Let's Be Eliminated Together
Yingshi raised her hand, stopping the wrist Bai Fangsui swung at her.
Her eyes were red, and her lips trembled lightly: "Why can't I become a Buddha? I did the mental work, and I did the physical work. I simply performed better than all of you. On what grounds are you calling this an evil Buddha?! When the original broken Buddha statue sat here, weren't people being eliminated night after night? It was only after Shuangjian and I figured out the rules that we ensured no one else would be eliminated. But even now, none of you believe my theory of balancing good and evil. You are all just stubborn fools! Or is it that even if you believe it, you just do not want the person becoming a Buddha to be me, so you would rather we all burn together?!"
Her strength was so great. She should not have had such strength, as if she were blessed by some sort of rule... Bai Fangsui was stunned for a second.
In that very instant, the evil ghost statue ceased to exist.
The giant statue standing in the courtyard had reverted to the appearance of a compassionate and holy woman.
Moreover, unlike before, its eyes now faintly revealed their contours.
Although the pupils had not been drawn in, the slightly lowered, compassionate shape of the eyes could already be seen.
Yingshi wept as she spoke, her chest so tight she could barely breathe. She wanted to talk about how much she had sacrificed by feeding the ghost with her own body, but she could not say it because it had not actually been that hard.
She absolutely hated these people who beat Shuangjian with hammers and sticks! She even wished they would all be eliminated. Why should these easily incited idiots get to ride her coattails?!
But when she thought this, the Buddha statue's eyes disappeared again. Yingshi suppressed her resentment, preparing to endure everyone's gazes and continue her tearful plea to control the situation. Even Bai Fangsui seemed subdued by her state, standing motionless. However, a man suddenly made a move—without a care, he swung the long stick in his hand toward the Buddha statue's arm!
"You say all that, but aren't you just trying to step on the rest of us to advance?!" he shouted. "Who cares if it's a true Buddha or an evil Buddha, we can't let her become a Buddha!"
"You dare?! You..."
Yingshi reached out to block it. She rushed over and tightly grabbed the iron stick, but the momentary, fierce pain made her dizzy for a second.
Hissing in pain, she quickly let go, staring blankly at the bright red rapidly appearing in her palm, sliced open by a long nail on the stick.
Drip, a bead of blood fell onto the bluestone slab.
Her vision went dark, her breathing grew rapid, and her whole body trembled slightly. She could barely stand—she was bleeding.
She was bleeding.
Warm, liquid blood dripping from the long, slashed wound...
No, she could not faint, she could not be afraid. She should not imagine the sound of the blood flowing and dripping, should not keep focusing her attention on the pain of the wound and the metallic smell of the blood...
She and Han Shuangjian needed to advance. She had to pull herself together, she had to keep preaching...
She slumped to the ground.
"...?!"
Yingshi thought she had gone through a rather long internal struggle, but in everyone else's eyes, she swayed and collapsed in an instant. In her shock, Bai Fangsui reflexively reached out as if to support her, but did not make it in time.
Without any time to react, the moment she fell to the ground, a sharp crack echoed, causing everyone to look up.
Immediately following were a second and a third sound...
Like a chain reaction, fine cracks spread upward from the base of the stone statue at an astonishing speed. In the blink of an eye, they covered the entire giant statue. Like a sandcastle weathered over millions of years, it cracked open under everyone's gaze, crumbling into countless dull stones and dust.
There was no earth-shattering boom, only the tumbling sound of falling rocks and a sky full of flying dust.
...Why?
Wasn't that strike aimed at the Buddha statue blocked by Yingshi? Why was it breaking apart?
Just as the question surfaced in everyone's minds, the temperature suddenly plummeted.
A chill enveloped the entire courtyard along with the collapse of the Buddha statue. Everyone was too shocked to speak, only able to watch helplessly as a tall, slender figure appeared behind the ruins the moment the dust began to clear.
No evening bell tolled. It was still daytime, only a special, darkened daytime.
So... why did the evil ghost, who wasn't carrying a lantern, appear here?
Could it be... because the Buddha statue's suppression had failed...?
The evil ghost's appearance was simply too terrifying.
The robes that originally belonged to the painter could no longer show their original color. He was covered in blood and filth—and those were the very wounds the disciples had recently inflicted upon the evil ghost statue.
They had angered the evil ghost, so now he had broken out of his seal. What was he going to do next?
...Clear the field?
The wooden sticks and small hammers in many disciples' hands fell to the ground with a clatter. As the evil ghost approached, they stumbled backward, all color draining from their faces.
Bai Fangsui murmured the name Han Shuangjian. She sobered up a bit, ashamed of the cowardice she had felt in that instant. Just as she furrowed her brows to reprimand him, she found her entire body stiff. Let alone speak, she could not move a single muscle, and even her gaze was frozen in place!
Everyone was frozen in exactly the same way.
There was some terrifying judgment that seemed about to descend.
Even heaven and earth began to cooperate with this tense atmosphere. With a rumbling crash of thunder, it actually started to rain in the Infernal Temple, even though the sky here did not even have clouds.
Heavy rain poured down, washing over the ground mixed with stone fragments and blood.
The sound of the rain drowned out everything, except for an incredibly faint, breathy voice: "No... you can't..."
Yingshi's left hand tightly pressed against the hideous wound in her right palm, bright red still seeping through her fingers. Her face was as pale as paper, her bangs plastered to her forehead with cold sweat. Although her eyes were open, honestly, she could barely see a thing.
She only knew that he couldn't.
The evil ghost appearing during the day would be erased; that would not do.
The evil ghost appearing during the day, erasing everyone before being erased himself, would not do either.
Setting aside that this was a fundamental violation of the balance of good and evil core rule of the competition, and setting aside that executing it would mean failing to clear the level, what Yingshi was truly worried about was Han Shuangjian.
Her desire to win was real. She had given so much, and she wanted to win.
But stronger than her desire for victory was the panic surging from the bottom of her heart—she was afraid Han Shuangjian would get into trouble because of this.
She did not know what consequences the evil ghost's act of clearing the field would bring, but she was deeply worried it would draw the attention of the observing teachers, making them think he was not just playing an evil ghost, but actually harbored dangerous tendencies himself... So...
"No..."
Trembling, she actually managed to support herself against the ground and shakily stand up.
If her mother and friends saw her, they would surely praise her for growing up. It turned out that overcoming physiological fear could also be achieved by fighting poison with poison, as long as she had something she feared more—she was afraid something would happen to Han Shuangjian.
She even tottered tremblingly toward Han Shuangjian's side. With just a hurried glance, all she saw was a field of blood red.
Shuangjian had so many wounds on his body that he had taken for her... Once again, he had turned himself into a tool to protect her. But he could feel pain! He was made of flesh and blood, not invulnerable to swords and spears!
Yingshi cried as she walked, the blood from her palm dripping all the way. When she reached Shuangjian's side, he silently took a step back.
As the Buddha, if she touched the Evil Spirit under the premise that the Evil Spirit broke its seal in broad daylight, she would be corrupted by it and lose all possibility of becoming a Buddha. Shuangjian did not dare to touch her.
This was also the reason why he hadn't immediately gone to help her up. He hadn't even thought of breaking his seal when he was besieged and bleeding profusely, yet he broke it the moment she was injured and fell. How could he not care about her?
Shuangjian was already destined to be eliminated, but he still wanted to protect her so she could advance.
Why did it have to be like this? It made her heart ache with such sorrow!
The moment she stumbled again, a short stick was held out in front of her. It was a lantern handle, restrainedly supporting her so she wouldn't fall.
Yingshi's sobbing in the rain paused for a moment, and then she cried even louder.
A sudden burst of strength erupted within her body, allowing her to snatch the short stick and throw it to the ground.
There were still two days left. Let the others do whatever they wanted. She and Shuangjian would just be eliminated together!
To hell with being a Buddha! She quit!
If becoming a Buddha meant protecting a bunch of brainless fools, if it meant tolerance and forgiveness, if it meant forming a united front with people she disliked to bully the person she truly liked... she didn't have such a noble disposition! She couldn't even pretend anymore.
Not to mention, Shuangjian was currently covered in blood...
Yingshi looked up at Shuangjian's eyes through tear-blurred vision. Between the veil of rain and her physical dizziness, she couldn't see his expression clearly, but she imagined his brows must be tightly furrowed, feeling somewhat helpless against her.
She stepped over the short stick she had just snatched and discarded on the ground, took another step forward, and held out her injured palm.
It hurts so much... she choked out. But if you hug me, it won't hurt anymore.
Then, regardless of whether Shuangjian would dodge or not, she threw herself toward him. Perhaps it was an unreasonable gamble; she bet that Shuangjian wouldn't let her fall flat on her face, but would gently catch her.
...
Shuangjian's breath hitched slightly. Rainwater slid down his tightly clenched fists, mingling with the winding streams of blood on the ground.
Finally, after a moment of hesitation, he chose to open his arms.
The warmth of being embraced and the feeling of dizziness washed over her at once. As the long-absent white light enveloped them, Yingshi's heart trembled.
This is nice.
I can be eliminated... together with Shuangjian.
She thought to herself.
...
The heavy rain continued to fall.
The dense sheets of rain connected heaven and earth, instantly drenching the courtyard.
The two people embracing at the edge of the ruins disappeared.
The rainwater washed away the bloodstains on the bluestone slabs, washed away the bewilderment on everyone's faces, and washed away the collapsed remains of the Buddha statue.
More and more of the broken stone shell was washed away. Ultimately, only a palm-sized stone remained in its original place.
Without the Immaculate Stone to mend its body, without the Ink of Merit to paint its face, it was a tiny figurine of a woman, with complete facial features, emitting a soft glow in the wind and rain.
...
Ha! The white-browed elder stroked his beard and laughed. A balance achieved by a strange combination of circumstances. This domain actually didn't collapse...
Whether it collapses or not isn't that important anymore, Perfected Lord Suhua mused. Should the second trial continue?
There's no need. What difference is there between five days and seven days? After the middle-aged man spoke, he walked out on his own.
Another instructor wearing the attire of the Myriad Manifestations Heavenly Gate grumbled, He's certainly impatient to go see his promising seedling... He can't even wait for the final trial? Could it be that he wants to poach them for the Dao One Immortal Alliance?
The instructor from the Return to Origin Sword Sect silently shook his head, only letting out a sigh.
The test for this second trial was quite unconventional. The disciples of their sect hadn't performed exceptionally well, but at least they weren't among the worst batch...
The ones who were truly embarrassed must be someone else, right?
...
As the white light dissipated, Yingshi slumped onto the teleportation platform, her half-closed eyes suddenly widening.
Huh?
Why hadn't her platform's light gone out?
Yingshi looked up and glanced around in disbelief. As far as she could see, most of the stone platforms were dim, symbolizing the elimination of their owners.
But there were still some, like the one beneath her feet, that emitted a soft, steady glow. This included the familiar figure not far away; his platform was still lit too—Shuangjian hadn't been eliminated either!
They had advanced from the second trial?!
Yingshi was overjoyed. Although she didn't know why yet, she wanted to cheer and rush straight over. However, there seemed to be some kind of barrier around the teleportation platform. She couldn't take a step out; instead, she was bounced back and had to rub her bumped forehead.
The hand she used to rub her forehead was the very right hand that had been slashed in the Infernal Temple. Yingshi's heart skipped a beat, and she subconsciously opened her palm to check.
Her palm was smooth and unblemished, the skin delicate.
The hideous wound that had made her dizzy was gone, disappearing along with the tear tracks on her face?
...That's wonderful. Shuangjian wouldn't have brought out his body full of injuries either!
Why exactly were the two of them pardoned? Could it be that the instructors felt they deserved credit for their hard work if not their achievements?
Meeting Shuangjian's gaze from afar, Yingshi's face turned rosy with unexpected joy, and she smiled as she waved vigorously in his direction.
More white lights began to flash successively across the vast plaza, and figures appeared on the teleportation platforms one by one. Their faces still bore the mixed bewilderment of surviving a disaster. When they came to their senses, their first reaction wasn't pleasant surprise, but sheer exhaustion.
Yingshi saw Duan Qinghe.
He stood on a platform slightly farther away. His complexion couldn't be called pale, but it definitely didn't look good. He was frowning with his eyes closed in deep thought, seemingly trying to calm his state of mind.
However, she didn't see Bai Fangsui wearing her bamboo hat... She wondered what had happened inside the Infernal Temple after she and Shuangjian left.
The remaining people could be counted on one's fingers, scattered sparsely across the enormous plaza. Right at this moment, that resonant celestial voice once again enveloped the entire plaza:
The second trial concludes here. Within the veil of illusions, some of you held firm, some wavered, some broke through the delusions, and some sank into them... Today, eight individuals of resilient will and outstanding performance have been selected to advance to the final trial of the Heavenly Apex Martial Gathering... The final trial will commence tomorrow at the hour of Chen. You may all rest and recuperate on your own.
Eight people advanced, and she and Shuangjian occupied a quarter of the spots!
Now that there were no longer any restrictions around the teleportation platform, Yingshi ran joyfully toward Shuangjian.
She was able to detach herself from the experience extremely quickly. Having gone through the baptism of that final heavy rain in the Infernal Temple, there was no one else in the entire plaza with a smile as radiant as hers.
Shuangjian! Yingshi bounded over to his side, carefully scanning his entire body. Thank goodness the injuries aren't brought out... We actually managed to scrape by and advance! How wonderful! I guess we didn't suffer all that torment for nothing!
...Scrape by? A middle-aged man who suddenly blocked their path asked. What is the meaning of this?
This person descended here almost in an instant, giving Yingshi a sudden fright. She had never seen this face before, but she quickly realized that his attire and bearing were far from ordinary. She hurriedly scrutinized him, trying to match his appearance with a named NPC from the book.
Meanwhile, Shuangjian had stopped in his tracks the moment he noticed this man.
Yingshi did not know who this was, but he did.
This was the man who, after Shuangjian had claimed first place in the Tiangang Martial Gathering during his previous two reincarnations, had decided to take him in as a disciple and keep him in the Daoyi Immortal Alliance. This was his master, Perfected Lord Dongming.
Now, this Perfected Lord was staring at Yingshi with a raised eyebrow. Without waiting for her to explain what picking up a bargain meant, he smiled and asked, "Little girl, have you ever thought about switching to a different sect?"
