Chapter 397: The Destruction of Sui Xin Temple

Half an hour earlier,

Xu Sanyan successfully unlocked the formation and reached the deepest part of the mountain cave, the birthplace of the pool milk.

Above him hung a massive stalactite, its crystalline surface slowly condensing the pool milk. With a drip, the liquid fell into a basin below.

The head-sized basin was more than half full. Xu Sanyan lifted it, roughly estimating its weight at over twenty kilograms.

He glanced up at the stalactite. Integrated with the mountain’s essence, severing it would destroy its spiritual energy, rendering it incapable of producing pool milk ever again—a classic case of killing the goose that laid the golden eggs.

Xu Sanyan only collected the pool milk from the basin. These twenty kilograms would suffice for a long time.

With everything secured, he tossed the mother and child off the cliff before turning back to the battlefield.

By the time he arrived, the battle was nearing its end. Chen Yunzi lay sprawled on the ground, his life hanging by a thread. The disciples of Suspended Bitter Mountain were either dead or fleeing, with only a few still desperately resisting.

The great elder stood pale-faced to the side, having already rolled up his scroll. He was now taking out a porcelain bottle and swallowing a medicinal pill.

Xu Sanyan flashed forward, his great halberd slashing down from mid-air as he roared, “Pay with your life!”

The black halberd sliced through the air, cleaving one man in two with a single strike. Its momentum carried it toward a second target.

The great elder frowned slightly, wondering if Xu Sanyan had been present during the earlier battle. After a moment’s thought, he couldn’t quite recall—it was as if Xu Sanyan had been both there and not there.

Venerable Li, observing Xu Sanyan’s fierce combat, secretly rolled his eyes.

The great elder had been entirely focused on battling Chen Yunzi, leaving him no time to notice Xu Sanyan’s movements. This was understandable. But Venerable Li had made a point of tracking Young Master Lin’s actions. He had only seen him once at the start of the battle, after which the young master had vanished until reappearing just now.

Venerable Li suspected Xu Sanyan had been frightened by the void harmony realm’s power. Such fear was only natural after witnessing such overwhelming strength.

Though he saw through Xu Sanyan’s actions, Venerable Li kept his observations to himself. He had no intention of reporting behind the young master’s back. After all, Xu Sanyan was half Wang Family, far above Venerable Li in status. Why needlessly antagonize him?

And so, the matter passed by in a haze of ambiguity.

Xu Sanyan took a deep breath, calming his turbulent qi and blood. His clothes were torn and disheveled, and his hairband had long since vanished, leaving his three thousand strands of hair to cascade wildly, creating a tragic sight.

Just looking at him, who would dare say he hadn’t given his all?

He had given far too much!

By now, the great elder had recovered somewhat and issued instructions: “Quickly clean up the battlefield and return home immediately. It’s not safe out here.”

As he spoke, he casually scooped up Chen Yunzi and flew toward Back Mountain. Only then did Xu Sanyan realize that Chen Yunzi wasn’t completely dead, merely unconscious.

“Yes, sir.”

The five men split up, one remaining behind due to his injuries.

Six of them had come, and though all were wounded, none had perished—a resounding victory.

Xu Sanyan didn’t follow them to Back Mountain. He had no interest in pool milk; he had never touched it. His happiest memory was the single drop the Wang brothers had given him long ago.

After the others departed, he began collecting the storage pouches of the Suspended Bitter Mountain disciples and elders. Most were missing—either shattered in battle or lost over the cliffs. Only a small fraction remained.

The severely injured Wang Family elder sat cross-legged in meditation, his face etched with confusion as he gazed at Xu Sanyan. “Young Master Lin, why don’t you go inside and take a look? The disciples of Suspended Bitter Mountain are notoriously impoverished. I doubt they’d have anything of value on them.”

Xu Sanyan shook his head. “There’s no need. I can stay here and keep an eye on you, Elder. This place is nothing like Thousand Autumns City—ghost beasts are drawn to the scent of blood. We must remain vigilant.”

The Wang Family elder clasped his hands in gratitude. “Young Master Lin, your prudence is commendable. Thank you.”

Though he didn’t believe Xu Sanyan’s excuses, he had no choice but to accept the gesture.

After some time, the others returned one by one. The great elder’s face radiated joy, though he said nothing. Everyone knew he must have found the pool milk, though they couldn’t tell how much.

Xu Sanyan knew there were only a few drops left, most of which he had already taken.

But with the stalactites, the pool milk would continue to replenish itself, a cause for great celebration for the Wang Family.

“Let’s go.”

The great elder was eager to return and share the good news, and to discuss how to handle Suspended Bitter Mountain.

Having finally obtained it, they couldn’t afford to neglect it.

Thousand Autumns City was neither too close nor too far. If they traveled swiftly, they could reach it in a day. But if they needed to leave someone behind to guard the pool milk, who should it be?

After careful consideration, the great elder concluded that he was the most suitable candidate. The pool milk’s value rivaled that of a spirit stone mine, demanding heavy protection.

Xu Sanyan, oblivious to the great elder’s thoughts, was eager to consume the twenty-odd pounds of pool milk as soon as possible. He also wondered if, after using it, his physical strength would surpass Xun Ancai’s, who had undergone Seven Blessings.

After comparing their current states, he secretly shook his head. Probably not, he thought. With his fifth blessing and the pool milk, he’d likely reach a power level equivalent to a sixth or seventh blessing—still slightly inferior to Xun Ancai, but the gap was narrowing.

The group sped toward Thousand Autumns City, casually annihilating any ghost beasts that dared to harass them along the way.

Among the six cultivators, even the weakest had reached the Soul Refinement stage. Most ghost beasts were only at the Dao Seeking Realm, with occasional ones matching Soul Refining Realm cultivators. As long as they avoided being surrounded, a lone beast or two posed no threat.

Meanwhile, deep within the Chaotic Cloud Mountains, at the foot of a low peak, countless corpses lay strewn across the ground, their deaths unspeakably gruesome.

The plaque bearing the three characters “Sui Xin Temple” had been shattered in two, half a mangled corpse hanging from its broken edges, its features unrecognizable.

The once-solemn temple now resembled a living hell. The sprawling temple complex, stretching for miles, had been reduced to rubble. The golden statue of the Buddha, seated in meditation within the Great Hero Hall, was half-destroyed, yet the deity had made no move to subdue the demons.

Opposite the Buddha’s statue sat a colossal flesh-and-blood giant, its massive hands lifting the severed limbs of a young novice monk to its mouth. As the crunching sounds echoed, a trail of blood trickled from the corner of its lips.

At the giant’s feet, a horde of ghost beasts swarmed, devouring the corpses scattered across the ground.

In this eerie silence, the Sui Xin Temple, one of the Three Great Sects of the Chaotic Cloud Mountains, had been utterly annihilated. Not a single soul survived the massacre.

The Sui Xin Temple had been considered the most powerful force in the Chaotic Cloud Mountains, yet even they had been unable to withstand the might of this flesh-and-blood giant.

Thousand Autumns City was still basking in the glory of having annihilated Suspended Bitter Mountain. The great elder, upon returning, immediately convened with the clan chief to discuss how to defend the mountain.

Xu Sanyan, however, paid no heed to these matters. He retreated to his chambers, instructed the women not to disturb him, and began his seclusion.

Over twenty pounds of pool milk would undoubtedly elevate his cultivation to the next level!

He realized it had been a long time since he had fought at full strength. Comparing himself to Chen Yunzi and the great elder, he still fell short of their power, as they were both in the void harmony realm.

Yet beneath the void harmony realm, he feared no one!

(End of the Chapter)