Supreme Alchemist
Chapter 2494: 2484: Found It

Chapter 2494: Chapter 2484: Found It

The soil required for the growth of most plants needs to be moist, how can flowers grow in dry soil? However, Long Yan and the others did not forget to overturn the surrounding ground, but they still did not find the old monk’s missing tongue.

“Whew, Long Yan, this isn’t the way to search,”

Chu Meng panted heavily as she spoke to Long Yan. Even for a seasoned mercenary like Chu Meng, the work was too much. They initially thought this area wasn’t so large, but when they actually started searching, it was overwhelmingly huge. Even with everyone’s best efforts, they hadn’t even searched half of the Bamboo Forest.

Sweat dripped from Long Yan’s forehead, making Chu Meng’s heart ache. She knew that the initial mistake was due to Wu Feng (name replaced as per your instruction should be) that brute. Technically speaking, Long Yan was only dragged into this. Moreover, Long Yan was a mainstay after entering. If it weren’t for Long Yan, even that single Arhat statue could have resulted in their deaths here, let alone reaching the Main Hall.

“If it’s really not possible, let’s not force it. We can go back and scrape some money together, and we should be able to manage it,”

Chu Meng wasn’t sure what she was saying herself. Fifteen taels of gold, meaning they would have to live without food or drink until the age of seventy to manage it. It was practically impossible, even barely scrapping it together, given the limits on a mercenary’s wages.

“No worries, we must have overlooked something,”

Resolving the issue with Master Shiran sooner would mean fewer people getting hurt, and it wasn’t just about the mission’s compensation anymore. Realistically, with one Communication Talisman from Long Yan, not to mention fifteen taels of gold, even fifteen hundred taels wouldn’t be an issue. The profitability of Yanmen Commerce Association far exceeded Long Yan’s imagination, operating from a small city in The North to grasping the economic lifeline of two parts of the Chu Dynasty was no easy feat.

Long Yan picked up a handful of earth from the ground and held it to his nose. The soil was moist but carried a bloody smell, likely due to the skeletons. Who would have thought a life spent serving Buddha would end up as flower soil after death.

The reason the grass and small flowers could grow so lushly was probably because human flesh acted as fertilizer, providing nutrients that even flowers and grass could absorb. Suddenly, Long Yan shivered.

Long Yan vaguely remembered there being a row of orderly flowers and grass beside the Main Hall. Though now withered, the implication was merely the existence of flowers and grass, not whether they were blooming or withered. More importantly, all the flower soil in the pots was dry, with a thick layer of dust due to a lack of watering for a long time.

Excited, Long Yan called everyone, and they returned to the Main Hall’s doorway together.

The Main Hall was unchanged. Without explaining, Long Yan walked directly to the row of dry flower soils. Watching them, the others were confused, unsure of Long Yan’s intentions until he pulled out a small pouch emitting a faint glow from the last flowerpot.

“Brother Long… this…”

Everyone was amazed yet unsurprised, realizing their initial search direction was wrong. ‘Earth’ represented dry soil, so how could flowers bloom on it, whereas this row of withered flowers was more appropriate.

“Should we return these things to the old monk now?”

Tian Luo Yi weighed the two small glowing pouches in her hand and looked at Long Yan. However, Long Yan remained frowning. Something still wasn’t right. Though the missing organs were found, Long Yan still felt uneasy, like something crucial was missing.

“Why ponder so much? Once we awaken the old monk, let him open the Buddha Light Barrier, and we can go in to settle accounts with that little monk,”

The environment here was beautiful but indescribably eerie. Under this oppressive atmosphere, Chu Lu felt like he was going crazy. Even Zhu Ying seemed possessed, though Chu Lu’s consolation helped her recover a lot; she still didn’t feel quite right. Long Yan had already sent Zhu Ying out, letting her wait outside.

As for Chu Lu, Long Yan wanted everyone to await his news outside, yet they strongly objected. Finally understanding that a final battle would allow them to leave this place, Chu Lu eagerly took the two little pouches from Tian Luo Yi and walked up to the old monk.

“Wait…”

When Long Yan tried to stop Chu Lu, it was too late. The pouches emitted a faint golden light, and three streaks of light entered the old monk’s body. The corpse, which didn’t appear old, looked as if it had returned to life.

With nothing more to be done, Long Yan’s body slightly leaned down, ready for battle. Yet the unexpected occurred; the old monk’s tightly closed eyes slowly opened with clarity. A loud Buddhist chant came from his mouth.

“Amitabha.”

With this, the Buddha Light Barrier surrounding the Main Hall melted away like snow under the sun. The old monk folded his hands and asked Long Yan and the others,

“What brings you benefactors to my Tiancan Temple?”

Oddly, though his eyes were clear, there was no spirit in them, making him appear more like a dead man than a living one.

“We’re here to take care of Shiran, to eliminate this threat,”

Chu Lu was uncertain what to say. Could he really state his intentions straightforwardly and say he’d come to flatten Tiancan Temple? That seemed too outrageous. So, Chu Lu vaguely mentioned he was there to find Shiran.

Unexpectedly, the old monk’s complexion changed, wrinkles forming on his seemingly saintly face, filled with anger. This sudden fury left Chu Lu and the others at a loss.

“Shiran is my little apprentice, if you wish to harm him, let the old monk deliver you all to transcendence,”

Immediately after, the old monk’s hand moved like a blade, a blood-red light shooting from his palm. Though Long Yan was already braced for action, he was still a step too slow. This old monk’s attack was so swift, moving with barely a word. A neat cut appeared on Chu Lu’s arm.

Chu Lu’s left hand fell to the ground, with fresh blood slowly flowing from the wound. Truly a brave man, Chu Lu didn’t even make a sound and retreated swiftly. The old monk seemed intent on taking Chu Lu’s life, but Long Yan had already arrived, thrusting his long spear at the old monk.