After the old monk turned around, Shi Chan turned to look at Liuli and smiled before taking the lead.
Seeing that Shi Chan's injuries had almost healed, Liu Li felt relieved and breathed a sigh of relief. She took a couple of steps with her head down, but suddenly bumped into Shi Chan's back and stopped.
Liuli was taken aback. She took two steps back and looked through Shi Chan and the old monk. She saw a tall, imposing man in black standing at the corner. It was his appearance that made Shi Chan and the old monk stop.
The old monk cautiously sized up the man in black, and was about to speak when the man in black spoke first, asking in a deep voice, "Are you Liuli?"
Liuli hesitated, glancing at the old monk and Shichan. Before she could reply, the black-clad man's voice turned cold, and he raised it, repeating, "You, are you called Liuli?!"
“Yes…” Liuli nodded, then asked in confusion, “Who are you? How do you know my name?”
Without answering, the man suddenly transformed into a black ray of light and rushed over. He was extremely fast, bypassing the old monk and Shi Chan. In the instant before the two people and the demon could react, he suddenly grabbed Liuli and rushed into the air, disappearing in an instant.
"Miss!" Shi Chan's expression changed. He turned around quickly to chase after her, but Liu Li was nowhere to be seen.
A moment later, Shi Chan turned around, feeling uneasy, and met the old monk's scrutinizing gaze. His heart skipped a beat.
“Liuli…” The old monk’s voice was ambiguous as he slowly uttered these two words. His eyes gradually deepened, filled with deep thought. After a long while, he suddenly realized and said, “Liuli!”
"Master, Liuli... what's wrong?" Shi Chan asked in confusion.
The old monk shook his head, looked deeply at Shi Chan, and asked in a low voice, "Shi Chan, who is that girl?"
“Master…” Shi Chan lowered his eyes and stammered, unable to speak.
The old monk carefully observed Shi Chan's face for a long time. He shook his head, sighed softly, and said in a low voice, "Shi Chan, I didn't observe carefully just now. Is that girl really just an ordinary human woman?"
“This…” Shi Chan’s expression changed. He had been bound by Buddhist precepts since childhood and refused to tell the slightest lie. However, if he told his master the truth, it would be really disadvantageous for Liuli.
Seeing Shi Chan's hesitant expression, the old monk's heart sank. After a long while, seeing that Shi Chan was unable to speak, he shook his head and sighed, "The person who just kidnapped that girl was a demon lord-level demon. Such a demon would not kidnap an ordinary human girl for no reason, and an ordinary human girl would not enter this formation."
The old monk's voice grew even gentler as he softly said, "Shi Chan, you've been down the mountain for a long time, and it's been a long time since you've had a heart-to-heart talk with your master. Is there anything you'd like to say to your master?"
Shi Chan felt a sense of panic as his most secret thoughts were being spied on by the person he respected most. This panic gradually spread, making his hands and feet feel cold, his fingertips tremble slightly, and even cold sweat break out on his forehead.
Is it better to reveal everything to uphold the precepts, or to break the precepts to preserve the crystal?
The old monk kept a close eye on Shi Chan's face, taking in every change in his expression. After a long while, he shook his head and sighed softly, "A monk does not lie. If you do not wish to speak, then you need not speak. You must not break your vows for this."
After saying that, he turned to leave.
Shi Chan's heart trembled, and he hurriedly called out to the old monk, "Master!"
The old monk stopped and looked at Shi Chan's panicked expression. He shook his head and smiled, "Shi Chan, you don't need to be alarmed. The path of cultivation is difficult and long, full of dangers. Your master has brought you onto this path. If you encounter any difficulties or confusion along the way, you can talk to your master if you want. Your master can use all his knowledge to answer your questions. But if you don't want to talk, you can just try to understand it yourself."
The old monk smiled and extended a finger, gently tapping Shichan's heart, saying, "Shichan, when you enter meditation, listen to the voice of your heart; it will tell you everything."
Shi Chan's mind gradually calmed down. He put his palms together in a Buddhist salute and said with heartfelt gratitude, "Yes, thank you for your teachings, Master."
"Namo Amitabha Buddha!" The old monk smiled and turned to walk forward. He chanted a Buddhist mantra and said slowly as he walked forward, "The path of cultivation is not easy. Master Shichan, I hope you will hold fast to your Zen mind and continue on this path until one day you will surely achieve unsurpassed, perfect enlightenment."
Shi Chan walked behind the old monk, bowed his head, and replied, "Yes."
The two walked slowly forward, passing through numerous passages. A breeze blew through the intricate network of passages, causing the layer of demonic energy on the ground to surge and churn like black rivers. The wind temporarily dispersed the black demonic energy, revealing the young corpses beneath.
--
Liuli felt a sudden darkness before her eyes, followed by a whooshing wind blowing past her ears, and the cool sensation unique to magic on her exposed skin. Besides the wind, there seemed to be a cacophony of sounds in her ears, such as thunder, the whistling of projectiles, and the crashing of heavy objects, but these sounds all disappeared before they even got close to her, having no effect on her whatsoever.
Before long, the cool feeling brought by the magic dissipated completely, and Liuli saw the things in front of her with the help of a ray of morning sun on the horizon. It was already dawn.
Li Gan grabbed Liu Li's arm and rushed out of the magic array. Then they fell from the sky. As Liu Li flew rapidly, she watched Li Molin and the others gradually grow larger. Soon, she and Li Gan landed on the ground.
Before Liuli could even regain her footing after landing, a dark figure suddenly rushed over and grabbed her.
Liuli was stunned for a moment. She subconsciously struggled, but Li Molin held her even tighter, making it impossible for her to break free.
“Liuli…” Li Molin’s voice came from beside her, deep and hoarse, even with a hint of sob in it.
Upon hearing the voice, Liuli paused in her struggle. She buried her face in Li Molin's arms, blinked a few times, and whispered, "What are you doing, Li Molin? Let me go."
Li Molin simply held Liuli tightly, showing no intention of letting go.
Liuli struggled a few more times but couldn't break free. She resigned herself to stopping all her movements. At this moment, she suddenly noticed that in addition to the scent of Li Molin, there was also a faint smell of blood in her nose.
After a long while, Liuli heard a gloomy voice say coldly, "Lin'er, that's enough!"
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