In the pitch-black night, Meng Zhao moved like a ghost, crossing layer after layer of overt and covert defenses before infiltrating the inner residence of the Zhou Family. Soundlessly, he arrived at the courtyard where Zhou Gushan resided.
Having long seen that no one was inside, Meng Zhao pushed open the door. Ignoring everything else, he went straight to the shrine in the easternmost part of the room as the woman had described, where he found the Great Pudu Buddha Venerable worshiped by Zhou Gushan.
The buddha statue stood a foot tall, exquisitely carved from what seemed to be an extraordinarily mysterious kind of yellow jade. In the darkness, it emitted a fine sheen that hovered over its surface, like a consecrated Buddhist artifact from myth, containing the mysteries of the Buddhist School.
But in truth, once Meng Zhao drew close, his mastery of the Emperor's Qi Gazing Technique allowed him to sense that some terrifying force seemed to be gestating within the statue. Once triggered, it would unleash astonishing destructive power.
"This is an Exotic Treasure. It has the same marvelous effect as the Exotic Treasure wielded by Young Marquis Fang of the Marquis of Qingning's Estate that day."
At Minghua Tower that day, Young Marquis Fang had been assassinated by Zhu Guangxi, the former chief eunuch of the imperial palace. In the end, he had escaped unharmed only by relying on an Exotic Treasure. In certain respects, that Exotic Treasure was very similar to the buddha statue before him.
"This buddha statue is made of special material. An immensely terrifying expert infused it with his own martial techniques, will, and power, allowing it to unleash that martial artist's peak strength under certain conditions. Though it cannot last long, it is still a lethal trump card.
"The level of