Lu Jin’an stepped forward: "Why do this?"
Fan Zhouxing looked up at the sky: "To follow one’s heart."
Lu Jin’an halted, and the voice of Fan Zhouxing behind him remained calm: "If one’s heart is not at peace, how can one bring peace to others? If one does not save one’s own heart, how can one save others?"
"Did you find peace then?"
"No." A hint of bitterness flashed in Fan Zhouxing’s eyes: "But Master is still here."
He looked at Lu Jin’an: "Saint Lu is completely unaffected by the influence of the Five Desires and Six Dusts in this realm."
Lu Jin’an withdrew his gaze and continued to take strides: "I have always believed there is nothing in this world that cannot be resolved."
Watching Lu Jin’an’s figure disappear in the distance, Fan Zhouxing sighed softly and looked down at the two people beside his feet.
These two monks were both Junior Brothers from Suru Mountain.
Fan Zhouxing waved his right hand, using the Reincarnation Domain to capture souls and spirits.
With both hands, he took a Buddha Bead from his neck, ford a spell with his hands, and spiritual bird-like shadows condensed around the Buddha Bead, flying from his hand towards the horizon.
"Saint Lu is here."
······
Lu Jin’an rushed to the outskirts of the Buddha Burial Valley with incredible speed, completely lacking any liveliness.
The endless barren mountains and wilderness lacked Fierce Beasts, and even plants were scarce. Many rocks laid bare to the elents, yet the Sanskrit inscriptions upon them remained clear despite years of weathering.
However, these Sanskrit inscriptions were twisted and interwoven, as if not written but clawed out.
Lu Jin’an frowned at the undulating mountains resembling Rashamon, devoid of life but full of Death Qi.
If Fan Zhouxing’s implication was that Palace Master Xiao was here, it was indeed possible.
After all, the Qinglian Secret Realm is ultimately a back garden of Suru Mountain. Upon discovering Palace Master Xiao had also entered, they likely want to eliminate this risk as well.
The resting place of the Buddha, engraved with feng shui Array imprints, could indeed trap Palace Master Xiao.
Both the intelligence from his Master and the attitude of Fan Zhouxing indicate the sa.
But what if Palace Master Xiao isn’t here?
This thought flashed through Lu Jin’an’s mind, but he quickly suppressed it and stepped directly in.
This was the most likely place.
He didn’t have much ti to hesitate—having avoided both Bao Huo Buddha and Bao Yue Buddha so far was already fortunate, but he didn’t think he could rely on luck indefinitely.
After all, this is Suru Mountain’s territory, and Bao Huo Buddha and Bao Yue Buddha surely understand the Secret Realm.
If he couldn’t find Palace Master Xiao, he would be dead.
If he found her, only then could he discuss the opportunities here.
Moreover, whether Palace Master Xiao could use Spiritual Power was uncertain, and her safety was also paramount.
He followed a small winding path forward, not steep but serpentine.
This path seed to have been trodden by Buddhist monks, and as Lu Jin’an gazed at the increasingly dense gray mist, his pace gradually slowed.
His gaze swept over the bare rocky cliffs around, infinite, yet still inscribed with what seed like ghostly Sanskrit symbols.
Valley, barren land, desert... but no lush trees in sight.
Lu Jin’an frowned deeper; this place indeed didn’t seem like a prosperous land that could enhance a sect’s feng shui and Destiny.
Who would bury their deceased ancestors in such a yin-energy-infested place?
Lu Jin’an did not doubt the intelligence his Master gave him, only suspected that even the intelligence his Master had gathered might be false.
Nevertheless, he didn’t stop moving forward, and after crossing the mountains ahead, he entered a desolate dojo area.
In it, stone statues of Bodhisattvas, Vajras, and Rashamon were severely damaged, yet they seed to be at the critical point of so kind of Array.
Just standing and watching this scene from where he stood, Lu Jin’an had a headache.
He looked down; the canyon stretched down into the dojo area, without steps, only a thousand-foot cliff, like a Fierce Beast opening its mouth, grim and terrifying.
Yet a smile erged at the corner of his lips, as he sensed a lingering trace of spiritual power from Palace Master Xiao.
He lifted his right foot, and at the mont of falling, the urgent voice of Palace Master Xiao sounded by his ear: "Don’t move!"
Lu Jin’an looked up, seeing the ferocious Rashamon wind coming head-on.
The world spun, and he felt dizzy, gripping the Buddha Beads tightly in his right hand.
Consciousness faded.
······
When Lu Jin’an awoke again, he was sore all over, as if he had suffered nurous injuries, and a chilling Qi had invaded his body. If not for his Vigorous Force being robust, it might have penetrated his vital organs.
He clenched his right hand, the Buddha Beads were still there.
This let Lu Jin’an breathe a sigh of relief, as long as he had the Buddha Beads, he could still use his spiritual power, which was a good thing.
Unfortunately, he had no mory from when he fainted, but he was certain Palace Master Xiao was indeed here, but...
The place he was currently in was pitch dark, where could it be?
Lu Jin’an dared not casually touch the walls here, but after a quick, agile rise, a slight chill ca from all directions.
He was still dressed in simple garnts woven from leaves, which had acquired more tears upon arrival here.
However, sensing around, there were three sets of clean clothes neatly arranged on the ground beside him.
He recognized this was his Master’s tailoring style at a glance.
Lu Jin’an was a bit surprised, was this an Illusion Realm?
But at this mont, what concerned him more was the crackling sound from not far away that reached his ears.
He stepped forward cautiously until he saw a burning campfire more clearly as he drew closer.
Though without the need for concealnt, the fire seed to cast no light to where he was before.
Lu Jin’an stopped, watching the flickering fire, its glow lighting a beauty sitting cross-legged next to it.
A gracefully charming woman sat by the campfire, the vibrant light making her complexion rosy and attractive, while her white dress shimred under the firelight and glowing azure Spiritual Power.
Her eyes remained closed, hands forming Seals, with slender fingers dancing like butterflies, causing the spiritual power at her fingertips to trickle like a babbling stream, gentle and captivating.
Her long dark hair swayed elegantly with the spiritual power, each strand seed coated with a layer of soft azure light.
Yet her aura was unmistakably cold, the unique coldness of Qingmiao Palace’s style.
Lu Jin’an squinted and softly spoke: "Palace Master Xiao?"
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