You said you were going to make games, how did you become the richest man without doing anything?

Chapter 457

At this time, Jie Kong also found new clues about his life experience in the Northern Zhou Dynasty. This clue pointed to a mountain near Yuandu, so he came to Zhong Wuye to discuss it.

Zhong Wuye had just returned to Yuandu City when he received a message from Jie Kong. The two met in a secluded restaurant.

"This is truly an astonishing discovery!"

Zhong Wuye took the bronze token from Jie Kong's hand, played with it carefully for a few seconds, and couldn't help but sigh.

The palm-sized bronze plate was so shiny that you could see your reflection in it, and the embossed Kirin in the middle was vivid and lifelike.

A circle of small characters was carved around the edge of the token, said to contain the secret formula for passing the level. In the center of the token, two rubies were inlaid on the fangs, sparkling in the sunlight.

"Yes, I accidentally discovered this thing while practicing." Jie Kong nodded, his expression solemn: "Judging from the patterns on it, it should be the legendary Jiuzhou Travel Notes Order. And I checked the information, it seems to have a connection with an ancient temple nearby.

"Ancient temple? You mean?" Zhong Wuye's eyes lit up.

"Yes, it is the Lingyun Ancient Temple on Lingyun Mountain in the northern suburbs of Yuandu."

Jiekong nodded solemnly. "Legend has it that in front of the gate of that ancient temple, there's a stone lion statue carved, and inside it happens to be this travel token. If we can reinsert the token into the lion, we can open another gate, which might hold the secret of my life story..."

Zhong Wuye couldn't help but slam his hands on the table and said, "That's great! Let's go to Lingyun Ancient Temple and find out what's going on. Maybe we can find a breakthrough!"

……

The sound of footsteps like a lone boat echoed in the silent forest.

Jie Kong, dressed in azure, walked swiftly along the path through the lush forest. A beam of dazzling sunlight shone through the dense branches and leaves, casting a dazzling spot of light on his thin body.

Jiekong quickened his pace, soon emerging from the lush forest. A solitary peak suddenly came into view. It was an ancient and majestic mountain, its steep peak appearing and disappearing amidst the mist, a truly enigmatic and mysterious presence. And on the mountainside, a splendid ancient temple with its sweeping eaves and wings loomed, nestled against the mountainside and beside the water. The entire temple seemed to merge with the world.

"It seems that this is the ancient temple." Jiekong muttered to himself and walked straight towards the ancient temple.

Soon, he arrived at the gate of the ancient temple.

This mountain gate was incredibly majestic, constructed from hundreds of massive wooden suanni (supani) stacked densely together. In front of a tall arched gate stood a massive Tang lion head, its fangs bared and claws snarled, a terrifying sight. Jie Kong gasped, but without hesitation, he pushed open the heavy door and walked in.

In the inner hall of the ancient temple, the incense is burning faintly and the green smoke is rising.

Although he could only vaguely see the abbot and others chanting sutras and burning incense, the quiet and reverent atmosphere suddenly calmed Jiekong's heart. He couldn't help but look around, and saw that the eaves of the ancient temple were covered with moss, and the curves of the Buddha statues looked particularly gentle and elegant.

"Junior Brother Jiekong!"

At this moment, a resounding voice interrupted Jiekong's surprise. He looked in the direction of the voice and saw a middle-aged monk in a yellow robe walking quickly out of the Buddhist temple, waving at him with a cheerful expression.

Jiekong was taken aback when he saw the man's face clearly. At first glance, the middle-aged monk appeared quite easygoing and friendly, with kind eyes and gentle smile lines at the corners of his eyes. But upon closer inspection, he couldn't help but shudder.

The monk's face was extremely rugged and solemn, his eyes like branding iron, piercing and even revealing a hint of fierceness. This was clearly a monk with peerless martial arts skills!
Only when he came up to me did he smile faintly: "I am Jie Chen, Junior Brother. How is it that after all these years, you no longer recognize me?"

Jie Kong was startled for a moment, then nodded as if suddenly realizing something:
"Long time no see, brother!"

The two brothers exchanged greetings for a moment.

I found a clue within the Northern Zhou territory that leads to this ancient temple." As he spoke, he took out a strange and unusual object and placed it in his palm.

It turned out to be a bronze token, with a vivid and majestic Qilin carved in the center. In the Qilin's eyes were two blood-red gems, gleaming brightly under the light of the glass lamp.

"This is the clue I've obtained." Jie Kong's expression was solemn, his eyes revealing a hint of caution and vigilance. "I've looked up the information, and this token is a travel token used by the Nine Provinces' wandering immortals. And according to rumors, the stone lion statue at the gate of our ancient temple once contained such a travel token! Brother, do you know the key to this?"

Jie Chen's face darkened. He stared at the ancient token in Jie Kong's hand, his gaze wandering for a long moment before he took a deep breath and spoke solemnly, "Junior brother, what you said is almost right. That Qilin Token is the most important treasure of our ancient temple."

Jie Kong nodded, then asked apprehensively, "So, Senior Brother, do you know the whereabouts of this token?"

Jie Chen's face was heavy, and he slowly shook his head. "The story of how this token was lost and then recovered was truly arduous. Master went through untold hardships to retrieve it, but lost it again during one of his travels." Jie Kong's face grew serious, his eyes gleaming with determination. "Since that's the case, I must find the true whereabouts of this token! Senior Brother, I would appreciate your guidance."

Jie Chen stared at Jie Kong, a flicker of approval in his eyes, and then he said earnestly: "A mere token is nothing to be proud of. However, obtaining the secret it carries is a great challenge."

As he spoke, his face involuntarily became solemn. He looked around the entire ancient temple and murmured:
"The ancient temple has been ownerless for years, and has long been covered in dust. But this final responsibility must eventually be shouldered by someone. Jiekong, are you willing to stay here for a while and help me repair this dilapidated temple? Once the mechanism is repaired, the token will naturally appear."

Jie Kong did not hesitate, and immediately knelt on one knee respectfully, and agreed loudly: "Junior brother, I am willing!"

Seeing this, Jie Chen only smiled faintly, his expression showing no joy, anger, sorrow or happiness. He patted Jie Kong's shoulder hard and said in a deep voice: "Okay, then practice well here. It will take time for the ancient temple to be restored. When the time comes, we will make plans."

……

a few days later.

A faint fragrance lingered in the air. Inside the tranquil inner hall of the ancient temple, Jie Chen sat on a cushion, concentrating his energy and concentration. Just then, the sound of footsteps from outside shattered the stillness of the room.

Jie Chen slowly opened his eyes and saw Jie Kong walking in quickly, his face solemn. He stopped in front of Jie Chen, bowed respectfully, and said, "Brother, this is an emergency!"

Jie Chen nodded and said calmly, "Don't panic, tell me what's going on."

Jie Kong swallowed his saliva and spoke solemnly: "In fact, the nightmare demon that attacked Ciyin Temple that year seems to be reappearing."

As soon as the words fell, Jie Chen's body suddenly stiffened. The candlelight flickered a few times, as if sensing something. After a long moment, he sighed heavily, his eyes lowered, full of self-blame: "Yes, it was that nightmare demon that caused the tragedy back then, and it also caused me to hurt you deeply. I still feel guilty about it."

Jie Kong shook his head and was about to offer words of comfort, but Jie Chen had already raised his heavy eyes and stared at him deeply: "When I was transformed by the nightmare, I beat you with my fists and feet. I deserved death. Since then, I can no longer face you. I have retired to this mountain and practiced hard for many years. I only hope that one day I can personally eliminate the nightmare demon that caused the lives of my master and disciple to be in danger. Only then can I have a chance to make amends."

Jie Kong waved his hands repeatedly, his face full of sincerity: "Brother, please don't blame yourself. I already understand your situation that day. I also know that you were devastated and completely different from yourself. As long as you can pick yourself up now, I will be satisfied."

Jie Chen's face was still full of guilt, and he lowered his head gloomily.

Seeing this, Jie Kong couldn't help but become anxious, fearing that he would be affected again, so he quickly said: "Brother, no matter what, I will fight alongside Brother Zhong this time. When the time comes, we will annihilate the nightmare demon together, clear away the haze of the past, and create a new future. Why not?"

Jie Chen pondered for a long moment before slowly raising his head. The guilt in his eyes had vanished, replaced by an unprecedented persistence and determination. He looked at Jie Kong with a burning gaze, his tone firm and powerful: "No, this time I will rely on my own strength. If I rely on you and Junior Brother Zhong, then when will this end? I must personally eliminate that nightmare demon to truly untie the knot in my heart!"

Jiekong was startled and wanted to persuade him again, but he saw Jiechen had already stood up, his whole body exuding an unprecedented tenacity: "Jiekong, please wait and see for a while. When I am ready, I will take action myself! This battle, I will take it all on myself!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he strode away without looking back, quickly disappearing among the winding columns of the corridor. Jie Kong watched him retreat, feeling a little worried. But fearing that he would hinder his senior brother's determination, he ultimately gave up.

Not long after, Zhong Wuye also arrived at the ancient temple and stayed there with Jie Kong. As the two were discussing how to help Jie Chen, they heard a sudden and violent commotion in the courtyard.
Zhong Wuye and Jie Kong exchanged a glance, then fiercely kicked the door open. Smoke and dust billowed through the courtyard, and a strange black aura filled the air. Jie Chen was alone, battling a half-human, half-beast monster. It was the Nightmare Demon in his transformed form from that year!
Zhong Wuye and Jie Kong naturally knew that the power of this nightmare demon was extremely terrifying, and it was simply not something someone of Jie Chen's level of cultivation could handle. As expected, Jie Chen was losing ground in the fight with the monster, clearly in a desperate situation!
Zhong Wuye was horrified upon seeing this, and immediately drew his sword and rushed forward, with Jie Kong following closely behind. But at this moment, Jie Chen suddenly turned around, his eyes like blazing fire, and stopped the two of them: "Don't talk nonsense! This is my own business, and I will suppress it with my own strength!"

With that, he gritted his teeth and lunged at the ferocious Nightmare Demon once more. Zhong Wuye and Jie Kong could only sigh inwardly and helplessly retreat to the sidelines to watch. However, at that moment, the Nightmare Demon suddenly let out a deafening roar, and a cloud of dark murderous energy erupted from its mouth! Jie Chen was caught off guard and bore the brunt of this resounding black mist head-on!
"Not good!" Zhong Wuye was horrified and quickly gathered his energy to dissolve the black energy. But the black energy surged in like a raging wave, instantly engulfing him and Jie Kong! The three of them were caught in a fierce battle in this black fog!
The black fog spread out, instantly engulfing Jie Chen, Zhong Wuye, and Jie Kong. The three of them were caught in a bitter battle, struggling to fight against the nightmare demon.

Jie Chen gritted his teeth, his body tumbling and tumbling through the black mist. Despite his fierce attacks, the Nightmare Demon was incredibly powerful, and he couldn't do anything to it. Soon, he was in a difficult situation, his mouth and nose engulfed by the black mist, and his movements became increasingly sluggish.

At this moment, an angry roar came from the black fog: "Brother Jiechen! What are you doing?" It was Jiekong's voice.

Jie Chen's heart trembled, and he suddenly realized that this was a life-or-death moment. However, at this critical moment, an inexplicable jealousy ignited in his heart!
For years, he had secretly been jealous of Jiekong. As his junior fellow apprentice, Jiekong's talent was far superior to his, and his strength had long surpassed his. Now, he had even obtained a treasure like the Jiuzhou Travel Token, and his future was limitless.

As for himself? He had once been possessed by a nightmare, hurting his junior fellow apprentice; then he retired to this place, unable to support the younger generation. As a senior apprentice, this was a shame! Every time he saw his junior fellow apprentice becoming more and more outstanding, his inferiority complex would become more jealous and angry.

However, just as this resentment clouded his mind, the tragic scene from years ago resurfaced in his mind: Back then, possessed by a nightmare, he had punched and kicked his innocent junior fellow apprentice; now, it was his willfulness that had put his junior fellow apprentice in danger again.
What the hell am I doing?! Jie Chen suddenly woke up, and a few tips echoed in his mind: "The way must be the same, and if it is the same, there will be no distinction between noble and humble gentlemen!"

That's right, he and Jiekong are master and disciple, brothers, there should be no jealousy! Years of paranoia are all his fault. If he doesn't cheer up now, I'm afraid the tragedy of many years ago will really happen again!
Thinking of this, Jie Chen felt a sudden sense of relief, his jealousy completely subsided. He took a deep breath, channeled the purple energy within his dantian, and formed a massive hand seal. With a whoosh, it blew away the surrounding black mist.
"Junior brother! I'm here to lend you a hand!" Jie Chen roared, fighting alongside Jie Kong. The two of them, master and disciple, worked together with perfect coordination, forcing the Nightmare Demon into a desperate situation!
At this moment, Zhong Wuye finally rushed out with his sword in hand. The three of them gathered together and performed an extremely advanced "Peacock Spreading its Tail" formation! The three people's turbid and pure energies intertwined together, transforming into the shadow of a giant peacock, hovering in the air.

The Nightmare Demon was horrified upon seeing this and frantically spewed out black mist in an attempt to break free. However, the Peacock's divine light flashed, completely dispelling the black energy. Immediately afterwards, the Peacock's phantom flapped its wings and soared high, transforming into a myriad of golden lights that enveloped the Nightmare Demon, pinning it to the spot.
The three of them seized the opportunity and launched a combined supreme attack, finally completely destroying the nightmare demon that had been rampant for years and wreaked havoc on the world!
When the black fog dissipated and the first rays of sunlight once again shone through the ancient temple, the three men had already collapsed to the ground, exhausted. Jie Chen let out a long breath and gave Jie Kong a relieved smile.

Just like that, the obstacles from years ago were finally forgotten. Jie Chen looked at his proud apprentice, a mixture of emotions welling up within him. He finally understood that everyone has their own path in life, and jealousy only leads to further derailment. After today's experience, he finally regained his composure, and from now on, he would unconditionally guide this outstanding apprentice towards his next level of advancement.

(End of this chapter)