The next day, as the dawn barely broke, hundreds of disciples gathered in the square in front of Kaiyang Hall of Dinghu Sect, positioning themselves under the guidance of ordinary elders.

Qi Changsheng and the Jiang family's disciples were also conspicuously present, standing behind Elder Yun, curiously looking around.

"Teacher,"

Qi Changsheng leaned in close to Elder Yun and asked curiously, "The Sect is sending at least four hundred elders and disciples to Liangzhou Province this time. With so many people needing to reach there quickly, do you think they will deploy some precious treasure?"

"What precious treasure?" Elder Yun glanced at Qi Changsheng askance.

He and Qi Changsheng had a relationship akin to half a master and disciple, as Qi Changsheng was able to enter the Inner Sect because Elder Yun often made exceptions for him, making their relationship quite close.

Of course, whether Elder Yun made exceptions for Qi Changsheng because he was close to someone? That was something only he knew.

"Of course, I'm talking about the compass car, that legendary chariot of the Yellow Emperor," said Qi Changsheng with curiosity. "Teacher, do you think the Sect will use the compass car to take us to Liangzhou Province this time?"

"Heh heh," Elder Yun forced a smile and uttered two words.

He certainly knew about the compass car and had even seen it with his own eyes. However, its existence wasn't something an Inner Sect Disciple should know, and even True Inheritors might not have heard it mentioned by their elders.

That Qi Changsheng knew about the compass car was almost certainly because he'd heard it from some rebellious disciple. And his question now...

'This kid, he's testing me.'

With an inward thought, he guessed that this kid had become someone's lackey and was now, under someone's order, testing him.

Of course, it was unlikely that Qi Changsheng bore ill will toward Elder Yun, his half teacher, but Jiang Li was cunning. With Jiang Li's capabilities, Qi Changsheng likely wouldn't even be aware he was testing Elder Yun.

'To use his own tactic against him, I thought you had changed this time, kid, and let bygones be bygones.'

Elder Yun remembered how he had once sent Qi Changsheng to signal Jiang Li, and couldn't help but inwardly sigh at the pettiness of someone, then spoke indifferently, "You're thinking too much. With Jiang Li's status, it's not enough to warrant the use of the compass car. Wait until he truly becomes the Gongsun Family Master's man. If you ask me, you're probably in for some trouble this time, not only will you not get to ride the compass car, but you might even get gnawed by a dog."

"Really?" Qi Changsheng was full of disbelief.

Not getting to ride the compass car was one thing, but what did he mean by getting gnawed by a dog?

"Don't believe it?"

Elder Yun hung a sly smile on his lips, "You haven't seen the dog Jiang Li keeps. It's a fifth-grade demon dog with Heavenly Dog bloodline, its mouth contains another space. While it can't engulf everything like a Heavenly Dog, it can still fit a few hundred people inside."

"Just wait. When Jiang Li brings that dog over later, it will 'rua' and swallow all of you up, and when you get to Liangzhou Province, it will 'rua' again and spit each of you out."

As Elder Yun spoke, he vividly mimed the action, scaring Qi Changsheng into a pale complexion.

It wasn't that he despised a dog's mouth... okay, he did despise it.

Never mind the conditions inside this spatial mouth, just the idea of being swallowed and regurgitated by a dog was utterly contrary to his expectations. There's a saying that "a dog's mouth doesn't spit out ivory"; passing through a dog's mouth, he'd turn into someone who couldn't spit out ivory, but they would spit out Qi Changsheng.

"It's fine, it's fine. It's just being swallowed by a dog. Some people even fight with dogs," Elder Yun said with a strange smile, attempting to console.

He was someone who couldn't stand to see the younger generation frightened, so he found them a bit of amusement to distract their attention.

At this, not only Qi Changsheng but also the surrounding Jiang family's disciples showed curiosity.

"Let me tell you,"

"Elder brother, no, Yaoguang Elder is coming!" Jiang Luo suddenly exclaimed.

His cry interrupted Elder Yun's words as a cloud of mist swept through the sky to reveal Jiang Li's figure. He traced a sword finger over his brow and a streak of light flashed, enveloping everyone on the square.

All the elders and disciples were directly absorbed into the fragments of the Heavenly Mirror, except for a certain Elder Yun.

"Hey, wait, I haven't gone in yet."

Elder Yun sensed something amiss.

Then in the next instant, a massive red dog leapt through the air. It howled, opening its gaping jaws and enveloping Elder Yun's figure.

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In the vast sky above, with the howling of the celestial winds, a dragon's roar suddenly broke the silence. The clouds swirled as a winged dragon, both ephemeral and substantial, soared high in the sky, heading northward.

This winged dragon, was none other than Jiang Li himself transformed.

When Jiang Li returned to the Sect, he waited nearly a day on the way back for an old fellow, Zong Zheng, thus taking three days in total. However, now headed to Liangzhou Province, he was much faster than before.

It wasn't just because his power had once again improved, with his Dao Fruit merging progress deepening; it was also because he had been practicing the "Form Tomb" scripture, transforming into wind and cloud, which made him much faster than his physical body.

Jiang Li had approached Liangzhou Province in less than half a day's time, sensing the disaster qi not only remained undispersed in the sky above Liangzhou but had instead grown even more intense.

With his speed, even if someone from the Dinghu Sect had sent word, they wouldn't have been able to convey it to Liangzhou in time, creating a gap in information.

Unexpectedly, just as Jiang Li was about to enter Liangzhou, a dragon's roar suddenly echoed from the high sky. Following this, a white dragon playing amidst coiled clouds appeared, soaring into view. Its body naturally bent as it carried a white-robed monk sitting cross-legged upon it, hands joined in prayer, reciting the name of Buddha.

"Amitabha, Jiang Shizhu, this humble monk has been waiting for you here for quite some time."

"Hui Lun Monk."

The gathering winds and clouds coalesced, and the winged dragon abruptly transformed into human form. Jiang Li looked at the newcomer, his eyebrows slightly raising, "Interesting, you actually managed to intercept me on my path."

With Jiang Li's current Qi Shu and Realm, to divine even a trace of him—let alone his trail—required at least a third-rank cultivator, specifically one skilled in Yi Dao and of a mastery comparable to that of Tianxuan Realm.

The monk before him awaited Jiang Li, which meant that there must either be a Yi Dao Master secretly making divinations, or someone using their wisdom to foresee his path and predict his journey. Either possibility was not to be underestimated.

"Amitabha, the wisdom of Manjusri Bodhisattva of the Buddha Country penetrates all, being one of the rarely seen wise ones in this world. Anticipating Jiang Shizhu's path ahead is not difficult."

The monk, a leading disciple of the Awakened, spoke with a smile, beaming as though basking in the warmth of spring, addressing Jiang Li, "This humble monk comes here to offer you a helping hand, to alleviate the suffering of Peng'an County."

"Ah, the monk comes prepared, I see." Jiang Li responded, a spark of interest apparent in his tone.

In his calculations, the forces of the Taiping Sect had split into three groups, and the first target of the central group was Peng'an County.

Moreover, considering the central group's critical role, the number of refugees leading the charge would definitely exceed those of the other two groups—easily reaching hundreds of thousands.

Such a number of people, even if they stood still and let themselves be slain, would be difficult to kill off completely for cultivators using Extreme Moves.

Too many people, so many that it put those defending the city in a position of reluctance, as if handling a delicate object.

Without a doubt, the flood of refugees was the biggest problem for Peng'an County. The difficulties the monk mentioned about relieving Peng'an most likely referred to this issue.

"That solution you mentioned, wouldn't happen to be suggesting that your Buddha Country comes to convert that group of refugees, would it?" Jiang Li asked the white-robed monk indifferently.

"Not at all."

Hui Lun shook his head, "While this humble monk does have the intention to save all beings, unfortunately, the Taiping Sect is adept in the way of incense, and those demonic people have already planted seeds in the hearts of the refugees with their magic, making any attempt at conversion only half as effective and ultimately futile. However, our Buddha Country has other methods, capable of dissolving the reliance of the Taiping Sect, and will surely not disappoint the Benefactor."

"And what, then, is the price?" Jiang Li inquired.

He didn't believe these bald donkeys would simply do good deeds without expecting something in return.

If it had been the Awakened, perhaps Jiang Li might have believed it, but as for others...

Ha-ha, the fact that they didn't rush to save people but instead sought out Jiang Li suggested that their kindness was not pure.

"Please vow to Heaven, do not obstruct the spread of Buddhist Law to the east," Hui Lun said with his hands joined in prayer.

This statement deepened the profoundness in Jiang Li's gaze, as if they were twin abysses, staring at Hui Lun.

The so-called oath to Heaven naturally was not just empty words from Jiang Li, but an oath witnessed by Heaven itself, with any violation bringing Heaven's Punishment.

The monk not only acknowledged the existence of Heaven but was also completely aware of Jiang Li's current significance; his status and position were sufficient to summon Heaven to witness his oath.

"The monk seems to know quite a lot," Jiang Li remarked lightly.

"If one is to seek out the Benefactor, naturally, one comes fully prepared."

Hui Lun responded with a smile, "Additionally, this humble monk is aware of the Benefactor's strength at present, and having heard another Benefactor claim Jiang Shizhu is unrestrained by any taboo, able to take life amidst laughter and jest, the humble monk has therefore invited Guangli Bodhisattva to accompany him on this journey."

In the skies above, unbeknownst to when, a tremendous presence had manifested. Wind moved at its behest, clouds followed its pace, and an indescribable sense of presence emerged, a sensation of power expanding.

Guangli Bodhisattva, one of the Buddha Country's Bodhisattvas renowned for battle, alongside Weituo Bodhisattva, commanded the Dharma Protector Gods of the Buddha Country. He was one of the most competent fighters among the fourth-rank individuals in the Buddha Country.

Upon hearing the words of Hui Lun Monk, Jiang Li's face darkened at once.

Although Hui Lun's choice of words was quite elegant, the implied meaning was clear—wasn't he saying that Jiang wasn't a good person?

Unrestrained by any taboo was akin to saying he would stop at nothing, and taking lives suddenly through amusement meant he was duplicitous; this was simply outrageous.

Was he, Jiang Li, such a person?

"Jiang has always treated others with sincerity, never lying. Please enlighten me with the name of that person who deemed it necessary to inform you," Jiang Li wore an expression of anger, "so that Jiang might know who—"

He cut off, his anger apparent, "is such a keen judge of character."

As he finished speaking, Hui Lun Monk suddenly felt a tightening in his heart, a chill running down his spine.

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