Chapter 346

Chapter 346: The Buddha Says It Cannot Be Spoken
Based on the information Elder Gu and Lou Yu Shan had gotten from the scroll, they inferred that the Ruins of the Ancient Dao Field were located in the central area of the Western Region, in a place called the Desert of Lost Souls.

Yu Zhao and the others traveled day and night. Ten days later, they finally reached the outer edge of the Desert of Lost Souls.

“Whoosh, what kind of cursed place is this, it is so hot I am going to die!”

The man named Si Tu Yan wiped the sweat from his forehead while panting heavily.

The other people at the Golden Core Stage were not as pathetic as he was, but big beads of sweat still glistened on their foreheads.

Only Si Tu Jian Nan and Yu Zhao stayed dry from head to toe, their faces ruddy.

At the edge of the Desert of Lost Souls, many local cultivators had set up stalls to sell odds and ends. When they saw Yu Zhao and her group, all with extraordinary bearing, they hesitated and did not dare go up to them.

Only a young female cultivator at Late Foundation Establishment mustered her courage and called out loudly to attract customers.

Yu Zhao swept her eyes over the stalls and found that what they were selling was more or less the same. She lifted her feet and walked over to the young female cultivator.

When the others saw this, they all followed with a clatter, surrounding the small stall until not even water could leak through.

Under so many gazes, the young female cultivator grew a little nervous, but she still raised a bright, enthusiastic smile and took the initiative to pick up a stone-colored round bead from the stall.

“This is a specialty of our area, called a Cooling Pearl. Once you wear it, it will automatically release cool air. It lasts for ten days.”

Yu Zhao picked up a Cooling Pearl and really did feel fine threads of coolness seep into her heart.

“How much is this Cooling Pearl?”

The smile on the female cultivator’s face became even more genuine as she said: “One mid-grade Spirit Stone each.”

Yu Zhao nodded to herself.

That price was still reasonable.

But the people of the Si Tu Clan did not think so.

Especially Si Tu Yan.

Because of his special constitution, he feared heat more than normal people. That also meant he needed Cooling Pearls even more.

A Cooling Pearl that cost a mid-grade Spirit Stone only lasted for ten days. No matter how he looked at it, it did not seem worth it.

He reached straight out and grabbed a Cooling Pearl from the stall. As he did, he casually sent his divine sense into it and muttered: “I want to see what is so special about this thing…”

Bang!

Before he finished speaking, the Cooling Pearl in his hand exploded with a roar.

A mystic thread, almost impossible to see with the naked eye, shot straight toward his eye.

In that electric, flint-spark instant, Si Tu Jian Nan stretched out two fingers and pinched the mystic thread.

Then he twisted his fingers hard.

There was a crisp snap.

The mystic thread broke on the spot and fell from between his fingers.

Si Tu Yan’s face went pale with fright, and he could not help backing up several steps.

This whole process seemed long, but in fact it happened in a blink. Before the others could react, it was already over.

The young female cultivator stomped anxiously and said: “Oh no, I had not finished speaking yet. The Cooling Pearls are the unique creation of Patriarch Gan Lin. You must not probe them with divine sense, or you will definitely suffer backlash.”

“Patriarch Gan Lin?”

Yu Zhao looked toward Ji Han Zhou and Bu Yan.

The two of them both gave a slight shake of the head, completely unfamiliar with that name.

Si Tu Jian Nan frowned as he thought.

There were not that many Nascent Soul Old Fiends in the cultivation world, but not that few either. Any Nascent Soul Old Fiend with some real ability would be on the Si Tu Clan’s radar.

Yet he had never heard that the cultivation world had added a Patriarch Gan Lin at some point.

“Patriarch Gan Lin has been in closed-door cultivation in the Desert of Lost Souls for many years. Out of sympathy for the cultivators living around here, he created the Cooling Pearls to bless the common people.”

The young female cultivator gestured in a circle with her hand as she went on: “The Cooling Pearls and Ganlin Stones we sell here all come from Patriarch Gan Lin. So no matter which stall you buy from, the prices are the same. But if you all buy from me, I can decide on my own to give you two extra Cooling Pearls.”

“What is this Ganlin Stone you mentioned?”

The young female cultivator pointed to a few gray-white stones full of holes on the right side of the stall and said: “This is the Ganlin Stone. If you hold it in your hand, it will automatically produce sweet spring water.”

Yu Zhao glanced at the so-called Ganlin Stones, then at the Cooling Pearls, and a flicker of doubt flashed in her eyes.

Would a Nascent Soul Old Fiend really waste time on these trivial things?

Talk of sympathizing with cultivators and blessing the common people, Yu Zhao did not believe a single word.

There had to be some profit in Patriarch Gan Lin doing this. But if it was only to earn Spirit Stones, that did not fit his status as an ancestor at all.

She faintly felt like she had grabbed hold of something, but she still lacked a key clue.

She thought for a moment, then said to the young female cultivator: “We are going to stay in the Desert of Lost Souls for a month. Prepare enough Cooling Pearls and Ganlin Stones for all of us for one month.”

“Thank you, Senior!”

The young female cultivator almost burst with joy. She pulled out a cloth bag and quickly began packing up the Cooling Pearls.

When she handed over the cloth bag, she did not forget to remind them again: “You must carry the Cooling Pearls on you at all times for them to work.”

Yu Zhao smiled and nodded. She was just about to take out Spirit Stones from her storage space when Si Tu Yu stepped in first and said: “There are many of us. How could we let Fellow Daoist Yu pay? Let me.”

“Then I will trouble Fellow Daoist Si Tu.”

“It is nothing.”

While Si Tu Yu was paying, another member of the Si Tu Clan carefully took the cloth bag from the young female cultivator, clearly still shaken by what had just happened.

Under the regretful gazes of the other stall owners, Yu Zhao and her group entered the Desert of Lost Souls.

Not long after they left, a dark figure came to the young female cultivator’s stall, and a hoarse voice came from under the black robe: “Give me the exact same set of things they just ordered.”

“All right, Senior.”

The young female cultivator did not ask any questions. She simply packed up another identical set and handed it to the black-robed person.

The black-robed person tossed down the Spirit Stones and hurried into the desert.

A nearby stall owner joked with a sour tone: “You are really going to strike it rich this time. Patriarch Gan Lin will surely give you a generous reward.”

The young female cultivator only smiled without answering. Her eyes were cold.

After they entered the desert, Bu Yan, who had been silently chanting sutras all along, finally spoke: “The Cooling Pearls hide a bloodthirsty intent. They are a great evil object.”

Ji Han Zhou, who had been playing with a Cooling Pearl in his hand, was so startled by his words that he almost flung the Cooling Pearl and his own arm away.

The others who were holding Cooling Pearls also looked like they had seen a ghost.

Si Tu Yu quickly asked: “Monk Bu Yan, did you see something?”

Bu Yan shook his head.

“What do you mean then?”

Ji Han Zhou’s face did not change as he said: “The Buddha says it cannot be spoken. It cannot be spoken.”

Bu Yan looked very pleased and said: “I knew I did not misjudge you. Junior Brother Ji truly has the roots of wisdom.”

Ji Han Zhou quickly darted over to Yu Zhao’s side and said: “Monk Bu Yan, speak properly. Do not make fun of me.”

“Ji Han Zhou, there is no need to belittle yourself. This poor monk really does think Junior Brother Ji is very good.”

“Senior Sister Yu!”

Ji Han Zhou cried out: “Look at him, look at him!”

Yu Zhao could not help laughing and crying. She quickly changed the subject and said: “There is no problem with the Ganlin Stones, but the Cooling Pearls are indeed a bit strange. Senior Situ…”

Si Tu Jian Nan gave a grunt of acknowledgment.

“Let the two of us each add a layer of defense around the Cooling Pearls.”

Si Tu Jian Nan was startled and said: “You mean…”

“It is better to be safe than sorry.”

Yu Zhao still was not sure of her guess yet, but since even Bu Yan had seen that there was a problem, it was probably not far from the truth.

Maybe they could follow this trail and find some other interesting things.

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