Chapter 94

Lanruo Temple, hundreds of years ago, was once a grand and bustling temple, covering a vast area with numerous believers. Unfortunately, a Buddhist persecution led to the slaughter of monks and the destruction of Buddha statues. Now, the dilapidated halls and pagodas still faintly reveal the former prosperity, but the courtyard is overgrown with weeds, and the grandeur of the past is long gone.

The monks' quarters behind Lanruo Temple are not just one or two rooms as in the original movie, but a dormitory-style complex occupying a significant area. In the east wing, a relatively clean monk's room had already been occupied. Even the newcomers, no matter how foolish, knew it belonged to Yan Chixia, who had not returned. No one dared to take over his room, for fear of angering Yan Chixia and facing dire consequences.

The newcomers, already frightened by the tree demon, took over the room next to Yan Chixia's, hoping to be close enough to receive his protection. They all huddled in the left monk's room, not minding the cramped space. Huangwu, however, boldly walked to the opposite west wing. His shadow merged with the dusty floor as he thoroughly explored the west wing.

Sure enough, there were mummies!

Huangwu closed his eyes and a smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. On the ceiling of the relatively intact monk's room, over a dozen withered male corpses lay sprawled, their skin tightly adhering to their bones, their bodies completely drained of moisture and fat, as if all their nutrients had been sucked out by leeches. Additionally, Huangwu sensed a faint, malevolent force lingering within these mummies, keeping them motionless like true corpses.

"Let's start with some minor enemies; this isn't a bad deal." Thinking of the tree demon and the Black Mountain demon, Huangwu felt a bit uneasy. However, these low-level mummies were abundant and easy to deal with. Holding the high-frequency oscillating blade, Huangwu didn't need a ladder. He accelerated, kicked off the wall, and flew onto the roof beam, landing lightly on the ceiling. Sensing a living presence, the malevolent force within the mummies was triggered, and they began to crawl very slowly. Their bodies, already drained of all essence by the tree demon, were as withered as those of centenarians, moving extremely slowly, producing an eerie creaking sound that added to the strange atmosphere of Lanruo Temple.

Unfortunately, in this era, being ugly doesn't necessarily mean being powerful. These mummies were far weaker than the vengeful female ghosts under the tree demon's command. Huangwu shook his head, raised his right hand, and the high-frequency oscillating blade shot out a black shadow, slicing the mummies in half at the waist. The withered bodies could not withstand the compressed wind blade. However, the malevolent force within the mummies did not dissipate; instead, it drove the upper halves of the mummies to crawl toward Huangwu.

"Ugh, I hate these enemies that require targeted attacks." Huangwu stuck out his tongue, took two steps forward, and thrust the high-frequency oscillating blade into a mummy's chest. The enchanted runes activated, purifying the force within the mummy, which then turned into a puddle of corpse water, dripping through the ceiling. Pulling out the high-frequency oscillating blade, Huangwu slashed backward. The slow, stiff mummies couldn't get close to him, and one by one, they turned into puddles of corpse water, filling the room with a foul, putrid smell.

Huangwu closed the door and was about to check the other monk's rooms when he heard voices outside. A scholar carrying a bookshelf package walked past the front hall of Lanruo Temple and, seeing someone, hurried over to greet them.

"I am Fang Sheng, on my way to take the child examination in Jinhua. I passed by here and seek a place to stay for the night."

"No problem. We are just staying here temporarily, so there's no distinction between host and guest. If you wish, there are plenty of vacant monk's rooms nearby. Clean one up and you can stay," Huangwu said, sizing up the scholar. He realized this must be the first victim from the original story, Fang Sheng. The plot was about to begin, and he needed to make plans.

Entering the west wing where the newcomers were staying, Huangwu hadn't even spoken when the sound of the door opening frightened them into a huddle.

"Stop being such cowards! What's there to fear in broad daylight!" Huangwu's face showed frustration, but he understood that the newcomers had been terrified throughout their journey. He softened his expression and warned them, "A scholar has arrived outside..."

"Is it Ning Caichen!" One of the newcomers immediately called out, "We should approach Ning Caichen; following him will keep us safe!"

"Ning my foot. If you want to go, I won't stop you, but don't cry for help if you die." Huangwu rolled his eyes, stepped aside, and gestured for them to go.

"Who is it then? It can't be Yan Chixia!"

"Why hasn't Yan Chixia returned?"

"Mom, I want to go home."

The cacophony of arguments and children's cries was maddening.

"Quiet!" Huangwu roared, slamming his hand against the door frame several times. When the newcomers finally stopped talking, he warned them seriously, "We are safe for now, but I need to explain the rules of the Main God Space. First, there's no such thing as a free lunch here. If you can't earn reward points, it's as good as a death sentence. I won't stop you from seeking plot missions or interacting with plot characters, but if you cause trouble, you'll have to bear the consequences. Second, weakness means being bullied. I won't bully you, but don't expect me to help you. If you get into trouble, don't cry for help. I'll save you if I want to, but if I don't, even if you die in front of me, I won't lift a finger."

As he spoke, the sound of clashing swords came from outside. Two figures flew down from the temple wall, each wielding a sword in a continuous barrage of strikes that sounded like a harsh bell, grating on everyone's ears. The black-clad figure's sword movements were broad and fierce, each strike aimed to kill the green-clad figure. A sword strike cut through the air, severing a section of a stone lantern. The green-clad figure's sword movements were precise and orderly, retreating step by step without panic, and with a light leap, he used the wall to propel himself into an unoccupied two-story monk's room.

"Yan Chixia, take this!" The black-clad figure shouted, gripping the sword with both hands, and leaped onto the severed lantern, sending a sword strike that broke through the wall and entered the room.

The green-clad figure, Yan Chixia, showed no fear, holding his sword horizontally to block the deadly strike. But soon, the black-clad figure kicked him back, sending him through another wall.

When the black-clad figure emerged from the room, Yan Chixia had already landed on the open ground, ready for battle. They clashed again, and this time, the black-clad figure stopped using the powerful but vulnerable sword strikes, instead using rapid, precise strikes that forced Yan Chixia to raise his sword in defense.

Yan Chixia kept retreating, and the black-clad figure kept pursuing. After a dozen steps, Yan Chixia's heels touched the steps, and behind him was another large room. He stepped forward, planted his sword in the wooden floor, and kicked with both legs, blinding the black-clad figure. Seizing the opportunity, he twisted the sword handle, broke through the wooden floor, and flew upstairs.

"Yan Chixia, don't run!" The black-clad figure, without looking, followed him up the hole, scanning the area but finding no sign of Yan Chixia. His heart tightened, and just as he turned to defend, Yan Chixia, holding onto the railing, thrust his sword backward from below.

The black-clad figure barely blocked the strike, but his iron shoulder guard was knocked off, leaving him with a minor flesh wound.

With the black-clad figure injured, the duel came to an end. Both stood on the open ground, engaging in a verbal confrontation.

The people hiding in the monk's room paid no attention to their conversation but were internally devastated when they saw Yan Chixia's appearance.

Where's the big beard? How can Yan Chixia be so handsome!

With his sword-like eyebrows, star-like eyes, and dignified appearance, he looked about thirty, tall and straight like a green pine, and as upright as a sword. In modern times, he would undoubtedly be a 99.9-point handsome man.

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