Power Awareness Bodhisattva Statue

Xu Yunfan ignored the male eunuch before him who wanted to become the Wheel Turning King and took another bizarre wooden Eight-Armed Three-Headed Bodhisattva Statue from the box.

He did not touch it with his hands, instead using a pair of chopsticks to lift it out of the box.

This Bodhisattva statue had been carved with exquisite detail. Its almost-smiling expression carried an inscrutable, mysterious charm.

What caught Xu Yunfan's attention most were its eyes. Like the finishing touch that brought a painted dragon to life, they were deep and lively, as though they had bestowed vibrant life upon the entire wooden carving.

The statue's three faces bore different expressions.

One face was filled with wrath, its eyes wide with fury.

One face was tranquil and peaceful, its expression serene.

The last face had hair standing on end in rage, its brows tightly furrowed.

The eight arms were knotted with bulging muscles, every muscle seemingly containing endless strength, layered atop one another like armor. Though the Bodhisattva sat cross-legged, its poised stance made it seem as if it would rise and throw a punch the next second.

"You have encountered misfortune."

"The figure visualized through the Proximity Mantra you cultivate seems to have reacted. The ominous aura has been digested, and the Proximity Mantra's proficiency has increased."

Seeing the notification quietly appear in his field of vision, Xu Yunfan's hand trembled uncontrollably.

Had the second message not appeared in time, he would have nearly hurled the Eight-Armed Three-Headed Bodhisattva Statue away.

"What is this thing?"

"He is not a thing!"

Qin Bo looked at the wooden Bodhisattva clamped between the chopsticks, a trace of mockery and excitement appearing on his face before his expression turned devout.

"The Calamity Three-Body Eight-Armed Power Awareness Bodhisattva manifests compassion amid suffering and calamity. Sentient beings often fall into dire straits, trapped in delusions they cannot escape. The Bodhisattva unleashes divine power, using boundless power of flesh and blood to disperse the gloom, shatter the shackles of adversity, and help sentient beings escape the sea of suffering."

As he spoke, he raised his head to look at Xu Yunfan. A strange smile appeared on his face, as though he were sharing a secret he had hidden for a long time.

"Since no method of regenerating severed limbs can be found through medicine or even secret arts, worshipping a true god is not a bad option. Ever since I began worshipping the Power Awareness Bodhisattva, my body has started changing. In three years, some of the flesh below my waist has grown back."

The moment Xu Yunfan heard that, his curiosity was instantly piqued. He strode forward, his eyes full of scrutiny. "Come on, let me see."

"What are you doing? Don't touch me, stop! What are you trying to do?!"

Qin Bo immediately panicked, struggling desperately to evade him.

With a ripping sound, his clothes tore apart as Xu Yunfan leaned in to inspect him.

"It really did grow back!"

Xu Yunfan exclaimed in astonishment, but his heart grew even heavier.

He vaguely realized that this seemingly familiar world of martial arts harbored deeper secrets, far more complicated than he had imagined.

Since there were Extreme Path Experts who pursued immortal traces and sought eternal life, perhaps the existence of gods and Buddhas was not entirely unreasonable.

Xu Yunfan pressed on, "Where did this come from?"

As he spoke, he stood up and released Qin Bo. Qin Bo hurriedly covered himself in a fluster, his movements exceedingly awkward.

"Accumulating Cloud Mountain, Thousand Buddha Temple. It is one of the Bodhisattvas enshrined there."

A flash of fervor passed through Qin Bo's eyes, and he spoke impatiently.

"Since you have already come into contact with the Power Awareness Bodhisattva, we are fellow travelers. This ability to regenerate flesh can even alter your aptitude for martial arts. I can teach you what to do, so hurry and untie me."

Xu Yunfan slowly rose to his feet. Ignoring Qin Bo, he fetched a long-handled wooden hammer from inside the room.

It had originally been a tool used by laborers to drive support piles and build houses. He had bought it back and usually used it to train the Cloak Hammer.

He slowly walked over to Qin Bo. Under the latter's horrified gaze, Xu Yunfan suddenly brought the hammer down.

Bang!

With a dull thud, Qin Bo's entire head burst like a watermelon smashed by a heavy hammer, red and white matter scattering everywhere. The sight was unbearable.

"You used the Crimson Flame Copper Body Art and Cloak Hammer to strike an enemy heavily. You seem to feel that the force can be controlled with slightly greater subtlety. Crimson Flame Copper Body Art and Cloak Hammer proficiency has increased."

After glancing at the notification floating in his field of vision, Xu Yunfan swiftly dealt with Qin Bo's corpse.

He took some silver and a booklet from Qin Bo's robes. After confirming there was nothing else of value, he dragged the corpse to the outlet of the sewer he had built and threw it into the Clear Water River.

Quite a few snakehead fish prowled the Clear Water River. A motionless corpse tossed in like Qin Bo's would be gnawed down to bare bones within a day or two.

The booklet he had taken from Qin Bo recorded a sacrificial ritual. Its contents were extremely bloody, mostly requiring human body parts as offerings, though the procedure itself was not complicated.

The entire text emphasized one thing: wholehearted devotion, relaxation, and acceptance of the Bodhisattva's examination and cleansing.

Xu Yunfan's gaze unconsciously shifted to the Power Awareness Bodhisattva Statue he had thrown on the ground. He was certain that this sacrificial ritual was closely related to it.

He flipped through it casually before tossing the booklet aside for the moment. It might prove useful later.

As for the contents of the glass bottle, Xu Yunfan also carried it outside and casually tossed it into the Clear Water River.

He truly did not want to look at it again, afraid that if he looked too much, he would have nightmares at night.

"Thousand Buddha Temple..."

Xu Yunfan lightly touched the wooden Power Awareness Bodhisattva Statue. Notifications occasionally appeared in his field of vision, informing him that he had been affected by an ominous aura, but that it had been neutralized and absorbed by the Proximity Mantra, transforming into increased proficiency.

"You have been affected by an ominous aura."

"The vague figure visualized through the Proximity Mantra has integrated the ominous aura. Proximity Mantra proficiency has increased."

Xu Yunfan temporarily set the wooden carving aside. Fei Yao, who had traveled with Qin Bo, remained on his mind. However, there was no rush. Some things would be too conspicuous to do during the day and could easily expose him.

After breakfast, Xu Yunfan began circulating his blood and qi, then devoted himself completely to training Fleet Foot.

He planned to first train Fleet Foot to mastery before considering anything else, setting the Crimson Flame Copper Body Art and Cloak Hammer aside for a day or two.

"You carefully controlled the muscles in your legs. Under the breathing and force circulation of Fleet Foot, your leg muscles have become increasingly suited to Fleet Foot's method of exerting force. Fleet Foot proficiency has increased."

"You practiced Fleet Foot several times and found your steps becoming lighter and lighter, as though you could walk along walls. Fleet Foot proficiency has increased..."

He trained until late afternoon. Utterly exhausted, Xu Yunfan dropped onto the threshold outside his door and panted heavily, repeatedly flexing his muscles in an attempt to slowly calm the blood and qi that had been stirred to their peak.

In a single day, Fleet Foot's proficiency had increased by more than forty points.

Fleet Foot 977/1000 (Minor Mastery)

Effects: traversing danger as though on level ground, light as a swallow, explosive leg force, tireless movement, agile bearing

Xu Yunfan calculated quietly to himself. If he trained with all his might again tomorrow, Fleet Foot would reach the realm of major mastery.

By then, both tendon and skin training would have reached major mastery. With the two complementing each other, his physical condition would improve enormously, and his strength would naturally rise with it.

He raised his head and glanced at the sky.

The sun was slanting down, and night was about to fall.

That night, dressed in black, Xu Yunfan carried the wooden hammer and left his home with Silent Footsteps.

(Sorry, everyone. My update schedule has been rather irregular lately, and there may be some fluctuations during the New Year. Generally, there will be one chapter between around twelve and two in the afternoon, and another between seven and nine at night. Thank you, everyone!)