Chapter 437: What if the old one hasn't died?

A great fortune?

Ao Cang's gaze shifted slightly, somewhat wary. Judging others by himself, he did not believe that good fortune would come knocking for no reason at all.

"Do you know of the Eight Directions Temple?"

Gui Gui Laoxian acted as if no one else were there, and his voice flowed only between the two of them. The entire street seemed to exist apart from the rest of the world; the occasional passerby walked by and yet could not perceive the two of them at all.

"Eight Directions Temple?"

Ao Cang's eyes narrowed: "You come from beyond the heavens, and yet you also know of the Eight Directions Temple?"

Since receiving the inheritance of that Dragon Demon Daoist, breaking free from his beast form, and wandering the human world for many years, he had learned countless Wu Gong and come to know a fair number of secrets from various sects.

What the Eight Directions Temple signified, he naturally understood.

At the mention of that name, the steps he had been about to take came to a halt.

The Eight Directions Temple's reputation was immense; Gui naturally had heard of it as well.

Gui Gui Laoxian lifted his head, and through the black umbrella seemed to see the grey, hazy sky, the light of the four great suns nearly gone!

If you're interested, why don't we sit down and chat?

He seemed certain Ao Cang would not refuse. From somewhere he produced a chair. Ao Cang frowned slightly, but still sat down.

Eight Directions Temple—what is it?

Heh heh~

The jade coins in his hand clinked and jingled. Gui Gui Laoxian smiled, did not answer, but instead asked: "Does Brother Ao know what lies above the heavens?"

To that form of address, Ao Cang was quite unaccustomed, but he still replied: "The Nine Layers of Gang Wind, the moon, and… land?"

As he spoke, he glanced at the old turtle: Beyond the heavens—what is that?

Of course there is.

Gui Gui Laoxian's expression turned a little odd; that answer was truly… plain and parochial.

But he knew the reason, so naturally he would not mock him. Instead, he chose his words carefully, putting it in terms Ao Cang could understand:

To Hengliu City, this street is just one corner of it; to the North Sea Prefecture, Hengliu City is no more than a corner; and above the North Sea Prefecture is Dingbo Province, and above Dingbo Province,

is the Dragon Hidden Dao. And the Dragon Hidden Dao is itself only a part of the Great Fortune Dynasty.

Ao Cang frowned.

The so-called Beyond the Heavens is nothing mysterious—merely a different great dynasty. Hmm, said this way, Brother Ao might understand?

Beyond the Heavens is another Great Fortune Dynasty?

Ao Cang looked up at the sky. His eyesight was extremely keen; he could even see into the Nine Layers of Gang Wind. His heart was somewhat shaken, yet he could not comprehend: Won't it fall down?

Fa Li Fa Jie: Won't it fall down?

Gui Gui Laoxian decisively cut off that topic; he had no idea how to explain it.

Ahem, back to the Eight Directions Temple.

Ao Cang's spirit gave a jolt.

The origins of the Eight Directions Temple are much debated. The more reliable account should be that it is a 'Cosmic Wonder'.

Cosmic Wonder

Ao Cang was taken aback: What is a cosmos?

"Just think of it as one realm."

Gui Gui Laoxian twitched the corner of his mouth: What a wonder is, Brother Ao surely knows that too, no?

This Ao naturally knows.

Ao Cang was displeased within. Not only did he know what a wonder was, he had even plucked several with true gang, using them to forge a divine realm.

A so-called wonder is a spectacle born between heaven and earth for various reasons—dangerous places like Fire Dragon Mouth or Wind Thunder Valley,

for instance, would count as wonders.

Gui Gui Laoxian still explained it once more: Of course, the Eight Directions Temple is far more perilous and far stranger than these dangerous places, has existed far longer, and the profound fortune it contains is far beyond what these dangerous places can compare to.

The Eight Directions Temple is very dangerous.

Ao Cang nodded, indicating he understood.

Correct.

Gui Gui Laoxian sighed inwardly. If it weren't for the Eight Directions Temple sealing off heaven and earth, making it impossible for him to leave, he would never have wanted to deal with

these blockheads.

The Eight Directions Temple—you know where it is?

Ao Cang inquired.

A Cosmic Wonder is everywhere, but if one tries to find it by ordinary means, then even if one turned the entire heavens upside down, one still would not find it.

Gui Gui Laoxian toyed with the jade coins, and did not keep him in suspense: There are many ways to seek the Eight Directions Temple. Connected to it, hmm, the Daoist Tianyun Daoist Tianyun Xuanbing you speak of—holding it grants entry.

Besides, within the Nine Layers of Gang Wind, there may be a way in.

And finally, of course…

!

Ao Cang was startled, instantly retreating to the end of the street. Toward rituals, he harbored an immense dread.

In those years past, that Dragon Demon Daoist had transmitted Wu Gong to him precisely to use him as an Offering.

Brother Ao need not panic; this old fellow has no thought of taking you as an Offering.

Gui Gui Laoxian's expression was quite sincere, dispelling Ao Cang's fright, and he led him back to his seat before saying: Finding the Eight Directions Temple is not difficult for me; what is difficult is how to open it, how to get inside.

"Found it, and yet still cannot enter?"

Ao Cang's heart stirred slightly.

He thought of the Dragon Demon Daoist—the latter seemed to have gone mad and severed his own cultivation precisely because his pursuit of the Eight Directions Temple failed, and ultimately vanished.

Such cosmic wonders are not for ordinary folk to enter — without the qualifications of gods or demons, what right would one have to open and enter them?

Gui Gui Laoxian let out a sigh, the jade coin in his hand spinning faster. He had spent nearly ten years divining a single hexagram, and all he had calculated was—

—the four words: "the fate lies not in the southwest."

But from east to north, he had not found where that fate lay. The people he met, no matter how great their reputations, were in truth endowed with only the shallowest, thinnest affinity.

Even he could not favor them with a glance, let alone the Eight Directions Temple.

So much so that he even began to doubt whether a world sealed away by the Eight Directions Temple could truly give birth to beings of the god-and-demon caliber.

Then…

Ao Cang grew a little impatient — what on earth did this old fellow want?

I have some leads, old man merely needs more time to search.

The Turtle Immortal spoke his purpose: "I have two enemies who followed me from beyond the heavens — I need Brother Ao to guard me!"

……

Li Yuan followed the Dragon Dao Master into the small temple. The first thing he saw was three strange figures in the snow. At a single glance, his brow furrowed.

No other reason — they were too wretched.

These three looked as if they had been deep-fried in a wok of oil: one was scorched black all over, one's flesh had peeled away leaving what seemed like nothing but a skeleton, and the third was even billowing thick smoke from head to toe.

But tough they truly were — with such grievous wounds, they still did not so much as grunt.

"This is—"

The smell of roasting meat was too overpowering; Daoist Li felt a bit nauseated.

Blood Vajra, Bone Vajra, Fayin Fayin Tongzi.

Long Xi Xiang flicked his sleeve, dispersing the stinging stench: "When the Ink Dragon entered the mountain, these three followed behind. Though they fled fast enough, they were still dragged back."

The three were breathing out more than in, two of them gritting their teeth in silence. Only the flesh-stripped Bone Vajra let out a—

shout: "Wan Wan Zhuliu, Laozi, your mother—!"

Bone Vajra cursed viciously; his dwelling had been destroyed, his heart torn like a blade.

"May I ask what business brings the three of you to my Dragon Tiger Temple?"

Long Long Yingchan gave a light cough and spoke.

You care about the ol—

Slap!

Long Xi Xiang slapped him to the ground with an expressionless face — this skeleton's mouth was far too foul.

"Ol—"

Boom!

Bang!

Long Xi Xiang raised his hand and struck with his pestle. With a clatter, the skeleton came apart — but its skull spun round and round, still cursing even as it breathed its last.

This tough?

Even Li Yuan clicked his tongue in amazement.

So nothing can be questioned out of them?

Long Xi Xiang's face was expressionless; he nearly raised his hand to beat those other two to death as well: "Li Yuan, activate the Nourishing Life Furnace — refine them!"

Yes!

One dared to say it, the other dared to answer.

Li Yuan slipped his hand into his sleeve and summoned the Dragon Tiger Nourishing Life Furnace. With a sudden hum, the phantom of the pill furnace appeared, the temperature within the courtyard surged sharply, and the accumulated snow began to melt.

Wait!

Fayin Fayin Tongzi spoke with great difficulty, his voice hoarse. His injuries were extremely severe — not only from the Great Sun Heaven-Surveying Mirror, but also from Long Xi Xiang's Jiang Mo Chu.

How… how did the Ink Dragon die?

Slap!

Long Xi Xiang raised his hand and knocked him to the ground: "I didn't give you leave to ask."

Long Xi Xiang!

Fayin Fayin Tongzi raged.

Refine them.

Long Long Yingchan sighed and gave up on the interrogation.

……Hum~

Cut.

Li Yuan pointed a finger, and the nourishing qi permeating the courtyard moved with it. With a trembling cry, the two figures in the snow along with the scattered skeleton vanished without a trace.

Hum~~

Li Yuan extended his palm; the crimson pill furnace trembled and spun within his hand.

He focused his perception and could faintly see flames rising within the furnace. In an instant, the faint, pitiful shrieks had vanished withou—

t a trace.

Open the furnace lid.

Long Long Yingchan instructed.

Yes.

It was Li Yuan's first time activating the Nourishing Life Furnace, so naturally he followed orders.

The furnace lid was lifted, and two broken bodies along with the shattered skeleton were spat out. Wisps of faint qi rose up and were seized by Long Long Yingchan in his hand.

These evil gods fear not even death — and you still wish to interrogate them?

Long Xi Xiang also plucked a wisp, pressed it to his brow, and closed his eyes to sense.

The furnace refinement was complete.

Long Long Yingchan shook his head and pressed a finger to his brow.

Thousand-Li Soul Lock.

Li Yuan felt a twinge of envy.

Only an absolute grandmaster whose mind-spirit merged with heaven and earth could, by means of a single wisp of qi, trace and perceive certain things invisible to the naked eye—

things he naturally could not see.

After a moment, Long Long Yingchan released his finger, glanced at Li Yuan, and said nothing.

After waiting a while longer, Long Xi Xiang also opened his eyes.

Last time, it was for the Thousand Spirit Crossing Tablet…

Long Xi Xiang frowned slightly: "They suspect the previous generation's Star-Plucking Tower master didn't die?"

After all, before Li Yuan, only that elder in the world could have dispelled Wan Wan Zhuliu's blade intent.

Long Long Yingchan pinched his brow.

Exchanging words and comparing what they had found, Li Yuan listened with a chill in his heart—these three evil gods really had come for him, and

not just this time; last time as well.

'Fortunately, that Thousand Spirit Crossing Tablet—I never once took it out…'

Hearing that they had even resorted to an evil-god ritual, Li Yuan secretly thought how close a call it had been; had he not been cautious in his actions, he would likely have been found by these old ghosts at his door long ago!

Looking at it this way, Wan Wan Zhuliu sending that Ink Dragon was only to confirm whether it was that elder who had pulled the blade—

Inside the temple, the two went over it again, working out cause and effect, their expressions both somewhat subtle.

The Jiu Da Fa lord laid down a ritual, and with Wan Wan Zhuliu striking together—and that elder could still withstand it?

If that elder hadn't died, the imperial court wouldn't dare so brazenly hunt down the Star-Plucking Tower, would they?

He should be dead?

Not good.