Beneath the "eaves" that stretch a hundred miles wide, wide enough for horses to gallop side by side, a grey-white shadow momentarily halts, silently pressing itself into the crevices of the cliff. The chilly tide has already surged into the forty-mile deep region. If perceived as seawater, the grey-white shadow is now deep under several dozen feet of water.

At this depth, even though it is not as harsh as the battlefield just now, the misty frost has already turned into hailstones the size of eggs, falling and striking the rock walls. The crisp sound of their impact mingles with the surrounding noise, creating a harmonious melody that is rather pleasing to the ear.

The grey-white shadow, or rather the one disguised as the "Moon Demon," takes a deep breath after confirming that his formidable enemy is not in pursuit. The bone-chilling cold from outside circulates within him, not freezing his flesh and blood, but seemingly improving his severe injuries. It seems that this body draws strength from the cold mist.

Thanks to the puppet crafted from the body of the 'Moon Demon,' born and nourished in the underworld, it does not need to struggle against the cold tide. Otherwise, how could it have escaped so easily?

The 'Moon Demon' sighs in relief, simultaneously detecting the unique scent of the "Transmitting Incense Talisman" accompanying the cold. He extends his slender, sharp fingers, lightly touching his severely distorted face, shaking his head:

"Why the rush to call me back?"

Although his words are heavy with complaint, they are coherent human speech, no longer the shrill scream from before.

Silence surrounds him.

No one responds to his complaints. The 'Moon Demon' continues, "It's fine that I had to return, but to encounter Madman Liu, this 'Moon Demon Puppet' is a gift from the Bodhisattiva. Now that it's damaged, it will surely displease her!"

Finally, someone responds. The voice emanates from within the cliff wall, "The Bodhisattiva has always been generous to those who serve her. You need not worry."

As the voice fades, a bald head protrudes from the cliff wall. It belongs to a monk, his gaunt, ugly face covered in tiny bloody cuts, making him look quite frightful.

Then, the monk crawls out from the cliff wall. His body is devoid of any dirt, but the exposed skin is covered in fine wounds, just like his face. His monk's robe is soaked through with fresh blood.

The 'Moon Demon,' taken aback by his appearance, asks, "How did you end up like this? How much of your power did you use in that last attack?"

The monk, seemingly unaffected, responds with an indifferent expression, "Not much, but entering the cold tide was more difficult."

The 'Moon Demon' scrutinizes his face, "You used to value this disciple highly. Now, he might be ruined!"

Ignoring this, the monk asks directly, "How did you encounter Liu Guan?"

The 'Moon Demon' smirks, "A few days ago, you said that the great one had sent a decree. I stopped what I was doing and rushed back. But as soon as I arrived, I was pursued by the 'Underworld Cold Tide.' I wanted to probe the situation, but I didn't expect to find Madman Liu hiding inside. Wasn't this guy ousted by the Lady of the Underworld, abandoned by, uh, that God Lord? Rumor has it that his cultivation level plummeted, and he was killed by his enemies..."

"Moon Demon" seemed to want to utter the so-called God Lord's name, but under Monk's icy gaze, he eventually swallowed his words.

At this point, Monk still did not let him off, stating solemnly, "If you don't completely rectify your unrestrained manner of speech, don't expect to continue receiving the trust of the Bodhisattva."

"Moon Demon" chuckled, his face, strikingly similar to a human's, displayed a wealth of expressions.

Seeing his demeanor, Monk did not get angry but calmly said, "You and I are both members of the church, followers of the Bodhisattva. We should have a devout heart towards the Bodhisattva, respect for the God Lords who are on par with the Bodhisattva, and at the very least, some degree of fear.

"Perhaps there is no 'omniscience and omnipotence' in the world, but the vast Divine Power of the God Lords is real. When you were not in the church, you didn't believe in the God Lords, and that was fine. But now that you do, it is different. Casually invoking the name of any God Lord could potentially be perceived by them, causing unnecessary trouble.

"Caution does no harm. There are only six God Lords in heaven and earth, pay a little attention and you can avoid a lot of trouble. You've indeed joined the church recently, but if you want to advance further, gain the favor of the Bodhisattva, and subsequently return to the path of Immortality, this is something you must pay attention to... I'm not saying this for the first time."

After saying so much, only the "path of Immortality" seemed effective. "Moon Demon" quickly put on a serious face and solemnly promised, but how long he could maintain this, no one knew.

Monk knew his nature and didn't expect too much, returning to the main topic, "Has Liu Guan discovered any clues?"

"Probably not, he has always thought that this Passage Between Two Realms was naturally formed, and that it was his triggering of the Underworld Cold Tide that caused the tunnel structure to lose control..."

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"I saw that."

Monk indicated that he was already aware of this situation, "Liu Guan has been imprisoned in the Blood Purgatory Ghost Mansion for over a hundred years, becoming increasingly insane. However, he was once a top talent. Provoking him with the name of the Lady of the Underworld might make him more insane, but it could also make him lucid."

Upon hearing this, "Moon Demon" was confused, "You're really bold to say that. Aren't you afraid that hearing that name will drive him mad and tear us apart?"

Monk remained unfazed, "Even if Liu Guan cannot obtain the blessing of the heavenly demon due to his betrayal and with his Cultivation Level, killing us half-dead bodies would be as easy as taking something out of a bag. How could you possibly escape from his 'Vacuum Shadow' without taking any risks?

"Besides, at that time I was prepared to abandon this Separate Consciousness and Thoughts to attract his attention. Unexpectedly, even though the Lady of the Underworld has been missing for many years, Liu Guan is still terrified of her, which was a surprise."

"Moon Demon" stared at him for a long time when he heard him speak of abandoning Separate Consciousness and Thoughts. Of course, this was not gratitude, but incomprehension. However, he understood the nature of the Monk, who had avoided the topic before and would not explain now. But this reminded him of something else:

"But what about your Amritakundalin's Method..."

The Monk gave a slight smile, the first since he had appeared. At that moment, a loud noise echoed overhead. The thick hail that had accumulated on the "eaves" for a long time was swept down by the violent wind, forming a white curtain that plunged into the advancing cold tide below, disappearing instantly, becoming part of the boundless cold tide.

Watching this astonishing spectacle, the Monk seemed lost in thought and did not speak for a long time. Just as "Moon Demon" was about to ask, the Monk suddenly said:

"Do you still remember the decree of the Bodhisattva?"

"Of course, I remember."

"Moon Demon" was taken aback, then assumed a very respectful posture, word by word, he said: "Within the next thirty years, Broken Realm Mountain and Sky Rift Valley must be firmly fixed in the eyes of all people in the world, not to be forgotten for a moment!"

The Monk reached out and caught a hailstone that had just fallen, melting it with his body heat. The icy water seeped into the cracked wound in his palm, but he did not even frown, just said slowly:

"To achieve this, you and I, burdened with our injuries, have lingered here for many years, finally setting this strategy and implementing it, only to find that the beginning was unfavorable... Do you remember the command of that superior?"

"Yes, I remember that too."

Recalling those four words, "Moon Demon" couldn't help feeling a bit strange, but the Monk didn't mind, just nodded slightly: "The relationship between the Bodhisattva and that superior is not for us to speculate, but since we have entered the teachings, we should prioritize the will of the Bodhisattva. However, the Bodhisattva also instructed that we must respect that superior, seeing his command as if seeing the Bodhisattva's decree, this makes us in a difficult position."

"Moon Demon" nodded repeatedly in agreement, but then, as if understanding something, he clapped his hands:

"Exactly, Madman Liu came out of nowhere, although he put us in a difficult position, it's also a good thing - we did take action, and the effect was not bad, the Underworld Cold Tide surged into this world, at least it won't subside for a year or two, countless eyes in the world will be watching us. We have fulfilled the will of the Bodhisattva!"

As he spoke, he looked at the Monk's face, seeing that he did not respond, he continued:

"Besides, we did indeed stop as ordered by that superior, it was only Madman Liu who triggered the Underworld Cold Tide and made things out of control, but it has nothing to do with us. That superior didn't ask us to restore everything to its original state, did he? In this way, we have done what both superiors asked us to, as for the outcome, we can't force it, can we?"

The Monk looked at him and shook his head.

"Moon Demon" had known the Monk for many years and was familiar with his character. Seeing this, he laughed: "Even if what I said is wrong, what's your plan then?"

Monk seemed to be organizing his thoughts. After a moment, he stretched out his hand, pointing towards the "eaves" from which hailstones had just fallen:

"Look at those hailstones. Though they accumulate in abundance, a gust of wind easily topples them. Their allure is but a fleeting moment, instantly disappearing into the cold wave without a trace. This cold wave is the same. It's undoubtedly a significant event, but precisely because it's extraordinary and too conspicuously powerful, it attracts the attention and intervention from all sides, making it hard to endure. This is ultimately a problem."

At this moment, he subtly glossed over the decree from "that noble one". "Moon Demon" understood his intention and asked with a smile, "Brother, you mean..."

By this time, Monk's expression was as usual: "We have received the Dharma decree from the Bodhisattva and the order from that noble one. Both matters must be handled well. Until we receive further instructions from them, we should hold our forces..."

At this point, he changed his tone: "Of course, it was indeed inconsiderate of me to use 'Amritakundalin's Method' today. It might reveal our identities. I will apologize to the Bodhisattva. But before the Bodhisattva punishes us, if Liu Guan follows the clues to us, we must deal with him properly, ensuring no secrets are leaked."

Moon Demon's emerald eyes spun, and he nodded with a smile: "I understand your point, brother... By the way, you haven't mentioned why you summoned me here."

Since he willingly changed the topic, he truly understood. Monk didn't explain further, instead, his finger pointed in a different direction:

"That is the nest of the Ghost Beasts."

"Ghost Beasts, which Ghost Beasts?"

Moon Demon looked puzzled, though it was somewhat exaggerated. He was genuinely surprised: "I remember its nest was hundreds of miles away. We confirmed it before!"

"Even a crafty rabbit has three burrows, let alone it?"

Monk led his companion towards that direction, the two threading their way through the cold wave: "The cave we discovered earlier might just be its temporary dwelling. I only suspected the direction was wrong when you released its old enemy, and they started fighting. But just a few days ago, that noble one issued a decree, and I couldn't act rashly. I waited until yesterday to set off, and only found this place today, but an accident occurred."

As they spoke, they arrived at the Monster Nest. Monk looked at the spot on the cliff wall where the Transmitting Incense Talisman was imprinted, shook his head, and with a wave of his sleeve, he destroyed the Rune Patterns inside the cliff layer. The inviting scent could no longer be detected.

"I had a bit of a selfish motive, hoping you could help. But unexpectedly, I stumbled here, losing a Separate Consciousness and Thoughts. It will take three to five years to recover."

It was rare to hear Monk speak of "selfish motives", let alone losing a Separate Consciousness and Thoughts. Moon Demon couldn't help but be surprised: "How... hmm, the smell of a stranger?"

***************

I have also posted the following more chapters [All free] on: https://www.readgates.com/article/74a39e