"This place is indeed desolate, suitable for our secret meeting!"

One of them was clearly a cultivator and raised his hand to cast a spell.

A layer of fog gradually rose from all around, isolating the inside from the outside.

He arrived at the Buddha hall, looked at the statue on the central Buddha's shrine, and suddenly sneered, "Such a small shrine should be dismantled and replaced with a statue of our Huntian Ape Venerable!"

"Chaos Sky Ape Demon? So they're from the Seven Bamboo Sect..."

Jiang Liu'er was hiding nearby, and these two cultivators were so weak in mana that they couldn't detect him at all.

As he listened to their conversation, he gradually got a sense of the situation.

The Seven Bamboo Sect originated in the south of the Yan Han Empire. It is a mix of witchcraft and Daoist skills, with a touch of martial arts, and boasts a large following. It is a famous sect of the forbidden cult that has been suppressed by the Forbidden Curse Captains countless times.

However, it is said that the few deities worshiped by this sect are quite responsive, especially the Chaos Sky Ape Demon, who, despite joining only in recent years, is endowed with boundless magic power and supreme divine might.

Rumor has it that this Huntian Ape Venerable was originally a strange creature, a monkey that attained essence and its innate talent and physique were incredibly profound. In just over ten years of cultivation, it surpassed many who had practiced for decades or even centuries.

Furthermore, it unified the chaotic Seven Bamboo Sect, stirring up trouble in the south of Yan Han.

And now, it's extending its reach into the Yan Han Imperial City—Changluo!

"With the country's impending demise, there must be calamities... That monkey mastering great divine power in such a short period is truly extraordinarily talented..."

Jiang Liu'er felt a strange sense arise in his heart—a cultivator's intuition—that maybe he would have some connection with this monkey in the future.

"Haha, the common folk are ignorant. Once we replace the temple's statue and make some minor moves, we can immediately gain incense offerings, while also providing cover... However, on the surface, we still need to find a legitimate deity recognized by the government."

Heavenly deities are not limited to Kunlun alone.

For instance, ever since the Netherworld was opened, Zao Fu and the Empress have been regarded as masters of the Netherworld, receiving widespread reverence and worship.

In addition, some powerful cultivators whose nascent souls do not dissipate after death can enter the Divine Dao, shaping a divine golden body with the power of incense offerings to extend their lifespan. Some are even recognized by the government, being conferred titles as mountain and water gods, which is also a path.

As the enigmatic man spoke, he moved to dismantle the statue.

Seeing this, Jiang Liu'er, for some reason, felt a nameless fury surge within him. Unable to contain it any longer, he emerged, "How dare you, brazenly acting out in Changluo!"

His roar seemed to contain countless thunders, stunning the two minor figures into unconsciousness, their mouths frothing.

"Buddha? The Great Mighty Dragon is a Buddha, seeing me as a blooming flower is a Buddha, realizing the true nature is also a Buddha—everyone can become Buddha!"

After dealing with the two minor figures, Jiang Liu'er didn't leave. Instead, he gazed at the temple, contemplating deeply.

He rolled up his sleeves and personally cleaned the temple, finding a tattered scripture in a corner of broken bricks.

It seemed to be written by a believer, but it was incomplete, blurred, and mostly eaten by insects, leaving only a few tattered pages.

One of the tattered pages recorded: "All conditioned dharmas are like dreams, illusions, bubbles, shadows, like mist and lightning; we should observe them as such..."

Upon seeing this, Jiang Liu'er was greatly shocked. He sat cross-legged and began to comprehend the scripture.

Gradually, a golden light emanated from him, and anomalies appeared around him—flowers raining from the sky, golden lotuses emerging from the earth...

"When flowers bloom, seeing the Buddha, the Buddha sees me as well!"

This anomaly had long surpassed the level of power that the enigmatic man could conceal with his hand-raised mana.

The golden light pierced through the fog and began to spread outward.

In the night, it was as conspicuous as a torch.

Finally, two streaks of light pierced through the air, shouting, "Cultivator below, from which immortal land are you? Why reveal anomalies in Changluo?"

They were cultivators from the government's Forbidden Curse Department, charged with maintaining order in Changluo, each highly cultivated in the Core Formation Realm.

But now, witnessing that might, they didn't dare to step forward, not daring to cross the thunder pond.

"Amitabha, I am Jiang Liu'er!"

The golden light receded, and Jiang Liu'er appeared, but his long hair had unknowingly fallen away, revealing a newly bright bald head.

"I recognize you, aren't you the third place?"

One Forbidden Curse Captain was stunned, "So the third place is also a cultivator!"

His expression improved considerably. As the Yan Han was generally amicable toward cultivators willing to join the government, and Jiang Liu'er also exuded cultural air.

"I've been trapped in the barren mountains for sixteen years, only today discovering my true self!"

Jiang Liu'er laughed heartily, "Please convey to the Emperor that I have no desire to be an official, and wish to go to the Western Heaven Kunlun to seek true scriptures..."

Boom!

Another figure appeared, enveloped in a magic domain—it was the Forbidden Curse General: "Third place contestant, don't be misguided. Having achieved the third place and then abandoning office, are you toying with Yan Han?"

The Forbidden Curse General's voice was chilling, "And there's the crime of disturbing the people, a compounded sin that is no small consequence. Have you thought it through?"

"Amitabha Buddha."

Jiang Liu'er solemnly declared the Buddha name and took a step forward.

One step, two steps...

He walked like an ordinary person, yet seemed to possess the divine skill of shrinking the earth to inches, covering thrice the distance of the Forbidden Curse General's magic domain, his silhouette disappearing into the darkness.

"Refining... Refining God? A sixteen-year-old Refining God?"

The Forbidden Curse General was taken aback, "With such cultivation, unless the two ancestors intervene, who can capture him? But the ancestors have been in seclusion, unlikely to leave unless monumental events occur..."

"General, what should be done now?"

The two captains nearby asked, worry plain on their faces.

"We can only report the truth to His Majesty."

The Forbidden Curse General sighed, "Nowadays, talents emerge in endless succession, but Jiang Liu'er might be at the pinnacle! He might have prospects in the virtual realm, a height countless geniuses could only look up to..."

...

Not long after, in the Imperial Palace.

Emperor Shenwu also received the news, "Jiang Liu'er... third place... Refining God? Interesting! Truly... prosperity leads to decline, flourishing before waning! Tsk tsk... with such talent, perhaps only the Little Heavenly Master Sun En from Taiping Dao can compare?"

The Taiping Dao's Taiping Guangmiao True Monarch had also recently taken a disciple, said to be a natural-born Dao seed named Sun En, who was meticulously taught the Great Yellow Heaven Dao, reportedly progressing at an incredible pace.

Emperor Shenwu also knew some inside information and was aware that the Five-Dou Rice Dao's Daoist Master had also accepted a disciple, said to be no less talented than Sun En.

"With such talent, they might indeed become immortals... perhaps reincarnations of a figure of great power from sixteen years ago?"

Emperor Shenwu pondered further, gently stroking the Kunlun Mirror in silent contemplation.

While he could cultivate with the protection of this mirror, he was now only in Foundation Establishment.

The Immortal Path was no longer something he hoped for. Now, he only looked forward to gathering enough dragon energy to transition into the Immortal Path after death.