Eternal Sacred King Chapter 578 to 587
Chapter 578: Slaughtered City!
Ethereal Peak.
The sect went silent after news of Su Zimo’s death in the Dragon Burial Valley.
Xuan Yi and the other two had parted ways with Su Zimo for slightly more than a month.
None of them expected that it would be an eternal parting!
It did not matter how external cultivators viewed Su Zimo, how they said that he was a demon with an innately feral personality, that he was a fiend who loved to kill.
In the hearts of Xuan Yi and the others, Su Zimo would always be a disciple of Ethereal Peak!
In order to protect his sect mates, he sacrificed himself as bait in the battle at Dongling Valley and lured away everyone from Blood Crow Palace while undertaking the immense risk of dying.
In the sect competition, he was outstanding and ascended beyond everyone with a domineering aura, shutting the mouths of all sects and cultivators that mocked Ethereal Peak forever!
In the Great Qian Ruins, he singlehandedly forced back three strong sects and protected the safeties of Xuan Yi and the other two, allowing them to return with rewards while curing the disheveled old man’s injuries at the same time.
He was the number one Weapon Refinement Master of Great Zhou!
He was at Extreme Foundation Establishment, the second after the Human Emperor!
He had unlimited potential such that even the Emperor of Great Zhou had high regards for him!
He was the pride of Ethereal Peak, but...
All of that had now disappeared along with Su Zimo’s leap.
Liu Hui sighed gently. “Dao Being Xuan Yu declared that he wanted to annihilate the Su family. Given his cultivation realm as a Void Reversion and the background of Glass Palace, it’s probably over for the Su family.”
“Mortals should not be implicated in grudges between cultivators. To think that even an immortal sect like Glass Palace would resort to something so despicable! Immortal sects? They’re nothing but shameless!” The disheveled old man cursed hatefully.
Xuan Yi remarked deeply, “I’m guessing that Dao Being Xuan Yu is not going to take action personally against a mortal in light of his status.”
Although that was the case, no sect or faction in the North Region dared to protect the Su family.
It was not only because of Dao Being Xuan Yu or Glass Palace. Rather, Su Zimo’s identity was way too sensitive.
He even killed too many paragons of the North Region for the Vermilion Fruit fight while incinerating hundreds of Nascent Souls – he had offended almost all the major sects and factions of the North Region!
Anyone that dared protect the Su family would be pitting themselves against the entire North Region!
The Great Zhou Dynasty did not dare to do it.
Ethereal Peak did not dare to either.
A failure would instantly result in a calamity befalling them!
To be fair, against the current circumstances, Ethereal Peak was already enduring immense pressure for not severing their ties with Su Zimo.
Sect Master Ling Yun released his spirit consciousness and surveyed his surroundings before whispering, “Senior crane has already left the sect to head for Yan Country. I hope that she’ll be able to make it in time. This is an extremely serious matter that must not be leaked or the sect will be met with impending annihilation!”
Xuan Yi and the others nodded hurriedly.
At that moment, a powerful and familiar aura sped over from not far away.
The old immortal crane was back!
Everyone from Ethereal Peak was alerted!
Pushing through the door, the old immortal crane could not conceal her fatigue and surveyed her surroundings before sighing. “I was too late.”
Upon hearing that, everyone from Ethereal Peak felt their hearts skip a beat.
The old immortal crane continued, “Xuan Yu did not appear personally due to his status. He sent dozens of Glass Palace disciples in a group to the capital of Yan Country and the King of Yan, Su Hong, is nowhere to be found.”
Everyone from Ethereal Peak heaved a sigh of relief but they were confused.
If Su Hong’s whereabouts were unknown, he should be safe for the time being as long as he was not in the hands of Glass Palace – why would the old immortal crane then say that she was late?
Why was there a hint of sadness in her tone as well?
The old immortal crane continued, “The group from Glass Palace was furious due to their fruitless trip and laid down the order to slaughter the entire city in order to force Su Hong to show himself!”
Everyone’s mouths dropped agape as they looked on with disbelieving expressions. For the longest time, they could not recover from their misery.
Slaughter the city... those words were short but they sounded extremely grim.
Almost everyone from the capital of Yan Country were mortals!
Against the powerful might of cultivators, those mortals had no way of defending and their lives were similar to ants!
Although they did not witness it personally, everyone from Ethereal Peak could imagine the desperation and helplessness those mortals felt against the cultivators.
Everyone seemed to be able to hear the tragic cries.
Everyone seemed to be able to envision endless arms flaying, seeking help.
The old immortal crane closed her eyes, as though she could not bear to recall, and sighed. “By the time I arrived, the capital of Yan was filled with rivers of blood and mountains of corpses. It was devastating and looked like it was hell!”
The disheveled old man clenched his teeth and snarled, “B*stards!”
“Creating such massacres against mortals because of the grudges of cultivators. Are they truly not afraid of divine retribution?!” Liu Hui’s voice was quivering.
“There’s no such thing as divine retribution in this world,” Xuan Yi mocked bitterly.
The old immortal crane continued, “More than halfway through the massacre, cultivators of the fiend sects arrived, led by their Pure Maiden. They fought against the Glass Palace cultivators and forced the latter back.”
“In that case, there’s an extremely high chance that Su Hong was rescued by Pure Maiden Sect.”
“That should be the case.”
“It was lucky that the fiend sects arrived. Otherwise, all the mortals in the capital of Yan...”
Everyone from Ethereal Peak suddenly went quiet as they discussed.
Silence overwhelmed them.
Those that killed were from the immortal sects while those that rescued were from the fiend sects.
It had to be said that this was truly a great irony.
Who were the true immortals and who were the true fiends?
Right from the beginning, Ethereal Peak was established for the sake of protecting the masses while exterminating fiends and demons.
But now, when they said the words, ‘It was lucky that the fiend sects arrived’, everyone felt their values collapsing within them.
Did it mean that they had to kill Su Zimo for his demonic cultivation?
Were they still going to continue hunting down the fiend sects despite the fact that the latter saved the masses?
An ex-disciple of Ethereal Peak, Yan Beichen, was now a fiend as well.
Furthermore, he was a great fiend among them, an Asura!
However, Yan Beichen had once said that although he had killed plenty of people in his lifetime, he had never laid his hands on mortals.
Asuras killed divine beings but they did not massacre for fun.
Wasn’t a fiend such as him much holier when compared to the masses from Glass Palace?
After a moment of silence, just as everyone thought that everything was over, the old immortal crane pursed her lips and took a deep breath before continuing, “After the group from Glass Palace left, they were still indignant and went on to massacre 13 other cities on their way back to vent their frustrations...”
“What!”
Everyone from Ethereal Peak was shocked.
“Within a single day, countless people in the territory of the Yan Country lost everything with their families broken apart. The death toll alone has already crossed 30 million!”
No natural catastrophe would be this scary!
The true catastrophes were often made by men.
Gripping his fists, Xuan Yi said coldly, “Although Glass Palace is an immortal sect, aren’t they afraid of incurring the wrath of the entire cultivation world by massacring innocents like this?!”
“They’ve got the reason to back it up,”
The old immortal crane shook her head with a look of irony in her eyes. “Glass Palace stated that because Pure Maiden Sect of the fiend sects appeared in Yan Country, it meant that Yan Country was in cahoots with the fiend sects. In that case, because the mortals of Yan Country have long fallen into the path of the fiends, Glass Palace was upholding justice by slaying fiends and demons.”
Everyone from Ethereal Peak felt a sense of helplessness and their hearts felt stuffy.
That reasoning sounded absurd and hilarious.
Everyone knew that Glass Palace merely massacred the mortals just to vent their frustrations.
However, nobody could refute it.
That was the way the world was – strength reigned supreme.
Everyone from Ethereal Peak who knew the entire events of things knew that the mortals of Yan Country were innocent.
However, how many people could tell the real truth?
In other vassal states, in other corners of the world, there were still countless mortals who did not know of the truth applauding the immortals for exterminating evil while upholding righteousness...
The mortals at the lowest rungs were the easiest to be hoodwinked and deceived.
Chapter 579: Bottom of Dragon Burial Valley
A month had passed since the battle of the paragons at the Great Qian Ruins.
The news spread through Tianhuang Mainland and almost the entire world knew about it!
Middle Continent, Elixir Yang Sect.
In a majestic cave abode, a man and two women stood.
The man had decent features with a grim expression – this was the ex-disciple of Ethereal Peak, Ji Chengtian.
Among the women, one of them wore a white, pure blouse and had extremely beautiful features. However, she exuded a faint coldness.
The other woman was extremely handsome and her features looked like a painting. However, she was dressed like a flirtatious young man.
One of them was Leng Rou who had already joined Thousand Crane Sect and the other was Tang Yu of Elixir Yang Sect.
The three of them stood facing one another silently.
The atmosphere within the cave abode was somewhat tense.
“Hais.”
A long while later, Ji Chengtian sighed gently and spoke, “Has the news been confirmed? Has Junior Brother Su truly jumped into the Dragon Burial Valley?”
“Yes.”
Tang Yu nodded. “Many people witnessed it personally. The news can’t be fake.”
Leng Rou did not speak the entire time, her gaze turning colder by the moment.
Ji Chengtian shook his head, lamenting while sighing, “This matter has been blown out of proportion.”
Tang Yu pursed her lips with a conflicted expression, gazing into the distance and murmuring, “So, you’re the monster incarnate of Divine Phoenix Island. It’s no wonder...”
When news of the monster incarnate of Divine Phoenix Island reached her in the ancient battlefield, Tang Yu had a brief moment of suspicion.
After all, Su Zimo had some similarities with the monster incarnate of Divine Phoenix Island.
However, later on, she rejected her suspicion.
Their differences were way too obvious as well.
As she recalled everything that happened in the ancient battlefield, Tang Yu felt sadness.
While the two of them had not spent a long time together, she was secretly awaiting their next encounter internally.
But now, her hopes had turned into emptiness.
“Does Xiaoning know about this?” Suddenly, Ji Chengtian asked.
“She does,”
Tang Yu replied, “She locked herself up and refused to eat or drink. It’s been an entire day. Thankfully, Night Spirit is watching over her so she isn’t in any danger.”
In another cave abode.
Xiaoning leaned against the wall, huddled against her knees. Her eyes were red and swollen as she sobbed softly.
Night Spirit watched over her silently; a humane look of worry could actually be seen in his eyes.
Thereafter, as if he thought of something, the killing intent in his eyes surged!
West Region.
In a desert.
A fatty sat squarely beside a tomb, muttering to himself, “Bro, why... why are you gone just like that?”
Little fatty sat beside the tomb and bawled like a child.
...
North Region, Great Qian Ruins.
This day, two unexpected guests arrived at the ruins, looking fatigued.
One of them was extremely tall at more than two meters and had long hands and legs. His arms were slumped naturally and were longer than his knees.
The tall man carried a long rod and his eyes shone fiercely with a scarlet glint.
The other man was barehanded. Although he was slightly shorter, his body looked even more muscular and mighty.
Both of them had a lot of hair and although they were in human form, they could not conceal the demonic qi they emitted at all!
They were demons!
If Su Zimo was here, he would definitely recognize that these two men were monkey and the spirit tiger who had gone missing for many years!
Monkey entered the depths of the ruins and broke through the encirclement of the otherworldly soldiers with the long rod in his hands, charging right for the Dragon Burial Valley.
The spirit tiger followed behind him and took care of the otherworldly soldiers at the back.
After more than a year, monkey and the spirit tiger had both formed their Inner Cores.
They had not only grown in terms of cultivation realm, their combat strength was rather frightening too!
It was especially the case for monkey – no otherworldly soldier could withstand the touch of his rod.
A single slam and they would dissipate to dust!
Before long, monkey and the spirit tiger arrived at the edge of the Dragon Burial Valley.
Gazing down the cliff beneath him, the spirit tiger felt his head spin and could not help but gasp, retreating a few steps back instinctively.
Monkey narrowed his gaze as well.
They could sense an extremely terrifying aura and energy fluctuation coming from the Dragon Burial Valley and it was shuddering!
“Boss, we should head back first. After all, this is the territory of the humans. I’ve got an uneasy feeling,” The spirit tiger looked nervous.
After cultivating an Inner Core, demons could speak in human tongue as well!
He was also very sad over Su Zimo’s death.
However, at the end of the day, unlike monkey, he would not make the trip thousands of miles tirelessly just to take a look at the place of Su Zimo’s death.
“Boss, there’s no point standing here and looking. He’s already jumped.”
The spirit tiger persuaded again, “We should head back and just take over a few mountains. Our days will be so enjoyable at that time.”
Monkey did not reply and merely gazed at the Dragon Burial Valley quietly. The scarlet glint in his eyes intensified and his killing intent was almost corporeal at this point!
A long time later, monkey finally turned around slowly. The scarlet glint in his eyes faded gradually as he nodded to the spirit tiger. “Let’s go.”
Monkey and the spirit tiger soared through the air and disappeared at the horizon in the blink of an eye.
Not long later, a gigantic tear opened up in the void above the Dragon Burial Valley without any warning, surging with chilling winds.
Two figures leaped out from within.
The old man at the front was still rather composed. However, the same could not be said for the other person as he fell out staggering with a pale expression. His legs were wobbly and he could barely stand!
The old man wore a Confucian crown and long robes. His cheeks were rosy and his tall beard swayed gently with the wind.
If a desk appeared and he held a wooden block with his left hand and a folding fan with his right, the old man would completely resemble a storyteller that made his way around the world!
The man that came out later on was slightly rotund with a pale expression without any beard. This was Lin Xuanji, the man who had once entered the Dragon Bone Valley, one of the Nine Forbidden Grounds, along with Su Zimo!
Arriving at the edge of the Dragon Burial Valley, the old man looked down in silence.
Lin Xuanji let out a slow breath and could not help but ask, “Old man, what’s down there in the Dragon Burial Valley?”
“What do you think?”
The old man turned to look at Lin Xuanji, asking in reverse.
“Nothing more than a pile of corpses...”
As Lin Xuanji spoke, he caught sight of the strange expression on the old man’s face and a thought flashed through his mind and he was frightened by that possibility!
“Old man, there can’t be people alive down there, right?”
“Heh!”
The old man chuckled oddly as a silent acknowledgment.
Rubbing his chin, Lin Xuanji said deeply, “In that case, there’s a chance that lad is still alive!”
He revealed a joyful expression and laughed. “Like I said, his fate is extremely unyielding. How can someone who can be so energetic after eating a dragon egg in the Dragon Bone Valley die so easily?”
The old man shook his head with an indifferent expression. “You’re missing the main point.”
“Huh?” Lin Xuanji was confused.
The old man continued, “The main point is that even if Su Zimo isn’t dead, he’s no different from being dead.”
Lin Xuanji seemed to be in deep thought
However, he heard the old man continue once more, “Don’t forget, his Golden Core was destroyed and his Inner Core was crushed. That’s equivalent to a loss of his lifetime’s cultivation! Even if he’s alive, he’s no different from a dead man.”
Lin Xuanji was enlightened.
The old man was right – Su Zimo would no longer be the number one monster incarnate in history with his crushed Golden Core and shattered Inner Core!
What did it matter even if he was alive?
He would never get the chance to take revenge for that massive feud.
The old man lamented and sighed gently, “Back then, that lad’s fate was changed after much effort from an expert. Unfortunately... he still couldn’t win against fate at the end of the day!”Chapter 580: Trying the Best to Fight Against Fate!
A long time later, Su Zimo stirred awake.
Gradually, his five senses started recovering.
The first thing Su Zimo smelled was a faint scent of books and ink. It was old, emitted from ancient books that had been kept for a long time, but it smelled good.
Thereafter, his vision gradually cleared up.
His surroundings were dark and countless dust specks floated before him. Struggling to sit up, Su Zimo found that two wooden slabs were attached to his right wrist, stabilizing his wounds.
His muscles were still sore and painful.
“Am I not dead?”
Su Zimo looked around.
A series of wooden bookshelves stood all around and each of them were filled with many ancient books.
Most of them were filled with dust and should not have been used for a long time.
On the surface, this looked like an old study that was extremely spacious – there were at least a few thousand ancient books here!
Su Zimo could only feel his head spinning and his consciousness was still fuzzy.
He remembered leaping into the Dragon Burial Valley after being pursued by Dao Being Xuan Yu. However, he couldn’t remember anything thereafter.
Shaking his head, Su Zimo looked around and accidentally caught sight of a bronze square tripod at the side, gradually recalling some things.
The moment he leaped into the Dragon Burial Valley, he initially thought that his death was certain.
However, when he caught sight of the fainted little fox in his embrace, he felt his heart wrench.
That little thing’s fate had been way too tragic.
She lost her mother when she was young and was imprisoned by the Scarlet Armored Gigantic Crocodile for dozens of years. After finally gaining freedom to follow him into the outside world, she was met with such a cruel fate.
Was the little fox going to die just like that without getting a chance to experience the beautiful world outside?
Unable to bear the thought of that, Su Zimo opened his storage bag and withdrew the bronze square tripod with all his might, hiding inside it with the little fox.
The Dragon Burial Valley was known as an unlucky place.
Countless top experts and supreme powerful beings were buried there.
Nobody knew of the dangers within it – the bronze square tripod might be their only shot at survival!
Although he was inside the bronze square tripod, Su Zimo could still sense clearly that he was falling rapidly!
The sound of winds wheezing filled his ears.
An extremely terrifying aura surged outside the bronze square tripod!
An endless amount of power collided against the walls of the tripod repeatedly.
It intensified in a frightening manner!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
With each collision, a deafening bang could be heard – the sound was so ferocious that it seemed like the bronze square tripod was about to break into shards!
Su Zimo coiled his body and protected the little fox in his embrace as best as he could.
However, against the tremendous impact, he slammed against the walls of the bronze square tripod left and right. His tendons and bones broke and coupled with the injuries he had already sustained, it felt like his skeleton was about to fall apart!
The terrifying bangs sounded like they could drown everything!
Su Zimo merely felt his ears buzz and his orifices were oozing with blood!
The external power from the Dragon Burial Valley was way too scary!
If not for the protection of the bronze square tripod, Su Zimo and the little fox would have turned into dust instantly without any corpse remaining.
A while later, they were met with an even fiercer impact.
Slamming heavily against the walls of the tripod, finally, Su Zimo could not hold on any longer and fainted entirely.
When he woke up once again, he was already in this spacious study.
“Could there be someone still alive in the depths of this Dragon Burial Valley?”
Su Zimo thought to himself.
Suddenly, he felt as though something was rubbing against his leg.
Su Zimo looked over.
A furry little thing looked at him with large, watery eyes that were equal parts filled with concern and joy.
The little thing was filled fur that was scarlet like flames and seemed like a blanket. Its eyes were bright and shiny like black gemstones – it was the little fox who had fallen into the Dragon Burial Valley with him.
Previously, the little fox was injured by Dao Being Xuan Yu. But now, she looked like she had already recovered.
Su Zimo felt slightly consoled.
“I am fine,”
Su Zimo smiled when he sensed the worry coming from the little fox. “Although my injuries are more serious this time round, I’ll be fine after recuperating for a while.”
As he said that, he tried to stand up. He grabbed the bronze square tripod with one hand, wanting to put it away in his storage bag.
“Hmm?”
Su Zimo’s expression changed slightly.
The bronze square tripod did not budge at all!
Although the bronze square tripod was extremely heavy, Su Zimo was able to lift it effortlessly prior to this!
And yet...
Suddenly, he realized something.
His Golden Core was already destroyed and his Inner Core was already shattered!
His cores were directly broken by someone!
Instinctively, Su Zimo tried circulating his Inner Core and a sharp pain shot through his chest!
“Ugh!”
He grunted deeply and his body wavered as a layer of sweat appeared on his forehead.
His Inner Core was dark and dull, covered by a web of frightening tears!
Su Zimo sensed everything carefully and his expression turned even more terrible.
There was already no way to salvage his Inner Core.
The situation was even worse for his Golden Core!
The dantian around his abdomen was empty, like a hollow black hole, without any trace of spirit energy.
Su Zimo took a deep breath and slowly condensed the spirit qi in his surroundings.
He could still sense the existence of spirit qi and was able to absorb it.
However, after the spirit qi entered his dantian, it vanished and could not be retained inside!
Right now, his dantian was like a leaky airbag.
Although water could enter, it could not be retained.
In other words, even if Su Zimo wanted to cultivate once more step by step from the Qi Condensation realm, it would be impossible!
That was also the reason why the cruelest punishment for a cultivator was to cripple their Golden Core.
That was because they wouldn’t even get the chance to cultivate anew!
Su Zimo clenched his teeth and an unyielding look flashed through his eyes as he channeled his bloodline to move the bronze square tripod with all his might.
At the same time, he absorbed spirit qi and made use of the brief moment when it circulated within his body to open his storage bag to put the bronze square tripod away.
That was an extremely simple move.
However, Su Zimo expended an immense amount of effort as he panted heavily, drenched in sweat with a pale expression.
Su Zimo chuckled bitterly.
Up till this point of his cultivation, he had overwhelmed all other cultivators of the same level in an indomitable manner and had even crossed major realms to kill his opponents!
He was known as the number one monster incarnate of history to the major factions!
To think that he would end up in such a state one day.
Although Su Zimo still possessed a tremendous power of bloodline, it was no longer possible if he wanted to fight against true paragons of the Golden Core realm.
There wouldn’t come the day when he would be able to take revenge on Dao Being Xuan Yu.
Is this going to be my fate?!
Su Zimo gripped his fists so fiercely that even his knuckles were turning white!
I’m not willing to accept it! I refuse to accept it! I’m indignant!
I’m going to fight against my fate even if it takes me everything I’ve got!
Even when his sharp fingernails dug into his palm and blood oozed out, Su Zimo did not realize it – there was even a faint demonic blood glint shining from the depths of his eyes!
The little fox squatted beside Su Zimo’s legs and looked up at him worriedly.
Although she could not speak, she could feel the pain and relentlessness in Su Zimo’s heart at the moment.
There was nothing more despairing than the loss of hope.
Suddenly, a chant sounded from outside the door.
“Thus I have heard, to cultivate one’s body with compassion and imbue kindness into Buddha’s wisdom to gain enlightenment. Arriving here, known as the infinite immeasurable world, empowering billions of living beings...”
The voice was pure and flawless, reverberating endlessly and cleansing one’s mind.
Someone was chanting a sutra outside.
Chapter 581: 10,000 Year Old Buddhist Temple
“Hmm?”
The voice interrupted Su Zimo’s thoughts.
Someone was truly alive at the depths of the Dragon Burial Valley!
Su Zimo pushed the door open and walked out to see a young monk assuming a lotus position on a praying mat. The young monk’s palms were placed together before his chest as he chanted softly.
Su Zimo was momentarily stunned.
He thought that anyone who lived at the bottom of the Dragon Burial Valley would definitely be an incredible person. However, he had not expected it to be such a young monk.
The young monk before him should only be at Golden Core realm at most.
Although Su Zimo’s cultivation was gone, his eyes were still sharp.
Sensing something, the little monk stopped chanting and turned around.
His eyes were clear as water, as though they contained pure sincerity!
The little monk smiled gently and stood up, greeting with clasped palms, “Patron, you’re awake.”
Su Zimo walked forward and bowed. “I am Su Zimo. Thank you for your lifesaving grace, fellow Daoist.”
“You don’t have to do that, patron,”
The little monk smiled. “I’ve only brought you here because my master sensed you.”
“Master?”
Su Zimo’s tone was ladled with surprise.
It seemed like this little monk was not the only one at the bottom of Dragon Burial Valley!
Nodding, the little monk looked towards a gigantic hall not far away. “However, my master is currently in seclusion and will not see anyone for the time being.”
The doors were shut on a majestic hall not far away.
Su Zimo nodded and asked, “How long was I unconscious for?”
“A month or so.”
Su Zimo pursed his lips in silence, feeling a hint of bitterness in his mouth.
Because his cultivation was destroyed, his body’s healing capabilities had also decreased massively – he had not recovered entirely even after a month!
After a short moment, Su Zimo asked again, “May I ask when your master will come forth from his seclusion?”
“I don’t know,”
The little monk shook his head. “It can be tomorrow, it can be a year later, or even a hundred years later.”
“A hundred years...”
Su Zimo chuckled bitterly.
Sensing Su Zimo’s disappointment, the little monk consoled him sincerely, “Patron, there’s no need to hurry. Time is fleeting and hundred years will pass by in the blink of an eye, like a divine steed crossing terrains.”
The little monk looked like he was younger than twenty.
Those words truly did not sound like they should be said by him and seemed odd.
The little monk continued, “Patron, if you find yourself getting bored, you can casually look through the sutras in the Sutra Chamber. Those Buddhist sutras contain a lot of knowledge and the secrets of the universe. Even a wise old person might not be able to comprehend the wisdom within fully.”
“Those sutras contain endless joy and time will pass by unknowingly once you’re immersed in them. A hundred years will pass by quickly.”
It was easy for the little monk to say that but Su Zimo truly could not gather his interest.
Embarrassed to decline the goodwill of the little monk, Su Zimo nodded with a smile and started surveying his surroundings.
The courtyard did not have many structures, only two.
One of them was the Sutra Chamber and the other was the majestic hall – there wasn’t even a meditation room.
This was an extremely simple and old temple.
Ancient and aged!
The only two structures looked like they were from a long time ago and had endured through the seasonal changes and the sands of time.
Two vegetable gardens were planted before the big hall, giving them some green food.
The main entrance of the old temple was extremely battered and creaked with the gust of the wind, as though it could fall over at any moment.
“Why is there such a strange old temple at the bottom of the Dragon Burial Valley?”
Su Zimo had a lost expression.
For a moment, a thought seemed to have flashed through his mind.
However, Su Zimo’s mind was way too chaotic at that time and most of his attention was spent thinking of how to recover his cultivation. As such, he did not think much about that thought.
After a moment of standing still, Su Zimo turned around towards the entrance of the old temple.
There was truly nothing to be seen around the old temple.
Su Zimo wanted to head outside and check out what was at the bottom of the Dragon Burial Valley!
The little monk had a worried expression and could not help but remark, “Patron, you have yet to recover from your serious injuries. Don’t head too far out, it’s dangerous out there.”
“Thank you for your kind reminder, fellow Daoist. I’ll be careful.”
Su Zimo expressed his thanks with cupped fists before turning to head out.
The moment he stepped out of the old temple, he felt a chilling gust of wind breeze by and could not help but shudder.
Before him was a meandering valley with countless crushed rocks on the ground. The cliffs on both sides were filled with strange rocks.
It was dead silent throughout the entire valley!
Su Zimo frowned slightly and hesitated for a moment before continuing ahead.
Although the little fox had a frightened expression, she still chose to tag along behind Su Zimo.
Su Zimo reared his head and looked up.
A fog surged above the valley.
10,000 years ago, when countless experts fought against one another, the remnant of their energies formed a region of chaos and interweaved above.
Any living being that was drawn into it would be shredded into a mist of blood!
Now that Su Zimo’s cultivation was crippled and he had lost every single method of ascending into the skies, it was easy for him to jump down from above, but impossible for him to return up.
Su Zimo realized that if he could not recover his cultivation, he would most likely grow old and exhaust his remaining lifespan at the bottom of this valley.
Yet, how could he recover his cultivation?
His Golden Core was already shattered into pieces and had dispersed entirely.
His dantian was now a leaking existence that could not be used to gather spirit qi.
There was no way for him to recover his Golden Core.
The only thing that he could recover was his Inner Core.
Although his Inner Core was lined with tears, it was still intact at the very least.
However, how could he recover it?
Su Zimo had not cultivated to the realm of being able to absorb the essence of the world. If he wanted to continue with his demonic cultivation, he would have to use up a large amount of lifeforce!
It could come from fresh meat, or rare treasures, or elixirs...
However, apart from him, the little fox, the little monk and his master and two ordinary vegetable patches, there was nothing else at the bottom of the Dragon Burial Valley!
Without replenishment, it would be difficult to circulate the Mystic Classic of the Twelve Demon Kings of the Great Wilderness, let alone recover his Inner Core.
Although Su Zimo sank into his thoughts, his footsteps did not stop as he continued walking forward instinctively.
After they passed a bend, the little fox suddenly stopped in her tracks and bit Su Zimo’s trunks, holding him back fervently.
Alarmed, Su Zimo snapped out of his thoughts.
Corpses were sprawled on the ground one after another before him.
Some of them laid horizontally, some of them sat on the ground while others were torn and distorted – they came in various shapes and positions.
The corpses strewn on the ground extended all the way to the edge of the valley with no end in sight.
Su Zimo realized that these corpses should have been buried here in the valley during that catastrophe 10,000 years ago.
Although 10,000 years had passed, those corpses were pristine and did not show any signs of decay!
In fact, Su Zimo caught sight of a perfect body among the corpses!
How frightening was that expert when he was alive?
These were people whose bodies have not decayed after 10,000 years!
Suddenly, Su Zimo sensed a scarlet glint shining from the corner of his eye and turned over to look instinctively.
“Hmm?”
His pupils constricted rapidly and his hairs stood on end!
A few drops of fresh blood were splattered on the walls around him.
Su Zimo merely took a single glance and felt a piercing pain surge through his eyes – his eyeballs felt like they were about to explode!
Which expert did that blood belong to for it to be this terrifying!
Even after 10,000 years, the splattered blood almost killed Su Zimo!
Right then, he felt an immense sense of danger jolt into his mind.
Chapter 582: Haunt
A sinister wind gusted without any warning!
Ten feet away, phantoms appeared one after another, producing menacing faces that faded away as rapidly as they appeared!
Su Zimo felt his heart skip a beat as he suddenly recalled something.
The otherworldly soldiers formed in the Great Qian Ruins were merely troops of the Imperial Army buried in the past.
Yet, what sort of people were buried in the Dragon Burial Valley?
These were people whose bodies have not decayed after 10,000 years!
These were people whose splattered blood on the walls possessed immense mights!
Those otherworldly soldiers formed by the Imperial Army were enough to fight against Golden Cores.
If so, how terrifying would the haunting vengeful spirits of the fallen experts here be?
“Hurry, let’s go!”
Su Zimo shouted softly and hugged the little fox, turning back the way he came from.
Thankfully, they were not far from the old temple. He could return to it within tens of breaths with a full burst of his body.
There was a bend up ahead.
Although Su Zimo had been distracted along the way, he could vaguely recall that this was the only bend he had turned.
In other words, he would be able to see the old temple once he turned around this bend.
However, after heading over, Su Zimo stopped in his tracks instinctively.
There wasn’t any old temple before him!
Instead, there were corpses that were mounted like a mountain!
Not far away, a gooey river of blood flowed, blocking the path forward with a nauseating stench of blood.
Frightening faces floated on the surface of the river with sinister smiles.
Su Zimo narrowed his eyes and focused his gaze.
The sight before him did not vanish still!
On the contrary, those corpses came alive one after another.
They struggled and stood up with rotting flesh hanging from their bodies. Slowly, swaying, they staggered towards Su Zimo with a disgusting stench!
Pairs of arms protruded one after another from the river of blood up ahead as well!
Many people drenched in blood crawled up the shores and grinned brightly with bloodshot eyes!
Su Zimo felt chills run down his spine and cold sweat poured down his forehead.
The little fox was even more rattled and burrowed herself into Su Zimo’s embrace, chattering. She covered her eyes with her tiny paws and did not dare to stick her head out.
There were only two possibilities to what was before them.
First, it meant that the Sutra Chamber and little monk that he had seen earlier were all illusions and that there wasn’t any old temple at the bottom of the Dragon Burial Valley at all!
Second, he had not left where he was initially.
By right, he would have seen the unknown old temple once he turned around the bend.
But now, Su Zimo had been sprinting the entire way and hadn’t rested at all. He clearly felt that he had turned the bend and yet, instead of any trace of the old temple, he was met with this mountain of corpses and river of blood that had a torrential malevolent aura!
Both possibilities did not seem optimistic for him.
The first possibility meant that there was an extremely terrifying existence here that could bewitch his five senses and conjure illusions before him!
The Sutra Chamber, the old temple and the little monk were all fake!
The Dragon Burial Valley was formed 10,000 years ago, how could there be an old temple at the bottom of it?
The only thing that Su Zimo believed in were the eyes of the little monk that were clear as water.
Those eyes could not be fake at all!
The second possibility was that Su Zimo encountered what was known in the mortal realm as a ghost wall.
He felt that he had been sprinting forward endlessly without any rest at all.
In reality, he had not left the place at all.
There were malevolent ghosts that blinded his five senses with the use of supreme Dharmic powers, causing him to run in circles after losing his sense of direction.
All of a sudden!
Su Zimo felt that something breathed down the back of his neck!
Psst!
Instantly, his hair stood on end!
Without even thinking, his eyes shone fiercely as he slapped in reverse!
Piak!
His fist flew through the air with a crisp sound.
There was nobody behind him.
Su Zimo took a deep breath of air. Just as he was about to turn around, he discovered that there was a woman with disheveled hair standing not far away, wearing a white blouse with bloodstains on it.
The woman’s back was facing him and her face could not be seen as she stood there motionlessly.
Any existence at the bottom of the Dragon Burial Valley was definitely way more terrifying than those in the Great Qian Ruins!
The otherworldly soldiers in the ruins were incorporeal.
Su Zimo did not know how frightening this woman was in her past life or how much vengeance she held, but her malevolent qi had materialized into actual flesh!
Even if Su Zimo was at his peak condition, it would be hard for him to escape death if he encountered these existences, let alone the fact that his cultivation was crippled now!
He did not dare to act recklessly and glared at the white-bloused woman with a tense expression.
All of a sudden!
The white-bloused woman moved.
Everything beneath her head did not move at all.
However, her head twisted to the back sinisterly and faced Su Zimo directly!
Her mouth, nose and ears were filled with blood and she had no eyeballs, merely a pair of bloody, empty sockets.
The woman smiled creepily and her grisly red long tongue extended like a serpent!
The little fox had just poked its head out to look through the gaps in her paws when she caught sight of that.
“Ah!”
She exclaimed and fainted from the shock.
It wasn’t surprising – even Su Zimo who had tons of experience of the world felt chills run down his spine and his limbs turn wobbly!
The white-bloused woman moved and with a sinister gust of wind, lunged forward.
Su Zimo extended his right hand hurriedly to defend.
There was no way he could threaten the white-bloused woman with his power.
The divine phoenix bone might be the only thing that could work!
Swoosh!
Suddenly, the white-bloused woman stopped in her tracks and looked down somewhat warily at Su Zimo’s right hand with her empty, bloody sockets.
“Tsk, tsk, tsk!”
She snickered sinisterly and in a flash, vanished right before Su Zimo’s eyes!
Su Zimo was alarmed and checked his surroundings hurriedly.
There were no traces of the white-bloused woman around him at all, as though everything that happened earlier on was his hallucination!
Su Zimo knew that the difference between them was way too great!
Although that white-bloused woman was created from malevolent qi, her strength was most likely not weaker than Void Reversions with boundless Dharmic powers.
In fact, she might even be comparable to Dharma Characteristics!
Up ahead, the bloody corpses with rotten flesh crawled out from the blood river one after another and closed in rapidly.
A bloodied figure suddenly lunged over with a menacing face, opening its mouth to try and bite Su Zimo’s neck!
Su Zimo twisted his right hand and used it like a dagger, thrusting it into the bloodied figure!
Shing!
A blaze surged!
Without making a single sound, the bloodied figure was engulfed in a set of bright flames!
The other corpses and bloodied figures hurriedly stopped in their tracks.
They were malevolent entities and the things they feared most were lightning and flames.
Naturally, they could sense the terrifying power that was hidden in the divine phoenix bone!
Even so, the corpses and bloodied figures refused to leave, merely standing not far away to watch Su Zimo with stoned gazes and stick saliva dripping slowly from their mouths.
At that moment, a white figure appeared silently behind Su Zimo and gradually materialized.
It was the white-bloused woman who had gone missing earlier on!
The white-bloused woman licked her lips and a scarlet glint appeared in her hollow sockets. She extended her skeleton palm that shone coldly on its fingertips slowly towards the top of Su Zimo’s head...
Chapter 583: Sutra
All of a sudden!
The sound of Sanskrit reverberated through the valley, possessing a mysterious noble might that was shuddering!
“Om... Ma... Ni... Pa... Mi... Hom!”
Every single Sanskrit word that was spoken caused a tremendous vibration to reverberate through the voids.
The corpses and bloodied figures that were initially in front of Su Zimo vanished entirely.
There was no mountain or corpses nor was there any river of blood.
Everything was just an illusion!
The only thing that was real was the creepy white skeleton palm hovering above Su Zimo’s head!
Not far away, a little monk strode over slowly. Although he was at a young age, he was dignified in his Dharmic ways as he stared behind Su Zimo with two divine lights beaming from his eyes!
He held a string of Buddha Beads in his right hand and chanted Sanskrit endlessly.
There was a lotus seat on his left palm that emanated with a mysterious glow.
As the little monk walked over, the illusions that were initially in Su Zimo’s line of dispersed and the meandering ravine reappeared.
He was standing at the bend in the valley and the battered old temple was not far away!
When the white-bloused woman caught sight of the little monk, her expression suddenly turned uneasy.
The bloody sockets on her face stared at the lotus seat on the little monk’s hand hesitantly, seemingly cautious.
“Evil being, what are you waiting for? Leave!”
The little monk hollered lightly with a stern expression.
He raised his left hand and pushed the lotus seat gently in the direction of the white-bloused woman.
The lotus seat floated over through the air.
One after another, pure white lotus petals opened up from inside out, layer by layer.
As the lotus blossomed, the lotus seat let out an extremely terrifying aura!
“Ah!”
The white-bloused woman shrieked and turned into smoke, escaping far away and vanishing in the blink of an eye.
The little monk hurried forward and put away the lotus seat before tugging Su Zimo’s sleeves, whispering, “Patron, hurry, let’s go!”
As he said that, the little monk turned and sprinted back towards the old temple.
Su Zimo’s heart skipped a beat and followed him.
Thankfully, they were not too far away from the old temple and the both of them returned to it within tens of breaths.
The little monk only heaved a sigh of relief after turning around to close the main doors.
“Thank you for your lifesaving grace, fellow Daoist,” Su Zimo bowed and expressed his thanks.
The little monk waved it off, smiling. “No matter, patron. It’s only right of me.”
“What is your name, fellow Daoist?” Su Zimo asked.
The little monk replied, “I’m Ming Zhen.”
“Ming Zhen, Ming Zhen...”
Su Zimo muttered twice softly.
Purity, honesty and sincerity.
Those were the impressions that the little monk gave Su Zimo.
Everything was truly embodied by the ‘Zhen[1]’ character in his name.
“The evil entities outside are extremely vicious and possess supreme Dharmic powers. I’m not their match either,”
Ming Zhen explained, “The malevolent ghost earlier only turned to flee because she was wary about this lotus seat, thinking that my master had appeared. If we had waited for her to realize what was happening, we would have been doomed.”
Feeling somewhat guilty, Su Zimo said, “I was careless just now and nearly implicated you.”
Eight years worth of cultivation was destroyed overnight and he had turned into a mortal from the number one monster incarnate of history. Anyone else would also have a hard time accepting such a defeat and downfall.
Earlier on, when he left the old temple, part of it was out of curiosity to check out what was outside.
Another part of it was truly because he was brooding internally.
He had truly suffered immensely mentally!
Ming Zhen seemed to be able to sense the troubles Su Zimo was facing. “Actually, there won’t be any danger as long as you don’t head out of this place. Although this courtyard is not large, you can move around freely within it, patron. The sutras in the Sutra Chamber are also free for you to read.”
“At that time, we might be able to share our understanding and explore the depths of Buddhism together.”
Pausing for a moment, as though he recalled something, Ming Zhen reminded hurriedly, “Right, also, don’t ever head to the backyard of the grand hall!”
After saying that, Ming Zhen shirked his neck with a frightened expression, as though he had just thought of something terrifying.
Su Zimo was greatly curious.
Against that menacing malevolent ghost with torrential Dharmic powers earlier on, Ming Zhen was stern without any fear.
Yet, why was he revealing such an expression at the mention of the backyard?
Just what was in the backyard that caused Ming Zhen such cautiousness?
Furthermore, Su Zimo noticed something.
Earlier on when he wanted to head out, Ming Zhen merely reminded him that it was dangerous outside and he should not head far away.
But now, Ming Zhen was warning Su Zimo with extreme conviction not to head to the backyard of the grand hall!
Su Zimo nodded.
He truly did not wish to give Ming Zhen any troubles.
After Ming Zhen gave the reminder, he returned to his praying mat and took out the thick ancient book from before, flipping it open carefully to continue reading.
The little fox gradually stirred awake during this period of time.
However, due to the shock that she received, she insisted on staying in Su Zimo’s embrace and refused to go anywhere.
After taking a look, Ming Zhen seemed to recall something and handed Su Zimo the ancient book in his hands with sincerity. “Patron, if you don’t know what sutra to start with, how about this? You will definitely benefit immensely.”
“This sutra possesses the secrets of the universe and you will gain a different realization with every new reading of it. It’s truly amazing.”
Su Zimo laughed bitterly internally.
Right now, he did not have any mood at all.
Even if his cultivation was still present, he wouldn’t be able to endure sitting through to comprehend these difficult sutras.
Su Zimo declined. “My injuries have not healed yet so I can’t exhaust myself mentally. You can read them first.”
Ming Zhen did not believe it entirely and asked somewhat confusedly, “Reading sutras, prostrating yourself to Buddha and comprehending the Dao is the most enjoyable thing in the world. How would it be exhausting mentally?”
Shaking his head, Ming Zhen did not seem to understand Su Zimo’s words.
When he saw Ming Zhen’s passion, Su Zimo felt embarrassed and asked, “What’s the name of that ancient book? I’ll go take a look at it after you’re done reading it.”
Of course, he had only mentioned that casually and wasn’t truly curious about it.
“Mystic Dharmic Lotus Sutra”
“Oh,”
Su Zimo replied distractedly. The moment he turned around, his expression changed!
“Mystic Dharmic Lotus Sutra?”
He looked at Ming Zhen with disbelief and asked again.
“That’s right.”
Ming Zhen nodded in a natural manner.
Su Zimo’s mouth dropped agape and he froze for a moment before revealing a bitter smile.
The Mystic Dharmic Lotus Sutra was known as the number one secret skill for the Golden Core.
In that alarming catastrophe 10,000 years ago, Fahua Monastery was destroyed and the Mystic Dharmic Lotus Sutra was lost at that time.
After all this time, nobody discovered any trace of the Mystic Dharmic Lotus Sutra.
Therefore, a saying began to spread through the cultivation world.
Everyone claimed that the Mystic Dharmic Lotus Sutra was buried within the Great Qian Ruins.
Su Zimo’s trip towards the Great Qian Ruins this time round was not entirely due to the Vermilion Fruit. A great part of the reason was because he wanted to find the Mystic Dharmic Lotus Sutra!
Unfortunately, fate loved to tease.
Now that he was truly able to see the Mystic Dharmic Lotus Sutra, he was already unable to cultivate.
The legends were right – the Mystic Dharmic Lotus Sutra was truly buried within the Great Qian Ruins.
However, who would have thought that this was buried at the bottom of the Dragon Burial Valley!
Su Zimo finally realized why there was such an old, ancient and battered temple at the bottom of the Dragon Burial Valley.
There was a high probability that this temple was built by a surviving monk of either Fahua or Daming Monastery in the past!
However, what was the purpose of building a temple as such at the bottom of the valley?
[1] As a single character, it means real. The meanings above have Zhen in their words
Chapter 584: To Become The Greatest
The Mystic Dharmic Lotus Sutra, something that could create endless waves of bloodshed in the cultivation world, was now in the hands of an unknown little monk.
There was no fighting or bloodshed here.
In fact, the little monk even chose to share it from his own accord.
This was honestly quite an irony.
What was even more ironic was that now that Su Zimo had finally caught sight of the Mystic Dharmic Lotus Sutra, he had already lost his ability to cultivate.
Although the Mystic Dharmic Lotus Sutra was a supreme secret classic of the Buddhist sects, it could not help someone with a shattered dantian and lost cultivation recultivate again.
Dao Being Xuan Yu was way too ruthless!
He had severed all of Su Zimo’s hopes with a single punch and kick!
Gripping his fists tightly, Su Zimo reared his head slightly with an unyielding look in his eyes.
Nobody can make me stop in my tracks!
Nobody can stop my path forward!
Even with such a blow, Su Zimo had no intention of giving up.
He was not going to bow down to fate!
Someone had once altered his fate for him painstakingly.
If he admitted defeat at this moment, it would be equivalent to letting that person down!
Su Zimo assumed a lotus position and started feeling for spirit qi around him, gathering them bit by bit towards his dantian.
After entering his body and dantian, spirit qi dispersed immediately without lingering.
Right now, his dantian was like a bottomless black hole, devouring everything.
Su Zimo did not give up at all.
He continued gathering and condensing qi while watching it dissipate right before his very eyes.
The cycle continued.
A month passed.
Two months passed.
In the blink of an eye, six months passed.
Su Zimo’s injuries had long healed completely. However, his body’s condition had not taken a turn for the better.
Isolated from the outside world, there was no flesh with lifeforce or universal treasures here.
If they were hungry, these two men and one fox would get some vegetables and fruits from the plantation.
If they were thirsty, they would drink water from deep underground with a well.
For cultivators, this was nothing much.
Cultivators cultivated by absorbing spirit qi around them to raise their cultivation realms.
However, demonic cultivation required a large amount of lifeforce!
For the past year, Su Zimo’s Mystic Classic of the Twelve Demon Kings of the Great Wilderness seemed to have stagnated and his Inner Core was still webbed with tears without any signs of recovering.
In terms of immortality cultivation, the qi that he had condensed for the past half a year had not triggered any reaction from his dantian.
His dantian was still empty and hollow.
Of course, Su Zimo’s half a year had not gone to waste entirely either.
There were many secret classics of the Buddhist sects littered across the Sutra Chamber.
To his surprise, he realized that he could actually understand these initially dry and incomprehensible sutras!
It was as though he had been enlightened.
Time was fleeting and in the blink of an eye, another six months passed.
Su Zimo had already been at the bottom of the Dragon Burial Valley for almost a year now.
His Inner Core had not shown any signs of recovery in this one year.
The dantian in his abdomen was also like a swamp of still water, dead without any fluctuations to it.
Su Zimo’s gaze was no longer as resolute and unshakable as before.
Was he going to continue to cultivate like this foolishly?
When would a miracle finally happen?
After mulling in the courtyard, Su Zimo made a decision and opened up his storage, retrieving the 10,000 Year Vermilion Fruit from it.
The Vermilion Fruit was bright red and shiny, emitting a burning energy.
The 10,000 Year Vermilion Fruit had absorbed way too much blood from too many people!
It wasn’t just the younger generation of the North Region – there were even hundreds of Nascent Souls that died!
Taking a deep breath of air, Su Zimo devoured the Vermilion Fruit in a single mouthful and assumed a lotus position, experiencing the changes in his body.
The Vermilion Fruit contained a tremendous amount of lifeforce.
The lifeforce turned into a violent cyclone that rippled through his entire body, cruising through his bloodline, flesh, bones, tendons and organs!
Su Zimo composed himself, directing the rampant cyclone towards his dantian.
Normally speaking, the power of a Vermilion Fruit was enough to help a Golden Core advance a single minor realm!
In other words, if it was a late-stage Golden Core that devoured the Vermilion Fruit, he would be able to get to perfected Golden Core realm right away and would only be a half-step away from the Nascent Soul realm!
Su Zimo did not dream that he would be able to recover his cultivation.
He merely hoped that he could retain some spirit qi in his dantian, even if he had to return back to Level 1 Qi Condensation.
Unfortunately, after that rampant cyclone of energy entered his dantian, it did not create much impact and was wiped away cleanly by the black hole dantian without any trace at all!
Su Zimo opened his eyes, looking a little lost and desolate.
For the past year, he had experienced countless defeats but the thought of giving up had never crossed his mind.
And yet, right now, his determination sank and his conviction wavered.
Sensing Su Zimo’s disappointment, the little fox had a worried expression and rubbed her cheeks against Su Zimo’s arm to console him.
“Little thing, I’m sorry. I’ve implicated you,”
Su Zimo stroked the little fox’s spine and smiled in irony. “Initially, I wanted to take you away and leave that desolate underground cave. To think that we would end up in another cave of sorts.”
“Heeya! Heeya!”
Although the little fox could not speak in human tongue, she waved her pair of paws and breathed in before gesturing above her head.
Su Zimo understood.
The little fox was saying that it was great here – the skies were vast and she could breathe fresh air daily.
Thereafter, the little fox pointed to herself before pointing to Su Zimo. Her watery huge eyes blinked and she flushed in an extremely charming manner.
Su Zimo’s head was lowered and he did not catch sight of it, merely smiling in a dazed manner.
He had suddenly realized that there was a high chance he would be trapped at the bottom of the Dragon Burial Valley for his entire life, aging and waiting for his lifespan to wear out.
There was no need to think about revenge.
Less than that, there was no need to think about pursuing Die Yue.
At that moment, the Sanskrit reverberated through the old temple.
“Everything is Dharmic and illusory; like lightning, life is merely fleeting.”
The Sanskrit sounded like heavenly flutes, reaching the depths of one’s soul. Compared to the little monk’s Sanskrit, it was even more moving and possessed a Dharmic power of tranquility!
Instantly, Su Zimo’s worries lessened considerably.
He turned towards the voice.
Within the old temple, the wooden doors of the grand hall creaked open.
The light inside was dim and a vague figure of a monk could be seen from the haziness. His beard was white and he was extremely skinny, sitting on the floor.
The little monk’s master had finally exited his seclusion!
Taking a deep breath of air, Su Zimo bowed deeply and said in a deep voice, “Greetings, reverend.”
“Patron, you are troubled in your mind?” The old monk had a warm and compassionate voice.
Pursing his lips, Su Zimo asked, “Reverend, may I ask if there’s any hope of recovery with my destroyed dantian and ruined Golden Core?”
“I don’t know.”
There was a long silence in the grand hall before those three words were uttered.
The old monk’s voice continued, “Throughout history, there had never been anyone who could continue cultivating with a destroyed dantian.”
When he heard that, Su Zimo smiled bitterly.
Was he still going to lose to fate at the end of the day?
Suddenly, the old monk steered the conversation in another direction. “However, nothing is absolute. You might be able to tide through this tribulation, patron.”
“Hmm?”
Su Zimo’s expression changed – the old monk seemed to be implying something.
The old monk said, “If you enter the grand hall, you might be able to find some answers, patron.”
Su Zimo raised his brow. Although he was puzzled, he still stepped foot into the grand hall.
Candles lit up one after another on both sides of the grand hall.
Su Zimo peered over the old monk and his gaze landed on the walls on the opposite end of the grand hall.
Shuddering, his eyes lit up with a sparkle that was brighter than stars!
There was a saying on the wall.
“To become one of the greatest, you have to work on the foundation and be willing to take hardship and serve others!”
Chapter 585: Second Utmost Treasure
The sentence was etched clearly into the walls, curved with a majestic aura!
One could instantly feel the arrival of an impressive and superior aura just by glancing at those words, sending shivers down their spines!
Su Zimo smiled.
Instantly, it seemed as though a peerlessly beautiful woman with an indifferent expression had appeared before him. Dressed in a blood-red long dress, she stood there looking at him silently.
The sight of those words was akin to look at her.
There was only a single person who could have written those bold words!
Su Zimo remembered every single word that Die Yue said to him eight years ago before she left.
“If you want to continue with immortal and demon cultivation, you will experience a lot of unimaginable sufferings. But you must bear in mind that these sufferings will only make you stronger.”
“There is a saying in the Avatamsaka sutra of the Huayan school that I would like to give you as parting words, ‘to become one of the greatest, you have to work on the foundation and be willing to take hardship and serve others!”
Right now, that statement was etched right before Su Zimo’s eyes!
The moment he saw those words, he felt an irresistible sense of nostalgia surging within him.
Unknowingly, eight years had already passed.
Back in Ping Yang Town, Die Yue subjected him to endless training and there were even times when his life was hanging on a thread.
However, Die Yue had never let him go through any grievances!
When he was nearly killed by those Purple-winged Eagles in the Cang Lang Mountain Range, Die Yue killed every single last one of them!
When Joyful Sect cultivators hunted him relentlessly with their advantage in numbers and cultivation realm, Die Yue annihilated Joyful Sect!
Given Die Yue’s character, if she knew that Glass Palace sent a Void Reversion to kill Su Zimo, it would be normal for her to hunt down Glass Palace singlehandedly!
The little fox tilted her head at the sight with a lost expression.
For the past year, this was the first time that she had seen such a smile on Su Zimo’s face.
He was as joyful as a child.
The old monk’s expression did not change, but there was a sliver of light in those hazy eyes of his.
Before Su Zimo entered the grand hall, he was initially despondent without any hope for the future.
However, the moment he caught sight of those words, his listlessness vanished and he was reinvigorated with a charged aura!
It was as though he wanted to trample the entire world beneath his feet!
The old monk was secretly impressed.
Normally speaking, if it was any other cultivator, they wouldn’t be able to endure the blow of having their cultivation realm completely destroyed and the great fall from grace.
Furthermore, the future was bleak without any hope in sight.
Initially, cracks had already appeared on Su Zimo’s Dao Heart with signs of deterioration.
To think that those words would be able to secure his conviction once more!
The old monk had lived for a long time and could naturally tell that given this turmoil, there would be nothing that could shake Su Zimo’s Dao Heart in the future!
Cling! Clang!
Suddenly, the dull sound of chains rattling could be heard in the backyard of the grand hall!
The ground shook, as though a malevolent ghost was trying to break free; even the grand hall was starting to shroud with a faint malevolent qi!
Ming Zhen was standing outside the grand hall. When he heard the chains rattling, he could not help but shudder and glance at the backyard with a sense of trepidation.
The little fox winced and sniffed with an uneasy expression.
She caught a whiff of an extremely terrifying aura in the air!
It was as though the owner of the aura could rip her into pieces at any moment!
It was a deep, indescribable fear that came from the depths of her soul and bloodline.
The old monk was the only one who was expressionless, as though he hadn’t heard the chains at all.
After the chains rattled for a while, it went silent once more.
Gradually, Su Zimo stirred awake from his memories as well.
It was less than eight minutes since he stepped foot into the grand hall.
However, his heart experienced a rebirth and he had transformed right from the core!
Although there was no effect on his cultivation, Su Zimo believed that nothing and nobody in this world could block his path forward!
Dao Being Xuan Yu crushed his cores.
He would then create a new path for himself!
After gazing at the words on the wall for a long time, Su Zimo said softly, “She was here.”
“Yes.”
The old monk nodded.
Even though he did not clarify who she was, Su Zimo believed that the old monk definitely knew.
That was because anyone who had seen her — even once — would never forget her ever again!
The old monk looked a little conflicted as he sighed. “Around eight years ago, this female patron came over and retrieved something.”
“Before she left, she left that saying from the old Huayan Sutra of the Buddhist sects.”
“I did not understand what she was doing and could not help but asked. She merely replied asking me to wait for a fated person to appear before flying away without appearing ever again.”
Su Zimo smiled.
He could already imagine the cold and aloof expression of Die Yue with just a simple description from the old monk.
That was indeed Die Yue.
She did not care for further explanations at all.
The old monk continued, “For the past eight years, I did not know who the fated person would be. It was until the moment when I saw you that I understood.”
“Me?”
Su Zimo was momentarily stunned.
Naturally, he knew that the sentence was left for him by Die Yue.
However, how did the old monk tell that he was related to Die Yue prior to this?
As though he could sense Su Zimo’s doubts, the old monk smiled gently and explained, “That’s because, you hold within your body what the female patron took away from this place.”
“Therefore, you are the fated person, patron.”
It was only at that moment that Su Zimo realized he had neglected something.
The old monk said that Die Yue had taken away something from this place.
What was it that could have made Die Yue make the long trip over to the Dragon Burial Valley personally just to put it within his body?
A thought flashed through Su Zimo’s mind.
Back in the ancient battlefield, when the mysterious old man in the Human Emperor’s Palace mentioned about the spirit root, he mentioned that there were only a few utmost treasures in Tianhuang Mainland and Su Zimo had two of them in his body!
One of them was confirmed to be the divine phoenix bone.
Could the other utmost treasure be what Die Yue took away from this place?
If that was truly the case, the old monk’s remark might have been euphemistic.
Rather than take away that utmost treasure, Die Yue must have snatched it away by force!
“That female patron’s methods are... divinely. I do admit that I can’t be compared to her.”
The old monk’s statement reaffirmed Su Zimo’s guess.
He could almost imagine the way Die Yue arrived in the Dragon Burial Valley eight years ago to take away the utmost treasure without a single word after overwhelming the old monk. Thereafter, she even left that statement on the wall before turning to leave...
That was indeed Die Yue’s style.
Overwhelming and domineering without the need to explain anything!
Somewhat guiltily, Su Zimo glanced at the old monk.
In the past, Die Yue suppressed him and snatched away the utmost treasure. Now that Su Zimo was in this state, notwithstanding the fact of whether or not the old monk would take revenge...
At the very least, he would want to take back the utmost treasure!
“Don’t worry, patron,”
The old monk smiled gently. “Since that thing is now in your body, it means that you have an affinity with it. I’m not going to take it away.”
Su Zimo heaved out a sigh of relief.
At the same time, curiosity filled him.
This old monk... seemed to be able to read his thoughts!
Right from the beginning, he had barely spoken and yet, the old monk was able to reply to every single one of his thoughts!
Those means were truly incredible!
Chapter 586: Secret of the Spirit Root
Suddenly, Su Zimo recalled that a couple of months ago, he read an ancient book in the Sutra Chamber.
Within it was the record of a mystical ability known as Heart Peering!
It was said that anyone who manages to cultivate Heart Peering would be able to sense the thoughts of people nearby without the need for communication or interaction – it was extremely mysterious.
At its peak, a single thought would be enough to read the minds of all beings in the universe and it was extremely frightening!
The old monk’s cultivation was unfathomable and Su Zimo guessed that he was at least a Dharma Characteristic Dao Lord.
Perhaps... he was even more frightening than that!
After pondering for a moment, Su Zimo asked, “Reverend, what is the utmost treasure? Earlier on, you said that it is in my body. Yet, why can’t I sense it?”
The old monk’s gaze was wise as he said slowly, “In Buddhism, there are three great sacred trees, the Bodhi, Ashoka and Sal tree. These three sacred trees are not found in this current world. Rather, they grow in the Pure Land.”
“Pure Land?”
Su Zimo was confused.
The old monk did not explain and merely smiled before continuing.
“The Ashoka tree bears the Saraca Flower. In the ancient era, a Saraca Flower fell onto Tianhuang Mainland and was obtained by the Founder Master of Fahua Monastery, taken in as a sacred object of the Buddhist sects. It was passed down from that time all the way till the female patron took it away.”
The old monk indirectly revealed another piece of information through his words – this old temple was related to Fahua Monastery from 10,000 years ago!”
“Saraca Flower?”
Su Zimo recalled deeply but could not find any connection to a flower related object given to him by Die Yue.
The old monk said, “Patron, you are someone without a spirit root.”
“Yes.”
Su Zimo nodded frankly.
It was true that he was born without a spirit root and had only stepped foot onto the path of cultivation after meeting Die Yue.
Before she left, while he was unconscious, she even helped him plant a spirit root that was not weaker than a heaven spirit root!
As though he could read Su Zimo’s mind, the old monk shook his head. “The spirit root is an illusory object that someone is born with. If you have it, you have it. If you don’t, you don’t. There’s no saying of a planted spirit root.”
Su Zimo furrowed his brows slightly.
He did not understand what the old monk meant by that.
Since it wasn’t possible for one to plant spirit roots, what about his spirit root?
How did he manage to go through with immortality cultivation without a spirit root?
Suddenly...
A few scenes flashed through Su Zimo’s mind vaguely.
It was true that his ‘spirit root’ was unlike those around him!
It was most obvious from his cultivation speed!
His Qi Condensation speed had even surpassed cultivators with heaven spirit roots!
Furthermore, the quality of his spirit qi was extremely pure and was even stronger than cultivators of the same level with heaven spirit roots!
There was another beguiling thing.
Back when he joined Ethereal Peak and passed through the spirit testing gate, he clearly felt a strong resistance from the gate!
The spirit testing gate would only block cultivators without spirit roots or with pseudo or ordinary spirit roots.
At that time, Su Zimo was indignant and pushed through the barrier of the stone gate with brute force.
Thereafter, the spirit testing gate was shattered!
Could it be...
A frightening thought flashed through Su Zimo’s mind.
The old monk nodded. “Patron, actually, right from the beginning, you’ve never had a spirit root!”
Su Zimo was shocked.
The old monk continued, “The female patron took away the Saraca Flower and sealed this utmost treasure of the Buddhist sects in your dantian, replacing the function of a spirit root.”
Su Zimo’s mouth opened slightly.
It felt as though there was suddenly an explanation to some of the doubts he had previously.
It was no wonder why Die Yue had a slightly odd expression when she said that she had planted a spirit root for him.
Furthermore, based on what she said at that time, it now looked like she was implying something.
Die Yue said that she implanted a spirit root that wouldn’t be inferior to a heaven spirit root for him instead of saying directly that she implanted a heaven spirit root for him.
The old monk remarked, “The reason why you’re able to sense spirit qi and gather them to cultivate isn’t because you’ve got a spirit root. It’s because there’s an utmost treasure of the Buddhist sects that comes from the Pure Land in your dantian!”
The information truly had an enormous impact on Su Zimo.
He was a little confused and asked with a frown, “Why does the spirit qi I gather carry the fire attribute?”
“That’s because the Saraca Flower is also known as the Flaming Flower. When it blooms, it resembles a flame and is extremely sensitive towards the spirit qi of fire attribute in the surroundings!”
Everything that did not make sense made sense at the moment.
With the two utmost treasures of the divine phoenix bone and the Saraca Flower, coupled with his sensitivity towards flames, it was only logical that Su Zimo would have a frightening cultivation speed.
Spirit qi would also be naturally purer after the refinement of two utmost treasures.
Although the spirit testing gate had been around for several thousand years, there was no way it could withstand the might of two utmost treasures!
The old monk smiled. “Patron, have you not discovered that in the past year, you are already able to understand some of the ancient sutras of the Buddhist sects as well as comprehend them?”
Su Zimo nodded.
He had tried his hands on Buddhist sutras before while he was studying in Ping Yang Town.
At that time, the Buddhist sutras were like scriptures of the heavens that he could not understand. In fact, he could not even take in a single word and merely felt his head spin.
In less than an hour, he had already cast all the sutras aside.
The baffling thing was that many years later, when Su Zimo picked up the Buddhist sutras once more in the Sutra Chamber at the bottom of the Dragon Burial Valley, he was now able to understand most of them!
The old monk’s voice sounded once more, “Without a root of wisdom, one will never be able to understand the secrets of the Buddhist sutras, let alone cultivate and understand the Dao. In fact, they wouldn’t even be able to continue reading. However, it’s different for you...”
Gradually, a realization entered Su Zimo’s mind.
The Saraca Flower was a sacred item of the Buddhist sects.
It existed within Su Zimo’s dantian and had not only replaced the purpose of the spirit root, but also granted him wisdom that was comparable to the root of wisdom.
That was the gift left behind for him by Die Yue!
It was far from a simple spirit root.
Finally, Su Zimo understood the earnest intentions of Die Yue.
Be it the Saraca Flower or divine phoenix bone, they were both utmost treasures of Tianhuang Mainland!
Before she left, Die Yue said that she left three gifts for him. Right now, Su Zimo already knew two of them but he did not know what the last one was.
Su Zimo asked, “Where is that flower now?”
“It’s still within your dantian. However, you have not cultivated to the realm of introspection and as such, you aren’t able to see it yet,” The old monk replied.
After pausing for a moment, he continued, “Earlier on, I said that there had never been anyone in history who could cultivate after their cultivation is crippled. That is indeed true. I don’t know how I should resolve your plight as well.”
“However, that female patron had gone through the painstaking effort of sealing the Saraca Flower in your dantian while leaving that statement here. I’m guessing... that there must be a deeper meaning to it.”
Su Zimo nodded.
Actually, when he caught sight of the statement left behind by Die Yue, Su Zimo had already decided that he was going to cultivate peacefully at the bottom of the Dragon Burial Valley from here on.
“To become one of the greatest, you have to work on the foundation and be willing to take hardship and serve others!”
That was his tribulation.
He had to endure it!
There would definitely come a day when he would become the greatest and break through the horizons to the nine heavens, reappearing in the mortal realm to shock all living beings!Chapter 587: Origin of the Buddha Bead
The old monk pointed to the side and said, “In the Sutra Chamber, there are classics left behind from Fahua and Daming Monasteries. Look at them more and you might be able to gain something from them.”
Su Zimo nodded.
Both Fahua and Daming Monastery were top factions that were comparable to the current super sects such as the nine immortal sects and seven fiend sects – it was obvious how deep their foundations ran.
Unfortunately, this derelict old temple that was isolated from the rest of the world was the only thing left of the two super sects after the catastrophe 10,000 years ago.
The entire cultivation world did not even know about the existence of this old temple at the bottom of the Dragon Burial Valley.
Although the old monk merely mentioned it casually, Su Zimo knew clearly in his heart that there were many secret skills of Fahua and Daming Monastery in these ancient books!
For example, the Mystic Dharmic Lotus Sutra was thought by the outside world to be lost.
Who would have guessed that this sutra known as the number one secret skill for Golden Cores would be found at the bottom of the Dragon Burial Valley?
Who would have thought that it would be in the hands of a young monk and it could be read at any time?
It was not hard to imagine that the impact caused by the appearance of the Mystic Dharmic Lotus Sutra would be much more terrifying than the Vermilion Fruit!
At that time, there would be a blood storm.
The paragons of the North Region wouldn’t be the only ones involved.
Even all the paragons of the entire Tianhuang Mainland would be moved and driven crazy for it!
Furthermore, the Mystic Dharmic Lotus Sutra was not the only one – there were many other sutras similar to it in the Sutra Chamber!
That seemingly battered library was in fact a gigantic treasure trove!
It was equivalent to the legacy of two super sects placed right before Su Zimo’s eyes!
The only pity was that his cultivation was crippled and he had no way of gathering qi.
If he could condense qi, there would now be the legacy of the Buddhist sects in his body as well, on top of the legacy of the immortality and fiend Daos!
As Su Zimo pondered, the old monk seemed to have thought of something and his expression turned rueful.
He sighed, saying, “After the catastrophe back then, Fahua Monastery and Daming Monastery are no longer around and have been washed away by the sands of time. Everyone from the past is already gone and now... I’m the only one left.”
The old monk’s words carried a heart-wrenching loneliness to it.
Su Zimo could not help but ask, “Senior, are you and Fellow Daoist Ming Zhen the only ones in this old temple?”
After a moment of silence, the old monk nodded. “The two of us are the only ones here.”
Cling! Clang!
The moment he said that, the sound of chains rattling sounded from the backyard once more. It was dull and forceful, as though something was struggling repeatedly!
Su Zimo’s heart skipped a beat.
The little fox was rattled and scurried along Su Zimo’s arm into his embrace to hide within.
The old monk’s expression was unchanged and there were no emotions in his weathered eyes, as though he could not hear the sound of chains in the backyard.
Su Zimo was gradually relieved when he saw how composed the old monk was.
However, he was truly curious as to what was behind the sound of chains coming from the backyard.
Why would Ming Zhen want to avoid it so fearfully?
The old monk interrupted Su Zimo’s thoughts and suddenly asked, “I can sense an aura of the Buddhist sects circling around you that isn’t from the Saraca Flower. Have you cultivated a technique of the Buddhist sects before?”
“Technique of the Buddhist sects? Could it be...”
Su Zimo froze momentarily before his eyes flashed with a glint of realization.
He gathered qi slowly and made use of the instance spirit qi entered his body to open up his storage bag, retrieving a Buddha Bead the size of a longan.
The Buddha Bead was extremely old and although it was made of wood, there were no signs of corrosion. The patterns that were etched on it were still extremely clear!
He had obtained that Buddha Bead accidentally when he was trapped with Demoness Ji in the stone coffin in the past.
Su Zimo said with a deep voice, “I’ve managed to cultivate an extremely strong spirit art known as the Fiend Suppression Seal thanks to this Buddha Bead!”
The Fiend Suppression Seal was the only thing he had cultivated that was from the Buddhist sects.
The moment he took out the Buddha Bead, Su Zimo finally understood something.
He understood why he was able to comprehend such a powerful Fiend Suppression Seal with just a single Buddha Bead.
It wasn’t because he had a frightening potential – it was because the existence of the Saraca Flower, the sacred item of the Buddhist sects, allowed him to possess a pure root of wisdom of Buddhism!
“Hais.”
The moment he caught sight of the Buddha Bead, the old monk sighed gently and he got slightly emotional.
It was clear that the old monk recognized the origin of the Buddha Bead.
He said, “Actually... the Fiend Suppression Seal is not a spirit art. It’s a Dharmic art of Daming Monastery!”
Dharmic art!
Su Zimo knew that Dharmic arts could only be released by Nascent Souls who are able to make use of Dharmic powers after cultivating their Essence Spirits.
Since the Fiend Suppression Seal was a Dharmic art, how was he able to release it as a spirit art with the use of spirit energy?
“It’s no wonder why the Saraca Flower is a sacred item of the Buddhist sects.”
That statement from the old monk enlightened Su Zimo.
The Saraca Flower should be the only reason why he possessed such a mystifying might!
Su Zimo thought about what he experienced at that time and said, “This Buddha Bead was found in a stone coffin. In it, there was a skeleton that could resurrect and was extremely frightening. I only managed to escape by luck,”
Pondering for a moment, Su Zimo continued, “That skeleton seemed to be from the fiend sects.”
“There’s no mistake,”
The old monk replied, “The owner of that Buddha Bead is Monk Daming, the titular disciple of Daming Monastery and a supreme expert that was renowned back in the days!”
“Titular disciple?”
This was the second time Su Zimo had heard of that term.
The first titular disciple he knew was the Asura, Yan Beichen.
The second was this, Monk Daming.
The old monk explained, “There would always be titular disciples in the various super sects of Tianhuang Mainland. Furthermore, there’s only one of them! All the titular disciples are the ones with the greatest potential among the paragons of the sect; the ones with the most stellar track records and the ones with the most frightening combat strength!”
“Titular disciples are not fixed by their cultivation realms but all of them possess countless trump cards and the most fundamental ability for them is to kill above their levels. Typically speaking, one only earns the right to become a titular disciple after advancing to the Void Reversion realm.”
At that point, Su Zimo understood.
In other words, the titular disciples were the strongest among the paragons of the super sects!
The old monk continued, “Titular disciples are bestowed the Dao Titles unique to their sects by the Sect Masters. For example, the titular disciple of Fahua Monastery would gain the Dao Title of Fahua whereas the titular disciple of Daming Monastery would gain the Dao Title of Daming. That helps with identification.”
“There is quite a gap between you and titular disciples. Remember, if you encounter the titular disciples of super sects from here on, you must always be careful not to engage them recklessly.”
Su Zimo nodded.
The old monk thought for a moment before saying, “Back then, Asura Sect produced a monster that created a Blood Refinement Fiend Sutra. Murder was his second nature and everywhere he passed, he would devour the fresh blood of all living beings cleanly!”
When he heard that, Su Zimo realized that there was a high chance the skeleton was the monster of Asura Sect in the past!
The old monk continued, “Monk Daming could not bear to see the masses in distress and headed out to suppress that fiend. The two of them fought three consecutive battles and although the monster of Asura Sect was disadvantaged, it was hard to tell who would come forth victorious.”
“At the fourth battle, victory was finally decided. It was said that the battle was so tremendous that the skies changed and the earth collapsed. Both parties fought with their full strengths!”
Comments
Post a Comment