Chapter 287

Words : 2340 Updated : Oct 1st, 2025

Chapter 287While Lu Qing was sorting himself out, in a magnificent building within the Sacred City, numerous powerful figures were gathered. In the center of the room lay several corpses, neatly arranged, each covered by a white cloth. "Patriarch Qiu, why have you gathered us here in the dead of night?" a burly man with arms that reached his knees asked in a deep voice. "Everyone, look at these corpses," the Patriarch Qiu said as he waved his sleeve, and a gust of wind lifted the white cloths, revealing the full appearance of the corpses. As soon as everyone saw the condition of the bodies, they were all shocked. The corpses were not intact. Not only had their heads been severed, but three of them also had large holes in their chests, while the last one was even more gruesome, having been split in half. However, these were renowned martial experts from Zhongzhou, men who had seen all kinds of scenes. Although initially startled by the gruesome sight, they quickly regained their composure. "Patriarch Qiu, who are these people, and what do they have to do with why you’ve called us here?" the tall man continued to ask. "Do any of you find anything unusual about these corpses?" Patriarch Qiu asked. "Unusual? These corpses just seem to have died brutally, what else is there?" The group continued to scrutinize the bodies. Soon, they noticed something indeed unusual—these corpses were all Precelestial experts. Moreover, their cultivation levels were likely no weaker than those present. Everyone's expressions became serious. Four Precelestial experts had appeared out of nowhere, and none of them recognized these individuals. The information implied was alarming. However, it didn’t stop there. Seeing the solemn expressions on everyone’s faces, Patriarch Qiu pointed to one of the corpses. "Everyone, look at the tattoo on this corpse. Is there anything special about it?" "Tattoo?" Everyone looked at the corpse. Some were perplexed, but others found it somewhat familiar. The ones who found it familiar thought for a moment, and then suddenly, their bodies trembled, and their eyes widened in shock. "This tattoo, could it be..." "It seems Elder Yue recognizes the origin of this tattoo," Patriarch Qiu said with a faint smile. "Indeed, this tattoo closely resembles one recorded in our Guiyuan Sect’s ancient scrolls. But how can that be? Wasn’t that sect completely eradicated long ago?" Elder Yue said, his disbelief evident. "It’s clear that the sect wasn’t completely destroyed back then. Some remnants must have survived, and after centuries of recuperation, they’ve re-emerged, stronger than ever," Patriarch Qiu said, his expression turning grave. "Elder Yue, Patriarch Qiu, what are you talking about? What sect is this tattoo related to?" the tall man asked, feeling increasingly confused by their conversation. "Wujian Tower!" At this moment, an elderly man with crane-like hair and a child-like face said solemnly, "There’s no mistaking it. This tattoo is the unique mark of Wujian Tower from over three hundred years ago!" Clearly, he too recognized the tattoo’s origin. S~eaʀᴄh the NôvelFire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. As soon as he spoke, many were shocked. "What? Wujian Tower?" "Elder He, is what you’re saying true?" "I remember now! This tattoo does indeed match the one recorded in our sect’s scrolls!" "But wasn’t Wujian Tower eradicated centuries ago?!" Seeing the shock on everyone’s faces, Patriarch Qiu said, "There’s no need to doubt. Brother Fang and I have already examined these bodies. The cultivation techniques they practiced are eerily similar to those recorded in our sects’ most secret scrolls. There’s no doubt these people are the remnants of Wujian Tower." "But according to the records, Wujian Tower was supposed to have been eradicated centuries ago by the combined forces of the major sects. How could they suddenly reappear now? Where have they been hiding all these years? And why were they suddenly killed here? Who killed them?" someone immediately raised a series of questions. "Brother Fang and I have many questions as well, which is why we’ve gathered everyone here," Patriarch Qiu said. "I have a feeling that our predecessors might have been deceived back then..." … Within the Sacred City, the discovery of Wujian Tower’s remnants caused a shock among all the major sects. On the Sacred Mountain, in a finely crafted building, a few monks in red robes were also gathered. "Senior Brother Xuanming, we just received a message from our informant. Wujian Tower’s operation has failed," Xuan Nu said. "I knew it. Those worthless fools could never accomplish anything!" A trace of anger appeared on the face of a large monk. Those idiots boasted day and night about their unparalleled assassination techniques, yet they couldn’t even handle a brat and an old man. We should never have taken in those useless scum from Xuankong Mountain; they’re completely worthless! "Senior Brother Xuanming, now that Wujian Tower’s operation has failed, the other sects will soon find out that Wujian Tower wasn’t completely destroyed. What should we do?" Xuan Nu asked. Before Xuanming could respond, the large monk continued, "Hmph, so what if they find out? What does it matter to us if Wujian Tower reappears in the world? In fact, it might even be a good thing to let those madmen stir up some trouble. This time out, you’ve seen it for yourself. The outside world has been too peaceful for too long. We’ve been hidden away in the secret lands for so long that the world has almost forgotten our might. Even a mere disciple from Tianji Tower dares to disrespect the Buddhist order and speak out against us. I say, let Wujian Tower cause a little chaos and remind these sects of how the peace they’ve enjoyed for centuries came to be! Without us in the secret lands maintaining order, how could they have enjoyed hundreds of years of peaceful days?" Xuan Nu said nothing but showed a look of agreement. "Amitabha," Xuanming, who had been silently calm all this time, finally spoke, "Though your words lack the compassion of the Buddha, they are not without reason. This time out, you all should have felt it. Our Xuankong Mountain has been hidden away from the world for centuries, and as a result, the world has lost the light of the Buddha’s teachings. It has become devoid of respect for the Buddha. Without reverence, there is no order. Without order, ambition and chaos easily arise. This is not a blessing for the people of the world but a calamity. So, for the sake of the people, Xuankong Mountain must make the world once again understand the greatness of Buddhism." "Senior Brother Xuanming, you truly grasp the profound teachings of the Buddha," Xuan Nu and the others were convinced. "Then, Senior Brother, what should we do next? The disciples we brought from Wujian Tower have all been lost. That brat is still alive, and as long as he lives, the other secret lands will continue to mock us." "That is a trivial matter. You’ve practiced Buddhism for so many years, how can you not see through such a small obstacle? The fact that the young man survived indicates that his destiny has not yet been fulfilled. This is the will of heaven. Since it is heaven’s will, we shall go along with it for the time being and let him live a little longer. Our primary purpose in coming out this time is to complete the abbot’s task and seize the opportunity. As long as we obtain it, Xuankong Mountain will flourish for a thousand years. Do not lose sight of your mission because of a petty grudge." Xuanming said earnestly. "But Senior Brother Xuanming, the abbot said that the opportunity is on the Sacred Mountain, but we’ve been here for so long, and we haven’t even seen a shadow of it. When will it appear?" "Do not be anxious. Cultivate patience and humility." Xuanming closed his eyes, his voice calm, "I can sense that the opportunity will soon reveal itself." Seeing Senior Brother Xuanming enter a meditative state, Xuan Nu and the others, though still puzzled, did not dare to disturb him further. In the following days, undercurrents surged within the Sacred City. The reappearance of Wujian Tower quickly became known to all the major sects in Zhongzhou, causing a secret but widespread ripple of unease. Fortunately, this information was confined to the upper echelons of the sects and did not cause public unrest. However, the mood within the sects became increasingly tense, and the atmosphere in the Sacred City grew eerie, as if a storm was brewing. Yet, none of this affected Lu Qing and his companions. Ever since they dealt with the Wujian Tower assassins that night, they hadn’t been attacked again. Even the Tianji Tower Lord, after taking away the bodies of the assassins, hadn’t shown up again, leaving them free to enjoy their days in peace. During these days, Lu Qing and his group spent their time leisurely in the small courtyard beside Lin Zhirui. They practiced martial arts, drank tea, and cooked delicious food, living a life of ease, completely unaffected by the tense atmosphere in the Sacred City. "Young Master Lu, look!" In the courtyard, Lu Qing was sitting on a stone bench, carefully carving something with a fine knife. Xiao Yan and Xiao Li were sitting beside him, waiting quietly. At that moment, Hu Zezhi came bouncing over to Lu Qing and spun around a few times. "Oh, Miss Hu’s leg has fully healed?" Lu Qing looked up briefly at Hu Zezhi without pausing his work and smiled. "Sister Hu, your leg is better?" Xiao Yan’s eyes lit up. "Yes, it’s completely healed. I have to thank you, Young Master Lu. Without the medicine you made, I wouldn’t have recovered so quickly," Hu Zezhi said gratefully. As the saying goes, "It takes a hundred days to heal a broken bone." Hu Zezhi was fully aware of how severe her leg injury had been. Now, not only had she fully recovered in such a short time without any lingering aftereffects, but there wasn’t even a scar left behind. This was all thanks to Lu Qing’s excellent medical skills, and she couldn’t express her gratitude enough. "My medicine is good, but it’s also because you took it on time and kept up with your exercises that you recovered so quickly. Otherwise, no matter how good the medicine is, it’s useless if the patient doesn’t take care of themselves," Lu Qing said gently. Hu Zezhi felt a warmth in her heart and was about to thank him again when she noticed what Lu Qing was doing with his hands. Her curiosity got the better of her. "Young Master Lu, what are you working on?" "Nothing much, just refining this pendant a bit," Lu Qing replied, his knife now working on the final details. He carefully engraved an intricate rune into the pendant. The pendant emitted a faint white light for a moment before returning to its original appearance. But upon closer inspection, one could see that deep within the smooth, translucent pendant, a mysterious rune was faintly glowing. "Alright, it’s done. Xiao Yan, bring your head over here." Hearing her brother’s words, Xiao Yan obediently leaned forward. Lu Qing gently placed the pendant around her neck. "Remember, keep this pendant on at all times. Don’t take it off by yourself," Lu Qing said, adjusting the length of the cord to ensure Xiao Yan couldn’t easily remove it herself. "Got it, Big Brother!" Xiao Yan replied sweetly and happily touched the pendant. She felt that the fish stone pendant had become even more beautiful after her brother’s refinement. "Young Master Lu, just now, was that...?" Hu Zezhi, who had been watching the entire process, was astonished. She was reminded of the scene in Yunlai Town when Lu Qing had refined a jade bottle with what seemed like divine skill. "This pendant was a gift I gave Xiao Yan a while ago. I just refined it a bit to make it look nicer," Lu Qing explained. "Oh, Sister Hu, this is the first gift my brother gave me! It’s made from a fish stone he dug out of a big blue fish’s mouth!" Xiao Yan boasted proudly to Hu Zezhi. "I see, no wonder it looks so beautiful," Hu Zezhi said with some envy. Seeing that Hu Zezhi didn’t continue to ask questions, Lu Qing smiled slightly. Of course, his carving wasn’t just for decoration. He had inscribed a basic defensive formation into the fish stone. In the future, if Xiao Yan encountered any danger, the formation within the stone would activate automatically to protect her. This way, even if something unexpected happened and he or Xiao Li couldn’t reach Xiao Yan in time, she would at least have this final layer of protection. Lu Qing had actually wanted to do this for a long time. However, in the past, though his soul power was strong, it was challenging to engrave a formation into such a small pendant. It was only a few nights ago, after his attempt to break through to the Precelestial Realm, that although he hadn’t fully succeeded, he had managed to cultivate some true qi. Nourished by true qi, not only had his physical body and soul power grown, but his control had also improved considerably. This allowed him to successfully inscribe such a delicate formation. Now that the defensive formation was in place, the pendant truly became a protective talisman for Xiao Yan. Seeing that Hu Zezhi tactfully didn’t press further, Lu Qing didn’t elaborate either. However, the successful inscription of the formation gave Lu Qing an idea. Perhaps he could inscribe more of these protective items for future use? As Lu Qing pondered the feasibility of this, he suddenly trembled and looked up at the sky. At that moment, a massive fluctuation of the world’s energy erupted from the heavens, resounding throughout the land. Table of content

Chapter 287

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