Longevity starts with choosing Hextech enhancement

Chapter 283 Qian Gu Lu Bu Zhuan, Hou Gu Lu Zhuan
Not only did the Taoist sect receive the message, but the Buddhist sect also naturally obtained the intelligence.

Inside Lianhua Temple, Zen Master Baozhuang looked at the intelligence report in his hand in silence.

The situation is out of control.

The appearance of the sea creatures was completely contrary to the warning they had received from the Buddha.

He also had a stack of intelligence reports beside him, all of which were about the continuous surge in the number of sea fish on the eastern side of the Compassion Sea.

Judging from this year alone, the situation on the east side seems to be okay.

However, if we extend the timeframe to a hundred years, then in the most recent decade...

The total number of marine fish has increased by nearly twenty times!
Many cultivators were still happily hunting Golden Core Sea Fish to obtain third-tier demon cores and flesh.

However, Zen Master Baozhuang could not help but start to worry.

Ancient texts record that if a member of the sea tribe is born with royal blood, they will have the ability to control schools of sea fish.

This means that up to twenty times the number of Golden Core Sea Fish could be deliberately manipulated, becoming a catastrophic force.

Even a large number of ants can kill an elephant.

Of course, if it's just this one point, it's not so bad.

What truly puzzled Zen Master Baozhuang was another matter: the strange mantra recited by Xiao Chen.

"Qian Gu Lu Bu Zhuan, Hou Gu Lu Zhuan?"

Throughout the entire Lianhua Temple, and even within the entire Buddhist community, Zen Master Baozhuang belonged to a small group of people who were relatively learned.

Even with his extensive knowledge, he couldn't discern the origin or details of this mantra.

That doesn't seem to make any legal sense either.

So much so that Zen Master Baozhuang put the letter into his sleeve, but couldn't help taking it out to look at it again: "No, I should go and look through those old books in the Sutra Repository."

This is, in any case, an important clue about Xiao Chen and the forces behind him.

From a broader perspective, there are now two variables at play.

On one side were the sea creatures, their intentions unclear but their purpose hostile.

The other side is Xiao Chen, who appeared out of nowhere with a mysterious background.

Therefore, it is essential to thoroughly investigate the relevant clues in order to better grasp the situation.

After all, at this point, the background of any Nascent Soul cultivator is of paramount importance.

Thanks to Xiao Chen's amazing strength and abundant wealth, everyone was willing to believe that he definitely came from a powerful hidden lineage.

Even though he has never actually admitted to it in any public setting.

It wasn't just Zen Master Baozhuang who had this idea.

From Yanleng Temple in the east to Tiangang Sect in the west, from Cangming Immortal Sect in the south to Zhaokong Sect in the north, almost all of them made similar decisions.

Some even mobilized their true disciples to consult ancient books together.

They tried to find similar mnemonics, or even related anecdotes.

Unfortunately, they were overthinking things and were destined to achieve nothing in the end.

September passed quietly amidst busyness and travel, and before we knew it, it was the end of October.

After about twenty days of continuous flight, Xiao Chen finally arrived at the middle of the Sea of ​​Compassion.

He stopped to rest on a large rock and flipped through a nautical chart.

"We must have passed by Nouran Island two hours ago."

"Then I should be here by now, which means I'm already within the sphere of influence of Pudu Temple."

As he approached his destination, Xiao Chen had to frequently and carefully check his direction.

This was because the Zhiyi Cave marked on that parchment scroll did not appear on the detailed sea charts sold by Cangming Pavilion.

In other words, like the Silent Island, it is a forbidden area that is not revealed to ordinary cultivators.

But it doesn't matter, Xiao Chen now has the parchment scroll as a reference, so it's not particularly difficult to find it if he wants to.

If all goes well.

"I'm sorry, sir, the sea ahead is temporarily closed. Please detour to the right."

A monk wearing a robe with the image of Pudu Temple politely gestured, indicating that passage was prohibited.

"What happened up ahead?"

Xiao Chen frowned slightly, but still calmly asked, "Approximately when can the lockdown be lifted?"

Sea closures are usually not long-lasting.

Even for cultivators traveling normally, if they only have one or two days, it's better to wait where they are than to take a detour.

Therefore, such a question is not very abrupt.

"This situation is quite special, and the lockdown will need to continue for at least several more months."

The Arhat clasped his hands together and bowed slightly, saying, "Please forgive any inconvenience caused, benefactor."

"If the situation is appropriate afterward, the temple will consider making the reasons for closing the sea publicly, but it is not convenient to say more at the moment."

In fact, even he didn't know the specific reason; it was just a pre-arranged response.

Several months?
However, for Xiao Chen, this was undoubtedly bad news.

Therefore, according to his estimation, Zhiyi Cave is located within the area of ​​the sea closure.

"Okay, then I'll take a detour."

Although he was a little annoyed inside, Xiao Chen still turned and left politely on the surface.

This place is only about 3,000 li away from Pudu Temple.

While it's not quite under the watchful eyes of the Zen masters, it's practically right at our doorstep.

Therefore, the rules that are explicitly stated must be followed.

However, after circling around for a while, Xiao Chen was surprised to find that Pudu Temple's arrangements in this area were almost impeccably guarded.

Not only were three layers of buoys deployed on the perimeter as a warning line, but they also set up a perimeter of three layers of buoys.

Moreover, he saw nearly ten golden Arhats patrolling back and forth earnestly.

"Hey, what does this mean?"

Xiao Chen was a little confused. Why was the other party so focused on this sea area?

Could it be that some sea creatures sneaked in and exposed us?
Hmm, it's not impossible!

Of course, he didn't just stand there guessing; instead, he decided to find someone nearby to inquire about the situation.

Soon, on the nearest small island, we saw a restaurant.

"Bring me a jug of your finest spirit wine!"

Stepping inside, Xiao Chen didn't even look for a seat, and immediately said, "Also, add a pot of good wine to every table here, and put it on my tab."

Then he instructed the waiter at the door, "Find me another private room, one that's quiet."

Before long, the restaurant manager personally brought over the spirit wine.

Xiao Chen then pulled the shopkeeper aside and asked, "Sigh, I was planning to go north to take a look, but suddenly I ran into Feng Hai."

"Shopkeeper, you're a local, can you tell me what's going on?"

If it were another unfamiliar cultivator inquiring, the shopkeeper would definitely politely decline.

However, it was rare to encounter such a big customer in such a small place, so after considering it for a moment, he reached out and closed the door of the private room.

He said in a low voice, "Oh, since you're such a distinguished guest, I'll say a few words."

"But this is just hearsay. I'll just say it as a story, and you can listen to it as a story."

I emphasized these two sentences first.

The shopkeeper continued, "To tell you the story, it's a long one. It all started at the beginning of the year, on the seventh day of the first lunar month."

What he said at the beginning wasn't anything special.

Just like the information Xiao Chen had obtained before, it was about two things: the sudden sound of chanting and the appearance of a Buddha statue.

The key is what comes next.

"That must have been on the evening of the ninth day of the second lunar month. Suddenly, someone outside said that Pudu Temple had mobilized a large number of people."

"When I went out to take a look, good heavens, there were dozens of golden-bodied Arhats leading a large group of young novices, laying out buoys there."

“Distinguished guest, you may not know, but those buoys are not as simple as they appear on the surface.”

At this point, the shopkeeper lowered his voice again by a third: "I studied weapon crafting for a few days in my younger days, and I saw it clearly."

"The last row of buoys were all coated with zeolite powder."

"When placed in water, it makes the seawater within a radius of a hundred feet as bright as day."

Xiao Chen had heard of the great reputation of Zhaobo Ninghua Powder.

It is a special third-tier spirit powder that is artificially processed and is extremely expensive. It is not usually used easily.

Once sprinkled into water, it becomes extremely susceptible to being contaminated with true essence and is very difficult to remove.

Combined with a special sensing array, it can thoroughly monitor the situation within the coverage area.

Most of the time, they are sealed away as the sect's foundation for future use in times of war.

"Moreover, a friend of mine saw that Zen Master Jingping led his team into that sea area and stayed there for a full half month before coming out."

"Just think about it, he was a Zen master."

"Half a month is enough for him to search that entire sea area!"

"So I'm pretty sure that Pudu Temple must have some kind of clue and knew in advance that there was some kind of extraordinary treasure in that sea area!"

……

The shopkeeper continued his introduction, but what followed was just a bunch of rumors and speculations about the treasure.

They talked for another fifteen minutes.

He stopped talking and took his leave when he felt he had said enough: "Please continue drinking, esteemed guest. I'll go for a walk outside. If you need anything else, just let me know."

Xiao Chen nodded: "Please take care of your business, shopkeeper."

Judging from this, Pudu Temple must have anticipated the possibility of someone infiltrating, and even specially sealed off the area beneath the sea.

If nothing unexpected happens, there must be corresponding arrangements in the outside world as well.

Although we still don't know why the other side suddenly sealed off this place.
However, since even Zen Master Jingping was mobilized, the internal reasons must be extraordinary.

The key issue is that this sea closure has been going on for several months now, and it's going to continue.

It just so happens that it stopped me from going in to search for evil energy. What should I do?
The small teleportation spell cannot reliably enter, creating a gap in the Night's Edge.

If you encounter any danger inside during the cooling-off period, then you'll lose a layer of protection.

Xiao Chen himself couldn't determine the current situation inside.

Based on the available information, Zen Master Jingping was involved in this incident, which means it is a major event involving the fourth level, and there may be equal danger involved.

Of course, it could also be a reciprocal benefit; who knows?

"Boom boom boom!"

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door of the private room.

Xiao Chen asked, "What is it?"

Upon hearing this, the waiter pushed open the door and came in, carrying a bottle of spirit wine: "Senior, the distinguished guests who have just arrived in the next private room have added a bottle of spirit wine to each table."

Ok?
What a coincidence, someone's delivering wine?

Xiao Chen was a little surprised and curious about the other person's identity: "Do you recognize who this person is?"

The waiter shook his head: "Reporting to senior, that distinguished guest looks unfamiliar; it's the first time I've seen him either."

"Okay, go ahead."

Xiao Chen waved to dismiss the waiter, but he began to ponder in his heart.

Is this the first time we've met?

Those are strangers from other places.

Who could it be? He thought for a moment, then simply took the wine jug downstairs to pay the bill.

After paying the two thousand spirit stones, I went to a large locust tree across from the restaurant.

He sat on the ground against a thick tree trunk, drinking and keeping watch at the same time.

There aren't many monks in such a small place, especially today, which is neither a gathering nor a festival, so there are even fewer people.

Sure enough, it didn't take long before a young cultivator with a sword at his waist came out.

It was Zhang Shouquan!

Seemingly noticing the gaze directed at him, he turned to look at Xiao Chen and was immediately taken aback.

He then walked over and asked, "Fellow Daoist Xiao, what brings you here?"

As he spoke, Zhang Shouquan's eyes held a hint of wariness.

And it stopped ten steps away, not getting any closer.

"Fellow Daoist Zhang, I never expected to meet you here."

Xiao Chen smiled kindly and said, "There are too many people here, let's find somewhere else to talk?"

After only half a month apart, he felt that the other person's aura seemed to have become even stronger.

It has to be said that this growth rate is truly outrageous, almost as fast as my own.

Of course, Xiao Chen wasn't the kind of person who couldn't stand to see others do well; on the contrary, he wanted to befriend Zhang Shouquan even more.

Moreover, since I've run into them here by chance, the key to my entry into Zhiyi Cave might just lie with them.

"Alright, let's come this way then."

Zhang Shouquan did not refuse Xiao Chen's invitation to talk.

However, he took the initiative to lead the way, keeping control of choosing the location for the conversation.

Xiao Chen didn't care about this; he didn't need to ensure his safety through such means.

Led by Zhang Shouquan, the two arrived at a deserted island three hundred miles away.

After checking the island, it was indeed completely empty.

Then, the other party asked curiously, "What would Fellow Daoist Xiao like to discuss?"

Xiao Chen countered, "I hope you can keep our conversation a complete secret, fellow Daoist. Is that alright?"

Zhang Shouquan nodded: "Of course. Whatever was said today, I promise I will never leak it!"

He answered decisively, as if he had been mentally prepared beforehand.

"Alright, I believe you, fellow Daoist!"

Xiao Chen then got straight to the point: "I got some information from the manager of that restaurant just now."

"The specific details all concern the situation of the sea being closed off not far away."

"That's also why I came here today."

"Fellow Daoist Zhang, what brings you here?"

Zhang Shouquan fell silent; he had come for the same reason.

No wonder the shopkeeper's expression was strange and his speech was unusually fluent when I asked him for information, as if he had rehearsed it beforehand.

This left him somewhat bewildered, unsure whether he had fallen into someone else's trap.

What... what should we do?
Despite his recent advancements in cultivation, Zhang Shouquan still felt considerable pressure when facing Xiao Chen.

He had personally witnessed the opponent's effortless and relaxed demeanor when challenging him.

I recently heard about the outstanding performance of the dragon that overpowered the royal family in the new ruins.

If given a choice, Zhang Shouquan would not want to clash with Xiao Chen.

At least not now.

So after a brief moment of consideration...

He tentatively replied, "Since Fellow Daoist Xiao speaks frankly, then I won't hold back either."

"The reason I came here this time is because I want to go to the sea area that was blocked by Pudu Temple."

It really is you!
Upon hearing this, Xiao Chen immediately confirmed his earlier guess.

No, what do you want to do inside?
Could it be that they've come to steal my malevolent energy?
Or perhaps you're the traitor who received the mission from the sea creatures?

I really didn't realize that someone with thick eyebrows and big eyes like Zhang Shouquan could be a traitor!
Well, of course, this is just his own guess, and may not be the truth.

So Xiao Chen pressed on, "That's quite a coincidence. I came here to look for something. May I ask what Fellow Daoist Zhang's purpose is?"

To everyone's surprise, Zhang Shouquan's expression tightened slightly upon hearing this.

When he heard that Xiao Chen was going inside to look for something, he felt completely awful.

This was clearly exclusive information that he had painstakingly obtained from the Guiyun Secret Realm.

Why did the other side come too? The intelligence network of the hidden sects is simply terrifying.

What to do now?
Nine times out of ten, they can't win if they take action, but giving up is really hard to accept; they're truly caught in a dilemma.

Zhang Shouquan felt bitter inside. Why would you, a dignified successor of a reclusive Taoist lineage, come and snatch treasures from a rogue cultivator like me?
Besides, you're a body cultivator, you're not short of treasures.

Thinking of this, his eyes suddenly lit up.

That's right, Fellow Daoist Xiao's status doesn't necessarily mean he's here to collect the same item.

Well, of course, this is just his own guess, and may not be the truth.

So Zhang Shouquan countered, "That is indeed a bit of a coincidence. I came here this time to look for something. May I ask what Fellow Daoist Xiao is looking for?"

Ah this….

Xiao Chen also fell silent.

This is really bad; he also came looking for something.

The atmosphere at the scene gradually froze.

If there is a conflict of purpose, then it can only be decided by each party's own abilities.

After a brief silence.

Weighing the pros and cons, Zhang Shouquan took the initiative to break the deadlock: "Fellow Daoist Xiao, with your status, you shouldn't lack spirit items for breaking through to the next level, right?"

"Or perhaps we should go inside first and verify whether the information is true or false."

"If there really is a spiritual object, we can discuss it in more detail later?"

To reiterate, if possible, he genuinely didn't want to have a conflict with Xiao Chen.

At the same time, Zhang Shouquan also began to question the authenticity of the intelligence he had obtained.

If this is fake news deliberately spread by someone, there is absolutely no need to fight to the death over it.

So he simply suggested that they see the items first before discussing anything else.

However, when he made this suggestion, it was Xiao Chen's turn to be surprised.

What did you say?
A breakthrough spirit item?

What kind of high-level spiritual item is it?
However, to be fair, Zhang Shouquan's suggestion is quite good. Right now, we should indeed consider seeing the goods first to verify the intelligence.

Secondly, since it is a spirit item that has broken through a certain level, it is most likely not referring to malevolent energy.

In other words, their main objectives do not conflict.

Of course, since Xiao Chen had heard about the information about the breakthrough spirit item, he naturally became somewhat interested.

He nodded: "Fellow Daoist Zhang is right. I also think we should confirm the existence of the item first, and then talk about other things."

"In that case, why don't we work together to figure out a way to infiltrate them?"

Since the main objectives don't conflict, let's go in and figure it out later.

At worst, they can each take their own things, and Xiao Chen won't suffer any loss.

If you could get an extra high-level spirit item, that would be an even bigger win.

"That's how it should be!"

Hearing Xiao Chen agree with his suggestion, Zhang Shouquan breathed a sigh of relief.

The two reached a temporary agreement, and the atmosphere immediately eased.

"I just heard about the Shinbo Condensation Powder from the shopkeeper. It seems difficult to get in by sea."

Xiao Chen took the initiative to ask, "Does Fellow Daoist Zhang have any good ideas?"

Actually, this was his main purpose in initially seeking out Zhang Shouquan.

Who knew the conversation would drift to other topics?

"The powder from the Zhaobo Condensation is indeed difficult to deal with, but I have some knowledge of formations."

Zhang Shouquan volunteered, "As long as I can get close to the array without being detected by the patrolling Arhats, I should be able to try to break through the accompanying detection array."

"However, breaking the formation is no easy task."

"I need at least half an hour of downtime, and there may be some subtle fluctuations in spiritual energy."

"The best solution is actually to have someone help distract the patrol."

Abnormal fluctuations in spiritual energy are easily detected by divine sense.

In other words, diving underwater does not guarantee safety; one must also find ways to evade the divine senses of patrolling individuals.

Therefore, when he said his last sentence, Zhang Shouquan deliberately stared at Xiao Chen.

According to this plan, the task of diverting the patrols should obviously be assigned to him.

"That's wonderful! I never expected Fellow Daoist Zhang to have such abilities."

Xiao Chen recalled how the other party had created the array with his blood and felt that he did indeed have remarkable attainments in the art of array formation.

In other words, this infiltration plan is feasible.

"However, while it's not difficult to distract the patrols and I'm confident I can easily escape, doing so could easily alert the enemy."

Xiao Chen changed the subject: "Unless those Arhats in charge of patrolling are all idiots."

"Otherwise, they might very well have informed Pudu Temple."

"Even if we manage to infiltrate them, we might still face a search party from a Zen master."

The main problem remains the same: this place is too close to Pudu Temple.

Three thousand miles is not a long distance, let alone for a Zen master, or even for a golden-bodied Arhat.

If a sudden attack is launched by unfamiliar monks, Pudu Temple is both easily alerted and has sufficient capacity and manpower to immediately send reinforcements and launch a large-scale investigation.

"That's really a problem."

Zhang Shouquan didn't seem surprised to hear about the loophole in the plan: "But we still need to distract the patrolling Arhats in order to have a chance to break the formation."

I don't know if he arranged it this way on purpose, or if he thought of the problem but didn't have a corresponding solution.

Then he countered, "Could it be that Fellow Daoist Xiao has a better way to infiltrate?"

Xiao Chen waved his hand: "No, not at all."

“However, I have an idea. Maybe we don’t need to distract the patrolling Arhats.”

"Just follow the seabed, conceal your aura and spiritual energy fluctuations, and then sneak in quietly."

"It will go unnoticed by gods and ghosts, and will not alert Pudu Temple."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Shouquan shook his head: "Impossible!"

“I have observed their patrol routes, and they are very tight, with no gaps of more than 25 minutes at a time.”

"Furthermore, Fellow Daoist Xiao may not know this, but while concealing one's aura is simple, the process of breaking the formation cannot be interrupted."

"Therefore, during the process of breaking the spell, there will be continuous fluctuations in spiritual energy, which cannot be effectively concealed."

However, Xiao Chen smiled slightly and said, "That's not necessarily true."

"Although I am not good at formations, I do have some knowledge in this area."

(End of this chapter)