Mei Qing’s heart was filled with shock and confusion. He stood there, somewhat dazed, gazing around the hall at the scenery. Once the illusionary formation had been dispersed, the real surroundings naturally revealed themselves. The deities enshrined within the hall looked very familiar—he had seen them not long ago. They were the statues of the Sea Goddess.
This place was indeed the fish-bone temple on Xiangyun Island, where Mei Qing and others had previously followed Liu Ling’er.
So, after activating his teleportation technique, he had actually ended up here.
But who had set up that illusionary formation beforehand? And how had they managed to draw his teleportation into the formation?
If all of this had truly been a premeditated trap, then their strength must be far superior to his own. To deal with him would be no more difficult than a simple flick of the wrist—so why go to such great lengths to orchestrate this entire scenario?
Alternatively, could it be that he was still caught within another illusion, and that the current scene was not real?
His mind unsettled, Mei Qing extended his spiritual awareness once more, hoping to make contact with Bi Zhen and the others.
The moment his thoughts stirred, he immediately sensed Bi Zhen’s anxious emotions, which suddenly turned joyous upon receiving his mental signal: “Mei Qing, where are you?”
“Inside the fish-bone temple…” Mei Qing had barely transmitted these few words when suddenly, the surroundings darkened. A massive shadow abruptly engulfed him from head to toe. Instantly, his connection with Bi Zhen’s spiritual message was severed.
Alarmed, Mei Qing realized he had fallen into an ambush. He quickly activated his mind’s intent, unleashing several protective talismans simultaneously to shield his body. Yet before he could make any further move, a powerful force seized him, pressing down directly onto his golden core.
The nascent spirit formed from his newly formed golden core instinctively sensed the danger. Brilliant rays of sunlight and moonlight erupted forth, while golden liquid surged within the Purple Mansion’s cauldron. Thick streams of true energy surged like a storm through his meridians, fiercely resisting the oppressive force closing in from all directions.
“Soul-Devouring Thunder. Unleash!!” A chant rang out. The pressure around him immediately intensified, gradually solidifying into a suffocating force that compressed Mei Qing’s energy, sending it violently recoiling back into his body. Although Mei Qing struggled to maintain control and pushed his energy to resist, it was to no avail.
His true energy was now completely suppressed, and his talismans and spells were rendered useless. At this rate, it would not be long before his golden core was sealed and his nascent spirit captured—leaving him with no choice but to surrender.
Panicked, Mei Qing knew he had already lost the advantage. Despite his abundant energy reserves, not a trace of it could be used. Helplessly, he felt himself being gradually compressed inward. With the situation growing dire, Mei Qing gritted his teeth, instantly withdrawing his spiritual awareness into his golden core and nascent spirit. Activating the Huayan Seal Method to harmonize his inner and outer energies, he chanted the incantation: “Seal!”—using a self-sealing technique to cut off all internal and external connections.
The moment Mei Qing executed this technique, the flow of energy between his body and the outside world was immediately severed. Though this left him unable to resist further or project his spiritual awareness outward, the invading force also could no longer penetrate. Although the external energy kept coming in waves, circling around him endlessly, it could find no way in.
“Hmm?” A voice, slightly surprised, echoed in the hall. Gradually, two figures emerged.
One was a fat monk with a smiling face—none other than Xiao Milet, who had fled from the Shi residence without even fighting Master Ku. The other man wore an even more insincere smile, exaggerated and false, none other than Liu Liu, the second leader of the Incense Sect.
“Right Protector truly has great abilities,” Liu Liu flattered with a fawning smile. “I’ve heard that this young fellow has profound cultivation, daring enough to sneak into our sect to steal the sacred cauldron. Now, with the Right Protector capturing him in one fell swoop, it’s truly unstoppable—absolutely unstoppable!”
“Hmph!” Although Xiao Milet’s smile remained, his tone carried a hint of impatience. “Liu Liu, where did you get this information? Are you certain that the cauldron is in this kid’s possession?”
Liu Liu blinked, his voice firm and confident. “Right Leader, I had people thoroughly investigate the Shi family’s stronghold. This young man once stayed there, and the servants saw him holding a small cauldron while deep in thought. That’s how we confirmed it.”
Xiao Milet’s smile widened as he chuckled. “So, Master Liu, tonight’s actions were truly well-planned indeed! But did you also know beforehand that a big monk from the Shi residence was with him, and just neglected to inform me?”
Seeing Xiao Milet’s grin widen, Liu Liu’s heart sank. Though Xiao Milet was known for his laughter, he was notorious for his kindness in appearance but cruelty in action. Liu Liu had seen his ruthless methods many times—knowing full well that the more Xiao Milet smiled, the more sinister his intentions. Now, seeing him laugh so heartily, Liu Liu couldn’t help but tremble with fear.
Yet despite his terror, he dared not show even a hint of hesitation. Liu Liu forced himself to remain calm, his face adopting a respectful and cautious expression as he earnestly replied: “Right Protector, my men were only tasked with tracking down those three: the old Taoist, this kid, and a thin man. We focused solely on their movements. Once we learned their whereabouts, we worked tirelessly to investigate further, eventually discovering that two of them appeared at the Shi family’s estate in the port, while the thin one’s whereabouts remain unknown. Upon receiving this information, I wasted no time notifying the Protector. As for the monk at the Shi residence, due to the urgency of the situation, we simply hadn’t confirmed his presence. I beg the Protector to understand.”
“Is that so?” Xiao Milet’s smile remained, but his eyes narrowed as he fixed Liu Liu with an intense stare. Though his face was still smiling, his gaze was icy cold. Liu Liu felt as though he had been locked in the gaze of a venomous snake, his limbs turning cold, nearly prompting him to flee on instinct.
Yet, having spent years within the sect and well aware of the monk’s brutal methods, Liu Liu forced himself to remain still. Summoning every ounce of willpower, he steadied his breathing and forced his expression into one of sincerity before lowering his head in silence.
Xiao Milet’s gaze swept over Liu Liu as he silently considered his words, gradually convinced of their truth.
After all, Liu Liu probably wouldn’t even know of Master Ku’s reputation.
In truth, Xiao Milet had never really suspected Liu Liu of deliberately setting them up to run into Master Ku. He was simply naturally suspicious—always ready to doubt even the most improbable scenarios to avoid any possible oversight.
Seeing Liu Liu’s apparent sincerity, Xiao Milet inwardly nodded in approval, though his expression remained unreadable. He let out another “Ha!” and said with a grin, “You’ve indeed done well. Capturing this kid is no small feat. However—” His cold, sinister gaze swept over Liu Liu once more—”why didn’t you remain to command the Yanling during tonight’s assault on the Shi residence? Instead, the moment things turned unfavorable, you fled here like a coward?”
Liu Liu inwardly cursed, thinking, *If you weren’t a coward yourself, why did you come to this temple too?* But such thoughts could only remain unspoken. After all, he had indeed fled the battlefield. If he failed to explain himself properly, this black-hearted monk might strike him down with a single palm strike.
Terrified, Liu Liu’s mind raced for an appropriate excuse, but none came. As Xiao Milet continued to smile at him, his grin widening, Liu Liu trembled in fear. His legs gave out, and he dropped to his knees with a loud *thud*, stammering, “Mercy, Protector! It’s true—I’m a coward. When that big black fellow smashed the Yanling into pieces, I was so frightened that I fled here to hide. It wasn’t that I valued my life—I knew even if I gave it, it wouldn’t help the situation. I kept this wretched life only to serve you further!”
With that, he felt both wronged and terrified. Tears and snot streamed down his face uncontrollably, but he dared not wipe them away. He could only sob quietly, his face a picture of utter despair.
Unexpectedly, this honest confession eased Xiao Milet’s suspicions. He thought to himself: *This fellow is spineless. Seeing such a scene, of course he’d be terrified. He even admitted his cowardice outright, which means he’s too scared to lie anymore. But how could that yao spirit, passed down from a master, be shattered by a single blow from a black giant? There must be something strange here. I must investigate this later.*
Seeing Xiao Milet still smiling but lost in thought, Liu Liu grew even more terrified, convinced that his life was over. Although he had acted according to the instructions of the immortal, those instructions had not included dealing with this evil monk. Now that he had run into Xiao Milet, he feared even the immortal wouldn’t help him. Was he doomed to die?
Overcome with grief and terror, Liu Liu’s wailing grew even louder. Crawling forward on his knees, he repeatedly kowtowed, crying out: “Protector, although I may be a coward, I have always been loyal to you! From now on, I am but a dog at your feet, ready to obey your every command. Please, have mercy and spare my wretched life…”
Seeing Liu Liu sobbing with tears and snot streaming down, Xiao Milet couldn’t help but chuckle inwardly. He decided to stop intimidating him. With a grunt, he said: “Enough with this act. I’ve always known what kind of man you are. Since you’ve been honest, I’ll spare your life—for now. But if you ever repeat this, I’ll make sure to punish you twice as hard.”
Liu Liu, who had already resigned himself to death, was overjoyed at Xiao Milet’s words. He immediately began kowtowing furiously, swearing oaths of loyalty. Only after Xiao Milet grew impatient, cursing and kicking him twice, did Liu Liu finally stop crying, a look of relief on his face.
Xiao Milet then turned his gaze toward the immobilized Mei Qing, his expression slightly puzzled and troubled.
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