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n“You’re going to the Western Sect again?”

nInwardly, the Daoist of Many Treasures was more or less resistant to the idea.

nThe Jie Sect had always been at odds with the Western Sect, and conflicts between them were frequent during earlier years… and being a senior brother of the Jie Sect, he naturally had to stand up for the other disciples.

nThat had caused a rift between the Daoist of Many Treasures and the elites of the Western Sect, and they would squabble whenever they met.

nBut was Jiang He’s invitation something to be turned down?

nHence, both men arrived at the foot of the Spirit Mountain. After the disciples guarding the mountain archway reported their arrival, Puti Zushi came to greet them, after having received him the first time around.

n“Brother Jiang He!”

nPuti Zushi came to greet him from afar and was having a lively conversation with Jiang He.

nStill, contempt showed in his eyes when he turned toward the Daoist of Many Treasures, and he mocked, “And here I was thinking who it could be… it’s a treasure-seeking rat.”

nThe Daoist of Many Treasures retaliated with his own mockery, and it seemed that not even eight Puti Zushi would be a match for him when it comes to banter. In fact, the last time they ‘dueled’, Puti did not even manage to get a blow in.

nAnd yet, Puti Zushi showed no signs of anger today at all, and instead laughed. “I heard that things were rather messy at the Jie Sect recently, with two of their senior disciples hitting each other, rolling all over the floor… Hahahaha…”

nHe could not resist laughing out loud as soon as he finished.

nThe Daoist of Many Treasures glared at him.

nHis brawl with Zhao Gongming had not been kept secret from the Western Sect in the first place… and was it even that funny?

nHe just didn’t know that both him and Zhao Gongming had been backstabbed by the third and fourth generation disciples of the Jie Sect.

nIn less than a month, ‘footage’ of their brawl had circulated across several divine cities.

nAfterwards, Jiang He told Puti Zushi the purpose of his visit, and the latter led him and the Daoist of Many Treasures atop Spirit Mountain.

nAlong the way, the many disciples of the Western Sect all ogled at Jiang He and the Daoist of Many Treasures, flocking together as they pointed and gestured, whispering and debating away.

nStill, both Jiang He and the Daoist of Many Treasures had sharp enough hearing to listen in on their conversations.

n“Eh?”

n“Look, isn’t that pudgy one the Daoist of Many Treasures, from the Jie Sect?”

n“That’s right, it’s him! I saw the echoes!”

n“Tut, tut… disciples of the same sect, brawling and rolling around the ground like mortal folks. Really, what a disgrace.”

n“Y’all know nothing. I heard that the Jie Sect disciples were the ones who planned this… do you know the cultivators who recorded the echo? They were Jie Sect disciples!”

n“I heard that they would hang around in a divine city for a few days, looping that thirty-minute footage over a few hundred times. Just doing that earned them a few hundred thousand immortal crystals…”

n“Gasp…”

nOne of the Western Sect disciples inhaled sharply in realization. “I get it now! You mean to say that the Jie Sect disciples put up a show on purpose, and recorded it to earn immortal crystals?”

n“But I heard that the Daoist of Many Treasures is very rich…”

nOne of the young monks said meekly.

nHis words promptly drew retorts from other Western Sect disciples.

n“The Daoist of Many Treasures may be rich, but that does not mean the Jie Sect is rich. Word is that they are penniless, and their disciples had to earn their own cultivation resources.”

nJiang He sneaked a peek at the Daoist of Many Treasures, hence personally witnessing the ability of face-shifting.

nThe man appeared calm and unaffected at first, but soon become bewildered, and then embarrassed as well as fuming…

nIn the end, he could not hold it in.

nHe now had a general idea—the scene of him bashing Zhao Gongming had been recorded by one of the Jie Sect disciples, with which they had made a killing by broadcasting them across the major divine cities over Primeval.

nHis Dao erupted as he took to the skies and instantly left Spirit Mountain, telepathically communicating to Jiang He furiously at the same time.

n“I’ll be going on ahead first, Jiang He.”

n“I hope they will be well…” Jiang He quietly prayed for the Jie Sect disciple.

nMeanwhile, Puti Zushi had brought Jiang He to a large temple and said, “Please wait a moment as I report your arrival, Brother Jiang He.”

nHowever, he had barely spoken when the Greater Saint of the Western Sect’s voice echoed over his ear, saying, “Bring him here.”

nPuti Zushi smiled and said, “Brother Jiang He, my master has asked me to lead you to him.”

nOn the way, Jiang He studied all of Spirit Mountain.

nIt was a little different from what he had imagined—not all Spirit Mountain disciples were Buddhist monks, since Puti Zushi was a Daoist and address himself as one.

nThe many disciples of the Spirit Mountain did not call themselves monks, let alone address Jiang He as a monk would.

n“In Earth’s divine myths, Spirit Mountain is neither a Buddhist Sect nor a Western Sect… like the Ren Sect, Chan Sect, and the Jie Sect, they converted to a Buddhist Sect after the Investiture of the Gods… and the Daoist of Many Treasures had been a living Buddha? The Daoist of Lit Lamps and the Daoist of Journey Mercy converted to the Buddhist sect after the Investiture of the Gods as well…”

nStill, the divine myths of Earth were as equally authentic as they were unreal.

nMost were vestiges passed down by ancient cultivators, and those who came later would incorporate those legends, writing them into folktales, random anthologies, and novels.

nNaturally, they would add in some of their opinions or be selective in what they included.

nJiang He thought to himself then, ‘The Western Sect is quite strong, and their two Saints did not lose out to the other Saints. However, two of their Saints have died, so even with their many Demi-Saints, Grand Luo along with the ancient beasts they’ve enslaved and converted, their overall strength is one of the bottom-ranked hegemons of this universe.’

nMeanwhile, he followed Puti Zushi into the heart of Spirit Mountain and paused before a valley, which looked as if it came straight out of an enchanting spring day.

nThere is a clear mountain spring within the valley, and a golden lotus was growing out of it.

nIt was exceedingly special, as this golden lotus glimmered goldenly with the luster of virtue—even Jiang He felt a pressure from the plant itself.

n“A rank-twelve Virtuous Golden Lotus!”

nJiang He thought, his gaze reaching the old Daoist beside the spring then.

nDressed in white robes, he had a good complexion for an old man and white hair. Sitting barefooted and cross-legged on the ground, he smiled at Jiang He and said, “A full-fledged Demi-Saint, cultivating the martial arts you developed while also cultivating to full-fledged Demi-Saint?”

n“A cultivator of both martial arts and immortal arts… in all the worlds in this universe, your strength would be peerless, barring Saints.”

nIs he the legendary Daoist of Guidance from the Western Sect?

nI thought he would be a bald monk… I didn’t expect him to look just like a Daoist dripping with divine style.

nJiang He wisecracked inwardly, but he bowed and offered the Daoist of Guidance a fist-palm salute, courteously speaking, “You flatter me, Great Saint. I’ve merely cultivated randomly, and my level is still far from reaching the Saints.”

n“Great Saint?”

nThe Daoist of Guidance appeared taken aback, but he soon chuckled, “What an interesting title, Jiang He. Anyway, do you have business with us in your visit to Spirit Mountain today?”

nNonsense.

nWould I come here for nothing?

n“As everyone knows, aside from cultivating both martial arts and immortal arts, I am equally learned in refining pellets and items.”

n“I know very well the Three Realms have had a hard time in the skirmishes against the Gods and Demons, which is why I want to offer my services to strengthen the medicinal pellets and mystic treasures of the Western Sect…”

n“Strengthen medicinal pellets and mystic treasures?”

nThe Daoist of Guidance’s gaze twitched as he said, “I have heard of your ability in that field… but you could strengthen medicinal pellets too?”

n“Sorry, I misspoke.”

nJiang He explained, “I can’t strengthen medicinal pellets, but I could study them so as to produce three times more pellets with equal rank and effect, with the ingredients of one.”

nWhile Jiang He could usually plant a hundred medicinal pellets out of a single medicinal pellet, Jiang He believed that he just had to give the Western Sect three for each.

nThat was already a profound profit for the Western Sect!

nAnd yet, the Daoist of Guidance did not agree to it immediately. Musing to himself for a while as he studied Jiang He, he chuckled, “Surely there must be something in this for you too, Jiang He? Why else would anyone be willing to do something so tiring and unrewarding?”

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