Chapter 1821: The Old Monk Underground

Fantasy Novel

Could that formation just now have been a random teleportation? Don't tell me I've entered another secret realm again?

Zu'an's heart tightened. Every time he had entered a secret realm before, it had been via a random teleportation like this.

However, he took out a luminous pearl, illuminating his surroundings. Seeing the crisscrossing tomb passages, their familiar architectural style and aura made him sigh with relief.

He was still within the grand tomb, but unable to sense anyone else or any living creatures, so he was definitely not on the upper levels of the tomb.

Soon, however, his eyes narrowed as he noticed scattered white bones on the ground. Judging by their size, they clearly didn't belong to humans, and he had no idea what kind of monster had died here.

Suddenly, a strange wind swept through the tomb passage, carrying with it oppressive roars.

The sounds were closer than what he had heard in Immortal Lord Baopu's tomb chamber, and the oppressive aura was clearer, suggesting he was likely in the deeper parts of the grand tomb.

He recalled Immortal Lord Baopu and Jing Teng both mentioning that the truly terrifying monsters were sealed deep within the tomb. Even the Death Reapers and Earthflame Demons he had encountered earlier weren't deemed worthy of being in the lower levels.

With this thought, his expression grew solemn. It would be best to find Jing Teng and leave this place as quickly as possible.

But the tomb passages here branched out in all directions, like a labyrinth. Which way should he go?

He tried to use his divine sense to explore, but unfortunately, the grand tomb exerted immense suppression on it. Being in the deep parts of the tomb, his divine sense couldn't extend beyond three feet from his body, making it less effective than his natural eyesight.

He lifted the jade cong on his arm; a faint glow appeared on it but quickly vanished, confirming there were no living small animals nearby.

Just as he pondered which way to go, he suddenly sniffed, catching a faint scent of sulfur.

Since there were no other clues, he decided to follow the scent and investigate.

Initially, the smell was faint, but it grew progressively stronger, mixed with stifling, hot air, making him feel as though he were in a sauna.

Zu'an frowned. Could it be some kind of underground hot spring?

He circulated primal qi throughout his body, and soon, he felt a cooling sensation.

Continuing his exploration forward, he found that the surroundings could barely be called tomb passages anymore; many seemed like natural caves.

Was this grand tomb built into the mountain, utilizing natural terrain features?

But what kind of being could have constructed such a grand tomb?

There were numerous forks along the way; he would encounter several forks shortly after moving forward. The crucial point was that each path twisted and turned, and after a short distance, more caves would appear, all looking similar, making one feel disoriented, as if in a maze.

Initially, Zu'an secretly tried to remember the path, but later he completely gave up; the paths were simply impossible to memorize.

He could sense that he wasn't continuously walking on a level surface; the natural rock cave tunnels seemed to subtly descend deeper, though the slight gradient made it difficult to perceive directly.

Gradually, a faint red light became visible ahead.

Zu'an followed the light, only to discover it wasn't a red light at all, but rather the walls themselves were glowing red from heat.

The surrounding air grew increasingly thin, and waves of heat assaulted him, several times more intense than where he had encountered the Earthflame Demon earlier.

Had Zu'an not possessed profound cultivation and the protection of Pei Mianman's Flame Pendant, he might have spontaneously combusted by now.

"More lava?" Zu'an frowned slightly, but then relaxed at the thought that the magma he'd encountered earlier with the Earthflame Demon must have been caused by an overflow of fire elemental energy from deeper within the grand tomb.

His shoes felt sticky, showing signs of melting even with various protective energies active.

Seeing this, he decided to turn back and find another path. Although he could still endure it for now, who knew if continuing further would turn him into a charcoal roast.

Just then, a faint, almost imperceptible voice seemed to emanate from within: "Help... help... me..."

Zu'an's heart stirred as he looked ahead. The voice didn't sound again, but he was certain he hadn't imagined it.

After a moment's hesitation, he decided to go investigate.

He was completely in the dark down here, surrounded by a labyrinth, with no idea where to find Jing Teng. Encountering a living being, however difficult it was to get to them, and getting some information would be good.

Carefully, with primal qi protecting his body, he stepped onto the glowing red ground and walked forward.

At this moment, a thought struck him, and he took out the Soul-Scorching Fire Crystal he had acquired earlier. It glowed brightly, appearing to absorb the surrounding fire elemental energy.

With the aid of the Soul-Scorching Fire Crystal, Zu'an felt the pressure greatly diminish, and his forward speed increased significantly.

He found it somewhat strange that the surrounding rock walls, despite being scorched red, showed no signs of melting, and he wondered what material they were made of.

After advancing a bit further, a white lake appeared before his eyes.

However, on closer inspection, it wasn't water at all; it was clearly all magma. All the magma had become a transparent white, indicating an incredibly high temperature.

Strictly speaking, this was no longer mere magma, but rather the most primordial manifestation of fire elemental energy.

To say nothing of ordinary people, even high-level cultivators would likely be burned to ashes if they touched it.

This lake was countless times larger than the one near the Earthflame Demon earlier; its edges were nowhere in sight, making it seem less like a lake and more like a vast sea.

What shocked Zu'an, however, was a small, isolated island in the center of this molten expanse, likely less than a meter in diameter.

An old monk sat there, hands clasped, murmuring scriptures. A faint Buddhist light shimmered around his body, barely holding back the surging magma around him.

However, his clothes were long destroyed, leaving only his ancient, hunched body, faintly marked with various scars and charred spots. There was barely an inch of unblemished skin, clearly from long-term injury by the splashing magma.

As if sensing Zu'an's arrival, the old monk slowly opened his eyes, a hint of joy in his voice: "Finally, a fated one has arrived! Come quickly, I will pass on all my life's knowledge to you, so that my legacy will not be broken."

Zu'an, however, did not move. Instead, he cupped his hands and asked, "Senior, why are you here?"

"That's a long story," the old monk sighed.

"It's alright, I have plenty of time," Zu'an said with a smile. Although he was worried about Jing Teng's safety, he maintained a leisurely facade.

The old monk was speechless.

He reluctantly said, "Back then, this old monk, in his quest to eliminate demons and uphold justice, ventured deep into this grand tomb. Unfortunately, after a great battle, I was severely wounded and accidentally trapped here. After all these years, my life force is nearly exhausted. I thought I would simply perish in silence, but I never expected a fated individual to arrive. If I can pass on all my skills to you and allow my legacy to endure for future generations, I will have no regrets in this life."

"Thank you, Senior. Please, I am all ears," Zu'an said, assuming a respectful demeanor.

The old monk was speechless.

He had no choice but to patiently say, "My lifespan is almost depleted, and I likely won't last long enough to finish explaining everything. Come over here, and I will transmit the teachings to you through divine sense. Since you were able to arrive here safely, your cultivation must be formidable, so flying over should not be a major issue."

Zu'an said in a deep voice, "However, I have urgent matters to attend to. I will return to listen to Senior's teachings after I have completed my task."

"Didn't you just say you had plenty of time?" The old monk was startled, then quickly added, "My lifespan is already exhausted; I have but one breath left. By the time you return, I will surely be dead. It's better to seize the moment now and receive the transmission; the entire process will be very quick."

Zu'an awkwardly scratched his head. "What Senior says makes sense. Since it won't take long, I'll accept the senior's legacy first."

Hearing his words, a flicker of joy appeared in the old monk's eyes. No one had come here for so many years. As long as Zu'an came over, the monk would have a chance to possess his body and escape this seal designed to trap him.

So, he said even more amiably, "Come quickly."

Zu'an ran to the edge of the magma. As soon as he lifted off and advanced a few meters, flames erupted from his clothes, scaring him into scrambling back. "No, no! I don't know what's wrong with this magma down here, it's too powerful, I can't cross it."

He had put away the Flame Pendant and the Soul-Scorching Fire Crystal, and hadn't fully circulated his primal qi for protection, which was why he appeared so disheveled.

The old monk mused, "This magma has turned white, which is the manifestation of extreme fire spirit. Indeed, it's very difficult for ordinary people to contend with. Very well, this old monk happens to have an item that can help you cross this magma."

As soon as he finished speaking, he produced a begging bowl from somewhere unseen, gently stroking its surface. The reluctance on his face was akin to caressing a lover.

With a gentle push, the begging bowl flew directly to Zu'an. The monk then hastily urged, "Jump directly into it. It can temporarily serve as a boat to carry you across. You must be quick; if it stays in this magma for too long, it will also be damaged."

Zu'an took the begging bowl. Its surface was purplish-gold, engraved with images of Buddhas, radiating an aura of vast compassion.

Zu'an was startled. Could he have been wrong?

He couldn't help but ask, "This item looks extraordinary. What is its purpose?"

The old monk replied, "This item is called the Purple Gold Begging Bowl. It can help defend against various outer-realm demons or other enchantments and attacks targeting the soul. This item has already acknowledged me as its master. After you come over and receive my inheritance, you will naturally become its new master."

He was worried Zu'an would become greedy, so he deliberately stated that the item already had a master, implying it would be useless to anyone else without his permission.

Conversely, if Zu'an came here and received his inheritance, he would gain everything. The choice, presumably, should not be difficult.

Zu'an's heart swelled with joy. Although his Grand Primordial Chaos Scripture could purify many evil entities, it wasn't very effective against attacks targeting the soul.

After all, Hundred Cries was an offensive spell, not specialized in soul protection.

He had been constantly disadvantaged during his previous fight with the Ghost King. If he had this item then, they wouldn't have been in such a sorry state.

What's more, it could even guard against outer-realm demons. Legend had it that after cultivating to a certain realm, inner demons would resurface with each breakthrough, and even outer-realm demons would appear. If one failed to guard their true self, their soul would be completely devoured by these demons, rendering all their arduous cultivation efforts futile.

With this thought, he cupped his hands towards the old monk. "Thank you, Senior, for bestowing this treasure. I am still urgently trying to save my friend. After I have saved my friend, I will immediately return to receive your inheritance."

After speaking, he tucked the Purple Gold Begging Bowl into his robes, turned around, and took off running.

The old monk was smiling, waiting for him to cross over, but upon seeing this scene, he was utterly dumbfounded.