Chapter 67: The Illusory Monk, Fourth Level of Qi Refining

Gu Changqing stepped into the jungle, reaching out to touch the trees beside him. They felt almost real, prompting him to marvel quietly at their authenticity. In a certain sense, they were indeed real.

From what he had gathered, the abilities of the Phantom Monk were uniquely strange. He hadn’t walked far through the forest when he heard chanting and pleading voices ahead, layered upon one another as if countless mouths spoke at once.

Following the sound, he found a stone staircase winding its way up to the mountaintop. Upon the steps were traces of dried, blackened blood, moss, and chips where heavy objects had struck, suggesting the stone stairs had stood for centuries, bearing witness to generations.

On either side of the stairs, countless people lay prostrate on the ground, their heads turned toward the summit, mouths ceaselessly uttering prayers. The dense crowd was unsettling to behold.

These people wore modern clothing—some in pajamas, others in worn-out jackets, their garments faded from many washes. Most were elderly, their hair gray, faces marked by hardship. Yet, each wore expressions of peace and joy.

“Tsk, tsk!” Gu Changqing clicked his tongue as he walked onto the stone steps, sat down, and glanced around. He casually pulled a nearby person closer, pressing his ear to their lips. “What are you saying? Speak louder, let me hear!”

“Merciful Bodhisattva, grant me peace and joy; Vajra Arhat, drive away my ailments…”

“Merciful Bodhisattva, grant me peace…”

“Ha! You’re better off asking me for protection than them!” Gu Changqing shoved the person aside, who seemed entirely unaware, their lips moving in silent supplication.

Their souls appeared detached, wholly absorbed in prayer, oblivious to the world around them. The combined voices surged like waves, layer upon layer, tempting Gu Changqing to join in.

But the moment anyone chanted along, they would lose themselves, just like those flanking the stone steps.

And the Phantom Monk’s power did not end there. With so many devout prayers, their spirits invested, the mountain would manifest evil incarnations of the Buddha and guardian monks. Thus, the name “Phantom Monk”—borrowing from human hearts, turning falsehood into reality.

Even killing these people would be futile, for their spirits had already merged with the mountain itself.

After sitting for a while, Gu Changqing rose, hands in his pockets, and continued upward. The mountain was not tall, only two or three hundred meters, but the staircase was long, and as he climbed, the waves of chanting grew deafening, like an avalanche.

The urge to join in became harder to suppress, but Gu Changqing’s resolve was steadfast, his lips curled in disdain. In his heart, he was the greatest; why would he worship an evil Buddha?

After some time, the roar of prayers filled his ears, but at last, he glimpsed an ancient temple at the stair’s end. Above the temple, a ball of fire descended and vanished abruptly, as if snuffed out.

“Looks like things are heating up!” Gu Changqing grinned, quickening his pace. Threads of blood shimmered between his fingers, swaying in the air like living creatures.

Outside the temple, Gu Changqing moved lightly, crouching in a corner. He saw, before the grand hall, a Buddha statue over three meters tall, six-armed, with a sinister smile. Beside it stood a monk in orange robes, hands pressed together.

Clearly, this was the Phantom Monk.

---

Chi Hui and Team Three were besieging the evil Buddha and the Phantom Monk, while Team Two held back dozens of guardian monks. Both sides were locked in battle.

They also had to spare attention to resist the overwhelming waves of prayer, suppressing the urge to join in, so they failed to notice Gu Changqing.

Chi Hui darted lightning-fast toward the orange-robed monk, but the evil Buddha swept its six arms, blocking his path.

Chi Hui wore a pair of black gloves, punching out a flurry of blows that collided with the evil Buddha. The hall echoed with the impact.

The Buddha merely swayed, but Chi Hui was forced back a step. He shook his hand, feeling pain in his knuckles, anger simmering within. If not for that meddler, he wouldn’t have been pushed back by this evil Buddha!

Suddenly, three Luo Xiu appeared beside the Phantom Monk, three long blades becoming nine arcs of light, nearly engulfing the monk. Gu Changqing raised a brow, looking at the bespectacled man in the corner—clearly his handiwork.

Lin Qiu, a level-four awakened, with psychic abilities, illusion.

Of the three Luo Xiu only one was real, and only three of the nine blades were true.

The Phantom Monk stood motionless, his waist and neck sliced halfway through, even his head cleaved open. Blood gushed from his wounds, staining his orange robes crimson. The evil Buddha’s eyes began to bleed, growing ever more grotesque, striking Luo Xiu aside.

At the same time, those prostrated on the steps began to bleed from their eyes, faces contorted, rising madly to swarm the temple, moving with unnatural speed.

Gu Changqing glanced back, smirking—these people were no match for the Guards. With two level-five awakeneds among them, the Guards weren’t to be underestimated.

The Phantom Monk had summoned only one evil Buddha, not even an Arhat; clearly, it wasn’t yet at the Calamity level.

Blood dripped from Gu Changqing’s fingers, flowing toward the Phantom Monk.

“Let’s finish this quickly!”

Chi Hui shouted and lunged at the evil Buddha, while Luo Xiu, coordinated by the bespectacled man, rushed the Phantom Monk, slicing him in half before being forced back by the Buddha.

Chi Hui seized the opportunity, shattering three of the Buddha’s arms.

The Phantom Monk’s severed body was joined by countless tentacle-like strands of flesh, but with three arms broken, the evil Buddha was faltering.

Just then, Luo Xiu noticed a strange blood current flowing toward the Buddha.

“What’s that?” Luo Xiu exclaimed in shock, watching the blood transform into snakes, burrowing into the Buddha’s body.

Luo Xiu and Chi Hui scanned the area, focusing on the corner, where a figure crouched.

“It’s you!”

“Didn’t expect you to be this slow at cleaning up!” Gu Changqing sneered.

“What did you do?” Chi Hui’s voice was cold, his glare laced with undisguised anger and killing intent.

If before, Gu Changqing’s interference with the Ou brothers and Sang Ye Ye was a private feud between the Guards and the Reborn, now his meddling had crossed the line.

“Of course, I’m here to help you!” Gu Changqing said with a smile.

“No, look at the Phantom Monk!” someone suddenly shouted.

Everyone turned. The flesh within the Phantom Monk’s body was melting away. Not only him, but the evil Buddha beside him was also shriveling.

The surrounding temple, stone slabs, and vermilion walls began to fade.

---

“What’s happening?” The group was stunned; this was nothing like the documented aftermath of cleansing a Phantom Monk.

“What did you do?”

They watched as the Phantom Monk’s flesh dissolved into a pool of blood, shrinking until only a single, doubled-sized blood serpent remained, which flew into Gu Changqing’s hand.

Gu Changqing flashed them a mocking smile, flipped backward, and dropped down the mountain.

All around, mountains, rocks, and trees shattered, as if a canvas were torn away, revealing the steel jungle beneath.

Gu Changqing was falling toward the street below.

Luo Xiu watched the landscape crumble, while the rest found themselves atop a rooftop.

Below, the streets were littered with bodies.

She scanned left and right, searching for the item.

“The heart lamp is gone!”

When a Phantom Monk dies, it leaves behind a heart lamp—a peculiar relic, a valuable resource, and the Guard’s main objective this time.

Yet, nothing remained; the rooftop was empty except for them.

The Guards gritted their teeth in rage. Gu Changqing had already injured several of them, and now there was no heart lamp left. Their loss was enormous.

Chi Hui stared at the spot where the heart lamp melted, his expression shifting. He began to suspect Gu Changqing’s awakened abilities.

…

While still airborne, Gu Changqing felt a surge of pure blood energy flooding his body, swiftly transforming into spiritual energy. The blood energy from the Phantom Monk exceeded even that of the Puppeteer.

Landing, Gu Changqing darted away, soon arriving in a narrow alley, closing his eyes to sense the rapid growth of spiritual energy within.

“No, there’s something else…” As he felt the increase, he realized something besides blood energy was being absorbed.

Yet, upon inspecting himself, he found nothing amiss. Instead, his spiritual energy climbed, reaching a bottleneck before slowing.

Within moments, his spiritual energy broke through this barrier, creating a new flow path.

Gu Changqing opened his eyes, delighted.

The blood energy from the Phantom Monk was indeed potent.

After devouring Xu Daoren and his disciple, his progress from the third to fourth layer of Refining Qi was more than halfway.

Now, with the Phantom Monk’s power far exceeding the Puppeteer’s, he had broken through to the fourth layer in one leap.

According to the awakened classification, he was now a level-four awakened.

But Gu Changqing looked forward to reaching the fifth layer of Refining Qi.

Once he mastered the fifth layer, the Blood and Flesh Refining God Technique would allow him to open the first acupuncture point and nurture a divine spirit within.

This chapter is rather late, but finally done.

Asking for a monthly ticket!

(End of chapter)