Chapter 738: Chapter 282: Not Qian Gulu, But Hou Gulu

The Daoist Sect wasn’t the only one to receive the news; the Buddhist Sect had naturally obtained the intelligence as well.

Inside Lianhua Temple, Zen Master Baozhuang stared silently at the intelligence report in his hand.

The situation had spiraled out of control.

The appearance of the Sea Race completely contradicted the warning they had sought from the World Honored One.

At his side lay a stack of intelligence reports, all of them detailing the explosive growth of sea fish populations in the eastern Compassion Sea.

Judging by this year alone, the situation in the east seemed manageable.

But looking at the past century, the total population of sea fish had ballooned by nearly twenty times in the last decade alone!

Many cultivators were still gleefully hunting the Golden Core sea fish, harvesting their Tier Three Demon Pills and flesh.

But Zen Master Baozhuang couldn’t help but feel a growing sense of dread.

Ancient texts recorded that if a Royal Family with a king’s bloodline emerged among the Sea Race, they would have the power to control the schools of sea fish.

This meant that up to twenty times the number of Golden Core sea fish could be intentionally manipulated, becoming a catastrophic force.

An army of ants can devour an elephant.

Of course, if that were the only issue, it would still be manageable.

What truly puzzled Zen Master Baozhuang, however, was something else: the strange mantra Xiao Chen had recited.

’Qian Gulu didn’t write it; Hou Gulu did?’

Within all of Lianhua Temple, and even the entire Buddhist Sect, Zen Master Baozhuang was among the most erudite.

Yet even with all his knowledge, he could not discern the origin or meaning of this mantra.

’It doesn’t seem to follow any known principles, does it?’

Zen Master Baozhuang tucked the letter into his sleeve, only to pull it out again. ’No, I have to go look through those old tomes in the Scripture Pavilion.’

After all, it was an important clue about Xiao Chen and the faction behind him.

From a strategic perspective, two new variables had entered the equation.

One was the Sea Race, leading an army of Sea Beasts. Their intentions were unknown, but they were clearly hostile.

The other was Xiao Chen, who had appeared out of nowhere and whose background was a complete mystery.

Therefore, it was essential to investigate every related clue to get a better grasp on the situation.

After all, at this stage, the origins of any Nascent Soul-level power were critically important.

And thanks to Xiao Chen’s astonishing displays of power and immense wealth, everyone was convinced he had to be from some powerful Hidden Dao Lineage.

This was despite the fact that he had never publicly admitted it.

Zen Master Baozhuang wasn’t the only one who thought this way.

From Yanleng Temple in the east to the Celestial Spirit Sect in the west, from the Cangming Immortal Sect in the south to the Clarity Sect in the north, nearly all of them made a similar decision.

Some even mobilized their True Disciples to help them search the ancient texts.

They hoped to find a similar mantra, or at least related rumors and anecdotes.

Unfortunately, they were thinking far too much; their efforts were doomed to be in vain.

Amidst the flurry of activity and travel, September slipped away, and the end of October arrived in the blink of an eye.

After about twenty days of continuous flight, Xiao Chen finally reached the central region of the Compassion Sea.

He landed on a massive reef to rest and unfolded his nautical chart to check his position.

’The island I passed two hours ago must have been Niu Lan Island.’

’So I must be here now... which means I’ve entered the territory controlled by Pudu Temple.’

As he neared his destination, Xiao Chen had to check his heading frequently and carefully.

This was because Zhiyi Cave, the location marked on his sheepskin scroll, didn’t appear on the detailed nautical charts sold by the Cangming Pavilion.

In other words, like Silent Calamity Island, it was a forbidden area, its location kept secret from ordinary cultivators.

But that didn’t matter. With the sheepskin scroll as a reference, finding it wouldn’t be too difficult if he was determined.

’If everything went according to plan, that is.’

"I’m sorry, Benefactor, but the sea ahead is temporarily closed. Please detour to the right."

An Arhat, clad in a kasaya bearing the emblem of Pudu Temple, politely gestured to the side, indicating that the way forward was blocked.

"What happened up ahead?"

Xiao Chen frowned slightly but asked calmly, "Roughly when will it be reopened?"

Closing off a sea route usually didn’t last long.

For most cultivators on their journeys, it was better to wait for a day or two rather than take a long detour.

So his question wasn’t out of place.

"This situation is unusual. The blockade will last for at least several more months."

The Arhat placed his palms together and bowed slightly. "Please forgive the inconvenience, Benefactor."

"When the time is right, our temple may disclose the reason for closing the sea, but it is not convenient to say more at present."

In truth, even he didn’t know the specific reason; it was just a pre-arranged response.

’Several months?’

For Xiao Chen, however, this was undoubtedly bad news.

He estimated that Zhiyi Cave was right in the middle of the restricted area.

"Alright, I’ll go around then."

Though inwardly frustrated, Xiao Chen remained polite on the surface, turning to leave.

This place was only about a thousand miles from Pudu Temple in total.

It might not be directly under the noses of the Zen Masters, but it was certainly on their doorstep.

So he definitely had to abide by the rules, at least outwardly.

However, after circling the area, Xiao Chen was surprised to find that Pudu Temple’s security measures were practically airtight.

Not only had they set up a three-layer perimeter of buoys as a warning line...

but he also spotted nearly ten Golden Body Arhats diligently patrolling the area.

’Heh, now what’s the meaning of this?’

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