Even if it is exactly as the benefactor suggests, Jingyin has absolutely no regrets, willingly accepting this fate—

The voice held not just stark finality, but an unyielding resolve.

Zong Shou had long anticipated this and shook his head slightly. "But have you considered that even if the Boundless Beginning and End truly exists, it might not willingly answer your wish? All this devotion in your life, only to be met with nothing? Even the words spoken by those Buddhas might not come to pass?"

The so-called Future Boundless Buddha was himself. He understood his own thoughts better than anyone.

These words were born of both pity and concern for that 'prophecy.'

The one who tied the bell must be the one to untie it; for him to unravel the causal fate entangled within carried a degree of trouble.

However, if this woman retracted her words, dissolving the spell of speech, it would be far easier.

Jingyin visibly faltered, looking at Zong Shou with surprise. She seemed taken aback by Zong Shou's phrase, 'answer your wish.'

Then, she broke into a radiant smile. "The benefactor truly sees through people! Jingyin's service to the Boundless Buddha is indeed motivated by impure intentions. Most of my family—old and young—perished at the hands of those demonic fires and fiends. The rest are suffering forced labor in the frontier lands. If we wish for our kin to escape this sea of suffering, our only hope rests upon the Future Buddha. Only when the Boundless Buddha descends can the people of my Leping Realm be delivered from this calamity—"

She sighed softly again. "Besides, given our circumstances, what choice do we have if we do not believe in this Buddhist verse? The Fenkong Lu family, I hear, controls eight hundred worlds in the Outer Domains, commanding countless armies. When our Leping Realm was at its peak, we reportedly had two hundred Vajras, yet even then we were helpless. How much more so now?"

Zong Shou was instantly silenced. The term 'Vajra Karma' referred to the Spirit Realm cultivators within Buddhism.

The four Buddhist ranks—Vajra, Arhat, Bodhisattva, and Venerable Buddha—corresponded respectively to the Spirit, Immortal, Divine, and Saint realms.

Above them all was the Buddha.

To this day, it was said there were only the Primordial Ancient Buddha and the three Buddhas of Past, Present, and Future.

It was truly a situation that bred helplessness; though the sect possessed three supreme realm masters, Buddhism had started far too late. They had been suppressed by numerous other powers. Even after securing this Cangling Realm, they could not hold it, being forcefully driven out by the Lu family.

As Jingyin stated, this 'Boundless Beginning and End Buddha' was their only hope and reliance. If they gave up on that, they truly had nothing left.

The current Cangling Realm indeed possessed no strength to resist the Fenkong Lu family.

With a slight sigh, Zong Shou shook his head and ceased his persuasion. This matter would have to wait until he was ready to depart, when he could devise a solution. Perhaps he could simply take her away then, allowing her to witness the Outer Domains. Or perhaps, by then, her mind might change.

A faint notion also surfaced in his mind: perhaps he should arrange for this woman to meet the other Jingyin directly.

He then switched his curiosity. "Why do you call those members of the Lu family 'fiends'? From what you say, the people of this realm seem to hate the Lu family down to the bone—"

As far as he knew, although the Fenkong Lu family plundered resources from various worlds, the reputation of the Fenkong Sacred Dynasty had generally been quite decent. With millennia of accumulated legacy, their methods were relatively temperate. Based on eight hundred resource-rich Middle Thousand Worlds, they had more than enough to sustain their clan. Thus, unlike newer emerging powers that unscrupulously stripped resources bare in a grab for quick gains, they were renowned for management, cultivating and elevating entire worlds under the protection of the Lu family, rather than just a single realm.

Jingyin paused for a beat this time before replying. "The Lu family's rule is this: for any of our Buddhist followers, sixty percent of all income must be taken as tax. If one converts their faith, only forty percent is required. The myriad people of our Leping Realm have received the grace and teachings of Buddhism for several centuries. How could we easily renounce our faith?"

Zong Shou inwardly shook his head. This statement was clearly not entirely truthful, mostly intended to placate. A sixty percent tax was not excessive compared to the Yuanlian Realm; it was a burden that could be borne. If it were unbearable, they could simply change their faith.

As for 'grace,' the Lu family had governed this realm for over two decades. The Buddhist influence had long been swept clean. Any sense of past favor should have faded by now. The people here remaining unyielding suggested another reason entirely. The depth of their Buddhist faith could be gleaned simply from the intensely accumulated power of wish-force in this single realm.

Jingyin's composure was still shallow, her nature extremely pure. Seeing the faint displeasure flicker across Zong Shou’s face, she could barely bear it. Assuming Zong Shou was genuinely angered, she quickly changed her tune. "While the levy is heavy, it is not the main issue. However, for every newborn child in our Cangling Realm, the Lu family demands one in ten. They are forcibly taken away, and their whereabouts are then unknown. We hear that the people of our Cangling Realm possess a unique constitution—"

Her words were cut short by a dry cough.

Zong Shou turned his gaze and saw a middle-aged, beautiful nun walking in from the edge of the dense forest. She cast a mild look at the blushing Jingyin before sighing faintly. "Actually, there’s no need to hide this from the benefactor. One only needs to inquire slightly to know the truth. The people of our Cangling Realm all possess a unique constitution; we are innately adept at controlling fire. Legend says that upon birth, every infant's brain contains a spark of Innate Fire Marrow Essence. This appears to be quite beneficial to the Lu family. Many speculate that those stolen infants are mostly taken to be used in alchemy—"

"Innate Fire Marrow Essence?"

Zong Shou was stunned. He casually pulled Jingyin into his embrace, grasping her wrist and meticulously examining her pulse. Moments later, understanding dawned in his eyes.

It was true. The brains of the people of the Cangling Realm truly contained this substance. It must only appear after birth, slowly being contaminated by turbid energies over time. Jingyin, for example, now only had a minuscule remnant. However, if someone from this realm practiced fire-attribute cultivation techniques, their progress would surely be swift and doubly effective.

As for this Innate Fire Marrow Essence—it held little use for ordinary cultivators. But for the Lu family, it was a supreme treasure. Whether used for alchemy, artifact refinement, or even direct consumption, it benefited them greatly, strengthening their bloodline power. This was precisely why the Lu family members of this realm only targeted infants.

A wave of nausea washed over Zong Shou. If before, his aversion to the Lu family stemmed only from the matter concerning his parents, now it was a genuine, visceral disgust; he wished to have absolutely no further dealings with this lineage. To seize the Innate Fire Marrow Essence, those fetuses must certainly cease to have any life remaining—what difference did this make from cannibalism?

Such beings, who treated people like beasts for slaughter, with the hearts of beasts hidden beneath human faces, shared the same bloodline as him. The mere thought made him feel profoundly ill from head to toe.

"And so, despite the lighter Lu family taxes, the people of my Leping Realm wish every moment to expel these demonic fire fiends, pinning their hopes on the Boundless Beginning and End Buddha to descend upon Leping Realm." (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please come and cast your recommendation votes and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)RQ