I Have Infinite Skill Points-Chapter 557

Pure Temple was an ancient temple that had stood for a hundred years, located at the side of a valley with flowing water beside it. As evening approached, Wang Lan and his group had just arrived at Pure Temple when the distant toll of the temple bell seemed to wash over everyone’s spirit like clear water.

"What brings you to our humble temple at dusk, honored benefactors?" Although a middle-aged monk did not know the identities of Wang Lan and the others, the red license plate was clear enough. It was a military vehicle.

Coupled with the extraordinary aura of the person who alighted from the first vehicle, the monk instantly deduced that Wang Lan and his group were not mere tourists.

"We are from the Tianjian Bureau headquarters in Cloud Sea Province. Is Master Puhai of Pure Temple here?"

"Amitabha. Master Puhai is practicing in our temple, but he has been undertaking silent Chan practice for seven years now."

"We need to see Master Puhai. Take us to him," someone from the Action Department demanded, his voice leaving no room for refusal, which made the group of monks tense up immediately.

Logically speaking, Master Puhai had been practicing silent Chan for seven years and had not left the temple during that period. It seemed unlikely he had committed any offense. But why would the authorities come looking for him?

Under the leadership of the abbot, the group came to a meditation hall at the back of the temple. Soon after, from a simple dormitory, an old monk was assisted out by two young monks.

"Amitabha. Honored benefactors, this is Master Puhai. Master Puhai has been practicing silent Chan for seven years and is only two years away from completing his merit. If you have any questions, I can answer them on his behalf. What do you think of that?"

"Master Puhai, where is the White Lotus Sect located?" Wang Lan asked directly.

Master Puhai silently shook his head and began to gesture rapidly in the palm of the abbot.

"My master uncle said he has never heard of the White Lotus Sect, nor does he know where it might be located."

"Years ago, Buddha Shakyamuni and the local alliance of the righteous, led by the White Lotus Sect, joined forces to resist the Longevity Sect, which was dominated by the Evil spirit. After years of fierce battles, the Buddha finally sealed the Evil spirit’s Primordial Spirit and body.

The Primordial Spirit was sealed within the Demon-restricting Buddha Statue and guarded by his disciple Jia Nan, who later founded Niehua Temple. The body was taken by the White Lotus Sect. However, three thousand years passed, times changed, and the White Lotus Sect vanished into the annals of history.

Now that the Evil spirit’s Primordial Spirit has broken free from its seal and continues to harm the world, we must find its body before the Evil spirit does. Master, do you truly not know, or are you unwilling to speak?"

"Amitabha—" Suddenly, Master Puhai brought his palms together and let out a tremulous recitation of the Buddha’s name.

The surrounding monks all looked at Master Puhai in astonishment. The seven years of silent Chan practice he had undertaken were broken today; seven years of cultivation were ruined in an instant.

"Benefactors, I truly do not know. The founding Master Jia Nan did indeed establish Niehua Temple to suppress the Primordial Spirit of the Evil spirit. However, the specifics of how and where it is suppressed are secrets known only to the abbot of Niehua Temple through inheritance.

As for the White Lotus Sect—monks do not speak falsely—I truly do not know of it. This matter is likely also connected to the ancient secrets passed down through Niehua Temple. By speaking today, I have already paid the price of breaking my vow of silence. Given my advanced age, I fear I will never be able to cultivate it to completion again. Everything I have stated is the truth."

"Since that’s the case, do you know where Niehua Temple is?"

"I know," said Master Puhai. Saying this, he stood up and walked into the meditation room. After a while, he came out holding a grey kasaya. "Niehua Temple is the Holy Land of Buddhism in Cloud Sea. This kasaya is inscribed with a map for finding Niehua Temple. You can use this map to guide you there."

Wang Lan took the kasaya and unfolded it. The material of the kasaya was unidentifiable; it seemed quite old yet showed no sign of damage or erosion. Upon seeing the kasaya, many monks of Pure Temple became visibly excited.

Niehua Temple was the Holy Land of Buddhism in Cloud Sea. Every devout disciple of Buddhism dreamt of visiting Niehua Temple to worship and practice. However, Niehua Temple existed only in legend. Only truly enlightened monks had the chance to go there for cultivation.

They knew Master Puhai had once visited Niehua Temple. Yet, for decades, none had ever managed to learn its whereabouts from him. Now, upon seeing the map, even the abbot, a monk of high Buddhist cultivation, felt a momentary surge of greed.

A sin, a sin.

Having obtained the map, Wang Lan, Yu Ruoyun, Jiang Xinyu, and Director Zhang Huai of the Action Department promptly set out without delay. According to the map, Niehua Temple was hidden even deeper than the primitive village.

The map had nine checkpoints, and one had to establish the direction at the previous checkpoint before moving on to the next. This presented a certain difficulty for Wang Lan to simply fly there.

But the difficulty was not insurmountable.

The high Cultivation Levels of Wang Lan and his companions meant they moved with incredible speed, and within two hours, they had entered deep into the dense forest.

"How could Niehua Temple be in such a place?" Zhang Huai couldn’t help but complain. "This isn’t just a question of seclusion anymore; this place is completely uninhabited! Deep in a primeval forest, cut off from the world... What do they eat? What do they drink? How do they live? Surely they aren’t living like primitives, are they?"

"There should be a hidden paradise, like a secluded peach orchard, deep within the dense forest... Wait, someone has been here recently," Wang Lan suddenly stopped and said.

"The scratch marks are fresh, no more than twenty-four hours old. They were made to prevent getting lost."

"Yu Ruoyun, sense the area," Wang Lan ordered.

"Nothing within a five-kilometer radius... They must have left some time ago. Wang Lan, don’t worry about them; we should prioritize finding Niehua Temple."

The group continued on their way. About an hour later, they arrived at a checkpoint less than three kilometers from Niehua Temple. Following the designated direction, another two kilometers would take them to Niehua Temple.

"Someone’s here!" Yu Ruoyun suddenly called out, her eyes fixed on a position deep in the dense forest.

"Young lady, so young yet so formidable in strength. You actually managed to detect my presence?" A mocking voice echoed, and in an instant, a figure appeared on the trunk of a large tree.

With his appearance, figures flickered amidst the dense woods; a dozen or so people eerily appeared, perched on the trunks of massive trees, each one wearing a mask, appearing especially mysterious.

One Titled Strongman, twelve at the Star Sea Realm... this lineup is enough to wage a war of annihilation against a nation... Wang Lan thought to himself.

"Lord Grey Fox, is that you?" Zhang Huai stepped forward, asking with surprise.

"Who are you?"

"I’m Zhang Huai, director of the Action Department at the Tianjian Bureau headquarters in Cloud Sea Province. Lord Grey Fox, you all have been missing for three days now. Why haven’t you sent us any messages in all this time?"

"Three days? Impossible. It’s only been a little over half a day since we set out," Grey Fox said, somewhat surprised. "You’re from the Tianjian Bureau of Cloud Sea Province? The Cloud Sea Tianjian Bureau has experts of this caliber?"

"Oh, Lord Grey Fox, allow me to introduce you. This is Greedy Wolf Crown, this is Princess Yu, and this is Lady Jiang Xinyu."

As Zhang Huai revealed their identities, Grey Fox’s expression subtly changed. His group, with one Titled Strongman and twelve from the Star Sea Realm, was already considered a godly lineup. However, it was nothing compared to Wang Lan’s team.

Two Titled Strongmen, and the youngest record-holder for reaching the Star Sea Realm. The issue was that the three individuals standing before him had all previously held this very record. A record that had remained unbroken for decades was first shattered by Yu Ruoyun, then by Wang Lan, and now by Jiang Xinyu.

Currently, Yu Ruoyun was a Titled Strongman, and Wang Lan was a Titled Strongman. Who knew, Jiang Xinyu might also be a Titled Strongman; perhaps her title was merely en route and hadn’t been delivered yet. His own lineup, when compared to potentially three Titled Strongmen on the other side, was simply insignificant.

WHOOSH—

Grey Fox appeared in front of Wang Lan, extending his hand. "I’m Grey Fox. Lord Greedy Wolf, a pleasure to meet you."

"Hello. How did you end up here?"

"We came to investigate the recent mass disappearance of Star Martial Warriors. We had just found some clues and entered the dense forest. It took us more than half a day to track them to this location. However, after wandering around for so long, we ended up getting lost.

By the way, have we really been on the move for three days already? Why does it feel like only a day has passed for us? Could we have encountered a Spiritual Barrier?"

"Maybe."

"How about you? Are you also searching for the missing Star Martial Warriors?"

"No, we’re looking for an ancient temple."

"I’ve now also lost track of the other party’s clues, and I almost got lost just moments ago. What do you say we team up and move together?"

Grey Fox suggested teaming up, and naturally, Wang Lan had no reason to refuse. The two groups joined forces and then headed towards Niehua Temple.

After traveling two kilometers, they finally found the hidden paradise Wang Lan had hypothesized. Passing through a grove of neatly aligned redwood trees, they arrived at a vast plain. The plain featured lakes and cultivated fields. The world before them seemed entirely separate from the one they had just journeyed through.

However, while the wheat fields on the plain were brimming with vitality, the three rows of houses in the distance had been reduced to a stretch of ruins.

Wang Lan and his companions’ faces changed dramatically, and they teleported instantly into the midst of the ruins.

Severed bodies were strewn everywhere, the blood not yet fully congealed. Niehua Temple, which should have been a Holy Land for Buddhism, had become a hell of carnage.

"Too late?" Princess Yu observed the scene before her, her fine brows slightly furrowed.

"The signs of battle are clear, and not much time has passed since the fighting," Grey Fox surveyed the surroundings and sighed.

Wang Lan walked through the ruins. He noted only the corpses of Niehua Temple’s monks; there were no traces of their attackers. This meant either the assailants had disposed of their own dead, or their strength far surpassed that of Niehua Temple’s monks, leaving the attackers unscathed.

Wang Lan paused. Amidst the rubble, he found a broken signboard. The three characters for "Niehua Temple" upon it seemed utterly derisive.

The battle likely ended within the last hour, judging by the coagulation of the blood. Gazing upon the scene, everyone’s hearts felt as though they were blocked by a massive stone, heavy with discomfort.

Reaching the center of Niehua Temple, they saw an old monk in a gray-white robe sitting cross-legged. His beard was entirely white, and his head was bowed; he was already dead. His chest was soaked in blood; the old monk’s heart had been cruelly gouged out.

Clearly, the old monk’s posture was not posed by the murderer. The old monk maintained a dignified posture, his left hand clutching Buddha Beads. Perhaps he was reciting sutras even at the moment of his death.

In front of the old monk, six words were written in blood: From whence you come, to whence you go.

"From whence come? To whence go? Is this an allusion from the Buddhist scriptures?"

"What does the old monk mean by leaving these six words? Is there any hidden meaning?" Jiang Xinyu asked curiously.

"Probably not. Perhaps the old monk meant that he came from nirvana and was now returning to nirvana," Grey Fox said calmly, stroking a tuft of beard on his chin.

"Let’s search the surroundings for anything useful, especially scriptures or ancient texts. Even if Niehua Temple has been destroyed, some secrets might still be recorded within them."