Chapter 899: Guanyin Statue

Chapter 899: Guanyin Statue

The night was pitch black, and the wind howled fiercely.

Outside the city, in the chaotic graveyard, Ye Chen, who had been taken away for eight or nine days, had returned. He lay there like a living corpse, completely motionless.

Roar! Roar!

Soon, the low growls of beasts echoed. A dozen wild dogs sniffed their way over and quickly detected Ye Chen's presence.

At once, the dozen wild dogs froze in place.

Who said dogs have no expressions? Theirs were peculiar as they circled Ye Chen in a neat ring and squatted down. It was all because of him that their teeth still hadn't grown back.

After some time, the dozen wild dogs tucked their tails between their legs and left. They couldn't gnaw on Ye Chen's body, so they had to find something else.

The night fell into silence.

It wasn't clear how much time passed, but the little finger on his sleeping hand finally twitched.

Then, he slowly opened his eyes. The hazy night sky gradually came into focus in his bewildered gaze.

The next moment, he abruptly sat up, scanning his surroundings repeatedly. Only after confirming that this wasn't the Wuwang Great Marsh did he let out a heavy sigh of relief. After untold hardships, he had finally escaped that deadly place.

"The spiritual energy here is so thin. This must be the mortal realm," Ye Chen murmured to himself as he slowly stood up.

Woo woo woo! Woo woo woo!

Suddenly, he heard eerie wails of ghosts all around, drawing his attention.

His eyes narrowed slightly, allowing him to see the unclean spirits that ordinary people couldn't—these were wandering souls and wild ghosts drifting about.

Instinctively, he raised his hand, forming a seal with one hand while chanting complex and profound scriptures.

These were the Du Ren Sutras, meant to purify the resentment of wandering souls and wild ghosts, guiding them back into the cycle of reincarnation.

Woo woo woo!

The sounds persisted but gradually faded away. Ye Chen's Du Ren Sutras created layer upon layer of ripples, radiating holy light. Wherever it passed, the wandering souls and wild ghosts found release and liberation.

After purifying them, Ye Chen withdrew his seal and turned to leave the area.

From a distance, he spotted an ancient city. Even from a thousand or so zhang away, he could make out the three large characters engraved on the city wall: Wangu City.

He set off on foot, needing to figure out where he was and how far it was from the cultivator realm.

The streets of Wangu City at night were deserted, lacking the expected bustle. It was peaceful and serene.

"Beware of fire in dry weather!"

The only thing Ye Chen saw was a night watchman, shuffling along the street with a listless air. He occasionally shivered, as the cold wind raged and the air carried a chilling presence.

Without hesitation, he unleashed his powerful divine sense, enveloping the entire ancient city in hopes of finding a cultivator.

This was a formidable divine sense technique. Everything in Wangu City, whether people or objects, was laid bare before him. Precisely because of this, he caught glimpses of things he shouldn't have, like couples in their beds.

No cultivators!

Ye Chen furrowed his brow, about to step into the void.

However, just as he was about to retract his divine sense, his mind's eye swept across an ancient temple—or more accurately, a Guanyin Temple.

Instinctively, he shifted his step and vanished with a whoosh.

Not far away, the night watchman froze, rubbing his eyes in disbelief. A living person had just disappeared.

"Ghost!"

Soon, screams of terror echoed through the streets of Wangu City, provoking a chorus of curses from nearby residents.

By then, Ye Chen had already arrived inside the ancient temple.

Before him stood a stone statue, surrounded by incense burners filled with sticks of musk. It seemed many people had come to pray for blessings. The statue represented a bodhisattva, revered by the world.

"Chu Xuan, are you saving all beings?"

Ye Chen spoke, gazing at the statue, his voice hoarse and parched.

The statue was crafted with lifelike detail, every line and texture strikingly clear, as if it were alive. It stood there with a compassionate expression, like a savior bodhisattva delivering all creatures.

It was a stone statue, but she was Chu Xuan.

Ye Chen smiled, tears welling in his eyes and blurring his vision.

After searching desperately, he never imagined reuniting with Chu Xuan in the form of a cold stone statue. He didn't know why her statue stood here, but he knew she must have visited this place.

"Who are you?"

The tranquility of the temple was shattered by a sudden voice.

At the entrance stood an old man rubbing his sleepy eyes. He was skinny as a monkey, dressed in tattered daoist robes—an old daoist priest.

Ye Chen turned and sized up the old daoist priest before asking,

"This statue's person—has she been to Wangu City? When did she come, how long did she stay, and when did she leave?"

"No, who are you? I—"

Smack!

The old daoist priest's words were cut short by a crisp slap. He spun in place three times before collapsing to the ground.

"Answer my question," Ye Chen said, now standing before the old daoist priest, his voice cold and commanding with an air of unyielding authority. This slap had instantly made the old man burst into tears.

"She was a female cultivator," the old daoist priest sobbed, wiping his nose and speaking in a daze. "She came last year, stayed for three days, cured the plague here, and then left."

As soon as he finished, the old daoist priest shuddered all over. He realized he was still standing at the door, completely unmoved, with no stinging sensation on his face. It was as if nothing had happened.

He blinked in confusion and quickly glanced around.

Ye Chen still stood there, his back to him, quietly gazing at Chu Xuan's statue. Everything before seemed like a dream.

"Illusion... illusion technique!"

The old daoist priest snapped out of his stupor and knelt down with a thud. "This humble daoist didn't realize an immortal had arrived. Please forgive me, great immortal."

Ye Chen remained silent, standing still.

He had indeed used an illusion technique on the old daoist priest and gotten the answers he wanted. Chu Xuan had indeed come here, and the reason her statue was erected for worship was that she had saved the people of Wangu City.

"She... she came looking for someone," the old daoist priest added, seeing Ye Chen's silence. He glanced at Ye Chen cautiously, afraid of saying something wrong and offending the immortal.

Ye Chen stood quietly, offering no response.

Of course, he knew Chu Xuan was searching for someone—it had to be him.

The night was utterly still, and the Guanyin Temple was filled with absolute calm, without a single extra sound.

Ye Chen stood there all night, never moving.

Dawn arrived, bringing a new day to Wangu City. Many ordinary people came in groups to pray for blessings, but the old daoist priest blocked them at the door.

And so, day and night cycled on.

It wasn't until the third night that Ye Chen, who had stood there for three days, slowly turned and left as quietly as he had come.

Once again, it was deep night on the peaceful streets of Wangu City. He wandered aimlessly, his solitary figure cast in the moonlight and starlight, evoking a sense of desolation.

Zing!

Suddenly, a melodious zither tune rang out, making him pause. His gaze instinctively turned toward a certain direction, as if he could see through the buildings to a boudoir where a woman held a pipa.

What a familiar tune!

Ye Chen murmured to himself. The music flowed like water from a deep valley, carrying sorrow and resignation that brought tears to the eyes.

Without thinking, he pulled out a wine flask, found an old tree, and sat against its trunk. He quietly sipped the strong liquor while listening to the mournful melody until his vision blurred and he drifted into a deep sleep.