At this moment, the world had stopped shaking, and everything returned to normal.

Li Shiwuwu shrank his neck: "M-Master, should I go?"

Qian Yuanzi, holding a half-arm-length chopping knife, stood outside the temple gate, watching intently.

As for Zhao Si, he lay face up in a pool of blood, eyes wide open, dead but not at peace.

"Shiwuwu, don't worry, I care for you the most. I definitely won't chop you."

"You have a destiny with immortality. When the time comes, it will be a beautiful story of master and disciple ascending together."

Qian Yuanzi coaxed gently, but to Li Shiwuwu, it sounded like the grim reaper calling, piercing and unsettling.

No, something's wrong!

Li Shiwuwu's eyes flickered, suddenly realizing that something was amiss.

He had lived cautiously under Qian Yuanzi's rule for years, knowing his master's unpredictable moods and disregard for everything, acting on whims.

But when it came to anything related to 'immortality,' no one could interfere.

Yet, with the opportunity for immortality right before him, Qian Yuanzi was uncharacteristically restrained, letting his disciples go ahead instead.

What was the reason?

"Shiwuwu, hurry up!" Qian Yuanzi urged again.

"Y-Yes!"

Li Shiwuwu replied with difficulty. He had thought of turning and fleeing, but Qian Yuanzi, though appearing old, had martial skills that were unbelievably strong.

He had witnessed Qian Yuanzi, with just a knife, take down dozens of horse bandits in the desert, staining the yellow sands with blood.

"Shiwuwu, be careful."

Hua Erling stood behind him, head bowed low, but still kindly reminded him.

"It's fine!"

Li Shiwuwu took a deep breath and braced himself to move forward.

At this moment, he was about a hundred steps from the temple gate.

After about fifty steps, Li Shiwuwu suddenly stopped.

Earlier, due to the distance and dim light, he couldn't see clearly.

Now, he saw something that shouldn't be there.

It was a tattered, muddy Taoist robe, scattered among the weeds.

The style and material were exactly the same as the one he was wearing.

"Shiwuwu, does it look familiar?" Qian Yuanzi squinted his eyes and spoke unexpectedly.

"The robes of you disciples were specially made by someone I hired, and as for that mute tailor, I chopped him up long ago."

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Li Shiwuwu held his breath, instantly understanding.

The robe on the ground belonged to the only young Taoist who managed to escape, Shi Erba.

Didn't this mean that Shi Erba had found this temple before them?

"Ah!"

Qian Yuanzi sighed, surprisingly wiping his eyes with his sleeve in a comical gesture.

"Shiwuwu, it seems the immortal fate I've sought for so long has been seized by that rebellious disciple."

"Open the temple gate and see what has become of that traitor."

"If he truly succeeded, as his master, I must congratulate him."

Li Shiwuwu said nothing, just stared at the robe in a daze.

He remembered Shi Erba often boasting in private that if he managed to escape, he would never flee alone.

Instead, he would find a way to set up a fake immortal fate along their path, filled with traps and poison...

Knowing Qian Yuanzi's nature, he wouldn't hesitate to rush in and fall into the trap.

Thinking of this, Li Shiwuwu's pupils contracted.

Could it be that this wasn't the real Seed Immortal Temple?

But just a desolate mountain temple, set up by Shi Erba to trap Qian Yuanzi!

And the robe outside was a deliberate warning to them not to follow and get caught in the crossfire.

Meanwhile, Guan San and Hua Erling also slowly approached, staring at the scattered robe on the ground, lost in thought.

"Shiwuwu, why are you dawdling?" Qian Yuanzi said coldly.

"I'm... coming."

Li Shiwuwu's eyes darted around. After figuring things out, he was unwilling to be the first to open the temple gate.

He took a deep breath, steeled himself, and took a few large strides to the temple gate.

After bowing to Qian Yuanzi, he said indignantly, "Shi Erba is unworthy of this immortal fate."

"I think he hasn't succeeded yet."

"So I ask Master to wield the knife and personally clean up the mess."

Qian Yuanzi smiled meaningfully at his words.

"Shiwuwu, you're truly filial. Since that's the case, I'll leave the cleanup to you."

Li Shiwuwu's face twitched, stammering, "M-Master, I think it's more appropriate for you to handle this."

"No worries, a disciple's hand is just as good."

"No, no, it's better if you do it yourself, Master," Li Shiwuwu insisted.

Qian Yuanzi fell silent, glaring at the three of them with sharp, icy eyes.

Suddenly, he spoke in a low voice, "This temple is a fake immortal fate set up by that traitor to lure me in."

"Heh, he left his robe outside to warn you not to follow."

"You little brats think you can outsmart me? You're not skilled enough."

In an instant, Li Shiwuwu's heart nearly stopped, his face filled with uncontrollable shock.

How did the old man know?

Why?

At the same time, he knew that by urging Qian Yuanzi to enter, he likely wouldn't survive the night.

Qian Yuanzi's gaze was like a hook, his yellow teeth bared like a predator: "Shiwuwu, you're such a filial disciple."

"Knowing it's a death trap, yet you still urged me on."

"Now, whether you want to or not, you're going in."

Hearing the deathly words, Li Shiwuwu turned with difficulty, his eyes fixed on Hua Erling.

"Did you betray us?"

Hua Erling, who shared a bed with Qian Yuanzi every night, was the only one who could have revealed this.

"No... it wasn't me," Hua Erling quickly shook his head, equally panicked.

But standing beside him, the seemingly honest and burly Guan San suddenly smiled, his face innocent and harmless.

"Heh, Shiwuwu, I told Master about this in advance, didn't expect that, did you?"

"Master likes obedient disciples, so I always listen. I tell him everything you do."

"Even when fellow disciples tried to escape, I called Master, and Lord Guan bit their heads off."

In front of the temple gate, Li Shiwuwu's knuckles cracked as he clenched his fists, never expecting the problem to come from the seemingly harmless Guan San.

Guan San continued, "Don't blame me."

"Shiwuwu can tell stories to please Master, Hua Erling can warm the bed, even Hou Qi has a sweet mouth."

"But I can only eat and have no skills."

"But I want to live too, so I listen to Master and tell him everything you do. It's my only use."

Qian Yuanzi, on the other hand, stared at Li Shiwuwu like a dead man: "Enough talk, enter the temple."

"I want to see what tricks that traitor has prepared for me."

Facing Qian Yuanzi's predatory gaze, Li Shiwuwu took a deep breath.

At this point, he had no choice.

"Cre-eak—"

With a push of his hands, the temple door creaked open.

But instead of traps, there was only a small room.

And the overwhelming, suffocating stench of blood.

"This... this..." Li Shiwuwu looked incredulous.

Because in the center of the room, a nearly burnt-out red candle stood.

In the dim candlelight.

There lay a naked figure, half of his skin peeled off, revealing bloody flesh.

And he was Shi Erba.