Chapter 485: Possessing a valuable jade brings trouble

The image revealed bald monks in black robes, their eyes glowing blood-red. A terrifying aura emanated from them, seemingly contradicting the Buddhist teachings they supposedly practiced.

Buddha and demon—two traditions meant to be diametrically opposed—how could they converge in these terrifying killers? A barrage of questions flooded Xu Yang's mind, and he desperately sought answers.

Suddenly, as if realizing something, Xu Yang rushed to the entrance of the Burial Mound. He discovered that the massive stone, which had guarded the spot for an unknown number of years, was gone. Moreover, the teleportation boundary leading into the Burial Mound seemed to have been forcibly altered.

"As expected, something has happened," Xu Yang murmured. "The culprits must be forces from the Eight Hundred Buddhist Sects of the Western Regions. It seems we need to pay them a visit."

Long Kun, however, looked confused. "But Boss, we have no clues right now," he said. "Based solely on the illusion you just conjured, we can't identify those monks!"

Xu Yang, however, smiled. "That's easy!" he replied.

Suddenly, a powerful, blazing inferno swiftly converged, transforming into a resplendent phoenix feather of light. Endless flames began to burn, refining the hundreds of corpses of the Carefree Dao Sect members into their purest elemental power. Xu Yang then gathered them all into a single location.

Suspended in the void, a massive sphere of elemental light coalesced.

Within this light sphere, a faint swastika inscription subtly formed.

"Oh, there really are clues hidden here!" Long Kun exclaimed. "Boss, you're truly incredible! How did you even find this...?"

Xu Yang simply chuckled. "Have you forgotten?" he asked. "When Bai Lianxue acquired the Golden Light Clay Bodhisattva, similar markings appeared on the monks who were also eliminated then.

"Followers of a Buddhist lineage leave behind a unique power imprint of their tradition after their demise. Theoretically, these imprints leave traces whenever killing occurs in their vicinity. If I'm right, those monks with blood-red eyes we just saw in the illusion were controlled by a special demonic power. If it were their own will, they would have definitely erased such traces.

"The fact that these swastika inscriptions remain on the bodies indicates that they were not in control when the acts were committed. Since someone deliberately dragged the Eight Hundred Buddhist Sects of the Western Desert into this mess, there's clearly a larger conspiracy at play. We must visit the Eight Hundred Buddhist Sects ourselves to investigate the entire matter thoroughly. The swastika inscriptions they left behind are enough to help me pinpoint the corresponding lineage."

To Long Soul and the others, Xu Yang had always seemed omnipotent, and this latest maneuver only further solidified that belief.

After sealing the elemental power containing the swastika inscription, Xu Yang immediately set off again with Long Kun and Ling Yao, heading towards the domain of the Eight Hundred Buddhist Sects of the Western Regions.

Although the Eight Hundred Buddhist Sects were theoretically beyond the boundaries of the Three Thousand Dao States, their location was not far from the western border, separated only by a dozen mountain ranges.

With the speed of Xu Yang and his companions, they reached the inner domain of the Eight Hundred Buddhist Sects in less than half a day.

Upon entering this region, Xu Yang and his companions instinctively felt a deep sense of calm. It seemed the Buddhist tradition inherently possessed the ability to purify the mind; the constant tolling of bells and chanting echoing in their minds brought a profound serenity to their emotions.

Even while collecting the elemental power of the Carefree Dao Sect disciples, Xu Yang had already firmly imprinted the aura of the sealed swastika inscription in his memory. Now, upon landing, the three diffused their powerful spiritual energy, extensively searching for Buddhist lineages whose auras most closely matched the swastika inscription. The targets Xu Yang pinpointed were Jialan Temple, Fanyin Temple, and Ciyun Monastery.

*Swoosh!*

Xu Yang and his companions chose the nearby Fanyin Temple and headed straight for its mountain gate.

The moment the three landed, several young monks at the entrance immediately stepped forward to block their path.

"Who are you? How dare you trespass on sacred Buddhist ground?"

Xu Yang smiled calmly. "We are leaders from the Tianlan Empire of the Three Thousand Dao States," he said. "We have a very important matter and wish to meet your temple's abbot. Please introduce us and announce our arrival."

As expected, Fanyin Temple was not a place anyone could simply enter. According to the monks at the gate, no one was permitted inside without the abbot's consent.

Their words clearly conveyed a strong intent to keep outsiders away.

But Xu Yang was not one to compromise with such individuals. Without further ado, the three transformed into streaks of light, instantly disappearing hundreds of meters away and boldly entering the mountain gate.

It wasn't that Xu Yang and his companions were being disrespectful; it was a critical time, and since they had come, they had to ascertain the truth of the situation.

Upon reaching the inner hall of the temple, Xu Yang saw the abbot of Fanyin Temple, clad in a kasaya, deep in chanting. He chose not to disturb him.

After waiting for half an hour at the entrance, the abbot of Fanyin Temple, with a solemn and dignified demeanor, rose and walked out of the hall, approaching Xu Yang. He respectfully put his hands together in a prayer gesture.

"Are you perhaps Xu Yang, the renowned human leader from the Three Thousand Dao States?"

Xu Yang chuckled lightly and nodded. "You flatter me," he replied. "We have come to ask the master a few questions."

The abbot had clearly discerned their intentions. He nodded kindly. "I know what you wish to inquire about—the calamity that befell the Carefree Dao Sect," he said. "It was not the doing of my Fanyin Temple. The only hint this old monk can offer is this: in recent years, strange phenomena have frequently occurred at Ciyun Monastery, and it seems there are major developments afoot. If you wish to uncover the truth, you might consider visiting Ciyun Monastery. You may find unexpected insights there."

With the abbot's guidance, Xu Yang and his companions did not hesitate further. They soared into the air, vanishing from the abbot's sight.

The moment the three departed, the abbot of Fanyin Temple let out a long sigh of relief.

"A sin, a sin indeed!"

Unbeknownst to them, at that very moment, a chilling black smoke rapidly gathered above Ciyun Monastery, completely engulfing it.

This gloomy aura perfectly matched the terrifying presence of the monks with blood-red eyes!

Inside Ciyun Monastery, hundreds of female cultivators all wore grim expressions, drawing their weapons to resist the encroaching black smoke.

"Send Shi Lingyun out!" an incredibly hoarse voice boomed from the center of the black demonic cloud. "I can spare the cultivators of Ciyun Monastery; otherwise, after tonight, Ciyun Monastery will vanish completely from this continent!"

From the center of the black demonic cloud, this chilling threat was uttered in an incredibly hoarse, utterly cold voice. The leading figure of Ciyun Monastery, Abbess Ciyun, wrapped in a white robe, wore an equally glacial expression.