Chapter 435: Chapter 429: The Secret of Nuwa Temple
Following the little nun, they walked past the statue of Nuwa in the main hall and through a small threshold, unexpectedly opening into another hall which couldn’t be seen from the main one.
Upon entering this rear hall, Qin Liuxi immediately felt a surge of yin evil energy swirling around her. She looked up and saw a towering statue of Nuwa in the center of the hall. Unlike the solitary figure outside, this statue of Nuwa cradled a child in each hand—one male and one female—her eyes downcast, gazing below.
Beneath her feet lay several tiers of shelves, upon which sat dozens of simple and endearing clay figurines, most of which had been dotted with vermillion.
To outsiders, these clay figurines with dotted eyes appeared naive and lifelike, their eyes seeming to speak, tempting onlookers to step forward and take them away.
But through Qin Liuxi’s eyes, these clay figurines all bore ferocious expressions, their eyes staring straight at those entering the hall, and each figurine with dotted eyes was shrouded in resentful energy.
Qin Liuxi slightly closed her eyes, as if she could hear the unwilling, piercing screams and the mournful cries of babies, along with faint pleas for help.
They were yearning to leave, wanting to escape the confinement of these small clay bodies.
Qin Liuxi opened her eyes and coldly surveyed her surroundings.
Apart from the Nuwa statue with children, there were also four menacing figures of Evil Ghosts holding Magic Artifacts, all facing the shelves.
And above Nuwa hung talismans.
Qin Liuxi looked around, her knuckles contorting as she calculated and moved slowly. When she recognized certain objects, she informed Teng Zhao, “It’s the Four-direction Soul-locking Array.”
Teng Zhao raised his eyebrows: “No wonder these objects haven’t leaked any evil energy.”
These clay figurines had baby souls sealed within them, and with the Soul-locking Array suppressing them, naturally, the resentful energy would not leak and would avoid attracting the attention of those on the Righteous Path.
“Where is Master Cizhen up to his tricks?” Teng Zhao asked the little nun.
The little nun glanced at his eyes and blurted out: “Master is in the sec… uh, pfft!”
Teng Zhao was startled and leapt backward, dodging the spurt of warm blood: “What in the world.”
Qin Liuxi and Teng Zhao were also startled.
A moment ago, the little nun had been fine, but suddenly she bulged her eyes, spit out a mouthful of blood, her face contorted ferociously, and then she fell backward, lifeless.
This turn of events had been too sudden.
Qin Liuxi immediately stepped forward, pressing her fingers on the nun’s wrist, frowning: “She died of a heart channel fracture.”
Teng Zhao: “I didn’t do it!”
Qin Liuxi rolled her eyes at him in annoyance.
“Master,” Teng Zhao pointed to the little nun’s body in horror, as a small black insect crawled out of her nose and lay motionless on the ground.
Teng Zhao immediately pulled Qin Liuxi away and scrutinized the small insect, saying, “Is this a poisonous insect?”
Qin Liuxi stood up: “Not good. I’m afraid this is what Master Cizhen planted in the little nun. Just now when you asked a question, she had only spoken a few words, which must have touched upon a secret. Speaking it out would cause her heart channel to explode, killing her to keep the secret safe.”
Teng Zhao let out a breath: “Indeed cunning, interesting.”
Qin Liuxi said: “Let’s split up. You go up high outside and don’t let him escape. Since that woman just came out from here after a spring affair, there must be some secret chamber with hidden secrets.”
Teng Zhao looked at her unchanging expression as she spoke of such matters, not showing the slightest hint of embarrassment, and couldn’t help but marvel at how clear and unclouded her Dao Heart was.
“I don’t know what kind of ghostly thing it is; it’s better that we stick together. As for the outside, I’ll have my illusion keep watch.” With a wave of his hand, Teng Zhao summoned an ethereal illusion of a Nine-tailed Fox that dashed out.
The so-called illusion was equivalent to his shadow clone, serving as his eyes and ears.
Time was of the essence, so they began searching for the secret chamber.
In the secret chamber, a young man with a feminine appearance was meditating. His skin was a cold, pale white, his hands long with distinct finger bones, and under the illumination of the Luminous Pearls in the room, his fingernails emitted a chilling gleam as if they had been poisoned.
He suddenly opened his eyes, looking towards a burst jar, his complexion sank, and he quickly calculated with his fingers, frowning.
“Interesting, someone has used a Charming Technique on Hui Xin.”
The man before him was Master Cizhen, the one Qin Liuxi and the others were looking for, a man.
He got up from the stone bed, took a drink from a jar of something that looked like Blood Wine, his lips stained red, showing satisfaction.
Then, he got dressed, in a set of female Daoist robe in white, donned a coronet and took up a horsetail whisk, he became an otherworldly female Daoist.
Master Cizhen walked over to a row of jars in the secret chamber, swept his horsetail whisk over them, and smiled, “Everything is ready, only missing a key element. Just one more, and you will become the most powerful Magic Artifact in the hands of this Master.”
Once the Nine Yin Soul Devouring Banner is completed, his cultivation would climb to a new level. As for the clay figurines to be sent out, what of it? Once one banner is refined, and then another, he could choose the most fierce to refine the Ten Thousand Ghost Banner.
Master Cizhen laughed smugly.
He was about to leave when his steps suddenly stiffened. The door to the secret chamber opened – how could this be?
The smile on Master Cizhen’s face froze at his lips, turning alert, his eyes showing a trace of treachery and ruthlessness. Since somebody made it here, they should never leave. Just perfect to offer a vindictive soul for his Ten Thousand Ghost Banner, and to test the power of the Evil Ghost Bell.
Qin Liuxi and the others twisted a nondescript clay figurine, and the Nuwa statue chuckled. It was the sound of a mechanism activating.
Then they saw the statue of Nuwa slowly moving backward, revealing a passage.
Qin Liuxi and Feng Miao looked at each other, asked Teng Zhao to leave first, and then the two proceeded down the passage.
Entering the corridor, within a few breaths, they found stairs leading downward with candles burning on both sides, and wind blowing from the depths carrying an indescribable smell – fishy, rotten, muggy, nauseating.
Qin Liuxi almost vomited out the fish she had for lunch and hastily used a Detoxification Talisman.
Walking down the stairs, Qin Liuxi sensed something and looked to the right – it was a cage with several unconscious young girls inside, with some foul smell coming from their direction.
These were the young girls sent by the Ma Family.
Such a dreadful sin.
They walked further inside and found a secret room with a pool, emanating a foul stench.
Feng Miao couldn’t bear it, subconsciously enclosing the two in demonic power to block the unpleasant odors.
This place was too distressing.
After walking for a while, Qin Liuxi stopped Feng Miao, her eyes squinting.
“They’re here.”
With a sneer, Feng Miao’s figure flashed as he rushed forward.
Annoying to death.
Better kill that despicable person quickly and then find a place for a warm spring bath to rid of this foulness.
Qin Liuxi: “…”
She followed somewhat helplessly.
Master Cizhen used an Invisibility Talisman, planning a surprise attack on the newcomer.
Yet unexpectedly, before seeing anyone, he saw a fiery-red shadow dashing towards him. He subconsciously dodged, but the figure lunged straight at him.
How could this be?
He used a talisman, what kind of ghost is this, being able to see him?