Chapter 850: The Whisper
Chapter 850: The Whisper
Finally!
Got you now...
Matthew Flow felt a surge of joy in his heart, but his face remained calm as he sternly asked, "What altar?"
"An altar for offering tributes to the Divine Sovereign..."
"Where is it?"
"It's... in the inner chamber of the Dragon Monarch Sanctuary." Mr. Woo hesitated.
Matthew Flow kindly reminded him, "Dylan Swift has a short temper. If you don't speak up, he'll rip you open and tear out your guts."
Mr. Woo panicked and quickly said, "It's in the inner chamber of the Dragon Monarch Sanctuary!"
Matthew Flow's eyes flickered, but he shook his head. "Something's off. You didn't make any demands or conditions, and you just easily revealed the location of the altar. There must be something wrong..."
Mr. Woo smiled bitterly. "The sword is in your hands, and I am just meat on the chopping block. How can I dare to make any demands? I only ask that you spare my life. If I die, I won't be able to serve my Divine Sovereign with all my heart and soul."
This Mr. Woo, even on the brink of death, still thought about his "Divine Sovereign." He must have been brainwashed.
Matthew Flow shook his head.
Dylan Swift pondered for a moment, then pointed his sword at Mr. Woo's throat, his eyes narrowing with a sharp edge. He coldly said, "You lead us to the altar and retrieve the Fish Bone Token, and I won't kill you."
Mr. Woo, with the sword pointed at him, trembled and said, "Alright, I'll take you there..."
Matthew Flow had been longing to see the altar. But with so many people watching, he had to put on a show. He looked hesitant and said, "There might be a trap..."
Dylan Swift shook his head. "It doesn't matter."
Matthew Flow added, "This Mr. Woo might not have good intentions. That altar might not be a safe place..."
Dylan Swift replied, "We have many people, including four Golden Core Adepts. We have nothing to fear in this Dragon Monarch Sanctuary. As for Mr. Woo..."
"Any sign of trouble on the way, and I'll send Mr. Woo to his death first."
Mr. Woo's face twitched, but he dared not say anything. With only a Foundation Establishment cultivation, he couldn't possibly be a match for Dylan Swift unless he transformed into the invincible Dragon Scale Monster.
Matthew Flow sighed and reluctantly said, "Since that's the case, let's follow Dylan Swift and go see the altar."
Dylan Swift nodded and pointed his sword at Mr. Woo. "Please lead the way, Mr. Woo."
Mr. Woo's face was grim, but he had no choice. "Everyone, follow me..."
Mr. Woo glanced around, bowed nervously at the dead temple guards, and then turned to walk toward the Yasha Pavilion.
Inside the Yasha Pavilion, they saw several statues of Yasha with hands and feet, covered in scales, and with bizarre, blue-faced, fanged faces.
Matthew Flow's heart raced as he noticed the resemblance between these Yasha statues and Mr. Woo's monster form.
Mr. Woo, however, paid no attention to the statues and continued walking.
After passing through the Yasha Pavilion and a few more chambers, they arrived at the central hall of the Dragon Monarch Sanctuary.
As soon as they entered the central hall, the sight of blood everywhere made everyone's expressions change.
The entire central hall was in ruins, with countless pavilions and halls destroyed, beams collapsed, and only broken walls and empty spaces left. The ground was soaked in filthy, black, and foul-smelling blood, which seemed to be infused with potent evil energy.
Matthew Flow pondered for a moment, then took out a fine iron rod, dipped it in the blood, and when he pulled it out, the iron rod was corroded by the evil energy, its iron loose and blackened.
Matthew Flow turned to Mr. Woo and asked, "Is this blood used to draw evil arrays?"
Mr. Woo's heart raced, but he feigned ignorance and panic. "Young master, what evil array? I don't know..."
"Are you not an array master?" Matthew Flow asked.
"I am an array master, but I truly have no idea about this blood."
"Then what about the destruction of these halls? Why are they all collapsed?"
"This..." Mr. Woo hesitated.
Matthew Flow's tone grew cold. "You can say you don't know about the people outside who died and were eaten by you. But the destruction of these halls is clearly not a recent event. As the head of the Dragon Monarch Sanctuary, don't tell me you don't know about this?"
Mr. Woo's face twitched. "By the Divine Sovereign's command, the Dragon Monarch Sanctuary was to be demolished and rebuilt. So these halls were dismantled, but..."
Mr. Woo sighed. "...before we could start the construction, this incident happened, and all the temple guards died. I don't know why it turned out this way. The blood on the ground, I truly don't know where it came from..."
Matthew Flow frowned and said nothing.
Dylan Swift's gaze was cold as he scanned the area. "Enough talk. Let him lead us quickly. We need to find the altar, get the Fish Bone Token, and leave this place."
Matthew Flow nodded and said nothing more.
Mr. Woo obediently led the way.
However, the ground was covered in filthy blood, which cultivators couldn't touch. They had to find another path through the broken walls, which took some time.
After a bumpy journey, they finally passed through the ruined central hall and the sea of blood.
Beyond the central hall, they faced a massive door.
The door was about six people tall, reaching the temple eaves, wide and heavy, with carvings on it. Between the two doors, there was a large, fierce Sheep Head Lock shaped like a ram's head.
The Sheep Head Lock's mouth was open, intimidating and terrifying, tightly clamping the two doors together.
This was the door separating the central hall from the inner chamber.
And the door to the altar.
Matthew Flow looked at the fierce and terrifying, yet familiar and comforting Sheep Head Lock. He could sense the enticing and drool-inducing aura behind the door, and his heart pounded.
He couldn't pretend anymore and directly asked Mr. Woo, "How do we open it?"
Mr. Woo replied, "This door is not easy to open..."
"Don't waste time."
Mo Hua's face remained stern.
"Alright, alright..."
Mr. Wu said repeatedly, muttering to himself, "This brat, why was he so cautious just a moment ago, but now he seems rather eager?" The whole journey, this brat had been far too shrewd. Even the slightest detail could set him off. Those eyes, clear as water, yet occasionally deep as the abyss, made one feel uneasy under his gaze.
Mr. Wu didn't dare to deceive him and explained, "Opening this gate takes some time. Originally, it should be prepared a day before the sacrifice. We need to set up offerings, burn incense to inform the divine lord, and seek his permission. Only with his blessing can the gate be opened."
Mo Hua frowned. "Explain it more clearly."
"Yes, yes," Mr. Wu said, "In simpler terms, we need to set up offerings and a human sacrifice. After a day, if the divine lord grants his blessing, the gate will open naturally."
"Why does it take a whole day?" Mo Hua asked.
Mr. Wu smiled bitterly. "This is the divine lord's rule. Opening this gate requires a full day. As to why... I am merely his servant and have no way of knowing."
Mo Hua's brow furrowed slightly, but he didn't say anything. Instead, he said, "Open the gate now."
Mr. Wu looked troubled. "Opening this gate requires a human sacrifice..."
"What kind of sacrifice?"
"It needs a living person as the 'sacrifice' to open the gate."
Mo Hua's expression was cold. "Stop talking nonsense. I just want the gate open. Figure it out yourself."
"Whether it's a human or a dog, you deal with it. If you can't, then sacrifice yourself and offer yourself as the 'sacrifice.'"
Mr. Wu's face twisted into a bitter smile, and he was seething inside.
This brat is truly hateful! He'll be punished by the divine lord and end up dead and unburied!
Mo Hua didn't indulge Mr. Wu. He had dealt with many cunning and half-human, half-mystical "masters" before and knew their true nature. If you didn't push them, they would never reveal their true abilities.
"Open the gate quickly, no tricks, or I'll gut you!" Mo Hua threatened.
Xiao Diansi, standing nearby, also placed his hand on his long sword, watching intently.
Mr. Wu sighed and dared not delay further. He walked to a statue beside the gate, turned a mechanism, and retrieved three boxes from the statue's belly. The boxes were inscribed with arrays, and Mo Hua could see at a glance that they were ice-based arrays, likely used for refrigeration.
Mr. Wu opened the boxes, and inside were three beating hearts. Whether they were human or demon, and how long they had been stored, the blood still looked fresh, and they trembled slightly when taken out of the boxes.
Mr. Wu placed the three hearts on the gate, in the mouths of the ram's horn carvings. Instantly, the ram's mouths extended several fangs, clamping down on the hearts. Blood seeped out, flowing along the fangs into the ram's horn carvings, then spreading to the surrounding carvings, activating the intricate patterns. However, the process was very slow.
"The blood grooves must be filled for the gate to open," Mr. Wu said.
Mo Hua saw that the gate was indeed opening slowly and nodded, no longer making things difficult for Mr. Wu. Since the gate required a full day to open, everyone could only wait. Some were injured and needed to find a place to meditate and rest.
However, the group wasn't really a unified team. Though they seemed to get along on the surface, there was still mutual suspicion and distrust. Thus, when resting, they naturally separated, finding their own spots to meditate and rest while maintaining vigilance and watching each other.
Mr. Wu was alone. Xie Liu, Shui Yanluo, and Xiao Diansi were together. Xiao Tianquan, after a moment of contemplation, also stayed with Xiao Diansi. Mo Hua naturally stayed with Gu Changhuai and Xia Diansi. As for Ouyang Feng and Hua Qianqian, he pulled them over to sit near Xia Diansi and meditate to heal their injuries.
Xiao Diansi saw but didn't intervene. He just glanced at Mo Hua and warned, "The boy from Taiyi Gate is affected by my Water Prison Technique, and the girl from Hundred Flowers Valley is poisoned by the Kui Water Toxin. In this Dragon King Temple, only I can dispel the Water Prison Technique and only I can cure the Kui Water Toxin."
In other words, Mo Hua shouldn't have any other thoughts. Ouyang Feng and Hua Qianqian were still his hostages.
Mo Hua felt a bit stuck but casually waved his hand. "Got it, got it. Don't worry, Xiao Diansi. I won't take them away."
Xiao Diansi's expression remained indifferent, and he turned and left.
Mo Hua found a clean spot and let everyone rest. The area was surrounded by ruins, making it relatively safe, and they could see the ram's horn gate and the progress of the blood grooves, allowing them to estimate when the gate would open.
Gu Changhuai and Xia Diansi sat on the ground, keeping an eye on Xiao Diansi and the others. Ouyang Feng and Hua Qianqian meditated under their protection, one healing his injuries and the other suppressing the poison.
Mo Hua sat for a while but found the ground a bit cold. The Dragon King Temple was in the middle of the Smoky Water River, and the damp air made it chilly. The cold was noticeable when they stopped and sat on the ground.
Mo Hua took out a warm blanket and wrapped himself in it. He looked at Gu Changhuai and the others, thought for a moment, and then took out a few more blankets, giving one to each person.
He often traveled and frequently camped outdoors, so warm, fluffy blankets were a must in his storage bag. This was a habit he had formed during his travels with his master, senior brother, and senior sister.
Everyone was a bit surprised but didn't refuse. They thanked Mo Hua and accepted the blankets, feeling the warmth immediately, and were grateful for his thoughtfulness.
After that, everyone meditated in silence. The area became quiet.
Mo Hua, wrapped in his blanket, took the opportunity to think about the Dragon King Temple. Some things others might not care about, he couldn't afford to ignore. After all, the great dangers in the path of divine consciousness and the great crises posed by evil gods and demons were things others hadn't seen or experienced firsthand, so they wouldn't understand.
At first glance, nothing seemed amiss in the Dragon King Temple, but upon closer inspection, the situation was riddled with inconsistencies.
"Is the altar really behind this door?"
"Are there other dangers inside?"
"What happened to Mr. Wu? Could he be hiding something sinister?"
"Where is the dragon's blood?"
"And these ruins... What was the purpose of rebuilding them?"
...
Mo Hua carefully recalled every detail of their journey, piecing together clues and forming hypotheses in his mind. Just as he was deep in thought, he suddenly paused, sensing something amiss.
Was this... the aura of an array?
Was someone secretly setting up an array?
Who could it be?
To think someone would set up an array right under his nose...
Mo Hua quietly turned his head, using the dim light inside the Dragon King Temple to sneak a peek. To his surprise, the person setting up the array was none other than Xiao Diansi!
Mo Hua's heart skipped a beat, but after a moment of consideration, he let out a sigh of relief.
"It's a soundproofing array, not a dangerous killing or trapping array..."
He must want to have a private conversation without being overheard.
With his mind at ease, Mo Hua resumed his train of thought, but as he pondered, he paused again.
"A private conversation?"
Curiosity piqued, Mo Hua's eyes gleamed.
Someone was setting up a soundproofing array right in front of him to have a secret conversation. How could he resist?
Mo Hua pondered for a moment, then quietly took out two blankets, wrapped his head in them, and pretended to rest. Slowly, he slipped out from under the blankets, cast a concealment spell, and sneaked away.
Xia Diansi watched as Mo Hua slipped away, his mouth agape in surprise.
Gu Changhuai, however, was not surprised. He even helped tuck the blanket around Mo Hua, making the "blanket person" act more convincing.
Mo Hua, now invisible, quietly approached Xiao Diansi and stopped a few yards away. He didn't dare get too close, given that Xiao Diansi was a Golden Core cultivator.
Mo Hua scanned the area, found a corner, and crouched down. Looking up, he saw Xiao Diansi within the range of the soundproofing array, speaking with Water Yama.
Both men looked serious, their voices low, clearly discussing something confidential.
"Confidential matters..."
Mo Hua's curiosity was piqued. He gently extended his divine consciousness to sense the soundproofing array.
It was a second-grade array.
In the second-grade realm, only second-grade arrays could be used.
Since it was a second-grade array, it was relatively simple.
Mo Hua quickly calculated the flow of spiritual energy within the array, identifying its weak points. He then took out a silver needle engraved with a "sound-stealing array" and, with a gentle flick of his finger, inserted it into the array's weak point.
The silver needle was light and made almost no sound. The soundproofing array blocked sound from both inside and outside, so Xiao Diansi didn't notice.
Of course, he never expected someone to eavesdrop using such a method.
The sound-stealing needle penetrated the array, and Mo Hua retrieved the corresponding thread, wrapping it around his ear. Soon, he could hear the conversation clearly.
At first, the voices were intermittent, but they gradually became clearer:
"More trouble than help..."
"Already saved you once, and you still can't get it done..."
"Wouldn't care about your life if not for that thing..."
Mo Hua was taken aback.
Open... that thing?
What thing?
After a moment's thought, Mo Hua's heart raced, "Could it be... the Water Prison Forbidden Box?!"
This sly fox wanted to use Water Yama to open the Water Prison Forbidden Box?
Mo Hua's mind was heavy with thoughts. After a moment, he calmed down and continued eavesdropping.
"Brother, it's not that I'm incompetent, but the circumstances were beyond my control, as if every move was calculated against me..."
Water Yama said gravely.
Xiao Diansi's expression was cold, "I don't want excuses."
Water Yama shut his mouth, not daring to say more.
Xiao Diansi turned to look at Water Yama, "Where is that thing?"
Water Yama's face turned pale.
Seeing Water Yama's expression, Xiao Diansi's brow furrowed. After a moment, his eyes widened, and he said in a chilling tone:
"Don't tell me... you lost it..."
"It's not lost," Water Yama stammered, "but... it's not in my possession right now."
Xiao Diansi's eyes glinted with killing intent, and he laughed coldly:
"Great, just great. You've lost that thing. Didn't I warn you that you could lose your life, but you mustn't let that box have the slightest mishap?"
Water Yama gritted his teeth, "Brother, forgive me. I was careless and fell into a trap, and that's how the box was taken."
"I'm doing my best to recover it and won't let you down, Brother."
Xiao Diansi frowned, "Who has the box now?"
Water Yama replied, "It's... in the hands of a boy named Mo Hua."
Mo Hua, who was eavesdropping, couldn't help but shrink back.
Xiao Diansi looked stunned, as if he hadn't heard correctly, "Who?"
"Mo Hua..." Water Yama whispered.
"Which Mo Hua?"
"The one... who just spoke with you, Brother... Mo Hua."
Xiao Diansi's mouth opened and closed, his expression a mix of shock and disbelief.
The person who had stolen the Water Prison Forbidden Box was the same boy he had initially wanted to capture as a hostage but failed, and who had traveled with him, even collaborating to capture Mr. Wu... that boy?!
This boy had stolen his most precious treasure and had been walking around in front of him as if nothing had happened.
And he hadn't noticed a thing!
Xiao Diansi's anger was so intense that he felt like killing Water Yama.
(End of Chapter)
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