125: Not a monster, but a ghost monk

Outside Tianqi City, thirty li away, there is a mountain named Dabei, and on the mountain there is an ancient temple, also known as Dabei Temple.

The vast landscape was covered in ice and snow, and the thousand-li mountains were layered with peaks, all draped in silver.

Dabei Temple originally enjoyed flourishing incense, but then news spread that Dabei Temple was haunted, often emitting eerie screams that frightened passing pilgrims.

Over time, pilgrims stopped coming, and the temple fell into disrepair.

Not long after, Xie Weilou and June arrived on a Snow Treading Spirit Horse.

The two dismounted and stood before the ancient temple; the desolate old temple was covered by ice and snow, its plaque had fallen, and it was unmanaged.

“......”

Xie Weilou glanced at it, then walked into the ancient temple.

June quickly followed.

Just as the two entered the ancient temple, a rapid sound of a wooden fish rang out, and the world instantly turned pitch black.

A strange power permeated, sealing off all directions.

Inside one of the main halls, a faint light flickered, and the sound of the wooden fish emanated from there.

“This power... it’s not demonic...”

June felt the strange power around her, her brow furrowing.

Demonic energy was not like this; the surrounding power was colder and more bizarre, making one feel extremely uncomfortable.

“Roar!”

Suddenly, the halls in all directions trembled, emitting shrill roars, like vengeful spirits screaming, sharp and piercing.

June immediately shielded Xie Weilou, staring intently at her surroundings.

Bang!

The doors of the halls burst open, and dozens of monks with distorted faces, blood-red eyes, and rotting bodies rushed out.

The aura on their bodies was extremely sinister; it wasn't demonic energy, but rather a dense aura of death.

“Indeed, they are not demons, but… Ghost Monks!”

Xie Weilou slowly spoke.

With such a dense aura of death, describing them as Ghost Monks seemed appropriate.

The dozens of monks before them were of average strength, at most in the Shackles Realm, but in the hall from which the wooden fish sound came, Xie Weilou sensed the auras of the Territory Expansion Realm and Dao Repository Realm.

The transformation of the monks of Dabei Temple into Ghost Monks must not be that simple; there might be something hidden here.

“Roar!”

Dozens of Ghost Monks lunged at the two, moving extremely fast, their sharp claws glowing eerily.

Whoosh!

June casually waved her hand, and a soft sword appeared in her grip.

She unleashed an aura of the Shackle Realm (Peak) and struck out with her sword.

Boom!

Many Ghost Monks were sent flying, among them four Ghost Monks at the Shackle Realm (Peak) who were unaffected by the sword energy and directly pounced on June.

June swung her sword, and sword energy erupted, clashing with the four Ghost Monks.

However, these Ghost Monks seemed impervious to pain, and their bodies were extremely rigid.

After a struggle, June found herself somewhat constrained.

“Roar!”

Another even more piercing roar sounded, and from the hall where the wooden fish originated, an old monk lunged out.

He had sharp fangs, a rotting body, and exuded a foul stench, yet his aura was not weak; he possessed a cultivation of the Territory Expansion Realm (Middle Stage).

The old monk's face was distorted as he punched towards June.

“Territory Expansion Realm, this isn’t good…”

June was currently battling the four Ghost Monks.

Seeing the old monk suddenly attack, her heart tightened, knowing she couldn't evade this punch.

Seeing this, Xie Weilou moved, instantly appearing before the old monk.

He grabbed the old monk's neck and slammed him to the ground.

Bang!

A large pit was smashed into the ground, and a powerful force erupted, instantly melting the surrounding ice and snow.

The four Ghost Monks battling June were sent flying over ten meters away.

“Roar!”

The old monk let out a roar, attempting to get up.

Xie Weilou stepped on the old monk's head and stomped down hard.

Bang!

The old monk's head exploded like a watermelon, turning into a headless corpse, but even after becoming a headless corpse, he still hadn't been destroyed; his body continued to struggle.

“Interesting.”

Xie Weilou smiled coldly, stepping on the old monk's chest and stomping hard, causing the old monk's body to instantly turn into a bloody mist.

“Building Master, you…”

June stared blankly at Xie Weilou, her eyes filled with disbelief.

At this moment, she began to doubt her own perception.

All along, she had believed Xie Weilou to be a profligate son, a useless person who couldn't cultivate, but now she realized how absurd her thoughts had been.

Killing a Territory Expansion Realm Ghost Monk in an instant—was this what he meant by 'unable to cultivate'?

This must be at least a Territory Expansion Realm expert.

The Building Master's strength was actually this great!

She seemed to understand why Xie Bian would make Xie Weilou the Building Master of Seven Nights Snow; it was because Xie Weilou possessed this strength.

The profligate young master in the eyes of the world was actually a hidden master, which shocked June and felt somewhat unreal, as if she were dreaming.

Who would dare to say that the Building Master was not qualified to manage Seven Nights Snow? She, June, would be the first to disagree!

“Roar!”

The surrounding Ghost Monks rushed forward again.

“Noisy.”

Xie Weilou raised an eyebrow, casually extended his hand, and squeezed hard, a power of annihilation erupting.

Boom!

The surrounding Ghost Monks instantly turned to ash.

Xie Weilou glanced at June indifferently: “You stay here and guard.”

“Okay.”

June responded blankly.

Xie Weilou walked with an indifferent expression towards the hall from which the wooden fish sound came; the closer he got to that hall, the more rapid the wooden fish sound became.

Just as he was ten meters from the hall, boom!

Inside the hall, four old monks of the Territory Expansion Realm rushed out.

“Four Territory Expansion Realm experts.”

June's heart tightened.

Xie Weilou, however, didn't even glance at them.

He took a step forward, and a terrifying pressure erupted.

Boom!

Before the four old monks could even get close, they were instantly shattered into a bloody mist, leaving no bones behind.

“This… so… so strong.”

June instinctively covered her mouth, witnessing four Territory Expansion Realm experts being suppressed by mere pressure.

How strong was the Building Master's true cultivation?

After pretending to be a pig to eat a tiger for so many years, was this his grand reveal?

Xie Weilou didn't know what June was thinking; he directly entered the hall.

The hall was extremely spacious, with a golden Buddha statue inside.

A gaunt old monk sat on a futon, striking a wooden fish in front of the Buddha, the sound of the wooden fish very rapid.

The death aura on this old monk was even denser, and his cultivation was higher; he was a Dao Repository Realm (Middle Stage) existence.

Xie Weilou looked around the hall and happened to see Qiyue and others; they were bound to golden pillars, their faces extremely pale.

“Building Master…”

Qiyue, dressed in a purple dress, was startled when she saw Xie Weilou, clearly not expecting him to be here.

She quickly spoke to warn him: “Building Master, hurry and leave! This old monk is a Dao Repository Realm ghost…”

Bang!

Just as she finished speaking, the hall doors automatically closed, and the entire hall was sealed by death aura.

The old monk slowly turned around…

Xie Weilou saw a ghostly face with blood-red eyes, a green face, fangs, and a bloodthirsty, distorted expression.

The old monk held a wooden fish in his arms, and there was a hideous bloody hole in his chest where his heart should have been, with a gray bead inside.

This bead exuded an extremely terrifying death aura, also carrying subtle Buddhist power, like a sarira.

“Becoming… a Buddha… a fool’s dream…”

The old monk's face was twisted, his eyes bloodthirsty.

“Roar!”

He let out a sharp roar, instantly stood up, and fiercely charged at Xie Weilou…