Grandmaster Tianhai's Legacy!

At the sight of this bizarre scene, the Little White Fox Su Yao in Wang Lang's arms felt her tiny heart pound wildly against her will.

At this moment, she finally understood deeply—and wholeheartedly agreed with—her mother's constant warnings.

The outside world was simply far too dangerous.

Su Yao wailed inwardly. If heaven could give me one more chance to start over...

I would definitely stay obediently curled up in my cave abode, gnawing on fruit. I would never again feel even the slightest curiosity about the outside world!

Su Yao's mother was a peak Third Rank Great Demon deep within the Cloudmist Mountain Range. The First Rank corresponded to Qi Drawing, while the Third Rank corresponded to the Profound Connection Realm. She was currently in seclusion, attempting to break through her bottleneck.

She had laid down layer upon layer of restrictions outside the cave abode precisely to prevent her daughter from sneaking out and causing trouble.

Yet after three years in seclusion, a corner of the restrictions had silently opened up, just in time for the bored Su Yao to notice.

Without thinking further, Su Yao flashed forward and slipped out just like that.

During her first month in the human world, she had still remembered her mother's teachings.

For instance, the terror of the Limitless Dynasty's Demon Subduing Division, as well as the Demon Binding Cuffs, Soul Suppressing Talismans, and other items specifically designed to restrain demons.

Thus, she had always carefully concealed herself, hiding in the shadows to observe the mortal world, finding everything novel and interesting.

Until the beginning of her second month outside the mountains, when she wandered near Creek Stone Village and encountered Lin Xiu'er's resentful soul.

At that moment, certain instincts inherited through her bloodline had been stirred.

Her mother had said that if their kind devoured the internal organs of wicked evildoers,

not only would they commit no sin, but it would also accelerate their cultivation—a rather unconventional form of practice.

Thus came the demon calamity at Creek Stone Village.

But now, Su Yao desperately wished for her mother to emerge from seclusion soon and find her through their bloodline connection.

After all, this bizarre temple before her felt even more terrifying than the Demon Subduing Division and the most vicious Heretical Cultivators her mother had described!

It was a shudder born of life's deepest instincts, as though some ancient evil slept within the temple.

Merely the aura naturally leaking from it was enough to make the soul of a little demon like her scatter.

Compared to the Little White Fox trembling in his arms, Wang Lang's mindset had smoothly transitioned from a strategic retreat to making peace with the situation.

He had run just now purely because of the cautious principle that a gentleman did not stand beneath a crumbling wall—not because he was afraid.

Now that every attempt had shown that he could not leave this damned place for the time being, he no longer panicked.

With the red entry [Ageless and Undying], the ultimate insurance policy, tucked in his pocket, he had confidence in his heart.

Even if the King of Hell himself sprang out, Wang Lang would dare to go up and wrestle with him.

But when he lowered his head and looked at the little fox in his arms, he suddenly felt that the little thing had truly been cursed with rotten luck, running into this mess with him.

He could at least reload endlessly after dying and start over.

But this little fox, which did not look particularly able to take a beating, probably had only one life.

So unless absolutely necessary, he should avoid a direct confrontation as much as possible.

With that thought, Wang Lang stepped forward, walked to the temple gates, cupped his hands, and called out loudly:

"This junior is Wang Lang, accompanied by... one spirit pet. We inadvertently entered this place. If we have caused any disturbance, I hope you will forgive us."

"Moreover, this junior has worshipped the Buddha since childhood and holds the Tathagata in his heart. If the master of this place finds it convenient, could you point us out of this maze and show the two of us the way out?"

Yet the temple remained utterly silent, inside and out.

The negotiations had clearly failed. The other party did not even deign to respond.

Wang Lang was not surprised by this.

He raised his head, his gaze falling upon the weathered plaque above the temple gates.

The gilding on the plaque had long since peeled away, leaving only a dim base coat. He could barely make out the three words: Golden Light Temple.

"Golden Light Temple..." Wang Lang muttered inwardly. That name does sound mighty righteous.

Just as he was considering whether to push open the doors or climb over them,

the two temple doors, which looked as though several strong men would be needed to move them, slowly slid inward on their own, opening a narrow crack.

It did not feel like welcoming guests. It felt more like the maw of a colossal beast slowly opening.

Wang Lang's eyes narrowed slightly. Lowering his head, he spoke softly to the Little White Fox in his arms.

"Stay calm and don't move around. Wang may not be some heaven-reaching mighty expert, but as long as I'm here, I'll make sure nothing happens to you."

Hearing this, Su Yao immediately nodded her little head like a chick pecking at grain, not even daring to breathe loudly.

Wang Lang hesitated no longer and stepped into the temple.

The instant his entire body crossed into the temple grounds, the Little White Fox in his arms suddenly shuddered, as though pricked by invisible ice needles, and fainted on the spot.

Sensing the movement in his arms, Wang Lang was speechless. ...Is it really that exaggerated?

He too felt that the sensation of being watched had become clearer the moment he entered the temple, but it was nowhere near enough to scare someone unconscious.

Still, it was better that she had fainted. It would save her from seeing something even more stimulating later and causing him trouble.

After entering, the first thing that met his eyes was a massive bronze cauldron standing in the center of the courtyard, with three legs and two handles.

The cauldron's surface was covered in dark green patina and carved with all manner of twisted patterns. Some resembled suffering living beings, while others were ferocious ghosts and monsters.

Aside from this great cauldron, the entire front courtyard contained only tall halls enclosing it on all four sides.

Wang Lang did not linger where he was. He headed straight for the open main hall.

At the center of the main hall stood an immensely strange statue of a Buddha with three heads and six arms.

The statue was exceptionally tall, nearly reaching the hall's vaulted ceiling. Its three faces respectively wore expressions of compassion, fury, and a smile.

Its six arms extended outward, each holding a ritual implement.

The upper pair of hands held aloft a Dharma wheel and a lotus.

The middle pair tightly gripped a treasured sword and a treasure vase.

The lower pair held a vajra pestle and a demon-subduing staff respectively.

"Three heads and six arms... Is this a Buddhist guardian deity? Or some uncommon wrathful venerable one?"

Wang Lang's understanding of Buddhism was limited to a half-baked grasp, mostly scattered information from novels and film dramas in his previous life. He truly could not identify which Buddha this was.

He only felt that this appearance and this aura had more than enough grandeur.

His gaze moved away from the Buddha statue and landed upon the offering table before it.

There were no ordinary offerings on the table. Instead, three items had been arranged neatly upon it.

The first item on the left was a tin staff.

It was roughly six feet long and dark gold throughout, its shaft carved with dense Sanskrit characters, lotus patterns, and cloud motifs.

In the middle lay an ancient thread-bound tome.

Its cover was made of some unknown leather, dark brown in color, with five large characters written in cinnabar:

Vajra Subduing Demons Sutra.

On the far right was an unsealed letter.

Wang Lang did not rashly touch any of the items.

He first slowly circled the main hall, his gaze passing over every corner and every pillar. He even raised his head to inspect the beams.

But apart from the Buddha statue and the three items on the offering table, there was nothing else in the hall.

There were no prayer cushions, no lamps, and no other decorations whatsoever.

After confirming that there were temporarily no other dangers or clues, Wang Lang returned to the offering table.

His gaze swept over the three items before finally settling on the letter.

The paper felt faintly cool to the touch. Upon unfolding it, he saw vigorous, powerful handwriting.

To the fated one:

This poor monk is Tianhai, an emissary of the hidden Jue Sect.

My people have guarded, generation after generation, a secret concerning the survival or destruction of this world.

The calculations show that after a thousand years, the gods of Yin Extremity and Yang Extremity will awaken from their slumber.

When that time comes, yin and yang will be thrown into chaos, the laws will collapse, and all things will return to nothingness.

This place is the eye of the Yin Extremity Earth Vein in Yuan Province, and it may become the catalyst for the awakening of the Yin Extremity True God.

Thus, this poor monk used his fleshly body to guard this place, drawing the Earth Vein into himself and transforming it into shackles to delay the calamity.

Yet this was merely drinking poison to quench thirst.

This poor monk has spent his life suppressing this misfortune with his body, with no time to spare for anything else, nor any successor.

The tin staff to the left of the offering table is named Town Mountain. It is this poor monk's demon-subduing Magic Tool. Heavy as a mountain, light as a swan's feather, its might manifests wherever the mind directs.

The Vajra Subduing Demons Sutra beside it was this poor monk's primary cultivation method in his early years.

This sutra treads a separate path, emphasizing both Qi Refinement and Body Refinement.

With qi coursing through the entire circuit, one may reach the Profound Connection Realm through Qi Refinement.

With the body forged into a golden form, one may attain the Myriad Forms Realm through Body Refinement.

Those who achieve minor mastery may manifest a thirty-foot Vajra Dharma Idol.

Those who achieve great mastery may reveal a ninety-foot Vajra Golden Body.

These two items are left to the fated one. I hope they will be put to good use.

There is one further matter. Within the envelope lies a Bodhi Seed, a token of the Jue Sect's inheritance. I ask the fated one to deliver it without fail into the hands of the current Imperial Advisor of the Limitless Dynasty.

This matter has nothing to do with the common people. It is merely a private bond of friendship between this poor monk and an old friend.

If this can be accomplished, then amid this endless confinement, this poor monk may also gain a trace of solace.

—Tianhai, final words.

After reading it, Wang Lang raised his brows slightly. There was truly no shortage of information here.

A hidden clan, the Jue Sect—neither seemed to be a Buddhist branch currently known in the Limitless Dynasty.

And the gods of Yin Extremity and Yang Extremity? All things returning to nothingness? A future great calamity?

It sounded like the setup for an apocalypse-level boss.

And this Grandmaster Tianhai had actually paid the price of himself to suppress one of those apocalypse-level bosses through a crack in its power?

Such breadth of heart and sacrifice was moving.

Wang Lang's gaze fell on the Bodhi Seed inside the letter.

The thing was tiny, like a melon seed. To deliver it into the hands of the Limitless Dynasty's Imperial Advisor, he would need to travel to Central Province.

That was rather convenient.

He recalled his old master's dying request for him to deliver a letter to the Hidden Rain Pavilion in Yong Province.

The shortest route from Yuan Province to Yong Province happened to pass through Central Province.

He could take care of both matters along the way.

Then his gaze turned burning hot as it fell upon the Vajra Subduing Demons Sutra.

It was actually a dual cultivation method for Qi Refinement and Body Refinement? And it could lead directly to the Profound Connection Realm and the Myriad Forms Realm?

Excitement surged within Wang Lang.

He had been troubled by the fact that neither the Basic Body Tempering Art nor the Song of Righteous Qi had any subsequent cultivation methods.

This Vajra Subduing Demons Sutra had come at precisely the right time!

He hesitated no longer and reached out to pick up the cultivation manual.

Yet the instant his fingers touched the leather cover, an abrupt change occurred!

A faint hum rang out. The Vajra Subduing Demons Sutra suddenly erupted with dazzling Buddhist light, which entered his body through his fingertips and charged directly into his mind!

Wang Lang felt his mind boom. The method's general principles, qi circulation routes, visualization diagrams, techniques for condensing the Vajra Dharma Body, all manner of demon-subduing applications...

Every cultivation secret, critical hurdle, and difficult point concerning the Vajra Subduing Demons Sutra was branded deep into his mind.

It even included some of Grandmaster Tianhai's insights and experiences from cultivating this method!

Wang Lang stood where he was, closing his eyes to digest it for a moment before slowly opening them. A trace of amazement and realization flashed through his gaze.

"An initiation that pours enlightenment straight into the mind, an instant inheritance... This method is truly divine!"

"Grandmaster Tianhai's realm in life was likely not merely the Profound Connection Realm, was it? Could he have... reached the Dao Integration Realm?"

Such means had already surpassed his understanding of ordinary cultivation methods.

Suppressing the shock in his heart, Wang Lang turned his gaze toward the Town Mountain Tin Staff.

He reached out and grasped the staff's shaft.

It felt somewhat heavy in his hand, but not beyond what he could bear.

With a little force, he lifted the tin staff.

After weighing it in his hand, it was indeed as the letter had said—heavy as a mountain, light as a swan's feather. Its weight seemed to change according to the user's intent and the qi poured into it.

Wang Lang nodded in satisfaction. "A fine Magic Tool. Usually, it can serve as a walking stick. At a critical moment, it can physically send demons and monsters to salvation."