I have Immortality In The Cultivation World

Chapter 264: Catastrophe Descends



Ten Thousand Buddhas Temple.

Once claimed to house over ten thousand Buddhist practitioners, now only ruined walls and broken beams remain, following the slaughter of Buddha's Disciples and Buddha's Grand-disciples by beasts.

The hundred-foot Buddha statue on the Lotus Platform at Bodhi Peak, despite a thousand years, still sits in meditation with a compassionate expression.

The plaque at the temple's entrance is rust-streaked with only the character "ten thousand" discernible.

The trees within the temple grounds are overgrown, with vines entwining and pavilions and towers collapsed into ruin. The worshipped Buddha statues inside the temple stand exposed to the elements, either severed at the waist or crumbled into stones, with very few remaining intact.

Underneath the statues, there are numerous white bones, so long dead that they have become dry and rough.

The kasayas on the bones have weathered into strips of cloth, and the prayer beads that once hung around their necks are now scattered on the ground.

When the demon tribes drove the beast tide to breach the Ten Thousand Buddhas Temple, it signified the complete annihilation of the human clans of Qiong Continent; the monks in the temple didn't live to see Buddha come to their rescue, and many took their own lives in front of the Buddha statues as their faith crumbled.

Ruined relics, shattered Buddha statues, numerous bones...

They document the severity of the battle from the past, and when a somber wind blows, letting out a moaning sound, it only adds to the eerie and desolate atmosphere.

Crack! Crack! Crack!

The bones of the monks slowly rise from the ground, straightening their skewed skulls, with purple flames flickering in their eye sockets.

Receiving a command from the beyond, the Corpse Demons move with stiff steps toward Bodhi Peak. This time, they aren't going to worship or chant scriptures but to kill and release the pain in their twisted souls.

As they move closer to the summit, the number of Corpse Demons gathering from all around increases, swarming in groups.

Among them are many sizable Demon Corpses, ferocious beasts that died at the Ten Thousand Buddhas Temple, enemies in life that had now become comrades in death.

This turn of events had already alarmed the demon tribes occupying Bodhi Peak, including a lion demon well-versed in Buddhist scriptures.

Inside the laboratory.

The lion demon, holding prayer beads and draped in a kasaya, watches through the surveillance system as an endless horde of white Corpse Demons approaches.

"Amitabha!"

With palms pressed together, it chants the Buddha's name and enters a series of commands into the control console, releasing the ferocious beasts sealed within the laboratory.

From the outside.

Thunderous noises come from Bodhi Peak as several tunnel entrances appear on the mountain, echoing continuous roars of beasts. One after another, fierce and grotesque beasts crawl out from the tunnels.

At the command of the lion demon, the ferocious beasts charge fearlessly down the mountain, clashing with the bone-armored army.

The strength of the Corpse Demons and Demon Corpses is closely related to their previous life. Most of the monks from the Ten Thousand Buddhas Temple were ordinary people; even though they practiced Buddhist Law and martial arts, their bones had turned brittle as kindling over the past few centuries.

After several charges by the ferocious beasts, the Corpse Demons fall like mown wheat, leaving the ground littered with bone fragments.

However, the Corpse Demons had already been resurrected from death, their movements not supported by flesh and bones but by souls of Yin Sha.

Even as their bodies shattered, their skulls still leapt and lunged viciously, latching onto the ferocious beasts, sucking their blood and souls to strengthen themselves.

One or two skulls might be inconsequential, but when covered densely with them, a beast, after struggling in the Corpse Demon horde for a long time, would finally fall with a thunderous crash.

This was only the beginning—once the ferocious beasts died, their corpses quickly rose again. Under the corrosion of Yin Sha and demonic energy, their insides had already dried and rotted, exposing the crumbled bones.

Roar!

With eyes flashing with purple ghastly flames, they turn to bite their former companions.

Ferocious beasts have low intelligence and lack a hierarchy among themselves; the only being they obey is the demon tribe that created them.

Witnessing their comrades turning on them, they tear into each other without hesitation. However, being reborn as Corpse Demons, they no longer fear death or pain. Their entire bodies are as tough as iron, without any vital weaknesses.

With equal strength, the ferocious beasts soon become new Corpse Demons.

Ferocious beasts, lacking in spirit and intellect, are not fazed by death, but becoming Corpse Demons after death is a different matter.

As the number of Corpse Demons grows, the tide of battle shifts from a one-sided slaughter to a grueling stalemate. The longer the fight drags on, the more the balance of victory tips toward the Corpse Demons!

Inside the laboratory.

Watching his ferocious beast forces in retreat, even those known for their fearlessness beginning to flee, the lion demon chants.

"Amitabha!"

"The fruit of today comes from the seeds of the past! Demon tribes wreak havoc upon the Nine Continents, thus we have today's calamity. I would rather die than become a Corpse Demon!"

After decades of chanting Buddhist scriptures, the lion demon had become a devout Buddhist. On ordinary days, preaching and explaining scriptures to nearby demon tribes, its understanding of Buddhist matters was not inferior to that of highly virtuous and senior monks.

Even if one day the human race is destroyed, Buddhism will not extinguish.

The lion demon brings its palms together. Flames engulf its body, and in moments it turns to ash, leaving behind just a few beaded Shèlì relics.

Several hours later.

Ten Thousand Buddhas Temple has completely fallen into the hands of the Corpse Demons, now a playground for the undead, devoid of the breath of life. With their dry, hoarse, or non-existent vocal cords, they roar upwards, venting their agony.

Ao!

A dragon's roar comes from the sky above.

The Corpse Demon army looks up in unison, their twisted souls sensing the oppression from a superior being.

Atop the Bone Dragon sits a Spirit Corpse clad in dark armor, circling twice in the air before drawing a bone blade from his waist and pointing westward.

"Rally the troops, charge!"

The Corpse Demon army, like a pale torrent, surges westward, devouring all living beings on their path or turning them into comrades.

Everywhere they pass, the spark of life is extinguished!

At the same time, they awaken corpses buried underground. The demon tribe's laboratories continually produce ferocious beasts, driving them to slaughter each other, causing territories to accumulate a substantial number of bones.

Now, as the corpses come back to life and emerge from the earth, they fight with the living.

The Corpse Demon catastrophe spreads from Qiong Continent to all directions, igniting a war between the dead and the living across the Nine Continents.

"The Corpse Clan is the ultimate destination for all living beings!"
Continue reading at empire

The Spirit Corpse, now with a fully independent consciousness, naturally developed a concept of its own race, much like the relationship between demon tribes and ferocious beasts.

...


Tip: You can use left, right, A and D keyboard keys to browse between chapters.