The enchanting woman on the right replied:

“Elder Night Princess went to South Dharma Temple last night to gather intelligence, making final confirmations. Unexpectedly, she returned gravely wounded and hasn’t awakened since losing consciousness.”

The alluring woman on the left added:

“Elder Night Princess’s wounds are strange. There’s a force within her continuously erasing her life force, and it cannot be removed. We don’t know if she can last until tomorrow. We can only wait for Protector Green Wood to arrive.”

The bird demon called “Red Tassel” frowned deeply. Suddenly, a piercing ape’s cry shook the wilderness. Looking toward the sound, a white ape stood on the southern peak, howling at the moon.

“Why has this annoying monkey come too…”

Red Tassel spat in disgust, but quickly raised a smile, watching the ape leap through treetops before finally crashing into the valley with a “boom.”

“Protector Yuan, we’ve been anxiously awaiting you.”

Red Tassel displayed an enthusiastic smile. As one of the three protectors under Elder Night Princess, he always emphasized harmony among “colleagues.”

After landing, the white ape swiftly transformed into a tall, thin man with a broad forehead and thick lips—at first glance, his appearance was between human and monkey.

In contrast to his ugly appearance, the white ape had a pair of azure eyes, so clear they seemed able to reflect everything in the world.

The white ape glanced at the smiling Red Tassel, his azure pupils seeming to pierce through to the heart, tone flat:

“Your heart tells me: ‘How unfortunate, why hasn’t this annoying dead monkey died yet.'”

Red Tassel’s expression froze, awkwardly laughing “haha” twice. Just as he didn’t know how to respond, the trees in the valley suddenly began shaking violently.

The dense forest swayed like giants come back to life, waving their limbs wildly.

Amid the swaying forest, scattered spots of emerald light were thrown into the air, gathering in the sky like a galaxy formed of fireflies.

Finally, they coalesced into the ethereal image of a towering tree.

This great tree’s branches and leaves extended outward, layer upon layer, like a cloud canopy.

The entire valley was covered by its branches and leaves.

The giant tree’s phantom cast down a beam of green light, condensing into an elder with green hair, green beard, and green eyebrows, holding a staff entwined with vines.

“Protector Green Wood!”

The ape, red bird, and two enchanting women bowed simultaneously.

The elder wrapped in green light nodded slightly, his voice ancient and gentle:

“Is Elder Night Princess inside?”

Red Tassel hurriedly said:

“We’ve been waiting for you. Elder Night Princess met with some accidents while investigating the South Dharma Temple. The situation is critical.”

He immediately relayed what the two demon women had said.

A force that cannot be removed… Green Wood Protector’s heart sank. He said:

“Take this protector to see her.”

The demon woman on the left gracefully bowed: “Honorable Protectors, this way please!”

The three protectors followed her into the cave. The tunnel was spacious, with torches inserted in the stone walls, and a beautiful woman standing every twenty paces.

As expected of the fox clan, each one is a top-tier beauty… Red Tassel admired the demon women’s alluring appearances.

“As expected of the fox clan, each one is a top-tier beauty.” White Ape Protector said gravely.

Red Tassel’s expression froze. He smiled:

“Protector Yuan truly appreciates beauty.”

The white ape glanced at him: “I was speaking your heart’s words.”

“…”

Passing through the tunnel dozens of zhang deep, ahead was a huge cave chamber. The ground was covered with animal skins, furnished with round tables and stools, screens, potted plants, and other items—like a human woman’s boudoir.

Most eye-catching was a large bed with hanging curtains, exquisitely crafted with lifelike fox carvings.

The demon woman standing by the bed immediately lifted the curtains, anxiously saying:

“Protector Green Wood, please take a look quickly.”

Green Wood Protector was the Monster Nation’s medical saint, skilled in pill refining and herb cultivation. When he devoted himself to studying medicine, the Celestial Master system hadn’t even appeared yet.

A woman of graceful figure lay unconscious on the bed.

She had a delicate face, long straight eyebrows, and refined, enchanting features. Now, this bewitchingly beautiful face was pale from blood loss. In her sleep, she slightly furrowed her brows, seeming to endure great pain.

Green Wood Protector walked to the bedside, took her snow-white wrist from beneath the light fur, gripped it, and transmitted emerald energy.

Pop~~

A golden light burst from Night Princess’s body, sending Green Wood Protector flying. His form rapidly dispersed into green light particles.

Shortly after, the green particles reconvened into the elder.

“Arhat’s Killer Position!”

Green Wood Protector’s expression was grave.

“What?”

Bird demon Red Tassel’s face changed dramatically as he cried out, finally understanding why the force was “impossible to remove” and “continuously erasing life force.”

As a new-generation protector of the Monster Nation, he hadn’t experienced the Buddhist-Demon war of the past, but he had participated in the Shanhai Pass battle twenty years ago.

The Killer Position was the most offensive of the three major Arhat positions, known as the strongest killing technique in Buddhism below the Bodhisattva level.

The greatest characteristic of the Killer Position—it never stops until death!

“This protector is powerless to help.”

Green Wood Protector shook his head: “Only the Nation Lord can intervene.”

The Killer Position’s power cannot be cured by medicine—it requires power of equal rank to counter.

“But the Nation Lord is at sea, not on the Nine Provinces continent… Among the Buddhist sect, only Du E has achieved the Killer Position now. How… how did he come to the South Border? Has the Buddhist sect’s Mahayana-Hinayana conflict ended?”

Red Tassel’s expression was ugly: “If the Nation Lord can’t return in time, what will happen to Elder Night Princess?”

For a moment no one responded, White Ape Protector and Green Wood Protector’s expressions grave.

Green Wood Protector said softly:

“She only has two days. After two days, the Killer Position’s power will destroy her physical body and primordial spirit.”

Just then, a murmur sounded as the beauty on the bed was awakened by the earlier disturbance, slowly opening her eyes.

A pair of bewitching fox eyes.

“Elder Night Princess.”

Red Tassel and the others gathered around.

Night Princess’s gaze moved, sweeping over everyone, her voice calm but weak:

“You’ve all come…”

Elder Green Wood nodded, saying gravely: “Elder Night Princess, was it Arhat Du E who injured you?”

Night Princess gently shook her head: “It was Asura.”

Asura? White Ape and Red Tassel, the new-generation protectors, exchanged glances, seeing confusion in each other’s eyes.

This name was unheard of.

Elder Green Wood, who had lived countless years, suddenly changed expression:

“Asura, the Asura King’s youngest son? Hadn’t he perished long ago?”

Night Princess was also confused, unable to answer.

Red Tassel asked: “Protector Green Wood, who is Asura?”

Elder Green Wood’s expression changed several times before he slowly said:

“Asura is another name for Asura, it’s a title that only the strongest warriors of the Asura race can possess.

“The previous generation’s Asura was the Asura King. After the Asura King was sealed beneath Mount Alanda by Buddha with demon-sealing nails and perished, the Asura King’s youngest son became the new generation’s Asura.

“He witnessed his father and brothers’ tragic deaths. For the continuation of his race, he led them in converting to Buddhism, and finally achieved the Arhat position.

“He was extremely powerful, praised at the time as the Buddhist sect’s strongest warrior below the Bodhisattva level.

“Asura himself was an extremely powerful warrior. After converting to Buddhism, he cultivated the Vajra Divine Technique and condensed a Vajra body. Later, when he failed to cultivate the Vajra Appearance, he specialized in the Chan Master system and attained the Killer Position.”

Arhat position plus Vajra body… Just hearing the description, Protector Red Tassel could imagine Asura’s power and terror.

White Ape Protector asked: “He perished later?”

Elder Green Wood nodded:

“During the Buddhist-Demon war of that time, he was personally slain by our Nation Lord.”

Speaking to this point, the elder wrapped in green light glanced at Night Princess and said:

“Unexpectedly he didn’t die. This is much more troublesome than Arhat Du E. The Nation Lord’s plans may be difficult to continue.”

The first “Nation Lord” referred to the Monster Nation’s ruler of that time.

The latter “Nation Lord” referred to the current ruler, the princess of that time.

Night Princess looked at Red Tassel and asked: “Protector Red Tassel, did you see the Bear King? Did you invite him to come out of seclusion?”

Seeing everyone look over, Red Tassel smiled bitterly and shook his head:

“The Bear King wants to sleep and is unwilling to travel far. I couldn’t persuade him—no, I didn’t even dare approach him…”

Adding frost to snow with this intelligence.

Green Wood Protector sighed: “For now, we must find a way to remove the power within Elder Night Princess. Saving her life is paramount.”

Night Princess propped herself up and said: “All of you go out first, I need to contact the Lady.”

Protector Red Tassel and the others were relieved and withdrew from the cave.

Night Princess lifted the light fur, pulled out a wooden box from under the bed, and took out a palm-sized bronze fox-head incense burner and a black incense stick.

She rubbed the black incense until it glowed and inserted it into the burner.

As the smoke curled up, Night Princess took a deep breath, inhaling the smoke through her nose.

Shortly after, a powerful will awakened within her, clear light overflowing from her left eye while her right remained normal.

“Killer Position…”

A coquettish, sensual voice floated from her red lips: “Whom did you encounter?”

Night Princess said softly:

“Lady, I encountered Asura at South Dharma Temple. He hadn’t perished after all.

“Last night I snuck into South Dharma Temple to investigate the formation’s position, making final confirmations, and saw Asura guarding outside the formation.

“Though I was quite far from him at the time, he merely snorted coldly and wounded me. If not for my superior escape arts, I fear I wouldn’t have returned.”

The Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox remained silent for a moment, then clicked her tongue:

“So I didn’t kill him back then? I understand now—it was Bodhisattva Guangxian, who controls the ‘Great Reincarnation Appearance,’ who saved him and sent him to reincarnate and cultivate again. Only this way could he have had a thread of life at that time.

“Returning after five hundred years.”

Night Princess frowned worriedly:

“Please save me, Lady.

“The plan to unseal Shen Shu will be difficult to execute now unless the Lady returns.”

The Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox laughed:

“I cannot save you. My will can suppress the Killer Position, but you cannot continuously bear my will’s possession. After two days, death is certain.

“As for our plans, heh, the Yun Province rebels have already proclaimed an emperor, the struggle for legitimacy in the Central Plains is brewing, Bodhisattva Jialuo will certainly emerge, and the Buddhist sect has lost Du Nan, Du Fan, and Arhat Du Qing.

“Bodhisattva Liuli was wounded by the Inspector General, Guangxian and Du Qing guard Alanda—the South Border Buddhist Nation is at its most vulnerable. If we don’t break the seal now, when should we wait for?”

Night Princess said bitterly: “This servant’s death matters little, but… but the Bear King hasn’t come as agreed. With our minor cultivation, even if we perish to dust, we cannot complete the task the Lady assigned.”

The Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox said with a smile:

“You don’t want to die—you value your life quite dearly now.”

Night Princess’s expression changed slightly.

The Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox continued: “If that lazy bear won’t come, so be it. This seat has found you a helper who will arrive soon. Wait patiently. Serve him well, and perhaps your life can be saved.”

Night Princess asked vigilantly: “Who?”

The Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox said with a mischievous smile: “You’ll know then. Tsk tsk, with such beauty and grace, this seat has long prepared to hold you for the right price. Wait patiently.”

The clear light in Night Princess’s left eye receded, and the black incense extinguished.

She sat cross-legged by the table, silent for a long while, her expression somewhat heavy as she put away the incense burner and incense.

Then she ordered the demon woman standing outside the cave to invite the three protectors.

When Red Tassel and the others returned, Night Princess sat cross-legged on the bed, her tone cold:

“The Lady says someone will come to assist soon. You all wait patiently.”

The three protectors’ expressions brightened. Red Tassel pressed: “Who is this great power?”

Night Princess’s expression grew colder as she said flatly: “Unknown.”

Oh, Elder Night Princess seems very unhappy… Red Tassel keenly noticed her change in attitude.

The white ape looked at him and said:

“Elder Night Princess, Red Tassel asks why you’re unhappy?”

Night Princess frowned, looked at Red Tassel, and said displeased: “Meddlesome!”

“…”

The bird demon opened his mouth but was speechless.

[…]

Inside the Pagoda of Buddha.

White Princess hung from the third-floor window, her little paws tightly gripping the window frame, half her body dangling.

She excitedly turned her head: “Below is the edge of the Ten Thousand Mountains region!”

As she spoke, her hind legs scraped against the wall a few times as she pleaded:

“Xu Qi’an, carry me, I’m so tired…”

Xu Qi’an was considerate—he pinched her neck and held her in mid-air.

“Not like this, not like this, it’s very uncomfortable…”

White Princess flailed her limbs wildly.

Xu Qi’an ignored the little fox’s protests as he gazed down at the terrain below.

He had wondered if he’d arrived in a primeval forest. Below, mountains stretched endlessly, and dense forests almost completely covered the ground.

A developed water system spread through the mountains and forests like meridians.

“These should be considered hills, just covering an enormous area—mountains everywhere, primeval forests everywhere…

“The climate is comfortable, neither hot nor cold. If Great Feng’s people could flee here, they could escape the cold disaster’s suffering. Unfortunately, the Ten Thousand Mountains of the South Border are too far from Great Feng’s territory. In this era, transportation isn’t developed—disaster victims couldn’t possibly walk here on foot…”

Lost in thought, Xu Qi’an sighed: “Is this the Ten Thousand Mountains where generations of southern demons have lived?”

What a treasure land, with unimaginably abundant resources.

If Great Feng could take this territory, the timber resources alone would be inexhaustible.

“Float…”

Xu Qi’an glanced back at Mu Nanchi, who was consulting the pagoda’s spirit elder about Buddhist teachings, and lowered his voice:

“Quick, tell me where your Sister Night Princess is.”