Chapter 2808: Not Jingjing, but Huanhuan
This chain was condensed from the divine qi and spiritual will of the Wondrous Zen Nun, capable of locking a cultivator's sacred soul and spiritual power.
Zhang Ruochen walked ahead, passing by stone pillar after stone pillar, his expression calm throughout. "I once promised the Cloud Ancient Buddha that I would resolve the grievances and hatred between our two families. So, even though you treat me like this, I will not become angry."
The Wondrous Zen Nun's voice came from behind: "That old monk is merely an outsider. He understands nothing at all."
"The Ancient Buddha is no outsider. On the contrary, he has countless ties to both our families." Zhang Ruochen said.
The Wondrous Zen Nun said, "How many years of enmity, how many generations of bitter hatred—can a monk who merely chants scriptures and recites sutras truly understand?"
"You are also a Buddhist cultivator." Zhang Ruochen said.
The Wondrous Zen Nun fell silent, feeling that Zhang Ruochen talked too much.
If it were a contest of cultivation, she did not take Zhang Ruochen seriously.
But if it were a contest of tongues, she felt she was definitely no match for Zhang Ruochen.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Having known pain, one understands the pain of all living beings. Having known attachment, one knows that attachment is even more painful. In the past, Yinshuetian cast the Severing Dao Curse, cutting off the path to godhood for my Zhang Clan ancestors. For this, how many were slaughtered by those enemies who coveted the Heavenly Venerable's Secret Treasure and the 'Thirty-Three Heavens' technique? Yet you dismiss it all with a single sentence—'Because they were too weak, that's why they died'—pushing everything away cleanly. If not for the Severing Dao Curse, how could they have been weak?"
"This is the blood and tears of how many generations? I can let it go, so why can't you?"
The Wondrous Zen Nun said, "How old are you? Even if the Zhang Clan ancestors were once slaughtered and bullied, that was separated from you by tens of thousands of generations. What do you know of pain and attachment? To you, it is like a legend, far too distant."
She continued, "Let me ask you this: Can you let go of the hatred and pain between you and Chi Yao?"
Zhang Ruochen's mind conjured the figure of Chi Yao. "Actually, I have already let it go."
"Do not deceive yourself." The Wondrous Zen Nun said.
Zhang Ruochen said, "I am not deceiving myself."
"If you were not deceiving yourself, then why, knowing that Bore is her, do you dare not expose it? The reason you think you have let go is only because your love for her is greater than your hatred. It is your selfishness numbing you, making you unwilling to seek revenge anymore, unwilling to avenge those who died because of Chi Yao in the past. But I am different. Debts must be repaid, grudges must be avenged—no one can escape."
Seeing Zhang Ruochen fall silent, the Wondrous Zen Nun couldn't help but curl the corners of her mouth slightly, but quickly withdrew it.
Zhang Ruochen instinctively felt that the Wondrous Zen Nun was wrong, but thinking of the fate of the descendants of the former Holy Bright Central Empire's old ministers, he could not find the words to refute her.
He was not a Buddha, did not cultivate Buddhism, and could not achieve the state of the Four Great Emptinesses.
"You only know of the Severing Dao Curse, but do you know of the Withering Death Art?" The Wondrous Zen Nun asked.
Zhang Ruochen asked, "What is the Withering Death Art?"
The Wondrous Zen Nun did not answer.
...
At the end of the seventy-two Demon God Stone Pillars, the fragrance of the Udumbara flower grew stronger, forming a thin misty cloud.
With one breath, the whole body felt refreshed, and all limbs and bones were filled with power.
But because the fragrance was too strong,
Zhang Ruochen's mind became dazed and his vision blurred.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Quickly untie the chain for me. The fragrance contains hallucinogenic power; I must use my spiritual power to suppress it."
"Just shut your mouth and stop breathing!"
The Wondrous Zen Nun had no intention of loosening Zhang Ruochen's bonds. She saw, within the hazy misty cloud, an ancient well. The well platform was about three feet high, built from yellow stone, with numerous cracks between the stones.
The sound of dripping water came from within the well.
The Wondrous Zen Nun had just taken a step forward when her expression suddenly changed drastically. She saw, from below the well's mouth, a female corpse covered in blood rising up.
The female corpse had disheveled hair, an astonishing aura, and emitted a pressure like an ancient divine mountain, pressing down so heavily that even the Wondrous Zen Nun found it hard to breathe. It was as if the female corpse were the heavens, and she was being crushed by the sky.
Tears of excitement and grief flowed from the Wondrous Zen Nun's eyes as she knelt on the ground, sobbing uncontrollably.
The appearance of the female corpse was exactly that of Yinshuetian.
She had seen it in a painting scroll.
The chain in the Wondrous Zen Nun's hand slipped to the ground. Zhang Ruochen seized the opportunity to break free from the chains, closed his eyes, and mobilized the power of Origin Esoterica and the Heart of Truth.
When he opened his eyes again.
Where was there any female corpse above the ancient well?
There was only a strange flower glowing with Buddhist light, suspended above the well's mouth. Its leaves were shaped like pear leaves, and its roots extended down into the well.
It was exactly the same as the legendary Udumbara flower.
Zhang Ruochen rushed toward the Wondrous Zen Nun, who was kneeling on the ground crying, and struck her on the fragrant shoulder, shouting with spiritual power: "It's an illusion! Wake up quickly!"
The Wondrous Zen Nun's cultivation was profound. In an instant, she recovered, immediately pressed her palms together, and golden Buddhist light emanated from her body as she fortified her mind.
After a long while, she opened her bright eyes, now clear and penetrating, and looked toward the ancient well. Sure enough, everything was an illusion. She then glanced at Zhang Ruochen beside her, feeling a surge of shame and anger, thinking she had lost too much face.
Zhang Ruochen did not notice her shame and anger. "Your cultivation and spiritual power far surpass mine, but your attachment is too deep, which is why you fell so deeply."
The Wondrous Zen Nun stood up, lightly flicked her wide sleeves, and clasped her hands behind her back. "The reason you were able to resist the illusion is because you refined the Buddha Emperor Relic. It is the power of the Buddha that keeps your heart like a bright mirror."
Zhang Ruochen did not want to argue with her. "I now suspect that the Udumbara flower might not be real either. It is very possible that we are still in the illusion... What are you doing..."
Zhang Ruochen found himself tied up again.
And tied even tighter.
The Wondrous Zen Nun bound Zhang Ruochen into a human stick, even his legs restrained.
Her pupils turned golden, with Sanskrit characters sinking and floating within them. "This is undoubtedly the Udumbara flower—not an illusion! Wait here. Don't try to escape. The black desert outside is filled with strange demonic shadows; you are no match for them."
The Wondrous Zen Nun stepped forward, approaching the ancient well.
After only a dozen or so steps, her body gradually faded and finally disappeared completely.
Zhang Ruochen looked at the ancient well a few dozen steps away, then at the vanished Wondrous Zen Nun, a look of incomprehension on his face. He had no idea what had just happened.
He exerted force with his arms, and the chains on his body immediately lit up with black electric light.
"Crackle, crackle!"
The black electric light lashed at him like whips. Zhang Ruochen lost control of his body and fell straight to the ground like a pillar.
Zhang Ruochen's whole body ached and went numb. He thought this was already the worst situation, but just as he recovered, he saw an extremely terrifying sight.
Not far away, the demon god carvings on the seventy-two stone pillars all came to life and were heading toward him.
Given that Zhang Ruochen was lying on the ground, unable to move.
The seventy-two pillar demon gods danced wildly like a horde of demons. Some were lion-shaped, with bloody gaping mouths, emitting ear-splitting roars. Some had human bodies but no faces, with skulls growing where their faces should be. Some had wolf bodies and snake tails, with sharp fangs.
They saw Zhang Ruochen as food and pounced on him.
"Illusion, it must be an illusion!"
Zhang Ruochen kept muttering to himself.
But the ground was shaking, he could smell blood in his nostrils, and the divine might of each demon god was so clear. They approached rapidly, even emitting piercing and cruel laughter.
"Not an illusion! Run!"
Zhang Ruochen kicked the ground with his feet, rolling his body, and moved closer to the ancient well.
A distance of a few dozen steps was covered in an instant.
After getting close to the ancient well, Zhang Ruochen finally saw the Wondrous Zen Nun again. Anxious, he quickly shouted, "The demon gods have all come to life! Quickly untie my chains!"
The Wondrous Zen Nun stood two steps away from the ancient well, her slender jade hand extended forward.
But her fingertips did not touch the Udumbara flower.
She seemed completely unable to hear Zhang Ruochen's voice. Her body stiffened, her skin rapidly turning yellowish-brown, growing withered, dead patterns like tree bark. Her whole body became like rotten wood, quickly shriveling up, becoming lifeless and deathly still.
This scene stunned Zhang Ruochen.
What was happening?
Was this ancient well even more terrifying, causing a great god to lose their life in an instant?
At this moment, the Wondrous Zen Nun was like a withered tree, with no trace of vitality, no trace of beauty. Her translucent, crystalline skin had become rougher than stone.
But her cultivation was profound after all. Buddhist light occasionally appeared on her body, then extinguished, as she fought against some kind of power.
After a long while, a painful, long howl came from the Wondrous Zen Nun's mouth. Her withered body turned and fled at extreme speed, disappearing from Zhang Ruochen's sight in an instant.
The shock in Zhang Ruochen's eyes had not yet faded when, behind him, the seventy-two pillar demon gods charged in from all directions, their roars unceasing, demonic clouds blotting out the sky, shaking his sacred soul.
Anyone else would have been in despair by now, giving up on survival.
But Zhang Ruochen had a firm will and a strong mind. He used all his strength to resist the black electric light surging from the chains, slowly standing upright. There was only one thought in his mind: jump into the ancient well immediately.
Jumping into the ancient well might still give him a chance to survive.
He bent his legs and leaped.
Just as he jumped, another chain wrapped around his waist. Then his body felt light, and he flew out, crashing into a soft, fragrant embrace. A soft palm pressed against his back, dissipating all the force on his body.
Zhang Ruochen turned his head and saw exactly the beautiful face of Guye Jing, with a playful smile on her face.
"Guye Jing!" Zhang Ruochen exclaimed in shock.
How could he possibly meet her here?
How was this possible?
Zhang Ruochen's first thought was that he was definitely still in the illusion.
Guye Jing could not possibly appear here.
"Not Jingjing, but Huanhuan." Guye Huanhuan giggled, reaching out to untie the chains on Zhang Ruochen.
Behind them.
The seventy-two pillar demon gods bared their fangs and claws, their demonic might soaring to the heavens, charging straight at Zhang Ruochen and Guye Huanhuan. Each one was murderous, ferocious, and terrifying.
Guye Huanhuan was not afraid at all.
Zhang Ruochen was about to activate the power of Origin Esoterica when he saw the charging seventy-two pillar demon gods shatter one by one, their screams unceasing, all dissipating.
Zhang Ruochen turned his head and saw that behind Guye Huanhuan, there was another figure.
She stood there, graceful and beautiful, with red clothes and white hair, calm and composed. It was as if, as long as she stood there, the heavens would not fall, and the universe would not collapse.
The entire world, in that instant, fell completely silent.