There Was an Old Monk in the Temple

The attribute panel hadn't changed much.

However, after absorbing the Foundation Establishment-level Sword Dao inheritance, an additional entry had appeared after the cultivation art: Crimson Fire Sword Art.

Zhao Huaian understood.

The core of this Sword Dao inheritance lay in the Crimson Fire Sword Art.

According to the information gained during the absorption of the Sword Dao inheritance, the Crimson Fire Sword Art was several grades higher than the Azure Wood Art.

Cultivation arts all had advancement limits. For example, the Azure Wood Art was merely an entry-level cultivation art, capable of being cultivated only up to peak Qi Refining.

The Crimson Fire Sword Art, however, had a much higher limit, allowing cultivation all the way to Foundation Establishment Peak Stage.

As for breaking through to even higher realms in the future...

That would naturally require seeking out a more advanced cultivation art to replace it.

"Spending six hundred Low-grade Spirit Stones to obtain a cultivation art that can be cultivated to Foundation Establishment Peak Stage, along with a wealth of insights and realizations—this is an absolute steal."

"Moreover, with all those insights and realizations, in just half a month, the Crimson Fire Sword Art has directly reached the Proficient level, and even my cultivation base has increased by over forty points."

"Next, I need to comprehend that Art of Sword Riding and Flying I got from Wang Daniu. Once I learn it, traveling to carry out missions in the future will be much more convenient."

Looking at the data on the Attribute Heavenly Book, Zhao Huaian felt quite pleased, knowing he had gotten a great bargain on this trip.

After savoring the sight for a while, Zhao Huaian took out the Art of Sword Riding and Flying from his Storage Bag.

This Art of Sword Riding and Flying was fairly common within the Greenwood Sect, and its selling price wasn't too high, generally around fifty Low-grade Spirit Stones.

For convenience in travel, or to enhance the bearing of a cultivator, cultivators in the late Qi Refining stage would basically purchase and learn it.

Zhao Huaian had originally planned to buy it.

But he hadn't expected Wang Daniu to be carrying it on him.

It had saved him another expense.

Opening the Art of Sword Riding and Flying, Zhao Huaian immersed himself in it.

The learning steps inside weren't difficult. It only took him three days to raise it to the Beginner level, reaching the point where he could initially ride a Flying Sword.

A month later.

Amidst a vast expanse of water.

High in the sky, a young man in a white robe stood on a Flying Sword, darting freely in all directions.

The young man in white was Zhao Huaian.

By now, Zhao Huaian had been away from the Greenwood Sect for over half a month.

Through this half-month of constantly riding his Flying Sword to travel and rushing between locations to complete missions, his Art of Sword Riding and Flying had reached the Mastered level.

This time, with a certain level of strength under his belt, Zhao Huaian had taken on over a dozen missions, planning to complete the entire year's worth of mission quotas all at once.

That way, he could thoroughly settle down and focus on cultivation without having to interrupt his training by going out for missions from time to time.

Over this half-month, while rushing between various locations, Zhao Huaian had already completed several missions, leaving only the last two.

Once he finished these final two missions, he could return to the Greenwood Sect, collect a considerable amount of Spirit Stones and resources, and enjoy a full year of undisturbed cultivation time.

The Mastered-level Art of Sword Riding and Flying greatly increased Zhao Huaian's speed, while also reducing his Spiritual Energy consumption.

He swiftly weaved through the high sky.

Locking onto one of the mission locations, Zhao Huaian's entire form moved as fast as a streak of Flowing Light, his figure gradually shrinking until he vanished into the sky.

On Yellow Sand Island, there was a temple.

In the temple lived an old monk.

The old monk had taken refuge in Buddhism in his youth, but in the middle of his journey, he broke the precept against killing, was expelled from his sect, and wandered outside.

By a stroke of chance, he unexpectedly attained the Dao and became a Rogue Cultivator.

However, the old monk's spiritual root aptitude was poor. Without resources, he wasted half his life, his cultivation base showing no progress.

Perhaps favored by heaven, or perhaps blessed by fortune, a few years ago, while traveling outside, the old monk stumbled upon an opportunity.

From then on, his cultivation advanced rapidly. In just a few short years, his cultivation base directly reached Qi Refining Layer Six.

But the opportunity he had obtained was a mixed blessing, hard to separate from disaster...

"Little brats, Buddha Lord is here!"

The old monk rubbed his hands together, a greedy look on his face as he walked into a hidden chamber within the Clear Wind Temple.

Though the hidden chamber of the Clear Wind Temple saw no sunlight, inside it grew a flower that was entirely bright red, bewitchingly beautiful.

Beside it were imprisoned a group of Boy and Girl Offerings with spiritual root aptitudes.

"One, two, three, four, five—whoever I point to, I choose."

The Old Monk's grin was savage as his finger jabbed randomly among the group of Boy and Girl Offerings.

Terror gripped the crowd; their bodies trembled violently, each praying the Old Monk's finger wouldn't land on them.

Amidst sobs and pleas for mercy, the Old Monk cackled with manic glee, finally yanking out a plump little boy.

"Buddha Lord, Buddha Lord, spare me!"

The chubby boy flailed his limbs, snot and tears streaming as he wailed for mercy.

Yet his pitiful state only made the Old Monk's smile twist further into madness.

"Hahaha... don't cry, little one. Becoming the offering for this Buddha Lord's path to enlightenment is the greatest virtue of your life."

He laughed deliriously.

The Old Monk dragged the chubby boy before a flower—vivid red, eerily enchanting.

Gazing at the flower, the Old Monk's manic laughter ceased, his expression turning devout.

"Flower God above, please accept today's offering!"

Kneeling, the Old Monk kowtowed three times with sincerity, then circulated his Cultivation Art. Streams of blood-red Spiritual Energy surged from his palm.

Under that blood-red energy, the vivid flower stirred to life. A long Tentacle burrowed out from the soil.

The Tentacle shot forth, coiling swiftly around the chubby boy's body.

A dense blood-red glow enveloped him. In mere breaths, the boy's face twisted in agony, and his once-plump frame withered, leaving only a shriveled corpse on the ground.

After draining the boy, the Tentacle seemed unsatisfied, reaching out toward the other children.

"Is the Flower God so hungry today?"

The Old Monk hesitated not, reverently grabbing two more Boy and Girl Offerings.

Soon, two more desiccated bodies lay on the ground.

Only after absorbing three children did the Tentacle retreat contentedly into the soil.

The flower on its stem grew even more bewitching. With a shudder, a blood-red Petal drifted down into the Old Monk's palm.

"Thank you, Flower God, for your blessing!"

Swallowing the Petal, the Old Monk's cultivation instantly advanced. Overcome with gratitude, he kowtowed fervently.

This was his fortune.

Five years ago, he had wasted half his life with no progress in cultivation, utterly disheartened.

Just as he planned to find a quiet corner to live out his days, a twist of fate brought him the Flower God's favor.

For five years, he followed the Flower God's commands, luring children with spiritual aptitude from other islands under the guise of recruiting disciples, offering them to the Flower God.

The Flower God never skimped on rewards—each offering earned him a Petal to consume and boost his cultivation.

"Is anyone here?"

Just as the Old Monk's manic laughter echoed, a young boy's voice rang out from outside Clear Wind Temple.

The Old Monk's laughter cut off abruptly; his expression turned stern and tense.

"Anyone? If not, I'm coming in..."

The boy's voice sounded again.

Then, crisp footsteps approached from outside.

The Old Monk's face hardened, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. He hurried out of the hidden chamber into the main hall.

The hall housed a battered, dust-caked Buddha statue, clearly neglected for years.

By then, the boy who had spoken stood before the statue, his eyes filled with scrutiny and faint disdain...

"Who are you, little brat? How dare you barge into Clear Wind Temple without my permission!"

The Old Monk's voice brimmed with fury.

But when he noticed the boy had cultivation, a flicker of delight lit his eyes.

"Fellow Daoist, I'm Zhao Huaian, a Rogue Cultivator. I heard you're the most renowned cultivator on Yellow Sand Island, so I came to pay my respects!"

Zhao Huaian flashed an innocent smile, his gaze subtly appraising the Old Monk.

This was his mission site.

And the targets were naturally Clear Wind Temple and this Old Monk.

"Ah, so it's Fellow Daoist Zhao! My apologies for not welcoming you properly."

The Old Monk laughed heartily, sidling closer to Zhao Huaian without a trace. "A guest from afar is a rare treat. It's been ages since any Fellow Daoist visited. How about we head to the Guest Room next door for some tea and discuss the Dao?"

"Naturally."

Recalling his mission, Zhao Huaian nodded with a smile.

The Old Monk was merely at Qi Refining Layer Six, with unstable, shaky cultivation.

Such an opponent could be dealt with in a single exchange.

He held back only because he wanted to pry from the Old Monk where all the children he'd recruited over the years had gone.

That, too, was part of the mission.