As the abbot, the place where Monk Yi Xin resided was peculiar indeed. He did not live in the meticulously arranged courtyards of the temple, but rather beneath the highest structure, the Treasure Yan Tower, in a solitary Stone House. This location was in the back courtyard, almost the most secluded spot within the temple. When night fell, the chimes atop the tower rang out, creating a sense of serene isolation.

In this corner, the despair that pervaded the temple had not yet reached him. Even if it had, the monk would not have cared. He simply sat on his cloud bed, muttering sutras, until the wind outside the house shifted in a way he was expecting.

The chanting gradually ceased, and the monk's gaze rested on the shadow behind the door. After a while, he said softly, "Lord Zhili, you seem to be in quite a hurry."

Within the shadow, something soft seemed to be stretching and changing, but it never ventured beyond the shadow. However, this thing could speak, its voice was muddled, carrying a gravelly undertone, like the sound of stones constantly clashing.

"You say I'm hasty, yet look at the state of things. If I were any later, would you have sold us all out to be satisfied?"

"Lord Zhili, your words are harsh. It was just earlier today that there was a scene. Your visit at night is quite detrimental to my disguise," Monk Yi Xin responded slowly, seemingly complaining, yet without a hint of fluctuation in his tone.

That "Lord Zhili" scoffed, "What benefit does your disguise bring me? No, I should ask: what use is there for you to exist, for me, for The King?"

After a pause, Zhili's voice grew slightly lower, "People like you are the least trustworthy. Years ago, you and that fellow disguised as a Moon Demon met The King. You used flowery words and flattery to gain The King's trust, promising to open a Passage Between Two Realms, to transform the Sky Rift Valley environment into a place suitable for our race to live. But what was the outcome?

"The thirty thousand demon soldiers assigned to you were broken in the Sky Rift Valley within a few days. Even Lord Di Luo died. Even the Black Magic Altar, opened by The King himself, was damaged and won't be repaired for a hundred and eighty years. Where are all the benefits you promised at that time?"

Monk Yi Xin's square face remained expressionless, he simply replied lightly, "Lord Zhili, you have misunderstood. Frankly, when I met the Great Brahma Demon King, I devised this plan to ensure my own immortality. But now that the plan has failed and the Longevity Methods are still in The King's hands, the chance of obtaining them is even more remote. What benefit does that bring me?

"Furthermore, there are a few things I don't understand. Before breaking the realm, Lord Di Luo claimed that the Ghost Beasts were easy to capture, so why did he end up dying at their hands? The thirty thousand demon soldiers, The King promised were elite, but why were the ones who came out through the tunnel I opened a mixture of races, completely lacking discipline? I remember The King entrusted this matter to Lord Di Luo and you, Lord Zhili. I too would like an explanation for this outcome!"

In the shadows, silence lingered for a long time, but the tone softened somewhat: "The situation is urgent, our realm is still at war, and the dispatch was inevitably hasty. As for Lord Di Luo, who could have expected that at the end of the Ghost Beasts' strength, he could still attract a Rakshasa. Ah, that one's attention led to the failure of success, one mistake cost us everything, it is truly vexing!"

Zhili yielded first, and the Monk no longer pressed aggressively, merely saying: "The plan is temporarily unsuccessful, it is indeed annoying. But The King, for tens of millions of years, has been among the topmost rulers of the Blood Purgatory Ghost Mansion, in heaven and earth, there are few who can compare with him. His vision is far-reaching, and he has his own decisions for all matters. Lord Zhili should not be too anxious. Today, you personally took risks and were besieged, fortunately, you managed to escape. Now that your Primordial Qi is injured, you need to recuperate carefully."

"Heh, although I am not accustomed to this realm and my Cultivation Level has suffered greatly, that woman's Cultivation Level and Magical Instrument are unique. If I lost, I lost, you don't need to make excuses for me."

Monk smiled slightly and said: "Tomorrow the temple will face great changes, I may not be able to protect you completely. Now the only thing to do is to prepare for the Treasure Yan Tower on the side, I have arrangements in it, shall we go together?"

Zhili gave a grunt, which was considered an agreement.

Monk Yi Xin then stood up and walked out the door. The Demons in the shadows didn't need his concern, they had already moved early without a sound. To outsiders, it seemed that the Monk was just going up the tower to clear his mind after sitting for a long time, not thinking of going anywhere else.

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Entering the treasure tower, an eternal light was installed inside, making the Buddha statues inside appear extremely luxurious and solemn. The Monk slowly ascended the stairs, and after reaching the second floor, suddenly said: "Does Lord Zhili know who took action today?"

"That woman?"

In the shadows, the Demons' words were filled with coldness: "Who is she?"

"This woman is named He Qing, a capable person from the Lichen Sect who has emerged in recent decades. She doesn't act high-profile, so you may not have heard of her. However, you may be familiar with her Dao companion. Decades ago, during the war between the two realms in Sky Rift Valley, he was a Golden Elixir Cultivator, wielding a Passing Water Sword, and killed Hengshan, who was once on par with Lord Di Luo."

"Oh? I have some impression of that. Di Luo has been hiding in the Blood Purgatory Ghost Mansion under The King's protection since then. What was that man's name, Yu Zhou?"

Zhili, a man of considerable standing under the Great Brahma Demon King, had been so for hundreds of years. The fact that he could remember the name of a relatively ordinary human Cultivator was truly commendable. But what concerned him more was the woman who had narrowly escaped death: "He Qing, He Qing."

He repeated her name dozens of times, struggling with its unfamiliarity. His resentment towards her, however, was like boiling oil, impossible to quell for the moment.

Monk Yi Xin had reached the fourth floor and stopped. He pointed to a spot on the floor before the Buddha altar, "There is a hidden compartment here. The entrance is here, but once you enter, you are moved to a storage area within the tower wall. The original spot is occupied by a Magical Instrument, designed to deceive the senses. As long as you hide in there, it would not be hard to evade detection."

It had to be said that the Monk's preparations were impressive, and the design of this mechanism was highly effective. But Zhili ignored this, his voice cold, "There's someone upstairs. Who?"

Monk Yi Xin glanced upwards and shook his head, "It's my disgraceful disciple."

"Does he know about your affairs?"

"He knows a little, but don't worry. After tonight, there will be no problem."

Monk explained to Zhili, "He is my eldest disciple, but he is cunning and arrogant, not of the same heart as me. I was able to control him a few years ago, but recently, he has been getting close with Yu Ci of the Lichen Sect, his mind unsettled. When the temple was attacked, he thought of attaching himself to a new branch. I tricked him and captured him. Now he's locked on the fifth floor. I need to find a way to erase his existence."

"I see."

Zhili pondered in the shadows for a while, then suddenly laughed, "You said he's close with a Cultivator from the Lichen Sect? I have a solution that can solve this problem once and for all and help you escape. But I don't know if you're willing to let go."

"Oh, please do tell."

Zhili laughed, "No rush, no rush. Let's go to the fifth floor."

With that, he disappeared. Monk Yi Xin's eyebrows twitched, and he calmly ascended another floor. Upon reaching the top, he saw a monk in a grey robe sitting cross-legged on the ground, his head bowed and completely silent. Upon closer inspection, it was revealed that he had been subdued and was unconscious.

"Is this your disciple?"

"Yes, it's my inferior disciple, Zheng Yan."

"No wonder you've kept this disobedient youngster until now. Tsk, he does have good potential. His cultivation level is just a step away from your Cultivator's Golden Elixir Stage, isn't it?"

Zhili clicked his tongue in amazement, "It would be a pity to kill such a disciple. How about giving him to me?"

"Really?"

"Such a vessel of flesh with this kind of aptitude is a rarity. Today, I was severely wounded by He Qing, leaving only half of my flesh body here. My self-preservation strength is almost nil, and self-recovery is a distant dream. If you are willing, give me your disciple's flesh body. I will attach my separate consciousness and thoughts to it, perform soul possession, and then live among humans under your disciple's identity. This way, even the restrictions of the Primordial Qi of this realm can be greatly reduced, isn't that wonderful?"

Monk Yi Xin's brow furrowed slightly, "If that's the case, we will inevitably have to deal with the Lichen Sect, which is quite risky."

However, Zhili found this plan more feasible, "The aura of the separate consciousness and thoughts is weak, after the possession, it will be further concealed by the Primordial Qi of the flesh body, how can it be discovered? Don't you have a pass to get through tomorrow? If your disciple really has some connection with the Lichen Sect, borrowing his identity, I can always help you in secret!"

As he spoke, something in the edge of the shadow had already revealed a corner, heading towards the unconscious Monk Zheng Yan.

Zhili had always looked down on Monk Yi Xin, having said so much was already an exception, how could he truly care about Yi Xin's thoughts? As he was about to make his move, Monk Yi Xin remained silent, as if he had tacitly agreed.

Just as it should be.

Zhili sneered and extended more of his broken body. He belonged to the "Lato" clan, which means "transformation" in the language of demons. In the Blood Purgatory Ghost Mansion, his clan was quite unique. Although his original body was intact, it could soften like mud when necessary, transforming into almost any shape he wanted. In battle, unless his Divine Soul suffered devastating damage, or his body was completely destroyed, he could still retain a glimmer of life. It was by relying on this talent that he escaped from the Law Sky Prison.

Now, he was about to push his transformation to the extreme, infiltrating the tall and thin monk in front of him.

Just as he was about to make contact, Zhili suddenly felt something was very wrong. Just as he was about to adjust, Monk Yi Xin behind him softly chanted a Buddha's name, "Thank you, Lord Zhili!"

As his words fell, a golden light rose, shining on the fully revealed form of Zhili. With a sweep in mid-air, Zhili disappeared without a trace before he could even hum.

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