Free Web NovelChapter 376: Chapter 107: Mo Temple
At the very same moment Chen Chuan entered the arena to watch the match, on Qingding Mountain, southwest of Central City, a young man with rather long arms and a headband was pouring a bucket of water he’d drawn from a well into a stone basin in front of the Mo Temple.
His name was Du Geng. On the betting platforms, he was considered the one Wei Wusheng would save for last.
Ever since his visit to the Rhino Cruise Ship, he had remained here, never venturing elsewhere, as if the turmoil of the outside world had nothing to do with him.
After filling the stone basin, he walked into the temple and bowed respectfully to the idol above.
The Mo God was one of the Divine Beings from a foreign land, long since localized. But this was no mainstream sect; its influence had long since waned. Abroad, it might still exist in some remote corners, but in most places, it was completely unheard of.
Here in Jibei Dao Central City, however, a complete temple and religious lineage were still preserved.
This was thanks to the Old Temple Priest, who had opportunely abandoned the old ways of worship. Over several decades, he had transformed the temple into a spiritual and psychological retreat for the upper echelons of Central City, preserving its flame in a different form.
Du Geng was a disciple of this temple, having been here since childhood. His talent, however, was exceptional. He had once taken the initiative to enter the arena tournaments, where he killed an unofficial Wuyi trainee covered in Implants.
After the match, he declined all invitations and returned to the mountain. But his performance that day had been stunning. As the Mo Temple’s most revered disciple, all of its resources were focused on him. He was even the next in line to be the Temple Priest, and historically, the Temple Priests of the Mo Temple were always Third Limit Fighters.
After all this time, some speculated that he might have already broken through the limit. Therefore, the consensus on the betting platforms was that he would be Wei Wusheng’s most important target.
After praying to the Mo God, Du Geng walked over to the Old Temple Priest and bowed respectfully. "Teacher."
Although the Old Temple Priest was over eighty years old, aside from the great white beard on his chest, his face still looked like that of a man in his forties or fifties.
This time, he didn’t respond as he usually did. He turned his head to look outside the temple and, after a moment, said in a steady voice, "Du Geng, a guest has arrived."
Du Geng couldn’t help but look outside. He stepped out of the temple gate and peered down the mountain. At the main gate below, a strong, tall figure was walking up toward the summit.
The man was exceptionally sturdy, dressed in a loose blue training shirt with a wide belt tied at his waist, from which hung a hammer. Despite his heavy build, he moved with a surprising lightness.
’If I can defeat this enemy before the Mo God, my mind and body will ascend to a whole new level.’
The Old Temple Priest had also come outside. He said to Du Geng, "This is your battle. Remember, he is your greatest obstacle. Use him to shatter the shackles on your heart and break the chains that bind you."
Du Geng said firmly, "Teacher, I have been waiting for this day." He paused, then added solemnly, "I am ready."
The Old Temple Priest said, "Take the medicine first, then go drink the Mo River water."
Du Geng grunted in affirmation and immediately went to the side to take a drug that stimulated his potential. His breathing gradually quickened and the muscles on his body bulged slightly, but with some self-regulation, they soon returned to normal.
It was a special medicine from the Mo Temple. Though it was a stimulant, it was perfectly suited to his constitution and caused minimal harm. As long as he took some palliative drugs afterward, most of the side effects would be eliminated, and he would be fine after a few days of rest.
After taking the medicine, he walked back to the stone basin. He picked up a gourd ladle, scooped up a measure of water, and drank it down.
His hand was steady, not a single drop was spilled.
After he drank, his eyes grew much brighter. He turned to stare at Wei Wusheng, who was ascending the steps, as if in anticipation. freёwebnovel.com
Wei Wusheng had reached the final flight of stone steps, with about thirty more to the mountaintop temple. At that moment, he suddenly sensed something was wrong. He snapped his chin down to protect his throat, and a thin, bloody line immediately appeared on his chin.
He tried to retreat, but his body jerked to a halt. Only then did he discover that his left hand was tightly bound by something, and for a moment, he couldn’t break free.
He looked around and saw crisscrossing fine threads. These threads were connected to tiny insects hidden among the leaves on either side of the wide steps. The small insects seemed to be able to fly rapidly, winding the threads around the nearby tree trunks.
He sensed an intense threat and decisively wrenched himself backward. Half his arm was instantly severed at the elbow and fell to the ground, but in doing so, he escaped the encirclement.
But he had only taken a few steps back when he stopped again. Unbeknownst to him, the area all around him was now filled with these threads, and they were steadily closing in.
In just a moment, thin bloody lines appeared on his limbs and torso. The fine threads sliced effortlessly through his solid muscles, only meeting significant resistance when they reached bone. Blood seeped continuously from the cuts.
And once met with resistance, the insects would rapidly wind the threads around branches and tree trunks. If he struggled forcefully now, he would likely suffer the same fate as his severed arm.
Du Geng watched Wei Wusheng trapped there, a smile on his face. He walked down the steps one by one. But even as he passed through the area filled with threads, they didn’t cut him; instead, they simply slid past his body.
He smiled faintly. These small insects were a type of Alien Species that had existed at the Mo Temple since the Old Era. They were the Messengers of the Mo God, specifically used to deal with skilled Third Limit Fighters.
As long as one was entangled by these things, it was impossible to break free unless they were a believer in the Mo God. He didn’t need a real, head-on fight with Wei Wusheng at all. All he had to do now was walk up and finish him.
He felt not a shred of shame or guilt. He was a believer in the Mo God first and a Fighter second. Using the Mo God’s power to deal with an enemy was perfectly reasonable. In fact, offering the life of a powerful foe before the Mo God would make him feel even closer to the deity.
As he walked down, he casually picked up a metal Long Spike with a handle from a nearby rack and slowly approached Wei Wusheng.
He stared at the bound man’s body and said, "Your biggest mistake was coming here." He raised the Long Spike, aiming it at Wei Wusheng’s eye. "I hear there’s a huge bounty on you. I’ll do you the favor of collecting it."
With that, he moved, thrusting the spike swiftly at Wei Wusheng. But with a CLAP, he was stunned to find the tip of the spike firmly blocked by a raised palm.
He was utterly astonished.
’How is this possible?!’
’This man was clearly bound by the power of the Mo God!’
As he sensed something was wrong, his body reacted faster than his mind. He immediately tried to retreat, but a massive shadow suddenly loomed over him and wrapped him in a crushing embrace!
Feeling the immense power, he turned pale with fright and desperately tried to struggle, but it was too late. As Wei Wusheng’s intact arm squeezed tight, a crack of breaking bones echoed. Du Geng’s back and chest were crushed together in an instant. His eyes bulged, and blood spewed from his throat.
Wei Wusheng released his grip. Du Geng’s limp body slid down and collapsed between his feet. With his cheek pressed against the cold stone tiles, he managed a muffled, indistinct sound. "How... how could..."
Wei Wusheng glanced down, his tone casual. "You can pass through those threads by relying on a change in your Biological Domain. All I had to do was change my own Domain. It’s a very simple matter."
To a certain extent, Third Limit Fighters possess the ability to briefly simulate another’s Biological Domain. However, that requires one’s own Domain to be large enough. But his severed hand, lying on the ground ahead, had coincidentally expanded the range of his Domain, allowing him to quickly coordinate and alter its expression.
"So that’s how..."
’If only I had been more careful, or just waited a little longer...’ But before he could finish the thought, a large foot stomped down from above. With a SQUELCH, his skull was crushed.
The Old Temple Priest closed his eyes.
Wei Wusheng walked over, picked up his severed forearm, and pressed it to the stump. Countless tiny, bud-like growths of Mutated Organization sprouted from both cut surfaces, twisting together as they neared one another. Once the arm was reattached, the external wound slowly began to close. Not only that, but the other wounds on his body were also gradually healing.
After doing all this, he cracked his neck and headed up the steps.
The Old Temple Priest slowly retreated into the temple. From behind him emerged several other old men dressed in the same ceremonial robes. They all took out medicine and swallowed it.
Wei Wusheng, however, acted as if he hadn’t seen them. He walked all the way to the front of the temple, glanced at the surrounding scenery, and said, "This is a nice place." Then, with a flick of his hand, he took out his hammer and stepped into the temple.
More than ten minutes later, he walked back out, leaving a trail of bloody footprints in his wake.
In that short time, the wounds on his body had completely vanished, and his once-severed arm seemed to be able to move freely again.
Just then, a voice rang in his ear. "There are still..."
But Wei Wusheng cut the voice off directly. "I know there are others, but they’re not worth mentioning. There is only one person worthy of attention."
Previously, the rapid growth of Xiong Jianyi’s Mutated Organization had affected him to a certain degree, even forcing him to change his fighting style for a time.
But that, too, was a battle. In the struggle for dominance between their two consciousnesses, he had gradually regained control. Now, he had completely suppressed the other. He no longer needed to completely follow Xiong Jianyi’s will; he just needed to act on his own thoughts.
The combination of their two Mutated Organizations had brought about not just a mix of hard and soft attributes, but also a new period of rapid growth for him.
His previous disappearance wasn’t because he was afraid or trying to hide from those who had accepted the bounty on him. Rather, he needed a place to get through this period. Now, he had killed most of the valuable targets.
At this stage, only the last sliver of the Heart Thought’s power remained to be absorbed.
He needed a greater stimulus to elevate his body’s Mutated Organization to perfection. Only a body like that could face the coming trial.
Therefore, it was time to deal with the person obstructing the final release of the Heart Thought.
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