Chapter 361: The Most Powerful Scripture Fetcher

Huangquan wasn't baring his teeth at Tang Luo; he was smiling.

He looked extremely happy, though that smile was also very eerie, making one feel very uncomfortable.

The look in his eyes as he gazed at Tang Luo was extremely fanatical, exactly like Sanchuan's look back then.

"Damn it!"

Ao Yulie's eyes glinted with golden light, turning into a dragon's vertical pupils, within which flames seemed to be burning.

His expression revealed anger.

He realized that it wasn't just the aura emanating from these corpses that was causing his mutation.

This power that caused his mutation, his "ghostification," also came from within his body.

It came from the Heaven and Earth Yuanqi he had continuously absorbed and condensed over several months.

It's toxic!

The still fairly abundant Heaven and Earth Yuanqi in this world is toxic!

These "toxins" had seeped deep into his bone marrow, and at the critical moment, they erupted, twisting Ao Yulie's mind and appearance.

If not for the protection of the Merit Jade Lotus, he would likely have become an ugly, twisted evil dragon.

Tyrannical, bloodthirsty, insane, and incidentally growing a large number of dragon claws, and fingers and such — as ugly as could be.

Just thinking about it made his blood run cold; the number one most handsome in the Three Realms turning ugly like this — Ao Yulie would rather die.

"But... why are they fine?" Ao Yulie looked at the two Scripture Fetchers.

Scripture Fetchers are indeed special existences, but where exactly lies their specialty?

You must know, those former Scripture Fetchers also eventually mutated and twisted into ghosts.

"You said, we've met..." Huangquan suddenly turned his head, looking at Ao Yulie and asking.

"Yes." Ao Yulie said, "That person was called Sanchuan, that's right."

The name Sanchuan, Feiyuan Shisan had heard from the Xinyan Clan people and noted down, later mentioning it to Tang Luo and the others.

"Wait, wait." Huangquan tilted his head, suddenly turning and running toward the second floor; a moment later, his incomparably fanatical voice rang out, "What mighty power! This is powerful strength! This is the powerful True Scripture of Universal Salvation!"

"Trash, what Scripture Fetchers! All are trash! What use do I have for you!"

A gale swept in, and Huangquan reappeared on the first floor.

He disregarded Yu Kongyuan and Tian Hejin entirely, only staring at Tang Luo.

Sanchuan was his flesh-and-blood avatar, a very independent avatar puppet.

Huangquan didn't know what these avatars had done outside; only every so often would he go receive their sights and hearings.

There were quite a few such flesh-and-blood avatars.

Over the rather long years, Huangquan himself couldn't leave the Western Pure Land, so he sent out quite a few avatars.

Every time he received an avatar's sights and hearings, there was a tearing pain, memories in chaos, and Huangquan couldn't distinguish who he was.

Over time, even he himself forgot how many avatars he still had outside.

Now it could be called an unexpected surprise.

"You can only become fertilizer now, considered dust to dust, earth to earth." Huangquan looked at Tian Hejin and Yu Kongyuan.

"Fertilizer?" Tang Luo's eyebrows twitched slightly, "Fertilizer for the Ginseng Fruit Tree?"

"Hm?" Huangquan asked, "Ginseng Fruit Tree? You mean that tree? Good name, hmm... why does it sound a bit familiar."

Tang Luo turned his head, looking at Yu Kongyuan and Tian Hejin and said: "It seems, your 'place of birth' has been found."

Speaking, he turned and walked out of the tall tower, heading toward the Ginseng Fruit Tree.

Yu Kongyuan and the others followed closely behind.

Ao Yulie frowned: "Since when, could Ginseng Fruit still..."

Ginseng Fruit become a spirit?

Tian Hejin and Yu Kongyuan's situation clearly wasn't that simple.

Returning beneath the Ginseng Fruit Tree, Tang Luo took a careful look; on the Ginseng Fruit Tree, there were five fruits in total.

At a glance, their appearance was no different from the Ginseng Fruits they had eaten before, but looking closely, one would discover some differences.

The previous Ginseng Fruits, though said to have four limbs and five features complete, actually only had a single form, rather vague.

But those five Ginseng Fruits now were lifelike, practically no different from real children, just shrunk down a lot.

Moreover, their appearances bore several points of resemblance to Tian Hejin and Yu Kongyuan!

Tang Luo reached out and grasped virtually, plucking a Ginseng Fruit.

As the Ginseng Fruit landed in his hand, the "branch stalk" growing from its crown that connected to the tree branch continuously oozed fresh blood.

Including the tree trunk's break point, some fresh blood also dripped down.

"This one isn't ripe yet, estimated to need several more years to 'take shape'." Huangquan walked over leisurely and said, "But no matter, with these two pieces of trash as fertilizer, it'll grow much faster."

So-called taking shape means forming spiritual intelligence, becoming like Yu Kongyuan, Tian Hejin and them.

"All Scripture Fetchers come about this way?" Tang Luo asked.

"Of course." Huangquan laughed, "They are 'Spirit Children' born from the gathered essence of Heaven and Earth; after birth, I send them out to grow in the outside world, then return here, obtain the True Scripture of Universal Salvation, spread it through the world, and save this world."

Toward Tang Luo, he was quite forthcoming.

"The Ginseng Fruit Tree feels like it's become an 'animal'." Tang Luo said.

The instinct to fetch scriptures is similar to animal migration, returning to birthplace to bear offspring and such.

Of course, it's not that simple, just a comparison that's easier to understand.

"Then where does the True Scripture of Universal Salvation come from?" Tang Luo asked.

"True Scripture of Universal Salvation? The True Scripture of Universal Salvation existed very early on." Huangquan shook his head, revealing a bewildered expression, then said, "Later, later I caught many more. Oh, right, there are also Scripture Fetchers, Scripture Fetchers are also the True Scripture of Universal Salvation."

"That's right, a sufficiently powerful Scripture Fetcher has the qualification to become the True Scripture of Universal Salvation! Enter the Scripture Depository, becoming an important force to save the world."

"Waste of a scripture-fetcher, fit only to become fertilizer! Nutrients!"

From bewilderment it turned to resolve, then turned to fanaticism.

Anyone could see clearly enough that this monk with a mouth full of fangs, beneath his seemingly peaceful exterior, actually hid a deranged soul.

His speech was somewhat disjointed; some matters he likely had even forgotten himself, needing stimulation to recall them.

"Are you strong? Why don't you personally spread the Scripture of Universal Salvation to the world?" Tang Luo continued asking.

"Why? Because I can't leave! I can't leave, you understand!" Huang Quan suddenly flew into a rage. "The moment I leave here, I'll become extremely weak! Otherwise I would've left long ago! I would've gone out long ago and exterminated and converted all those demons and monsters!"

"Understood."

Tang Luo nodded, making a summary: "You plant trees here, let scripture-fetchers be born, send them out, let them grow strong, wait for the scripture-fetchers to return. Then 'impart' the Scripture of Universal Salvation to them. Some scripture-fetchers become new Scriptures of Universal Salvation; some then leave to spread the Scripture of Universal Salvation to the world."

"But there's still another situation: a scripture-fetcher is simply too weak, unable to become a new Scripture of Universal Salvation, and also unqualified to spread the Scripture."

"So they become fertilizer, right?"

The power of the Scripture of Universal Salvation, for scripture-fetchers, is something that must be actively obtained.

Without actively making contact, one won't be affected.

Unlike Ao Yulie and Fei Yuan Shisan — regardless of willingness, those powers would surge into them, causing mutation.

"Correct." Huang Quan calmed down, looking at Tang Luo with an appreciative face. "Perhaps you can become the second strongest Scripture, no, perhaps even stronger……"

"If a scripture-fetcher is too weak, perhaps they don't even have the qualification to return to the Western Pure Land; better to become other scripture-fetchers' fertilizer." Tang Luo continued. "The giant white apes and white bones on the scripture-fetching road — those scripture-fetchers were arranged by you, right?"

Huang Quan nodded: "These people's strength isn't bad, but they're still a bit short of becoming a Scripture of Universal Salvation. But letting them spread the Scripture — who knows when they'd die outside, too wasteful. So I arranged for them to wait on the scripture-fetching road. Devour other scripture-fetchers, and they can grow strong; one day they'll become a Scripture."

"Power is the Scripture!"

"Only the Scripture can save the world! Fetching scriptures is a great undertaking of saving the world!"

Without doubt, Huang Quan felt his own conduct was noble to the utmost, fanatically and tirelessly carrying out the "great undertaking of fetching scriptures."

However, the direction was wrong; no matter how hard the effort, it was going south while aiming north — or rather, everything was proceeding on a mistaken foundation.

The Scripture of Universal Salvation spread outward is power, yet it is twisted power.

"Is it just you here?" Tang Luo asked. "And where did the Ginseng Fruit Tree come from?"

"Of course just me." Huang Quan said. "This tree has existed since very long ago; I……"

Huang Quan frowned, as if trying to recall something.

But at the end of memory, he only remembered that he was called Huang Quan, endlessly carrying out the great undertaking of fetching scriptures here.

Who he was, how he came here, when he came here, and why he was carrying out the great undertaking of fetching scriptures — all had become a hazy fog.

"Unimportant, I'm unimportant, none of this is important!" Huang Quan said. "Only fetching scriptures, saving the world — that is everything!"

"Indeed." Tang Luo said. "Let's go to the Scripture Repository; let… this poor monk take a look at what scriptures are worth a read."

These words were spoken with full arrogance, not putting those Scriptures of Universal Salvation in his eyes at all.

Huang Quan's achievements were belittled, yet he didn't have the slightest anger; instead he smiled and said: "Please."

Tang Luo set down the Ginseng Fruit in his hand and walked toward the Scripture Repository again; Ao Yulie followed close behind.

Yu Kongyuan and the other two, plus Xiaotian Quan, did not follow.

Fei Yuan Shisan's face was heavy; he hadn't expected his master's identity and origin to be so tragic.

Scripture-fetchers fundamentally aren't saviors; they're just a group of pitiable people.

Yu Kongyuan's expression was fairly calm, looking at the Ginseng Fruit Tree, unknown what he was thinking.

A moment later, a sound of chewing broke the silence; Yu Kongyuan abruptly turned his head, looking behind.

Over there, Tianhe Jin was squatting on the ground, face covered in blood and filth.

He was gulping down the Ginseng Fruit Tang Luo had set aside; the fresh blood flowing from the Ginseng Fruit had soaked his clothes wet.

Yet Tianhe Jin ate with exceptional delight.

"What are you doing?" Yu Kongyuan asked.

"Replenishing fertilizer." Tianhe Jin laughed, opened his mouth, swallowed the last bite, gulped it down. "I feel my power has increased."

As soon as the words fell, he lunged in a swift stride to Yu Kongyuan's front.

Tianhe Jin reached out to grab Yu Kongyuan; his five fingers turned incomparably sharp, like five tiny blades.

A howling sound of tearing air rang out, fast as a gale.

The Xiaotian Quan perched atop Yu Kongyuan's head opened its eyes, wagged its tail, then closed them again.

"Ah!"

A miserable scream — Tianhe Jin's body flew backward, tumbling over a dozen meters on the ground before stopping.

Yu Kongyuan slowly withdrew her leg; just now at the critical moment, she kicked out, striking Tianhe Jin in the chest.

One could see Tianhe Jin's chest caved in; if it were an ordinary person, such an injury would likely already be fatal.

"You!" Tianhe Jin's eyes split with rage, not understanding where this soft little white flower got such strength.

"I can bestow vitality on others, and also absorb excess vitality." Yu Kongyuan's face was calm.

The Ginseng Fruit Tree beside her swayed without wind, emitting a "rustling" sound.

One could see that among the four Ginseng Fruits, two had already completely withered into desiccated corpses.

The remaining two were also gradually shriveling.

"Sorry, but I'm going to become the strongest scripture-fetcher." Yu Kongyuan's unwavering eyes stared at Tianhe Jin.

Not looking at a companion, nor looking at food — just looking like that, without joy or sorrow.