142. Master's Cyan-Black Taoist Robe

"Huang Er, I'm scared."

"Stop talking. The more you say, the more terrified I get."

The brass oil lamp and Chen Huangpi looked in terror at the surrounding environment within the old Taoist temple.

Although there were no malevolent entities in the immediate vicinity.

It was as if those vicious presences had deliberately bypassed these areas concealing supreme treasures.

Yet, neither the man nor the lamp felt any sense of safety.

Instead, a dread born from the depths of their souls welled up within them.

An enormous grand formation was actually concealed inside the old temple.

Furthermore, nine supreme treasures were used to reinforce and channel the dead qi of the azure heavens, with three thousand immortals serving as the array eyes to seal and bind the formation.

With such a magnificent and terrifying scale, to claim that what was being suppressed inside this old temple was not the azure heavens itself—

Neither the brass oil lamp nor Chen Huangpi would believe it even if they were beaten to death.

"The azure heavens might have turned into a malevolent entity as well."

Chen Huangpi said weakly, "Master sealed it inside the old temple, but this formation is still missing several items and is definitely unstable. Let's leave quickly, I don't want to stay here anymore."

"Move forward, keep moving forward."

The brass oil lamp likewise said in a voice as faint as a whisper, "The temple master's Daoist robe is just ahead. I can already sense the presence of a malevolent entity up front. It's very dangerous there, let's hurry over."

Although they had spent a long time circling around and tossing about in this place.

In reality, they were getting closer and closer to that path.

Chen Huangpi had walked for less than the time it takes to brew a cup of tea.

When he instantly felt the surrounding environment seem to undergo a complete transformation.

Although everything remained shrouded in a hazy gray mist.

Many places were hidden even deeper within the darkness.

And the crimson moon hanging overhead emitted a chilly, biting frost.

Yet Chen Huangpi felt an inexplicable sense of peace of mind.

From afar, Chen Huangpi caught sight of a temple.

The temple was massive, standing in solitary desolation amidst the old Taoist temple.

Chen Huangpi was just about to step forward.

When suddenly, the brass oil lamp warned, "Something is coming."

The moment the words fell, the lamp's light extinguished itself accordingly.

Chen Huangpi lowered his head.

The man and the lamp instantly melted into the darkness.

Yet Chen Huangpi could feel that the brass oil lamp was currently radiating a bizarre power, wrapping both itself and him within it. Though they appeared to be deep within the darkness, in reality, it felt as if they had entered an entirely different dimension.

The brass oil lamp explained, "Although the Third Temple Master forced me to spit out the lamp oil I had consumed, not all of that lamp oil was contaminated. Right now, I am much stronger than before, and I can execute many of my abilities."

"This is a divine ability taught to me by that stone pagoda, a top-tier concealment technique."

"Huang Er, that stone pagoda is not Huang Yi, and it's neither kith nor kin to you. Why would it teach you a divine ability?"

"Naturally because of my boundless potential."

The brass oil lamp darted its eyes away evasively and said, "Aside from the Nine-Li Bell and that sword, the others have more or less taught me a trick or two. We all share a very good relationship."

"Really?"

"Naturally it's true. When have I ever lied to you?"

The brass oil lamp maintained a completely straight face without a hint of a blush.

In truth, there was no such thing as boundless potential, nor any exceptionally good relationship.

It was merely through bootlicking, flattery, acknowledging them as bosses, and playing both sides that it had managed to pick up a few skills.

However, the brass oil lamp would never admit to this.

Otherwise, if Chen Huangpi were to learn of this humiliating past, it would rather be dead.

However.

Chen Huangpi and the brass oil lamp knew each other far too well.

The moment he looked at the brass oil lamp's expression.

He knew that it was definitely lying.

Before he had a chance to expose it, though.

He saw the thing that the brass oil lamp had mentioned approaching.

The entity possessed a towering physique, nearly ten zhang in height.

Its upper body was bare and headless, yet it used its dual nipples as eyes and its navel as a mouth. In one hand, it wielded a weapon resembling an axe, while the other hand gripped a shield with a green face and sharp fangs.

The aura emanating from this entity was exceedingly eerie.

With just a single glance, Chen Huangpi felt his scalp tingle.

Aside from that malevolent Buddha's head and Yi Qingzhou, who had transformed into a malevolent entity.

This thing was the most terrifying horror Chen Huangpi had ever laid eyes on.

He could not even tell whether this monstrosity was a calamity among malevolent entities, a dire tribulation, or an existence transcending tribulation altogether.

"Huang Er, what is that?"

"I don't know."

The brass oil lamp shook, saying, "Ever since I was forged, I have remained within the Ten Thousand Great Mountains and have never left. But this thing shouldn't be a native malevolent entity of the Ten Thousand Great Mountains. Perhaps it hails from the outside world?"

It could not say for certain.

The outside world referred to the mortal realm where the Great Kang and the Western Buddhist Kingdom were located.

The Great Qian Immortal Dynasty was also in the mortal realm.

"If only Supreme Master Guangmu were still here."

Chen Huangpi said with a despondent expression, "He came from the Great Qian Immortal Dynasty and was extremely knowledgeable. He would definitely know what this thing is."

"Look, it's heading toward the temple."

Hearing this.

Chen Huangpi raised his head to look.

He saw that monstrosity hauling its axe as it strode toward the temple.

That temple had no doors.

Faintly, a blurred human figure could be discerned inside.

Chen Huangpi knew that was not a human figure, but his master's Daoist robe.

"Huang Er, hurry and take me over there!"

Chen Huangpi said through gritted teeth, "This thing has no head; it was probably lopped off by Master. Since it couldn't beat Master, it's going to vent its anger on Master's Daoist robe. I won't let it get its way."

"Fellow clansman, calm down."

The brass oil lamp lowered its voice and said, "The feeling this thing gives me is terrifying to the extreme. Even if the two of us joined forces, we wouldn't be its match."

"I know!"

Chen Huangpi explained, "We are currently hidden in the shadows while it is out in the open. The enemy is overt while we are covert. Let's sneak inside quietly, grab Master's Daoist robe, and run."

"Hurry, let's go quickly."

Seeing that the entity had already entered the temple and was growing closer and closer to his master's Daoist robe, how could he possibly sit still any longer?

With no other choice.

The brass oil lamp enveloped Chen Huangpi, constantly channeling its concealment technique, and rushed to the entrance of the temple ahead of the entity.

The temple was spacious, yet inside it housed only a single cyan-black Daoist robe.

Before his master lost his mind, the Daoist robe he wore was neither purple, nor white, nor cyan.

Instead, it was a profound cyan-black.

It looked ancient, carrying a profound Daoist charm.

The Daoist robe was hung upon a wooden rack.

Beneath that rack stood a massive ritual altar.

On the ritual altar sat an incense burner, flanked by a pair of burned-out candles on either side.

It looked as though someone regularly paid respects here.

The brass oil lamp remarked in bewilderment, "How strange. The temple master isn't even dead; why is his robe set up like this? Truly the epitome of unluckiness."

Among mortals, there was the concept of a cenotaph.

If one wished to pay respects frequently, they would even hang the deceased's clothing inside their home.

Should the family possess immense wealth.

Constructing a shrine was hardly a major undertaking.

The arrangement here at this moment mirrored precisely that.

Chen Huangpi naturally understood this, but right now he had no time to ponder it.

Because right behind them, that headless monstrosity—using its nipples as eyes and its navel as a mouth—had strode over and was on the verge of stepping into the temple.

Daring not to hesitate any longer.

Chen Huangpi took two steps in one, rushed into the temple, vaulted onto the ritual altar, and prepared to pull his master's Daoist robe into the Soul-Calling Booklet.

Just as he was about to do so.

The brass oil lamp cried out in distress, "Chen Huangpi, if you take the Daoist robe away now, that thing will definitely realize we're in the temple. Once it blocks the doorway, we won't be able to leave even if we wanted to."

"Then what should we do?"

"Wait until it leaves."

The brass oil lamp gritted its lamp-wick and said, "The temple master's Daoist robe is no mundane object. Terrifying as this thing is, it won't necessarily be able to destroy it. Otherwise, why would the Third Temple Master have told you to come here and retrieve it?"

Chen Huangpi let out a helpless sigh.

He had no choice but to stand upon the ritual altar, glaring at the entity approaching his master's Daoist robe.

If this thing dared to make a move.

He would fight it to the death.

Yet the next second.

An entirely unexpected development unfolded before Chen Huangpi's eyes.

Upon entering the temple, the entity laid its axe and shield aside near the back. Then, its cavernous navel-mouth stretched wide, and its hands reached inside to pull out two brand-new candles.

Immediately following this, the creature replaced the two burned-out candles on the ritual altar.

Next, it pulled a bundle of incense sticks from its mouth.

The incense ignited spontaneously without any external fire.

Clutching the bundle of incense, the creature dropped to its knees before the Daoist robe resting upon the ritual altar.

And it proceeded to execute the full kowtow ritual of three kowtows and nine prostrations.

However, because Chen Huangpi was currently standing on the altar utilizing the brass oil lamp's concealment divine ability and blocking the front of the Daoist robe, the entity was not kowtowing to the robe at all—it was kowtowing directly to Chen Huangpi.

"So it's been the one paying respects here all along."

Chen Huangpi said in astonishment, "Could this place have been set up by it?"

Hearing this.

The brass oil lamp gazed in confusion toward the interior of the temple.

Unlike the structures within the Abiding Immortal Temple, this shrine was constructed purely of packed mud, looking remarkably crude and entirely out of place.

To claim it was built by Daoist priests made little sense either.

Perhaps it truly was constructed by this very entity.

"Now that you mention it, it's entirely possible."

The brass oil lamp was filled with misgivings and couldn't help muttering, "But why would it do this? It's not even a member of our Abiding Immortal Temple."

The Abiding Immortal Temple housed numerous Daoist priests.

Those priests had all turned into malevolent entities upon their deaths.

Though it was unknown whether there were still Daoist priests buried in the Immortal-Burial Mound like Yi Qingzhou.

The creature before them clearly wasn't one of them.

Thud, thud, thud...

Having completed its nine prostrations, the entity rose to its feet and inserted the bundle of incense into the burner.

Afterward, it opened its wide mouth and silently muttered something.

"Its throat bones have been plucked out!"

The brass oil lamp noticed the complete absence of throat bones within the entity's oral cavity.

Much like the earlier Supreme Master Guangmu, despite possessing intelligence and consciousness, it was incapable of articulating human speech.

Within its true form, throat bones were similarly nonexistent.

However.

Chen Huangpi wore a peculiar expression as he stated, "Yet it seems I can understand what it's saying."

"Can you read lip movements?"

"I can't read lips, but I just know."

"What is it saying?"

"It says: *'By the Mandate of the Azure Heavens, in the Year of the Dao 17,400, a sinner of the immortal realm pays homage to the Dao Lord. I beseech the Dao Lord to show mercy beyond the law and bestow an Immortal Ascension Token.'*"

At this point, Chen Huangpi said with displeasure, "My Immortal Ascension Tokens all came from Yi Qingzhou. This thing just kowtows a few times and burns some incense candles, yet it expects Master to grant it an Immortal Ascension Token. How shameless."

"A sinner of the immortal realm? Could it be a Celestial Human?"

The brass oil lamp mused thoughtfully, "Not everyone in the immortal realm is an immortal; there are mortals in the immortal realm as well. It's just that those mortals are immensely powerful with boundless lifespans, yet unable to achieve immortality throughout their lives, thus earning them the designation of Celestials."

"The so-called celestial soldiers and heavenly generals are precisely such beings."

"Did this Celestial Human say anything else?"

"It did!"

Chen Huangpi said through gritted teeth, "It said that as a condemned sinner, it hasn't many days left to live. If Master refuses to grant it an Immortal Ascension Token, it will spend whatever time it has left guarding this temple, and even in death, it will confess its sins before Master."

The brass oil lamp cried out in panic, "If it's not leaving, how are we supposed to leave? If we don't get out before dawn, we'll never be able to escape this place."