Stepping on the demon door, the witch becomes the strongest.

Chapter 646: Underground Buddhist Kingdom
If someone could explore the entire secret realm, they would find that this underground secret realm is very large, spanning about 700 kilometers, and the total length of various caves is more than 300 kilometers.

The caverns are roughly divided into four areas: the higher, sparsely populated northwest caves, the lower, karst caves in the southwest, the upper reaches of the underground river in the northeast, and the lower reaches of the river in the southeast. These four areas are connected by a vast underground river, surrounded by numerous tributaries and dried-up river channels (now converted into accessible cave passages). Some of these areas are looping, while others are dead ends, making it easy for an ordinary person to get lost.

Yan Yu and Li Minghu were transported to a high point due north, then headed west, where they met Li Zhaojiang and Xu Jin. After the four of them reunited and rested, they prepared to continue exploring the sparse caves in the northwest of the secret realm.

Lin Ning was teleported to a large cave in the south of the secret realm. At this time, under the guidance of the so-called "Fairy in the Mirror", he began to move north along the tributary river.

Chen Lingyun and Zhao Yuanzhen were transported to the northeastern upstream bank of the river and then followed the main channel of the underground river southward. They passed Lin Ning, who was exploring northward. At their closest point, they were only separated by a rock face of over 200 meters, but ultimately, they failed to detect each other.

To the southeast, the underground rivers converged into a vast underground lake, covering over 30 square kilometers. The lakebed was the lowest point in the entire secret realm, and at least rivers flowed into it, making it the destination for many secret realm explorers.

Near the lake surface, fog lingered, limiting visibility to a mere 10 meters. In the center of the lake stood a large complex of floating buildings, their tops piercing through the mist and pointing directly to the bottom of the cave, clearly visible even from a distance.

The ascetics got a large boat from somewhere, sailed to the waters near the complex, and began to travel around looking for a suitable anchorage.

However, the dense fog made visibility extremely low, and after circling for a long time, they found nothing. Unable to find a dock, the large ship dared not approach without permission and was about to continue circling when several ghostly spirits suddenly flew out of the outer fog and instantly knocked down the patrolling monk on the deck.

Soon after, many canoes rushed out through the fog. Standing at the bows were almost all talisman tattooists, energizing their entire bodies with talismans and using their spiritual power to withstand the ascetic monks' firepower with their indestructible bodies, clinging to the hull of the large ship and climbing up.

A fierce battle soon ensued between the two sides. The Ascetics clearly had the advantage in numbers, and their superior position allowed them to easily reach the sorcerers below. The sorcerers made several surprise attempts to board the ship, but were ultimately driven back.

The dense fog made it difficult for both sides to count their casualties, so they killed with fervor. Seeing it difficult to reach the deck of the ship, the sorcerers mobilized many sorcerers to attack the ship directly with their spells.

Soon, several water-sealed tanks on the ship were pierced. The monks were helpless and could only forcefully turn the rudder to crash into the nearby building.

Some of the ascetics fell into the lake due to the violent tremors and were quickly killed by the sorcerers. The rest quickly jumped from the deck and rushed into the building to take shelter. The sorcerers immediately rowed their boats to the shore, and the Yin magicians released a large number of Yin ghosts, chasing them through the gaps in the building.

On a high tower not far away, Xie Ruoxi watched them rush into the square and asked worriedly:
"Yunjin, they've all come in. Shouldn't we evacuate now?"

"Give me a few more minutes." In the room behind him, Su Yunjin took another jade slip from the shelf and read it with his spiritual sense.

The complex of buildings on the lake in this secret place is the residence of a sect called "Pure Land Zen Buddhism".

Su Yunjin clearly remembered that the Mahaparinirvana Sutra had said: The demon Mara will gradually destroy our righteous Dharma, allowing his sons and grandsons to wear monks' robes, sneak into Buddhist temples, misinterpret the scriptures, and break the precepts.

The Pure Land Zen sect of this world is one of the four great evil sects. The Red Lotus Sect refines people with karmic fire, the Demon Subduing Sect devours people with celestial demons, the Joyful Sect corrupts people with lust, and the Pure Land Sect uses secret methods to transform people, hoping to "transform a leaky form into a pure body."

Simply put, my cultivation level is not enough to make me a Buddha, and I cannot ascend to the Western Paradise before the arrival of the Dharma Extinction Era. So I will transform my body into an Arhat, refine my soul into a Bodhisattva, and then transform the sect's headquarters into the Western Pure Land - trying to survive the ravages of the Dharma Extinction Era.

The result was obviously a failure, because now the only people left in the Pure Land Sect’s headquarters are various crazy and insane fake Bodhisattvas and evil Arhats with deformed bodies.

Considering that the base here is very large and it would take a lot of time to search it one by one, the two of them first went to the Sutra Library, intending to look for clues to the center of the secret realm, and then make plans.

Who knew that the Indian ascetic monks and the southern sorcerers would arrive so quickly!
Xie Ruoxi was worried that if someone found this place, she would have to fight against the majority with a small number of people, and the situation would become dangerous.

However, Su Yunjin insisted on staying here to continue looking up information, because both of them were magic practitioners and had Taoist methods to deal with large numbers of enemies. The Nandou Xinghe secret technique was for control, and the Tuichao Hengbo Flute was for defense. They could fight when they wanted to and leave when they wanted to. Why should they panic when they saw the enemy arriving?
Xie Ruoxi has always been a person without a strong opinion. She thought Yun Jin was smarter than her, so she would just listen to her.

Hold on here!

At the same time, at a waterfall in the northeast direction, a huge bowl-shaped round boat crashed down.

Chen Lingyun and Zhao Yuanzhen also arrived here and began to head towards the many Buddhist temples on the lake.

----------

However, Lin Ning continued to move forward along the dry riverbed, only to find that the surrounding environment became increasingly narrow, dark, and deep, which gave her a bad premonition and made her wonder if she was being lured into a trap by the Fairy in the Mirror.

She didn't completely believe the so-called "trapped immortal" story, and the other party seemed to know that she was on guard, so he didn't directly tell her to go this way or that, but instead chatted with her in a random manner:
"The feud between the Pure Land Sect and the Zhenmei Sword Sect is a long-standing one. The secret realm was originally occupied by the Pure Land Sect's monk Wuxin. It took three decades to eliminate most of the Asura monsters and establish an underground Buddhist kingdom here."

"Later, Chen Yanwei, the founder of the Zhenmei Sword Sect, led many of his sword-immortal disciples into the Buddhist Kingdom, intending to seize the other sect's foundation for his own use. The Pure Land Sect was no match for Chen Yanwei and was forced to split the core of the secret realm in two, handing one half to the Zhenmei Sword Sect for safekeeping as a way to negotiate peace. Chen Yanwei was also concerned that the Pure Land Sect was too familiar with the secret realm's restrictions and feared they would be destroyed together. Therefore, after establishing his sect at the top of the secret realm, he temporarily gathered his disciples and ceased operations."

"Taoism and Buddhism confronted each other for nearly seventy years. Monk Wuxin eventually passed away, and Chen Yanwei also left for a trip and never returned. This caused both sides to decline almost simultaneously. Many conflicts arose afterward, but neither side had the strength to perish together with the other."

"Since the Zhenmei Sword Sect was having trouble conquering the Pure Land Sect head-on, they cultivated a large number of sword puppet monsters and released them from the upper reaches of the Dark River, allowing them to drift down to cause endless trouble for the Pure Land Sect."

"The Pure Land Sect also opened up the Yellow Springs Underworld, drawing out numerous powerful ghosts, forcing them to drift down from the underworld to torment and damage the sword puppets. They also established the 'Ksitigarbha Palace' within the sect, employing specialized monks to raise and nurture ghosts, waiting for an opportunity to counterattack the Zhenmei Sword Sect."

"Sword Immortals are supposed to slay demons, and eminent monks are supposed to rescue ghosts. However, faced with the threat of their sect's survival, both sides abandoned their original moral principles and bottom lines, resorting to methods they once despised to completely destroy their opponents. This shows that the evil deep within the human heart is even greater than the threat of the era of extinction."

"Are you asking me to do reading comprehension?" Lin Ning asked with a frown.

"I'm just chatting with you." The Mirror Fairy said with a smile, "If I remember correctly, the core of the secret realm is divided into two. The Zhenmei Sword Sect keeps half, and the Pure Land Sect keeps the other half. If you want to seize this secret realm, you actually have to visit both sides."

"I need to find the captain first." Lin Ning thought to herself, "The captain is very knowledgeable. He must know how to deal with this Mirror Fairy. I won't interfere." "You like your captain, right?" the Mirror Fairy asked with a smile.

"It's none of your business." Lin Ning said angrily.

Seeing that she was pretending to be fierce to cover up her shyness, the Fairy in the Mirror stopped teasing her and said with emotion:

"A young man's admiration for his love, a young lady's love for her lover—it's common sense. Unfortunately, the sword immortals of the past didn't understand, blindly pursuing ruthlessness and severing one's character. It's like seeing a mountain, not daring to climb it, and instead thinking of circumventing it. With such a lack of courage, how could they possibly have the chance to attain the true meaning of the sword? Although your swordsmanship is low, your strength lies in your clear mind and unwavering passion. As long as you maintain this character, you will surely become a great figure in the future... I'm very optimistic about your future."

"Stop flattering me. Don't think I'll be fooled by a few nice words." Lin Ning said with disdain, and suddenly became suspicious. "Wait, I haven't mentioned the captain to you many times, right? How do you know I like the captain?"

"Hahahahahahaha!" The Immortal in the Mirror laughed several times before slowly saying, "How could I not know? I'm the True Immortal in the Mirror! Nothing can escape my detection!"

"Then tell me, how could the True Immortal in the Mirror be trapped in a bronze mirror, and how could he be thrown into this secret realm, without seeing the light of day for thousands or tens of thousands of years?" Lin Ning asked with a sneer.

Although Lin Ning is often bullied by Yan Yu, Su Yunjin and Chen Lingyun in the Zhenhai team, this does not mean that she is not smart - she was the class monitor in high school!

"That's a long story," the Mirror Fairy said calmly. "I was trapped in the mirror because I've traveled all over the world, seen all sorts of things, and thought there was nothing in the world that could pique my interest anymore. That's why I voluntarily secluded myself in the mirror and lived out my days in solitude."

"Do immortals also grow old?"

"No, but saying it like that would make me seem more like an immortal."

"I think it's the temperament of a madman." Lin Ning said, "If you went in by yourself, then you must have a way to get out by yourself."

"Of course I do." The Fairy in the Mirror asked her, "But why did I come out?"

"If you don't come out, how can I know if you are truly the Immortal in the Mirror?" Lin Ning asked with a chuckle, "and not some artifact spirit or something like that?"

"Believe it or not," the Fairy in the Mirror also laughed, "There's no need for me to prove myself to you."

Lin Ning thought to herself that this was true. If the Fairy in the Mirror had repeatedly emphasized her immortality, she would have grown increasingly suspicious. However, the Fairy's lack of prompting made her feel unsure.

Never mind. Regardless of whether you are real or not, I will hand you over to the captain!
But Captain...where are you now?
----------

Yan Yu was chatting and laughing with Li Minghu.

Although Li Zhaojiang was rescued by Xu Jin after being kicked down by his sister, he was now in a state of disarray, muttering something incomprehensible.

Li Minghu ignored him and continued to find topics to talk to Yan Yu, as if he was planning to get over the previous incident as soon as possible.

Yan Yu also saw through her thoughts, so he cooperated and never mentioned what had just happened, but just chatted about all kinds of nonsense.

Xu Jin couldn't stand listening any longer and asked:

"Should we really go back and fight that Taoist gatekeeper? Or should we find more team members and try again?"

If the Taoist gatekeeper really had the strength of a sword immortal at the Golden Core Realm as Yan Yu said, then the four of them alone might not be able to defeat him - and the opponent was ruthless, which meant that every attempt carried the risk of death. Perhaps it would be safer to wait until everyone was gathered before challenging him.

"We don't know how big this secret realm is. Compared to aimlessly searching for people, it's more practical to get the secret realm control center as soon as possible." Yan Yu explained to her, "People will move around, but the secret realm center is right there, and there are usually traces to follow."

"That's right." Li Minghu echoed from the side, smiling, "What's more, Ajiang's Yuanci Divine Light is also very effective against enemies like Sword Immortals."

Li Zhaojiang's eyes were still dull a second ago, but at this moment he was fully revived. He immediately showed a solemn expression and said seriously:

"Nothing made of metal or iron can resist my divine magnetic light! Absolutely nothing!"

"You better be careful," Yan Yu reminded him. "Except for you, the three of us are all sword immortals. The Yuanci Divine Light will also affect us. Don't let it fail to restrain the opponent and seal our swordsmanship instead."

"That's true." Li Zhaojiang said seriously, "I will be careful not to let the Yuanci Divine Light get close to my sister and Xu Jin, but there's no guarantee that it won't accidentally hit you. You'd better be careful then. I won't be responsible if you get hit by a flying sword with my spell."

"In that case, to be on the safe side, why don't I not use the flying sword?" Yan Yu also looked thoughtful. "Let's use a puppet instead. Ah Jiang, you better be careful when the time comes. My puppet control is not that precise."

"That's enough!" Li Minghu shouted, "Ah Jiang! Let's discuss the tactical plan seriously. Don't mess around here!"

Li Zhaojiang was suddenly struck by lightning. He wanted to cry but had no tears. His lips trembled for a long time and he couldn't utter a word.

　A belated update... The keyboard vendor asked me to send it for repair, saying it would take at least 20 days to fix it. Do I have to stop updating for 20 days? This is ridiculous. This crappy keyboard breaks too easily. I won't buy from them next time.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)