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Chapter 60 The First Incense Stick
However, Zhou You couldn't care less about that now, because right before his eyes, a tender sprout had broken through the soil. In the blink of an eye, it had completed all the necessary processes for growth, and when he looked again, a pale hand had silently emerged from it.

But unlike when dealing with the caravan members, this hand did not rush to lock onto Zhou You. Instead, it stood upright in the flower bud, swaying in the wind like a real flower stamen.

It seems the other party hasn't noticed him.

However, this is not a long-term solution.

Zhou You could clearly feel that the chilling aura around him was gradually fading away as time went on. In reality, it would probably only last for less than 5 minutes.

So, what should we do now?
Zhou You's first glance fell on the bloodstained dagger hidden in his sleeve.

But then he shook his head.

Judging from the amplitude of the ringing, this thing, even if it can't compare to Liu Shang of the Blood River, is probably not much worse. Although I now have some ability to deal with demons and ghosts, I am still completely no match for this level of existence.

However, at that moment, the seedling on the ground suddenly underwent another strange change.

The pale hand slowly withdrew, and then the flower bud began to bloom, its grayish-white petals, exuding a putrid smell, unfolding to reveal what was inside.

Those were one after another, pale faces painted with the makeup of the dead.

They simply stared in Zhou You's direction, making no other move, yet their mere gaze sent chills down someone's spine—

This isn't some goosebump-inducing sensation, but rather a terrifying warning from the depths of our instincts, a warning rooted in our very nature.

—Don't go against it, or you will surely die a miserable death.

And that's not all. As the white dew began to sprout again, the sound of the handbells grew more and more intense, and even the ropes binding them seemed about to break!
There was no time for him to hesitate; he had to make a decision immediately.

Zhou You took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his fluctuating emotions, and then went through everything he possessed in his mind.

Firstly, and most simply, you can pay a resurrection coin to start over.

Secondly, the Bone Jade Chime can temporarily turn time into daytime and will suppress all 'evil' and 'flesh and blood' beings to a certain extent—judging from its appearance, it is nine-tenths of the former, so I can take advantage of the suppression time to run away.

Thirdly, the three sticks of incense offered on Buddha's Birthday are like a life-saving hair, providing help based on the current situation. However, the description is vague, and one doesn't know what effect it will have.

Next comes the process of elimination.

The optimal solution right now is definitely the Bone Jade Chime, but the problem is that it's quite large, so I put it in my luggage. It's currently on the other side of the tree, at least seven or eight steps away from me. There's basically no way I can get there without disturbing it.

Next is to pay the resurrection coins. This dungeon gives a total of six, which is not a lot, but it's not a small amount either. You can use one here as a reminder to avoid these 'ripe fruits' in the future.

But here's the thing.

For some reason, at this critical moment, Zhou You suddenly remembered the Night Watchman script from before.

In that game, all the hidden levels could only be unlocked with enough resurrection coins. If it weren't for the 'corpse inside the door' bonus, I wouldn't have been able to see those temples at all, let alone accompany the old monk to suppress the Bodhisattva later.

Could this script also have this characteristic?
With only a sliver of yin energy remaining, Zhou You finally made his decision.

He then took out an incense stick from his pocket, found a flint, and lit it.

A faint red light appeared, and time passed little by little amidst the swirling clouds and mist.

However, even as the yin energy was about to dissipate, this thing did not show any effect.

"Damn, no way, did Liu Shang buy counterfeit or substandard products?"

As the incense stick was about to burn out, amidst the grayish-white ash, Zhou You's expression became quite interesting in an instant.

"Does this really mean I have to pay with resurrection coins now? Oh well, I'll just treat it as going back to carry that half-piece of pork back."

Zhou You sighed softly, and was about to take out his dagger to kill himself—he had recently become so accustomed to self-mutilation—but at that moment, a sudden change occurred. The jade at the end of the incense burner shattered with a 'crack'.

"—Dear player, you have randomly received assistance with an extremely low probability: External Aid."

As the system notification sounded, a heavy, bloody smell filled my nostrils, a smell that was both strange and familiar.

Zhou You suddenly looked up and realized that the originally bright moonlight had been obscured by dark clouds at some point. A huge crack had appeared in the sky, which was as black and thick as ink, and nothing could be seen inside.

Then, a strange chanting sound arose.

The Buddha told Subhuti, "All Bodhisattvas should subdue their minds in this way."

It didn't come from myself, nor from my master's head, nor from the white dew that sprouts catkins.

Looking around, I see the future ahead.

Right in his sight, all the human skins were clasped together, chanting in their throats that had long since lost their vocal organs.

"All sentient beings—whether born from eggs, wombs, moisture, or transformation; whether with form or without form; whether with thought, without thought, or neither with nor without thought—I will lead them all to Nirvana without remainder and liberate them."

Then, even the donkey, which had already turned into an animal, opened its mouth and began to chant along.

"Thus, countless, innumerable, and boundless sentient beings are liberated, yet in reality, no sentient being is liberated. Why is this so? Subhuti! If a Bodhisattva has the marks of self, person, sentient being, or life span, then he is not a Bodhisattva."

Finally, the chanting became like rolling thunder, resounding throughout the entire wilderness.

"All complete bodies are illusory. If you see a body born from blood, with fat but no skin, flesh but no bones, then you have seen a Bodhisattva!"

The voices paused for a moment, then sang in unison.

"I will see the Bodhisattva!"

The next moment, the dark crack opened wide.

A pair of giant, skinned, and mangled hands emerged from it, followed by the body, then the head. Moments later, the thing Zhou You had seen before reappeared in the world.

Auspicious and Tranquil Ghost Mother Bodhisattva.

It was no longer a temple to suppress it, but a bodhisattva who descended in his original form.

The bell beside him had stopped ringing; only deathly silence remained. After a long while, the old Taoist priest groaned in a murmured voice.

"My good disciple, what the hell have you brought here?!"

But Zhou You was no longer able to give him an answer.

From the moment the Bodhisattva descended to earth, his body lost all mobility. The Bodhisattva glanced back at him, his eyes devoid of sorrow or joy, but Zhou You knew that the Bodhisattva still remembered him.

And, with an overwhelming desire, to torture and kill him.

Unfortunately, due to the constraints of the system, the Bodhisattva Jixiang Jimiao Ghost Mother tried several times but was unable to make a move. Therefore, she had to give up her attempt to kill Zhou You and instead face the other monster on the ground.

White dew brings forth catkins.

Then, the sound of Buddhist chanting arose.

“Om Mani Padme Hum”.

The next moment, the whole world trembled.

(End of this chapter)