Final Battle - 4

Do not contemplate.

Half an hour had passed since Ji Wang and his group left. The morning sun shone brightly on the bluestone path, and the temple had returned to its usual orderly state.

The disciples sweeping and cleaning, the apprentices drying herbs outside the alchemy room, the shouts of morning practitioners in the martial arts arena... everything seemed peaceful and ordinary.

Xun Jing did not rest. He sat in the hall where he usually handled affairs, with the temple's defense array diagram and the regular reports from the various sentry posts spread out in front of him. Every now and then, he would personally scan the core protective array that covered the entire valley with his divine sense.

The formation was carefully laid out by Ji Wang when he rebuilt the Bu Nian Temple, combining his memories from his previous life with the assistance of Huai Qing. It not only defends against external enemies but also has a keen sensitivity to abnormal spiritual energy fluctuations within.

Just as he finished another inspection and was about to withdraw his consciousness, his brow twitched.

The auxiliary nodes on the southwestern periphery emitted almost imperceptible fluctuations.

This fluctuation was fleeting, completely different from the smooth rhythm of the formation in his memory. If he hadn't been completely focused at the moment, and hadn't been intimately familiar with every detail of the formation, he would never have been able to notice it.

Xun Jing did not immediately take action to investigate further, so as not to alert any potential spying agents lurking in the shadows.

He quickly focused his mind, and spiritual energy flowed through his fingertips. A short message instantly took shape and turned into a streak of light, heading straight for his junior brother Zhao, who was responsible for the daily patrols and maintenance of the array's core in the area.

"There seems to be an unusual fluctuation at the third auxiliary array node outside Chenbi Pool. Investigate immediately, and be cautious. Report back immediately."

After sending the message, Xun Jing got up and walked to the window.

His divine sense was already highly concentrated, like the most intricate net quietly spread out, capturing any discordant fluctuation in the valley.

Logically speaking, Junior Brother Zhao is a reliable person, and he would definitely check and reply immediately upon receiving a message.

But as time went by, the reply that I expected to receive soon never came.

Xun Jing didn't wait any longer and directly summoned his trusted disciple who was on duty outside the hall: "Go to the southwest patrol post yourself and see if Junior Brother Zhao and the others are on duty and why there has been no response for so long. Do not approach the Chenbi Pool node. Just confirm the personnel situation and return quickly."

This time, the reply came very quickly.

The disciple who went to investigate rushed back, his face pale, and bowed urgently, reporting: "Uncle Xunjing, the Southwest Patrol Team's post is completely deserted! Senior Brother and the two junior brothers on duty are nowhere to be seen. The spiritual energy flow around the node is chaotic, showing signs of being forcibly interfered with by external forces! If someone has taken advantage of this opportunity to sneak in..."

Before the words were finished, the meaning was clear—the disciple was missing, and the array's nodes had been destroyed. The enemy had likely taken advantage of the brief window of opportunity created by the array's vulnerability to infiltrate the valley.

"Ring the bell three times short and once long to warn the entire temple." Xun Jing spoke rapidly. "Order everyone, regardless of their duties, to immediately drop everything and assemble at the front hall without delay! Activate all the temple's arrays, strengthen the defenses of the core area, and strictly prohibit disciples from splitting up to search on their own, lest they become separated and encounter danger!"

"Yes!" The trusted disciple's expression hardened, and he turned and strode out.

Soon, three long chimes echoed throughout the valley, instantly changing the atmosphere of the once orderly temple.

The disciples, regardless of what they were doing, were all stunned for a moment. They then quickly put down what they were doing and poured out from all directions, their faces filled with surprise and uncertainty, yet they were well-trained and quickly gathered towards the front hall.

Xun Jing stood atop the high steps of the main hall, his robes fluttering slightly in the mountain breeze. His piercing gaze swept over the rapidly gathering crowd below.

He knew he had to stabilize the situation, identify the missing persons, find clues about the missing, and repair the flaws in the formation as quickly as possible.

Deep within the ice passage, the last barrier, which combined ice thorns and dark poison mechanisms, emitted a buzzing sound. Then, its radiance dissipated and its structure collapsed, but it did not provoke a counterattack from the poisonous mist or ice thorns.

Ji Wang withdrew his hand, a slightly smug smile curving his lips as he looked at the two people beside him: "How was it? Was my technique alright? I promised not to alert them, and not a single bit of extra poison gas leaked out."

Huaiqing carefully sensed the area and confirmed that there was indeed no poisonous gas ahead before slowly saying, "It's acceptable. The strength control is quite good."

Ji Wang chuckled and said, unconvinced, "Huaiqing, your way of praising people is truly unique."

Seeing that the two had stopped bickering, Bu Jiu finally spoke up: "Your spiritual energy circulation is slightly off from usual; you still need to work harder."

Ji Wang's smugness instantly crumbled, and he muttered under his breath, "...Does he have to be so perceptive?"

What lay ahead was not the formation as expected, but a spacious cavern with obvious signs of human alteration.

The cave was about ten zhang square, and the ice on the four walls had been polished to a relatively smooth surface, with simple shelves and grooves even carved out.

In the corner were some neatly stacked animal hides, and on a rough stone table were several empty bottles. Next to them was even a small stone mortar that was maintained with a weak heat by an array, with some kind of herbal residue remaining inside.

“This place has been inhabited, and for quite some time.” Huaiqing looked around, her fingertips tracing the fine wear marks on the ice platform. “Judging from this arrangement, it wasn’t a temporary stop.”

Bu Jiu's gaze fell on the pile of animal hides and stone mortar, his brow furrowing slightly. He walked to an inconspicuous recess beside the ice wall, where several dull bone fragments, engraved with twisted runes, lay carelessly.

“It’s something from Ling Gu.” He said with certainty and disgust, “He hid here.”

Ji Wang was drawn to a relatively hidden ice niche inside the cave.

The ice niche was covered by a thin layer of enchantment, but it seemed to have failed due to the owner's hasty departure or unstable power. He reached out and brushed away the ice shards. Inside were not weapons or magical artifacts, but several well-preserved scrolls made of special animal hides, and a small, antique-style sandalwood box.

He picked up the scroll and unfolded it. It contained array calculations, spiritual energy node deductions, and a large amount of obscure discussion on "innate Dao source" and "original source separation" recorded in a sharp and familiar handwriting. The words revealed obsession and fanaticism, and it was undoubtedly Yue Yuan's handwritten notes.

As I quickly browsed through the season, my heart sank lower and lower.

These notes supplemented the information they had previously obtained, describing the principles of formations in greater detail, but also revealing their immense scale and danger.

His gaze then fell on the sandalwood box. The box was unlocked, sealed only by a long-dissipated aura.

He handed the scroll in his hand to Bu Jiu, who had come over, and gestured for him to study it. Then he opened the box himself, revealing a neatly stacked stack of letters inside.

The paper was yellowed and the edges were fragile, but the handwriting on it sent a shiver down Ji Wang's spine.

He was all too familiar with that elegant and refined handwriting, which carried a unique style; it belonged to his past self, the Daoist Yun Shen.

The letter usually begins with "Dear Senior Brother" or "To Senior Brother Yueyuan".

The content initially consisted mostly of discussions on Taoist principles, exchanges of cultivation experiences, and sharing of travel experiences, all delivered in a peaceful tone, even conveying a sense of closeness and trust.

As the letters progressed, anxieties gradually emerged between the lines, and the author began to offer advice and engage in debate regarding certain "extreme approaches" and "methods that are contrary to the natural order."

The last few letters, with their slightly messy handwriting and intense language, were heartfelt admonitions and clear warnings, concerning the "great plan for the people" and the "fundamental principles that cannot be easily altered," even hinting at a complete break at the end.

Ji Wang quickly flipped through the letters, his fingers tightening slightly as he gripped them. These letters were evidence of his attempts to salvage the situation and stop Yue Yuan, but why would Yue Yuan treasure them until now?

"What did you find?" Bu Jiu noticed his unusual behavior and looked over.

Ji Wang handed the letter to him and Huai Qing, who came over after hearing the noise: "This is the letter I wrote to him."

Huaiqing carefully examined the corresponding parts of the array notes and letters, and said in a low voice, "These letters... may explain why he is so obsessed with your Dao source. This is not just a key, but also a symbol of his failure to persuade you, and the obsession he must correct or control."

Just then, a slow, steady clapping sound suddenly rang out.

"It's truly touching." A soft, seductive voice, with a hooking quality, drifted from the direction of the cave entrance.

As everyone looked over, they saw that Posuo had been leaning against the pillar at the entrance of the ice corridor. Her dark purple dress made her skin look as white as snow, and the neckline was just right, revealing a delicate collarbone.

She twirled the snake's tail with her fingertips, while casually playing with a strand of her hair in her other hand, her eyes sparkling with alluring charm.

Her gaze swept over the yellowed letter that Ji Wang had not yet put away, and her voice was slow and soft, as if a lover was whispering: "Across more than three hundred years, you can still be so moved after your reincarnation. The bond between brothers is indeed extraordinary."

She clicked her tongue softly, as if she had discovered something interesting: "I've always been curious why His Majesty always keeps these old papers... It turns out, he keeps them as a keepsake."

Po Suo tilted her head, her gaze tracing over Ji Wang's face inch by inch, finally settling on his lips, which were slightly pursed in anger. Then, she broke into an even sweeter smile, her tone flippant as if discussing romance:

"But look closely, young man, you really are so handsome...tsk tsk, if it were me, I'd keep it carefully too, and take it out to look at it from time to time. It doesn't look like a book of admonitions, it looks more like a treasured love poem, doesn't it?"

"Insolence!" Bu Jiu abruptly interrupted Po Suo's words, his two words filled with warning and anger.

Ji Wang was also provoked by Po Suo's distorted and unfounded statement, but he quickly suppressed his anger, reached out and placed his hand on Bu Jiu's tense forearm, massaging it soothingly.

"It seems that the young lady has been living in this icy and snowy place for too long, and her eyesight and mind are not very sharp anymore. If Yueyuan really harbors such filthy thoughts as you say, wouldn't his three-hundred-year-old scheme become a huge joke?"

Ji Wang waved the letter in his hand: "These are proof that we have different paths and cannot work together. Only those with impure thoughts would see everything as romantic."

Despite being met with Bu Jiu's murderous aura and Ji Wang's sarcastic remarks, Po Suo's charming smile remained undiminished, even intensifying.

"Oh, just kidding. Why is Lord Bujiu so angry? You're really protecting him." Her eyes darted between Bujiu and Ji Wang, their expressions ambiguous, and her smile grew even more charming.

She said no more, and stretched out her slender hand to the side, conjuring a strange bone staff about three feet long with a dark purple poisonous bead inlaid at the top.

"I'm not playing with you anymore, or His Majesty will scold me again." With swift movements, the poisonous bead at the tip of her bone staff flashed with a ghostly light, and the staff suddenly pointed at a naturally formed ice stalagmite in the corner of the cave.

"Crack—!"

A crisp cracking sound rang out as the bone staff shattered the hidden runes within. In an instant, countless previously concealed runes lit up the entire cavern's floor, walls, and even the dome.

The thick, impenetrable pinkish-purple mist, like a burst dam of poisonous miasma, burst forth from every node and every line of the runes, instantly filling the cavern.

Her graceful figure had long since disappeared behind the pervasive poisonous fog, leaving only her triumphant voice echoing from all directions: "Guiyuan Terrace does not welcome reckless guests... You'll have to get past me first."