Urban Martial Saint

Although he found the exit, Ye Qing did not immediately jump into the passage. Instead, he searched the stone chamber once more.

This is said to be the place where Patriarch Bodhidharma passed away. However, after Ye Qing entered this stone chamber for such a long time, apart from the Buddha’s Bone that had transformed from Shakyamuni’s Left Hand Sarira, he did not find any other bones. Why is it that the remains of Patriarch Bodhidharma, who had supposedly passed away here, are nowhere to be seen? This is indeed a rather peculiar question.

The stone chamber is only so large, and its conditions are all too clear. Ye Qing turned over the stone bed and specifically looked underneath, but still found nothing, as the remains of Patriarch Bodhidharma are simply nowhere to be seen.

”Could it be that Patriarch Bodhidharma isn’t buried here?” Ye Qing muttered softly, looked around, and not finding the remains of Patriarch Bodhidharma, he did not linger here any longer.

He packed up the wooden box, took a deep breath, and jumped into the passage beneath the stone bed.

The passage was pitch black and not spacious, as if it had been a temporary tunnel dug by someone, rather than a place to imprison the Eternal Demon. Fortunately, as he walked through the passage, apart from the darkness, nothing else happened.

Ye Qing walked along the passage for about ten minutes, descending all the way, with the terrain getting lower and lower, and the surrounding air filled with humidity. Turning a corner, a light suddenly appeared ahead—it was already at the exit of the passage.

Seeing that light, Ye Qing’s spirits lifted. All along this journey, for such a long time, he felt somewhat uneasy, doubting whether he had taken the wrong path. Now, seeing this light, it seemed he hadn’t gone the wrong way, and exiting through this place would indeed lead him outside.

Interestingly, along the way, there were no special places encountered, such as the Eternal Demon mentioned in Patriarch Bodhidharma’s message, which Ye Qing never saw. Although a millennium has passed and the demon is certainly no longer in this world, at least the bones should be here. But why hasn’t Ye Qing seen a single bone along the way?

With doubts in his mind, Ye Qing continued forward, and in less than half a minute, he reached the exit of the passage. When he got there, he could faintly hear the sound of rushing water, which puzzled him—could there be a river here?

Exiting this passage, Ye Qing appeared in a spacious stone chamber, about ten meters long and quite roomy. In the center of the stone chamber, there was a huge stone block, about a meter tall, resembling cooled and piled-up lava, with an aura of magma all around. The surface of the lava block was draped with layers of blood-red liquid, like blood. Although it had already solidified, it still appeared very eerie.

The most shocking sight to Ye Qing was that three thick iron chains were coiled around this massive stone block. Looking closely, these three iron chains were indeed the Mystic Iron Chains he had seen underwater when he first entered this place.

Back then, the three Mystic Iron Chains extended into an underwater stone cave, which was sealed by a stone tablet, the purpose of which was unknown. Ye Qing had speculated on what these iron chains might be securing. Now that he had reached this point, he finally saw that these iron chains were holding down this massive stone block.

What is inside this huge stone block? Why must such large iron chains be used to secure it?

With curiosity and astonishment, Ye Qing approached the huge stone block, intending to closely observe it. However, as he took a few steps forward, a blood-red light suddenly flashed from the liquid surrounding the stone block, startling Ye Qing into stopping immediately.

Is this the Eternal Demon mentioned by Patriarch Bodhidharma?

This thought sprang up in Ye Qing’s mind, making him instantly retreat two steps, staring at the stone block for a long time. Finally, he decided not to approach it further. Although millennia have passed and the Eternal Demon is likely dead, a being of great power—even as a corpse—can be terrifying. Consider the corpse of a Great Demon King or the Buddha’s Bone transformed from Shakyamuni’s Left Hand Sarira—these are things not to be touched. Who knows what dangers this Eternal Demon’s remains might still possess.

At the other end of the stone chamber lies a surging underground river; the sound of rushing water Ye Qing heard earlier came from here. This underground river is quite narrow at this location, making the flow of water extremely fast. Ye Qing could see clearly that this stone chamber should have been carved from the rock wall beside the underground river. The underground river is about three meters wide, with the river water flowing from one end, passing through the stone chamber, and directly entering the flow on the other side.

And the three Mystic Iron Chains securing the huge stone block just extend into the passage in the direction of the water flow.

Ye Qing stared at these two water passages for a while and essentially understood what this exit was about. It seems that the so-called exit must be the stone tablet he saw underwater in the underground river. Although Ye Qing doesn’t know the conditions of this underground river, he knows where these three Mystic Iron Chains lead from. Ye Qing only needs to follow these chains to find the way out.

With this realization, Ye Qing did not hesitate. He wrapped the wooden box tightly in a plastic bag, ensuring it wouldn’t get waterlogged. He then packed the box, took a deep breath, grabbed one of the Mystic Iron Chains, and jumped into the underground river.

As soon as Ye Qing entered, the water rushed by at breakneck speed, carrying him swiftly. Fortunately, he had a grip on the Mystic Iron Chain; although the water was fast, the chain held his body in place, preventing him from being swept too far away at once.

The force of the water took Ye Qing by surprise. He clung tightly to the Mystic Iron Chain, gradually loosening his grip, allowing him to control his position and avoid being driven too far.

Continuing in this manner for about half a minute, Ye Qing suddenly felt the surroundings change; he was flushed out of the water passage into a more expansive area.

Here, the water wasn’t flowing as rapidly. Ye Qing turned on his bright flashlight and surveyed the surroundings to find himself encased in murky waters, unable to see around, neither above nor below. It felt as if he were in the middle of a deep reservoir, unsure how far the bottom was or how vast the distance to the top, creating a very troublesome situation.

This predicament slightly stunned Ye Qing; he had presumed he would follow the waterway out directly. Unexpectedly, he ended up in a reservoir-like space, not knowing the depth or breadth of the water. Holding his breath, without a chance to gasp, Ye Qing feared suffocating here.

After a moment of panic, Ye Qing quickly regained his composure, remembering the Mystic Iron Chain he was holding. Regardless of anything else, he knew where the chain led. Following it would surely not mislead him.

Without pausing, Ye Qing hand over hand grasped the Mystic Iron Chain, swimming forward along it. The iron chain continued upward, and after about a minute, Ye Qing’s flashlight finally illuminated a rocky ceiling.

The rock submerged underwater resembled a sealed reservoir, making surfacing for air impossible.

Now, Ye Qing had been holding his breath for a minute and a half. If not for his impressive Inner Strength enhancing his breath control, he wouldn’t have managed this long.

Seeing the rock, Ye Qing didn’t pause, still following the chain. After another ten seconds, the iron chain extended into a pitch-black stone cave, with two more chains extending from different directions.

Undoubtedly, this cave was the one Ye Qing saw upon entering, suppressed underwater by the stone tablet in the underground river. Following this cave would lead him to the upper underground river, where he could escape.

By this time, Ye Qing’s face was flushed, holding his breath as he scrambled through the cave without any delay, gripping the chain tightly.

The stone cave was wide enough, allowing Ye Qing to glide through, clutching the Mystic Iron Chain without obstruction. Yet, unaware of the cave’s length, Ye Qing couldn’t swim through within the next half-minute. His chest was aching with pressure, nearing collapse. If he couldn’t exit soon, he would likely pass out from lack of oxygen. In water, unconsciousness meant certain death.

Ye Qing bit his lip hard, maintaining consciousness. Despite some despair, he persevered, keeping his head down, swimming upward desperately.

After another ten seconds, Ye Qing’s outstretched hand suddenly encountered a stone block, stunning him for a moment. Looking up, he realized he had reached the top, where a stone block covered the exit, the same he had encountered before.

Upon seeing the stone, Ye Qing was overjoyed, recognizing it as the stone tablet he had observed submerged earlier. This meant he finally reached the position; pushing aside the tablet would open the exit, allowing him to swim into the underground river and escape the predicament.