In the face of the crowd's gaze, Monk Yi Xin spoke with a gentle tone, "This underground palace originally belonged to the White Sun Mansion."
Upon hearing his words, a significant number of the dozen or so people around him wore expressions of disbelief.
Monk Yi Xin, seemingly oblivious, continued calmly, "Since the day I established the monastery, this underground palace has existed. It was built by Jin Huan when he first arrived at Cliff City and was struggling to get by. Later, as the power of the White Sun Mansion grew, this place fell into semi-abandonment. The monks of the monastery knew nothing about it until the White Sun Mansion began to monitor the monastery through this underground palace. Only then did we trace the vine to the melon and discover the location of this palace."
He paused briefly before adding, "At that time, the White Sun Mansion was in its prime, and it was difficult for our monastery to seek justice. So we swallowed our anger, spent a considerable sum, and bought this underground palace. Fearing that the White Sun Mansion knew the layout of the palace and might use it against us, we have repeatedly renovated it over the years. Compared to its original state, it is completely unrecognizable. And I won't deny that there are some secrets of the monastery within this underground palace. I beg your pardon for not saying more on this matter."
Listening to Monk Yi Xin's detailed explanation, although not everyone present was wholly convinced, they all fell silent.
Shi Song turned his head and glanced towards He Qing in the high sky, then nodded, "If Master's words are true, there should be records of this in the White Sun Mansion. I will order someone to investigate. As for this place, why don't we have the Master lead us inside for a look?"
Monk Yi Xin readily agreed, "Clearing out demons is the duty of all sects. The Pure Water Sect will naturally not fall behind."
He then pointed to the revealed passage and said, "This place is a deceptive dead-end, with traps set up inside and no connection to the overall underground palace. Why don't we go to the entrance and search one by one?"
Shi Song could not make the decision on his own and looked to He Qing. Seeing that the female cultivator showed no reaction, he turned to Yu Ci, who finally responded.
"Speed is of the essence in warfare. Going step by step is a waste of time. If the demons are still there, who knows if they will take this opportunity to escape?"
Yu Ci spoke coldly, not giving Monk Yi Xin any face. His attitude, in the eyes of the sect leaders present, immediately linked up with the tense atmosphere in the city over the past few days. The way they looked at Monk Yi Xin changed once again.
Yet Monk Yi Xin remained composed. He clasped his hands together and said in a harmonious voice, "It is I who have not thought things through. What does Immortal Yu propose?"
"Go straight down and see what the demons' hiding place looks like. First find the remaining clues of the demons, then center the search around them. As for the traps and seals in this underground palace, let Master Yi Xin handle it. Let's stop them all for now."
He paused, then showed a chilling smile, "After all, the grandeur of Cliff City is no longer what it was when the White Sun Mansion was here. These underground chambers will have no use in the future!"
The people around felt a chill in their hearts, but Monk Yi Xin showed extraordinary psychological quality, his voice still steady, "Immortal Yu is right."
Having established their strategy, He Qing and Gan Shi Zhen finally settled down. They raised no objections to Yu Ci's arrangements, merely dividing up their roles. He Qing took the lead, with Gan Shi Zhen at the rear. With the abilities of these two Vacuum Walking Cultivators, they were more than capable of handling any unexpected situations.
Most of the cultivators present were familiar with the Earth Escape Technique, but it was unnecessary for the attendants to go down. Only a few sect leaders descended, with the sole exception being the Xuan Yin Sect. Perhaps Shan Jiao felt her own power was insufficient, so she ordered her Incense Slave to accompany her. He Qing glanced at this, her gaze lingering slightly on the Incense Slave, but she said nothing.
Monk Yi Xin had already deactivated the surrounding Seal mechanisms earlier. The group directly descended to a depth of twenty zhang, to the location He Qing had determined was once a hiding place of the Demons.
This was a rather spacious Secret Chamber, tightly sealed. The items within were covered in a thick layer of dust, clearly untouched for a long time. However, on the thick layer of dust, very clear imprints remained, their traces still fresh.
The sect leaders present were all experienced individuals. Upon seeing these imprints, they all stood still, only He Qing moved forward as light as a feather. Her slender figure didn't stir up a gust of wind, nor did it disturb the traces on the dust.
"The stench of the Demons." He Qing spoke coldly, her gaze sweeping around the room, trying to discern the movement patterns of the Demons.
Yu Ci's understanding of the Demons was far less profound than He Qing's, so he didn't bother to think too much about it. However, at this moment, he subtly signaled Shi Song and Hu Dan to keep an eye on Monk Yi Xin, who understood his intentions perfectly.
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At this time, Monk Yi Xin remained calm, like a solid chunk of ice, not even moving an eyebrow. But the more he behaved like this, the more it aroused suspicion: even if he was innocent, didn't he feel the slightest apprehension of being wrongfully accused in this atmosphere of doubt?
After a moment, He Qing concluded that the Demons had indeed lurked here for a short period and had cleverly used the nearby Seals to conceal their presence. This indicated that this Demon was not ordinary, definitely not the kind with muscles for brains.
"Demons are born from the malevolent energy of heaven and earth, their nature is violent and bloodthirsty, hence their enlightenment is much harder than other creatures. However, once they attain enlightenment, their ranks are always extraordinary. This Demon is at least at the Golden Elixir Cultivation Level." He Qing traced a line in the void with her finger, indicating the path the Demon took when it left the Secret Chamber. "It used the Earth Escape Technique to exit through the side wall. What's in that direction?"
Monk Yi Xin answered, "It should be a corridor."
"Let's move on."
Following the movement pattern of the Demons, the group arrived at the neighboring area. Just as Monk Yi Xin had said, it was indeed a corridor with a slight curve. At this point, even without He Qing explaining, everyone could see the traces left by the Demons' frantic run down the corridor.
After being detected by the "Law Sky Prison", the Demons were evidently anxious, making no attempt to conceal their tracks. Of course, there was little point in doing so.
After a distance down the corridor, the traces left by the Demons disappeared. He Qing quickly provided an explanation: the Demons had used the Earth Escape Technique again, moving sideways and henceforth began to shift directionlessly. It must have been during the period when He Qing was searching most intensively with the Law Sky Prison, that the Demons had to exhaust all means to escape from the net that was closing in on them.
At this point, the group was facing the end of the corridor, where an iron door was situated. He Qing glanced over it without saying anything and continued walking. However, Monk Yi Xin suddenly spoke up:
"Please wait a moment."
Under everyone's gaze, Yi Xin said softly, "Beyond this point is an area frequently used by our temple. There are more Seals and many of them cannot be deactivated from the inside. Although you all have deep Cultivation Levels and won't be harmed even if you trigger the mechanisms, causing a mess in the underground palace would be unsightly. Let me inform the disciples outside to deactivate the Seals inside before we continue our search."
"Going there and back won't be a short time. What if the Demons escape in the meantime?"
The one who spoke in a gloomy tone was Dong Yan. There was never a shortage of people who added insult to injury. This was true for the Xuan Yin Sect and the same for the Pure Water Sect.
"It won't take too long." Monk Yi Xin replied calmly, his gaze turning to He Qing.
He Qing showed no emotion, merely gesturing for Yi Xin to proceed. Seeing her attitude, Dong Yan fell silent.
Only those like Yu Ci and Shi Song, who knew the inside story, understood that He Qing's attitude was actually a way of letting Yi Xin talk more and reveal any inconsistencies.
Monk Yi Xin bowed to He Qing and moved to the front of the group. With an unknown method, the door at the end of the corridor suddenly swung open. The two monks who were presumably the guards of the underground palace were clearly startled and turned around. However, the corridor was pitch black in contrast to the well-lit area where the two monks were, making it difficult for them to see what was happening inside.
At this point, Monk Yi Xin took out a large pearl used for illumination. With this light, the monks outside could finally see the visitors and hurriedly bowed. However, seeing the dark corridor behind them, they were somewhat baffled.
The cultivators here were all sharp-minded individuals. Seeing the contrast between the inside and outside of the corridor, they knew that at least seventy to eighty percent of what Monk Yi Xin had said was true.
Monk Yi Xin did not delay any further. He casually called over a disciple, instructing him to pass a message to Monk Zheng Yan in the temple above, requesting him to close all the seals within the underground palace. The disciple rushed off, and in less than half an hour, a faint tremor could be heard emanating from the underground palace. A quick sensing revealed that most of the surrounding seals had been closed, leaving only the independent arrangements unrelated to the main body. With Monk Yi Xin present, there was no need to worry about these causing any chaos.
During this time, the crowd did not stand idle but strolled leisurely through the underground palace. This frequently used area did not contain any seals, and everyone was curious about the living conditions of the monks in the underground palace.
Yu Ci was more concerned about Monk Yi Xin himself. However, the calm man remained silent, merely following at a distance. The disciple left behind as a guard, however, was visibly nervous, his eyes darting around and his body trembling in fear.
His behavior only confirmed that something was amiss. Before Yu Ci could investigate further, a loud boom echoed through the area. He Qing had somehow caused an entire wall to collapse, followed by a series of screams and curses. But they were quickly silenced, as if their throats had been cut.
Yu Ci turned to look in that direction. Through the dust and debris, he could make out numerous figures. They were all covered in dust and grime, and most shockingly, the majority were naked, both men and women. The men were all bald and scarred, clearly monks who had taken their vows.
At this moment, the stunned people inside finally reacted. A woman managed to break free from the monks' grasp and rushed towards them, crying out. Her action triggered a wave of wailing that filled the room, a sound too heart-wrenching to bear.
Shan Jiao intercepted the woman early on. The Xuan Yin Sect was quite adept at dealing with ordinary women. But there was no need for questioning at this point. Even a fool could understand what was going on.
He Qing turned and coldly stared at Yi Xin. The monk remained calm, his hands folded in prayer, chanting Buddhist scriptures. His demeanor was dignified and serene.
"Keep searching!" He Qing commanded indifferently before turning to leave. At that moment, several monks inside collapsed, their breaths ceasing. The wailing women were shocked into silence, and the room fell quiet.
He Qing could ignore this, but Yu Ci had to be prepared to clean up the mess. He discussed briefly with Shi Song, then summoned a few followers from a distance to handle the situation, treating the people from the Pure Water Sect as if they were air.
Monk Yi Xin said nothing, merely extending his hand to guide the way.
Yu Ci looked at the monk, shaking his head in admiration. He took a few steps forward, the soft crying in his ears making him frown. He had seen similar situations during his time in the Twin Immortal Sect.
Right, he also needed to be wary of these monks resorting to desperate measures.
With a thought, he released his divine consciousness starlight, placing it in the brain palaces of everyone present. This way, he could react in time if anything unexpected happened.
After taking a few more steps, his heart suddenly skipped a beat, a chill enveloping him.
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