Jiang Fan lightly furrowed his brow.
He vaguely felt that Venerate Xinnie’s tone seemed to carry another meaning.
Thinking of this, he harbored a sense of caution.
His eyes subtly turned, and he said, "Alright, Master."
"Let’s go, first to find the Connecting Sky Black Pillar, then to meet the Asura Clan."
White Horse Temple.
The innermost Buddha Hall.
An immortal monk, whose appearance alternated between male and female, youthful and old, sat cross-legged suspended in the air.
He held the Jade Box handed over by True Word Venerable.
A clump of ashes endlessly flitted about inside, seeming to yearn to fly out.
Ironically, its direction was precisely where Jiang Fan was located.
As it turned out, earlier True Word Venerable seized a moment when Venerate Xinnie and everyone were distracted by the Buddhist sound.
He had grabbed the ashes.
Otherwise, these ashes would have all fallen onto Jiang Fan, and he would have been immediately exposed.
The Bodhisattva’s voice was slow and magnetic.
"Is it worth it?"
"You are the descendant of Xingyuan Venerable, with his protection, unafraid of calamity."
True Word Venerable said matter-of-factly, "Xingyuan Venerable once spoke a phrase in the Heavenly Realm."
"Some die lighter than a feather, others heavier than Mount Tai."
"If my death can save someone more capable against the Heavenly Realm, is it not worthwhile?"
The Bodhisattva, hearing these words, clasped his hands together.
"True Word Donor’s merit is immeasurable."
True Word Venerable stood up and asked, "Does the Bodhisattva have other teachings?"
"Indeed!"
The Bodhisattva opened his mouth, releasing a thread of silent words.
True Word Venerable’s body trembled, her almond eyes widened!
Stunned for a long moment, she then absent-mindedly said, "I understand."
"Thank you, Bodhisattva, for the reminder."
She left, with her mind elsewhere.
Only then did the Bodhisattva look at the Jade Box in his hand, gently brushing it; the ashes gradually calmed down.
But with another thought, he stopped.
With a serene smile on his face, he said, "It’s time to welcome back the Buddha Son."
On the other side.
Jiang Fan, who had obtained the Connecting Sky Black Pillar, carried it all the way to the northernmost part of White Horse Temple.
He placed the Connecting Sky Black Pillar on a large stone, aligning it with the golden bowl of Dharma Seal Vajra.
"Right above is the Wanxiang Village the disciple spoke of."
"I once entrusted their Jiuxiang Village Chief to persuade the other Asura Clan villages."
"Those willing to seek refuge in Central Earth, I will fetch them down."
"Now, we only await Jiuxiang Village Chief’s descent."
Venerate Xinnie watched Jiang Fan with his hands behind his back and said:
"You really do care about Taicang State."
Jiang Fan nodded, "Taicang State has my Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion and the Mainland Qingyun Sect from which I emerged."
"And also my childhood home, Lonely Boat City."
"If I don’t protect them, who will?"
Venerate Xinnie said nonchalantly, "I envy you greatly, having so many people and places worth safeguarding."
"Unlike me, all I passed was nothing but pasts too shameful to revisit."
Jiang Fan said, "Master is too humble, having stepped into the Divinity Transformation Realm, surely life was full of wondrous moments worth reminiscing."
Venerate Xinnie chuckled hoarsely.
Standing on a stone, gazing into the boundless sky, reminisced:
"I was born into a great family in Heavenly State, my father a formidable late-stage Nascent Soul practitioner."