288: Chapter 287 Women

"I am searching for the core of the Five Domains Teleportation Formation," his voice was calm. "I have already found the core in the Northern Border. To my knowledge, the core for the Western Desert is hidden within a ruin called the Ancient Buddha Temple. Shopkeeper Lin, how much do you know about the Ancient Buddha Temple?"

Shopkeeper Lin's pupils contracted slightly. He walked to the bookshelf in the secret room, took out a roll of yellowed beast-hide map, and spread it out on the table. The map detailed the terrain hundreds of miles west of Yellow Sand City, densely packed with mountains, rivers, oases, and ruins. His finger pointed to a mark on the west side of the map; the mark was shaped like a Buddhist pagoda, with three characters written beside it in red cinnabar: Ancient Buddha Temple.

"In ancient times, the Ancient Buddha Temple was a stronghold for the Innate One Qi Sect in the Western Desert," Shopkeeper Lin's voice was low. "Later, the Innate One Qi Sect split. One group of Disciples went north and established the Mystic Ice Sword Sect, while another group moved west and established the Esoteric Sect. The Ancient Buddha Temple is one of the predecessors of the Esoteric Sect and is a place of Legacy left by the Innate One Qi Sect in the Western Desert."

He paused, his finger tracing across the map: "But a thousand years ago, a massive sandstorm buried the Ancient Buddha Temple. The entire temple sank beneath the sea of sand, vanishing into the long river of history. It wasn't until thirty years ago that an earthquake caused a crack to open in the sand sea, and a corner of the temple's pagoda was exposed, leading to its accidental discovery."

Jiang Hanzhou's brow furrowed slightly: "Thirty years ago? Wasn't that when the Black Witch Cult entered the Northern Border?"

Shopkeeper Lin nodded: "The timeline matches. Furthermore, after the Ancient Buddha Temple was discovered, various forces sent people in to investigate. Some found ancient Medicinal Pills, some found Cultivation Technique Secret Manuals, and some found Magical Artifacts and spiritual weapons. But even more people died inside, strangled by the temple's Restrictions, devoured by guardian beasts, or parasitized by the Gu insects of the Poison Sand Cult."

He took out a dark yellow Jade Slip from the bookshelf and handed it to Jiang Hanzhou: "This is the intelligence the Mystic Ice Sword Sect has gathered over the years regarding the Ancient Buddha Temple. The temple has three levels. The first level is the outer perimeter, filled with Restrictions and traps, but it has been mostly explored. The second level is the core area, protected by Formations left by the Esoteric Sect's Buddhist cultivators; the Poison Sand Cult has established a stronghold there and is stationed year-round. The third level is the deepest part, where it is said the core of the teleportation Formation is suppressed, but no one has ever entered because the key to the third level is kept by the descendants of the Ancient Kingdom of Yellow Sands."

Jiang Hanzhou took the Jade Slip and extended his Divine Sense into it. The Jade Slip contained dense information: maps of the Ancient Buddha Temple, the distribution of Restrictions, the types and habits of guardian beasts, the strength and number of Poison Sand Cult personnel, and a description of the key to the third level. The key was a fist-sized golden Buddhist bead, which sealed a wisp of Sarira power from an ancient high monk of the Esoteric Sect; only those with the royal Bloodline of the Ancient Kingdom of Yellow Sands could activate it.

"The Ancient Kingdom of Yellow Sands," Jiang Hanzhou set down the Jade Slip, his gaze falling on Shopkeeper Lin, "what is their attitude toward the Ancient Buddha Temple?"

Shopkeeper Lin sighed, a hint of gravity flashing in his eyes: "The Ancient Kingdom of Yellow Sands has guarded the secrets of the Western Desert for generations. They believe the teleportation Formation within the Ancient Buddha Temple is an ominous object, a root of misfortune left by the Innate One Qi Sect in ancient times that must be completely destroyed. They have been searching for a way to enter the third level of the temple, wanting to destroy the Formation core to prevent anyone from using it."

He paused and said word for word: "But the Ancient Kingdom of Yellow Sands is not the only power in the Western Desert. The Poison Sand Cult is also searching for the Formation core. Their goal is the opposite of the Ancient Kingdom of Yellow Sands; they want to use the teleportation Formation to connect the Five Domains and open a passage for the Ten Thousand Gu Sect to invade the Western Desert."

Jiang Hanzhou remained silent for a moment, organizing all the information in his mind.

Around the Ancient Buddha Temple, three forces were intertwined. The Poison Sand Cult occupied the second level, using Gu arts and Formations to guard it while attempting to seize the Formation core. The Ancient Kingdom of Yellow Sands had set up a blockade on the outer perimeter, trying to prevent anyone from entering the temple to destroy the Formation. Loose Cultivators and minor forces struggled in the gaps, some siding with the Poison Sand Cult, some with the Ancient Kingdom of Yellow Sands, and others trying to fish in troubled waters.

And he had to find a way into the third level and take the Formation core from within the cracks of these three forces.

"Shopkeeper Lin," he spoke, his voice calm, "I need the latest intelligence regarding the surroundings of the Ancient Buddha Temple. How many people does the Poison Sand Cult have in the temple? What is the strength of the Ancient Kingdom of Yellow Sands' forces at the outer blockade? Has anyone entered the third level recently?"

Shopkeeper Lin took a stack of beast-hide papers from the bookshelf; it was a summary of the intelligence he had recently gathered. He spread the papers out one by one on the table, pointing to the records.

"The Poison Sand Cult has thirty people stationed on the second level of the Ancient Buddha Temple, led by an Early Stage Spirit Communication Realm Protector known as the 'Poison Sand Venerable.' He has six core members at the Soul Condensation Realm under him, with the rest being outer Disciples at the Blood Expansion Realm. They have laid down a Great Poison Gu Formation on the second level; once an outsider steps in, they will be parasitized by Gu insects, resulting in their cultivation being sealed at best, or instant death at worst."

"The Ancient Kingdom of Yellow Sands has set up three lines of blockade on the outer perimeter, with the innermost layer only ten miles from the Ancient Buddha Temple, guarded by the Royal Guard. The King of the Ancient Kingdom of Yellow Sands, known as the 'Sand Emperor,' is a Middle Stage Spirit Communication Realm expert. He hasn't appeared personally, but he sent his eldest son, First Prince Sha Qianli, to lead the blockade. Sha Qianli is at the Peak of the Soul Condensation Realm, with twenty Royal Guard members under him, all ranging from the Early to Middle Stage of the Soul Condensation Realm."

"As for whether anyone has entered the third level," Shopkeeper Lin shook his head, "to my knowledge, no. The entrance to the third level is sealed by an ancient Restriction that requires the Sarira power of an Esoteric Sect Buddhist cultivator to open. Although the Ancient Kingdom of Yellow Sands holds the key, they do not possess the Bloodline of an Esoteric Sect Buddhist cultivator and cannot activate the Restriction. The Poison Sand Cult tried to break the Restriction by force and paid a heavy price, losing over a dozen people while the Restriction remained completely unharmed."

Jiang Hanzhou nodded, memorizing each piece of intelligence.

He needed to enter the Ancient Buddha Temple through the gap between the Poison Sand Cult and the Ancient Kingdom of Yellow Sands, find a flaw within the Great Poison Gu Formation and the ancient Restriction, seize the key from the Ancient Kingdom of Yellow Sands, and take the Formation core right under the nose of a Spirit Communication Realm expert.

Each task was a near-certain death sentence.

But he had no way back.

"Shopkeeper Lin," he stood up and cupped his fists in a salute to Lin Mo, "thank you. I need to rest here for one night and will set out for the Ancient Buddha Temple tomorrow morning."

Shopkeeper Lin nodded and took out a set of bedding from a corner of the secret room, spreading it on the stone couch by the wall: "The Envoy is too polite. Senior Sister Teng instructed that I should give you whatever you want and however much you need. Although the Ice Jade Pavilion is small, we never lack for news or resources from the Western Desert."

Jiang Hanzhou sat cross-legged on the stone couch, placing the tiger soul saber across his knees. Shopkeeper Lin exited the secret room and closed the door, his footsteps gradually fading away.

Silence returned to the secret room.

The runes on the walls flickered slightly, emitting a cold, icy blue light. The cold air rising from the ancient well seeped through the walls into the secret room, making the air cold and damp. That cold air resonated with the Tidal True Intent within him, making his Meridians feel slightly cool as the power of the Mystic Ice Tidal Slash slowly circulated in his Dantian.

He closed his eyes and began to regulate his breathing.

Tonight, he would not Cultivate his technique or meditate; instead, he would organize the insights he had gathered during these five days in the sand sea. The Yellow Sand Qi of the Western Desert was entirely different from the icy cold Qi of the Northern Border, yet both were variants of the power of heaven and earth. The yellow sand was dry, violent, and unpredictable, like a raging Tide, surging, churning, and devouring everything within the sand sea.

He drew that Yellow Sand Qi into his body—not to absorb it, but to feel it. He felt the frenzy within the sandstorm, the dead silence within the sand sea, and the resolution of the yellow sand as it buried everything. Those sensations collided and intertwined with the Tidal True Intent in his body, adding a new attribute to his Mystic Ice Tidal Slash beyond extreme cold: the Sandstorm.

The icy Tide and the violent Sandstorm, ice and sand—two powers slowly merged within his Dantian. It wasn't a perfect Fusion, but a rudimentary, rough Fusion that needed time to be polished. But even a prototype was progress, and even a rough sketch provided a direction.

He withdrew that fused power back into his Dantian, nourishing it with Pure Yang True Intent as he waited for tomorrow's practical test.

Then, he took out the cultivation insights for the Heavenly Dipper Treasure Refining Art from his sumeru pouch and immersed his mind in them. The tiger soul saber had been damaged in the sandstorm; several of the dark-golden patterns on the blade had grown dim, and the spirit intelligence within the blade was also quite withered. He needed to repair it and restore the tiger soul saber to its Peak state before entering the Ancient Buddha Temple.

He drew a wisp of Heavenly Dipper Precious Qi from his Dantian, flowing it through his Meridians into his palm, and then injected it into the tiger soul saber. The dark-golden patterns on the blade brightened slightly, and the spirit intelligence within the blade let out a low hum, as if responding to his call. Those dimmed patterns slowly recovered under the nourishment of the Heavenly Dipper Precious Qi, and the dark-golden halo at the blade's edge began to flow once more.

The dragon soul remnant also slowly woke up deep within the blade, sending a faint message as if saying, "Master, I am ready."

The night passed in silence.

The next morning, Jiang Hanzhou rose from the stone couch, sheathed the tiger soul saber at his waist, and walked out of the secret room. Shopkeeper Lin was already waiting in the courtyard, holding a bowl of steaming meat soup and several pieces of flatbread.

"Envoy, the breakfast is simple; please make do with it." Shopkeeper Lin handed him the tray.

Jiang Hanzhou took the tray, finished the flatbread in a few bites, and drank the meat soup. He set down the bowl and chopsticks, took out several Spirit Stones and a healing Medicinal Pill from his sumeru pouch, and handed them to Shopkeeper Lin: "Consider these for the room, board, and intelligence fees."

Shopkeeper Lin waved his hands repeatedly: "Envoy, you mustn't. Senior Sister Teng instructed—"

"Take it." Jiang Hanzhou stuffed the Spirit Stones and pill into his hand, interrupting him. "It isn't easy for the Mystic Ice Sword Sect's undercover agents in the Western Desert. I cannot eat and stay for free."

Shopkeeper Lin looked at him, a complex emotion appearing on his aged face. He remained silent for a moment, then tucked the Spirit Stones and pill into his sleeve and bowed deeply to Jiang Hanzhou: "Thank you, Envoy. Be careful on your way. The Ancient Buddha Temple is extremely dangerous; if something cannot be done, do not force it."

Jiang Hanzhou nodded, lifted the door curtain, and walked out of the Ice Jade Pavilion.

Yellow Sand City in the early morning was even quieter than at night. There were no pedestrians on the streets, only a few vendors who had risen early to arrange their goods. The air was filled with a coolness unique to the early morning, but this coolness would soon be dispersed by the fierce sun, replaced by scorching heat and wind-blown sand.

He walked along the street toward the west gate, his pace not fast but every step steady. The tiger soul saber at his waist vibrated slightly, its spirit intelligence conveying a firm emotion, as if saying, "Master, I will accompany you."

At the west gate, there were fewer guards than yesterday, with only four soldiers on duty. Jiang Hanzhou presented his Loose Cultivator token, paid the exit fee, and then stepped out of the city gate, treading onto the sand sea in the heart of the Western Desert.

To the west of Yellow Sand City lay an endless stretch of sand dunes and Gobi desert. The dunes appeared golden-yellow in the morning light, like frozen waves extending layer by layer to the horizon. Not a blade of grass grew on the Gobi, only weathered rocks and dried-up riverbeds. At the distant horizon, a massive sand mountain was vaguely visible; at its Peak, something reflected the sunlight with a golden glow.

That was the pagoda of the Ancient Buddha Temple, a corner of it exposed from the sand sea.

Jiang Hanzhou looked at that golden light, gripped his tiger soul saber, activated his footwork, and walked toward the Ancient Buddha Temple.

The next morning, the market in Yellow Sand City had already become lively.

Jiang Hanzhou had changed his attire, wearing a grey-white coarse cloth robe with a dark yellow cloth belt tied at his waist and a pair of drought-resistant leather boots. He wrapped the tiger soul saber in layers of cloth, disguising it as an ordinary iron saber slung across his back. He still wore the human-skin mask on his face, transforming his appearance into an ordinary man in his thirties with plain, unremarkable features. He took out several bundles of medicinal herbs from his sumeru pouch—specialties of the Western Desert given to him by Shopkeeper Lin last night, including sea buckthorn fruit, dried snow lotus, and dried scorpion tails—tied them with hemp rope, and carried them on his shoulder, looking just like a merchant who had entered the city to sell herbs.

He walked out of the inn and headed toward the market along the street.

Yellow Sand City in the morning had a bit more life than at night. Stalls on both sides of the street were already set up; some vendors were organizing goods, some were shouting loudly, and others were haggling with customers. The air was filled with various scents: the charred aroma of roasted meat, the bitterness of medicinal herbs, the fishy sweetness of Gu insects, and the stench of camel dung, all mixed together to form a suffocating smell unique to the Western Desert.

Jiang Hanzhou walked into the center of the market, his gaze sweeping over the surroundings, taking in every stall, every pedestrian, and every corner. Although his Divine Sense was mostly sealed, it was still far more acute than that of the witch-warriors in the Northern Border, allowing him to perceive the aura fluctuations of everyone within a radius of dozens of yards.

The center of the market was the most bustling place, with the most diverse goods for sale.

To the left was a stall selling exotic beast pelts; a whole sand wolf pelt was spread across the stall, its fur dark yellow and reflecting a metallic luster in the morning light.

To the right was a stall selling Magical Artifacts; several scimitars and a bronze mirror were laid out. A faint green light flowed at the edges of the scimitars, a sign that they were coated in deadly poison.

Straight ahead was a food stall where a plump woman was grilling meat skewers on an iron plate; the skewers sizzled with oil, emitting a tempting aroma.

Jiang Hanzhou stopped in front of a medicinal herb stall, set down the herbs on his shoulder, and squatted down, pretending to haggle with the stall owner.

His gaze moved past the stall owner's shoulder toward the open space in the center of the market.

There, a group of warriors in golden armor were surrounding a woman in a white dress.