Chapter 228

Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva?

Tan Wenbin subconsciously looked into the depths ahead. So, was the Boy's current behavior due to encountering his old leader after changing jobs?

Then, Tan Wenbin looked down. If Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva was here, wouldn't the bridge he was standing on be the legendary Bridge of Helplessness?

Li Zhuiyuan walked up to Lin Shuyou, bent his ring finger, and tapped Lin Shuyou's forehead three times with his knuckle.

The panic in Lin Shuyou's eyes gradually receded, replaced by confusion.

Li Zhuiyuan said, "Lin Shuyou, distinguish clearly who you really are."

Hearing this, Lin Shuyou's unfocused gaze sharpened. He clutched his chest with one hand, braced himself on the ground with the other, gritted his teeth, and slowly stood up.

At this point, although A-You's face was still covered in cold sweat, his energy and spirit were quickly returning.

"Brother Xiaoyuan, thank you..."

"You can rely on Its power, but you are not Its subordinate. Otherwise, my team would only need one Guanjiangshou, not a Lin Shuyou."

"Understood!"

As Lin Shuyou and the White Crane Boy grew closer, they naturally became more empathetic to each other.

Just now, Lin Shuyou's body went out of control due to the Boy's emotions.

"Let's keep going."

The river current had already carried them this far; even if Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva was truly guarding what lay ahead, they would still have to enter hell.

As the bridge reached its end, Tan Wenbin's longed-for "Meng Po" was nowhere to be seen, not even a bowl for her soup.

Instead, the bridge led directly into a temple, a majestic, pitch-black structure that resembled a dormant beast, its mouth agape, swallowing the bridge.

Li Zhuiyuan recalled the view from the boat earlier, looking down from a height. There was a cluster of buildings below, and the temple before him was likely the entrance, or "main gate," to that complex.

Old-style residential houses often placed stone lions or similar objects at their entrances for protection, but temples were even more particular about this, typically featuring a guardian deity statue immediately upon entry.

As the five approached, an eerie wind seemed to blow up from the canyon below, sweeping into the temple. Clusters of spectral ghost flames appeared out of thin air, beginning to drift continuously along the temple's beams and walls.

It was clear that many parts of the temple showed signs of damage, as if they had been indiscriminately smashed, though not too severely.

Above, a plaque hung, cracked in the middle. As the ghost flames drifted past, the characters on it became clear: "Ksitigarbha Temple."

Lin Shuyou rubbed his eyes again; a constant feeling of discomfort emanated from the White Crane Boy.

Fortunately, he could now suppress the influence of these emotions on himself.

The ghost flames drifted to the sides, illuminating two recessed areas with stone railings, behind which stood statues—four on each side.

Each statue varied in physique and apparent age, depicting both males and females.

Tan Wenbin took out his flashlight and carefully illuminated them, remarking with confusion, "They all give off a similar feeling..."

Li Zhuiyuan replied, "The paint on the statues must have long since peeled off. If the colors were still there, it would probably be easier to see that while these statues depict different 'performers,' they are all portraying the same individual."

Tan Wenbin asked, "Like A-You's facial painting?"

Li Zhuiyuan nodded, "Yes."

The diviners' appearances varied, but their facial makeup effects were always aimed at representing the same Yin deity.

Tan Wenbin said, "Brother Xiaoyuan, there's a stone tablet beneath each of these statues. Yao Wenchang..."

Each statue had a stone tablet; some inscriptions were very faint, only vaguely discernible, while others were clear enough to read fully.

All four statues on both sides shared the surname Yao, indicating a family lineage.

The tablets all began with a consistent format: "So-and-so of the Yao family, revering the Gatekeeper True Monarch, walking among mortals."

They then recorded the various merits of the individuals in their lifetimes, such as how many evil spirits they suppressed and how many demons they eradicated. Most were general summaries, while a few listed specific incidents.

Lin Shuyou said, "When I was little, I went with my grandfather to an old Guanjiangshou temple in the mountains that wasn't open to the public. That temple would erect statues for past diviners after their deaths, placing them beside the Great One, allowing them to continue serving as guardians and enjoying glory even in death."

"So the Great One should be deeper inside?" Tan Wenbin moved his flashlight to the center. The flashlight's beam was strong, but once it penetrated, the light seemed to be swallowed by the profound darkness within.

Tan Wenbin patted his flashlight and then shone it on his own face. When he directed it inward again, the surrounding ghost flames suddenly converged towards the central depths.

The first thing that came into view was a tall altar, with a stone block on each side.

Other than that, the altar was empty, but as the ghost flames moved higher, a majestic statue became visible, suspended in the air. Unlike the eight statues outside, this one was clearly more exquisitely crafted, with finer details, appearing remarkably lifelike.

Because it stood in mid-air, all surrounding decorative elements were also suspended.

It depicted a figure with black wings spread from its back, soaring amidst the clouds, its gaze piercing, looking down upon the multitude of living beings below.

As soon as its eyes met the ghost flames, the entire temple instantly became clear and bright.

At first glance, its appearance somewhat resembled Leizhenzi, but it had a human face. From its face down to its neck, chest, and arms, intricate spiritual patterns were densely spread, hinting at divine power.

Tan Wenbin looked at the statue, then at Lin Shuyou.

Lin Shuyou's patterns were quite obvious on his body because he hadn't fully assimilated that portion of power yet. Their style strikingly resembled 70 to 80 percent of the statue above.

Tan Wenbin asked, "A-You, is this your Boy's relative, the Black Crane Boy?"

Lin Shuyou opened his mouth to retort but didn't know how, as he too had noticed that the patterns on the statue were remarkably similar to the Boy's dharma body. Every time he performed the facial painting, he followed this very style.

Yin Meng said, "Doesn't it say on the stone tablet that it's called the Gatekeeper True Monarch?"

Tan Wenbin asked, "Don't you think 'Gatekeeper True Monarch' sounds a lot like 'Gatekeeper Boy'? Or 'Guardian Boy,' 'Guide Boy'?"

Yin Meng fell silent.

In truth, everyone had noticed that the temple's layout and the inscriptions on the stone tablets strongly resembled a Guanjiangshou temple.

Those eight statues were like eight diviners.

Li Zhuiyuan asked, "A-You, that old Guanjiangshou temple in the mountains you mentioned, were its accompanying diviner statues just statues?"

Lin Shuyou, not daring to hide anything from Brother Xiaoyuan, replied, "The remains would be processed and sealed inside. That's why such temples aren't open to the public; they are supported by our worldly Guanjiangshou temples, and we also regularly send our disciples there for further training."

Tan Wenbin said, "So it's like a training facility for your Guanjiangshou?"

Lin Shuyou nodded, "Yes, something like that."

Tan Wenbin asked, "So, are there also remains sealed within these statues here?"

"Crack, crack, crack..."

Tan Wenbin exclaimed, "Oh crap, I was just kidding! I don't want to know!"

Cracks first appeared on the statue, then parts began to peel off, but the peeling wasn't patchy; instead, it revealed a more intricate inner layer.

The first part to fully shed its outer layer was the head of the Gatekeeper True Monarch.

Its eyes began to move, gleaming with vitality. Immediately after, the paint on its hands peeled off, and they began to clench into fists, followed by a tremor throughout its body.

"Clatter... Clatter..."

In an instant, it fully came to life, landing with a "boom."

Its black wings unfurled, sweeping away all the dust accumulated by time around it.

No wonder there were signs of scrapes and damage everywhere; throughout its long history, it must have awakened like this more than once, sweeping off attached stone fragments that then impacted the temple.

Li Zhuiyuan meticulously observed its wings, wanting to discern if this being was truly human.

Granted, an entity that could live for so long was bound to transform into a non-human, non-ghost appearance, but the young man wanted to know if it had been human in its life.

As the wings moved, Li Zhuiyuan particularly noted the changes in its other muscles and bones.

If it had been born with wings, the wings and body's skeletal muscles should have been more coordinated, but Li Zhuiyuan did not observe this in the being.

Therefore, these wings were likely not natural but had been transplanted later through some means.

Even so, it was still astonishing, as such a modification was comparable to Run Sheng carving sixteen Qi gates into his own body.

At that moment, a majestic voice emanated from its mouth, reverberating within the temple, then spreading to the bridge outside, echoing through the canyon below.

"Trespassing on the Bodhisattva's sacred ground, do you know your transgression?"

Its gaze began to sweep over everyone, one by one.

It paused when it saw Yin Meng.

Its right hand, which had been clenched, slowly relaxed and gradually flattened.

Judging by this posture, it would soon make a "please" gesture.

It was clear that the Yin family's ancestral tradition of getting free meals was about to be triggered.

Yin Meng also noticed this, as she herself had grown somewhat accustomed to it.

However, as a member of the Yin family, receiving such "special treatment" every time made her feel undeserving.

She truly wanted to point a finger at her Brother Xiaoyuan: *He* was the true inheritor of Emperor Fengdu.

Every time they invited the "underachiever" of their team to the highest seat, it was like repeatedly placing her, an unworthy descendant, at the pinnacle for "public shaming."

As a child, reading the travelogues of ancestors appended to her family genealogy, she found it interesting, even a little smug, that her ancestors were always treated with courtesy and given seats of honor wherever they went.

Looking back now, she realized others merely regarded Yin family descendants as some kind of dining table "mascot."

"Feng..."

The word was still in its throat, unsaid, when its gaze fell upon Lin Shuyou.

Its brow furrowed deeply, seemingly filled with profound bewilderment.

"You are..."

Suddenly, the Gatekeeper True Monarch's body stiffened. Its once sharp eyes turned cold, and its voice became grim: "Those who trespass on the Bodhisattva's sacred ground shall be killed without mercy!"

With those words, it spread its wings and lunged downward.

As the creature's statue began to shed its layers, everyone had already formed their positions, and Li Zhuiyuan had tied the red thread to each person.

Run Sheng's Qi gates opened, and he slammed his Yellow River Shovel down hard on the creature.

"Clang!"

The Yellow River Shovel struck its wing. The wing was not flesh and blood at all; it was incredibly hard, jarring Run Sheng's hand with pain.

However, Run Sheng reacted quickly, immediately pressing down on the shovel handle to block the opponent in front of him.

"Bang!"

"Brother Run Sheng, don't try to hold it back! Lure it outside. Everyone else, get clear!"

Run Sheng slid backward. Those who had been hiding behind him quickly dispersed, and even Li Zhuiyuan rolled sideways twice on the ground.

It was truly rare to encounter someone even Run Sheng couldn't stop.

The slide continued, and Run Sheng was now out of the temple and onto the bridge.

The Gatekeeper True Monarch's momentum slowed. It flapped its wings, swiftly twisted its body multiple times, delivering three kicks towards Run Sheng.

For the first kick, Run Sheng blocked with his shovel, which was knocked aside. For the second, he blocked with his arm, which was also forced away. The third kick landed heavily on Run Sheng's chest, sending him flying backward off his feet. Mid-flight, he sharply dropped, landing with a guttural growl, stabilizing himself.

Blood began to seep from his Qi gates, indicating that the previous kick had caused Run Sheng internal injuries.

The Gatekeeper True Monarch watched Run Sheng while extending a hand backward, palm swaying.

A moment later, nothing happened.

The Gatekeeper True Monarch looked back, its eyes filled with confusion.

It saw a young man standing on the altar where it had originally been. Of the two stone blocks on the altar, one was completely covered in talismans, and the other had been sealed by the young man with black dog blood runes.

The two stone blocks swayed slightly under its summoning but remained unbroken.

Li Zhuiyuan watched the Gatekeeper True Monarch from a distance. He didn't know why the entity hadn't retrieved its weapon immediately upon awakening but had to wait until after it had charged and attacked.

Perhaps that was the only way it befitted its status.

But since it had given him this opportunity, he certainly couldn't be ungrateful.

"Your weapon, just stay sealed here. Don't take it."

Run Sheng again attacked it with his shovel. The True Monarch flicked a wing, blocking the shovel, then punched Run Sheng.

"Bang!"

Run Sheng was once again sent flying by the force but landed steadily, with more blood oozing from his body.

The Gatekeeper True Monarch flickered, appearing above Run Sheng, and brutally kicked downward.

Run Sheng raised his shovel with a "hum." His body bore the heavy force, his knees bent downward, but the next moment he pushed up fiercely, and the Gatekeeper True Monarch, having delivered its strike, lightly landed.

It had been relentlessly pressuring Run Sheng, who could only passively defend and endure, relying on absolute speed and strength.

Yet, it could feel the opponent's injuries worsening repeatedly, but surprisingly, their aura continued to strengthen.

The two collided again. This time, the Gatekeeper True Monarch's force was even greater, once again sending Run Sheng flying. Still, Run Sheng remained upright, his clothes soaked with blood, but the fierce glint in his eyes continued to rise.

He was even activating the malevolent energy within his body.

Connected by the red thread, Li Zhuiyuan could feel the surging conviction in Run Sheng's heart. He was in great pain, yet he also felt exhilarated.

This was also why Li Zhuiyuan hadn't allowed others to help yet; he sensed that Run Sheng was building momentum, and subtly, there were signs of a breakthrough.

Uncle Qin had personally taught Run Sheng the Qin family's Dragon-Observing Body Refinement method. Uncle Qin was a good teacher, but Run Sheng was not a good student.

Opening Qi gates in the physical body was like elementary school arithmetic. Others memorized formulas, but Run Sheng always counted beans, and he could count large sums because he simply had too many beans.

Finally, after counting for so long, Run Sheng began to intuitively grasp the formulas himself.

The Gatekeeper True Monarch seemed disinclined to continue stalling with Run Sheng. It flapped a wing and charged into the temple, intending to retrieve its weapon to swiftly deal with the sinners there.

Yin Meng swung her demon-expelling whip, wrapping it around a poison jar, then snapped it forward.

A cloud of poison mist descended.

The Gatekeeper True Monarch flapped its wings, creating vortices on either side that enveloped the poison mist, and its own speed was barely hindered.

But the next moment, a giant eye appeared beneath its feet, causing its speed to falter.

Li Zhuiyuan flicked his right palm, sending out two Evil-Breaking Talismans that plunged into the two vortices respectively.

"Boom!" "Boom!"

The vortices exploded, and the poison mist surged out once more.

The Gatekeeper True Monarch spread its wings, enveloping itself.

For the first time, Yin Meng's corrosive poison had no effect. It not only failed to penetrate the wings but seemed to have waxed them, giving them a glossy black sheen.

These wings were indeed useful. However, everything has two sides, and Li Zhuiyuan noticed that while the wings provided defense and accelerated its movement, they couldn't support it in flying too high.

Seeing this, Yin Meng wanted to throw more poison jars.

A voice from within her mind said, "Stop!"

Yin Meng immediately stopped.

While Yin Meng's poison formulation might, by chance, yield a miraculous effect, it was impossible to rely on such unknown probabilities in a normal fight.

Since it had already been proven ineffective, it was better to conserve the poison and avoid waste.

"Brother Binbin, go."

"A-You, try to invoke the spirit."

After evading the poison mist, the Gatekeeper True Monarch spread its wings and moved towards the altar.

Tan Wenbin stood beneath the altar, plunging two formation flags into the ground with both hands. His two "god-sons" on his shoulders began to clap vigorously.

"Thump!"

The ghost labyrinth appeared.

Logically, setting up a ghost labyrinth in this situation was risky. If this entity possessed vertical pupils like the White Crane Boy, then the labyrinth would be useless.

However, this was precisely Li Zhuiyuan's intention. He had noticed that upon awakening, the Gatekeeper True Monarch had a momentary shift in consciousness; at first, it had even intended to invite Yin Meng to the seat of honor.

Previously, the Gatekeeper True Monarch's gaze was sharp, seemingly capable of seeing through illusions. But it made no sense for its eyes to remain clear if its mind was already confused.

Indeed, the Gatekeeper True Monarch stopped, having lost its sense of direction.

Anger appeared on its face, furious that it had been confused by such a low-level illusion.

"Hey, it actually worked."

Tan Wenbin simply clapped along with his two god-sons, as if playing a parent-child game in the eerie temple.

Unfortunately, this moment of father-son warmth didn't last long.

The Gatekeeper True Monarch opened its mouth and let out a shriek from its throat. This piercing howl made Tan Wenbin's two god-sons on his shoulders painfully cover their ears.

The plaque above indicated "Ksitigarbha Temple," and divine statues enshrined here naturally possessed a strong power to suppress malevolent spirits.

Lin Shuyou was still trying to invoke the spirit. In the past, he could summon the Boy with just a glance, but after crossing that bridge, this mutual understanding seemed to have vanished.

A-You was very anxious, constantly waving his hands and stomping his feet, but he couldn't succeed.

Run Sheng had arrived by then, swinging his Yellow River Shovel.

The Gatekeeper True Monarch spread its wings from behind.

"Bang!"

This time, the Gatekeeper True Monarch still blocked Run Sheng's charged attack with its wings, but its body visibly trembled as a result.

This meant that the person behind it was injured, yet his strength had grown even greater.

The True Monarch ignored Run Sheng and continued forward, lunging directly at the altar.

"Brother Binbin, step back."

Tan Wenbin didn't hesitate, quickly moving away from beneath the altar.

A formation flag, gleaming with earthenware light, appeared in Li Zhuiyuan's right palm. He intended to use a formation to block the opponent's lunge.

A situation had arisen with Lin Shuyou, which Li Zhuiyuan had already factored in, and he hadn't included A-You in this round's battle plan.

As it stood, while the Gatekeeper True Monarch was powerful, it was still within their controllable range. The process for them might be a bit messy, but they would ultimately be the winners.

However, a change beyond Li Zhuiyuan's calculations still occurred.

Fortunately, it wasn't a negative one.

People are often forced to act under pressure. Lin Shuyou had just received a big power boost and simply couldn't accept himself failing at such a crucial moment.

He could understand the Boy's apprehension and panic, but he couldn't accept it.

Lin Shuyou let out an angry roar: "If It's real, then you're fake!"

The next moment, vertical pupils opened, and the invocation was successful!

Previously, after Lin Shuyou invoked the spirit, the Boy would speak and act, but this time, Lin Shuyou's own voice came out again after the invocation: "If It dies, then even if you're fake, you're real!"

The White Crane Boy, holding a trident, appeared directly beneath the altar, blocking the Gatekeeper True Monarch.

"Evil deity, only slay, do not absolve."