The i Mountain brothers halted in their tracks.
This place was known only to Lady Liu.
The aura emanating from the other party was bizarre and formidable.
The Yin Sha ford into black smoke as the whistling wind swept up fallen leaves. In the surrounding woods, faint will-o’-the-wisps flickered.
Could it be a master from the Ghost Sect?
"Who are you? Where’s Lady Liu?"
Though sowhat urgent, the eldest brother still asked with full caution on his face.
The Confucian Scholar was naturally the Demonic Qi that had just escaped.
His body twisted unnaturally, his neck slowly skewed to the side, his eyes blinked with white sclera, and in a strange tone, he said, "Lady Liu is already dead. Did you three get the item?"
As they faced this individual, a chill ran down the spines of the i Mountain brothers, sending a coldness rising in their hearts.
Having originated from the i Mountain Magic Sect—an obscure and down-on-its-luck faction—they had followed their master from a young age, capturing spirits and breaking through altars; dealing with Rampaging Soldiers; and had encountered many a sinister object.
This thing before them was definitely not human!
"Who exactly are you?"
The brothers’ body hair stood on end as they all reached for their knife handles.
The Demonic Qi-infested scholar seed to grow increasingly impatient, tiptoeing forward a few steps as he rasped out,
"You don’t need to know who I am. Just know that if you want your master to return to life, Zhao Changsheng will have to ask for my assistance!"
At these words, the brothers were montarily stunned.
They had submitted themselves to the Ghost Sect, acting as disposable pawns in perilous tasks, all for the sake of resurrecting their master.
Only Zhao Changsheng and Lady Liu knew of this.
What exactly was this creature before them?
Though they were full of doubts, they dared not ask more.
The eldest brother quickly clasped his hands together and said, "Esteed sir, we planned an ambush to defeat Han Balin, but the target escaped, leaving behind only an arm."
"A Gu Granny from the Heavenly Saint Sect is setting up an altar and using magic spells to search, but there’s no news so far..."
"Nothing but a bunch of incompetents!"
The "scholar" frowned at these words, clearly disgusted.
However, just as he was about to continue his reprimand, he abruptly looked up towards the direction of Xingfu Temple, emitting a sharp, low growl.
This sound was sowhat like a rooster, and yet resembled that of a wild beast.
Whoosh~
Suddenly, a cold wind blew fiercely all around.
The ghostly fires were seen densely fluttering in from the woods, and a thick fog rose swiftly from a distant mountain, which tumbled down rapidly. Within it, there seed to be many figures with drooping heads.
The scene sent shivers down the brothers’ spine.
They knew that mountain was the Chaotic Burial Mound of Wuchang City, and now this creature before them, by so unknown Magic thod, was seemingly commanding the Wandering Ghosts from atop the mountain.
As the wind continued to howl, the temperature around them plumted rapidly.
And from the mouth of the "Confucian Scholar," strange highs and lows of howling emanated as he danced an odd dance.
The Yin Qi from the ground, mixed with countless ghostly fires, rose and ford a canopy-like shape in the sky, resembling the magnificent canopy used during an emperor’s procession.
Moreover, the brothers heard strange sounds as if countless monks were chanting sutras, carried over by the night wind.
"I’m running out of ti!"
The Demonic Qi-infested scholar glanced at the sky and said sternly to the three, "The Red Moye must be obtained, I will impart a Magic thod to you—get the item quickly and deliver it to the Barbarian King’s tomb..."
As he spoke, he mumbled a long string of secret incantations.
The three brothers, not understanding what was happening, hurriedly nodded in mory.
At the sa ti, the sound of Buddhist chanting beca clearer, as if countless monks were standing in the air, continuously reciting sutras towards them.
And the ghostly fires drifting in the air began to disappear in swathes.
Finally, the scholar let out a bizarre growl, stiffened suddenly, and looking up, he spewed out a large cloud of black smoke from his mouth. It ford a smoky column in the sky, writhing like a snake and quickly vanishing into the night...
Thud!
The scholar collapsed to the ground, already devoid of life.
Afterward, calm returned to the surroundings.
The brothers looked at each other, each sowhat at a loss.
"Big brother, what... just happened?"
"This person is probably an old ghost from the Ghost Sect. Daring to address Zhao Changsheng by na, his status must not be low."
"Let’s go and just do as he commanded."
"Big brother, will they really assist us?"
"At this point, do we have a choice..."
The three swiftly departed, vanishing into the dense forest...
...
On the eastern foot of Hongshan, at Xingfu Temple.
In front of the Shadowless Tower, the Buddhist ritual grew more intense.
Most monks were on the brink of collapse, their faces pale and sweat dripping, as if they expended significant energy, yet they continued to strike the wooden fish and chant sutras.
Li Yan also opened his eyes with a look of shock.
This was his first ti witnessing such a grand Buddhist ceremony, and though he did not know its na, with fifty to sixty participants, its power was clearly substantial.
Amidst the profound chanting, he could sll the rising scent of Sandalwood Incense gathering above the Shadowless Tower.
The outline, barely discernible, appeared to be that of a Wrathful King.
Just then, the monk presiding over the ritual, Zen Master Tong Xuan, suddenly raised his head, his drooping ears slightly trembling, and his white hair and beard fluttering.
"Sinful creature, show yourself!"
With a low shout, he abruptly grabbed the bowl in front of him, facing the sky, while his other hand quickly perford three Dharma Seals.
These were the secret transmissions of Buddhism, naly the "All Things are Impermanent Seal, the No-Self Seal, and the Nirvana Silence Seal," authentic and mystical Buddhist techniques.
Om! Om! Om!
Every ti the Seal changed, the bowl tremored with a hum.
Li Yan could feel a burst of Innate Gang Sha Qi surging from the sky above the Shadowless Tower.
He furrowed his brow, his expression turning solemn.
He had not expected this kind-looking old monk to be so profoundly skilled in Buddhism; he simply could not discern the extent of the Zen Master’s Dao.
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