White Bone Demon Trail

Chapter 11 God’s gift
Time passed slowly, and the patience of the people in front of the temple gradually wore thin.

The leader, Li Yiguang, was the first to lose his temper. He whispered to You Junzi beside him, "Is this Wuxiang still around?"

"Brother, bear with it a little longer," the third leader, Zhao Lengxiang, reminded him. "After all, the temple is right in front of us, and the villagers are watching from behind. We mustn't say anything carelessly."

Li Yiguang's thick eyebrows furrowed again and again, and a hint of anger couldn't help but rise in his eyes. But when he heard his third sister's persuasion, he just clenched his fist. If this damned Wuxiang were a person, he would have picked up his heavy iron hammer and greeted him long ago!

You Junzi's expression was solemn. He now regarded Wuxiang as a cunning and treacherous demon. The other party was testing his patience to see who could hold their breath and win the hearts of the people of Black Stone Village!
He took a deep breath, reassured his elder brother with his eyes, then turned to the villagers who were already whispering among themselves and said:

"Everyone, do not worry. Perhaps the Spirit of No Form is still asleep. Let us wait a little longer, and he will appear soon!"

When the villagers saw that it was the second-in-command who spoke, they stopped discussing and continued to stand in front of the temple, waiting for the arrival of the "Formless God" in their hearts.

The village deep in the mountains fell silent, with only the chirping of insects and croaking of frogs coming from the nearby grass as summer approached.

All they could do was wait.

At the mountaintop, under the moonlight, Bai Wuxiang gently raised his hand. A black raven folded its wings and landed on his wrist, letting out a soft cry before joining him in gazing at the temple below the mountain.

Bai Wuxiang leisurely smoothed out the scattered feathers on Xuan Ya's body. He was in no hurry to show himself. After all, on this day, it was Black Stone Village that was begging him, not the other way around.

He is not a kind person; he would not compromise himself to help these ordinary people from Black Stone Village who have no relatives or friends.

Night gradually descended into the deep mountains, and a cold wind blew up from the mountaintop, causing Bai Wuxiang's long hair to flutter down his back. His gorgeous robes and sleeves also fluttered in the wind, and Xuan Ya stood obediently on his wrist, waiting together.

Bai Wuxiang never stepped into Black Stone Village. Even if You Junzi had many tricks up his sleeve, he couldn't do anything to him outside the village, so he wasn't worried about You Junzi's methods at all.

After all, no matter how skilled a mortal feng shui master is, they don't have much room to demonstrate their abilities unless they enter the specific formation or location.

"Whoo~"

In front of the temple, a child, bored while waiting, unknowingly fell asleep next to his adult's leg.

Many people also felt tired and drowsy, and their standing postures became sluggish.

As the moon rose higher in the sky, the villagers could no longer bear their exhaustion. They had worked hard for more than half a month to build a temple to welcome the gods. At this moment, everyone was wavering in their hearts, wondering if there really were gods.
If there truly are gods, why have they never appeared?
You Junzi's eyes also began to waver. He knew that if he could not invite the "deity" to appease the people, the villagers would no longer dare to compete with other villages, and life in the village would become more and more difficult.

Why not... just accept this god as our true god?
Before we knew it, the night was past midnight!
"簌簌~"

The mountain breeze rustled through the locust trees, their leaves whispering softly. Bai Wuxiang, atop the mountain, smiled and raised his hand to brush his face. His handsome features vanished instantly, transforming into a white skull with flickering blue flames in his eyes. He slowly opened his mouth and exhaled a wisp of demonic power.

"Whoo~"

The dark demonic power transformed into a cloud of demonic energy in the air, which sank into the valley and became a hazy aura, rushing towards the mortals of Black Stone Village.

As midnight passed, the energy of the crowd waned. In Bai Wuxiang's eyes, the three flames on the shoulders and crowns of the people in front of the temple dimmed. The yin energy in the entire world reached its peak, while the yang energy weakened to its weakest point.

Just then, Bai Wuxiang grinned and cast an illusion spell, spreading demonic energy into everyone's bodies to bewitch them.

The villagers were all deeply moved, as if a voice in the darkness was telling them that the gods had not yet arrived because they were not devout enough.

"Puff~"

A sound of someone kneeling came from the front, causing the three leaders at the front to turn around.

But then they saw an elderly man kneel down, touch his head to the ground, and kneel toward the temple.

Zhao Lengxiang was puzzled. She looked up at the villagers and was immediately shocked. She saw that the eyes of the more than three hundred people were all dazed. At first glance, she could not tell anything, but upon closer inspection, she could see that their eyes were lifeless, as if they had been given a bewitching potion.

"Second brother, look into the eyes of our villagers! Is it... witchcraft?"

You Junzi's face turned ashen. Before he could reply, he reached into his sleeve and took out a pure white jade pendant bell. He placed his left hand in a mudra, focusing his energy on his vital point, and with his right hand holding the jade bell, he chanted in a clear, resonant voice:

"Having exhausted all mysteries, all phenomena are empty; the suffering and sorrow of this turbid world are endless."

The fire of the heart ignites the darkness of ignorance, and a single, clear sound resonates throughout the universe!

break!"

The jade bell jingled, its clear sound resonating. A crisp, invigorating bell rang out suddenly before the silent temple, echoing in all directions.

Standing atop the mountain, Bai Wuxiang watched the scene unfold before him. He could see that a wave of jade-colored light emanated from the jade bell held by You Junzi, causing the demonic energy he was unleashing to dissipate under its sweep.

"Is this the method of a demon hunter?"

Bai Wuxiang was not angry. He did not believe that You Junzi was more powerful than a real demon hunter. The jade bell was mysterious and could not be activated by an ordinary person.

He clearly noticed that You Junzi's aura was weaker than before, indicating that the jade bell needed a human aura or other profound energy as a guide.

"Go!"

Bai Wuxiang's lips curled slightly, and with a flick of his wrist, the black raven on his wrist immediately spread its wings and plummeted from the mountain peak to the temple.

Just as the villagers of Black Stone Village were waking from their daze, a black crow circled down above them and let out a strange cry.

"Gah!"

Wisps of visible black energy emanated from the black crow and swooped down on the group.

Just then, Bai Wuxiang, who was standing on the mountaintop, also raised his robes, and dark clouds covered the moon, blocking out all the light around the temple.

Bai Wuxiang once again unleashed the Soul-Stealing Sound from afar, causing countless cries to erupt and fill everyone's ears.

Even Zhao Lengxiang and Li Yiguang, two internal martial arts masters whose qi and blood far surpassed those of ordinary people, squatted down in pain, clutching their heads and struggling.

More than 370 people were struggling on the ground in agony, their cries making them dizzy and wailing.

Only You Junzi, holding the jade bell, remained clear-headed and resolute, unaffected by the technique.

Hearing the wails all around him, and seeing nothing clearly in the darkness, he immediately shouted, "Lord Wuxiang! What are you doing? Are you going to break our agreement?"

"Hahaha~"

A ghostly, cold laugh echoed from the darkness.

“You Junzi, you broke the contract first, how dare you say that I broke the contract and abandoned my promise? If you hadn’t refused to acknowledge the God of No Form, I would have already entered the temple to manifest my divine power and bestow blessings upon the people of the village.”

Am I a god or a demon? Why do I need to distinguish between them so clearly?
All your fellow villagers and neighbors, your comrades who have risked their lives for you, will lose their lives because of your own selfish desires! If they all die, what use is your persistence?

Enraged, You Junzi reached into his sleeve again, as if to retrieve something.

But then, ghostly laughter echoed from all around: "So what if you have the power to kill me? Before I die, all 360-plus people of Black Stone Stronghold will be buried with me!"

"You!" You Junzi's hand stopped. His last bit of clarity suppressed the rage in his heart, and despair appeared in his eyes.

"Puff~"

He suddenly knelt down, raised his hands, slowly lowered his body, pressed his forehead tightly to the soil, and roared at the top of his lungs:
"Welcome to the God of No Form!"

"Puff~"

Immediately, one after another, people knelt down on the ground. More than three hundred villagers knelt and prostrated themselves, chanting in unison, "Welcome the God of No Form!"

The loud sound of kneeling pierced You Junzi's ears. He suddenly raised his head and stared blankly behind him.

Where are the sounds of ghosts wailing and wolves howling? Where are the scenes of villagers rolling on the ground and screaming in agony?

The only scene was one where the villagers knelt down and kowtowed, not daring to raise their heads.

Beside him, Li Yiguang and Zhao Lengxiang stared in astonishment at him kneeling on the ground.

"Second brother, didn't you say we shouldn't kneel before this monster? Why are you..." Li Yiguang asked him, puzzled.

"I..." You Junzi suddenly realized that the wailing and the ghostly laughter that had just answered him were all just an illusion!
Taking advantage of his weakened state after activating the Jade Void Golden Bell, the formless demon cast an illusion spell only on him.

He fell for the demon's trick! The demon had just escaped its confinement; where did it get so much demonic power to kill over three hundred people in one fell swoop? It was all his fault for being too reckless, losing his patience, and losing his composure, leading the entire Black Stone Village to admit that the monster was the God of No Form!

You Junzi's eyes were glazed over. He sat on the ground, motionless for a moment. Perhaps he had already lost the moment he decided to welcome the faceless demon into the village.

As the villagers of Heishizhai knelt in devout worship, a strange phenomenon finally appeared in the temple!
Clusters of eerie blue flames slowly rose from both sides of the temple road, illuminating the dark hall. In the main hall stood a statue over three zhang tall, dressed in white robes and cloud-patterned garments, humanoid but faceless.

"Om~"

Two eerie blue flames suddenly ignited on that featureless face, perfectly positioned to correspond to its eyes. The ghostly flames, like the eyes of a god, gazed upon the villagers kneeling outside the hall.

Seeing this bizarre scene, even the most courageous Li Yiguang couldn't help but take a deep breath, suppressing his shock, and lowering his head, not daring to look directly at it.

Bai Wuxiang's true form landed on the statue, but none of the mortals present could see his true form.

As the incense sticks on the offering table emitted wisps of blue smoke, pure white mist gathered from above the heads of more than three hundred villagers and merged into Bai Wuxiang's body, allowing him to no longer feel disgusted by human presence for the first time.

"Is this... the incense-burning faith?"

Bai Wuxiang was quite surprised. Just as he was about to delve into his mind to perceive its mystery, the Vengeful Spirit Pearl in his body suddenly erupted with a pulling force, absorbing all the divine power of faith in his body.

Then, the bead flashed with spiritual light, and a divine spell entered his mind.

"Great skill, a gift from God."

"If the gods are faithful and receive offerings from the faithful, they will bestow divine power upon the offerings and protect the spirits of those who believe."

"Divine magic?" Bai Wuxiang was curious. The Vengeful Spirit Pearl could not only absorb resentment, but also the power of faith? The effects of this item were rather bizarre, as it could absorb and generate techniques from two completely different and mysterious powers.

However, this technique is quite useful for Bai Wuxiang at the moment.

Originally, he planned to sacrifice his limited demonic power to attach himself to the bones, so that these mortals could carry them and scare away some weak ghosts.

But now that they have the power of faith, they can naturally use this power to bestow divine blessings, which can be considered as fulfilling their original agreement and giving Black Stone Village some protection.

All things in the world gather without profit, and cannot last long without benefit. If he wanted to hide in the Yunze Mountains and use the Black Stone Village to avoid risks, he naturally needed to offer these mortals some benefits.

Bai Wuxiang didn't mind expending his divine power of faith. Unlike accumulating resentment, as a skeletal undead spirit, he could utilize resentment.

Ultimately, the divine power gained through faith relies on external things. If he only cultivates divine power, without the faith of these mortals, he will be powerless.

Bai Wuxiang unleashed his divine power without hesitation, using the Vengeful Spirit Pearl to bless the entire Wuxiang Temple. He then awakened the spirit of the statue, entrusting a wisp of his divine consciousness to it, making the statue much more solemn and majestic.

Finally, he used divine magic to bless the ten pieces of broken bone on the offering table, infusing them with the power of faith, which transformed these ten originally ordinary animal bones into incomparably white bone jade.

Amidst the gasps of amazement from the villagers, ten pieces of bone jade, gleaming white light, slowly landed in front of the three leaders.

Bai Wuxiang transmitted his voice and said, "Those who believe in me, Wuxiang, hold my bone jade, and recite my name will be protected, and spirits and monsters will find it difficult to invade, and evil spirits will find it difficult to approach."

The sound, imbued with illusion, resounded throughout the temple. All the villagers cheered and knelt in worship. For these villagers, who were mostly illiterate, once they knelt down for the first time, they would continue to worship this formless god!

"Whoo~"

A cold wind rose, and the eerie blue flames that had been hovering on both sides of the main path of the temple were extinguished. The eyes on the statues also mysteriously disappeared. The bright moon finally pierced through the dark clouds, and its light once again illuminated the temple. The villagers who could vaguely make out the overall appearance of the temple all realized that the temple they had built seemed to have changed.

Li Yiguang helped You Junzi up from the ground and comforted him, saying, "Second brother, there's no need to worry too much. It's just a matter of kneeling and bowing. Even if that person is rampant, there are always ways to keep him in check!"

“What you say is right, elder brother. After all, it did leave something behind, which is quite useful for our village’s current predicament!” Third leader Zhao Lengxiang echoed.

You Junzi nodded slowly, coming back to his senses. "I was a bit too attached to appearances. Third Sister is right. Only when we solve the current predicament of our village can we think about the future!"

He turned to the crowd and said, “Everyone, starting tomorrow, with the protection of the formless deity, our Black Stone Village will be able to venture into the deep mountains to hunt and forage.”

Everyone, go back and get a good night's rest. Tomorrow, the chief will arrange the hunting party, and our village will be able to eat meat!

"Great! I've finally had enough of drinking thin vegetable soup! Just thinking about eating meat makes my mouth water."

"Son, I'll go into the mountains tomorrow to catch some rabbit meat for you!"

"Really? Father, are we really going to have meat tomorrow? I've been starving!"

Seeing the joy on the faces of the villagers, You Junzi felt much relieved. After all, they still had to survive!

In such a world, it's incredibly difficult for a kind person to survive. You Junzi could only manage to avoid resorting to cannibalism like Wulongzhai. He couldn't worry about anything else!

(End of this chapter)