Archfiend

Chapter 235: Danxia Temple (54)

Xu Yangyi didn’t make an immediate choice. Instead, he meditated on his flying magik artifact, closing his eyes and contemplating. He carefully combed through Fahai’s and Yu Qinglin’s words again.

Indeed, there were still many riddles to Danxia Temple. For example, who had carved the wall murals? Why was Wei Zhongxian here? Why would the Animus Armament be on Wei Zhongxian’s person? However, all of this wasn’t as important in comparison to this choice right now.

No one rushed him. Although this pittance of time seemed to crawl infinitely to Fahai and Yu Qinglin, they’d already gone through too, too many years. Even if they were more anxious in their hearts, they wouldn’t express this on their faces at all.

An hour passed, two hours passed… after a full three hours passed, Xu Yangyi finally opened his eyes. A wisp of absolute resolve flashed through them.

“I have a few questions that I’ll have to request Seniors to answer.”

“Ask away,” Xiaoqing said indifferently and slightly furrowed her brows, not revealing her feelings.

Fahai recited a chant, “If it is hard to choose, then a choice isn’t necessary. Why can’t this poor monk die here?”

Xu Yangyi cupped his hands and asked, “Junior has already decided. But before this, I want to ask again. Was all that was just said to everyone the truth?”

The duo glanced at each other and said nothing. Instead, they carefully recalled the words that were just said. Eventually, Xiaoqing nodded. “My words are true.”

Fahai also laughed, “I am the same.”

Xu Yangyi’s eyes flashed again. “In that case… I still have one last question. In this place, are both of you clearly aware of the outside world?”

“Only a vague awareness,” Xiaoqing uttered. “My avatar’s connection with myself is unable to be closely linked.”

“What is the range of this vagueness?” Xu Yangyi immediately questioned. “Can you watch television? The internet? Books?”

“I cannot. I don’t even know what television and the internet is,” Xiaoqing replied firmly, her voice chopping nail and slicing iron. “The connection between myself and my avatar is only once every five years for one two-hour period. It’s simply impossible for me to have her explain five years of material. That’s not even considering these new things.”

Xu Yangyi nodded and looked at Fahai. “Senior is also like this?”

“Indeed.” Fahai nodded and said, “My cultivation is inferior to this demon’s. I am naturally unable to do this.”

“I understand.” Already, Xu Yangyi’s eyes were completely shining.

In the end… he had found the crucial point! There truly was… someone… who was letting loose a pack of lies!

From the very beginning, that person hadn’t spoken the truth! After thinking about this crucial point… he had a new choice!

He slowly walked towards Fahai. Xiaoqing’s gaze suddenly grew fiery and stared into the middle of Xu Yangyi’s back like a knife. Her lips were faintly trembling. She wanted to say something, but nothing was said at all.

“He chose Senior Fahai?” Mao Ba’er didn’t even dare to breathe. If a single misstep was made now, the moment where they would lose their lives would follow! Nobody dared not to be nervous! No one couldn’t NOT be nervous!

In this twinkling, even Fahai was breathing like an ox and turning about his rosary beads as if his life depended on it.

Don’t be wrong… You can’t be wrong! In their hearts, everyone was praying.

Silent murderous aura and invisible tension allowed a falling needle to be heard in the depths of Danxia Temple.

Xu Yangyi walked towards Fahai. All along as he walked in front of the ancient monk, he studied him deeply. Fahai’s face was devoid of joy or sorrow, and he faced the sky and sighed heavily. “True and false possess their own determinations… The Will of Heaven… The Will of Heaven…”

“Senior.” Xu Yangyi laughed. For the first time after Fahai and Yu Qinglin’s appearances, he laughed. He formed a fist in front of himself in respect. “Yes, the Will of Heaven.”

“Senior didn’t speak a word of truth. Junior really is unable to believe Senior.”

Fahai’s face that was sighing towards the sky was unable to persist. For the first time, he revealed a stunned expression and looked at Xu Yangyi who was in front of him in amazement. It seemed as if Fahai wanted to take Xu Yangyi’s silhouette and project it into his mind.

Swish… The turning rosary beads in Fahui’s hand suddenly came to a halt. In the same vein, he looked at Xu Yangyi incredulously.

“HAHAHA!!!” Xiaoqing was unable to restrain her supremely excited cackling. her laughter heard from behind. “You old donkey, this is karmic retribution… The Heavenly Dao never forgives! After a thousand years, your karmic retribution has arrived!”

Xu Yangyi’s choice… was Xiaoqing!

“It’s her?” Zhao Wuye firmly bit his lip. Although Xu Yangyi’s choice had already emerged… without leaving Danxia Temple in this moment, how could such a mood be eased?

The two seniors appeared to be extremely courteous to them, but they were in fact beseeching them! Were it not for the both of them being unable to currently act, everyone would’ve long since become corpses!

Fahai heavily studied Xu Yangyi for a very, very long time. After an unknown passage of time, he said apathetically, “How did you figure it out?”

False? With a rustle, the rosary beads in Fahui’s hand all scattered down onto the back of his magik artifact.

Fahai… The words spoken by this Buddhist senior were actually false?

“He admitted it from his own mouth…” Fang Cheng’s heart hitched upwards. While it now appeared that the right person was chosen, their hopes of survival were just nothing more than a sliver greater!

After Xu Yangyi finished saying these words, he promptly sat down on the Chasing Skylark and zoomed over to Xiaoqing’s side. Upon hearing Fahai’s words, he formed a fist of respect and said, “Not only this, but Junior even knows about a matter…”

“Oh?” Fahai’s face was serene like a lake; if Xiaoqing broke away from the seal, he was doomed to die without a whole corpse!

“This matter… is very important to us.” The confidence in Xu Yangyi’s heart was already burning like fire.

He… realized… Everything was realized! So it was like this… It was actually like this!

“For the time being, I won’t speak of this matter. But I can tell Senior that all you said was faultless. Senior Yu’s realm is beyond yours, and her strength is extremely great. In case she leaves, the people of the entire cultivation world might fall into total despair. She herself is the greatest worry. But… you said one word wrong.”

“Oh?” Fahai laughed as well. “Which word?”

“This Sage Lord had been here for centuries, pondering all the time how to escape this prison after someone entered. How could there be fault with my words?”

Sage Lord!

Everyone’s gazes shivered. Core Formation, Dao Master. Nascent Soul… there were ancient texts that titled it as Dao Lord. Sage Lord… what kind of realm was this?!

Xu Yangyi saluted and deeply bowed. This wasn’t a taboo of the monk’s status but instead a respect towards the other’s realm. An esteem towards Fahai for being able to cut through bramble and thorn to reach this step.

“It was precisely because you were thinking about this matter all the time. You only used methods that you thought favored you the most… Do you remember that you once said the phrase of ‘descending into waters and battling’?”

Not waiting for Fahai to speak, his gaze brightened as he continued, “I’ll ask again. Senior Yu said that she is unable to access outside things for too long. You are further unable to. In that case… how do you know about this phrase in numerous operas and books from later generations?”

With one word, the lotus sea fell into silence! Everyone felt sudden enlightenment blooming clearly before their eyes. That was right… if neither of them had the time to pay attention to these things, then how… did Fahai know of “descending into waters and battling”?

Xiaoqing also thought about this point and said deeply, “I dare pledge a heart-devil oath that this event of ‘descending into waters and battling’ absolutely doesn’t exist! At that time, Bai Suzhen had just merely advanced. She was fundamentally unable to mobilize such a great tide!”

“You only said this phrase twice.” Xu Yangyi studied Fahai seriously. “We modern cultivators have an even blunter saying—the Flooding of Jinshan!”

Fahai took a long sigh, “Just because of this?”

“Yes.” Xu Yangyi respectfully clenched his fist in front of himself. “So, I’m sorry.”

“Perhaps the common people back then also titled this affair like so?” Fahai said neither slowly nor hurriedly. “There have also been operas passed down since ancient times. This Sage Lord didn’t necessarily not have this saying on that day.”

“Yes…” Zhao Wuye’s brows began to furrow, and he lifted his head to look at the sky. From where he was, he could see behind Xu Yangyi.

“Maybe there also was this saying in ancient times…” Zhao Wuye’s voice yet to fall, Mao Ba’er was already firmly pulling on him! With his utmost effort, he shot a meaningful glance at Xu Yangyi!

Puzzled, Zhao Wuye looked carefully but was immediately dumbfounded!

At this moment, Xu Yangyi was located in front of Fahai and behind Xiaoqing. No one could see what he was presently doing. In fact… these two seniors had long since been sealed of their spiritual senses. They furthermore couldn’t use spiritual sense to probe.

They saw… that Xu Yangyi’s hand was making an “OK” gesture.

“O… K?” Zhao Wuye’s brows furrowed, but the husky was terribly solemn. 

With an extremely low whisper, Mao Ba’er moved close to the side of Zhao Wuye’s ear and gritted his teeth. “It’s not OK… This is three! It’s three!”

Three? Three… Three?! THREE!!! Zhao Wuye almost jumped! In shock, he looked at Xu Yangyi’s back. The demon slayer was using this way to tell him that there was a third person here?!

Sage Lord… it was unknown what realm this was! Fahai titled himself as a Sage Lord, but Xiaoqing’s realm was even higher than his! A 3,000-year-old demon king! There was actually a third person still here? One who even survived between the two of them?!

However, his mind quickly brightened! He understood… He understood! Each word that Xu Yangyi had just said was perhaps towards what Xiaoqing and Fahai stated. Nonetheless, the addition of this gesture was directed to what they said!

Because of an unknown reason, these two had been sealed here! If there was an avatar walking the human realm, the information brought would be much faster in comparison to the 800 years of the ancient times! It definitely couldn’t be some opera or book. On the contrary, they urgently wanted a method to free themselves! Otherwise, they simply wouldn’t have spare time!

And yet Fahai actually knew about this. In that case… who had told him?

Surely… someone who had vaguely communicated with Fahai for a long period of time. Only then was the monk able to understand the modern world and modern era so clearly! 

“Could it be…” In his heart, an absurd thought suddenly welled up. He looked incredulously behind him.

“Descending into waters and battling” originated from the late-Ming edition of Tales to Warn the World… Since the other party had brought up the late-Ming version… Ming… Ming dynasty… 

“Hahaha!” In the sky, Xiaoqing’s great laughter rang out, pleasantly surprised to extremes. “How many years… How many years?!?! There was still a day where This Palace would see the light of day once more!!!”

“Fahai… could it be that you believe that you were the only one to make preparations?” She gazed at Xu Yangyi with incredible satisfaction. “Did you know… five years ago, I met this child.”

Xu Yangyi’s eyes flashed.

Five years ago… His disappearance of three years… 

As expected, only this almighty figure would possess such a nigh-miraculous divine ability!