Chapter 523: Night Talk
Chapter 523: Chapter 523: Night Talk
At night, the temple’s attendant shut the main gates.
The two Cultivators sent out today hadn’t returned, but he wasn’t too concerned.
The other party was likely someone not to be trifled with. It was perfectly normal for the Grand General’s faction to have such capable people.
He just hadn’t expected such a capable person to come investigate in person. It was just bad luck for the two who were sent out.
With Duke Mo Hai backing him, he had all the confidence he needed.
At night, the sounds of swallowing and chewing from above the divine statue were completely unconcealed. It sounded like an old, famished glutton, utterly avaricious.
The attendant came to a small door and went inside. This was his room, and it wasn’t very large.
He sat down cross-legged and began circulating his Cultivation Technique. Instantly, divine power suffused with Spiritual Qi surged into his body, almost making him cry out in ecstasy.
’At this rate, how could eternal life be out of reach?’
’Soon, I’m sure I won’t have to fear anyone from the Grand General’s faction either!’
Bai Mo could sense numerous auras of cultivation within the temple.
The methods used to gather Spiritual Qi were crude. They were probably not formidable figures.
"There are still a few Core Formation experts."
Bai Mo muttered, taking out a Pill and swallowing it. A faint sensation of suffocation washed over him as his aura instantly dropped to its lowest point, becoming nearly undetectable.
He then took out the Outer Pill he had spent two years refining during his own Core Formation and placed it directly in his mouth.
Once in his stomach, the Outer Pill began to spin powerfully, activated by his Spiritual Qi. Complex patterns lit up across its surface.
Bai Mo took a light step, and his figure merged into one of the temple’s wooden pillars. He then moved toward the temple’s deeper recesses.
He moved as if taking a leisurely stroll, completely unnoticed.
The main ingredient of this Outer Pill came from a Demon Beast in the Celestial Barrier Mountain range. It possessed wood-element Divine Techniques and had been captured by the men of a Demon Hunting Team.
The Demon Beast’s Divine Techniques were sealed within the Outer Pill, which now belonged to Bai Mo.
The main structure of the temple was still wood and stone.
When he occasionally encountered a wall, it meant he had hit a brick section. Bai Mo would emerge, take a few quiet steps, and merge back into another wooden pillar.
A Cultivator, sensing a stir, opened his door to investigate.
Bai Mo’s face flashed past on a wooden beam above, but the man, of course, couldn’t see him.
After some time, Bai Mo finally reached the rear of the temple, just as Youling had described.
Judging by the temple’s state, it was clear the Divine Being here had yet to form its own Divine Kingdom. Among Divine Beings, its cultivation was unremarkable.
’I should make this a quick probe,’ Bai Mo thought. ’It would be best if I could take advantage of the entity being away to uncover some of its secrets.’
According to street gossip, Duke Mo Hai was often invited by the Emperor to discourse on the dao, and one session would last the entire night.
Bai Mo would just have to try his luck by coming a few more times.
But as he delved deep underground, Bai Mo discovered a rather shabby inner sanctum. It seemed to have gone without repair for a long time and was now quite dilapidated.
The magnificent, gilded temple outside was the one that had been recently constructed.
A place that housed a Divine Being’s true form should have been thoroughly suffused with divine power, but here, it was depleted.
After a moment’s hesitation, Bai Mo entered a wooden area ahead, the air thick with the smell of woodworms.
As he proceeded slowly, he heard the sound of voices.
The speaker sounded as if they had something in their mouth, making their voice somewhat muffled.
"Young man, what are you hesitating for?"
"We’ve been pushed this far. It’s time to strike back. I awoke from my slumber precisely at the invitation of a kindred spirit."
Inside the cramped little sanctum, two figures sat facing each other.
Bai Mo didn’t dare to look at them directly. As he passed a crack in the wood, he stole a quick glance, catching sight of the corner of a robe and two sagging lumps of flesh.
’The color of the robe’s corner seemed to match the scholar’s robe he had seen on the divine statue during the day.’
"Hm? Young man, what’s that you have here?"
The muffled voice grew suspicious.
Bai Mo held his breath, remaining calm. He wasn’t panicked.
’I have confidence in the Outer Pill in my belly,’ he thought. ’Combined with the other Pills I’m carrying, retreating won’t be difficult.’
But then, an aged voice spoke up.
"It has been in disrepair for years. All sorts of bugs and vermin slip in."
"But it’s still livable. You can stay here without worry, Senior."
"Haha!" The muffled voice rang out again.
This Divine Being, presumably Duke Mo Hai, had just called the owner of the aged voice "young man."
"Young man, I know your concerns, but please, make up your mind quickly."
"Now is the time to rise up. This is the first time someone from the heavens has been discovered so openly. It’s a messy situation that will drag us all down."
"But regardless, we were the first to make contact with the one from the heavens. We have the advantage when it comes to ascension."
"If those Cultivators outside interfere, what are we supposed to do?"
The aged voice chuckled. "I haven’t been on this path for as long as you, Senior. I still have many doubts. Please allow me to observe and consider a little longer."
"Very well. I shall wait. The Emperor has invited me to a banquet tonight, so I’ll be leaving now."
Duke Mo Hai slapped his thigh. He wasn’t annoyed; in fact, he seemed quite amicable.
A moment later, he seemed to be some distance away, his voice trailing as he left one last remark.
"Don’t worry. I’ll be quiet when I come back, so as not to disturb you."
It was quiet outside for a long time.
Bai Mo processed what he had just overheard, lost in thought.
’This place is actually housing two Divine Beings?’
’Judging from their conversation, Duke Mo Hai is the guest, while the owner of the aged voice is the original master of this dilapidated temple.’
Suddenly, a voice came from outside.
"He’s gone. Come on out."
Bai Mo was taken aback for a second, then he heard the clang of armor.
"Whew, this place of yours is really unsettling."
The temple had a new guest—a Cultivator.
"My temple is small. How could it possibly accommodate a Captain?"
The visitor chuckled softly, keeping his voice low, before speaking:
"He’s been getting more and more impatient lately, pressuring you repeatedly."
"What are your thoughts?"
"Sigh." The sanctum’s master sighed.
"My temple is small, long dilapidated, and receives no incense offerings. If I delay any longer, I’ll dissipate without his help."
The Captain sneered. "So that’s the source of Duke Mo Hai’s confidence."
"That fellow has malicious intentions. He clearly has another agenda. If he really meant you well, he would have just shared some of the incense offerings with you."
"Why else would things have reached a point where you can’t even control your own temple?"
The sanctum’s master fell silent, only speaking after a long pause.
"What are your thoughts, Captain? And what of His Majesty’s intentions?"
The Captain replied without hesitation:
"His Majesty needs to leverage Duke Mo Hai’s network to resist the four nations beyond the border. Their advance is aggressive, so it’s perfectly understandable for His Majesty to take this course of action."
"However, according to our spies, the rifts between the four nations are widening. Their alliance won’t hold."
"The Grand General is deeply concerned about Duke Mo Hai and would rather take the risk of eliminating him!"
He had clearly come prepared, but after saying all this, he added:
"You and my ancestor were the closest of friends. My family has received many favors from you."
"A Divine Being has his own hardships, I know. This Duke Mo Hai is a threat, but perhaps..."
He paused.
"...he is also an opportunity for you. It’s not easy to become a Divine Being. In any case, I am willing to lend you a hand."
The conversation left the sanctum’s master even more conflicted.
"Let me think... I need to think about it more."
The Captain didn’t stay long. After relaying his information, he departed.
Bai Mo sensed a fluctuation of earth-elemental energy. The man made no effort to conceal it; he was clearly using an earth-escape technique.
’So this wasn’t Duke Mo Hai’s territory after all. As long as the sanctum’s master intended to keep it hidden and said nothing, the others would never have known.’
Noting the time and realizing dawn was approaching, Bai Mo also withdrew.
Only the sanctum master’s repeated sighs were left behind.