Chapter 898: Side Story 4: 135

The corpse-suppressing golden talisman flashed and then dissipated.

In the cracks of the statue, more corpse oil was flowing out.

Gradually, Xiao Jiu realized something was off; something was mixed in the corpse oil.

Xiao Jiu stared intently and saw gold powder, ink, and what seemed like cinnabar mixed in the blood—hard to tell apart……

Xiao Jiu was greatly alarmed; these corpse oils were not suppressed yin evil things, but were used to strengthen the statue's mana!

Therefore, the origin of these corpse oils is also worth investigating.

Right now Xiao Jiu has no time to study these, because as the cracks on the statue's surface grow larger, she discovers there is yet another layer inside the cracks.

In other words, this statue is built up layer by layer from the inside out.

This small temple has existed here for many, many years; with the passage of time, both the temple and the statue become dilapidated, mottled, and ruined.

Especially after the temple keeper dies, with no one to tend the temple, the decay becomes even worse.

With the development of tourism, the small temple has been repaired, and the statue as well.

But this sort of repair may actually affect the statue's mana.

The Mòyù Bānzhǐ only shattered the statue's outer layer that had been repaired and lacked mana; only by stripping away this entire outer layer could the statue's true face on Mount Lu be revealed.

Thinking this, Xiao Jiu once again brandished the Mòyù Bānzhǐ, striking the statue's forehead, chin, limbs, and abdomen in succession.

With a clanging sound, the statue's outer skin peeled off in pieces, and an indescribable odor spread, making Xiao Jiu feel a bit dizzy.

Even the listless Chishe couldn't help but complain under the fumes: "What the hell is this? So disgusting, I wanna puke."

Xiao Jiu, however, fixed her gaze on the layer beneath the peeling skin.

Upon seeing it, she was even more shocked.

After the statue's outer layer peeled away, the exposed surface was indeed, as Xiao Jiu had thought, mottled and dilapidated.

And those corpse oils were flowing out from the deteriorated spots.

The corpse oil flowing from the first layer of deterioration still had a golden hue and was not foul, indicating that mana remained.

Yet from the first deteriorated layer one could see that another layer lay beneath.

The corpse oil seeping from the next deteriorated layer grew darker in color and stronger in stench……

It's easy to imagine that the deeper one goes, the fouler the corpse oil becomes.

Roar……

A low, deep howl suddenly came from beneath the statue, and the whole small temple shuddered.

At that moment, Xiao Jiu saw that each layer of the statue had floating golden light, brightest on the outermost layer and growing weaker inward.

Xiao Jiu didn't know how many layers the statue had in total, nor could she determine from which layer the mana had completely failed.

The thing sealed by the statue is striving to break the seal and could burst out at any moment.

Xiao Jiu now has two options: immediately reinforce the seal to keep it from coming out, or let it break out and then figure out how to fight it.

Liu Junyan over there is currently consolidating this stretch of earth veins; once he finishes, the thing below will be able to draw even more dragon qi from the veins, and likely before Liu Junyan returns, it will break out.

Faint footsteps could be heard outside the small temple, and Xiao Jiu heard Lei Xiulin calling her.

Xiao Jiu immediately turned and rushed out.

Lei Xiulin had already led his people to the temple gate; seeing Xiao Jiu, he immediately said, "Xiao Jiu Zhanggui, do you need backup?"

Xiao Jiu immediately asked, "Chief Lei, among the people you brought, does anyone know how to set up formations?"

"Yes." Lei Xiulin pointed to the two elderly men in Zhongshan suits behind him and said, "These two are experts at laying formations."

Xiao Jiu then said, "Then please trouble the two masters to set up corpse‑suppressing formations, layer by layer, outward from a ten‑meter radius around the small temple, as many layers as possible."

The two elders immediately bowed and accepted the order.

Xiao Jiu continued to ask Lei Xiulin, "Do you have any experts who can craft talismans over there?"

"Yes!" Lei Xiulin promptly summoned another elderly man with white hair and white brows, saying, "This matter is too thorny, so I've called in as many experts as I can from the Special Affairs Handling Office—Xiao Jiu Zhanggui, tell me what you need."

Xiao Jiu then asked that elder to use corpse‑suppressing talismans to suppress the area around the small temple.

If the statue can't hold, the small temple can still hold out a bit longer.

Next, Xiao Jiu quickly discussed with Lei Xiulin the external suppression work.

Once everything was deployed, Xiao Jiu had Lei Xiulin lead everyone to stand guard a hundred meters out—to keep the perimeter clear of outsiders and to protect their lives.

Once the thing inside breaks out, Xiao Jiu will fight it, but very few of these people can join the battle, since most of them are merely cultivating with mortal bodies.

Of course, there are those who have cultivated to the utmost, but given Lei Xiulin's current seniority, it's probably hard to sway them.

Once everything was arranged, Xiao Jiu returned once more to the small temple.

At this point, the corpse stench in the small temple grew stronger; Xiao Jiu then unleashed several Nirvana flames, which circled the air and burned away, temporarily thinning the foul odor.

Xiao Jiu stood at the temple threshold, eyes fixed unblinkingly on the statue.

By now, the Chishe had recovered, its slender body coiled around Xiao Jiu's arm, head raised as it said, "Just now, while absorbing the temple keeper's essence, I gleaned a bit of information: since this statue was first crafted, it requires daily incense offerings, and on the first and fifteenth of each month it also demands the blood of the temple keeper as sacrifice."

Each temple keeper, during their tenure, must not only undergo forced cultivation but also train a successor; when the day of their limit arrives, the successor will immediately take the keeper's corpse oil, mix it with ash, cinnabar, ink, and so on, and smear it over the entire statue."

Xiao Jiu asked, "Why do it this way?"

"Sacrifice," the Chishe explained. "The temple keeper spends their whole life living for this temple; that is their duty, and even in death their soul must remain to guard the statue and the temple."

Xiao Jiu understood.

Taking the corpse oil and mixing it with mana‑bearing substances to smear over the statue is actually just a way of offering one's soul to the statue, thereby further strengthening its mana.

The life of a temple keeper is arduous yet great.

Those who can be temple keepers must not only have a special fate, but also possess firm resolve and a selfless spirit of dedication.

It is obvious that the last temple keeper lacked such awareness.

Thus, starting with his generation, the statue's mana has gradually waned, and now it can barely hold on.

Thinking this, Xiao Jiu asked, "How is the temple keeper's successor passed down?"

This kind of place where the bird does not defecate used to see few visitors; the shrine keepers also need to cultivate in seclusion, having little contact with the outside world, so it is impossible to rely on sifting through the vast sea of people.

Moreover, the fate of the shrine keepers is special; even if they marry and have children, the offspring may not necessarily meet the requirements.

After the shrine keepers die, their souls are sacrificed, and continuing through reincarnation is also impossible.

Chishe replied: "Through the way of awakening..."