Yang An rested for several long breaths before he finally had the strength to gasp for air.
Blood was still seeping from his right palm, but thankfully, not too quickly. Once he had recovered a bit of strength, he found a strip of cloth and wrapped the wound to stop the bleeding. Only then did he take in the chaotic scene inside the room.
The black ashes from the incinerated bodies of several Demon Fiends had been mostly scattered by the wind blowing in from outside, leaving the floor covered in filth.
But now, Yang An's gaze was drawn to an object nestled in one of the piles of ash.
It was a white, irregularly shaped object about the size of a thumb, looking much like a stone.
The stark contrast with the surrounding black ash made Yang An spot it at a glance.
'What is this?'
Yang An paused, then, his curiosity piqued, he reached out and picked the object up from the ground.
[Sacrificial Bone]: An unexpected byproduct of a Monk's devout worship of Buddha. It nurtures Buddhist principles within. Fusing with flesh and bone can give birth to Buddha's Radiance, fortifying the user and making them impervious to all evil.
Usage Cost: To fuse with the Sacrificial Bone, one must observe the Eight Precepts. Break one, and the bone will shatter, resulting in death.
Status: Purifiable!]
An information box popped into view the moment Yang An touched it.
Seeing the item's name, Yang An couldn't help but stare in astonishment.
He knew of relics, the byproducts left behind after ancient High Monks with immense Mana passed away in meditation. Rumor had it they contained an exquisitely profound Buddha's Charm.
But this was the first time he had ever heard of a Sacrificial Bone. 'So this kind of thing exists, too.' Although their names were different, they didn't seem to be all that dissimilar.
Without much hesitation, Yang An chose to Purify it.
A faint warmth flashed through his hand, vanishing in an instant.
Then, the information about the Sacrificial Bone changed.
[Sacrificial Bone]: An unexpected byproduct of a Monk's devout worship of Buddha. It nurtures Buddhist principles within. Fusing with flesh and bone can give birth to Buddha's Radiance, fortifying the user and making them impervious to all evil.
Usage Cost: None.
Status: Purified!]
He wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but Yang An suddenly felt that the Sacrificial Bone in his hand had lost some kind of malevolent aura and had instead gained a hint of flawlessness.
It was as if it had become a perfectly pure and immaculate pearl.
Now that the cost of using the item had been completely eliminated, Yang An examined it closely while wondering, 'How exactly do I use this Sacrificial Bone?'
Having experienced the immense power of the Lighting Technique, he was now desperate for anything that could help him fight Demon Fiends.
After all, in a world like this, it was incredibly difficult to survive without the ability to protect oneself.
He mulled it over for a moment and quickly came up with an idea.
He had read plenty of novels in his past life. Treasures with strange abilities like this one were usually claimed by dripping blood on them, forming a mystical bond with the item.
Yang An decided to try it at once, so he unwrapped the strip of cloth from his palm.
The wound on his hand was still seeping blood, though much more slowly now. Yang An simply placed the Sacrificial Bone directly onto the cut.
The moment the Sacrificial Bone touched his blood—before Yang An could even register what was happening—the thumb-sized bone vanished before his very eyes.
Yang An gently closed his hand. It was empty. The Sacrificial Bone was truly gone.
'That fast?'
He was somewhat surprised.
Just then, a warmth suddenly suffused his body. It felt as if something was about to emerge from every single one of his pores.
Yang An looked down at his hands. Wisps of mist-like vapor slowly rose from the surface of his skin, accompanied by a faint, unusual fragrance.
A mere breath later, as Yang An's entire body was enveloped in a layer of mist, a pale white light, like a firework, ignited it.
What was formless suddenly became tangible, suffused with a sacred aura.
Just like that, Yang An found himself enveloped in a soft layer of light. This light grew more and more solid, coalescing from its initial pale white state, shrinking and condensing until it finally settled behind his head. It formed a pure white ring that shone like a 30-watt white lamp, instantly illuminating the entire room.
With this kind of visual, if not for the lack of a pair of pristine white wings, Yang An might have thought he'd become an angel. His entire being was filled with a sense of sanctity and solemnity.
"Is this the Buddha's Radiance?"
Bathed in the ring's glow, his entire body was enveloped in a deeply warming light.
The weakness he felt from his recent blood loss slowly receded in the light's embrace.
It seemed he could control the ring behind his head at will.
With a mere thought from Yang An, the ring moved from behind his head to his palm. He gave it a gentle squeeze, and it felt solid to the touch, as if it were a physical object.
As he carefully examined the white, glowing ring, Yang An suddenly had the urge to throw the Buddha's Light Ring at something. 'That could be a decent attack method,' he mused, 'but I wonder how powerful it is?'
But after a moment's thought, Yang An dismissed the idea of testing it out.
Now wasn't the time to experiment. There were no enemies on which to test the power of the Buddha's Light Ring. The immediate priority was to close the doors and windows to avoid attracting more Demon Fiends.
'As long as I can make it through the night safely, I have to find a way to leave Jiunan Town at first light. I can't stay here any longer.'
By now, Yang An's physical condition seemed to have recovered significantly. With a thought, he retracted the Buddha's Radiance. The ring instantly vanished from his hand, and the room plunged back into its original dimness, leaving only the flickering flame in the Blood Bowl, which cast a red glow that was no match for the Buddha's Radiance.
Quickly, Yang An shut the doors and windows. Only then did he sit back down on the bed and let out a long sigh of relief.
「Meanwhile, on a rooftop somewhere outside.」
"He's not in the Fake Food Realm! He's in the Primordial Feeding Realm! I completely misjudged him!"
Pan Shi's voice slowly echoed in the darkness.
"Four Demon Fiends of the Fake Food Realm attacked together, and one of them was even at the peak of the Fake Food Realm, yet not a single one managed to escape. Only someone in the Primordial Feeding Realm could accomplish that!"
"I can't believe Jiunan Town was hiding a master of the Primordial Feeding Realm. Even the White Buddha Temple didn't notice him. This person must have a powerful background. I wonder what his purpose is for hiding here in Jiunan Town?"
Hearing the excitement in Pan Shi's voice, Pan Yu couldn't help but roll all three of her eyes.
'So what if he's strong? What does that have to do with you?' she thought. 'Is there any reason to be this excited?'
"Pan Yu, you saw it too, didn't you? That firelight from before, and that white light just now... their auras were so upright and grand. I've never seen such a pure aura on any other Cultivator, completely untainted by even a wisp of impurity. This person's background must be extraordinary. He's most likely a direct disciple from one of the major Righteous Sects!"
Pan Shi speculated, and the more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed, and the more his interest grew.
Pan Yu, standing beside him, couldn't take it anymore and quickly reminded him,
"Pan Shi, now that those Demon Fiends are gone, shouldn't we get out of here as soon as possible?"
Pan Shi had said earlier that they would leave as soon as the Demon Fiends were gone, departing Jiunan Town as quickly as possible to head for the site of the Communal Feeding Assembly.
Pan Yu had no idea what had gotten into her senior brother, but he no longer seemed to have any intention of leaving.
Hearing his junior sister's question, Pan Shi shook his head without a second thought.
"Don't be in such a hurry, Pan Yu. A little more time won't make a difference. If he really is a direct disciple from a major Righteous Sect, and in the Primordial Feeding Realm no less, that's someone we'd almost never get to meet. If we can get acquainted with him, it might be beneficial to our own cultivation. We can't let this serendipitous opportunity slip by."
"Pan Shi, what are you planning to do?"
Pan Yu couldn't believe Pan Shi was getting more and more worked up as he spoke, with no real intention of leaving.
"I'm going to meet this fellow Daoist, of course. Since fate brought us here to meet him, it is only proper that we pay him a visit. We mustn't be rude."
As he spoke, Pan Shi grabbed Pan Yu's arm, and before she could even react, he leaped off the rooftop, pulling her along with him.
"..."