The sky is vast and blue, the wilderness expansive and boundless, with the wind blowing the grass low to reveal sheep and cattle.

Deep in the grasslands, towering snow-capped mountains layer upon layer, the Buddhist holy land Vajra Platform is built into the mountains, with the Golden Summit Temple stacked and tiered, sacred and magnificent.

The gilded treasure bottles and fluttering scripture banners complement each other, even the wind carries a murmuring chant, making one feel calm and inexplicably urge them to renounce everything and join the Buddhist sect.

The ancient Buddhist temple, with its inextinguishable incense smoke.

Jiang Yuebai took the eight-year-old little monk Niankong and followed the young monks of Vajra Platform, passing through one temple after another.

"If you don’t want to stay here, tell me now, I can send you elsewhere or back to the Heavenly Interence Sect," Jiang Yuebai softly asked Niankong.

Niankong shook his head, with a smile in his eyes, "No, I like it here, I can feel the presence of Buddha here." 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

"You’ve only been chanting scriptures for a few years, and you already know Buddha?"

Niankong said earnestly, "I don’t know how to describe it, but I can feel His presence in the wind, in the sunshine, in my heart, in every corner of the world."

Hearing this, the monk leading the way couldn’t help but turn his head to glance at Niankong and slightly nodded.

Jiang Yuebai looked around, what she felt was a power of incense fire, a kind of power different from spiritual energy, very mysterious and indescribable, mixed in the chanting, it could calm people and make them peaceful.

"Buddha Venerable Wochen is in the hall, please enter, benefactors."

Jiang Yuebai nodded in thanks, leading Niankong into the great hall, which was unexpectedly simple in decor, with nothing but a row of unique Buddha statues and neatly placed worn-out meditation mats.

Wochen, with his white beard, sat solemnly and quietly on the foremost mat, his presence indistinguishable from a mortal, Jiang Yuebai couldn’t tell he was a Divinity Transformation Cultivator.

"Jiang Yuebai of the Heavenly Interence Sect, paying respects to Buddha Venerable Wochen."

"Paying respects to Buddha Venerable Wochen."

Jiang Yuebai and Niankong bowed, Wochen slowly opened his eyes, looked at Niankong, then at Jiang Yuebai.

"So it was you that Ruosheng risked his life to send away that day."

Jiang Yuebai did not deny, "My master’s letter has already explained, this is Niankong."

Wochen examined Niankong carefully, "Little monk, why enter the Buddhist path?"

Niankong boldly replied, "Because I was abandoned at the door of a Buddhist temple at birth, it was the abbot and Buddha who raised me, the abbot said I have a destined affiliation with Buddha."

"What Buddhist scriptures have you read?" Wochen asked again.

"I’ve read..." Niankong slowly counted on his fingers.

Occasionally, Wochen would test with a question or two, and Niankong would answer vaguely, making Jiang Yuebai feel like they were an old master and a little apprentice, harmonious and amicable.

After a moment, Wochen slowly nodded, "Born with a wisdom root, to see the Spiritual Mountain, would you be willing to take me as your master and stay here to chant and meditate?"

Niankong looked at Jiang Yuebai, "But I still need to help Brother Ruosheng rebuild Prajna Temple, I’ve promised Sister Yuebai, and I must do it."

"Such young age and already keeping promises, very good. Rest assured, when you have enough ability, I will help you together, to rebuild Prajna Temple in the Quicksand Domain, it is also a karma I need to resolve."

Only then did Niankong nod, indicating his willingness to take Wochen as his master.

Wochen called a monk to first take Niankong to familiarize himself with the various environments of Vajra Platform.

In the hall, only Jiang Yuebai and Wochen were left, sitting face to face on the meditation mats.

Jiang Yuebai hesitated, "Niankong is a kind-hearted child, if he achieves great things on the Buddhist path in the future, regarding Prajna Temple’s matters... you still send word to me, and I will find another way."

Wochen was silent, took out a long wooden box and handed it to Jiang Yuebai.

"This ’Zen Meditation Incense’ is made by myself, you can light one during introspection and contemplation, this matter began with me, it will also end with me, the benefactor doesn’t need to worry anymore."

Jiang Yuebai looked at the wooden box, knowing that this matter from now on would be internal to the Buddhist sect, Buddha Venerable Wochen didn’t want her to be involved anymore.

Taking a deep breath, Jiang Yuebai accepted the wooden box, and at that moment, she seemed to hear the golden bell ringing, with lingering echoes, something was slowly dispersing with the echoes, making her body relax.

Jiang Yuebai held the wooden box tightly, unable to resist asking, "Buddha Venerable, can Ruosheng still come back? I often feel he is still here."

Wochen turned his prayer beads, softly saying, "All dharmas arise due to causes and conditions, all dharmas cease due to causes and conditions, the arising and cessation of causes and conditions, Buddha says are ultimately empty."

"Empty?" Jiang Yuebai smiled wryly, "If everything is really empty, why is there still reincarnation in the Netherworld? It’s said that the soul does not perish upon death, enduring reincarnation life after life, are all these also empty?"

Wochen paused his prayer bead movement, looking up at Jiang Yuebai, "Do you have an attachment that you cannot let go of in your heart, benefactor?"

Jiang Yuebai’s heart felt pricked, she smiled, "Not really, just recently pondering about reincarnation due to the changing seasons, and curiosity about life and death?"

"I want to know if after someone dies they can really be reborn; what is reincarnation in the Netherworld about? How does a soul reincarnate into another person? Can a partial soul still reincarnate? If part of the soul goes to the Netherworld midway through death, can it be retrieved? If it can’t, and half is left..."

"Ahem ahem ahem!"

Wochen coughed, interrupting Jiang Yuebai, took out a scripture from his sleeve, Buddhist Dharma, and Daoist Technique have different philosophies, the argument has persisted for hundreds of years, more talk is of no benefit.

"If the benefactor is interested in Buddhist Dharma, this ’Reincarnation Scripture’ may be of help to you."

Jiang Yuebai respectfully accepted the scripture, the bell ringing outside, Wochen politely excused himself and left first.

Jiang Yuebai sighed while holding the scripture, feeling vaguely uneasy recently, even stargazing at night has shown some ominous signs, not knowing where it comes from.

Unable to figure it out for a while, Jiang Yuebai got up and found Niankong outside.

When she found Niankong, he had already changed into the Vajra Platform’s monk robes, beaming with a smile, enthusiastically telling Jiang Yuebai about the new things he saw at Vajra Platform.

From his demeanor, he truly liked it here, much happier than at the Heavenly Interence Sect, after all, everyone here shared his aspirations, able to discuss Buddhist Dharma with him, rather than debate the differences between Dao and Buddha.

Jiang Yuebai left Niankong the Qi Blood Elixirs and Bone Forging Elixirs needed for cultivating the ’Nine Revolutions Golden Body Technique’, to be used along the way, sufficient for his use for three years.

As they were about to part, Niankong’s heart was clear and did not feel much sorrow, even comforting Jiang Yuebai.

"If Sister Yuebai misses me, come visit me, I will recite scriptures and pray for sister daily, when I gain enough mana, I will set up a Longevity Plate for sister."

Jiang Yuebai did not respond, just gently touched Niankong’s head with a smile, knowing this parting might mean difficulty in meeting again, only hoping to reunite in the Upper Realm in the future.

Leaving Vajra Platform, Jiang Yuebai saw from afar Xie Jingshan climbing the stairs with a fat monk carrying spiritual vegetables.

The fat monk was only at the Qi Cultivation Stage, panting and sweating profusely, while Xie Jingshan continued to chatter by his ear.

"...I’m really just curious, you monks don’t eat meat, how do you get so fat eating only vegetables and tofu every day? Our Daoist cultivators often eat demon beast meat, yet we don’t end up like you..."

The fat monk was amused and helpless, unable to afford offending a Golden Core Cultivator like Xie Jingshan, could only quicken his steps up the stairs.

"Xie Jingshan!"

Jiang Yuebai called from afar, Xie Jingshan finally let the monk go and walked towards Jiang Yuebai.

The monk dashed away like he was granted amnesty.

"In a sacred place like this, you should watch your words."

Xie Jingshan looked in the direction the monk disappeared, "I’m truly just curious, you see all those Maitreya statues in the Buddhist sect are so fat, yet our Daoist ancestors are depicted as having an immortal demeanor, how do you explain that?"

Jiang Yuebai interrupted him, "Where are Yun Shang and Ge Yuchan?"

Xie Jingshan came back to his senses, "They went with several Foundation Establishment Stage martial monks from Vajra Platform to Azure Wolf Ancient City in the south to eliminate the Demon Wolf King. It’s said that the nearby villagers’ cattle and sheep have been eaten a lot, and they even started eating people recently. The Demon Wolf King is too cunning, escaping every time despite seven or eight envelopment attempts..."

As Xie Jingshan was speaking, a light from a Message Flying Sword shot from the south, Jiang Yuebai caught it, and after reading it, her expression subtly changed.

"What’s the matter?" Xie Jingshan asked.

Jiang Yuebai handed him the Message Flying Sword, "Yun Shang and Ge Yuchan chased the Demon Wolf King into the snow mountains west of the ancient city, where they found something strange, they’re feeling uneasy and want us to hurry over, let’s go!"