Chapter 256 - 130: Black Mountain Buddha Lamp Fire

Chapter 256: Chapter 130: Black Mountain Buddha Lamp Fire

His expression changed slightly. He sent a jolt of Star Power through his body and forcefully retracted his finger.

Even so, a trace of an icy chill lingered on his fingertip, as if it had been licked by a venomous snake.

"What the hell is this?"

Jiang Mu flicked his hand, his brow deeply furrowed.

"This is... Buddha Lamp Fire?!"

An astonished voice echoed in his mind.

Immediately after, with a flash of red, Ji Hongyuan’s enchanting figure materialized out of thin air.

For once, the woman had lost her usual lazy, seductive air. Her phoenix eyes were wide, her red lips slightly parted, her face a mask of utter disbelief.

"Buddha Lamp Fire?"

Jiang Mu looked at her. "What’s that?"

Ji Hongyuan slowly floated in a circle around the altar, her red lips parting as she spoke:

"In this world, the five elements flow and cycle, giving birth to the sixty Jiazi Nayin. Each of these Nayin corresponds to a divine object of heaven and earth—what is known as a ’fated object.’

For example, that Water Director you met before... to advance further along her path and forge a Grotto Heaven Dao Mansion, she would need to find a divine object like ’Great Sea Water.’

And this ’Buddha Lamp Fire’ is the divine object from the Nayin cycle corresponding to the Life Charts for the years of ’Jia Chen’ and ’Yi Si’!"

She pointed at the ghastly white flame, explaining,

"The Buddha Lamp Fire... its light in a golden chalice is pure, its glow from a jade pedestal is brilliant. It illuminates where the sun and moon cannot reach and brightens the world before the dawn.

It is meant to be a treasure of ultimate yang and sanctity, capable of shattering all illusions and purging all that is dark and malevolent.

Within the Buddhist Sect, a single wisp can typically only be formed after an enlightened monk blesses it with chanted sutras day and night, and it is worshipped with the incense of the masses for a hundred years."

But the fire in this lamp now... its very nature has changed.

This so-called Buddha Fire is fueled by the heart-fire of the living as its kindling, and the willpower of the masses as its oil."

Ji Hongyuan crossed her arms, leaning her voluptuous figure against the edge of the altar. Her long, black-stockinged legs were crossed, a high heel tapping lightly on the ground. "This Black Mountain... what an audacious plan. What a venomous heart."

Jiang Mu’s heart sank as he listened.

"To possess a divine object of this caliber means..."

Jiang Mu narrowed his eyes, slowly voicing his thoughts. "This person... is at least an Eighth Realm expert?"

Only those at the Eighth Realm or higher begin to work on solidifying their Dao Foundation, which is when they would need this kind of divine object.

"Eighth Realm?"

Ji Hongyuan scoffed and shook her head.

"Little guy, you’re severely underestimating the significance of this ’Buddha Lamp Fire.’

To be able to lay such a grand formation here, using both incense and blood sacrifice to nourish this flame... the sheer scale of this person’s ambition and the ruthlessness of their methods are far beyond your imagination.

This isn’t just about solidifying a Dao Foundation. It’s more like they’re refining an ’External Incarnation,’ or perhaps plotting some kind of heaven-defying evil art."

She paused, her gaze turning sharp as a knife. "And I can tell you with absolute certainty.

This one here is not the true [Buddha Lamp Fire]!"

"Not the real one?" Jiang Mu was taken aback.

’Damn it. Even a Magical Treasure needs to have Clones now?’

"That’s right."

Ji Hongyuan nodded in confirmation.

"A true divine object of the sixty Jiazi cycle possesses immense power. While this flame is sinister, it’s not powerful enough.

It’s more like a fire seed.

Or, a wisp of a sub-flame separated from the original.

That fellow, ’Black Mountain,’ placed this wisp of sub-flame here to use it as a collector.

Once this sub-flame has absorbed enough energy and grown to a certain point, he will reclaim it and merge it back into the original."

Jiang Mu understood instantly.

’Isn’t this just a fucking pyramid scheme? Setting up a ’downline’?’

’Or like sending out a collector to gather rent.’

That "Black Mountain" character’s true self is hiding somewhere, yet he’s set up these altars all over the place, using flame Clones to absorb nourishment.

"What a method. What a scheme."

Jiang Mu sneered. "He’s playing the saint while acting like a whore. He accepts the incense of the people while devouring their very hearts. This Black Mountain... what a great ’humanitarian’ he is."

’But who exactly is this Black Mountain?’

’In the real world, he must be someone incredibly popular.’

"What do we do now?"

Jiang Mu looked at the lamp. "Since this thing is used to collect energy, it must be mentally linked to Black Mountain. If I try to destroy it by force, it’ll definitely alert him, right?"

Ji Hongyuan shrugged and held out her hands in a gesture of helplessness.

"Don’t look at me. This big sister is in the body of a Ghost Cultivator now; I’m terrified of things that are both supremely yang and supremely sinister.

If I so much as touch it, this Clone of mine will likely be severely injured on the spot.

As for you...

With your pitiful level of cultivation, using your blade is out of the question. The flame is formless and intangible; you can’t cut it. And if you try to extinguish it with Star Power, your level isn’t high enough—it’ll just become more fuel for the fire."

"So are we supposed to just stand here and watch?"

Jiang Mu couldn’t accept that.

He stared at the pale flame, which was tinged with a bloody hue, when an idea suddenly flashed through his mind.

’Damn it, how could I forget about my ultimate cheat!?’

He forced his hand closer, directly communicating with the dormant Demon Slot deep within his sea of consciousness.

Soon, a surge of pure Demonic Qi, black as ink, rushed out from the meridians in Jiang Mu’s arm. It covered his entire palm, which he then pressed against the Bronze Buddha Lamp.

The Demonic Qi began to pour unceasingly into the Buddha Lamp.

The pure white flame on the wick suddenly flared, instantly twisting into a distorted, hideous face. It let out a silent, furious shriek, trying to force back the invading black Demonic Qi.

But even more black Demonic Qi surged forth, enveloping the fiery face.

Devour!

A frenzied devouring!

’I don’t care if you’re a divine object or a demonic fire. Get in my pot, and you become my meal!’

The wisps of blood that had been drifting from the hearts lost the force pulling them and began to scatter wildly around the room.

On the Buddha Lamp, the mark of its original owner was being ground away, bit by bit.

Ji Hongyuan watched, utterly dumbfounded.

’What in the world has this kid done!?’

And as the Buddha Lamp was cleansed, the power of incense that shrouded the entire valley and controlled all the demons and ghosts began to fluctuate violently.

It didn’t dissipate.

Instead, it seemed to be searching for a new master for them.

The Tree Demon Granny was the first to sense that something was wrong.

She shot over at once!