Upon hearing Zhao Rui’s words, the Zhenren of Qingcheng all lowered their gazes, remaining silent.

"Is it something you’d rather not discuss with us?"

Zhao Rui asked tactfully.

Master Weichen’s eyes closed slightly. A moment later, he spoke. "Now that our two sects have merged, there is no need for secrets. It’s just... this matter is rather shameful to admit."

"What do you mean?"

Zhao Rui and Yu Zhengnan asked, confused.

"All of us, from the various sects to the Gui Xu people of Central Asia, are in truth nothing more than stray dogs who have fled our homes."

Master Weichen said with a long sigh, his voice filled with bleakness and resignation.

"How is that possible?"

Yu Zhengnan exclaimed, certain he must have misheard.

The various sects were filled with masters. To say nothing of the others, a single master in the Dharma Realm could stand at the pinnacle of the world.

And that’s not even mentioning the Gui Xu people, whose masters are countless.

"Was there a reason for this?"

"You must know of the time five hundred years ago when our predecessors broke into Gui Xu... In truth, the place we found was just a desolate corner of Gui Xu. After several hundred years of development, things gradually began to look up..."

"Unfortunately, over a hundred years ago, civil war broke out in Gui Xu. A faction of powerful experts was defeated and fled south. The enemy swarmed in, and we struggled to resist for a long time..."

"Fortunately, a century ago, the Celestial Secret afforded us a single thread of hope. A fissure reappeared at the border between Gui Xu and Blue Star..."

"The enemy was ferocious. We and the defeated Gui Xu army had no choice but to seek our own opportunities, contact Blue Star, and lay our plans in advance..."

After hearing Master Weichen’s story, Zhao Rui was at a loss for words.

’No wonder the return of these sects was so subdued, even though they made some initial waves.’

’And the Court’s handling of their return and integration was far too smooth and discreet.’

’So, the two sides had been in deep contact for a long time.’

’Now, they’re pulling back the curtain step by step, revealing the power of the Gui Xu Martial Dao to the world.’

’Perhaps my own conflict with Cangwu Zi was, in one way or another, just another move in their game.’

"How should Qingcheng Mountain position itself now?"

Zhao Rui didn’t want to get too involved in these convoluted schemes. Increasing one’s strength was always the best way to gain a voice.

Right now, he just wanted to know how Qingcheng Mountain should proceed. To put it more bluntly, he wanted to know if this crisis would affect Qingcheng Mountain.

"Gui Xu is vast. I doubt they have much interest in a tiny place like Blue Star. With the defeated Gui Xu army acting as a buffer, we should have some peaceful days ahead."

Weichen said calmly.

Zhao Rui nodded and asked no further questions.

The next day, Zhao Rui and Yu Zhengnan marked out a new plot of land near the side hall on the right of the Qingcheng Sect’s grounds. Following the old plans, they designated it as the site for the Qingcheng Sword Sect’s Daoist Temple.

Once construction was complete, they could move in.

Things were always in flux; only with stability could one achieve long-term growth.

After settling the matter of the merger, Zhao Rui bid farewell to Yu Zhengnan and departed gracefully.

His destination: the heart of the Central Plains!

The morning air was crisp and cold on Songshan. Mist coiled through the lush forests, where occasional pilgrims prostrated themselves on the ground, kowtowing to the Buddha to make a wish or fulfill a vow, making for a lively scene.

As the most famous sect, the sheer number of worshippers it attracted would make all other sects combined green with envy.

"Look! A great, enlightened monk is revealing his power! Quick, kowtow!"

Suddenly, someone in the crowd ascending the mountain pointed toward the peak and shouted excitedly.

The crowd of pilgrims and tourists all looked up in the direction he was pointing.

There, above the distant Shaolin Temple, a faint, ethereal image of the Buddha had materialized. The apparition was grand and majestic, radiating a soft golden light.

"Amitabha Buddha!"

The crowd of pilgrims and believers fell to their knees, kowtowing and crying out for the Buddha’s blessing, hailing the miracle.

A rare wave of prostration swept through the entire mountain path.

Hundreds of people, a vast and mighty tide, made for a spectacular sight when viewed from above.

"It’s merely the manifestation of a Dharma Aspect. A simple technique, and you people think it’s a divine miracle. How pathetic!"

Just then, a clear, beautiful female voice spoke, laced with disdain.

The voice was resonant, crisp and pleasant, seeming to whisper directly and clearly into every person’s ear.

Including the monks on the mountain.

The Guest Monk standing guard by the incense burner at the mountain gate shot a look at a disciple behind him.

The disciple quickly darted inside the temple.

"How can you spout such nonsense? The Buddha will hear you and bring you misfortune."

A devout pilgrim followed the voice and saw that the speaker was a graceful woman. She wore simple but elegant attire that made her seem quite refined and timeless.

The pilgrim, feeling a sense of goodwill toward her, hurriedly tried to reason with her.

"Oh? I don’t believe in the Buddha. I believe in the Great Totem Demon!"

The woman giggled. With a flicker of movement, she appeared beside a man.

"Why aren’t you kneeling?"

The woman arched a pretty eyebrow.

"I’ve been liberated."

"...What do you mean?"

"It means nothing. We’re just strangers passing by. You do your thing, I’ll do mine. Goodbye."

With that, the man walked straight up the mountain.

’He doesn’t even want to talk to me?’

The woman’s eyes narrowed slightly, but she didn’t pursue him. Instead, she also began walking up the mountain.

And so the two of them, one after the other, headed toward the gates of Shaolin.

Seeing how abruptly the pair had appeared on the path, the Guest Monk on the mountain knew at once that "unwelcome guests" had arrived.

He hurried forward to intercept them.

He put his palms together and said, "Benefactors, you have come from afar, bringing great honor to our humble temple. May I ask if you are here to worship the Buddha or to find someone?"

"I’m just a tourist," the man said. "No need for formalities, Grand Monk."

After speaking, the man sidestepped the Guest Monk, gave a faint smile, and continued toward the temple.

He was clearly indicating that he hadn’t come to cause trouble.