Chapter 149: 149.Chapter 147: Another New Popular Online Spot

149. Chapter 147: Another New Popular Online Spot

The two talismans are neither Buddhist nor Daoist; if they are the manifestation of that legendary master, then it's just said to be in the past.

Hearing the abbot's statement, the people at the research center exchanged glances; this explanation sounded utterly absurd, yet recalling the earlier bandit incident, everyone fell silent again.

For a moment, Professor Song and the others had their thoughts racing.

Due to lack of new leads, the research center staff could only set off back to the capital to see if there were any new developments in the investigation of the missing bronze ancient sword.

……

Meanwhile, the bandit incident at Xiguangsi also stirred up considerable waves online, after all many tourists were there at the time, and the news could not be suppressed.

"I heard something happened at Xiguangsi, and many police were dispatched."

"It's a real incident; I was there at the scene, it was terrifying, the bandits even took two hostages, and then heavenly thunder struck, and Heaven dealt with the two bandits."

"Is it really as mystical as you say, with heavenly thunder coming down? That sounds like a lie; being struck by lightning in a thunderstorm is normal, maybe it was just an accident."

"People of Daxia don't deceive fellow Daxia people; the lightning seemed to have eyes, striking only the two bandits, otherwise how could the hostages be completely unharmed?"

"You don't know that the two bandits died in extremely strange postures; unfortunately the police didn't allow photos at the time, otherwise it would have absolutely shocked you."

"The high monk of Xiguangsi said, this is the power of the talisman!"

"Have you heard of the Five Thunder Talisman? Invincible!"

"Looking at it this way, Xiguangsi does have something after all; next time I'll go to Xiguangsi to pay respects."

"Yunling is a small, obscure city, not even a third-tier line, and many people have never even heard its name, but recently it has genuinely enjoyed a moment in the spotlight."

"And the focus of discussion is naturally Xiguangsi, with streets and alleys talking about it, causing Xiguangsi's popularity to rise even further."

"Some think it's the Buddha's manifestation, while others think it's purely a coincidental accident."

"Regardless, Yunling has gone viral online, and many people have come out of curiosity, all wanting to behold the legendary talisman and true scripture."

"Now, the hot search of neighboring Wu Du has dropped, and the adjacent city Yunling has entered the public's view once again."

"Meanwhile, the police of Wu Du, after rushing back from Yunling, have immediately plunged back into their tense work."

"Although the bandits are dead, the matter is not over; soon their identities were uncovered, and it turned out to be linked again to the previous overseas cultural relics smuggling group."

"Xie Yixuan exclaimed in exasperation, 'This organization really never dies; what exactly do they want, pursuing so relentlessly?'"

"Other colleagues also felt furious, thinking, 'If it weren't for this damn cultural relics organization, would Wu Du be this busy?'"

"In some ways, these people are quite persistent; I can't help but admire their courage."

"Others grow braver with setbacks, but they grow braver with deaths; the mastermind behind them must be furious, having lost so many people."

"The two previous waves of tomb raiders were wiped out, and this group lay low for a while, but after the heat died down, they actually sent people again."

"However, this attempt also failed, and we don't know what the mastermind thinks."

"These two were really unlucky this time, struck dead by lightning directly; indeed, man does what heaven watches, and Heaven is watching; their final death pose was still kneeling in worship!"

"Speaking of which, although the bandits are dead, the process was still quite dangerous; Sun Team almost got hit by a bullet, but ended up dodging it—truly a miracle!"

"You don't know how dangerous the situation was then; Sun Team spotted two suspicious individuals, was about to approach and question them, when one pulled out a gun—at such close range, an ordinary person could hardly possibly dodge."

"Sun Zhenbang came over to get some documents and happened to hear people discussing him."

"His glorious deed of dodging bullets at Xiguangsi has been spread abroad."

"At the time, because the situation was urgent and the hostages' lives were constantly at risk, this matter was temporarily set aside; looking back now, Sun Zhenbang still finds it somewhat unbelievable."

"The bandits' handgun calibers ranged from 4.5mm to 9mm, so the bullet muzzle velocity was also 300-500 m/s, with an effective range of 10-50 meters."

"Normal human reaction time is about 300 milliseconds, decreasing after age 30, and the current scientific consensus regards the limit of human reaction time as 100 milliseconds."

"In that situation, at the moment the bullet came toward him, he had at most a few tens of milliseconds to react, or even less; from any angle, Sun Zhenbang simply could not have reacted."

"Yet the fact occurred right before his eyes; at that moment his body felt as if controlled by some mysterious force, entering a most mysterious and profound state, and by the time Sun Zhenbang came to, the bullet had already grazed past him."

"Although it's said that humans can unleash tremendous potential in life-or-death extremes, that situation back then still defies explanation."

"These past days, Sun Zhenbang has been constantly in the training room pondering and exercising, trying to re-enter that most mysterious state he once experienced, but unfortunately, that feeling is gone again."

"Even when he undertook high-intensity training, even ignoring the extent of muscle tears, digging into bodily potential, it never appeared."

"What's wrong with Sun Team, running to the training room every day?"

"I don't know; ever since he came back from Yunling, he's been like this; last time I saw him running on the track, he did ten laps alone!"

"Wow, that's too awesome."

"Even more impressive is what's to come; Sun Team has already broken several records, leaving the second-place record far behind, as if he'd been injected with chicken blood."

"Sun Team is truly a hidden talent; he usually looks unremarkable, yet he hides his strength so well."

"This crazed, obsessed demeanor left other officers sighing in amazement, chatting endlessly, and they didn't know what stimulus had affected Sun Zhenbang."

"And after they saw the records Sun Zhenbang created, they were even more stunned; the bureau chief, upon hearing, even singled him out for praise, urging everyone to learn from and draw close to Sun Zhenbang."

"Look at Officer Sun's attitude: only by staying constantly vigilant and never letting up can we protect ourselves and the people when facing criminals."

"Consequently, a fitness craze erupted in the police station, with everyone starting to involute, and Sun Zhenbang truly deserves the title of the ultimate involution king."

"Sometimes he would enter the training room in the daytime and only come out late at night."

"No matter how others try to catch up, they can't match Sun Zhenbang's speed; his physical quality is simply too strong, overwhelming everyone else."

"But before this, it clearly wasn't like that!"

"How old is Sun Zhenbang? He relied on rich experience, never on skill, but what's the situation now?"

"In the training room, Sun Zhenbang freely shed sweat."

"Bean-sized sweat droplets rolled down his forehead; even though his clothes were already soaked with sweat, making him look as if fished out of water, Sun Zhenbang did not stop his training steps."

"Until he was utterly exhausted, having drained the last of his strength, Sun Zhenbang then collapsed to the ground, gasping heavily."

"After a moment, his breathing gradually returned to calm, 'Could it be that such a state is only triggered in a life-or-death crisis?'"

"If it weren't for that day when he truly dodged that bullet, he might have thought that mysterious state was merely his own illusion."

"After these days of training, Sun Zhenbang has formed a hypothesis: perhaps only in a life-or-death extreme can such a state occur."

Sun Zhenbang seemed to think of something, "Could it be because—"

He jumped up from the ground, "Looks like I have to make a trip to Longyuan Village."

Inside the police bureau, they watched Sun Zhenbang's hurried back and thought he was going to handle some major case.

All the way, Sun Zhenbang kept pondering this question.

Recalling the scene of purple qi coming from the east that he had seen in Longyuan Village, from that point on his overall physical fitness had undergone a comprehensive increase and enhancement.

At first Sun Zhenbang didn't take it to heart, nor had he conducted a full physical examination; now the incident at Xiguangsi gave him a clear understanding of his own strength.

Not only him, but even the physiques of the local villagers changed— the lame recovered, and even those with muddled minds became normal.

As the sun set westward, vast swaths of burning clouds covered the whole sky; the gorgeous evening clouds, rich and dark, painted the final stroke of the setting sun, while distant green mountains lay like ink, as if clutching the sinking sun.

In the village, thin cooking smoke rose, blending into the evening glow; the aroma of food wafting through the air stirred people's appetites.

The village chief closed the temple gate, was about to leave, then saw someone rushing over in a fluster, and couldn't help but be surprised: "Officer Sun, why are you here at this time?"

Sun Zhenbang exchanged a brief greeting with the village chief, stepped into the hall, gazed at the deity inside, and a wordless awe rose in his heart; he devoutly bowed and silently asked.

"Is it because of the Mountain God's favor that I managed to dodge that bullet? Has that purple qi already remade my body?"

Unfortunately the statue cannot answer, cannot resolve Sun Zhenbang's doubt.

When the purple qi came from the east, many witnessed it; although no one clearly saw the Mountain God manifest, the vast majority of villagers believed that only the Mountain God could pull off such a feat near Longyuan Mountain.

Perhaps my physique has already been remade by the Mountain God, like the marrow‑washing, tendon‑changing cultivation seen in TV dramas and novels.

Otherwise, given the bullet's speed, even if Sun Zhenbang trained year‑round, he couldn't have avoided it.

Because this is simply something no human could do.

Although this idea seems a bit far‑fetched, Sun Zhenbang's face is now full of reverence; besides respect and fear for the Mountain God, he feels an inexpressible gratitude.

If it weren't for the Mountain God, he'd probably be lying in a hospital now, and if it were worse, he might even have been summoned by Yama for tea.

The village chief, somewhat baffled, watched the silent Sun Zhenbang enter the temple and couldn't help muttering: "Officer Sun, what on earth happened?"

Sun Zhenbang showed emotion, "The Mountain God has bestowed great kindness upon me, saving my life."

The village chief was completely bewildered, feeling that Sun Zhenbang was acting strange today, his speech disjointed.

Sun Zhenbang then asked, "By the way, is everything all right in the village lately? How are the villagers' bodies?"

At this point the village chief grew a bit proud, chuckling, "Everyone's doing great— vigorous as dragons and tigers. Those two bandits earlier were just a bit faster; otherwise we could have handled them ourselves, why bother the People's Police?"

If outsiders heard that, they'd surely think the village chief was bragging.

But Sun Zhenbang nodded in deep agreement, suspecting that if those two criminals had really clashed with the villagers, the outcome would truly be hard to predict.

In Sun Zhenbang's eyes, these villagers are like the sweeping monks of wuxia novels— indeed a whole host of them, each hiding their strength; no one now knows the extent of their potential and abilities.

This remote mountain village, hardly visited by outsiders, is like Shaolin Temple— secluded, cut off from the world, silently guarding the sacred mountain.

But if one day it were to emerge, it would surely cause a shock!

"Longyuan Mountain will now rely on you."

The village chief instantly beamed with confidence, declaring, "We are the Mountain God's children, its mountain‑guarding people; with us here, no one can enter Longyuan Mountain!"

As the sun set, the two chatted a while longer; Sun Zhenbang then bade farewell to the village chief, watching his departing back, and the chief also closed the temple gate and headed back toward the village.

The bustling Mountain God temple by day also grew quiet; the deity enshrined within became ever more mysterious, that lifelike snake statue seeming as if it might come alive.

Although Sun Zhenbang hadn't found the answer, he understood that this matter was inseparably tied to the Mountain God.

No matter what, he must make good use of his abilities, lest he fail to repay the Mountain God's great boon.

……

The setting sun slanted low, the sun no longer as bright as in daytime, shedding a soft halo that draped over the temple tiles; in the distance came the lingering toll of bells, drifting with the rising incense smoke.

After seeing off the last batch of worshippers, Xiguangsi also fell into stillness.

The earlier bandit incident not only failed to reduce foot traffic— quite the opposite, popularity surged again, as many felt the place was blessed by the Buddha, and that offering incense and praying would surely be more efficacious.

Consequently, the stream of visitors became endless, nearly breaking the threshold, all just to leave a mark before the Buddha.

However, this is only the beginning.

As online buzz about Xiguangsi keeps rising, in the future the netizens coming to check in will only grow more numerous……

Meanwhile, no one noticed that in the greenery not far off, a pair of jade‑green snake eyes silently watched everything.

Hearing the surrounding worshippers' discussion, Ye Qin also roughly knew what had happened.

"I originally came here to contemplate the Heart Sutra, and later left some talismans, yet they ended up thinking it was the Buddha's manifestation……"

Plant good causes, reap good fruits.

Inadvertently, Ye Qin also did a good deed; if it weren't for the two talismans he left behind, the police would have found it rather tricky to deal with those two bandits.

There were only two ways to settle it— either the bandits fled, or it ended in a dead‑fish‑broken‑net scenario; neither outcome would be satisfactory.

Precisely because the talismans manifested their power, the two bandits were killed on the spot, the whole scene suffering no casualties at most a fright.

"This karmic account is now completely settled."

After night fell and most worshippers had left, Ye Qin then sneaked into the temple to the place where the Heart Sutra is enshrined.

Beside the scripture, a small pile of ashes covered by a glass container was especially conspicuous.

As it turned out, after the talismans were used up they turned to ash; the abbot couldn't bear to throw them away, instead gathering them for continued veneration.

This shows the devotion of Xiguangsi, which Ye Qin found very beneficial.

At this moment, within the ashes, Ye Qin sensed no energy fluctuations; presumably the power stored inside had been fully expended.

This is also normal, after all—the talismans' power is so great they're single‑use consumables; if they could be reused, that would be utterly heaven‑defying.

"I originally wanted to find a place to test this talisman, but now it seems unnecessary— its might is extraordinary, truly a great divine ability spell!"

"In the future we'll need to develop more kinds of talismans."

Just as Ye Qin was about to leave, he keenly sensed footsteps approaching from nearby.

He flicked his form and quickly hid in the shadows.

Accompanied by a squeak, the room's door was slowly pushed open, and the abbot and several other eminent monks walked in.

Amitabha Buddha, I don't know why the abbot summoned us.

The abbot put his palms together and bowed devoutly.

We previously thought it was Master Zhi Dun who manifested holiness, but that's not the case; the one who manifested holiness is very likely someone else, and an extraordinary person.

Several eminent monks showed doubtful expressions, saying, "If not Master Zhi Dun, then who could it be?"

The abbot laid out the clues provided by Professor Song and others, along with his own speculation, one by one; the eminent monks nodded, feeling the abbot's words made sense.

Amitabha Buddha, it seems we were mistaken earlier; we just don't know the name of that powerful figure.

Looking at the era in which Zhi Dun lived, there was no prominent figure that could match.

Whenever Zhi Dun's life is discussed, this matter remains a mystery.

Afterwards, the abbot and several eminent monks consulted and decided to make this matter public.

The ancient bell's sound floated above the temple, sounding especially lingering under the dark night sky; hearing the movement, the monks hurried to the main hall to gather.

How strange, why did the abbot suddenly summon us?

Could something else have happened?

By the time the monks hurried over, the abbot and several eminent monks had been waiting for a while, their expressions solemn and reverent.

Amitabha Buddha.

The abbot softly intoned a Buddha's name, saying, "I summoned you here to announce an important matter."

The host explained the matter of the Buddha manifesting holiness, and the audience immediately erupted in an uproar.

After all, before this, everyone firmly believed the claims of Zhi Dun's spiritual manifestations, but they didn't expect their speculation to be wrong?

To commemorate that mysterious eminent person, our temple plans to build a separate hall to enshrine the Heart Sutra and the sole remaining talisman. At the same time, we will designate the day that eminent person manifested holiness as Xiguangsi's Dharma Assembly Grand Ceremony, to be held annually thereafter.

Inside the main hall, lights blazed brightly; all the monks discussed the hall's matter, their faces showing no trace of fatigue, their eyes filled with devotion and excitement.

Little did they expect that the mysterious powerful figure they had longed for was actually nearby.

Their conversation also stirred ripples in Ye Qin's heart.

I never expected Zhi Dun's remains to be dug up; could the bronze ancient sword they spoke of be the very one I once gave to Zhi Dun?

I never imagined that a spontaneous trip like this would yield so much information.

Most importantly, after the ancient sword was unearthed, it mysteriously disappeared from the research center.

Although the abbot didn't clearly explain how it disappeared, presumably Professor Song and others didn't mention it either.

Ye Qin faintly felt a premonition in his heart; the disappearance of the ancient sword was likely related to him, although he had never been to the capital…

The bright moon hung in the sky, with a few stars scattered here and there, shedding a faint silver radiance; whether temples or the distant mountains, all were covered with a barely perceptible glow.

Ye Qin shuttled through the mountains and forests; Xiguangsi, under the thick night, had become a blurred mass.

"I previously gave the bronze ancient sword to Zhidun, yet it has mysteriously disappeared again—where could it have gone?"

Back then, while he was contemplating the rivers in the mottled fragments of time, he unknowingly also placed the ancient sword there; later he discovered it in the water channel, fished it out, and gave it to Zhidun.

"Could it be—"

Ye Qin's serpentine pupils flashed a glint of light, as if he had thought of something.

The demon core within his body slowly turned, a hazy aura emanating from his body, wrapping each scale; a tremendous pressure centered on Ye Qin began to diffuse outward.

Occasionally insect chirps and bird calls sounded in the mountains, but now they seemed to sense something, gradually falling silent, as if wary of some presence.

Even the nocturnal creatures that had intended to come out to forage now retreated en masse to their nests.

All sounds ceased; only the silver radiance hung high in the azure sky, silently observing everything in the mountains and forests.

The White Bone source slowly coalesced; under the moonlight it showed no evil, instead an indescribable holiness, and the small Daoist temple in his hand brimmed with ancient aura.

Ye Qin released his spiritual power to probe into the Supreme Clarity Temple, able to clearly see its interior.

The gurgling water sounded like a mountain spring, emitting the sound of jade stones striking; the water channel seemed no different from before, with no trace of temporal fluctuation.

"Could I be mistaken?"

As Ye Qin was about to withdraw his spiritual power, he saw, beneath the clear water surface, a faint shadow; if not examined closely, it could easily be overlooked.

"Huh, what is this—"

That mass of shadow lay still at the bottom of the water channel, unobstructed above, as if it had appeared out of nowhere, undulating with the ripples.

Ye Qin observed carefully; this shadow was overall slender and elongated, with a somewhat broader front.

If viewed abstractly… it resembled a sword!

Ye Qin stared at it for several moments, "Could this shadow be the bronze ancient sword?"

"Could the bronze ancient sword that disappeared from the research center have returned to the water channel?"

After all, only two items had appeared in the water channel: Zhidun's prayer beads and the bronze ancient sword; nothing else could possibly appear.

Several strands of spiritual power entered the water channel; the water surface glittered and began to sway gently.

Yet that mass of shadow below was unaffected, like a flower in the mirror or the moon in the water, unchanged by external conditions.

"I suppose it must be so, but it seems to need to gradually coalesce?"

"What is the principle behind this? Why does it mysteriously disappear after being unearthed, then appear in the water channel?"

"Once it successfully coalesces, what function would it serve?"

The shadow's condensation speed is extremely slow; even now, part of the sword's tip remains uncondensed; if we wait for the bronze ancient sword to take shape, it will likely take some more time.

Since the bronze ancient sword was not lost, Ye Qin relaxed; he withdrew his spiritual power, slowly opened his eyes, and the apparition of the White Bone source gradually faded.

Ye Qin still hadn't figured out why the bronze ancient sword suddenly disappeared and then reappeared in the water channel, given that he had originally given it to Zhidun.

"Could it be that anything fished out of the water channel, even if given to another, will eventually return to the channel? Or perhaps some specific condition is required?"

When the bronze ancient sword coalesces again, will there be any special changes?

For now, only the bronze ancient sword serves as an example; Ye Qin cannot be certain, this is merely his speculation; to verify it, he likely still needs to go to the capital to investigate.

It just so happens that the area around Cloud Ridge has also been nearly fully explored by me; there's no need to stay longer, and traveling a bit might open up a cultivation path to the next realm.

Let's go to the capital city to take a look at the prosperity of the mortal world.

Zhi Dun's skeleton is also in the capital city; perhaps we can again meet an old friend.

Although meeting again would be only dry bones, surely there would be another feeling.

The night deepened, the stars twinkled and gathered into a splendid Milky Way, drifting beneath the dark curtain; Ye Qin wore the stars and moonlight, setting out on the journey to the capital city. (End of chapter)