The instant Li Yundong spotted two colossal golden snakes, as thick as water buckets and stretching over ten meters long, slithering away, he realized in a flash of clarity that his haste had made him target the wrong creature, mistaking Feng Jing for a mere distraction.

After the two great golden serpents fled, an absolute silence descended upon the pagoda. Every monk stared, wide-eyed, at Li Yundong. The Vajra Bodhisattvas and Arhats who had been relentlessly pursuing him now formed an impenetrable cordon around the sixth floor, glaring at him with furious eyes.

Li Yundong couldn't help but offer a wry smile, letting out a sigh. He opened his mouth, intending to offer an explanation, but found no words adequate for the situation. With a straightforward demeanor, he admitted his fault, pressing his palms together: "I acted rashly, trespassing here. I beg the Master to mete out whatever punishment is due."

The aged monk, positioned at the center of the assembled brethren, turned around. Li Yundong saw that the old monk’s face was deeply furrowed, his eyebrows long and white. Yet, instead of anger, his face was creased with smiles. He chuckled, saying to the surrounding monks, "My disciple Wuhua predicted that our Xiyuan Temple would face some calamity today, and I didn't believe him. You must know, that disciple of mine spends his days in revelry; he’s nothing but a womanizing monk, and his divinations have seldom been accurate. Who would have thought he’d finally get one right today? Ah, this jinx! He never predicts good fortune, but his predictions of disaster always come true! Amitabha, what bad karma, what bad karma!"

With that, the old monk burst into hearty laughter, and the surrounding monks soon joined him.

With the laughter, much of the tension within the Buddhist hall dissipated. Li Yundong also felt a significant easing of his posture, as if he had merely knocked over an incense burner or committed some minor misdeed, rather than allowing two powerful snake demons to escape.

Li Yundong had burst into the sacred grounds of Xiyuan Temple, fought his way through, and nearly demolished the main hall of the pagoda. Yet, instead of anger, he was met with chuckling jokes and self-deprecating humor. This profound magnanimity and breadth of spirit instantly commanded Li Yundong's profound respect; he was utterly convinced.

Li Yundong bowed deeply, pressing his palms together again: "Venerable Master, I have offended your temple today. Whatever punishment or discipline you deem necessary, I shall accept it all without resistance, and without complaint."

As Li Yundong was speaking, the middle-aged monk finally caught up. He let out a loud roar, poised to strike, but the old monk gave him a soft, sharp command: "Stand down!"

The middle-aged monk immediately lowered his head and respectfully retreated, casting no further glance at Li Yundong.

The old monk tapped a wooden fish once, recited a few Buddhist chants, and instantly, the various Arhats and Bodhisattvas who had sealed off the sixth floor of the pagoda dispersed. The old monk then rose, examining Li Yundong closely. A smile graced his features as he beckoned to Li Yundong and said, "Benefactor, follow me."

Seeing the old monk turn and head toward the lower floor, Li Yundong reluctantly secured his Seven Treasures Spiritual Fan and Cold Glare Vajra Wheel and followed him down the stairs.

The two descended, and the old monk rounded a corner, leading them into a meditation chamber in the temple's rear courtyard. He lit an incense stick, sat down upon a meditation cushion, and pointed to another cushion nearby, saying, "Young Hero, please be seated!"

Li Yundong sat cross-legged on the cushion and spoke sincerely, "To be called 'Young Hero' is far too much praise, Master. You say that only to mock me. I was young and impulsive, forcing my way in, causing no end of trouble for your esteemed temple. How could I possibly deserve the title of 'Hero'?"

The old monk chuckled, "Oh? But did you not risk your life to eradicate evil that day, drawing down heavenly lightning to slay He Shao? Was that not an act of upholding righteousness and chivalry?"

Li Yundong shuddered violently, his eyes widening. He stared sharply at the old monk before him: "How do you know about that?"

The old monk threw his head back and laughed heartily, his voice vibrating the solid bluestone floor: "If you don't want people to know, don't do it! You caused such a massive incident; did you truly think no one among the cultivators in this world would find out? You vastly underestimate us! I dare not speak for others, but the sect leaders of the great clans across the land certainly know!"

Li Yundong asked, puzzled, "Then why didn't you inform on me and have me apprehended?"

The old monk shook his head with a smile, "Why arrest you? Are we to arrest someone precisely because he risked himself to destroy evil and uphold justice? What would that make us? Wouldn't we be mistaken for senile, great demons? Ha! Let me say this: solely for what you did, you have earned the admiration of every cultivator in the world!"

As he spoke, the old monk looked up and said slowly, "There are countless cultivators in this world, yet how many possess the spirit to willingly invite the heavenly lightning upon themselves just to enforce heavenly justice? Truthfully, when we seniors in cultivation sit idly by, enjoying our status, we are utterly ashamed when compared to a young practitioner like yourself!"

Li Yundong flushed with embarrassment: "Master, you exaggerate too much. I believe any man with spirit, responsibility, and courage would have done the same as I did."

The old monk laughed loudly, "You speak in circles, praising yourself—are you suggesting you possess spirit, responsibility, and courage?"

Li Yundong couldn't help but chuckle, "That’s not what I meant."

The old monk smiled, "You certainly deserve such praise! Alas, the more we cultivate, the more timid we become, the more we fear the Heavenly Tribulation. We truly needed a young, accomplished cultivator like you, full of righteousness, to invigorate this stagnant world of cultivation."

Saying this, he beckoned towards a nearby red sandalwood square table. He summoned a teapot and two teacups across the space, pouring a cup for Li Yundong and one for himself. He then said, "I hear you not only survived the Heavenly Tribulation but also became the sect leader of the Fox Zen Sect?"

Li Yundong took a sip of tea and started, "No way! Has that news spread so quickly? That only happened a few hours ago! Can news travel that fast?"

The old monk chuckled, reached into the wide sleeve of his monastic robe, pulled out a mobile phone, tapped it a few times, and handed it over to Li Yundong.

Li Yundong peered closely and saw that the phone screen displayed a text message. The message read: Six Great Sects besiege the Fox Zen Sect; Li Yundong emerges mid-battle, repelling the offensives of the major sects. Li Yundong subsequently inherits the leadership of the Fox Zen Sect. All major sects are urged to immediately share any intelligence regarding Li Yundong's whereabouts and background.

After reading the message, Li Yundong looked at the title and realized with a jolt that this was a mass broadcast text!

A strange feeling washed over Li Yundong; he wasn't sure how to describe it: These cultivators were incredibly modern, actually using mobile phones for mass texting! But how did they know about his succession to the Fox Zen Sect leader? That was decided only after the major sects had left. Could there be a spy within the Fox Zen Sect?

The old monk observed the shifting expression on Li Yundong's face, as if knowing his thoughts, and said with a smile, "Do not overthink it. After you left, the Fox Zen Sect loudly publicized the news of your succession. In this era, once an event occurs, the entire world knows within five minutes. Thus, the cultivators of all the great sects across the land are immensely curious about you now—they want to know exactly who this great master is who defeated the major sects single-handedly!"

Li Yundong said, shamefaced, "I am mortified, Master. It was merely a fortunate victory. Moreover, immediately after taking over as the Fox Zen Sect leader, I caused such a disaster; I truly have no face to meet anyone."

The old monk chuckled, "No matter, no matter. What young person isn't impulsive? Furthermore, True Master Li has practiced for a relatively short time and still lacks some tempering. I believe, given time, with True Master Li’s cultivation and character, he will undoubtedly become one of the most renowned Grandmasters and Great Artisans under heaven! This is a blessing, a stroke of good fortune, for our cultivation world!"

Hearing this made Li Yundong feel slightly better, but he still spoke with a blush of shame: "Master, your praise leaves me utterly speechless. I have caused considerable damage to your esteemed temple today, and I vow to compensate you twofold for every bit of loss."

The old monk pressed his palms together and smiled, "Compensation is unnecessary. However, if you are willing to donate some incense funds, this old monk would certainly welcome it."

Li Yundong laughed heartily, "Easily said, easily done!" He thought that since he was now the leader of the Fox Zen Sect, he should be able to draw some funds from the sect first to cover the repairs for Xiyuan Temple, and then repay it himself later.

After reciting a Buddhist sutra, the old monk changed the topic: "True Master Li, do you know why, despite you storming our temple today and destroying our treasured artifacts, I chose not to hold it against you?"

Li Yundong returned the gesture with pressed palms: "I imagine it is because of your profound breadth of heart, your boundless compassion, and your unwillingness to hold a grudge against a rash young fellow like myself."

The old monk smiled and shook his head: "No. It is because I know you have never committed wicked deeds; on the contrary, you have gained fame throughout the cultivation world for upholding justice and chivalry. I hold you in the highest regard, which is why I did not speak harshly to you. You must understand, although our Xiyuan Temple cannot compare to Shaolin Temple in terms of long history or sheer power, we are still an ancient temple of eight hundred years, with deep foundations and the solemn authority of the Dharma. If I had intended to cause trouble when you first forced your way into our six-story pagoda, with the Buddhist power of this temple, even the Heavenly Master Zhang, leader of the Zhengyi Sect, would have had to flee in disarray."

Recalling the Buddha-power Vajras he encountered during his aggressive entry, Li Yundong nodded in agreement: "Indeed, the Buddhist might of your temple is profound and overwhelmingly majestic. It is truly remarkable!"

The old monk smiled, "If it had been anyone else, trespassing upon our sacred grounds like this, they might have been reduced to ten thousand specks of dust, unable to leave! Otherwise, if our sacred Buddhist grounds could be entered and exited as easily as a vegetable garden, what authority or reputation would remain if word got out?"

Hearing this, Li Yundong stood up and bowed respectfully: "Thank you, Master, for your magnanimity in not holding this young man accountable."

At this point, the old monk stood up and returned the bow: "We in Buddhism speak of cause and effect; good deeds bring good rewards, and evil deeds bring evil consequences. It is not that they never arrive, but that the time has not yet come. Whether one does evil or good, there will ultimately be a reckoning. True Master Li, if you had not performed the great good deed of slaying He Shao, I would not be speaking these words to you now. This is the nature of cause and effect!"

Li Yundong was filled with emotion, letting out a long sigh: "I thought drawing down the heavenly lightning to kill He Shao was an act unforgivable by the cultivation world and by Heaven and Earth. I never expected to hear words like this today; it has completely cleared the knots in my heart! Thank you, Master, for your guidance and enlightenment!"

The old monk waved his hand, "Not at all. Justice resides in the heart, and good and evil are recorded by Heaven and Earth. Eradicating evil and promoting good is simply our duty as cultivators; why make it sound so formal? Oh, by the way, I saw your anxious search for this person named Su Chan. I believe I can assist you."

Li Yundong was overjoyed: "Really? I must trouble you, Master!"

The old monk pressed his palms together: "I only ask that after True Master Li takes charge of the Fox Zen Sect, you restrain your disciples and do not allow them to cause trouble."

Li Yundong bowed respectfully in return: "That is certainly guaranteed!"

The old monk nodded with a smile and said, "My disciple predicted that Xiyuan Temple would face this calamity today. He also said that if the one who came asked about the whereabouts of his target, I should tell you this: 'Return to where you came from, and you will find her.'"

Li Yundong paused, confused, "Does that mean I should return to Dongwu City, or the Fox Zen Sect, or Tiannan City?"

The old monk smiled, "Amitabha, that is not for me to know! True Master Li may proceed as you see fit."

Seeing the old monk close his eyes in a gesture of dismissal, Li Yundong rose, gave a respectful bow, and exited the meditation room.

Li Yundong walked out of the temple, deep in thought. He remembered the two golden snakes he had let escape, yet the old monk of Xiyuan Temple had uttered no word of blame, nor shown any intention of holding him responsible for capturing them. Li Yundong felt a pang of guilt, thinking to himself: I must personally capture those two snake demons in the future. If they cause trouble in the mortal world, the blame will fall squarely on my shoulders.

As Li Yundong pondered this while turning a corner, he suddenly collided head-on with two figures. Preoccupied with his thoughts, he paid no attention and bumped right into them. He heard an "Oh!" as the two figures tumbled backward.

Li Yundong was quick as lightning, grabbing one in each hand and steadying them. When he looked clearly, he saw Liu Xia, whom he had encountered earlier at the stall, and beside her, a woman with a pleasant countenance—it was Lanlan.

The moment Liu Xia and Lanlan recognized Li Yundong, their eyes went wide. They became instantly guilty and turned to flee. Lanlan, especially, who had previously boasted about teaching Li Yundong a lesson, now found her heart pounding like a drum as this supernatural man stood before her. She quickly tugged Liu Xia and turned to run.

Seeing the two women scatter as if they had seen a ghost, Li Yundong didn't even have time to apologize. He let out a sound of surprise, watched them vanish around the corner, shook his head, and muttered, "This world is so small!"

Li Yundong left Xiyuan Temple and stood for a moment at the entrance, lost in thought. After a brief deliberation, he decided to search the nearest location first. He returned to Qili Shan Tang and searched back and forth among the waterside paths for hours, until the Golden Crow began its descent and the Jade Rabbit began to rise. Just as Li Yundong was about to leave, abandoning hope, he spotted an extremely familiar silhouette flicker past a corner formed by streets and alleys not far away.

The girl was about one meter sixty-five tall, with a graceful figure. Her raven-black hair cascaded nearly to her waist, and her slender waist was easily held in one hand. With every step she took, her playful dark hair seemed to bounce like a sprite. The moment Li Yundong saw that figure, his heart gave a violent jolt, and he swiftly followed.

But after the massive blunder at Xiyuan Temple, he dared not act rashly again. He followed the girl silently for several hundred meters, until she stopped in front of a flatbread stall. She turned her head to the side, revealing a perfectly lovely face, nearly seven-tenths beautiful. At that sight, a buzzing sound erupted in Li Yundong’s mind, and his chest felt as if it were about to burst with joy.

The girl was gazing longingly at the flatbreads on the stall, looking as if she wanted to eat but might lack the money to buy them, her mouth watering profusely. Her expression was utterly pitiable. Who else could it be but Su Chan?