Infiltrating the world of cultivation

Chapter 125 Black Mountain Temple

At noon the following day, Wang Chao arrived at Mengyang Town on time.

A group of more than ten people had already gathered there, led by a middle-aged man wearing a purple Taoist robe and sporting a goatee.

This must be the so-called Daoist Lingguang. Wang Chao glanced at his cultivation level and his eye twitched. He was at the third stage of Qi Refining.

The remaining group included those at the second stage of Qi Refining, those at the first stage of Qi Refining, and even a few innate martial artists.

What kind of demon is this? Could it be a rabbit spirit? Or a radish spirit?

Wang Chao's cultivation level was the highest, and no one could see through it, so they naturally regarded him as a first-rate martial artist.

When everyone had gathered, Wang Chao glanced at them out of the corner of his eye; there were a total of eighteen people.

Wang Chao regretted joining the operation. It didn't seem like they were going to subdue any great demons. This team was just a rabble.

But since we're already here, we might as well go through with it.

"Everyone, I am Master Lingguang of Lingguang Temple. To be honest, I am a cultivator!"

After Master Lingguang finished speaking, he paused deliberately and looked at everyone.

"What? This operation actually involves cultivators? Then it's practically a sure thing."

Upon hearing this, a martial artist with innate talent immediately showed a look of great surprise.

Seeing this guy's exaggerated acting skills, Wang Chao was speechless.

The Master Lingguang squinted his eyes, seemingly enjoying the compliment, and began to scan around.

"You may not know this, but this Master Lingguang is at the third stage of Qi Refining. You could say he stands at the pinnacle of the Great Qin Empire."

A young man dressed in a robe similar to that of Master Lingguang began to flatter him; clearly, he was his disciple.

It was another typical case of mutual flattery. Wang Chao rolled his eyes, then saw that Lingguang Shangren had turned his gaze to him, and Wang Chao smiled slightly.

"So you are Venerable Lingguang! I have long admired your name and heard that Venerable Lingguang of Lingguang Temple is a man of great bearing. I never expected to see you in person. It is truly an honor!"

Wang Chao also flattered him, not because he was afraid of this Lingguang Shangren, but because he found it amusing, and also because having a scapegoat in front of him saved him a lot of trouble.

After being flattered by the dynasty, Master Lingguang felt like he was getting too big for his britches.

Wang Chao smiled knowingly. This is just how human relationships are. In a big forest, you'll find all kinds of birds. Only through more experiences and insights can one gain a deeper understanding.

"This mission was entrusted by the mayor of Mengyang Town. A villager reported to the authorities that a strange tree that eats people had appeared on Daheishan Mountain, two kilometers south of Mengyang."

Its branches are enormous; they can kill someone from a hundred paces away!

Obviously, there is an exaggeration involved. According to my speculation, it is very likely that the old tree has become a spirit and has acquired some abilities.

Today, I, the Venerable One, will rid the people of this scourge!

This Master Lingguang had two tufts of goatee that twitched back and forth, exuding a mercenary air and lacking any trace of the demeanor of a cultivator.

Once everyone understood the personality of this Master Lingguang, they immediately began to flatter him.

Daheishan Mountain is quite a distance from the official road, and usually only some herb gatherers and hunters venture into it.

The villager who reported the incident had no idea what he was doing deep in the Daheishan Mountains.

Walking through the dense forest, the branches underfoot creaked and crunched.

The group of eighteen people climbed the mountain in a triangular formation, but after walking for most of the day, they still couldn't find the man-eating tree.

According to the villager who reported the incident, the giant, man-eating tree was so dense that it could injure people from a distance of a hundred paces.

After walking in the mountains for half a day, the group had not seen a single ancient tree, let alone a towering one. They had already walked a great distance.

Why would that villager go so far for no reason? Everyone felt they might have been tricked. This bounty mission was probably going to fall through.

“It’s impossible for an ordinary villager to travel this far alone in the deep mountains. I suspect that villager is up to something. Maybe he killed someone and then framed that damn tree spirit?”

Some people couldn't help but mutter, after all, they might have made a wasted trip.

"We have only explored half of this Black Mountain. Before tonight, we will explore to the top of the mountain and stay overnight. If we still have no results by noon tomorrow, we will go back."

"Don't worry, everyone. That mayor of Mengyang Town isn't going to escape. Since he tricked us, we won't agree to anything without some benefits."

Master Lingguang spoke up and calmed everyone down.

Even he felt deceived at this moment; it seemed that the information provided by that villager was unreliable.

The dynasty didn't take it for granted; since someone had noticed, it must not be baseless.

While you're unlikely to encounter any powerful plant-type spirits, you might still run into some old trees that can be lethal.

He had a history of carelessness that led to trouble, so even though this time there seemed to be no danger, Wang Chao remained vigilant.

"Pfft! Pfft!"

On its chest, Little Grey peeked out with half its head, its big eyes darting around aimlessly; clearly, it was bored too.

"Don't come out, go back inside!"

Wang Chao pressed Little Grey's head in, looked around, and found that no one was paying attention to him.

"Quack!"

The sun had already set, and crows were circling on the branches. The group of nineteen people reached the mountaintop before dark.

"No need to camp tonight, there's a dilapidated temple over there!"

Some people pointed towards the mountaintop and shouted excitedly. After all, having lived in the secular world for so long, they always felt that having a roof over their heads was better.

"Then we shall stay here for the night, though we do not know which deity's temple this may be."

Master Lingguang entered the temple, and the crowd followed.

Wang Chao felt that this scene was familiar, as if he had seen it somewhere before. This was his first time in the Great Qin Empire, so how could it be familiar?

"Black Mountain Temple!"

What a strange name. Using the mountain as a temple and the mountain as a home, who would have such sentiments?

Wang Chao felt something was strange. The Black Mountain Temple on the Black Mountain was shrouded in clouds, and the moon was obscured from the temple. This phenomenon was indeed somewhat unnatural.

Upon entering the temple, the place was indeed somewhat dilapidated, appearing to have been abandoned for a long time.

A thick layer of dust covered the temple.

The group entered the main hall, where many ancient Buddha statues had collapsed and were lying haphazardly on the ground. Cobwebs even hung from the corners of the hall, indicating that they had not been maintained for a long time.

However, in the very center of the main hall, there still stands a statue of a deity. This statue is somewhat unusual and seems out of place with the dilapidated Black Mountain Temple.

Because it looks brand new, there's no reason why other ancient Buddha statues would collapse while this one stands so perfectly intact.

Moreover, its surface appears to be constantly wiped clean, as if someone is always wiping it.

His appearance is also quite unique. His left half is a dark-faced, masculine figure with an imposing and domineering aura between his brows.

On the right, however, she is extremely graceful, with a captivating charm in her eyes and brows, like a fairy descended to earth. These two completely opposite images are blended together so cleverly.

Surprisingly, it didn't seem out of place at all.

Wang Chao had a vague feeling that something was wrong. First, the location of the Black Mountain Temple was perfect; it appeared just as they were traveling and it was about to get dark.

It should be noted that among the crowd, even the weakest were innate martial artists, whose speed was undeniably fast. Yet, after walking for so long, they still hadn't found the towering tree that the villager had described.

So, if what the villager said is true, why would he go so far?

Moreover, how could an ancient temple be built on such a desolate mountain? The Buddha statues inside the ancient temple all collapsed, so why was that strange statue unharmed?

Even if it's a coincidence, why is the statue so spotless?

"Huh? What god is this statue of? Why is it so clean?"

A thin, first-stage Qi Refining cultivator saw the statue and curiously touched it.

Wang Chao frowned. Even the locals of the Great Qin Empire didn't recognize this statue, so its origin was questionable.

Who would be so bored as to place a statue of a deity here, and even wipe it clean to keep it tidy?

"What are you all standing there for? Go out and gather firewood! It's cold here at night, but I'm not afraid. If you're not afraid either, then you don't need to go."

Master Lingguang sat cross-legged and began to meditate.

Clearly, this bounty mission is probably off the table. He will conduct a final observation tomorrow, and if there are no results, he plans to withdraw.

Upon hearing this, the group left in small groups, returning with enough firewood to last all night.

Although Wang Chao was very puzzled, he did not show it, because he knew that it would be of no use to say anything.