The transcendent individuals who entered today do indeed vary in strength. If they’re not cautious enough, many might find themselves trapped here.
Cautious... but even with caution, it’s difficult!
With the White Lotus Sect able to spread the diluted "Poison of Vice" (Blood Jade Bitter Cress) without needing believers, getting infected can happen easily, even third-tiers might suffer setbacks, let alone these people?
Today’s choice to explore Baishi Town is a stroke of luck, both good and bad.
On one hand, they are spared the risk of being plotted against by the White Lotus Sect’s Guiding Envoy. They only need to face the temporarily unknown but likely not very strong ’No-Lifers’, which are just ordinary villagers, thus ensuring their safety. On the other hand, they are making this trip for nothing, as Xu Shu has already looted this place clean.
Seeing the severely injured Yin Hu and Mao Tu from a distance, nine out of ten teams chose to cautiously pretend not to notice them.
They brushed past each other, exchanging glances without a word spoken.
Only one team, six men who seemed quite confident and bold, upon observing that both were injured, chose to attack in betrayal, eyes turning red.
The consequences were severe, leading the small jade Buddha to express to Xu Shu that it couldn’t stomach any more today.
Xu Shu comforted it promptly.
He knew that it hadn’t yet reached its limit.
The Evil Spirit Band in the Jade Buddha Space had a huge appetite. This was just the beginning!
It was merely because the quality of the food had been too good, spoiling its appetite, making these first and second-tier appetizers seem unappealing.
On other days, Xu Shu would have locked the small jade Buddha in a safe zone in solitary confinement, starving it for a few days to see if it dared to be picky again.
But today was different.
Today, the small jade Buddha displayed remarkable divine power, and it might be needed soon to solve the enemy’s "Apocalypse" Array. It deserved a reward.
Thus, Xu Shu comforted it and casually painted a vision for it:
"Don’t worry, the big meal is coming!"
In Luling County, lurking undercurrents seemed to be surging, with an unknown number of experts infiltrating.
However, the higher their ability, the more cautious and discreet their actions became.
Therefore, nothing seemed amiss within the county.
Every household was brightly lit and decorated, exuding joy and happiness, as if celebrating some festival, a scene of universal jubilation.
"Today marks the monthly sacrificial day at Big Temple Mountain. These are advance celebrations to set the tone for the festival, akin to burning incense and bathing. The county magistrate will ascend Big Temple Mountain alongside the White Lotus Sect’s sacrifice team to pay homage to the Mother of Non-Birth and pray for divine grace," Mao Tu explained, answering a question Xu Shu hadn’t yet asked.
She added, "Of course, the overt purpose of having the county magistrate openly perform the ritual is to deceive the populace and create the illusion of the Mother being present. In reality, the presented sacrificial boys and girls serve as blood offerings to sustain the subterranean great array of Big Temple Mountain, used to maintain the array’s operation, strengthen the suppression, and seal of the ’Fearful God’."
"I see," Xu Shu nodded.
At this moment, he thought of something and asked, "While gathering Lotus Platforms, I noticed that the altars worshipped by the White Lotus Sect’s witches vary among different deity statues. Some worship the Lotus Mother, depicted primitively; others worship the No-Life Buddha Mother, suggesting a connection to the Buddhist Sect. What mysteries lie within this?"
Mao Tu nodded and said, "According to a high-ranking figure in the Red Emperor Army, the White Lotus Sect internally splits into two factions. One worships the Mother, the other the Buddha Mother, because the ’White Lotus Saintess’ back then had multiple divine skills, including some from the Buddhist Sect."
"Oh, is that so," Xu Shu nodded, pondering and recalling the large golden Buddhist alms bowl sealing the four directions upon entering the ruins.
According to Xiao Ya, since the ’Seven Treasures Lotus’ is a supreme Buddhist treasure, back when the Buddhist Sect wasn’t in decline, they traveled far to Penglai to suppress the Four Sufferings Mysterious Sect.
In that case, could it be that this ’White Lotus Saintess’ was a member of the Buddhist Sect, or that the White Lotus Sect cooperated with the Buddhist Sect?
No, that doesn’t seem certain!
After all, Buddhist inheritance can be taken by eliminating the other party directly.
Given the bizarre and sinister traits exhibited by the No-Life Buddha Mother, the likelihood of it being seized is substantial...
Then, Mao Tu bit her lip, contemplating Xu Shu’s posture, and whispered, "During the Buddhist Sect’s suppression of the Four Sufferings Mysterious Sect in Penglai, they left behind some hidden treasures, rumored to be six in total, directly pointing to the ultimate path of Dao! Although the high-ranking figure in the Red Emperor Army never explicitly stated, I suspect that under Big Temple Mountain, the White Lotus Sect uses these treasures, or one of them, to seal the Fearful God."
"..."
Xu Shu silently moved his lips, surprised at how much Mao Tu knew.
Those six treasures naturally included the objects Xiao Ya has been pursuing, such as the objective of this journey, the "Seven Treasures Lotus," and the "Purple Killing True Gold," her mother’s relic now in Voodoo’s possession—both part of the six treasures!
Tsk, tsk, the Annihilation Association sure knows a lot... Of course, they are an organization as renowned as the Ghost Killing Sect, who once unhesitantly committed mass atrocities for the "Seven Treasures Lotus."
They might not have seen the Seven Treasures Lotus, but to say they remain unaware of its value is undoubtedly impossible!
Xu Shu marveled internally.
They rushed forward, keeping an exceedingly low profile, avoiding any complications, and quickly traversed over half the county.
A little later, Mao Tu pointed to a shadow at a distance, barely discernible in the snow, and said, "Master... ahem, leader! That’s Big Temple Mountain over there."
"Alright," Xu Shu nodded, reviving his spirit.
Regardless of whether he could witness Yan Hui and others suffer before the "Fearful God," the upcoming fierce battle was inevitable. If lucky, he could effortlessly gain the upper hand; if not... he intended to ensure no return for his adversaries, leaving no room for negligence.
His heart teemed with murderous intent, shrouding him with a dense aura of menace, vividly displaying the meaning of "Annihilation," squinting as he casually asked, "Are you truly unaware of the Red Emperor Army high-ranking figure’s identity? Are you sure he’s not Voodoo?"
This inquiry arose because Mao Tu often mentioned that Yan Hui’s leadership of the Red Emperor Army, promptly seizing the secrets of the hidden No-Life Mysterious Sect shortly after entering the ruins, was majorly due to the guidance of this unknown high-ranking figure.
However, the figure remained exceedingly mysterious, completely shrouded within a special cloak, revealing no discernible features.
The only known aspect was that this seemed to be an old Taoist, given his extremely hoarse voice, akin to a broken bellows; besides, he was short, stooped, and emaciated, portraying a sense of imminent demise.
As for Voodoo...
"Leader, although Voodoo also remains mysterious, he appeared once, and I suspect he’s hiding with the ’Mechanical Expert’s optical stealth, but he’s definitely not this old Taoist; that I’m certain!" Mao Tu’s eyes gleamed with determination.
As they drew closer to their destiny, she grew more at ease, seemingly truly perceiving the false ’Yin Hu’ as the genuine article, with her speech and expression flawless in its integration.
"Optical stealth..."
Xu Shu inadvertently lowered his gaze, smiling at the hidden Xiao Ya, giving a thumbs-up.
"Look at the proficiency of that high-ranking figure; now, that’s professional!"
"Hmph!" Xiao Ya snorted disdainfully, secretly cursing at what was so extraordinary?
Given time, she could have unearthed everything!
...
...
Within Big Temple Mountain, deep in a shadowy valley, lay an unusually concealed and eerie swamp.
Beneath the swamp’s mud pits, thumb-thick creatures occasionally squirmed, obscured from view whether fish or snakes.
Slivers of dim daylight pierced the snow fog and treetop shadows, struggling through, finally splashing onto the mottled archway, rendering the sign inscribed with the characters "Yangtianzhenyi Temple" both dazzling and fuzzy, threatening to dizzy those who dared a longer gaze.
This plaque hung precisely from the ancient branches of a century-old locust tree, yet sometimes black tar-like liquid seeped from its surface, bubbling as though connecting to some mine tunnel, with black-purple mold spiraling outwards, giving the temple shadow obscured behind it an increasingly sinister aura.
An elderly figure, hunched and concealed entirely within a black robe, crushed a talisman in hand. As the talisman ash touched the lintel, it congealed into small figures, singing in childish tones, leaping up before streaming into the temple.
Soon repelled by the black aura within the temple.
"Still lacking some mastery..."
"Why haven’t they returned yet?"