Move forward! Take one more step, and I’ll tell you where that jade pendant is!”

“Come quickly!”

Zheng Yi, having taken only three or four steps, stopped, sneering: “Just say it here, I can hear you.”

“You, you, you dog Emperor…!”

“Puff!”

Suddenly Fayuan roared, fiercely biting the tip of his tongue, and thick blood and flesh instantly filled his mouth.

“I, as a cultivator, imprisoned by mere mortals, I won’t spare you, even if I become a ghost…!”

“Ah!”

He violently opened his mouth and spat, and a stream of thick blood immediately turned into a blood arrow, shooting towards Zheng Yi.

“Your Majesty, be careful!”

Chen Liancang, already prepared, turned into a phantom to block Zheng Yi.

All the inner strength circulated, turning Qi into Gang, immediately blocking the blood arrow shooting forth.

With a “bang,” the blood arrow exploded, turning into a floating blood mist.

Almost simultaneously, Zheng Yi immediately ordered in his heart, and several Blood Moon Gu on Fayuan’s body immediately opened their mouths, ferociously biting into his body.

Especially the three Blood Moon Gu at the neck, temple, and back of the neck, which severed Fayuan’s life path in short breaths.

“Attempting a final strike before dying? Unfortunately, I won’t give you that chance!”

Zheng Yi looked indifferently at Fayuan’s corpse, casually saying, “Have the forensic doctor open his body and see if there’s anything hidden inside.”

“Yes!”

Then asked again, “Elder Chen, are you alright?”

“Back to Your Majesty.”

Chen Liancang said, “Fayuan was already weak, his divine thought exhausted, his magical power drained. This final strike used his last essence blood, strong in appearance but weak inside; I am fine.”

“That’s good…”

Zheng Yi was saying when he suddenly felt a chill and, in the darkness, a phantom shadow suddenly appeared, rushing towards him fiercely.

“Dog Emperor, you destroyed my body, even if I perish today, I will kill you…!”

Zheng Yi’s eyes changed.

A ghost?

Or…?

In thought, the Evil Ghost suddenly rushed into Zheng Yi’s body, charging towards his sea of consciousness.

This is… possession!

However, this ghostly soul, upon reaching Zheng Yi, lasted less than two breaths before a scream was heard, and then it vanished without a trace, losing all presence.

“Heh… trying to possess me?”

Zheng Yi sneered, having learned about cultivator possession from Cui Xiabing.

For a cultivator to attempt possession before death, they must ensure their divine thought is abundant.

At the very least, not too depleted.

But Fayuan, already grievously injured and near death, tormented by the Punishment of the Imprisoned for over half a month, his divine thought long exhausted.

Even being able to speak so many words just now was due to the Clearing Spirit Incense.

For him to think of possessing, while barely maintaining his coherent soul was sheer luck.

Even if Zheng Yi’s sea of consciousness had no Yin Yang Treasure Mirror, he could not withstand Zheng Yi’s spirit, making possession impossible!

“Elder Chen, you take care of things here.”

“Yes!”

After returning to Baiyu City, Zheng Yi once again took out the Thousand Illusions Glazed Painting for careful inspection.

This scroll, about nine feet long, also approximately ten inches wide, displayed an overall bright yellow hue, with dense cloud patterns on both sides of the canvas.

Unfortunately, this scroll contained no content, just an expanse of emptiness.

“Now that Fayuan is dead, with no one controlling the restrictions on this scroll, I will slowly grind it away with endurance, regardless if it takes a year, ten years, or a hundred years, I fear not!”

After some consideration, Zheng Yi put away the Thousand Illusions Glazed Painting, placing it in a secret chamber.

Then he called for the sedan chair to depart for Yuheng Palace.

Yuheng Palace was the residence of Yuheng Zhenren, a female crown from Taiyii Dao during the concubine candidate selection two years ago.

She possessed a nature to realize ambitions through simplicity and advance through tranquility, almost without contention with the world.

Since entering the palace, she quietly cultivated within Yuheng Palace, rarely appearing and without conflict with other consorts.

Over these two years, Zheng Yi only saw her during grand festivals each year.

The last meeting seemed to be on Shangyuan Night.

Under a sparse moonlit sky, Zheng Yi walked slowly into Yuheng Palace.

Yuheng Palace was intentionally constructed by Zheng Yi, its style leaning towards Daoist palaces, filled with a tone highly influenced by the Immortal Family.

And in the moonlight, a female crown clad in a cyan Daoist robe quietly stood in the courtyard.

With a face like a Bodhisattva, calm expression, peaceful eyes, and a lotus flower mark at her brow center.

Holding a jade white duster, her hands delicate like jade, as if shrouded in a light veil under moonlight.

Zheng Yi’s gaze almost fixated, not expecting a woman wearing a Daoist robe, entirely covered, to emit such a peculiar aura.

Or perhaps… charm?

“Your humble servant Zhuang Yuheng greets Your Majesty!”

Seeing Zheng Yi walk in, Zhuang Yuheng saluted with a bow.

Zheng Yi quickly moved forward, taking Zhuang Yuheng’s warm little hand, saying, “Beloved concubine, no need for formality.”

Then once again sizing up Zhuang Yuheng in her Daoist robe, he curiously asked, “Why do you still wear a Daoist robe in the palace? Didn’t I give you many palace dresses last time?”

Yuheng Zhenren allowed Zheng Yi to hold her hands, her face impassive as she replied, “Your Majesty, compared to palace dresses, I am still more suited to a Daoist robe.”

“Yes, yes, indeed, I also quite like Daoist robes…”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep