Demon Sword Sect’s Undercover
Chapter 112 - 112 111 Colluding with Villains Extra for Alliance Hierarch Master Xiao Zhen

112: Chapter 111: Colluding with Villains [Extra for Alliance Hierarch Master Xiao Zhen] 112: Chapter 111: Colluding with Villains [Extra for Alliance Hierarch Master Xiao Zhen] In one night, Tideng Monk purified three groups of Soul Ghosts smoothly with no interruptions or disturbances, something he truly hadn’t anticipated.

Excitement came unexpectedly as the merit of the lantern progressed smoothly in refinement; the only imperfection was the distaste for his companion.

Hou Niao harvested thirteen Soul Beads that night, channeling their power into the Purple Mansion Vortex, which significantly strengthened the structure of the wall of the Soul Realm, and consequently greatly reduced the need for absorbing the Heaven and Earth Spirit Mechanism.

His cultivation progressed rapidly; the only minor flaw was his partner’s pretentiousness.

Dawn was breaking, and Tideng Monk put away the lantern and opened his eyes, full of disdain as he shook his head slightly, “…

barely satisfactory.”

Hou Niao sheathed his sword, a look of boredom on his face as he snorted, “Insignificant…”

The two kept their distance as if to avoid the bad luck of the other; one chewed meat heartily, the other sipped flatbread slowly; one scorned meat-eaters, the other vegetarians.

After replenishing their strength and completing morning practices, the two left the hill independently without a prior arrangement, each going their own way.

Hou Niao held a map and continued to examine the actual environment of West Mang Mountain in comparison, mentally noting which escape routes would be the quickest in case of danger.

Tideng Monk walked leisurely, dropping a few drops of lamp oil at every critical pass and main road.

Ordinary Soul Ghosts didn’t really present much of a challenge to them.

Wandering fierce ghosts could pose a threat, but they could manage them; who knew if a ghost or specter might suddenly emerge from within the vast West Mang Mountain?

Only those who respect life would be granted an extra path by the heavens.

After idling away the day, the two once again coincidentally met in front of the hill at dusk,

Tideng Monk frowned, “I see you enjoyed that ‘insignificant’ meal quite a bit?”

Hou Niao’s face turned cold, “Barely satisfactory?

Hmm, monks aren’t human then.”

Tideng carried the lantern, and Hou Niao shouldered his sword, continuing to delve deeper.

In their eyes, were they not quite content with last night’s haul?

Only those who are never satisfied will have the gates of the Heavenly Dao opened to them.

Their cooperation became more tacit; their gains, increasingly substantial; and so the two continued their reluctant partnership.

They took turns leading the way; today I decide which hill to head for, tomorrow you judge which peak to climb, to ensure maximum fairness; or simply put, if one day we truly faced danger, it would be the responsibility of both, as they had walked this path together, and could not be blamed on one alone.

One seemed unrestrained, the other ostensibly gentle, but they shared a common trait; greed with caution, boldness with meticulousness.

Such days, to their surprise, became routine, and two months passed in a blink.

Tideng’s lantern became increasingly clear and lustrous, nearing a critical point where the accumulated merit was about to transform in essence.

Hou Niao’s two Dantians were like lakes during the rainy season, streams continuously flowing in, making him truly feel the process of a so-called genius’s growth.

However, the monk’s face grew increasingly sorrowful, exuding a compassion for the suffering of the world; the swordsman’s brows furrowed deeper, his forehead nearly creased into mountainous terraces.

In two months of taking turns to lead, the one constant was their unwavering determination to advance deeper into West Mang Mountain.

Neither was willing to step back, for to do so would mean admitting defeat in their rivalry and losing courage.

Even though neither of them understood the root cause of their rivalry, the inexplicable targeting stemmed from a deep wariness of each other—guarded against a future that could have an impact on oneself.

“So, I’m risking my little life in there, do you dare to follow?”

Of course, it wasn’t a straightforward path through.

If that were the case, West Mang Mountain would have been pierced through several times by now; the two tacitly and slyly chose a large zigzag pattern, advancing indirectly with great effort.

“On the third day of the next month is Buddha’s day of suffering, I’ve been out for nearly a year, it’s time to return,” said Tideng Monk, wrapping his leather robe as if talking to himself, though Hou Niao clearly understood it was meant for him.

“You could’ve just said that your lantern’s power is nearing a stage of completion and needs to be upgraded; why must you relate it to Buddha?

What does it have to do with Buddha?

If you really had such thoughts, you should be suffering alongside Buddha.”

“Boring, you can’t carve rotten wood,” Tideng Monk expressed disdain, too lazy to talk to him, feeling it lowered his own standards.

Hou Niao looked at him, curious, “Monk, that’s a nice robe you have there.

I’ve roamed all over and seen quite a bit—cotton robes, silk robes, but never a leather robe!

Using the skin of other beings to protect your own, does it not pain your heart as a disciple of the Buddhist Sect?”

Tideng Monk was unashamed, “Amitabha…

the leather worn on the body, the Buddha kept in the heart, both are one and the same, it’s only the foolish who worry!

Tonight is the last time, you choose the place.”

He never took a loss, never gained a small advantage.

The collaboration started with the monk’s choice of location, so naturally, the last time fell to Hou Niao to keep things consistent, full circle with causality.

Hou Niao knew what he meant, pointing casually ahead, “Let’s just go nearby, any further and I fear you, the monk, will have to suffer alongside your Buddha.”

Even though they had been taking the largest zigzag path possible, winding their way forward, after two months they had penetrated deeply enough to approach the geographic center of West Mang Mountain.

Of course, the geographical center wasn’t necessarily where the Soul Ghosts congregated, these were two different things; according to the Quanzhen Sect’s description of West Mang Mountain, the true core of the ancient battlefield was even deeper within.

But that was essentially their limit, and they both knew it.

Fundamentally, their Realms were still too low; Hou Niao was two levels short of transformative Tongxuan phase, and Tideng Monk was equally far from the Biqiu Fruit Position.

The fact that they made it this far was purely due to bolstering each other’s courage—a mutual disdain for life; they both had the mentality that even if they encountered danger, it was enough to just cut and run.

As for who was the tail to be cut, of course, it was the Monk in the eyes of Quanzhen and vice versa.

They turned being each other’s buttress into being each other’s tail.

Throughout the sixty days of purifying Soul Ghosts, there were frequent dangers, but it mostly revolved around the number of Wandering Souls and fierce ghosts encountered; they had interrupted the purification process multiple times, even running wildly through the mountains in embarrassment, but in the end it was all without significant harm.

This led them to some misconceptions about the levels of the Soul Ghosts in West Mang Mountain, thinking they were nothing more than that.

However, luck doesn’t always follow someone forever, there’s always a day when it runs out.