Chapter 828 - 280: Nine Elements Exiled Immortal Temple
"Fellow Daoist, we meet again," left Shen Wen’an greatly confused.
He forcibly searched through his memories, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t recall when and where he had encountered this eerie child.
"Who might you be..."
Facing Shen Wen’an’s puzzled gaze, the child grinned and said, "Little Monk obtained the twenty-fourth Dharma Bone, shed his decayed form, and was reborn."
"It’s no wonder Fellow Daoist doesn’t recognize me."
Upon hearing this, Shen Wen’an and Xu Zhan’s faces showed an expression of shock!
They didn’t expect at all that this three-foot-tall child before them was the Celestial Dragon Temple’s old monk they encountered a month ago!
Shen Wen’an had heard that Shixiu of Jianan Temple possessed a method of rebirth, which allowed one to discard a decayed body and possess an unborn infant, living anew.
However, there should be no other vessel available for possession within the Dragon-slaying Valley; how did this old monk manage to reverse time and transform into this form?
"Junior Brother Wen’an knows this person?"
Seeing that the two seemed to share some relationship, Huang Lingshan couldn’t help but ask out of curiosity.
After some contemplation, Shen Wen’an briefly recounted his acquaintance with the old monk from the previous month.
After hearing him out, Liu Qixuan and Huang Lingshan also exhibited faces full of shock.
"What do we do now?"
"Do we still fight?"
Suppressing the astonishment in his heart, Liu Qixuan frowned and spoke.
Before them stood a strange child transformed by the old monk, evidently not a member of the Tribulation Fire Sect, yet his power was extremely unusual.
He and Huang Lingshan had been engaged with him for over half an hour, but still couldn’t subdue him.
Frankly speaking, Liu Qixuan did not wish to engage with this child any further.
And Shen Wen’an had no intention of fighting the opponent to the death a month ago; naturally, he didn’t want to waste energy on it now.
He glanced at the enigmatic child and, with a slight bow, said, "Shall we declare a truce?"
The child eagerly nodded, "Little Monk too wishes to avoid entanglement with you all."
"With this time, it would be better to search for my Dharma Bones and find a way back to the Celestial Dragon Temple."
As soon as he finished speaking, Xu Zhan couldn’t suppress his curiosity and asked him, "How did you become like this?"
"Over the years, have you been continuously looping like this?"
"Xu Zhan," hearing Xu Zhan’s words, Shen Wen’an hastily stopped him.
They had only met the old monk once, and it was uncertain whether he was friend or foe.
Since neither side planned to fight, it was best to avoid probing into others’ privacy.
The child didn’t seem to mind and, smiling, said, "It’s not much of a secret."
"For countless years, while seeking my Dharma Bones and a way back to the Celestial Dragon Temple, I’ve also continuously studied and improved my Cultivation Technique."
"This valley lacks Spiritual Qi, insufficient for sustaining cultivation needs."
"Little Monk then improved Shixiu’s ’Three Lives Body,’ using the ’present body’ to nurture the ’future body,’ then incorporating the Body Cultivator’s path, replacing the Secret Treasury with the power of my Dharma Bones, in continuous cycles."
"Twenty-four Dharma Bones... Little Monk has lived twenty-four lifetimes."
Hearing his remarks left the four facing him utterly baffled.
"Oh my, truly perverse..."
"Does this mean he’s born from himself?"
Xu Zhan couldn’t help muttering.
Though his words sounded amusing, Shen Wen’an and the others found them quite fitting.
The method employed by this old monk indeed was a constant growth process, using the "present body" to nurture his future self.
When the vitality of the "present body" was exhausted, he discarded the decayed form and transformed into this current state.
So, when this body decays again, he seems able to continue nurturing new "future bodies."
Continually cycling, akin to some demons, shedding their skin to live one lifetime after another.
Considering the old monk’s prior words, his Dharma Body contained over two hundred Dharma Bones; each piece found allowed him to rebirth once.
This likely meant that, barring accidents, he could survive in this Dragon-slaying Valley for another hundred eighty times!?
After a moment of silence, a spirit light flickered in Shen Wen’an’s mind, then he said, "Does Fellow Daoist not wish for the Tribulation Fire Sect to activate the Myriad Dragons Array?"
The eerie child nodded slightly and said, "Little Monk believes the Celestial Dragon Temple is a Pure Land and shouldn’t engage in these disputes."
"Though sealed due to karmic tribulations, it’s also a form of blessing."
"Had it not been sealed, today’s Celestial Dragon Temple might have been torn apart like the Daying Immortal Mansion."
Shen Wen’an nodded and then said, "In that case, have you seen the members of the Tribulation Fire Sect?"
"If Fellow Daoist doesn’t wish for them to activate the Myriad Dragons Array, please direct us; so we may alleviate your concerns."
The child responded with a smile and shook his head.
"Fate is decided by itself; throughout countless years, Little Monk has washed away all karma."
"Forgive me, Fellow Daoist, but this karma stains me not."
After saying this, he slightly bowed toward the four and disappeared with a few leaps into the dense forest.
Seeing this unfold, Shen Wen’an’s face showed a hint of disappointment.
This old monk had wandered the Dragon-slaying Valley for countless years, surely his understanding of it surpassed theirs.
If he had guided them, the four might quickly locate the Tribulation Fire Sect members.
But it was clear he wished not to entangle with karma, leaving the four to search slowly.
After the old monk left, the four of them sat together.
Huang Lingshan began to narrate the events outside over the past year.
Upon hearing that Shen Li had broken through the Golden Core, and on the day of her breakthrough had slain twelve Yin Generals of the Underworld, Shen Wen’an and Xu Zhan’s faces showed disbelief.