Chapter 117: 107. Kill the old thief and snatch the secret dragon transformation technique (Seeking monthly tickets)
If nothing unexpected has happened...
The closure of the Heavenly Dragon Temple must be connected to the Old Monk’s devouring of the Flame Dynasty’s Dragon Luck.
Contrary to what the young śramaṇa thought, Xu Xing, the youth in a green robe, did not travel to Hezhou overnight after descending Lian Shi Mountain. Instead, he waited for nightfall in a dense forest.
When it was nearly midnight and the night was at its deepest, he used Magic Power to stimulate his Physical Body, making himself appear plumper. He then donned a prepared mask. Treading on the fallen leaves of the forest at the mountain’s base, he circled around to the back of Lian Shi Mountain.
Although cultivators at the Immortal Foundation Realm could fly, it consumed a considerable amount of Magic Power. To conserve enough Magic Power for potential enemies, he had traveled intermittently, taking over ten days to reach Hezhou. Had he rushed at full speed, he probably could have reached the Heavenly Dragon Temple in two or three days.
Now that he had arrived at the foot of Tianlong Temple Mountain, Xu Xing was naturally unwilling to waste even the slightest bit of Magic Power. Sometimes, that small amount could be enough to turn the tide of battle. Maintaining caution at all times is the supreme path.
The back of Lian Shi Mountain was a precipitous cliff, towering to a height of about two to three hundred zhang.
There are so many poisonous insects here...
It seems the Heavenly Dragon Temple is indeed a den of vice.
At the foot of the cliff, Xu Xing’s gaze swept across and noted many small holes in the rock face. Centipedes and other creatures of the Five Poisons crawled continuously among the rocks. At a glance, the sheer number of these Five Poisons was enough to fill more than ten open-sided houses. Even if all the snakes, insects, scorpions, and ants in Hezhou were gathered, their numbers would likely not match those present here.
Could it be that Fa Zheng and the others have also practiced the Dragon Transformation Technique?
Did they sever their own malicious thoughts, causing these poisonous insects to be manifestations of their anger and hatred?
He pondered this and grew warier of the insects.
The Dragon Transformation Technique was truly exceedingly malevolent. Initially, he had sought the Dragon Transformation Technique from Master Fa Hui for two reasons. Firstly, he wanted to use it to discern Master Fa Hui’s weaknesses. Secondly, if Master Fa Hui could practice this Secret Technique, why couldn’t he?
However, upon truly obtaining the Dragon Transformation Technique, he abandoned this notion. The anger and hatred severed by the Dragon Transformation Technique were a part of the human soul. After severing this part of the soul and combining it with Buddhist secret arts, mysterious entities known as Sky Dragon Outer Demons could be born. Then, by integrating Dragon Luck, these Sky Dragon Outer Demons could be transformed into a Naga Demon Dragon.
Master Fa Hui had only given him the Secret Technique to transform Sky Dragon Outer Demons into a Naga Demon Dragon, not the subsequent Cultivation Methods. Although the Old Monk hadn’t mentioned any follow-up secret arts to the Dragon Transformation Technique, Xu Xing guessed that since the Old Monk intended to harm him, this Orphan of the Wen Family, his entry into the Flame Dynasty to devour the Dragon Luck was not some self-sacrificial act of vengeance for the Wen Family. There had to be another motive.
Once he joined the Flying Feather Immortal Palace, he wouldn’t lack Cultivation Methods. It was better not to cultivate this flawed Secret Technique.
I’ll fly directly to the rear courtyard...
Xu Xing took a step, his Magic Power surged, and in an instant, he soared towards the rear courtyard of the Heavenly Dragon Temple.
"Who goes there?"
At the top of the cliff, two monks in white robes guarded the Zen Gate of the rear courtyard. Seeing Xu Xing approach through the air, they were horrified and immediately challenged him. But before their words fully left their mouths, Xu Xing, light as a feather and swift as lightning, instantly closed in on them.
Xu Xing’s palms struck the heads of the two monks.
The formidable force crushed their skulls.
Death by shattered cranium!
Zhi Neng and Zhi Du?
Only after killing them did Xu Xing have a moment to look at the faces of the two white-robed monks. Zhi Neng and Zhi Du were of the same generation as him in the Heavenly Dragon Temple. They had shared some camaraderie in the past.
However... that’s all in the past.
Ever since the Heavenly Dragon Temple had branded Xu Xing a traitorous monk, many of "Zhi Xing’s" former martial brothers had dispersed to various regions, searching for "Zhi Xing’s" whereabouts. Initially, when Xu Xing encountered one or two of these senior brothers, he had wanted to show them some leniency. Unexpectedly, after he let these monks go, they immediately informed the local authorities of the Flame Dynasty and the monks stationed by the Heavenly Dragon Temple to hunt him down.
Fortunately, he was cunning, like a wily rabbit with three burrows, and had become more vigilant, managing to escape in time.
Otherwise... the consequences would have been unimaginable.
Therefore, upon encountering Zhi Neng and Zhi Du, Xu Xing struck to kill instantly, not giving them even a moment to breathe.
Slipping in from the rear courtyard, Xu Xing identified his direction and sped towards the wing rooms on the left. As a former True lineage disciple of the Heavenly Dragon Temple, he knew the internal layout of the temple like the back of his hand. The left wing rooms were where the House Elders of the Fa generation resided.
Under the cover of darkness and with his Immortal Foundation Realm ability to conceal his presence, the patrolling Stick Monks of the Heavenly Dragon Temple failed to detect the intrusion of this renegade monk. After all, not everyone possessed the means to ascend a cliff several hundred zhang high by manipulating their True Qi. Even Innate Martial Artists would find it arduous. Halfway up, they would likely exhaust their True Qi, fall from the cliff, and be dashed to a pulp.
Just three more Zen Rooms, and it will be Fa Zheng’s room...
Xu Xing paused, standing on the roof of a Zen Room, and looked towards the eastern courtyard. His perception, born from the Immortal Foundation Realm, was insufficient to infiltrate Fa Zheng’s room silently. Innate Martial Artists could already perceive subtle changes before they happened, much like a cicada senses the autumn wind before it stirs. While the perception of cultivators was indeed stronger than the spiritual awareness of Innate Martial Artists, using perception to spy on Innate Martial Artists was no easy task.
Moreover... Fa Zheng, Fa Hui, and the others cultivated the Dragon Transformation Technique. Their Sky Dragon Outer Demons were powerful; perhaps their "perception" was even stronger than that of an Immortal Foundation Realm cultivator.
Fa Zheng’s disciple, Zhi He, is the one he values most...
I have a plan.
Xu Xing’s thoughts turned, and he decided to lure the snake out of its hole.
He first ran to the Heavenly Dragon Temple’s kitchens and started a fire. When the monks in the temple were alarmed, he slipped into Zhi He’s Zen Room. Just as Zhi He was preparing to leave his room to investigate the fire, Xu Xing’s Dragon Claw Hand clamped onto Zhi He’s throat. Then, with a forceful squeeze, he strangled him to death.
Shortly after, Xu Xing tossed Zhi He’s corpse onto a path. This path was one the temple monks would inevitably use to fight the fire. \n(o)v.e\
The fire was quickly extinguished.
Abbot Fa Zheng, led by several disciples of the Zhi generation, arrived near Zhi He’s corpse. He squatted, carefully examining the cause of Zhi He’s death.
It was clear: Zhi He had been killed by a Dragon Claw Hand to the throat, a single fatal blow.
This Dragon Claw Hand has been mastered to perfection. Among the disciples in the temple, only a few from the Fa generation and the former Zhi Xing have reached such a level... Abbot Fa Zheng shook his head and sighed.
"Abbot, are you saying..."
"Zhi Xing has returned?" a white-robed monk exclaimed in terror upon hearing this.
The Flame Dynasty and the Heavenly Dragon Temple had jointly issued a warrant for the True lineage disciple Zhi Xing, yet he had repeatedly escaped. Moreover, Zhi Xing not only escaped but also killed many High Monks and Heaven-rank constables of the Imperial Court’s Six Fan Gate along the way. These victims were, without exception, experts.
Now that Zhi Xing had returned to the temple for revenge, apart from a few House Elders of the Fa generation, how could these disciples possibly contend with Zhi Xing, who possessed the Bright King Body?
The enemy was in the shadows, while they were exposed... This was not a good sign.
"Amitabha..." Fa Zheng clasped his hands together and intoned the Buddha’s name. "As long as Zhi Xing is within the temple, he cannot escape..."
With that said, centipede after centipede emerged from his body, swarming towards every corner of the Heavenly Dragon Temple. The other Fa generation House Elders did likewise. In an instant, the entire Heavenly Dragon Temple seemed to transform into a demonic den.
However, these tiny centipedes were invisible to the disciples in the temple. They had not yet developed the spiritual awareness of Innate Martial Artists and could not see the Sky Dragon Outer Demons.
But—
Time ticked by.
The Centipede Swarm in the Heavenly Dragon Temple grew ever denser, yet there was no trace of Xu Xing.
Zhi He’s corpse, and the fire...
Could it be...
Suddenly, Abbot Fa Zheng realized something. He hastily employed the Reed Crossing the River movement technique, rushing towards his Zen Room with all his might. Upon arrival, he saw the room was in disarray, a large hole gaping in the window frame. However, a floor tile near the Threshold remained undisturbed. A faint smile touched his lips.
A mere thief, how could he possibly find our temple’s supreme wondrous law?
He deliberately bent down, lifted the floor tile, and retrieved a volume of copper scroll from within.
He speculated that Xu Xing must be hiding nearby. The reason Xu Xing could evade his Sky Dragon Outer Demon detection was likely because Xu Xing had also cultivated this art. The allure of the Dragon Transformation Secret Technique was potent; it was exceedingly difficult for ordinary people to resist such temptation. Ordinary Trained Martial Artists could easily achieve a Breakthrough to the Innate realm by leveraging the Dragon Transformation Secret Technique. And the Dragon Transformation Secret Technique could also help Innate Martial Artists reach the Grandmaster realm beyond the Innate stage.
However—
The next moment, he felt his head tumble lightly to the ground. His turning gaze could still see his own headless body, frozen in the act of bending over.
In the air, a brilliant yellow Sword Qi gradually dissipated.
"Great Imperial Court Sword Qi..." Fa Zheng couldn’t help but shout, his eyes glinting with murderous intent. In their several confrontations, they had inadvertently learned the name of this yellow Sword Qi from Xu Xing himself; it was called the Great Imperial Court Sword Qi, Xu Xing’s ultimate trump card.
"You’re quite clever..." Xu Xing casually tore off a piece of cloth, picked up the blood-stained copper slip, wiped it clean, and placed it in his Sleeve. Then, he glanced at the dying Abbot Fa Zheng and said mockingly, "You just don’t understand my true strength. All the cunning in the world is worthless in the face of absolute power."
"You..." Fa Zheng gritted his teeth. He had deliberately revealed an opening, intentionally taking out the copper slip, because he had calculated that Xu Xing’s strength was inferior to his. He had hoped to lure Xu Xing out and then counter-attack. If Xu Xing’s strength were greater than his, why resort to such thievery? Even if Xu Xing were stronger, he couldn’t be *that* much stronger. Fa Zheng was already a grandmaster at the Late Innate Stage, ranking among the foremost experts in the Flame Dynasty. No matter what, especially with his deliberate planning, he shouldn’t have been unable to withstand even a few of Xu Xing’s attacks.
Once the other monks of the Heavenly Dragon Temple arrived, Xu Xing would have no escape, even if he sprouted wings.
Yet, despite all his meticulous calculations, he had never imagined that he had fallen into a trap within a trap.
Xu Xing had outwitted him, and Xu Xing’s strength surpassed his!
"Zhi Xing..." Seeing his death approach, Fa Zheng abandoned his high stance and began to entice Xu Xing with benefits. "The Heavenly Dragon Temple has never wronged you. As long as you do not betray the temple and return to the embrace of Buddha, not only can I gift you the Secret Technique on this copper slip, but I, this old monk, can also offer you the position of Abbot of the Heavenly Dragon Temple..."