Chapter 17: The Undertaker Reappears, Shangqing Temple Suffers Defeat
What Sixth Senior Brother said filled Chen Changsheng with a vague sense of worry.
However, this feeling did not last long before Chen Changsheng felt relieved.
Walking in the Human world for decades, Chen Changsheng had come to understand a truth, which is that when things are beyond your capabilities.
They will not fail to happen just because you don't want to see them happen.
Instead of worrying all day, it's better to live each day happily, because time will prove everything.
Including whether one's conjectures are correct.
......
Returning to Shangqing Temple, Chen Changsheng resumed his leisurely and carefree life.
Normally, he would either go to the Book Graveyard to read or practice the Hundred Defeat Immortal Lord's Nameless Fist Technique to exercise his body.
When Yuanshen Shangren went to the border, he mobilized more than half of Shangqing Temple's forces.
Thus, although Yuanshan was still young, with Chen Changsheng assisting from the side, they could reluctantly maintain the operation of Shangqing Temple.
Moreover, as he experienced more things, Yuanshan's growth rate became faster, and Chen Changsheng soon became a hands-off manager.
However, during this period, one thing exceeded Chen Changsheng's expectations.
That was, the war between the Great Qian Dynasty and the Night Moon Country would last for a full twenty years.
In the fifth year, even the Old Ancestor in Transformation Stage, who had been in seclusion for a long time, went to the border.
......
Shangqing Temple Book Graveyard.
Slowly putting down the last book, Chen Changsheng moved his slightly stiff body.
At this moment, a handsome man with sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes, wearing a Daoism robe, walked over.
"How have you considered the matter I mentioned yesterday?"
Hearing this, Chen Changsheng glanced at him and said indifferently, "No!"
"Why!"
"Ten years ago, you said that you would allow me to go to the border after you finished reading the books in the Book Graveyard. Now that you have finished reading the books in the Book Graveyard, why can't I go?"
"Don't forget, I am the acting Temple Master of Shangqing Temple."
Looking at the man shouting at him, Chen Changsheng smiled and said, "Twenty years. The little kid who used to ask me about everything."
"Now he finally dares to pound the table and challenge me."
"Not bad, you've improved."
Listening to Chen Changsheng's words, the grown-up Yuanshan's eyes began to turn red, and his voice choked as he said.
"Seventh Senior Brother is dead, Fifth Senior Brother is blind, and Eldest Brother, who loved us the most, lost an arm."
"Changsheng Dage, I am now in the late Golden Core Stage. I can help them. I really don't want to see anything happen to my Senior Brothers anymore."
Looking at Yuanshan's red eyes, Chen Changsheng was momentarily at a loss for words.
He had been paying attention to the situation at the border all these years, and the situation of the Great Qian Dynasty was not very optimistic.
More than ten Nascent Soul Stage powerhouses had died in battle, and there were even rumors that Transformation stage cultivators had begun to fall on the battlefield.
Such a cruel battlefield, if he let Yuanshan go out, it would undoubtedly be sending him to his death.
On such a battlefield, a Golden Core Stage cultivator was nothing more than slightly higher-level cannon fodder.
Just as Chen Changsheng was about to find an excuse to continue preventing Yuanshan from going to the battlefield, a familiar aura suddenly came from above Shangqing Temple.
Sensing this aura, Chen Changsheng and Yuanshan quickly went out to greet him.
But what they saw was Third Brother, covered in blood, with his left hand severed and his right eye blinded.
"From now on, I am the Temple Master of Shangqing Temple, and Ninth Junior Brother Song Yuanshan is the Deputy Temple Master of Shangqing Temple."
"All major and minor branches of Shangqing Temple are to retreat three thousand li to the west!"
The once lazy Third Brother had become decisive and efficient, not even having time to greet his two Junior Brothers whom he hadn't seen for a long time.
After issuing a series of orders, Third Brother's tense spirit finally relaxed.
Looking at Third Brother, who had changed so much, Yuanshan trembled and walked over.
"Third Brother, where are Master and the others?"
Facing Yuanshan's question, Third Brother said in a somewhat hoarse voice.
"For some reason, the number of Nascent Soul Stage powerhouses in the Night Moon Country suddenly doubled or more."
"Master was surrounded by three two Late Stage Nascent Soul cultivators and finally fell on Phoenix Mountain."
"Several of us Senior Brothers were acting together, but we were suddenly ambushed. Eldest Brother sacrificed himself by self-detonating to send me out."
"The Great Qian Dynasty was defeated and ceded five thousand li of territory starting from the border as compensation to the Night Moon Country."
Upon hearing this news, Yuanshan immediately felt a dizzy spell.
Then, Yuanshan grabbed Third Brother's collar and sternly questioned, "What about Master's body?"
"Why didn't you bring it back? Do you want to see Master's body refined into a Puppet?"
Facing Yuanshan's roar, Third Brother did not resist, only offering endless silence.
"Stop shaking, you're going to shake Third Brother to death."
Chen Changsheng's calm voice sounded from behind, and Yuanshan subconsciously stopped his actions.
Turning his head, he saw that Chen Changsheng had somehow carried over the lightning-struck wood coffin from the back mountain.
Before Yuanshan could figure out what Chen Changsheng was planning to do, Chen Changsheng had already arrived in front of Third Brother.
He took out a porcelain bottle and poured out a pill for Third Brother to take.
It was as if Chen Changsheng had not been affected by the recent bad news at all.
"You have injured your Foundation, and my ability is limited, I cannot save you."
"The Night Moon Country's offensive is so fierce, their goal is definitely not just five thousand li, they should be planning to annex the entire Great Qian Dynasty."
"Yuanshan has good talent, but he is still a bit childish. You must teach him well for these fifty years. The future of Shangqing Temple rests on him."
After speaking, Chen Changsheng put the lightning-struck wood coffin on the ground into his System space, then turned and walked out.
At this moment, the stunned Third Brother reacted and immediately said, "Chang Sheng, what are you going to do?"
Hearing this, Chen Changsheng stopped, hesitated for a moment, and then spoke.
"I'm going to collect the bodies of Master and the Senior Brothers."
"It might make you laugh, Senior Brother, but before I came to Shangqing Temple, my old profession was selling coffins."
"And that lightning-struck wood coffin, I prepared it for Master in advance, and now it just happens to be useful."
"We cultivate Immortals for Chang Sheng. Everyone thinks that after Chang Sheng, they will attain great freedom, unaware that Chang Sheng is the greatest suffering."
"The world is like a Bitter Sea, and Chang Sheng means having to float in this Bitter Sea forever."
"Master and the others have escaped the Bitter Sea, we should be happy for them."
Saying this, Chen Changsheng hesitated again, then turned his head and gave Third Brother a bright smile, saying.
"I remember you, Third Brother, telling a story from the cultivation world before, and even using it to scare Yuanshan."
"You said there is a mysterious existence in the cultivation world who specializes in collecting bodies for those whose Lifespan has ended."
"Once he appears, it means that death is imminent."
"No one knows the name of this mysterious existence, they only know he is called..."
"The Undertaker!"