Chapter 260: So You

Facing Shen Hanyi’s proposal, Zhou Qing let out a few hollow laughs and said nothing.

“Fine, let’s go!” Shen Hanyi sighed helplessly at this, then invited him inside again.

Only after they finished singing their love song beneath the crooked jujube tree and found the key to the second trial on the ancient boat did the activation trigger—before their eyes, the world spun violently.

The ancient boat and the surrounding darkness vanished instantly, replaced by a vast, endless ancient mine.

As before, spiritual energy here was thick, yet laced with faint traces of blood and decay, sending chills down their spines.

Looking out, the sky and earth were gloomy, countless mine shafts clustered like bee hives, oppressive and overwhelming.

Counting it up, these hundred thousand mine shafts formed the second trial of this forbidden zone; if that divine beast had fallen in the central region, it was clear this zone likely had a third and fourth trial ahead—implying just how immense this forbidden zone truly was.

“Most people are stuck in the first trial. If not for singing the love song, I doubt I’d have found the key so easily.”

“Right now, the real dangers in these hundred thousand ancient mines lie hidden within the mine shafts!” Shen Hanyi said.

Zhou Qing remained silent, merely observing quietly.

Judging by this, if one day he reached the Fifth-Rank Cultivation Nation of Tianyun Holy Dynasty, probing this forbidden zone shouldn’t be difficult.

“We can’t fly too high—some mine shafts have flight-restricting zones. We can’t move too fast, nor tear through space. Don’t be fooled by the calm before you—traps are everywhere…”

Shen Hanyi continuously filled Zhou Qing in on the precautions she’d learned.

Zhou Qing merely nodded slightly, secretly relieved.

He’d been worried Shen Hanyi would move too fast and expose his true cultivation base—not yet at the Severing Spirit realm.

The two then moved through one ancient mine after another, cautiously probing forward…

…

Meanwhile, in a mist-shrouded rear mountain area, a small black hut, pitch-black as ink, stood surrounded by faint, barely visible restrictions.

The restrictions shimmered with runes, faintly emitting four-colored light.

Soon, several unremarkable stones rolled silently across the ground, stopping abruptly after each stretch.

Then, cracks slowly opened on the stones, revealing pairs of emerald-green eyes, watching the surroundings warily.

As they neared the black hut, the stones stacked atop one another, forming a stone monster.

It opened its mouth—and a long, stone-textured arm extended out.

At its tip, it held a black circular disc radiating an ancient aura, its engraved restriction runes nearly identical to those on the hut’s exterior.

“Open it—or not? That is the question worth pondering!” The stone monster held the key, expression deep in thought.

“Big Smart, what are you doing? While my sister’s away, hurry up and let me out!”

Soon, a young man’s anxious voice echoed from inside the black hut.

The stone monster, called Big Smart, looked up at the hut, hesitated briefly, then swallowed the key back in.

“Young Master, maybe we should forget it—if Big Sister finds out, she’ll definitely dismantle me,” the stone monster rumbled.

The young man’s voice came again: “I’m fully recovered now. I owe her a debt.”

“You not causing trouble is already a miracle!” the stone monster snapped.

“Big Smart, when have I ever caused trouble? Do you know what my sister went through for these two Soul Transformation spiritual herbs?” The young man’s voice grew agitated.

The stone monster trembled slightly. “I know. When Miss finally returned with the Crimson Flame Golden Vein Vine, she was grievously wounded but still held on—I even felt pity watching her.”

“So I must repay this debt. If the forbidden zone won’t let me in, then I’ll go to that Fourth-Rank Cultivation Nation she mentioned.” The young man’s voice was resolute.

The stone monster frowned. “Why go there?”

“When she talked with Father, I overheard bits. There’s a man named Zhou Qing who helped her obtain the Crimson Flame Golden Vein Vine.”

“But at the time, she was severely injured, her magic treasures and elixirs all spent. She only left a thank-you and vanished.”

The young man’s voice rose further: “How can that be? The Shen family always repays debts. Especially since that divine herb saved my life—I must repay it myself. Big Smart, isn’t that right?”

The stone monster hesitated.

The logic made sense—but something felt off.

“You’re not planning to cause trouble again, are you? Big Sister’s home right now!” The stone monster, worried, asked.

“How could I? Do I look like that kind of person? Besides, I want to refine my realm further, break through Soul Transformation’s peak, and reach Severing Spirit.”

“Being locked in this black hut forever isn’t sustainable.”

The young man’s voice rang with certainty.

“But—” the stone monster still hesitated.

The young man’s voice drifted softly: “I’ve got an image stone here—capturing a certain someone after getting drunk…”

“I’ll open it! I’ll open it! But I have one condition—you have to knock me out!” The stone monster cut him off mid-sentence, panicked.

The young man grinned triumphantly. “No problem!”

Soon, as the four-colored restrictions rippled, a young man with features resembling Shen Hanyi’s slipped out eagerly.

Feeling the warm sunlight, he burst into cheers.

“I shit, the Heavenly Emperor—I’m finally out!” he shouted excitedly.

The stone monster sighed helplessly. “Again? Again? I’ve lost count how many times. The Shen family’s bad luck with you.”

“Big Smart, thanks. All those years I saved your life weren’t wasted. You ready?” The young man rubbed his hands together, eager.

The stone monster turned around resignedly. “Honestly, you could just hit me anywhere—I’ll pretend to pass out. But don’t always aim for the back of my head. I may be a stone spirit, but I still feel pain…”

Before he finished, a thick, nearly suffocating stench suddenly slammed into them.

The stone monster’s calm expression twisted instantly—it opened its mouth wide, trembling violently.

“You stinking coward, I’m done with you! Ugh~”

As it spoke, it began vomiting out pebbles of varying sizes.

Thud!

Right behind it, a heavy club swung down—knocking it unconscious.

“Distraction works sometimes. I’ll bring you snacks when I get back!” The young man chuckled, then slipped away stealthily.

…

Inside the forbidden zone!

Zhou Qing and No. 6 raced forward, cautious despite the simulation.

“There are surprisingly many who made it into the mine area!” Zhou Qing remarked, watching the figures blur past.

Shen Hanyi nodded. “Danger and opportunity always go hand in hand. Even a single feather from a pure-blood divine beast is priceless—worth the risk.”

Zhou Qing deeply agreed.

The Golden Crow Fan his Second Uncle had him retrieve from the lava beneath the third coffin was made from the feather of a pure-blood Jin Wu.

A single gentle fanning had sent the pursuing Flame Fire Crocodile flying.

But as they advanced, Zhou Qing suddenly realized something.

The last remaining use of his Corpse-Touching Scroll must not be wasted on a divine beast.

First, even if he could find its corpse in this perilous zone—

Even if he were impossibly lucky and did find it, the Scroll’s rule demanded he fulfill the corpse’s final wish before gaining any of its precious belongings.

Are you certain the divine beast is dead—or merely wounded?

Can you even fulfill its final wish?

Like helping it seek revenge?

Delivering something to a Sixth-Rank Cultivation Nation? Or something else?

And who knows? This might even be part of Second Uncle’s hidden scheme.

Thinking of this, Zhou Qing felt hesitation rise—and even a faint urge to retreat.

“Something’s wrong. We’ve been here before!” Suddenly, Shen Hanyi, leading ahead, halted and scanned the surroundings warily.

Zhou Qing reacted instantly—spiritual energy surged through him, and he went on full alert.

In an instant, the air seemed to freeze—temperature plummeted, a chilling, oppressive aura surged toward them.

As they puzzled over it, an ancient temple suddenly appeared before them.

Its gate hung half-open, creaking softly in the wind.

“Looks like we stumbled into the territory of a cursed mine shaft!” Shen Hanyi said, voice low and grim.

Zhou Qing hadn’t expected this zone to be so dangerous—they’d been trying their best to avoid trouble, yet still got caught.

But fortunately, this was only a simulation; even if they died, their real bodies wouldn’t be harmed.

“Finding the divine beast’s corpse is urgent. Let’s not waste time here—we’ll retreat and try again, avoiding this place next time!” Shen Hanyi turned to Zhou Qing.

She knew these mine shafts too well—some dangers could silently erase even a Severing Spirit peak expert.

Especially places like this, where you’re trapped without even realizing it—extremely high risk.

Zhou Qing, however, grew curious. “Let’s go in and take a look. Dying and exiting is no different from retreating—just a slight delay.”

Shen Hanyi hesitated, then nodded.

The two stepped forward, cautiously pushing open the temple gate—its red lacquer nearly all peeled away. As soon as they entered, a rotting stench hit them.

Inside, the temple was ruined and desolate.

Moss crawled over the walls; spiderwebs clung thickly in the corners.

In the center of the main hall, a dried corpse sat cross-legged on a cushion.

It wore a golden-threaded kasaya, a string of eighteen faintly glowing śarīra beads around its neck, and a monk’s blade resting across its knees—the blade glinting coldly in the dim light.

“Śarīra… must not leave the temple… must not…”

Faintly, both their minds seemed to hear a weak, hoarse voice.

Shen Hanyi stared intently at the runes carved on the monk’s blade, her eyes filled with confusion.

She always felt these runes were familiar, as if she had seen them in some fleeting moment, but she couldn’t recall where.

Soon, his eyes lit up, and he scrutinized the mummy again.

Unfortunately, the mummy’s facial skin had been cruelly torn away; its features were long blurred beyond recognition, making it impossible to discern its former appearance.

“Could it really be that elder from Jiyuan Temple?” Shen Hanyi murmured to herself.

Zhou Qing wanted to ask for details, but feared exposing his ignorance of many things in the Tianyun Sacred Dynasty, and thus drawing suspicion.

After hesitating for a moment, he could only echo, “I think so too.”

Shen Hanyi nodded and continued, “Rumors say Jiyuan Temple suppresses many great demons. Once, one managed to escape, and a monk set out in pursuit—since then, he vanished without a trace, and so did the Demon-Suppressing Blade.”

Zhou Qing fell silent, but the way she spoke, Jiyuan Temple must be tied to the Tianyun Sacred Dynasty—and its power was no ordinary force.

But—

Looking at the monk’s mummy, Zhou Qing’s heart stirred.

I wonder if the Corpse-Touching Scroll can extract something valuable from him?

But what was his cultivation base in life?

And how difficult would the triggered vow be?

Before Zhou Qing could figure out how to ask subtly, Shen Hanyi broke the silence first, frowning as she muttered to herself.

“If this really is Master Kudhi, a supreme expert at the peak of Zhanling Realm, nearly half a step into the next stage, how could he be found alone here?”

She paused slightly, then continued murmuring, “This forbidden zone isn’t far from Jiyuan Temple. With his power, how could he not even send a message back? The elders there spent countless efforts searching for him.”

Hearing Shen Hanyi’s words, Zhou Qing’s eyes brightened further.

Peak Zhanling Realm—that’s roughly the same as the ancient Old Peng King’s cultivation base.

And indeed, as he’d suspected, Jiyuan Temple is one of the powers of a Level Five cultivation nation.

“Perhaps some force within this forbidden zone trapped him here!”

Zhou Qing suppressed his inner excitement, forcing his tone to remain calm as he ventured a bold guess.

Shen Hanyi nodded thoughtfully, agreeing, “I thought the same. And in these ten thousand years, no one has ever reported encountering this place.”

“Our stumbling upon it must be an extremely rare accident—or perhaps we accidentally triggered something.”

But Zhou Qing could no longer hold back—he stepped forward.

“Ten thousand years have passed—will the Corpse-Touching Scroll still work on him?”

Zhou Qing himself felt uncertain. A peak Zhanling Realm expert was nearly impossible to meet in life, let alone have any connection with.

Now that he’d finally encountered the mummy of such a powerful being, he had to seize the opportunity.

If something unexpected happened here and forced them to exit the simulation, he might never get such luck again.

Shen Hanyi spoke up: “Did you hear anything just now? Something about ‘the prayer beads must not leave the temple’—what are you planning to do with those beads?”

Seeing Zhou Qing suddenly step forward, Shen Hanyi’s expression turned startled, and she warned sharply.

But Zhou Qing paid no heed—he pressed one hand against the mummy and immediately activated the Corpse-Touching Scroll.

The next instant, the scroll glowed brightly; its remaining area darkened, then turned to ash.

In its wake, glowing characters floated into view.

【Triggered the deceased’s final vow.】

【Vow One: Hope someone slays ‘Xue Chanzi’ and recovers the stolen Great Compassion Without Form Sutra.】

【Vow Two: Hope someone still remembers me, Kudhi.】

【Vow Three: Hope someone brings my remains back to Jiyuan Temple, to be laid to rest in the Nirvana Pagoda.】

Seeing this, Zhou Qing’s heart surged with emotion, too overwhelmed to contain himself.

He hadn’t expected the Corpse-Touching Scroll to actually work here.

The first vow demanded slaying ‘Xue Chanzi’ and recovering the stolen Great Compassion Without Form Sutra—never mind Xue Chanzi’s strength, he had no clue where to even find him.

The third vow—returning Master Kudhi’s remains to Jiyuan Temple—was impossible. Jiyuan Temple lay within the Tianyun Sacred Dynasty, a Level Five cultivation nation. With his current strength and circumstances, he could never accomplish it.

By comparison, the second vow seemed simpler—after all, he now knew.

And this confirmed Shen Hanyi’s earlier guess: the mummy before them was indeed Master Kudhi of Jiyuan Temple.

Realizing this, Zhou Qing immediately released his touch, his expression solemn. He bowed deeply to the mummy and spoke clearly: “Disciple Zhou Qing pays his respects to Master Kudhi.”

Though puzzled, Shen Hanyi quickly followed suit and bowed.

It seemed One had confirmed the mummy’s identity—but how?

Could he truly be from the Tianyun Sacred Dynasty?

After Zhou Qing bowed, his expression froze suddenly, as if his body had been locked in place.

Then, within his own vision alone, a rapid cascade of scenes flashed past like a spinning wheel.

“Looks like it worked perfectly!” Zhou Qing felt even more elated.

Now, according to the rules, the deceased’s precious belongings should be randomly selected.

Soon, his consciousness found itself inside a grand temple—everywhere, red walls and golden tiles, soaring eaves and ornate brackets, radiating solemnity and divinity.

Incense curled gently in the air; temple bells rang with a deep, resonant tone.

“Is this… Jiyuan Temple?” Zhou Qing silently guessed, watching monks in brown robes walk past.

He looked down—his own body wore a golden kasaya, and a simple string of ancient prayer beads hung around his neck.

From what he knew, the golden kasaya was a high-ranking garment within the temple.

“Could this be another enlightenment regarding a divine technique?” Zhou Qing’s heart leapt.

Then he saw “himself” clasp his hands together and chant.

“Amitabha. All beings suffer. Demonic thoughts arise. Only with a Vajra body, shattering all evil, using bones as foundation, condensing the power to subdue demons, can one attain true liberation.”

“Abbot Brother, I finally understand—this is the true Vajra Subduing Bones!”

As the words faded, Zhou Qing felt it as if it were his own revelation—his entire body began to glow with a faint golden light.

Within the glow, countless Sanskrit characters flickered and danced; around him, other monks gasped in astonishment.

“It’s the Vajra Subduing Bones! Master Kudhi has finally mastered this supreme divine technique!”

“Amitabha, wonderful! This must be the second master in Jiyuan Temple to achieve this technique.”

“Of course—the other one was the abbot himself. They say this technique greatly aids a Soul Transformation peak expert in suppressing obsessions and achieving Zhanling—it’s an unparalleled technique.”

“True. But no monk has ever fully mastered it while still in Soul Transformation.”

…

The voices faded, growing distant, but Zhou Qing had already grasped the essentials.

This divine technique, Vajra Subduing Bones, could not be comprehended by Soul Transformation cultivators—but it aided Zhanling.

Good heavens, this was even more effective than the Old Emperor’s formula.

Before he could think further, Zhou Qing felt his bones begin to crack—deep, resonant, powerful.

His spine straightened, becoming like a golden dragon coiled and writhing, radiating immense presence.

Moreover, he entered a strange state of enlightenment—his entire body’s two hundred and six bones transformed into gold before his eyes.

The gold grew denser, as if devouring all surrounding light.

At the same moment, after bowing, Shen Hanyi was about to speak—when she noticed a faint golden aura swirling over One’s body.

She froze, bewildered.

Then, a colossal golden Vajra phantom slowly emerged behind him.

The Vajra glared with furious eyes, wielding a demon-subduing club, majestic and terrifying.

As the Vajra phantom appeared, the air around them violently trembled. A crushing pressure spread, making Shen Hanyi gasp for breath.

“This—it’s—” Shen Hanyi stared at the furious Vajra, her eyes wide with shock. Something clicked—she blurted out involuntarily: “So it’s you!”

The supreme Buddhist technique, Vajra Subduing Bones, had only ever been mastered by two people in history.

One was Abbot Kuei Chan Master; the other, the fallen Master Kudhi before them.

One not only confirmed the mummy was Kudhi—he was now unconsciously manifesting Vajra Subduing Bones.

What more needed to be said?

At this moment, Sanskrit chants echoed, like ancient hymns from a long-lost Buddha realm—solemn and reverent.

A massive temple bell rang out immediately, reverberating through the space.

“Watch out!” Shen Hanyi suddenly shouted.

The next instant, the motionless Kudhi mummy surged to life—his withered arm swung the precept knife, a sharp gust of wind slicing toward Zhou Qing’s neck.

Zhou Qing, still half-dazed, had no time to think—he instinctively activated the newly realized Vajra Subduing Bones.

Instantly, golden light coalesced around his neck, forming a peculiar “ Wan ” symbol upon it.

*CLANG!* The precept knife struck the golden light, sending out a dazzling shower of sparks.

The force sent Zhou Qing reeling; his neck went numb, nearly twisted into a stiff neck.

His previously full spiritual power was utterly drained by this lethal strike from a peak Zhanling Realm expert—he barely managed to block it with all his strength.

“Damn it!” Zhou Qing cursed inwardly.

He had no time to hesitate—he instantly retreated at top speed, drawing upon the reserve spiritual energy and essence blood from the four-colored flower.

But the Kudhi mummy followed like a shadow—lifting one foot, he closed the distance of several zhang in an instant, standing right before Zhou Qing.

Though faceless, Youguang flickered in his hollow eye sockets as he raised the precept knife once more, slicing down toward Zhou Qing’s head with a whistling wind…

(End of Chapter)