Secret News

Zhang Yuanshan's mind was a chaotic mess, filled entirely with the image of Qi Xia cheerfully introducing Tang Hua and discussing miscellaneous subjects like mechanisms and hidden weapons in the "Reincarnation Plaza." He had originally thought that if anyone were to risk exposing the matter of the "Reincarnation World," it would be himself or Jiang Zhiwei, not Qi Xia, who seemed to have encountered the very things she dreamed of in the "Reincarnation World" and whose wishes seemed within reach!

Who would have thought that while he was still hesitating, she had already made up her mind? No, it seemed she had made up her mind long ago!

Could it be that her joy before and after the exchange was just an act?

No, it didn't seem fake. Perhaps her joy simply couldn't suppress her determination to escape danger!

As soon as Qi Xia spoke, Kong Wen looked at her and intoned, "Amitabha. Benefactor Qi, please speak."

"What do you know?" Daoist Shou Zhuo, filled with anger at the true culprit, looked at Qi Xia, waiting for her to provide clues.

In an instant, Su Wuming, Xuan Yuanzi, and even Qi Xia's father, Qi Yuantong, all turned their gazes to Qi Xia, puzzled as to how she, whose courtyard was several layers away from Xuantian Sect's, could have discovered something related to Qing Jing's death. If she had encountered something while rising at night, experts like themselves would have sensed it even in their sleep. Or rather, anything that could evade their senses would absolutely not be stumbled upon by Qi Xia, a young girl who hadn't even opened her orifices.

Zhang Yuanshan instinctively hid a little behind his senior uncle, Xuan Yuanzi. His left hand clenched unconsciously, while his right hand touched the hilt of his own sword. The cold sensation slightly eased the tension and worry in his heart, but the dry, parched feeling in his mouth refused to fade. He quietly glanced at Jiang Zhiwei and saw that her right hand was also resting on her sword hilt.

After Qi Xia blurted out those words, there was no room to retreat. She looked at the assembled seniors and the "Dragon Subduing Arhat" Kong Wen, secretly hoping that a Dharmakaya-level expert could intimidate and stop the "Lord of Six Paths Samsara." Even if Abbot Kong Wen was the mastermind behind the scenes, under the watchful eyes of everyone, to avoid exposure, he would have to protect her, even personally escort her back to the Great River Gang. Once back at the Great River Gang, her father and other elders, now alerted and on guard thanks to her warning, would surely bring out the Sect Protecting Divine Weapon, the "Sea-Stepping River-Flipping Cudgel," ensuring her safety.

"Reporting to Abbot Master, Qing Jing and I were both taken by the Six..." Qi Xia organized her words, trying to alert the elders as quickly as possible.

The moment the word "Six" left her mouth, Qi Xia suddenly felt her heart pound violently—thump-thump, thump-thump—as a surge of blood rushed upward. Her head swelled, her throat tightened, and she couldn't catch her breath.

Boom!

Qi Xia seemed to hear a crisp cracking sound from within the Netherworld. Her vision turned a vivid red, and she vaguely saw a large hand, shimmering with solemn Buddha light, reaching toward her with a gentle, calming aura, trying to save her. At the same time, a sword light, like the azure nether from beyond the heavens, flashed into existence and pointed at the void three inches behind her.

"'The Lord of Six Paths Samsara' actually dared to act right in front of Dharmakaya-level experts..."

"But they were too late..."

With bitterness, regret, shock, and unwillingness, Qi Xia sank into boundless darkness, her body collapsing softly to the ground.

"Xia'er!" Qi Yuantong, who looked like a white-haired fisherman from a poem, cried out in grief. Moving with incredible speed, he caught Qi Xia. True Qi poured from his palm into her body without restraint, but there was no response.

Amid Jiang Zhiwei's slightly dazed and shocked expression, Su Wuming sheathed his long sword. His left hand caressed the blade as his half-closed eyes opened wide, revealing an indescribable sharpness. Yet his expression was unusually grave, filled with deep contemplation.

"Amitabha. This old monk was a step too late." Kong Wen pressed his palms together, the solemn and sacred Buddha light fading. For the first time, a look of shock and bewilderment appeared on his usually calm, unruffled face.

Pretending to be caught off guard, a step too late... Pretending to be caught off guard, a step too late... Zhang Yuanshan's mind felt like thunderclaps were exploding one after another. Fear and shock, relief and lingering dread, regret and self-blame all tangled together, impossible to sort out.

Suddenly, a flash of insight struck him: "No, Abbot Kong Wen didn't even manifest the Arhat Golden Body just now. If he really was, as I suspected, pretending to be caught off guard and a step too late, he should have gone all out in the end to prove his innocence. But he didn't—he just went through the motions! Maybe he really was caught off guard? Even I, who knew the inside story, didn't expect the 'Lord of Six Paths Samsara' to act so quickly, so ruthlessly, so mysteriously..."

Looking at Qi Xia's lifeless body in Qi Yuantong's arms, he felt as if a giant hand was squeezing his heart, the weight of grief making it hard to breathe.

Daoist Shou Zhuo was also too late to help. He first glared at Kong Wen, as if about to denounce him for going through the motions and not using his full strength, implying he might be connected to the true culprit. But then his expression shifted several times, as if recalling something, and he gradually calmed down. Xuan Yuanzi, Qi Yuantong, and the others also refrained from speaking out.

"Benefactors, what just happened to Benefactor Qi reminds this old monk of several similar incidents." Kong Wen spoke slowly. "This old monk was also negligent, failing to connect Benefactor Qing Jing's matter with these events. Otherwise, Benefactor Qi might have been saved."

Several similar incidents? Zhang Yuanshan felt that tonight had brought too many shocks, and he was struggling to bear them. He watched Kong Wen with tense shock and, unsurprisingly, found Jiang Zhiwei's expression and actions mirroring his own.

Fortunately, the others had similar reactions, so the two of them didn't stand out.

"We would be glad to hear the details." Xuan Yuanzi made a Daoist salute. Qi Yuantong, his eyes slightly bloodshot, also looked at Kong Wen.

Kong Wen sighed. "I wonder if any of you have heard of a mysterious organization called 'Immortal Trace'? If their members try to leak internal secrets, they die inexplicably, just like Benefactor Qi. This old monk suspects that there might be some kind of curse within them, which, once triggered, summons a power from within the Netherworld."

"'Immortal Trace'? This poor Daoist once crossed hands with one of their members, 'Doumu Yuanjun.' Hah, I nearly lost my life." Xuan Yuanzi said with a self-deprecating laugh. "But this poor Daoist never captured any of their members and never witnessed such a mysterious death."

"What? You nearly lost your life? And what is this 'Doumu Yuanjun'?" Daoist Shou Zhuo, quick-tempered, asked in disbelief.

Xuan Yuanzi was the Chief Monk of True Martial Sect's administrative affairs. Though not among the sect's top-tier experts, he was still a name on the Earth Ranking, with strength comparable to Shou Zhuo. The idea that he could be defeated by an expert from an obscure "organization" was hard to accept.

"According to this old monk's knowledge, 'Immortal Trace' has very few formal members—no more than twenty. Each takes the title of a famous Daoist or immortal deity from the Ancient Mythology Era, never revealing their true names. 'Doumu Yuanjun' is one of them." Kong Wen explained to those present who hadn't heard of the "Immortal Trace" organization.

Xuan Yuanzi shook his head with a bitter smile. "Abbot Master indeed knows more than this poor Daoist. I stumbled into a fight with that 'Doumu Yuanjun,' had a fierce battle, and fled in disgrace. I know nothing beyond the name 'Immortal Trace' and her title. Hmm, ten years ago, 'Doumu Yuanjun' should have already been at the peak of Outer Scenery."

"Taking the titles of immortals and deities, never revealing true names? Where in the world are there so many nameless experts? More likely, it's a secret alliance formed by some ambitious individuals from various sects! Xuan Yuanzi, can you tell the origin of 'Doumu Yuanjun's' martial arts?" Daoist Shou Zhuo snorted, unwilling to believe that so many experts could remain unknown. Besides their code names in "Immortal Trace," they must have other prominent identities in the martial world!

Thus, he still suspected there was a traitor within Shaolin Temple!

Xuan Yuanzi let out a "heh." "If I could tell, I would have followed the clues to find the person long ago. My 'True Martial Sect' is the orthodox lineage of the True Martial Emperor, and we're not so easily bullied. The martial arts 'Doumu Yuanjun' used seemed to be the 'Star God Descends Art,' a legendary technique of the 'Mother of All Stars' from the mythological era. But the 'Star God Descends Art' and the 'Primordial Chaos Returns to Void Art' have been lost for tens of thousands of years. How would I know who stumbled upon their inheritance?"

"'Primordial Chaos Returns to Void Art'... 'Star God Descends Art'..." Zhang Yuanshan's face paled slightly. He remembered that both divine techniques were on the "Lord of Six Paths Samsara's" exchange list—the former worth 500,000 Merit Points, the latter 80,000. "Could this 'Immortal Trace' organization really be connected to the 'Reincarnation World'?"

Daoist Shou Zhuo circled around Qi Yuantong once and nodded lightly. "A mysterious force erupting from within the body, connecting to a power from the Netherworld—indeed, not something an ordinary person could do. But since there are traces of a curse or something similar, we can start by searching each other."

Just as Zhang Yuanshan's hair stood on end, Su Wuming, standing before Jiang Zhiwei, spoke. "Such traces are deeply hidden. Without understanding their origin and using targeted methods, it will be difficult to find any clues."

"Su Wuming, speculation cannot replace action." Daoist Shou Zhuo was fierce and unafraid of Su Wuming.

"Benefactor Su is quite right. Even with some understanding and preparation, when this old monk examined the body of that 'Immortal Trace' member 'Taiyi Tianzun,' he found no hidden traces..." Kong Wen briefly recounted his encounters with the "Immortal Trace" organization, then looked at Su Wuming. "Benefactor Su seems to have had similar experiences?"

Su Wuming said flatly, "I encountered an organization called 'Mythical Era,' similar to 'Immortal Trace' but their sworn enemy. Its members use the names of ancient deities."

"Benefactor Su, did you gain anything?" While everyone was shocked by the existence of another mysterious organization, Kong Wen asked with concern.

Su Wuming remained as unruffled as ever. "The 'Dong Wang Gong' I encountered had decent strength. I couldn't hold back."

So, he had already returned to dust? Many of the younger disciples broke out in a cold sweat.

"And the corpse self-destructed mysteriously," Su Wuming continued.

Kong Wen sighed. "With this old monk watching, the corpse of 'Taiyi Tianzun' was not destroyed. His true identity is quite remarkable, and I will share it with you all later."

With so many people and ears around, it was not convenient to discuss further.

"Regardless of 'Immortal Trace' or 'Mythical Era,' they are both secretive and suspicious. There must be some sinister conspiracy behind them. I propose that the major sects join forces to thoroughly investigate this matter!" Daoist Shou Zhuo declared in a booming voice.

Kong Wen nodded and took back his Nine-Ringed Monk's Staff. "If we gain anything in the future, Shaolin is willing to share it with all the sects."

"The Xuantian Sect agrees as well." Daoist Shou Zhuo accepted directly, then looked at Qi Yuantong. "I ask Fellow Daoist Qi to search your daughter's belongings for any clues."

Qi Yuantong's face darkened as he nodded. Unsurprisingly, he found the method for crafting the "Tang Flower." Then, grinding his teeth, he said, "Our Great River Gang has no such hidden weapon. Hmph! I will surely kill those rats from 'Immortal Trace' and 'Mythos' to avenge Xia'er!"

The crafting method for a hidden weapon never seen in the martial world made him think of the long-lost "Star God Descends Art" that Xuan Yuanzi had mentioned, deepening his belief that his young daughter's death was tied to these two mysterious organizations.

Xuan Yuanzi glanced at the disciples behind the experts of each sect. "This matter is of great importance. I ask everyone to restrain your disciples and not leak this information."

Those who could enter the Daxiong Baodian were the future elites of their sects, qualified to know of this matter, so he only asked them not to spread it carelessly.

"Yes, Uncle-Master." Zhang Yuanshan answered immediately, and the other disciples likewise agreed one by one.

After the few leaders discussed in private behind the hall for a while, they each returned. Zhang Yuanshan followed Xuan Yuanzi out of the Daxiong Baodian and walked toward the guest courtyard.

Along the way, he remained tangled in distress over what had just happened.

Walking on, he heard Uncle-Master Xuan Yuanzi let out a soft sigh.

That sigh was like a trigger, causing the doubt buried in Zhang Yuanshan's inner heart to erupt. He quickly stepped forward and asked in a low voice, "Uncle-Master, why didn't any of you question Abbot Kong Wen? He didn't use Full Power to save Junior Sister Qi and never revealed the Arhat Golden Body."

At least he hadn't shown the "Golden Body" that Zhang Yuanshan had read about in various texts!

Xuan Yuanzi smiled, speaking with approval. "Sharp observation, meticulous to the smallest detail."

Then, he looked up at the sky, half melancholy and half reflective. "The rumors are not false, after all."

Huh? Zhang Yuanshan looked at Xuan Yuanzi in confusion, but Xuan Yuanzi showed no intention of explaining. He shook his head, signaling him not to ask further.

The night was cold as water, fine snow fluttered, and the sky began to lighten faintly.