Chapter 745: Farewell Young Monk

Xu Youran was puzzled.

She stared intently outside the hall and saw a group of monks in kasayas walking in amidst a soft glow.

Monks?

Why was Jiang Fan afraid of monks?

As the monks entered, they first surveyed the surroundings of the Celestial Secret Pavilion.

They then lined up on both sides, clasped their hands together, and bowed slightly in welcome.

At that moment, a soft golden light, like a wave, surged forward.

It was a golden lotus, suspended three feet above the ground, immaculate and pristine. On the lotus stood a young monk wearing a white kasaya.

He had red lips, white teeth, and a refined appearance. His eyes were intelligent and bright, subtly flashing with Buddhist light when he opened and closed them. Meeting his gaze, all sense of favor or disgrace, all worries, vanished.

Mu Ying's body trembled, and her face changed drastically. She immediately clasped her hands together, bowed, and said, "Senior Dharma Seal."

Yu Tiandu and the others looked even more displeased and quickly lowered their heads in a respectful bow. The young monk, with his left hand behind his back, calmly twirled prayer beads with his right. He carried himself with an air of effortless grace.

Hearing Mu Ying's words, he turned his gaze, bowed with one hand clasped to his chest. "Patrons from Mount Qingli, it has been a long time."

Mu Ying's eye twitched. No martial artist from Taicang Great State would want to encounter this Vajra Dharma Seal again, would they? Among the many Vajras of White Horse Temple, Vajra Dharma Seal was known for his eagerness to convert people. Whenever he traveled, upon seeing individuals of exceptional talent or rare spiritual beasts, he would guide them into Buddhism.

The last time he taught Dharma on Mount Qingli, a prodigy rogue cultivator, who usually hid his cultivation extremely well, was instantly seen through by Vajra Dharma Seal just by passing by. With a single declaration that "you have a connection with my Buddha," the person was openly converted. His master went to White Horse Temple to seek an explanation. Once inside White Horse Temple, he never came out again. Whether he died or was converted, no one dared to ask.

Therefore, rogue cultivators from Mount Qingli, especially the male ones, regarded Vajra Dharma Seal as a terrifying tiger. They feared being targeted by him. Fortunately, Vajra Dharma Seal's gaze gently swept over them, and after a brief assessment, he peacefully withdrew it. Evidently, they did not catch his discerning eye.

Yu Tiandu and the others let out a long sigh of relief. Yet, there was also a strange sense of disappointment. "Alas," Yu Tiandu sighed. On the Taicang Continent, there was a deeply ingrained saying: any prodigy who did not inspire Vajra Dharma Seal to consider their conversion was a false prodigy. This was because all those converted by Vajra Dharma Seal later became powerful figures at White Horse Temple, displaying world-shaking talent. Furthermore, those he had personally marked for conversion, but who miraculously escaped, also became renowned across the continent. Even more remarkably, some well-known prodigies who actively sought to join Buddhism but were rejected by him indeed showed very limited growth later on.

It was no exaggeration to say that he was the true measure of prodigies in their time. If he favored someone, no matter how insignificant they seemed, they were a genuine prodigy. If he disdained someone, no matter how famous they were, their reputation was unfounded.

Initially, this belief circulated only among rogue cultivators. The Divine Sects from beyond the domain did not believe it. Until one particular Divine Sect, acting unscrupulously, began recruiting disciples strictly according to Vajra Dharma Seal's list of potential converts. And what happened? Every disciple they recruited that year turned out to be astonishingly brilliant, overshadowing all other Divine Sects! This caused a massive sensation. Of course, this cunning move directly infuriated White Horse Temple. White Horse Temple mobilized en masse, storming their gates and reclaiming all those disciples, leaving the sect with nothing to show for their efforts. After this incident, the notion that Vajra Dharma Seal was the measure of prodigies was no longer questioned by anyone.

Now, Vajra Dharma Seal had merely swept his gaze over them. This was a ruthless verdict. They were considered no prodigies at all. The sense of defeat was palpable.

Vajra Dharma Seal then looked at the three women. His gaze lingered briefly on Chen Siling, and he said, "Female patron, your destiny is extraordinary." Chen Siling's heart pounded. What a formidable monk, to be able to detect the Moon Venerable within her? While he might not have seen it accurately, he had at least discerned something. He then swept his gaze over Liu Qingxian, a smile appearing in his eyes as he said, "This female patron also has an uncommon destiny." Liu Qingxian frowned. Was the destiny he spoke of the dream transmission of the Dao?

Finally, Vajra Dharma Seal looked at Xu Youran. After observing her carefully, a look of surprise gradually appeared on his face. "This female patron, I find myself somewhat unable to comprehend," he said. "Purple qi from the east indicates a noble benefactor in your destiny. However, this purple qi does not seem to inherently belong to you."

Xu Youran's heart jolted. This monk was truly uncanny. He could subtly perceive something about her and Xu Yining's situation.

Vajra Dharma Seal withdrew his gaze. Suddenly, he seemed to discover something. He stepped down from the lotus seat with a smile on his face. Stepping through the air, he directly approached the three women, his gaze passing beyond them, and said with a smile, "Patron, you and I are fated."

Jiang Fan's scalp tingled. He would rather encounter Reverend Qinghe or Yan Dao'an than cross paths with this person. However, having been discovered, he could only brace himself and step forward, saying, "What a coincidence, Master. To meet you even here."

Vajra Dharma Seal chuckled, "No coincidence at all, everything is destiny. We met on the vast lands of the Monster Race, and now, we meet again in the Human Race's Celestial Secret Pavilion. You truly have a deep connection with this humble monk."

Hearing the words "deep connection," Jiang Fan felt goosebumps all over. What alarmed him even more was that Vajra Dharma Seal perceived these two coincidental meetings as subtly guided by some unseen force. Thus, he curiously began to scrutinize Jiang Fan, wanting to see what was extraordinary about him.

"Master Dharma Seal, what brings your esteemed presence to my Celestial Secret Pavilion?" A clear, light laugh echoed from afar. It was the Master of the Celestial Secret Pavilion, who, sensing the aura of Buddhism, immediately returned from the tenth underground level.

Vajra Dharma Seal withdrew his gaze. With hands clasped together, he smiled, "Master of the Celestial Secret Pavilion, it has been well with you." Everyone's expressions shifted in surprise. The Master of the Celestial Secret Pavilion?

Jiang Fan immediately looked over. It was a middle-aged man dressed in a long, deep blue robe. His features were clear, and a faint smile played on his face. For a brief moment, he gave Jiang Fan a feeling similar to when he first met Li Qingfeng.

"Master Dharma Seal's visit truly graces my humble Celestial Secret Pavilion!" The Master of the Celestial Secret Pavilion smiled faintly, "Please, come inside the hall for a discussion." He wasn't sure why this esteemed Buddhist monk had come to the Celestial Secret Pavilion. Surely, it wasn't to convert disciples? The Celestial Secret Pavilion, as it stood now, couldn't attract mythical prodigies from Taicang Great State.

"No need to be so polite, Master of the Celestial Secret Pavilion," Vajra Dharma Seal said. "I am here to ask for your assistance with two matters. First, I wish to visit your esteemed pavilion's tenth level."

The Master of the Celestial Secret Pavilion frowned slightly. The Celestial Secret Pavilion was rarely opened to outsiders. Vajra Dharma Seal smiled, taking out a golden Buddha statue from his sleeve. "This Buddha is an item always carried by our temple's abbot; it can restrain evil spirits. I presume it is something the Master of the Pavilion urgently needs. While I am at the Celestial Secret Pavilion, this Buddha will be temporarily lent to you for use."

Joy appeared in the Master of the Celestial Secret Pavilion's eyes. He could tell at a glance that it was a Buddhist spiritual artifact. After a moment of thought, he readily agreed, "Excellent! And what is the second matter?"

Vajra Dharma Seal replied, "I wish to entrust the Celestial Secret Pavilion with mobilizing the power of the Nine Sects to help find someone."

Another search for someone? The Master of the Celestial Secret Pavilion's peripheral vision caught Jiang Fan. Could it be that they were looking for him again?