Chapter 277

Tang Luo, unable to be stopped, nodded: "Three days, I happen to be healing my wounds."

"Three days isn't enough," Kongming said, then paused, "You were injured in the Northern Wastes?"

King Kong and Tang Yuhan were also somewhat surprised—could the master have been injured while dealing with that newly emerged great sorcerer?

There was no sign of it along the way.

"It has nothing to do with the Northern Wastes; my injuries have never fully healed." Tang Luo said, "Otherwise, why would I keep collecting all kinds of healing items?"

"Holy shit!"

The uncultured King Kong muttered in his heart again.

Has the master always been in an injured state? Injured yet still this strong—if he weren't injured, wouldn't he have overturned the heavens?

"... You should heal your wounds first," Kongming said, "There's a secret chamber here—no one will disturb you."

"Alright, two to three days, we'll talk again then," Tang Luo said, standing up.

Leading Tang Luo into the secret chamber and watching the door slowly close, Kongming's expression grew slightly solemn.

This solemnity had nothing to do with this mission—speaking frankly, the mission is difficult, but direct confrontation with danger, life-or-death crises, are actually rare.

It's not a struggle-for-survival type.

If forced to compare, compared to other missions that directly rush into dangerous zones to rage against bosses in ACT style, this mission leans more toward RPG, favoring the "cultivation" type.

Such missions are actually within Kongming's area of expertise.

And with someone like Tang Luo as a powerhouse providing strength assurance, there's basically no situation where human effort runs out and heavenly fate makes things difficult.

As long as we proceed steadily, this mission can be completed with 100% certainty.

No need for Kongming to worry excessively.

The source of Kongming's slightly solemn expression is Tang Luo himself, entering the secret chamber to seclude and heal his wounds.

Previously mentioned, regarding fate and fate fragments, the Gods and Demons' Journey proposed an unsettling hypothesis.

That is, collecting fate fragments over time—would one end up "not being oneself," or worse, be "possessed" by those legendary beings?

This hypothesis once gained considerable traction.

But as time passed, let alone possession—even if someone truly completed collecting fate fragments (spherical) became a fate holder, such people are as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns.

Everyone gradually forgot about it.

Yet this hidden concern still exists, and Kongming harbors it in his heart.

Now, Tang Luo suddenly causes Kongming's hidden concern to rise again.

Know this: from the records, Tang Luo became a Gods and Demons' Wanderer over half a year ago; before that, he was an ordinary person.

His life experience isn't even particularly special—people like him, a quick online search yields tens of thousands.

The unexplained disappearance, leaving no trace for two months, is a key marker of Tang Luo becoming a Gods and Demons' Wanderer.

He himself said so—after becoming a Gods and Demons' Wanderer, his mission count hasn't exceeded ten.

Yet Tang Luo's various performances have long surpassed what can be described as innate talent.

No matter how talented, it's impossible to achieve such strength in such a short time.

Moreover, Tang Luo has openly collected all kinds of healing items without concealment, and now he personally admits he's been in an injured state.

Injured yet still this strong?

Kongming's thought mirrors King Kong's.

But after the uncultured King Kong's astonishment, he just mutters "Awesome awesome, 666, no wonder he's the master" and such.

The scholarly Kongming, however, must think deeper—compared to the real world's "come and go in an instant," missions lasting barely a few seconds, Tang Luo is believed to have first entered a mission when he disappeared for a full two months.

Afterwards, he appeared before everyone as a powerhouse, displaying strength so overwhelming it could be described as "no match in a single clash."

At the same time, he grants enlightenment and heals wounds, collecting various healing items.

Kongming harbors some doubt: Is Tang Luo still Tang Luo?

Without question, Kongming knows clearly that from his first meeting with Tang Luo to now, Tang Luo has always been that Tang Luo.

But before that?

Is the Tang Luo before and after becoming a Gods and Demons' Wanderer truly the same person?

Could it be that during the first mission, Tang Luo had already ceased to be Tang Luo?

Know this: the Tang Luo before and after the disappearance—his appearance hasn't changed drastically, but his physique has undergone significant change.

"Could it be that during his first mission, he was already possessed by the original owner of the fate fragment?" This is Kongming's greatest fear.

If proven true, then fate truly is poisonous!

"What are you worrying about?" Tang Yuhan asked.

Just as they've followed Tang Luo without dying, Kongming judged them capable of becoming trusted mission companions—likewise, Tang Yuhan sought out Kongming directly through Tang Luo, believing him to be a trustworthy companion.

At least in this mission world, that's the case—we can cooperate sincerely.

"Related to Master Xuanzang, though it should be a future matter." Kongming smiled slightly, gathering his thoughts.

Carelessly, his old habit of overthinking flared up again.

The Heavenly Dog in Tang Yuhan's arms lifted its head, glanced lazily at Kongming, then buried its head again to sleep—she's merely a harmless little cat.

In the secret chamber, Tang Luo rarely took stock of his gains and observed his condition.

In terms of equipment, he possesses the Cursed House, Gale-Wind Bone Sword, and Lightweight Footwear—three items total; gold bricks and merit jade lotus count as treasures, unrelated directly to the Gods and Demons Game.

As for skills, he already has the second-level Spartan War Cry, first-level Parry, Ghost Shadow Step, and Dragon's Roar—four in total.

The remaining Great Palm Seal and Thousand Hands cannot be prevented from merging and penetrating, becoming Tang Luo's own divine ability.

Unrelated to the Gods and Demons Game is the Liuli Flame, a divine ability born from cultivating the Diamond Liuli Buddha Bone Sutra.

Soul Liberation, Merit Jade Lotus-related "invisible, inaudible, intangible," along with various defensive and healing abilities.

Plus ten substitute wooden dummies used as small props—very useful.

In that case, Tang Luo, who looks like a mere brute who only knows how to charge, is actually quite well-rounded.

The reason he looks like he only knows how to charge is because there's no opponent that requires Tang Luo to use his wit—just charging is enough.

Hmm, Tang Luo doesn't actually only know how to charge.

Tang Luo's own condition, back when he was in the Northern Wasteland, was already the legendary "Two Success Strength."

Later, after slaying the Great Witch and preventing the Northern Wasteland tribes from uniting and marching south, including the merit power accumulated up to now, it has always been stored without being used.

Plus the herbs gathered from the Northern Wasteland.

It's time to treat the injuries and go further.

Taking out the Cursed House, keeping it in its shrunken state, Tang Luo said: "Take out the herbs."

The door of the Cursed House opened, and Chuan Shangjiangzi sent out a pile of herbs, instantly enlarging.

Once a living person enters the Cursed House, it cannot be shrunk—at the same time, only in its enlarged state can a person be pulled into it.

But herbs, substitute wooden figures, and other dead objects don't matter.

Placed inside, they can be shrunk or enlarged just the same, unaffected, and can be used as a "space bag."

However, Tang Luo also tested that putting some things into the Cursed House in the real world cannot be brought into the mission world.

Likewise, non-equipment, non-items from the mission world cannot be taken out.

At most, Tang Luo can put a few more clothes inside the Cursed House; other things, even if thrown in, are useless.

As for "living" things, Tang Luo really hasn't tested whether they can pass through the Cursed House to enter and exit between the mission world and the real world.

But from Chuan Shangjiangzi being inside, being brought in and out by Tang Luo, it seems there might be a slight possibility.

However, Chuan Shangjiangzi himself should actually be considered part of the Cursed House, similar to a magic treasure spirit, and to a certain extent, she can also control the Cursed House.

If it were other living people, it wouldn't necessarily be the case.

Now Tang Luo isn't particularly concerned about needing to explore all the uses of the Cursed House.

As the herbs appeared, the secret room instantly filled with a faint medicinal scent, not exactly pleasant.

Looking at the pile of herbs, Tang Luo flicked his finger, a strand of liuli flame instantly ignited the herbs, and Tang Luo followed suit by taking a deep breath.

The burning flame, the vaporizing herbs were swallowed by him like an ox entering the sea, completely into his body.

Next, the merit jade lotus flashed with a faint light, appearing above Tang Luo's head, warm power pouring down.

Retaining part of the merit power, the other merit power began to be wildly consumed, transforming into healing power.

Two days later.

Tang Luo slowly opened his eyes, lightly exhaled, and the entire secret room was filled with howling gales, striking the walls as if they were trembling.

"Indeed, the later it gets, the more merit power needs to be consumed." Tang Luo thought silently, "At least recovering half the injury, having no injury to unleash fifty percent strength, only then will the situation improve."

It's like climbing a mountain—after passing one peak, the closer to the summit, the more difficult it becomes.

Once you finally get over it, it becomes much easier.

If Tang Luo's injury recovers to fifty percent, then the healing consumption will actually decrease—his own recovery is also extremely important.

A bottle of saline can restore energy to a fatigued person, but it definitely cannot save someone on the brink of death.

Although it doesn't show on the surface, Tang Luo has actually been in a "on the brink of death" state all along; healing and recovering to the no-injury limit of Two Success Strength is only then considered truly escaping the brink of death.

Now, Tang Luo's no-injury "output" upper limit is at 2.5 Success Strength.

Compared to what he expected, it's a bit worse—Tang Luo originally thought these herbs plus the accumulated merit power consumption would be enough to restore his strength to about thirty percent.

However, this recovery is beneficial for Tang Luo.

Originally, Tang Luo was called "Buddha," but after Journey to the West, through constant ascetic practice, his peak strength still has a considerable gap from the true Buddha's realm.

Speaking purely of frontal combat strength, Tang Luo stands shoulder to shoulder with a Bodhisattva—Guanyin's level, surpassing ordinary Buddhas as a "strong Bodhisattva," ordinary Bodhisattvas are just barely not Tang Luo's match.

Wanting to go further is extremely difficult; let alone Tang Luo, this radical who walks the skewed path of the arrogant sword, it can be said that he has almost cut off his own path forward.

Even Guanyin, these steady and solid Bodhisattvas, wanting to become a true Buddha, requires great opportunity and great strength—neither can be lacking.

How many years, even the one called closest to Buddha, Ksitigarbha, has never been able to take that step—only the three true Buddhas: Dipamkara, Tathagata, and Maitreya.

Tang Luo's original situation could even be declared as having no possibility of further progress.

But now it's different—no destruction, no establishment; after destruction, then establishment.

Just by forging the Diamond Liuli Buddha Bone, Tang Luo's path has become different; the severed path forward has reappeared.

Not speaking of a bright and smooth road, even if it's a rugged thorny path, Tang Luo now has the chance to blast out a heavenly road!