Taiyan Temple, as one of the five great Cultivator Sects in Jiang Country, belongs to the Buddhist Dao cultivation lineage.
The Buddhist Dao cultivation lineage is also one of the mysterious lineages passed down from the ancient era.
Besides needing Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi to advance their cultivation, practitioners of this lineage also cultivate mysterious Buddhist Dharma and the art of True Word.
Especially Taiyan Temple, it is rumored to possess a complete 'Ancient Buddha True Word' passed down from ancient times. With this True Word, Taiyan Temple subtly has the potential to surpass Qing Jian Sect and become the new number one Cultivator Sect in Jiang Country.
In recent years, Taiyan Temple, which had always been semi-reclusive, has frequently dispatched its Disciples to travel the world, spreading Buddhist Dharma, and its prestige has gradually risen.
Taiyan Temple is located in the Taiwu Mountain Range on the southwestern border of Jiang Country.
The Taiwu Mountain Range stretches for thousands of miles, with half belonging to Jiang Country and the other half to the small Zhu Country, which borders Jiang Country.
And Wulong Valley was originally located on the westernmost edge of Mozhou in Jiang Country, so among the five great Cultivator Sects, Taiyan Temple can be considered a 'close neighbor' of Wulong Valley.
Yang Che stepped on his Sophora Leaf Magical Artifact, traveling day and night, and arrived at the Taiwu Mountain Range more than a month later.
After a careful search, he now stood at the foot of Taiyan Peak, where Taiyan Temple is located, with a tired expression on his face.
At the stone steps leading up to the temple entrance, a very young novice monk sat cross-legged.
"Benefactor, please stop. Those who trespass will trigger our temple's great Restriction Formation. In the blink of an eye, your life will be over."
The young novice monk clasped his hands together, his dark eyes rolling, and his tone carried a 'precocious' air.
Yang Che immediately cupped his hands and said, "I come from Wulong Valley and have something to ask of Great Master Ming Pu. Please inform him."
"Looking for Junior Martial Uncle Ming Pu? Are you sure?"
The young novice monk's eyes widened, somewhat surprised.
Yang Che naturally didn't know why this young novice monk reacted so strongly, and he asked in surprise, "Yes, I'm looking for Great Master Ming Pu. Is something wrong?"
"Junior Martial Uncle Ming Pu passed away half a year ago."
The young novice monk said, mumbling some scriptures indistinctly, his face filled with sorrow.
Yang Che was also startled upon hearing this.
Passing away meant dying. Old Monk Ming Pu had at least the cultivation of a Foundation Establishment Late Stage Cultivator, and with the blessing of Buddhist Dharma, it was unlikely he would pass away so easily.
Old Monk Ming Pu had left a good impression on Yang Che, so hearing the news of Old Monk Ming Pu's death so suddenly, he was surprised and also a little sad.
Calming his mind, Yang Che suddenly asked again, "At that time, Great Master Ming Pu should have brought two women back to the temple. One of them was a Mortal woman named Wu Qingxuan. May I ask if she is still in the temple?"
As soon as Yang Che finished speaking, the young novice monk's expression suddenly changed dramatically.
He leaped up from the ground, a Talisman appearing in his palm. After muttering a few words, the Talisman transformed into a flickering ghostly light and disappeared.
Then, the young novice monk asked coldly and very cautiously, "Are you really a Disciple of Wulong Valley?"
Yang Che's eyelids twitched slightly, and a hint of unease stirred in his heart, vaguely feeling a bad premonition.
However, he still took out his Sect Disciple token and waved it in front of the young novice monk.
Just then, a surge of white light suddenly appeared above the stone steps, and then two figures appeared out of thin air.
They were two middle-aged monks dressed in gray robes, with cultivation comparable to the Foundation Establishment Stage.
One of them was burly, with large ears and a broad nose, and a string of green Buddhist beads hung around his neck.
The other was of medium build, with a gentle face, holding a small string of purplish-red sandalwood beads, his expression solemn.
After these two appeared, they immediately spread out, blocking Yang Che's path.
"Two Great Masters, what is the meaning of this?"
Yang Che was surprised in his heart, truly not understanding what had happened. However, he had already begun to rack his brain for a strategy to escape.
The middle-aged monk holding the purplish-red sandalwood beads spoke faintly, "What is your relationship with Wu Qingxuan?"
Yang Che was slightly stunned, keenly sensing a very unusual danger.
"Two Great Masters, I did not come here to find Wu Qingxuan. I originally came to ask Great Master Ming Pu for help with something. I had an agreement with him that I would come to Taiyan Temple within a year, and he would help me solve a very difficult curse. But just now, I learned that Great Master Ming Pu has already passed away. Since that is the case, I dare not disturb you, and I will take my leave now."
As Yang Che spoke, he immediately prepared to leave Taiyan Peak.
However, the two middle-aged monks, one in front and one behind, used the powerful oppressive force that only Foundation Establishment Cultivators possess, giving Yang Che no chance to slip away at all.
"Benefactor, the death of Senior Brother Ming Pu, we have also not yet reached a conclusion. Since you have seen Senior Brother Ming Pu before, please come with us."
Saying that, he gave a look to the burly and tall monk, and then the two, one in front and one behind, forcibly trapped Yang Che and led him into the temple.
Yang Che, knowing the huge difference in cultivation strength, very sensibly did not resist at all.
After being led into an empty room, the two middle-aged monks left.
Yang Che tried, and found that the room was sealed by a Formation Restriction, making it impossible for him to leave.
In the evening, the door was opened, and a tall, burly middle-aged monk walked in.
It was the same monk from earlier in the day, with large ears and a broad nose, and a string of green Buddhist beads around his neck, who had not spoken until now.
"Your name is Yang Che, a Disciple of Wulong Valley, right?" The burly middle-aged monk's voice was quite coarse, and his speech sounded unusually muffled.
Yang Che replied calmly, "Precisely."
"Benefactor Yang, there's no need to be afraid. I'm just conducting a routine inquiry. Just tell me what you know."
"What exactly does Great Master wish to ask?"
"Benefactor Yang, you may not know this yet. My Senior Brother Ming Pu died very strangely. Although the murderer has tentatively been identified as the Mortal woman, Wu Qingxuan, whom he brought back to the temple. But how could a mere Mortal woman, even if she possesses the extremely rare 'Extreme Yin Body', a weak woman without any cultivation, possibly kill Senior Brother Ming Pu?"
Upon hearing this, Yang Che was greatly surprised and astonished.
The murderer of Great Master Ming Pu was tentatively identified as Wu Qingxuan? This was too illogical.
However, Yang Che calmly asked, "But what does this have to do with me?"
"Benefactor Yang, you have seen my Senior Brother Ming Pu before, and you know Wu Qingxuan, don't you?" The tall monk's eyes were sharp.
"That's right, I've seen Great Master Ming Pu, and I know Wu Qingxuan. But so what? You wouldn't suspect someone at the ninth level of Qi Refining, would you?" Yang Che said with a somewhat sarcastic bitter smile.
"You naturally couldn't have killed Senior Brother Ming Pu. But that Wu Qingxuan is just a Mortal, without any cultivation, yet Senior Brother Ming Pu died by her hand. How do you explain that? So, Benefactor Yang, until the true cause of Senior Brother Ming Pu's death is investigated, we will have to trouble you to remain at Taiyan Temple."
Yang Che was speechless.
After the tall monk finished speaking, he left.
Yang Che was truly in a difficult situation.
How could Wu Qingxuan possibly kill Great Master Ming Pu, and what motive would she have to kill Great Master Ming Pu?
This was not only strange but also unbelievable.
And what did all of this have to do with him?
He only wanted to quietly cultivate to immortality and pursue eternal life, never intending to get involved in such messy affairs.
Just then, his vision suddenly went black, and at the same time, a sharp pain came from his glabella.
"Damn it, is this never-ending?"
Yang Che secretly cursed the damn heavens.
Yet he was helpless that he had truly fallen victim to the 'curse' of the Heavenly Ghost Sect old woman, and at this moment, he still had no solution.
Since he couldn't leave, Yang Che simply discarded all distracting thoughts, took out low-grade Spirit Stones, and began to frantically attempt to break through to the tenth level of Qi Refining Stage.
Several days later.
The door opened.
A kind-faced old monk slowly walked in.