Although it had encountered strange occurrences in succession, Bai Zhi considered that it was rare to be out and about, so it took Bai Huahua and Nine-Tails for another stroll down the mountain. Only when the sky darkened did they head back.
As for the suspected spiritual presence at the bottom of the waterfall, Bai Zhi had sensed a barrier there and did not dare barge in recklessly. It planned to wait until its strength recovered before choosing another day to explore.
After returning to the Saintess's mansion, Bai Huahua slipped to the bottom of the lake to sleep, while Bai Zhi told Yang Shining everything that had happened during the day's outing—naturally omitting the weird and awkward segment of the three spiders' courtship, as well as the 'Undying Rebirth Gu' mentioned by the Nine Palaces Deer Spirit.
"Ye Chuyang actually came back?" Yang Shining's face showed some surprise.
"He really is your religion's Saint Son?" Although Bai Zhi had been prepared, it still hadn't expected such a coincidence.
"Yes. The physical characteristics of those three spiders match Ye Chuyang's contracted demon beasts perfectly. And Nine-Tails recognized him too." Yang Shining said with complete certainty.
"Didn't you say he was out traveling the world?" Bai Zhi secretly pursed its lips, thinking to itself: Can this Saintess be any more reliable? How is your information so out of date?
"It seems... it's connected to the Religion Master's imminent emergence from seclusion." Yang Shining said after thinking for a moment.
"...What did you say?"
"My apologies, Lord Bai Zhi. I only just received word from the elders. I never expected that the Religion Master, who has been in seclusion for over three years, would suddenly emerge tomorrow. And Ye Chuyang had been away from the Jiuli Grotto-Heaven for three years as well. Ever since the Religion Master entered seclusion, he's been training outside, and only returned after hearing the news..." Yang Shining said apologetically.
Bai Zhi couldn't help feeling somewhat worried. If the Religion Master discovered the truth that Yang Shining was its human servant, and then targeted it, that could become troublesome.
The feeling was somewhat akin to... it having secretly lured away someone's daughter, only to be discovered by the daughter's father.
"Training... so just like you on campus, he's been going around scaring people and creating anomaly legends?" Bai Zhi said offhandedly.
A hint of embarrassment crossed Yang Shining's jade-like face:
"His main purpose in going out was to experience the mortal world, resolve hidden transcendent incidents, and seek out extraordinary people and demon beasts to bring into the Jiuli Religion. If his goal was more for the Jiuli Religion, then my reason for choosing to study at Xingchuan University was for myself. Of course, I kept it hidden from the Religion Master..."
"More precisely, it was to... recover my lost memories."
"What memories?"
"Roughly... memories from when I was very young. This stretch of memory is very important to me, but I only recall that it seemed to feature the 'Nine Deaths Silkworm.' I once sought answers from the sacred relic, from which I learned that the key to my memories lies at Xingchuan University in Yongan City..."
The Nine Deaths Silkworm again!
Before Bai Zhi could ask, Yang Shining preemptively explained:
"The Nine Deaths Silkworm is in the possession of the Religion Master. Legend says it has the property of being undying and indestructible, though its specific abilities are unknown. But it brings great harm to its master—almost no one can possess it for long. Without exception, past masters of the Nine Deaths Silkworm all met gruesome deaths, until the Religion Master became its master and ended this calamity."
Hearing this, Bai Zhi couldn't help growing somewhat curious about the Jiuli Religion Master. "How is he able to control the Nine Deaths Silkworm?"
"I'm not very clear on the specific reasons, but the elders once inadvertently revealed that being able to suppress the Nine Deaths Silkworm's backlash may be related to the Religion Master's flood dragon."
Yang Shining began to introduce the man who wielded the supreme authority of the Jiuli Religion.
The Jiuli Religion Master's real name was unknown. He had an extraordinary bearing—introverted and deep.
He had led the religion for several decades, having become Religion Master long before Yang Shining even joined. It was he who personally selected and cultivated Yang Shining and Ye Chuyang as Saintess and Saint Son. To some extent, the Jiuli Religion Master was, to Yang Shining, both a master and a superior—one to whom she owed the grace of recognition and nurture.
And the fact that he could sit upon the Religion Master's throne and earn the approval of the elder council was naturally because his talent was outstanding beyond compare. He had cultivated a flood dragon as his contracted demon beast, subdued the Nine Deaths Silkworm, and possessed strength that reigned supreme throughout the entire religion.
Nine Deaths Silkworm...
Flood Dragon...
Two trump cards—one an undying, indestructible wonder insect, the other a giant beast of earth-shattering force.
Truly worthy of being a transcendent human who could contend against the chief of the Witch Gu Clan and stand at the pinnacle of the Federation's transcendent world...
After listening to Yang Shining's account, Bai Zhi's impression of the Religion Master settled on the flood dragon he raised.
When Yang Shining had first been injected with the mutation venom by Bai Zhi, she had said that unless the Religion Master came out of seclusion, no one in the Jiuli Religion could threaten Bai Zhi. Thus, Bai Zhi had even entertained the thought of crossing hands with the Jiuli Religion Master and that flood dragon.
Of course, this was limited to imagination alone. For the current Bai Zhi, whose soul consciousness was suffering from hidden injuries, rest and recuperation were the most important things.
At the same time, it grew even more curious about the Nine Deaths Silkworm and the Undying Rebirth Gu incubated from it.
"Right, I also encountered a white deer by the waterfall..." Bai Zhi suddenly said, and described the Nine Palaces Deer Spirit's appearance to Yang Shining.
"What?"
To its surprise, Yang Shining immediately drew a sharp breath and said in shock: "Lord Bai Zhi actually met it?"
"What exactly is its identity?" Bai Zhi's tone carried a trace of urgency.
"It..."
Yang Shining suddenly hesitated. "It is the very 'sacred relic' within the religion that I mentioned before..."
The sacred relic is alive?!
As if guessing Bai Zhi's doubt, Yang Shining continued:
"Since I became Saintess, the number of times I've seen the sacred relic can be counted on one hand. It is a white jade immortal deer statue. According to the Religion Master, the immortal deer occasionally 'comes alive' and roams through the Jiuli Grotto-Heaven, manifesting its divine presence to enlighten those with karmic affinity."
"The sacred relic contains the Dao of 'Creation'—transforming the ordinary into the wondrous, including assisting cultivation, helping demon beasts awaken intelligence, and even advancing them to Transformation. Beyond that, it can also divine the traces of destiny and the threads of karmic opportunity..."
So the Jiuli Religion's sacred relic truly did have the function of aiding transformation. Yang Shining hadn't lied to me before... Bai Zhi suddenly understood.
...
One day later.
Within the Jiuli Grotto-Heaven, on a green mountain adjacent to Autumn Mountain, there sat a great hall built like an immortal palace—grand and majestic.
On the lintel of the great hall were inscribed the three characters "Jiuli Hall," crafted from blue glazed tiles, with bold and vigorous brushwork, though no one knew which master's hand had penned them. Tassels strung from gold, silver, pearls, and jade hung from the four corners of the great hall. When a breeze passed, gold clinked and jade chimed, as if celestial music had drifted over from the divine jade palaces of heaven.
And below the great hall's platform, ten figures faced the main throne atop the high platform, each with a different expression—some nervous, some apprehensive, some expectant, some puzzled. Among these people were, unmistakably, Yang Shining and Ye Chuyang.
"Ning'er, it's been so long. Did you miss me?"
The moment he saw Yang Shining, Ye Chuyang sidled over with a grin.
"Lord Saint Son, please don't address me so familiarly. Are we that close?"
Yang Shining's gaze was fixed straight ahead, not deviating in the slightest.
"Ah, merely separated for three years, and the Saintess is already so heartless—completely forgotten this good brother of yours." Ye Chuyang sighed, putting on a melancholy air.
"Pah! Tell me, how many girls have you led astray these three years?" Yang Shining cast him a sidelong glance.
"Hey now, Ning'er, these three years, you were the only one in my heart. Not a moment passed that I wasn't thinking of reuniting with you, tying the knot together..." Ye Chuyang looked utterly aggrieved, as if he had suffered a tremendous wrong.
"You philandering waste of space. I'd thought you'd drifted so far out there you'd lost contact and couldn't bear to return." Yang Shining mocked.
"Uh..."
Ye Chuyang's mouth twitched. "Could you please not pronounce that word in the way that makes it sound indecent? Besides, these three years I've been entirely busy exterminating evil and defending the righteous path, sheltering the world's downtrodden. Where would I have had the leisure to chase skirts..."
Yang Shining continued her ridicule on her own: "When your own heart is crooked, you naturally feel guilty no matter what you hear. And the world is stable enough these days—the Secret-Keeping Bureau clearing out anomalies and evil beings is more than sufficient. What need is there for our Jiuli Religion to overstep?"
Ye Chuyang touched the corner of his mouth. "...You're still so unwilling to give me any face. I've finally returned after much hardship. Now that we have this rare reunion, how about sharing a little drink tonight?"
"I don't drink with wastes." Yang Shining tilted her chin up.
At these words, a flash of excitement passed through Ye Chuyang's eyes, as if some trigger had been activated. At the same time, he said in a muffled voice: "Thirty years east, thirty years west. Three years have passed—don't bully a youth for being poor!"
Yang Shining just uttered a disinterested "Oh."
After two seconds of silence, Ye Chuyang cracked first, his face crumpling:
"Is this how you treat your long-lost brother? When I came back, I even made a special trip to Xingchuan University to look for you, but the place was already completely sealed off by a barrier. When I snuck inside, I was nearly discovered by the Secret-Keeping Bureau."
After a moment of deliberation, Yang Shining sighed. "Yongan City underwent a disturbance. I had no choice but to return to the religion early and take refuge..."
Ye Chuyang's expression grew serious as his interest was piqued. "So you really do know something. Come, tell me about it..."
Just then, exclamations erupted from the elders nearby: "The Religion Master has come out."
Both Yang Shining and Ye Chuyang ceased their conversation, turning their gazes in unison toward the high platform.
Through a string of deep, dark beaded curtains, a tall man's silhouette could be seen stepping sideways inside and seating himself upon the Religion Master's high throne.
After he sat, the beaded curtains hung down to the man's knees, as if possessing some magic that made his upper body extremely blurry. One could only roughly see that those broad shoulders seemed capable of supporting the entire world, and feel the deep and weighty aura emanating from him.
"We respectfully welcome the Religion Master's emergence from seclusion!"
Everyone bowed and said in unison.
Yang Shining and Ye Chuyang inadvertently exchanged a glance, seeing the same surprise in each other's eyes:
The Religion Master's aura had undergone a great change—and it even felt somewhat unfamiliar.
"Everyone, it's been three years."
From beyond the curtain came a deep, magnetic male voice.
"My heart is greatly pleased—not only because I have emerged successfully, but also because the number of you in the hall has not diminished, and each of you has advanced in cultivation. It shows that during my seclusion, Jiuli Religion's development has been steady and progressive."
Though the words were praise, the Jiuli Religion Master's tone was neither joyful nor sorrowful, neither hurried nor slow.
"Rose, in particular, you have managed the entire religion's affairs, high and low. It has been arduous."
As he finished, a petite, pretty young girl stepped out, cupping her hands toward the Religion Master: "These are all within Rose's duties, thanks also to the trust and cooperation of the Religion Master, the elders, and all the followers."
During the Jiuli Religion Master's seclusion, whenever there were matters to communicate externally—including the news of this emergence—it had been Rose who relayed them.
"Chuyang, Shining, how goes your cultivation progress?" Everyone faintly sensed that the Jiuli Religion Master's gaze had settled upon the Saint Son and Saintess.
"Reporting to the Religion Master."
Ye Chuyang stepped forward, his face filled with reverence: "I now not only command three 'Demi-Demons,' but have also successfully advanced one of my former 'Demi-Demons' to 'True Demon.'"
Hearing this, Yang Shining's head dipped a few degrees lower—out of embarrassment...
Hadn't she just called him a waste? Well then, three years were up, and the guy's strength really had surpassed hers...
The Jiuli Religion Master gave an "Mm," without comment. His gaze in the darkness shifted toward Yang Shining.
The latter stepped forward, ashamed: "Reporting to the Religion Master, this subordinate is untalented and cannot compare to the Saint Son. Nine-Tails remains only at the 'Demi-Demon' realm..."
"Three years have passed, and you still only have Nine-Tails as your one contracted demon beast?" A subtle ripple stirred within the Jiuli Religion Master's voice, faintly betraying dissatisfaction.
Yang Shining steeled herself:
"No... there is also... a spider at the 'True Demon' realm..."
She could hardly say that she had been secretly enjoying university life at Xingchuan University and hadn't done her actual job...
The Jiuli Religion Master uttered an "Oh" and then said: "I recall that before my seclusion, you only had Nine-Tails as your one contracted demon beast. That said, was this spider you speak of already at the 'True Demon' realm when you tamed it?"
The implication was that three years' time could not possibly allow one of her subordinates to advance a 'Demi-Demon' to 'True Demon.'
Yang Shining's expression remained unchanged as she nodded solemnly. "Precisely. I persuaded it with reasonable terms."
Beside her, Ye Chuyang's face abruptly took on a rather peculiar expression...
So that Bai Zhi was Ning'er's contracted demon beast. He absolutely could not let Ning'er find out that he had initiated a certain illegal transaction with her contracted demon beast...
The Jiuli Religion Master nodded slightly and did not question Yang Shining further.
Instead, he spoke in a deep voice to the assembly in the great hall:
"I'm sure all of you are puzzled as to why I have suddenly emerged from seclusion and summoned the disciples abroad back to the religion."
"Here, I shall inform you all of the reason..."
"Not long ago, the sacred relic Deer Spirit told me that the Jiuli Grotto-Heaven and the Jiuli Religion will face a calamity—a disaster on par with the 'Great Contamination' of a hundred years ago."
In that instant, the great hall fell so silent one could hear a pin drop.
"..."
After several breaths, immense shock and stupefaction exploded within everyone's hearts. No one knew who was the first to let out a gasp, but it set off a tidal wave of discussion.
"Religion Master, please don't frighten us. Our religion's strength is advancing with each passing day, and the Jiuli Grotto-Heaven is thriving—where are the signs of an impending catastrophe?" A fair-skinned, plump middle-aged man with a receding hairline said in confusion.
"The saying goes, when prosperity reaches its peak, decline begins; when fortune is extreme, misfortune arises. Our religion may seem free of worry, but this is precisely when we are most prone to let our guard down..." The one who spoke was precisely the pretty young girl whom the Jiuli Religion Master had just praised—Rose.
"Religion Master, even if there truly is a calamity, can it possibly compare to the one a hundred years ago?" Ye Chuyang's face was solemn as he looked toward the main throne atop the high platform.
The crowd below was uneasy and uncertain, because the disaster that had occurred within the Jiuli Grotto-Heaven a hundred years ago had been the very cause of the previous Jiuli Religion Master's death!
For a long period after that, the Jiuli Religion had been in a state of leaderless chaos, swaying in the storm, until the current Religion Master, through forceful methods and strength that commanded the entire religion, suppressed all dissent and brought the Jiuli Religion back onto a normal developmental track.
Yang Shining's heart pounded furiously. She too couldn't help asking:
"Religion Master, did the Deer Spirit say where the calamity originated?"
The silhouette behind the beaded curtain raised one hand, pressing it downward.
The hall instantly fell quiet again.
From the Religion Master's high throne came a deep, steady voice without the slightest fluctuation:
"From within and without, the same source."