Slaughtering Through Vajra Temple!

After slipping into the Shadow Dimension, Yuan Zhu felt as free and easy as a fish in water, a tiger returning to the mountains.

With every breath, "spiritual qi" streamed endlessly into his body. It felt like spending ten yuan after scanning a code, only for his phone to go ding! and notify him that 20.35 yuan had arrived.

No matter how much he earned, hearing that continuous chorus of ding ding ding! in his ears filled his heart with incomparable delight.

What was more, this was not merely money, but Polluted Spiritual Qi recognized by the Immortal Scripture. He was experiencing the sensation of passively growing stronger every moment. His Mana Value limit was soaring at a visible rate. At this pace, I fucking...

"Little Elf, quit messing around and change the unit back!"

Yuan Zhu suddenly came to his senses. No wonder my Mana Bar had been growing so fast! This was not ordinary mana recovery—it was breaking through my own Mana Value limit!

It turned out that, in order to please—encourage—him, the Little Elf had changed the unit to its smallest possible value. For every unit of Shadow Power absorbed, the Mana Bar limit stretched by one micrometer, or even one nanometer. Once she magnified that to a scale visible to the naked eye, it created a baffling illusion.

At this rate, his combat power would soon break through one million. He would think himself invincible beneath heaven. Then he would look up and—fuck! Had he crossed through Duling only to ascend to the divine realm? Even some random NPC auntie sweeping the roadside had Pollution Value starting at ten thousand. Hundred-million big shots walked everywhere, and ten-trillion evil spirits were less valuable than dogs. So the measurement unit had been wrong.

In a world where the average person stood 1.7 billion nanometers tall, I was fucking explosively strong! Like a Devil Master descending from the heavens, like a Titan god walking the mortal world, every gesture gave birth to and extinguished endless universes on the nanometer scale!

The Little Elf sincerely admitted her mistake. "Sorry, I was presumptuous. I didn't get the scale of this flattery right, but I only wanted to make you more confident and a little prouder, Boss. I like seeing you so radiant and spirited!"

The corners of the Tiger Demon's mouth rose uncontrollably, and his whiskers trembled wildly.

The steady mentality he maintained in human form rapidly faded away, replaced by the dominance and confidence of the king of beasts. "No need to duck. My style has always combined steadiness and confidence. I don't need such petty tricks to deceive myself. Watch closely—Call the Wind!"

Growing increasingly delighted, the Tiger Demon could not resist showing off after being flattered by the Little Elf. Thus, within the Shadow World, he activated Call the Wind??? This severely mutated, unknown talent.

Mana rapidly drained from his body. Yuan Zhu sensed that this Divine Power lacked a certain soulful essence. More precisely, it lacked a wind that belonged exclusively to him. Therefore, the Divine Power remained in its basic mode and could unleash only the most ordinary destructive force. Even so, a fierce gale still erupted through the shadowed time-space around him.

Ordinary black shadow mist alone stirred gusts of Yin Wind, curling through the air around him and forming tornadoes. Sharp wind blades continuously sliced through shadow buildings and shadow trees, easily severing them.

With a thought, he immediately shifted the Yin Wind from attack mode into absorption mode. The Yin Wind tornado became like a gigantic vacuum cleaner, continuously drawing in the Yellow Springs mist around it and pouring it into the Tiger Demon's mouth.

The closer he came to Vajra Temple, the denser the Yellow Springs mist within the Shadow World became. A sense of spiritual fullness and coolness washed over him. His Chang Gui Divine Power was nearly filled to the brim, nearly unable to digest it all.

After stopping Call the Wind, the mana he had spent rapidly filled up again. The Tiger Demon closed his eyes and carefully savored the changes within himself. This unending "Yellow Springs Qi" fused into his body, causing his Shadow Power to undergo a slight qualitative transformation, becoming even more eerie and possessing greater spirituality.

"This change..."

It seemed that from now on, every drop of Shadow Power he refined would carry a trace of the Yellow Springs' attributes. His whole aesthetic had become even more Netherworld-like! "Congratulations, Great King, on becoming stronger again! You are another step closer to returning to your peak. Your current change is like upgrading a phone system to version 1.1. You have installed the Yellow Springs Death Qi Patch 1.0, optimized the Aberrant Spiritual Root bloodline database—Chang Ghost—and upgraded the quality of Shadow Power."

Kitty nodded in satisfaction. "Simple and clear. I get it!"

At that moment, the Tiger Demon also stopped walking and raised his head solemnly toward the front.

Within the Shadow World, there was no projection of Vajra Temple. At the location corresponding to Vajra Temple's shadowed time-space ahead, a huge, solid temple foundation that seemed seamlessly whole was embedded directly in the sky of the Shadow Dimension.

In other words, the base of Vajra Temple that had sunk into the ground had directly torn through time-space, appearing simultaneously within the soil of the Foam World and above the Shadow World.

Not only that, but between the cracks of that stone-block foundation in the sky grew "arms" of all sizes and lengths. They resembled both flesh and roots, baring fangs and brandishing claws as they waved through the void, trying to catch something. The Tiger Demon focused his gaze and saw that they were catching Yellow Springs vapor polluted into an apricot-yellow color. Those arms, large and small, long and short, were waving about to capture the pale blue mist drifting through the Shadow Dimension. After absorbing it, they transformed it into Yellow Springs Death Qi polluted by Buddhist Dharma Power before releasing it again.

Like plant roots fighting for water and nutrients in the soil, while also secreting toxins to kill competing plants.

"This Vajra Temple does not look like a good place!"

The Tiger Demon crouched in the Shadow World, staring at the temple's foundation in the sky. In his eyes, Vajra Temple was a seamless whole, isolating and repelling the Shadow Dimension. Trying to sneak inside through the Shadow World was likely impossible. He could only force his way in from the front.

Furthermore, Vajra Temple itself brewed an enormous, dense mass of Pollution Energy. It was mutated Yellow Springs Death Qi tainted by Buddhist Dharma Power.

After encountering Ku Cao, the little monk, Buddha Tomato, and then glimpsing the blood-red kasaya and the Buddha Corpse Ghost from afar, Yuan Zhu had become fairly familiar with the fluctuations of the Buddhist system.

Vajra Temple had now fallen from the Buddhist Sect into the Yellow Springs. The Pollution Source was being eroded and covered by the Yellow Springs, yet it had inherited part of the Buddhist Sect's attributes. Within the Shadow World, it emitted a dim yellow glow—Buddha light—that radiated outward, eroding and transforming the Shadow World.

"This is...?"

The actions of Vajra Temple gave him an inexplicable sense of déjà vu, as though he had seen something similar somewhere before. "Of course it's from your bloodline memories, Boss! This temple is linked to the Yellow Springs. It was polluted and twisted by the Yellow Springs' power, then released 'Yellow Springs Buddha light' in the Shadow World, polluting and twisting the attributes of the Shadow Dimension in an attempt to transform this place into a 'subsidiary little Yellow Springs' of the Foam World. No, it is a Buddhist Sect hell belonging to the Buddha Corpse Ghost. They seem to be trying to forge 'the first layer of hell'!"

Drawing simultaneously upon the Tiger Demon's inheritance, her knowledge of Duling's "extraordinary Pollution System," and the Earth mythology knowledge Yuan Zhu carried with him, the Little Elf assembled an explanation Yuan Zhu could understand.

The Foam World had a simple structure and did not possess its own "Netherworld" or Underworld.

Thus, the ghosts of Vajra Temple had begun independently using the Yellow Springs to erode the Shadow World, creating the Buddhist Sect's "first layer of Yellow Springs hell." If they continued growing larger and stronger, they could stack a "second layer of hell"... all the way up to the "eighteenth layer of hell."

"Boss, one of the Tiger Demon's ultimate talent Divine Powers has a similar operation. It links a mountain in the mortal world to hell, creating a small City God divine office system. It collects tolls and protection fees from both the yin and yang realms. On one side, it raises Chang Ghosts to bolster itself as the hidden Ghost King; on the other, it bribes Underworld judges for a minor official post and can also enjoy the incense offerings of a mortal Mountain God. Then it can establish a sustainable mountain delicacy and wild game breeding industry, enslave mortals to cultivate spiritual fields and spiritual herbs... upgrade into a vacation villa, win over enlightened masters, wash itself clean step by step... and charge toward becoming a demon immortal! Then ascend to the Heavenly Court!"

Yuan Zhu nodded to show that he understood. You are thinking too far ahead. "So this is what drew you here? But it does nothing for me!"

He had not even fully mastered the Tiger Demon's talent template, much less could he settle permanently in the Foam World. At most, he had come here to check in and broaden his horizons. He could not possibly seize Vajra Temple and build an "Shadow Dimension Netherworld Grotto-abode" here, could he?

This shitty place did not even have any population. It had Buddha Tomatoes and mad beasts everywhere, and it was simply too filthy. "I was only curious whether Vajra Temple might have any treasures. I advised you to come mainly so you could absorb the 'Yellow Springs Qi' and complete your Chang Gui Divine Power. Now that our goal has been achieved, we can run away if you want. But I'm still unwilling! I just want to see what good treasures are inside this temple! What if they can help you take another step forward and attain the Dao to become immortal?"

The Little Elf twisted her Skeleton Snake body and threw a fit atop the Tiger Demon, rubbing back and forth and scratching at him. She was somewhat timid, believing safety came first and that it was time to run; yet she was also eager to court death, utterly unwilling to leave and desperately wanting to take a look inside.

Yuan Zhu could feel this conflicted mentality through his ability to monitor her at any time, and his own heart began to itch as well. It was fine when he did not peer into her thoughts, but the moment he monitored her, it became the Little Elf constantly harassing him mentally, clawing at his heart and scratching at his lungs like a child rolling around in the toy section and refusing to leave.

"Let's do it! The Buddha Corpse Ghost took its elites to deal with Buddha Tomato. Zhou Chu and the others dared to sneak into Buddha Tomato's lair—why can't I, the mighty Shadow Tiger Demon, enter Vajra Temple?"

After making up his mind, Yuan Zhu leaped up after deciding to investigate the temple. He transformed into a black silhouette and slipped back into the mortal world through the gap between shadow and reality.

The next second, the home-field advantage of being constantly enveloped and infused by "Polluted Spiritual Qi—shadow" was instantly weakened by eighty percent, leaving him extremely reluctant to part with it.

Fortunately, it was now nighttime, with shadows spread everywhere. He could still enjoy twenty percent of the home-field boost.

"The advantages of Shadow Power are obvious. The moment night falls, I receive at least a twenty-percent boost out of nowhere. 'Spiritual qi' directly pours back into me and forces me to grow stronger. But the downside is that beneath broad daylight and the bright heavens, my strength is heavily reduced and I can only perform at normal levels."

The Little Elf hurriedly offered advice. "Do not panic, Great King. Once you become familiar with the Tiger Demon Form, you can store extra Shadow Power within your shadow, open up a mana pool, and improve your endurance. However, beneath broad daylight and the bright heavens, you cannot transform into a Tiger Demon and must remain in human form. So you only need to choose a legitimate system for your human body, one that can stand in the light and walk the open road."

Yuan Zhu agreed. "True. I have been placing too much importance on the Tiger Demon Body."

The Little Elf said, "No, no, no! The Immortal Scripture is your foundation, and the Tiger Demon is your true root, Great King. I was born only after being twisted and eroded by 'Shadow Pollution,' and you too succeeded in seizing this fleshly body and taking your position only because of the 'Aberrant Spiritual Root.' Shadow is the foundation of both of us! We cannot abandon the root to chase the branches and excessively pursue the local system. Instead, we should study, research, and digest the local power and knowledge, secretly using them to nourish and strengthen shadow!"

"Well said!" Yuan Zhu became even more determined to cultivate both the Immortal Scripture and the local system. He could not rely too heavily on the Immortal Scripture. In the end, Yuan Zhu could only rely on himself!

The Tiger Demon lurked within the shadows, suppressing his aura to the utmost limit. His hunting instincts naturally awakened, and the outside world could not sense any foreign presence hidden in the shadows.

Before long, a patrol of grotesquely misshapen Buddhist Sect corpse ghosts passed through the street before Vajra Temple. Most of these corpse ghosts had grown an extra "Dharma palm" on their bodies. Yet there were exceptions. One corpse ghost had a folded, coiled mantis forelimb growing from its lower back. It was enormous and looked incredibly awkward.

"Why does this Buddhist Dharma Body cultivation look so weird?"

Creak...

The gates of Vajra Temple suddenly opened a crack, and an old monk wearing a tattered kasaya stained with blood stepped out through the gap.

Its face bore the traits of a dried corpse. Its skin was shriveled and slightly decayed, and it had no additional limbs anywhere on its body. The strange thing was that its eyes were missing, leaving behind two pitch-black holes in its sockets.

It pressed its palms together and raised its head to gaze at the Starry Sky. The stars were especially brilliant tonight, and from time to time, streaks of starlight fell toward the plaza.

The blind, dried-corpse old monk stared intently at the Starry Sky. Two long, translucent snail feelers secreting mucus suddenly emerged from its empty eye sockets. At the tips of those feelers were conical eyeballs that constantly wriggled, flashing with bands of seven-colored light.

Not only did feelers emerge from its empty eye sockets, but a shorter pair also extended from its nostrils. They rose and aimed at the stars.

The four feelers extended as far as its forearms and continuously probed, calculated, and sensed the Starry Sky... Suddenly, the old monk's body shuddered. The pair of conical eyeballs banded with seven-colored light abruptly turned, staring straight at Tiger Demon Yuan Zhu, who lay in ambush within the shadows.

??? Had he been discovered? The dried-corpse old monk could not speak, so it could only open its mouth and roar, "Roar!"

The corpse ghosts around it all turned and sprinted toward the shadows. They raised their respective Dharma palms as murky apricot-yellow death qi coiled around their fingertips, unleashing all kinds of death qi martial techniques at him.

"Roar!"

The fierce tiger let out a roar. A Yin Wind gathered from black mist swept up yellow sand as the Tiger Demon vaulted out like a tiger leaping across a ravine. He slashed out with a howling claw. Shadow Power repelled every trace of Yellow Springs Death Qi, and the tiger claw crashed heavily onto a corpse ghost's face, directly blasting its shriveled head apart into countless fragments of bone and flesh that sprayed everywhere.

"Taste my whip!"

The Little Elf also shouted, twisting her Skeleton Snake body before plunging headfirst into the shadow beneath the Tiger Demon and vanishing. At the same time, the shadows beneath those corpse ghosts began boiling. A gigantic black Shadow Snake Demon emerged halfway from the ground, writhing wildly in excitement and lashing itself like a mad creature. It knocked over and flung away corpse ghosts one after another before the giant python coiled around them and mercilessly crushed them apart.

Yuan Zhu tried activating Chang Ghosts again.

Sure enough, his soul database did not contain a complete set of "Tiger Chang data." Instead, the Universe Within the Belly talent had been given an additional Xunlei task interface by the Little Elf. A patch showed one ongoing but endlessly distant Chang Ghost refinement task.

Task Progress: 1.01% More than forty aberrant Demonic Beasts had been packed into one task. No wonder he did not have even a single usable Tiger Chang. If it could be split into forty tasks and thirty-nine paused, perhaps he would already have Chang Ghosts to herd.

Trash Little Elf! Although the Chang Ghost interface held no fully refined Tiger Chang, this talent could still be used just like Call the Wind, only in basic mode.

One "shadow silhouette monster" after another, created from his memories and subconscious, emerged around him. Every one of them was bizarre and twisted. Yuan Zhu refused to admit that his brain had created them. It had to be that stupid, foolish Little Elf again! The instant these silhouette cannon fodder were born, they spontaneously absorbed the Yellow Springs Death Qi drifting through the air. Since the nearby Yellow Springs aura had already been polluted once by Vajra Temple, these distorted shadow silhouettes also uncontrollably grew a "jet-black Dharma palm."

"Have they been polluted?" Yuan Zhu was slightly worried. If these silhouettes absorbed too much dim yellow death qi, would they defect to Vajra Temple's side? "No need to worry. These cannon fodder are temporary lives bestowed by the Chang Ghost Divine Power. Once dismissed, they will collapse and disperse."

Yuan Zhu said, "Then what are we waiting for? Smash them to pieces!"

A large number of silhouette demons pounced forward and began slaughtering. Not a sound emerged when they clashed, as if someone had pressed a mute button. The silhouettes swarmed forward and were blown apart or shattered by various attacks, but after Yuan Zhu continued pouring Shadow Power into them, they quickly recovered.

Hm? As the melee began, Yuan Zhu discovered a bug. The spatial structure of this Foam World was simply too crude. Everywhere he looked was filled with fissures into the Shadow World.

Not only that, but endless Polluted Spiritual Qi surged out from those fissures, replenishing his mana expenditure. Therefore, he could maintain a large number of "disposable Chang Ghost silhouettes" in fierce battle. Under the Little Elf's control, his tail also freely absorbed Shadow Spiritual Qi and joined in the slaughter.

Thus, Yuan Zhu's heart stirred. He controlled a silhouette demon to pounce on and embrace a corpse ghost. Rather than fighting fiercely, it merely locked the corpse ghost's limbs and flipped backward toward the corpse ghost's shadow. Holding the corpse ghost, it performed a back suplex into the ground, and the two of them smoothly fell into a shadow fissure, vanishing from the mortal world.

Hm? Hm? Hm?!

Was it really this easy?

Suddenly, the method of battle at the temple gate changed completely. The shadow demons twisted and transformed, pouncing like nets to seize the physically powerful corpse ghosts. They no longer tangled in combat, instead heading together into the Shadow Dimension. Like falling into traps, the corpse ghosts vanished one after another.

Seeing this miraculous scene, the Little Elf twisted her body and thrust the head of the giant Shadow Demon snake into the shadow world to investigate.

Yuan Zhu shared her vision simultaneously. He saw that the corpse ghosts within the Shadow Dimension were still vigorously resisting, using the power condensed in their Dharma palms to blast apart and scatter the silhouettes one by one.

This time, Yuan Zhu no longer injected mana to sustain the silhouettes. With no targets left, the corpse ghosts wandered blankly through the Shadow Dimension. Eventually, they arrived beneath Vajra Temple's foundation and raised their heads to bathe in the Yellow Springs Buddha light, yet they could do nothing. They could not climb up and could not return home.

"Did I exploit a bug?"

The next second, even that rather threatening dried-corpse old monk with snail feelers was tossed into the Shadow World by Yuan Zhu after a single exchange, unable to come back out.

"Boss is mighty! Boss is domineering! Boss possesses peerless wisdom!" The gigantic translucent Shadow Demon snake wriggled around the Tiger Demon, cheering ecstatically. "I'll open the door for you, Boss!"

With that, she shot forward, stretching much longer in an instant. Reaching Vajra Temple's gate, she bit onto the doors and twisted her snake body to push them open. Dense Yellow Springs Death Qi rushed toward them head-on, already polluted a second time.

The Tiger Demon frowned slightly. He took one breath, then immediately exhaled it.

What a heavy stench of corpses. It was nowhere near as fresh and sweet as the blue mist! Trash! I received the site notice—this goes premium on the 26th, so please support it, everyone.

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