Chapter 130: "She" Has Arrived

After that, Yusheng left the time loop of Longshu Temple. By the time he emerged, the outside world was already one of reinforced concrete and towering skyscrapers.

A thousand years had passed in the blink of an eye, feeling like another lifetime.

Through the torment and trials of countless reincarnations, he had transformed from the mischievous, foolish brat who caused a massive disaster into someone far more grounded. The faint aura of a Buddha had begun to show in him.

The details of his adjustment to this era were glossed over.

While frantically catching up on modern knowledge, Yusheng joined the Living Apartment.

Becoming a resident of the apartment offered two benefits: first, he could collect more Supernatural Items through Green Text Missions; second, the Living Apartment's internal suppression prevented those foul things from finding him too soon.

Of course, Gao Tian suspected Yusheng was hiding his true reason for joining the Living Apartment.

His seventh Green Text Mission required Yusheng to return to Longshu Temple. Only then did he realize that Longshu Temple had been classified as a station in the Inner World.

Upon returning to Longshu Temple, he encountered his master, who had inexplicably vanished during the time loop. Though separated by life and death, master and disciple were reunited.

The Republican-Era Team was nowhere to be found. Most likely, after the time loop restarted, Mother—having suffered a setback against them—had contained them, preventing those three dangerous Fierce Ghosts from remaining in Longshu Temple.

Maintaining a sliver of sanity like a candle in the wind, Dharma Master Jingming ventured deep into the Inner World and brought him the Supernatural Item known as the Time Coffin.

Originally, Yusheng was supposed to bring this coffin back to the real world.

But when he heard that bizarre, bear-like roar echo from outside Longshu Temple, he knew that what was meant to come had finally arrived.

Mother had come for him.

Over his years in the Living Apartment, Yusheng had constantly pondered how he would handle the situation if he ever returned to Longshu Temple.

His answer was to release the seven special Supernatural Items known as the Time Wheel Crows. He did not leave them for himself, but for Gao Tian, who would come after.

Afterward, he headed deep into the Inner World to meet his Mother.

His goal was to stall for as much time as possible, ensuring that the four-man team could evacuate the Inner World with the Time Coffin.

"I still have questions," Gao Tian said.

"We have a little time left," Yusheng replied. "Please, ask.

"This might be the last time we meet in this life. Whatever you want to ask, if I can answer it, I absolutely will."

Having experienced over a thousand years of reincarnation and lived two lifetimes, Yusheng had nothing left to cling to.

As long as he could guarantee that someone brought out the Time Coffin, what did it matter if he died here just to stall Mother?

Gao Tian pointed at the sky. "Do those things count as ghosts?"

The more Gao Tian listened to Yusheng's description of the entities in the starry sky, the more ambiguous they seemed.

They would respond to human prayers and descend upon this world. Like ghosts, they were cruel and bloodthirsty.

However, some of their traits were subtly different from those of ghosts.

Ghosts lacked intellect, couldn't be reasoned with, couldn't understand human wishes, and certainly wouldn't answer them.

"I don't know," Yusheng said. "I don't know what those things truly are.

"Since there are ghosts in this world, there must also be gods.

"Perhaps they are the very gods worshipped by mortals."

Hiding in the main hall, Gao Tian nearly choked.

The Wind Attendant Buddha slowly raised its head. Staring at Yusheng—who had just uttered this shocking statement—it asked word by word, "They are gods?

"Such brutal, bloodthirsty beings that require human wishes just to descend upon this planet, beings that have weaknesses and can be sealed—

"What kind of gods are they supposed to be?"

"There's nothing strange about it, Gao Tian," Yusheng said flatly.

"Though I don't understand the things above the starry sky, they might truly be gods.

"At the dawn of nations all over the world, in primitive mythology, most gods were capricious, bloody, and twisted entities that viewed human life as worthless grass—beings that could not be looked upon directly.

"Besides, do you know what the ancients meant by corpse liberation to become an immortal?

"Back then, a branch of Daoism believed that as long as a person retained their consciousness after turning into a ghost, they were no different from an immortal.

"Being undying and indestructible corresponds to an immortal's eternal lifespan.

"The Killing Rule corresponds to an immortal's magical arts and divine powers.

"The ghost domain corresponds to an immortal's blessed heavenly abode, turning the very ground into a formation.

"My master once said that there truly were supreme Daoist experts who completely retained their minds after death, fighting Fierce Ghosts with the bodies of Fierce Ghosts."

Gao Tian had already seen this theory in action on Xu Yuan's Divine Tree.

If the Ghost Cave and the Ghost Infant were immortals, then he, Gao Tian, could be considered someone who had suppressed immortals.

Jokes aside, from this perspective, the Ghost Cave couldn't be considered a true immortal either. The corpse liberation mastered by the Galan Society was also incomplete.

Let alone matching the lifespan of heaven or enjoying eternal youth—without the lifespans of the living to sustain them, it was unknown if they could even survive until tomorrow.

On this issue, Yusheng genuinely didn't know what the starry sky above them truly was.

Gao Tian stopped pressing the issue and changed the subject. "After your master turned into a ghost and returned to Longshu Temple to deliver the Time Coffin, where is he now?"

A rare hint of sorrow flashed across Yusheng's eyes, which were as deep as the abyss of the universe. "My master... has passed away."

Gao Tian didn't understand. "Passed away?

"Hasn't he already turned into a ghost? How could he pass away?"

To this, Yusheng explained, "Ghosts indeed cannot die.

"Relying on a final breath of willpower before his death, my master forcefully located the Time Coffin in the Inner World. But once he fulfilled that obsession, his willpower dispersed. His mind faded incredibly fast. He would soon lose control and turn into a mad Fierce Ghost that only knew how to kill.

"If he were in the real world, it would be troublesome. But since this is the Inner World, it was actually easier to handle.

"By finding a powerful Supernatural Zone and willingly walking inside, he would be suppressed and contained by other, even more terrifying Fierce Ghosts.

"Many Supernatural Zones in the Inner World are feared even by ghosts. Once you enter, you will be eternally imprisoned by true monsters. It's an agony worse than the time loop of Longshu Temple. You can't die, but it's a fate worse than death.

"In this way, my master imprisoned himself. Even if he lost his mind, he wouldn't slaughter the innocent or affect other ghost hunters who enter the Inner World in the future."

"Which Supernatural Zone did your master choose to enter?" Gao Tian asked.

"Pagoda Primary School," Yusheng said.

"That place is incredibly bizarre. It has been expanding very quickly lately, swallowing up several older Supernatural Zones nearby.

"After entering, my master will still rely on his living instincts to fight those Fierce Ghosts trying to devour his body.

"Hopefully, he can deal a heavy blow to Pagoda Primary School. It can be considered a final contribution made with his ghost body.

"When I undergo ghost transformation and die, I will also willingly enter Pagoda Primary School to suppress as many Fierce Ghosts inside as possible."

He glanced at the starry sky. "We don't have much time left.

"You must take the Time Coffin and leave here as soon as possible. Follow me out of the temple, and I'll guide you to the nearby supernatural station.

"If we don't leave now, my Mother will arrive, and no one will be able to escape."

He turned around, gesturing for the Wind Attendant Buddha's true body to come out and follow him away from Longshu Temple.

As for the others in the temple—Jiang Yang, Lan Zhu, Wang Wenbo?

Yusheng had said from the very beginning that they were not important.

As long as one person could take the Time Coffin away, this mission would be a success. And the person Yusheng chose was Gao Tian; it was enough for Gao Tian alone to survive.

However, after turning and walking a few steps, Yusheng realized that the Wind Attendant Buddha behind him hadn't moved an inch.

"What is it? Why aren't you following?"

Yusheng asked in a deep voice.

The Wind Attendant Buddha simply took a step forward and asked, "You were killed outside the Inner World just to stop Mother from arriving at Longshu Temple early, weren't you?

"When did you die?"

In his usually calm voice, Yusheng carried a rare, faint trace of mockery. "What, do you want to use the Time Wheel Crows to return to the daytime, and then repel Mother before I die, rewriting my fate of death?

"Stop dreaming.

"That monster with my mother's face is beyond anything you can imagine.

"Up until now, she has only been truly repelled twice: once by my master, Dharma Master Jingming, and the other time by that Republican-Era Team.

"Say the strength of those two groups is 100 out of 100.

"My ability is around a 55. I can barely stall Mother, even at the cost of my life, to keep her from returning to Longshu Temple for a short while.

"You, Gao Tian, Jiang Yang, Lan Zhu—all residents with fewer than six missions—your abilities sit at around a 10.

"Especially you, Gao Tian. Your progress is godly. Perhaps one day you'll reach 100, or even surpass it.

"That is precisely why I absolutely cannot let you die here today."

"A 10 isn't too bad," Gao Tian replied.

"At least with the four of us 10s together, we have 40.

"Add your 55, and we barely hit 95. We can at least put up a fight against that monster from the starry sky."

Dark lines formed on Yusheng's forehead. "..."

"I meant," Yusheng corrected, "the four of you add up to a 10.

"Not that you each have a 10."

According to Yusheng's calculations, if everyone present waited together in Longshu Temple for Mother to arrive, the final outcome would be a total wipeout.

If Yusheng were afraid of death and chose to flee with the Time Coffin, the remaining four wouldn't have the power to tangle with Mother for even a moment. Yusheng wouldn't get far, either, and the result would still be a total annihilation.

Therefore, he chose to die and stall Mother, trading his life to ensure Gao Tian could escape.

Jiang Yang and the other two had to stay behind. This ensured that there were more living people in Longshu Temple than those escaping, which in turn guaranteed that Mother wouldn't chase after the Supernatural Bus carrying Gao Tian away.

From the very beginning, in Yusheng's eyes, the purpose of Jiang Yang and the others was simply to serve as Gao Tian's Substitution Dolls.

Of course, he had even counted himself as one.

Right at this moment, outside the temple, peaceful yet faintly chilling footsteps echoed once again.

Tap.

Tap.

Tap.

A dark figure slowly approached from outside the temple, stopping at the entrance. The footsteps ceased.

A thick stench of blood swept in.

Sensing the arrival outside the temple, Yusheng's expression changed slightly. "This thing... how is she here so early?

"Has she grown even stronger over these years in the Inner World?

"Gao Tian, don't delay any longer. I'll take you out through the back door. Take the Time Coffin and leave this place."

The Wind Attendant Buddha merely stood rooted to the spot, showing no intention of moving. "You just said that the beings in the starry sky are gods?

"Mother actually isn't invincible, right? As long as one reaches the level of Dharma Master Jingming or the Republican-Era Team, she can be defeated.

"Although in your eyes, my combat power is only a 2.5, I actually know someone who meets your standard.

"I'll see you in the next time loop.

"Everyone, including you, will return alive to reality. No one will become a sacrifice and die here."