I do not know what Zong Weiran is up to at this moment. It would be embarrassing if he, too, were trapped in the Nine Hells of Oblivion. Next time I see him, I must certainly have a good mock at him. And what of Mother, Princess Hanyan? I wonder if she can hold on in the Nine Hells of Oblivion? He, her son, is truly useless. Mother’s life was supposed to be one of comfort and glory. Yet, for his sake, she has been imprisoned in the death prison for over twenty years, enduring countless hardships— Zong Shou was stunned, the words of Lu Wubing stirring a torrent of chaotic thoughts within him. It was only after a moment that he snapped back to his senses, sweeping his voluminous sleeve. “We shall speak of these matters later!” At the same time, he cast aside all those impatient notions.

Zong Shou descended from the air, landing beside Jingyin. The girl seemed unable to recover from the day’s startling twists and turns. She was still dazed, instinctively chanting the Great Boundless Sutra of Supplication. Upon noticing Zong Shou’s approach, she immediately panicked, feeling as if she had nowhere to put her hands. This was their Buddha! The Boundless Beginning, the Brahma Tathagata. The Buddha of the Future, the one who could truly create the Pure Land. Only after a moment did she remember to perform the required courtesies. But then she caught sight of Zong Shou again, with that faint, teasing smile. He stood with his hands behind his back in the void, his aura profound and majestic, yet ethereal as an immortal, seeming to look down upon the mortal world with disdain. Yet, inexplicably, she was reminded of the times she had bathed him these past few days. Jingyin’s lips curved slightly. She thought, He’s seen everything now, is he still putting on a show? Even a Buddha is nothing more than this— The thought startled her so much that she gasped. She quickly composed herself, bowing her head low, praying internally that the Buddha would not hear such thoughts.

Zong Shou, unaware of Jingyin’s inner turmoil, was nursing a headache. Though today’s battle was exhilarating, it was precisely because of that exhilaration that endless future troubles were brewing. If it were limited only to the Buddhist sect, it would be fine. At worst, he could resort to shamelessness; surely the Buddhas of the sect couldn’t force him? But Zong Shou held no illusions. With such a commotion, other powers would surely not remain ignorant? And the Lu family. Lu Wushuang died here. Losing this crucial piece, who knew how the Sovereign of the Xuanye Kingdom would retaliate. Having lost the Cangling World, the Burning Sky Holy Court likely would not let the matter rest either, leading to inevitable, large-scale conflict.

Fortunately, here remained his only glimmer of hope. “Nun Jingyin, you previously promised this lone one something. After this is concluded, you will sincerely do one thing for me! I trust you won’t go back on your word?” “Eh?” Jingyin looked up at Zong Shou in surprise.

The Buddhist scriptures stated that the future Brahma Tathagata possessed omniscient and omnipotent power. Even if he could not achieve it yet, he possessed boundless might and boundless capability. She had just witnessed it herself: with a mere flick of a finger, a figure countless times more formidable than Lu Yantian had instantly turned to dust— For someone of such stature, what need would he have of her? Though puzzled, Jingyin still shook her head, indicating she remembered. “It’s good that you remember! Now, follow my lead and recite. Remember, you must do this with your whole heart, without the slightest distracting thought!” Zong Shou nodded slightly, satisfied, and then uttered, “May the events of this day be forgotten by all. May nothing of the Buddha’s affairs today ever be known—”

Forgotten? Never known? Jingyin was even more perplexed as to why. But then she recalled Zong Shou’s instruction: ‘with your whole heart, without the slightest distracting thought.’ She immediately suppressed all those thoughts, her expression solemn, and began to repeat his words. At first, she was merely curious, but later, a strange look crossed Jingyin’s face. Her mind could no longer achieve perfect clarity.

“May the Buddhist Lu family not seek retribution from Zong Shou. May Yi Ren, Yao’er, and Ruoshui—” Dozens of names were omitted in the middle before she concluded after a long pause. “—all have peaceful and carefree lives.” He continued, “May the Heavens bless Zong Shou to ascend to Sainthood soon. May he unify this domain for eternity. May all who have offended Zong Shou die gruesome deaths, and may anyone holding resentment toward Zong Shou choke on their water, fall every ten steps, and be cursed with eternal misfortune—”

Jingyin could not continue. She opened her eyes wide and stared fiercely at Zong Shou. Why does it feel like this fellow is treating me like the Buddha himself when making a request?

Zong Shou chuckled grimly and rubbed his nose. He finally stopped speaking. The latter parts of the request were indeed excessive. While it was partly due to Jingyin’s inability to focus completely, he could also sense that the power of prophecy, the interference with karma and destiny, had become negligible. However, the first two sentences, once spoken, truly caused him to sense certain changes within the Cangling World. It wasn't an interference with the power of karma and destiny, but a Veil of Perception! Disrupting the ability to know, preventing others from perceiving what happened during this period. Now, even he, the primary participant, felt everything was muddled when he tried to recall it. He felt hazy, as if it had happened, yet also as if it hadn't. If even he felt this way, what about the millions gathered at the foot of the mountain? It was easy to imagine that in the future, anyone coming to this world to investigate the details would be unable to see or know.

Is this the power of prophecy? It’s incredibly bizarre— I should call it perverse!

A sense of relief washed over him, and a slight smile returned to Zong Shou’s face. He had only held onto a sliver of hope; if it failed, he would have to deal with all the resulting consequences. He truly hadn’t expected this woman’s prophetic power to be this formidable. If that was the case, he absolutely had to keep this little nun by his side, no matter what. While her prophecy could interfere with perception, those figures would still need to trace the root cause and directly dismantle the basis of this Veil of Perception.

Among those present, the only one who sensed something amiss was Lu Wubing, who was staring at Jingyin with astonishment, shocked by her ability. With the affairs of the Cangling World concluded, Zong Shou made a large grab, collecting the silver cocoon that Hanxi had transformed into, and tucking it into his sleeve. Just as he was about to recall Xiaori and the Azurefire Mystic Turtle, he heard Lu Wubing ask, “My Lord, is this spirit beast guarding you the Sacred Beast Qilin?” “You recognize it?” Zong Shou glanced at him sideways, then nodded, “It is indeed the Sacred Beast Qilin.”

Xiaoyue Jingyin felt a sense of wonder, but Lu Wubing’s eyes were filled with turbulent waves that did not settle for a long time. —The Sacred Beast Qilin, a beast that consumes energy, often accompanies a sage.

Zong Shou, unconcerned, turned to Xiaoyue, “For the aftermath and all remaining matters, I shall trouble the Venerable Chan Master—” The Venerable Chan Master Xiaoyue immediately bowed deeply, “I respectfully obey the decree of the Future Buddha!”

The Future Buddha? Zong Shou smiled grimly, then shattered the barrier with a single step, stepping out of the Cangling World. Jingyin was about to bow too, but the next instant she was swept up by a force, and her vision blurred until the scenery before her changed completely. It was utterly dark, impossible to see. Yet, she could sense countless violent and dangerous forces swirling around her, capable of easily tearing her to shreds! However, there was also a protective force shielding her, preventing her from being pulverized. A current of warm true energy surged into her body, and finally, her ears and eyes could function again.

Standing firm in the outer void, Zong Shou looked back at where he came from with complex eyes—the location of the Cangling World. “Is My Lord concerned that the Lu family will seek revenge on this domain?” Since he knew Zong Shou had no intention of returning to the Burning Sky Clan, Lu Wubing no longer addressed him as Young Master, directly calling him My Lord. Zong Shou raised an eyebrow at the question and turned his head, “Then in your view, is such a possibility likely?”

Lu Wubing did not answer directly but pondered, “I observe that this Veil of Perception can last for three years. If Master Jingyin’s cultivation is sufficient, it might last longer. However, I suspect it will not exceed eight years at most—” Zong Shou listened quietly, nodding slightly in agreement. He had reached the same conclusion, and in fact, he judged the time to be even shorter. He glanced sideways at Jingyin, sighing inwardly. To make it last longer, he would need to bring this nun into the Spirit Realm within the next few short years!

“The nature of the Sovereign of Xuanye is not bloodthirsty, but purely utilitarian. If he fully understands what happened in the Cangling World, he will most likely use Zong Shou’s followers within this domain as hostages. Furthermore, after the Burning Sky Holy Court reclaims control of this domain, what kind of person they will send to govern it remains unknown. If it is someone benevolent, it will be a blessing for this domain. But if they are like Lu Yantian, the people of this domain will likely suffer even more.”

Throughout his speech, Lu Wubing never mentioned the possibility of defending the Cangling World. Jingyin listened beside them, her heart pounding with alarm. Only now did she realize that although Zong Shou had destroyed the Tianyan Manor today, everything was far from over. If things went wrong, the situation could only worsen—

Zong Shou’s brow was also tightly furrowed; the matters Lu Wubing mentioned were precisely his worries. “However, there is a solution.” Lu Wubing’s expression was calm, as if completely oblivious to the gazes fixed upon him by the two people beside him. “If my assessment is correct, the Buddhist sect will certainly send someone here within three to five days. If arranged properly, the demise of Young Master Wushuang and Lu Yantian can be easily blamed on people from the Buddhist sect!”

Zong Shou couldn't help but chuckle. This method was excellent! Thinking carefully, what he did in the Cangling World was effectively taking the blame for the Buddhist sect. Letting those Bodhisattvas and Buddhas shoulder this burden for him seemed only right. Jingyin, however, could not stand it and glared angrily at Lu Wubing. “This method might delay things for several years—” Lu Wubing continued, “As for the people of this domain, My Lord can have the people of the Cangyan Hall take over!”

The Cangyan Hall? Zong Shou’s expression grew serious upon hearing this, and he looked coldly at Lu Wubing. The latter smiled helplessly and explained, “Lu Yantian was defeated and died due to the Buddhist counterattack. The Cangyan Divine Hall heard the news, repelled the enemy, and promptly took over this domain. This way, the Lu family’s Burning Sky Holy Court will have no further grounds to intervene or deploy troops. Palace Master Fang Jue will also have significant say in the selection of the next ruler of the Cangling World. If My Lord trusts me, I have a friend in the clan who can take charge of this domain. It might not improve the disposition of this world’s people, but it certainly won’t make it worse—” He shook his head again, “It is not that I, Wubing, wish to drag My Lord into the vortex of the Lu family’s struggle for the Holy Emperor. It is simply that this strategy is the only foolproof method. I ask My Lord to consider it carefully!”

Zong Shou’s expression softened slightly, but he felt extremely conflicted. He would have to seek help from Fang Jue?