Chapter 66

On the wide loess road, a black-clad teenager was walking with great difficulty, his face drenched in sweat. Each step he took was as heavy as a weight landing on the ground, stirring up a cloud of yellow dust.

Up close, it was clear that the black-clad teenager had a massive black greatsword on his back. The greatsword had no edge or tip, and its length almost exceeded the teenager's height. This unusual combination drew curious glances from many passersby in the market.

By the black-clad teenager's side, a young scholar in a green robe walked alongside him, while a child, only four or five years old, skipped ahead, occasionally turning to look back at the black-clad teenager.

The young scholar and the child both had peculiar expressions, wanting to laugh but not daring to.

The black-clad teenager glared at them irritably, dragging his feet, which felt as heavy as a thousand pounds, to the shade of a large tree by the roadside.

Under the tree, the black-clad teenager fell backward onto the cool grass, allowing the sweat on his forehead to flow down like a stream.

The two companions stood beside him, looking down at him, their smiles barely contained.

The black-clad teenager, naturally, was Xiao Yan. Seeing his junior brothers' half-smiling faces, he huffed, "If you want to laugh, just laugh. Be careful you don't choke to death!"

The little one burst into a clear, ringing laugh, and Zhu Yi also smiled, "Senior Brother, why did you have to have an affinity with such a cumbersome thing? Now you're suffering, aren't you?"

Xiao Yan scratched his head in distress, "I didn't expect it to be so heavy, and not only that, it even suppresses my magical power. It's really going to kill me. Carrying this thing back to Hengyue Mountain, just thinking about it makes me shudder."

The little one gloated, "What did you do in your past life to deserve this?"

Xiao Yan glared at him, "On the way back to Hengyue Mountain, you'll take turns carrying it with me. We used your pills to buy this thing. If you don't carry it, we won't be able to bring it back, and I won't pay you back for the pills."

The little one immediately panicked, "Senior Brother, you're cheating!" Xiao Yan laughed, "I'm cheating you, what can you do about it?"

"You..." The little one was about to speak when his expression suddenly changed, and he turned to look behind him.

Xiao Yan and Zhu Yi also sensed something and looked behind the little one. They saw a gray-robed man standing not far away, wearing a large hood.

The gray-robed man removed his hood, revealing a shiny bald head with six neatly arranged scars.

"Why does the Thunder Zen of Huiku belong to you? Where is Huiku, and where are the relics?" the gray-robed man asked slowly, his voice not loud but resonating in their hearts.

The three of them, Xiao Yan and his junior brothers, all changed expression. The gray-robed monk, standing calmly, exerted immense pressure on them, making them dare not move even a finger.

They exchanged glances, their minds racing.

"This monk's cultivation is unfathomable. Master is not here, and a direct confrontation would be disadvantageous," the little one's big, black eyes darted around, and he spoke first, "A master gave it to our Master, who then passed it on to us."

The gray-robed monk glanced at the little one, his eyes revealing a hint of surprise, clearly recognizing that the little one, though not yet five years old, had already reached the tenth level of Qi cultivation.

"May I ask who your Master is?" The gray-robed monk's tone became more polite, realizing that a master who could train such a remarkable disciple must be extraordinary.

The little one shook his head, "Master doesn't allow us to say."

Xiao Yan looked at the gray-robed monk and asked respectfully, "May I ask what the master needs?"

The gray-robed monk looked at him, "The Thunder Zen is on you, right? It is a Dharma instrument of our Buddhist sect."

Xiao Yan paused for a moment and said, "The Dharma instrument was bestowed by my Master. Without his permission, I dare not easily give it to others."

The gray-robed monk's drooping eyelids suddenly opened, his eyes glowing brightly, staring directly at Xiao Yan.

Xiao Yan's mind was shaken, almost fainting. Under the gray-robed monk's gaze, he felt an overwhelming sense of guilt.

But his will was incredibly strong, and he steadied his mind, defiantly meeting the gray-robed monk's gaze.

Zhu Yi, who had been silent, stepped forward silently, standing shoulder to shoulder with Xiao Yan, facing the pressure from the gray-robed monk.

The little one also put on a serious face, standing with his two senior brothers, the three of them facing the powerful opponent together.

The gray-robed monk's eyes flickered, his eyelids drooping again, and the pressure vanished. The three of them breathed a sigh of relief, only then realizing that their backs were drenched in cold sweat.

"Do you know where the monk who gave you the Thunder Zen is now?" the gray-robed monk asked after a moment of thought.

The little one answered quickly, "We're not sure. We saw him almost half a year ago."

"Half a year ago?" the gray-robed monk asked, "Where did you meet him?"

The little one answered without hesitation, "Near the capital of the Great Zhou Empire, Tianjing. If the master wants to find him, you might try Tianjing."

The gray-robed monk stared at the three of them for a long time, then nodded and clasped his hands together, "Namo Amitabha Buddha, thank you, young benefactors." As he spoke, he disappeared from the spot.

Xiao Yan was slightly stunned, "This monk is all bark and no bite, just leaving like that?"

The little one said irritably, "Senior Brother, do you want him to really attack us?"

Zhu Yi pondered and said, "This monk might come back. Let's hurry back and meet up with Master."

Xiao Yan and the little one nodded, and the three of them quickly walked out of the city.

A slight ripple in the air, and the gray-robed monk reappeared, staring at their retreating figures.

"Letting out a long line, hoping to catch a big fish," the gray-robed monk sighed softly, following behind them.

As Xiao Yan and the others left the city gate, a group of people entered, passing by them.

An old man in the crowd suddenly frowned and approached the young leader, "Young Master Tian, this old servant just saw a child..."

Young Master Tian asked, "What about the child?"

The old man replied, "This old servant once saw Shi Ziling. The child just now had a seven or eight out of ten resemblance to Shi Ziling."

Young Master Tian's eyes flashed, "You didn't see wrong?"

Shi Ziling was none other than Shi Tianhao, the little one's father.

The old man nodded, "Young Master knows that this old servant's eyes are the best at recognizing people. The child had at least a seven out of ten resemblance to Shi Ziling. If that child were still alive, he would be about this age."

Young Master Tian thought for a moment and ordered, "Go, find two people to follow them, observe them, and report back once you find where they are staying."

...

In a small valley a hundred miles east of Hengyue Mountain.

Inside the Netherworld Pearl, Lin Feng was driving the Twenty-Four Heavenly Arhats Array, using boundless Buddha light to forcibly refine Sikong Nan.

The old ghost roared in anger, resisting continuously. Although he couldn't control the Netherworld Pearl, having lived in it for a long time, he could still borrow some of its power, making it difficult for Lin Feng to subdue him.

While driving the Twenty-Four Heavenly Arhats Array, Lin Feng also searched in the system.

"Ghost King Cannon... Night Parade of One Hundred Demons... Here it is!"

(PS: Thank you, adsssA, for your generous donation. To celebrate the birth of the first deacon, I'm adding an extra chapter today, so there will still be three updates!

The second update will be around 2 PM, and the third update will be around 8 PM.

Great authors add chapters for patrons, and I can't compare to them, but I sincerely hope for that day.

Building a skyscraper from the ground up, from the first deacon, the first hall master, the first protector, the first elder, to the first patron, step by step, I hope for that day. I hope everyone will support me, and I will work hard to write a good book, making everyone happy, and when everyone is happy, I am happy!

Thank you all!)