Chapter 632: The Origin of the Nine Nether Cult

Meng Jingzhou was stating a plain truth, which even Lu Yang had to admit. According to records, only Old Meng, a single spiritual root, pushed himself to such extremes. His courage and perseverance were commendable.

Wu Qihang's defeat was inevitable; even a rematch would yield the same result. Wu Qihang readily conceded, acknowledging the vast difference in their devotion to the Dao. Upon hearing Meng Jingzhou's disdain for physical constitutions, he knew he was no match.

"You have taught me well."

He was helped up by the Guardian of the Blazing Sun Sect and taken to the backyard for healing.

Sect Master Yun took a sip of tea to moisten her throat, then calmly remarked, "Sect Master Chi, your sect's Holy Son seems to have some shortcomings in his cultivation. You should instruct him diligently when you return."

"Indeed, indeed," Sect Master Chi replied, cold sweat running down his face. He once again felt the unfathomable depth of the Heavenly Court Sect and knew he had to cling to their support. He winked at Mu Baiyi, who had remained silent, hoping he would smooth things over. Mu Baiyi, however, pretended not to notice.

"You insisted on showcasing the power of your Blazing Sun Sect. Now that you've been humiliated, what does that have to do with me?"

Mu Baiyi took out a storage ring from his robe and, with an ingratiating smile, handed it to Yun Zhi. "Sect Master Yun, this is the profit from our establishment. As agreed, sixty percent belongs to your sect."

Yun Zhi scanned it briefly with her spiritual sense and then tossed it back to Mu Baiyi. Mu Baiyi, puzzled by her actions, thought he had done something wrong and offended the Heavenly Court Sect.

"The barbecue restaurant is still developing and needs funds. For now, keep this money. It won't be too late to return the profits to us once it achieves stable profitability."

Mu Baiyi was overjoyed by this. It meant the Heavenly Court Sect was consistently paying attention to the restaurant's progress and recognized his efforts. With these spirit stones, the barbecue restaurant's expansion would only accelerate! The entire Great Xia was as good as theirs.

"Sect Master Mu, I have some new ideas for improving the quality of the skewers. You might want to try them," Lu Yang said with a smile, pulling out a scripture from his storage ring.

"What is this?"

"It's the Rebirth Mantra. When livestock are slaughtered, they generate resentment, which affects the meat's quality. If you chant this mantra while slaughtering them, this problem can be easily resolved."

"I've tried it, and it genuinely makes the skewers taste better."

Mu Baiyi's eyes widened, and his mouth hung open in surprise. If Young Sect Master Lu had already put it into practice, what was there to doubt?

"But the Rebirth Mantra... does your esteemed sect also delve into Buddhist teachings?"

From the Heavenly Court Sect members he had interacted with, none seemed to be Buddhists.

"Buddhist teachings?" Lu Yang chuckled, finding the question amusing. "My master, Dao Tianzun, is one of the founders of Buddhism. How could he not be knowledgeable in Buddhist teachings?"

"What?!"

Both Mu Baiyi and Sect Master Chi could no longer sit still, and neither could the guardians of their respective sects. Dao Tianzun's power was far beyond their imagination! The title of "founder of Buddhism" carried immense weight. It was likely something the Buddhist sects themselves were unaware of; otherwise, they would have long since come to prostrate themselves before Dao Tianzun. If Dao Tianzun were to make his identity as a founder of Buddhism public, all Buddhist sects in the world would seek orthodoxy through him. This was the power of ancient figures; their actions in ancient times continued to resonate in the present, their influence incredibly profound.

Mu Baiyi then asked, "I also witnessed Senior Jiang display immense power in the Demon City, utterly defeating Supreme Lord Zhutian. Since then, the Phoenix Clan has taken control of the demon nation. So, this demon nation..."

"You're quite perceptive, young one," Jiang Lianyi admitted directly, without concealment. "You're right. Zhutian is under my control, and the power of the demon nation can be used by me."

Silence. Absolute silence. Upon hearing this news, everyone from both sects held their breath. The entire hall fell into dead silence.

Gulp. Sect Master Chi swallowed hard, his hands growing cold. The vast demon nation had just become part of the Heavenly Court Sect? Mu Baiyi had anticipated it, but he was still shocked when Jiang Lianyi directly admitted it.

Yun Zhi's calm voice carried a hint of nonchalance: "Tianzun's enemies are the Four Immortals, including Ying Tianxian. If we can't even control the demon nation, how can we hope to deal with the Four Immortals?"

"The Great Xia is deeper than I imagined, with at least one immortal present. Your two sects' previous petty squabbles were beneath the imperial court's notice, but if this continues... it's a turbulent time, and changes are likely to occur."

"The Immortal Sect serves as a lesson. If the Immortal Sect were still active, the Demonic Sect would have an additional Half-Immortal. What a pity."

"Half-Immortal?"

"Sect Master Yun, do you mean..."

A cold gaze was Mu Baiyi's only reply.

"By the way, how did your Nine Nether Sect discover the 'Nine Nether'?"

"According to my investigation, since the Nine Nether disappeared in ancient times, there have been no traces of it in the current era. Yet your Nine Nether Sect insists there is a Nine Nether that provides reincarnation for souls. How is this possible?"

The origin of the Nine Nether Sect had always been an unsolved mystery, known only to its high-ranking members. This was a good opportunity to ask. Since the Heavenly Court Sect had a question, Mu Baiyi naturally had to answer. However, before that, he needed to see off the Blazing Sun Sect.

"Fellow Daoist Chi, it's getting late. Shall I see you out?"

Sect Master Chi clearly understood that this was a polite dismissal. In any case, his objective for the evening had been achieved, and the origin of the Nine Nether Sect was none of his concern. "Let's go."

Once the Blazing Sun Sect had left, Mu Baiyi saw that only his own people remained and spoke with ease. "It's not really a secret. The reason we believe in the existence of the Nine Nether goes back to our Founding Ancestor."

"Eighty thousand years ago, our Founding Ancestor was born. He was like someone 'born with knowledge,' always having various cultivation insights appear in his mind. As his cultivation advanced, these insights became clearer and were all verifiable, except for one type of knowledge that conflicted with the prevailing theories of the time."

"Reincarnation?"

"Yes, reincarnation. His memories indicated that all deceased souls in the world reincarnated in a place called 'Nine Nether.' He was no exception, the only difference being that while everyone else's memories were erased after reincarnation, he retained his memories of a previous life."

"For this reason, he secretly established the Nine Nether Sect, hoping to investigate the mysteries of reincarnation and the true location of the Nine Nether."

"Our Founding Ancestor's reincarnation wasn't truly complete; his memories were blurry. To speak irreverently, it's also possible he was the result of a powerful being's failed attempt at possession."

"As for the most recent instance, that would be my predecessor, Sect Master Qin Haoran."

"After Sect Master Qin passed away, three Deputy Sect Masters coincidentally discovered a page from his diary. In it, Qin Haoran documented his confusion about his past life and and his uncertainty about the future."

"Consequently, they each sought out a cultivator who claimed to be Sect Master Qin's reincarnation, expecting them to inherit his legacy."

At this point, Mu Baiyi leaned forward slightly, displaying an ingratiating smile. "Of course, I didn't believe the people they found. I only trust the judgment of your esteemed sect. Your sect's Qin Yanyan is the true reincarnation of Sect Master Qin."