Chapter 694 - 379: Demonic Thought 2

"But my business here is not yet finished. I must leave for now, but I will be sure to return in a while."

Yang An’s tone brooked no refusal. If Thirty Flow still didn’t know what was good for him, there was no need to waste any more words on the man.

Thirty Flow and the others didn’t know Life Crane’s current predicament. But Yang An refused to believe that Life Crane could be so easily trapped. He was more inclined to think it was all part of Life Crane’s plan, so the man would definitely return.

If Life Crane truly was besieged by the Dao of Celestial Being and the Immortal Platforms of Qiangui Mountain, perhaps even in mortal danger, then that would be even better for Yang An.

Without another word, Yang An took Piglet and Hai Xin, brushed past Thirty Flow, and quickly left the area.

"Pavilion Master..."

Seeing Yang An depart, the two Elders standing behind Thirty Flow started to ask, but Thirty Flow cut them off with a raised hand.

He knew Yang An’s relationship with the Supreme Elder was extraordinary, and seeing how confidently Yang An spoke, he figured the Supreme Elder would return before long.

That being the case, he had no reason—and certainly not the strength—to stop Yang An.

’But I’m the Pavilion Master, and Yang An is, after all, just an Internal Affairs Elder—a rank below me. Yet his attitude showed no deference whatsoever, which is infuriating, but there’s nothing I can do about it.’

’Yang An single-handedly destroyed Great Virtue Temple and effortlessly killed Non-Birth, a monumental achievement. How much longer can I hold onto my position as Pavilion Master?’

As he was lost in thought, a figure flew over from the distance. It was none other than the Internal Affairs Elder, Elder Zhuan Yu.

He came before Thirty Flow, bowed, and then spoke.

"Pavilion Master, I did not find the Command Token."

"You’ve searched Great Virtue Temple and the place where Non-Birth fell?"

"I’ve searched them both. Nothing."

Receiving Zhuan Yu’s reply, Thirty Flow fell into deep thought, his gaze turning toward the direction Yang An had gone.

...

Yang An, along with Hai Xin and Piglet, arrived at Nirvana City without any trouble.

At that moment, Jin’e was controlling Liu Feifei’s body, facing a group of attacking Demon Fiends and wreaking havoc.

For a woman, Liu Feifei’s body, currently occupied by Jin’e, looked anything but feminine. Her features were filled with a masculine aura.

Seeing this, Hai Xin immediately sensed Jin’e’s aura on Liu Feifei’s body. Overcome with joy, he burst into tears, left Yang An’s side, and flew toward Jin’e, joining the battle.

With Hai Xin’s help, the horde of Demon Fiends suffered countless casualties and were quickly driven away.

These were likely the last days these Demon Fiends would be able to run rampant. With only the Golden Thread Pavilion left as a major power in the Treasure Temple Domain, unification was only a matter of time.

Yang An entered the city. Inside a temple, Hai Xin was kneeling before Liu Feifei, his forehead touching the ground and tears streaming down his face. He spoke of his years of waiting, of the endless torment in the sunless, Demon Fiend-infested Eternal Prison, and how today, he had finally returned to the Great Bodhisattva’s side.

Controlling Liu Feifei’s body, Jin’e was also deeply moved. He helped Hai Xin up from the ground.

"From now on, you will follow me in devoted Buddhist practice. We shall never be separated again."

Jin’e extracted Liu Feifei’s soul from the Reincarnation Dharma Body and returned it to her original form.

Back in her own body, Liu Feifei seemed utterly drained. A mix of excitement and fatigue, she plopped down on the ground, not wanting to get up.

Meanwhile, Jin’e directed the Forbidden Calamity Cauldron to descend onto Hai Xin’s head. After retracting the Reincarnation Dharma Body and the face he had given to Yang An, the Bronze Cauldron suddenly expanded, enveloping Hai Xin completely.

The temple fell silent for a moment. Not knowing what the old monk Jin’e was doing, Yang An simply waited quietly.

Before long, the Bronze Cauldron seemed to liquefy. It shrank rapidly, clinging to Hai Xin like a second skin before completely merging into his body.

Hai Xin’s appearance changed drastically, becoming that of Jin’e. On the back of his head, however, another face grew—that was Hai Xin’s.

The master of this body was now Jin’e; the two of them had completely merged into one.

The umbilical cord-like flesh connecting him to Liu Feifei’s body was retracted by Jin’e, severing their bond. The current Jin’e had now become an independent individual, no longer needing to rely on Liu Feifei.

"Amitabha. Donor Liu, from now on, you will study Buddhism with this old monk. I will teach you everything I know. What do you say?"

Jin’e had relied on Liu Feifei for so long, and it was only natural that he repay this debt of gratitude. Thus, the thought of taking her as a disciple came to mind.

Hearing Jin’e’s words, Liu Feifei glanced at Yang An with some reluctance. ’I wanted to take Yang An as my master, but he has no intention of accepting disciples. Oh well, this old monk is a known quantity and not a bad person. Taking him as a master wouldn’t be so bad.’

At this thought, Liu Feifei couldn’t help but ask curiously, "I’m a woman. Is that okay?"

"The Buddha is formless. To be without color is to be without desire. There is no distinction between men and women," Jin’e said with a smile.

Liu Feifei happily accepted and immediately knelt to the ground. From then on, she was Jin’e’s disciple.

After all this was done, Jin’e finally turned to look at Yang An.

Hai Xin’s face on the back of his head quickly spat out a colorful stone carving. The carving was of a small Buddha statue, covered in seven colors.

Yang An recognized it at a glance as the Seven-Colored Dust he needed. The colors of the Buddha statue corresponded exactly to the Seven-Colored Dust: gold, jade, frost, vermilion, silver, ink, and shang. The aura it emitted was also identical to the Dust he had encountered before.

"You have worked hard, Donor. This Seven-Colored Dust is what this old monk promised you. Without your help, it would not have been so easy for Hai Xin to leave Great Virtue Temple. Therefore, in addition to this item, I will give you one more thing as partial repayment for your kindness."

Giving the seven-colored Buddha statue to Yang An, Jin’e cut his palm. A large amount of black blood gathered from the wound until bright red blood finally began to flow.

The black blood eventually coalesced into a black bead.

"This is the Demonic Thought that Hai Xin accumulated over many years in the Eternal Prison. It may be of some help to you, Donor."

After confirming through appraisal that it was indeed the Seven-Colored Dust, Yang An accepted the Buddha statue and took the black bead from Jin’e.

[Hai Xin’s Demonic Thought]: Formed by Hai Xin over a thousand years of absorption in the Eternal Prison. It is one and the same with Buddhist Thought, inseparable. This item can be converted into a source of faith, cultivated alongside Buddhism, or integrated into a supreme treasure of the Buddhist Sect to amplify it.

Cost of Use: Using this item will, to a certain extent, taint the user with Demonic Thought, attract a Heart Demon, corrupt their original state, and cause them to fall into the Demon Dao.

Status: Can be Purified!

’What can I use this thing for?’

Looking at the contents of the information box, Yang An couldn’t help but ponder.

’If it can be integrated into a supreme treasure of the Buddhist Sect, can it merge with the Sacrificial Bone? Could it amplify the power of the Buddha’s Light Wheel?’

’The only supreme Buddhist treasure I have is the Sacrificial Bone I’ve already fused with. I didn’t manage to get another Sacrificial Bone from Great Virtue Temple this time, so if this Demonic Thought really works like that, it would be a huge help.’

After casually performing a Purification, Yang An put it away. However, he still had something more to say.

"Thank you, Master Jin’e. However, I have one more favor to ask. I hope you can help me."

"No need for such formalities, Donor. This old monk has already given his word. If there is something you need to do, I will certainly help with all my strength, so please do not hesitate."

Jin’e was a man who kept his promises; his word was his bond. Having known him for some time, Yang An understood him well enough not to stand on ceremony.

"I will be staying in Nirvana City for a few more days. I need to borrow your Bronze Cauldron."

Yang An stated his request.

Now that Jin’e was completely separated from Liu Feifei and no longer one entity with her, Yang An couldn’t indirectly borrow Liu Feifei’s Heart as he had before. Therefore, he wanted to borrow the Forbidden Calamity Cauldron directly.

He would need the Power of Rules contained within the cauldron to shorten his research time and avoid wasting too many days.

As for Yang An’s request, Jin’e agreed without much thought.

However, what he gave Yang An was not the Bronze Cauldron, but his Heart.

Now that he had merged with Hai Xin, the Forbidden Calamity Cauldron had naturally done the same. Therefore, this Heart could also be considered the Forbidden Calamity Cauldron.

"Thank you, Master."

A quarter of an hour later, after a brief discussion with Jin’e, Yang An headed straight for the Glazed Tower in the city.

After placing a Restriction around the area, he took out the Seven-Colored Buddha Statue he had just obtained and the Demonic Thought from Hai Xin.

’Whether I can figure out what I need before that old coot Life Crane returns all depends on how well I use the time I have now.’

Looking at the Seven-Colored Buddha Statue in his hand, Yang An quickly regulated his breathing and composed himself.

After performing a Purification on the cost of using the Seven-Colored Dust, with a CRACKLE, the Buddha statue in Yang An’s hand quickly crumbled into a fine powder...