Quinn Shepherd’s eyes went wide. This unremarkable monk’s staff could buy all of Dragoncrest City?
“This staff is called the Thunderclap Monk’s Staff, with four prongs and twelve rings. It was refined by the World-Honored One of Great Thunderclap Temple. You can use it to hit people, too—and its value should rival Dragoncrest City.”
Grandpa Mark explained, “But the staff’s main use is for cultivation. When you grip it, any stir of your heart makes the rings move. As soon as a ring moves, stray thoughts vanish—this is a treasure for purifying heart-devils. The twelve rings can sever twelve kinds of distracting thoughts, eliminate twelve types of heart-devil. When a heart-devil arises, the rings chime, trapping it and refining it to ash. The staff has four prongs: to cut off worldly birth, contemplate the Four Noble Truths, cultivate the four immeasurables, and enter the four dhyāna states. With this staff, your cultivation will go twice as fast with half the effort.”
Granny Sue’s eyes instantly lit up, shining as she stared at the staff in Quinn’s hand. She laughed, “Quinn, let Granny borrow the staff for a bit—there’s a powerful heart-devil living in me that’s been pestering me for ages!”
Quinn handed the Thunderclap Monk’s Staff to Granny Sue, curious. “Granny, what kind of heart-devil lives in you?”
“An old bastard.”
Granny Sue sighed, her brows furrowed. “No matter how I try to refine him, he just won’t die. I’ve killed him a thousand times, but he’s still alive—always causing trouble in my heart! If I can use this staff to finally refine him to death, I’ll finally have peace.”
Quinn still had no idea who Granny Sue’s inner demon really was, and she didn’t explain further. As soon as she took the staff, the twelve rings clattered all at once, deafeningly loud.
A terrible, heart-palpitating aura erupted from Granny Sue—so alien it didn’t feel like her at all, but as if someone else was inside her body!
Quinn couldn’t help but feel his skin crawl. Was there really another person living inside Granny Sue?
Grandpa Blindeye, Grandpa Mark, Grandpa Lame, Apothecary, and Mute Smith all felt their hair stand on end, each hurriedly taking a step back. Even they sensed mortal danger from this terrifying aura!
After a moment, Granny Sue slumped and handed the staff back to Quinn. “It’s useless—still can’t do anything to that old demon. Damn it, why won’t he just die!”
Quinn took the Thunderclap Monk’s Staff, wanting to sling it across his back along with his bamboo staff, but it was too long—if he put it on his back, he couldn’t walk. He had to carry it by hand instead.
“Just toss that thing on the ox cart. You’re no monk.”
Grandpa Mark said, “You’ve passed the test at today’s market. No need for more fighting—you’ve already achieved something huge by defeating a disciple of Great Thunderclap Temple. But remember, that Brightheart kid wasn’t a true disciple of the World-Honored One. He’s still far from that level. Understand?”
Quinn casually tossed the priceless staff onto the ox cart, then asked curiously, “How strong is a true disciple of the World-Honored One?”
Grandpa Mark replied calmly, “Back in my day, I was a disciple of the World-Honored One. Only when you can beat me will you truly count as an Overlord Body.”
Quinn’s heart gave a little jolt. Every day when he practiced fists with Grandpa Mark, Mark would only use Spirit Embryo realm cultivation, but even then, Quinn always ended up black and blue.
And Grandpa Mark only had one arm. If he still had both, how terrifying would his strength be?
Quinn knew he still had a long way to go in the Spirit Embryo realm.
The Grandma Temple fair lasted two days. By evening, people began packing up their wares and moving into Grandma Temple itself. The temple was vast, guarded by stone statues, and truly extraordinary. Hiding here, the darkness outside couldn’t invade—it was a safe haven.
Quinn drove the ox cart inside, looking up to see the sunset hanging over the mountaintops, gilding the Heavenly Wolf Palace.
Once inside, Quinn finally understood why the map called this place Heavenly Wolf Palace but everyone referred to it as Grandma Temple: the main hall enshrined a kindly, approachable old woman.
She had gentle brows and kind eyes, like a sweet old granny from the next village, with a hint of slyness in her gaze. The carving was so lifelike it felt almost real.
Quinn even thought she looked a lot like Granny Sue, and stared for a moment longer. But when he used his Divine Firmament Heaven Eye, he got a real shock.
Beneath that kindly old face surged a monstrous, overwhelming power. Her divine light shaped itself into a colossal wolf, rearing up to devour the sky!
Besides the main hall, there was a front hall, two side halls, and a sprawling garden and pond. But the garden had no flowers, and the pond had dried up—at the bottom lay several bones.
Quinn went over for a look. They were fish bones, but huge—six or seven zhang long. Strangely, the fish had dragon-shaped skulls!
Apothecary called him back, brought out medicine, and dressed his wounds. Nearby, Grandpa Blindeye and Mute Smith were frying an egg—the Brood-Hen Dragon had laid a coconut-sized egg and was clucking away.
Inside Grandma Temple, other villagers started fires and cooked dinner. As the sun dipped behind the hills, everyone would sleep early after supper.
Just then, a young man burst in from outside the temple, his face full of panic. He shouted, “Is there an experienced midwife here? My wife is about to give birth!”
Everyone in the temple stood up and looked at him, but no one answered.
Granny Sue slowly rose and said, “I’ve delivered babies before—my hands are practiced. Can your wife hold on a bit longer? It’s nearly dark. If she can wait until tomorrow, I can come over…”
The young man dropped to his knees, kowtowing again and again. “We can’t wait! Please, wise granny, save us! The baby’s stuck—none of the village midwives can help!”
Granny Sue glanced at the setting sun, looking troubled.
“Help! Please, help!”
The young man kowtowed until his forehead bled, sobbing, “My wife has been pregnant several times over the years, but every time, the baby died at birth! If we lose this one too, our family line ends!”
Granny Sue was shocked. “Every time, the child died during birth?”
The young man nodded again and again. Granny Sue frowned, suspicious. “If your wife can carry to full term, the baby shouldn’t just die at birth—something strange is going on. How far is your village from here?”
“Not far! It’s less than twenty li from Grandma Temple!”
Granny Sue glanced at the setting sun and breathed a sigh of relief. “Less than twenty li? You’re from Fort Zhang, then. That’s close enough—we’ll make it before dark. Blindeye, Quinn, you two come with me. Something’s fishy about this.”
Quinn was surprised. Granny Sue was usually so prickly—he hadn’t expected her to be so warm-hearted.
The young man scrambled to his feet and sprinted toward Fort Zhang. He must have been a martial artist, moving fast out of fear they wouldn’t make it in time. Just as he turned to urge Granny Sue and the others to hurry, he saw them—Granny Sue and Blindeye—following steadily behind, even the eleven- or twelve-year-old boy keeping pace.
“You’re too slow.”
Grandpa Blindeye said calmly, “Quinn, carry him on your back. Go faster, before the sun goes down.”
Quinn rushed forward, slung the man onto his back without warning, and said, “Watch out for my saber—I don’t want to cut you.”
The young man protested, “Put me down! You’ll run slower carrying me…”
Before he could finish, a wild wind roared past his ears—Quinn leapt from the woods, carrying him, and raced ahead, feet skimming the leaves!
The man was stunned. The wind howled louder and louder, and the boy carrying him ran faster and faster. He was shocked: “How did this kid train? He’s way stronger than me!”
As Quinn sprinted, he felt as if he was running on the wind itself. He thought, “Grandpa Lame said when he tempered his body, he reached the Spirit Embryo realm and could run on the tip of the wind. If I can find the tip of the wind, I could do the same. But… what exactly is the wind’s tip?”
As he ran, Quinn had no time to think. The man on his back was still worrying whether Granny Sue and Grandpa Blindeye could keep up—when suddenly, he saw the two elders sitting cross-legged, right behind Quinn. The whirlwind kicked up by Quinn’s sprint carried them along, moving just as fast as him!
“What kind of movement technique is this?”
His mind reeled. The sun finally sank behind the western hills, and darkness rolled in from the west, swallowing everything in its path.
Quinn raced ahead, spotting Fort Zhang in the distance. He dashed for the village, and right as the darkness was about to catch him, he burst through the gates!
Whoosh—
Though Quinn stopped, the wind behind him kept howling forward. Granny Sue and Grandpa Blindeye, still sitting serenely in the wind, floated a dozen zhang ahead before finally stretching their legs and standing firmly on the ground.
Quinn stared, then broke into a huge grin. “The tip of the wind—so this is the tip of the wind!”