Chapter 83: Peering into Secrets to Obtain Treasure

The True Lord of Ultimate Good and the Saint both looked extremely ugly and ferocious.

This Old Buddha was no exception.

Beyond his tall, rotting torso, he possessed six thieves in full: demonic eyes, giant ears, a blood-red nose, and more; his entire body was shrouded in a tangible, foul-smelling demonic musk, and when he leaped over, the terrifying impact completely shattered the last remnants of hope in everyone’s hearts.

"Run!"

"Flee for your lives!"

Some were screaming, but most, like Li Yu, turned and fled toward the foot of the mountain without a word.

These three monsters had all gradually fallen out of Sequence 6 due to the erosion of time, but they were still stronger than the average Sequence 7.

When they surrounded and attacked together, anyone in the field who ran even a second too slow was certain to die.

At this moment, both the righteous and evil sides displayed an astonishing tacit understanding.

Flee!

Even the two strongest Sequence 7s, the "Witch Doctor" and the "Sun-Eating Matron," were no exception.

The only slight difference was that the practitioner of the Earth Mother Sect, known as the Green Maiden, would cast spells to help others while she fled.

As for the dainty, widowed Sun-Eating Matron, she wished she could use the other Demon Star Token holders as stepping stones to save herself.

Of course, the one who fled the fastest was none other than Li Yu.

By the time the two sides scattered from the mountaintop, he had almost returned to that valley of exotic species.

After a long while, the remaining evil cultivators finally caught up.

Li Yu looked over; including the widowed Sun-Eating Matron, a total of four Demon Star Token holders had escaped—the losses were not small.

"Damn it, this isn't right."

"It’s not strange that those three [Incarnations of Ultimate Good] possess such combat power, but why did they all suddenly wake from their slumber? Especially that demonic monk; the temple and the academy could be explained as mutual interference, but no one had explored or slaughtered in the Old Buddha Temple, so why did it suddenly wake up?"

"This defies logic. With things as they are, the difficulty of this mission to conquer the Strange Domain has risen to a level we simply cannot complete."

The one speaking was none other than the Sun-Eating Matron.

The seductive, peach-blossom-filled charm on her face was gone; she was frowning, looking exceptionally annoyed.

Her words caused Li Yu’s heart to skip a beat.

Could it still be because of me?

Did I trigger that unique special main quest?

And that is why the three sleeping Incarnations of Ultimate Good all awakened at once?

Before he could figure it out and deny it in his heart, the bear-headed demon monk, who had also luckily survived, chimed in with a muffled voice:

"Fortunately, after those three monsters met, they turned on each other, and the [Saint of Ultimate Good] was the strongest, forcing that demonic Daoist to jump into the academy to join forces with the demonic monk. The three-way stalemate is the only reason we had a chance to escape; otherwise, we would all have perished there."

"But I fear no one will be able to complete the main quest of [Sacrificing the Three Flowers]."

"In this situation, will the Demon Star Token let us return to reality?"

This demon monk was not as stupid as he looked.

He wore a fawning smile as he spoke, looking at the widowed Sun-Eating Matron, clearly wanting to get an answer from her.

He hadn't gained much from this trip, only scraping by a side quest for one hundred merit points, which exempted him from being erased.

But after experiencing such danger, he just wanted to go back now; his life was what mattered.

Yet the next moment, he received a cruel answer:

"You stinky bear, you're such a coward, but you guessed right—for now, no one is leaving."

"When does the Demon Star Token conquest mission end?"

"It depends on two factors: one is sacrificing the rarest items in the Strange Domain, which here are the Three Flowers of the Crown; the second is to slaughter the opposing faction entirely."

"You won't be erased, but you cannot leave, and neither can those reincarnators."

"If we cannot sacrifice those three monsters, we have no choice but to go and fight the reincarnators to the death. Fortunately, there are only five of them left on the other side, so our strength is comparable."

"Hmm?"

As the Sun-Eating Matron was speaking, she suddenly let out a sound of surprise.

She had realized that the sounds of battle that had been echoing from the mountaintop had suddenly ceased.

Two terrifying figures, one on the left and one on the right, simultaneously leaped away from the Ancient Saint Academy, returning to the deepest parts of their respective temples and shrines.

This scene!

It made everyone frown even deeper; now, even the hope that "the three monsters might kill each other off so we can pick up the scraps" was gone.

Who could have imagined that after fighting, the three monsters would simply stop when tired and return to their own homes?

"This is too disgusting!"

"If either faction goes to attack, the three incarnations of the Ultimate Good demon will come out together, beating each other up while conveniently slaughtering the invaders."

"How is this even playable?"

"What about my plan to fish in troubled waters and pry into secrets?"

"I must find a way to at least safely spy on one of the old demon's incarnations to find clues to complete my special main quest."

Li Yu was equally dissatisfied in his heart, and various thoughts flickered through his mind.

It was at this moment that the Sun-Eating Matron, whose name remained undisclosed, suddenly fixed her pitiful, widowed eyes on Li Yu and the others.

Then, she began to issue orders.

Her voice was exceptionally seductive and held infinite temptation, but the orders she gave carried no small amount of danger.

"Fellow Daoists, I have no desire to be trapped in this godforsaken place; we must find a way to leave as soon as possible."

"I need two fellow Daoists: one to help me scout the movements of those reincarnators, and one to investigate the lair of the Ultimate Good to see what caused the three incarnations to wake up simultaneously. Whether it is the Demon Star Token or the Reincarnation Heavenly Net, although the missions they give have a high mortality rate, they would not leave us with absolutely no way out."

"Since the Saint of Ultimate Good is the strongest, the clues are likely in that academy."

"I wonder which two fellow Daoists are willing to step up?"

Her tone was questioning, but her peach-blossom eyes were fixed straight on Li Yu and the bear-headed demon monk.

It made perfect sense!

In the field, they were the only two who hadn't bowed down beneath her mourning clothes.

The other two, not knowing what they had previously encountered, looked at this woman with infatuated eyes at all times, like drooling lapdogs; clearly, they were already completely under her spell.

She surely would have targeted Li Yu and the others if she had the time and opportunity, but she hadn't gotten around to it.

Since that was the case, why not use these two as cannon fodder?

The two could choose to refuse, but the outcome was self-evident.

"I will go investigate the academy."

Almost immediately, a voice filled with such sorrow and despair, as if he were about to go seek death, spilled from Li Yu’s lips.

Of the two tasks, this one was clearly the most dangerous, and the bear-headed demon monk had expected to have to fight over it.

But seeing that it was Li Yu, the "Sorrowful Corpse," he suddenly felt it was normal.

Practitioners of the Hanged King path were always like this.

Muttering and repetitive, sometimes wanting to die, sometimes wanting to live, and most of the time wanting to hang someone else.

"Tsk tsk, such a handsome young man, why would you be so short-sighted as to cultivate the Hanged King path."

"Go, go ahead. If you truly find something, big sister will give you a fine reward."

"Not only will I not drain your Yang energy, I will even impart some to you, letting you properly experience the pleasures of the flesh..."

As these words entered his ears, the dainty Sun-Eating Matron appeared behind Li Yu in the blink of an eye, embracing him and speaking with breath as fragrant as orchids.

Even though the effects of the Sorrow-Weeping Pill had worn off, Li Yu had fully immersed himself in the role of the Sorrowful Corpse.

He sighed, unromantically shook off her embrace, and headed back toward the [Ancient Saint Academy] on the mountaintop. On the other side, the bear-headed demon monk chuckled before leaving:

"Senior, you and I are from the same sect, so let's not joke around."

"If you really want to spar, it won't be too late after I, Old Bear, promote to [Life-Demanding Walker]."

Li Yu had taken this task voluntarily because he had his own reliance.

Even if the Sun-Eating Matron had spoken later, Li Yu might have volunteered himself; he needed an environment where he could be alone and not exposed, so he could employ his methods to quietly complete his unique special main quest.

He wanted to use the Truth Bubble to pry into secrets!

The Saint of Ultimate Good was his first choice, so it played right into his hands.

Leaving the valley of exotic species, just as he approached the academy, he reached into his robes without hesitation and took out the last Sorrow-Weeping Pill to swallow.

Only after transforming into a true Sorrowful Corpse did he feel slightly more at ease and begin to stride forward.

=9+Book_Bar

Sneaking into the perimeter of the academy, Li Yu allowed his form to appear before an exotic scholar who had been stitched into a lobster monster.

Sure enough, the other party ignored him, treating him as a corpse rather than an intruder.

Seeing this scene!

Li Yu felt even more at ease; he made no sound as he quietly entered the core area of the academy, though he did not enter the place where the Saint of Ultimate Good slept.

Estimating the distance, Li Yu took a deep breath and then focused his intent.

That seventh Truth Bubble!

In the next instant, it shattered directly, and amidst the burst of radiance, his Truth Soul Body drifted out.

"One hundred and forty breaths!"

"Range of over seven zhang."

As the new power manifested, Li Yu’s soul body ignored all obstacles, passing through walls in succession to appear in the deepest part of the academy.

This appeared to be a massive study, or perhaps a flesh-and-blood laboratory?

A large quantity of rotten, moldy books and various strange vessels surrounded the nauseating and unsettling body of the "Saint of Ultimate Goodness."

Perhaps because he had fought a battle with the True Monarch and the Old Buddha and suffered significant injuries, he had fallen into a deep slumber again.

In the corner of this study, a large number of limbs from living beings were piled up; they were of all species, including humans, but all were already rotten beyond recognition.

Li Yu did not delay; he focused his mind to observe this monster wearing Confucian robes. Questions regarding various directions of inquiry bloomed in his mind one after another, and in exchange, detailed extraordinary information emerged:

"Saint of Ultimate Goodness!"

"A cultivator from the end of the Warring States period, originally named Zhu Zhishan. From a young age, he was apprenticed to a powerful cultivator from the [Saint Nest] organization, cultivating the Ancient Saint path. He held great ambitions in his heart and made a grand vow to allow the common folk of his hometown to all possess extraordinary power, even without following the path sequences. To this end, he devoted himself to blood-flesh modification, species creation, and other such heterodox arts."

"With the help of his master, he wrote a volume of the 'Notes of Ultimate Goodness,' which is both his experimental log and a secret manual for the inheritance of the Ancient Saint path. It also records the entire process of the birth and destruction of the Mount Zhangyi strange domain."

"With this secret manual and the existence of Mount Zhangyi, Zhu Zhishan once briefly reached the Ancient Saint path Sequence 5, [Dharma-Transmitting Saint], before falling and losing his life."

"This body is what remained after his death, controlled by a wisp of obsessive will. It will kill all intruders and repeatedly attempt to devour the Saint of Ultimate Goodness and the Old Buddha."

A secret story, combined with the knowledge of a new sequence, immediately caused Li Yu's ninth truth bubble to charge up rapidly.

Even though he had already glimpsed many secrets.

For instance, the organization known as the Saint Nest had actually started causing trouble as early as the end of the Warring States period.

And for instance, he had also seen some of the weaknesses of the "Saint of Ultimate Goodness" before him.

But Li Yu still sensed that something was wrong at this moment.

"Zhu Zhishan... the master from the Saint Nest... Dharma-Transmitting Saint..."

"I have already peered this far; by all logic, the truth behind the destruction of the Mount Zhangyi strange domain should have emerged as well."

"Yet even though I asked the question, there was still no response."

"Could it be double-encrypted again?"

"Must I obtain the key item, follow the strict order, and complete that special main quest, without letting me take any shortcuts?"

As these suspicious thoughts arose in Li Yu, his soul body had already drifted over.

If this "Zhu Zhishan" were still the Sequence 5 powerhouse he was in life, Li Yu would not dare to approach him, even in this state.

But since it was merely a fallen corpse that had dropped significantly in power, he became much bolder.

The next moment!

Li Yu looted the corpse.

Just as he had done when looting the Skin-Peeling Forbidden Strange before, Li Yu's pair of iridescent arms sank into the massive corpse and began searching everywhere.

For the first few dozen breaths, the prompts that appeared were all about various limbs.

Until, at an inadvertent moment, Li Yu's hands touched a cold, slimy book two fingers thick, and extraordinary information suddenly emerged in his mind:

"Notes of Ultimate Goodness!"

"This was written by a Sequence 5 Dharma-Transmitting Saint of the Ancient Saint path. It contains various modification heterodox arts and many mysteries of the Ancient Saint path."

"This manual is where Zhu Zhishan's obsession resides; it cannot be assimilated or stolen."

"Hm?"

Li Yu was surprised at first, then revealed a cold sneer.

Just as expected!

If his guess was correct, this manual should be the only item required to complete the special main quest, [The Truth of the Mount Zhangyi Strange Domain].

Perhaps the strange object rewarded upon completion is also this item.

There is nothing more frustrating than seeing hope and clues, only to realize upon careful thought that he could not do it alone.

Fortunately, Li Yu in his truth soul body state!

Also possessed absolute rationality.

He was not affected in the slightest, and in an instant, he had already thought of a countermeasure in his heart.

He glanced at the remaining time—not the time limit for his soul body, but the duration of the Sorrowful Corpse Pill's effect—and there was still a little leeway.

Li Yu continued to search and look around, and the scope officially expanded to every corner of the entire blood-flesh laboratory.

A few breaths later!

Li Yu's truth gaze paused, and his iridescent hands pulled out violently from that disgusting body.

But in his hand, there was an extra object: it was a strange blade that still radiated cold light and was full of ferocity.

Extraordinary information emerged immediately:

"Strange object, Saint-Book Blade."

"This blade was a gift from Zhu Zhishan's master, crafted by the [Saint Nest]. It is both a token of identity and allows cultivators of the Ancient Saint path to perfectly unleash their divine abilities and heterodox powers."

"All of Zhu Zhishan's experiments in blood-flesh modification and species creation were completed using this blade for cutting."

"By the same token, this blade inflicts extremely high damage on all creatures that have undergone blood-flesh modification; touching them for even an instant can result in dismemberment over a significant area."

"Judgment passed; it can be assimilated and stolen."

"Good stuff!"

Li Yu praised in his heart. Because he was overly rational, he did not attempt to attack the Zhu Zhishan beneath him; one strike would certainly not allow him to take the Notes of Ultimate Goodness, but the monster would definitely wake up to eat people.

Time was running out, so Li Yu's soul body carried the blade and returned to his physical body in the blink of an eye.

Afterward, he tucked it into the storage sachet given by the little nun and, still in the "Sorrowful Corpse" state, sprinted down the mountain.

PS: A four-thousand-character chapter; there are more updates to come.

(End of chapter)