Strong? It was bought with a life!

"A newly dead corpse that runs is called a Shadow Walker!"

"Because of this, Shadow Walkers are also commonly known as 'Instant Walking Corpses'."

However, unlike ordinary zombies, the birth of a Shadow Walker is entirely unpredictable.

It is as if they simply manifest out of thin air.

Shadow Walkers are more agile and intelligent; some with higher levels of cultivation can even blend into crowds for decades without being discovered.

"It's Monk Zhao!"

As the Shadow Walker drew closer, its features became clear through the mist.

A young monk beside Zhu Yuanzhang could not help but scream in terror.

Monk Zhao, along with Yuanhui, Yuanjue, and Yuantong, were the four monks of Imperial Awakening Temple.

They were all direct disciples of the abbot, Gao Bin.

But unlike Zhu Yuanzhang, Monk Zhao had entered the temple in the third year of Zhizheng, and upon arrival, he had immediately become a high-ranking monk of Imperial Awakening Temple.

"Has even Junior Brother Zhao fallen victim to this?"

Realizing the identity of the Shadow Walker, Yuanhui's pupils constricted.

But in an instant, he reacted.

"Monster! Taste my dharma treasure!"

Yuanhui shouted loudly.

He pulled a grey earthen jar from his robes and hurled it violently toward the Shadow Walker.

Mid-air, the liquid inside the jar splashed out, and a pungent odor instantly filled the mountain path.

It was garlic juice!

The Shadow Walker clearly had reservations about the garlic juice in Yuanhui's hands.

It dodged the jar with a swift shift of its body.

It then took several consecutive steps back, cautiously avoiding the spray of the garlic juice.

It was clearly terrified of the liquid.

"It really works."

Zhu Yuanzhang found it hard to believe.

It seems the monks of Imperial Awakening Temple still have a few tricks up their sleeves, Zhu Yuanzhang thought to himself.

"Run!"

Yuanhui shouted.

He turned, grabbed Zhu Yuanzhang and the other two young monks, and bolted toward the bottom of the mountain.

"Never mind what I said."

Watching Yuanhui running with such speed, Zhu Yuanzhang's mouth twitched as he asked, "Senior Brother Yuanhui, can you not subdue this demon?"

"Are you joking—"

While running, the panting Yuanhui shot a glare at Zhu Yuanzhang.

Although he was surprised by the boy's stamina—his breathing showed no signs of disorder even now—he still spoke bluntly.

"Junior Brother Zhao was a man who possessed True Dharma. Besides him, only Abbot Gao Bin in the temple carries True Dharma... but I fear even that might have little effect on this Shadow Walker?"

"Oh, why is that?"

Zhu Yuanzhang glanced back at the Shadow Walker trailing them without leaving a trace.

It was strange.

Zhu Yuanzhang had seen a Shadow Walker unleash its full speed before.

Based on his intuition, the strength of this Shadow Walker was not much different from the one he had encountered previously.

If it were truly giving chase with its full power, it would have caught up to them long ago.

Its current behavior looked more like it was intentionally herding them toward a specific location.

"Junior Brother Zhao entered the temple in the third year of Zhizheng just like you, but unlike the many other disciples, he was initiated into the Buddha Speaks of the Soapberry Sutra the moment he arrived."

Speaking of this, Yuanhui's face could not help but reveal a complex expression as he sighed.

"As far as I know, he had already mastered this true sutra before he died. He was truly a heaven-sent genius; since the founding of Imperial Awakening Temple, he is the only one who has ever mastered a true technique in just one year!"

"Can't Abbot Gao Bin subdue him? No matter how talented he was, Monk Zhao had only been in the temple for a year," the young monk beside them interjected.

However, he was not as composed as Zhu Yuanzhang, already showing signs of fatigue.

"No, in terms of cultivation, Junior Brother Zhao could never surpass the Abbot, but the problem is that he turned into a Shadow Walker after his death."

The Shadow Walker behind them accelerated, lunging fiercely at the young monk who had just spoken.

Yuanhui had no choice but to throw another clay pot, forcing the Shadow Walker back.

But by now, the Shadow Walker was less than five paces away from them.

"Get into the cave! There is an exorcism array here laid down by the high monks of the Imperial Awakening Temple from generations past—"

The cave before them stood halfway up the mountainside.

Two torches burned at the entrance, illuminating a pair of bright red couplets on either side of the cave.

Zhu Yuanzhang looked up and saw what was written on them.

"Subtly revealing, expounding the hidden, three bodies and five examples."

"Strict in its pronouncements, praise and blame in a single word."

In the center of the cave stood a plaque.

Scripture Cave

Sure enough, once they entered the Scripture Cave, the Shadow Walker stopped right at the entrance.

It stared fixedly at the people inside the cave with its pale eyes.

Seeing that they were temporarily safe, the young monks simply collapsed onto the ground, gasping for air.

Even Yuanhui leaned against the stone wall, his face pale, wiping cold sweat from his brow with his sleeve.

Only Zhu Yuanzhang acted as if nothing had happened, wandering around the couplets and the two torches at the entrance of the Scripture Cave, touching and examining everything as if filled with curiosity.

"Just as I thought... Dingguang Demon-Subduing True Fire. No wonder it could force back the Shadow Walker."

Zhu Yuanzhang dipped his finger into a bit of lamp oil and held it under his nose to sniff.

A sweet, thick, and heavy scent assailed him.

"It's Corpse Incense."

Zhu Yuanzhang understood.

He turned around and looked at the plaque and the couplets at the entrance.

There was nothing special about the wooden plaque; it was ordinary wood with the standard carving craftsmanship of the temple monks.

The couplets, however, were different.

"Subtly revealing, expounding the hidden, three bodies and five examples. Strict in its pronouncements, praise and blame in a single word."

They didn't seem like something meant for a Scripture Depository.

"Junior Brother... your physical constitution is a bit too good."

Watching Zhu Yuanzhang, Yuanhui struggled to his feet and came to his side.

"Oh... Senior Brother, you haven't finished yet. Why couldn't Abbot Gao Bin, who had higher cultivation, deal with this Shadow Walker?"

Zhu Yuanzhang withdrew his gaze from the couplets.

"A Shadow Walker is no different from an ordinary zombie, but if someone with true cultivation turns into a Shadow Walker after death, they no longer fear the very techniques they practiced while alive."

Hearing Yuanhui's words, Zhu Yuanzhang understood.

So that was it.

In that case, the Shadow Walker that attacked him in the secret history must have practiced the Dingguang Demon-Subduing True Scripture while alive?

Furthermore.

Zhu Yuanzhang shifted his gaze to the Shadow Walker standing at the entrance, blankly staring at them.

Since the creature had practiced the Buddha Speaks of the Soapberry Sutra while alive, his Dingguang Demon-Subduing True Fire would most likely be effective against it.

Just as they were resting.

Pat! Pat! Pat!

Footsteps echoed from the depths of the Scripture Cave behind them.

Monk Yuanhui stood up vigilantly.

"Who's there?"

"Senior Brother Yuanhui? Is that you? It's Zhao Zhen."

A candlelight emerged from the depths of the cave.

It illuminated a pale, gloomy face.

When the owner of the face saw Yuanhui, and especially when he saw the young monks like Zhu Yuanzhang who had entered the temple in the third year of Zhizheng, a look of joy instantly appeared on his face.

"Junior Brother Zhao, weren't you supposed to go down the mountain to summon the laypeople to take refuge?"

Seeing the face of the newcomer, Monk Yuanhui let out a sigh of relief, yet he could not help but ask with a hint of confusion.

"Just like you, I encountered these Shadow Walkers and was forced into this place."

The monk named Zhao Zhen finished speaking and turned around; without waiting for Monk Yuanhui to react, he grabbed him and began walking toward the depths of the Scripture Cave.

"Everyone is waiting for you, Senior Brother Yuanhui."

With the exceptional eyesight granted by the Great Wisdom Zen Technique, Zhu Yuanzhang saw the smile on Zhao Zhen's face in the darkness.

It was sinister, and the stiff expression on his pale, paper-like face was enough to make one's blood run cold.

"Everyone... who exactly is there..."

Yuanhui's voice sounded somewhat doubtful.

"Senior Brothers Yuanjue and Yuantong, along with all the other disciples, are all here."

Zhao Zhen's expression remained unchanged as he pulled a black object from his waist and flashed it before Yuanhui's eyes.

"You could say that except for the Abbot, everyone else in the temple is here... This is Master Gao Bin's token, authorizing me to lead the disciples to take refuge temporarily and return to the temple once the crisis outside has been resolved."

Upon seeing the scented wooden tablet in Zhao Zhen's hand, Yuanhui visibly relaxed.

"In that case, please lead the way, Junior Brother."

Something is wrong.

Zhu Yuanzhang watched this disciple, who had also entered the temple in the third year of Zhizheng.

He sensed a familiar fluctuation emanating from Zhao Zhen.

Zhao Zhen might be able to deceive others, but he could not deceive him.

That was the Dingguang Demon-Subduing True Technique!