With heads held high and spirits soaring, Qiao Lin and a detachment of Tian Fu Army warriors escorted Marquis Jiang back to Min He Temple.

The courtyard erupted in a thunderous ovation.

The sheer fervor of the welcome made it seem as though Jiang Wang had already conquered the world.

Jiang Wang had to temper their enthusiasm slightly, lest these fellows become overly boisterous and inadvertently create enemies for him.

He relished challenges, but he held no fondness for being soundly beaten.

Even within the confines of Min He Temple itself, he couldn’t claim a fearless sweep.

The God Presence realm, unlike Outer Building or Inner Mansion, lacked obvious small realm divisions. There was but one Nurture Spirit Hall, where the Dao Vein meandered and the Divine Soul resided. There were no five mansions, no four buildings, and no particularly distinct boundaries. Yet, as the first major realm crossed after shattering the Heaven-Man barrier, the so-called “Gate of the Upper Three Grades,” the strength gap between cultivators at this level was remarkably disparate.

Historically, the God Presence realm was said to be boundless.

How could mortal beings ever definitively categorize the might of those akin to gods?

Even among God Presence cultivators themselves, some prioritized cultivating the Spirit Domain, others the development of Divine Abilities, and still others the advancement of their Dao Path. Simply observing their external manifestations made it exceedingly difficult to discern their relative strengths.

Based on his own encounters, Jiang Wang felt that, when divided by combat power, the God Presence realm could be roughly categorized into four levels.

Those like Zheng Chaoyang, who achieved God Presence at a great cost or through special means, were inherently lacking. They possessed no Divine Abilities, their Spirit Domain remained incomplete, and their Dao Path was not sufficiently solid. These were the weak God Presence. Their strength was arguably superior to the God Presence-level demons in the Edge Wilderness that possessed only simple spiritual intelligence, but they were primarily reliant on Golden Body Jade Marrow to suppress cultivators below the Outer Building realm who had breached the Heaven-Man barrier.

Then there were those like Yue Leng and Li Youjiu, individuals capable of holding significant positions within the powerful institutions of major nations, and who were certainly not lacking in lethal techniques. These were the conventional God Presence. This category comprised the absolute majority of God Presence cultivators in the world. Zhou Xiong and Yan Tu also fell into this group.

Those he had faced on the battlefield, several of the Xia Country Marquises, who had excelled in multiple aspects simultaneously – Divine Abilities, Dao Path, killing techniques, Spirit Domain, and physical body – were the strong God Presence. The upper limit of this level was exceptionally high. He himself was also in this category, as were Dou Zhao, Chong Xuanzun, and even the older generation figures like Ji Zhaonan and Chun Yu Gui.

Finally, there were those of the level of the Sin Lord Huang Jinmo, or the former Fierce Butcher Chong Xuan Chuliang – these were the top God Presence. Looking at the current world, they were exceedingly rare, perhaps even more so than True Persons.

Of course, a stricter classification could further subdivide these categories. For instance, there were Cave True with promising futures, those who had reached the extreme in a particular direction, or even within the “strong God Presence” level itself – Ji Zhaonan was currently undeniably stronger than Chong Xuanzun; perhaps a further grade could be introduced… but this was overly cumbersome and unnecessary.

Examining his own strength, Jiang Wang inwardly assessed that he could contend with anyone below the top God Presence. While there might be variations in strength, in a life-or-death struggle, he wasn’t entirely without a chance.

However, against a top God Presence, his only option was to flee for his life.

During his initial encounter with Chong Xuan Chuliang at Point General Platform, though he was only in the Inner Mansion realm, Ji Zhaonan was a true God Presence prodigy. Yet, Chong Xuan Chuliang had treated him like a lump of clay, easily crushing him.

Even then, Chong Xuan Chuliang was simultaneously “guiding” three individuals, using three different cultivation levels concurrently, and still crushed three top prodigies!

He defeated the God Presence Ji Zhaonan, the Outer Building Chong Xuanzun, and the Inner Mansion Jiang Wang, his control over his power was simply divine, leaving all three speechless.

Even now, recalling that encounter, Jiang Wang didn’t feel he could have performed any better than Ji Zhaonan.

His purpose in coming to the grassland for this ceremony was to disregard the envoys from smaller nations. Among the envoys from the powerful nations, Murong Longji and Huang Budong were nearly a decade older than him, and he had no intention of provoking them.

As for those of his generation, such as Zhongli Yan, Dou Zhao, and Chen Suan, he welcomed any challenge and wouldn’t mind sparring with them.

He even wished to test the strength of the God Presence cultivators here in Mu Country, those renowned young God Presence such as the disciples of several True Blood families, or those like Liang who had journeyed to Guan He Terrace… if the people of Mu Country were amenable, he would be eager to try his hand.

Battle was a way of recognizing oneself and verifying one’s path. In any case, he would strictly adhere to the Qi Emperor’s instructions and strive to bring honor to Qi Country.

As for now…

After bathing and changing, Marquis Jiang instructed Qiao Lin to prepare a gift. Carrying it himself, he went alone to visit the host of Min He Temple, Golden Crown Priest Tu Hu.

Although Yu Wenduo had advised him against stirring up trouble, Jiang Wang reasoned that the other party had provided aid in the Edge Wilderness. Upon his return to the imperial court, he should at least show his appreciation.

The main hall of Min He Temple was named “Guang Wen Ye Xie Wu.”

The name of this hall was somewhat peculiar, as it blended words from two linguistic systems: “Guang Wen” and “Ye Xie Wu.”

Ye Xie Wu was, of course, a word from the divine system language, meaning “hero.”

Guang Wen, on the other hand, was a relatively common term in Buddhism, Daoism, and Confucianism, describing “broad knowledge.”

Naturally, within the Guang Wen Ye Xie Wu Hall, its intended meaning was – let us heed the call of heroes, a call that resonates throughout the world.

Namely, summoning back the divine messenger of yesteryear, Min Ha’er.

After Min He Temple became the institution in Mu Country responsible for receiving foreign envoys, over the years, it had acquired new meanings – “singing the names of heroes,” implying a welcome for heroes from across the world to visit.

As for why the word “Guang Wen” was initially used, Jiang Wang privately speculated that perhaps it was because they feared that Min Ha’er, who was not on the grassland, might not receive the call…

Of course, this was merely a wild conjecture. The grassland language itself contained many elements from the Central Plains, a fact evident from a glance at the True Blood families.

Before heading to Cang Wolf Arena, Jiang Wang had specifically sent people to inquire, and indeed, Tu Hu was present at Min He Temple. Thus, this visit was not in vain – the successive arrival of envoys from various countries in the grassland, yet Tu Hu, the person responsible for receiving foreign envoys, was seen running about everywhere; it truly seemed somewhat odd.

For the visit of Qi Country’s Marquis Wu An, Tu Hu showed no arrogance. Instead, he opened the main hall doors wide and personally led him into the hall.

Today, Tu Hu appeared exactly as he had on their first meeting, dressed in resplendent luxury. His golden crown sacrificial robe was exceedingly intricate, a manifestation of divine grace and might, appearing high above, yet the man himself gave off a feeling of being very real and vivid.

That handsome face, though profound, did not create a sense of distance.

This was completely the opposite of how he had been in the Edge Wilderness.

He casually explained the various aspects of the Guang Wen Ye Xie Wu Hall to Jiang Wang, from its architectural style to historical anecdotes, speaking with cordiality and naturalness, interspersed with witty remarks that made one feel as though bathed in a spring breeze.

Upon entering the tall, solemn, and golden magnificent grand doorway, the first thing Jiang Wang saw was a giant bell.

This bell was sky blue in color and hung in the center of the courtyard. Its surface was intricately carved with reliefs depicting the story of Min Ha’er’s preaching. Due to its immense size, it was akin to a screen wall.

Those entering had to walk around it to see the scenery beyond.

“This Guang Wen Bell,” Tu Hu introduced, his tone carrying a faint tinge of regret, “has not rung since the day the Guang Wen Ye Xie Wu Hall was completed.”

Jiang Wang, of course, knew why it hadn’t rung. The story of Min Ha’er had circulated on the grassland for unknown years.

But at this moment, hearing the name “Guang Wen Bell,” he suddenly thought of another bell.

The treasure guarding the Suspended Temple – the “I Hear Bell.”

The names were so similar, could there be some connection?

However, one was in the Cang Tu Divine Teach, and the other in the Buddhist Holy Land of the East. They were truly as unrelated as a horse and an ox.

Jiang Wang felt he was likely being overly sensitive.

His many doubts about Mu Country, coupled with his experiences hunting demons in the Edge Wilderness, made him now feel as though any place in Mu Country might harbor some hidden secret.

“Guang Wen… a good name,” he thus replied without error.

Tu Hu strolled along, as if bathed in divine light, and said softly, “Yes, indeed. ‘Like Obtaining Guang Wen,’ ‘Like Making Known Wen,’ ‘Like I Hear’ – this is the Buddhist ‘Three Hear Three Buddha Faith,’ how could it not be good?”

Jiang Wang’s heart trembled.

Tu Hu’s words were already extremely clear. This Guang Wen Bell was indeed connected to the Suspended Temple’s I Hear Bell!

But how could this be?

One was a Buddhist sect in the East Domain, the other a Divine Teach in the North Domain. While not explicitly opposed, they were clearly distinct. How could there be a shared history between them?

He raised his eyes and looked at the reliefs on the surface of the sky blue giant bell: “Then these reliefs…”

If the Guang Wen Bell was a Buddhist item, how could it depict the story of the Cang Tu Divine Messenger Min Ha’er?

“Oh,” Tu Hu said casually, “they were re-carved after the extermination of Ku Rong Courtyard.”

He spoke so casually, as if he weren’t revealing some extraordinary secret.

But the name Ku Rong Courtyard was simply too sensitive.

It involved the abolished crown prince of Qi Country and even implicated the Qi-Xia hegemony struggle of that year.

The Min He Temple, located within the highest imperial court of the grassland empire, had this Guang Wen Bell hanging in the courtyard before its main hall, and it was actually related to Ku Rong Courtyard?

Once the dust of history was brushed aside, the yellowed scrolls of time revealed a tapestry of scattered words and fragmented images. Only by piecing them together little by little could one catch a faint glimpse of the truth.

The difficulty and complexity of this piecing together was precisely the grandeur of history.

However, there were no records regarding this particular Guang Wen Bell, and Jiang Wang had no basis for speculation.

What exactly had transpired between Qi Country and Mu Country, between the Mu court and Ku Rong Courtyard, in that year?

The story of the Divine Messenger Min Ha’er preaching in the Central Region in that year seemed far more complex than imagined. The involvement of the Guang Wen Ye Xie Wu Hall seemed to go beyond what people described…

Indeed, even the name Guang Wen Ye Xie Wu itself was not that simple.

The main hall of Min He Temple, which commemorated the Cang Tu Divine Teach’s Divine Messenger, was actually named after a Guang Wen Bell that was related to Ku Rong Courtyard.

Just thinking about it made one feel the thousands of threads woven together, and the myriad hidden entanglements within.

How complex history was!

Having experienced many things, Jiang Wang was no longer so surprised by the complexity of the long river of history.

What surprised him was why Tu Hu would tell him all this.

He didn’t think he was particularly likable, or that Tu Hu had some benevolent teaching habit.

He had been in Mu Country for many days, and apart from the day he arrived at Min He Temple and their encounter in the Edge Wilderness, they had never had any private contact. Had he not visited this time, this exchange wouldn’t have occurred.

So, why?

A hint? A tacit understanding? A nudge?

Jiang Wang again recalled the Qi Emperor’s instructions before his departure –

“Bring a pair of ears and a pair of eyes. Listen more, look more, and when you return, tell me what you heard and what you saw. That is sufficient.”

Thus, he sighed, “It is I who am ignorant and inexperienced. As for the ‘Three Hear Three Buddha Faith,’ I have never even heard of it.”

“Oh?” Tu Hu’s profound eyes swept over him. “Are you not the disciple of Suspended Temple’s Grandmaster Ku Jue?”

Hearing this, Jiang Wang’s first thought was – the Golden Crown Priest of the Cang Tu Divine Teach, a figure of real power in Mu Country, Tu Hu, actually knew the name of Ku Jue. If that yellow-faced old monk heard this, he would surely be overjoyed.

One had to know that even within the Buddhist territory of Suspended Temple, not many recognized Ku Jue, let alone respectfully refer to him as “Grandmaster.”

Outwardly, he merely said, “Grandmaster Ku Jue has indeed treated me exceptionally well, however, I have no intention of entering the empty door.”

“That is understandable,” Tu Hu nodded. “The national system is where the great flow of the human path lies, more in line with the trend than any sect.”

These words were unobjectionable.

But spoken by someone with Tu Hu’s complex identity and contradictory position, they carried that vague underlying meaning.

Jiang Wang was inclined to ask if Tu Hu’s statement about “sects” included the Cang Tu Divine Teach. But he decided against it, thinking it would violate the Emperor’s principle of “only bringing ears and eyes.” Therefore, the words that came out of his mouth were, “I don’t think about such things. Primarily, my six roots are impure, and I feel I have no affinity with Buddhism.”

Tu Hu said, “You say your six roots are impure, yet I haven’t seen you visit the Divine Grace Temple either. I presume your ambitions are quite grand?”

Jiang Wang replied, “Actually, they are quite modest.”

“Size is just a relative concept, just as time is merely an artificial measurement. Only this piece of heaven and earth, this square space, is originally existing.” Tu Hu’s lips curved slightly, and he looked at the Guang Wen Bell once more, then turned and sighed, “I suppose Ku Rong Courtyard never imagined, when they placed the Guang Wen Bell here that year, that it would actually outlast Ku Rong Courtyard itself.”

Ku Rong Courtyard, Ku Rong Courtyard, Tu Hu had already mentioned Ku Rong Courtyard repeatedly.

Since in the so-called “Three Hear Three Buddha Faith,” “Like Obtaining Guang Wen” and “Like I Hear” were on the same level, presumably the Guang Wen Bell was also a treasure on par with the I Hear Bell.

Why would Ku Rong Courtyard place such a treasure, its temple-guarding treasure, in Mu Country’s Min He Temple that year?

A strong curiosity stirred in Jiang Wang’s heart, but this curiosity was faintly accompanied by unease.

Yu Wenduo’s earlier reminder about “trouble” surged in his heart once more. This person before him was a very troublesome character.

Jiang Wang once again suppressed his curiosity and smiled, “I am completely unfamiliar with Ku Rong Courtyard.”

Tu Hu smiled slightly and said no more. He then led the way, walking around the Guang Wen Bell – perhaps it should now be called the “Guang Wen Min Ha’er Bell”?

The two men walked through the large courtyard, passed through another door, and finally entered the main hall, where they each took a seat.

Tu Hu sat at the head, solemn and respectful, his posture and etiquette impeccable.

“Speaking of which, Marquis Wu An’s visit today…” He glanced at the gifts Jiang Wang was carrying, large and small, and continued, “…and bringing gifts, what is the matter?”

Jiang Wang placed the gifts he was holding down and said solemnly, “This humble one has come primarily to express gratitude for Lord Tu’s aid in the Edge Wilderness.”

Tu Hu raised his eyebrows, “Edge Wilderness?”

Jiang Wang was surprised, “Does Lord not remember? It was just a few days ago.”

“Perhaps I have been too busy,” Tu Hu pressed his forehead, appearing somewhat troubled. “What did I do?”

Jiang Wang’s doubts deepened, but he suppressed them all and tried to briefly recount the matter, offering repeated thanks.

Tu Hu listened, lost in thought. “Capturing the spirit of sex, manifesting the true appearance, transforming into a Wang Demon… that should be the work of the Illusion Demon Lord.”

“Illusion Demon Lord?”

“One of the highest commanders on the Demon Clan’s side, north of the Life-Death Line. His true body is in the Ten Thousand Worlds Wild Tomb, with only a projection of his power here. But he rarely acts…”

“Above True Demon, is it not Heavenly Demon? This Demon Lord… could he be above the absolute peak?”

“Oh, no, not at all,” Tu Hu explained. “A Demon Lord is indeed stronger than a typical Heavenly Demon, but they haven’t transcended the absolute peak. They are simply very special existences within the Ten Thousand Worlds Wild Tomb. In the same era, there are at most only eight. Currently, only four exist: the God Demon Lord, the Emperor Demon Lord, the Illusion Demon Lord, and… the Seven Hate Demon Lord!”

The so-called “Three Hear Three Buddha Faith,” like the preceding text, is purely the author’s fabrication. Do not take anything outside of the book’s context regarding Buddhism seriously.

The author’s understanding of Buddhist studies is fundamentally rudimentary. Their aim is solely to achieve a self-consistent philosophical framework within the fictional world and to maintain a balance in the various aspects of force building, without the ability to construct their own classical texts. Readers who have researched this topic should please not take this seriously.