Not only were the relics Li Ying gave me fake, but the identity she claimed was also false.
She was indeed a princess, but not the eldest daughter of Prince Changle.
According to court rules, the daughters of regional princes could only be titled as county princesses at most.
Her true identity was the youngest daughter of the late Emperor Li Zhi, the granddaughter of Lu Xian, head of the Lu clan, and the cousin of Lu Cheng, the current Military Governor of Hexi and Grand General of Huaihua.
Her title: Princess Yang.
Her true destination was not Prince Changle's northern dom, but to deliver the sacred relic to Lu Cheng, the Military Governor of Hexi. She sought to aid him in entering the Grove Forest to retrieve Buddhist treasures and the flying swords abandoned by demonic overlords. This would strengthen his military power, raise the banner of righteousness, eliminate the emperor, and restore the Crown Prince Li Dan to the throne.
Neither my master nor I cared much for such worldly power struggles, but one thing sparked my curiosity.
Where had Li Ying obtained the Buddha's relics?
"Zhang Shouyi gave them to you, didn't he?"
My master stood before Li Ying, her crimson lips parting slightly, her expression cold.
I sharply sensed a faint aura of killing intent when she uttered Zhang Shouyi's name.
Did my master hold a grudge against the Celestial Master sect?
A vague memory surfaced, the day I first opened my eyes after my transmigration, the corpses scattered across the ground seemed to bear the attire of the Celestial Master sect.
Li Ying's face drained of color, yet she showed no fear toward my master. She lifted her head and met my master's gaze directly.
"Yes."
My master's expression flickered, her mind briefly elsewhere.
I knew, in that instant, she was recalling the moment she first encountered me.
I sensed the killing intent around her fade.
"Whatever Zhang Shouyi promised you, it was all a lie."
"Carrying the Buddha's relics does grant access to the Grove Forest, but their purpose is not to liberate the remains of the Buddhist disciple."
"Because the Buddhist disciple is not dead at all!"
"What~"
Not only Li Ying, but even I was left speechless.
The Buddhist disciple Kongwu being slain in the Grove Forest was common knowledge. Back then, the demonic person had slaughtered the entire Grove Forest, tearing apart the Heavenly Gate with his bare hands, a scene witnessed by countless cultivators. Moreover, the previous Celestial Master, Zhang Baoyuan, had personally verified it.
Why did Master claim the Buddhist disciple Kongwu was still alive?
But Master seemed unwilling to explain further. She merely raised her jade-like hand, and waves of sword qi shot through the air, piercing toward Li Ying.
Though puzzled by Master's actions, I made no move. Li Ying's eyes widened in shock, clearly, she hadn't expected Master to suddenly attack her. She hurriedly tried to dodge, but Master's sword qi was no easy target to evade.
I expected Li Ying to perish instantly, but unexpectedly, after the sword energy sliced through her robes, layers of golden light suddenly shone from within her body. This golden glow was vast and grand, faintly accompanied by the chanting of sacred Buddhist verses.
The sword energy Master had unleashed collided fiercely with the Buddha's light. After a moment, it actually seemed to be losing ground!
Seeing this, Master flicked her finger, sending forth another sword energy. The jade phoenix circling her trembled constantly, its cry like the roar of a dragon.
Facing Master's renewed assault, a deafening bell toll suddenly erupted from Li Ying's body. The layers of Buddha's light instantly transformed into a giant bronze bell, surrounding her entirely!
Both of Master's attacks were likely merely testing moves. Otherwise, with her cultivation, breaking through this Buddha-light bell would have been effortless. Though I've lost my magical power, my judgment remains. This giant bell seemed indestructible, yet at most, it was comparable to the protective Vajra shield summoned by the monk Kongyan back then. If Master truly wished to shatter this bell, it would be as easy as lifting a finger.
Sure enough, once that sword energy faded, Master chose not to strike again.
Li Ying remained seated stiffly on the bed, her clothes torn to shreds, her naked, delicate form fully exposed to the gazes of those present.
Though she acted indifferent, a flush of anger and shame gradually spread across her face, her eyes brimming with humiliation and resentment.
As a princess of supreme nobility, this was likely her first encounter with such treatment.
Having lived a life of pampered privilege, Li Ying possessed skin smooth and fair unlike Cui Yujun's. Her breasts were round and full, slightly smaller than Cui Yujun's but more perky. Her beautiful nipples shared the same vivid red hue as Cui Yujun's, though her areolas were considerably larger. Beneath her ample, perky breasts, her waist was slender, while her long legs were remarkably toned and straight, highlighting her flat abdomen. It seemed even her beautiful vagina was clean and pretty.
Even more peculiar was the area above her pussy. I recalled that last time Yun'er had bathed Li Ying, there had been a trace of pubic hair there. Yet this time, her lower abdomen was utterly smooth, transformed into a hairless pussy like Master's. Only her pussy lacked Master's fullness, and her labia weren't as flawless pure white like Master's; instead, they bore a deep, rich hue, as vivid and bloody as fresh blood.
Moreover...
Wasn't that erotic pattern on her lower abdomen clearer and more widespread than when I last saw it?
Master said the Buddha's relic resided within Li Ying. Could it be that I had wrongly thought of this princess?
She wasn't the hypocritical whore I imagined. Were all these changes in her body caused by the relic within her?
Sure enough, Master addressed Li Ying once more, resolving my doubts.
"Zhang Shouyi entrusted you with the Buddha's relic with no good intentions. I believe you sensed it yourself. He used secret techniques to bury the relic within your vagina. But to lower your guard, he must have persuaded you to ingest it orally."
"Yet once within you, the relic actively sought out your qi sea. Since you hadn't cultivated , it seized your vagina instead."
"After occupying your vagina, the relic gradually devoured your vital energy, slowly merging with you. At first, you merely felt slightly drained and weak, but over time, your decline would only deepen!"
"When it becomes indistinguishable from you, it will begin reshaping your body..."
Master pointed at Li Ying's abdomen, drawing everyone's gaze: "It will transform you into the ideal body for Buddhist dual cultivation, the Lotus Body."
"The Lotus Body is a flawless, hairless form that emits a divine fragrance, attracting butterflies and birds with its scent."
"Such a physique is merely a rare bedtime plaything for ordinary mortals. Yet for those cultivating the Joyful path within the Buddhist sect, it is a beautiful seductive body capable of propelling them to transcend in a single leap!"
"During meditation, join with the Lotus Body in the Lotus Pose. This lets you split your spiritual energy in two and transfer half into the Lotus Body.
Using secret methods over time, you can create an avatar of yourself. This avatar doesn't harm your original spirit at all. Instead, it actually doubles your potential power.
While most advanced cultivators can only have one avatar, mastering this technique allows you to have two.
Master's words instantly made me realize how invaluable Li Ying had become to practitioners of Buddhist arts!
It was like gaining an extra life!
For instance, if I had cultivated Buddhist teachings and obtained the Lotus Body, I wouldn't have worried about any consequences after detonating my Qi Sea during my battle with Kongyan.
Because I could have reabsorbed the external avatar cultivated through the Lotus Body back into my body to repair the damaged Qi Sea!
But why would Zhang Shouyi, a Celestial Master of the Celestial Sect, transform the Li royal princess into a Lotus Body that only benefited the Buddhist sect?
Hasn't the Celestial sect always been at odds with Buddhism?
Master offered no explanation for this.
She merely continued to stare coldly at Li Ying.
"This sacred relic has been buried within your body for over months, long since fused with you. It cannot be extracted now, if you do it, you would die instantly! A Lotus Body forged through external methods must, within one month of its formation, immediately engage in dual cultivation with one who has practiced Buddhist teachings. Otherwise, the Buddha light and power inside you will have no way to escape. It will turn you completely into a flesh lotus. You would then be nothing more than a living pedestal, with only the parts for a man to use. The choice is yours.
Master's words chilled Li Ying to the bone. I finally understood her wretched appearance; it wasn't from a forced abduction by Master, but from the turmoil caused by the relic within her.
Li Ying lowered her head in silence, clearly torn inside. She was silent for a long time. Finally, she looked up, clenched her teeth, and spoke with resolve.
"I will obey your command. I will serve any person you choose without complaint. I only ask one thing of you!"
"Please help my brother, Li Dan, kill the emperor!
"I cannot grant your wish..."
Master shook her head, flatly refusing Li Ying's plea.
Yet she took my hand and pushed me forward before Li Ying.
"What you ask depends on Mo Qing's willingness."
"Him?"
"Me?"
Both Li Ying and I were bewildered. My Qi Sea was destroyed, and even when intact, I had only reached the Heart Awakening realm, how could I possibly influence the vast, dominant Dynasty spanning four continents?
"Cultivating Buddhism doesn't necessarily require cultivating techniques. Within the Buddhist path, there exists a method called 'Sitting on the Lotus of Life'."
"This method borrows no magical power, refines no spells, it only contemplates the Way of Heaven."
"One might make no progress for a hundred years, or achieve sudden enlightenment in a single moment, resonating with Heaven and Earth."
"Your Qi Sea is now destroyed, preventing the accumulation of true essence within your body. Yet if you can master this method, you may harness the might of Heaven and Earth, becoming no weaker than so-called 'Earthly immortals'."
"I possess some understanding of this path and am prepared to impart it to you."