Chapter 618 - 64: Exploration
"Splash..."
Streams of water surged from the ground, gathering into a mass, from which He Zhong’s figure emerged, stepping out.
"Brother Dai."
He nodded towards the person in the field:
"Sorry to keep you waiting."
"It seems Brother He was held up by something." Dai Hengyu, obviously somewhat impatient, turned and said:
"There are only a few divine temples here. If we’re too late, fear that the treasures inside have already been taken by others."
"Fortune if gained, destiny if lost." He Zhong chuckled lightly:
"Brother Dai, you’re too attached."
"Hmph!" Dai Hengyu snorted coldly:
"That’s the wing of the Ancient Immortal Bird Golden-Winged Roc. If we acquire it, we might just be able to challenge a Rogue Immortal."
"Golden-Winged Roc..." He Zhong squinted his eyes, his voice turning serious:
"Are you sure, Brother Dai?"
"Almost certain." Dai Hengyu replied:
"My Dai family ancestors have some ties with the Yama Sect and accidentally learned that the Snake Bone Temple holds such a treasure."
"Later, when the Yama Secret Realm was sealed and the Yama Hall went into seclusion, the treasure should still be inside that temple."
"It seems this treasure has a destiny with us." He Zhong smiled and added:
"But which one is the Snake Bone Temple?"
"It’s right over there..." Dai Hengyu pointed with his hand, about to speak, when his expression suddenly changed:
"How could it be missing?"
......
"Chirp chirp!"
"Chirp!"
A few half-human height monkeys sprang from the alley, wielding sticks in their hands from unknown origins, swinging them at the newcomers.
These monkeys were entirely blood red, as if their skin and fur had peeled off, their eyes fierce and filled with hostility.
Wielding the sticks with terrifying power.
Sturdy steel shattered upon impact.
"Vile creatures!"
Sun Huai’an’s face darkened, shaking his hand as he summoned a long banner, from which a fire monkey, about a yard tall, leapt out.
Starbeak Monkey!
"Let your ancestor play with you for a bit!"
"Chirp!"
Starbeak Monkey thumped its chest and howled skywards, seeming to release years of pent-up frustration, then whipped up a sea of fire rushing at the monkeys.
The ancient bloodline’s suppression, an overwhelming fierce aura flooded in, and the monkeys screamed repeatedly, quickly burned to ashes.
"Huai’an."
Nie Shensha, holding a treasure sword, seeing this, frowned:
"The flesh of such exotic beasts is highly nourishing; burning them is wasteful."
"No matter."
Sun Huai’an shook his head:
"There are plenty of good things here. Let’s not waste time on this brood; let’s check the divine hall ahead."
"If I’m not mistaken, that should be the Celestial Tiger Divine Hall, perhaps containing rare treasures favored by that Ancient Deity."
"Hmm."
Nie Shensha nodded and followed suit.
......
Fang Zheng leapt onto the divine hall’s roof, squinting as he surveyed the entire city, his Sea of Consciousness’ Celestial Secret Compass spinning rapidly.
"There are a total of one hundred and eight divine halls, corresponding to the Thirty-Six Celestial Spirits and Seventy-Two Earthly Evils positions, collectively forming a large array."
"Each divine hall has nearby residences for Divine Officials and believers, each being a small array."
"A large array formed by one hundred and eight small arrays..."
"Not right!"
His face tensed, muttering:
"The divine halls of this city are moving, and the array changes according to the celestial time. It’s endless."
"Even the Celestial Secret Compass struggles to compute it!"
If Master Jiuyuan were here, he’d surely be ecstatic, immersing himself in such a complex array.
Unfortunately,
Fang Zheng had no interest in arrays and only felt a headache.
"Of the one hundred and eight divine halls, some must be real and some false. Some are safe while others are dangerous, and safety may vary with time."
"Which one is the Yama Hall?"
"No!"
"The Yama Hall likely isn’t among these one hundred and eight divine halls, needing specific conditions to reveal itself."
"Now..."
"The Ding position at midnight should be safe."
"Swoosh!"
A flash later, his figure vanished from sight.
*
*
*
Somewhere in a divine hall.
"Senior Brother, look quickly!"
A woman, her face full of joy, extended her hand to point to the wall of the divine hall:
"Over there, there’s actually a Body Tempering Secret Technique from the Vajra Sect of the Buddhist order, directly pointing to the Martial Arts Grandmaster realm."
"Hmm..."
The senior brother turned his head, his eyes lighting up, explaining:
"This is the Horse-Faced God Temple, dedicated to the Ancient Horse-Faced God, said to be the Ming King Horse-Face of the Vajra Sect. However, those Buddhist monks never acknowledged it, viewing the Horse-Faced God as an Evil God."
"Now it seems the Vajra Sect’s methods were also learned from here. What more can they say?"
"Indeed."
The woman nodded:
"Those bald monks are always stubborn, yet they have the nerve to say monks don’t lie. They really have the face to talk."
The man chuckled softly: "Regardless, this Body Tempering Secret Technique is extraordinary. Let’s transcribe it first."
"Indeed."
The woman agreed, taking out a Jade Scroll, preparing to transcribe the technique.
"Amitabha Buddha!"
At this moment, a serene Buddhist chant sounded:
"What brings the two of you to intrude upon the Buddhist forbidden grounds?"
"Monk Jiefa!"
The two heard the voice and turned, their expressions changing:
"You..."
"My Buddha is compassionate, yet also furious as a Vajra." Monk Jiefa clasped his hands together, approaching with a stern expression:
"The two of you are enshrouded in confusion, having entered the demonic path, an inevitable calamity. I must exorcise the demon."
With that, he raised his palm to strike.
"Senior Brother!"
The woman, alarmed:
"Quickly escape!"
She said this, while pushing her senior brother’s back, seizing the chance as he blocked Monk Jiefa to use her Body Technique to flee.
"You..."
The senior brother looked terrified, eyes complex, with unwillingness as he was struck by a palm, sent flying backward.
Landing lifeless.
"Amitabha Buddha!"
Monk Jiefa lowered his gaze:
"Indeed, a woman’s heart is most poisonous, truly not to be underestimated."
As he finished, a string of Buddha Beads flew from his hand, hitting the fleeing woman; the beads, small but carrying the power of Sumeru Mountain, directly tore her body in two.
Turning, Monk Jiefa looked at the method engraved on the stone wall, his eyes focused, vast Buddha light emerging.
The Buddha light swept over the stone wall, and the method disappeared.
"Cunning monk!"
Someone outside the divine temple shouted:
"Destroying evidence with such skill!"
"But do you think today’s events can escape the world’s judgment?"
"Hmm?" Monk Jiefa turned, seeing the newcomer with an unchanged expression, clasped his hands in skillful salute, and spoke softly:
"So it’s Fairy Lan of the Five Poison Sect."
"Today’s events evidently involved Fairy Lan poisoning the two disciples of the Dragon Gate Sect, framing me."
"You!" Fairy Lan’s face turned grim:
"You bald donkey, they clearly died by your Buddhist means."
"Heh..." Monk Jiefa chuckled:
"When did Fairy Lan learn our Buddhist techniques? Your framing is quite crude."
"Cunning monk!" Fairy Lan gritted her teeth:
"Courting death!"
......
A few Ethereal Celestial Palace disciples cautiously explored the city.
Knowing their limits, they dared not enter the divine temples, instead rummaging through the residences belonging to Divine Officials and believers.
Occasionally finding good items, they’d cheer quietly.
"Swoosh!"
Just as they rounded a small side temple, not having relaxed yet, a figure blocked their path.
"Outsiders!"
"Run quickly!"
The number of Ghost Kings in the Yama Secret Realm is limited; though they hadn’t seen them in person, they had studied images.
This person clearly wasn’t one of them.
Not a Ghost King of the Secret Realm, naturally meant an outsider, a Master or Martial Sect.
Also an enemy!
"Young friends, no need to be anxious." Fang Zheng shook his head, saying:
"I am also a disciple of the Yama Sect."
He said this while concealing his Martial Sect aura, revealing the cultivation of the Yama Heart Sutra, simultaneously extending his hands to show his goodwill.