Chapter Sixteen: The Wheel of Time

In the depths of the forest, four figures leapt agilely among the trees, swiftly reaching the mountaintop and landing lightly on the ground. Sun Meng, leading the group, remained composed and untroubled, though the three trailing behind were already panting for breath.

"Not bad! The fact that you all kept up shows your stamina is steadily improving. Begin your recovery," Sun Meng instructed. Without a word, Tang Xiaolong and the others sat down to meditate and restore their energy. Over the past half month, they had received Sun Meng's meticulous guidance—a world apart from the training they used to muddle through with little tricks. Sun Meng's methods ensured they felt pain without leaving obvious bruises. If they tried to complain, Master Sanzang paid no mind unless they were truly injured.

Moreover, Sun Meng had a penchant for ambushes—by day while they rested, and by night using shadows to catch them off guard. Despite his strictness, he imparted much martial knowledge. In just half a month, their physical strength, inner energy, and skills—fists, kicks, and weapon techniques—had all improved greatly. After they had teamed up against Sun Meng and lost in a direct confrontation two days prior, they had abandoned any thought of slacking off.

After the time it took an incense stick to burn, the three rose, assuming combat stances. Ordinarily, this would herald the start of another practical spar.

Yet this time, Sun Meng said, "You've trained for half a month. From now until sunset tomorrow, you may rest. You're free to do as you please, so long as you don't cause trouble." Truth be told, Sun Meng had little choice. Aside from thoroughly completing the first mission, these two weeks had yielded little for him. Since the mission involved these three children, they were evidently pivotal to triggering various events. The authorities on Earth’s China had also judged that allowing these children to stir up incidents, with his timely assistance, would favor the completion of his second mission. Most importantly, even if there was something extraordinary hidden in Shaolin, he couldn’t take it from the temple; if he wanted to find treasures, he would need to look beyond its walls.

Hearing Sun Meng’s words, Hua Xiaolan asked tentatively, "Brother Shao Tan, are we really on holiday?"

Though she was a country girl, whether due to cultivating inner energy or by birth, her bearing, complexion, and even her voice were all refined. In a dress, she would be a true beauty.

Sun Meng nodded. "What, do you think I'd lie? Have I ever deceived you before? If you don't go now, you'll stay here and be my sparring partners!" With that, he vaulted over the courtyard wall nearby, disappearing into what was his own room.

Once convinced the respite was real, the three cheered in delight.

"Heavens, I almost forgot what it feels like to relax," Tang Xiaolong stretched with a groan.

Chen Xiaohu clapped him on the shoulder. "Come on, let's catch a wild rabbit and have a proper meal!" He glanced at Xiaolan. "Are you coming?"

"I’m going for a bath. Last time I was so exhausted I fell asleep in the tub," Xiaolan said, sticking out her tongue. Even though she enjoyed martial arts, thinking back over the past half month, she almost couldn’t bear it.

The three departed together, chatting and laughing, seizing the rare chance to unwind. Although this was the countryside, there was no shortage of amusements for Xiaohu and Xiaolan, who had grown up here.

The day slipped by quickly. The trio didn’t stray beyond Shaolin’s bounds, a fact that left Sun Meng, secretly watching, somewhat helpless.

Fortunately, early the next morning, the three left Shaolin, intending to explore the nearby mountain. Sun Meng, having long anticipated this, followed them from afar. Shortly after, they entered another mountain. Compared to the one Shaolin occupied, this one had fewer trees—bare stone was visible everywhere, with no large beasts or anything especially beautiful or strange. The three treated it as a simple outing.

As they wandered, Sun Meng, trailing behind, suddenly sensed a strange energy in the mountains. The sensation vanished as quickly as it had come, and the three ahead were nowhere to be seen.

At that moment, a message flashed across his screen from the viewers: "Host, they’ve gone into the valley!"

He felt something was off, but didn’t dwell on it. Quickening his pace, he soon found the valley. Below was a large, deep cave—those three had surely entered. He leapt down, quickly finding their footprints.

He hadn’t gone far before he heard Xiaolong and Xiaohu shouting. Sun Meng hurried to a fork in the path. Listening closely to the echoes, he dashed down the left passage. The stone walls were uncannily smooth, like a giant slide. Maintaining his balance, Sun Meng quickly realized why the two had been yelling.

Seeing a glimmer of light ahead, he readied himself, flipping in midair to land steadily on the ground.

"Brother Shao Tan!" Xiaolong and Xiaohu had just turned to look at the enormous, mysterious halo in the cave when they heard his voice behind them.

"You really know how to wander off, don’t you? Still, well done—I've never discovered a place like this around here before," Sun Meng said, his gaze fixed on the massive wheel of light. He was certain he was seeing it for the first time.

"Where’s Xiaolan? Wasn’t she with you?" Only now did he notice that she was missing.

"She took the other path. It doesn’t look like she’ll find this place," Xiaohu replied.

"This thing does look magical, but what is it for?" Xiaolong asked, curiosity drawing him closer. He reached out to touch the mysterious wheel of light—and in an instant, he was sucked inside!

"Xiaolong!" Xiaohu cried, diving after him before Sun Meng could stop him.

"Such recklessness!" Sun Meng muttered, but he couldn’t just abandon them. He leapt into the wheel as well. He distinctly felt a passage within, but before he could sense more, he was already on the ground.

Xiaolong and Xiaohu stood before him, unharmed. "Can you not be so rash? Fortunately, nothing happened. This wheel must possess some mysterious power. If anything had gone wrong, how would I explain it to the abbot?"

"Is it really so strange? We only ended up on the other side of the light wheel," Tang Xiaolong called from the back. "Nothing’s changed—it’s boring."

"That’s because you haven’t reached the innate level yet. Your senses are too dull. If the abbot were here, he might know what effect this wheel just had on us. Let's go back, find Xiaolan, and ask the abbot."

"Alright, but there’s no need to worry about her. She said herself she can take care of herself," Tang Xiaolong muttered.

Sun Meng flicked his forehead. "Let me teach you something: a girl might say that, but you can’t take it at face value. She still needs protection." With that, he led the way back up the entrance. At the fork, they took the other path, emerging into another cavern—one clearly abandoned for a long time, filled with old, broken things and cobwebs.

"Ha, I told you—she must have headed back already," Tang Xiaolong said, heading outside. Xiaohu followed, but Sun Meng felt uneasy, reviewing Shao Tan’s memories as he walked.

They reached the foot of Shaolin’s mountain, only to find something was terribly wrong.

"Oh my god," Xiaohu gasped, staring at the ruins before them.

"We were only gone half a day—how could Shaolin end up like this? Even if the Black Fox King himself attacked, it wouldn’t look like this!" Tang Xiaolong rummaged through the debris, searching for clues.

"No need to look—I know what that wheel was," Sun Meng said, realization dawning with the viewers’ prompt. Just then, footsteps approached.

Sun Meng quickly pulled the two behind a half-collapsed wall, sending a shadow out into the darkness beyond to see who was coming.