Chapter 453: 舍利 (Loughshinny Alliance Leader)

Li Xuanfeng and his companion descended on the wind. Dust billowed on the mountaintop as panicked monks scurried in every direction. Many natives frantically dug through the ruins, their expressions distraught, as if the sky had fallen and the earth had split apart.

On the mountaintop of the small island, a section of buildings had collapsed. In the very center, among the bluestone rubble, it was faintly discernible that what remained had once been a tall temple. The ground was covered in fresh blood, a startling crimson.

Upon seeing the two descend, the monks seemed to grasp the situation. Wails filled the air as they all rushed towards the main hall at the center of the temple.

Li Qinghong swept her spiritual sense across the area and said, "Uncle, the spiritual energy in the blood is incredibly dense. This quantity couldn't possibly come from cultivators... It must be from some kind of blood pools... refined using sorcery."

As Li Xuanfeng stepped into the ruins, he saw lotuses scattered across the ground, illuminated by a pervasive Buddhist light. Greyish-black dust floated in the air, and under the golden glow, it strangely took on a somewhat sacred appearance.

The central high platform was split into two halves, with only a rice grain-sized object remaining suspended in mid-air. This object was pure white and crystalline, encircled by a ring of colorful light that formed various illusions.

The lotuses on both sides emitted fragrant auras. A group of unclothed natives knelt nearby, gazing at the two with deep hatred, their wails filling the sky.

"Ewu is dead," Li Xuanfeng stated. He had already expected this. He looked around, knowing that Ewu likely hadn't recovered from his injuries for years; struck by that arrow from beyond, he was undoubtedly dead.

Neither of them had seen an object like this, but they had heard rumors. Li Qinghong eyed it cautiously and said, "This must be a sarira... It seems this monk still had a few tricks up his sleeve."

Li Xuanfeng glanced at it indifferently. "He merely clung to life for a few more years... He got off easy!"

As the sarira floated quietly in the air, the middle-aged man expressed his confusion: "It's odd. Logically, Mutuo's magical power wasn't much inferior to his, yet Ewu obtained a sarira after death... When they spoke, they mentioned something about 'Patriarch Qin Ling' and the 'Qin Ling orthodoxy'; perhaps these things are related."

Li Qinghong glanced at the lotuses on the ground, noting how enchanting and strange they were; many birds had flown down and stood mesmerized at their edges. She said softly, "It's just that this Zhao Shi's ability to manipulate mortals is truly formidable. The natives of the entire island offered him their flesh and blood, remained fiercely loyal, and genuinely revered him from the bottom of their hearts."

Her words naturally referred to the hateful gazes of the natives. Li Xuanfeng, observing the sarira, casually replied, "That's just how Zhao Shi operates. Many cultivators can't even resist him, let alone mere mortals."

Li Qinghong frowned slightly, her crimson lips parting as she let out a sharp cry: "Halt!"

In an instant, a sharp cry, like a sudden peal of thunder, stunned all the monks unconscious. Li Qinghong casually scooped them up, and with a surge of magical power, neatly arranged them all at the entrance of the hall.

Having witnessed the sarira and the strange phenomena, these people could easily fall into the path of wrath. Li Qinghong used her magical power to wipe their recent memories, preventing a sorcerer from emerging decades later to seek revenge.

Meanwhile, Li Xuanfeng cautiously raised his hand and produced a jade bottle. He used his magical power to draw the rice grain-sized sarira into the bottle.

The jade bottle immediately grew warm, its emerald body faintly glowing with a dull red hue. Sweeping it with his spiritual sense, he could faintly hear tumultuous shouts and murmuring incantations, as if thousands of people were contained within the bottle.

"How sinister," Li Xuanfeng remarked. He applied several spirit-stabilizing spells, but they proved ineffective. He then had to retrieve a few higher-grade talismans and affix them to the bottle before he felt a sense of relief.

As Li Xuanfeng sealed the sarira in the bottle, all the magical light filling the hall and the floating colorful lotuses vanished. The temple, which had retained a certain sacredness even in ruins, slowly dimmed. Li Xuanfeng then used his magical power to retrieve some magical artifacts from the ruins.

When the monk was first severely wounded by him, he had already lost most of his possessions. The most valuable item, a pair of long staffs, had long since been taken by Li Xuanfeng, rendering the remaining items of little value.

Most of these magical artifacts were gold and jade treasures, appearing full of divine light. They were primarily used for beguiling people and imprinting marks. Li Xuanfeng casually put them away.

After searching the island carefully with Li Qinghong for a few rounds, they ascended on the wind together. Having dealt with this villain, Li Xuanfeng's mood improved significantly, and he felt fewer reservations. He said playfully, "Perhaps it's some Buddhist cultivation legacy; that could be used to lure out a few more Zhao Shis."

Li Qinghong nodded with a smile. Looking down at the mountain full of temples below, and the numerous monks moving back and forth, she frowned for a moment. She made hand seals and unleashed several bolts of purple lightning.

"Boom!" The lightning struck in succession, instantly shattering all the temples. Thunder and fire exploded, incinerating all the books and legacies within. Li Qinghong then said softly, "This is all we can do. After all, Master Zhao Shi once managed this place. If no rogue cultivators are willing to settle here... it might not recover for hundreds of years..."

"We can't worry about that so much," Li Xuanfeng said, shaking his head. The two then soared across the sky, traversed the Zhulu Sea, changed several water routes, and finally landed on Fenkuai Island.

From there, they dived into the azure sea and entered the market town. Ning Heyuan was in secluded cultivation and thus did not come to greet them. When they arrived at the cave dwelling, Ning's eldest brother was already waiting before its stone door.

"Boss... a young cultivator has arrived in the market town, saying he's looking for you."

"A young cultivator?" Li Xuanfeng glanced back at him and asked, "What's his cultivation level? What's his name?"

"He's at the Foundation Establishment stage... but he wouldn't give his name, only saying he's a junior from Hesui Sea."

'It seems to be Zhong Qian!' Li Xuanfeng immediately understood, thinking to himself, 'Several years have passed, and he has also broken through to Foundation Establishment. I wonder why he's inexplicably looking for me... It had better be about the Green Pine Monastery...'

He then took a seat in the cave dwelling and waved his hand, saying, "Let him come up!"

Ning Dingbo nodded and quickly left. Li Xuanfeng then said to Li Qinghong, "You go down first. This person carries a heavenly mandate. It's better if you avoid him... lest you inexplicably stir up a lot of trouble."

Li Qinghong understood, bowed, and withdrew. Li Xuanfeng took a jade slip and quietly began to read it. Not long after, a young man, dressed in a dark, ink-colored robe with his hair tied back, quickly ascended outside the cave dwelling. He stopped before the entrance and respectfully stated, "Junior Zhong Qian pays respects to the Daoist!"

"Come in," Li Xuanfeng replied. He had heard of the deeds of several Sons of Heaven's Mandate. Seeing that Zhong Qian was now at the Foundation Establishment stage yet remained very polite, at least outwardly courteous, he sighed inwardly. "It seems there are significant differences even among those with great destinies. This Zhong Qian... is quite different from the others I've heard about in rumors..."

He pondered absently, wondering, "If the True Monarch hadn't hastily returned to the mountain, but had completed his journey step by step, I wonder what kind of role this Zhong Qian would have played by his side?"