Volume 1 Volume 6 Chapter 28

Volume 6 Chapter 28: Assistance, Shock (Part 2)

The matter is divided into two sides, each telling their story.

After Xu Qingfan held back the black-clad master, Li Yuhan, Dongfang Qingling, Wang Zegang, and the others used the "Sky Escaping Talisman" to escape. Although they appeared in different places, they did not hesitate and quickly flew towards the place Xu Qingfan had previously agreed to meet — a hidden valley at the intersection of the Southern Wasteland and the bustling Middle-earth.

About four or five days later, Dongfang Qingling arrived, Li Yuhan arrived, Lv Qingshang arrived, Wang Zegang arrived, and the other four small sect cultivators and rogue cultivators also arrived.

Then, after the eight gathered together, one day passed, three days passed, five days passed, but two people still had not arrived, causing great worry among the group.

One of those two was naturally Xu Qingfan, who had previously held back the black-clad master and was now mingling with three kylin.

The other was Jin Qinghan!

"Junior Brother Jin has not returned yet. Could it be that he went back and then went to look for Junior Brother Xu?"

In the hidden valley, Lv Qingshang said with a worried expression.

"Given the friendship between Martial Uncle Jin and Martial Uncle Xu, it seems that this is the case."

Li Yuhan said with a wry smile.

After hearing Li Yuhan’s words, everyone fell silent. If what Li Yuhan said was true, then without a doubt, Jin Qinghan has probably already died at the hands of that black-clothed master.

Everyone was discussing Jin Qinghan, but they intentionally or unintentionally avoided the question of why Xu Qingfan had not returned. It seemed the outcome of trying to hold back a master alone was already decided.

On the other side, Dongfang Qingling sat quietly, silent among the discussions. Thinking that Xu Qingfan might have already turned into a pile of bones, Dongfang Qingling felt a wave of emptiness and panic in their heart, unsure of what to do at that moment, just sitting there in a daze.

Meanwhile, a strange look flashed in Li Yuhan’s eyes. Normally, he had been wary of Xu Qingfan all these years; if Xu Qingfan had encountered an accident, he should have been happy. But in reality, Li Yuhan felt a sense of loss, perhaps guilt, possibly because of Xu Qingfan’s actions before his death, or maybe it was because he had gotten used to following Xu Qingfan’s lead all these years.

"So, what do we do now?" In the silence, Wang Zegang slowly raised his head and asked. His voice was filled with bitterness.

In a way, Xu Qingfan’s death hurt him even more than the people of Jiuhua.

"Let’s go back," Li Yuhan said slowly in a soft voice. "At this time, there’s nothing more we can do."

Dongfang Qingling suddenly looked up after hearing Li Yuhan’s words, gazing deeply at him. Then she seemed to remember something, her head drooping again, her eyes flickering, lost in thought.

※※※※

In fact, Jin Qinghan was not dead. He had indeed thought about turning back to find Xu Qingfan. Even if Xu Qingfan was killed by that mysterious black-clothed master, at least he wanted to find the body.

But he could not; he was trapped.

After using the "Sky Escaping Talisman," Jin Qinghan made a mistake. Although this mistake was not as extreme as Xu Qingfan’s, which resulted in a miscalculation of thousands of miles, it was still enough to give Jin Qinghan a headache.

It was also Xu Qingfan’s fault for neglecting a possible situation after using the "Sky Escaping Talisman." After using the "Sky Escaping Talisman," the user could randomly teleport anywhere from two thousand to three thousand miles away, but the person being teleported could not control the location. In other words, after using the "Sky Escaping Talisman," they might suddenly appear in a very strange place or environment.

For example, in a mountain cavern with no way out.

At this moment, Jin Qinghan was in such a situation.

After Jin Qinghan used the "Sky Escaping Talisman," he felt surrounded by a bright light, unable to see anything, and his mind was in a daze. In the next moment, the light disappeared, and all he saw was darkness.

Where is this? When I used the Sky Escaping Talisman, it was clearly still daytime.

Surprised in his heart, Jin Qinghan raised his right hand, and a swirl of Golden Spirit Qi suddenly appeared above his head. The golden light fell, and Jin Qinghan finally saw the environment around him.

The first thing that caught Jin Qinghan’s eye was a vast empty space inside the mountain, measuring over ten acres, and on the walls of the mountain, there were countless statues of Buddhas and Arhats. Though the statues seemed to be carved carelessly, they carried a sense of sacred majesty, making the ordinary mountain cavern feel incredibly solemn and dignified.

When Jin Qinghan saw the stone coffin placed in the middle of the cavern, along with the decorations around it, he finally confirmed that he had unknowingly found himself in a mysterious burial site within the mountain.

Out of curiosity, Jin Qinghan slowly walked towards the stone coffin and noticed small words carved into the ground before it. Upon closer inspection, he realized these were carved by pure human finger strength. Jin Qinghan had already reached such a level, yet even now, he could not achieve the seemingly natural appearance of these small words at his feet.

"We are the Twelve Zen Masters of the ‘Pure Land Sect.’ We came here to hunt down our enemy, the Spirit Purging demon, but fell into its trap. Not only were we poisoned by spirit toxins, but we have also been trapped in this mountain and cannot escape. It is a pity that we cannot avenge our sect, but the laws of heaven are clear; that demon will one day descend into the abyss, suffering endless Karma Blaze. The only regret is that after the demon wiped out our sect, only the twelve of us remain, and dying here means that our sect’s teachings and cultivation methods, which have lasted for five thousand years, will be lost. How sad and regrettable."

Upon reading these small words, Jin Qinghan felt an endless wave rise in his heart.

Three thousand years ago, Mercy Cloud Temple was just an ordinary little temple. The Buddhist world respected the "Pure Land Sect," and even the fragments of cultivation methods Jin Qinghan learned before came from the "Pure Land Sect."

The Twelve Zen Masters of the Pure Land Sect were famous figures. Though they were second-generation disciples, they reached the peak of the Golden Core Stage very early in their training. Their Buddhist teachings were vast. Back then, the "Spirit Purging Cult" was powerful, starting the eighth great calamity in the cultivation world, greedily attacking the "Pure Land Sect" for its five thousand years of treasures. They encountered the Twelve Zen Masters who were in deep meditation on a certain Buddhist practice and faced little resistance, leading to the destruction of the "Pure Land Sect." When the Twelve Zen Masters finally emerged from their meditation, all they found was a scene of ruins and devastation.

Later, it was said that the Twelve Zen Masters felt disheartened after this event and chose to retreat in hiding, not expecting such turmoil to follow.

The Twelve Zen Masters died while pursuing the Spirit Purging Cult, which was commendable. Additionally, a part of the cultivation methods Jin Qinghan learned came from the "Pure Land Sect." Since the Twelve Zen Masters were considered seniors and mentors, Jin Qinghan hesitated for a moment, then slowly knelt before their grave, solemnly performing the respectful kneeling ritual appropriate for honoring a mentor.

After bowing three times and knocking his head nine times on the ground, Jin Qinghan stood up and was about to leave when he suddenly heard the sound of vibrations and friction. He looked up and saw that the stone coffin was slowly opening under mysterious power, radiating a dazzling yet gentle golden light from within.

Startled, Jin Qinghan instinctively stepped back a few paces, then hesitated for a moment before slowly walking toward the stone coffin. Looking down, surprise and hesitation flashed in his eyes.

Inside the stone coffin, he saw a stupa made of twelve shining relics before him.

When Xu Qingfan first received Master Jiuhuan’s relic, he thought it was useless because he did not practice Buddhism and could not use the power of the relic.

But Jin Qinghan was different. His divine power, "Eight Evil Consciousness King," was already intertwined with Buddhist teachings. He practiced both Buddhist and Taoist cultivation, making these relics incredibly helpful to him. Once he absorbed the twelve relics into his body, it was as if he gained the spirit energy and understanding of the Heavenly Way from twelve masters, effortlessly breaking through to the Mahayana Stage.

Jin Qinghan’s hesitation also came from this. The Twelve Masters are respected seniors of Buddhism and are like his teachers. The relics are the remains of their bodies after death. By absorbing them, is it not a form of disrespect and sacrilege?

After hesitating for a while, Jin Qinghan sighed softly, waved his sleeve, and took the twelve relics into it. His thoughts were torn between two ideas: to bury the twelve relics at the "Pure Land Sect" ruins or to absorb them.

Jin Qinghan shook his head, gathered his emotions, and turned to walk towards the edge of the mountain. His current task was to escape first before planning his next steps.

Upon reaching the base of the mountain, Jin Qinghan gathered the Spirit Qi within him, and a large golden sword slowly appeared in front of him. Just as he was about to break through the wall, his body suddenly trembled and fell into a mysterious state.

While Jin Qinghan was staring at the various Buddha and Arhat carvings on the wall, he suddenly realized that these Buddhas and Arhats seemed to contain some profound order and truths of the Heavenly Way. At the same time, the twelve relics in his sleeve began to emit Buddhist energy, unknowingly affecting Jin Qinghan’s mind.

In this mysterious state, he continued to observe the carvings on the wall, spending time on each one. The movements of his fingers, the chants of the Buddhist sounds, and the flows of energy within him were all deeply impressed in Jin Qinghan’s mind.

Meanwhile, the twelve relics in Jin Qinghan’s sleeve transformed into a radiant light, slowly merging into his body.

※※※※

At the same time, within the mysterious and strange black mountain.

"Oh!"

After studying the "Spirit Sealing Talisman" for what felt like a long time, Xu Qingfan suddenly let out a soft "oh," expressing both disbelief and excitement.

He saw Xu Qingfan gesture with his hands, and a light flickered in his palm. Then, Xu Qingfan slowly reached out and pinched a piece of the "Spirit Sealing Talisman." With a gentle pull, that piece, which seemed connected to the "Spirit Locking Ring," floated down to his feet.