Chapter 53

Xiaoming shook his head and decided to ignore them, continuing to practice the Golden Bell Cover. After all, it had nothing to do with him.

An unknown amount of time passed before Xiaoming heard footsteps approaching again. He realized it was Zhen Chang and the others returning. Out of curiosity about what the monster that had betrayed the Cui family looked like, he opened his eyes and looked over.

Following the four people was a hulking man with a staggering gait, his long hair covering his face, showing no signs of being a monster.

"The monster can transform into a human form without any obvious flaws. How will we be able to distinguish them in the future..." Xiaoming thought with some concern, but he quickly dismissed this worry. The history of the monster race was long and their power formidable, yet humans had become the dominant force. The ancestors must have left behind a wealth of experience in dealing with them.

As they passed Xiaoming again, Xuan Bei, Zhen Chang, and the middle-aged man from the Cui family paid no attention to him, as he was not practicing any strange or unusual martial arts.

However, the young man, who still retained some childishness, deliberately slowed his pace and moved closer to the cold turtle's cell, wanting to observe the untransformed monster more closely.

He was very curious and had been looking for an opportunity all the way, but he knew that most of the monsters suppressed here were extremely powerful. If he approached rashly, he could easily be injured by their aura. Therefore, he ultimately chose the fire swan and the cold turtle.

A young monk with low power could practice outside their cells, indicating that they were not particularly strong or vicious monsters.

The young man's skin glowed with a purple light, dispelling the cold, as he approached the cold turtle.

Roar!

In response to the human's approach and an inexplicable disturbance, the cold turtle suddenly burst into action, rushing to the iron bars, mouth wide open, roaring loudly, and spewing cold air.

Around the cell, swastikas lit up one after another, and the sound of Buddhist chants echoed, blocking the cold and the monster's aura, though some still escaped.

Drawn by this, the fire swan also flew out from the corner, its body surrounded by flames, its aura reaching the sky.

Although the cell provided a barrier, the escaped aura and the intense cold and heat intensified, causing Xiaoming to feel tormented once again. The fourth level of the Golden Bell Cover activated, his body turning a dark gold.

The young man, not yet accustomed to the monster's aura, was directly intimidated, his legs weakening, and his purple skin freezing inch by inch.

Xuan Ku and Zhen Chang, who had not experienced such a situation, were also momentarily affected by the monster's aura and the intense cold and heat, becoming slightly dazed.

The monster with long hair still buried its head, as if nothing had happened, because the middle-aged man from the Cui family was looking at it with a half-smile, his right hand wrapped in purple energy, reaching for his son.

Xiaoming, enduring the pain, raised his head and slowly scanned the cold turtle and the fire swan, the culprits!

Under Xiaoming's cold gaze, the cold turtle suddenly froze, as if remembering something, then retreated to the corner, pulling its limbs and head into its shell.

The flapping fire swan also calmed down, silently returning to the corner, turning its back to Xiaoming.

"Um..." Xiaoming himself was taken aback by this reaction.

"Hao'er, let's go," the middle-aged man from the Cui family said solemnly, no longer in danger, his right hand returning to his back.

The young man, still in a state of fear, said nothing more and followed closely behind.

Xuan Ku and Zhen Chang, both surprised and suspicious, opened their mouths but didn't know what to say, so they also moved forward silently.

Exiting the cell, as Xuan Ku and Zhen Chang canceled the "extraction token" with the guard monks, the young man finally came to his senses and said angrily, "Father, that little monk made the monsters scare me! Look how obedient they were to him later, he must have tamed them!"

"It wasn't him who made the monsters obey," the middle-aged man sighed. "Hao'er, didn't you see that the monsters retreated out of fear, not obedience?"

"Fear?" The young man asked in disbelief. Such powerful monsters would fear a weak novice monk?

The middle-aged man looked at him carefully. "Hao'er, didn't you plan to travel during this trip?"

"Yes," the young man replied, not understanding why his father suddenly brought this up.

"With your current level of discernment, traveling would be a death sentence. Stay home for two more years," the middle-aged man said sternly.

"Father!" The young man was struck by this news as if by lightning.

"I will speak with your Uncle Qingyu," the middle-aged man said, leaving no room for argument.

...

"They were actually afraid of me?" Xiaoming recalled the details and came to this baffling conclusion. Two monsters far more powerful than himself were actually afraid of him!

"Could it be that when I was immersed in that profound state of enlightenment, the 'Ananda Breaking Precepts Sword Technique' I unleashed left them in a state of fear that they haven't shaken off?"

Xiaoming pondered the reason. If it were other experts at the same level as these two monsters, even if they were affected by his sword technique, it would only be a momentary thing, not leaving a lasting fear. But these monsters, sealed and suppressed, unable to fully utilize their power, and constantly tormented, were greatly affected by the "Buddhist Light" and "Buddhist Chants" from the stupa above, leaving their minds vulnerable.

Since the fire swan, cold turtle, and Chuiyi had moved away from him, the refining effect had decreased significantly, and without the "Spirit Grass Qi Pill," Xiaoming decided to get up, stretch his limbs, put on his monk's robe, and leave the stupa.

The sun was bright, and the spring air was refreshing.

"It's been almost three months since I've truly seen the sun. I didn't realize how pleasant it is," Xiaoming chuckled, squinting his eyes, taking deep breaths, and suddenly feeling that life was beautiful.

In recent days, Xiaoming had been leaving early in the morning and returning late at night. Often, after breakfast, before the sun was fully up, he would enter the stupa, and only leave when the sun set.

Of course, this was also due to the short days of late winter and early spring.

With a light step, Xiaoming walked towards the back mountain. The patrolling monks he encountered along the way looked at him with surprise. Was he leaving so early today? Had he finally become lazy?

—Although they took turns on duty, Xiaoming had been there for almost three months, and they naturally knew him, recognizing the young novice monk who practiced in the stupa and only left when it was dark.

Xiaoming paid no attention to their gazes, enjoying the bright spring day with a relaxed mind. The red earth beneath his feet no longer affected him at all.

Passing through the narrow path between the two peaks, Xiaoming returned to the most familiar place, staring at the forest in a daze.

Although he didn't understand the deeper connection, it was while guarding this place and discovering Zhen Guan that his strength had made a leap.

So, he strolled into the forest, intending to check on the secret passage and see if anyone was guarding it.

Sure enough, by the large red rock, two yellow-robed monks were vigilantly looking around.

Xiaoming, afraid of being discovered, did not dare to approach and turned to leave, heading back out of the forest.

He could freely enter and leave the back mountain for now, but he did not have the right to spy on the guards.

As he walked, Xiaoming suddenly saw a familiar figure approaching.

"Senior Brother Zhen Yong?" Xiaoming asked, slightly surprised.

Zhen Yong was startled, stepping back a few paces, and only relaxed when he saw it was Xiaoming. He patted his chest and said, "Junior Brother Zhen Ding, you scared me to death. What are you doing here?"

"I was passing by, curious about the secret passage, so I came to take a look," Xiaoming said, not bothering to think of another excuse. It wasn't a big deal, and he hadn't been caught by the guard monks. "Senior Brother Zhen Yong, what about you?"

Zhen Yong, holding his stomach, laughed and said, "People have three urgent needs. I was on duty at the front today."

"Oh," Xiaoming thought of how he had used this excuse to practice his sword technique, feeling a bit strange but not saying more. He bid farewell and left.

Back at the small courtyard, as expected, Xiaoming saw his master Xuan Bei practicing his sword technique.

"Why are you so early today? Can't you handle the cold and heat anymore?" Xuan Bei sheathed his sword, his expression not showing any blame.

After returning to the temple, Xiaoming had been debating whether to tell his master and how to do so. When he remembered that Xuan Ku and Zhen Chang had already seen his body turn dark gold, resisting the cold and heat, he finally made up his mind—this was the external manifestation of completing the fourth level of the Golden Bell Cover!

Seeing Xiaoming's hesitation, Xuan Bei smiled reassuringly. "Haste makes waste. I may have put too much pressure on you. Don't lose heart."

Xiaoming lowered his head and answered honestly, "Master, I have completed the fourth level of the Golden Bell Cover."

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