After spending some good time with Yunru.. They had remained pressed against each other.

"The investiture is over, but your true mission is only just beginning."

BaiShe did not turn around immediately. He adjusted his sage monocle with calculated slowness, his heterochromatic pupils fixed on the horizon. ... "This young scholar appreciates the calm of this pavilion, Elder Yunru. However, I sense that your presence here is not motivated solely by the desire to contemplate the landscape at my side."

Yunru let out a small stifled laugh, coming to press herself against BaiShe’s arm. The heat of her breast against his shoulder was intense. "You are as perceptive as ever, Lord Executor. The Council of Elders has deliberated. The threat of the Devourer seems to have calmed on the surface, but a shadow persists in our karmic records. It is imperative that you proceed to *Immortal Grave."

BaiShe frowned slightly. "Immortal Grave... The place where Yin Qi reaches its paroxysm and where the Ashura remains sealed under the guard of the monks."

"Precisely" acquiesced Yunru by tightening her grip on his arm. "The seals are weakening. The Dao Temple fears that a resonance between your awakening and the hatred of the Ashura may cause a dimensional rupture. You must go there to assess the situation and, if necessary, impose your authority as Judge." ...

BaiShe finally turned his head toward her, his jade face betraying no emotion. "Consequently, logic dictates that I leave the safety of this temple to venture into an open-air tomb. Very well. Prepare the departure." 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

***

*Upper Realms, Toward Mount Hua...*

The convoy floated silently, only the light snapping of the reins punctuating the humming of prayers that the phoenixes seemed to weave in their wake. Zhi Mei accompanied BaiShe, her Sidhe silhouette straighter and more pious than ever in her light armor that highlighted her generous curves; a lock had escaped from her bun, brushing her cheek with each oscillation of the chariot.

Her eyes blue as the ocean scrutinized the steep summits of Mount Hua that began to pierce the purple mist on the horizon, while her fingers absently brushed the small jade pendant hanging from her belt, a talisman against the evil spirits of Immortal Grave.

Mount Hua was a spiritual fortress, a domain where the monks cultivated the Dao through detachment and meditation. The air there was saturated with a Qi so pure that it seemed to wash the soul of anyone who crossed its borders.

Already, down below, one could distinguish the first pines twisted by the high-altitude winds, their branches laden with small silver bells whose tinkling, it was said, chased away impure thoughts. The cliffs were dotted with millennial pagodas and cherry trees whose flowers never fell, yet some petals described slow spirals when a sacred mist brushed them. A scent of incense and ancient tea leaves already rose from the first hermitages carved into the rock.

Upon their arrival on the main platform, a delegation of monks was waiting for them. Unlike the usual arrogance of the great sects, these men dressed in saffron robes bowed with sincere humility. BaiShe’s aura, now imbued with the Authority of the Dao, imposed a natural deference.

"We salute the Dao Executor and the Holy Templar" announced the chief monk, an old man whose skin resembled dried parchment. "Your coming was expected in our mantras. Mount Hua opens its doors to you."

BaiShe descended from the chariot with nonchalant elegance. "I thank the brothers of Mount Hua for this welcome. We are here to measure the evil that gnaws at Immortal Grave."

Zhi Mei stepped forward, her purifying warrior presence reassuring the youngest monks. "We need precise information on the state of the seals and on the recent movements of the Ashura" ... she declared with firmness.

The chief monk nodded. "For that, you must meet the first disciple of Buddha, the one who carries the burden of inner vision: the Buddhist brother Chong Da."

They were led through zen stone gardens to an isolated cave, away from the monastery’s bustle. Inside, the air was cool and laden with the scent of sandalwood incense. Seated in lotus position on a simple straw mat was a man whose presence seemed to deny the very existence of matter.

Chong Da was a man of imposing stature despite his seated position. His black hair was closely shaved, and a white silk headband covered his eyes, marking his physical blindness. His skin was of a matte tone, and his face breathed an absolute peace, almost disturbing. The second BaiShe entered, the monk slightly inclined his head.

"Lord BaiShe... The Judge whose heart carries the abyss and whose forehead carries the sky... Be welcome" began Chong Da in a calm voice that seemed to resonate directly in the souls of his interlocutors.

’I see that with my mere presence, he can detect the khao...’

BaiShe adjusted his monocle, discreetly activating his Third Eye Art.

[ Ding! Target detected: Chong Da ]

[ Title: Disciple of Buddha / Path of Humans ]

[ Luck Points: 50 000 ]

[ State: Blind but possesses the Vision of Karma ]

’Fifty thousand luck points?’ thought BaiShe, a spark of predatory curiosity shining in his eyes. ’This monk is a far more important variable than expected in my equations.’

"Lord Chong Da..." replied BaiShe with icy courtesy. "This young scholar has come to seek the truth behind the legends of Immortal Grave. It is said that you see what the Dao hides from mortal eyes." ...

Chong Da sketched a serene smile. "Truth is an expensive commodity, Lord Executor. The knowledge I hold does not belong to this realm, but to the very fabric of reincarnation."

BaiShe immediately understood the message. He made a mental gesture toward his system. ’System, pay 2000 luck points to extract the information hidden by this annoying monk.’

[ Ding! 2000 Luck Points consumed! ]

[ Revelation of the ongoing plot... 100% ]

[ Access to the Secrets of the 6 Paths of Reincarnation granted. ]

Suddenly, a vision invaded BaiShe’s mind. He saw a colossal metaphysical structure divided into six distinct branches. Chong Da’s voice seemed to synchronize with the system’s data, becoming the echo of a forgotten reality.

"You had an interesting technique, Lord BaiShe..."

"What do you mean?" BaiShe furrowed his brows.

"Well I sense that you are reading my karma, to obtain secret information but do not go to so much trouble... I have nothing to hide..."

"..." BaiShe remained silent. The monk did not know he had a system, but he could not even inquire about him without him knowing it.

’This blind monk must die.’

"In reality, Lord BaiShe... the world as you know it is only a fragment. The six paths of reincarnation have incarnated in this cycle. I am Chong Da, the bearer of the Path of Humans." began the blind monk.

Zhi Mei widened her eyes, her hand tightening on the pommel of her blade. "The six paths? But those are only theories from cultists of the ancient eras!"

"Well, it seems that myths always have a root in reality" cut in BaiShe, inviting Chong Da to continue with a gesture of his hand.

"Your master, Lord Pangu, is the holder of the Path of Devas" ... continued Chong Da, his voice not faltering. "And the one you call The Ashura, sealed in the tomb, is the incarnation of the Path of Asuras. We are all in some ways different incarnations of the Buddha." ...

The monk rose slowly, his Qi of peace beginning to tint with fanatical ambition, although his expression remained calm. "If one of us manages to absorb the other paths, he will transcend the condition of chosen one to become the true Buddha, the absolute sovereign of reincarnation and causality."

Chong Da turned toward the south, where the shadow of Immortal Grave extended. "My goal is simple, Lord Executor. I will break the seal and absorb the Ashura to strengthen my own path. With his essence of war and my human vision, I will be the one who stabilizes the cycle."

Zhi Mei took a step back, horrified. "You want to release this monster? This is madness! Mount Hua will fall first!"

Chong Da laughed softly, a crystalline and pure sound that contrasted with his words. "Sacrifices are necessary for the great harmony. Lord BaiShe, as Executor, you should understand that justice sometimes demands razing a forest to let a new tree grow."

BaiShe remained motionless, his silver gaze plunged into the darkness of the cave. A narcissistic and cruel smile stretched his lips. He had just understood that this journey was not a simple purification mission, but a multidimensional chess game where the Devourer, the Judge and the Monk would vie for the reins of destiny.

"The Path of Humans, that of the Devas and that of the Asuras..." murmured BaiShe to himself. "It seems that the journey to Immortal Grave is going to be far more interesting than what the Elders of the Temple had foreseen."

He adjusted his monocle, a violet gleam crossing his pupils. "Lord Chong Da, I thank you for this clarity. Prepare yourself, for where the logic of reincarnation stops, the authority of the Celestial Judge takes over. And this young scholar has no intention of letting a blind monk direct his banquet."

Chong Da inclined his head one last time. "May your Dao guide you, BaiShe. We will meet again at the heart of the tomb."

BaiShe and Zhi Mei left the cave. Once in the open air, under the biting wind of Mount Hua, the saint turned toward her companion. "BaiShe, we cannot let him do this! If Pangu is one of these paths, then the Supreme Sect is also in danger!"

"Do not be so impatient, miss Mei..." replied he using this nickname he reserved for his moments of intellectual domination. "Let the pawns advance. If Chong Da wants the Ashura, let him seek it. A Demon only strikes when the fruits are ripe for devouring."

The sky above Mount Hua seemed to have darkened, charged by the revelation of the six paths and the growing shadow of Immortal Grave. Xuan BaiShe was already walking toward his next feast, savoring in advance the taste of divine blood and reincarnated souls he was about to collect.