“If the Yin Soil is with you?” Su Bai said. “Then what did It absorb?”
“Also Yin Soil,” Yun Xueqing replied flatly. “But I only placed half a portion of Yin Soil, keeping the other half. That way, I could use the Immortal Seeking Technique to find It.”
“The Immortal Seeking Technique?” Su Bai murmured. “Is that your exclusive Oracle?”
Yun Xueqing moved his lips, about to explain, when Fu Wuxuan cut in ahead of him with a vague response. “It’s similar to our Oracle: Trace Seeking.”
“What do you mean ‘our’?” Su Bai said, full of frustration. “Not everyone is a freak of talent like you, able to perfectly replicate the full Spirit Energy operation process after using an Oracle just once.”
Most Oracle skills were public knowledge, but some were privately developed and researched by Oracles themselves—secret, like self-created supreme martial arts manuals.
Without understanding the complete operation mode of an Oracle’s Spirit Energy within the body, it was impossible to imitate or use it.
Yet there were a rare few geniuses who could effortlessly copy others’ Oracle techniques.
The higher the talent, the better one could discern others’ Spirit Energy operation patterns. Fu Wuxuan happened to be one such top-tier genius. Aside from Oracles with overly harsh activation conditions, he had mastered nearly all of them.
Wu Xue glanced at the indignant Su Bai and said coldly, “Cast Oracle: Trace Seeking and find It.”
“You’re too hasty,” Fu Wuxuan said with a mocking smile. “Even if we catch It now, what then? It’s nighttime—Its home turf.”
Wu Xue shot him a glance but said nothing.
Yun Xueqing stepped forward as well. “Right now, the priority is gathering materials to suppress It.”
Su Bai asked, “What materials?”
“Yang Metal, Yang Wood, Yang Water, Yang Fire, and Yang Earth.”
Su Bai’s face fell instantly, giving him the vibe of a corporate drone finally reaching the weekend only to get called in for overtime. “These are definitely the ones this time?”
“Should be,” Yun Xueqing analyzed. “In the legends, the Six-Armed Bodhisattva has six yin arms, and yang counters yin. To suppress It, we must use the Five Yang Items.”
“And the timing is off too,” he explained. “Noontime peak is when yin energy surges, which is against us. We should hold the ritual at the time of peak yang energy—high noon.”
Su Bai watched him speak so eloquently and clicked his tongue in wonder. “You’ve got a lot to say after all. But if you get it now, why didn’t you think of it back then?”
Yun Xueqing lowered his eyes and didn’t respond.
It was his first time entering a Weird Domain, and he didn’t know some outside metaphysical theories. Domains didn’t communicate with the outside; doing the opposite would only backfire.
Fu Wuxuan glanced at Su Bai and sneered. “No one saw through it. We all just followed the ‘textbook.’”
Su Bai’s expression turned sheepish. “Yeah, we were careless.”
“No need for finger-pointing,” Yun Xueqing said evenly. “We still have a chance to fight back.”
“Yeah, tomorrow’s our last shot too.” Su Bai pushed back his long sleeve, revealing an arm that had completely rotted away, exposing bone.
“If we can’t kill It tomorrow night and break the ‘plague,’ we’re all dead.”
The materials for the Five Yang Items were easy to gather. Fu Wuxuan cast his Oracle on the Yin Soil and tracked along the indicated direction.
The Six-Armed Bodhisattva must have feared being caught again and fled far, straight out of Thicket Village and into the deep mountains.
On the tracking path, Yun Xueqing tried to return the Calamity God’s Knife to him, but Fu Wuxuan politely refused.
Yun Xueqing’s expression soured unusually, and he frowned. “How can you be so indifferent to your own weapon?”
It had spent more time in his hands than in Fu Wuxuan’s.
Fu Wuxuan gave a wry smile. “It’s useless to me now. Even in your hands, it can barely function.”
Yun Xueqing’s mood didn’t improve. Wu Xue, who had been watching him, swept a glance at Fu Wuxuan and stated flatly, “Your Spirit Energy is already depleted, isn’t it?”
He was already gravely injured, and using Oracles unrestrainedly in the instance left him with no reserves—it was normal.
She had observed him that night with the Man-Eating Ghost. Fu Wuxuan hadn’t ignored death; he was truly stunned into immobility.
A former S-Rank Ability User, now suppressed by a mere B-Rank Weird due to his injuries—laughably pathetic.
Recalling some past events, Wu Xue’s gaze deepened.
Su Bai looked worried and cautioned, “Don’t use any more Oracles. If your Spirit Energy bottoms out, your Pollution Value will spike—that’s bad news.”
They had no spare capacity to deal with pollution monsters on Dong Jun’s level.
Yun Xueqing asked, “Pollution Value?”
It was the first time he’d heard the term.
Su Bai didn’t suspect anything, assuming he was just a newbie Oracle who knew nothing, and patiently explained, “Oracles aren’t some great gift.”
Oracles weren’t bestowed by heaven but shared by monsters.
Those who survived Weird Domains would inevitably become Oracles.
Ordinary people who couldn’t become Oracles would die from rising Pollution Values even if not killed by the monsters.
Oracles were outwardly guardians of the apocalypse, but in truth, they were survivors infected in Weird Domains who possessed antibodies.
Infected Oracles killed Weirds and gained their Spirit Energy, but since it was a Weird’s power, overuse eroded the antibodies against the pollution. Human sanity gradually wore away, leading to degeneration into terrifying Weirds.
Su Bai said with seeming emotion, “Though Pollution Values rise steadily and eventually lead to degeneration into Weirds, it’s not irreversible. After two years of research, we’ve established specialized institutions to reduce Pollution Values—the Degeneration Abstinence Institutes.”
“Oracles with high Pollution Values but not fully degenerated are sent to the Degeneration Abstinence Institute.” Though it sounded like a place to reclaim sanity and life, Su Bai’s expression wasn’t great.
“The director of the Degeneration Abstinence Institute is a real pervert. Hope you two never get sent there.” Su Bai looked at them and pondered before adding, “Though you might not even make it out of our bureau’s prison.”
Wu Xue glanced at him. “Too chatty.”
Yun Xueqing suddenly spoke up. “We’re here.”
Everyone looked over in unison to see a pitch-black cave right before them.
Su Bai sighed. “It’s hiding here? An A-Rank Weird living this miserably.”
Fu Wuxuan sneered. “Just a third-rate A-Rank Weird.”
There were big differences even among A-Rank Weirds.
Wu Xue said, “Go in.”
The cave was cramped and pitch-black, with only faint light at the entrance. Water dripped from the cave rocks, producing echoing drips.
Yun Xueqing spoke up. “No need to go further. There’s no Weird Power fluctuation ahead.”
Fu Wuxuan reacted. “Get out of the cave!”
As soon as he spoke, a massive boulder fell, completely sealing the entrance and plunging them into endless darkness.
Everyone rushed to the entrance. Su Bai pulled a flashlight from his backpack and inspected it, then sighed. “It’s a trap. There’s a seal from the Six-Armed Bodhisattva on it. Finding the right Oracle to break it will be tricky.”
The “plague” on his arm and chest flared up, bones aching faintly. Inevitably pessimistic, he said, “Escaping will take time. By then, the Six-Armed Bodhisattva might be long gone.”
“It won’t,” Yun Xueqing said calmly. “After today, the ‘plague’ will kill us with its curse. It will come back to absorb our lifespans—it won’t go far.”
Fu Wuxuan agreed. “We’re like Three-Squeak Rats on a platter right now. Evil Weirds want to watch us suffer and struggle before swallowing us whole at the perfect moment.”
“That metaphor’s kinda gross,” Su Bai retorted. “If anything, it’s a pancake rolled with scallions.”
The cave was the pancake, they were the scallions—tastier together.
Wu Xue said flatly, “It’s open.”
The two debating food: “What?”
“The entrance is open.”
“?”
So fast? Who did it!
Yun Xueqing shook his knife, brushing off the stone dust, then sheathed it. His expression wasn’t good. “It’s right outside the entrance. Chase It!”
Wu Xue and Su Bai charged out without a word, pursuing and capturing the Six-Armed Bodhisattva.
Fu Wuxuan walked to Yun Xueqing’s side instead, not rushing out. He said leisurely, “I knew giving you the Calamity Blade was the right call.”
Yun Xueqing didn’t answer. His face grew worse, a faint green tint on his snow-white skin. The next second, blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, staining his pale lips.
The entrance seal had forced him to mobilize all his Spiritual Power to break it, reopening his Dantian wound. After some time, not only had it not healed—it had worsened.
Fu Wuxuan saw and affirmed, “You have internal injuries too.”
Yun Xueqing waved it off, indicating not to worry. “Hurry and chase the Six-Armed Bodhisattva.”
“Two A-Rank Oracles chasing It—It won’t escape. No need for my crippled self to bother.” He watched Yun Xueqing casually wipe the blood from his mouth, his heart sinking, but he kept his tone light. “You, on the other hand, seem in real danger.”
He said word by word, “I can feel it—your body’s like it has a hole, life force leaking out steadily. Without some miracle, you’ll be dead in months.”
Yun Xueqing kept his usual calm expression. “I know.”
He should have died a thousand years ago. Waking now was just extra luck.
With his Dantian shattered and Nascent Soul destroyed, his foundation was ruined. He couldn’t retain Spiritual Power, left with mere scraps propping up this broken body to pass as normal.
Once Spiritual Power ran out, even his deathly state would be impossible to hide.
He had no fear of death—his only regret was not yet recovering his treasured Natal Sword.
Fu Wuxuan saw a trace of worry color his otherwise calm face and assumed fear of death.
The usually sharp-tongued Fu the Good Samaritan unusually comforted him. “You’ve got months left—plenty of time for a solution. Once out, find a healing Oracle to mend the wound. Might even fix it.”
Yun Xueqing was still thinking of the Tianquan Sword and nodded vaguely.
By the time the two caught up, “Li Yulin” was trussed up like a dumpling again.
The scene showed signs of a fierce battle—both sides bore wounds, but the outcome was good.
Yun Xueqing placed the four items in position, checked the time—it was perfect—and turned to Fu Wuxuan. “Light the fire.”
Fu Wuxuan nodded. A red flame appeared at his fingertip and fell onto the Fire position.
The five Yang Items formed a red light circle, encircling the Six-Armed Bodhisattva.
The yin spirit compressed, pain showing on Its face. Yet before death, It didn’t rage or curse. Instead, It laughed. “You can’t kill me. As long as desire lingers in your hearts, I’ll never truly die.”
With those words, the ritual completed, forcibly stripping It from the body.
Yun Xueqing seized the moment, thrusting the Calamity Blade into Its Baihui acupoint. Light blazed forth, and the Six-Armed Bodhisattva instantly dissolved into countless light points scattering across the ground.
Li Yulin, long possessed, finally awoke. Staring at the group around him, he mumbled groggily, “It’s over?”
Yun Xueqing nodded. “It’s over.”
The matter resolved, but his expression wasn’t pleased. The Six-Armed Bodhisattva’s final words felt laden with deeper meaning.
But his concern shifted abruptly as his Dantian stirred. After the Six-Armed Bodhisattva’s death, its light points fell onto him.