"Erba?"

Li Shiwuwu exclaimed in shock. He had never imagined that upon opening the temple door, he would be greeted with such a scene.

At this moment, the entire abdomen and thighs of the person before him had been completely stripped of skin, appearing extremely gruesome.

He lay there, eyes tightly shut, uncertain if he was alive or dead.

On the ground, pieces of human skin were scattered, each about the size of a palm, shriveled and dry.

Outside the temple, Qian Yuanzi watched coldly, choosing not to step inside.

He merely spoke, "Ha, what kind of mischief is this wicked disciple up to now?"

"Shiwuwu, go in and take a look!"

Under Qian Yuanzi's deathly gaze, Li Shiwuwu had no choice but to step forward, entering the temple step by step.

Fortunately, the path was unobstructed, with no traps or mechanisms encountered.

He noticed that the floor of the room was covered in a layer of strange black soil, which felt soft and surprisingly comfortable under his bare feet.

As he approached, he discovered that Shi Erba's palm was tightly gripping a small knife.

The blade seemed to have been soaked in blood, though the blood had dried, leaving a dark brown hue.

Everything indicated that the pieces of human skin on the ground had been cut off by Shi Erba himself.

Why?

At this moment, Li Shiwuwu was filled with questions and confusion. Why would Shi Erba skin himself?

Just then, Shi Erba's tightly shut eyes opened slightly.

His gaze was unfocused, but upon recognizing Li Shiwuwu, he suddenly became agitated.

He muttered, "Shi... Shiwuwu, come closer, I have something to say..."

Seeing the man before him on the brink of death, Li Shiwuwu didn't hesitate, quickly leaning in with his right ear near Shi Erba's lips.

He heard Shi Erba whispering faintly, "Immortal... Immortal fate is real, Seed... Seed Immortal Temple is real."

"You can... become immortal, good... luck!"

With these words, it seemed Shi Erba had exhausted all his strength. The light in his eyes began to fade, and his remaining body heat dissipated at that moment.

Shi Erba was dead!

As for Li Shiwuwu, it was as if a thunderbolt exploded in his mind, shooting straight to his crown, making his organs churn and his scalp tingle.

Immortal fate, it truly exists!

The Seed Immortal Temple, it actually exists!

And it was right before his eyes!

"My dear disciple, did that wretch say anything?"

Outside the temple, Qian Yuanzi casually asked, still not stepping inside.

Li Shiwuwu ignored him, lost in thought.

It can be hard to make great work when its stolen from bit.ly/3iBfjkV.

Since the Seed Immortal Temple was real, why did Shi Erba skin himself? What was the reason?

As various thoughts surged through his mind, a daring plan slowly emerged in his mind.

He had found a way to kill Qian Yuanzi!

"Shiwuwu, my disciple?" Qian Yuanzi frowned, his tone growing more menacing.

Inside the temple, Li Shiwuwu gently closed Shi Erba's eyes with his hand.

Then he stood up and turned around.

With an exaggerated expression, as if he had encountered a great fortune, he said, "Master, it's done, it's done!"

"What do you mean by done?" Qian Yuanzi's eyes, sharp as an eagle's, were full of scrutiny.

"Master, this temple is truly the Seed Immortal Temple. You're about to become immortal, and we can ascend together."

"Such joy, it's truly joyous."

Qian Yuanzi sneered, "Oh, really?"

"Did that wretch just tell you all this?"

"Yes," Li Shiwuwu nodded vigorously.

"What else did he say? Did he tell you how to 'plant' oneself?"

"He did, Master, he did."

Li Shiwuwu nodded twice, but suddenly hesitated, as if unsure how to continue.

"Speak!" Qian Yuanzi shouted.

"Yes... yes."

Li Shiwuwu glanced at the skinned corpse on the ground before slowly speaking, "Master, this is indeed the Seed Immortal Temple. Erba just told me himself, he wouldn't lie to me."

"He said that when he first entered the temple, he heard a voice from nowhere."

"The voice called him a fated one, capable of achieving immortality."

"However, he needed to shed all his mortal skin and plant himself in this black soil. Only then could he 'plant immortality.'"

"Afterward, he just needed to wait for the seed to sprout, bloom, and become immortal."

Li Shiwuwu sighed, "Unfortunately, Erba couldn't endure the pain of being skinned and ultimately failed."

He quickly put on a smile and added, "But now that you're here, Master, immortal fate is within reach."

"I'll just follow along and enjoy the benefits."

Qian Yuanzi laughed heartily, bending over with laughter, his laughter piercingly sharp.

Pointing, he said, "Shiwuwu, are you saying that wretch skinned himself to successfully 'plant immortality'?"

"Exactly," Li Shiwuwu nodded emphatically.

"Hmph!" Qian Yuanzi snorted, his eyes filled with a chilling gleam.

"Shiwuwu, at this point, you still want to deceive your master?"

"Let me tell you the truth. The moment I saw that wretch's robe tonight, I saw through your tricks."

Qian Yuanzi looked disdainful, "You wicked disciples have been with me for so long, yet you've learned nothing of my cunning."

"Do you really think creating a seemingly authentic temple and even skinning yourselves would make me believe it's true immortal fate? That it's the real Seed Immortal Temple? Or even believe in that ridiculous 'plant immortality' method?"

Qian Yuanzi spat, "Dream on."

Standing outside, Guan San chimed in with a foolish voice, "Master, you're so smart."

"Surely Shi Erba and Li Shiwuwu teamed up to trick you, trying to make you harm yourself."

Inside the temple, under the dim candlelight, Li Shiwuwu looked utterly aggrieved.

"Master, I'm not lying to you."

"Erba really told me this, and this is truly the Seed Immortal Temple."

Outside, Qian Yuanzi's smile turned strangely cruel.

"Shiwuwu, you're really not lying to your master?"

"No."

"If not, then this immortal fate, I'll leave it to you. You deserve it for following me all these years."

Qian Yuanzi's mismatched eyes glared, his tone leaving no room for doubt.

"Shiwuwu, hurry up."

"Now is the perfect time and place. Use the knife to skin yourself, so you can 'plant immortality.'"

"With your master protecting you, rest assured."

"Tonight, no one will disturb you!"