Fantasy: Immortality Begins with Absorbing Demons

Chapter 802 Escape Route (Part 6)

Shouyi Temple, inner level.

The towering red and yellow buildings stood in rows, forming several concentric circles. In the innermost part of the tower forest, two groups of people stood facing each other.

On one side were hundreds of energetic monks, wielding sticks and forming a menacing array.

And the other side.

only one person.

to be exact.

He is a strange-looking person.

It resembles a monk but is not a monk, it resembles a Taoist but is not a Taoist.

Despite being called an old monk, he was covered in a dirty, oil-stained crane-feather robe with many holes.

If you address him as "fellow Daoist," he has a shiny bald head and a string of large, round, pale white prayer beads around his neck that look like they're made of bone.

"Who are you?! How dare you trespass on the forbidden grounds of my temple!" the leading Arhat monk shouted. "Surrender and avoid further bloodshed. The Buddha has a compassionate face, but also a Vajra wrath!"

"Mountains have no form, but people create their own attachments..." The strange man seemed not to hear, his expression a mixture of a smile and a sob, as he slowly walked towards the forbidden area while reciting a verse, "The snow-covered stream echoes in the empty air, the mind follows the changing environment..."

"court death!"

The leader of the Arhats roared, raised his crescent shovel, and slammed it forward with a powerful blow.

Buzz...

As true energy surged forth, accompanied by immense physical strength, the air seemed to be torn apart, and a white crescent moon suddenly fell. This was unlike ordinary monks who chanted scriptures, meditated, and studied Buddhist teachings.

As a skilled fighter and a warrior, Shouyi Temple Arhat is hot-tempered, fond of fighting, and will start a fight at the slightest provocation.

"The green hills remain unmoved, which means the true heart remains unmoved..." The strange man didn't even raise his head, continuing to sing and chant as he slowly walked forward, seemingly unaware of the powerful airflow rushing towards him.

Many people around turned their faces away, unable to bear to watch this scene.

Even though these Arhats are only responsible for protecting the safety of the temple, they can use any means necessary to achieve their goals.

One can guard a temple...

Even within the entire Yunzhou region, they are a top-tier power. Under normal circumstances, how many people would dare to provoke them?

so…...

They hadn't experienced many real bloodshed and death incidents. Clang!

"stop!"

A huge crescent-shaped shovel flew from the side, knocking the smaller shovel blade flying through the air.

Swish...

A tall, strong figure flew out from behind the crowd, catching the giant crescent shovel while gently placing the smaller shovel blade on the ground.

This man was imposing, with exceptionally broad hands, wearing nine Buddhist prayer beads, and wielding a huge nine-flowered crescent shovel that gleamed with a chilling light. The nine ordination scars on his head were particularly eye-catching.

"Brother Huiwu!"

The moment he appeared, everyone bowed their heads and paid their respects.

Upon seeing Huiwu, the strange man also paused, his muttering ceasing. "So...so it's little Huiwu...long time no see. Your mediocre skills...still haven't improved at all...I told you long ago, Yuanjue...is no cut out to be a master."

“Master Gamo…” Huiwu looked at the strange man with a complicated expression, but he couldn’t bring himself to say the last word, “Uncle.”

"Come with me, Master is waiting inside."

Huiwu sighed and could only dismiss the crowd, then turned and led the way.

This Uncle-Master Gamo was also a person of amazing talent back then, with aptitude and comprehension far surpassing others. However, he had different ideas and deep conflicts with Yuanjue, his master.

When he lost the competition for the abbotship, this Uncle-Master Kama, in a fit of anger, left to guard a temple and turned his back on Buddhism.

Perhaps there are other hidden reasons behind many of these events.

But after all these years, most of those who were qualified to know the truth of what happened back then have already passed away. The ins and outs of the matter, the various reasons, the truth and the falsehood, are probably only known to the two people involved, Kama and Yuanjue.

As the two continued their journey, the road gradually narrowed, and the dark blue-green paving stones gradually turned into a dirt path.

The ground around them was covered with countless stone pagodas of various colors.

Uneven in height and varied in style.

Some pieces look like they were built with gold bricks, glittering in the light. Others look like they were made of black jade, deep and dark, exuding a cold and lifeless aura.

But most of the time, it's just ordinary stone stacking, with two or three large square stones as the base, and smaller stones chosen for each layer, stacked together, and placed upwards layer by layer.

Perhaps influenced by the solemn atmosphere, the two remained silent the entire way.

Soon, Huiwu led Kama to a stone tower in the forbidden area.

This stone tower is no different from others in style and material; it is made of ordinary stones. The only difference is...

At the very top of the stone pagoda, four banners of different colors are planted.

The banner is covered with a dense array of Sanskrit characters, resembling tadpoles, seemingly recounting a life story and offering a general assessment of merits and demerits.

A man dressed in a loose monk's robe had a deep look in his eyes, revealing a hint of nostalgia, as if he were sighing over something.

“Yuanjue, you’re still the same as ever. Still so hypocritical…” Kama’s figure floated lightly and landed on the other side of the Four-Colored Brahma Flag Pagoda, right in front of Yuanjue.

“And aren’t you the same? Appearances change, accents change, but the aura… cannot lie,” Yuanjue replied calmly. “Tell me, what brings you up the mountain and into the temple this time?”

"What is it? It's naturally about that incident from back then."

"Look at it however you like. As for what happened back then... I've already explained it to you. It was all out of desperation..." Yuanjue turned around and gently shook his head.

“I don’t care about all that. You and I… both have responsibilities… Now there’s an opportunity, a chance to make up for the mistakes of the past. Will you… take it?” Kama asked calmly.

"All these years... without that half of the true scripture... how much longer can you suppress the rebellion... if the floodwaters aren't channeled and alleviated, sooner or later the dam will break..."

He gently turned the rosary hanging around his neck, and immediately a faint sound of wind arose around him. Wisps of black gas flew out from under the numerous towers and fell onto the rosary like fish returning to the sea.

The forbidden area grew increasingly cold and damp, as if some extremely chilling substance was rapidly spreading through the air.

hiss…...

Ghostly faces appeared on the surface of the rosary, like starving ghosts, devouring it greedily.

Soon, most of the black gas was swallowed up, and the ghost face, as if it had eaten and drunk its fill, showed a satisfied expression and slowly disappeared.

“You… in the end, you still came to this…” Yuanjue’s gaze fell on Kama, and he sighed deeply, “How could it have come to this, how could it have come to this…”

“If you don’t want to take responsibility… then… I will take full responsibility!” Kama’s face was deathly pale, and large clumps of sweat poured down like rain, soaking a small patch of soil beneath him.

“It’s not that we’re shirking responsibility, it’s just that half of the true scripture… I’ve inquired, and it’s already been sent to the Yuanmiao Sect… No one can get it back.” Yuanjue slowly closed his eyes, seemingly unable to bear seeing the scene before him.

“I knew…you wouldn’t give up either…” Kama grinned, revealing his gleaming white teeth. “You have your obsessions, and so do I…but one thought can lead to enlightenment or damnation…this true scripture…must be gathered together!”

“It’s impossible. The Yuanmiao Sect… won’t give us that chance.” Yuanjue’s eyes were tightly closed. “Back then, it was they… who knows how many tricks they played… to tear open the scriptures and take them away…”

He seemed to recall what had happened back then, and a trace of pain involuntarily appeared on his face.

“So… I’m back,” Kama whispered sharply. “This time… the opportunity has arrived!!!”

Before Yuanjue could respond, he continued, "Han Yi of the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect... The Yuanmiao Sect has announced that anyone who can help capture this fiend... provide intelligence, offer support from the sidelines, or even capture him directly, will receive a high reward."

That half of the true scripture…

He paused, forcibly suppressing his emotions and feigning indifference, before saying, "It's in this reward!"

"What?! Is this really true?!"

Master Yuanjue snapped his eyes open, disregarding the decorum of a high-ranking monk, and rushed to Kama's side, his breathing rapid and his face flushed. "That half of the true scripture... Yuanmiao Sect... you really dare to give it up?!"

Back then, Shouyi Temple was a martial arts holy land that was no less prestigious than Yuanmiao Sect.

The Two Extremes Marrow Forging True Scripture that it inherited is a top-notch method for cultivating physical strength.

However, two tigers cannot share one mountain.

The Yuanmiao Sect, which primarily cultivates internal strength, naturally cannot tolerate the Shouyi Temple, which focuses on external martial arts.

The various conspiracies and bloodshed involved in the process are not worth mentioning.

In short, Yuanmiaozong succeeded.

Shouyi Temple gradually declined from then on.

Although still within Yunzhou, it is a top-tier power, second only to Yuanmiao Sect.

However, the lost second half of the scripture contained content at a higher level than the missing master of Shouyi Temple. If only that missing half of the scripture could be retrieved…

The gradual decline of Shouichi-ji Temple...

Think about this.

Even with Master Yuanjue's centuries of mental cultivation, he couldn't help but feel his heart surge with emotion.

"If it were false, how could I have the face to come back?" Jiamo laughed. "Three people have died in the Yuanmiao Sect, which is the most tragic accident in the past hundred years. The three main peaks are unable to spare any resources in a short time, and the six lower peaks are not united, so naturally we can only issue high rewards to the outside world."

"Han Yi..." Yuanjue paused for a moment, "I never imagined... that a mere disciple of Jingtian Manor could rise to such prominence in just a few years... I wonder what opportunities this young man has had..."

“Otherwise… how could Yuanmiao Sect be willing to spend such a huge price?” Jiamo sneered. “Those old Taoists who only act for profit, compared to the life and death of Yan Xuanji and the other two… are probably more interested in finding out the secret behind Han Yi.”

“That’s what’s bothering me…” Yuanjue sighed. “In just a few days, the news has spread throughout Yunzhou. I don’t believe there’s no one pulling the strings behind the scenes. What if… there’s a conspiracy…”

"What? You're not going because of some conspiracy?" Gamo interrupted directly. "That half of the true scripture... is the only chance for the Two Extremes Marrow Forging True Scripture to reappear in the world... and also the only chance to make up for the mistakes we made back then!"

Even if it's an open conspiracy, even if we know there's a trap, even if there's an abyss ahead, we... have no choice but to jump in!