Chapter 1016: Qi Refining Sixth Layer Defeats Qi Refining Seventh Layer

“Tell me, what’s your situation, and why were you hiding in the handyman’s courtyard?”

Lu Yang paced in front of the three soul bodies with his hands behind his back. Although Lu Yang was only at the mid-stage of the Spirit Transformation Stage and not particularly senior, the three soul bodies still trembled with fear in his presence, daring not to hide anything.

“Tell the truth,” the Immortal Fairy, standing behind Lu Yang, said fiercely.

“Yes, yes, yes,” the three soul bodies quickly replied, not daring to utter a single “no.”

“I came to learn Arhat Fist,” Mo Xiaochou confessed first.

“Tell the truth.”

“I came to secretly learn Arhat Fist. Xitian Temple’s management of handyman monks is not strict, making it the easiest way to infiltrate the temple. I planned to possess a handyman monk, help him gradually rise through the ranks, and eventually gain access to Arhat Fist.”

“My name is Duan Qingshui,” said the middle-aged man, who was at the early stage of the Body Integration Stage. His purpose for infiltrating Xitian Temple was the same as Mo Xiaochou’s: to secretly learn. However, he was trying to steal a copy of the Great Tripitaka, one of Xitian Temple’s three great scriptures.

“Where are your physical bodies?”

“They’re hidden outside.”

“Why did you separate?” Lu Yang wondered. “Separating soul and body halves one’s combat power; it seems like a very dangerous thing to do.”

“We don’t have any magical artifacts that can carry our physical bodies without being discovered,” Duan Qingshui said with a helpless, bitter smile. “It’s not that we didn’t want to do it; we simply couldn’t. Such artifacts are incredibly rare; we couldn’t even find a place to buy one if we wanted to.”

As for Venerable Qingyan, he had a fierce battle with Master Mingyu, which left him with only his soul. After using the escape technique “Azure Smoke to Azure Sky,” his soul was severely wounded. Left with no choice, he possessed Xinping, a handyman in the Northern Handyman’s Courtyard.

To help Xinping advance to a higher courtyard, Venerable Qingyan needed to regain his strength and seek an opportunity to cause chaos in Xitian Temple to retaliate against Master Mingyu. So, he used a secret method to cultivate Xinping into a formless physique, ensuring no one would detect it.

“This solves a big problem for Xitian Temple,” Lu Yang thought. He could imagine that if Venerable Qingyan had truly managed to lie low, he could have caused significant trouble for Xitian Temple. However, he was acting out of righteousness and sought no reward, so there was no need to mention such a minor matter to Xitian Temple.

“Keep these three in the small world for now. Once we return to the sect, imprison them on Prisoner’s Peak.”

Since all three had seen the Immortal Fairy, they either couldn’t be left alive or had to be confined to Prisoner’s Peak. Lu Yang hadn’t expected that in just over half a month at Xitian Temple, he would help capture three more individuals for Prisoner’s Peak. The only issue was that Mo Xiaochou and Duan Qingshui’s cultivation levels were too low, especially Mo Xiaochou, who would be at the bottom of the hierarchy on Prisoner’s Peak.

“Never mind, even a small mosquito is still meat,” Lu Yang mused, believing that good deeds, regardless of size, are worthwhile.

With these three dealt with, Lu Yang finally had time to check on Xin Ding’s progress in the fight.

“What? Xin Ding, at Qi Refinement Stage Level Six, actually defeated Xin An, who is at Qi Refinement Stage Level Seven!”

“This is a cross-level challenge!”

The battle in the Azure Blade Sword small world ended, and the Martial Monk Academy selection battle also drew to a close. Xin Ding, whom no one had favored, defeated Xin An, who was the most likely candidate to win.

Lu Yang painfully rubbed his temples. The difference between battles inside and outside the small world was significant, making it a sudden, disorienting adjustment.

“Brother Zhiyuan, you’ve taught a good disciple.” A monk from the Martial Monk Academy looked meaningfully at Zhiyuan. He certainly wouldn’t believe it if Zhiyuan claimed he hadn’t mentored Xin Ding. It seemed Zhiyuan’s years of apparent decline were just a facade; he had secretly been cultivating a successor, and Xin Ding was the best example. Given Xin Ding’s talent displayed today, he might even enter the Heaven, Earth, and Human rankings, becoming a renowned master on the list.

Zhiyuan didn’t bother to respond; even if he said he hadn’t taught Xin Ding, the other person wouldn’t believe him anyway.

“However, if he enters the Martial Monk Academy, he might be targeted. After all, Brother, you made quite a few enemies there back in the day,” the Martial Monk Academy monk reminded him. He had a decent relationship with Zhiyuan, but he couldn’t speak for others.

Zhiyuan glared. “How dare they! Do they think I’m dead?”

“In any case, I’ll try my best to look out for him. As for the rest, I can’t guarantee anything,” the Martial Monk Academy monk said.

Zhiyuan calmed down, clasped his hands together, and thanked him, “Then I’ll trouble you, Junior Brother.”

“I announce that Xin Ding is the champion of this selection!” the Martial Monk Academy monk declared loudly, and the Eastern Handyman’s Courtyard erupted in cheers.

“Xin Ding, as the champion, you may choose any hundred-year-old herb from the medicine vault. Have you decided what you want to pick?”

“Revered Uncle…”

“You can call me Revered Uncle Zhikong.”

“Revered Uncle Zhikong, I’ve decided.”

“Then follow me,” Zhikong said, leading Xin Ding to the medicine vault.

Zhikong knocked on the medicine vault’s door knocker. “Revered Uncle Wunian, the handyman’s courtyard selection has ended. I’ve brought someone to choose an herb.”

“Come in, but be careful not to step on the medicinal seedlings by the entrance.”

The medicine vault door automatically opened, revealing a vast herb garden. A small old man was watering plants with a kettle. The small old man flew in front of Xin Ding with his hands behind his back. Facing the old man, Xin Ding felt completely exposed, as if he had no secrets at all.

“Definitely a grand master!”

“He’s just at the early Spirit Transformation Stage,” the lazy voice of Tofu Heavenly Venerable came from Xin Ding’s ear. “Anyone from the Azure Blade Sword small world would be stronger than this old man.”

Even after learning the old man’s cultivation level, Xin Ding still felt he was very powerful. The early Spirit Transformation Stage was already an unattainable figure for him. He probably wouldn’t be able to reach the Spirit Transformation Stage in his entire lifetime.

“What herb do you want?” the old man asked.

“A hundred-year-old Spirit Axis Herb.”

“As expected, it’s the Spirit Axis Herb.” The old man had largely guessed he would ask for it when he saw the prayer beads Xin Ding was wearing. The Spirit Axis Herb was rare, and not many people knew about it.

The old man sighed. “Has Zhiyuan still not forgiven me, his master? He’s using you to obtain the Spirit Axis Herb. Zhiyuan was the most outstanding among my disciples in terms of talent and character. Who would have thought that he, who was so devoted to Buddhism, would meet that Red Lotus Demoness during a mission? After several entanglements, he developed worldly affections, violating the monastic precepts. If I hadn’t separated them, who would have still respected these precepts? I never expected that even though I separated their bodies, I couldn’t separate their hearts. He recklessly attempted to break through to the Nascent Soul Stage, fell ill from overthinking, failed at the last moment, and dropped back to the Foundation Establishment Stage. I had originally wanted to give him the Spirit Axis Herb directly, but I didn’t realize he harbored resentment towards me and refused to accept anything from me. And he didn’t have the qualifications to obtain the Spirit Axis Herb himself…”

The old man rambled on for a long time, and Xin Ding vaguely understood the situation concerning Revered Uncle Zhiyuan.

“I have one thing I don’t understand, and I ask for your wisdom, Grand-Revered Uncle.”

“Ask away,” the old man said with a chuckle, clearly treating Xin Ding as his grand-disciple.

“Since Buddhism is a pure land separate from the mundane world, and marrying a worldly person means developing worldly attachments, why didn’t you let the Red Lotus Demoness also join our Xitian Temple? Then, wouldn’t it have been fine for Revered Uncle Zhiyuan to marry her?”

The old man began to doubt his own judgment. Was he really Zhiyuan’s disciple?