Chapter 810: A Whale Falls, All Things Are Born

The joint operation by the Wen Dao Sect and the imperial court to eradicate the Heartless Sect caused a massive stir, quickly becoming known to anyone with even a minor intelligence network. Even the most powerful cultivation masters were so stunned by this news that they were speechless for a long time. Some, upon hearing the message, slumped into their chairs, their faces etched with disbelief.

"Old villain Buyu has actually reached the Tribulation Transcendence stage! How is that even possible?"

The butler, looking conflicted, replied, "I don't know if it's true or false, but I heard Daoist Buyu deliberately leaked this information."

"That does sound like him. Back then, he formed his Golden Core just one day before me and never stopped bragging about it. If he's truly reached the Tribulation Transcendence stage, imagine how insufferable he'll be? If that scoundrel can reach the Tribulation Transcendence stage, then there's no reason I can't either! Heaven is blind!"

"I'm going into seclusion! Seclusion!"

Similar scenes unfolded across the cultivation world. For a time, many prominent figures simultaneously cursed the heavens and resolved to enter seclusion. Even Integration-stage cultivators from the Demon Realm and the East Sea were no exception, attempting to break through to the Tribulation Transcendence stage. When Emperor Zhu held court, he found that over half his ministers were absent. Upon inquiry, he discovered they had all gone into seclusion.

As Daoist Buyu ascended to the Tribulation Transcendence stage, the bustling cultivation world abruptly grew quiet. Perceptive individuals suddenly sensed the dawn of a new era. It was feared that after this mass seclusion, many new Tribulation Transcendence cultivators would emerge. "I've heard a saying from the East Sea," someone remarked, "'When a whale falls, all things thrive,' which perfectly describes the current situation."

"Isn't a 'whale fall' when a whale dies? Daoist Buyu isn't dead, is he?"

"We can consider him dead."

Of course, this quietness only affected the upper echelons of the cultivation world. Cultivators who hadn't reached the Integration stage were not particularly familiar with Daoist Buyu and thus remained largely unaffected.

**Buddhist Nation.**

Above the boundless desert, a lone figure streaked across the sky. Camel-riding travelers barely glimpsed the silhouette before it vanished, only for several more figures to follow swiftly behind, in hot pursuit of the first.

"Ye Zijin, stop right there! If I don't set the Dharma right today, how can I face our ancestors?!" Several renowned Buddhist masters of the Buddhist Nation were chasing their Second Senior Brother, Ye Zijin. The leader of the group was known by his Dharma name, Pu Xuan.

As enlightened eminent monks, they had crossed paths with Ye Zijin more than once. After a series of clashes, they finally cornered him.

"Ye Zijin, what blasphemous nonsense are you writing in our ancient scriptures?!" the high monks demanded, glaring furiously at Ye Zijin.

Knowing he couldn't possibly defeat them, Ye Zijin quickly waved his hands, trying to de-escalate. "Whoa, whoa, hold on, don't start. We're all renunciants; there's no need for fighting and killing. I only wrote two sentences; why are you all so agitated? Making annotations next to scriptures is a tradition in our Buddhist Nation. All of you can annotate the works of our ancestors. I, Ye Zijin, am at least a revered monk, so I also have the right to annotate scriptures. What's wrong with that?"

"You often say that Buddhist Dharma is vast and profound, that even a lifetime of study can only grasp a fraction of it. So, what's wrong with me praising it by saying, 'Buddhist Dharma is boundless'?"

"And don't we often say in our Buddhist sect, 'Only now do I know I am myself'? Doesn't that mean that after a lifetime of cultivating Buddhist Dharma and seeking, the ultimate answer lies within oneself? Right? So, if I wrote, 'Buddhist Dharma is boundless, turning back is the shore,' that's not wrong either, is it?"

"Nonsense! The meaning of your statement is clearly to persuade others to return to secular life! A disciple in the mortal world saw your words, had a 'great enlightenment,' and actually renounced his monastic vows!"

Ye Zijin quickly retorted, "You can't just make such accusations! That's simply due to his poor comprehension, you can't blame me for it! I, Ye Zijin, am wholeheartedly devoted to Buddhism; this is widely acknowledged throughout our Buddhist Nation. How could I possibly persuade people to return to secular life?"

Upon hearing this, the high monks were enraged. "Widely acknowledged? Everyone wants to erect a tombstone for you! And what's the meaning of putting a copy of the 'Evergreen Cultivation Method,' which grows hair, next to the scriptures?"

"Oh, that? That's mine. Since you've found it, could you please give it back to me? Honestly, you guys get angry so often; your cultivation of the mind isn't going too well. Look at my master; now *that's* true mental cultivation. He's cheerful all the time, and he's even broken through to the Tribulation Transcendence stage now!"

When Master Pu Xuan heard Ye Zijin mention Daoist Buyu's breakthrough to the Tribulation Transcendence stage again, his veins pulsed. He was of the same generation as Daoist Buyu, and it was infuriating that Buyu had surpassed him. The more he thought about it, the angrier he became, his aura fluctuating violently as he gritted his teeth and chanted scriptures.

"This aura! He's about to break through to the Tribulation Transcendence stage!" The other masters, sensing Master Pu Xuan's surging aura, were overjoyed. They quickly formed a circle around him, protecting him as he underwent his breakthrough.

Ye Zijin's eye twitched. "What the... he's breaking through just from a few words? Is reaching the Tribulation Transcendence stage that easy?"

Seizing the opportunity while Master Pu Xuan was undergoing his tribulation and the other high monks were protecting him, leaving no one to stop him, Ye Zijin accelerated his escape from the desert.

"I need to find a place Master Pu Xuan won't discover. Besides, since he's already broken through to the Tribulation Transcendence stage, he shouldn't bother with a junior like me anymore. If he's looking for anyone, it should be Master!" Ye Zijin pressed his palms together before his chest, emanating a peaceful glow, truly resembling a revered monk. "Master, I'm sure you have few opponents after ascending to the Tribulation Transcendence stage. Your disciple worried you might be too lonely, so I found you an opponent and, incidentally, gave you a little pressure. As master and disciple, there's no need to thank me."

Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou remained oblivious to the changes outside, nor did they care. With their lower cultivation levels, they were merely minor figures and didn't need to know so much.

Their ten days in the prison passed quite comfortably. The leaky roof was quickly repaired by the guards specializing in earth-element spells, and the pillars that had collapsed during the battle were fixed by those skilled in wood-element spells.

"I never imagined such convenient spells existed," Lu Yang remarked, having witnessed the entire prison repair process. It truly highlighted the value of specialized skills. Although his cultivation was higher than these guards, when it came to the technical skill of building a prison, he was far inferior. He could only draw a dungeon, and it wouldn't even have a door.

During their cultivation, they were aided by formations that enhanced their control over their internal spiritual energy. They also had no worries about food. Although Xiantian Daoist had been acquitted, he did not return to the Wen Dao Sect. Instead, he stayed in Ye City, sending meals to Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou every day from Youfu Building, the best restaurant in Ye City.

"Grand Patriarch, you're too generous," Lu Yang said, a little embarrassed, even though he knew that amount of spirit stones was trivial to Xiantian Daoist.

Xiantian Daoist was far from short on money; on the contrary, he could be described as immensely wealthy. The Wen Dao Sect had a retirement system, and retired elders received a substantial sum of spirit stones annually. This meant Xiantian Daoist had 120,000 years of uncollected pension, an unimaginably terrifying amount of spirit stones. Among Integration-stage cultivators, few were richer than Xiantian Daoist.

After ten days, Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou concluded their seclusion in the prison. The two then escorted Xiantian Daoist back to the Wen Dao Sect.