Chapter 44: Seed of an Evil God! Six-Armed Heart Monkey Venerable
Although Jiang Yan had anticipated some of it from the wall painting, seeing it with his own eyes...
He was still shocked by the scene before him.
He had read in Zhao Yinman's notes that many ancient existences influenced the shallow layers of history and even the present world through the historical river, spreading eerie knowledge.
One of the methods involved hollowing out the innards of living beings, gilding them into golden bodies, and performing secret sacrificial rites to gather incense offerings and become a god.
This kind of god, of course, did not refer to ancient immortal gods that overlooked all ages.
It referred to an incense god.
They were like gods, yet not truly gods, capable of devouring incense offerings and gaining strange abilities. However, due to the toxicity of incense, their thoughts would become chaotic, and they could easily devolve into evil gods, bringing calamity to a region.
Their spread was akin to memetic contamination.
The Bureau of Historical Revision sternly emphasized that upon discovery, one must immediately destroy the mountain and temple, and burn the statue.
If one’s strength was insufficient, then call for reinforcements!
Who would have thought that within this Sick Domain, someone actually intended to create an incense god?
Fortunately, it was discovered early by the Shadow-Winged Snake, seizing the initiative.
Otherwise, if an incense god were to be born, no matter how weak, it would at least be at the Law Seed Stage—absolutely no chance of reversal.
Just as Jiang Yan was about to annihilate it, he suddenly found himself immobilized, and even his thoughts began to stiffen.
“What!?”
He looked down and saw that the internal organs, which had been scattered across the ground, had somehow turned into molten copper, silently appearing and spreading upward from his feet. Wherever it passed, flesh turned to copper.
The bizarre mutation of the temple vanished, replaced by vein-like roots spreading from beneath his feet, embedding themselves into the ground.
At this moment, Jiang Yan once again felt the sorrow from the eyes of the monkey in the mural.
Only, the first time, it mourned for itself.
This time, it mourned Jiang Yan's fate, which would mirror its own—he was about to become a statue.
To stand here forever!
“This is...”
Jiang Yan’s eyes widened in shock, and laughter came from not far away.
“Hahahahaha...”
The Abbot of Longevity Calamity clutched his belly in laughter, proudly declaring, “Humans, all forms are illusory. You saw through Huang Mao as the Heart Monkey and claimed everything he saw was false. But have you forgotten—what you see, is it necessarily true?”
“Those Shadow-Winged Flying Snakes of yours can hide in shadows, undetectable even to most at the Law Seed Stage. But unfortunately, this temple is under my control and constantly watches everything.”
“I merely pretended not to see you, and invited you into my trap.”
Jiang Yan fell silent.
The Abbot of Longevity Calamity seemed to be in high spirits, perhaps having held it in too long, and continued:
“Let me tell you a story. A long, long time ago, there was a group of rabbits living in the mountains. Although they were often preyed upon by fierce beasts, under the protection of their king, they could still thrive.”
“Then one day, from the depths of the historical river, a massive beast egg floated up and descended into this world. A being was born from it, called—the Six-Armed Heart Monkey.”
“It possessed powerful bloodline and strength, but was especially naïve, believing itself omnipotent, protecting the weak, and even teaching us Buddhist cultivation methods.”
“Seeing the suffering of all things, it sought to create a pure land, establish rules, and ensure harmony where all beings no longer killed one another.”
“Gradually, these beings became lost in indulgence, forgot their place, and the rabbits no longer revered the king—they worshipped a monkey instead. Truly... unbelievably foolish! Survival of the fittest is the law of nature!”
At this point, the Abbot of Longevity Calamity's face twisted with rage, his eyes filled with thick jealousy:
“But it was precisely this foolishness that allowed this humble monk to seize the opportunity. Using the excuse of world peace, I tricked it into suppressing another powerful monster. The two clashed, both heavily wounded, yet it survived. So I used the pretense of helping it heal, hollowed out its innards, and sealed it alive in a clay statue.”
“That night, the Heart Monkey died.”
“I thought it was over. But to my surprise, the creature resurrected—becoming the mountain beneath my feet, the trees in the forest, everything I see—it is everywhere.”
“Ha! Did it think that would scare this humble monk? It was slain while alive—what fear is there in death? Even the peaches born from its corpse are merely food for this humble monk.”
Since it was unwilling to leave, then let it lend this humble monk a hand. It just so happened that I had delved into cultivation methods and comprehended a special ritual—All Buddhas Bodhi Inversion Heavenly Demon Egg-Creation Technique, capable of artificially creating an Incense God.
The Abbot of Longevity Calamity’s gaze was deep as he smiled and said, “For this ritual, this humble monk prepared for thirty years, sacrificing 99 History Walkers. Using their heart’s blood, I successfully defiled the Heart Monkey’s ability, turning ‘Perceive One’s True Nature’ into the birth of strange Inner Demon Cavalry.”
“Now, only the final step remains. Unfortunately, the remnant will of the Heart Monkey acts as a restriction, preventing me from breaking it. The living beings in this temple are also ineffective, all suppressed by it.”
“Only a soul and power strong enough—an outsider, such as a History Walker—could pierce through the Heart Monkey, voluntarily shatter it, and thus initiate the ritual to completely dissolve the will of the Heart Monkey.”
“To refine its remnants, the spirit of incense, and even this entire world into my exclusive protective Dharmic Form—Six-Armed Unmoving Heart Monkey Venerable!”
At this point, the Abbot of Longevity Calamity appeared visibly excited:
“At that time, with the flesh and blood of History Walkers as anchors, my race shall ascend to the Pure Land of the present world, enjoying worldly bliss—so that Heart Monkey knows I was right!”
As his voice fell, Jiang Yan too was transformed into a bronze-cast statue.
Completely motionless.
The Abbot of Longevity Calamity praised, “What a beautiful offering this is!”
Numerous Samanera walked out, softly reciting the Diamond Sutra and Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva’s Original Vow Sutra, unclear who they were trying to guide to salvation.
Just as the Abbot of Longevity Calamity was about to begin the ritual, Xiao Bai pleaded:
“King, once everything succeeds, could you spare Sima Luoshui’s soul? Let me nurture him to become one of our kind.”
“What a kind-hearted child...”
The Abbot of Longevity Calamity sighed, then slapped her flying. She tumbled across the floor, vomiting blood uncontrollably.
“Elder Sister!”
Xiao Hei, upon seeing this, rushed forward to support Xiao Bai, only to be pierced through by pearls that shot through the air, forming multiple holes in her body. With a thud, she collapsed to the ground.
Her body gradually turned illusory. Her eyes looked at Xiao Bai, squeezing out a smile and softly saying:
“From now on... don’t be so foolish again...”
“You love freedom and carefreeness, love interesting things—was I not the same? But... we are not worthy to seek such things... You must... survive.”
“Younger Sister!”
Xiao Bai stared blankly at the scene. Her eyes wanted to cry, but no tears came. She blankly watched Xiao Hei completely vanish.
Many memories flashed through her mind.
From their first appearance, Xiao Hei had been different from the other Heart Monkeys—always loved to scare her.
Every time she cried from fear, Xiao Hei would silently stay by her side.
Unable to bear it any longer, Xiao Bai once asked why she kept doing that.
Xiao Hei coldly replied, “I’ve gotten you used to fear. That way, when I’m gone, you won’t be afraid anymore.”
Xiao Hei also said she wanted to be the elder sister.
But Xiao Bai didn’t agree, saying the elder sister should protect the younger.
Xiao Hei didn’t respond.
Xiao Bai thought she didn’t trust her, but Xiao Hei simply said, “I don’t need your protection. I just need you to survive.”
All these years, it had always been Xiao Hei protecting Xiao Bai, shielding her from too much darkness.
“I was too foolish...” Xiao Bai collapsed on the ground, sobbing, hating her own stupidity.
And hating her own powerlessness.
From beginning to end, she changed nothing.
“Merely a Heart Monkey born from your heart. Kill it, and in time a new one will arise. To act so sentimentally like sisters—how laughable.”
The Abbot of Longevity Calamity sneered, glancing down at Xiao Bai as he indifferently said:
“A traitor to your own kin, did you really think yourself a cultivator of Buddhism? Overflowing with compassion? You’re just livestock raised by me—what right do you have to bargain with me?”
The reason he kept these kin who had once betrayed him wasn’t out of kindness. It was simply that these individuals...
Walked the same path as him.
Especially Xiao Bai—able to condense such a rational Heart Monkey, even elevate to Foundation Establishment Stage—she must be quite the supplement.
As food, she could save a lot of effort.
At this thought,
The Abbot of Longevity Calamity licked his lips, and in the Hall of Zen Resolution, used Jiang Yan’s statue to initiate the ritual.
Sss sss sss!
Countless blood threads spread outward. They were the essence blood of the slain History Walkers, now seeping from the walls.
They interwove into a massive ritual array.
In an instant, crimson flames surged up, igniting the entire temple, like a Fire Dwelling.
“Advancing to Law Seed Stage—it shall be today!”