Supreme Alchemist-Chapter 2440 - 2430: East Side Monk’s Room

Seeing that the courtyard on the left was in such a state, Long Yan had no choice but to enter from the right. Although the ominous aura was still thick, Long Yan felt it was much better than the west side. Long Yan could only first clear away the obstacle of the spider web because he felt disgusted by it. He casually found a wooden stick to clear the web.

It looked as if no one had been here for years. In the instant Long Yan cleared the spider web, a cloud of dust instantly filled the air, almost causing Long Yan, who had escaped the Cracked Earth Bear, to choke to death.

Waving his hand in front of his nose, Long Yan proceeded cautiously. Although this courtyard felt much better than the previous one, it didn’t rule out the hidden dangers within.

Placing his hand on the door of the monk’s room, Long Yan initially thought he couldn’t pull it open, but after some effort, he discovered something heavy seemed to be blocking it from behind, doing the opposite of his actions. Cautious, Long Yan could only use a little power.

With a creaking sound, a shadow suddenly toppled from the room, and Long Yan quickly turned aside. But the shadow shattered into countless pieces upon hitting the ground.

On closer inspection, the shadow was a human bone. It seemed that it was the one blocking the door earlier. Such bones hold no fear for Long Yan; after all, he had fought with Bone Sky, who was no more than a set of bones himself. Long Yan retrieved a fire starter from his pocket and lit it.

Long Yan had specifically prepared this for the Trial. With many beasts in the mountains and unable to use True Qi to light a fire, Long Yan had bought many fire starters, which now came in handy.

Long Yan bent down slightly, observing the white bones on the ground. The presence of a deceased person indicated something here capable of causing death. Despite this, Long Yan was in no rush to enter; however, he could not find any fatal injuries, even after examining each bone.

Could it be that the person before him passed peacefully in this courtyard? It’s almost like a joke. If Long Yan hadn’t been chased by the Cracked Earth Bear today, he probably wouldn’t have ended up in this place, let alone someone passing peacefully here.

Another point is that the bones appeared in a door-opening posture when they emerged from the monk’s room, indicating the person’s genuine intent was to escape, possibly in terror. However, the door might have been a push, not a pull, leading to the person being caught by whatever pursued them from behind.

This is evidenced by the handle and an arm still remaining on it, explaining how they died. They turned to bones over time. Long Yan stood, sensing an unspeakable heat coursing through his body.

"This temple seems poorly ventilated!"

From the very start, Long Yan felt hot, yet when he looked up, it was pitch black. Should there have been any breeze, the ages-old bones would have turned to ash instantly upon contact with wind, not allowing Long Yan such an extended observation.

Long Yan attempted to see inside from the outside but could only perceive a dark abyss, like a beast’s mouth waiting to devour. Regardless, he had to progress; although he considered burying the now-scattered bones, he didn’t dare to touch them, fearing they would disintegrate into bone powder upon contact. Thus, he abandoned the idea.

Stepping into the monk’s room alertly, Long Yan wedged the wooden stick he used to clear the spider web beneath the door so he could quickly retreat to the brighter exterior if needed—especially after the brother who left a hand on the door warranted caution.

However, today seemed not to be in Long Yan’s favor, as the wind blew the monk room’s door shut with a clunk, even splitting the stick he wedged into two halves.

Encountering the Cracked Earth Bear first, then entering this eerie temple, Long Yan’s spirit was constantly strained. Yet, given his entrance, retreat wasn’t an option. Surveying the fire starter in hand, he was astounded by the room’s scene.

"This?"

Having faced many daunting scenes before, Long Yan was momentarily speechless. If the initial sensation was a heatwave, now it was like chills from head to toe. The monk’s room appeared vast but was filled with corpses; dried blood covered the floor, walls, and ceiling. Long Yan felt as though he had mistakenly stepped into hell—and hell could scarcely be so terrifying.

Despite the dreadful atmosphere, Long Yan approached to examine the cause of death. Judging by the clothes, they resembled hunters. Long Yan even found a wooden bow, common among hunters, in the hand of a skeletal figure, although no arrows; perhaps they were used somewhere.

The room was sizable, though seemingly an entrance hall, reminiscent of East Asian architecture. The walls were cement, but the floors were wooden, higher than ordinary constructions.

Long Yan carefully skirted around the bodies. The scattered corpses lay in various poses, some crawling, others clutching their stomachs. He even found several along the wall, with eyes wide open and unfocused, clearly terrified.

Long Yan decided to explore the monk’s room further, hoping to find something about the temple or, at least, a means of exit.

"Anyway, you’re lying there unusable, so lend it to me, please."

He said this over a corpse, clasping his hands in front of it, before removing its clothing to bundle the previously found tree branches. This attire was why Long Yan thought of them as hunters; it was made from some unknown animal fur, perfect for a makeshift torch material.

Lighting the torch now produced a much brighter flame; animal fur burns well. It was rough, but Long Yan calculated it should last. Previously, the dim light revealed enough to shock Long Yan, but with more illumination, he realized the monk’s room alone rivaled the depths of the Chaotic Burial Mound outside.

Near the exit, bodies were piled haphazardly, dozens at least. Apparently, many had fallen victim to the temple.

Shaking his head slightly, Long Yan prepared to venture deeper, but as soon as he stepped into the corridor, he felt a chill on the back of his neck, as if someone was exhaling cold air.

"Benefactor, are you the next one?"

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