Young Noble Be Monster Slaying-Chapter 776: Monastery Guardian

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom…

A massive Mountain-Drilling Beast had already tunneled halfway into the mountain. It had a sharp, single horn on its head and two powerful claws built for digging. This creature was born to burrow through the earth.

It could move effortlessly through underground tunnels, often hollowing out mountains and causing landslides and earthquakes. Because of this, it was once considered a dangerous beast that had to be killed on sight. But over time, human cultivators captured them and learned to tame them. These creatures were far better at mining tough minerals than even enchanted tools, making them incredibly valuable.

Before long, the Mountain-Drilling Beast had burrowed deep into the mountainside. The sound of its tunneling grew fainter until only a muffled echo remained. Its long tail, the only part still visible, swayed through the gravel with a soft rustling.

Standing at a distance with his hands on his hips, Lin Bei estimated aloud, "The Mountain-Suppressing Rock deposit is incredibly tough. Even with a Mountain-Drilling Beast, mining it won’t be quick. We’re looking at about a year before we get enough."

Chu Liang, standing behind him, smiled as he gazed into the distance. "That’s plenty of time. Once we start extracting the Mountain-Suppressing Rock, the Hall of Construction can begin immediately. By the time we complete our pending orders and earn a hefty sum, Red Cotton Peak will no longer have any financial stress."

Chu Liang and Lin Bei weren't just anywhere. They were at the archipelago that the Fuyao Kingdom and the Starhold Island were currently fighting over.

The islands weren’t very big. To both the Fuyao Kingdom and Starhold Island, they would have been worthless if not for the Mountain-Suppressing Rocks found there. That was what started the whole series of disputes.

When Starhold Island forcefully took over the archipelago, the Fuyao Kingdom couldn’t do much about it. But when Chu Liang found out about it yesterday, he immediately sent Lin Bei overnight to meet his sworn brother, Han Lingshou.

The two sides made a deal. The Mount Shu Sect would help the Fuyao Kingdom reclaim the quarrying islands, and in return, they would gain the rights to mine there.

Of course, all the extracted Mountain-Suppressing Rock would be sold at a price above the market rate. In other words, the Fuyao Kingdom wouldn’t have to lift a finger, yet they’d rake in a massive fortune in spirit stones and spirit-stone coins.

Naturally, Han Lingshou had no reason to refuse such an offer.

If there was any downside, it was the risk of offending Starhold Island. But Starhold Island had occupied Fuyao Kingdom’s lands for centuries without worrying about offending the Fuyao Kingdom. So why should the Fuyao Kingdom take care of Starhold Island?

Lin Bei and Han Lingshou sealed the deal, signed the contract, and paid a deposit. The next day, they quickly assembled a group of Mount Shu Sect disciples under the Royal Wave Bureau’s banner and set off for the islands to "reclaim" lost territories.

"I’m just worried Starhold Island might come back to cause trouble," Lin Bei said. "They have the Penglai Supreme Sect backing them, so mining peacefully in the East Sea won’t be easy."

"Unless they dare to go against the will of the world," Chu Liang replied. "It is completely justified for the Royal Wave Bureau to reclaim land for the Fuyao Kingdom. The Penglai Supreme Sect can’t interfere so easily. If anything’s going to be a problem, it’ll be Daoist Cangqiu. We should remind Han Lingshou to stay alert. He offended Daoist Cangqiu last time, and who knows if Cangqiu will resort to some underhanded tricks."

"I’ve already warned him. His defenses are now ten times more thorough than before, so there shouldn’t be any problems," Lin Bei said.

As he spoke, he suddenly gasped and blurted out, "Eh?"

From his line of sight, he spotted a small boat slowly approaching the island from afar.

A lone boat on the vast sea wasn’t unusual. But what caught his attention were the two figures on that boat, one elderly and the other one with tanned skin.

The old man had a kind and benevolent air. Dressed in a simple long robe, he stood quietly at the bow with great calm and a composed gaze.

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The figure with tanned skin was a tall and slender young man with arms extending past his knees. He was clearly an extraordinary individual with an unusual appearance.

Coincidentally, both of them were familiar faces.

Lin Bei broke into a grin and called out, "Oldie Brodie?"

Chu Liang, eyeing the younger figure, raised a brow in surprise. "Brother Du?"

…

Compared to the rising turmoil in the East Sea, calmness seemed to have returned to the South Sea. After the Sea Master and the ambitious schemers in the Ruins of Return who followed him were eliminated, peace once again settled among the sea demons.

Nevertheless, Grand Ancestor Wuchao remained a looming shadow over everything and controlling everything.

On this day, an unexpected visitor arrived at the Ruins of Return.

Deep within the dark, unfathomable waters, a faint azure glow emerged. It flickered eerily as it drifted toward the heart of the region. The moment that azure light descended, the surrounding inky waters suddenly parted.

The aging and weary figure of Grand Ancestor Wuchao, the true master of the South Sea, appeared. As he gazed at the approaching figure, a rare trace of fear flickered in his murky eyes.

The azure glow faded, and a thin and frail figure emerged.

A middle-aged man stood clad in an azure and black Daoist robe. His pale, beardless face exuded the refined air of a scholar. Though his expression was unreadable, his sharp, icy gaze seemed to pierce through everything.

Grand Ancestor Wuchao felt a familiar aura radiating from the man. A trace of disbelief flashed across his face.

"Sir, are you…" He hesitated. "Are you from there?"

The middle-aged Daoist monk nodded. "Yes. The Divine Ruins Monastery."

"Greetings to the Monastery Guardian!"

Grand Ancestor Wuchao began to bow, but the man raised a hand, signaling him to stop. At once, Grand Ancestor Wuchao froze, keeping his gaze fixed on the Daoist monk.

Grand Ancestor Wuchao was the oldest sea demon in the South Sea and one of the few beings in the world that were on the verge of ascension, yet there was a trace of humility in his stance.

"No need for such formalities," the middle-aged man said flatly. "I heard you've been to our monastery before, so you should know that if I'm here to see you, it's not for a good reason."

Grand Ancestor Wuchao nodded. "Back then, I was fortunate enough to reach the foot of the mountain where the Divine Ruins Monastery stands, but I was not fated to ascend. Monastery Guardian, you've come because of the recent attempt to revive the Hallowed Mother, haven't you?"

"That's right," the middle-aged man replied. "You should know that reviving a dead ninth-realm existence is strictly forbidden. It is our duty to eliminate anyone who attempts such a thing."

Grand Ancestor Wuchao quickly responded, "It was nothing more than the actions of a few disobedient and reckless young sea demons. I have already killed them. I can assure you that none of the remaining sea demons would dare have such thoughts again."

The middle-aged man kept his hands tucked in his sleeves and spoke with an indifferent tone and expression, "Even if this was orchestrated solely by the Sea Master, you are still the one who rules over the Ruins of Return from behind the scenes. You can't tell me that you had no idea of it happening."

With the way he spoke, he didn't seem like a human.

Grand Ancestor Wuchao argued, "I had long issued an order forbidding it—"

"You only acted after the matter was exposed," the middle-aged man stated flatly. "Perhaps it was only when you realized the secret had leaked that you finally spoke out against it."

"That is absolutely not the case!" Grand Ancestor Wuchao raised his voice.

"But the possibility exists," the middle-aged man responded ruthlessly. "While you may not have been the one behind this, you are guilty of allowing it to happen. By order of the Monastery Overseer, I have the authority to pass judgment. As of this moment, I sentence you to a loss of a thousand years’ worth of cultivation power. Do you have any objections?"

"I..." Grand Ancestor Wuchao hesitated, as if he wanted to argue. But when his gaze met the middle-aged man's cold, unyielding eyes, he eventually let out a long sigh and said, "I do not dare."

"Mm."

The middle-aged man said no more. He withdrew his hand from his sleeve and shaped his fingers into a saber.

Swish!

With a single slash through the void, a surge of qi tore through the darkness behind Grand Ancestor Wuchao. A sharp tearing sound echoed, and Grand Ancestor Wuchao furrowed his brows.

A moment later, murky blood seeped into the inky water, and a colossal, mottled tentacle—stretching as long as a mountain range—slowly emerged.

It turned out that the immense darkness behind Grand Ancestor Wuchao was what concealed his true form. Yet, with just a casual strike, the middle-aged man had severed one of Grand Ancestor Wuchao’s tentacles, containing a thousand years of his cultivation power.

As his cultivation power drained away, Grand Ancestor Wuchao’s face turned pale; he looked significantly weaker. He asked, "Monastery Guardian, surely the Ruins of Return is not the only place you’ve come to punish? As far as I know, we are not the only ones involved in this matter."

"By the rules of the monastery, I am forbidden to speak on the matter," the middle-aged man replied coldly before turning to leave.

Grand Ancestor Wuchao did not press further. Instead, he asked, "If that is the case, then according to the rules of the Divine Ruins Monastery, I am at least entitled to know the name of the Monastery Guardian who has passed judgment on me, correct?"

"You may," the middle-aged man replied. He cast a final glance at him and uttered one sentence, "My name is Lu Cang."

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Translator: GT