Chapter 90

"Who's there!"

Li Yan gave a start, and the illusion before his eyes immediately vanished.

Luo Mingzi waved his hand, and the Daoist beside him immediately tilted his head to listen, while the one skilled in the Eye-Communication Yi Shentong also looked around, then shook his head slightly.

"What happened?"

Luo Mingzi then asked.

Li Yan was still somewhat startled and uncertain, so he hurriedly recounted what had happened.

He had the Three Talents Demon-Suppressing Coin for protection, so ordinary bewitchment techniques were useless, and since something had happened in a place like this, he couldn't hide anything.

"This... is it a connection to the Root of Intent?"

Just as he finished speaking, the old Daoist beside him revealed a look of surprise.

A young Daoist also said in astonishment, "How is that possible? Only by building a third-story pagoda is it possible to awaken a second spiritual root, but this little lay practitioner hasn't even built a pagoda yet."

Luo Mingzi looked at Li Yan's left palm and said thoughtfully, "Perhaps it's the effect of the official warrant; this isn't the Root of Intent, but rather Communication with the Divine!"

"Communication with the Divine?"

This was the first time Li Yan had heard this term.

Luo Mingzi nodded and said, "That's right, Communication with the Divine."

"The local deities, spirits, and demons of the world... everything belonging to them has a true form, and there is no such thing as the 'transformation' spoken of by the common folk. After all, the physical body is a boat; to be able to change one's form is to have already transcended the rules of the mortal world."

"Therefore, when they communicate with humans, it is mostly through the manifestation of divine intent. Those who have connected to the Root of Intent can occasionally dream of humanoid forms of strange beings and converse with them. There are also those who are bewitched by demonic charms, thinking they have encountered a beautiful woman for a romantic encounter, when in fact their primordial yang is being sucked away, and they wake up to find themselves sleeping in a grave..."

"This is perhaps the effect of the official warrant. After you build your Pagoda Observatory in the future, you can try to master it. Communicating with ghosts and gods is an incredible ability."

The young Daoist beside him said enviously, "That's right, just like treasure-seeking; treasure-seekers have to spend many years learning. If you can strike a deal with ghosts and gods, they might tell you the secrets within."

"The official warrant actually has this ability? Why don't I have such an opportunity..."

"What nonsense are you spouting!"

Luo Mingzi reprimanded him, "The teachings decree that one must not interfere in the affairs of the Underworld. Once one has entered the Supreme Profound Orthodox Sect, one will never obtain an official warrant. Likewise, those who hold an official warrant cannot summon the soldiers and generals of the registers. Each has its own strengths; do not give rise to greed."

As he spoke, he looked at Li Yan again, "If my guess is correct, it is because this mass grave's mountain god sees that you have an official warrant that it is asking you for help. You can try to communicate with it again."

Li Yan was speechless, "How would this junior know how..."

That young Daoist, called Gu Chenzi, rolled his eyes upon hearing this and suggested, "It must be that you did something unintentionally; think about it carefully again."

Li Yan was thoughtful and recalled his actions just now, "I didn't do anything; I just followed you all in and took another look at that shrine..."

The moment he looked at the shrine, his vision blurred again.

The scene from just now appeared before his eyes once more:

The old man was sitting in the pit, facing him, his mouth opening and closing...

This time, Li Yan steadied his mind and looked carefully.

That old man was indeed not human; on his tree-bark garment, branches and leaves were growing, his beard was covered in moss, and his skin was also very strange, looking like soaked meat, pale and grayish-dark.

Especially his lower body, which actually looked like a large tree, with strips of flesh like tree roots inserted into the surrounding ground.

Good heavens, this is the mountain god?

Li Yan was astonished in his heart and soon discovered an anomaly.

The hat the old man was wearing was somewhat abrupt; no matter how one looked at it, it looked like a tattered cloth bag piled on his head, greasy and fishy.

So it was this thing!

Li Yan recalled the information he had obtained earlier.

For every treasure of heaven and earth, there must be something that restrains it.

The restraining object for this Mountain Tai Sui was the ancestral cloth bag of the Beggar Gang; that Old Manshan had this very object, which was why he was waiting in the mass grave to take the treasure.

With his thoughts in chaos, the illusion before his eyes also vanished. Li Yan said in a deep voice, "We must be quick; they have already succeeded..."

As he spoke, he described the scene he had seen.

"This is a sign."

The elderly Daoist beside him said thoughtfully, "The god is hidden in the cave, which is called 'concealment,' corresponding to the Shencang acupoint. The mountain god is trying to tell us where its true form is located."

The young Daoist Gu Chenzi said in astonishment, "The Shencang acupoint is an acupoint on the human body; what does it have to do with a treasure of heaven and earth?"

The elderly Daoist glanced at him and reprimanded, "I told you not to read books on ordinary days; can't you even see this? The 'Compilation of Examining Acupoints along the Meridians' says: Shencang is two inches to the side of Zigong, and Zigong is also known as the Purple Forbidden Enclosure; its position is in the north!"

As he spoke, he took out a compass from his bosom, looked at it for a few moments, and then pointed to the cave entrance of the fork on the right, "It's over there!"

Li Yan sniffed the scent, "The scent spreads to the left; something is not right. It seems to be done on purpose; I almost fell for it."

Before he could finish speaking, another strange phenomenon appeared before his eyes.

The wandering master, wearing mourning clothes and blood-stained garments with chains piercing his body, appeared again and pointed to the south.

Li Yan was helpless and muttered, "Can you all come one by one..."

Seeing Luo Mingzi look over, he shook his head and said, "The Cold Altar Wandering Master has appeared again."

Luo Mingzi said thoughtfully, "It should be the stimulation of the official warrant. When you look for the Cold Altar in the future, perhaps you can use this Dharma decree to make it appear and point the way."

"Let's go; be careful."

After saying this, he led the group toward the cave entrance on the right.

The other party had already controlled the mountain god, so to prevent any accidents, they all quickened their pace.

Sure enough, after moving forward another hundred meters, the Daoist skilled in the Ear-Communication Yi Shentong had his ears twitch slightly and whispered, "There is an ambush with bows and crossbows ahead; about a dozen people."

The group became vigilant and proceeded with caution.

Soon, a corner appeared ahead, just enough to block their line of sight.

Luo Mingzi gave a signal, and the Daoist skilled in the Eye-Communication Yi Shentong immediately stepped forward, took two black pellets from his waist, ignited them, and threw them backward with a flick of his wrist, causing them to bounce toward the right side along the corner.

Pfft, pfft, pfft!

Those black pellets were not explosives, but burned intensely, releasing a large amount of pungent, thick smoke while simultaneously emitting a dazzling, flickering white light.

Li Yan hurriedly closed his eyes and clicked his tongue in secret.

Wang Daoxuan had once told him that during the Qin and Han dynasties, the Way of the Immortals flourished, attempting to seek immortality through external alchemy. Although verified by successive generations as completely unworkable, they had also created many strange techniques.

For example, the "Red-Haired, Red-Faced One" used for guarding tombs.

For example, substances discovered unintentionally during alchemy.

This thing, similar to a flashbang, should be mixed with a large amount of white phosphorus. It was truly interesting that the Law Enforcement Hall could use it in actual combat.

The grotto was dark, and the eyes of those in ambush were immediately blinded. Coupled with the pungent thick smoke, they panicked and fired their bows and arrows one after another.

Bang, bang, bang!

Arrows rained down, constantly striking the stone walls.

Some had astonishing force and actually pierced into the stone crevices, their tail feathers vibrating with a hum.

However, no matter how fast bows and arrows are, there is always an interval.

As soon as the first round of arrow rain passed, Luo Mingzi and the two Daoists charged out with swords in hand.

They were all skilled in Body-Communication; although their perception was not as good as the Mouth, Eye, Ear, and Nose divine abilities, their control over their bodies was extremely astonishing, and they were all experts in hidden energy.

Swish, swish, swish!

The three of them leaped up, using the walls to bounce and jump, weaving left and right. Their figures were as fast as thunder, hidden within the flashes and thick smoke, and they charged into the enemy formation within the span of a breath.

Their coordination was also very tacit.

Sword light flickered, slashing left and right. A set of Daoist sword techniques was both elegant and vicious, and the sounds of screams and blades tearing through flesh echoed continuously.

"The target is tough, quick..."

Pfft!

The last person had just wanted to run away when he was pierced through the throat by Luo Mingzi's sword.

It was only a few breaths, and all the ambushers had been killed.

Li Yan and the others then followed in.

Just as the person caught earlier had said, the two groups of people who had infiltrated the mass grave had already joined forces; the ambushers included both fierce-looking martial artists and ragged, evil beggars.

Among them were also experts in hidden energy, but facing the methods of the Law Enforcement Hall, they had no power to fight back.

Li Yan looked at Luo Mingzi, and a thought stirred in his heart.

With thousands of years of accumulation by the Supreme Profound Orthodox Sect, the Law Enforcement Hall truly had many good things. The yarrow used for the Invisibility Technique, these black pellets used for blinding—don't look at them as small items; when used well, they are the keys to victory. It seems that before leaving, he must find a way to acquire some.

Not mentioning his little thoughts, the group proceeded again.

The further in they went, the more eerie the atmosphere of the grotto became.

Cold air overflowed all around, shrouded in yin mist, and a layer of white frost covered the ground. No human figures could be seen, but dense footprints appeared on it.

Even with the Three Talents Demon-Suppressing Coin, Li Yan could smell the groups of decaying yin-evil odors all around, as if countless eyes were staring at them.

Li Yan even felt as if something was blowing cold air behind his head.

Luo Mingzi was right; because it was noon on the ninth day of the ninth month, all the lonely ghosts and wild spirits in the mass grave had hidden underground.

If the people from the Commandant's Office had followed, and if they were accidentally bumped into and possessed, with their martial strength, it would have been a big trouble instead.

There were many vengeful spirits in this place, and even they didn't want to provoke them, so they all used the Invisibility Technique to pass through the cold grotto.

Fortunately, the section of the grotto where the vengeful spirits gathered was not long, and they soon encountered another fork. The two cave entrances opposite were almost identical, and on the stone walls on both sides, there were ancient stone incense burners and altars.

"Another maze?"

!.

That lively young Daoist frowned.

The elderly Daoist said in a deep voice, "Both are real!"

As he spoke, he pointed to the center of the two grottoes.

Li Yan looked up and saw that the giant rock there was protruding, appearing circular and exceptionally smooth, yet it seemed to be formed naturally.

What was even more wonderful was that there was a faint flow of terrestrial essence and evil energy.

"This is the terrestrial spiritual aperture of the mass grave."

The elderly Daoist explained, "This place can also be viewed as the Zigong hub. Shencang is two inches to the side of Zigong, which means both apertures are real."

Li Yan pinched the Dharma seal and sniffed, then nodded, "There is a scent on both sides."

Luo Mingzi said thoughtfully, "We don't understand the methods of treasure-seekers, but there are two Shencang acupoints; it is likely that we must act on both sides simultaneously to restrain the mountain god."

"Split the troops. Gu Chenzi, Gu Yuanzi, you and Senior Brother Luo Fengzi go to the left; the rest follow me to the right."

Li Yan also saw it; Luo Fengzi was that elderly Daoist, experienced, and both sides had combatants skilled in Body-Communication and people skilled in investigation.

Although splitting troops in an unfamiliar place is a major taboo, it was clear there was no choice at the moment.

This distribution was the most reasonable.

Without the slightest hesitation, the group immediately split up and drilled into the grottoes.

Sure enough, after not walking far, the view before them suddenly opened up, and a naturally formed stone chamber appeared. It was not large, and with torches burning, the situation was clear at a glance.

Those occupying this cave were precisely the people from the Westbound Beggar Gang.

After the Imperial Court's encirclement and suppression, their manpower had suffered heavy losses, and the ordinary disciples had all fled, leaving only those evil beggars following the beggar leader, Old Manshan.

Added to the previous losses, there were now fewer than four evil beggars in the cave, each strong and sturdy, holding sharp blades, staring at them fixedly.

And at the bottom of the grotto, that beggar leader, Old Manshan, was sitting cross-legged on the ground.

The ground where he was located was completely different from the surroundings; it was a large, wriggling piece of flesh, its surface already petrified, only revealing white flesh between the textures when it wriggled, and it was covered in moss all around.

Old Manshan's fat and massive body was sitting on top of it, and under his buttocks was precisely that ancestral, greasy, and blackened cloth bag of the Beggar Gang.

Tweet~

There were quite a few poisonous snakes in the grotto; seeing them appear, several evil beggars immediately blew the snake whistles in their mouths and simultaneously took out flying daggers from their waists and threw them.

This time, it was Li Yan and the others who were unprepared.

This place was somewhat strange, actually able to isolate aura and scent; it wasn't until they entered the stone chamber that they saw the poisonous snakes and evil beggars.

Just like what they had seen before, wherever a treasure of heaven and earth exists, there must be a naturally formed "situation" to isolate the aura and hide it.

Even so, the group's reaction was not slow.

Luo Mingzi and another Daoist stepped forward quickly, blocking Li Yan and the other person behind them.

They were both skilled in Body-Communication, and their sword techniques were brilliant.

Li Yan couldn't see the roots of their kung fu, but the sword techniques used by the Supreme Profound Orthodox Sect were all Daoist sword techniques, emphasizing multi-purpose sword use, changing within movement, like the movement of a dragon, with the head and tail responding to each other, and hardness and softness complementing each other.

The two of them wiped left and slashed right, faintly drawing several circles, just enough to deflect all those flying daggers.

And the Daoist beside Li Yan picked up the "Supreme Profound Bamboo Envoy Talisman" from his waist, pinched the Dharma seal, and chanted the Six Jia Secret Incantations, "Lin, Bing, Dou, Zhe, Jie, Zhen, Lie, Qian, Xing!"

Facing this situation, the Pu Pu Mountain-Ascending Technique was undoubtedly very suitable.

However, the four evil beggars opposite were also exerting all their strength, dancing and gesturing, blowing snake flutes, and also scattering black powder from their bosoms.

The two sides fell into a stalemate, and the snake swarm slithered back and forth, becoming increasingly irritable.

Li Yan immediately drew his Guan Mountain Saber, focused his mind, and the Three Talents Demon-Suppressing Saber Tassel vibrated slightly, emitting a cold murderous intent.

This move completely broke the balance.

The snake swarm immediately turned back and charged toward those evil beggars.

"Ah!"

Two people were immediately bitten and screamed while tearing at the poisonous snakes on their bodies.

Just at this moment, that beggar leader, Old Manshan, suddenly opened his eyes, pinched a lotus hand seal with both hands, his chest and abdomen swelled, and he shouted loudly: "Get out!"

This roar was like thunder, echoing in the grotto.

Not only did the snake swarm scatter and flee, but even Li Yan and the others felt a roar in their brains, dizzy and unable to stand steady.

"Maitreya's Great Brahma Sound!"

Luo Mingzi's body swayed, then quickly stood steady, his eyes full of vigilance, "So you are a person of the Maitreya Sect."

That beggar leader, Old Manshan, slowly stood up, his fat body trembling, cold light flickering in his small eyes. Looking at his subordinates bitten to death by poisonous snakes, he said coldly: "A bunch of useless trash!"

While speaking, he was unhurried, picking up the wolf-tooth club beside him.

The wolf-tooth club, as a weapon, is mostly a wooden handle inlaid with iron nails, but the one he held was made of pure iron, pitch-black and covered in blackened bloodstains.

At a glance, one could tell this thing was of astonishing weight.

But in the hands of that mountain of flesh, Old Manshan, it was just like a child holding a stick.

Li Yan was also somewhat surprised; he hadn't expected this Westbound beggar leader to be a hidden Maitreya Sect member, having not revealed his identity for many years, yet he could endure it.

This beggar leader was also too lazy to talk nonsense, directly swinging the wolf-tooth club in his hand and flicking it from bottom to top.

Boom!

A giant rock in front was immediately shattered, and rubble whistled as it flew toward them.

The force of the rocks was astonishing; blocking them with swords would not only fail to stop them but would also damage the weapons, so Luo Mingzi and the Daoist beside him chose to deflect them with their fists and feet.

Both of them were at the peak of hidden energy, and their movements were full of astonishing force. Only the sounds of bang, bang were heard as the flying rubble was shattered.

Of course, there were places they couldn't attend to.

A rock the size of a fist passed directly by their sides.

The Daoist who was performing the Pu Pu Mountain-Ascending Technique couldn't dodge in time and was hit on the head; he didn't even groan before fainting.

Li Yan's sense of smell was astonishing; he dodged the rock with a flash of his body and simultaneously picked up a flying dagger from the ground, flicked his arm, and threw it out.

This move used hidden energy, and the force was astonishing.

The beggar leader, Old Manshan, had a massive body and couldn't dodge it at all.

Pfft!

The flying dagger was inserted directly into his belly.

But something that astonished the group happened.

The fat on the other party's body trembled, and the flying dagger only sank in halfway before it couldn't go any deeper.

Moreover, only a small amount of blood oozed out.

That mountain of flesh, the beggar leader, gave a sinister smile, seemingly feeling no pain at all...

(End of chapter)