Versatile Mage: I have 999 talents!

Chapter 150: Unleashing a Forbidden Spell!
(Thanks to 沁殇_Dd for the generous donation!)

The old monk led Wang Feng to the meditation room and pushed open the creaking wooden door.

The interior furnishings are minimalist: a mottled wooden bed, a yellowed straw mat, and a coarse cloth quilt that has been washed until it is faded.

"This humble abode is simple and unadorned. If you do not mind, please sit on the edge of the bed," the old monk said, his voice softening.

After Wang Feng sat down, the old monk's gaze fell on the crystal-clear lotus petals: "Is what you are holding in your hand, benefactor? Judging from its color, it is quite old."

“Hmm, a thousand-year-old sacred lotus from Tianshan.” Wang Feng casually tossed the crystal-clear petal aside. “Although it can’t bring the dead back to life, it can save anyone who has a breath left, and it can even prolong their life.”

The old monk's breathing visibly faltered, and the prayer beads in his hand snapped shut with a "click".

He quickly closed his eyes and chanted, "Amitabha. Amitabha."

After a long while, the old monk opened his eyes, his voice trembling slightly: "Does the benefactor truly wish to exchange such sacred objects for half a year of my protection?"

“Not bad.” Wang Feng gently placed the lotus petals on the wooden bed. “The master only needs to oversee things for half a year.”

Six months is enough time for him to free up his hands and cultivate his own top-notch combat force.

Then we won't have to worry about being attacked by forbidden spells.

The old monk stared at the lotus petal, his Adam's apple bobbing involuntarily: "Benefactor, how did you know that this old monk has reached the realm of forbidden spells?"

His voice carried a hint of confusion, "This old monk has lived in seclusion here for decades, never revealing it to anyone."

"Perhaps," Wang Feng smiled mysteriously, "it's fate?"

He deliberately didn't explain.

Although he possesses the [Mental Calamity] and his mental strength has reached the eighth realm, lying in the face of a forbidden mental spell is still too risky.

Rather than taking risks, it's better to remain mysterious.

The old monk paused for a moment, then slowly began to spin the prayer beads in his hand again:

“Very well. This old monk can guard Asuka City for half a year, but…” His voice suddenly became somewhat hesitant, “Could these lotus petals be delivered first?”

Wang Feng readily stuffed the lotus petals into the old monk's hand: "This was originally a gift for the master, please take it."

The old monk was clearly stunned, his withered fingers trembling slightly: "Benefactor, aren't you afraid that this old monk will break his promise?"

"What's there to be afraid of?" Wang Feng smiled meaningfully. "Emotions can be faked, but one's true nature—good or evil—cannot be hidden. Master, don't you agree?"

The old monk's pupils contracted slightly, then he suddenly realized: "Amitabha. So you are also a fellow traveler."

……

After leaving Lingyin Temple, Wang Feng stood in front of the mountain gate for a moment in thought, then turned and sped off towards Shanghai.

Although the old monk possessed a forbidden spell related to the mind, he was still quite old.

Whether or not he can still cast forbidden spells is a question.

Moreover, judging from his eagerness for the Heavenly Mountain Sacred Lotus, he probably wanted to extend the life of some old friend.

If they were to truly face the Holy Judgment and the Holy Shadow, they probably wouldn't last long before I could tear through space to get there.

As the dean of Mingzhu Academy, his master, Dean Xiao, was naturally too busy with official duties to spare any time for him.

At present, while guarding against the Holy Judgment Court, it is also necessary to ensure the safety of Bird City. Song Qiming, the former high priest of the Holy Judgment Court, is undoubtedly the best candidate.

……

The familiar sign of Qingtian Hunting Grounds came into view, and as the creaking wooden door was pushed open, the familiar smell of tobacco wafted out.

Song Qiming was sitting behind the counter, puffing on a pipe, when he saw Wang Feng and was clearly taken aback; the pipe almost fell out of his mouth.

"Wang Feng?" Old Bao narrowed his eyes, looking Wang Feng up and down. "Weren't you participating in training at the National Government? Why did you suddenly come back?"

Wang Feng walked straight to the counter, pulled out a chair and sat down: "Something urgent came up, so I came back to deal with it."

"Ah."

Song Qiming exhaled a smoke ring, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his cloudy old eyes.

"Have you gotten into some trouble?" He tapped the counter lightly with his pipe. "Tell me, what do you need this old man's help with?" Wang Feng nodded solemnly. Facing an elder like Song Qiming, he had no need to hold back. This old man, like Dean Xiao, was a trustworthy elder.

“The Court of Judgment has its eyes on my people,” Wang Feng said in a deep voice. “I would like to ask you to oversee the situation in Bird City. If the Court of Judgment sends anyone, I hope you can temporarily stop them, and I will return immediately to handle the situation.”

Upon hearing this, Song Qiming's expression changed drastically, and he almost dropped his pipe.

He stared at Wang Feng in disbelief: "The Court of Judgment has your people on its radar? What did they do to warrant the Court of Judgment's attention?"

As the enforcement body of the Holy Tribunal, the Inquisition has always dealt only with the most serious cases.

Hunt down forbidden spellcasters who violate the magical treaty, or criminals who use forbidden magic without authorization.

Those they target are invariably beings that pose a significant threat to humanity.

“It’s not that I did anything wrong,” Wang Feng shook his head. “It’s just that I took in three victims of the disaster.”

"Ahem—"

Song Qiming coughed repeatedly, choked by the smoke, his aged face filled with shock. "Three victims?!"

“You should have heard of two people,” Wang Feng explained.

"The first is Qin Yu'er, who was sealed in the White Mark of Tianshan ten years ago; the second is Ding Yumin, who was protected by Dean Fu; the third is a newly awakened fire-type disaster victim that I discovered during my training at the National Academy, and who is now my disciple."

Wang Feng recounted the whole story in detail.

Immediately afterwards, Wang Feng stared into Song Qiming's eyes and said:

"Grandpa Song, those who suffer from calamities may indeed cause disasters, but is that what they want? Even if the host dies, the power of calamity will seek a new vessel. Aren't these chosen people also victims?"

"More importantly, they never actually caused a disaster. Why should someone who didn't cause any harm be labeled a 'victim'?"

"Is it fair that the House of Judgment would arrest and kill them without even asking what happened? I'm protecting them not only to safeguard a few innocent lives, but also to prevent a real disaster."

Wang Feng's gaze was intense: "Please consider this: after a disaster strikes and someone dies, this power will seek another host. What would happen if this power fell into the hands of a demon that is hostile to humanity?"

In the original work, neither Qiu Chi nor Qiu Hui, this pair of disaster twins, can be considered to have a true talent for causing disasters.

However, the storm created by the two great monarchs joining forces could affect the entire Xiamen, and Xiamen almost fell.

He couldn't imagine how great the disaster would be if the true talent for calamity fell into the body of a demon that was hostile to humans!
After listening to Wang Feng's words, Song Qiming remained silent for a long time.

He certainly understood that what Wang Feng said made sense.

Ultimately, he was just a priest whose duty was simply to supervise whether the judges were enforcing the law impartially.

Ultimately, he was powerless to change the ironclad laws of the Holy City and the verdicts of the Inquisition.

After a long pause, the old man sighed, "Fine, I'll set off for Bird City tomorrow to keep an eye on the Holy Tribunal's movements for you. But I really can't interfere with their decisions."

"That's enough, thank you, Mr. Song." Wang Feng smiled slightly, then took out a crystal-clear Tian Shan lotus petal from his pocket and placed it on the counter.

"Consider this a thank-you gift; it should be of some help to you."

Song Qiming's gaze sharpened as he stared at the lotus petals that emanated a pure, chilling aura, his pupils contracting slightly.

"you boy"

"Please give my regards to Lingling and Senior Sister Leng Qing. I'll take my leave now."

Wang Feng waved his hand, turned around, and pushed open the door to leave.

...

Although Song Qiming and the old monk from Lingyin Temple have agreed to stay in Asuka City, they are ultimately just external forces.

The people you can truly trust completely are the forces under your own command.

Currently, the only one closest to the level of forbidden spells is Ye Chang.

"I wonder if my essence can be enough for Ye Chang to trigger the forbidden spell."

(End of this chapter)