Chapter 1002: Resurrection of the Skeleton Divine Cult

Inside the Abbot’s chamber, the problem figures previously apprehended by Lu Yang were confined. Master Duanchen was questioning them one by one about the circumstances to render a judgment on how to handle these individuals.

Upon hearing the message conveyed by the duo of Lu Yang, he leaped to his feet, his eyes widening into round saucers.

"What!"

Why were there so many incidents during this Buddha-Bathing Festival?

The Blessed One protects; fortunately, he had the foresight to invite Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou, otherwise the chaos of this Buddha-Bathing Festival would likely be even grander.

"Quickly, tell me what the situation is now?!" Master Duanchen could no longer bother to question some debauched monk; at any rate, being confined here, they could not escape.

"Master, you will know once you release your divine sense outward."

Master Duanchen released his divine sense; though it was not as vast in range as that of the duo of Lu Yang, it was sufficient to clearly perceive the anomaly among the common people.

Everyone possessed an expressionless face, perfectly consistent with the symptoms of those who had consumed the Emotion-Forgetting Pill in the memories of the Three-Eyed Ghost Monk.

"According to our deductions, it is highly probable that the issue lies within the canal water. The people of the Heartless Sect dumped a vast quantity of Emotion-Forgetting Pills into the canal water."

Lu Yang voiced his deduction, which caused Master Duanchen's countenance to grow increasingly somber as he listened.

An oversight; he had not expected an issue to arise in the canal water. This was indeed a silent yet highly efficient method to spread the Emotion-Forgetting poison across the entirety of Kaihuang City.

Master Duanchen realized the severity of the matter.

"What do the two benefactors believe should be done?"

"The urgent priority is to stabilize the populace. Flying along this path, we have already witnessed many heartless deeds—abandoning wives and deserting children, fickle and unfaithful conduct. If we wait a period longer, I fear grand chaos will erupt!"

"Old Meng and I discussed it on the way. The Emotion-Forgetting poison diffused in the air is far less potent than an entire Emotion-Forgetting Pill. It is hard to say for Foundation Establishment cultivators, but as long as Golden Core and Nascent Soul cultivators hold their breath and cease absorbing the poison, the toxicity within their bodies should pass swiftly, restoring them to normal."

The maximum restriction for the Grand Cultivator Tournament of this Buddha-Bathing Festival was the Golden Core stage; thus, there were currently far more Golden Core cultivators in Kaihuang City than on ordinary days, who could serve as a grand assistance.

"Old Meng and I will find a way to stabilize the populace and have these cultivators hold their breath."

"As for you, Master, temporarily close Kaihuang Temple and do not allow any more pilgrims to enter. Lead the monks to maintain order across the city."

"Very well, this poor monk shall proceed at once. However, how do the two benefactors intend to achieve stabilizing the populace while simultaneously making the cultivators hold their breath?" Master Duanchen was perplexed; currently, the commoners and cultivators in the city were heartless, and the appealing power of the duo of Lu Yang was drastically reduced. Would they obediently listen?

"This is simple."

As Lu Yang spoke, he produced a Bodhi tree seed, burrowed into the soil, and cast the Tree-Planting Spell to manifest a Bodhi avatar. Then, from his identity jade plaque, he pulled out a black robe imprinted with a golden skull and draped it over the Bodhi avatar.

……

"Old thing, you are nothing more than my mother. Do not think that I will do whatever you say. My future requires no decisions from you."

"Everything I do is for your own good."

"Could I possibly harm myself?"

"You are an ungrateful wolf; I shall simply act as though I never had you as a son."

Similar dialogues could be seen everywhere.

Affection and interest are the two major important factors that sustain social relationships. When affection is lost and only interest remains, the original social relationships nearly collapse.

Kaihuang City was already verging on the brink of collapse.

Suddenly, a muffled groan sounded from afar, like a fist striking the ground; the earth shook, kicking up sand and dust.

There was also the buzzing chime of a sword piercing the air, breaking the sound barrier like an exploding thunderclap.

"Thief, do not flee!"

Three figures flew out from the sand and dust, the sounds of fighting continuous, shifting from afar to near, growing more and more intense, until finally descending above Kaihuang City with an intimidating aura.

Only then did the people clearly discern the appearance of the three figures.

"It is Sword Immortal Lu and Buddha-Son Meng."

"Who is the other person?"

"Wearing a black cloak, one cannot see clearly."

Meng Jingzhou executed the Arhat Fist, the fist imprints brilliant and grand, more dazzling than the sun.

Simultaneously, he quietly tore apart over a dozen talismans, and a grand Buddhist melody drifted forth, as though hundreds or thousands were singing praises and chanting scriptures for Meng Jingzhou.

Behind Lu Yang's head, a halo of light emerged, condensed from countless golden sword qi, holy as an immortal.

"The two of you truly possess some ability." Beneath the black cloak, the Bodhi avatar let out a cold, sinister laugh.

"Just who are you!" Lu Yang did not buy into this flattery, angrily rebuking the avatar.

"The Sect Master of the Skull Sacred Sect, Baigu Lang." The Bodhi avatar released a boundless pressure, as if the heavens were collapsing and the earth splitting; the entirety of Kaihuang City was enveloped within this pressure. From Nascent Soul cultivators above to the common people below, all prostrated on the ground.

The commoners did not know what cultivation level Baigu Lang possessed, but the Nascent Soul cultivators knew.

This was definitely a Body Integration grand master!

"Sounds like an evil cult just by the name."

The Bodhi avatar flew into a grand rage: "To dare insult the Sacred Sect, then this city shall be the sacrifice! Senluo Sword Array!"

A sword array with little power but immense commotion was deployed, nailed firmly into the void. Above Kaihuang City appeared a formation resembling a pagoda, growing smaller from bottom to top, like a Senluo Hell.

"To dare massacre a city! Yellow Heaven Immortal-Slaughtering Fist!" Meng Jingzhou bellowed.

"Immortal-Destroying Sword!" Lu Yang held high the green-tipped sword, the sword qi extending a hundred meters long, capable of severing a giant vessel of the Eastern Sea with a single strike.

The two exerted all their skills to clash with Lu Yang's Bodhi avatar.

Everyone in Kaihuang City tilted their heads to gaze at the airborne battlefield, worried that a single aftershock of Baigu Lang's attacks might fall into the city and strike them.

Meanwhile, under the direction of Master Duanchen, the monks of Kaihuang Temple partitioned Kaihuang City, striving to reduce the communication and movement of the populace.

After a bloody battle of several hundred rounds, the Bodhi avatar finally began to show signs of fatigue, unable to hold out any longer, revealing a look of ruthlessness.

"Good, good, good! Worthy indeed of the legendary Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou, truly well-deserved of the reputation!"

"You wish to protect the populace in this city, do you? Let us see how you protect them!"

"The Sacred Sect lasts forever!"

The body of the Bodhi avatar expanded rapidly. The mutation occurred too suddenly for the duo of Lu Yang to prevent it. With a booming explosion, the Bodhi avatar self-detonated, and thick black smoke rolled forth, fluttering and scattering in the air.

Lu Yang's expression changed abruptly: "Not good, it is the legendary Bone-Corpse Poison born from a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood. Inhaling a single breath will cause the internal organs to dissolve; even deities cannot save you!"

They used their strength to drive away the thick smoke, but accidentally caused the smoke to diffuse everywhere.

Hearing this, the commoners in the city hastily hid inside rooms, while the cultivators held their breath one after another, without exception.

The duo of Lu Yang exchanged a glance; it was settled.

Just as they had anticipated, so long as the Golden Core and Nascent Soul cultivators ceased inhaling the Emotion-Forgetting poison, they could swiftly decompose the toxicity and return to normal.

They could also realize their own abnormality just now, as well as the anomaly within the city.

Just when the duo of Lu Yang thought they had temporarily controlled the situation, two figures ascended to the sky, gazing coldly at them.

"Worthy indeed of the disciples of the Silent Daoist, you truly possess some methods."

Though he did not recognize these two, Lu Yang easily guessed their identities: "People of the Heartless Sect, it was you who released the Emotion-Forgetting poison?"