Nobody knows how to be a villain better than me.

"Get back!"

Instantly, the alien evil god, who had just squeezed out half of his head, was blasted back into the dark abyss like a groundhog hit by a heavy hammer.

Seeing the disoriented Great Old One begin to fall, Samael did not hesitate to raise the spiral of light in his hand and wave it toward the bottomless abyss of the Ruins.

"Thirteen Constraints, Unleash!"

The divine laws, embodied in various forms, were woven into thirteen golden chains, stitching together the dark crack below like a needle and thread.

It felt like a fleeting moment, yet also like a thousand or ten thousand years had passed.

The last golden rune was embedded in the Great Ruins of Return, leaving only a shallow scar on the massive rift.

The wet, sticky whispers in my ear also came to an abrupt end.

call!

As the auditory hallucinations subsided, everyone present breathed a sigh of relief.

Even the Candle Dragon, stretching for thousands of miles, sank from mid-air and crashed heavily to the ground.

"So the sea eye guarded by the dragons actually hides such a monster."

Jiang Ziya, slumped on a protruding black rock, gazed at the desolate and lifeless Guixu and the distorted and twisted fish-man corpses all around him, muttering with lingering fear.

"Not entirely. Only this gap cannot be sealed, therefore I was ordered to guard the Ruins of Return..."

Zhulong raised its massive head, its voice sounding even older, and at the same time, its eyes couldn't help but look at the figure who had placed its hand on its dragon horn, its emotions surging violently.

He actually accomplished something that even Kunlun couldn't do.

"Don't be too happy too soon, it's only temporary."

Samael looked at the ground, which now only had a shallow scar, and gave a cold snort as a reminder.

However, as everyone's hearts were once again in their throats, the ancient snake changed its tone.

"Of course, it can withstand a thousand or eight hundred years without any problem, and it will at least give you a chance to catch your breath."

As he spoke, Samael glanced sideways at the old dragon lying on the ground.

A hint of awkwardness immediately appeared on Zhulong's old face. He then lowered his head and spoke in a muffled voice.

"I apologize for any offense I may have caused you before."

Samael waved his hand, not caring.

In retrospect, although the old dragon had a bad temper, it was probably well-intentioned to force them to leave Guixu.

Having guarded the sea eye for a thousand years and single-handedly resisted the encroachment of foreign lands, their efforts can be described as arduous and meritorious.

He wouldn't hold a grudge against this ancient Chinese god because of such a misunderstanding.

Seemingly realizing that his previous attitude had been somewhat inappropriate, Zhulong immediately lowered his guard, brought up the old matter again, and explained with a dry cough.

"When the celestial beings went on their journeys, they entrusted me with only this, and left nothing else."

Just as Samael was feeling quite disappointed, Jiang Ziya looked at the faint golden stitching marks at the Guixu Great Abyss, his eyes flashed, and he pondered.

"Perhaps it's not that they didn't say it, but that they couldn't say it?"

"possible!"

Samael's eyes lit up, and he suddenly realized what was going on.

This ambiguous approach is indeed a typical cultural style of the Chinese people.

Since it cannot be explained, one can only figure it out for oneself.

The old mystery remains unsolved, and now we've fallen into a new fog. Samael rubbed his throbbing temples and muttered to himself.

What a hassle...

Seeing that Samael looked worried, Zhulong hesitated for a moment before slowly speaking.

"As far as I know, this is not the only case of celestial beings going far away. If you still have any questions, there are other places that may provide some evidence."

"Where?"

Samael perked up upon hearing this and immediately pressed for details.

"Nalanda Monastery in Magadha!"

Zhulong pondered solemnly before answering truthfully.

"A powerful being from Mount Ling still exists here..."

In an instant, the ancient snake realized the answer, slapped its forehead, and suddenly understood.

Oh yeah, how could I forget about her!

Chapter Twenty-One: Clean and hygienic, brothers! (4.2k')

A few days later, in central Bihar, India.

As dawn broke, an old train rumbled across the wilderness. In the somewhat dilapidated and shabby sleeper car, Samael traced a few lines with his fingers to reinforce the magic barrier, blocking out the faint smell of curry and the sound of teeth grinding from the main carriage. Then he lowered his head and continued to read the Diamond Sutra in his hand.

As the pages rustled through the pages, Yang Yuhuan, who should have been sleeping on the upper bunk, snuggled into Samael's arms, curling up like a little rabbit sleeping in a haystack. She held onto one of Samael's arms and fell into a deep sleep, a light smile on her charming face, as if she were having another sweet dream.

Across from them, a vixen dressed in a traditional Indian sari glanced at her ticket stub and the seat that had been taken, and gritted her teeth in frustration.

Tch, I just stopped one, and another one is coming.

While complaining, Tamamo-no-Mae glanced up at Hinako Akuta on the upper bunk, who was outwardly reading a book but secretly glancing at Hinako on the lower bunk opposite her, and couldn't help but mutter another complaint to herself.

Why are even vixens so shrewish these days? They even have to compete for the position...

"Ugh——!"

The train whistle sounded a long blast, and it seemed to slow down.

Samael peered out of the frost-covered car window. In the pitch-black night, only faint lights flickered in the chilly air.

"Get ready, we're almost there."

The two people in the opposite bunk, who were wide awake, quickly got up, packed their few belongings, and rushed out of the carriage before the train had even come to a complete stop.

I don't want to stay in this curry-smelling vehicle for even a second longer.

After all, those who know about Indian trains know how bad they are; even the highest-class sleeper berths aren't much better.

With no platform in sight, the group had no choice but to jump from the carriage onto the ground. Looking around, they saw only a few people getting off the train. After asking around about their destination, they learned that they still had a long way to go.

After a brief stop, the train continued its journey. Outside the carriages on both sides, there were thousands of figures clinging to the walls, each carrying their belongings, like geckos stuck to a wall.

Meanwhile, at each small station where the train needed to stop or slow down, hundreds of people carrying large and small bags rushed out from the wilderness on both sides of the tracks, scrambling to jump onto the still-moving train and squeeze into the "big family" outside.

As the train lurched, the bodies swayed in the cold wind, like worms hanging on the train, writhing and intertwining in the darkness, making one's sanity plummet.

The four people who had just returned from Guixu shivered in unison and quickly shook their heads to dispel the nightmares that were growing in their minds.

This is the legendary Indian "hanging ticket," a unique Indian feature.

Fortunately, the four of them had already gotten off the bus, and their ample savings meant they wouldn't have to take turns buying tickets after landing.

"There's still a long way to go, let's go."

Samael waved and, carrying little Yang Yuhuan, led Akuta Hinako and Tamamo-no-Mae out of the station.

After exiting the station, given the appalling traffic conditions in this godforsaken place, everyone agreed to rent a car on the spot.

It's a German Volkswagen.

Anyway, Samael wouldn't dare rent Indian brand-name goods.

Given the numerous screws left on the Indian aircraft carrier after its repairs and the failure rate of nearly half of its 874 MiG-21 fighter jets crashing, he dared not personally test the craftsmanship of the Indian people.

At that time, it's a minor issue if the car breaks down on the road; we just hope it explodes and sends everyone still in the car to their deaths.

The rented Volkswagen had just the right number of seats, perfectly fitting the needs of the group, and the interior was in excellent condition, about 60-70% new.

Samael had just put the sleeping Yang Yuhuan into the back seat when Tamamo-no-Mae took the opportunity to climb into the driver's seat and unceremoniously took over the best spot.

"Don't worry, I'll drive!"

Immediately, the fox spirit, who had been concealing her presence and disguised herself as an ordinary person to travel across most of East Asia, was almost driven crazy by the pent-up energy. As soon as Samael got into the passenger seat, she excitedly floored the accelerator and sped along the bumpy roads with the momentum of a tank entering a village.

Despite the increasingly intense tremors, Samael pulled out his seatbelt and fastened it, but that did nothing to stop the vixen's madness.

In truth, it was all because of him.

In the battle of the East Sea Ruins, although the Holy Spear's power was used to mend the gap in the earth's surface and drive the octopus head back into the void.

But such a big commotion as lifting the thirteen constraints could not be kept secret.

His whereabouts in China were thus exposed.

To escape the group of crazy women who were chasing him around the world for breeding, Samael immediately and quietly slipped away from China after he finished, heading straight for his new destination—the ancient Indian kingdom of Magadha.

Originally, there were six people in the group, but due to various reasons, the group had a disagreement.

Jiang Ziya needed to guard Kunlun, and with the upheaval at Guixu, Zhulong's vitality was greatly depleted, almost to the point of exhaustion.

Just in case, this lone Heavenly Emperor could only temporarily assume the duties of Zhulong, purifying the filth seeping from the crack.

Similarly, the First Emperor also took his leave afterward.

On the one hand, the spying of the evil gods from beyond the realm made this ancestral dragon wary.

On the other hand, he had just finished plundering Kunlun, and his warehouse was filled with all sorts of excellent alchemy materials.

Moreover, in return, the old dragon of Guixu gifted each of them a wisp of [Zhulong's Breath] that could prolong their lives.

The First Emperor, obsessed with the "elixir of immortality" and "alchemy," probably needs to go into seclusion for a while to digest what he has learned from this trip.

And so the two parted ways. Samael, along with Akuta no Hinako, Tamamo-no-Mae, and Yang Yuhuan, went to Magadha in ancient India to further investigate the secrets left behind by the departed gods.

Before their departure, the First Emperor and Jiang Ziya entrusted the Emperor Shun's seal and the jade disc to Samael, putting the entire matter in the hands of the four of them.

Out of caution, Samael concealed his presence, disguised himself as an ordinary person, and led the remaining three on a long and circuitous route before finally entering India from Nepal.

In retrospect, his plan was undoubtedly successful.

After all, running away is one of his strengths.

While they were pondering, the speeding Volkswagen had been traveling along the country road for nearly fifteen minutes. Around 5 o'clock, they came to an intersection with an archway. Through the hazy distance, they could see that the words on it were a transliteration of "Nalanda," and the three of them couldn't help but relax.

In the dim light, they saw several figures. As they approached, they realized it was an open-air stall selling fried rice cakes, run by a kind old couple.

Judging from the process, the hygiene was actually quite good.

It's clean and hygienic, guys.

Having already adapted to local customs, Tamamo-no-Mae rolled down the car window, bought one for herself and the other three, ate breakfast, and then headed towards their final destination following the directions given by passersby.

At this point, they were not far from Nalanda Monastery, and the sleeping Yang Guifei had also woken up. The four of them decided to stop the car and continue on foot.

Nalanda, officially known as Nalanda Sangharama, was founded in the 5th century during the Gupta Dynasty. It flourished during the Harsha and early Pala dynasties, and declined in the late Pala dynasty. For over 700 years, it served as the highest institution of Buddhist learning in ancient India and a center for the study of Indian culture.

It is said that its name is a transliteration of Sanskrit, and its meaning is said to be either the name of a local dragon, "to impart knowledge," or "to give without being greedy." In short, it has a positive connotation.

Geographically, Nalanda was located more than 10 kilometers from Rajgir, the capital of ancient Magadha, India, which is about 11 kilometers from Rachakir in Patna district of central Bihar, India.

In the fantasy novel "Journey to the West," the location of the "Great Thunder Temple of the Western Paradise" that Tang Sanzang went to on his pilgrimage to the West is actually Nalanda Monastery.

Unfortunately, this place has been repeatedly damaged.

According to records, the magnificent Nalanda Monastery was destroyed in the chaos of war around 1200. The Islamic historian Minhaj wrote in his book: "An Islamic leader led his army to Nalanda. Because of their differing religious beliefs, they plundered the area and executed most of the inhabitants, including the 'shaved heads' (referring to Buddhists), and countless precious Buddhist scriptures were burned." From then on, Nalanda Monastery never recovered and gradually disappeared. In 1812, the European Francis Buchanan discovered some towers and the ruins of a large palace there, deducing that it had once been a place of worship and a royal palace. Half a century later, from 1861 to 1862, Alexander Cunningham, based on the distance and direction recorded in the *Great Tang Records on the Western Regions*, deduced that this was Nalanda. In 1915, the Archaeological Survey of India began excavations, revealing the true face of Nalanda.

Fortunately, this dilapidated ancient site is now being restored and is regaining its vitality.

Right now, the most obvious sign is that the further you go, the smoother the road becomes, and there are many more stalls on both sides.

Samael picked up a tourist brochure from somewhere and flipped through it. It was ingeniously written in Sanskrit and Hindi, and the content was about the glorious history of Nalanda Monastery.

During its heyday, Nalanda University was a gathering place for great masters and produced many eminent monks. Many famous Indian Buddhist masters and eminent monks from abroad studied there, such as Nagarjuna, Padmasambhava, Śīlabhadra, as well as Faxian, who went to India to seek Buddhist teachings at the age of 65 and returned to China at the age of 78, and Xuanzang, who went abroad at the age of 29 and returned to China with honors at the age of 44.

These are basically the pinnacle of Buddhist studies, which shows that Nalanda Monastery had a very high level of students, making it a truly premier cultural holy site in the Buddhist world.

The travel brochure also contains several rubbings of murals, through which one can glimpse the historical features through the mottled marks on them.

Tens of thousands of Buddhists from various countries roam freely within the more than 100-hectare Buddhist temple grounds, where the sounds of lectures and debates rise and fall, echoing across the open fields. In this environment, seekers immerse themselves in Buddhist practice and study, allowing the ancient Indian tradition of debate to flourish even more. Teachers and students engage in mutual inquiry and exchange, learning from each other through questioning and dialogue—a practice that remains captivating to this day.

Historically, nearly 1400 years ago, in the first year of the Zhenguan era of the Tang Dynasty (627 AD), the eminent monk Xuanzang risked his life to secretly set off from Chang'an to travel west, hiding by day and traveling by night. He escaped through the Yumen Pass, reached the capital of Gaochang (present-day Turpan County), then passed through the Iron Gate Pass (Korla) to Kuqa (Kucha), and traveled west to Aksu. He crossed the Lingshan Mountains on the northern foothills of the Pamir Mountains and went west to Suyab. He then passed through Samarkand in Kangguo to the Iron Gate Pass in western Uzbekistan (Bactria) and went south to Bamiyan in Afghanistan, eventually reaching the Peshawar and Swat regions of present-day Pakistan.

He traveled and learned as he went, stopping and starting, for two years (629 AD). He then traveled through Punjab, present-day Pakistan, and entered northern India, reaching Kannauj (Lak on the west bank of the Ganges). He continued to travel and learn as he went, and finally arrived at Nalanda in Magadha, the country he had longed for, in the fifth year of the Zhenguan era (631 AD).