The impression this person gives me so far isn't bad—they're adaptable and good at observing others' expressions. Let's test them further; perhaps they are worth promoting.

Everyone searched for some time, but without finding any clues, they returned in embarrassment. Of course, this expedition didn't end without gains.

Bao Guangming Bodhisattva contributed a significant amount of resources.

Song Lin followed Lingwei to his Divine Might Dojo.

This place was destroyed by me years ago, but it has since been largely restored. It no longer looks like the site of the calamity from centuries past.

Song Lin was assigned to guard Lingwei's dojo, a relatively central task. Although it was grueling and tiring, cultivating under the watchful eyes of a top leader would surely lead to making his mark someday.

Song Lin understood that this arrangement was meant to monitor him, but he still settled in willingly.

All is quiet for now, but the moment he makes a move, it will be earth-shattering.

Lingwei Small World holds no interest for him; what he aims for is entry into the Middle Thousand.

For now, he lived a quiet and low-profile life daily, secretly traveling to the Northern Travel Record World.

As for guarding the dojo, he had his avatar take his place.

If the Great Sun World Venerable were to come here at this moment, perhaps they would notice something amiss, but Lingwei's dull perspective definitely wouldn't.

Before entering the story world…

In the Dragon Mansion Jade Gourd World, Song Lin's true body resided there, and on the ground lay a jade coffin. Inside the coffin was a restrained individual.

Currently, I possess four immortal artifacts: the God-beating Whip, the Netherworld Candle Fire Lamp, the Ancient Bronze Lamp, and the Pure Yang Sword. The Heavenly Burial Coffin is still of acquired artifact quality, but it suffices to contain a Harmonization-level being.

The real Bao Guangming is still in the coffin.

With a thought, Song Lin released Bao Guangming from confinement.

"Don't try to resist. I am a Heavenly Immortal; think carefully about your actions."

"What do you want?" Bao Guangming warily eyed Song Lin.

"You are a good person. I will not kill you."

While extracting Bao Guangming's memories, Song Lin discovered that this person was indeed virtuous.

A true monk who upheld strict precepts with a righteous and pure heart.

It seemed a pity that he was following someone like Lingwei.

Song Lin was unwilling to kill someone just because they followed a different lineage. How would he be any different from Lingwei's people then?

One should judge people by their morals and deeds, not merely through the lens of benefit and gain.

In his youth, he valued benefits, thinking only children concerned themselves with good and evil.

As his experience grew, Song Lin gradually realized that for an organization or a force to propagate and endure for eternity, it must be built on principles—principles adhered to with the unwavering conviction of an innocent child.

"You won't kill me? Then why did you capture me?" Bao Guangming asked discontentedly.

"To grant you a fortuitous opportunity."

Song Lin produced the White Dragon Whip.

He lashed it across Bao Guangming's body.

Pa!

A crisp sound came from Bao Guangming's body.

The Bodhisattva Fruit shattered, and the dharma image of the Lingtai Bodhisattva dissipated.

As he was overcome with terror—

"If you don't want to die, recite the incantation." Song Lin commanded in a low voice.

Regardless of whether Bao Guangming was willing or not, the contents of the Taiyi Jinhua Scripture flowed into his ears.

Initially resistant, Bao Guangming eventually found himself drawn to the scripture.

From then on, Bao Guangming cultivated within the Dragon Mansion Jade Gourd.

Song Lin's goal was to free him from the control of the Great Sun World Venerable.

Throughout the Pure Land Middle Thousand, the majority of the later generations practiced a Dao modified by the Great Sun World Venerable. Just as Song Lin exercised control over the Donghua lineage, so too must the Great Sun World Venerable possess similar authority.

"If only this were the true God-beating Whip."

In the story world, the White Dragon Whip had been refined into the God-beating Whip by Lord Lao Zi.

But there was no such projection in reality.

If it were the true God-beating Whip, a single lash could instantly convert someone.

"To transcend and bring karma to its completion, I must find a way to obtain the genuine God-beating Whip," Song Lin thought.

In the future, the distinctions between Buddhist, Daoist, and Demonic paths would lie solely in his thoughts. Encountering good talents, he could immediately transform them.

The five Heavenly Immortals suppressed in the Death River—Emperor Yi, Emperor Shuiyuan, and three others—still hadn't yielded to him.

After all, their Daoist Realms as Heavenly Immortals meant that, while the Death River eroded them day and night, it still couldn't breach their flawless and complete Daoist attainments.

Song Lin wasn't inclined to kill them and reforge their divine souls. Doing so would only yield a "Harmonization" or possibly just a "Primordial Spirit" bearing their memories.

Should the God-beating Whip be acquired, he wouldn't only be able to transform those who admired the Donghua lineage but were constrained by circumstance; with the Death River and the God-beating Whip combined, he might even turn enemies into allies.

Carrying a lantern, Song Lin flickered into the void and arrived at the Donghua Middle Thousand—a place he had left hundreds of years ago.

In the Great Thousand Void—

A pair of Dao soldiers patrol with lanterns in hand.

The Dao soldiers include zombies, paper effigies, grass horses, ghost children, and the black and white impermanence spirits, all imbued with the distinctive style of Mao Mountain Taoists.

These are the troops commanded by Mao Zhong.

Fifty million Dao soldiers were scattered across the boundless void, as small and inconsequential as specks of dust in the world.

They searched the void for traces of Ermao.

These Dao soldiers essentially function as a suicide squad.

Unless they found Ermao, they wouldn't return.

Faced with danger or adversaries, they would self-destruct without revealing any secrets of the Heavenly Court.

At this moment, a ripple spread through the void.

Song Lin emerged with a lantern in hand.

"The Heavenly Emperor!" Mao Zhong exclaimed in surprise.

"I seem to have discovered clues about Ermao."

"Where are they?"

Song Lin shared the intelligence he had uncovered from Lingwei.

"There is a high probability it involves your elder brothers."

"Here's the situation: one of them is in the Great Sun World Venerable's dojo, while the other is wandering the void. I will handle the former, and you focus on locating the latter."

"Understood." Mao Zhong sighed. In this vast void, finding his elder brother would be an arduous task.

Unless they attacked the Pure Land and rescued one of the ancient corpses from within. If the corpse turned out to be their brother, he could then lead the effort to locate the other.

Of course, this approach was clearly impractical.

The enemy's cultivation was unfathomably advanced. How could the newly reborn Donghua World prevail?

"The Great Sun World Venerable is still dispatching people to hunt for the ancient corpse. I will pass along any updates, and when they find it, we'll intercept them."

"That works well. If you need help from me, I'll stop at nothing."

"This information must not be leaked."

Song Lin returned to the Pure Land and resumed cultivation in the story world.

Three years passed in this manner.

Equivalent to thirty years in the story world.

On this day, Song Lin returned to the Dragon Mansion Jade Gourd World.

Bao Guangming had been in seclusion there for three years, cultivating the Taiyi Jinhua Scripture.

That day, the world radiated a brilliant light as Bao Guangming's dharma image manifested.

His spirit platform was reforged, his dharma image reconstructed.

Gone were the Yingluo, prayer beads, treasure wheel, scripture pillar, and other traditional adornments. The Bodhisattva Fruit had transformed into a primordial spirit, and his dharma image had fused with it.

He had transitioned from Buddha to Dao.

"My Bodhisattva Fruit..." Bao Guangming murmured in astonishment as he awoke.

"I don't have time to explain. Once you meet someone, you'll understand Lingwei's true nature."

Given Bao Guangming's character, learning of Lingwei's deeds should lead him to reform.

Even if he doesn't, there's always the pharmacist to persuade him. When it comes to verbal debates, those well-versed in Buddhist teachings excel most.

Song Lin brought Bao Guangming to see the pharmacist, then reentered the story world.

The plotline should be set to progress now.

Previously, Song Lin had taken on a role appointed by the Jade Emperor to establish a new department. He was conferred the title of Emperor of the North Pole, ruler of the North Pole Emperor Star, overseeing the Central Heaven Ziwei Constellation.

In this realm, the Heavenly Court's Star Lords were still inactive. Many stars bore only names, with no innate divine beings having been born.

Having lazed about for so long, Song Lin decided it was time to start rallying his forces.

With the power of the God-beating Whip, he intended to forge an army that outwardly served the Heavenly Court but secretly answered to him.

......

(Another chapter will come tonight. Two thousand words at midday, four thousand this afternoon, and four thousand more tonight—ten thousand in total, making up for yesterday's missed update.)

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.