I Have Infinite Skill Points-Chapter 563: Scarlet Lotus Assassin

Early the next morning, Mr. Zhang led Wang Lan to the location. Mr. Zhang only knew the exact location from his master and had never been there himself. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

The secret’s location was guarded by a mnemonic, and the method to decipher this mnemonic required another set of esoteric formulas. This ensured that only the Sect Master, the inheritor of the White Lotus Sect’s legacy, knew of the secret.

They wandered in the mountains for an entire day; this speed was only achieved because Wang Lan used his superior mobility to move them quickly. If it had been Mr. Zhang alone, it might have taken him three days to find this location.

Finally, Wang Lan followed Mr. Zhang to a cave. The cave was winding, and the continuous dripping of water echoed in their ears. Wang Lan ignited the True Sunfire. Even a tiny flicker of this flame was enough to illuminate the entire cave.

Suddenly, countless bats were startled within the cave. There were thousands, if not tens of thousands. Wang Lan quickly erected the Holy Light to envelop them both, letting the tide of bats wash over them.

After all the bats had left the cave, the two continued deeper inside.

Eventually, they arrived at the farthest end of the cave. There, they found a smooth rock face, appearing as if it were a wall constructed from cement. An intricate and unsettling pattern was engraved on this wall.

"General Wang, this is a Seal Array established by a high-level practitioner from Buddhism," Mr. Zhang explained, a white light suddenly glowing around him.

It was as soft and serene as moonlight.

Mr. Zhang raised his finger and began tracing the pattern. From a metaphysical perspective, Mr. Zhang was manipulating the Array to activate it. From a scientific perspective, this was akin to inputting an activation password.

After a long while, the Array on the wall suddenly lit up. The disjointed and odd symbols began to converge and meld, transforming in the blink of an eye into a Space Gate that rippled with spatial waves.

Mr. Zhang nodded at Wang Lan and stepped into the Space Gate. Wang Lan quickly followed. After stepping through, the scenery before them abruptly opened up.

Beyond the spatial passage lay not just a Different Dimensional Space, but also a vast treasure chamber. The chamber was filled with countless treasures, enough to dazzle anyone.

Mr. Zhang looked around in astonishment, hardly able to believe his eyes. Since ancient times, successive Sect Masters had only known that the physical body of the ancient Demon, the Evil spirit, was imprisoned within the forbidden grounds of the White Lotus Sect.

The forbidden grounds of the White Lotus Sect served as the Evil spirit’s prison. But no one had ever told him that these forbidden grounds also concealed countless gold and silver treasures. However, on second thought, it seemed reasonable.

The White Lotus Sect had once experienced a period of glory, especially after the Evil spirit was suppressed. When Buddhism entered the Central Plains, the White Lotus Sect, located south of the Yangtze River in the southwestern corner of the divine land, was the undisputed leader of the righteous path.

Moreover, ancients had a penchant for hiding valuables. Therefore, it was entirely plausible that a past Sect Master of the White Lotus Sect had hidden the sect’s treasures within these forbidden grounds. No one could guarantee the sect’s perpetual prosperity. Should it ever decline, the White Lotus Sect could rely on these treasures to restore its Sect Gate...

With this thought, Mr. Zhang suddenly ran into the midst of the treasures. He didn’t so much as glance at the gold and silver, instead rummaging through a pile of boxes.

After opening one of the boxes, Mr. Zhang began to tremble.

"It’s really here... it’s truly here... It really is here! Hahaha... It’s really here!"

Wang Lan approached and saw that the larger box contained smaller, square boxes, each with a label.

"’White Lotus Sect’s Qi Cultivation Skill,’ ’Lotus Heart Sutra,’ ’Green Lotus Sword Skill,’ ’White Lotus Holy Song,’ ’Nine White Lotus Skills’..."

"These are?"

"The White Lotus Sect’s... legacy of Cultivation Techniques," Mr. Zhang murmured, a contented smile gracing his features. "Three thousand years ago, although the White Lotus Sect couldn’t compare to the major Sect Gates in the Central Plains, it was still a formidable power in its own region. These Cultivation Techniques inherit ancient cultivation practices and bridge them to the methods of later Sect Gates..."

"General Wang, do you think if our country obtained a complete set of Star Martial Art cultivation methods... could we revive the splendor of the ancient cultivation civilization?"

"Certainly. Our era doesn’t lack talent or geniuses, but we are short of Cultivation Techniques. Some cultivation-related technical hurdles could take us decades, or even centuries, to overcome. With systematic cultivation methods, these difficulties would be easily resolved," Wang Lan replied, also somewhat excited.

Wang Lan still remembered the excitement when he brought back Cultivation Techniques from the Fairy Cloud Sect. Unfortunately, the Fairy Cloud Sect had only preserved its high-level techniques. The path of cultivation is like building a skyscraper.

Having only high-level techniques without a solid foundation is like a tree without roots. Such techniques are suitable only for cultivators at extraordinary levels, like the Five Emperors. Even then, progress is frustratingly slow due to a lack of fundamental understanding.

From the Sunlight Sword Pavilion, Wang Lan had only obtained Liu Changfeng’s Sunlight Sword Skill, which, in essence, was similar to the high-level techniques from the Fairy Cloud Sect. If the White Lotus Sect had indeed preserved a complete system of cultivation methods, it would represent a monumental breakthrough for humanity.

"That’s good... that’s very good... General Wang, I plan to donate all of the White Lotus Sect’s Cultivation Techniques to the state. My only request is that my daughter be allowed to carry on the White Lotus Sect’s legacy."

"That is quite reasonable. On behalf of the state, I sincerely thank you," Wang Lan said, opening his Void Storing space to gather the boxes. "Zhang Xiaotong will receive the highest standard of instruction available in Jade Country. Every master in Jade Country will unreservedly impart their skills to her and guide her studies."

"Thank you."

The two continued deeper into the forbidden area, eventually finding a massive piece of amber at its very heart.

Hmm... Wang Lan initially thought that amber could, at most, trap something like a mosquito. Those online images of trapped giraffes, mammoths, or small dinosaurs always seemed photoshopped.

But the sight before him shattered his assumptions. Sealed within a colossal piece of amber, roughly ten meters in size, was a grotesque, horrific entity resembling a ball of flesh.

"Is this the physical body of the Evil spirit?" Wang Lan asked, pointing at the object inside the amber.

"It should be, right?" Mr. Zhang was also uncertain. They had imagined the Evil spirit’s physical body to be robust, built for combat. Yet, what lay before them was a perfectly round ball of flesh, its surface covered with eerie, terrifying faces.

There were human faces and Demon Clan faces. Could this thing even fight? Was it just meant to roll around, squashing people for amusement?

Regardless, now that they had found it, the weight in Wang Lan’s heart finally lifted. Together, they moved the amber out of the Different Dimensional Space. Since it was too large to fit into his Void Storing, Wang Lan had no choice but to carry it.

By the time they emerged, the sky outside was completely dark. The two returned, heavily laden, sometime after eight o’clock.

Upon seeing the amber, Che Pure, Yu Ruoyun, and the others had the same initial reaction as Wang Lan and Mr. Zhang: Is this thing really the Evil spirit’s physical body? It looks more like a giant meatball!

Now that they possessed the Evil spirit’s physical body, the next step was naturally to lay a trap for the Evil spirit itself. During their last encounter, Wang Lan had fought the Evil spirit. It was incredibly strong. Although Wang Lan hadn’t managed to capture the Evil spirit then, he had successfully shattered its physical form.

The Evil spirit’s strength should be comparable to that of the Five Emperors. Therefore, they would need at least one of the Five Emperors to stand guard. Even then, he and Yu Ruoyun—two Titled Strongmen—seemed insufficient. They would need to request more Titled Strongmen. Ideally, they should also find an expert skilled in Seal Arrays. Of course, the most crucial element was the sealing power itself.

Once the personnel were in place, they could release the information. After finalizing the plan, the Tianjian Bureau in Cloud Sea began meticulous preparations in secret.

Among the Five Emperors, Emperor Bai happened to be in Cloud Sea, so he was tasked with standing guard. Wang Lan had fought alongside Emperor Bai before and was very familiar with his strength. When it came to short bursts of explosive power, Emperor Bai was undoubtedly number one.

Subsequently, the Ministry of Defense assigned four more Titled Strongmen to Cloud Sea. Including Wang Lan and Yu Ruoyun, this assembly of six Titled Strongmen formed an exceptionally formidable lineup.

「Three days later, everything was ready.」

The Tianjian Bureau contacted the Master of the White Lotus Sect, and news about the successful acquisition of the White Lotus Sect’s treasures was quietly disseminated.

「That very night, a person crossed through the dense jungle via secret channels and stepped once again onto the soil of Jade Country.」

On a winding path, a figure in a black overcoat and a felt hat walked alone. Darkness lay behind him, and darkness stretched before him.

On either side, the dense forest loomed, deep and terrifying.

Suddenly, the man halted, his ears twitching slightly.

From the dense forest on both sides, several figures burst out, appearing above the man’s head in an instant. Each assailant wielded a gleaming saber, and in less than a second, several sabers slashed towards the man’s forehead.

SWISH—

Suddenly, with a sound of tearing air, a crimson blade light flashed before the attacking figures. The blade light swept over their heads, and the assailants’ bodies were instantly bisected in mid-air.

The bodies fell, scattering around the man. A longsword now rested in his hand, its blade a vivid crimson, as if freshly drawn from a pool of blood.

The fallen bodies distorted and vanished as they hit the ground. The man frowned, his gaze fixed warily on the shadowy figures that he should have just slain.

"You must be the Scarlet Lotus Assassin, ranked ninth in Paradise Bird?" a voice rang out. Behind the shadows, a mysterious person shrouded in a black robe suddenly appeared.

"Who are you?"

"You don’t need to know who I am. I know your purpose in Jade Country. The person you seek is now in the Tianjian Bureau, which is filled with experts. Even Sony, the top expert of Paradise Bird, died at their hands. Going there is tantamount to walking into a trap."

The Scarlet Lotus Assassin’s expression shifted slightly as he resumed his stride forward.

"You don’t believe me?"

"The words of someone who hides their face and identity are not trustworthy."

"Very well!" The robed figure slowly lowered their hood, revealing a face with the distinctive features of the Demon Clan.

"Demon Clan?"

"Indeed!"

"No, you’re not. If you were of the Demon Clan, you would have corrected me. Members of the Demon Clan never admit to being such; they call themselves the Divine Clan."

"Whether Demon Clan or Divine Clan, it’s irrelevant to me; it’s merely a designation. Allow me to reintroduce myself: I am the Evil spirit. I need your help, and naturally, you need my power."

The Scarlet Lotus Assassin looked at the self-proclaimed Evil spirit. "Their abilities are quite strange. What are they?"

"A gift from me. It allows one to alter the reality of death, transforming it into a mere dream. Of course, the price is a life offered in sacrifice. To an assassin, other people’s lives are cheap, are they not?"

"No, you’re mistaken. In the eyes of an assassin, every life has value—considerable value. If they weren’t valuable, how could we possibly set our prices?"

"A fair point!"