He Qiliao and the monk were locked in a fierce battle, their energy blasting in all directions—a truly spectacular sight. None of the onlookers had ever seen Master Yideng, nor had they witnessed the legendary Yang Finger before, but this monk was able to parry He Qiliao’s sword with nothing but his fingers. The deft, close-quarters moves were nothing short of miraculous—maybe this was the famed Yang Finger. Watching this kind of showdown was a treat for the younger members, a real eye-opener. Normally, you’d let the fighters go at it until everyone’s satisfied, both the brawlers and the spectators. But today was no time to calmly watch a martial arts show, so Wu Zhengfeng, frowning from horseback, barked, “Enough! Stop right now!”
Buzz—waves seemed to ripple through the air. Compared to Yang Qi’s Lion’s Roar, this shout wasn’t all that loud, but it landed squarely on the monk, bypassing He Qiliao entirely. The monk immediately staggered, and the force of his Yang Finger dissolved.
The monk took several steps back, stunned and wary, his eyes never losing their guarded look: “Who are you people, and why have you barged into our ancestral land?”
“Please don’t be offended, Master. We mean no harm.” Grace Kwok quickly stepped forward to explain, “I’m Grace Kwok, second daughter of George Kwok. We’re here to find Master Yideng. Could you please tell us where Master Yideng and the Condor Hero couple have gone?”
“George Kwok?” That’s quite the name to drop, but the monk’s expression didn’t soften one bit. Grace was anxious, but she kept her cool and tried to prove her identity. Still, the monk wouldn’t budge, no matter what she said. “You say you are, so you are? I say you’re not! Move along, or don’t blame me for getting rough!”
Faced with such a stubborn, hard-headed guy, Yang Qi didn’t even bother to argue—she just waved her hand and released her summoned beast. Instantly, the No One Under Heaven crew charged forward, shouting. Their skills weren’t a match for the old monk, but they had all sorts of lassos and iron nets ready. To help the juniors handle tough opponents, the two big bosses had even developed a whole set of ‘many against one’ tactics. Today was the perfect time to try them out on the monk.
The stronger ones, like Han Bing, led the charge, keeping the main pressure on. He Qiliao was sharpening his blade, not fighting yet but prowling at the edge, his gaze full of mischief, putting huge psychological pressure on the monk. The lassos and iron nets formed a massive trap, and though the crew was clumsy at first, they quickly got the hang of it. Advance, retreat, back each other up—they started working like a real team.
If it were a free-for-all, the monk wouldn’t win, but he could probably escape if he tried. But he kept fighting near the Hidden Stone Shrine’s entrance and wouldn’t leave the open ground in front of it, so his downfall was pretty much inevitable.
“Sanmiao, keep watch. Let’s go inside and take a look.” With a quick order, Yang Qi and Wu Jiaoniang got off their horses and walked into the Hidden Stone Shrine.
You could tell the Hidden Stone Shrine was originally just a hollowed-out cave in the cliff. Later, someone carved and built it up, turning it into a natural stone temple. Yunnan’s landscape is nothing like the Central Plains—rivers and lava have shaped these karst formations. All over the mountains and underground, you run into caves. This stone shrine was made from one of those caves.
Inside the shrine, there were no Buddha statues on display. Instead, this round hall featured eight bizarre carved figures. Most of them weren’t even human—nor any creature you’d find in nature. They were a motley crew of mysterious, otherworldly beings.
“What in the world are these things?” Maggie Monroe stared at the weird and wonderful statues, completely baffled.
“Let me think... Oh! I get it!” Jill Young summoned her inner trivia princess, channeling her encyclopedic dreams: “Look, this one’s a dragon, that winged one must be Garuda, the one with the bushy brows and fierce eyes is Asura, and the one who looks like it’s about to take flight is Gandharva. That really tall and majestic one? Deva, for sure. As for the rest, I haven’t a clue. But if Howard Hopeless’s magical eyesight is on point, these are the Eight Celestial Guardians.”
“So that’s what this is.” The Eight Celestial Guardians—a Buddhist mythological lineup. Who exactly are all eight? Go ask the resident trivia queen for the full scoop. We’ll skip the lecture here. The Hidden Stone Shrine, the Eight Celestial Guardians... it’s all coming together. Once a sacred ground for the Duan family and the pulse of destiny, back in the days when Dennis Duan’s descendants had luck bursting out their ears. Now, all that remains is a flicker of hope in this humble spot. Honestly, it’s enough to make you sigh and shake your head.
“This place looks ancient, definitely not some newly built spot.” Jill Young ran her hand over one of the stone figures, nodding thoughtfully. “The surface isn’t rough at all—either it’s been polished by a master craftsman, or time itself has worn it smooth. No other way about it.”
Maggie Monroe wandered around the shrine, peering at every nook and cranny with an appraising gaze. After a moment, she muttered, “Weird. Seriously weird... Hannah Frost, bring out the map.”
“On it!” Hannah Frost replied coolly, stepping out from the shadows of the shrine’s outer hall. She’d been lurking there for ages, it seemed. For a place this tiny, she sure knew how to blend in—her shadow skills were top-notch. Among the Shadow Division, Hannah was their ace, but she didn’t always have this kind of power. It was Jill Young who translated the Lotus Treasure Mirror’s survival tips into everyday language, then passed them on. That’s how Hannah and her crew leveled up so fast.
Now, the Shadow Division is basically No One Under Heaven’s secret intel squad, and every member is a one-person army. Finding this little shrine? All credit goes to the Shadow Division—they really outdid themselves.
Hannah Frost produced a scroll from her belt—her hand-drawn map. If the secrets ever came to light, that map would be worth its weight in gold. No One Under Heaven collects intel everywhere they go, but the Shadow Division takes it up a notch, sketching out every scrap of info for future use.
Jill Young unfurled the scroll and squinted at it, a flash of inspiration in her eyes. Then she pressed for details: “So, how’d you stumble on this little shrine?”