Mu Jinyu's eyes flickered when he heard Arhat's words; he had roughly guessed what they meant.
And the Arhat continued, "Dragon King, you should consider, among the cultivators in your Dragon King Hall who possess True Qi, there should be quite a number, right? Or perhaps among the people of other organizations, there are Qi Cultivators, but why don't you ask someone else and insist on inviting us over?"
"This is because the three schools of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism—oh, we should also include Brilliant Divine Authority—their cultivation techniques are unique. They inherently contain upright and magnanimous energy, which is unafraid of being eroded by demons and heresies. However, this is not the case for ordinary cultivators."
"So... Dragon King, you should realize the flaw in your formation, which is that it can only draw upon the pure spiritual energy of nature. If it's used for alchemy and cultivation, that would be extremely beneficial, but for crafting Evil Warding Magical Implements, it's not quite suitable!"
"Therefore, my suggestion is for you, Dragon King, to obtain a sacred treasure from one of the three schools to serve as the core of the formation. In this way, when crafting magic artifacts, it will naturally draw the upright and magnanimous energy of nature, providing true protection and blessing to the Evil Warding Magical Implement!"
"I see..." After hearing Arhat's words, Mu Jinyu immediately showed a look of realization and praised, "That's an eye-opener indeed. Previously, I only pondered how to arrange the formation to activate the Evil-Repelling Runes on the magic artifact with spiritual energy but neglected this most important point."
Speaking of which, Mu Jinyu slightly furrowed her brow and humbly asked, "Then might I inquire, Master, what are the sacred treasures of the three schools that can be used to establish the formation? And where might I go to find them?"
The Arhat said, "Dragon King need not look far and wide. In Capital City's Guang Buddha Temple lies a relic left behind by an Arhat who entered nirvana over three hundred years ago. If it is obtained, it can certainly be used as the core of the formation and will be more than sufficient."
An Arhat of this caliber was a high-ranking monk, a divine realm powerhouse, on par with the likes of Buddha Head Shining with Buddha's Light or Victorious Buddha.
However, more than three hundred years ago, the Buddha's Light Alliance did not exist. Otherwise, with its strength, vying for the position of Buddha Head would have been easy.
Mu Jinyu, upon hearing Arhat's words, was somewhat surprised and quickly said, "Then could Master please contact the masters of Guang Buddha Temple and borrow that relic for our use? Once this darkness and upheaval are over, I will definitely return it intact!"
"This..." Arhat appeared troubled at Mu Jinyu's request.
Mu Jinyu asked, "Does Master have a difficulty?"
Before Arhat could reply, Master Yi beside him started to explain, "Dragon King may not be aware, although 'Buddha's Light Shines Everywhere' is a coalition of monks, nearly all monks and nuns participate, yet this doesn't mean that within Buddha's Light, it's all solidarity..."
"Oh..." Mu Jinyu replied upon hearing Master Yi's explanation, suddenly comprehending.
He realized that 'Buddha's Light Shines Everywhere' was like the previous 'Slaughter Redemption' led by a Buddha Head with monks under his command, while there were still disputes among the major temples underneath, either for profit or for status. In short, they were not united!
"Yes!" Then Arhat continued with a sigh, "The abbot of Guang Buddha Temple, Master Rushi, and the heads of both Dharma Hall and Arhat Hall, Master Ru Nei and Ru Wai, the three of them once contended with Victorious Buddha for the position of Buddha Head. Having narrowly lost, they began to act out within 'Buddha's Light Shines Everywhere,' showing signs of wanting to withdraw from the alliance. Therefore, if I were to make contact, I might ruin the matter..."
Master Yi also sighed, "Yes, it's not suitable for me either. If we want to ask them to lend us the relic, I'm afraid Dragon King you will need to make the trip yourself."
"Is that so..."
Hearing them mention this, Mu Jinyu felt that the monks of Guang Buddha Temple would be difficult to deal with. Approaching them to borrow the relic would most likely result in rejection.
After thinking it over, he asked, "Then if we don't seek this relic, does the Taoist Sect have any other treasures that might serve as the cornerstone?"
Both Arhat and Master Yi naturally were not clear on such matters and turned their gaze to Ning Fan.
Ning Fan shook his head and said, "Although I hold a nominal position in 'Way of Nature,' I've always lived a carefree life. If I hadn't happened to be nearby this time, obliged by duty, I probably wouldn't have come to face this crisis with everyone. Therefore, I am not aware of any treasures within the Taoist Sect."
"There is still another option."
Arhat said, "The sacred treasure of Brilliant Divine Authority, the Spear of Longinus, would also more than suffice to anchor the formation if used as the core."
"Brilliant Divine Authority?"
Upon hearing Arhat's suggestion, Mu Jinyu did not show any ecstasy.
The Dragon King Hall, the Brilliant Divine Authority, and the Fallen Splendor all held some grudges with each other. Although the dark unrest now called for united hatred and concerted action in slaying demons, it was clear they would not willingly lend out the Spear of Longinus to themselves.
Even if they were willing to lend it, they would likely stall, waiting until the Dragon King Hall had suffered more casualties before handing it over while also imposing various demands!
"Forget it, I might as well make a trip to the Guang Buddha Temple myself!"
After weighing the options, Mu Jinyu decided it was better to seek help from the three monks of the Guang Buddha Temple than to borrow treasures from the Brilliant Divine Authority.
"That works too. Let us wish the Dragon King a smooth journey then!"
Arhat, upon hearing Mu Jinyu's decision, wasn't surprised and respectfully placed his palms together before saying.
"Hmm, before I borrow the Buddha Relic, I'll have to trouble the masters to continue crafting protective talismans," Mu Jinyu apologetically said.
"It's no trouble. For the sake of all beings in the world, this bit of hardship is nothing. It's far less than what the warriors who face the chaos of demons and resolve the issue of devils endure," the Arhat replied.
Mu Jinyu nodded without saying anything more and left the room.
After Mu Jinyu had left, the Arhats didn't waste any more time and continued the monotonous process of crafting the magical instruments they had made thousands of times before.
Upon leaving the small building, Mu Jinyu didn't disturb Mu Hongchen who was resting but instead asked Gu Xiyan and the others to help find the location of the Guang Buddha Temple.
Very soon, Gu Xiyan sent the exact location of the Guang Buddha Temple to Mu Jinyu.
Mu Jinyu then drove to the Guang Buddha Temple.
Due to the havoc wreaked by the demons, the journey was unusually smooth and unobstructed.
Half an hour later, Mu Jinyu arrived at the foothills of the Guang Buddha Temple.
Ascending the stone steps, Mu Jinyu quickly made his way into the Mahavira Hall.
A few young novice monks, upon learning that the Dragon King from the Dragon King Hall had come to visit, quickly ran to contact Abbot Rushi.
Soon, draped in a kasaya and holding a Zen Staff, Rushi entered the Mahavira Hall, chanted a Buddhist mantra, and said, "Amitabha, I am the Abbot Rushi of Guang Buddha Temple, I greet the Dragon King. May I know the purpose of the Dragon King's visit?"
Mu Jinyu took out a Gold Inlaid Jade Magical Instrument and handed it to Rushi, saying, "Master, please take a look at this magical instrument."
After examining it briefly, Rushi smiled in admiration, "It's indeed a fine magical instrument. But, it only has the power to ward off evil. Does this relate to the reason for the Dragon King's visit?"
Mu Jinyu replied, "Gold can block the corruption of demons, but it's not feasible for people to be fully armored in gold. Therefore, using an evil warding magical implement amplified by gold can ward off the pervasive disaster ..."
He briefly explained the principle and efficacy of the Gold Inlaid Jade Magical Instrument to Rushi.
Rushi listened and was full of praise.
Mu Jinyu continued, "But the current difficulty lies in the shortage of people who can make these magical instruments, and the demand for the Gold Inlaid Jade Magical Instruments is extremely high. Hence, I've developed a formation that will allow for mass production; I'm just missing one thing."
He paused, then spoke earnestly, "Therefore, I've taken the liberty of coming to your esteemed temple to humbly request that the master lend it to me for use!"
"What thing?" Rushi asked in confusion.
Mu Jinyu answered, "The Arhat Relic."