Chapter 329: Chapter 224: Jiang Shan Takes Action, the Fall of the White Lotus Ancient Sect, Ceding the Relic, and Imperial Capital Public Opinion

The Taoist Sect reveres inaction, often choosing to cultivate in the seclusion of the mountains, a path removed from the mortal world.

The Buddhist Sect, on the other hand, is the opposite. They periodically descend from the mountains to seek alms and help the common folk with their troubles, advocating for the resolution of karma and the cultivation of Merit Power.

Acquiring merit inevitably requires them to intervene in worldly affairs.

To accomplish their goals and make their principles heard, being silver-tongued naturally yields twice the results with half the effort.

At least, that was what Lu Mingyuan believed.

In truth, Jiang Shan had known the identity of the Relic’s owner all along.

He simply hadn’t revealed it.

His purpose was to provide cover for the Relic’s new owner.

Since a certain someone wished to remain hidden, he must have had his reasons, and Jiang Shan felt obligated to respect that decision.

In fact, Jiang Shan had been paying attention to Lu Mingyuan for a long time.

Before entering the Imperial Capital, he had made inquiries about the habits and characters of the various Princes.

A clear understanding and choosing the right person would help him spread Buddhist philosophy and promote the Buddhist Technique.

Compared to the other Princes, the Sixth Prince possessed an indescribable purity and clarity.

This wasn’t a superficial purity.

It was a purity of the heart.

Without apprehension.

Without fear.

Without desire.

Indifferent to the struggles for power, he paid no mind to others, content to watch the clouds drift by and the winds rise and fall. ’I will just be myself.’

Unmoved by material gain, unfazed by personal loss.

The seven emotions and six desires could hardly touch him.

Lu Mingyuan had such potential.

’Now they’ve walked right into the trap. The entire Drunken Flower Tower is surrounded by the Imperial Guard. It’s time for the White Lotus Ancient Sect to surrender without a fight.’

With Luo Ying and Jiang Shan standing by his side, Lu Mingyuan felt an indescribable sense of satisfaction.

He felt completely secure.

Especially with Jiang Shan there.

’What a powerful ally!’

Twelfth Realm Nirvana Arhats were rare enough, let alone one like Jiang Shan who had condensed the Buddha’s Golden Body.

Even now, Jiang Shan had yet to break through to the Upper Three Grades.

Yet he already possessed the Buddha’s Golden Body, making his power top-tier even among those in the Twelfth Realm!

The Twelfth Realm also had its own tiers of strength.

Someone like Xu Changqing, for instance, had only just entered the Twelfth Realm. He was still young, and his strength fell short of an expert like Well Water True Monarch. Compared to the veteran Sect Masters of major powers, his Dao Practice was insufficient.

Only those with a century of Dao Practice, like Fairy Ci Hang, were the true pillars of the Twelfth Realm. The Nanli Dynasty’s Elder Sword Saint was another such case—a veteran, top-tier expert who had long been established in the Twelfth Realm.

Well Water True Monarch, Sui Yuqing, and the Piano Demon were on a similar level of combat prowess, but could only be considered second-tier masters within the realm.

In contrast, the Fisherman, Ren Tu, and the Elder Sword Saint were all first-tier masters.

Truly "super-class" masters were exceptionally rare.

They were all individuals with immense potential, capable of one day ascending to the Upper Three Grades.

Jiang Shan was one of them.

He was armed with numerous Buddhist Techniques, had condensed the Buddha’s Golden Body, and wielded a legacy Magical Treasure of the Buddhist Dao.

He was certain to make the ascent, truly worthy of his title as the foremost Zen Master of the Great Golden Cicada Temple.

The structure of the Buddhist Sect wasn’t as complex or rule-bound as the Dao Alliance, which was divided into hundreds, if not thousands, of individual Sects.

The Buddhist Sect was far simpler, led by the seven great ancient temples that oversaw the numerous smaller temples across the Central Plains.

In fact, Lu Mingyuan had heard of another top-tier expert in the Twelfth Realm.

His master.

Zhao Xuanwu.

The old man often boasted that the Thirteenth Realm was no big deal and that he could have cut down a whole swath of them in his prime. Lu Mingyuan had no idea if it was true.

If it was true, though...

...then Zhao Xuanwu was also a super-class master within the Twelfth Realm. After all, there weren’t many in the Twelfth Realm who could fight against those in the Upper Three Grades.

The Thirteenth Realm of the Martial Dao: Martial Saint.

It had once been an unattainable goal.

Now, however, it had become the distant shore he was striving to reach.

As for the ten great masters of the Imperial Court’s Inner Court, Lu Mingyuan couldn’t see through Zhong Yuli and Chi Ming Red at all.

His gut feeling told him...

...they were definitely no weaker than the first-tier masters.

This solid feeling of having powerful people around him—this was security.

’Perhaps this was how Prince Jin, Lu Guangjing, felt back when he commanded the Endless Pavilion. With countless masters at his disposal, he eliminated the other Princes. Was this the feeling?’

Lu Mingyuan thought he was beginning to understand the taste of the struggle for power.

As the number of experts by his side grew...

...a sense of security would rise in anyone’s heart.

Standing at Lu Mingyuan’s side, Luo Ying watched the profile of the white-clothed Jiang Shan. Their friendly conversation sent a secret shock through her.

’Their relationship seems to be quite good.’

She had never expected...

...that Jiang Shan, the dignified Imperial Tutor of the Silver Frost Empire, was actually an associate of the Crown Prince.

’Could Jiang Shan be part of the Eastern Palace Mansion as well?’

’If the Eastern Palace has a Twelfth Realm Arhat on its side, that carries a lot of weight.’

DING!

With a surge of Spiritual Qi, the entire area around the Drunken Flower Tower was enveloped in layers of a hazy, great fog Array.

As the Grand Commander of Xuanwu Gate, Lin Xiangyun naturally had control over all the Arrays within the city.

The moment the Imperial Guard surrounded the Drunken Flower Tower, all the surrounding Arrays activated. No information could escape, and the outside world would have no idea what was happening inside.

At this moment, Duanmu Lian, the Sect Leader of the White Lotus Ancient Sect, was absolutely furious.

The battle hadn’t even started, yet the White Lotus Ancient Sect had already suffered devastating losses. This was completely different from what he had anticipated.

"Hell Bone Claw."

The Netherworld Lotus Yin Qi within Duanmu Lian’s body erupted. He formed his five fingers into a claw and, in a furious strike, lunged for Lin Xiangyun’s abdomen, trying to stop him from controlling the Array.

The Claw Mark that flew out was both chillingly cold and razor-sharp, resembling a skeletal hand dozens of meters long.

PFFT!

The Armor on Lin Xiangyun’s abdomen was torn open, leaving five bloody gashes, each tens of centimeters long.

The force radiating from the Claw Mark sent Lin Xiangyun’s tall frame flying backward, where he crashed to the ground with a tremendous BOOM.

Lin Xiangyun wasn’t dead. He struggled, slowly pushing his body back up.