“Cough!”
Right then, a soft cough sounded from the dust not far away.
A figure slowly crawled out of the shattered pit. He was covered in dust and looked wretched. It was the Half-Martial Ancestor expert, Elder Hui Xing, who was suppressed by Su Zimo earlier on.
“Hui Shen, put away that talisman. There’s no need to alarm the Patriarch about this,”
Elder Hui Xing shook his head.
Abbot Hui Shen hesitated for a moment before putting the talisman into his storage bag. However, he was still on guard as though he could take it out at any moment.
Elder Hui Xing looked at Su Zimo. “Desolate Martial, on account of the fact that you’ve established your Dao for all living beings, I’m not willing to alarm the Patriarch to kill you. However, you have to remember that you’ve inherited the legacy of Daming Monastery and Fahua Monastery, so you’re also considered as half a disciple of the Buddhist monasteries!”
“That’s precisely the reason why I held back,”
Su Zimo replied indifferently, “Otherwise, which of those people who attacked me earlier, including you, would have survived?”
Su Zimo had always been decisive in killing.
However, this time round, even though he was surrounded and even bullied by a superior Half-Martial Ancestor of Dapamkara Monastery, he held back and did not kill.
Although the battle was intense earlier on, none of the monks of Dapamkara Monastery died!
Even Monk Kong Ru who provoked him first merely fainted after a single shout from Su Zimo without any injuries.
The monks exchanged glances in silence.
They knew in their hearts that given Desolate Martial’s notorious methods in the past, it was already rare for him to restrain himself in his rage.
How many Dharma Characteristic Dao Lords and Conjoint Body Mighty Figures died in the battle of Heaven and Earth Valley against Desolate Martial?
Abbot Hui Shen could not help but say, “Even so, you can’t be unreasonable and barge into our monastery!”
“Fufu,”
Su Zimo smiled and shook his head. “When I came to visit, I did not cross any lines at all. I waited for six whole hours outside Dapamkara Monastery but there was no response from you guys!”
The monks were silent.
“I wanted to head up the mountain and reason things out with you guys. However, you guys stopped me, refused to see me and even attacked me,”
Su Zimo had a mocking expression. “Great, now that you’ve attacked and can’t win, you want to try and convince me with your logic?”
“You… ”
Abbot Hui Shen was speechless and blushed in shame after hearing Su Zimo’s words.
“I only have one question. Where is Ming Zhen?!”
Su Zimo’s gaze burned as it landed on the faces of Abbot Hui Shen and the others. He said slowly, “Back in the Dao Inheritance Ground, Ming Zhen was still the titular disciple. When was his title taken away?”
After pausing for a moment, Su Zimo hesitated for a long time before gritting his teeth and asking, “Ming Zhen… is he alive or dead?”
The monks remained silent.
Monk Hui Shen said with slight embarrassment, “Patron Desolate Martial, monks don’t lie. It’s true that Ming Zhen is not in the monastery and has already left.”
“Where did he go?”
Su Zimo asked right after.
Abbot Hui Shen hesitated.
Su Zimo’s heart sank as he sensed that something was amiss. He hollered, “Give me an answer whether Ming Zhen is dead or alive!”
“Sigh,”
At the side, Elder Hui Xing sighed. “Ming Zhen should be dead.”
Although he was prepared for this, Su Zimo still felt a sense of sadness when he heard Elder Hui Xing’s words.
In his mind, he could not help but recall the little monk at the bottom of the Dragon Burial Valley who had clear, innocent eyes and a single heart towards Buddhism.
A voice seemed to echo in his ears, “Ming Xin, I’m your senior brother from now on!”
In the Dao Inheritance Ground, the young monk wielded the green lantern and came forth without hesitation to fight alongside him!
But now, everything that happened in the past had turned into dust after a single sentence from Elder Hui Xing.
“Tell me, what happened,”
Su Zimo stood quietly for a long time before calming down. He took a deep breath and asked slowly.
“We’ll have to start from 10 years ago,”
Elder Hui Xing reminisced. “About 10 years ago, cultivators of Southern Duel Sect discovered an utmost treasure in the vicinity of the sect!”
“Southern Duel Sect?”
Su Zimo’s expression changed.
Southern Duel Sect, one of the 108 Upper Sects.
Back when he first entered the intermediate ancient battlefield, he encountered cultivators of Southern Duel Sect and vaguely remembered that there was a female cultivator named Tang Shiyun.
As he pondered, Elder Hui Xing continued, “That utmost treasure is a huge chunk of Ashoka Wood!”
“Hmm?”
Su Zimo’s heart skipped a beat.
Ashoka Wood!
Monk Yuan Bei had once said that there were three sacred trees in the Buddhist monasteries—the Ashoka, Bodhi and Sal tree.
The three sacred trees were not in Tianhuang Mainland and were recorded in the ancient books of the Buddhist monasteries that they should be in the Pure Land.
Now that he thought about it, the Pure Land of the Buddhist monasteries might be a term for the upper world.
In the ancient era, a Saraca Flower fell onto Tianhuang Mainland and was obtained by the Founder Master of Fahua Monastery. It was regarded as an utmost treasure of the Buddhist monasteries and passed down till this day. Eventually, it landed in Su Zimo’s body and became a part of it.
As the name suggested, the Ashoka Wood was a part of the Ashoka Tree.
The Saraca Flower was just a single flower of the Ashoka Tree and it already possessed so many mysterious powers.
How incredible was a huge chunk of Ashoka Wood?
Even Conjoint Body Mighty Figures would be tempted by such a large chunk of Saraca Wood!
Elder Hui Xing continued, “For some reason, news of this large chunk of Ashoka Wood that appeared in Southern Duel Sect spread for some reason and triggered a catastrophe that destroyed their sect!”
“Why? Did some sect, faction or peerless expert snatch the Ashoka Wood away?” Su Zimo asked with a narrowed gaze.
“No,”
Elder Hui Xing shook his head. “The one who attacked was not a faction of the cultivation world, but one of the Primordial Nine Races, the Blood Vine race!”
Su Zimo’s eyes shone brightly with killing intent!
Elder Hui Xing said, “The true form of the Blood Vine race is the Primordial Blood Vine. Although it’s bloodthirsty, it’s still a type of vegetation. For them, the Ashoka Wood is an absolute tonic and is fatally attractive!”
“Not long after this news spread, the Blood Vine army attacked Southern Duel Sect.”
Su Zimo replied indifferently, “If I’m not wrong, Dapamkara Monastery didn’t help, right?”
Elder Hui Xing laughed bitterly. “How do we help? The Blood Vine race is menacing and we won’t be able to defend against them alone as well.”
“Humph!”
Su Zimo sneered.
All those were mere excuses.
It was merely because this matter had nothing to do with them and Dapamkara Monastery was unwilling to get involved!
However, the fact that Dapamkara Monastery, one of the six Buddhist monasteries and a super sect of the cultivation world, had such an attitude was heartbreaking.
Su Zimo asked again, “What happened after that? What has this got to do with Ming Zhen?”
Upon hearing that, the monks of Dapamkara Monastery looked ashamed.
A moment later, Elder Hui Xing said, “We had no intention of stepping in, but Ming Zhen insisted on heading to Southern Duel Sect.”
“He said that even if we don’t fight the Blood Vine race head-on, we have to think of a way to save some people. Most of the cultivators from Southern Duel Sect are innocent. Buddha is compassionate and can purify the masses. We can’t sit idly by and do nothing.”
At that point, Su Zimo was silent.
“Amitabha,”
The monks lowered their heads in shame and chanted Buddhist proclamations.
