Chapter 488: This Won't Do
Chapter 488: This Won't Do
...
"Moon Shadow Sect? Never heard of it."
Tu Shan Yue's face was full of suspicion as she pressed Wang Dagen's head harder beneath her foot.
"Are you just making up some sect name to deceive me?"
"How would I dare!" Wang Dagen cried bloody tears, snot and tears mixing on his face. "This lowly one wouldn't dare deceive Your Great Sage even with ten thousand lives! Your Great Sage may not know, but the three great holy lands are gone—absorbed by the Sword Pavilion's founder into the Sword Pavilion. Rumor has it this Moon Shadow Sect is a new faction established by the Sword Pavilion's founder using the combined resources of Sword Pavilion, Lingxi Valley, and the Alchemy Sect from the three holy lands."
"Though this lowly one has never been to Moon Shadow Sect, just thinking about it makes it obvious they must be the strongest faction now. Who else could have stolen the demon race's high-grade spirit veins?"
Tu Shan Yue considered this and found it reasonable. If Moon Shadow Sect had absorbed all three holy lands, their power would indeed be unprecedented—perhaps even the strongest human faction in history.
"Where is this Moon Shadow Sect?" She ground her foot left and right before coldly ordering: "Take us there!"
...Chen Huaian had prepared himself for punishment from Hua Jin the True One.
By his estimation, Hua Jin had suffered significant losses this time. Considering his usefulness to her and Wang Shouyi's influence, she probably wouldn't kill him—but she definitely wouldn't let him off easy.
Yet reality proved otherwise.
The matter seemed to have passed as lightly as a feather?
Hua Jin appeared angry, but not nearly as furious as expected.
Was this the effect of Ninefold Spring's influence? Truly, a woman in love was impossible to predict!
Chen Huaian crouched in a corner of the flying vessel, hiding among the Kunlun Immortal Palace disciples, his gaze shifting uncertainly toward the vessel's prow.
At the very front stood Hua Jin, her robes fluttering gracefully, with Wang Shouyi standing half a step behind her. The scene vaguely resembled a Kunlun Immortal Palace version of Titanic.
"So, Wang Shouyi, how much Celestial Jade Marrow does Great Thunder Temple currently possess?"
"Reporting to Your Eminence—none."
"What about our Kunlun Immortal Palace?"
"Reporting to Your Eminence, we have one medium-grade Celestial Jade Marrow—desperately preserved by our handsome, brilliant, and heroic Elder Chen!"
Hua Jin: "......"
"No need to gild Chen Huaian's image. This sovereign has no intention of killing him."
Wang Shouyi heaved a tremendous sigh of relief upon hearing this. Who could have anticipated that drug's terrifying side effects? By the time they realized, it was already too late.
Regardless, the senior was no longer just a senior now.
Gazing at Hua Jin's graceful silhouette ahead—the alluring curves, the peach-like buttocks faintly visible beneath her white gauze robes...
Nothing more needed to be said. From today onward, the senior would be his sworn father!
"Besides our Kunlun Immortal Palace, which other factions obtained medium-grade Celestial Jade Marrow?"
"Reporting to Your Eminence, a sect called Wind Spirit Sect also acquired some."
"Oh? Wind Spirit Sect?" Hua Jin blinked suspiciously, as if recalling something.
Wang Shouyi quickly added: "The one that replaced Black Blade Sect."
"How interesting." Hua Jin pressed her lips together, a spark of curiosity appearing in her eyes.
It wasn't that Wind Spirit Sect obtaining the marrow surprised her. Rather, a newly emerged faction making such rapid progress was undeniably suspicious. Even without questionable aspects, they deserved close observation—whether as potential threats or future allies.
"Wang Shouyi, I have a mission for you!"
Wang Shouyi's eyes immediately lit up at the word "mission," while Chen Huaian pricked up his ears.
"After returning to Kunlun Immortal Palace, you will immediately depart for Wind Spirit Sect and invite their sect leader to visit us!"
Wang Shouyi: "Σ(°△°|||) Your Eminence, this won't do!"
Chen Huaian nodded vigorously—it truly wouldn't do. Mainly because they might expose themselves.
"Why wouldn't it do?" Hua Jin rolled her eyes impatiently. "So you got beaten up once? This time I'm sending Elder Chen with you! If you still end up getting beaten... well, this sovereign will have to punish Elder Chen severely."
As she spoke, she shot Chen Huaian a glare over her shoulder.
Chen Huaian thought this had nothing to do with him!
But perhaps this was for the best—going with Wang Shouyi would allow him to prepare with Zhang Yibai in advance.
"Your Eminence need not worry," he immediately cupped his hands toward Hua Jin. "This junior will definitely protect Wang Shouyi."
"Hmph. This sovereign cares not for Wang Shouyi's safety."
Hua Jin turned back, murmuring faintly: "This sovereign merely fears he might disgrace Kunlun Immortal Palace's reputation."
Chen Huaian: "......"
...
"At last the injuries have stabilized."
Within Great Thunder Temple's Great Bear Hall, Monk Faming exhaled slowly.
Even though safety had returned, remembering that sword strike from behind still filled him with lingering fear. That mysterious faction—the Sword Pavilion's Elder Supreme—had genuinely possessed the power to kill him with that single strike, despite clearly not having reached Void Shattering realm.
"Today's events were too bizarre! Why did so many strange individuals suddenly appear?"
Monk Faming couldn't make sense of it.
First, Moon Shadow Sect's mysterious cultivator escaped right before his eyes, stealing premium Celestial Jade Marrow despite being a whole major realm beneath him.
Then came that inexplicable swordsman with some grudge against Buddhist cultivators—also at Unity realm, yet possessing absurdly terrifying combat power.
Though most memories faded between reincarnations, privileged individuals like him and Hua Jin the True One retained fragments.
In those fragments, neither Moon Shadow Sect nor Sword Pavilion existed, nor were there Ascenders with such frightening battle prowess.
"Perhaps... this is the variable the Master spoke of!"
Monk Faming's eyes brightened.
Across countless reincarnations, hadn't the Master been searching precisely for variables?
With this thought, he immediately changed out of his filthy kasaya and entered a hidden chamber through a secret passage behind the Great Bear Hall's Buddha statue.
Unlike Hua Jin's situation—where she worshipped a three-faced statue—the deity Monk Faming prostrated before was a grotesque snake-bodied, human-headed entity.
The creature's scales glowed sickly green in the dim candlelight, while its human face displayed near-perfect beauty. Its hollow, profound eyes seemed capable of peering into souls, simultaneously radiating both demonic strangeness and an inviolable sacred aura.
Meeting its gaze triggered an irresistible urge to submit, rising from the very marrow of one's spine.
Prostrating on the cold stone floor, Monk Faming trembled as he uttered ancient, obscure syllables.
As the syllables echoed through the chamber, his body began unnaturally contorting—bones emitting unsettling cracks, joints bending backward. An invisible hand seemed to manipulate his spine, stretching and warping his kneeling posture until he resembled a boneless earthworm, writhing spasmodically across the floor while leaving glistening trails of mucus.
...
Some time later.
Monk Faming emerged from the secret passage.
He wore fresh kasaya and had returned to normal—except for the new snake-headed staff in his hand.
...