Chapter 129: Chapter 47: "She" Is Here
Afterward, Yu Sheng left the time loop of Longshu Temple. When he emerged, the outside world was already one of steel and concrete, filled with towering skyscrapers.
A thousand years had passed in a flash, and it felt like a lifetime ago.
He had transformed from the foolish, mischievous brat who caused a great disaster. Tempered by countless torturous cycles, his disposition had become much calmer. He was beginning to show a Buddha-like serenity.
His integration into this new era was glossed over.
While cramming modern knowledge, Yu Sheng joined the Apartment of the Living.
Becoming a resident of the apartment had two benefits. First, he could collect more Supernatural Artifacts by completing "green text" missions. Second, the apartment’s internal suppression could prevent those unclean things from finding him prematurely.
Of course, Gao Tian suspected that Yu Sheng had concealed his true reason for joining the Apartment of the Living.
The seventh "green text" mission invited Yu Sheng to return to Longshu Temple. It was only then that Yu Sheng learned Longshu Temple had been designated a site within the Inner World.
Upon returning to Longshu Temple, he encountered his master, who had mysteriously vanished during the time loop. Though master and disciple were separated by the veil of life and death, they were reunited once more.
The Republic squad was nowhere to be found. Presumably, after the time loop restarted, "Mother"—who had suffered a setback—contained them, refusing to let the three dangerous, fierce ghosts remain in Longshu Temple.
Master Jingming, his sanity flickering like a candle in the wind, had ventured into the depths of the Inner World to bring him back an artifact called the "Time Coffin."
Originally, the plan was for Yu Sheng to bring the coffin back to the real world.
But when he heard the strange, bear-like roar from outside Longshu Temple, he knew that the inevitable had arrived.
’Mother’ has come for me.
During his years in the Apartment of the Living, Yu Sheng had constantly pondered what he would do if he ever returned to Longshu Temple.
The answer he came up with was to release seven special Supernatural Artifacts called "Time-Wheel Crows." They weren’t for him, but for Gao Tian, who would come later.
Then, he went into the depths of the Inner World to meet his "mother."
He also did it to stall for as much time as possible, ensuring the four-person team could escape the Inner World with the Time Coffin.
Gao Tian:
"I have more questions."
Yu Sheng:
"There’s still a little time. Go ahead.
"This may be the last time we ever see each other. Ask whatever you want. If I can answer it, I will."
After experiencing over a thousand years of reincarnation, it was as if he had lived two lives. Yu Sheng no longer had any attachments to this world.
As long as he could ensure someone got the Time Coffin out, he didn’t care if he died here holding back "Mother."
Gao Tian pointed to the sky.
"Those things... are they considered ghosts?"
The more Gao Tian listened to Yu Sheng’s description of the things in the starry sky, the more obscure they seemed.
They respond to human pleas and descend upon this world. Like ghosts, they are cruel and murderous.
However, certain aspects of their behavior seemed subtly different from ghosts.
Ghosts are mindless. You can’t talk to them, they can’t understand human wishes, and they certainly don’t respond to them.
Yu Sheng:
"I don’t know what those things are.
"If there are ghosts in this world, then there must be gods, too.
"Perhaps... they are the gods that mortals worship."
Gao Tian, hiding in the main hall, practically choked.
Wind Attendant Buddha slowly raised his head. He stared at Yu Sheng, who had just said something so astonishing, and spoke, enunciating every syllable:
"They... are gods?
"So cruel and murderous, needing human wishes to descend to this planet, having their own weaknesses, and capable of being sealed—
"What kind of gods are those?"
Yu Sheng said coolly,
"It’s not that strange, Gao Tian.
"I don’t know much about the things beyond the stars, but... they might actually be gods.
"In the primitive myths from the dawn of nations and peoples, most gods were capricious, bloodthirsty, and twisted. They treated human lives as worthless and were beings that could not be gazed upon directly.
"Besides, have you heard of what the ancients called ’becoming an Immortal through corpse liberation’?
"Back then, one school of Daoism believed that as long as a person retained their consciousness after becoming a ghost, they were no different from an Immortal.
"Their undying and indestructible nature corresponds to an Immortal’s eternal life.
"Their ’rules of killing’ correspond to an Immortal’s supernatural powers and spells.
"A Ghost Realm corresponds to an Immortal’s grotto-heaven or blessed land—a domain they create just by being there.
"My master said that there truly have been great Daoist masters who completely retained their minds after death, fighting fierce ghosts with the body of a fierce ghost."
Gao Tian had witnessed this very thing at Xu Yuan’s Divine Tree.
’If Ghost Cave and Ghost Infant are Immortals, then I, Gao Tian, can be considered someone who has suppressed an Immortal.’
Jokes aside, from that perspective, Ghost Cave wasn’t a true Immortal. The "corpse liberation" mastered by the Jialan Society was also incomplete.
Forget eternal life; without a living person’s lifespan to sustain them, it was uncertain if they could even survive to the next day.
On this matter, Yu Sheng truly didn’t know what lay in the starry sky above.
Gao Tian didn’t press the issue and changed the subject.
"After your master became a ghost and returned to Longshu Temple to deliver the Time Coffin, where did he go?"
A rare flicker of sorrow passed through Yu Sheng’s deep, abyss-like eyes.
"My master... has entered nirvana."
Gao Tian was confused.
"Nirvana?
"He already became a ghost. How could he enter nirvana?"
To this, Yu Sheng explained:
"It’s true that ghosts cannot die.
"Before he died, my master relied on sheer willpower to find the Time Coffin in the Inner World. But once he fulfilled that obsession, his willpower scattered. His consciousness began to fade rapidly, and he would soon have lost control, becoming a mindless, murderous, fierce ghost.
"That would have been a disaster in the real world, but here in the Inner World, it’s easier to deal with.
"He found a powerful supernatural location and voluntarily walked inside. That way, he would be suppressed and contained by other, even more terrifying, fierce ghosts.
"Many supernatural locations in the Inner World are feared even by other ghosts. Once inside, you’re eternally imprisoned by true monsters. It’s a fate more painful than the time loop in Longshu Temple. You can’t die, but death would be a mercy.
"In this way, my master imprisoned himself. Even if he lost his mind, he wouldn’t indiscriminately slaughter the innocent or endanger future Ghost Hunters who enter the Inner World."
Gao Tian:
"Which supernatural location did your master choose?"
Yu Sheng:
"Pagoda Primary School.
"That place is extremely bizarre. It’s been expanding rapidly and has already devoured several older supernatural locations nearby.
"After my master went inside, his instincts from his former life would drive him to fight the fierce ghosts trying to devour his body.
"Hopefully, he can inflict heavy damage on Pagoda Primary School. It would be his final contribution with that ghostly body.
"After I die and become a ghost, I will also willingly enter Pagoda Primary School to suppress as many of the fierce ghosts inside as I can."
He glanced at the starry sky.
"Our time is running out.
"You must take the Time Coffin and leave this place at once. Follow me out of the temple. I’ll guide you to the nearby Supernatural Station.
"If we don’t go now, my ’Mother’ will get here, and then no one will be able to escape."
He turned, gesturing for Wind Attendant Buddha himself to come out and follow him from Longshu Temple.
As for the others in the temple—Jiang Yang, Lan Chu, and Wang Wenbo?
Yu Sheng had said from the start that they weren’t important.
As long as one person could get away with the Time Coffin, the mission would be a success. The person Yu Sheng chose was Gao Tian. It was enough for Gao Tian alone to survive.
However, Yu Sheng turned and took a few steps, only to find that Wind Attendant Buddha hadn’t moved an inch.
"What is it? Why aren’t you following?"
Yu Sheng asked, his voice low.
Wind Attendant Buddha simply took a step forward and asked:
"You were killed outside the Inner World to stop ’Mother’ from reaching Longshu Temple early, weren’t you?
"When did you die?"
A rare hint of mockery touched Yu Sheng’s otherwise calm voice:
"What, are you thinking of using the Time-Wheel Crows to go back to daylight, drive back ’Mother’ before I die, and rewrite my fate?
"Don’t be ridiculous.
"That monster with my mother’s face is beyond your imagination.
"To date, she has only been truly repelled twice. Once by my master, Master Jingming, and the other time by that Republic squad.
"If we were to rate the power of those two groups as a 100...
"...my power is about a 55. I can barely hold ’Mother’ back, even at the cost of my life, to temporarily keep her away from Longshu Temple.
"You, Gao Tian, Jiang Yang, Lan Chu... all residents with fewer than six missions under their belt... your power level is around 10.
"You especially, Gao Tian. You improve at a divine speed. Perhaps one day you could reach 100, or even surpass it.
"That’s all the more reason I can’t let you die now."
Gao Tian:
"10 points isn’t bad.
"At least with four of us at 10 points each, that’s 40 points total.
"Add your 55, and we’re at a respectable 95. We could put up a fight against that monster from the stars."
Dark lines formed on Yu Sheng’s forehead.
"...
"I meant, the four of you... combined... are 10 points.
"Not 10 points each."
By Yu Sheng’s calculations, if everyone present waited at Longshu Temple for "Mother" to arrive, the end result would be a total party wipe.
If Yu Sheng were to cling to life and flee with the Time Coffin, the remaining four wouldn’t be able to hold "Mother" back for even a moment. Yu Sheng wouldn’t get far either, and the result would still be total annihilation.
So, he chose to sacrifice himself to delay "Mother" in exchange for Gao Tian’s escape.
The other three—Jiang Yang’s group—had to stay behind. This would ensure there were more living people at Longshu Temple than there were fleeing, which in turn would ensure "Mother" wouldn’t chase the Supernatural Bus carrying Gao Tian away.
From the very beginning, in Yu Sheng’s eyes, Jiang Yang and the others were nothing more than sacrificial lambs for Gao Tian.
Of course, he had included himself in that calculation.
Just then, from outside the temple, the sound of footsteps returned—calm, yet carrying a bone-deep chill.
PAT.
PAT.
PAT.
A dark figure slowly approached from outside the temple. It stopped at the entrance, and the footsteps ceased.
The thick stench of blood washed over them.
Sensing the arrival of the entity outside, Yu Sheng’s expression shifted slightly.
"This thing... how is it here so soon?
"Has she grown stronger during her years in the Inner World?
"Gao Tian, no more delays! I’ll lead you out the back. Take the Time Coffin and get out of here!"
Wind Attendant Buddha remained rooted to the spot, showing no intention of moving.
"You just said the things in the sky are gods?
"This ’Mother’... she’s not actually invincible, is she? If someone reached the level of Master Jingming or the Republic squad, they could defeat her.
"I know my combat power is only a 2.5 in your eyes. But I do know someone who meets your standards.
"I’ll see you in the next cycle.
"Everyone, including you, is going to make it back to the real world alive. No one is going to be sacrificed here."
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