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Ch82.1 - Two Strings of Prayer Beads




Su Hansheng seemed to have returned to his past life.
Everyone cursed him for slaughtering fellow disciples. A strange crimson array emerged from underground, grabbing his feet and dragging him down inch by inch into darkness.
Even the usually detested sunlight became an unattainable luxury as he watched the light disappear before his eyes.
When he regained consciousness, he was already in the bloody carnage of Infinite Hell.
Perhaps because most cast into Infinite Hell were from the Fuli clan, strange arrays were everywhere. One misstep meant being separated from one’s body.
Su Hansheng’s cultivation destroyed, covered in blood, he staggered forward.
He didn’t know where to go, couldn’t understand why, when it was clearly a dead end, he still struggled desperately trying to move forward.
Not knowing how long he’d walked through that blood-soaked wasteland, Su Hansheng finally belatedly seemed to understand something, stumbling and collapsing to the ground.
He seemed to have accidentally entered a broken slaughter array. Countless fierce ghosts shuttled through the array, clamoring to devour the rare fresh flesh.
Su Hansheng tilted his head, watching a strange ghost embrace his hand and suck his blood. After just a few sips, as if drinking poison, it shrieked and suddenly turned to smoke.
Phoenix Bone was still inside him.
Su Hansheng felt somewhat disappointed he hadn’t been devoured.
But blood already flowed continuously from his inner palace. Staying in this array full of violent winds and malevolent energy, his head would be severed by the sword intent running amok in moments.
Forget it.
Su Hansheng wearily closed his eyes, thinking: just let it be.
In his closing vision, he vaguely saw someone striding quickly toward him.
Then that person seemed to enter the array full of malevolent energy, triggering countless fierce ghosts to roar competitively.
Su Hansheng’s ears hurt from the noise. Struggling to open his eyes, he saw the blood-covered stranger kneeling beside him, seemingly wanting to help him up but hesitating, not daring to touch him.
Su Hansheng’s vision was already filled with blood—he couldn’t see the person’s face clearly.
He saw the person hesitate repeatedly, sigh, then finally lift Su Hansheng’s severely injured body to lean against his chest.
The unique bloody scent of Infinite Hell rushed over, swirling around them.
That person murmured something lowly, the tone seeming like crying yet also like pretending to be calm while smiling.
“Good child, why are you here?”
Su Hansheng blinked, his blood-obscured vision only able to shed tears mixed with blood in vain.
“Don’t be afraid.” The man smiled, reaching to wipe away the tear tracks on his face. His voice was clearly nonchalant yet carried indescribable tenderness: “You’ll be fine.”
Su Hansheng only found it laughable.
His inner palace had been completely destroyed. Moreover, having stayed in this Infinite Hell for so many days, even his companion tree was reduced to half a withered branch, drooping listlessly in his disheveled hair unable to move. Even if he returned to the three realms and used all the spirit pills, recovery was impossible.
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At the moment consciousness faded, he murmured as if possessed by a supernatural force:
“Father.”
That person seemed to laugh softly.
His consciousness soared and circled at the ninth heaven for a long time—so long that Su Hansheng couldn’t remember where he’d come from or where he was going. His soul suddenly plummeted straight down from midair.
With a tremendous crash, it slammed back into his body.
Opening his eyes in shock, Su Hansheng found the pain in his body had completely vanished. His inner palace at his waist and abdomen had not only healed but even remarkably formed a golden core, with warm spiritual power flowing through all his meridians.
Su Hansheng was bewildered for a long while before belatedly surveying his surroundings.
He didn’t know when he’d left that killing array. He was now curled up in a large dark blue robe, with the slaughter array still teeming with countless fierce ghosts not far away.
Su Hansheng looked over in confusion, suddenly freezing.
He’d thought encountering that person earlier was just a near-death hallucination. But looking closely now, he saw someone sitting cross-legged in the slaughter array, blood slowly flowing down from his body, nearly flooding the entire massive array.
Su Hansheng watched almost numbly.
Countless fierce ghosts were climbing on that person, viciously gnawing. The sword intent and violent winds full of malevolent energy cut through his body. His neck had already been slashed with wounds deep enough to see bone.
But his blood seemed about to run dry—little accumulated at his collarbones.
Su Hansheng stared blankly, vaguely remembering that person’s warm, reassuring embrace. He wanted to crawl on his knees to his side.
Suddenly, that person made a faint sound.
“Don’t come over. Keep going forward.”
Su Hansheng’s movements paused as he looked over in confusion.
“Little Magpie, keep going forward.” That person’s face was covered in bloody marks, his lips seemingly curled in a smile as he murmured: “Cross the sea of fire, become…”
Su Hansheng tilted his head, watching him numbly, not understanding what he was saying.
That person didn’t finish before dying, head slightly bowing as his soul slowly rose from his body.
But unlike others who died in the array and became fierce ghosts unable to transcend, he was a clear, pure spirit, floating quietly before Su Hansheng.
The spirit lightly touched Su Hansheng’s soft hair, sighing softly as it finished the incomplete words:
“…become a phoenix.”
Then, it completely dissipated between heaven and earth.
Su Hansheng blankly covered his head. An inexplicable sorrow uncontrollably rose in his heart, spreading throughout until it filled him completely. He was stunned for a long while, then suddenly, like a child, began crying loudly in the corpse-strewn wasteland.
***
In the Buddhist hall at the back mountain.
Chongjue had just carried Su Hansheng back and placed him on the bed when the unconscious Su Hansheng suddenly struggled to embrace him, sobbing: “No… I don’t want to go to Infinite Hell.”
Chongjue thought he was just frightened, gently holding him in his arms as he said warmly: “You won’t go to Infinite Hell.”
“I… I will!” Though Su Hansheng had opened his eyes, his pupils were still scattered. He gripped Chongjue’s collar tightly, face covered in tear tracks as he murmured: “I… I killed someone. I caused his death… I’ll be cast into Infinite Hell once I’m discovered!”
Chongjue was stunned, reaching to wipe away the tear tracks on Su Hansheng’s face, saying patiently: “Xiaoxiao, no matter what happens, I’ll protect you.”
Su Hansheng stared blankly at Chongjue, then suddenly pushed him away, retreating in terror.
“You… you know. You’ll cast me into Infinite Hell…”
Just like moments ago.
Though Chongjue had cultivated a Buddha’s heart, touching the youth’s eyes filled with terror and fear made him feel as if he’d forgotten all Buddhist scriptures and teachings, lost those thousands of years meditating on Mount Sumeru. His heart was in chaos.
Seeing Su Hansheng struggle in his embrace as if possessed, Chongjue’s dark blue eyes seemed to ripple in waves. He gripped his shoulders to stop all struggling, saying in a low voice:
“I won’t.”
If he’d known dragging people into Infinite Hell would cause Su Hansheng such trauma, he should have…
As soon as this thought emerged, Chongjue’s heart skipped heavily.
—As if two hearts beating at completely different rates had suddenly synchronized in that instant.
Su Hansheng’s face still wet with tears, looked at him confused: “You… really won’t?”
Chongjue wiped away those seemingly endless tears, soothing him warmly: “Never.”
Su Hansheng covered Chongjue’s hand pressed against his face, murmuring: “Then promise me—if someday I commit a catastrophic crime, you’d rather kill me than cast me into Infinite Hell.”
Chongjue laughed helplessly.
“Mm, I promise. No matter what happens in the future, I won’t kill you, and I won’t cast you into Infinite Hell.”
Su Hansheng grew anxious: “I said kill me…”
Chongjue didn’t know what madness this child was having, but could only go along with his words: “Alright, I promise everything.”
Su Hansheng remained listless for a long while before his possessed consciousness finally returned to normal.
He sat woodenly for a moment, then as if realizing something, sprang up: “Where’s Gong Handan? Where’s Senior Brother Lingge?”
Chongjue lit the mermaid candles: “Zhuang Lingge has returned to his cave dwelling. Gong Handan… seems to have gone to find her sister.”
Su Hansheng was surprised: “She… she’s alone?”
Though Gong Fuqu was at Wendao Academy, Gong Handan appeared to have never gone out alone. After this sudden upheaval, she should be sent back to Lingbo Valley to recognize her ancestry before anything else.
Chongjue said: “It was her own idea—I’ve sent people to protect her secretly. People from Lingbo Valley have received word and will come for her tomorrow night.”
Only then did Su Hansheng relax.
Chongjue pulled up the light-blocking bed curtains, saying warmly: “It’s already late. Sleep quickly. Whatever it is can wait until tomorrow.”
Su Hansheng nodded. Just as he was about to lie down, he sat up again, grabbing Chongjue’s hand: “Uncle?”
“Mm.”
“That array…” Su Hansheng said carefully: “Was it really decreed by Heaven’s Dao? You won’t be affected—the bone chains won’t flare up, right?”
Chongjue smiled: “Don’t worry. I’m fine.”
Only then did Su Hansheng lie down.
After tonight’s great sorrow and shock, he should have tossed and turned sleeplessly for a long while. Yet the moment Su Hansheng’s head touched the pillow, before he could even cultivate drowsiness, he suddenly fell into deep slumber.
Chongjue didn’t leave, sitting at the bedside watching for a long time before finally extending his hand to place it at Su Hansheng’s waist and abdomen, gently channeling spiritual power.
The sleeping Su Hansheng made an “mm” sound. His waist seemed lifted by an invisible force, bending slightly before suddenly falling back onto the bed.
Within the narrow bed curtains, cyan light flashed faintly.
Chongjue opened his palm to reveal a half-ring jade pendant suspended in his previously empty hand. When he’d placed it in Su Hansheng’s inner palace some time ago, the jade pendant had been flawless. But now a faint crack appeared on its surface.
Chongjue closed his eyes, reabsorbing the jade pendant into his body. A long red mark flashed briefly across his brow.
Su Hansheng’s clothes were disheveled as he slept deeply.
The World-Honored One watched him for a long while before pulling down the bed curtains, rising and slowly leaving the residence.
Night descended completely, all sounds silent. In the corridor leading to the Buddhist hall, another jade pendant covered in cracks and gray with dust silently appeared at Chongjue’s waist sash. A phantom shadow floated out from within.
It was Chongjue dressed entirely in black.
Immediately after, the ninety-nine bone chains also appeared suddenly like swimming dragons.
Su Xuanlin’s ninety-nine bone chains constrained Chongjue from “never interfering in matters of the three realms.” This artifact seemed to have unique criteria for judging “matters of the three realms.”
When Chongjue managed every aspect of Su Hansheng’s life with strict constraints, the bone chains didn’t make a peep. Only when Chongjue showed signs of using spiritual power would they suddenly appear like dogs seeing meat buns.