Chapter 208: Ancient Temple, Deadly Peril

"Good, good. The Yin-Yang Corpse Fiend held a place among the Inner Disciples of the Demon Luo Sect, yet never imagined he'd die here. They probably didn't expect either of you to be Bloodline Awakeners, and that your awakened talents were both formidable—dying at your hands isn't unjust."

"Sir, may my companion and I leave now?" Meng Shixiong, cradling the corpse of the woman in his arms, forced back his agony and spoke without expression to the hazy figure.

"Hehe, afraid I won't keep my word?"

"Rest easy. Though I'm a madman, I'm the most trustworthy of men. Since you've survived, you may go—but only this once. Next time I encounter you, you'll die just the same." The hazy figure chuckled, then waved his hand carelessly.

Seeing this, Meng Shixiong turned without a word and walked away; Li Tianqi struggled to his feet and followed closely behind.

After walking more than a hundred paces, Li Tianqi summoned a green wooden boat, lifted Meng Shixiong onto it, and shot off as a green glow toward the mountain range.

The hazy figure stood atop the rock, watching the distant aura vanish. Calmly, he pulled a bamboo slip from his sleeve, unrolled it, studied it carefully, then sneered. His form shimmered slightly, and he strode after them with casual confidence—each step seeming to ride the wind, drifting effortlessly over a zhang of distance.

…

On the small island at the lake's center, the corpse of a giant earthworm beast lay on the ground before the stone house, its body oozing green blood, while the surrounding area showed signs of fierce battle.

The stone house, once locked, now stood wide open; inside, simple furniture and shelves could be faintly seen.

The yellow-robed woman of the Four Symbols Sect and the pink-robed woman of the Joyful Palace had both vanished without a trace.

…

Deep within the mountains, at the edge of a gray-white mist sea, two monks in saffron robes suddenly burst forth from the ground, their bodies glowing with golden light.

One was a young monk with red lips and white teeth; the other, a tall, slender middle-aged monk.

They were Yuan Tong and Yuan Ming of the Golden Diamond Temple.

"Brother, even the ground beneath us is sealed with restrictions—using the earth-dodging technique won't work, and even the second-grade earth-piercing talisman had no effect?" The young monk looked at Yuan Ming, frowning in distress.

"If even a second-grade talisman can't break the underground seal, then we've found the right place. This must be the true cave of Master Jialan—perhaps his Fanshenfati is hidden here." The tall, slender monk nodded after a moment's thought.

"Brother, our finding this place was pure luck—we discovered a map inside a stone cave."

"But since we can't break the seal immediately, why not take out that artifact that senses the Fanshenfati and confirm its presence?"

"If Master Jialan truly hid the Fati here, we should feel something at this proximity." The young monk grinned.

"That's true. If the artifact reacts, we must break the seal and seize Master Jialan's Fanshenfati before anyone else arrives. But if it doesn't react, we should wait—let the other sects' true disciples arrive first, then take the treasure." Yuan Ming's face remained expressionless, but his tone grew grave.

The young monk Yuan Tong nodded eagerly.

Then the tall monk pulled from his sleeve a string of milky-yellow Buddhist beads, each the size of a thumb. After murmuring a Buddha's name, he channeled his inner energy into them.

Moments later, the entire string glowed with a faint white light—but one bead remained utterly still, standing out conspicuously.

Seeing this, the tall monk's eyes flashed. He formed a hand seal with one hand and swiftly moved the beads with the other. After several rotations, the silent bead suddenly began to hum. Then, with a clatter, the entire string floated into the air, forming a triangle that pointed straight into the depths of the gray-white mist.

"It reacted! Master Jialan really hid the Fanshenfati here!" The young monk, who had been grinning all along, leapt three feet into the air, face alight with joy.

He had always suspected that though this realm was called the Jialan Realm, it might have little to do with Master Jialan.

Given that Master Jialan was a Nascent Soul cultivator, it seemed unlikely he'd casually hide his Fati in some obscure realm—so since entering, he'd never truly taken it seriously.

But the beads' reaction shattered his earlier assumptions—his inner joy was unmistakable.

"Excellent, excellent! It seems Master Jialan's Fati truly has a karmic bond with you, brother. Then we must risk breaking the seal." The middle-aged monk seized the beads, tucked them back into his sleeve, and spoke gravely to Yuan Tong.

"As long as we're certain the Fati is here, I've brought a rare, one-time-use artifact capable of temporarily piercing the seal for us." The young monk stared at the gray-white mist sea ahead, eager to move forward.

"Indeed. Since our Master gave us this artifact, it's perfect for this purpose. Once we take the Fati, we leave immediately—avoid all contact with members of other sects." The tall monk's eyes gleamed with sharp intent.

Yuan Tong readily agreed, then pulled from his storage pouch a pale-yellow wooden fish and a black wooden mallet.

Holding the wooden fish in one hand and the black mallet in the other, he led the way toward the gray-white mist sea, the tall monk following close behind.

Moments later, the wooden fish sounded—soft, yet clear and melodious.

Then, an unbelievable sight occurred.

The rolling mist sea, upon hearing the sound, began to churn and recoil, clearing a vast empty space in mere moments.

The young monk struck the wooden fish as he slowly walked into the mist; wherever the sound passed, the gray-white mist parted and retreated.

But once the two monks vanished deep into the mist, the previously cleared area behind them surged back with swirling mist, restoring the sea's calm edge.

…

Deep within the mist sea, in the ruins of the ancient temple, the temple's closed gate suddenly burst open from within, and a figure tumbled out.

Through the blood-red moon above, a pale, terrified face could be faintly seen—it was Huang Shixiong.

But now, his body lay flat on the ground, caked in dirt; his lower half was missing—both calves had been violently torn off at the knees, yet not a drop of blood flowed.

Huang Shixiong had lost all his inner energy; he could only crawl forward on his hands, dragging himself desperately toward the nearby gray-white mist sea.

Then, from the darkness behind the temple gate, a low, guttural roar echoed. A thick stream of black threads shot out, wrapped around his body, and yanked him violently backward.

"Whoosh."

Huang Shixiong's body flew through the air and vanished back into the temple gate.

"No… let me go…"

"Monster, I'll fight you to the death!"

Desperate cries came from behind the gate. Moments later, a thunderous crash shook the temple gate, then silence fell.

After a stick of incense burned, a dull gurgle echoed as a round object was tossed out from the gate.

It was Huang Shixiong's head, eyes wide open, his neck and everything below gone—his neck bore a pale, gnawing tooth mark.