A heavy silence fell over the high platform.
All eyes were focused on Master Hui Ming, the leader of the Mingguang Sect, waiting for his response.
Bu Qingwei's question was intended to be a blow to the heart, meant to test Hui Ming's Buddhist cultivation while simultaneously placing the Mingguang Sect in the center of a storm.
Master Hui Ming did not even lift his eyelids, simply spitting out four words with a voice as calm as a deep well:
"None of your business."
Everyone: "???"
The smile on Bu Qingwei's face froze instantly.
Only then did Master Hui Ming slowly raise his eyes, his gaze sweeping over Bu Qingwei with an empty, hazy quality as he added another sentence:
"Oh, I misspoke."
He paused, pressing his palms together with solemn dignity. "Amituofo, Sect Leader Bu, you are attached to forms."
After saying this, he closed his eyes again and returned to his meditation.
The high platform remained deathly silent.
"Cough!"
A sudden, seemingly suppressed cough erupted from one side of the platform, shattering the stillness.
Everyone whipped their heads around to look. Feng Yi had turned his head slightly away, his hand balled into a fist against his lips, his shoulders shaking imperceptibly.
A trace of a smile he was desperately trying to restrain seemed to flash across his face, but it was quickly replaced by calm, though a pleasant curve remained at the corners of his eyes and brows, having not been completely hidden in time.
He cleared his throat as if he had merely choked on something, focusing his gaze intently on the light screen and speaking in a flat tone:
"Cough... It is quite lively inside the secret realm."
His words had neither beginning nor end, sounding as if he were just objectively evaluating the battle within the light screen.
However, combined with that suppressed cough and the subtle expression on his face, who among those present wasn't a shrewd fox?
They instantly understood that his use of the word "lively" likely referred to more than just the struggle within the secret realm...
The elders of various sects struggled to maintain their composure. Some could not help but grin, some deeply agreed, and others looked down at their own noses as if they hadn't heard a thing.
After all, the monks of the Mingguang Sect were indeed... quite infuriating at times.
When you tried to reason with them, they spoke to you of Buddhist teachings; when you debated Buddhist teachings, they claimed you were attached to forms. If you got angry, they would simply say, "Amituofo, benefactor, you are attached to forms." When it came down to actual matters, they would simply claim that the four elements are all empty and that they were unburdened by all things!
It was enough to drive the living to madness and bring the dead back to life.
Gong Yang's lip twitched. Looking at Feng Yi's "I said nothing, I'm just being objective" act and then at Hui Ming's "it has nothing to do with me, I am meditating" expression, he felt strangely vindicated. But as soon as he remembered the miserable state of his own disciples, that small sense of relief turned back into deep frustration.
The muscles in Bu Qingwei's face jumped before he finally managed a dry laugh. "Heh... hehe... the master... is truly a man of character."
What else could he say? The man had already said "Amituofo" and accused him of being "attached to forms." If he pressed further, he would truly seem petty and obsessed with a mere war of words.
This old bastard... he's still as stubborn as ever!
Bu Qingwei snorted inwardly, feeling more disgusted the more he thought about it.
That little girl from the Five Elements Dao Sect was much more interesting. Of course, Feng Yi was another story entirely.
How could he be even better at watching for amusement than me? This won't do.
At this thought, his gaze involuntarily drifted back to the light screen, landing on Li Nanzhu, who was excitedly counting the spoils of war with her companions, her eyes shining brightly. Only then did his mood improve slightly.
As expected, those with different paths cannot make plans together!
Bu Qingwei slapped a massive mental label on the entire Mingguang Sect, deciding to stay away from those monks in the future to avoid being blinded by their "Buddhist light."
Inside the secret realm.
The group did not dare to delay. They quickly cleaned up the battlefield, gathering all the captured flags to be distributed later.
"We shouldn't stay here. Let's go!" Jiang Yifan said in a deep voice, his eyes alertly scanning the surroundings. The commotion they just made was too loud; there was no guarantee it wouldn't attract other teams.
Just then, an incredibly sharp sword intent charged toward them from deep within the valley, yet it carried a familiar and reassuring aura.
"Eldest Senior Brother!" Duan Xianxing was the first to sense it, shouting out in surprise.
The group's spirits lifted as they all looked toward the source of the sword intent.
A streak of blue light appeared before them almost instantaneously. Who else could it be but Mu Wenyan?
Relief finally washed over their faces. With their eldest senior brother at the Nascent Soul stage to oversee them, the team's strength and sense of security increased by a whole level.
Mu Wenyan's gaze quickly swept over everyone. Seeing that they were all safe, despite looking a bit disheveled, his expression softened slightly.
"It is good that you are all alright." His voice was cool but possessed a power that put people at ease. He had clearly sensed the violent spiritual energy collision and the disappearance of a Nascent Soul aura earlier.
"Eldest Senior Brother, you've come at the perfect time! We just sent Ji Yanzhi from the Wuji Sect out of here!" Duan Xianxing spoke excitedly, even though most of the credit belonged to Li Nanzhu and Feng Qingping.
A flash of surprise crossed Mu Wenyan's eyes, but he did not ask for details, simply nodding. "Well done."
He then looked toward the group from the Hehuan Sect and gave a slight nod to Rong Yuying. "Junior Sister Rong, thank you for your help."
Rong Yuying smiled brilliantly. "You're welcome. We are all in the same boat, after all."
Knowing it was not the time for small talk, Mu Wenyan cut straight to the point. "I found a hidden grotto on my way here that is relatively safe for us to rest. We'll go there first and then plan our next move."
Less than fifteen minutes after they left, several auras of varying strengths cautiously probed into the area where the battle had ended. However, aside from lingering spiritual energy traces and the mess of the fight, the place was already empty.
About seven or eight minutes later, the group finally arrived at the hidden grotto Mu Wenyan had mentioned. Everyone found a place to sit and began to regulate their breath.
Though Li Nanzhu was tired, her spirit was high. She leaned toward Mu Wenyan. "Eldest Senior Brother! Eldest Senior Brother! How did things go on your end? Did you find any of our flags?"
Seeing the expectant look in his junior sister's eyes, a trace of a smile appeared in Mu Wenyan's. He nodded and turned his palm over, revealing several flags that emitted a soft, glowing aura.
"Hiss—!"
When everyone saw those flags, they couldn't help but gasp!
Lying in Mu Wenyan's hand were four flags embroidered with the unique emblem of the Five Elements Dao Sect. In addition to those, there were three flags from other sects!
"F-four?" Duan Xianxing sat up straight, his eyes wide. "Eldest Senior Brother! You're amazing! You actually found four!"
"Eldest Senior Brother is mighty!" Li Nanzhu shouted excitedly.
Surprise and joy also filled the eyes of Jiang Yifan and Zhu Yinxi.
Rong Yuying and the Hehuan Sect disciples were equally stunned. In a place like the Nascent Soul combat zone, the difficulty of a single person capturing four of their own sect's flags was unimaginable.
"Alright, let's tally and distribute the spoils first," Jiang Yifan said, suppressing his excitement.
The group acted immediately, taking out all the point jade pendants and flags they had collected and piling them together.
The moment the Five Elements Dao Sect and the Hehuan Sect finished tallying and distributing their points, the massive point ranking board next to the high platform suddenly flashed, and the rankings shifted violently!
The Five Elements Dao Sect, which had originally been in fourth place, saw its points soar like a rocket. Its name shot upward, finally stopping at—
Second place!
The four golden words "Five Elements Dao Sect" appeared prominently in the second spot on the points board, second only to the Sword Heart Sect!
Meanwhile, the Hehuan Sect's ranking also jumped from seventh place to fifth!
Rate on N.U.
