“This…” The man shrouded in bloody yellow mist lost his voice, staring in horror at the extinguished soul lamp.
Could it be that the three Grand Elders had perished simultaneously?
Although he didn’t know when their battle had begun, being killed at the same time was simply too inconceivable and horrifying to comprehend.
The three Grand Elders possessed unique cultivation techniques, lived longer than peers of the same realm, and were martial experts from several generations ago. Currently, aside from a few exceptions, their contemporaries in the martial world had long since perished. Relying on this advantage, they had all attained the peak of the Exteriors Realm. Moreover, with the “Huangquan Bone” and the “Three Paths Grand Formation” cultivated together for decades, although they definitely couldn’t match a true Dharma Body, how was Kong Wen, a Dharma Body severely weakened after battling the Demon Patriarch, sufficient to kill all three Grand Elders at once?
Bang! Two green lamps flew up, and the lid of the pitch-black coffin was suddenly thrown aside, blood-yellow mist surging out like tangible substance!
From within, a figure abruptly sat up, its aura as if connecting past, present, and future, exuding a dead and corrupted presence.
Through droplet-like mist, one could vaguely see that its entire body was composed of white bones, but four bones, including the hand bones, were missing!
Thin layers of flesh covered the remaining bones—whether newly grown or remnants from incomplete decay, it was unclear.
“Cursed!” He roared, his fury plunging the entire ancient tomb into the abyss of the Netherworld.
Had Kong Wen not truly suffered severe injuries and declined?
Had all the clues and solid evidence over the years been deliberately fabricated by him? What exactly was he planning?
Combined, the three Grand Elders nearly equaled half the strength of the senior experts within the Benevolent and Unbenevolent Sect, including himself. Not to mention the three foundational “Huangquan Bones” of the sect. The loss was devastating. The painstaking accumulation from looting multiple ancient tombs was wiped out in an instant. How could he not be shocked and enraged?
…
“Lao Na Kong Wen.”
These four words struck Meng Qi’s heart like four Buddha Palm strikes, shaking his spiritual awareness and causing his mind sea to lose control, wave after towering wave.
The abbot of Shaolin, Kong Wen, the third-ranked Arhat of the Celestial List, the Dragon-Tamer Arhat, was imprisoned and suppressed here?
If this were true, then who was the one currently in Shaolin Temple?
There had been no recent reports of any Dharma Body experts encountering misfortune, and the Venerable Lingbao Tianzun had specifically mentioned that Abbot Kong Wen would come to compete for the general outline of the Dragon-Tamer Palm!
The “Karmic Bond” formation’s “Abbot-Demon Patriarch Thread”…
The Demon Patriarch-like figure stepping on the formation’s vital point within the “Invoking External Demons” barrier…
The “Abbot Kong Wen” accused of not doing his utmost to save people during the Jiang River Gang Qi Xia incident, failing to display the might of a Dharma Body…
The “Abbot Kong Wen” initially suspected, but later cleared, regarding the death of Qing Jing of the Xuan Tian Sect within Shaolin Temple…
The “Abbot Kong Wen” who had killed the Immortal Trace “Taiyi Heavenly Venerable” and confirmed his real identity…
The shadowy mastermind behind the Shaolin Temple who deliberately allowed Duan Rui and his adoptive father to cultivate the “Yi Jin Jing” in reverse…
The inexplicable death of the guard watching over Duan Rui, leaving no traces nearby…
The murky circumstances surrounding the “Zhen Chang Stealing the Sutra” incident years ago…
Shaolin’s sudden support for the Crown Prince, mingling with the Pure Land Sect and others…
His expulsion from Shaolin, although in line with monastic discipline and Shaolin principles, leaving neither Master Xuan Bei nor himself able to find fault—yet why had Head Monk Wu Jing acted so hastily? Wouldn’t punishing him at Shaolin before all monks served better as a warning example? His eagerness seemed excessive!
In recent years, Shaolin had experienced many strange occurrences!
Instantly, these incidents echoed in Meng Qi’s mind. In a flash of lightning, he vaguely formed a suspicion:
Could the “Abbot Kong Wen” in Shaolin Temple actually be the Demon Patriarch Han Guang in disguise?
This thought had barely surfaced when it startled Meng Qi himself, nearly making him disbelieve it!
Could the current top sect, Shaolin, truly have allowed a demonic Dharma Body practitioner to infiltrate, even becoming the “Abbot”?
He almost shook his head, dismissing the hypothesis, as many alternative explanations could account for these events—such as Abbot Kong Wen’s good and evil split causing his body to separate, or inconsistencies across timelines of multiple worlds, or strange phenomena caused by karmic effects across different realms…
Yet once this suspicion arose, it took deep root. Following this line of thought, Meng Qi found that other events could also be explained!
During the Qionghua Banquet, he had been engaged by the Six Annihilation Demon, seemingly waiting for reinforcements. Later arriving was the “Nine Heaven Thunder God,” suggesting a collaboration between the Heaven-Annihilation Gate and Mythos!
The sudden, unprovoked appearance of the Celestial Emperor, who immediately attacked, causing the half-step Dharma Body expert of the Zhao Clan in Shendu to fail at the brink of success…
At that time, Mythos had sent relatively few people, seemingly on a personal mission…
The Six Annihilation Demon possessed the Secret Art of Deception, capable of concealing their realm and true martial prowess from many experts unless they attacked with full force…
The previous false Jiuniang…
After battling the Demon Patriarch, Abbot Kong Wen had not appeared in the martial world for over a decade, not meeting any other Dharma Body experts. Even the divine weapon Anan Blade was alternately wielded by the Head and Elders guarding the Relic Pagoda…
Piece by piece, the clues connected into a brilliant and compelling chain, making Meng Qi increasingly horrified and shaken:
The “Abbot Kong Wen” outside was indeed the Demon Patriarch Han Guang!
And the “Demon Patriarch” Han Guang was none other than Mythos’s “Celestial Emperor”!
With this realization, Meng Qi suddenly recalled another incident. Back in Ye City, Gu Xiaosang had been ambiguous about the “True Emperor’s Seal,” later claiming it was to lure out the long-missing Demon Patriarch Han Guang for cooperation. She had suggested that as a remnant of the fallen dynasty, he might harbor special feelings for this symbolic treasure and secretly attempt to seize it.
But instead of the Heaven-Annihilation Gate, it was Mythos members who had arrived!
If his earlier suspicions were correct, this explained everything. The Demon Patriarch disguised as the Shaolin Abbot had to be cautious everywhere, unable to leave the temple at will or attack freely unless facing an opponent of extremely low strength. He could kill from afar through spatial force transmission. However, deploying the Heaven-Annihilation Gate risked exposing his continued existence, so it was safer to issue tasks through Mythos!
This also explained why, after Meng Qi discovered the truth, the shadowy mastermind had not pursued or intercepted him with full force:
They were spread too thin!
Moreover, they couldn’t deploy their actual subordinates, lest someone with sharp insight detect anomalies!
Furrowing his brow at this thought, Meng Qi recalled that the Heaven-Annihilation Gate and Luo Jiao had long collaborated. Gu Xiaosang’s actions at that time, aside from confirming the leader’s status, likely also suspected that the “Demon Patriarch” was the “Celestial Emperor”!
That cunning girl indeed had a talent for mixing personal gain with official duties, her deceit always half-truths or half-omissions!
Meng Qi took a deep breath. If the “Demon Patriarch” was indeed the “Celestial Emperor,” then Abbot Kong Wen’s defeat became understandable. Consider Gu Xiaosang’s trickery against the incarnate disciple of the Jade Maiden Sect. Without such precautions, the unsuspecting Abbot Kong Wen would easily fall victim. Not to mention, the Demon Patriarch might also possess genuine, secret treasures of the Sealing Art and the support of Mythos!
Thinking this through, the Demon Patriarch was truly a generation-defining genius, an unparalleled and extraordinary overlord. In Meng Qi’s own words, he was practically the “main character” of the previous generation. For his jester-like elder brother Gao Lan to be ranked alongside him as the “Twin Luminaries of the Age” was practically an overestimation by the martial world!
Of course, Meng Qi had never encountered Gao Lan’s “cold persona,” so he couldn’t hastily conclude that he was inferior to the Demon Patriarch.
As for the previous “main character,” Meng Qi had no doubt that it was Jiang Zhiwei’s master, the “Heaven-Sundering Divine Sword” Su Wuming.
Meng Qi inhaled deeply, dispelling his suspicions and striving to regain calmness.
All of this assumed that the person trapped in the sixth level truly was Abbot Kong Wen. Could it not be the Demon Patriarch himself pretending to trick someone into rescuing him?
The reason Meng Qi had been so shaken without confirming the other’s identity, his heart churning with shockwaves, was because these suspicions and clues had long existed in his mind, deeply imprinted and constantly puzzling him, yet he had never found the key to connect them all—until the four words “Lao Na Kong Wen” suddenly illuminated everything!
After slightly calming down, Meng Qi called out loudly, “Senior, are you the Shaolin Abbot Kong Wen, the Dragon-Tamer Arhat?”
He focused his gaze, and indeed, inside appeared to be a monk!
“Indeed, it is I.” Abbot Kong Wen’s voice was neither agitated nor anxious.
He seemed about to continue but paused before asking instead, “Who is the lay devotee, and how did you enter the back mountains of Shaolin?”
Did the Abbot know this was the “Shaolin” back mountains? Well, as the abbot, he should possess some knowledge of the sect’s secrets… Meng Qi relaxed, deciding to be open and honest to gain trust: “This junior is Su Meng, a former disciple expelled from Shaolin, once apprenticed under Master Xuan Bei.”
He planned to listen to what the trapped “Kong Wen” had to say, to judge authenticity and uncover more secrets, thus revealing his identity voluntarily. After all, stories of accidentally entering secret realms were not uncommon, as long as he didn’t expose the Six Paths’ secrets.
As for rescuing him, Meng Qi had no intention of acting directly. Who knew if it was actually the Demon Patriarch Han Guang inside? Moreover, he genuinely lacked the strength. He would instead see whom the “Abbot Kong Wen” wished to summon for help, and he could act as the messenger.
As he spoke, Meng Qi activated the Golden Bell Cover, his body radiating a dark golden glow, nearly resembling an Arhat.
“Xuan Bei’s disciple?” Abbot Kong Wen’s voice carried a sense of nostalgia. “I have wronged the title of Grandmaster, having been trapped here shortly after guiding him into the sect. I wonder how he fares now?”
Xuan Bei had entered the sect roughly two or three years before Abbot Kong Wen’s battle with the Demon Patriarch, receiving his careful instruction.
Meng Qi understood this was a familial inquiry to verify identity, so he answered candidly: “My master is exceptionally talented, with a natural affinity for Buddhist teachings. Despite setbacks in cultivating the mysterious techniques, he has progressed rapidly in the Mahavairocana Subduing Demon Fist. He is now at the peak of the Exteriors Realm. Oh, and the temple still has ‘Abbot Kong Wen’ guiding him…”
“Han Guang…” Abbot Kong Wen hesitated, sighing deeply. “They spared my life not only because of the great cost but also because they feared the extinguishing of the soul lamp would prevent them from impersonating me and infiltrating the temple.”
“They?” Meng Qi asked, puzzled.
Could it be that “Mythos members” were also involved in setting up the formation to interfere?
Abbot Kong Wen seemed to ease some of his doubts, slowly explaining: “Years ago, when Han Guang’s whereabouts were exposed, after confirming no ambush or plot, I left behind the Anan Blade, which was incompatible with my cultivation, and took the relics of Patriarch Yuan Kong, rushing to that location intending to lead him to the relic pagoda in the back mountains to dispel his demonic nature.”
“I originally had the upper hand, nearly succeeding, when Han Guang suddenly summoned an artifact, forcibly pulling me into this realm.”
“This place is set with formations that immediately trapped me. Additionally, another Dharma Body expert aided Han Guang. I could barely protect myself and have remained trapped here.”
Meng Qi was instantly horrified. Another Dharma Body expert?
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