Chapter 603 453: Sarira

Li Xuanfeng and Li Qinghong rode the wind and descended; smoke and dust billowed atop the mountain, frantic and bewildered monks scurried around, many natives furiously digging through the ruins, their expressions panicked, as if the sky had collapsed and the earth split.

A building atop the island's peak had caved in, and at the very center, amidst the blue stone rubble, one could vaguely make out the original outline of a grand temple; the ground was covered in fresh blood, brilliantly crimson and shocking.

Upon seeing the two descend, these monks seemed to realize something, wailing all about, they rushed toward the central hall of the temple.

Li Qinghong swept across with her Spiritual Sense and spoke:

"Uncle, the Qi within this blood is thick with Spirit Mechanism. Such quantity, yet it's impossible for it to be cultivators' blood… This must be from certain Blood Pools… refined through spell rituals."

Li Xuanfeng stepped into the wreckage, where lotus flowers lay scattered everywhere, Dharma Light illuminating all. The gray-black dust hovering in the golden glow made it seem almost sacred.

The high altar in the middle had been smashed in half, with only a single grain-sized object suspended in midair, pure white and gleaming, encircled by rings of colored light that formed various illusions.

On both sides, the lotus flowers emitted waves of fragrant Qi; a crowd of naked natives knelt, their eyes full of hate, glaring at the two as they wailed beneath the sky.

"Ewu is dead."

Li Xuanfeng had foreseen this. Looking around, he thought: in recent years, this man likely hadn't recovered from his injuries at all—struck down by that arrow from beyond the heavens, naturally he's dead as can be.

The grain-sized object before them was unfamiliar, but they'd heard tales of it. Li Qinghong glanced at it warily and said:

"This must be the Shariputra… Looks like this monk still had something up his sleeve."

Li Xuanfeng cast a detached glance:

"Survived for several extra years… what a bargain for him!"

The Shariputra hovered silently in the air, the middle-aged man somewhat puzzled:

"Strange—by rights, Mutuo's mana is not much inferior; yet Ewu died and produced the Shariputra… During their conversations, they spoke of Qin Ling's leadership and Taoist Lineage, perhaps it has to do with that."

Li Qinghong glanced at the lotus flowers on the ground; the petals were enchantingly strange, and many birds landed, dumbly standing at the lotus's edge. She murmured:

"But that Zhao Shi's skill in training mortals is truly formidable. All the natives on this island offer up their flesh and blood to him, devoutly loyal from the bottom of their hearts."

Her words referred to the natives' hateful stares. Li Xuanfeng observed the Shariputra and replied offhand:

"Zhao Shi is just like that; even many cultivators cannot resist, let alone common folk."

Li Qinghong frowned lightly, her rosy lips parted, a burst of thunder erupted from her mouth:

"Scold!"

In an instant, thunderclaps exploded as if the sky itself roared; the monks were all shocked unconscious. Li Qinghong scooped them up with a sweep of mana, lining all of them neatly before the hall's entrance.

One look at the Shariputra and the strange phenomena—and these people could easily fall onto the Furious Path. Li Qinghong used mana to erase their recent memories, just in case a Mage came seeking revenge decades later.

Li Xuanfeng, with a careful gesture, drew out a Jade Bottle and, employing his mana, guided the grain-sized Shariputra into the bottle.

The Jade Bottle instantly grew warm. The bluish-green bottle glowed with a hint of murky red. Sweeping it with Spiritual Sense, one could faintly hear noisy shouting and murmured incantations, as if thousands were sealed inside.

"What a cursed thing."

Li Xuanfeng slapped a few Soul-Stabilizing Techniques on it—though they didn't help much—so he drew out a few higher-grade Talismans and stuck them on the bottle, finally finding it safer.

Once Li Xuanfeng sealed the Shariputra in the bottle, all the dharma light and drifting colored lotus flowers in the hall vanished. Even the collapsed temple, once faintly sacred, dimmed. Li Xuanfeng used mana to snatch a few Magic Artifacts from the ruins.

The first time he'd gravely injured this monk, most of his belongings had already been lost; the most prized pair of staffs Li Xuanfeng had already claimed. The rest were of little value.

Most of these artifacts were gold, jade, and gems, imbued with spiritual radiance, primarily used for beguilement or imprinting; Li Xuanfeng pocketed them casually.

He and Li Qinghong searched the island thoroughly for several circuits, finally riding the wind to depart. With this scourge eliminated, Li Xuanfeng's mood lightened, and his caution eased. With a laugh, he joked:

"Maybe some Buddhist Practitioner legacy—could be used to lure a few Zhao Shis."

Li Qinghong chuckled and nodded, then gazed at the mountainside crowded with temples and numerous wandering monks. Frowning, she formed a hand seal and cast several bolts of violet thunder.

"Boom!"

Thunderbolt after thunderbolt struck, shattering all the temples at once; thunderfire exploded and burned every book and record of inheritance thoroughly. Li Qinghong murmured:

"This is all I can do; after all, Zhao Shi the Mage once ran this place. If no loose cultivators are willing to settle here… it may never recover, not even in centuries…"

"Doesn't matter…"

Li Xuanfeng shook his head; the two went flying across the sky, crossing Zhu Lu Sea, switching water veins several times, finally landing on Fenkui Island.

They dove into the azure sea, entering the marketplace. Ning Heyuan was secluded in cultivation and didn't come to greet them, so the two went to the cave mansion, where the Ning family elder brother was already waiting by the stone gate.

"Boss… there's a young cultivator in the market, says he's here looking for you."

"A young cultivator?"

Li Xuanfeng looked back, asked:

"What's his cultivation? What's his name?"

"Foundation Establishment Level… but won't say his name, only claims to be a junior from Heshui Sea."

'Must be Zhong Qian!'

Li Xuanfeng immediately knew. He thought:

'It's been years and he's already reached Foundation Establishment. I wonder what he's come looking for… Hopefully, it's about Qing Song Temple…'

So he sat down inside the cave mansion and waved his hand:

"Let him come up!"

Ning Dingbo nodded and hurried away. Li Xuanfeng turned to Li Qinghong and said:

"You should go. This one's marked by destiny; best if you don't see him—lest needless trouble arises."

Li Qinghong understood, bowed and left. Li Xuanfeng took up a Jade Slip and silently read. Soon, a young man strode up from outside, robed in black, hair tied, pausing before the cave mansion and bowing respectfully:

"Junior Zhong Qian, greetings Taoist."

"Come in."

Li Qingfeng answered. He'd heard tales of several fated children, and seeing Zhong Qian already at Foundation Establishment, and still so courteous, at least on the surface, thought to himself:

"Seems even destiny has great differences; this Zhong Qian… is really different from those I've heard about…"

His mind wandered; he mused:

"If the Perfected Lord hadn't hurried home, but instead took each step carefully, what role might Zhong Qian play by his side?"