On the Ark.

A bolt of lightning suddenly streaked across the dim sky, instantly turning everyone in the temple into daylight.

Two seconds later, a deafening clap of thunder echoed through the valley.

It sounded as if wild beasts were roaring in the mountains.

Chapter 529 The Broken Seal (3K)

"It's raining," the Iron-Eating Beast said leisurely, looking at the torrential rain outside the temple. "The temple in the misty rain has a unique charm."

Lin Ye, standing next to the Iron-Eating Beast, couldn't help but twitch his lips upon hearing her words.

Is this supposed to be misty rain? This is more like a thunderstorm! Aside from making you worry that a lightning bolt might strike the temple and kill them all, it has absolutely no charm whatsoever!

Moreover, the thunder had been rumbling for nearly half an hour, with no sign of it letting up. Half an hour earlier, when the Iron-Eating Beast shouted, "I call Nian San, does Nian dare to come out?", Lin Ye really wanted to find something to gag this national treasure. This bold statement made Lin Ye start to wonder if the Iron-Eating Beast's surname was Wei, and if it had a very famous ancestor.

When the Iron-Eating Beast finished setting its flag and Thunder arrived, Lin Ye genuinely thought that the legendary Nian Beast was about to emerge from some corner and slaughter them all.

Fortunately, nothing happened; the rain just got heavier and the thunder became more frequent. When Lin Ye became truly afraid that something bad might happen again—his heart couldn't take it anymore—he decided to stay by the national treasure's side to prevent her from making any more pronouncements. As for the others, Master Bu Xing was helped away by his two disciples; he was the one who truly needed to rest his heart. The people from Rhodes Island could only stay there and wait for the rain to stop.

"That's strange." Grani said with some doubt while looking at her phone, "I checked the weather forecast here, and it didn't say that it would rain today."

"Oh dear, weather forecasts aren't very accurate to begin with," the Iron-Eating Beast waved its hand and said with a smile. "Besides, why worry so much about the weather? We've already come all this way to a place like this, what's with the phone in our hands?"

Grani looked up at the Iron-Eating Beast: "What am I supposed to do if I don't look at my phone?"

"Hmm, let me think." The Iron-Eating Beast pondered for a moment, then fixed its gaze on the gun behind Grani. "By the way, are you dressed like a martial artist?"

“A martial arts practitioner?” Grani tilted his head and said, “I’m a police officer.”

"You're so short, you can be a policeman?"

Grani was a little unhappy with Iron Eater's words: "Why not? Don't look down on me, okay? Although I'm not tall, I'm still very strong. Criminals can't last more than a few moves against me before I take them down."

Grani's words made the Iron Eater's eyes light up: "Really? Then let's have a match."

“A little sparring? No way.” Grani shook his head. “You’re not a criminal, I can’t hurt you.”

"Oh ho, so you're quite brave," said the Iron-Eating Beast. "Are you really that confident you can beat me?"

“Of course, I’m a cop,” Grani scoffed. “Aren’t you an actor? Actors fake fights in movies, I know that very well. How can you fake-fighting actors compare to a real cop like me?”

"If that's how you put it, then I really have to give it a try." The Iron-Eating Beast unbuttoned his shirt, revealing his impressive bust encased in a black sports bra. "Come on, let's have a little sparring. Don't worry, I'll go easy on you. If you're afraid I'll make you cry, you can refuse. After all, I'm not some kind of demon, and I won't force you."

Grani originally didn't want to come, but after being provoked by the Iron-Eating Beast, she also lost her temper.

“Then let’s give it a try,” Grani said angrily. “But if you end up crying, don’t blame me for hitting you too hard.”

"Don't worry," the Iron-Eating Beast said with a smile. "I'll definitely hold back if I cry. Come on then, I'll use my hands, and you can use your weapon."

“Don’t underestimate me.” Grani put down his gun and took off his coat. “You don’t need it, and neither do I. I got a perfect score in hand-to-hand combat when I was in police academy.”

The two women, with their contrasting personalities, prepared to compete. Lin Ye, watching from the sidelines, found this quite amusing; judging by their physiques alone, they were no match for each other. Although the Iron-Eating Beast wasn't much taller than Grani, the difference in weight was obvious. The Iron-Eating Beast was voluptuous, while Grani was small and flat-chested; this contrast became even more pronounced after they both removed their coats.

Regardless, women fighting is still quite interesting. If it weren't for the limitations, Lin Ye really wanted to buy a bucket of popcorn and sit on the sidelines to watch. But Messiah didn't give him that chance. Just as the Iron-Eating Beast and Grani got into position to start sparring, Messiah patted Lin Ye on the shoulder and whispered, "Come with me for a bit."

Lin Ye dared not disobey Messiah's words and immediately followed her out of the main hall. When they reached the eaves outside the hall, they could see the entire Fubo Mountain range shrouded in torrential rain. Messiah stood in front of Lin Ye, letting the wind blow through her long hair like fluttering willow catkins.

"What's wrong?" Lin Ye asked.

Messiah said slowly, "I think I misspoke about something just now."

"Hmm?" Lin Ye asked, puzzled. "What is it?"

Messiah took out the broken vajra: "This."

"What's wrong with this?"

“I just said that the remaining divine power on this staff is insufficient to suppress any powerful creature,” Messiah said. “You remember that, don’t you?”

Lin Ye nodded: "Yes, you also said that either Nian is fictional, or he has already left or died."

“That’s right.” Messiah sighed softly. “But I just realized that I seem to have made a mistake about something very important.”

Messiah's words made Lin Ye feel uneasy: "What is it?"

"My reasoning about how this Vajra Pestle suppressed the divine beast is based on my own habits," Messiah said. "If I were to suppress something, I would definitely concentrate all my strength on one point and suppress it with the force of thunder. It's like placing a huge stone on the target; if it wants to get up, it has to overturn the stone directly. When I saw the Vajra Pestle, I thought it was the stone that Master Fubo used to suppress that Nian beast."

The Messiah metaphor reminded Lin Ye of the Five Finger Mountain that Buddha used to suppress Sun Wukong: "Is there anything wrong with that?"

“Yes,” Messiah said. “It’s what I just said. The reason I made this inference is because I put myself in the shoes of Master Fubo and naturally assumed that he would make the same choice as me. But I overlooked one thing: Master Fubo is not me, and the East really believes in feng shui and formations.”

Lin Ye was a little confused: "What do you mean?"

Messiah glanced at Lin Ye and said, "I haven't tried any sealing spells yet. Do you know why?"

Lin Ye shook his head.

"Because I haven't encountered any creature stronger than myself," Messiah said. "And when I encounter beings weaker than me who can still threaten me, I choose to eliminate them directly, leaving no trace. The sealing method I mentioned earlier can only be used when the caster is stronger than the target. For example, if the legends here are true, then I would believe that Master Fubo was stronger than the Nian Beast he suppressed."

Lin Ye was about to say, "What's wrong with that? Isn't the Buddha able to suppress Sun Wukong because he's stronger than Sun Wukong?" But before he could finish speaking, he remembered a scene from a famous anime from his previous life, "XX Ninja," and couldn't help but widen his eyes: "You mean, Master Fubo actually couldn't defeat the Nian Beast, and relied on formations and feng shui to forcibly seal or suppress it?"

Messiah was somewhat surprised by Lin Ye's quick reaction, as she had thought she would have to explain a few more things.

"Yes, that possibility is indeed very high. If Master Fubo's strength is truly superior to the Nian Beast, why not just kill it directly instead of resorting to such a redundant method as suppression?" Messiah looked at Lin Ye and said leisurely, "On the other hand, if Master Fubo's strength is actually inferior to the Nian Beast, and he has to rely on methods like feng shui or formations to suppress it, then that makes sense. This Vajra Pestle can also be explained, because Eastern formations are inherently very intricate, and they never focus on concentrating power at a single point. If my method of suppression is like pressing down on the suppressed entity with a large rock, then a formation is a huge and complex net, seemingly soft, but easy to get trapped in."

Messiah's explanation made Lin Ye's throat go dry. He looked at the vajra in Messiah's hand and stammered, "Then this vajra..."

“You can think of this Vajra as part of a net, and a crucial one at that,” Messiah said with a smile. “Now that it’s broken, it means the net that the Nian beast couldn’t escape has cracked… I know what you want to ask. And my answer is exactly what you feared most. If the opponent is something that requires an entire mountain range to form an array to suppress, I don’t think it could have missed this crack. And once a net has a crack, it’s only a matter of time before it’s completely destroyed. I tried to put myself in the Nian beast’s shoes, and my conclusion is that in half an hour, that thing should…”

Before he could finish speaking, the ground suddenly shook.

Messiah stopped speaking, then turned her head and looked at Lin Ye.

“Alright.” Messiah shrugged. “I have to say, that guy who’s been suppressed for who knows how many years is stronger than me now, and by more than a little bit… This is tricky, Lin Ye. Have you thought about how to write your will? I’ve never written one before. When you’re done, remember to let me copy it.”

Chapter 530 "Suppressing" the Nian Beast (3K)

The earthquake came suddenly and violently, shaking the entire temple. Although it only lasted for a brief moment, Lin Ye had to hold onto the handrail to avoid falling. When the shaking stopped, he looked up and saw a small hill in the distance had caved in, as if the inside of the mountain had been hollowed out, revealing a huge cavity.

Lin Ye couldn't help but gape: "Could that be...?"

“Very likely,” Messiah said softly. “It seems it’s getting impatient… Come to think of it, it’s been imprisoned for so many years.”

Lin Ye looked at Messiah: "What should we do now?"

“Didn’t I just tell you?” Messiah said, “I asked you to write your will, and after you’re done, remember to let me copy it. I’ve never written one before, so I don’t know how to write it.”

Lin Ye's lips twitched slightly: "At a time like this, you're still in the mood for jokes?"

"How do you know I'm joking? Are you so sure I have a way?" Messiah sighed softly. "I told you before I came that most of my power is in Kalan, and there's really very little I can do now."

Lin Ye was speechless.

“But why don’t you ask the one behind you?” Messiah said with a smile. “Maybe she has a solution?”

Lin Ye was stunned for a moment, then turned around abruptly and saw Skadi standing behind him, her red pupils like raging flames.

……

"What happened? What happened?" As soon as they returned to the main hall, everyone surrounded them. Grani asked anxiously, "Why was there an earthquake all of a sudden? Is anyone hurt?"

The iron-eating beast remained calm: "It's nothing, it's just an earthquake. There's no need to make a fuss. Come on, we haven't even decided who won yet, let's continue."

Lin Ye couldn't help but glance at the iron-eating beast again after hearing her words, thinking to himself that she was indeed a national treasure, able to remain so optimistic even under such circumstances.

Warfarin expressed her doubts, but her suspicions were directed at Lin Ye: "Normal phenomena? Why have strange things been happening one after another since Lin Ye came here? The hundred-year-old Vajra Pestle broke just like that, the sky was clear one minute and thunder started the next, and it started raining the next. Now there's even an earthquake... I'm telling you, Lin Ye, you didn't actually release that incredible thing, did you?"

Lin Ye initially wanted to refute Warfarin, but Warfarin's arguments were so logical and well-founded that he couldn't find any points to refute her, leaving him quite helpless. Seeing Lin Ye's expression of tacit agreement, Warfarin was even more surprised: "You really released that incredible thing?"

"No, something incredible?" Grani became even more nervous. "Is it that legendary monster?"

"It's the Nian Beast, at least it's a legend of our Yan Kingdom. At least pronounce its name correctly," the Iron-Eating Beast said helplessly. "Why are you all so timid? What kind of Nian Beast is this? I, a Yan Kingdom citizen, am not afraid. What are you afraid of? It's just that the Vajra Pestle broke, there was a sudden thunderstorm, and a small earthquake. These are all normal phenomena. Why do you have to associate it with something that doesn't exist?"

Before the iron-eating beast could finish speaking, an aged voice rang out: "No, this is definitely not a normal phenomenon!"

Everyone turned around and saw Master Buxing slowly walking over, supported by his disciple.

“Fubo Mountain will not experience earthquakes at all,” Master Buxing said.

The iron-eating beast curled its lip: "Master, can your Vajra Pestle really protect against earthquakes?"

"It's not a Vajra!" Master Buxing stomped his foot on the floor, angrily saying, "The Fubo Mountains are not even on the earthquake belt of Yan Kingdom! I checked the information online; this is data from the Great Yan Earthquake Bureau! You may not believe me, but you must believe in science!"

Master Buxing's words stunned everyone present.

Good heavens! Even temple abbots are starting to believe in science. Will this world ever get any better?

“But even if you say that, the earthquake still came,” the Iron-Eating Beast said.

"That's because the Nian beast has already awakened! Or is about to awaken!" Master Buxing said loudly, "Otherwise, it definitely wouldn't... cough cough cough."

Master Bu was clearly extremely agitated, his words becoming incoherent. Everyone quickly urged him to go and rest, to catch his breath. Otherwise, if he were to accidentally faint, Lin Ye's guilt would be even greater. Although Lin Ye genuinely felt innocent, at most he had just been a little impulsive, and this impulsiveness was different from before—this time it was with someone's consent, so it shouldn't even be considered impulsive—the blame was still firmly placed on his head.

Having no other choice, Lin Ye coughed twice and, following the decision they had just discussed outside, said to everyone with a forced smile, "Messiah, Skadi, and I will go down the mountain to take a look. You all stay here and wait for us."

"You're going down the mountain? At a time like this?" the Iron-Eating Beast said. "Isn't this just asking for trouble? It's thundering and raining, and we don't even know if there will be aftershocks from the earthquake just now. It's too dangerous."

Lin Ye really wanted to say that if they didn't find a solution now, and waited until they were fully awake and freed, it would be a matter of more than just whether it was dangerous or not.

Besides the Iron Eater disagreeing, Grani also expressed her opposition. She was about to say something when Warfarin stopped her, indicating that she didn't need to say anything more.

Grani didn't know Messiah's identity, but Warfarin did. The earthquake she'd just witnessed made her suspect that the legend of the Nian beast was most likely true. And only legends can fight legends; if the Nian beast truly awakened, only one and a half people present could deal with it. Messiah was one, Skadi was half, and as for Lin Ye, Warfarin naturally ignored him. However, in Warfarin's view, as long as Messiah was by his side, it was unlikely anything would happen to her, so she didn't need to worry about him; she could just wait for them to return at the temple.

When the Iron-Eating Beast saw that no one supported her, it could only shrug and say, "Then do as you please, but I really don't think there's anything worth going there for. We might as well wait for the rescue team here. If there are any aftershocks, the rescue team will definitely come."

The rescue team couldn't handle the legendary Nian beast.

Lin Ye sighed inwardly, but didn't show it on his face: "Then we'll set off and be back soon... probably."

Just as the three were about to leave, Master Buxing spoke again: "Wait, take the Vajra Pestle with you!"

Lin Ye turned his head and looked at Master Buxing, who was being supported by his disciple, and slowly said, "I just thought about it carefully. The Vajra Pestle wouldn't break for no reason. It broke in your hand, perhaps it was the will of Heaven, and the will of Heaven cannot be defied. You need to take on the responsibility of suppressing the Nian Beast, so take the Vajra Pestle with you. After all, it belongs to Master Fubo, and maybe... it will help you."

……

And so, Lin Ye, along with Messiah and Skadi, left the temple with Maple and the broken Vajra Pestle.

According to Master Buxing's description, there was a faster path from the temple to the foot of the mountain, though it was much steeper than the main road. However, this was obviously not a problem for Messiah and Skadi, and although it was somewhat strenuous for Lin Ye, it was not dangerous. So they found and chose this path to descend the mountain.

According to Messiah's previous statement, although she is no match for the Nian beast now, the Nian beast is certainly not at its peak either. Just as she previously metaphorically described, the formation suppressing the Nian beast is like a giant net, tightly binding it. Even if the Nian beast finds a breakthrough, it will take some time to completely destroy the net. Until then, the formation will continue to function, restricting the Nian beast's movements and strength.

Furthermore, the Nian Beast has been suppressed for so many years, much like someone who has been asleep for a long time suddenly waking up with a hazy consciousness. It needs time to recover, which is why it hasn't been able to emerge from the mountains yet. Therefore, considering both factors, the current Nian Beast and the current Messiah might not be too different. Besides the Messiah, they also have Skadi, whose strength is undeniable. Aside from gods, who cannot be judged by ordinary standards, Lin Ye has never seen Skadi weaker than anyone else.

In truth, after all that, the safest course of action is still to simply run away. The time it takes for the Nian beast to regain its power and break free of its restraints is enough for them to escape the danger zone. By the time the Nian beast awakens and fully recovers its power, they will have already reached safety. At that point, the Nian beast will have no chance, no reason, to catch them, and this was also Messiah's initial advice.