Chu Mo was slightly startled and smiled as he asked, "Senior, why do you say that?"

"Don't you think so?" The old cultivator said indifferently with droopy eyelids, "The ancient Netherworld sect... They don't even bother to find out what kind of existence that is. There are many great teachings in the Immortal Realm, as common as carps crossing the river. But this ancient Netherworld sect still manages to spread its name throughout the entire Immortal Realm. What is it that they rely on? Kindness? Universal love?"

With a face full of mockery, the old cultivator continued, "Cut the crap... What they rely on is strength!"

Chu Mo looked at the old cultivator with a speechless expression, thinking to himself, Isn't that obvious? Which major sect doesn't rely on strength?

He had just come out wanting to buy a map of the Immortal Realm. Seeing that the old cultivator's stall had one, he casually started a conversation with him. But they had hardly exchanged a few words when a burst of cheering came from the tavern, interrupting their conversation.

"Young man, it seems you don't understand what I mean," the old cultivator glanced at Chu Mo and said, "My point is, if the ancient Netherworld sect can stand firm in the Immortal Realm by virtue of its strength, would they be at a loss with an upper ancient ruin? This clearly means that the ancient ruin hides immense dangers! They don't want to lose their own people, that's why they've come up with this method. And the claim about only twenty spots available is bullshit! They are just afraid that if there are too many people, it would be hard to control! A few dozen at a time... perfectly manageable, serving both the purpose of exploration and easy supervision. After all, if one batch dies, there will be another, for what the Immortal Realm does not lack... is this group of poor scattered cultivators from the bottom layer."

Sighing at last, the old cultivator seemed somewhat sentimental. At that moment, he stood up, his walk uneven as he limped, revealing that he was disabled.

Chu Mo was somewhat surprised and asked the old cultivator, "Your leg?"

"Crippled, a dao injury that can't be healed," the old cultivator said with a bitter smile, "Otherwise, would I, a cultivator of the Mahayana stage, be setting up a stall here, waiting for death?"

As he spoke, a look of reminiscence appeared in the old cultivator's eyes, "This leg of mine, got seriously injured by a dao injury while exploring a ruin for the ancient Netherworld sect in the past. It's fundamentally incurable. So, that's my life. I can only retire here now."

After the old cultivator finished speaking, Chu Mo used his divine sense to look at him and found that he was indeed a cultivator of the Mahayana stage, moreover at the mid-Mahayana stage. The injury on his leg was indeed caused by a dao injury, but it was not beyond remedy.

However, those medicinal herbs were definitely very rare in the Immortal Realm, and even if they could be found, their price would not be something the old cultivator could afford.

Thinking this, Chu Mo said, "Perhaps one day you will meet someone who can cure your leg."

The old cultivator waved his hand dismissively, "That's impossible! If it could be cured, how could I have ended up like this today? I would have been cured long ago!" he said and began rummaging through his stall, "You just said you wanted a complete map of the Immortal Realm? There's no such thing. To be honest, the Immortal Realm is far too vast, boundless. The people capable of making a complete topographical map of the Immortal Realm hardly have any interest in doing so. They'd rather spend their time on cultivation. So... most maps of the Immortal Realm are regional. Young man, can you tell me where you want to go? I'll find you a regional map."

Chu Mo hesitated slightly and said softly, "I want to go to the Buddha lands."

"Hmm?" The old cultivator was momentarily stunned, sizing up Chu Mo, "Young man, I see your blood energy is vigorous, your complexion rosy, and your Heavenly Court full. You shouldn't have any troubles weighing on your mind, right?"

Chu Mo couldn't help but laugh, "Elder, do you also tell fortunes?"

"Fortunes? Forget it, that stuff that dupes people. We're all cultivators here. Unless one has studied the genuine scriptures, claiming to know fortune-telling would certainly invite ridicule," the old cultivator smirked, "I just don't understand why you, so young and untroubled, would want to go to such a place."

"What? Must one become a monk to visit the Buddha lands?" Chu Mo said with a smile.

"If you're not becoming a monk, then why seek out the Buddha lands?" The old cultivator stared, then said, "You haven't heard the legends about the Buddha lands, have you?"

Having said that, the old cultivator sat back down. He wasn't in a hurry to find a map for Chu Mo anymore; instead, he began speaking to Chu Mo, "Anyone who enters that place rarely makes it back out! I had a friend by my side many years ago who couldn't adapt to the constant fighting and killing in the Cultivation Realm. He said he wanted to go there to purify his soul. But in the end... he never returned. He ended up joining the Buddhist dojo and became a mere disciple. We kept in touch over the years, and for hundreds of years, his realm hasn't advanced in the slightest; in fact, it has even regressed. I asked him why. Do you know what he told me?"

The old cultivator looked at Chu Mo, "He said, 'Why should I seek to elevate my realm? It's enough to elevate my soul!'"

Saying this, the old cultivator sighed, "It's a pity, my friend was a cultivator with exceptional talent. If he had been willing to put effort into his cultivation, by now he should have already reached the ascension phase. He might even have had the chance to ascend to the Heavenly Realm! Now... he's completely ruined. He's even worse off than an old cripple like me!"

"Everyone has their own choices, and surely the Buddhist dojo isn't as bad as you think," said Chu Mo.

"It's not that it's bad, it's that the power of their scriptures is too strong," the old cultivator sighed. "Let me put it this way, you were originally an ambitious person, aiming to achieve something within the Cultivation Realm. But, if you listened to their scriptures, nine times out of ten you would abandon that aspiration. To the common folk, that's naturally not an issue. Since their lives are quite brief, they desire prosperity and a good life in their next existence. For them, cultivating Buddhist scriptures can indeed be beneficial. At the very least, it can lead people to goodness. But for cultivators... a steadfast Dao heart is fundamental! Once this Dao heart wavers, their path of cultivation is destroyed! Although everyone has their own choice, it's still a bit of a shame."

Chu Mo nodded, "I think, a Dao heart that can be easily shaken is not a true Dao heart."

"You don't understand the power of their scriptures," the old cultivator sighed, looking at Chu Mo with a hint of pity before speaking, "We're strangers, but I still want to advise you one more time, if you can avoid going to that place, you better stay away."

"I have reasons I must go," Chu Mo sighed.

People in the Cultivation Realm seemed to have deep-seated prejudices and fears about the Buddhist dojo, yet none claimed it to be an evil place. This also indicated one thing: the Buddhist dojo has not committed any evil deeds from ancient times to the present.

An ancient sect that has been able to continue from the distant past to the modern day, without any records of wrongdoing, is a miracle in itself.

Therefore, Chu Mo held no biases or fears towards the Buddhist dojo.

"Is that so..." the old cultivator shook his head and then said, "Then I won't say more. Let me find it for you."

With that, he stood up again and started searching through his stall. After a while, he found a jade slip and tossed it to Chu Mo, "Is this it? The Buddhist dojo is tens of millions of miles from here, in the far northwest direction."

Chu Mo took the jade slip, checked it with his divine sense, then nodded at the old cultivator, "How much is it?"

"Never mind, it's free. I'm giving it to you. But there's one thing I ask of you," the old cultivator said seriously to Chu Mo, "If you see my friend, please deliver a message to him."

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I can't write anymore; that's all for today.

Sickness comes like a mountain collapsing, and fades like silk being drawn... I don't want to get an injection, so I can only recover slowly.

Well, I'm asking for a monthly ticket and a recommendation ticket. Whatever you have, can you cast it?

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