Chapter 342: The Skull Monk

This Buddhist chant was as loud as a great bell, and it seemed to resonate within one's very heart. Zhang Nuo and Nanxuan Laozu were both startled, and the two of them looked up toward the sky.

They saw an elderly monk dressed in plain white monastic robes, with a string of prayer beads hanging around his neck. His bald head shone like the bright moon in the sky, and his large ears hung almost to his shoulders. His round face appeared extremely kind, yet his aged features made it impossible to guess his true age.

"Skull Monk!"

Upon seeing the old monk, Nanxuan Laozu and Zhang Nuo shouted the name almost in unison! Neither of them had expected to encounter that Skull Monk from the 'Immortal Palace' here again.

"Amitabha! The two benefactors and I are truly fated! I did not expect to meet you here again!"

As the white-robed monk spoke, his figure descended to a position between Nanxuan Laozu and Zhang Nuo. Just as he was falling, two Puppets brushed past him. Without the monk making any move, he merely let out a soft cold snort, and those two Puppets instantly shattered!

Zhang Nuo's heart sank; this white-robed monk appeared to be even more formidable than Nanxuan Laozu, destroying two of his Puppets with just a cold snort!

"The two fellow Daoists were originally traveling the same path, so why are you fighting so fiercely?"

Turning his shiny head, the old monk looked at Zhang Nuo and Nanxuan Laozu respectively, then asked, filled with confusion.

"That is none of your concern!"

He could have killed Zhang Nuo in an instant, but the old monk had appeared at this very moment. How could Nanxuan Laozu not be angry? Yet, hindered by the monk's powerful cultivation, he could not immediately lash out, so he could only speak with a sour tone.

"How is it not my business? Have the two of you forgotten about being guests at my place?"

It would have been fine if the old monk hadn't mentioned it, but at the mention of that matter, Nanxuan Laozu became even more furious. If it hadn't been for his helplessness in the 'Immortal Palace' last time, forcing him to borrow Zhang Nuo's body to escape, how could today's situation have arisen? Perhaps Zhang Nuo would still be slaving away for him!

"Hmph!"

Nanxuan Laozu let out a cold snort and flicked his sleeves heavily, his expression instantly turning ugly. At the same time, Zhang Nuo recalled the previous events, but there was one thing he couldn't understand: why did the old monk appear here? And intentionally or not, one could say he had saved his life!

Ignoring Nanxuan Laozu, the white-robed monk cast his gaze upon Zhang Nuo. After looking Zhang Nuo up and down, left and right, several times, he said in surprise:

"This little friend is truly extraordinary, to have actually escaped from the bottom of the Maze Sea Vortex! I only wish to know what method you used?"

The old monk's kind gaze suddenly turned cold, locking eyes with Zhang Nuo like a venomous snake! A chill ran through him! Zhang Nuo felt a trace of fear from the bottom of his heart, but as he had practiced the Inner Scene Technique, his Divine Sense shifted slightly, and that feeling vanished!

"Hehe! Senior, wouldn't you know if you went in yourself?"

Unexpectedly, at such a critical juncture, Zhang Nuo's tone was still so unyielding, which greatly surprised the monk! He was stunned for a moment, then gave a light chuckle.

"Since you do not wish to say, I will not force you. However, there is one thing I wish to ask you both. As long as you tell me the truth, I will turn and leave immediately and will absolutely not make things difficult for you two benefactors! If you do not speak, then today, none of you shall leave this place!"

The smile on the old monk's face vanished halfway through his sentence, replaced by heavy killing intent! Hearing this, Zhang Nuo and Nanxuan Laozu were both astonished. What exactly did this monk want to ask? When they were in the 'Immortal Palace', they were completely passive and had done nothing else.

Seeing that both were silent, the old monk touched the string of prayer beads hanging around his neck and spoke again:

"This string of prayer beads of mine originally had one hundred and eight beads! But ever since the battle with you, two have gone missing for no reason. Could it be that one of you took them while I wasn't looking?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the old monk's snake-like gaze swept over the two of them! Nanxuan Laozu knew nothing about the prayer beads, so he pondered in confusion for a long time, finally looking at the monk in bewilderment! Although Zhang Nuo showed no reaction on his face, he was secretly shocked in his heart!

Those two prayer beads had long since been cast into his own Divine Sea, and by now they had already vanished into nothingness; how could he return them to the old monk?

Seeing that neither of them showed any unusual expression, the white-robed monk began to mutter to himself: Could it be that they weren't the ones who took the beads?

"I say, fellow Daoist! Regarding the prayer beads you speak of, I truly do not know! Please go and ask someone else!"

Seeing Zhang Nuo right before him but being unable to kill him, Nanxuan Laozu felt some anger, and his tone was not polite in the slightest!

"Ask someone else?"

The old monk's face darkened. He gently grasped the prayer beads on his chest with one hand, and with a light flick of two fingers, all the beads instantly erupted with a cyan light. A moment later, he looked up at the sky in suspicion, muttering to himself as if no one else were present:

"Strange? I clearly felt they were nearby, so why can I not find them?"

At this moment, the old monk would never dream that those two prayer beads had long since been refined by Zhang Nuo!

"No! The prayer beads are on the two of you! Who has them? Quickly, take them out for me!"

Suddenly letting out a roar, the white-robed monk seemed to go mad; the skin on his face seemed to evaporate, revealing the appearance of a skull!

Zhang Nuo was startled by this sudden turn of events and gasped. At the same time, the two Divine Seas within his body that had fused with the prayer beads trembled violently. If he hadn't exhausted all the Spiritual Qi in his Divine Seas beforehand, he didn't know what kind of chaos might have ensued!

Only then did Zhang Nuo vaguely realize that there was something in his Divine Sea! Otherwise, how could his dried-up Divine Sea move on its own? With a shift of his thoughts, he recalled the time he refined the prayer beads.

Although he had refined the prayer beads at the time, that thing within the beads—neither Buddha nor demon—had remained in his Divine Sea! It was precisely because of this that he was able to have a Divine Sea where Spiritual Qi and Yin Qi could exist simultaneously! It seemed the white-robed monk's prayer beads were not as simple as a mere Magic Treasure!

"I said I don't have them, so I don't!"

Looking at the monk's ferocious skull face, Nanxuan Laozu was also furious! He could have killed Zhang Nuo with a flick of his finger, but a monk had fallen from the sky and ruined his good deed!

"No? Then how about letting me search you?"

The one hundred and eight prayer beads were originally a single Magic Treasure, and there was a certain inevitable connection between them. Since he could sense the existence of the two missing beads, the old monk naturally suspected Zhang Nuo and Nanxuan Laozu!

"Senior, feel free to search! I absolutely did not steal the prayer beads!"

Although Zhang Nuo had a guilty conscience, he put on an upright and righteous appearance, opening his arms wide to expose his entire body!

In his heart, the old monk didn't actually suspect Zhang Nuo. First, Zhang Nuo's cultivation was low; even if he were hiding the beads, he would have discovered them long ago. Second, Zhang Nuo's current Spirit Power fluctuations were weak, clearly due to exhausted Spiritual Qi, and he had no ability to conceal the presence of the beads. Furthermore, his willingness to be searched clearly showed he had nothing to hide.

After a moment of thought, the white-robed monk's gaze fell upon Nanxuan Laozu! With his Nascent Soul Stage cultivation, he could easily conceal the Spirit Power fluctuations of the beads!

"That little friend has already agreed to let me search him; what about you?"

Black mist rolled slightly within the eye sockets of the skull face, and the monk spoke toward Nanxuan Laozu.

"You want to search me? You're dreaming!"

Nanxuan Laozu was so angry that his white eyebrows stood on end. He knew Zhang Nuo was doing this to provoke a conflict between him and the white-robed monk, but even knowing this, Nanxuan Laozu could not let the monk search him!

"Since that is the case, I shall have to do it myself!"

Just as the monk's eerie words fell, he used his hand to gently tug at the prayer beads around his neck. Instantly, the hundred-plus beads scattered, and after a few rotations, they hovered around him!

Nanxuan Laozu took a deep breath. Knowing he was no match for the monk, he gritted his teeth and gathered the White Disc beside him!

Whoosh!

A sound of piercing through the air rang out. The old monk pointed a single finger at Nanxuan Laozu, and immediately, one prayer bead erupted with cyan light and shot toward him!

Nanxuan Laozu dared not be negligent! With a movement of his Divine Sense, a White Disc flew out, and the two collided instantly!

With a buzzing tremor, the prayer bead and the White Disc flew back the moment they touched! At the same time, Nanxuan Laozu cast hand seals, which sank into a White Jade Round Plate before him. The next moment, snow-white talismans rolled out from it and struck the white-robed monk without hesitation!

The old monk did not show weakness either. With a flick of his sleeves, several prayer beads spun around, flashing with cyan light as they counterattacked! As soon as these two Nascent Soul Stage old monsters made their move, the surrounding air immediately became tense!

Witnessing this scene, Zhang Nuo revealed an imperceptible cold sneer. As long as he created chaos, he would have a chance to escape! However, he did not dare to act rashly; the two had just started fighting, and if the old monk discovered Zhang Nuo had the intention to run, he would certainly subdue him first!

Although Zhang Nuo had appeared righteous earlier, the white-robed monk did not fully trust him! Running away at this moment would be like saying "there is no silver buried here."

Standing quietly on the surface of the water, Zhang Nuo watched the two of them engage in a magical duel, yet his heart was extremely anxious; no matter who won or lost this duel, it was not a good thing for him! Just as he was racking his brains to think of a way to escape, a long-lost voice suddenly came from the bottom of the lake!

Upon hearing this voice, Zhang Nuo almost cried! No longer able to suppress the joy in his heart, a look of excitement appeared on his face!