Li Xuanfeng and Li Qinghong descended from the wind. They saw smoke and dust rising from the mountaintop and panicked monks scattering in all directions. Many locals frantically dug through the rubble, their faces filled with terror as though the sky itself were falling.
The buildings on the summit of the island's mountain had collapsed. The green roof tiles amidst the ruins had pretty much revealed that a huge temple had been standing in the heart of the destruction. The ground was stained with blood, looking like an eye-catching scarlet sea.
As the two people landed on the ground, the monks appeared to realize what had happened. Their cries filled the air as they rushed to the temple hall in the center.
Li Qinghong's spiritual sense swept through the scene then said, "Second Uncle, the spiritual energy in this blood is dense—this volume... it couldn't be the blood of a cultivator. It must come from some sort of a blood pool... one that's used for sacrificial spells."
Li Xuanfeng stepped further into the ruins and noticed lotus flowers on the ground. Golden light shone down upon them, making them seem rather sacred amidst the swirling dark gray dust.
The platform in the middle had been split into two. Something white and crystalline, about the size of a grain floated in mid-air. It was surrounded by a halo of colorful light that created shifting illusions.
The lotus flowers on either side released an intoxicating fragrance, while a group of naked locals fell to their knees, crying and wailing while looking at the two cultivators with intense hatred in their eyes.
"Ewu is dead," Li Xuanfeng muttered as he scanned the area. He had already expected this. This man probably failed to heal his injuries during the past few years. After taking an arrow like that, death was inevitable.
Neither Li Xuanfeng nor Li Qinghong had seen the relic suspended in the air before, but they had heard rumors about it. Li Qinghong cautiously observed it for a bit longer before saying, "This must be a Sarira Pearl...[1] It seems like this monk had more to him than we thought."
Li Xuanfeng glanced at the relic indifferently but only said, "He was lucky to have lived on for a few more years."
The Sarira Pearl continued floating in the air quietly.
"This is strange. Mutuo's spiritual power was not inferior to his, yet only Ewu had left behind a Sarira Pearl after his death... Perhaps this has something to with that Abbot Qinling or Qinling Dao lineage that they once spoke of," the middle-aged man mused with a puzzled look on his face.
Li Qinghong cast another glance at the lotus flowers on the ground. Its mystical glow was strange, and numerous birds flitted down, mesmerized by their beauty.
"This Zhao Buddhist cultivator's ability to tame mortals is truly impressive. The locals of this entire island willingly fed him with their flesh and blood, and remained utterly loyal to him. They truly revered him from the depths of their hearts," Li Qinghong remarked softly.
Her comment naturally referred to the hateful glances of the locals.
Li Xuanfeng observed the Sarira Pearl and casually replied, "Zhao Buddhist cultivators are like that. Even many cultivators can't resist him, let alone mortals."
Li Qinghong's brow furrowed slightly at her uncle's response. She parted her vermilion lips parted ever so slightly but her voice erupted like a thunderclap in spring.
"HA!"
The monks in the crowd froze before losing their consciousness, stunned by the force of the sound. Li Qinghong casually raised her hand, channeling her mana. The monks immediately formed a neat line, moving toward the temple entrance.
Since they had seen the Sarira Pearl and its illusions, it would be very easy for them to stray into the Wrathful Dao. Li Qinghong used her mana to erase their memories, sparing the Li Family from any revenge that might come from a Master Monk decades later.
Meanwhile, Li Xuanfeng raised his hand carefully, taking out a jade bottle. Using his mana, he pulled the grain-sized Sarira Pearl from the air, guiding it into the bottle.
The moment it entered, the jade bottle gave off a burst of warmth. A faint red glow shimmered through its turquoise body. With a sweep of his spiritual sense, Li Xuanfeng could hear the faint echoes of yelling and muffled incantations, as though the bottle contained the voices of thousands.
"How disturbing," Li Xuanfeng muttered, then cast a few spirit pacification spells. They had little effect, so he pulled out several higher-grade talismans and affixed them to the bottle, which made him feel more at ease.
As soon as the Sarira Pearl was sealed in the bottle, dharma light and the glowing lotuses in the hall vanished. The temple, now partly collapsed, slowly dimmed too. Li Xuanfeng, using his mana, shot out a burst of mana and retrieved several dharma artifacts from the ruins.
When he first severely injured the monk, the monk had lost most of his valuable items. His most prized possession, a pair of long staves, had already been taken by Li Xuanfeng before. What remained were less valuable artifacts, mostly made of gold, jade, and pearls, radiating divine light.
These were mainly dharma artifacts that could manipulate people's hearts and leave spiritual seals, so Li Xuanfeng stored them away.
After scouring the island carefully for a few rounds with Li Qinghong, they took off together. With the evil spawn dealt with, Li Xuanfeng's mood lightened significantly and he felt so much more at least.
"Perhaps this is some kind of Buddhist legacy. Maybe we could use it to catch a few more Zhao Buddhist cultivators," he remarked.
Li Qinghong smiled and nodded, her gaze turning to the mountain filled with temples with monks moving busily between them. She frowned for a moment, then performed a series of hand seals and unleashed several bolts of purple lightning.
BOOM!
The thunder cracked, instantly shattering the temples in their path. Fire and lightning erupted, burning the sacred texts within to ash.
Li Qinghong sighed softly. "This is the most we can do. After all, this place was once run by Zhao State's Master Monk. Without any rogue cultivators willing to settle here... it might take centuries for this place to fully recover..."
"We can't afford to care so much..." Li Xuanfeng replied, shaking his head as the two of them soared through the sky. They crossed the Scarlet Pristine Sea and followed a few water veins along the way until they finally returned to Splitreed Island.
Once there, they dived into the turquoise sea and made their way to the marketplace. Ning Heyuan did not come to greet them because he was currently cultivating in seclusion. By the time the two arrived at the cave dwelling, Ning Family's eldest brother was already waiting by the stone door.
"Boss... A young cultivator came to the marketplace, he said he's looking for you."
"A young cultivator?" Li Xuanfeng turned to him, and curiously asked, "What's his cultivation level and name?"
"He's a Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator... but he refused to give his name, only saying that he's a junior from the Converging Sea."
It must be Zhong Qian!
It's been several years, and he's already broken through to the Foundation Establishment Realm too. I wonder why he's come to find me now... Hopefully, it's about Green Pine Temple...
Li Xuanfeng thought to himself.
He took a seat in the center of the cave dwelling, then waved his hand and instructed, "Bring him here!"
Ning Dingbo nodded and quickly left, while Li Xuanfeng turned to Li Qinghong and said, "You should leave first. This person carries a strong heavenly destiny. It's better for you to not meet him to save yourself from troubles."
Li Qinghong understood Li Xuanfeng's words and bowed before withdrawing. Li Xuanfeng then took a jade slip, reading its contents in silence. Not long after, a young man dressed in a dark robe and with his hair tied back appeared at the cave dwelling's entrance.
He paused respectfully before entering and said, "Junior Zhong Qian pays respects to the Daoist."
"Come in," Li Xuanfeng replied.
He had heard of what Fated Ones were capable of and now that Zhong Qian had reached the Foundation Establishment Realm, his respectful demeanor impressed Li Xuanfeng. At least he was well-mannered on the surface.
Li Xuanfeng couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
Seems like there's a big difference between the Fated Ones. Zhong Qian... is very different from those I've heard of in rumors...
His mind continued to wander.
If the True Monarch hadn't returned to the mountain so hastily, but had instead taken things one step at a time, I wonder what role Zhong Qian might have played by his side?
1. Sarira is a generic term referring to Buddhist relics, although in common usage it usually refers to pearl or crystal-like bead-shaped objects that are found among the cremated ashes of Buddhist spiritual masters. ☜