Longevity starts with choosing Hextech enhancement

Chapter 443 Unexpected Transaction - The Emperor's Decree
"Master Xiao, please wait!"

At the exit of Cangming Market, Zen Master Jingchen, wearing a kasaya, greeted us with his hands clasped together, saying, "This humble monk has been waiting here for a long time."

"I have an important matter I wish to discuss with you, layman. Would you mind speaking to me privately?"

Behind him followed Zen Master Fazhao and Zen Master Jinghua, both wearing kasaya robes and looking solemn.

"Master, if you have something to say, just say it directly. Are you afraid of being overheard?"

Xiao Chen looked slightly puzzled, but still said, "Of course, any other place is fine with me."

Looking at the other person's serious expression, he felt as if something major had happened.

The problem is, the Sea of ​​Compassion is currently calm and peaceful, so what major event could possibly occur?

Could something have happened in the open sea?

"I apologize for disturbing you, layman. Please follow me to the side courtyard."

Zen Master Jingchen offered a brief apology, then turned and led the way.

The group followed him out of the market and headed straight to the east, a journey of several thousand miles.

Xiao Chen almost initially thought they were preparing to return to Pudu Temple.

Not only was he curious, but Zen Master Fazhao was also a little confused: "Brother Jingchen, where are we going?"

Zen Master Jingchen did not answer directly, but simply said, "I'll be there soon, junior brother, please be patient."

what?
"You don't know what happened either?"

Xiao Chen turned to look at Zen Master Fazhao, only to see that the other man also had a somewhat bewildered expression on his face.

She shook her head slightly at him: "I don't know. My senior brother only said that there was something important and asked me to go with him."

Wow, is the level of secrecy really that high?
Generally speaking, things that require such serious attention are usually not good news.

Fortunately, in no time, the group had traveled over a thousand miles again and arrived at a large spirit ship flying the flag of Pudu Temple.

“Layman Xiao, according to the temple rules, this humble monk needs to activate the array on the ship as a precaution.”

Zen Master Jingchen first explained to Xiao Chen, "It's just a matter of being bound by precepts, please don't take it to heart, layman."

Objectively speaking, the fourth-order formation carried on the ship alone could not pose a threat to Xiao Chen.

But saying something in advance is always better than not explaining at all.

After all, the act of taking someone alone to a remote place and activating a large formation is indeed quite easy to be misunderstood.

Xiao Chen was not afraid of this at all; he was just increasingly curious whether it was really necessary to make things so serious.
Master Jingchen, however, strictly followed the precepts of Pudu Temple and activated the detection array to investigate the situation on the spirit ship.

Then he invited Xiao Chen to the middle cabin and lit a stick of incense.

Before officially speaking, he added a couple of explanations: "Layman Xiao, what I am about to say may involve some personal secrets."

“But this humble monk has no intention of offending you in any way. Even if you do not wish to answer, that is fine; we can understand.”

"If it is convenient for you to answer any questions, that would be great."

After making sufficient preparations.

Zen Master Jingchen then inquired, "I heard that in the Shallow Sky Sea, the sea creatures used the Thirty-Six Turns Cold Smoke Golden Talisman as cover, which caused them to be unable to advance for a long time."

"Later, it was Layman Xiao who unexpectedly found the Gamo Sect's inheritance, which could restrain evil energy, in a ruin."

"Only by using the Yang Fire and evil energy to break through the ten thousand miles of cold smoke could we capture the great demons such as Haihong."

"I wonder if this statement matches the true facts?"

Ok?
Upon hearing this, Xiao Chen blinked and pondered the question for a moment.

No, you specifically asked me to come here just to ask this?
Isn't this all publicly available information?

You can find any Lingtong Pavilion and for ten spirit stones you can see a battle report with a detailed process.

Despite his surprise, Xiao Chen nodded: "Yes, that is indeed the case, and the process is just as the Zen Master understood."

So, Pudu Temple was interested in that so-called ruin?
"So it is true that the Gamo Sect's tradition does have the effect of restraining evil energy, which is truly astonishing."

That's what he said, but Zen Master Jingchen didn't show any surprise on his face.

Instead, he nodded slightly, as if he had heard the answer he expected.

He then pressed on, saying, "I have also heard that in order to repel the enemy as quickly as possible, Layman Xiao took the initiative to make part of this lineage public."

"In that case, I wonder if we may also make two copies?"

"One copy is kept in the temple's scripture pavilion, and the other copy is sent to the Three Mountains Grotto Heaven."

"Of course, our temple is not going to take it for free, and is willing to give the layperson a fair price as compensation."

Oh, so that’s how it is.

Xiao Chen understood now; they wanted to get the original from him.

Pudu Temple does indeed have a habit of collecting martial arts techniques and secret arts from other forces.

Previously, when he borrowed the other party's library, he also saw many Xuan-level and Di-level cultivation techniques and spells.

Wait, where should the other one be sent?

"Three Mountains Grotto Heaven?"

Xiao Chen frowned slightly: "Is it that place that requires a Boundary-Breaking Stone to travel to and from?"

Zen Master Jingchen nodded first, then shook his head: "That's exactly where it is."

"However, if it is just to transmit some text, our temple has other methods that do not require the use of boundary-breaking stones."

"This humble monk will not conceal anything from you, layperson."

"After defeating the sea tribe last year, the relevant information was carefully compiled and truthfully reported to the Ming King in the Three Mountains Grotto Heaven."

“A few days ago, news came from over there that they wanted to trade the complete lineage of the Gammon School with you.”

"Furthermore, if it is convenient, I hope that Layman Xiao can share the accompanying demonic arts and secret techniques without reservation. The price is negotiable."

Oh, I get it!
Xiao Chen now fully understood why Zen Master Jingchen had taken such a serious matter today.

He had previously mentioned that the formation was activated due to restrictions imposed by the precepts, and he even lit incense before speaking.

It turns out they came with a mission, and are currently carrying out the task assigned to them by the King of Light.

That makes sense, and it is indeed a matter of great importance.

"Now I understand. Was the Zen Master worried that the transmission I presented back then was incomplete?"

Xiao Chen asked a question in return, and then gave a direct answer: "If that's the case, then the Zen Master is probably overthinking it."

"The legacy I shared with my fellow practitioners at that time already included all the contents preserved in the ruins."

"The reason it looks relatively new, like a copy, is because..."

"Actually, it's because the relics are recorded in the form of inscriptions, and I couldn't just destroy the entire stele, so I temporarily copied it down with paper and pen."

"Please rest assured, Zen Master, I copied it very carefully, and there should be no omissions."

"At least I can guarantee that everything I have acquired has been written into the inheritance."

Inscribing traditions on stone tablets is a common practice in many historical sites or secret realms, such as the Xuantian Immortal Palace.

Therefore, Xiao Chen's reason sounds quite plausible.

At least in the short term, it is impossible to verify whether it is true or false.

"Since Layman Xiao has said so, then this humble monk is relieved."

Zen Master Jingchen nodded, then asked, "In that case, on behalf of Pudu Temple, I would like to request a new copy of the Gamo Sect's inheritance from you, priced at two fourth-tier Water Spirit Pearls."

"What is your opinion, layman?"

what?
Xiao Chen asked curiously, "With your temple's capabilities, you should already have a copy of the inheritance, right?"

Do we need to buy another one?

Zen Master Jingchen remained silent this time.

Instead, it was Zen Master Jinghua, who was standing next to him, who spoke up to explain: "Layman Xiao, you are unaware of this."

"These two Water Spirit Pearls were brought out by someone entrusted by the Ming King, just for the purpose of trading the complete inheritance."

As he spoke, he took out two deep blue orbs, each about the size of a fist, and placed them on the table.

Simply by placing it there, the water element in the room immediately became active.

Xiao Chen is now quite knowledgeable, which is why he recognized at a glance that this was indeed not a spirit pearl from the Sea of ​​Compassion.

The spiritual power contained within it is several times greater than that of an ordinary fourth-order water spirit bead.

“The decree of the Ming King clearly states that a transaction is required.”

Zen Master Jinghua continued to explain: "If the layperson does not accept it, we will have to write back to explain the reason and find a way to ask someone to take the things back."

"Furthermore, if you don't have the original handwritten copy, it will inevitably seem like you haven't taken your work seriously."

"The writing brush, ink, paper and inkstone were prepared before I came. Please make the trip, Mr. Xiao."

Oh, I see.

It turns out it was just to fulfill a superior's task; then it's alright.

Xiao Chen immediately understood: "You should have said so earlier. It's no big deal. Where's the paper and pen? I'll just rewrite it now."

Although in theory, this sounds like a rigid and inflexible old rule.

But that's none of his business.

Since the other party insisted on making a deal with him, he didn't mind the trouble.

Or to put it another way, being able to earn two fourth-tier spiritual items by writing just a few words would probably require queuing up to compete for such a good deal if it were available elsewhere.

However, Zen Master Jingchen and others didn't really care about this.

If they can obtain the Gamo Sect's inheritance written by Xiao Chen himself, their mission will be half complete.

That's right, they have another mission, which is also related to evil energy.

After Xiao Chen finished writing the inheritance, he casually accepted the two water spirit pearls from the Three Mountains Grotto Heaven.

Zen Master Jingchen also took out the Spirit-Nourishing Treasure Box and first laid a bright yellow silk cloth inside.

Then he carefully placed the brand-new Gamo Sect inheritance book inside and sealed it away.

Then, while putting away the Spirit-Nourishing Treasure Box, he explained, "Actually, this humble monk has another important matter to attend to on this trip."

"That is to collect some evil energy from the outside world and send it back to the Three Mountains Grotto Heaven along with this inheritance."

Low-level cultivators avoid evil aura like the plague, fearing that they might accidentally come into contact with it, thus affecting their cultivation and even their minds.

However, for the Nascent Soul Venerable and the Immovable King, who have already reached the pinnacle of the cultivation world, it is far less terrifying.

On the contrary, it is something that has certain research value.

They might have initially felt it was difficult to get started, so they didn't take it very seriously.

However, now that we know there are array inheritances in the outside world that can restrain evil energy, it is perfectly normal to want to take some evil energy and put it into practice.

Therefore, the decree specifically requested that Pudu Temple send some malevolent energy from the outside world. After explaining this, Zen Master Jingchen asked, "Therefore, this humble monk would like to ask Layman Xiao where you encountered the malevolent energy before?"

No wonder Zen Master Jingchen said before that it might involve some personal secrets.

So this is where they were waiting.

Xiao Chen had previously taken out the Bing Fire Treasure Gourd and the Yang Fire Fiend in front of the other True Lords.

At the time, apart from his own explanation, no one asked any further questions.

This is certainly not because everyone is uninterested in malevolent energy, but because they all understand that it's not something to ask about lightly.

It's mainly because cultivators with higher cultivation levels often have their own secrets.

If you rashly inquire about the other party's past, it just so happens that there were some things that should not be known to outsiders during the process of collecting evil energy.

That was like bringing up a sore spot.

In the end, not only will they not get an answer, but they might also incur Xiao Chen's wrath for nothing.

Zen Master Jingchen actually understood this as well.

However, he came with a mission this time, so we definitely have to ask questions, or at least go through the proper procedures.

That's why I explained it at the beginning, and even emphasized that "there was absolutely no intention to offend, and it's okay if the layperson doesn't want to answer."

This was done in order to avoid any direct misunderstandings.

Although Zen Master Jingchen could be said to be carrying out the decree of the Ming King this time, theoretically he could have asked directly without going through all these roundabout ways.

However, Xiao Chen's previous record was truly astonishing.

Without involving the mountain-protecting formation and trump cards that cannot be used unless in a life-or-death situation, it is almost invincible in the Sea of ​​Compassion.

Even Zen Master Jingchen had to consider how he could fulfill the task assigned by the King of Light while also taking care of Xiao Chen's feelings.

He didn't want to get himself into trouble for no reason.

"That's not exactly a secret."

Xiao Chen thought for a moment and then replied, "At that time, I also encountered two sea creature spies by chance."

"When I saw how furtive they were, I knew they weren't up to anything good."

"As you all know, I previously killed a group of traitors in the new ruins, which is the ruins of the Great Xuan Immortal Dynasty."

"Later, in their storage rings, we also found a secret technique for warding off evil spirits and a Dinghuo Treasure Gourd that could collect evil spirit energy."

"After we came out of the ruins, I was very curious about what they were originally planning to do."

"But we were unable to investigate further due to a lack of relevant clues."

"Later, when I encountered those two sea creature spies, I secretly followed them and discovered that they had actually gone to the Ash Sea in the west."

"Then he took out another magic gourd and began collecting Yang Fire Sha there."

"I immediately thought to myself, these guys aren't good people."

"They want to collect evil energy, probably for some shady purpose. They might even be like the demonic cultivators, preparing to trigger a demonic calamity."

"So I went forward and killed the two traitors, and also seized the Bing Fire Treasure Gourd from them."

As he spoke, Xiao Chen took out both empty gourds: "At the time, I felt that these two gourds were very similar, and their effects should be almost the same."

"I was already ready to leave."

"But then I suddenly realized that simply dealing with this wave of traitors would only be a temporary solution, not a permanent one."

"If I just leave like this, what if the sea creatures send others with other gourds and continue to carry out their schemes?"

"So I simply started practicing that secret technique for warding off evil spirits."

"Then, taking the captured Binghuo Treasure Gourd, we stayed in the Ember Sea to absorb all the evil energy there."

"Only after eliminating all potential risks can we leave with peace of mind."

"At the time, I didn't expect that I might be able to use Yang Fire Sha when I encountered the Thirty-Six Turns Cold Smoke Golden Talisman."

Looking back now, it can be considered a cycle of cause and effect, and good deeds are rewarded.

Yes, Xiao Chen's last two sentences were sincere.

He already had plenty of Yang Fire Qi at that time, but he still spent some time collecting all the evil Qi from the lava in the Ember Sea.

It was indeed to prevent the sea creatures from coming again, and also to prepare for any eventuality.

"This is happening!"

Zen Master Jingchen and the others were somewhat surprised: "We really didn't expect that Layman Xiao had made such a great contribution in secret."

"If it weren't for the layman shattering the wolfish ambitions of the sea creatures, I'm afraid we wouldn't have been able to achieve peace today."

"Such an important event, if it were anyone else, they would probably be showing it off everywhere by now."

“Master Xiao only does good deeds and does not seek empty fame. He is truly a rare and virtuous person in the world!”

Well, it's not that exaggerated.

Xiao Chen waved his hand: "I was just doing what I could. Anyone else would have stood up to fight against the sea tribe. Zen Master, you flatter me."

He didn't publicize it, simply because he had already done so much, one more thing wouldn't make a difference.

Even if the outside world is unaware of this, his other achievements alone have made him famous throughout the entire Compassionate Sea.

"Master Xiao is being too modest."

Zen Master Jingchen continued to praise him, and then took the opportunity to suggest, "Since that's the case, this humble monk will shamelessly ask for your help."

“We hope that Mr. Xiao can take us there again.”

"That way, I can take some of the malevolent energy back with me and report back."

Xiao Chen shook his head slightly upon hearing this: "I'm afraid that won't work. It's not that I'm unwilling to take everyone there, but I've already absorbed all the malevolent energy there."

“I believe that the Zen master must have checked the relevant records in the library before he came.”

"Once the malevolent energy is exhausted, it will take thousands or tens of thousands of years before it can be reborn."

However, Zen Master Jingchen insisted, "No matter what the situation is, this humble monk hopes to go and take a look."

In fact, he had already guessed this situation when he heard Xiao Chen talk about eliminating hidden dangers.

But this was, after all, an order from the Ming King, and he had to go there to check it out in person, rather than abandoning the action simply because he had 'heard' about it.

Zen Master Jinghua, standing to the side, also wore a wry smile: "This trip is probably unavoidable."

"If Mr. Xiao has some free time, we can go and come back quickly."

"If there is an urgent matter at hand, we can wait at Cangming Market and discuss it after we have finished our urgent business."

Tsk tsk tsk, even a dignified fourth-level Zen master has times when he is not in control of his own destiny.

Xiao Chen couldn't help but feel sympathy for their situation.

In a way, this is one of the few advantages of independent cultivators: they are unrestrained and free.

Cultivators in sects have powerful backers and influential connections, which in turn creates constraints.

When someone in a position says something, those below have to run themselves ragged.

The decree of the Bright King says that evil spirits must be eliminated, and they must search for them even if it means traversing the entire Ocean of Compassion.

"I do have something to do, but it won't be a problem if I go and come back quickly. In that case, let's go."

Xiao Chen readily agreed: "If it's convenient, shall we leave now?"

There are three main reasons why he agreed so readily.

Firstly, compared to places like Wuling, which are in a more sensitive location, the lava field in Jinhai neither needs to be kept secret nor can it truly be kept secret.

After all, even the sea creatures could find out where there was malevolent energy through traitors.

If Pudu Temple were truly committed to collecting information, they would certainly be able to find relevant clues.

Unless that ancient book was actually a unique copy, and was kept in the Kuji Temple, which has since been destroyed.

Otherwise, even if Xiao Chen didn't take them there, they would have found it sooner or later.

Secondly, since they will find it sooner or later anyway.

It would be better if Xiao Chen took the initiative to lead them there, so that they could not only form a good relationship with Zen Master Jingchen and Zen Master Jinghua.

In case of any unexpected situation during the inspection, it's much better for him to go along than not be present.

Thirdly, going to Jinhai won't take up much time.

Xiao Chen would have had to pass through that area on his way back to Storm Sea.

We're just making a brief stop here; if everything goes smoothly, it won't take more than a few hours.

Why wouldn't he be happy to do it?

"Thank you very much, Layman Xiao!"

Zen Master Jingchen, Zen Master Jinghua, and Zen Master Fazhao, who was accompanying them, all put their hands together in gratitude.

Without further ado, they immediately urged the spirit ship to set sail and head west.

It was only on the way that Xiao Chen noticed that this spirit ship looked to be about the same size as the spirit ships of the Daoist sect.

However, it is actually almost a level better.

It turns out that in order to make it easier to travel around and collect evil energy, Zen Master Jingchen was piloting the best spirit boat in Pudu Temple.

Both the strength of the various formations and the reserves of supplies on board are astonishing, making it arguably the strongest spirit ship in the Compassionate Sea.

Even at the cost of spirit stones, it can almost match Xiao Chen's full-force activation of the "Flying Clouds and Treading Waves Technique," only slightly slower.

But you should know that this is a huge creature that is hundreds of feet long.

It's unbelievable that it can unleash such speed.

"The speed of your temple's funeral boat is truly astonishing!"

Xiao Chen asked curiously, "Could it be related to the Three Mountains Grotto-Heaven?"

Zen Master Jingchen did not hide anything from him: "Layman Xiao guessed correctly. Some of the spiritual objects used in the construction of this ship, as well as several key parts, came from the Three Mountains Grotto Heaven."

"Under normal circumstances, this humble monk would not be willing to open it, lest it cause wear and tear."

"This time, it was brought out in order to better complete the task assigned by the Ming King."

Sure enough, Xiao Chen knew this thing was no ordinary object.

He turned and looked back at Zen Master Jinghua, who was standing at the bow of the ship, holding the array flag and steering the spirit boat.

The other party was intently focused on the front, steer the spirit ship forward at top speed.

Keep in mind that they don't have Hextech enhancements, and normally their escape techniques are nowhere near as fast as they are now.

Therefore, now that such an opportunity has arisen, they are almost willing to spend spirit stones without hesitation.

After all, spending a few more mid-grade spirit stones doesn't really matter to them, but the opportunity to activate and operate this spirit ship is rare.

(End of this chapter)