The laughing Maitreya, who had been daydreaming, was startled by the portrait’s words. He quickly regained his composure, bowed his head, and murmured with a forced smile, “Reporting to the leader, we’ve already assigned people to take care of it.”
The figure in the portrait let out a noncommittal “Hmm,” and coldly replied, “Since we have decided to let go, we must cut all ties cleanly. Leave no traces that might arouse suspicion in others. After all, Qianjin (likely referring to a secret base or location) is our foundation. As for those peripheral members outside, ensure that there are no loose ends left.”
The laughing Maitreya nodded obediently. The portrait then asked coldly, “How is the progress on casting the cauldron?”
The Maitreya’s heart trembled violently, yet he maintained a calm expression as he answered, “Four replicas have already been completed according to the original design. However, after abandoning the Wenshang Sect, the source of human sacrifices has become increasingly scarce. Furthermore, mining for quality iron is becoming more difficult, so future cauldron casting may face some obstacles.”
The portrait replied, “This unexpected disruption was truly beyond my anticipation. How could the secret of the nightmare spirits in such a remote location as Changchun淀 have been uncovered? I fear that you’ve grown overly confident over time, resulting in careless execution of your duties. Last time in the capital, when we attempted to seize the Seven-star Inkstone, we suffered heavy losses—including two deputy guardians and many others—for nothing, alerted our enemies, and accomplished absolutely nothing. This time, even our long-established base at Changchun Palace was discovered. Hehe, at this rate, all the resources I’ve painstakingly accumulated will be squandered by you people!”
The laughing Maitreya was sweating profusely as he humbly replied, “It’s indeed my fault, and I deserve death. But upon receiving your orders this time, both the Left Guardian and I have taken it very seriously. I came to Qianjin冶 first to make all necessary arrangements, while the Left Guardian will personally escort the nightmare spirits here shortly. There won’t be any mistakes this time. Please rest assured, Leader.”
“Hmph!” the portrait snorted coldly, its voice as icy as winter. “With all the affairs in the capital, I’ll come to Yongping myself next spring to investigate thoroughly. You’d better be cautious and vigilant—don’t make any more mistakes.”
The portrait fell silent, yet the laughing Maitreya remained standing there motionless, his flabby face twitching violently, betraying the intense turmoil within.
He had just lied out of necessity. The original cauldron had already been lost, and forging a new one would be extremely difficult. Worse still, in the desperate attempt to retrieve the cauldron, he had used up all available resources without success, even losing Yuan Chongzhen in the process. The only gain was capturing Mei Qing, but he turned out to be a tough nut to crack—merely a decorative stone. Even if he managed to recover the cauldron, having lost the nightmare spirits and the Ape King, would the Leader still spare him?
Sighing deeply, the Maitreya decided not to dwell on his problems for now. He shook his head and stood up, determined to find a way to break through the young man’s magical seal first.
As he walked toward the stone prison, the Maitreya remained deep in thought. The prison was carved into a stone cliff behind the courtyard, surrounded by thick stone walls and corridors, typically used to imprison high-risk prisoners. However, given Mei Qing’s current condition, it wouldn’t have made much difference even if he were left outside. Thus, Mei Qing had been carelessly thrown into an ordinary room without much concern.
The Maitreya randomly stopped a servant and asked for Mei Qing’s room number before strolling toward it. As he walked, he muttered about how annoying this place was—using even the simplest spell here was exhausting, forcing one to run around for everything.
However, he failed to notice the servant, after nervously informing him of Mei Qing’s location, quickly lowering his head to hide his tense expression.
Meanwhile, Liu Liu was inside the stone prison, sweating profusely as he carried the unconscious Mei Qing, silently cursing heaven and earth.
He had been on his way to the Hundred Ghost Hall when, just before turning the corner and seeing the entrance, a sudden, cold, and aged voice echoed in his ear without warning.
After hearing only one sentence, Liu Liu’s face turned pale from shock, then flushed red with anxiety.
“My Immortal Master! What are you saying? You want me to go to the stone prison now and escape with that cursed, motionless guy?
Do you think I’m someone special—maybe the nephew of the Jade Emperor or the disciple of Bodhi Ancestor?
Though filled with anger, Liu Liu dared not show any dissatisfaction outwardly. Carefully, he replied that while he could enter the prison, escaping with another person without alerting anyone was beyond his capabilities.
“Stop whining. Just go. If anything happens, I’ll handle it,” the aged voice coldly replied without emotion.
Though reluctant, Liu Liu had no choice but to obey. Glancing toward the nearby Hundred Ghost Hall, he gritted his teeth and turned back the way he came.
Fortunately, he wasn’t completely without allies in the Wenshang Sect. Years ago, he had recommended a distant relative, and today that favor finally paid off. Though the young man was visibly terrified, he still let Liu Liu in.
But—carrying an unconscious person proved far more difficult than expected. Liu Liu tried repeatedly to lift Mei Qing and hurry away, only to find himself out of breath after a few steps, forced to rest.
Just as the laughing Maitreya turned into the long corridor before the stone prison, he witnessed this very scene.
Though puzzled about Liu Liu’s intentions, the Maitreya’s long-suppressed anger erupted like a volcanic eruption. “Haha… Excellent, Liu Er, you’ve done well. But tell me, why are you doing this?”
His face was smiling, but his voice was as cold as ice.
When Liu Liu saw the Maitreya suddenly appear, he immediately dropped to his knees.
“Guardian, it’s not me… It’s not me…” Liu Liu stammered in panic, like a man in a nightmare. “Immortal Master, save me…”
The Maitreya’s smile widened. Just as he was about to speak, he suddenly felt the ground shake beneath his feet, and the sky seemed to darken.
Accompanied by distant rumbling like thunder and wind, the Maitreya felt the surrounding spiritual energy fluctuate, causing alarm in his heart.
This place, Qianjin Ye, had always been spiritually stagnant, never showing any fluctuations. What was happening today?
His face grew serious as a thought crossed his mind, but he quickly shook his head.
How could someone possibly open this place? He knew well that this secret location was an ancient relic painstakingly discovered by the Leader. Although they had encountered the old monk Kutou at the Shi residence, there was no indication he was skilled in formations. While the old monk was indeed powerful, it was hard to believe he could breach this place.
As he pondered, the Maitreya noticed the surrounding light dimming further.
At the same time, he suddenly realized that the constant sound of rushing water nearby had gradually quieted down.
Knowing something was definitely wrong, the Maitreya abandoned further questioning of Liu Liu. He spread his sleeves and instantly seized Liu Liu and the unconscious Mei Qing, rushing toward the exit.
As he moved, the Maitreya was slightly surprised. Normally, using any magic here consumed immense spiritual energy, so people rarely used spells unless absolutely necessary. Yet this time, it felt unusually effortless—almost as easy as outside.
However, instead of feeling relieved, the Maitreya’s heart sank. He knew something was indeed wrong—most likely, someone had breached the outer defenses.
At the thought of Kutou’s ruthless nature, the Maitreya shivered involuntarily. He spread his sleeves again, preparing to flee at full speed.
Just then, a deafening roar shattered the sky. A section of space several zhang above suddenly exploded like a bomb, a mass of dark clouds rapidly expanding, swirling with mist, quickly growing to several zhang in diameter.
Thunder rumbled overhead, followed by flashes of golden light and countless streaks of energy. Several figures emerged from the chaos.
Seeing them, the Maitreya inwardly groaned. The newcomers were none other than Master Kutou, Bi Zhen, and Zhang Shisan.
Bi Zhen’s sharp eyes immediately spotted Mei Qing trapped under the Maitreya’s sleeve, motionless and unresponsive. Her heart filled with fear and rage, she shouted fiercely, “You bald monk! What have you done to my Qingge? Prepare to die!”
As she shouted, Bi Zhen raised her hands, and instantly, radiant treasures and strange magical artifacts appeared around her, glowing in dazzling colors and accompanied by thunderous sounds, raining down on the Maitreya like a storm.
The Maitreya had no choice but to abandon Mei Qing and Liu Liu, frantically waving his sleeves and chanting spells, barely managing to block Bi Zhen’s furious assault.
Upon seeing Mei Qing’s condition, both Zhang Shisan and Master Kutou were alarmed. However, their profound cultivation allowed them to quickly assess the situation and confirm that Mei Qing was still alive. Calming themselves, they refrained from rushing to Mei Qing’s side and instead stepped forward, flanking the Maitreya and cutting off his escape routes.
The Maitreya felt despair. Even one Master Kutou was already beyond his capability. Now with an old Daoist of equal power and Bi Zhen’s relentless assault, bombarding him with magical artifacts like they were worthless, this battle seemed destined to end badly.
Gritting his teeth, the Maitreya resolved to fight to the death, even if it meant mutual destruction.
Seeing the Maitreya’s fierce gaze, both Zhang Shisan and Master Kutou knew a cornered beast could still fight fiercely. They prepared themselves, ready to strike at any moment. However, none of them noticed Liu Liu, who suddenly threw something from his sleeve, triggering a sudden and unexpected transformation.
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