Devouring Essence and Qi, Consuming Incense and Offerings!

As the morning light just brushed past the eaves of the Wang Clan's residence, Wang Yue emerged from his room. He hadn't gone to the Qi and Blood refinement chamber last night, instead giving himself a rare night off to rest. At this moment, his brow was clear, exuding a refreshing sharpness.

He walked to the bronze mirror and picked up a green hair tie, skillfully tying up his long hair to reveal a smooth forehead.

The young man in the mirror had a tall and straight build, broad shoulders, and a narrow waist. While his muscles weren't exaggerated, they exuded a robustness that held explosive power. Paired with his bright, sharp eyes, anyone who saw him would secretly exclaim, "What a heroic young man!"

Wang Yue adjusted his collar, tucking the porcelain bottle containing the premium Blood Replenishing Pill close to his body, and then checked the Black Cloud Fist gauntlets on his hands. Though not fully worn, with only the fist plate hidden in his sleeve cuff, it was enough to handle any sudden situations.

With all preparations complete, he pushed open the courtyard gate and headed towards the Three-Headed Buddha Temple outside the city.

As soon as he reached the main street of the county town, he was startled by the bustling scene before him. For some reason, the county government office had posted a notice for a grand Buddha celebration today and had even organized a procession. This made the already anticipated celebration the liveliest event in the entire county.

The streets were packed with people on both sides. Many eager individuals had formed their own groups, carrying a three-foot-tall wooden sculpture of the Three-Headed Buddha together as they paraded through the streets. The statue's three Buddha faces were carved with expressions of "joy, anger, and serenity." Although the craftsmanship was crude, it exuded a strange solemnity.

The common folk offered incense and prayed to the wooden sculpture, murmuring chants of "May Buddha protect us." Amidst the swirling incense smoke, the air was filled with a sense of piety.

Wang Yue walked forward, blending into the crowd. His gaze fell on the wooden sculpture, but his brow furrowed slightly. This Buddha statue clearly had "one head with three faces," so why was it called the "Three-Headed Buddha"? The name didn't match its form, carrying a hint of deliberate strangeness that deepened his suspicion.

Following the flow of people towards the outskirts of the city, after about half an hour, a newly renovated temple appeared in his sight – the Three-Headed Buddha Temple.

In his memory, this temple had been dilapidated for years, with crumbling courtyard walls and sparse incense offerings. But now, it had completely transformed.

The courtyard walls had been rebuilt and whitewashed. Two stone lions stood at the entrance. Above the temple gate hung a newly carved plaque for the Three-Headed Buddha Temple. The vermilion temple doors gleamed with fresh paint, radiating a magnificent splendor that was completely at odds with its former state.

"Such a fine old temple, suddenly renovated so ostentatiously, it feels too deliberate."

Wang Yue shook his head inwardly. He never believed in gods and Buddhas, and seeing the temple's transformation now, his wariness grew. If it were just an ordinary festival, why go to such lengths?

He followed the crowd into the temple. As soon as he stepped into the front courtyard, he sensed something was amiss. Not only were there ordinary citizens in the courtyard, but also many martial artists clad in fitted clothing, exuding a steady aura. These individuals stood alone or in small groups, their eyes vigilantly scanning their surroundings, clearly not ordinary people here to pray.

Wang Yue scanned the crowd and quickly recognized a few familiar faces: disciples of the River Gang, wearing their distinctive black fitted attire.

There were also side branch disciples of the Wang Clan.

And even martial artists from other families, standing in corners with varied expressions.

Clearly, all the influential forces in Changyun County had sent people here. This was definitely not just a simple grand celebration.

He didn't linger, continuing towards the inner courtyard. Just as he reached the entrance to the inner courtyard, he was stopped by an abbot dressed in a gray monk's robe.

The abbot, around fifty years old, had a gaunt face but exceptionally sharp eyes. He sized Wang Yue up and down, saying in a plain tone, "Benefactor, the inner courtyard is currently holding a 'Prayer Ceremony' and is temporarily closed to the public. Please wait outside."

Wang Yue raised an eyebrow and looked past the abbot. In the shadows of the inner courtyard, he vaguely saw many martial artists with strong auras. Their Qi and Blood fluctuations were much more robust than those in the front courtyard, clearly experts who had condensed their Qi and Blood. Some even had auras close to the Energy Refining Realm!

"The inner courtyard is off-limits?" Wang Yue sneered inwardly, but his expression remained unchanged. He merely released a trace of his twelfth Qi and Blood's aura. That powerful Qi and Blood force acted like an invisible pressure, instantly changing the abbot's expression. A hint of a smile appeared on his gaunt face.

"Oh... So you're a martial arts master. This humble monk was blind."

The abbot quickly changed his tune, stepping aside to clear the path, his tone becoming respectful. "Please enter, Benefactor. You may look around the inner courtyard freely."

Wang Yue didn't speak, merely giving him a faint glance before walking directly into the inner courtyard. Ordinary citizens couldn't even enter the depths of the temple, only able to kneel and worship outside. The so-called "prayer" was merely a guise for specific individuals.

The inner courtyard was several times larger than the front courtyard. The ground was paved with smooth stone slabs. On the central high platform stood a colossal golden Buddha statue – the Three-Headed Buddha. This statue was over four meters tall, entirely gilded, with its three Buddha faces facing in three different directions.

The "joy" face was smiling, the "anger" face was ferocious, and the "serenity" face was placid. The statue's base was covered in dense Sanskrit script, exuding a chilling majesty.

Wang Yue finally understood why the temple had been renovated so grandly. If the courtyard walls and roof hadn't been raised, they wouldn't have been able to accommodate this giant Buddha statue!

As he was examining the statue, a sharp gaze suddenly locked onto him. Wang Yue instinctively turned his head and saw a middle-aged man sitting on the steps on the east side of the inner courtyard, dressed in a golden-red monk's robe.

This middle-aged man appeared to be only in his thirties, with a handsome face, but he exuded a sinister aura that didn't match his monk's robe. He was staring intently at Wang Yue, his eyes flashing with an unusual light, and his breathing gradually deepened.

Wang Yue's heart stirred. Although he had never seen this person before, he could feel an inexplicable sensation from him, carrying a strange aura!

He didn't retreat but met the other's gaze, his eyes sharp as knives. Since the other party was actively paying attention to him, he might as well see what he intended to do.

The middle-aged man in the golden-red monk's robe was Li Fang, the newly appointed abbot of the temple.

He had been secretly observing the martial artists in the courtyard, looking for anyone who had come into contact with the Crimson Blood Bead. He hadn't expected to actually perceive a familiar aura – an aura that perfectly matched the mark he had left on the Crimson Blood Bead!

"It's this kid who touched the Crimson Blood Bead!" Li Fang thought ecstatically. But when he saw Wang Yue's fearless gaze, he forcefully suppressed his excitement. There were too many people here, and it wasn't suitable to reveal his identity, nor could he act rashly.

He quickly withdrew his gaze, took a deep breath, and forced himself to calm down. Then, he whispered a few words to a gray-robed monk beside him, signaling him to inquire about Wang Yue's identity.

The gray-robed monk nodded, quietly retreated, and walked towards the inner courtyard entrance. He soon found a side branch disciple of the Wang Clan and began to ask in a low voice.

Wang Yue saw all this and a cold smile played on his lips. This new abbot was indeed suspicious.

He didn't linger, continuing to wander in the inner courtyard. His gaze seemed to be observing the Buddha statue, but in reality, he was secretly monitoring Li Fang's movements while also sensing the auras of other martial artists in the courtyard. A storm hidden beneath the guise of prayer seemed to be brewing quietly.

Time passed, and it was soon noon.

"Dong, dong, dong."

Three grand bell tolls suddenly rang out from the temple's bell tower. The deep bell sounds spread throughout the county town like thunder. The previously noisy streets instantly fell silent, and even the procession stopped in its tracks.

The martial artists in the inner courtyard also looked up, their gazes directed towards the bell tower, their expressions becoming serious. The prayer ceremony was finally about to begin.

Wang Yue stood at the edge of the crowd, instinctively tightening his grip on the fist gauntlet plate hidden in his sleeve, his eyes vigilantly scanning his surroundings. As the bell tolled, the common folk outside the temple knelt down, clasping their hands together and chanting, "May Buddha protect us." Their voices grew more synchronized, gradually merging into a vast chorus of prayer that surged into the inner courtyard like a tide.

Just then, Wang Yue's pupils suddenly contracted, and his gaze shot towards the sky. He clearly saw that the Qi and Blood refinement array, which had been shrouding the county town to gather free-flowing Qi and Blood, was experiencing a strange reversal!

Streams of silvery-white Qi and Blood light detached from various nodes of the array, as if being pulled by an invisible force, converging towards the direction of the temple. Finally, they condensed into a massive pillar of Qi and Blood, as thick as a bucket, striking directly towards the Three-Headed Buddha statue on the high platform!

"Buzz."

The moment the pillar of essence and qi entered the Buddha statue, the entire golden Buddha statue trembled slightly, its surface rippling with a faint golden light. The originally cold gilded surface seemed to come alive. Even the expressions on the Buddha's three faces became more vivid. The smile on the happy face held a hint of strangeness, the ferocity on the angry face gained a touch of bloodlust, and the placidity on the serene face concealed a hint of malice.

A glaring red prompt instantly flashed on Wang Yue's status panel, causing the hair on his body to stand on end:

[Tier 2 Divine Soul: Buddha Heart Blood] Extractable (Note: This divine soul contains unknown Buddhist will. After extraction, there is a 90% chance of being controlled by the Three-Headed Buddha's divine soul and becoming its puppet.)

"Tier 2 Divine Soul? Buddha Heart Blood? It can control the extractor?" Wang Yue was shocked. He instinctively took a step back. This wasn't a Buddha statue at all, but clearly a vessel for an evil divine soul, sustained by essence and qi!

Before he could process this shocking news, another peculiar sight caught his eye.

As the commoners' prayers grew more devout, faint threads of gold and silver rose from the top of their heads, drifting towards the Buddha statue like wisps of smoke, eventually merging into its body. As soon as these threads approached, Wang Yue's status panel prompted him again.

[Tier 1 Special Item: Incense and Offerings] Contains the power of human faith, can nourish divine souls.

"Consumes essence and qi, cultivates incense and offerings?" Wang Yue's heart churned with turbulent waves. He finally understood the truth behind this "Buddha Celebration." Li Fang wasn't holding a prayer ceremony at all; under the guise of the celebration, he was using the essence and qi from the "Refining Essence into Qi Formation" and the commoners' incense and offerings to nourish the Buddha statue!

As his mind reeled, a familiar figure caught his eye. By a pillar on the west side of the inner courtyard stood a man in black fitted clothing, his face stern, a long, narrow saber at his waist. It was Ji Yue, the Soul Severing Saber wielder, whom he had met at the River Gang before.

Ji Yue, at this moment, had lost all his usual composure. His face was so gloomy it looked like it could drip water. His eyes were fixed on Li Fang on the steps, the hand gripping his saber handle bulging with veins, clearly showing his extreme dissatisfaction with Li Fang's actions.

Li Fang, however, seemed oblivious to Ji Yue's hostility. With a hypocritical smile, he slowly walked up to Ji Yue, and the two began to converse in low voices. They were too far away for Wang Yue to hear the specifics, but relying on the keen perception granted by his [Far-sightedness] talent, he vaguely caught a few key words.

"Dragon Transformation Sect..." "Refining Essence into Qi Formation..." "Three-Headed Buddha..." "Cooperation..."

Each word made Wang Yue's heart sink a little. So, Li Fang wasn't just exploiting the Refining Essence into Qi Formation, but he was also connected to the Dragon Transformation Sect?

Wang Yue quietly moved a few steps closer to them, wanting to hear more clearly. However, he hadn't expected that after taking just two steps, Li Fang suddenly turned his head, his gaze locking precisely onto him. The smile on his lips became even more peculiar.

"Little friend, you seem quite interested in our conversation?" Li Fang walked towards Wang Yue at a seemingly slow pace, but his steps carried an invisible pressure, making the surrounding air feel thick and heavy.

Wang Yue stopped, forcing a calm expression onto his face, but his heart was sounding an alarm. Li Fang wasn't as strong as he had thought; he just carried a strange fluctuation originating from the Buddha statue, making him no easy opponent.

His Blood Crimson Bead had been shattered by the Blood Refiner Grandmaster, and it hadn't been fully repaired yet, causing his aura to leak severely!

Li Fang walked up to Wang Yue, sizing him up. A glint of greed flashed in his eyes, but his tone was one of hypocritical gentleness. "Since you're here at the Buddha Temple, little friend, why not offer a bow to the Buddha? Today is a grand celebration, and the Buddha is especially merciful. Perhaps he will bestow great blessings, like... making your Qi and Blood more condensed?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Wang Yue felt a faint, almost imperceptible suction force coming from the direction of the Buddha statue. At the same time, a hidden malice emanated from Li Fang. It wasn't killing intent directed at him, but a malice of "luring and trapping," as if wanting him to willingly approach the Buddha statue and fall into some kind of snare.

"I don't believe in gods or buddhas. I'm just here to see the excitement," Wang Yue said, his expression darkening. He refused without hesitation, quietly circulating his twelfth strand of Qi and Blood, ready to act at any moment. He was certain that if he dared to approach the Buddha statue, he would surely meet with misfortune.

Li Fang seemed taken aback by Wang Yue's blunt refusal, his smile freezing for a moment. He continued to persuade him with all his might, "Why must you be so stubborn, little friend? It's just a bow; it won't cost you anything. If you truly receive the Buddha's blessing, wouldn't that be a gain?"

His tone gradually took on an unrefusable edge.

Wang Yue's expression grew increasingly grim, his vigilance reaching its peak. Li Fang's persuasion was clearly forcing his hand! He stopped wasting words, shot Li Fang a cold glance, and turned to walk towards the entrance of the inner courtyard.

Seeing him about to leave, a sinister glint flashed in Li Fang's eyes, but he didn't stop him. He merely stood in place, watching Wang Yue's retreating back until Wang Yue exited the inner courtyard and disappeared from sight. Only then did the smile on his lips completely vanish, replaced by an icy coldness.

"An interesting kid... Not only has he come into contact with the Blood Crimson Bead, but he can also resist the allure of the Buddha Heart Blood. He's quite a good potential follower."

Li Fang murmured to himself, a ruthless glint in his eyes. "Since you're unwilling to come yourself, I'll have to personally invite you."

He turned around and walked back to Ji Yue, his face resuming its hypocritical smile, but his tone now carried an unquestionable firmness. "Brother Ji, it seems our cooperation needs an additional clause: help me capture someone."

Ji Yue frowned, his grip on his saber tightening. "Who do you want to capture?"

"A kid named Wang Yue, someone from the Wang Clan."

A cold light flashed in Li Fang's eyes. "He must be captured."

Ji Yue turned away, resolving to kill Li Fang that very night!

He had defied imperial orders to enter the Fugitive Department back then; was he going to be bound by a mere decree now? Ridiculous!

If I feared death, I would have knelt long ago!

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