CHAPTER 385: CHAPTER 0382: CAN WE NOT TALK ABOUT IT, I’M SCARED

Qin Yang complained as he looked at Lin Fan.

Such a ruthless person, quick to resort to action with little provocation. Can’t you show a bit of humanity?

He was self-aware and naturally knew his strength couldn’t compete with Lin Fan, so he had to endure.

If only he had an Immortal Treasure with him, things definitely wouldn’t be this way.

He’d make sure this guy understood what it means to be a Noble Family Young Master of the Immortal Venerable lineage.

"Brother Lin, thinking it over carefully, what you mentioned isn’t impossible. In this world, many strange occurrences can happen. In my opinion, we should take a closer look around; maybe we’ll discover something."

"After all, this is an ancient temple. Who knows, there might even be treasures here."

Xiang Fei’s thoughts were simple. This small temple carried an air of peculiarity—perhaps the ancient powerhouse who disappeared here had hidden something valuable before departing.

Qin Yang scoffed inwardly. To avoid a beating, he held his tongue. If treasures truly existed here, they would’ve been taken long ago. Why would they remain for him?

Lin Fan observed the surroundings.

Initially unaware of the peculiarities of this temple, he hadn’t paid much attention. But upon learning that the Demon Crossing Scripture was left here, he couldn’t underestimate it any longer.

He examined every corner with great care.

Not even the tiniest clues were overlooked.

"What are you doing?"

Lin Fan turned to Qin Yang, who was randomly touching things, and couldn’t help but question him. Lin Fan had planned to retreat after investigating, as who knew what dangers might lurk here.

Qin Yang jumped in fright at Lin Fan’s voice, responding, "Nothing, just looking around, that’s all."

—Creak!—

It seemed Qin Yang had activated something.

Suddenly, a phenomenon like the drifting sands of time began to permeate the small temple.

Everything became illusory.

What followed was astonishing. Inside the dilapidated temple, time began to reverse, and its worn decorations were restored.

The river of time cleansed this place.

Lin Fan and the others seemed to be standing in a peculiar temporal moment.

"This is..."

He saw three monks seated in the center. The once-blurred Demon Crossing Scripture had become clear, but an unseen, mysterious force still rendered it hazy, impervious to the naked eye.

"Could it be we’re witnessing events from a specific point in time, reliving what happened here?" Lin Fan murmured.

Xiang Fei added, "That’s very likely. I think Qin Yang touched something that triggered a temporal reversal, recreating scenes from this place’s past as snapshots of time."

But when they turned to look at Qin Yang,

they noticed he was frozen, staring at a monk with a furrowed brow, seemingly deep in thought.

Lin Fan focused on the monk trapped between the two others. This monk bore black scripture tattoos on his body, exuding sinister vibes. Meanwhile, the other two monks shimmered golden, using the Demon Crossing Scripture to confront the malevolent aura.

No sounds.

No way to discern what the three monks were discussing.

Then, suddenly,

An unusual turn of events occurred. The sinister monk placed both palms on the golden monks, as if unleashing an earth-shaking Buddhist Divine Skill.

The two golden monks screamed in agony, their bodies withering as their flesh and blood seemed to be drained away.

"This monk is savage! He’s using this opportunity to absorb the other two!" Xiang Fei exclaimed in shock, nearly shouting outright in disbelief.

The final scene showed the absorbing monk tearing apart the bodies of the other two by hand, grinding their bones to powder, and extracting his own golden blood. The mix of bone dust and blood fused together, which he used as paint to inscribe intricate patterns on the temple walls.

The illusory timeline shattered, and the scene disappeared completely.

They were back in the dilapidated temple.

"So that’s the issue. Anyone treated in such a way would harbor overwhelming resentment," Lin Fan remarked.

Xiang Fei commented, "I feel like the scene we just witnessed happened in an era far removed from us. It likely has no connection to our present."

Suddenly,

They noticed Qin Yang standing motionless like he was in a daze. Xiang Fei asked incredulously, "Did you figure something out?"

"I know who that person was." Qin Yang’s eyes widened, trembling as if he’d uncovered some ancient secret.

Lin Fan asked, "Who?"

Qin Yang shook his head vehemently and replied, "I can’t say. For beings of that caliber, speaking their name would attract their attention. It’d bring trouble for me. This whole place is a scheme by that existence—I think we’d better leave; even staying here scares me."

"Scared? Aren’t you supposed to be the Noble Family Young Master of the Immortal Venerable lineage? Is there anything you’re afraid of?" Lin Fan ridiculed.

"Are you serious? Of course, I’m scared. Being a lineage heir doesn’t make me immune to genuinely horrifying figures. I’m getting out of here—it’s your choice if you want to stay. Just don’t involve me."

Qin Yang hurried outside, visibly shaken. The mention of such grandeur entities was akin to a mortal praying to a deity, invoking awareness—it was the same principle. Given their current location’s peculiarity, uttering names would inevitably alert those figures.

At that moment, Qin Yang was utterly unsettled.

As someone privy to forbidden secrets, he felt as if being discovered could result in elimination.

Especially since the existence in question was so revered.

Hell no!

If he’d known it would be like this, he’d rather have been beaten to death earlier than join these two on this journey.

He wanted to leave.

But after reconsidering, he hesitated.

The matter didn’t just concern him—Lin Fan and Xiang Fei knew it too. If word slipped, he’d undoubtedly be tracked.

Back inside the temple.

Xiang Fei chuckled, "To scare him to such an extent, that figure must be truly extraordinary. The issue of resentment here isn’t something we can resolve; we’d better leave quickly, like him."

"Alright." Lin Fan agreed.

He valued his life above all.

Initially, he’d thought of the run-down temple as a minor stop for some goodwill, a place to resolve local resentment.

But this episode? Far too dangerous.

There was no need to identify the enemy; witnessing the scene’s temporal magic was proof enough to steer clear.

Lin Fan turned, clasping his hands together in prayer, "Amitabha, I meant no harm in passing through. Please forgive me."

No matter if he was a disciple of Buddhism or not, observing these customary rites was prudent.

Outside the temple.

Qin Yang saw Lin Fan and Xiang Fei coming out and hurriedly approached to warn them. "I’m telling you, don’t breathe a word about this to anyone else, or you’ll bring serious trouble upon yourselves."

He needed to make things clear.

Xiang Fei chuckled, "Is it really necessary to scare yourself that much? The figure involved was a monk; surely it has ties to Buddhism. As for who it is, could it be..."

Qin Yang reacted like a startled rabbit, quickly covering Xiang Fei’s mouth and shaking his head in terror. "You want to die? Don’t say it! You absolutely can’t say it. Please, I’m begging you, okay? I’m still young; I don’t want to die yet."

Xiang Fei brushed away Qin Yang’s hand and mocked him, "Look at how scared you are."

Still,

He had an inkling of who Qin Yang was talking about.

Though he’d never seen that figure personally, he’d heard of such individuals before.

Qin Yang’s shaken reaction to seeing the young monk clearly indicated firsthand recognition of someone extraordinary. It seemed the Immortal Venerable Qin Family harbored deeper secrets than outsiders assumed.

Even Xiang Fei chose to keep this matter buried within his heart.

Lin Fan remarked, "Earlier I thought breaking the resentment’s hold was as simple as releasing it. I suspect the blurred Demon Crossing Scripture was suppressing the resentment. Removing it should resolve the problem."

"That’s unacceptable," Xiang Fei disagreed, shaking his head. "Anyway, this has nothing to do with us. Leaving sooner is better. A small temple hidden in the woods—whether anyone happens upon it or not doesn’t concern us anymore."

"It seems we were overly cautious, coming here simply because we sensed resentment."

Qin Yang was now completely bewildered.

He hadn’t expected Lin Fan to entertain the thought of breaking this temple’s resentment.

Quit joking around.

That’s something sure to cost lives!

Lin Fan had a sense the two were hiding something but didn’t press them. He chuckled inwardly at their secrets, thinking he didn’t even care to know.

Soon,

The three began walking through the forest.

Gradually, however, things felt off.

They encountered numerous dead beasts along the way, their bodies bloodied as if struck lethally by some sharp object.

"Do you sense something strange about this area?" Lin Fan asked.

—Rustle! Rustle!—

Suddenly,

A movement sound emerged.

Though fleeting, they did hear it. Scanning their surroundings, they saw nothing but towering trees—no apparent abnormalities.

"What was that just now?"

Qin Yang asked. Though unfit to challenge Lin Fan, he wasn’t weak, and his eyes glowed faintly as he scanned the area for the source.

"It’s a tree spirit."

He discerned that the surrounding giant trees were steeped in resentment.

After pondering for a while,

he realized the temple’s problem was more severe than expected. Ordinarily, Buddhist temples would repel tree spirits within miles. But now, not only had they appeared nearby, but they were abundant—a disconcerting discovery.

"Stay calm. These are likely petty nuisances. A bigger threat may be waiting for us. Act as if we don’t know and see what happens tonight," Lin Fan whispered. Although they could ignore the mysterious temple, the tree spirits had to be dealt with.

No other reason.

Lin Fan was fixated on the idea that tree spirits possessed Innate Divine Ability.

Longevity.

Becoming immortal granted a long lifespan, but even then there were limits. Tree spirits, on the other hand, were different—regardless of weak strength, their lifespan was exceptionally long.

Xiang Fei was baffled.

Why bother provoking tree spirits with no benefits to gain? Wouldn’t leaving be easier? Even if the spirits held ill will toward them, they couldn’t pose serious threats.

By nightfall.

Lin Fan lit a fire, eventually capturing a wild beast to roast for food.

"You’ve cultivated to this level, and you still want to eat? Ha!" Qin Yang immediately mocked the mortal-like action, expressing his disdain.

However, when Lin Fan raised his hand, he immediately backed off.

"Speak properly if you’ve got something to say! Don’t scare me, alright?"

Qin Yang was genuinely frightened.

This man played by no rules at all.