For some inexplicable reason, Ye Wen suddenly felt the urge to describe this monk using archaic language. The monks in his memory were mostly elderly men, halfway to fifty, with grizzled beards, the deepest impression left by Master Chan Huixin. Yet, today he encountered a monk like this, and upon seeing him, Ye Wen’s first thought was: “It’s a pity this fellow became a monk!” With his looks, this monk could probably become an instant global superstar if he went into entertainment; he was simply too handsome, yet without any hint of effeminacy—definitely a true man.

The young monk spun the long spear in his hand, glanced around a couple of times, and then fixed his gaze on Ye Wen. From a distance, he made a formal bow towards Ye Wen, softly chanting a Buddhist name: “This humble monk, Shaolin Wuzhen, greets Sect Leader Ye!”

“You know me?” Ye Wen had no ties with the Shaolin Temple. Moreover, Shaolin Temple focused intensely on Buddhist doctrine, which mostly concerned the afterlife; the high monks rarely left the temple, spending their days in secluded cultivation. He couldn't fathom how this monk knew of him.

“This humble monk has heard the name of Sect Leader Ye!” As he spoke, the monk took a slight step forward; the distance of over a hundred meters seemed nonexistent as he instantly appeared before Ye Wen.

In truth, Ye Wen could perform such feats, and even more effortlessly and at will than this monk. However, the natural, almost innate quality of the monk’s movement suggested that his strength was no less than Ye Wen’s own.

“A master expert?”

Ye Wen was inwardly startled, and because of his lack of connection with Shaolin, he couldn’t help but be wary. Unexpectedly, the monk seemed able to read minds and casually remarked, “This humble monk was merely drawn by this soaring, lingering resentment, and rushed over to see what had transpired!”

He pointed a finger towards the Nine Heavens Demonic Blood God Sword, which was still floating suspended in mid-air, now merely hovering because it had lost its master. Although the flying sword had ceased moving without its owner, the bloody radiance and the resentful black energy contained within it had almost transformed this entire realm into an Asura’s hell—only shades of crimson and darkness met the eye, while ceaseless wails and howls assaulted the ears.

Only then did Ye Wen understand the monk's purpose. He recalled that Buddhist practices often contained methods to deal with vengeful spirits, and remembering the terrifying scene he had just witnessed, he felt a measure of pity for the souls trapped within the sword. He said, “Ye is indeed troubled by this matter. Now that Master is here, I trust all the wandering souls within that sword can finally find salvation!” Ye Wen had initially thought this statement would please the monk, as those dedicated to cultivating the Dharma often seek to perform good deeds in this life to benefit their next. Saving the departed and liberating trapped vengeful spirits was certainly a great act, and succeeding at it would greatly benefit his own Buddhist cultivation.

However, the monk frowned, shook his head, and sighed, “Difficult!” He then pointed at the Nine Heavens Demonic Blood God Sword and said, “This demonic sword has an infamous reputation, and to save the vengeful spirits trapped within, one must first dismantle all the various restrictions within the sword. But the problem is, one careless move could harm the spirits inside. If the sword is destroyed and the spirits vanish, naturally, there will be nothing left to deliver salvation to.”

Ye Wen finally grasped the complexity of the situation. However, he himself was powerless to resolve it, so he could only sigh along with the monk and prepare to depart.

His current condition was not optimal, coupled with his existing feud with the Qingcheng Sect. Having just eliminated the Ancestor of Vermillion Blood, who knew if the Qingcheng Sect would dispatch someone like the Ancestor of Pure Blood or the Ancestor of Crimson Blood to trouble him next? He was in no shape to handle multiple enemies right now.

If Hua Yi and Ning Ruxue hadn't been by his side, and if the Ancestor of Vermillion Blood hadn’t initially been slightly underestimating his opponents—not realizing the peculiarities of Ning Ruxue’s array of techniques—it might not have been so easy for Ning Ruxue to dispatch him!

Especially since the Ancestor of Vermillion Blood had sent out his flying sword right from the start and was unable to recall it, a fatal error for a cultivator reliant on their sword. The Ancestor of Vermillion Blood made such a massive mistake from the outset, so he deserved his fate. Conversely, Ning Ruxue wouldn't have cared even if she had to sacrifice the Azure Lotus Sword; she had many other methods, and the Heavenly Net Formation was just one of them.

Ye Wen was certain that if the Ancestor of Vermillion Blood could withstand that palm strike brimming with boundless sword energy from Ning Ruxue, she would have had other tricks waiting for him.

Overall, however, Ning Ruxue’s performance had been quite commendable, especially in dispatching the Ancestor of Vermillion Blood so quickly, which made Ye Wen quite proud—in a certain sense, he deserved the majority of the credit for Ning Ruxue reaching her current level of cultivation.

As for Hua Yi, she was currently employing the Divine Light of the Dark Waters, trying her best to control the demonic sword’s bloody light and black mist, preventing them from spreading further, compressing the malevolent aura within a certain boundary.

Upon seeing this, Wuzhen slightly appraised Hua Yi before remarking, “Young Lady, your sorcery is quite exquisite!” As he spoke, he brought his hands together, resting the long spear under his armpit. He recited a Buddhist sutra, and from his mouth flew forth clusters of lotus flowers. Petals drifted everywhere, accompanied by an aroma like sandalwood, refreshing the mind upon inhaling it. The expanse of lotus petals then enveloped the demonic sword, and Wuzhen called out, “Benefactor, you may withdraw your spell!” Hearing this, Hua Yi retracted her divine light. Coincidentally, her power was almost entirely depleted; continuing to support it would have been difficult, especially since she had not fully mastered the Divine Light of the Dark Waters, which was quite taxing to use. As she withdrew her power, the pressure instantly vanished.

Looking up again, he saw that the endless lotus petals had completely dissolved the black mist, and the bloody radiance had been suppressed back into the demonic sword. As the petals multiplied, the demonic sword gradually revealed its true form, eventually remaining as a three-foot-long blade, black as ink and faintly gleaming with bloodlight, suspended there.

“I’ve always heard the saying ‘eloquence like blooming lotuses,’ but today I’ve truly seen it in action!” Ye Wen muttered, not expecting a reply. To his surprise, Wuzhen smiled at him: “Sect Leader Ye flatters me!” Ye Wen suddenly realized, This monk has incredibly sharp hearing! He remembered: Don't the Six Supernormal Powers of Buddhism include the Clairaudience? It seems this monk has mastered all of them. In that case, this monk might be an extremely high-ranking figure in Shaolin Temple... Wuzhen... I wonder what connection he has with Wukong!

“This humble monk has no connection with the Victorious Fighting Buddha... and even less so with that long-tailed, yellow-haired fellow from the Island Nation!”

Wuzhen bowed to Ye Wen and then explained, “This humble monk did not intentionally probe Sect Leader Ye’s thoughts; it’s just that Sect Leader Ye’s thoughts were so intense just now that they almost rushed into this humble monk’s mind. I hope Sect Leader Ye will not take offense!”

“…”

What else could Ye Wen say? He could only conclude that he had encountered a supreme being today. Moreover, since the monk immediately apologized and addressed him courteously, Ye Wen could only respond in kind. However, he couldn't help but ask in the end, “Can all great Buddhist figures freely peer into people's minds?”

“How can the human heart be casually pried into? Even the Buddha himself, upon arrival, would only know some superficial aspects!” Wuzhen chuckled and shook his head. “The most complex thing in the world is the human heart; even I cannot see it clearly myself. How could others possibly see it? Sect Leader Ye need not panic over this. At least, aside from what was just revealed, this humble monk cannot discern anything else in Sect Leader Ye’s mind!” Hearing the monk say this, Ye Wen finally let out a breath. If this monk could know all his secrets, he would either have to kill the monk or flee far away!

As if sensing the sudden murderous intent that flashed through Ye Wen, Wuzhen merely smiled and nodded. Then, he activated his Buddhist techniques, focusing them onto his eyes, scrutinizing Ye Wen from top to bottom once more.

Ye Wen did not know what Wuzhen was doing, only finding it a bit strange. After being observed by Wuzhen for a moment, he heard the monk suddenly utter an astonished “Eh?” and then continued to examine him up and down.

This time it was different from before. Ye Wen sensed a marvelous power sweeping over him repeatedly, finally concentrating on his own eyes.

He kept his eyes closed, naturally assuming the other party couldn't see anything, but he had a distinct feeling that the peculiarity of his eyes had been discovered by this person.

The moment this thought arose, although Ye Wen’s eyes were closed, his pupils seemed capable of piercing his eyelids and meeting Wuzhen’s gaze. As their eyes connected, Wuzhen’s expression instantly changed.

“Amitabha! Heaven’s Will, Heavenly Venerable!” The words left Ye Wen utterly bewildered. Just as he was about to ask more, he saw Wuzhen hand him the long spear he had been carrying: “This spear is named the Six Harmonies Phoenix Greeting Spear. It is not a top-tier magic treasure; it is something obtainable through bartering with medicinal herbs or certain special ores. However, few cultivators use spears in the Cultivation World, so not many were forged. This particular one seems to have been made quite early, making it a fine finished product. Sect Leader Ye might keep it to bestow upon a disciple of your sect!”

Wuzhen then pointed at Ye Wen’s now-opened eyes: “Sect Leader Ye’s pair of eyes were refined by the Seven-Colored Glazed Fire. They possess myriad wonders and can command the Glazed Fire. They are a pair of divine eyes; even a true Celestial Immortal might not be so blessed. Sect Leader Ye is truly fortunate!” Upon hearing Wuzhen say this, Ye Wen managed a wry smile: “These eyes are too potent; Ye cannot control them well. Now, I dare not even open them to look at people for fear of accidentally harming someone...” Wuzhen shook his head incessantly, only saying, “If there is no intent to harm, how can one cause injury? Furthermore, the Glazed Fire is a divine fire; its marvelous uses are not limited to slaughter! As long as Sect Leader Ye maintains a heart of compassion when viewing the world, even if the divine fire manifests, it will harm no one!”

Ye Wen already knew something about the mysteries of the Glazed Fire, aware that it could not only harm but also benefit others in numerous ways. However, the conditions required were too stringent; perhaps even an enlightened high monk couldn't wield it easily.

Since Ye Wen was not a disciple of Buddhism, he naturally dared not act rashly! He could only wait until his cultivation was sufficient to completely master these divine eyes, and until then, he would honestly pretend to be blind.

Only now, hearing Wuzhen’s words, did he understand that Buddhist arts emphasized the nature of the heart. If Ye Wen’s disposition were generous and filled with compassion, those eyes couldn't harm anyone, even without any cultivation. But if his heart were full of murderous intent, he would scorch whomever he looked at!

Understanding this, Ye Wen felt no joy, only that the requirement was utterly absurd. Did this mean he had to become a monk too?

Wuzhen saw Ye Wen silent and looking troubled, understanding what was weighing on his mind. However, some things only need to be said once; repeating them would only invite annoyance. So, he did not press the matter, instead saying, “Sect Leader Ye possessing these divine eyes is Heaven’s pity, providing a path to life for the vengeful souls trapped in that sword!”

Saying this, ignoring Ye Wen’s confused expression, Wuzhen summoned the Nine Heavens Demonic Blood God Sword to his side and pointed at it: “The numerous restrictions within this demonic sword are a major challenge for this humble monk. But for Sect Leader Ye, who possesses these divine eyes, it is not a great trouble. As long as Sect Leader Ye uses the divine eyes to break the restrictions here, and then uses the Glazed Fire from your eyes...” Before he could finish, Ye Wen asked curiously, “In that case, wouldn’t the vengeful souls within that sword be utterly incinerated?” Wuzhen chuckled and explained, “The Seven-Colored Glazed Fire is also called the World-Purifying Glazed Fire. I imagine Sect Leader Ye understands the meaning of the word ‘Purifying’!”

Ye Wen suddenly realized. He had known before that the Glazed Fire had the effect of purifying vengeful spirits but hadn’t recalled it for a moment. Furthermore, he had always assumed that this so-called purification meant obliterating the spirits; now he understood that the purification of the Glazed Fire was salvation.

“It’s like that...”

“However... Sect Leader Ye needs to be careful. The Glazed Fire is infinitely miraculous; how it is used depends entirely on one’s mind. If Sect Leader Ye harbors murderous intent, then not a single one of those vengeful souls will be saved; they will all be incinerated by the Glazed Fire!” Ye Wen swallowed hard, feeling that this task was not so simple after all. But then he reconsidered: if he succeeded, wouldn't it mean he had initially grasped control of these divine eyes? This demonic sword was practically a specialized tool for him to grind proficiency!

Thinking this way, Ye Wen felt much more at ease. Seeing Wuzhen’s expectant look, he readily agreed to the task.

Wuzhen did not know the extent of the rapid mental shifts occurring within Ye Wen. Although he possessed the power of Mind Reading, as he stated, he could only see surface details; he could not perceive truly deep matters.

He certainly couldn't see the petty machinations swirling in Ye Wen’s mind. He simply felt that Sect Leader Ye feared no difficulty and possessed a compassionate heart—truly a remarkable person.

With this thought, he grew much closer to Ye Wen in conversation, elaborating further on the characteristics of the Glazed Fire and detailing the precautions needed when purifying the vengeful spirits within the demonic sword.

By the time everything was explained, dusk was approaching. Ning Ruxue and Hua Yi had remained by the side, attending to things while Ye Wen listened attentively, occasionally asking about points he didn’t understand.

“That is all. This humble monk sees that Sect Leader Ye has some hidden sores. Here, I have a personal magic treasure of mine that possesses the divine effect of nurturing and healing injuries. I gift it to Sect Leader Ye now for the purpose of recovering your wounds!” Upon finishing his words, Wuzhen casually flipped his hand, and a Buddhist wheel appeared in his palm. This wheel was about a palm's width in diameter, similar in size to a plate, resting lightly in his hand like a piece of craftsmanship. It appeared to be made of gold, inscribed with numerous Sanskrit characters that formed vivid pictorial scenes.

Just by looking, Ye Wen couldn't discern any marvels, but when he leaned closer, he felt waves of Buddhist power emanating from the wheel. As this power touched his body, he felt immense comfort; even his internal meridians and Dantian vibrated slightly, as if soothed.

In just a moment, he knew this magic treasure was an exceedingly rare and valuable item. Yet, he utterly failed to understand why this monk would gift him something so good, something that Wuzhen claimed was a personal treasure he always carried.

Wuzhen explained, “When this humble monk returns, I shall enter a final, sealed meditation. This item would be useless to me then; better to give it to someone who needs it so it can fulfill its intended purpose! After all, it is merely a lifeless object, so Sect Leader Ye need not attach too much importance to it!”

Since the monk had put it that way, Ye Wen found it difficult to refuse. He reached out and accepted it, taking the Buddhist wheel into his hand! The moment his fingers touched it, a warm, gentle current flowed into his meridians, then slowly moved down his arm into his entire body. His whole being felt as if submerged in warm water—truly comfortable.

Then, remembering Wuzhen’s statement about entering sealed meditation upon returning, didn't that mean he was preparing for nirvana? Could this young monk, who looked no older than his early twenties, actually be ancient, having reached the end of his worldly cultivation?

But why was he being so friendly toward Ye Wen? This perplexed Ye Wen greatly!

Wuzhen spoke, “Sect Leader Ye likely has many questions. This humble monk can only say that you will naturally understand in the future. Today, this humble monk merely wishes to establish a seed of good karma with Sect Leader Ye!”

With that, he bowed separately to Ye Wen, Hua Yi, and Ning Ruxue, turned, and stepped away, vanishing instantly—likely using the Supernormal Power of Swift Movement.

Only after Wuzhen was gone did Ye Wen begin to ponder incessantly: “Today was to establish a good cause with me. Does that imply there will be a good result in the future?” He thought about it again and again, yet became even more confused: “What kind of good result?”

He lowered his gaze to the plate-sized Buddhist wheel, then looked at the black sword, which was now sealed and showed no trace of bloody light.

Tucking both items into his storage ring, Ye Wen immediately asked Ning Ruxue, “Sister Mu, can you figure it out?” He asked this because he saw Ning Ruxue also frowning in deep thought.

He hadn't held out much hope, but unexpectedly, Ning Ruxue offered an answer: “When that monk was examining Senior Brother just now, divine light shone from his eyes, which bore a striking resemblance to when Senior Brother looked at me with those strange pupils...” Hearing this, a flash of inspiration hit Ye Wen: “That’s right! How could I forget that? Since that monk understands the Six Supernormal Powers of Buddhism, he naturally understands the Clairvoyance! It is said this power can see the past and the future—perhaps he saw something?” The more he thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. It was highly likely the monk sought to curry favor now because he might need a favor from Ye Wen later!

As for the sealed meditation Wuzhen mentioned: Let’s not forget that Buddhism cultivates for the next life; for a high monk like him, nirvana is just another beginning.

…………………… Football Super God Lin Haitao releases his new book this summer: King of the Box! And it’s very different from Lin Da’s previous works! Those who love competitive genres, hurry and support it!