CHAPTER 450: CHAPTER 235: ENEMIES MEET, PASSIONS FLARE

The incense in the Dharma Realm of Eternal Life was visibly dwindling, and by the time all the resentful spirits in the Temple of Satisfaction were transformed, the water level in the Blood Lake, condensed from incense, had already dropped by nearly half.

As the water level lowered, the Blood Lake also shrank correspondingly. Xu Qing looked at the Blood Lake, now a small pool again, feeling somewhat distressed.

But with pain came joy. At this moment, the infant spirits, having washed away most of their resentment, were circling around Xu Qing, their manner akin to fledglings recognizing the return of the old bird to the nest, with their devotion evident.

Xu Qing felt the corpses warm and so was his heart.

Nevertheless, unless the resentment was completely dissolved, these infant souls could not find relief.

As the Goddess of Eternal Life, Xu Qing could sense the emotions of these children. He spoke, "The main culprit who killed you will certainly be punished; this is my promise."

Enhanced by incense, Xu Qing’s words seemed to receive a response from the void — this was the vow issued by the Goddess of Eternal Life. Upon hearing this, the last thread of resentment on those infant spirits dissipated.

Meanwhile, a hundred miles away on the Quyang highway.

Sitting in the carriage, Baiyun Daoist was seething after the setback he faced with the Merchant Family.

He couldn’t fathom it—clearly, the Gu Family had agreed to let him perfect the Dao Soldier’s cultivation method, but now, after the Gu Family’s alliance with the Merchant Family, they suddenly reneged, their attitude intentionally distant, starkly different from before.

"Who is behind this sabotage?"

After deliberating, Baiyun Daoist thought of only one possibility—that someone must have known about his ties with the Capital City and informed the Gu Family. Otherwise, the Gu Family, eager to perfect the Dao Soldier’s way and keen to revive the past glory of the White Robe Army, wouldn’t easily sever cooperation with him.

"If people from the Capital come to inquire, how should I reply?"

Baiyun Daoist worriedly pondered alone, when suddenly his disciple driving the carriage spoke up: "Master, during this banquet, not a penny of incense was donated by the Merchant Family; instead, Monk Pure Sea from Cizhao Temple received hundreds of gold."

"Had I known, it would have been better not to attend the banquet."

"..."

Silent for a moment, an indistinct voice transmitted from inside the carriage: "We Daoists do not value material wealth. Our pursuit lies in cultivating the mind, aspiring to transcend, and disregarding fame and fortune. Moreover, how long can those ordinary people, even with gold and silver, truly enjoy it?"

"But Master, when you attended the banquet, you gifted the Merchant Family a pair of jade locks. How could they treat you so dismissively?"

Before the disciple finished speaking, Baiyun Daoist’s just-calmed mood churned again.

"Speak no more! Return to the dao temple to focus on cultivation, it’s the proper course."

Baiyun Daoist deepened his breath, slowly exhaling.

True cultivators face significant issues with poise, maintaining tranquility and composure.

He was merely having a string of back luck, with ample time to deal with the Merchant Family and Gu Family’s affair.

"Limitless Celestial Venerable..."

Recalling this, Baiyun Daoist’s mood slightly improved. However, just as he muttered a prayer, before finishing his speech, he sensed the restriction on the alchemy room in the rear hall being forcefully destroyed!

Immediately after, the Dharma Artifact alchemy furnace was wrecked, and Baiyun Daoist grunted, his connection with the alchemy furnace utterly severed!

"Who is it?!"

"What’s the matter, Master?" The driving disciple halted the carriage, asking with concern.

"Someone trespassed into my alchemy room, wrecking my alchemy furnace!"

Baiyun Daoist’s face was unpredictable.

"Could someone be trying to steal the elixir?" the disciple asked in shock.

"The Dao temple is guarded by your senior disciples; who would dare intrude? Besides, the alchemy room is hidden within the rear hall’s secret chamber, an outsider couldn’t possibly locate it."

Baiyun Daoist’s eyes carried malice, saying hatefully, "It must be some misguided rogue, sneaking in while I’m absent to steal the immortal medicine."

"Ah? Where would the senior disciples find such courage, could it be that White-haired God causing trouble again?"

"Are you referring to Yuan Gong? His idol was shattered by me years ago, and now with the Heaven-Reaching Road severed, he cannot descend into this realm, and his avatar left in Yunmeng Mountain lacks incense to sustain, how could he destroy my alchemy room?"

"Enough, let me divine it."

Baiyun Daoist couldn’t fathom the mystery, so he retrieved the divination plate, lit up sandalwood, and asked the heavens.

"Pivot the jade, store myriad phenomena, stars shift and constellations turn, the mysteries appear!"

The deep-purple divination plate emitted a blood-red glow, Baiyun Daoist sensed something, and the divination symbols swiftly pieced together a result —

Exalted among ministers, extraordinarily awarded rank three authority, enjoying imperial favor, but no descendants in the child palace, furthermore the yang fish on the divination plate completely hidden, showing a female form.

Baiyun Daoist hadn’t heard of a rank three female officer in the current court, and besides, rank three doesn’t equate to being exalted among ministers.

Only eunuchs have the highest rank of four, and the only one currently extraordinarily awarded rank three authority is the Supervisor of Mirror Supervision, Liao Jinzhong.

This half-male, half-female Chief Eunuch, Baiyun Daoist knew him, but this person was clearly already dead, and the divination depicted a dead person too.

How could a dead person trespass into his alchemy room, and steal his elixir?

Baiyun Daoist furrowed his brow, thinking the divination result was flawed, deciding to switch methods and divine again.

"Dragon soars in the mysterious sea, tiger settles in the bright hall, vermilion bird embraces the omen, black tortoise carries the image, the four symbols birth and overcome, five elements define direction!"

This time, Baiyun Daoist utilized the Four Symbols and Five Elements for divination, and once the curse concluded, the divination plate rapidly spun, its blood-red glow seemingly condensing into substance.

Quyang Temple named disciple Lai Daoist?

Who is this random nobody?

Baiyun Daoist remembered Lai Daoist — that was a bandit who dreamed too grand although possessed a hideous appearance, who on regular days engaged in thievery but dared to dream of transcending.