She still wants to eat lychees.

Central Continent, Thunderclap Pure Land.

Within the Thunderclap Buddhist Temple, a Mahayana-stage Buddha slowly opened his eyes. His figure was slightly robust, his face bearing traces of age, and his expression as serene as the statue behind him, while the sacred halo around him shimmered brightly.

The already silent hall now felt even more solemn.

"Attendants," the Buddha spoke with unwavering dignity.

"We heed the words of Buddha Lingshang."

The Arhat on the left and the Bodhisattva on the right responded in unison.

Buddha Lingshang narrowed his eyes slightly, his tone unchanged:

"Issue the decree—purge the entire Evil Spirit Sect. At the same time, investigate who among them lurks within the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple of the Western Oxen Continent."

"If they can be guided toward righteousness, bring them back. I shall personally enlighten them."

The Arhat remained composed as he bowed and asked, "May I inquire, Buddha Lingshang, if this purge is limited only to the Evil Spirit Sect within the Western Oxen Continent?"

"All of them. Including those in the Central Continent," Buddha Lingshang replied, closing his eyes. "Insignificant pests, laughably feeble."

"As you command."

The Arhat and Bodhisattva on either side responded once more before silently withdrawing to relay the decree.

Inside the hall, Buddha Lingshang slightly raised his palm, mirroring the gesture of the golden Buddha statue in the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple. In that fleeting moment, he appeared nearly indistinguishable from the sacred figure.

Ten Thousand Buddha City.

The conflict within the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple the previous day had not spread beyond its walls. Instead, the night had been illuminated by a divine radiance, as if a true Buddha had descended upon the city.

Thus, today, aside from the even more fervent chanting of Buddhist scriptures, one could hear whispers about how the divine light had bathed Ten Thousand Buddha City in brilliance the night before.

Most spoke of how the faithful devotion during the temple’s gathering had moved the Buddha to bestow his grace upon the mortals present.

Of course, not everyone would receive such blessings—only the most devout would be favored.

This notion, coupled with the previous night’s radiance, had further ignited the zeal of the believers.

The path leading to the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple was now packed with an impassable crowd.

Parents cradled sickly children, chanting scriptures with pious hearts while silently praying for their little ones’ health.

Greedy gamblers beseeched the Buddha for mountains of gold, though such desires remained unspoken.

The world was full of unattainable desires—some sought health, others wealth, power, or love.

Their wishes differed, but their desperation was the same.

And so, in this moment, they were all equally devout, praying fervently to the dreams in their hearts.

To the Buddha, who could grant their wishes without effort.

Lizhi took a slow sip of the strong liquor in her mouth. The once-exquisite drink now tasted dull.

She knew the reason—yesterday’s events were beyond anything she could have dreamed of, even in her wildest drunken fantasies.

In the heat of the moment, she had been stunned, unable to comprehend what was happening. Everything had unfolded in a flash.

But given time, she could piece it all together.

Lizhi glanced at Chu Xingchen and Xu Jin, who sat calmly at the table, sipping tea as if they hadn’t just battled the Buddhist monks of the Central Continent in the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple the day before.

And then there was that golden Buddha statue, its sudden proclamation carrying an overwhelming aura of authority and solemnity…

After a long silence, seeing that neither Chu Xingchen nor Xu Jin spoke—instead quietly drinking tea, their gazes fixed outside the window—Lizhi finally gathered the courage to ask:

"That golden Buddha yesterday… surely it wasn’t just at the Golden Core stage, was it?"

Chu Xingchen didn’t turn his head. Instead, he watched the streams of wish energy, tainted with impurities, drifting toward the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple.

Within that energy, countless desires swirled—greed, lust, violence.

The purity was long gone.

"Mmm. That Buddha was quite fierce yesterday. Nearly exposed us," Chu Xingchen replied nonchalantly.

Lizhi rubbed her palms together, then lowered her voice further:

"Are all the cultivators we’ll face from now on at that level? Or… are they all from the Central Continent?"

The Central Continent was the holy land of cultivation, the dream of every cultivator.

But its inhabitants? Not so much—at least, not for Lizhi.

Cultivators descending from the Central Continent could be of any realm. A Foundation Establishment cultivator like her could strut around in her little corner of the world, but against Central Continent elites—Golden Core or even Nascent Soul experts—she was nothing.

In the past, she would have bowed her head and called a Nascent Soul cultivator "senior." Now, without her cultivation advancing, those same experts were bowing to her.

It felt good, especially when dealing with those bald monks she despised.

But Lizhi wasn’t delusional.

She was willing to help, but not at the cost of her life.

As a prodigy of the Western Oxen Continent, she was destined to shine brightly here—not die prematurely at the hands of Central Continent cultivators.

At this level of conflict, having a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator as a guide was practically meaningless.

Yet… she wasn’t sure she could simply walk away now.

Especially since that monk might have seen her face. What if she was branded as part of the Evil Spirit Sect?

The thrill of the moment had faded, replaced by regret.

Unease gnawed at her—her parents were still alive and well, after all.

Even Xu Jin, who had remained silent, sensed Lizhi’s hesitation.

But he said nothing. Whether to keep her or let her go was Chu Xingchen’s decision, not his.

Xu Jin didn’t even turn his head, instead focusing on tracing the flow of wish energy once the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple had consumed its fill.

Chu Xingchen turned back, summoning a teacup with a flick of spiritual energy and placing it before Lizhi. He poured her a cup himself.

"You’ve worked hard these past days. The monk in the temple didn’t see your true appearance."

"If you wish to return and rest, that’s fine. But remember—keep your lips sealed. You never met me or him."

"As long as you stay silent, you’ll be safe."

Lizhi watched as Chu Xingchen filled the cup nearly to the brim, then met his ever-present gentle smile.

She wanted to say something graceful, but perhaps people of the Western Oxen Continent weren’t skilled in such things.

In the end, she simply said sincerely, "Thank you, Senior…"

Then she moved to return the protective artifacts and talismans Chu Xingchen had given her.

Chu Xingchen refused the artifacts but took back the talismans. If these fell into Buddhist hands, they might trace them back to him.

After all, the Eighteen Immortal Sects had their share of unfathomable methods.

The talismans were too risky.

As for Lizhi, she was still a disciple of the Tianyan Sect. Without solid evidence, the Buddhists wouldn’t dare openly target her.

"May your path to immortality flourish," Chu Xingchen said with a smile. "You’ve been a great help."

Lizhi shook her head hastily, retrieving stacks of prepared materials from her spatial ring and placing them respectfully on the table.

"I hope these will be of use to you, Senior."

Chu Xingchen didn’t refuse, accepting the books with a nod.

"Travel safely. With urgent matters at hand, I won’t see you off."

Xu Jin watched as Lizhi clasped her hands in farewell and departed. After waiting a moment to confirm she had left the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, he finally spoke up and asked,

"Brother Chu, how can you let her leave so easily?"

Chu Xingchen rose leisurely to his feet and replied with seemingly unrelated words:

"Lizhi's life is still a life. She still wants to eat lychees, after all."