After Lu Yang followed Perfected One Vanquishing-Demon flying out on escaping light, he soon saw the bustling crowd gathered outside the Sword Pavilion's mountain gate at this moment.
The leader was an old man.
His face was full of wrinkles, his figure hunched. He wore monk robes and held a string of Buddhist beads in his hand, simply standing quietly in the center of the crowd.
...Buddhist cultivator.
Lu Yang's heart moved slightly, but he soon shook his head, seeing through the old man's background. He knew the old man had merely cultivated a few Buddhist techniques and recited a few Buddhist scriptures without gaining acknowledgment from the Pure Land. There were many such rogue cultivators looking at the world, but they were completely different from true Buddhist cultivators.
But his guts are bigger than a true Buddhist cultivator...
Looking at the old man and the crowd behind him, Lu Yang couldn't help but sigh with emotion in his heart—a group of rogue cultivation without background gathering in front of the Sword Pavilion's mountain gate—what did they want to do?
Rebellion!
...No, not right. They might not necessarily lack a backer.
If under normal circumstances, the voices of these people wouldn't even reach Perfected One Vanquishing-Demon's ears. There must be a manipulator behind the scenes setting up this situation.
Perfected One Warding-Evil and Buddha Child Guang Ming? They moved so fast?
Lu Yang suddenly understood in his heart. Rogue cultivators causing trouble at the Sword Pavilion's mountain gate wasn't because the Sword Pavilion respected rogue cultivators, but because someone in the Sword Pavilion needed this great chaos!
However, this was just bullying Perfected One Vanquishing-Demon. As the dignified Number One Sword Cultivator in the World, he actually went out of the mountain gate personally to welcome a group of rogue cultivators. If this happened in the Saint Sect, these people would have evaporated on the spot long ago, their souls sent to the Refining Arts Secret Realm to contribute to the cultivation of Saint Sect disciples.
"Shiyuan... you've aged."
Perfected One Vanquishing-Demon landed his escaping light in front of the old man. Seeing his attire of monk robes, he frowned slightly, then sighed:
"It seems the aftereffects from back then are still very severe."
"You've given birth to the thought of bowing into the Pure Land again?"
As his voice fell, Perfected One Vanquishing-Demon extended his hand again, seeming to want to pat his shoulder. However, the next second, his expression froze on his face.
Because the old man stepped back.
Perfected One Vanquishing-Demon's hand froze in mid-air just like that. His eyes met the old man's angry gaze, and a questioning voice suddenly rang in his ears:
"Ye Guangji!"
The old man trembled, seemingly fearful, seemingly timid, yet he still raised his head firmly and actually opened his mouth to call out Perfected One Vanquishing-Demon's name directly.
"I ask you! That drop of Buddha blood falling into Jimo City back then—was it because you fought with a Pure Land Virtuous One? You slew that Pure Land Virtuous One but deliberately let the Buddha blood fall on my Jimo City, finally using this as an excuse to slaughter the residents of my entire city... Is that the truth of what happened back then!?"
The old man's words were like thunder coming out of the mountains.
Lu Yang stood beside Perfected One Vanquishing-Demon. He saw the group of followers behind the old man also looking toward them, their gazes filled with doubt.
However, Lu Yang felt nothing upon seeing this.
After all, Jimo City was just a rogue cultivator force. Only Mo Shiyuan, the old man, was a Foundation Establishment Perfected One; the rest were just a bunch of Qi Refining cultivators.
They not even considered people, why take them seriously?
Lu Yang remained indifferent here, but Perfected One Vanquishing-Demon's expression changed. He exhaled a deep breath of turbid air, revealing a helpless look on his face:
"The matter back then was not my doing; there were other hidden circumstances."
As his voice fell, Perfected One Vanquishing-Demon sighed and said: "I fought a great battle with Jing Guan. Although I beheaded her and slew her Dharma Aspect, it wasn't actually easy."
Again, that sentence—he wasn't a Perfected Lord.
The limit of the number one Foundation Establishment in the world was slaying a Buddha Child with three sword strikes. Three sword strikes were a process, indicating both sides at least had room to exchange moves and fight.
But if it were a Golden Core Perfected Lord, would it be so?
Unless the World Honored One descended personally, a mere Buddha Child, no matter how wondrous, would be crushed with one hand!
Perfected One Vanquishing-Demon couldn't do this; he still needed three sword strikes. Therefore, there were always some things beyond his control... such as a drop of Buddha blood from Jing Guan.
"The incident in [Jimo City] was indeed caused by that drop of Buddha blood. It contained the Pure Land's evil technique and converting Zen sounds, infecting everyone who heard or saw it, turning them into Buddhist cultivators. If not stopped at the time, [Jimo City] and even the surrounding regions might have turned into a small Pure Land."
If she succeeded, then even if she died, the Pure Land's goal would have actually been achieved.
Plus, the Pure Land and the Perfected Lords had long reached an agreement, so the Sword Pavilion's Perfected Lords didn't intervene.
It was even good for Perfected One Vanquishing-Demon, because afterward, it could be framed as Buddhist cultivators causing chaos, and he slew them to avenge the dead.
However, Perfected One Vanquishing-Demon was unwilling.
He didn't come to avenge the dead.
He came to save people.
So with one person and one sword, he beheaded the entire city of [Jimo City], severing the Pure Land influence they received and restoring their reason.
Speaking of this, Perfected One Vanquishing-Demon revealed a puzzled look:
"I explained this matter to you back then... Shiyuan, your kinsmen and good friends didn't die. Didn't you come to catch up with them a few years ago?"
"Didn't die?"
The old man's eyes turned red instantly upon hearing this: "I was deceived by you! If you have the ability, open your storage bag and show everyone!"
Perfected One Vanquishing-Demon nodded frankly upon hearing this. Then he took off his storage bag and untied the opening. In an instant, voices like mountains and seas came from inside the storage bag. Countless heads were divided into countless circles within, communicating with each other, looking cheerful, completely devoid of deathly aura and sorrow.
However, the more it was like this, the more bizarre it was.
Lu Yang had seen it so many times but still felt his scalp tingle a bit, let alone those Rogue Cultivators behind the old man, who were instantly scared into retreating one by one.
"Everyone, look!"
"Do you think these are living people?"
The old man's eyes were splitting with anger as he said in a deep voice: "People without hearts must die. This is having nothing below the neck—can such people still claim to be living?"
"How are they not living?" Perfected One Vanquishing-Demon looked perplexed. With a wave of his hand, he directly separated the people of [Jimo City] he beheaded back then: "You even communicated with them a few years ago. They haven't reached Foundation Establishment, yet with my spiritual power protection, their appearance hasn't changed after so many years..."
"You're lying!"
The old man interrupted Perfected One Vanquishing-Demon directly, hissing: "I received guidance from a Virtuous One long ago. These people are neither alive nor dead; they are already like your puppets!"
"Saving people in name, enslaving them in reality."
"All those killed by you seem not dead, but actually suffer a punishment more terrifying than death, forever forced to be your accomplices under your control!"
Lu Yang: "..." cough.
Speaking to the end, the old man stomped his feet in anger: "Besides, the Pure Land is such a supremely benevolent place; how did we need you to save us? If not for your unnecessary act, perhaps today I would already be cultivating Buddhism in the Pure Land, calling myself Buddha and ancestor, enjoying eternal bliss. As a result, I am still suffering in this mortal world now!"
"You cut off the great Dao of us common people seeking Buddha, and you want to take our lives."
"What 'No-Kill'? You're clearly only seeking fame and reputation!"
Seeking for fame and reputation!
As the old man's voice fell, everyone behind him shouted out.
To Lu Yang, this sound was like a breeze brushing his face, not worth mentioning.
However, for Perfected One Vanquishing-Demon's, it made him sighing deeply.
This sigh was not because of the old man and [Jimo City].
As the number one sword cultivation in the world, Perfected One Vanquishing-Demon had a very good character and was approachable... but this didn't mean he was a weak person.
Even Lu Yang didn't care about the accusations.
He might care, but it wouldn't shake his resolve.
Shiyuan is not a well-informed person. To know about my storage bag and to know these things... probably not told by outsiders, but by someone inside the Sword Pavilion.
This confirmed Lu Yang's report just now from the side.
This was the reason for his sigh.
Are they that impatient?
Do they want me to sacrifice this lifetime of cultivated sword intent that much?