332: Chapter 332 Imminent

Ye Jing had gained quite a bit from this trip to the Buddha Realm.

He felt a bit light-headed now; he had originally intended to just watch the fight, but he hadn't expected such a bountiful harvest.

However, he didn't let the treasures go to his head. He remembered Du Hua saying that the powerful Zen staff in his hand was formed from the blood and bones of a Nascent Soul from his Sect.

Thus, Ye Jing did not keep it. Instead, he raised his hand to condense spiritual energy and lightly tapped the Nascent Soul Zen staff.

The Buddhist runes carved on the staff writhed frantically as if they were alive, resisting Ye Jing.

"Formed from Nascent Soul blood and bone, it must contain residual perception of that Nascent Soul. Taking it rashly would eventually lead to trouble."

Ye Jing muttered to himself. Although discarding it might be a pity...

He didn't want to put a Spiritual Artifact he couldn't control into his Immortal Willow Space; otherwise, it would be troublesome if something happened.

After saying that, Ye Jing discarded it directly and immediately used the thousand void ethereal map to leave the area.

He had gained enough and gathered plenty of information; Ye Jing thought it was time to return home.

At this time, because Ye Jing was in seclusion and had been in the Buddha Realm for several years without appearing...

The Ye family and the Lingxiao Sect were being managed by his two sons, Ye Xuan and Ye Yi.

His other grandchildren were handling affairs in the city and at home; the Ye family's influence had further expanded.

During these years, as the eldest grandson of the Ye family, Ye Tianhao had been accompanying his wife to Cultivate within the Shuangyue Sect for the past few days.

Because they had a child, the couple's relationship was much better than before.

But over these years, Ye Tianhao always felt something was slightly off, especially since the Shuangyue Sect seemed to be in too close contact with those monks.

He had more than once run into the Elders of the Shuangyue Sect looking solemn; every time he approached, the conversation would stop abruptly, leaving only a few trivial pleasantries.

He had also seen Gui Suer go alone to a secret stone chamber deep within the Cold Peak late at night, surrounded by a heavy, lingering aura. A few times, he even vaguely sensed the fluctuations of Buddha light from the monks of the Buddha Realm, but it vanished in an instant as if it had never appeared.

Yue Xi was not entirely unaware, but she was unwilling to look deeper. On one side was the Sect that raised her, and on the other was her husband and child; caught in the middle, she could only endure in silence.

Only when Ye Tianhao looked solemn would she gently hold his hand and comfort him in a low voice: "Husband, Revered Master has her own difficulties. The Shuangyue Sect will be fine."

But how sharp was Ye Tianhao? He clearly remembered the panic when a female cultivator reported "The bald donkeys of the Buddha Realm are here again" when he first arrived at the Shuangyue Sect years ago, the sobbing of Yue Xi when she spoke of the Buddha Realm's offerings, and the contemptuous tone of Old Monk Jinhe when he left.

The Buddha Realm seemed to have vanished over these years, but the abnormalities of the Shuangyue Sect were by no means accidental.

On this morning, Ye Tianhao was by the Cold Spring refining an ice-attribute spiritual jade for Yue Xi, preparing to help her stabilize her Mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivation.

Suddenly, he sensed a faint trace of Buddha light in the distance. Though weak, it carried a bone-chilling pressure, identical to the aura of Old Monk Jinhe from three years ago.

His eyes darkened. He handed the spiritual jade to Yue Xi and said in a low voice, "Xi'er, wait here. I'll be right back."

Before Yue Xi could stop him, Ye Tianhao had already dashed out, following the direction of the Buddha light fluctuations.

The Cold Peak path of the Shuangyue Sect was still covered in thin frost, and the white frost on the bamboo leaves fell rustling. But at this moment, he had no heart for the scenery; his spiritual energy circulated to the extreme, and his figure moved through the bamboo forest like a ghost.

The source of the Buddha light fluctuations was the secret stone chamber Gui Suer often visited. Ye Tianhao quietly hid behind the green bamboo next to the stone chamber, held his breath, and listened to the conversation coming from inside.

"Sect Master Gui, over these three years, the Pure Yin Physique female cultivators you sent, though not as expected, were barely sufficient. However, the Cult Leader has recently ordered that we need to find three more top-grade Pure Yin Physiques within a month."

The speaker was a young monk disciple with a cold voice, lacking any of the compassion of a holy man.

He was merely a Qi Refining Cultivator, but Gui Suer had to deal with him carefully.

Gui Suer's voice carried an unmistakable exhaustion and anger, yet it was also powerless: "The Great Master must be joking. How rare is a top-grade Pure Yin Physique? In these three years, I have already sent the only five Pure Yin Physique female cultivators in the Sect. Where can I find three more now?"

"I ask the Great Master to be lenient for a few days and allow me to search slowly."

"Lenient?"

The monk disciple sneered, "Sect Master Gui, you should know the rules of the Buddha Realm: only obedience is permitted, no stalling."

At this point, the monk disciple gave a cold laugh and said, "I heard your eldest Disciple is also an Extreme Yin Body."

As soon as these words were spoken, killing intent instantly appeared in Ye Tianhao's eyes.

Gui Suer's face looked very bad: "The Great Master must be joking. Xi'er has already married; she does not meet your standards."

"Humph, Shuangyue Sect Revered Master, do not forget that if it weren't for our Buddha Realm, how could your Luoxia Land have been stable for so long?"

"Naturally, I dare not forget. It's just that I ask you to report to Great Master Jinhe that the Sect truly cannot produce such a woman, and I only hope for a bit of leniency."

Gui Suer spoke humbly.

The monk disciple sneered and then left with a flick of his sleeve.

After the monk disciple left, Gui Suer sighed and then said, "Tian Hao, come out."

Ye Tianhao walked out with a dark face and said coldly, "Sect Master, these people from the Buddha Realm are becoming more and more excessive!"

Gui Suer sighed helplessly and said, "How could I not know? Of the four Sects of Luoxia, only Yun Ling and I are left."

"The demands of those from the Buddha Realm are getting more and more excessive; they don't even hide it anymore, treating us completely as so-called livestock."

At this point, Gui Suer suddenly said, "Tian Hao, Jinhe went to your Ye family's territory to find your Old Ancestor before, right? Your Ye family must also find a way to produce a Golden Core Cultivator now; otherwise, the Buddha Realm is very likely to drain your Ye family dry as well."

Ye Tianhao was stunned. He knew before that Jinhe had come to provoke the Ye family, and because of Sect Master Yun Ling's help, Jinhe was temporarily forced back.

But Sect Master Yun Ling's Golden Core was damaged, his Lifespan was nearly exhausted, and he was still struggling to stand up for the Ye family. Recalling the arrogant way the monk disciple had just pressured Gui Suer, the spiritual energy around Ye Tianhao's body couldn't help but become agitated, and the killing intent in his eyes grew even stronger.

This matter was so dangerous. The Old Ancestor had been in seclusion for many years and had finally stabilized his Mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivation and taken over the Lingxiao Sect. He thought the Ye family could slowly rise, but he didn't expect the Buddha Realm to be so insatiable.

If Yun Ling were to fall, with only Gui Suer left in Luoxia Land, they would be left to the mercy of others.

Gui Suer raised her hand to rub her throbbing temples, her expression becoming increasingly weary and aged: "Of the four Sects of Luoxia, only my Shuangyue Sect and the Qingyun Sect are now barely surviving."

She paused, her gaze falling on Ye Tianhao, her tone solemn: "Your Old Ancestor has courage, daring to take over the Lingxiao Sect and to ally with the Qingyun Sect."

"But Foundation Establishment cultivation is ultimately too weak before a Golden Core Cultivator of the Buddha Realm."

"Old Monk Jinhe's withdrawal this time was only because Yun Ling still had some strength left and he didn't want to delay the important matter of demanding Pure Yin women; it wasn't because he was truly wary of the Ye family."