Bodhisattvas Relocate

The Old Monk wore gray robes, his bald head gleaming as he drifted away.

The skin on Wang Xuan and Old Chen's faces twitched slightly. They stared again and again at the shining back of his head, both holding themselves back from speaking.

"Little Wang, I traveled far into deep space for your sake. How will you repay me?" In the end, Old Chen could not hold it in and spoke first.

Wang Xuan hurriedly patted himself all over. "Old Chen, act normal. At your age, you're giving me goosebumps all over the floor."

"You speak—am I not shielding you from disaster?" Old Chen glared at him, looking as though he demanded an explanation.

Wang Xuan truly was in the wrong on this matter. That day, he had only casually said a few words. He had never expected the Female Daoist practitioner to actually seek out Old Chen.

"Old Chen, you can't put it that way. A few days ago, Qing Mu and I were discussing this. We unanimously agreed that with great ability comes great responsibility. You are one of the leaders of the Exploration Organization, and you have finally truly demonstrated both your ability and your sense of responsibility. Qing Mu deeply agrees as well."

Old Chen watched him put on such a solemn face and even show him an expression of respect. He really wanted to hit him!

In the end, Old Chen sighed. Gazing into the distance in a daze, he seemed somewhat lonely. "You do not understand how deep these waters run. You cannot imagine how terrifying the truth behind the pre-Qin Ascension was. This time, I truly paid a tremendous price."

Wang Xuan was surprised. Only last night had he been chilled to the bone and become wary, developing a different view of Ascension. Yet Old Chen was speaking in this tone now—had he seemed to have noticed something long ago?

Very quickly, Wang Xuan understood. The Exploration Organization cooperated with the state and was semi-official in nature. Naturally, it knew many secrets beyond ordinary people's imagination, perhaps even the truth of history.

After all, who could investigate everything more thoroughly than the state? Documents, rare lone copies, secret volumes, and the like from every era must have recorded and preserved something.

"Those years were truly weathered and weighty. They were not merely history, but also a brilliant epic that moved heaven and earth, shook down stars and moons." Old Chen's words were heavy. Even his sighs seemed desolate, carrying a sense of powerlessness.

"The Female Daoist practitioner's appearance is a very bad omen. Her return means... forget it, I cannot say." Old Chen rubbed his temples, looking utterly exhausted. "You are still young. You do not know how serious this matter is."

Seeing Old Chen so dejected, Wang Xuan found it difficult to adjust. Old Chen was usually calm and composed, but now he was completely different, drained in body and spirit.

"Do not think this is some trivial matter. If things go wrong, it could lead to a massive catastrophe. That is why I took her far into deep space and visited some places, hoping to resolve the problem. Sadly, I failed. Against my will, I was still guided back by her."

At this point, Old Chen became somewhat sorrowful. Patting Wang Xuan's shoulder, he said, "Little Wang, the future belongs to you young people. If, after some time... I am no longer here, your generation must find every possible way to uncover certain secrets of the Old Arts and find that proper path lost in the river of history. Perhaps it could also be called a shortcut!"

Wang Xuan's scalp prickled. Was Old Chen going to die? Was his time running out?!

"Life is full of ups and downs. No one knows how their final curtain will fall!" Old Chen lamented as he looked toward the horizon. In the morning glow, a layer of pale golden radiance covered his body.

Wang Xuan had not paid much attention before, but now he realized that although Old Chen looked haggard, his body was ramrod straight, carrying an indescribable bearing.

"Master, stop forcing yourself. It is fine if you cannot obtain the Female Daoist practitioner's Ascension Immortal Method. Wang Xuan's strength has advanced by leaps and bounds, perhaps..."

Qing Mu had arrived. Still outside the courtyard gate, he heard Old Chen's lament and thus spoke through the wall to persuade him not to be so stubborn, before striding inside.

The instant he saw Wang Xuan, he wanted to cover his own mouth. At the same time, he wished he could vanish immediately, not daring to look at Old Chen.

Damn it, Old Chen really had been holding back his ultimate move! Wang Xuan was dumbfounded.

He was speechless. In his eyes, the pale golden glow on Old Chen's body instantly faded away completely. The ramrod-straight posture, righteous aura, and everything else vanished.

In truth, Wang Xuan had never bought into the act and had not believed it much. Now that he had witnessed it firsthand and caught him red-handed, it was his turn to want to hit Old Chen.

"Old Chen, you really are something." Wang Xuan sighed.

Old Chen did not feel embarrassed in the slightest. His so-called sorrow and loneliness vanished in an instant, and he returned to being calm and composed. Shaking his head, he sighed. "That is life's rise and fall. Its course changes at any moment."

He looked at his disciple. "Qing Mu, at your age, how can you still be so rash? You have let Little Wang see you make a fool of yourself, haven't you?"

What could Qing Mu say? Only after Old Chen returned and they had thoroughly exchanged views did he understand what Old Chen had been planning.

Wang Xuan glanced at Old Chen. Seeing him so haggard, he did not sympathize with him at all. His old colleague was a ruthless man. In order to obtain the Female Daoist practitioner's immortal method, he had held on for so many days and refused to find a replacement no matter what. He really had gone all out!

He leaned closer and asked in a low voice, "Is there really an Ascension Immortal Method?"

Qing Mu could not stand it any longer. "Enough, Little Wang. Be decent. Stop provoking Old Chen."

Wang Xuan looked at him. "Qing Mu, if I were you, I would turn around and leave. You really came to take over your master's shift. I feel it will be your turn soon."

"Shut up!" Qing Mu's scalp prickled as he retreated several steps.

Then his heart trembled. He felt terrible all over. His spiritual domain was actually bearing some kind of pressure, and cold sweat broke out on him.

At the same time, Old Chen let out a long breath. Sensing something, he said, "I feel that Celestial Maiden has left and is no longer emitting spiritual pressure at me."

It had to be said that Old Chen was truly powerful. Even during the day, he could sense whether the Female Daoist practitioner had left.

But he was also startled and could not help looking at Wang Xuan. Had what this kid had just said come true the moment he opened his mouth? There really seemed to be some bridge between him and the Female Daoist practitioner through which they could communicate!

"Is this for real... it is my turn?!" Qing Mu wanted to cry. Everything that blessed mouth had said had come true, and it had even told him so several days ago.

Wang Xuan also became serious. The Female Daoist practitioner no longer needed to enter dreams? She possessed such methods even in daylight? It truly put people under pressure.

Old Chen's expression was complicated now. There was relief, but also regret. First he felt as though a great weight had been lifted, then he sighed again. He had persisted until now and been tormented miserably, yet it had all come to nothing.

Wang Xuan spoke. "Old Qing, hurry to the Greater Khingan Range. Do not blindly mess around like Old Chen. I suggest you bring Jin Chuan and Qian Lei with you. There is strength in numbers, and if something happens, there will be people to share the burden."

Qing Mu glared at him, dearly wanting to say that Jin Chuan had merely intercepted something meant for him once, while Qian Lei seemed to have asked him for stones.

Yet he agreed inwardly. He absolutely had to find people to share the burden and go to the Greater Khingan Range together. Otherwise, he likely would not be able to handle it alone.

Old Chen spoke. "These past few days, I have spoken respectfully and devoutly with Celestial Maiden, staying awake through the night for it. I think she is reasonable and understanding. Qing Mu, go."

What else could Qing Mu say? He could not exactly choke his master. This old man had suffered for nothing, yet he was still gilding his own face, and in the end, even made his disciple inherit the "estate."

Only Old Chen and Wang Xuan remained in the courtyard. The two looked at one another, and in the end, Old Chen smiled first.

"Little Wang, speak. There are quite a few secrets on you. Even the Female Daoist practitioner sees you in a different light. But she has finally left and will return underground."

Old Chen had recovered his former calm and composure. Though his words remained fairly mild, an invisible pressure radiated from him.

Wang Xuan did not speak. He remained calm and silent.

"Do not deny it. I know exactly how strong you were when you had just graduated. Yet when you easily defeated those two killers who had mastered Iron Sand Palm that night, you had just returned from the Greater Khingan Range. That was when I knew you had become shrouded in mist." Old Chen spoke without much emotional fluctuation.

He continued, "Your strength has risen fiercely. This time, you actually defeated Sun Chengkun and even frightened Qing Mu. Do not be fooled by the fact that he said nothing. He cannot make heads or tails of your rate of growth and feels his heart pounding in alarm. If this continues, even my eyelids will start twitching wildly."

Clearly, the fact that Old Chen could still remain composed showed that his strength was unfathomably deep. He was a rare super expert!

Wang Xuan sighed. He knew this day would come sooner or later, because his strength had indeed risen too quickly. So long as those around him paid attention, they would notice eventually.

Old Chen clearly wanted to dig out what was on him!

"Old Chen, if I told you that I truly do not have an Ascension Immortal Method, would you believe me?" Wang Xuan said with a solemn expression.

"Then what is this mist around you?" Old Chen asked.

"There is a secret, but it is not universally applicable. Even if I told others, they could not do it. It would only provoke greater trouble." Wang Xuan sighed. He was calm as well, completely unafraid.

Old Chen shook his head and patted his shoulder. "Do not think too much. I will not force you, but you may as well consider whether or not to tell me. There is no need to answer me immediately. I will ask you to go fishing tomorrow, and we can talk then."

Then he spoke again, extremely vigilantly. "Do not cause trouble. Do not let your thoughts run wild. The Female Daoist practitioner has definitely returned underground this time and will not come out again. After all, her physical body is there."

Wang Xuan did not care in the slightest, and he was even smiling. "Old Chen, you are overthinking it. Get a good night's sleep tonight, after staying up for so many days."

At this moment, Old Chen's eyelids twitched wildly. Why did he suddenly feel such a bad premonition?

He quickly called Qing Mu and asked where he was. Could he have returned nearby again?

Wang Xuan said, "Where did your mind go? Am I that kind of person? The Female Daoist practitioner has already left. Could I possibly call her back? I am afraid of her tormenting me too."

Old Chen nodded. That was indeed true. He also did not think Wang Xuan could control the Female Daoist practitioner.

Next, Wang Xuan and Old Chen began discussing Pufa Temple.

"Old Chen, do you know this temple's history? What major events happened here? How do I feel that although this place is sacred and solemn, it lacks a little Buddhist aura?"

Old Chen shook his head, yawning as he said he truly did not know. He wanted to catch up on sleep. He could finally have some peace and quiet now.

Not long afterward, Wang Xuan consulted an Old Monk in the temple, asking about the history of this ancient temple complex, its legends, and the Major Events that had occurred here.

The Old Monk spoke at length, mentioning many legends that bordered on myth. In the past, Pufa Temple had a holy monk whose Dao Fruit was profound, and he ultimately attained the fruition of a Bodhisattva!

Wang Xuan carefully filtered through the information, selecting what was valuable. At last, he heard a historical event that made his mind tremble.

Three hundred years ago, an earthquake occurred in the area around Pufa Temple. The ancient temple complex, Buddhist pagodas, and the rest all collapsed.

"That is to say, this so-called Thousand-Year Ancient Temple may have been passed down for that long, but its buildings are actually at most three hundred years old?"

The Old Monk sighed, looking somewhat downcast. Shaking his head, he said, "These buildings are actually only a few decades old."

"What?" Wang Xuan was astonished.

"Several decades ago, people from New Star excavated all kinds of ruins beneath Old Earth. They also cared deeply about ancient temple complexes, Daoist temples, and such. Some old people from the financial magnates believed in Buddhism or Daoism and were willing to pay an enormous price to 'invite away' an entire temple complex or an entire Daoist temple complex."

Upon hearing this, Wang Xuan immediately understood what had happened.

Thanks to Zhetian Old Fan National Father-in-Law and Old Xu Who Wants a Wife. Thank you both for the support of becoming alliance leaders!