Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Emei Mountain in Western Shu was shrouded in mist. As evening approached, some woodcutters and local herbalists saw piles of corpses lying at the foot of the mountain, sending them fleeing back to their village in terror.
The nearby villagers knew that Emei Mountain was home to a powerful Taoist sect, where skilled practitioners could traverse the earth and wield magic. They had never dared to disturb the mountain, but upon hearing the commotion, they ventured out to investigate, only to discover that the ground was littered with the dead.
Miao Shengnan, the leader of the Emei Sect, had already led the remaining elders and disciples away from Emei Mountain. The once vibrant place now lay desolate, destined to become a wasteland, its former glory lost forever.
At midnight, at the entrance of the Emei Sect, a young man stood among the heaps of corpses. Dressed in loose robes with his hair tied back, he held a mysterious seal carved from ancient jade in his hand. Chanting incantations, he radiated an eerie glow as an evil energy rippled outward, enveloping the entire Emei Mountain.
Under the moonlight, countless corpses suddenly stirred. Moments later, they rose from the ground, their eyes filled with confusion.
The young man shook the Ghost Seal in his hand, and the eyes of the resurrected corpses grew vacant as they gathered together and lined up neatly behind him.
He glanced at the many revived corpses and couldn't help but laugh heartily.
Meanwhile, everyone at Leiyin Temple had already retired for the night. I suddenly awoke in my bed.
"Song Qianqiu?" I murmured.
In my dream, I saw Song Qianqiu standing in a mountain valley surrounded by thousands of corpses. Before him knelt an immense shadow, bowing in submission.
"Why am I dreaming about him?" I wondered.
I opened my door to find the moonlight bright and illuminating, casting a silver hue over the entire desert.
I looked toward Yunxi's room and noticed there was still light inside. I approached and knocked on the door.
"I'm upstairs," Yunxi's voice called from the Meditation Room above.
I retreated to the courtyard and looked up to see Yunxi sitting on the roof ridge, her Crimson Silk and long hair fluttering in the wind.
I gently leaped onto the rooftop and sat beside Yunxi. She said, "I saw you leaving me in the chaos. I kept chasing after you but could never catch up, until one day I woke up from the Ice Coffin, surrounded by darkness."
I wrapped my arms around Yunxi and said, "It's alright now; it's all in the past."
I knew Yunxi must be scared. Her mother had passed away in sorrow, she had never had a friend, and a year ago her sect was destroyed while she watched her father get killed. Without me, she might have died alone, becoming a wandering spirit that no one would remember.
Yunxi nestled against me and stayed there all night until the next morning when the temple began to stir with activity.
The Douding on the altar of the Ten Thousand Buddha Grotto was still asleep. The Zen Bodhisattva had been forced to appear early, greatly depleting Douding's energy. Douding had no Dao Qi left; his body was as fragile as an ordinary person’s and could not withstand such depletion. The bubbles given to Douding by the beast could only temporarily seal his Golden Body.
Chang Liulang was not seriously injured; he recovered and got out of bed by the second day. However, Iron Bull remained in a coma, his bones shattered by Nangong Yun's attack, making recovery difficult in the short term. Haikong used Buddhist Sect's precious medicine to protect Iron Bull's heart veins, ensuring he was not in immediate danger. Nangong Yun was powerful, a Supreme of his generation; even without using Dao Qi, his strength was unmatched by younger disciples.
We gathered to discuss how to rescue the Three Divine Monks. Yang Sanqian and Jiyao prepared to accompany Haideng to the Western Divine Serpent Sect for the rescue mission, but just as they were about to set off, the Three Divine Monks suddenly returned.
"Three Shifu Uncles, did you go to the Western Divine Serpent Sect to investigate the Seven-Colored Relic?" Haikong asked.
The Three Divine Monks nodded. One of them said, "You must have encountered Nangong Yun."
Haikong then recounted how Emei had been destroyed and how their group had been attacked by the Divine Serpent Sect Supreme. After listening, one of the Three Divine Monks remarked, "It seems what is displayed on the Machine Wall is correct. We were trapped in a formation set by Nangong Yun and took some time to break free. That formation connects to the Machine Wall of the Divine Serpent Cult Headquarters. With Emei's destruction and a Supreme's fall, the Demon King's Scripture has emerged, and Linglong Tower has appeared."
"The destruction of Emei is understandable, but what does it mean that a Supreme has fallen? Has one of the remaining Four Great Supremes perished?" Master Hai Deng asked.
I replied, "Emei was just destroyed; the Machine Wall is a prophetic stone, so events predicted afterward have yet to occur. Among the Five Great Supremes, Yaochi Saintess has already passed away. The Old Scholar of the Yang Family is still at Yinshan Sect; we have seen Nangong Yun from the Divine Serpent Sect; Sword Pavilion's Supreme has not appeared in decades; and there is also Miao Guanyin with her Book of Life and Death. The Yang Family's experts are likely searching for Miao Guanyin as well. This fallen Supreme likely refers to her. Since we have seen this prophecy, we can certainly change future events. Right now, our most important task is to find Senior Miao Guanyin."
I looked at Guo Daozhen and asked, "Old Guo, do you think you can calculate where Miao Guanyin is right now through Zhou Manman?"
Guo Daozhen replied, "You're overthinking it. Miao Guanyin, as a Supreme, has long transcended the constraints of the Five Elements. Even Zhou Manman by her side cannot determine her whereabouts. When Zhou Manman fell from the cliff behind Futu Ridge, Big Black Cat turned her into a ghost precisely because her fate was special."
Yang Sanqian said, "Once one reaches the Mahayana Realm, Daoist Arts can be fully realized, making it difficult to determine a victor among practitioners of the same level. Let alone among Supremes; do several Supremes intend to join forces to kill Miao Guanyin?"
Guo Daozhen responded, "The prophecies of the Machine Wall cannot all come true in a short time. Right now, the Three Divine Monks should focus on rescuing that child and interrogating Serpent Cult's Grand Elder Meng Xuanjian."
The group nodded, exchanging glances as they headed toward the Ten Thousand Buddha Grotto.
Guo Daozhen sighed and said, "The Demon King's Scripture has finally appeared."
"Old Guo, what is the Demon King's Scripture?" I asked.
Yang Sanqian explained, "The Demon King's Scripture, also known as the Ghost Scripture, is the supreme cultivation method of the Underworld. Learning it allows one to control all Yin Soldiers of the Underworld."
Guo Daozhen nodded and added, "In the Yang Realm, wise beings have created countless Daoist Arts over time. The Underworld has existed for ages and naturally has its own spirits that created ghostly arts. The Underworld is vast and has birthed many ghost kings; those who can learn the Demon King's Scripture are known as Yama Kings and govern the Underworld, commanding Yin Soldiers."
"What about the Ghost Seal?" I inquired.
Guo Daozhen replied, "The Ghost Seal, also called the Yin Soldier Order, can similarly command Yin Soldiers. It is rumored to be the key to finding the Demon King's Scripture and is the only thing that can counter it. If someone were to obtain both at the same time, the consequences would be unimaginable. Back in the day, Old Scholar established Ghost Gate to research secret arts in hopes of finding the Demon King's Scripture."
"So, is the appearance of the Demon King's Scripture related to Old Scholar?" Wu asked.
I shook my head and said, "It's Song Qianqiu. I dreamed about him last night. I saw him turning all those killed on Emei Mountain into his Puppets and witnessed a ghost king beneath Qilian Mountain under his command."
“Who is Song Qianqiu? I've never heard of this person,” Guo Huaiyi asked.
Yunxi replied, “He is the eldest disciple of the Azure Cloud Sect and the main culprit behind the destruction of Qingyun. I intended to kill him in the Dunhuang Caves, but he managed to escape after touching a certain formation.”
Our group analyzed the current situation and the state of various factions until noon, when a roar echoed from the Zen Temple. We turned to look and saw Qiongqi standing up, gazing towards the direction of the Ten Thousand Buddha Grotto, where the entrance to the Ancient Cave stood wide open. The Three Divine Monks emerged with pale faces, followed by Douding.
Douding looked pale as he greeted everyone. Chang Liulang stepped forward and asked, “Douding, are you alright?”
“I’m fine,” Douding shook his head.
One of the Holy Monks said, “The compassionate Zen Bodhisattva has been sealed. He will be safe for half a year, but we three need to enter seclusion for a while. Nangong Yun's power is unfathomable, and it will be difficult to retrieve the Seven-Colored Relic from him. If we cannot get back the Seven-Colored Relic, then compassion will be in danger.”
After this Holy Monk finished speaking, he walked towards the back courtyard. Another Holy Monk apologized, saying, “Please excuse us; we must take our leave.”
The three Holy Monks nodded at Sky Master before turning to depart.
Guo Daozhen said, “Since this matter is settled, my son and I should take our leave as well. Farewell.”
After Guo Daozhen spoke, he glanced at the displeased Guo Huaiyi, who said, “I can already suppress the Demonic energy within me.”
Guo Daozhen grabbed Guo Huaiyi and tore through the void, disappearing before everyone’s eyes. I wanted to say something but held my tongue.
“In that case, we should also take our leave,” Yang Sanqian said.
Haikong added, “You are all esteemed guests of Leiyin Temple; why not stay a few more days? The current chaos makes it unsafe at Divine Hero's former residence.”
Jiyao said, "Thank you for your kind intentions, but my husband and I still have some matters to clarify, so we cannot stay long."
Haikong replied, "In that case, I won't keep you two any longer."
Jiyao nodded and looked at me. "Hao, is your injury from yesterday feeling any better now?"
I responded, "It's just the aftereffects of overexerting my mind; I'm fine now."
Jiyao said, "Then take care of yourself. Your father and I will be leaving now."
I nodded, and Yang Sanqian patted my shoulder before tearing through the void with Jiyao.
Behind the crowd, Wu murmured, "Emei has fallen, the Supreme has perished, the Demon King's Scripture has emerged, and the Linglong Tower has appeared."
"Linglong Tower..." May Day said as she reached into her pocket for the tower.
Comment 0 Comment Count