"No rush to drag them out—let's play with them a little first. Which world are they from?"

Song Lin found it a bit odd.

The Small Thousand Universe isn't an ordinary celestial body. No matter how good one's eyesight is, it's nearly impossible to spot. Dealing with cosmic dimensions is akin to searching for a needle in the ocean—extremely difficult to locate.

Shi Yinhua couldn't provide a clear answer either.

In fact, the blame lay with Song Lin himself. His Nine-Transformation Mystical Technique had drawn references from the cultivation techniques of both the Buddhist and Taoist schools. The Buddhist aspect referenced the Bright Body technique of Randeng Buddha.

Who is Randeng Buddha? He is an ancient figurehead, the leader of ancient Buddhas, held in extremely high regard among the Buddhas.

By referencing his supreme art, Song Lin, in a certain sense, possessed deeper wisdom and Buddha nature than the average Bodhisattva Buddha.

Moreover, he hadn't concealed himself well, so it was inevitable that someone noticed him.

Song Lin redirected his focus back to the Real World. The Story World was meaningless—all sides were accumulating strength, preparing for the final battle. Before that, initiating any conflict seemed pointless.

Since the other side wanted a fight, Song Lin wasn't about to back down. If they gathered together, it would be convenient to capture them all in one fell swoop.

Later, Shi Yinhua sent people to investigate secretly, focusing on the Five Immortals, among whom the Yellow Weasel was particularly skilled at intelligence gathering.

At last, they discovered Shihui's whereabouts.

"Heavenly Emperor, the result is somewhat unexpected—we've found another defector."

"What's the situation?" Song Lin set aside his cultivation technique.

"We initially thought this person was up to some mischief somewhere. But after locating where they were hiding, we realized it wasn't the case. Your Majesty, do you know where this person is?"

"Stop beating around the bush," Song Lin said with a laugh, scolding mildly.

"This person has been working at a nursing home, caring for the elderly—specifically those terminally ill whom other doctors refuse to treat."

The nursing home system was a policy introduced ten years ago by the Heavenly Court in conjunction with the Xia Country's third Emperor, meant to care for the elderly without family. Caregivers were usually court-employed or cultivators undertaking temporary merit-based missions.

It wasn't demanding work, but it was troublesome.

"Those on their deathbeds feel desolate and helpless. Shihui frequently teaches them to recite Buddhist scriptures, granting them peace. Many of them have come to believe in Buddhist teachings, hoping for blessings in their next life. Your Majesty, should we stop him from spreading his doctrine?"

"It's a good deed—why would we stop him? If he wants to preach, let him. It won't cause much of an impact."

There were already monks in the Heavenly Court. Years ago, Song Lin had wiped out over a dozen Fan Country factions and executed many criminal foreign monks.

Still, some blameless foreign monks had joined the Heavenly Court.

But the Buddhist teachings of that world were appallingly inadequate—barely qualifying as Small Mahayana Buddhism.

Shihui's understanding of Buddhism seemed profound, and he possessed the compassion of a true monk. If he could be recruited, it might address the Heavenly Court's weak representation in the Buddhist sects.

Song Lin was not opposed to including the Buddhist Sect; he was only against the independent factions like the Western Pure Land.

If it meant a Buddhist Sect under the Heavenly Court's control, that would be ideal.

"Observe him for a few more days. If he proves suitable, invite him to join the Heavenly Court. As for the other one..."

Fazang, the other individual, wasn't worth recruiting.

This self-righteous person showed no respect for others' principles. Someone like that wasn't worth the effort. His only value was to serve as bait, taking on the Evil Exorcism Institute's role in exposing internal traitors.

Once he outlived his usefulness, it would be time for him to meet his demise and spiritual dissolution.

The Eight Sceneries World.

Beneath the Mother Tree of All Things stood a tall, graceful maiden.

This woman was Wu Chen, the so-called Eight Sceneries Primordial Mother, a master at the Harmonization Stage with origins rooted in the Outer Heaven Strange Stone.

Between her cultivation tasks, Wu Chen also fulfilled Song Lin's instructions by searching for clues about Xiao Mao True Monarch of the Sanmao Heavenly Court.

Song Lin hadn't forgotten his pact with Xiao Mao True Monarch. That individual must have encountered trouble back then, and Xiao Mao didn't seem like the type to seize Taoist inheritance by force.

In the future, once the Heavenly Court ascended to the heavens, cooperation with Xiao Mao True Monarch would remain an option.

Wu Chen gazed at the world below.

Through several Jiazi of effort, the Eight Sceneries World had expanded to a size exceeding 1 million square kilometers, housing a population exceeding 1.5 billion, with over 100,000 cultivators.

Because the cultivation threshold was low, it easily led to scalability and mass production.

Even those with barely any talent could eke out some ability, let alone during this era of abundant resources and peace.

However, the sheer number of cultivators also created resource shortages, exacerbating hidden conflicts between various sects.

"Things can't continue like this. It's either civil war, or suppression until everything eventually explodes."

Unnoticed, Guu Yuchan appeared, draped in a vestment robe crackling with thunder and lightning—his appearance that of a refined middle-aged man, exuding the demeanor of a Grandmaster.

He was Lei De True Monarch, a middle-stage Primordial Spirit cultivator.

"Report to the Heavenly Emperor. Cultivators are the Heavenly Court's sharpest blade for expansion—how can they remain sheathed?"

The Eight Sceneries World boasted over 500 schools of thought and 70 sects.

It seemed that Qi Cultivators had an innate hunger for resources, coupled with an intense desire for expansion. Everyone aspired to establish their sect and dominate a region of their own.

The Eight Sceneries World was now too small for their ambitions.

"But the Eight Sceneries World is still their foundation…," Wu Chen started to argue but suddenly had an idea. "The current conflicts arise from mismatched resources and demands. If we use resources from the Otherworld to nourish the Eight Sceneries World and accelerate its growth, wouldn't that solve the issue?"

The sects could keep their headquarters in the Eight Sceneries World, eliminating the risk of fragmentation.

Cultivators were typically viewed unfavorably by other magic veins due to their resource-intensive practices, often absorbing Heaven and Earth Essence Qi and disrupting others' cultivation. They were generally unsuited for cohabitation with different factions.

Soon, the two reported the situation to Song Lin.

Song Lin pondered briefly before instructing Shi Yinhua, "Prepare the net—we're about to reel it in."

Mei Mountain City.

Inside Fazang Temple, Fazang was preaching to his followers.

"All existence is void; void is the essence. Do not indulge in the pleasures of the flesh, for only then can you transcend the eternal sea of suffering."

A middle-aged man asked, "Master, how do we transcend this sea of suffering?"

"Revere the Buddha, chant the Buddha's name, and spread the Buddha's teachings—this is the Righteous Path leading to the Western Pure Land. As the saying goes, saving one life surpasses building a seven-story pagoda, and preaching the Buddha's teachings to another surpasses saving ten lives."

The audience deeply agreed. A Q&A session followed, during which Fazang displayed remarkable eloquence. No matter how tricky the questions, he answered with ease.

He paid particular attention to one individual: Zhou Xuan, the princely heir of Prince Xinyang. Zhou Xuan's father, Zhou Xuan, was a descendant of a founder general and was granted the title of Hereditary Commandery Prince for his merits in founding the nation.

If Fazang could form ties with the Commandery Prince, spreading his teachings would become much easier.

"Master, my father wishes to meet you," Zhou Xuan privately told Fazang after the session ended.

Fazang's heart skipped with joy—the city was finally within his grasp.

The following day, Fazang went to meet Prince Xinyang. The moment the private room door of the tavern opened, he saw a middle-aged official smiling at him. Fazang froze in shock.

"City God? This is bad!"

Fazang tried to flee, but Song Lin, Chiyou, and others who had been lying in wait swiftly trapped him in a coffin.

After some "inquiries," they finally extracted key information about that realm.

"A Medium Thousand World, a realm of divine struggles, the Great Sun Seven Realms… a chaotic world, huh?" Song Lin murmured to himself.

Perfect for slipping through the cracks unnoticed.

Moreover, that world's Great Dao was dominated by the Incense Fire Divine Tao, and its Heaven and Earth Essence Qi was quite abundant.

"Then let's start with this Lingwei Realm," Song Lin determined.

He summoned the Divine Turtle and others.

"Is there a method to enter?"

"Your Majesty, you previously taught us the Boundary-Breaking Technique. Practicing on this realm should suffice. As long as we're sending individuals and not the entire Heavenly Court, it shouldn't pose much difficulty—just provide precise coordinates."

Chiyou went to "confirm" details with the detained Fazang once more.

Soon, Guu Yuchan led the first wave of 72 elite cultivators from different sects into the realm, beginning the infiltration and constructing a foothold.

Thus, the infamous cultivators—renowned as primordial ferocious beasts across the worlds—finally revealed their claws.

The Lingwei Buddha could never have expected that his realm would be infiltrated first.

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