Chapter 427: Chapter 427

Gradually, the vast temple was left with only two groups of people. Besides the two discussing Buddhism incessantly at the center of the Sacrifice Body Burning Fat, there was only the head of Zhuangyan Temple with his monks, a priest with his 28 nuns, and Jing Shu’s team.

First came the smell of incense burning flesh, which soon turned into an undeniably pungent burnt smell. The fresh blood, as it burned, solidified and eventually turned black, both individuals showcasing their powerful Consciousness.

Master Yuantong was slightly fatter, producing more oil when burned, always crackling loudly. Perhaps due to the excessive fat, he burned a bit faster than the monk from Jing Shu’s team.

Under the dim light, other people might not have seen the charred flesh clearly, but Jing Shu could see an entire arm turned black; perhaps a gentle breeze would be enough to scatter it like ash.

Sometimes Jing Shu wondered, what was the purpose of the monk’s actions? They were capable of taking by force, so why did he spare no cost, even that of his life? Perhaps this was his Buddhism, or maybe he needed to atone for past sins. Or possibly, he required a legitimate claim to retrieve the cauldron he had lost—if he could no longer continue, he could entrust it to a teammate.

As a mother, Fat Chicken rarely taught her chicks to simply stay put. She clung tightly to her owner’s legs without slackening, reminding Jing Shu of the time when Fat Chicken had caused chaos among the hens in the coop. She had been a leader amongst them; how imperious Fat Chicken had been back then!

The head’s brush always seemed a bit out of place. It was more akin to brushing oil on roasting suckling pigs, applying more where it hadn’t burned evenly. His mouth continuously muttered scriptures that no one could understand.

The fire gradually spread to the shoulders. More than two hours passed amidst this prolonged torture. Both individuals were somewhat dehydrated and had ceased their initial discussion. Instead, they both started chanting scriptures, as if it might lessen their pain.

The spread of the fire was uneven. Though it had only reached the shoulders, it had already spread to his chest and lungs. Master Yuantong’s breathing grew more rapid, and Jielu Monk was also close to losing Consciousness.

The atmosphere began to tense. Victory seemed imminent. It sounded as though bullets were being loaded in the background, causing even the Little Monk holding the cauldron to start trembling.

Jing Shu’s eyes widened as she looked at the Monk, who had nearly turned to carbon, his burn scars extensive. He clenched his teeth tightly, sweat dripping heavily from pain and heat. No one knew what strength it took to remain seated motionless in such a condition.

Eventually, the fire engulfed his shoulders completely, and his entire upper body burst into flames; the scale of the burning multiplied several times over. The flames on Master Yuantong’s body grew larger, shooting up. Before long, he was engulfed in a sea of flames. His breathing grew even more rapid, as if gasping for air, his face turning redder and redder.

"ARGH..." He could only manage a muffled grunt before he collapsed from his seated position, completely losing Consciousness and breathing.

"Sigh," the head sighed regretfully, shaking his head before finally gesturing that the Monk was the ultimate victor.

Tan Ke immediately doused the fire with a large bucket of water he had prepared, instantly extinguishing the flames. He then wrapped the charred remains of the Monk in a heat-resistant coat. The Monk, now aware of his victory, completely passed out.

The head led the remaining monks to circle Master Yuantong, who lay enveloped in flames. Sitting cross-legged, they started chanting, led by the head striking the wooden fish. The sounds resonated in Jing Shu’s ears. The collective chanting of many monks created a strange melodic rhythm, inexplicably calming an agitated heart.

Jing Shu brought out the Wanzi she had rolled and spread them all over the Monk’s horribly charred upper body. It wasn’t just that his two arms were burned; the internal organs near the intense heat had probably also suffered significant damage, including the closest heart and lungs.

"With this injury, surviving will be very difficult," Jing Shu said, shaking her head. "Even with my Spiritual Spring, if too many of his organs are dead, it will still be futile."

The aftermath of death is often ghastly, but to suffer so intensely while still alive is truly rare. Both of his arms had completely necrosed. Now the question was whether to amputate them at the shoulders or what to do next. However, without surgical conditions, they could only discuss it after everything was over.

Many who suffer burns and are rushed for rescue often do not survive. Some linger for a day or two before they inevitably die, their bodies having lost functionality beyond revival.

The most agonizing aspect of a burn is not the damage caused by the flames themselves, but the lethal effect of the scalding on the cells afterward, making recovery exceedingly difficult.

Ordinary people who suffer scalds not only develop large blisters but also endure the relentless, fiery sensation of the burn. According to statistics, among all types of pain, burns last the longest and are the hardest to tolerate.

Thus, even while unconscious, the Monk occasionally twitched in pain. Jing Shu directly fed him a drop of the Spiritual Spring. This seemed to increase his reaction, as if he were resisting the Spiritual Spring, but there were no other options now. They could only change his dressing every three hours and leave the rest to fate.

After the winner was decided, the situation grew more severe. Nᴇw novel chapters are publɪshed on 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹•𝑓𝑖𝑟𝑒•𝙣𝙚𝙩

The Little Monk, holding the cauldron, hid in a corner, at a loss. Meanwhile, the elder monk continued to chant sutras for the deceased. Yang Yang did not disturb him. The priest and the nuns sat unmoving until Master Yuantong had completely burned to ashes. Only then did Yang Yang approach, smiling, and ask,

"May we have our cauldron back now, hmm?"

Red dots in the darkness targeted them, but soon screams were heard, putting Jing Shu and the others on alert. Lingling swung her rifle toward someone in the darkness, who immediately withdrew the red dot.

The head sighed deeply. "Take it back then, but I fear that person won’t let you take it away easily."

"That’s not your concern."

Only then did the Little Monk offer the tray with both hands. Yang Yang wrapped the cauldron in a cloth and said, "Then we won’t impose any longer," leading Jing Shu and the group swiftly away.

Meanwhile, the priest and the nuns stayed behind, apparently having more to attend to.

Once out of Zhuangyan Temple, Tan Ke, who was carrying the Monk, finally asked, "Aren’t you afraid it’s a fake?"

"No, this cauldron was once used by the Emperor. The unique minerals on it can’t be faked, and they wouldn’t bother faking it." Despite saying this, Yang Yang checked again before placing the cauldron back in his coat and quickly assigning tasks:

"Little Black will take care of the Monk. We must take advantage of their lack of response to steal the formula and beat a hasty retreat. Lingling, snipe from outside the manor. Tan Ke, you protect Lingling. Snake Spirit, you and Monkey, clear the perimeter. Mirror, Hao Yunlai, you two follow me. Zhen Nantian, your wounds still..."