Cultivation: I Have Studied Abroad in the Modern World

As soon as Jile Heavenly Girl returned, she was busy overseeing the festival, involving even outsiders like Fairy Han Yu.

"Orders from Leiyin Temple? Even five Golden Immortals have to obey?"

Listening to Fairy Han Yu’s report, Maitreya Body and Qingnv grew increasingly puzzled, as the sense of foreboding intensified in their hearts.

"What exactly needs to be done?"

"It seems they need to gather all the ordinary disciples of the West Continent to attend the festival at the Buddhist temple."

"That big?" Qingnv’s tone was quite surprised, yet her expression grew more serious, "This isn’t something that Paradise can orchestrate."

"Indeed, it’s not centered around Jile Heavenly Girl, those from Leiyin Temple are here to arrange the festival."

This is bad news.

Maitreya Body vaguely felt that this matter might be related to the Earth Emperor Corpse, perhaps even to its revival.

"Ideally, we could disrupt the festival..." Maitreya Body’s thoughts shifted a few times before speaking to Qingnv.

Qingnv nodded, not objecting, but simply asked, "How do we disrupt it?"

"How long until the festival?"

"I see their plan is waiting until everything is ready elsewhere, with a set date sixty days from now."

"Sixty days... we can’t win by brute force." Maitreya Body pondered for a moment before slowly analyzing to Qingnv, "Even if we could subdue Jile Heavenly Girl, we couldn’t hide from the Buddhas, let alone the Earth Emperor Corpse and others."

This isn’t him worrying needlessly; this festival has mobilized the entire West Continent, and the Earth Emperor Corpse and Lu Yao are likely watching closely.

Defeating Jile Heavenly Girl won’t stop the festival and could easily expose them, making the risk too high.

"Then what do we do?"

Maitreya Body was silent for a while, his face involuntarily showing a bit of a bitter smile, slowly shaking his head.

To be honest, he couldn’t think of a solution.

The resources he could mobilize now were too few, the entire West Continent was someone else’s territory, and the All Heaven Stars Formation couldn’t be used.

Across the West Continent, only Jade Snow Mountain and Moonlight Mountain were considered his people, and their strength was inferior to Jile Heavenly Girl, let alone facing Leiyin Temple.

It’s really like a clever woman in the absence of rice can’t cook a meal.

"Hiding in Jade Snow Mountain won’t yield a solution." Unable to think of a way, Maitreya Body didn’t want to wait in vain, so he straightforwardly said, "I plan to go outside to look around and see what’s actually happening."

Qingnv nodded decisively, "Then I’ll stay in Jade Snow Mountain to see what Bai Hua is up to."

Maitreya Body left Jade Snow Mountain, staying distant from Jile Heavenly Girl and others, and chose a mortal city to descend into.

After thinking for a while, he realized that breaking through might indeed require following the mass line—

Whether in Turquoise Pool or Leiyin Temple, in essence, both are governed by the Divine Dao Skill, with the key point actually lying among the ordinary mortals of the West Continent.

Besides that, he had no other way to break the current situation of powerlessness.

This city was known to Maitreya Body; it’s called Liubo City, located on the border of Leiyin Temple and Turquoise Pool, next to Xuanwei Sea.

Back when Zheng Fa fled from Leiyin Temple, he passed through this city, even staying for a few days in the city’s Buddhist temple as a monk.

In his memory, Liubo City is considered a medium-sized city by Leiyin Temple standards, with a population of over two hundred thousand, where ordinary life seemed reasonably good—West Continent’s land is fertile, and Leiyin Temple’s rule is stable, so even ordinary people who contribute money to the Buddha need not worry about food and drink.

According to Zheng Fa’s memory, Liubo City, situated at the border, also had thriving commerce, and the vitality of the city’s population looked quite decent.

But this time, upon arriving, Maitreya Body found everything had changed.

Most of the stores on the streets were closed, with steps covered in dust, as if they hadn’t opened in a long time.

Beside the road, only a few scattered pedestrians passed, each with a sallow complexion and deep hollows in their cheeks.

Their steps were sluggish, as if exerting effort, not looking at the road or others, just staring into the void, sometimes mumbling quietly to themselves as if no one else was there.

Maitreya Body felt inexplicably heavy-hearted, and after walking for a while, he discovered someone lying motionless on the corner of the street. Approaching, he found this person was dead with a thick, white maggot writhing from his mouth.

People passing by seem accustomed to this sight, not even glancing at it.

Maitreya Body stopped, opened his palm, and gently supported, intending to find a place for this person to rest in peace.

"You can’t bury them all."

A voice came from beside him.

Maitreya Body wasn’t surprised; he had long sensed a Nascent Soul cultivator standing behind him. Turning around, he saw a young man dressed in West Continent attire, with skin darker than the cultivators of East Continent.

Maitreya Body’s current disguised cultivation level was only that of a Nascent Soul.

"How should I address fellow Daoist?"

"I am a humble monk named Maitreya."

"I am Tian Yun, the abbot of Unity Temple."

Maitreya Body felt a bit surprised, recognizing this individual — a sect cultivator!

Unlike the East Continent, though there are a few loose cultivators in West Continent, sect cultivators are rare.

The reason is complex; simply put, compared to East Continent sects, Leiyin Temple, which governs people through the Divine Dao Skill, does not tolerate other small sects as much.

But it doesn’t mean there’s none.

Some have obtained opportunities, secured cultivation methods, if willing to serve Leiyin Temple, paying tribute annually, and not competing for faith, they can barely survive in West Continent.

The sects here mostly refer to themselves as temples, monasteries, nunneries, indicating they’re subordinate branches of Leiyin Temple.

It’s easily understood that meeting such conditions is challenging.

Thus, there are few loose cultivators in West Continent.

"Are you a loose cultivator, fellow Daoist?"

Maitreya Body clasped his hands and softly acknowledged.