At the Xiniu He Continent.
On a somewhat rough road, a carriage swayed as it traveled.
Xu Jin sat at the front driving the carriage, his body also swaying with the bumps of the vehicle.
After jolting for quite a while, Xu Jin couldn't help but speak:
"With our cultivation, is this kind of disguise really necessary?"
Although the carriage swayed considerably outside, inside it was unusually stable. Chu Xingchen leisurely crossed his legs, casually eating fruit while reading a storybook.
This storybook was bought by Chu Xingchen in the Xiniu He Continent. He had to admit, the people of Xiniu He Continent were simple, and so were their writings.
The storybooks of Xiniu He Continent had abandoned the shame of literati, and lacked those hidden metaphors.
Many scenes were depicted quite directly, without any ambiguity.
The detailed descriptions left nothing out, and the uninteresting parts were kept minimal.
But naturally, Chu Xingchen wasn't appreciating—he was ruthlessly criticizing.
The world should pursue harmony, not wanton fighting.
"Of course it's necessary. The Ten Thousand Buddha Temple already has the Sumeru Buddha Body, and you're going to their home territory without any preparation? I've prepared three travel documents alone."
Chu Xingchen stretched lazily, then changed position and continued:
"We already alerted them before. Although we concealed our identities, trying to swagger in without preparation like last time probably won't work."
Xu Jin pulled at the reins before him. "I'm asking if we really need to drive a carriage? The roads in Xiniu He Continent are truly terrible."
Chu Xingchen replied leisurely, "Of course. Right now you and I are ordinary mortals. The distance from Ten Thousand Buddha City to Prajna City is so far, and with our clothes so magnificent, if we don't ride, are we supposed to walk there?"
Xu Jin couldn't help but say, "Then shouldn't it be your turn to drive the carriage?"
"You're a Fusion-stage cultivator, and a core disciple of the Xuanqing Heavenly Sect, the former number one great sect. Do you not even have the patience to drive a carriage? Or will shaking a few times shake away your cultivation?"
Chu Xingchen's voice came from behind the curtain, his tone carrying a hint of complaint.
As if Xu Jin had said something he shouldn't have.
Xu Jin thought about it and decided not to argue with Chu Xingchen.
When it came to verbal sparring with Chu Xingchen, Xu Jin understood well enough.
Even if he had three more mouths, he still wouldn't be able to outtalk Chu Xingchen. Better not to humiliate himself.
As Xu Jin had surmised, after the grand assembly, the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple indeed intended to move the accumulated wish power elsewhere for use.
However, because of the previous alert, the Buddhist sect sent additional high-level cultivators to escort this batch of wish power, seemingly to prevent the Evil Spirit Sect from snatching it by force.
The mole spiritual energy Xu Jin had planted multiple times also played its role.
A massive amount of primarily wish power moved from the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple toward the Central Continent direction.
A smaller batch of wish power began moving from the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple toward Prajna City in the Xiniu He Continent.
The wish power moving toward the Central Continent was not only larger in quantity but also moved relatively fast. This batch was the most important, and the cultivators who came had higher cultivation levels as well.
But "fast" was relative. Moving such a vast amount of wish power, although the Buddhist sect had methods, would clearly be slowed down.
As for the smaller batch... on top of having much less quantity, it also moved much more slowly.
Chu Xingchen and Xu Jin had speculated about the destination of this wish power. The larger batch was most likely being sent to the Central Continent's Buddhist sect.
If traced to the end, it would most likely lead to the Central Continent Buddhist sect's Leiyin Dharma Temple.
With the two's cultivation, they couldn't yet wipe out the entire Leiyin Dharma Temple, so naturally they could only set their sights on the smaller batch.
Even if the Buddhist sect had truly reached some agreement with the demons, given the Buddhist sect's nature, it was impossible for them to give the larger wish power to the demons.
The most likely scenario was to give the smaller batch to the demons to use, keeping the demons fed enough to survive but not powerful enough to overturn everything.
This was the choice that best served the Buddhist sect's interests.
So pursuing that smaller batch of wish power was the most suitable choice.
With circumstances changing, the plan naturally shifted from splitting up to traveling together.
After all, the Buddhist sect, regardless of how one viewed it, was one of the Eighteen Immortal Sects of the Central Continent, with undeniable strength.
For the Eighteen Immortal Sects, both Chu Xingchen and Xu Jin would raise their vigilance to the highest level.
Chu Xingchen chose to first tail the situation while concealing his identity. For this purpose, he prepared many different-looking travel documents, choosing the most plain disguise—not relying on immortal arts but on documentation.
Both identity and proof were real, with traces to follow.
And so, on the rough road, Xu Jin appeared, nodding and swaying.
There weren't many vehicles on this road. Most were slow-moving merchant caravans, but because the road was so terrible, the merchant caravans weren't too willing to go to Prajna City either.
Chu Xingchen didn't even need to reach Prajna City to roughly understand what the situation there was like.
Lack of food and clothing was just the basics. Stagnant information flow was also inevitable.
This kind of place was naturally a land of hardship for people, but for specific people, it was also a very easy place to guard without making mistakes.
Chu Xingchen pulled open the carriage door curtain and sat on the chair beside Xu Jin, swaying along with him:
"Actually, there are a few questions I've wanted to ask you. But I couldn't judge your intentions then, so I didn't ask. Now I'd like to ask."
Xu Jin looked at Chu Xingchen, who was suddenly sharing in his hardship, and instinctively didn't really want Chu Xingchen to ask...
But he nodded gently. "Ask away. I'll answer what I can."
Chu Xingchen took out a fruit from his spatial ring, tossed it to Xu Jin, and then asked:
"Regarding the matter of the demons' revival, although the Tianyan Sect takes it seriously and is doing its best to investigate—even Senior Bai is working on this matter..."
"But... as far as I know, compared to the Tianyan Sect, the Xuanqing Heavenly Sect seems to be taking it a bit too seriously. The entire Xuanqing Heavenly Sect seems to be mobilizing for this, and even you personally came to the Xiniu He Continent."
"The Xuanqing Heavenly Sect's response doesn't seem like they have definite information. So why is the Xuanqing Heavenly Sect reacting so strongly?"
Xu Jin caught the fruit, took a bite to be polite, then answered:
"Because the Xuanqing Heavenly Sect has its own mission."
Chu Xingchen's gaze turned to Xu Jin, then raised his brow and asked:
"The mission of subduing demons and eliminating evil?"
Xu Jin smiled and shook his head, not answering this question. Instead, he gazed leisurely at the azure sky.
The entire land of Xiniu He Continent had been shattered by the great battles of the past.
Only that sky remained the same sky of before.
Xu Jin looked toward Chu Xingchen. "And you? The Tianyan Sect's reaction wouldn't be so great as to send a core disciple like you to the Xiniu He Continent, would it?"
"Naturally, I had to come." Chu Xingchen looked earnest.
"I'm not as noble as Brother Xu. Mostly for myself and my disciples, and a small part for the common people of the world."
Xu Jin looked at Chu Xingchen's sincere expression and smiled, as if believing his words:
"Between heaven and earth, open and aboveboard. Brother Chu is actually the truly noble one."
Chu Xingchen raised his brow with satisfaction at these words—he hadn't expected Xu Jin to know how to flatter.
Xu Jin took another bite of the fruit Chu Xingchen had given him.
As the sweet flavor moistened his throat, it also confirmed his conjecture about Chu Xingchen.
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