Chapter 303
Chapter 303
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 303
Chapter Title: Chapter 303 Let's Go Home (Asking for a Monthly Pass!) ）
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Chen Tang felt relieved. “As long as he's alive, that's good. As long as he's alive.”
He was still deeply worried at the same time. There was no righteous qi of heaven and earth in the underworld. Once one's cultivation depleted here, it couldn't be replenished. Every bit of qi and blood consumed meant a permanent loss, and one's magic power would only grow weaker and weaker. This was why even many peerless experts rarely ventured into the underworld. Chen Shi had brought so many juren scholars with him, and they were heading to such a dangerous place—how far could they make it out alive?
On top of that, there was no food or drinking water here, and they hadn't brought any magic treasures or talisman soldiers. How long could these people hold out? “They have food,” Granny Sha suddenly said.
Chen Tang was slightly taken aback and looked at her in confusion.
Granny Sha examined the traces left on the ground. “Their group numbers three or four hundred people. They were over two hundred strong before, and they've merged with another band.”
Chen Tang's body trembled faintly as he grasped her meaning. His voice hoarse, he said, “Eating people?”
Granny Sha gazed ahead without responding. Instead, she continued on her own, “When hunger reaches its extreme and there's no way out, life always finds a path. At a time like that, morality goes out the window.” Chen Tang fell silent and followed her deeper into the Mountains of the Various Buddhas.
He glanced at the juren scholar's corpse skewered on Granny Sha's steel fork. So far, she hadn't discarded the body. Could it be... He didn't dare think further.
After all, even they “sheds” had times when they went hungry.
The two pressed deeper into the mountains, discovering many traces of spells and divine abilities along the way. After traveling a day and a night, they halted before a colossal skeleton. The frame was enormous, with three heads and a savage, ferocious appearance. Chunks of half-cooked meat still hung from it.
It had been dead for over ten days, yet it still emanated a brutal, tyrannical aura. It must have been incredibly savage and vicious in life. “It's a魔怪!”
Granny Sha strode forward without a word, sliced off a few pieces of meat, and sniffed them. “Still edible! Little Tang, no rush to keep going—let's eat our fill first.” The two cut down some meat right there and lit a fire to roast it.
Surprisingly, the魔怪's meat wasn't bad at all. The two soon ate until they were stuffed.
After a moment's hesitation, Chen Tang said, “Sister Sha, this魔怪 is...”
“A kind of underworld creature, similar to cattle or horses. The ghost god we ran into outside was a herder, specialized in raising them. Those creatures it herds are these魔怪, and the ghost gods eat this underworld cattle and horses.” Granny Sha continued, “But those are domesticated ones—fairly docile. This one's a wild one: irritable, terrifying, and even stronger in battle.”
She paused, then added, “Your Little Ten has incredibly rich survival experience in the underworld. He even knew these underworld creatures are edible. Right—he lived here for eight years, so he must know some underworld survival basics.” Chen Tang asked, “What do these underworld cattle and horses eat?”
“Ghost souls.”
Granny Sha explained, “The herders drive them to chase ghost souls that fall into the underworld. If a living person enters, that's premium nourishment for them—a great tonic. So these herders get excited when they spot live humans and immediately drive their herds over.”
She frequented the underworld and knew many secrets unknown to others.
Chen Tang fell silent for a moment before rising. “Little Ten must have had a hard time during the period he was dead, stuck in the underworld.” “You might have that wrong.”
Granny Sha stood as well, her expression peculiar. “He probably didn't suffer at all. From what I've observed, he might have lived like a king among ghosts here. The one who truly suffered was your dad.” Chen Tang was greatly puzzled.
They pressed on with the pursuit, venturing ever deeper into this Buddhist hell and spotting more traces of battle. Strangely, from the battle marks, the juren scholars' magic power showed no depletion—in fact, it remained at peak condition. Chen Tang even sensed that many had advanced their cultivation!
They'd slain many魔怪 along the way, eating and drinking their fill, which made Granny Sha and Chen Tang frown deeply. “Are these guys fleeing for their lives?”
Granny Sha couldn't help grumbling, “They came to vacation in the Buddhist hell?”
They tracked for several days until they reached a blood lake one day. A blood buddha rose slowly from the lake, its head split with a massive hole. It wandered among the various buddhas, an incomparably terrifying aura bearing down. Granny Sha and Chen Tang's flesh bodies burst apart, shattering into blood mist that merged into the blood buddha's body.
Their souls returned to their original bodies. They exchanged a glance, faces grave.
Granny Sha cast the shed possession divine ability once more. Their souls descended again, possessing two more red-eyed, green-skinned yakshas, and plunged into the heart of the Mountains of the Various Buddhas. This time, they skirted the blood lake but ran into a group of crippled asuras at a fork in the road.
These asuras stood a hundred zhang tall, clad in golden armor with wings on their backs—they should have been guardians stationed in the Buddhist hell.
But their wings were severed, their bodies covered in fatal wounds. They'd gone mad and attacked the moment they saw the two, killing them off.
Granny Sha refused to give up. She activated the shed possession divine ability again. The two hastened into the Mountains of the Various Buddhas once more, only to encounter a blind-eyed arhat towering like a mountain peak, with immense strength. It scooped them up and stuffed them into its mouth. This arhat was also deranged, as if possessed, chewing them to pieces!
Granny Sha and Chen Tang descended into the Buddhist hell a fourth time, possessing two yaksha ghosts and delving into the Mountains of the Various Buddhas. They died again, this time at the hands of a group of voluptuous young giantesses.
These buxom maidens had mutilated limbs—missing arms or legs—and stomped them to death while dancing in bizarre patterns.
“They seem like a bunch of mad gandharvas.”
On their fifth descent, they plunged into the Mountains of the Various Buddhas again. Granny Sha said, “Everything we saw earlier—besides the great buddhas and arhats—are heavenly beings. They were monks who cultivated Buddhist methods and transformed into heavenly beings to serve at the various buddhas' sides. Back in the day, this Buddhist hell must have been incredibly prosperous, full of supreme Buddhist experts.”
Chen Tang asked, “But how did such a thriving place end up like this?”
Granny Sha looked ahead. “That's exactly what your dad and the rest of us are here to investigate: the truth behind the True King's era decline. He's a very persistent and clever man. He faced countless dangers on his quest for the truth, but his strength grew ever greater too. It's just... he overlooked you and Little Ten.”
Chen Tang fell silent.
This time, their delve into the Mountains of the Various Buddhas went surprisingly smoothly. They avoided the blood buddha, asuras, arhat, and gandharvas, climbing upward along the mountain range formed by a reclining buddha's body. They even spotted traces left by Chen Shi and the others. “They actually made it this far alive!” Granny Sha exclaimed in surprise.
On the reclining buddha's profile, an ancient temple came into view. They approached, seeing the words Thunder Sound Temple inscribed above the entrance. They entered. All the buddha statues in Thunder Sound Temple had been destroyed, leaving only the divine shrines, from which extraordinary power flowed. Chen Tang examined them closely and felt a stir in his heart. “There's Buddha consciousness in this extraordinary power!”
Granny Sha was inspecting ground traces. “They lived here for a while! It seems like someone's still residing here—odd!” She was about to check the divine shrine when she spotted a glowing stone in a pile of bedding in the corner.
Granny Sha stepped forward, picked up the stone, and fell silent for a long time. Chen Tang came over and saw tears streaming down her face.
“It's a three lives stone.”
Granny Sha wiped away her tears and tucked the stone back into the bedding. “It reminded me of some bad memories... You said the divine shrine here has Buddha consciousness?” Chen Tang replied, “Indeed, Buddha consciousness!”
Granny Sha approached the divine shrine and carefully sensed the extraordinary power within. Suddenly, she connected with an ancient consciousness. The moment of contact, thunder seemed to rumble in her mind, filling her with awe. A moment later, she withdrew her senses. “Little Ten was here. He awakened the Buddha consciousness and sealed a yin god with it.”
Chen Tang stared at her in shock, blurting out, “Sealed what?” “Sealed a yin god.”
Granny Sha looked puzzled. “Didn't your son tell you? He can seal gods. The Western King's jade seal and the mountains-and-rivers chart of West Ox Continent are in his hands.”
Chen Tang was dumbfounded, stammering, “How did I never notice he had the Western King's jade seal?”
Granny Sha said, “Probably stashed in that wooden cart of his?” She didn't sound entirely sure.
Chen Tang's scalp went numb. Chen Shi's wooden cart parked right outside the Chen residence every day—and the Western King's jade seal was inside? Not afraid of someone swiping it? “Little Ten most likely took the Western King's jade seal into the exam hall, but to seal a yin god, he probably didn't need it.”
Granny Sha speculated, “After all, it's an underworld god. The Western King's jade seal doesn't reach here.”
She paused, then continued, “Once the Buddha consciousness here was awakened, it sent them out of the Buddhist underworld. Little Tang—they've already gone back.” Chen Tang breathed a sigh of relief. “When did they leave?”
“Four or five days ago.”
The two withdrew their souls, abandoning their sheds. Their souls returned to their flesh bodies.
Those two yakshas awoke as well, startled to find themselves in the temple. They fled outward in panic. But just as they reached the base of the mountain, a group of armless, legless gandharvas seized them, dancing oddly as they stomped them to death.
Over ten days earlier.
In the Mountains of the Various Buddhas, Chen Shi led his group of more than two hundred from between the various buddhas, catching up to Hu Feifei and the others. The full company merged—Hu Feifei's side had over a hundred, for a total of three hundred forty-nine.
Everyone followed Chen Shi onward, only to suffer an attack from a wild魔怪. They joined forces to slay the underworld cattle horse and enjoyed a hearty meal. The oppressive feeling of being trapped in the underworld lifted somewhat.
One person's nascent soul was afflicted by the yin winds, shivering uncontrollably with chills. Huang Fengnian said worriedly to Chen Shi, “This is the underworld—the yin qi is too heavy. Even if cured, it'll leave severe yin injuries. These sick ones won't last more than a few years.” Chen Shi replied, “Why not use the Summon Yin God Talisman to revert yin to yang? The heavier the yin qi, the faster the cultivation progress. I'll teach you!”
He drew the Summon Yin God Talisman, passing it to the group. From it, he also comprehended a simple technique called the Summon Yin God Art and taught that as well.
Chen Shi imparted the method. “As the saying goes: stillness births motion, revert yin to birth yang. The grand sound enters profundity, echoes resound in the empty valley. Sound responds to qi seeking, merging palace and extraction. Sounds in harmony, circulating the mysterious altar. Arouse yang sound, unite heaven's firmness. Yang soul merges, true qi blends in harmony! Cultivating here in the underworld will be even faster than in the yang world! (Excerpted from the Supreme Profound Origin Three Heavens Jade Hall Great Law's Summon Yin God Talisman incantation)”
The group cultivated the Summon Yin God Art and indeed felt yin qi entering their bodies without any chill—instead, it was warm and cozy. Their cultivation not only didn't deplete but steadily advanced. As they delved into the Mountains of the Various Buddhas, Chen Shi worried about roadside dangers and had Tian Yue'e gather the juren scholars who had originally cultivated the Ten Absolutes Array Banner Talismans.
The Ten Absolutes Array Banner Talismans comprised two hundred fifty-six talismans manifesting two hundred fifty-six deities, requiring two hundred fifty-six people to activate. But there were fewer than two hundred juren scholars who entered the underworld this time—some had been rescued, others dead. Chen Shi selected several dozen more juren and taught them the talismans to complete the Ten Absolutes Array.
They traveled for days, growing plump and hearty along the way—eating better than back at the guild hall. That day, they reached the blood lake and alarmed the blood buddha within.
The great buddha rose slowly, poised to assimilate them. Chen Shi led the other two hundred fifty-five juren in activating the Ten Absolutes Array. A pillar of light annihilating all shot skyward. Chen Shi shaped the light into a sword, piercing the blood buddha's head!
The blood buddha recoiled in pain and dove into the blood lake, vanishing.
This was their first time activating the Ten Absolutes Array—its power was astonishing, but so was the consumption. The two hundred fifty-five juren were nearly drained dry! They passed the blood lake and rested at the foot of a great buddha ahead for the night, eating some cattle horse meat to recover a bit of cultivation before continuing.
In a mountain valley, they were ambushed by a pack of deranged asuras. This time, Chen Shi got clever: instead of the full Ten Absolutes Array, he simplified it into a dozen small ones, with each juren mastering six or seven talismans to coordinate. After a fierce clash, they beat the asuras to the ground, immobile.
“Cut off their wings!”
Chen Shi called loudly, “Today's menu: roasted whole wings!”
The group severed the asuras' wings amid laughter and cheers.
As they roasted the wings, screams rang out. Chen Shi and Guo Daozi rushed over to find Yu Lingzi bound and roasting over a fire, with another juren, Zhang You, beside it—minus one finger, preparing to cook Yu Lingzi. “Fellow Zhang, we've got roasted wings here. Care to join?” Chen Shi glanced at Yu Lingzi on the fire, eyes flickering as he smiled and asked.
Zhang You laughed. “Don't mind if I do. I was starving.”
Chen Shi untied Yu Lingzi and asked, “Anyone else?”
Yu Lingzi shook his head. “No one. Just us two. Instructor, I think he really meant to eat me.” “Nonsense.”
Chen Shi smiled. “You couldn't beat him?”
Yu Lingzi said dismally, “Couldn't. I only broke one of his fingers.”
After the meal, they continued onward, encountering a possessed arhat. Chen Shi led the array, activating the Ten Absolutes Array to blind its eyes. They then battled a group of voluptuous gandharvas, fighting bloody until the gandharvas were trapped in the array, hacked to missing limbs.
Zhang You watched in horror.
These arhats and gandharvas were near Refining God Return to Void experts—even more formidable after going mad. Yet against Chen Shi's group of mere nascent soul and soul transformation cultivators, they ended up covered in wounds! “Little Chen outshines the young master by miles,” he thought to himself.
But after so many fierce foes, Chen Shi and the others were wearing down. Another strong enemy, and they'd likely be wiped out in the Mountains of the Various Buddhas. Just then, they spotted a boy of about ten standing on a hillside, waving them over.
Chen Shi's heart stirred. He led the group up the slope. The boy led ahead, winding through twists and turns until they climbed onto a reclining buddha and reached a temple. “Thunder Sound Temple.” Chen Shi stood before it, eyeing the crooked plaque.
“Come in quick!”
The boy was refined and handsome, beckoning from inside. “Once you're in this temple, the big bad monsters outside won't dare enter.” “Many thanks, little friend!” The juren scholars entered Thunder Sound Temple and bowed their thanks to the boy.
The boy was polite and well-mannered, returning each courtesy. “How did you all get in? I haven't seen living people in ages.”
Chen Shi looked around, seeing piles of colorful glowing stones in the temple. He asked, “Little brother, we got caught in a disaster and stumbled in by mistake. How about you? How long have you been here?”
“I came in a long, long time ago.”
The boy smiled. “I came to find three lives stones for my mom. Those stones. I searched the underworld for them a long time without luck. A ghost god told me he knew where some were and sent me here. It's terrifying—monsters everywhere. I hid a long time, searched a long time, and finally found these.”
He hadn't seen others in ages and was thrilled. “I barely survived, then found this temple super safe—the monsters won't come in. So I stayed here, venturing out to find more of these stones when it was safe. Mom loves them. I'll get her tons!”
Chen Shi's heart skipped. He hurried to the boy, grabbed his hands, squatted down, and peered up at his face, studying it closely. “Tianyu? You're Xiang Tianyu?” Chen Shi's voice trembled.
The boy looked surprised. “Big brother, how do you know my name? Did Mom send you to find me? Where is she? I found so many three lives stones!” He gazed at Chen Shi expectantly.
Chen Shi pulled him into a tight embrace, holding on as if afraid he'd vanish.
“Brother Tianyu, Mom's been looking for you forever. She's so sorry she sent you after the three lives stones... Let's go home! Brother Tianyu, I'll take you home!”