Chapter 475: White Cloud Temple
The Fury of the Demon
Each culture has its own legends; some are true and some are fabricated. Judging by the abilities shown by the Daoist priests, the mythological stories of China are likely to be real beings.
Luke is in a bad state now—hazy, unable to perceive the outside world, only aware of one thing: he has been attacked.
Thus, the dark green flames quickly grew.
The dark green flame extended to both sides, and several ferocious-looking dragon heads appeared within the fire.
Zhao Congxin wielded the wooden sword, the edge of which tore through the air, cutting off dragon heads one after another. Yet, in the next second, the broken dragon heads contorted outward, and new heads emerged: one split into two, two split into four, and soon, ten dragon heads roared forward, biting and snapping.
The flames were raging and violent, yet they carried a coldness that seeped into the soul.
Zhao Congxin's expression suddenly changed, and he shouted loudly while retreating,
"All fellow Daoist friends, help me vanquish this demon!"
Without hesitation, everyone in the main hall immediately unleashed their special skills. For a moment, magic swords, talismans, five-colored thunder, Yin wind, ghost generals, and all sorts of attacks rushed toward the Green Flame.
The green flame swayed, was struck into pieces, and the dragon heads disappeared.
Zhao Congxin took advantage of the situation to move forward, his sword body passing through the air, leaving a gorgeous white arc.
"Open!"
He shouted loudly, used all his strength, and slashed hard at the metal.
Clang!
The sound of gold and iron rang out, and a crack appeared in the red metal. Zhao Congxin looked overjoyed, picked up his long sword, and split it again.
"You are looking for death."
An angry voice resonated in everyone's hearts. In the next second, everyone's eyes strangely turned green, their pupils dilated, and a faint yellow light suddenly appeared. It was the fearful will, the fearful will obtained from the parallax monster that turned fear into seeds and took root in their hearts. It sprouted and grew at an unimaginable speed, instantly growing into a towering tree.
Everyone froze in horror, unable to move.
Zhao Congxin bit his tongue, forcing himself to calm down.
"Guard your heart and never be controlled by the devil!"
Several old Daoist priests with higher cultivation levels silently recited mantras, trying their best to fight against the fear. Other disciples were not so lucky. Some tore off their clothes and screamed, while others held their heads in their hands and trembled. Their psychological defense line was constantly destroyed by fear. Even if they survived this way, they would be useless.
Zhang Ruochen's heart was bleeding at the sight. These disciples were the pillars of Daoism. If they fell here, White Cloud Temple would be finished.
Fortunately, the fear only lasted thirty seconds before disappearing. The green flames shrank and returned to the metal, and a cold voice sounded in everyone's hearts,
"Stop messing with me."
Zhao Congxin and several old Daoist priests looked at each other, and they all saw a look of surprise in each other's eyes.
With the power shown by the metal, it was fully capable of killing people, yet it did not do so. Was there some hidden secret?
The disciples were terribly tortured. Some had dull, trancelike expressions and had clearly not recovered from their previous state of fear.
Zhang Ruochen dared not let them stay, so he quickly asked someone to take them out of the main hall.
Zhao Congxin put away the wooden sword, his expression slightly serious. After a moment, his eyes turned to the side.
"Junior Brother Han, what do you think?"
"It's hard to say, it's hard to say," Han Lin shook his head, lost in thought.
Adhering to their preconceived notions, they naturally treated the meteorite, which carried immense murderous sin, as a demon. But judging from the various signs, that didn't seem to be the case.
Hidden in the metal was a soul, or a human.
Zhao Congxin couldn't make up his mind and simply left the problem to the current leader.
"Junior Brother Zhang, you decide this matter!"
Zhang Ruochen suddenly gave a bitter smile. Anyone with a discerning eye could see what decision he could make. The total number of people present might not be that entity's opponent. If they forcefully "eliminated the demon," they would surely suffer heavy casualties.
He could fight for his Senior Brother, but he couldn't ask others to.
After a moment of silence, Zhang Ruochen said helplessly,
"Press it under the Five Elements Monument first, and I will find a way to get in touch with the Master. It is up to him to decide everything."
Han Lin stroked his beard and chuckled. "Master may be able to destroy this monster."
Zhao Congxin put away the sword box.
"In that case, then I will say goodbye first."
He finished speaking and left the main hall with the other old Daoist priests.
After seeing everyone off, Zhang Ruochen returned to the main hall, looked at the metal in the wooden box, and couldn't help but sigh,
"I really shouldn't have brought you back."
The Search Begins
In the provincial capital of Lake Province, at a high-class hotel.
Number Three, who occupies Luke's body, suddenly called Linda into the room, took out the provincial and municipal maps, and drew a circle in the southwest direction.
"The Original Body is here."
The circle covered four prefecture-level cities, several mountainous areas, and spanned nearly two hundred kilometers from east to west.
"Can the specific direction be determined?"
"If it's awakened again, we can determine its position. Not now."
Linda nodded, her expression unable to hide her excitement. After working hard for so long, they finally had a result. Even the look in her eyes toward Number Three was much softer.
"How do we proceed?"
Number Three said in a deep voice, "Number Eight suggested targeting the Extraordinary and launching a search to narrow down the scope step by step."
"The Extraordinary?" Linda was momentarily stunned, showing her confusion.
Number Three explained, "China is different from America. There is a mature training system for extraordinary people here. The Lingxu Sect, where the old beggar belongs, is one of them. Different schools have different abilities. Some are good at internal breathing, and some are good at Daoist magic. Internal breathing hurts people; Daoist magic drives away ghosts."
"The first thing we are looking for is the Daoist sect in this area, and then we will consider other things. By the way..." At this point, Number Three suddenly remembered something.
"Did the old beggar say anything to you?"
"Why are you asking that?"
Number Three sneered, "The poor must be hateful. The old man taught you the Tiger Evil Sutra—his intentions may not be kind."
Linda scoffed,
"You'd better mind your own business!"
A Visit to Qingyun Mountain
The next day, the sun was bright, shining in the sky.
After their regular meeting, Luke (Number Three) and Linda quietly left the hotel and flew southwest.
If you ask which Daoist temple is the most famous in Hu Province, it must be White Cloud Temple.
The two of them were heading for Qingyun Mountain.
Because of the temple's closure, Qingyun Mountain seemed much deserted compared to the past. The two, in disguise, climbed the stairs and crossed three hundred steps to a magnificent wooden gate.
The young Daoist priest at the door stepped forward.
"The Daoist temple is closed today, and visitors are not welcome. Please come back another day."
Number Eleven smiled and said, "You can see my friend came from abroad. Out of admiration for the reputation of Qingyun Temple, she traveled all the way from the United States. You send us away without any explanation. Isn't that too much?"
The young Daoist priest looked a little embarrassed. He had noticed Linda's foreign appearance, but the senior uncle had given strict orders, which he dared not disobey.
"I apologize, both of you, but today is truly not possible."
Number Eleven was displeased.
"One 'not possible' after another, without even giving a reason. Is this how White Cloud Temple treats its guests? Believe it or not, I'll complain to the embassy about you."
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