Chapter 121 |
Yuanyuan City.
Inside a restaurant.
Bright Son Miaohuo occupied an entire floor by himself. He drank in huge gulps and tore into large pieces of meat, oil dripping from his mouth.
The waiters nearby stood in two rows, serving him with trembling fear.
Crunch! Crunch!
Bright Son Miaohuo grabbed another bone as long as an arm and crunched it like sugarcane before swallowing it down. "The food and wine in Ancient Shu restaurants are truly better than those in the Esoteric Hidden-Treasury Domain. This monk has grown sick of barley wine and tsampa long ago."
After eating and drinking his fill, he patted his belly and laughed. "Since this monk has enjoyed your offerings, I should grant you all some blessings in return. How about you all follow me to the Esoteric Hidden-Treasury Domain and share in the ultimate bliss together?"
The restaurant owner knew this monk was an immortal being, but seeing his crude behavior and readiness to kill at the slightest provocation, he truly did not dare agree.
Just as Bright Son Miaohuo was growing impatient, a short, skinny old man walked into the restaurant. "Bright Son Miaohuo, Xu Hei pays his respects."
Bright Son Miaohuo gave a fake smile and sat back down, picking up a bowl of wine. "You have delayed for so long. Have you made your decision yet?"
"Indeed. This old man wishes to purchase the third subsequent chapter of the Horse-Headed Vajra Protector Divine Method. I humbly beg the master to bestow it upon me."
Xu Hei said with a flattering smile.
Bright Son Miaohuo glanced sideways at Xu Hei and shook his head. "You are not qualified. Have the person behind you come forward."
Xu Hei's expression stiffened.
Then footsteps sounded.
Fang Qing arrived in a blue robe, drifting gracefully. "Bright Son Miaohuo, I heard you have been looking for me?"
"Haha? So it really is you!"
Bright Son Miaohuo tossed aside the wine jar and burst into loud laughter, his eyes shining with sharp light. "The old blind man was right. You took one of our Esoteric Hidden-Treasury Buddhist artifacts and cultivated our Great Snow Mountain lineage technique. Karma has been formed, so you are destined to become my Esoteric Hidden-Treasury Vajra Protector.”
“Why aren’t you coming with me at once? Hurry and acknowledge me as your master!”
He formed a hand seal and secretly chanted a secret mantra, expecting Fang Qing to submit without resistance or even kneel in submission.
Instead, Fang Qing simply smiled faintly. [Ji Water] mana gathered around him, transforming into a gentle spring breeze.
"Hmm?"
Bright Son Miaohuo sounded doubtful. "You have not cultivated the Horse-Headed Vajra Protector Divine Method?"
If he had cultivated it, he should have been unable to resist the master's summons.
Or perhaps he had used some divine ability or secret technique to suppress it?
"Never mind. After I capture you, it will be the same if I bring you to pay respects to the master."
Bright Son Miaohuo rubbed his head and took out a crimson alms bowl from his robes.
"A Dao Foundation level Buddhist artifact?"
Fang Qing grabbed Xu Hei beside him. His figure instantly merged into the wind. "Bright One, since the deal is off, why resort to force?"
His movement technique was extremely fast. In the blink of an eye he left the mortal city behind.
Behind him, Bright Son Miaohuo piloted the Fire Luoba Bowl and chased after him as well. "Enough talk! You heretic, this monk will capture you right now!"
His mana surged violently, far surpassing the Qi Ingestion realm. He flicked the Fire Luoba Bowl.
Blazing flames bloomed like lotuses.
Fang Qing tossed Xu Hei aside and took out the Hundred Souls Banner!
The banner unfurled, and over a hundred second-rank demon souls appeared, commanded by the superior second-rank Crimson Sea Python. They continuously spewed black qi.
Sizzle! Sizzle!
When the black qi met the red lotus flames, countless golden Sanskrit characters floated within the fire. The flames actually forced the many demon souls to retreat steadily.
"He possesses Dao Foundation realm mana but lacks the corresponding Dao Foundation profundities. As expected of a Bright Son."
Fang Qing nodded. Still, with this level of cultivation the man would be considered a solid early Foundation Establishment cultivator on the Qi Refining side.
He flicked a finger. The profundities of his Long-Awaited Sweet Rain Dao Foundation activated, transforming into a sweet rain that sprinkled down onto the raging flames.
Yet the flames reacted as if oil had been poured on them. The fire tongues surged upward once more and suddenly engulfed several second-rank demon souls, burning them into ashes in an instant.
"Haha! Long-Awaited Sweet Rain Dao Foundation? Even without this Fire Luoba Bowl Buddhist artifact, this monk can still take you down!"
Bright Son Miaohuo laughed heartily as he continued his pursuit, closing the distance with Fang Qing.
The thought of the rewards his master would grant him after capturing this man made his heart surge with excitement.
Suddenly!
His expression changed drastically. He clutched his abdomen, his face twisting in pain. "You... you poisoned me?!"
With Fang Qing's wealth on Taibai Island, exchanging for a second-rank superior exotic poison from the sect and having Xu Hei secretly slip it into the restaurant's food and wine had been child's play.
Moreover, he had divined the outcome beforehand to ensure everything was foolproof.
Although the divination result had been quite favorable, Fang Qing still did not dare to be careless.
'A mere Bright Son should not receive much protection from the All-Beings Formless Temple, right?
Even that Guru Sangji who created the White Bone Dao seems like nothing more than a disposable pawn...
After testing him this long, this person truly has few backup plans or trump cards left.
Time to get serious.'
Fang Qing formed hand seals with both hands. The main soul of the Crimson Sea Python on the Hundred Souls Banner roared and wrapped itself around the Fire Luoba Bowl instead. Even as it was burned until it sizzled loudly, it refused to let go.
He flipped his palm, and a talisman brimming with golden qi appeared.
It was a second-rank superior Golden Origin Sky Sword Talisman!
Rip!
The moment the talisman was activated, a vast amount of golden qi gathered and formed a majestic golden heavenly sword that came crashing down with awe-inspiring might!
Bright Son Miaohuo was already restrained by the potent poison. Sensing the terrifying power of the talisman now, he was filled with shock and terror. “This is close to late Dao Foundation might!”
He formed the Fire Settling Seal with both hands. Blood-red Sanskrit characters appeared across his large crimson monk’s robe and condensed into an illusory oil lamp that manifested the flame phase.
He intended to use the lamp’s flame to scorch the golden heavenly sword.
Whoosh!
The heavenly sword crashed down with unstoppable force, shattering the flame phase. Bright Son Miaohuo’s face turned purple-black. He violently spat out a mouthful of essence blood as the sword pierced straight through his chest.
In his panic he turned to flee, realizing he had fallen into Fang Qing’s trap.
‘This heretic is cunning! I must retreat and bring two more junior brothers before I can subdue this demon!’
But at that very moment!
An illusory Demon-Subduing Vajra Pestle slammed into his sea of consciousness, causing Bright Son Miaohuo’s mind to blur for an instant. ‘This heretic has not cultivated any Esoteric technique, has he?’
Unfortunately, the momentary daze was all Fang Qing needed. He closed in like lightning, unleashing Great Vajra Divine Strength. He twisted Bright Son Miaohuo’s four limbs out of joint, then took out sealing talismans and locked down the man’s three wheels and seven vessels.
“Time to go. We must be quick.”
Fang Qing lifted the captured Bright Son Miaohuo and descended. Xu Hei had already prepared to receive them and had constructed a temporary cave dwelling nearby.
“Well done.”
Including the earlier poisoning, Fang Qing found Xu Hei increasingly useful and reliable. His original plans for the man began to shift as he considered reserving a Bright Son position for him.
Inside the cave dwelling.
He set the unconscious Bright Son Miaohuo down and pressed his right palm against the man’s head, activating the Soul-Splitting Soul Search Art.
This Bright Son Miaohuo is at most comparable to early Foundation Establishment. His divine sense is weak.
His entire cultivation is borrowed rather than self-cultivated, making it even weaker than a true early Foundation Establishment cultivator.
‘I have been diligently cultivating the second layer of the Horse-Headed Vajra Protector Divine Method these days, so my divine sense has also improved. With my strength rising while his falls, I have a decent chance.’
Fang Qing circulated the soul-searching secret art. Even though Bright Son Miaohuo remained unconscious, his face twisted in extreme agony.
Clearly, had he not been completely incapacitated, such intense stimulation would have prompted him to fight back fiercely.
“Split the spirit!”
Fang Qing’s divine sense transformed into the Demon-Subduing Vajra Pestle and hammered relentlessly into Bright Son Miaohuo’s sea of consciousness until it finally shattered.
He immediately switched to the secret method and began searching for the information he wanted.
Moments later.
Fang Qing ended the hand seals. His breathing had grown slightly heavy.
“Young Master?”
Xu Hei, who had been standing guard nearby, stepped forward with concern.
“It is nothing. I simply overexerted my divine sense.”
Fang Qing rubbed the spot between his brows, inwardly rather speechless. ‘This Soul-Splitting Soul Search Art is not very effective.’
A cultivator’s sea of consciousness is naturally stable and resistant to soul searching. Without shattering it first, it is nearly impossible to plunder its treasures.
Yet once shattered, countless memory fragments become jumbled together, making it equally difficult to locate the specific information one seeks.
Even with the secret method assisting him, Fang Qing had only managed to extract bits and pieces.
“First, the content I care about most: the third layer of the Horse-Headed Vajra Protector Divine Method, the Wrathful Phase of the Horse-Headed Wisdom King. This man does not possess it at all. He was lying to Xu Hei.”
“Because the third layer already touches upon the Dharma King realm, which belongs to the Purple Mansion stage. A mere Bright Son like Miaohuo has no right to know it.”
Fang Qing sighed, though he was not particularly disappointed.
For now, the second layer was more than enough for his cultivation.
“Next, the secrets concerning that White Bone Dao Guru Sangji. This person is a direct-line secret disciple of the All Beings Formless Temple, essentially a true disciple. He is a future Dharma King candidate who has never received empowerment from any master. He only venerates the Lord of the Charnel Grounds as his sole secret original deity.”
“His cultivation has already reached the perfect stage of Guru, one step away from Dharma King, meaning Dao Foundation perfection. He is only one step from gaining divine abilities and advancing to Purple Mansion.”
“So strong… Even with my external core, I might not be able to defeat him.”
“Under his command are five Bright Ones: Miaohuo, Miaofeng, Miaoshui, Miaoshan, and Qingjing.”
“His treasures include the White Bone Dharma Bell, Butter Lamp, Skull Prayer Beads, and the All Beings Empowerment Prayer Wheel. He cultivates the Purple Mansion method, The Scripture of Nu Earth as Expounded by the Lord of the Charnel Grounds!”
Fang Qing slowly sorted through the memory fragments he had obtained, piecing together a clear picture. ‘So every origin temple in the Esoteric Hidden-Treasury Domain venerates an immediate Buddha above the golden rank?’
“However, this temple master cultivates the [Nu Earth] path, and the Yin Corpse Sect to the south also primarily cultivates [Nu Earth]. There is a Dao dispute between them. Perhaps there is something here I can make use of?”
For example, he could head toward the southern regions of Ancient Shu and borrow the power of the Yin Corpse Sect to resist the Esoteric Hidden-Treasury Domain.
According to what Bright Son Miaohuo knew, the monks of the Esoteric Hidden-Treasury Domain were only conducting small-scale infiltration. Not a single Dharma King had arrived in Ancient Shu.
They only dared to send Guru and ordinary monks to spread their teachings.
Clearly, they feared being slain by the Purple Mansion expert behind Cloud Grazing Cliff or by those of the Yin Corpse Sect.
“As expected, the earlier divination was correct. Staying within Ancient Shu still leaves me with more room to maneuver.”
“However, I cannot remain in Ba Commandery any longer.”
Ancient Shu was vast, far larger than any country from Fang Qing’s previous life.
Ba Commandery and Yulin Commandery lay at the very heart of Ancient Shu.
Xituo Commandery was located at the westernmost edge.
Fang Qing gazed at Bright Son Miaohuo’s corpse ahead of him. He knew the news of this man’s death would instantly reach Guru Sangji.
If he stayed in Ba Commandery any longer, he would only be inviting greater danger!