The Prodigies War

Chapter 595: The Temple and The Prayer Mat

It originates from here, but is also destroyed here. If the time is not right, nothing can be done!

The strange words were written in the Mahayana secret script of the Buddhist cultivators. Undoubtedly, the monk in white was a Buddhist saint cultivator!

However, it appeared that he had also died here.

Before death, he left this single sentence filled with desolation, helplessness, and sorrow.

“This king has a hypothesis.”

Toady suddenly spoke up. He stared at the tightly shut stone door and said, “In the ancient era, numerous saints came here in search of the blessing, and like us, they arrived at this stone door. However, because the timing wasn’t right, the door could not be opened, and they ended up dying here in regret.”

“Although saints are known to have a lifespan equal to heaven and earth, they are not truly immortal. They were trapped here, but unwilling to leave, hoping that if they waited, the door would eventually open one day. Unfortunately, that time never came.”

Toady sighed. This was fate. If it wasn’t yours, it would never be no matter how long you waited.

“What is hidden behind this door that would make these saints rather wait here until they die instead of leaving?”

Zhao Jingxuan stared at the tightly shut stone door with her clear eyes.

Saints were terrifying and supreme existences.

However, because of the blessing behind the door, each of them had stubbornly waited until they eventually passed on. This was probably one of the cruelest things in the world.

What kind of mysterious blessing would make all of these saints rather wait here until their deaths than try to leave?

“They might have been unwilling to leave and chose to wait here. However, there is another possibility: they had no way to return and had no choice but to wait here.”

Lin Xun looked behind him as he spoke. There was only darkness there. The route they had come from had already disappeared.

This startled Zhao Jingxuan. Soon after, she said in a frightened voice, “Then we…”

Toady suddenly transmitted, “Stop talking, someone is coming. Withdraw your aura, sit down, and act as if you’re a corpse!”

He immediately sat down right beside the monk in white and used the knife handle to simultaneously block the monk’s aura and hide his own. After which, he sat completely still as if he were a clay statue.

Lin Xun and Zhao Jingxuan did not dare to tarry and quickly sat down on the other side of the passageway. Lin Xun held his Broken Blade horizontally in front of him while Zhao Jingxuan hugged the Nine Dragons Cauldron as they both withdrew their presence.

Without looking closely, it would be very difficult to discover any differences between them and the saint corpses.

It wasn’t like they had other options. The passage was only twenty feet wide and the way forward was blocked by a stone door, leaving no place to hide. Hence, they had no choice but to resort to this risky measure.

Who could have also found this passageway?

Lin Xun and the others were bewildered, but they made sure to be vigilant as they prepared for battle.

Soon after, footsteps sounded from the darkness.

Lanterns began to light up, casting a soft glow around an approaching group of figures.

They were led by a man and a woman. The handsome man had a nervous expression while the pretty woman was holding a scroll that seemed to be made from a material that resembled jade.

The scroll was obviously some kind of special artifact. It gave off a dreamy, smoke-like light that protected the entire group.

It’s them!

Lin Xun’s heart shook. Through the detection abilities of his powerful spirit sense, he instantly recognized Lian Fei and Yao Susu!

Lin Xun never imagined that he would see them in the Deva Secret Domain!

Moreover, it was inconceivable that they had also found the mysterious passageway.

Before they approached, Lin Xun lowered his head and swiftly transmitted to Zhao Jingxuan and Toady about Lian Fei and Yao Susu.

Lin Xun also reminded them not to move for the time being.

Water Brute Tribe experts…

Lin Xun soon discovered that the experts following Lian Fei and Yao Susu were from the Water Brute Tribe.

They looked no different from humans, but their auras were easy to recognize. Lin Xun had killed many Water Brute Tribe descendants during his time in Blood Kill Camp and naturally would not mistake their identities.

It seems that they’ve cooperated with the Water Brute Tribe to come here…

Lin Xun began to piece things together.

He had also noted that Lian Fei and Yao Susu were still at the Spirit Sea stage and had yet to step into the Heaven Ascension stage.

If not for the Water Brute Tribe escort, then they would have died the moment they entered the Deva Secret Domain and would never have reached the Violet Cloud Sacred Mountain.

Lian Fei’s complexion was pale as said in a trembling voice, “So many dead saints. Susu, will we…also…”

“Don’t say such inauspicious things. You’ve already seen that there’s no way back, and we can only continue advancing.”

Yao Susu softly chided, “Don’t worry too much. With the secret map left to me by father, I will definitely bring us to the peerless hidden blessing.”

“I hope so.”

Lin Fei was clearly still frightened and worried about himself.

After all, it had been a terrifying journey so far where they encountered nothing but saint corpses. Anyone else would have already lost their composure by this juncture.

“The secret map left by my father is crazy amazing. It has not only helped us find this well-hidden passageway but is also able to block and neutralize the auras from the saint corpses. It’s absolutely a rare treasure.”

At this point, Lian Fei seemed to realize that he was being pretty pathetic. He quickly smiled and said, “In fact, this treasure might be able to help us escape.”

Yao Susu corrected, “Not escape but search for the blessing.”

“Right right right, it will definitely find it.”

Lian Fei hastily nodded.

“There’s a stone door ahead!”

Yao Susu’s eyes brightened as she quickly walked forward.

“Have we reached the end?”

Lian Fei and the Water Brute Tribe experts hurriedly followed.

They didn’t notice Lin Xun and the others, evidently subconsciously assuming that they were just another few saint corpses.

After all, none of them would have imagined that someone else had already arrived at the hidden passageway before them.

More importantly, without the secret map’s protection, it would have been near impossible for them to have made it past so many saint corpses. Hence, they were also subconsciously trying to keep as far away from the saint corpses as possible.

Due to these reasons, Yao Susu and the others did not notice anything out of the ordinary as they were drawn to the stone door at the end of the passageway.

“It originates from here, but is also destroyed here. If the time is not right, nothing can be done!”

Shockingly, Yao Susu was able to decipher the words left by the white-clothed monk using the mysterious scroll in her hands.

Lin Xun transmitted, “Toady, it looks like that secret map helped them reach this place. When we move, I will deal with the Water Brute experts while you and Miss Zhao go after the secret map.”

Toady and Zhao Jingxuan agreed.

“The blessing must be behind this door!”

Yao Susu and the others were still unaware of the danger nearby as they excitedly stared at the stone door.

One of the Water Brute Tribe experts urged, “Why are you hesitating? Quickly open the door!”

Lian Fei unhappily retorted, “Why don’t you go and open it?”

“How dare you talk back? Without our protection, you weak humans would have died long ago. Do you think you would have made it here?”

The Water Brute expert’s expression was clouded with anger and disdain. “If I say go, then go. If you keep talking nonsense, don’t blame us for what happens next! I believe that even without you two, we can still find the blessing as long as we have the secret map!”

Lian Fei’s expression abruptly changed, becoming fearful.

“Enough!”

Yao Susu’s expression darkened. She coldly glared at the Water Brute Tribe experts and said, “Don’t go too far. Without my cooperation, you guys will never obtain the blessing!”

“You…”

The Water Brute Tribe expert was enraged, but he ultimately restrained himself. “We were too anxious earlier. I hope that you will not misunderstand.”

Yao Susu icily snorted. Without further ado, she walked to the stone door and began to inspect it.

Toady suddenly transmitted, “Should we go?”

Lin Xun quickly replied, “Let’s wait a while longer and let them be the vanguard.”

Omm!

It was at this moment that Yao Susu suddenly raised the scroll as light sprinkled from it toward the door.

Soon after, the door that had been tightly shut for countless years began to rumble as it slowly awakened from its long rest!

Yao Susu’s, Lian Fei’s, and the Water Brute Tribe experts’ breathing grew heavy as their expressions turned excited.

For countless years, numerous saints had waited until their deaths, but none of them had managed to wait until the door opened.

And now, the door was opening so easily. Did this mean that the destined moment had finally come?

On the ground, the sentence left by the monk in white began to feel even more tragic and helpless.

The door had finally opened after countless years. Sometimes, the timing was cruel and yet also very crucial.

“Go!”

Without any hesitation, Yao Susu, Lian Fei, and the others dashed in.

Toady got up from the ground and asked in an anguished voice, “Why didn’t we move earlier?”

“Let them scout the way. We’ll be the fisherman that reels in the net.”

Lin Xun’s black eyes were calm as he said, “The likes of them won’t be our match even if they obtain the blessing.”

“Heh heh, you’re so evil. Aren’t you ashamed to make such a dirty deed sound so normal?”

Toady was elated. This was one of his favorite things to do!

“It feels like the heavens are blessing us. If we tried to force our way in earlier, we would have definitely been unable to open the door. Who could have imagined that the old lord of heaven would immediately send these guys over to help us solve the problem?!”

Toady grew increasingly excited as he spoke, “How lucky. Only the Three-legged Golden Toad Clan has such special luck.”

“I think you’re the most shameless one.”

Lin Xun glanced at Toady before he took a deep breath, erased his presence, and stealthily walked through the stone doorway.

Toady and Zhao Jingxuan hurriedly followed.

……

After stepping through the door, they found themselves in an entirely different area!

It felt as if they had walked into an old-fashioned Daoist temple. The ground was covered in a thick layer of dust, a sign that no one had entered for many years.

The enormous temple was divided into thirty-three levels with each level connected by a staircase consisting of exactly nine steps.

Slowly climbing up such a magnificent temple would fill one with awe and a sense of solemnness as if they had arrived at the abode of the gods.

The temple was also strangely empty with not even a single decoration to be seen, making it appear rather desolate.

Yao Susu and the others quickly walked up the steps and headed toward the highest level.

They soon reached the end and saw a scene that left them all dumbstruck—

All there was at the end of the temple was a single prayer mat!

Was this prayer mat it?

In the ancient era, many saints had searched for the rumored blessing, but had been unable to enter the stone door and ended up waiting until their deaths.

Who could have imagined that the blessing they so desired was merely an empty temple and a prayer met?

It was a god-damned joke!

Was it really all just a scam?

Some distance away, Lin Xun and the others were also unable to remain composed in their hiding spot. They could not imagine that this was all that awaited them behind the stone door.

It made them recall the altars on the peak, and recall the many lines of Mahayana secret script left on the altars.

Fangchun Mountain is a scam?

I can’t believe that he scammed all of us!

According to the common language, Fangchun refers to where the heart is. The crescent moon and three stars can be written as the character ‘?’ which is also the word for heart. It's rumored that the secret of the Boddhi is also hidden within. Could it be that if we wish to see Fangchun, we need to search with our ‘heart’?

As Toady recalled this particular sentence, something suddenly struck him and he transmitted.

“If we wish to see Fangchun, we need to search with our ‘heart’,” and then there’s ‘the ever-changing and inseparable from the sect are om mani padme hum!’ Perhaps a certain method is needed to make the blessing reveal itself.”

Toady paused and then transmitted, “Yes, that should be it.”

Lin Xun and Zhao Jingxuan were taken aback as understanding began to dawn upon them. The empty temple now felt different when they looked at it again.

Could the thirty-three levels represent the fabled thirty-three heavens?

Each level was connected by exactly nine steps. Since nine was the ‘limit number’, was crossing every level equivalent to crossing a heaven?

Was the owner of the prayer mat the great power that had created this entire place?

Or could the secret of the Boddhi be hidden in the temple, but they just hadn’t discovered it yet?

While they were thinking, one of the Water Brute Tribe experts moved and tried to grab the prayer mat.

Evidently, he felt that there must be something up with the prayer mat and it might contain some kind of secret.

“How can you be so forceful if you want the blessing? Unreasonable people have no fate with my blessing.”

A disembodied voice suddenly sounded in the temple as if it originated from an unknown place far away.

The Water Brute Tribe expert’s body suddenly froze before turning into dust that scattered to the ground.

He could not even react from start to end.

Hiss!

Horrified gasps sounded. There was indeed something off about the temple, and there was unimaginable danger concealed everywhere!

“Look at the thick layer of dust on the ground, this king suspects that it's the remains of the experts who had once entered this temple. They accidentally triggered the hidden danger which turned them all to dust!”

Toady shivered as he transmitted his conjecture.

This made Lin Xun’s and Zhao Jingxuan’s scalps turn numb. If Toady was right, wouldn’t that mean the thick layer of dust represented the remains of dead experts?

“Don’t move recklessly!”

Yao Susu warned with a grave expression.

She walked forward and carefully inspected the prayer mat while referring to her mysterious scroll.

Lian Fei and the others nervously waited.

Suddenly, Yao Susu took a deep breath and shouted with a clear pause between each word, “The ever-changing and inseparable from the sect are om mani padme hum!”

Omm!

The sentence was like a key that activated a hidden mechanism. Dao light abruptly spread from the prayer mat and instantly illuminated the temple!