"Buddha?" Li Huowang looked up, dumbfounded, at the massive creature before him, at least twenty meters tall.
No matter what kind of Buddha the old monk saw, the one before Li Huowang was nothing but a giant, grotesque, twisted pink mound of flesh. Its skin, like the bumpy back of a toad, was covered in oozing, sticky blood. All kinds of bizarre, malformed reproductive organs, wrapped in blood, extended and retracted from its nauseating skin, twisting continuously with the writhing of its body.
To Li Huowang's horror, countless writhing monks were climbing all over this disgusting mass, their bodies crawling in concert with the flesh.
The monks, lost in ecstasy, greedily inhaled the pink mist spouting from the thing's body. Their breaths were rapid and their faces flushed as they used their own blood and flesh to fill every crevice of the "Buddha."
Women, their own kind, beasts, and now this thing—the monks of Zhengde Temple seemed to be pushing the limits of their physical bodies, step by depraved step.
"How about that! Big, isn't it? This stone Buddha is the largest I've ever seen!" the oblivious old monk praised at his side.
Li Huowang's body went stiff. He had always assumed that villains like Master Danyang were the true evil of this world, spurned by the mainstream sects. Since the monks of Zhengde Temple opposed Master Danyang, he thought that, even if they weren't exactly righteous, they at least followed some rules.
But that assumption was fundamentally wrong. There's no good or evil! Perhaps every cultivation method in this world is just as bizarre! The enmity between Master Danyang and these monks probably isn't a struggle between good and evil at all! It's just two factions fighting over turf!
Whatever their reasons, one thing was certain: the old abbot's words were all lies. He had been deceived. A "Universal Salvation Grand Feast"? That old monk was definitely lying! I have to get out of this hellhole as fast as possible!
Li Huowang glanced at the old monk, who still hadn't noticed anything amiss. He didn't know why the monks' illusions had no effect on him. But one thing is certain: they haven't discovered me yet. I have to use this to escape.
Forcing himself to remain composed, Li Huowang kept his expression blank and turned away. "It's fine, I suppose. Nothing special. I'm heading back."
With that, Li Huowang strode out of the hall and into the nauseating sculpting grounds outside. The mounds of flesh around him still squirmed and seethed, but he pretended not to see them, continuing forward without pause.
"Hey! Taoist, don't go. It's not often we get a visitor. What's the hurry?"
The old monk called after him, dashing out of the hall to catch up. "The food here's pretty good, too. Why don't we eat together? Their fried tofu is better than meat."
Li Huowang feigned a look of impatience and quickened his pace while the old monk continued to babble at his side.
Just as Li Huowang was about to leave the area with the flesh mounds, a tall figure blocked his path. It was a brawny monk, a full head taller than Li Huowang. He stood rigidly, his expression severe as he stared down at him in silence.
"Is there a problem, Master?" Li Huowang asked coldly, though his heart suddenly clenched with fear.
The tall monk leaned forward, scrutinizing Li Huowang with unnerving intensity.
Then, something happened that made Li Huowang's heart freeze. A black, soft, flexible tentacle, lined with suction cups, slithered out from an incense scar on the top of the monk's shaven head, growing longer and longer as it emerged. The grotesque tentacle, undulating in the air like a sea serpent, began to slowly circle Li Huowang's head as if sensing something.
"Amitabha. Alas, benefactor, your heart is not pure."
At those words, the writhing flesh mountains froze. Every monk turned to stare at Li Huowang.
He knows I've seen through the illusion! It's now or never! Seeing the situation spiraling out of control, Li Huowang steeled his resolve, drew his sword with one hand, and slashed with all his might at the towering monk before him.
SCHLACK! The tall monk's tentacle and robes were instantly cleaved, spraying green and yellow pus from the wound.
PLOP! An elixir flew into Li Huowang's mouth. He kicked off the ground with all his might, launching himself three meters into the air and shooting toward the nearest earthen wall.
The moment Li Huowang moved, everything changed. The monks leaped off the flesh mounds, roaring as they gave chase.
But that wasn't all. The ground convulsed violently, nearly knocking everyone off their feet.
Already perched atop the wall, Li Huowang instinctively looked back—only to see the enormous "Buddha" smashing through the great hall's wooden doors and rolling straight toward him!
Escape! Get out of this temple! They would never let the entire population of the Capital City see the Buddha's true face!
Clinging to this belief, Li Huowang bolted toward the main hall. The uproar behind him grew louder, but he couldn't spare it a thought.
One man running, a crowd in pursuit. With the elixir now in his system, Li Huowang's stamina was incredible. There were several narrow escapes and close calls, but he hadn't been caught.
Just as he was about to round a final corner and reach the entrance of Zhengde Temple, a familiar face blocked his path: Xinhui, the temple's abbot.
Without hesitation, Li Huowang reached into his robes for his Daoist Bell. But in that very instant, his hand froze—the bell, his instrument for summoning Lord You, was gone.
"Amitabha. Daoist Xuanyang, is this the item you are looking for?" Xinhui asked, holding the Daoist Bell. His expression was as calm and unhurried as ever.
Before Li Huowang could answer, Xinhui walked up to him and pressed the Daoist Bell back into his hand. "Benefactor, this item is inauspicious. You must be careful when using it."
Then, without questioning Li Huowang, he turned and scolded the monks who had caught up. "Hush! You are men of the cloth. What is the meaning of this panic and chaos?"
"Abbot! We didn't mean to cause a panic! This disciple of Daoism suddenly attacked Senior Brother Jian Wei!"
Hearing this, Abbot Xinhui turned back to Li Huowang, his face a mask of confusion. "Daoist Xuanyang, is this true? Why did you suddenly attack a disciple of this monastery? Was his hospitality lacking?"
Looking at the crowd of shaven-headed monks before him, then at the returned Daoist Bell in his hand, Li Huowang couldn't comprehend what was happening. What are they playing at? They have to know I've seen everything. Why keep up the charade?
After a moment's thought, Li Huowang decided to lay his cards on the table. "Abbot Xinhui, you hold a grudge against Master Danyang, and I killed him. You don't have to thank me, but surely you don't need to kill me to silence me, right?"
"You can rest assured that I'll keep my mouth shut about everything I saw in the temple. I won't tell a single soul."
"Besides, my word alone could never shake the reputation of Zhengde Temple."
Hearing Li Huowang's words, however, only deepened the confusion on Xinhui's face. "What did the benefactor see? This old monk does not understand what you are saying."
Both sides stood frozen. For a moment, the scene fell into an uneasy silence.
Huh? What's going on? Is the abbot not in league with those things? With this doubt in his mind, Li Huowang slowly recounted everything he had witnessed.
"Absurd! Utter nonsense!" For the first time, Li Huowang saw Xinhui truly angry. The two long, white whiskers beneath his nose quivered like a dragon's, and his overwhelming aura instantly forced the monks behind him to bow their heads in submission.