Zhi Kong looked at Xin Ding with astonishment, a good question indeed. How had he never thought of this before?

"Certainly not," the little old man replied. He had cultivated for several hundred years, guarded the garden, and his Zen skills were exceptional. He spoke slowly and deliberately, smiling as he answered Xin Ding’s question.

"Marriage is a matter of the secular world. Our Buddhism is a pure land of cultivation. If the Red Lotus Demoness converts to Buddhism and marries Zhi Yuan, wouldn’t that be introducing worldly affairs into the pure land, breaking its rules?"

Zhi Kong suddenly realized the truth of the matter, worthy of being Uncle Wu Nian, resolving his confusion in a few words.

However, Xin Ding was still puzzled, his clear eyes fixed on the little old man: "But I see that gambling and fighting are rampant in our menial work division. Uncle Zhi Xing from the Western menial work division provoked Uncle Zhi Yuan, the four menial divisions competed against each other, and the Martial Monk Institute selected the top four to compete for first place.

Aren’t these all worldly matters too?"

"I..."

The little old man was at a loss for words, unable to reply to Xin Ding immediately.

Primarily because everything Xin Ding said was true, he found himself unable to retort.

Xin Ding came to a sudden realization, finally understanding the matter: "I get it, there’s only one Uncle Zhi Yuan, easy to manage. The rest involves too many people, and if our Buddhism cannot manage, we just let it be."

"I..."

The little old man was rendered speechless again. How could this seemingly simple-minded youngster speak nothing but the truth?

This youngster could not have been taught by Zhi Yuan. If Zhi Yuan had such a mind, he wouldn’t have been trapped by emotions and failed his breakthrough!

Lu Yang laughed so hard in the Green Blade Sword Small World that his stomach hurt. Xin Ding’s single-minded nature indeed made him an excellent seedling for Buddhism.

The little old man took a deep breath and spoke earnestly, "Xin Ding, you must understand that everything undergoes a process of change. Our Western Paradise Temple indeed has many impurities, but you should also see that we are cleansing these matters. It is just that such things take time."

"How much time does it need?"

"A very long time."

Xin Ding thought about it and felt like his great-uncle had said something but also as if he hadn’t said anything at all.

The little old man dared not continue the conversation with Xin Ding, lest the young monk asked more questions he couldn’t answer. He gave Zhi Kong the Spirit Core Grass and hurriedly had him take Xin Ding away.

"Uncle Zhi Yuan, here is the Spirit Core Grass," Xin Ding said, handing the Spirit Core Grass to Uncle Zhi Yuan as agreed.

Holding the Spirit Core Grass, Uncle Zhi Yuan showed a nostalgic expression: "I suppose you have met the master, haven’t you?"

"Uncle Wu Nian? Yes, I did."

"Did he mention anything about me?"

"He did."

Uncle Zhi Yuan asked eagerly, "What did he say?" Although the master had separated him from the Red Lotus, ultimately it was his own fault. He did not want to face the master because he couldn’t get over this hurdle in his heart.

Xin Ding thought for a while. He had a long conversation with the great-uncle, and it would be troublesome to repeat it. So, he decided to summarize the content of their discussion.

"He said that our Western Paradise Temple has too many impurities to manage. Uncle, your desire to marry the Red Lotus Demoness is too conspicuous, and the Western Paradise Temple cannot overlook it."

Zhi Yuan suddenly understood and seemed very excited, "So, does the master mean I can just marry Red Lotus in secret?"

The master was indeed on his side!

"Is that what great-uncle meant?" Xin Ding recalled the great-uncle’s reaction, feeling that it might not have been the case, but given his own dull wit, it was normal for him not to understand the deeper meaning of the great-uncle’s words.

After that, Zhi Kong took Xin Ding and the other four to the Martial Monk Institute. Xin’an, Xin Chen, and Xin Ping looked at Xin Ding with awe.

It wasn’t just because Xin Ding won the championship with his absolute strength, but also because the powerful Soul Body that was instructing their cultivation within their own bodies had vanished after that battle!

The strength of those three Soul Bodies was something they were all too aware of, yet they disappeared without a trace, what secrets could possibly be hidden on Xin Ding’s body!

Just thinking about this point, they couldn’t help but shiver.

"From today on, you are Martial Monks of the Martial Monk Institute," Zhi Kong led the four to receive their Martial Monk Robes and took them around the Martial Monk Institute before saying, and provided the three with new identity proofs.

"Starting from next month, each of you will get ten lower-grade Spirit Stones and ten Merit Points as a monthly allowance, if you wish to obtain more resources, you will have to rely on your own efforts."

The other three were very excited, the treatment at the Martial Monk Institute was indeed heaven and earth compared to the Servant Institute.

"I have other matters to attend to, I’ll be leaving first," Zhi Yuan, having explained almost everything, left the four behind as he had his own affairs to deal with.

𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

"Are you four the new arrivals?" Right after Zhi Yuan left, some people immediately approached, roughly seven or eight of them, with the leader being at the Consummation of Qi Refinement Realm!

The leader glanced at Xin Ding, intentionally or otherwise; he was Xin Cheng’s backer in the Martial Monk Institute, originally thinking Xin Cheng, with the Fragmented Map of the ’Elephant Crossing the River’ he gave, could enter the Martial Monk Institute, yet he didn’t expect Xin Cheng to be eliminated by Xin Ding.

"Greetings, Senior Brother."

"Newcomers must learn the rules, each new Martial Monk must spar with us, to let you know that there are always people better than you!"

Xin Ding’s group became nervous.

"Heavenly Venerate, what should we do?" Xin Ding saw the unkind intentions of the visitors; he was definitely no match for the Martial Monk at the Consummation of Qi Refinement.

Tofu Heavenly Venerable gave a slight smile, such a trivial matter didn’t require his intervention, and indicated a clear path for Xin Ding, "Find a backer."

"I have a backer?"

...

"Great Uncle Master, they are bullying me," Xin Ding ran to the pharmacy to complain to the little old man.

The little old man didn’t expect that just after he had finished talking about the nefarious deeds at Western Paradise Temple, and within half a day, Xin Ding would encounter such deeds.

He couldn’t ignore this.

Having a Great Uncle Master at the Divinity Transformation Stage as a backer, who in the Martial Monk Institute would dare bring up the matter of new Martial Monks sparring with the older ones?

...

"Do you know, every new Martial Monk’s monthly allowance must have twenty percent handed over to us…"

"Great Uncle Master, they are extorting me."

"You are Zhi Yuan’s disciple; do you know what Zhi Yuan was like when he was in the Martial Monk Institute…"

"Great Uncle Master, since they can’t beat Uncle Master Zhi Yuan, they come to bully me."

Soon, everyone in the Martial Monk Institute knew Xin Ding had connections.

Except Xin Ding himself.

Zhi Yuan, using the power of Spirit Core Grass, returned to the pinnacle of the Golden Core, roamed around the Martial Monk Institute, and was astounded to find no one was bullying Xin Ding.

Seeing the inexplicably good attitude of everyone in the Martial Monk Institute towards him, Xin Ding didn’t think much of it, and just assumed it was the reward for steadfastly guarding the secret of Tofu Heavenly Venerable and saving Western Paradise Temple, the good deed had brought good karma.

Once they knew of Xin Ding’s identity, the Martial Monk Institute would not treat him as they did the other newcomers; resources were allocated in his favor.

"Xin Ding, others who have just joined the Martial Monk Institute can choose any Cultivation Technique from the second floor of the Scripture Pavilion, but you, being Wu Nian’s disciple, naturally have a different situation; you can choose any three Cultivation Techniques."

"Great Uncle Master, they are allowing me to cut corners."