It seemed Lan Yingxiang had been holding back during her previous fight with Yuan Jing, not revealing her true capabilities.
Instead, she had schemed to use Wu Tao as a vanguard, a meat shield of sorts.
In short, he was the unluckiest scapegoat.
To this, Wu Tao could only remain silent and sigh, saying nothing.
After all, it was a humiliating matter for a grown man to be outmaneuvered and outwitted by a woman. There was nothing more to say about it.
He, Wu Tao, had always been the one to make others carry the can. This time, he had been tricked by a woman and ended up carrying a huge burden himself.
Not only did he absorb Yuan Jing's hatred, but he also gained nothing in return.
The current era's cultivation world truly had a poor atmosphere.
Those who could use schemes and calculations to trap others, the schemers whose minds were filled with plots, would be admired and respected by others.
Conversely, the honest individuals who were ambushed and suffered heavy losses would be looked down upon and kicked further while they were down.
Adding to the glory and beating a drowning dog – isn't that how it is now?
...
Wu Tao and Lan Yingxiang left Baishatan City and flew towards the Yunwu Mountain Range using their artifacts.
In the center of the Yunwu Mountain Range lay a vast expanse of mist.
This mist, however, was different from the fog in other places. It seemed to be stationary, with little sign of turbulent movement.
Within the mist, there was a vast area.
Forests, streams, high mountains, basins... everything was present.
"Bang!"
Blood splashed, and a massive demon beast's head flew off.
With a single sword stroke cutting down a pouncing demon beast, Wu Tao and Lan Yingxiang continued their speed unabated, their figures disappearing into the Yunwu Mountain Range.
Opening a map left from the desolate ancient era, Lan Yingxiang's left index finger tapped on a marked location on the map.
After observing carefully for a moment, Lan Yingxiang turned to Wu Tao and said, "The Yunwu Mountain Range is mostly high mountains. This should be the Lesser Yue Mountain Range, and further ahead is the Greater Yue Mountain. After crossing the Greater Yue Mountain, we need to traverse a miasmic swamp."
"Unfortunately, beyond this point, there is no detailed map. We'll have to feel our way. Well, let's go there first."
Putting away the map, Lan Yingxiang tilted her head to look at the sky. After exchanging a glance with Wu Tao, the two instantly vanished from their spot.
A miasmic swamp was far more dangerous than other places.
Wu Tao and Lan Yingxiang dared not charge recklessly, lest they attract the attention of powerful demon beasts.
This caused the journey to take longer.
However, sometimes, no matter how careful one was, it was impossible to cover all bases. Over several days, Wu Tao and Lan Yingxiang encountered a total of twenty to thirty Foundation Establishment stage demon beasts and four to five Core Formation stage demon beasts.
If not for their thorough preparations, Wu Tao and Lan Yingxiang might have perished in this miasmic swamp and never crawled out.
It was only after arriving here that Lan Yingxiang let slip some information, briefly explaining the origin of this ruin to Wu Tao.
"Brother Wu, have you ever heard of... the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple!"
Upon hearing the name "Ten Thousand Buddha Temple," Wu Tao's face showed signs of thought. His brow furrowed slightly, and after a moment, he shook his head and slowly said, "I have not."
Hearing Wu Tao's reply, Lan Yingxiang did not seem surprised. She continued speaking.
"That's understandable. This Ten Thousand Buddha Temple was a major power in Liangzhou during the desolate ancient era. Legend has it that its founding patriarch was a high monk from the Great Guangming Temple, one of the ten righteous sects of Jizhou."
"Later, for reasons unknown, he eventually betrayed the Great Guangming Temple, came to Liangzhou, and founded the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple."
"The cultivation techniques of the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple, though extremely powerful, had very high requirements for the practitioner's aptitude, resulting in a consistently sparse population within the temple."
"For any power, especially a large one, the most detrimental thing is a lack of incense and few disciples."
"The founding patriarch of the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple possessed profound Buddhist teachings, known as Immortal Buddha. He even eventually became a Nascent Soul stage powerhouse."
"Under his leadership, the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple once flourished as a great sect, second only to our Puppet God Crystal Sect, dominating a vast area of hundreds of thousands of miles in Liangzhou."
"However, it was a pity that when its founding patriarch's lifespan ran out and he passed away, the strength of the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple plummeted, declining day by day."
"During the constant warfare of the desolate ancient era, within a few hundred years of turmoil and upheaval, the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple was destroyed by other forces. All its disciples perished, leaving behind only a dilapidated ruin."
After finishing the history and origin of the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple in one breath, Lan Yingxiang's face showed excitement, and her gaze fell upon Wu Tao.
Lan Yingxiang slowly said, "What junior sister needs Brother Wu's help with is related to the ruins of the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple."
Upon hearing this, Wu Tao pondered for a moment, carefully considering the pros and cons.
According to Lan Yingxiang, she had obtained a treasure map of the ruins. The location indicated by the map was the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple, which had been destroyed hundreds of thousands of years ago.
The map indicated that when the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple was destroyed, some scriptures and treasures were hidden within a secret realm inside the temple.
As long as they followed the map, they could enter that secret realm and obtain its many treasures and precious scriptures.
The Ten Thousand Buddha Temple, founded by a Buddhist patriarch of the Nascent Soul stage, let alone other treasures, its cultivation methods alone would be enough to make all cultivators in the current era fight tooth and nail.
Wu Tao felt this deeply.
He cultivated an ancient sword immortal lineage, which was extremely profound.
Therefore, his foundation was far stronger than other cultivators, making him capable of challenging those of higher realms as easily as eating and drinking.
He fought cultivators of the same realm as easily as disciplining a child.
Only a strong foundation could support a cultivator in walking further on the path of seeking immortality.
...
If this news were to leak, let alone elite disciples of dominant forces like Lan Yingxiang and Wu Tao, even the dominant forces themselves would be tempted and dispatch people to snatch it.
And Wu Tao and Lan Yingxiang's relationship was not particularly deep. What reason did she have to bring him along and share the treasures with him?
Given such a simple logic, Lan Yingxiang avoided the topic. Wu Tao naturally had reason to suspect her intentions.
"I still don't understand, Brother Wu. If what Junior Sister Lan said is true, you could find your own sect elders or other inner disciples for help. With their assistance, it would surely be foolproof. Although I have some skills, I'm not arrogant enough to compare myself to Core Formation stage cultivators," Wu Tao retorted directly when faced with something he didn't understand.
"Brother Wu, since you've put it so clearly, I won't hide it from you anymore."
"That map, I, junior sister, spent an unknown amount of effort and cost to obtain."
"If I were to find elders and senior brothers from my own sect, I could naturally guarantee success. However, at that time, the right to distribute the treasures would no longer be mine to control."
"They would surely find some worthless trinkets they didn't fancy and dismiss me. How could I be willing? Therefore, no matter what, I am unwilling to alert the elders or senior brothers above."
"However, this journey might indeed be somewhat dangerous. Junior sister dares not venture alone, so I decided to seek someone whose combat strength and cultivation are similar to mine, with whom I am not too deeply acquainted, and whose character is passable. I am not greedy; I will split the treasures and scriptures equally with Brother Wu."
"Therefore, besides you, I have no one else to turn to," Lan Yingxiang said with a sigh, her voice carrying a hint of helplessness.
Having said this much, Lan Yingxiang had completely laid her cards on the table, and Wu Tao had no reason to refuse.
Wu Tao understood her meaning and couldn't help but give her a deep look.
Lan Yingxiang led Wu Tao forward, and the two eventually arrived at a secluded foot of a mountain.
This place looked very remote. Lan Yingxiang activated a mechanism, and a crack appeared in the mountainside.
Lan Yingxiang walked ahead and turned to Wu Tao, saying, "This place has a fixed teleportation array, not a one-time use one, but one that can operate long-term."
"The monks of the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple previously entered the secret realm on the other side through this array."
As she spoke, she picked up some items and carefully placed them before the array.
Before long, the array flickered with a faint glow, illuminating the dim surroundings.
A sense of spatial change and rotation emerged, constantly stirring in their hearts.
When the fluctuation of spatial energy subsided, the surrounding environment had changed completely.
Wu Tao opened his eyes. The first thing that greeted him were numerous temples, long abandoned and weathered by time.
These temples were now dilapidated ruins.
The degree of damage to each temple varied, but from their crumbling remains, one could infer their grandeur in their prime.
These were temples carrying ages and secrets, sacred grounds of Buddhism.
The weight of time and the traces of Buddhism, upon seeing them, instantly shocked the mind into a state of blankness.
The Ten Thousand Buddha Temple was once a flourishing major power within Liangzhou, dominating hundreds of thousands of miles. Its founding patriarch was even a Buddhist expert of the Nascent Soul stage.
It was normal for this place, as the ruins of the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple, to have such magnificent crumbling remnants.
...
Wu Tao frowned.
"This place?"
He looked around, instinctively sensing a sense of unease.
...
"So magnificent!"
"Let's go up and take a look!"
Lan Yingxiang's face lit up with excitement, appearing exceptionally thrilled at this moment.
She had every reason to be excited.
The ruins left behind by a dominant power, even if only remnants remained, were enough to drive people to madness.
If one could find the inheritance left by the founding patriarch of the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple, or even treasures, it would be an event that would shake the entire cultivation world today.
If Lan Yingxiang could find these, she would likely immediately become the undisputed young prodigy of the current cultivation world, with the possibility of advancing to the Nascent Soul stage.
(New book being updated, seeking collection, seeking recommendation tickets, seeking forwards, more support, thank you friends, your support is my motivation!)