Chapter 134: Chapter 96: Withering Prosperity_1
Translator: 549690339
Three years, three more years, and another three years!
In the blink of an eye, nine years had gone by.
Inside Jinhua Mansion, outside North City County.
In the wilderness, amidst a cluster of mountains, a secluded wild observatory of fox Chan (Zen) lied hidden.
Named…
“Dry Prosperous Mountain!”
“Dry Prosperous Taoist Temple!”
“Dry Prosperous Taoist!”
Within the wilderness and the mountains, in a pavilion, two figures watched with cold eyes.
It turned out to be a monk and a Taoist, both outsiders of the world.
If any devout followers of Taoism and Buddhism were present, they would recognize their identities as reclusive experts from Jinhua, true cultivators of Taoism.
Master White Mountain of Mana Bright Temple!
Daoist Qinghe from Qingping Taoist Temple!
The two stood in the pavilion, coldly observing the Dry Prosperous Taoist Temple.
This pavilion was situated a good ten li (Chinese mile, approx. 0.5 km) away from Dry Prosperous Mountain. Given the twists and turns of the mountainous terrain, one could not climb to a high vantage point to overlook all the mountains; logically speaking, it would be impossible to spot the Dry Prosperous Taoist Temple hidden amidst the cluster of mountains.
But these were two great experts of Taoism, and of course, ordinary reasoning did not apply to them.
The two stood within the pavilion, their eyes shimmering with spiritual light, peering into the location of the Dry Prosperous Taoist Temple from afar.
“Dry Prosperous Monster!”
“Such evil cultivators tarnish the reputation of our Taoist sects!”
Daoist Qinghe’s expression was icy, tinged with anger.
White Mountain Monk clasped his prayer beads: “This person is a notorious evil cultivator, having roamed Jiangnan committing atrocities for many years. With brutal methods, he acts with impunity, eluding the law. No one has been able to hold him accountable. In recent years, he has even moved to Jiangzhe Territory, taking refuge in Jinhua Mansion, and still, no one can do anything about him.”
“It’s all because he relies on the power of that Orchid Old Demon!”
Daoist Qinghe spoke coldly: “The powerful cultivators of Jinhua Mansion are now stationed around Orchid Temple, to prevent the Orchid Ghost Realm from expanding. They cannot afford to act rashly, or else how could they have tolerated his brazen behavior!”
White Mountain Monk also sighed: “This monster has roamed here with some schemes in mind—perhaps related to the old demon inside Orchid Temple. He might be attempting a diversion, a strategy of crying in the east and striking in the west. Our fellow cultivators must not act rashly against him.”
Daoist Qinghe’s eyes held anger: “It’s infuriating that our Taoist cultivation and mana are insufficient compared to several fellow cultivators. Otherwise, we must have torn down his Evil Temple!”
White Mountain Monk shook his head: “This monster’s abilities are not ordinary. He has cultivated a spell, the ‘Spirit Eyes Mysterious Light’ of the Taoist righteous path. It allows him to investigate all matters under heaven, including the past and future, even to inquire of ghosts and gods, communicate with the yin and yang, possessing some capability of ‘Heaven View Earth Hear.’ Moreover, his spies are scattered throughout these mountains.”
“Three years ago, Subduing Dragon Abbott of Mana Bright Temple temporarily left Orchid Ghost Realm with the intention to sweep away this Dry Prosperous Taoist Temple. However, the monster detected it in advance, and by the time action was taken, he was already gone.”
“Subduing Dragon Abbott refused to let the tiger return to the mountain and led the temple monks in pursuit for three months, but still returned empty-handed. This emboldened the monster to act even more wildly.”
“Indeed cunning!”
White Mountain Monk sighed softly, full of helplessness.
“Heaven View Earth Hear?”
Daoist Qinghe snorted coldly: “Such an art of great divine power, how could an evil monster like him manage to cultivate it?”
After speaking coldly, helplessness was evident: “The ‘Spirit Eyes Mysterious Light’ is indeed a righteous skill of our Taoist sect, capable of investigating the Three Realms. I don’t know how this monster got hold of the skill, but he has cultivated it, and with the many spies he has in these mountains, it truly isn’t easy to bring down his Dry Prosperous Taoist Temple.”
“It certainly isn’t easy!”
White Mountain Monk nodded, then turned his gaze towards the distant sky: “Let us hope that Brother Shi’s action today can eradicate this monster; otherwise, if he continues to cause harm, countless innocent people will suffer.”
“Brother Shi!”
Daoist Qinghe also turned his head, looking in the direction of North City: “Since he destroyed the Hundred Ghosts Taoist five years ago, Brother Shi has not made a move. Now, five years have passed; I wonder to what realm his Thunder Series has advanced.”
“Certainly extraordinary.”
White Mountain Monk smiled: “Otherwise, he wouldn’t have targeted this Dry Prosperous Taoist Temple, nor would he have asked us to come and watch.”
“Indeed, indeed.”
Daoist Qinghe nodded: “With Brother Shi overseeing, not to mention North City, even Jinhua and the whole of Jiangzhe Province have been much more peaceful in recent years. This Dry Prosperous Monster acts with unrestrained malice, truly thinking no one can control him. Today, he will see the prowess of a true cultivator of the righteous path!”
As the words fell, a sound was heard…
“Boom!!!”
A clap of thunder, a bolt from the blue.
Instantly, the sky darkened, and Yang Yun clouds gathered, layer upon layer obscuring the heavens.
“Rumble!”
Clouds collided, lightning flashed, thunder roared, and in a blink, torrential rain poured down, enveloping the wilderness and the mountains.
“Hmm!”
Daoist Qinghe stroked his beard, squinting as he observed the changes in the heavens and earth, murmuring: “Brother Shi’s technique of ‘Cloud Cover and Rain,’ his ‘Thunder Commanding Power,’ has become increasingly divine. I can barely discern any traces of the spells at work. No, this isn’t the spell of ‘Cloud Cover and Rain,’ the ‘Thunder Commanding Power,’ it’s in harmony with the natural weather…”
As he spoke, his fingers inadvertently pulled and broke several strands of his beard.
Hearing this, White Mountain Monk also showed a look of surprise, his eyes gleaming with Spirit Light as he observed the natural patterns.
“This… formed entirely by nature, the thunderstorm came on its own—with hardly any trace of spells. It seems Brother Shi has calculated the natural weather, knowing that a thunderstorm would arrive, that’s why he chose today to strike at the Dry Prosperous Taoist Temple.”
“With the advantage of timing and conditions, he’s already seized the initiative!”
White Mountain Monk first expressed admiration, then smiled: “That Dry Prosperous Monster is a Spell Cultivator using evil skills. Under the frightful power of the world’s thunder, most of his evil power will likely be stripped away. Those ghosts and spirit monsters scattered in the mountains, those puppet paper figures, will also lose their efficacy, effectively blinding his external senses.”
“Adding to this, the thunder and rain are naturally formed, without any discernible traces of a cultivator’s spellcasting. Even if that Dry Prosperous Monster has mastered the ‘Spirit Eyes Mysterious Light,’ and might have an instinct for danger, he would never expect someone to take advantage of the natural thunderstorm to strike.”