Madness, Thought Gods

As the cold wind blew, Xu Bai felt a chill on the back of his head. Without turning around, he could guess that something strange had happened to the grave behind him.

"La... la la... la la..."

As the cold wind blew, melodious sounds echoed in the dark space.

The voice, with its varied tones, seemed to echo in the darkness with an exceptionally beautiful singing style.

The sound, however, was not pleasing to the ear; instead, it was terrifying due to the darkness and eerie wind.

The sound only lasted for a short while before disappearing. At the same time, Xu Bai sensed a strange noise behind him.

He turned around, and gold and gray-white were constantly intertwining.

The grave behind them no longer contained the skeletons; only a woman dressed in a Daoist robe remained.

The women wore all sorts of exquisite hair ornaments, making them look especially beautiful.

Combined with the woman's stunning beauty, even in the darkness, one felt a surge of attraction.

"Shi Kingdom Princess?" Xu Bai asked.

Shi Kingdom Princess nodded gently, her eyes sparkling with endless charm, indescribably alluring, and burning with desire.

"You, my destined one, have finally arrived."

Her voice was like that of a nightingale, clear and melodious, like a babbling brook, echoing enchanting music through the mountains.

The sound alone was enough to captivate one, as if one were plunged into an unfathomable abyss.

Xu Bai raised an eyebrow, looking him up and down with a strange mockery in his eyes. "Didn't you hear what I said before? What nonsense about a destined person? Show me your tricks."

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone thought that the Shi Kingdom Princess would show her fangs, but unexpectedly, after Xu Bai finished speaking, a resentful look appeared on the Shi Kingdom Princess's face.

"I faked my death and have been living until now, just waiting for you to come. We are destined to be together and can get married, but you say such hurtful things."

Shi Kingdom Princess's face showed a resentful expression, and her eyes were full of sorrow.

Combined with her graceful figure, slightly drooping shoulders, and broad chest, a sense of impending tears leaps from her eyes.

It makes one want to rush forward, pull her into their arms, and cherish her.

Xu Bai felt a wave of dizziness wash over him, and before him, the Shi Kingdom Princess seemed to have become even more beautiful.

"Your soul control method is quite advanced. You've been hunting geese all day, but today you've been pecked in the eye by a goose. I didn't expect your control method to be so sophisticated."

Xu Bai's mental cultivation method contains the method of the soul, so he is naturally aware of the source of all this.

The Shi Kingdom Princess before him was subtly changing his soul.

"Another way to survive. It seems you're using this trick to lure people you've tempted. Next, are you going to do something unspeakable?" Xu Bai covered his forehead with his hand, resisting the drowsiness in his soul.

He didn't make a move because he suddenly had a thought: the beautiful woman in front of him was on the verge of tears, and he would feel guilty if he did.

His soul was being eroded, and the feeling was irresistible, like a tidal wave.

A series of thoughts flashed through Xu Bai's mind as he tried to find a way to break the deadlock.

Shi Kingdom Princess opened her beautiful eyes, tears streaming down her cheeks. She seemed unconcerned by Xu Bai's words, and suddenly lifted her bound feet, taking a step toward Xu Bai.

Even though the Daoist robe covered her long, slender legs, their rounded shape was still visible, making one's mouth dry and eager to lift the robe to explore the details.

With each step taken, the surrounding scenery begins to distort.

The darkness receded, the dense forest vanished, the moonlight disappeared, and the lonely grave vanished.

Everything seemed to have never happened; Xu Bai's mind and soul were gradually spiraling out of control.

Images flashed through his mind, and he seemed to forget his identity, as if he had entered a magnificent palace.

Inside the palace, red silk and lanterns hung everywhere, from the corners of the walls to the high eaves.

At the very front, the Shi Kingdom Princess, dressed in red, slowly lowered her red veil, concealing her stunning beauty.

A voice rang out behind Xu Bai.

"The princess's wedding is a cause for national celebration, and a general amnesty is declared!"

"Today, the Imperial Son-in-Law Xu Bai and Shi Kingdom Princess are happily married, which is a great blessing for Shi Guo."

"Perform the rites of Heaven and Earth, pay respects to your parents, and from then on, the peach blossoms will bloom in abundance, and your descendants will fill your house!"

Xu Bai turned his head and looked in the direction of the sound, and saw a skeleton with an exaggerated appearance next to him.

The sound came from the opening and closing of the skeletal jaw.

"I'm getting married."

Xu Bai tried his best to preserve his sanity, but those five words were like a brand, deeply imprinted on the depths of his soul.

The surrounding scenery changed repeatedly, and soon he arrived in a luxurious and opulent hall.

There was no one directly in front of him in the hall, but there were two chairs. He felt as if he was holding something in his hand and subconsciously looked down.

He held a piece of red silk tightly in his hand. Following the silk, he saw that the other end of the silk was being held by the Shi Kingdom Princess, who was dressed in a red robe.

A red robe draped over Shi Kingdom Princess's Shi Kingdom Princess, resembling a wedding dress stained with blood. The red veil covering half of her head revealed her fair chin and rosy lips.

"My lord."

Her rosy lips parted slightly, and a sliver of rosy tongue darted out, licking her lower lip before uttering two words that sent shivers down her spine.

"The marriage ceremony has been completed. May the prince consort and princess soon have a son to carry on the family line for the nation."

The same voice slowly emanated again. Xu Bai sensed a change in his surroundings, and then he found himself in the bridal chamber, which was decorated entirely in red.

There seemed to be something moving in his arms. Xu Bai looked down and found that he was holding a warm body.

Shi Kingdom Princess had removed her red veil, her jade-like face slightly upturned, radiating happiness.

"My lord, this is a beautiful day, too precious to be wasted. Let us seize the moment and make love, sharing the joys of love. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"

There was a hint of shyness in her words, but more than anything, her tone was captivating.

Xu Bai could feel that he had involuntarily wrapped his arms around the waist of the Shi Kingdom Princess.

Look at the words of the ancients. How pleasant they sound!

"To indulge in the pleasures of Wushan and the joys of clouds and rain" is, to put it bluntly, just to quickly take off your clothes.

But when spoken in this language, it sounds exceptionally harmonious, without the slightest hint of vulgarity.

"Sigh..." Xu Bai lifted the Shi Kingdom Princess's chin and said slowly, "Your body has been controlled, but it's still a little short. That little bit is the difference between heaven and earth."

Shi Kingdom Princess's face stiffened for a moment, but she quickly recovered.

Xu Bai laughed and said, "You can control my soul, but it will take time. However, I don't care because I am not afraid of others controlling my soul, as long as you don't completely erode it in an instant."

After he finished speaking, Shi Kingdom Princess showed a look of heartache on her face, raised her hand to touch Xu Bai's face, and placed Xu Bai's hand on her chest.

"My husband, why don't you believe me? We are destined to be together. Today, after we consummate our marriage, we will be free. Isn't that a joy beyond measure?"

Xu Bai assessed the quantity and found it to be one or two portions larger than Ye Zi's.

True Yuan Power surged within his body, but instead of being released, it flowed directly towards his soul.

The next moment, Xu Bai's soul was torn to pieces; he tore his own soul apart.

The pain spread throughout his body, but it also brought a clear mind. As his True Yuan Power circulated, strange patterns appeared on his body.

—The Undying Demon Soul Buddha Body! The next moment, the shattered divine soul instantly healed and became brand new, while the control of the Shi Kingdom Princess vanished completely.

Everything around was like shattered glass, crashing down with a loud crash.

After everything was gone, only the deep, dark forest and sparse moonlight remained.

Xu Bai looked at the graveyard in front of him, and at the gloomy-faced Shi Kingdom Princess on the graveyard, and said with a smile, "It seems that I have broken your control method."

As soon as she finished speaking, a gust of sandstorm blew by, and Shi Kingdom Princess turned and ran away, abandoning even the lonely grave in front of her.

This man was able to break free from her control, and his methods were extremely ruthless; he was definitely not someone to mess with.

His soul was controlled, but the man personally shattered it into pieces, then healed it again, transforming it into a new soul.

With a new divine soul, the previous control no longer exists.

The pain of having one's soul shattered is obvious, but the man in front of me was able to grit his teeth and endure it. He's a ruthless person.

Shi Kingdom Princess knew that she could not stay here any longer; if she lingered any longer, endless destruction awaited her.

Upon seeing this scene, Xu Bai took a step forward. Behind him, a chaotic mix of gold and gray-white, carrying an aura of despair, enveloped the surroundings.

Shi Kingdom Princess stopped, turned around, and her beautiful face was filled with resentment.

"Didn't you want to go on a journey to Wushan with me and enjoy the pleasures of love? Why have you run away now?" Xu Bai slowly walked forward, the mockery on his face growing stronger. "What a beauty, what a pity, her heart is more vicious than a snake."

He knew that the Shi Kingdom Princess in front of him had not yet become Thought Gods, and must have also used methods to survive.

Judging from this situation, it seems to be related to what happened earlier. They tricked people in, controlled their souls, and then used their methods. However, it is unknown what those methods are.

The resentment on Shi Kingdom Princess's face grew even stronger, and her voice, which had been lively before, was now filled with endless hatred.

"Everyone is just trying to survive, but how far can we possibly survive?"

"That man-eating Daoist priest knows that people will eventually run out of food. That good-for-nothing fish farmer doesn't realize that the more he raises fish, the more he loses. No matter how much he eats, he can't make up for it."

"We don't have much time left, so we might as well enjoy ourselves. I'll let you die in pleasure; you should be thanking me!"

Each word was filled with endless hatred, and Xu Bai's brows furrowed tightly as he listened.

It seems he has already dealt with the man-eating Daoist priest and the fish-farming good-for-nothing. The words spoken by the Shi Kingdom Princess just now suggest that her method of survival is somewhat indescribable.

However, he didn't care about any of that now. He raised his hand and beckoned to the Shi Kingdom Princess.

"I'll spare your life, but you have to tell me what other strange things are in these mountains," Xu Bai said slowly.

The woman in front of him could only control his soul, but he had a way to overcome her, so he said without hesitation that he was now in control of the situation.

Shi Kingdom Princess was slightly taken aback upon hearing this, but quickly realized what she meant and asked in surprise, "You're not from Three Lives Mountain, you're from an outside region?"

Xu Bai rubbed his chin and said, "Now I'm asking you questions, not the other way around. Do you even want to live?"

Three Lives Mountain should be the name of this mountain.

The lies that Shi Kingdom Princess before mentioned the Three Lives Temple, which was very likely named after Three Lives Mountain.

"What's the connection between the Three Lives Temple you mentioned earlier and this?" Xu Bai asked.

Shi Kingdom Princess shook her head and said, "No, there is no connection whatsoever. I just wrote down a name on a whim."

"The people on this mountain have all gone mad. Everyone has their own way of surviving. I'm just trying to survive."

"Moreover, those I harmed experienced extreme pleasure before they died. You must know that before resources were depleted, I was someone they could never reach."

"It was worth it for them to die like this."

At this point, a look of pity appeared on Shi Kingdom Princess's face, a look that seemed all the more bizarre in contrast to the content of her words.

Xu Bai paced back and forth a couple of times. He couldn't be sure whether what the Shi Kingdom Princess said was true or false, nor could he use the method of soul control to find out the truth.

The reason is simple: firstly, these are not yet transformed into Thought Gods, but they are not living people either.

Secondly, the Shi Kingdom Princess was more skilled at controlling the soul than he was. The reason he was able to escape control was entirely due to the restorative power of the Undying Demon Soul Buddha Body.

Therefore, he couldn't be sure if it was true or false, so he just listened for fun.

"You should know who else is in here. Tell me everything."

While we can't determine whether it's true or not, it would be beneficial to know what other strange things might be inside this mountain.

Believe only a portion of it, don't believe it completely.

"I don't know, I really don't know," Shi Kingdom Princess shook her head and said, "The higher you go on this mountain, the more terrifying it becomes."

"We can only know who is below us, but we don't know who is above us."

"I went there once, but I came back quickly. The horror there made me afraid to go near."

"Unless he's Corpse Collector, he'll go anywhere. As long as someone dies, he'll go and collect the body."

Corpse Collector? When these three words were mentioned, Xu Bai thought of the white-clad man in the tall hat he had encountered not long ago.

That guy gave him an extremely dangerous feeling; he seemed to be quite powerful in this mountain.

Seeing that Xu Bai didn't ask any questions, Shi Kingdom Princess cautiously asked, "Can I leave now? I've told you everything I know, and I promise I won't bother you again."

Today I've gotten myself into trouble, running into a tough situation, so I can't stay here any longer.

Right now, all I want is to escape as soon as possible; preserving my life is the most important thing.

Xu Bai did not answer.

Shi Kingdom Princess was panicking, but continued, "Don't worry, I will never bother you again. Besides, I'm willing to pay the price. I can give you the pleasure you desire. I used to be a princess. Just imagine how exciting that would be..."

Before she could finish speaking, she saw a dazzling blade of light erupt from Xu Bai's five fingers.

"Die." Xu Bai said calmly.

Gold and gray intertwined, forming lines of chaos that echoed continuously beneath the sky.

Shi Kingdom Princess's face changed drastically, filled with fear, and she forced herself to shout, "You untrustworthy and shameless scoundrel!"

"The world has changed drastically, and resources are depleted. At a time like this, who will keep their word with you?" Xu Bai said, "Will you keep your word with me? After you leave, won't you come back to take revenge on me?"

The blade's brilliance suddenly unfolded, and at that moment, the deep mountain was illuminated by light as bright as day.

"Ah--"

Amidst Slaying Man gleam of the blade, a piercing scream echoed.

Shi Kingdom Princess was gradually reduced to ashes from head to toe amidst the flashing blades.

Before she died, she did not transform into Thought Gods; after she died, everything vanished.

Xu Bai withdrew the Heavenly Change behind him and pondered, "If I kill them before they become Thought Gods, they shouldn't become Thought Gods."

He just tested it and found that if these people are not told everything or are not informed of their death before they become Thought Gods, then their death is truly permanent.

The first old Daoist priest became Thought Gods after learning of the death of a person.

The second Fat Man did not become Thought Gods Thought Gods he died, but the fish he raised did.

The third one is the same principle: after death, everything vanishes.

Having figured it out, Xu Bai decided not to linger there any longer; he wanted to continue upwards.

However, before leaving, he searched the entire cemetery thoroughly, but he couldn't find the progress bar.

"We're so poor!" Xu Bai exclaimed.

In this era of scarce resources, just being able to survive is a blessing. Xu Bai wasn't surprised that the progress bar hadn't been reached.

There was no progress bar or anything else, so Xu Bai stopped and prepared to continue walking up the mountain path.

But before he could take two steps, a strange sound came from behind him.

"Ring ring... Ring ring..."

The sound of bells came from behind, and especially in the darkness, it sent chills down one's spine.

Xu Bai turned his head to look behind him, and saw a man in white robes and a tall hat walking towards him from a distance with his paper figure.

Each step could cover an extremely long distance, and in just two or three steps, they arrived at the cemetery.

A gust of wind blew around, but the paper figure remained firmly in place. Through the translucent paper, one could see blurry human figures inside.

Xu Bai took a step back, a wary look appearing in his eyes.

The man in white and a tall hat seemed unaware of Xu Bai's wariness. He walked around the graveyard and sighed, "Alas, there are no bodies again. Brother, your methods of killing are truly destructive."

Slaying Man seeks is unparalleled external destructive power; it would be strange if a corpse were left behind after Slaying Man.

Xu Bai said, "I'll save some for you next time."

"Next time?" Upon hearing this, the man in white and a tall hat quickly waved his hand, causing the bell to shake. "You can't do that. I won't ask you to help me with the corpse."

"Oh?" Xu Bai said with interest, "In this day and age, you can still stick to your original intentions?"

Although the man in white and a tall hat gave off an extremely dangerous feeling, so far he has not clashed with Xu Bai, and he seems to only collect corpses.

He must have some kind of connection to corpses, after all, he called himself Corpse Collector.

"Although the world is changing and resources are dwindling, we must still maintain our conscience!" the man in white and a tall hat sighed. "In fact, we could have found a new path, but they are unwilling to do so; they take shortcuts."

"I have struggled with death countless times before finally finding the way to become Corpse Collector. Sigh... I guess I'm doing a good deed this way."

"Collect their bodies, burn them to ashes, bury them in a cemetery, and let them die a worthy death."

When Xu Bai tried to speak to the man in white and a tall hat, the man seemed to open a floodgate of words and began to talk incessantly.

Every word was spoken with deep regret, but it didn't sound strange to the ear; it was as if everything was normal.

Xu Bai didn't want to say anything more, but he became interested in the rambling words of the man in white and a tall hat.

He didn't speak again, but listened attentively while remaining wary.

"If you're going up there, be careful." The man in white and a tall hat was still rambling on. "The higher you go, the more terrifying it gets. Those people are insane. Last time I went there to collect corpses, I almost got beaten up."

Xu Bai raised an eyebrow and said, "It seems you're quite strong too, managing to come out alive."

The man in white and a tall hat quickly waved his hand and said, "No fighting, no fighting. With resources so depleted, who has the mind to fight?"

"Then I thank you for reminding me. If there's nothing else, I'll be going now," Xu Bai said.

Although they didn't show any hostility, this place is too abnormal; it's better to keep going up.

He actually really wanted to stab the man in the white shirt and tall hat, but he felt that this wasn't the place to fight.

Most importantly, it's not good to have a fight without a corresponding prize. While the man in the white shirt and tall hat was speaking, he had already looked him over from all sides and hadn't found the progress bar.

The man in white and a tall hat neither stopped Xu Bai nor said anything more.

He watched Xu Bai leave, then changed direction and also left the dark place.

Xu Bai walked quickly, and only raised his right hand after he was out of the sight of the man in white and a tall hat.

Above his right hand, a golden compass appeared, its pointer constantly spinning.

"—A terrible omen! It's still a terrible omen. It seems that since I entered this place, there hasn't been a single auspicious sign." Xu Bai waved his hand, causing the golden compass to dissipate.

He had previously consulted a fortune teller in the scorpion's house, and he had assumed that the ominous sign was indeed the scorpion.

The problem persists even after it's been resolved, meaning that as long as he appears in these mountains, the ominous sign will continue.

"Ugh, so annoying, and there's that guy in the white shirt and tall hat too." Xu Bai rubbed his forehead, feeling that there was nothing more to be done with the current clues.

Only by charging forward and overcoming skill with brute force can we succeed.

Thinking of this, Xu Bai continued walking upwards.

After walking a while longer, the darkness still lingered, and the moon hung high in the sky as if it had never changed its position.

The journey ahead was long, and Xu Bai walked for nearly half an hour on the steep mountain path before finally stopping and looking into the distance.

At the end of the road not far away, a man in white robes and a tall hat was slowly placing a corpse into a paper figure.

Seemingly sensing Xu Bai's arrival, he looked up and greeted Xu Bai.

"Brother, you've arrived! I knew I'd run into you here." The man in white and a tall hat spoke very warmly, as if he were very familiar with Xu Bai.

Xu Bai's lips curled up slightly, his eyes narrowed, and he slowly walked to the man in white and a tall hat.

The man in white and a tall hat was still holding the corpse, but after a short while, he put the corpse into a paper figure.

"Finally, we've got them all!"

He stood up, walked among the paper figures, counted their number, and showed a satisfied expression.

"Everyone says that resources are depleted and people die frequently, but I never imagined that it would be so difficult to gather enough corpses."

"How did he die?" Xu Bai witnessed it all.

The man in white and a tall hat patted his forehead. "Killed by a madman."

"A madman?" Xu Bai pondered. "Very strong."

If what the Shi Kingdom Princess said earlier is true, the higher you go, the stronger the things you will encounter.

He has now seen a corpse on the mountain, so the person who killed the corpse must be very strong.

"That's right, he's a madman." The man in white and a tall hat dusted off his hands. "He went mad not long after the resources were depleted, but before that, he was an exceptionally strong person."

"I originally thought that without resources, and with him going insane, he wouldn't last long, but I never expected that after going insane, he would actually find a way to survive."

"Killing someone in the trade and then sucking their blood will not only keep them alive, but also make their strength increase by leaps and bounds."

As he spoke, the man in white and a tall hat sighed repeatedly, as if lamenting the man's misfortune.

Seemingly wary of the madman, the man in white and the tall hat didn't want to say much.

"Brother, why don't you come with me to get rid of these corpses? You're going uphill anyway, and we happen to be going the same way," the man in white and a tall hat asked.

Xu Bai nodded with interest. "Okay."

He did not refuse, because he felt that things were becoming clearer and clearer.

The clear reason lies with this man in white clothes and a tall hat.

Actually, if you think about it carefully, it seems that the man in white and the man in the tall hat met him by chance, after all, someone had just died here.

As Rising Dusk King said before, one should deal with things that are rational. As long as they haven't become Thought Gods, one can communicate with them and see if one can get anything good.

Since we can communicate now and there's nothing strange about it, let's go for a walk and see.

Seeing that Xu Bai had agreed, the man in white and a tall hat silently led the way, and Xu Bai followed behind without saying a word.

The two continued walking for about half an incense stick's time before the man in white robes and a tall hat finally stopped.

"Alright, this is it. After I see them off, I can leave too. I'll be resting for a long time this time." The man in white and a tall hat waved his hand.

Behind him, the paper figures came to life, all moving to the front and then lying down in a straight line.

The man in white robes and a tall hat raised his hand, and a flame appeared on his hand. The flame was dim and yellowish, and it landed on the paper figure. Then, it turned into a raging fire.

A raging fire burned, and a wisp of black smoke drifted in the sky.

"Cremation?"

He never expected that these corpses would be sent away by cremation. He didn't make a sound to disturb them and continued watching.

The man in white and a tall hat slowly began to speak...

"The new grave is near, I quietly send my regards to my loved ones, tears fall, I cherish the flowers with their wrinkles, I keep the autumn thoughts, butterflies flutter in the dust, cuckoos cry, and I hide on the quiet grass."

"Having ascended to heaven, I kneel before the spirit tablet. White butterflies and red azaleas are revered by the villagers. May the legends be passed down to future generations, and may they bless their descendants in the human world."

One eulogy after another was read aloud, and as these eulogies were read, black smoke continued to gather and slowly pressed down on the man in white robes and a tall hat.

The man in white and a tall hat did not stop it, but instead raised his hands and let the black smoke fall.

His face showed pain and confusion, and it took about half an incense stick's time for him to gradually regain his clarity.

"Sigh... We're getting closer and closer to the limit. I don't know how many more groups of people I can send off." The man in white and a tall hat sighed.

Xu Bai frowned and asked, "What do you mean?"

He had just heard the word "extreme point," and there's a lot more to it than meets the eye.

The man in white and a tall hat turned his head and said, "Brother, you haven't reached that point yet. When you truly reach that point, you'll understand what it means."

"If resources are depleted, we'll find another way to obtain them. This is one of my methods, just not as extreme as theirs."

"I'm nearing a breaking point, and I know that every method I use is just a way to prolong my life."

"When the extreme point is reached, it will pollute the mind. I don't know when it will come. Maybe when that time comes, I will become a madman."

Extreme point, mind, madman.

Etc!

Madman!

Xu Bai suddenly had a hunch: perhaps the madman from before wasn't actually a madman.

—The Thought Gods! It's highly likely to be the Thought Gods! This white-robed, tall-hatted man is quite something; he was able to sense it, but he didn't know it was the Thought Gods, nor did he know he was already dead.

However, it's clear that he's really strong; you can even sense it.

"Let's not talk about such heavy things anymore." The man in white and a tall hat quickly changed the subject. "Brother, do you want to go straight up the mountain? Then be careful, every step from here on out will be difficult."

"You must know that no one on this mountain can be trusted. If you trust anyone, you may fall into an abyss."

Xu Bai said, "Including you?"

The man in white and a tall hat nodded, then shook his head. "I am the most trustworthy person in this mountain, but only for now. Perhaps after I go mad, you will no longer be able to trust me. If you encounter me then, if you have the ability, just kill me."

"However... maybe you won't be able to touch me. Perhaps I'll kill myself before I go crazy."

"After all... I've spent my whole life dealing with corpses, and I don't want to tarnish my profession at the end."

His words were utterly calm.

After saying this, the man in white and a tall hat turned and left without saying anything more.

Xu Bai kept staring at the back of the man in white and a tall hat until he was far away before turning his gaze back.

The shadows cast by the moonlight were constantly distorting, and a sense of madness was spreading.

Madness, the Thought Gods!