In fact, the affairs of the Great Xia Imperial Court have been handled by the Empress all these years.

If it weren't for the Empress having to keep an eye on the old Emperor to prevent him from sneaking out and causing trouble, those greedy fools in the court would have been played to death by her a long time ago!

Zhao Yi replied: "Let's go to the Little Leiyin Temple first. The 'spirit' with a thousand hands and a thousand eyes in my sea of consciousness said that there's a secret about the 'spirit' and the 'ancient' in the secret realm of Little Leiyin Temple. Let's see if what it says is true."

After speaking, Zhao Yi looked far into the distance at the Sumeru Mountain.

Sumeru Mountain truly deserves to be the stronghold of the Buddhist Sect.

When Zhao Yi looked, he only saw a towering mountain with Buddhist temples scattered everywhere like stars.

The incense in the temples rose and shielded the sky, and pilgrims came and went in an endless stream. Zhao Yi could smell the incense aroma from miles away.

"The Buddhist Sect is really grand!"

Zhao Yi looked at the Little Leiyin Temple at the top, where the large Buddha statue glittered under the sunlight, evidently made of gold, showcasing the opulence of the Buddhist Sect!

Zhao Yi immediately felt a bit puzzled.

Since Little Leiyin Temple is already so rich, why does the old monk named Hui An still look so insatiable, even unwilling to give a drop of healing spiritual milk to his companions?

It's not just the Little Leiyin Temple; other cultivation sects seem the same, with more defense against each other than against the enemies right in front of them.

Previously, at the Cultivation Conference, if those cultivators had shown a bit of unity, they wouldn't have been slaughtered by the Dragon Race like chopping vegetables.

The shattered and scattered state of the Cultivation Realm made Zhao Yi wonder where they got the courage to form an Immortal Alliance!

Miaoyin Daoist was not surprised by the affairs of the Cultivation Realm.

She saw Zhao Yi's interest in the golden body of the Buddha at the Little Leiyin Temple, and she laughed and said: "Like it? If you like, I'll have someone send it to your residence later!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Yi immediately became vigilant: "Giving gifts for no reason, what do you want?"

Miaoyin Daoist suddenly looked a bit embarrassed and bashful, saying: "I, I want to borrow General Zuo Luo from you."

Zhao Yi was speechless: "What are you borrowing Zuo Xiaoluo for? Does your Xuanzhen Temple need a chef?"

Zuo Xiaoluo has two jobs: the Grand General of the North and the cook of the Armor-Breaking Army's kitchen.

Miaoyin Daoist seeking Zuo Xiaoluo couldn't possibly be for war.

A nation's weight is in its military and rituals.

Xuanzhen Temple and the Imperial Clan Court oversee the Great Xia Dynasty's rituals and supervision, holding great power.

Noble families and cultivation sects can be eliminated easily and without hesitation.

The affairs of war and the military are directly commanded by the Empress, with the Grand General assisting.

Without the Empress's command token, even as the Sect Leader of Xuanzhen Temple, Miaoyin Daoist couldn't even move a mere Prison Guard.

Since it's not for war, it must be for cooking.

Zhao Yi looked at Miaoyin Daoist in astonishment: "What on earth did you do at Xuanzhen Temple? Weren't the Empresses giving you green vegetables before? How come now they won't even give you a chef?"

"I'm not borrowing General Zuo Luo to make her a chef." Miaoyin Daoist shook her head repeatedly.

After speaking, she waved her hand to the sides, and Huang Ying, seeing this, quickly led the surrounding guards back to their original positions.

Seeing no one around, Miaoyin Daoist embarrassedly said: "I want to engage in dual cultivation with General Zuo Luo."

Hmm?

Zhao Yi was first stunned, then directly dumbfounded.

He looked at Miaoyin Daoist with wide eyes and said incredulously: "Don't tell me, all these years you've been lying to me, and you actually have a bird!"

Miaoyin Daoist didn't understand at first, but seeing Zhao Yi's gaze constantly wandering downward, she immediately caught on.

Her face flushed red as she said, annoyed: "What nonsense are you spouting? Of course, I don't have that thing!"

After that, she said seriously: "Don't project your filthy thoughts on us; we connect spiritually!"

"Connect spiritually?" Zhao Yi was momentarily fazed and asked instinctively, "What position is that?"

"What do you mean, what position?"

Although Miaoyin Daoist was knowledgeable and well-read, she was still a young maiden and couldn't comprehend Zhao Yi's innuendos.

She said in a serious tone: "Connecting spiritually is not a position but a melding of spiritual senses. This process is very dangerous and requires both parties to have exceptionally high talent."

Zhao Yi understood vaguely.

He asked, puzzled: "If it's so dangerous, why take the risk?"

Miaoyin Daoist explained: "Because the rewards upon success are tremendous! After the melding of spiritual senses, the spiritual awareness becomes one, and the cultivation speed can be doubled immediately!"

At this, Miaoyin Daoist looked at Zhao Yi with a helpless expression: "I wasn't initially anxious. Given my age, reaching Tier Eight Ascension Realm is already prodigious."

Zhao Yi nodded: "Your cultivation speed is indeed fast enough. Is further acceleration necessary?"

Miaoyin Daoist is the most talented successor of Xuanzhen Temple in a millennium.

If not, the Empresses wouldn't have transferred the Sect Leader position to her early on.

Huang Ying and Qing Feng, who are beside Zhao Yi, are not much younger than Miaoyin Daoist, but their cultivation is miles behind hers.

In terms of aptitude alone, Miaoyin Daoist is undoubtedly top among her peers.

Of all the people Zhao Yi had seen, only Zuo Xiaoluo could compare to her.

Although Zuo Xiaoluo is also a prodigy, compared to Miaoyin Daoist, her aptitude is slightly inferior.

Zuo Xiaoluo's higher cultivation level compared to Miaoyin Daoist is due to her long years of battling along the border with the Barbarian Race, constantly honing herself in life and death situations.

Miaoyin Daoist hasn't experienced life and death and spends a significant portion of her energy reading the classics of Xuanzhen Temple daily.

Her renown for broad knowledge and strong memory in Shengjing City is well known, though few realize she reached her impressive Tier Eight Ascension Realm merely by casual practice.

Miaoyin Daoist said: "Normally, I indeed don't need to accelerate my practice further. Just following the routine of meditation and Qi training, I'd be able to break through to Tier Nine Saint King Realm by year's end."

She glanced at Zhao Yi, unable to help but say: "But plans can't keep up with changes! I've realized that no matter how good one's physique, it pales in comparison to heaven-defying luck! All my painstaking cultivation over ten years pales beside your mere trip to a secret realm!"

After speaking, Miaoyin Daoist suddenly seemed resentful: "If it were just you, I'd endure it, but even your cheap cousin is more outrageous than you!"

"I read the temple's classics and indeed, 'spirit' can enhance one's cultivation, but there's a process. Otherwise, Yao Su would have already caused a stir!"

"Your cousin actually broke through to Tier Nine Saint King Realm in ten breaths. If it weren't known that he's Prince Zhi's illegitimate child, I would suspect the 'spirit' is his real father!"

Hearing this, Zhao Yi immediately raised an eyebrow.

Though not exactly, it wasn't far off.

If Zhao Yi's suspicion was correct, that 'spirit' is the narrative patch by the plot's will for the original story, it could indeed be said that 'spirit' is the protagonist's real father!

Miaoyin Daoist, unaware of Zhao Yi's inner thoughts, continued babbling: "With both of you so heaven-defying, how can I not be anxious?"

Then, with a solemn expression, Miaoyin Daoist said: "The founding ancestor said, an era of tumult is dawning, and Tier Nine Ascension Realm is the minimum threshold for this contest. If you don't reach this state, you can only become a pawn and won't even have control over your life and death."

After finishing, she looked up at Zhao Yi, and like him, raised a thumb and said: "Bold!"

Zhao Yi gave her a thumbs-up, then smiled: "Then don't ask me. Just go find Zuo Xiaoluo yourself. If she's willing for dual cultivation with you, then I have no objection!"

Zhao Yi nodded and then said seriously: "So, now there's only one last question left."

"What question?" Miaoyin Daoist paused.

Zhao Yi sincerely said: "So, there's only one question left."

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