530. The Stupa Tower

The disciples of the East Sea Dragon Palace and the monks of Sanhua Temple turned their heads simultaneously, looking towards the wide-open doors of the Stupa tower.

“Where there is entrance, there must be exit!”

Vajra Du’nan spoke calmly, the ring of fire burning behind his head radiating scorching heat, making those nearby feel as if they had stepped into the height of summer.

This was the territory of Sanhua Temple, and the Stupa tower was a supreme treasure of the Buddhist sect. Even if the Dragon Qi was stolen, in the end it had to come back out. To snatch the Dragon Qi from right under the noses of the Buddhists could never be so easy.

Although Vajra Du’nan had not considered the possibility of the Dragon Qi being stolen before this, even if it really did happen, he did not believe the Dragon Qi could leave the Stupa tower, leave Sanhua Temple, right under his gaze.

“Amitabha!”

The abbot of Sanhua Temple, having watched his beloved disciple and successor perish with his own eyes, could not contain his grief and sorrow, saying,

“The Stupa tower is opened once every sixty years, each time for twenty-four hours. When time is up, the doors will close on their own. Vajra Du’nan, why not simply let them remain in the tower forever and bear the consequences of their actions?”

Irbu, his hood drawn and showing only half his face, smiled and said, “That is indeed a good idea.”

Jingxin nodded in agreement.

Third ranks could not enter the Stupa tower, but first rank Bodhisattvas could, and there was no need to wait another sixty years. Once Ananda’s tense confrontation eased, a Bodhisattva would naturally come to retrieve the Dragon Qi.

It was just a pity that, by then, whether the Dragon Qi would still fall to him was hard to say.

Buddhism had not lost the Dragon Qi, but indeed he had missed out on a great opportunity. At this thought, Jingxin unavoidably felt a wave of anger.

“Amitabha!”

He immediately lowered his voice and recited a Buddhist name, expelling his emotions.

Zen masters cultivated the mind and followed the path of the heart; unlike warrior monks, who drank alcohol, ate meat and killed with no taboos at all.

“This is bad.”

Li Lingsu hissed, analysing, “With a Vajra and a Master of Wisdom guarding the tower’s door, if we want to rescue from outside, we must first drive them back.”

But even with all the arcanist’s tricks, it was impossible to shake the Protector Vajra, to say nothing of a Master of Wisdom as well.

Mu Nanzhi frowned deeply, hugging the little white fox tightly in her arms.

“Ley…”

At that moment, Sun Xuanji uttered another word, and then, stepping lightly, he caused the runes engraved on the artillery tower to illuminate one by one.

Lay? Who’s laying?

Li Lingsu could not understand at all. Before he had time to think it through, he saw that the shells in the basket had started to fly up and loaded themselves.

Immediately after, amidst booming sounds, fifteen cannons simultaneously recoiled, their barrels firing shell after shell.

At the same time, the ballistae’s bowstrings gave a deep twang, launching thick, man-high bolts with violent force.

Vajra Du’nan flashed to the doorway and, lifting both hands, forcefully pushed towards the sky.

He pushed out an invisible, wave-like wall of Qi, causing the ballista bolts to snap mid-air and the shells to explode before reaching.

Balls of fire burst in mid-air, as dazzling as fireworks.

Boom, boom, boom!

A second wave of attacks soon followed, but now the target was no longer Vajra Du’nan and the others. The artillery tower had somehow appeared behind the tower and was unleashing its firepower downwards.

Mu Nanzhi stood by the edge of the artillery tower, watching as the shells slammed against the Stupa tower, cracking its walls and knocking chunks of plaster off to reveal the dark gold beneath.

Soon, the Stupa tower appeared mottled, with irregular patches of dark gold and white walls interwoven.

The white walls and black tiles were just cover; the Stupa tower itself was a magical artefact, a treasure nourished by a first rank Bodhisattva through countless ages.

Even such concentrated firepower could not shake it in the slightest… Just as Li Lingsu was sighing inwardly, his vision blurred, and the artillery tower teleported again.

Where the artillery tower had been a moment ago, Irbu suddenly appeared in the void, but Sun Xuanji had sensed the danger in advance and evaded the Master of Wisdom’s pounce.

The two chased each other in the air. Sun Xuanji ignored Irbu, focussing entirely on firing below.

He was forcing Vajra Du’nan to make a move.

The Dongfang sisters and the Sanhua Temple monks had retreated to the first floor of the Stupa tower again. Compared with Xu Qi’an’s shelling from inside the tower, Sun Xuanji’s batteries were several times more powerful.

Even a fourth rank warrior monk dared not take a direct hit.

Vajra Du’nan stood motionless before the tower. Protected by his Vajra divine skill, the cannon fire posed no threat at all.

“If Sanhua Temple is destroyed, so be it. We can rebuild. I want to see how many cannonballs and crossbow bolts you have left.”

Vajra Du’nan’s voice buzzed.

“Curse of death!”

Irbu, having missed again, switched to his signature warlock art.

But the curse had no effect. Without a medium, a curse cast across space was not strong enough to break the defensive formation and harm Sun Xuanji.

Instead, Irbu took a direct hit from a shell, looking rather bedraggled as he was blasted away.

Li Lingsu, however, could not feel happy at all. With his keen perception, at first glance it seemed as if Sun Xuanji was handling it all with ease and dominance. In fact, it was the Buddhists who truly remained unshaken.

…

“It’s started outside.”

“The Sitianjian arcanist is supporting us from outside. Should we make a break for it?”

“Are you mad? Didn’t you see the Protector Vajra at the door?”

“We can only pin our hopes on the Jianzheng’s second disciple now.”

The warriors of Leizhou had a clear view of their predicament. Grabbing the treasure and pushing back the Buddhists did not mean it was over.

Escaping the Stupa tower safely was the key. Luckily, both sides had third ranks, and the Sitianjian arcanist was able to handle two opponents at once. Truly impressive.

At the southern window, Li Shaoyun, Yuan Yi, and Tang Yuanwu gathered together. The Disciplinary Officer, supporting his long spear, glanced at the azure robed Xu Qian in the distance and said in a low voice,

“Looks like we can’t get out?”

Tang Yuanwu looked grave, his brow tightly furrowed. “The Stupa tower is only open for twenty-four hours. If we don’t get out by then, we’ll be trapped inside.”

Yuan Yi added, “Sun Xuanji can’t possibly win against two third ranks, especially with a Vajra among them. We cannot pin our hopes on him.”

Li Shaoyun clicked his tongue, frowning miserably. “That old monk seemed reasonable enough. Why don’t we beg him to let us out?”

The Chief Commander glanced at the spirit of the tower, who was meditating with his eyes closed, and shook his head,

“He doesn’t even help the Buddhist monks. Why would he help us?”

“It won’t cost us money to try.”

Li Shaoyun shouldered his spear and walked over, put his hands together in a proper gesture and said, “Master, please let us out.”

The old monk looked down and smiled, “The road lies at your feet, benefactor. You may leave at any time.”

Li Shaoyun’s gaze flickered, then he suddenly dropped to his knees, putting his hands together mournfully. “Master, my mother at home is ninety, and my young child still needs feeding. For the sake of the large family I support, I beg you, let us out!”

The old monk was moved and asked, “How old are you, benefactor?”

“Twenty-five.”

“Any brothers or sisters at home?”

“None, my Li family always has single heirs each generation.”

The old monk asked, “So your mother gave birth to you at sixty-five?”

…Li Shaoyun’s face froze, his voice catching in his throat. He opened his mouth to explain himself but could not think of a suitable excuse to say.

He wondered, damn, the tower spirit can even do maths?

Li Shaoyun walked away grumbling.

He returned to Yuan Yi and Tang Yuanwu, his expression serious, “This is bad. The old monk is not only ruthless but also able to calculate like a god.”

The Shuangdao Sect master and the Commander looked at him expressionlessly.

“I feel like I can see the words ‘crude martial artist’ in your eyes,” Li Shaoyun said, displeased.

“No.”

“We never think martial artists are crude.”

“Still feels like you’re mocking me… What do we do now?” Li Shaoyun said helplessly.

The Shuangdao Sect master said nothing. Yuan Yi turned to look at Xu Qian.

“We can only rely on him now.”

…

“Now is the best opportunity to unseal Shenshu. By releasing this arm, I can both reassemble his soul and use the power of this severed limb to resolve the current plight.”

Xu Qi’an slowly approached Shenshu’s severed arm. During this process, he kept a close eye on the tower spirit’s reaction, testing the other’s boundaries.

Unexpectedly, the old monk, spirit of the tower, only folded his hands and lowered his eyes, completely ignoring everyone inside the tower, including Xu Qi’an.

When Xu Qi’an was thirty feet away, he stopped to examine Shenshu’s severed arm. It was a left arm, azure-black in colour, with bulging muscles and fluid, perfect lines. Rather than merely an arm, it looked more like a work of art.

It was bound by nine dark golden chains, as thick as a finger, with their other ends embedded in the ground, walls, and pillars.

“Let me try to wake it first…”

Xu Qi’an glanced askance at the tower spirit. Seeing the monk remain so detached, he felt a flicker of delight, gently tapped his Earth Book fragment, and retrieved the anklet Baiji had sent him from far away.

Ding ding ding!

He gently shook the anklet, causing the little bells to ring crisply.

As the bells rang on, after a dozen seconds or so, Xu Qi’an saw the index finger of the left hand twitch.

The sight gave him the illusion of watching a horror film.

With the crisp sound of the bells, the finger’s movements grew quicker and quicker. The arm fully came to life, crawling rapidly on its fingers as if they were feet, straining furiously against the chains, which were pulled taut as it flailed left and right.

Xu Qi’an, holding the anklet, stiffly backed away, inch by inch.

His expression turned extremely grim, because from this arm he sensed a powerful malice, no less than that of the Daoist Leader of the Earth Sect.

That Shenshu was no benevolent being was something Xu Qi’an already knew. Whether it was the sinister aura shown while possessing Henghui, or the bouts of madness revealed now and then, everything told Xu Qi’an that Shenshu was a dangerous figure.

But the right arm under Sangpo was mostly benevolent. This left arm, sealed in Leizhou, belonged clearly to the “evil” camp. It was utterly different from the friendly right arm.

My cultivation’s sealed right now. Shenshu (right arm) is slumbering. I have no way to handle risks…

Xu Qi’an’s heart gradually sank to rock bottom.

Damn it, I can’t release this kind of remnant limb. I can be sure that the moment I release it, the arm will instantly backlash against me. For the outside world, it would undoubtedly bring massive disaster, it would devour life without restraint, seize essence and blood…

He gripped the anklet tightly, both frustrated and angry yet helpless. Such emotions were rare for him at this stage.

“Amitabha!”

The tower spirit, the old monk, suddenly appeared at his side, palms together, smiling gently:

“Good and evil often lie in a single thought.”

Startled by the sudden address, Xu Qi’an took two steps back.

So, he was watching me after all, or rather, watching Shenshu… Xu Qi’an quickly hid the anklet, and cautiously asked,

“This severed arm is filled with malice. Who exactly is its master?”

The tower spirit said in a solemn tone: “A person of extremes, with both good and evil at two opposite poles.”

“Rank Two Master of Rain Nalan was suppressed on the second floor, but this severed arm is confined to the third. It’s obvious the owner is a truly terrifying figure. If it broke free, what would the consequences be?”

While fishing for information about Shenshu, Xu Qi’an frantically searched his mind for a way to escape.

The monk withdrew his smile, his face becoming grave: “Catastrophe for all living things!”

”…”

According to his original plan, Xu Qi’an’s secret weapon for escaping the Stupa tower was Shenshu’s severed arm.

The right arm was so formidable; the left surely wouldn’t be far off, or maybe a bit less, since monks were single dogs, and single dogs trained their kirin arms on the right. But even if the left was a bit weaker, it couldn’t be by much, should be more than enough to deal with the third rank Vajra outside.

But fate played tricks. The arm suppressed in the Stupa tower was Shenshu’s evil thoughts.

“It must be difficult to unseal it, right?” Xu Qi’an collected himself and probed.

The tower spirit looked at him and spoke:

“Five hundred years ago, the Jianzheng and the Buddhist sect used this tower as a vessel and arranged a formation to seal this fiend.

“The Stupa tower is the treasured artefact of Dharmapara Bodhisattva. The first floor has a prohibition against killing; practitioners below third rank of any system, once inside, are unable to fight.

“The second floor stands thirty-six vajra statues, called the ‘Prison Guardians’, who can suppress and kill second rank masters. In battle, the owner of the artefact can wield the Prison Guardians’ power to suppress enemies.

“The third floor’s two golden statues are the Great Wisdom Aspect and Medicine Buddha Aspect forms cultivated by Dharmapara Bodhisattva, holding seventy percent the power of their true forms. They can enlighten, they can heal, but cannot be used to attack.”

Enlighten? Lingyin at home could use that… Xu Qi’an thought of his younger sister in her little child’s topknot.

If he could use the Great Wisdom Aspect to open Lingyin’s mind, that foolish child could transform from a dunce who struggled with “At birth, something inherently good” into a prodigy reciting classics backwards.

Suppression, control, healing, enlightenment, the Stupa tower is far too powerful. No wonder it was the refined treasure of a first rank Bodhisattva.

Indeed, Buddhism chose it to suppress Shenshu precisely because its status was high and power great.

If I had such a powerful artefact back then, it wouldn’t have been so hard to kill Emperor Yuanjing, nor would I have been so miserable facing Xu Pingfeng.

As his mind wandered, the tower spirit asked, “You were able to undo the Jianzheng’s seal, but you did not undo mine.”

He knows. He knows everything… Xu Qi’an’s face froze again.

Just as Xu Qi’an was pondering how to respond, the old monk joined his palms together and said kindly,

“The Buddha says: saving one life surpasses building a seven-storey stupa. This humble monk is willing to give you a chance, allow you to break the seal and release it.”

Xu Qi’an was stunned.

Seeing his doubt and confusion, the old monk pressed his palms together, saying,

“Monks do not lie.”

Xu Qi’an was still unconvinced: “You really agree to let me release it?”

The tower spirit smiled and nodded.

Xu Qi’an turned his head, looking at the left arm exuding malice and constantly smashing against its seal.

Regardless, I’ll release Shenshu first, break out of Sanhua Temple, and discuss it later. Dragon Qi is critical; it can’t fall into Buddhist hands…

No, I still can’t control Shenshu’s severed arm. Once it’s released, it will surely run wild, who knows how many will die in Leizhou…

Two thoughts clashed furiously in his mind like little people fighting.

The anklet in his hand tightened and loosened, loosened and tightened, over and over. At last, he whispered:

“Forget it.”

The tower spirit revealed a pleased smile: “Good and evil lie in a single thought. You have passed the test. From today, you are master of the Stupa tower.”

As he spoke, he lifted his hand and made a gentle gesture. A faint golden light flew from Xu Qi’an’s chest.

530. The Stupa Tower

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