Ren Qing had already stepped onto Changning Street, and he found that being within the dense demonic qi, even his perception of the projection of the Soul Butterfly had become blurry.
At the same time, inside Wuwei Monastery, cooking smoke curled.
The revealing of the Ghost Market made the Daoist disciples suspicious and uneasy. Although they could not approach the Restraint Officer closely, just standing at the end of the street they could see those hideous-looking cultivators.
They said nothing openly, but in their hearts it was inevitable that doubts arose.
The ancient records left behind by the sect stated that in its heyday, the disciples under Heavenly Daozi were all as ethereal as immortals.
A few portraits of Wuwei Monastery also seemed to confirm this.
Restraint Officers instead looked like yao-cultivators, even more repulsive than yao-cultivators, and the aura they emitted was extremely terrifying, inevitably causing dread.
Very soon, some rumors spread inside the monastery.
It was said that the other end of the Immortal Market belonged to certain transcendent, enlightened yao-cultivators, and when the right time came, they would break free from within.
Qingsongzi looked helpless, and during the morning recitation he deliberately sought out Wuliangzi, only to find the latter kneeling before the statue of Heavenly Daozi.
Wuliangzi spoke with a slightly weary voice: "Junior Brother, what have you come to see me about?"
Qingsongzi swallowed the words that had reached his lips, mainly afraid that the already mentally unstable Wuliangzi would go even madder.
"Senior Brother you... then you..."
"Junior Brother Qingsongzi, you're not paying attention to those ridiculous remarks, are you?"
Wuliangzi opened his eyes, his gaze sharp as he stared at Qingsongzi and said: "Why don't you go look at the disciple memorial tablets?"
"Ah?"
Qingsongzi hurried to the wooden stand where the memorial tablets were placed, and the scene before him made his eyes widen, at a loss for words.
He saw that twenty to thirty tablets were dim in spiritual light, and the surface was covered with black mycelium. Clearly, those disciples had already turned into yao-cultivators.
Without exception, all of them belonged to the Corpse District where the Corpse Statue was active. Except for a few scattered ones, the rest were either dead or had switched paths.
"How is that possible..."
"There is nothing impossible."
"After the Corpse Statue aberration underwent drastic change, more than ten li were turned into scorched earth, and the area is still expanding. Neighboring aberrations have already retreated."
"Senior Brother, what should our disciples do?"
Qingsongzi's expression grew anxious, and he couldn't help feeling regret in his heart.
Wuwei Monastery was already at the point of life and death, yet they were still thinking about these baseless matters. It was truly inappropriate.
"I have already contacted the external disciples to stay away from the Corpse District, but as for those still alive inside, there is nothing that can be done."
Wuliangzi let out a deep sigh. Although only the Corpse Statue had undergone aberration, that did not mean the matter was over.
If it was merely the beginning, it was very possible the Dao lineage would have to relocate to some wild mountain area.
But the population of Jingzhou was concentrated in the only towns available; even the villages were dependent on their surroundings. How could they replenish new blood?
Qingsongzi was about to say something, when he suddenly noticed more tablets had dimmed. They were disciples of the Corpse District.
The remaining tablets were already few, and they were all disciples with shallow cultivation like Han Li, who could die at any moment.
"See whether the situation continues to ferment. Have the disciples be cautious when patrolling."
Wuliangzi actually faintly sensed that Wuwei Monastery was no longer safe, but he could not influence others based on mere subjective feeling.
Moreover, Wuwei Monastery existed precisely to share risk for disciples going down the mountain.
Wuliangzi endured patiently, waiting for nightfall. When the external disciples went to gather information, they should be able to clarify part of the cause.
He wiped the dust off the statue with a cloth, then left the main hall.
Even walking on the path beside the side chambers, Wuliangzi remained deeply worried, fearing that the memorial tablets would again disappear in large numbers.
He returned to his chamber and sat cross-legged to sleep, intending for his consciousness to enter the Immortal Market.
But perhaps because his thoughts were chaotic, Wuliangzi tossed and turned, unable to calm his mind. His expression became impatient.
He simply walked to the courtyard outside his chamber, and noticed the entire mountain was lit with lamps; almost none of the disciples had slept.
If it were only two or three individuals, it could be called coincidence. But seeing this, something abnormal must have occurred.
A black insect beneath Wuliangzi's foot crawled out from the shadow. After reaching the Core Formation stage, it could be momentarily controlled, used to gather information.
But everything appeared as though nothing had happened.
Qingsongzi and other Daoists also left their chambers, and soon more and more gathered in the courtyard; even newly training Daoist children climbed out of bed.
The late-autumn night wind carried a chill.
They did not know what had happened, yet their hearts were inexplicably uneasy, unable to sleep no matter what.
Wuliangzi hesitated for a moment, then turned to whisper to Qingsongzi: "Have the Daoist children pack their things, and go to the nearby mountain forest first."
"Senior Brother you..."
Wuliangzi shook his head, his expression even more solemn.
Qingsongzi could only comply, quietly leading a few familiar Daoists to prepare some dry rations, without drawing attention from the others.
But as they were about ready, a group of people came toward Wuwei Monastery from afar.
They carried no torches, the mountain path was difficult, yet they moved quickly in the pitch-black night. No matter how one looked, it seemed strange.
Tianfuzi looked puzzled, speaking in disbelief: "Why does it look like Deng Chuan's caravan? Have they returned?"
Hearing this, Wuliangzi also noticed the clues. They had interacted not long ago; the caravan's size was indeed identical.
"Maybe Deng Tou encountered something. Huang Qiuzi, take a few people to receive them."
"Alright, I'll set out at once."
Wuliangzi added: "Be careful."
Huang Qiuzi nodded, and headed down the mountain road with three Daoists.
They cultivated the Netherworld Heavenly Insect Method, and with the black insect's empowerment their bodies were greatly strengthened, their stride becoming fast.
By the time Huang Qiuzi reached the foot of the mountain, the caravan lit torches.
But the torches were not bright flames; instead they were ghostly dark fire, making each escort look like a ghostly soldier of a hundred ghosts travelling by night.
What made Wuliangzi feel even more uneasy was that the carts carried not spirit grain, but pitch-black coffins.
Dong dong dong...
Knocks came from inside the coffins, nails falling off, as if something was about to break free.
"Qingsongzi, what are you dazing for? Take the Daoist children and go, head for the suburbs!!"
Wuliangzi shoved Qingsongzi, then pulled the wooden sword at his waist and raced madly toward the caravan.
The monastery instantly descended into chaos.
More than ten followed Wuliangzi; others wanted to flee.
But the ten-year-old Daoist children had never seen such a scene. They burst into terrified wails, some even collapsing limply to the ground.
Bang!!!
The black coffins burst open, and dozens of rotten zombies crawled out. The caravan escorts were all dressed as zombies.
They wore Wuwei Monastery's Daoist robes; clearly, they had been disciples who had gone down the mountain, now refined into aberrations.
Strictly speaking, they were also a type of yao-cultivator.
The zombies stretched their stiff joints, speaking human words: "This place looks familiar... I think I lived here when I was alive..."
"Don't be stupid. That's the sect that raised us."
"Oh."
"Would the flesh and bone marrow of fellow disciples taste even sweeter?"
"Ka ka ka ka ka ka."
The zombies leapt stiffly, but their speed was not slow at all, quickly reaching Huang Qiuzi and the others who had approached.
"What the hell?!!"
Taking advantage of Huang Qiuzi's moment of shock, sharp claws raked across their chests and abdomens, leaving a few bone-deep wounds.
The zombie rushed to bite Huang Qiuzi, and he quickly circulated Nether Yuan. The black insect in his foot flowed rapidly along his blood vessels.
Huang Qiuzi struck with a palm, spiritual light scattering. Clearly only Foundation Establishment cultivation, yet he blocked a Yaodan-stage zombie.
The zombie almost slammed into the cart, killing intent rising.
"Seems to be Junior Brother Huang Qiuzi. Long time no see, your cultivation improved a lot. But unfortunately..."
"What meaning is there in cultivation? Only yao-cultivation is the true Great Dao."
The zombie rolled its eyes, and several more zombies surrounded them, quickly forming an encirclement that Huang Qiuzi could not break.
Other Daoists suffered casualties. The potential of the Heavenly Insect Method was high, but against yao-cultivators far above their level, they were still overmatched.
Claws clamped around Huang Qiuzi's neck, his eyes turning white. Just as he was about to suffocate, Wuliangzi arrived on horseback.
Wuliangzi knocked the surrounding zombies flying with his wooden sword, and carried Huang Qiuzi back.
His Core Formation stage cultivation made him much faster than the sluggish zombies. He could actually abandon the disciples and escape alone.
"I'll hold the mountain road. Huang Qiuzi, have them evacuate the monastery as quickly as possible, go wherever you can."
"Senior Brother..."
"Go!!"
Wuliangzi rushed to the mountain road entrance, took his stance, and kicked Huang Qiuzi aside, forcing the accompanying Daoists to retreat the way they came.
"You monsters, do you know the blazing Heavenly Dao? Do you know the Dao of Wuwei?!!"
Wuliangzi's white beard stood upright, his expression almost identical to Heavenly Daozi resisting fate alone, gripping his wooden sword tightly.
"What Heavenly Dao? How laughable..."
Wuliangzi's eyes shot out divine light, the black insect merging into his blood. His speed burst forth, and the flying sword extended several inches from the blade.
One sword cut sank three-tenths into bone; the zombie's neck almost broke, but only almost. Its powerful vitality kept it alive.
"Kill this Daoist!!"
The zombies attacked wildly. Even with a few disciples assisting, Wuliangzi still fell into disadvantage.
He forced the Nether Yuan, his wounds faintly blackening—corpse poison at work.
On the mountaintop, aside from the Daoist children, few Daoists fled. Even Qingsongzi turned back halfway.
Soon, some zombies climbed the narrow paths into the monastery, fighting with the Daoists.
The casualties grew.
Qingsongzi stumbled into the main hall, collapsing helplessly.
Even though he did not believe in the existence of Earthly Immortal, at this moment he cried and begged: "Wuwei Monastery must not be destroyed..."
"Why do you not descend, Earthly Immortal."
...
Jingzhou New Moon Layer was as calm as a mirror-like lake.
Even beggars were rare inside the town.
In a corner's shadow half-lay a middle-aged man like a demon, with six eyes and four arms, his shaven head bearing monk's scars.
The people did not dare approach him, treating the man as a malevolent ghost.
The man muttered madly: "Where is the opportunity the relic spoke of?"
"It was clearly Jingzhou..."
Suddenly a voice of despair rang in his ears: "Why do you not descend, Earthly Immortal."
Song Zongwu looked up; at some point, a blood moon hung in the sky.
"So that's how it is."