Chapter 201 Life Buddha
To say nothing of Chen Chang'an, who had rushed over excitedly to kill, only to copy the homework and return empty-handed, now wearing a worried frown.
On the other side, Jiang Che was in his own cave dwelling, fiddling with a Buddha statue he had obtained a few days ago from that monk, Miaosi.
Jiang Che's fingertips gently caressed the mottled wooden texture of the Buddha statue.
When this three-inch-tall Buddha statue was first taken from Monk Miaosi's storage bag, it was completely dull, with no spiritual energy fluctuations, much like a poor-quality wood carving sold by street vendors.
But when he tried to activate it with spiritual power, fine, hair-thin dark golden patterns appeared on the statue's base—ancient Sanskrit that even he had never seen before.
"Strange."
Jiang Che flicked the bald head of the Buddha statue with his finger.
For the past few days, he had tried forcefully refining it, probing it with his divine sense, and even forging it with alchemy fire, but the thing remained completely unresponsive.
Just as he was considering whether to split it open with his sword, the courtyard gate was suddenly pushed open.
"Fourth Junior Brother, I've just gotten two jars of... eh?"
Han Yu's right hand, holding the wine jars, froze mid-air as his gaze fixed intently on the Buddha statue on the table.
The aroma of wine mixed with the scent of osmanthus drifting in from outside the courtyard, intertwining into a peculiar fragrance in the study.
"Where did you get this bald donkey thing?"
"A relic from that bald donkey I killed last time." Jiang Che tossed the Buddha statue over. "Take a look for me."
The moment Han Yu caught the statue, he suddenly clicked his tongue. A green light glowed from his fingertip as he carefully traced the surface of the statue: "Interesting, the outer layer is ordinary ebony wood, but inside is hidden a piece of Soul-Nurturing Wood." He suddenly leaned in and sniffed, "And it's been soaked in some kind of strange medicinal liquid, but it's already dried up!"
"Not bad, you recognized it so quickly?" Jiang Che raised an eyebrow.
"Over the years, I've seen no fewer than eight hundred types of spiritual plants." Han Yu said with a smile, "But since this thing is dried up—I really do have an idea. Want to give it a try?"
Jiang Che narrowed his eyes.
Half a quarter of an hour later, the two were squatting head to head in the courtyard. Han Yu untied a palm-sized jade gourd from his waist. The surface of the gourd was adorned with mountain and sea patterns—it was his ever-present "Heaven-Containing Gourd."
When the crystal-clear spiritual liquid from the gourd dripped onto the Buddha statue's head, a sudden change occurred!
"Buzz—"
The wooden surface melted away like spring snow, revealing the Soul-Nurturing Wood within, as warm and lustrous as jade.
Golden lines spiraled up from the base, converging into a flame-shaped mark on the Buddha statue's brow. Jiang Che suddenly pressed down on Han Yu's shoulder—at the same moment, both of them sensed a divine sense awakening.
"Eh?"
A voice of surprise and doubt came from within the Buddha statue.
"Miaosi's Life Buddha has regained its vitality? How?" The voice suddenly became urgent, "Miaosi? You're not dead?"
Han Yu and Jiang Che exchanged a look, both making a gesture to be silent.
In a flash of inspiration, Jiang Che's Adam's apple bobbed, and the voice that came out was Monk Miaosi's hoarse and deep tone: "Outside the Immortal Spirit City... I was almost killed..." He deliberately added a tremor caused by spiritual power fluctuations, "I... only escaped by feigning death..."
The silence lasted for three breaths.
The Buddha statue suddenly erupted with a blinding golden light, its voice carrying a sense of relief: "That's for the best. Do not come out recently."
"The Life Buddhas of Miaodao and Miaoyin have already withered. Of the eight guides sent down for this descent, only the four of us remain."
...
So there were three more of these bald donkeys...
Jiang Che's fingertips gently caressed the golden patterns on the Buddha statue's base, his eyes slightly narrowed.
"By the way, Miaosi, how are your injuries now?"
Jiang Che quickly made his voice sound weak, yet with a hint of relief from having survived a disaster: "I'm fine, thanks to... a wisp of a split soul I had hidden in my life-bound magic treasure. Otherwise, I would have truly fallen this time..."
The voice from within the Buddha statue fell silent for a moment, as if pondering.
"Miaosi, why does your voice sound somewhat different?"
Jiang Che's heart tightened, but his expression remained unchanged. He coughed twice and said hoarsely, "That killing star... his sword energy injured my throat meridian... cough cough..."
The golden light of the Buddha statue flickered slightly, as if probing. Unfazed, Jiang Che forced a wisp of sword energy into his throat, making his voice sound even more hoarse and broken.
After a long while, the voice from within the Buddha statue finally sighed, "That's true. A Life Buddha cannot be faked. Withered wood cannot be revived. It is already a miracle that you survived."
Jiang Che secretly sighed in relief. Withered wood could not be revived, but his senior brother's Heaven-Containing Gourd could.
He immediately followed the thread of the conversation and asked, "Senior Brother, what is the current situation? I am heavily injured, but I cannot just... cough cough... sit back and do nothing..."
The golden light of the Buddha statue flickered, as if hesitating.
"Miaodao and Miaoyin have fallen. Now only I, Miaoqing, Miaozhen, and you remain."
Jiang Che feigned grief: "To think that two senior brothers also..."
Then his tone turned urgent, "Is there anything you need me to do?"
The voice from within the Buddha statue pondered for a moment: "Where are you now?"
"In a cave three hundred miles outside of Immortal Spirit City." Jiang Che casually fabricated, "The one who injured me... cough cough... seems to still be searching nearby..."
"Leave the Immortal Spirit City area for now." The voice from within the Buddha statue finally made up its mind, "Right now, Miaoqing and Miaozhen are setting up the 'Nine Nether Spirit Guiding Array' at the border of Qingzhou. Since you can still move, go and lend them a hand."
Jiang Che's heart leaped—Nine Nether Spirit Guiding Array?
What was that? Just from the name, it sounded like very troublesome business.
He suppressed the doubt in his heart and said weakly, "When should I go?"
"Within three days." The voice from within the Buddha statue said, "Remember, first go to the Blackwater Pool beneath 'Soul-Breaking Cliff' at the northern border of Qingzhou. I will have Miaozhen meet you there."
Jiang Che deliberately hesitated, "But my injuries..."
"Don't worry." The golden light of the Buddha statue suddenly intensified, "I will transmit a mantra to you that can temporarily suppress your injuries."
As a string of obscure Sanskrit sounds rang out, Jiang Che felt the Buddha statue in his hand grow slightly hot, and a string of distorted golden runes was directly imprinted into his palm.
"Remember, arrive within three days." The Buddha statue's voice gradually faded.
As the last trace of golden light vanished, the Buddha statue returned to its dull and aged appearance.
Jiang Che stared at the golden runes gradually fading on his palm.
"Northern Qingzhou... Soul-Breaking Cliff..."
...
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