Weird Cultivation, I have a five-organ temple

Chapter 684 The Pokeweed "Appears"

On this day, Shang Lu arrived at Yanhe County, the westernmost county of Jiang State. Further west, he would enter the territory of Zheng State.

Now, the states of Ba and Chu are jointly attacking Zheng. Logically, it would be best to stay away from such a war-torn place, but Shang Lu wanted to return to Ba as soon as possible and did not want to waste any more time, so he planned to go back from Zheng.

With his current cultivation level and the help of Third Sister, avoiding war and chaos is not a problem.

Upon arriving at the capital of Yanhe County, Shang Lu descended upon the witch gourd, intending to sell some items there.

In the past few days, besides traveling and cultivating, Shang Lu also took stock of all the equipment and pills he had picked up at sea.

Although he found many of the relics of the Tai Mo Academy's officials, unfortunately, most of the magical artifacts were damaged, and the elixirs had been corrupted by the chaotic divine power.

Shang Luxiu was not a weapon shaman. Although he had learned some of the Mo Sect's techniques, it was really too much to ask him to repair these magical artifacts damaged by divine power.

It's easier to just sell it!
Anyway, these broken magical artifacts are unrecognizable, so there's no fear of them being recognized and causing trouble.

Even though they were broken and difficult to repair, they could still yield a considerable amount of materials. For the Mo Clan, the Gongshu family, and the weapon shamans, they were considered valuable items, and Shang Lu wasn't worried about not being able to sell them.

As for the elixirs, their properties and effects changed under the influence of the chaotic divine power. Although Shang Lu had a temple for the five internal organs, it was undergoing changes recently, and he didn't want to indiscriminately consume things that would increase the burden on it.

I might as well sell them all and exchange them for some urgently needed materials.

Shang Lu rode his gourd and landed directly at the city gate. As he put away the gourd and took out his identity token, his ears twitched slightly, allowing him to hear all the whispered conversations of the people waiting in line to enter the city.

These people mostly chat about trivial, everyday matters.

However, a conversation among a few merchants immediately piqued Shang Lu's interest.

"Are you aware of what's happening in Shannan County?"

"I heard that everyone in their county died. Is that true?"

"It's true, and it's not just people who died. Every living thing in Shannan County is dead, and many of them have even turned into zombies. Shannan County is now as terrifying as hell!"

"Why is this happening? Is there an outbreak of disease? But what kind of disease could turn living beings into zombies?"

"What plague? It's clearly a man-made disaster! I know some Confucian scholars from Nanshan Academy, which is only a hundred miles from Shannan County. According to them, they discovered the billowing evil energy and corpse energy rising into the sky from Shannan County immediately. After investigating, they found that cultivators were wreaking havoc in Shannan County!"

"Those cultivators are not only powerful, but also extremely cruel. After killing someone, they immediately refine the corpse into a zombie, and then send these zombies to slaughter their families, thereby cultivating even stronger malevolent energy and resentment!"

"Damn it, where did these heretical cultivators come from? They deserve to die!"

"Shh! Don't say things like that!"

“I’ve heard from some cultivators I know that those cultivators who massacred people in Shannan County are probably connected to the Tai Mo Academy. Have you heard the recent rumors about the Tai Mo Academy? The ones about them killing people to obtain the Dharma and refining human bodies into pills? The tragedy in Shannan County is likely closely related to this…”

The merchants at the city gate spoke softer and softer, but Shang Lu could still hear them clearly.

He raised an eyebrow slightly, glanced at the group out of the corner of his eye, but did not approach them to ask for information.

After the city gate guards verified his identity and waist tag, Shang Lu went straight into the city and headed straight for the market.

The market town where the prefectural government is located is quite large and bustling.

Not only were there merchants traveling from the north and south, but also many cultivators, as well as shops run by several aristocratic families and sects.

Shang Lu made a round, selling the damaged magical artifacts and mutated pills that he no longer needed, and exchanged them for a batch of urgently needed materials, which he planned to use to make Nuo masks and refine magical artifacts.

Among the relics of those people from Tai Mo Academy, he found several methods for refining magical artifacts, which could come in handy.

While conducting the transaction, Shang Lu, relying on his silver tongue and cunning, quickly found out what was happening in Shannan County.

This happened just a few days ago.

It is said that a group of cultivators suddenly appeared in Shannan County and began a massacre.

Regardless of age or gender, whether human or animal, they slaughtered all living things, cutting off their heads to build mounds of skulls, while turning their corpses into headless zombies to aid in their complete massacre.

The magistrate and county constable of Shannan County were quite brave and tried to stop them at first, but they were no match for this group and were all killed in a single encounter.

Aside from Nanshan Academy, several other sects and families in the vicinity also noticed the unusual situation in Shannan County and sent people to investigate.

It turned out that in just one night, the living beings in Shannan County were slaughtered by these few cultivators. Not only did the blood flow like a river, but they also built up mounds of corpses resembling altars.

Without a doubt, these cultivators must have been prepared in advance and secretly planned everything, which is why they were able to kill so ruthlessly and so quickly!

When the cultivators from several families arrived, they found that the cultivators, after slaughtering the living beings of Shannan County, were still not satisfied and were driving the corpse demons to kill more people in nearby counties and towns.

These cultivation sects and families immediately joined forces, dispatching all their disciples to burn the zombies and purify the evil spirits. They paid a heavy price to severely injure and subdue those cultivators.

It is said that after those cultivators were captured, they not only did not repent, but were also extremely arrogant, saying that they were "following the will of Heaven" and purifying this unclean world for the sake of Heaven!

They even uttered arrogant words, claiming to be messengers of Heaven, on their way to godhood. They also cursed those who tried to stop their killing, saying they were going against the will of Heaven and would be punished by Heaven!
The behavior of those cultivators was very consistent with the various rumors about Tai Mo Academy in recent times, which aroused suspicion among many people. They wondered whether Tai Mo Academy had been deceived and bewitched by the evil god, or whether someone wanted to frame them.

The sects and families that captured the indiscriminately slaughtered cultivators planned to take them to the Tai Mo Academy to demand an explanation.

"The cultivators who have been bewitched by the Tai Mo Academy have indeed begun to wreak havoc."

Shang Lu frowned slightly. He knew very well that if he didn't stop it, more innocent lives would be lost.

Although he didn't understand why the people of Tai Mo Academy were so certain that as long as they went on a killing spree, they could trigger that terrible catastrophe to come again.

I don't know what makes these people from Tai Mo Academy so certain that they will survive the Great Cataclysm and even become gods.

However, this matter must be stopped as soon as possible.

Shanglu certainly didn't want another horrific catastrophe to strike.

Even powerful gods were powerless against the eerie blood mist, either driven mad or drained dry and perished.

If this catastrophe were to happen again, Shang Lu didn't think he and San Niang could withstand it.

The best way is to prevent this terrible catastrophe from ever happening again.

It's impossible for Shang Lu to stop this on his own.

Fortunately, in the past few days, besides traveling, Shang Lu has also been thinking of solutions and has already come up with a plan.

This is the perfect time to use it.

But Shang Lu was not in a hurry. He first took a walk around the city and, with the help of his spiritual insight and San Niang's secret reconnaissance, roughly grasped the situation of the cultivators in the area.

In this county town, apart from the county governor and the county commandant, whose cultivation levels are relatively high, one is a fourth-grade Celestial Realm cultivator and the other is a fifth-grade Inner Palace Realm cultivator.

The cultivation levels of the rest were all below the seventh rank.

Having made up his mind, Shang Lu immediately entered the Dongjun Temple in the city, first offering incense to Dongjun. Then, San Niang used the incense to set up a magic array in the temple.

With the magic array in place, Shang Lu took out the Ice Crystal Blue Lotus and the Calamity Heart Lamp, and activated the magic with all his might.

In a daze, everyone inside and outside the city heard a piece of music playing.

It resembles Nuo songs, yet it has some differences, making it difficult to hear clearly.

The prefect and the military commander rushed out of the yamen at almost the same time, wanting to fly up into the sky to check the situation.

But at that very moment, while everyone was still in shock, the sun hanging in the sky suddenly shone brightly.

The intense light was so blinding that it was impossible to open one's eyes. Even the prefect and the military commander experienced blurred vision at that moment. They could only vaguely make out a towering, enormous figure appearing within the blazing sun.

At the same time, an immense pressure, as large as a mountain, descended from the sky, making it difficult for everyone to breathe.

"It's divine power!" The prefect's expression changed drastically.

The prefect exclaimed in surprise, "What kind of deity has appeared in our city?" Both men, startled, quickly realized what was happening and cried out, "Lower your heads! Don't look! Don't look directly at a god!"

Their cultivation level was high enough that their perception was clearer.

Fearing contamination, the two hurriedly chanted incantations to protect their minds. At the same time, they covered their ears and lowered their heads, not daring to look or listen, for fear that their eyes and ears would explode and their bodies would undergo strange changes, leading to madness and sudden death.

The reactions of the other cultivators and ordinary people were noticeably slower.

Some clever people immediately followed suit, bowing their heads and covering their ears. But most people instinctively looked up at the strange phenomenon in the sky.

Fortunately, the sunlight did not cause them to change their ways.

Despite the glaring sunlight, many people still saw a huge statue appear in the sky, waving its hand and slapping a person down hard.

"boom--"

The person struck by the statue fell heavily onto the street in front of the government office like a shooting star.

It blasted a deep crater into the street.

"The Great Nuo of Jiang Kingdom has blasphemed the gods and lost his humanity. Today I will kill him, so that you may all take this as a warning!"

A majestic voice descended from the sky, entering everyone's minds.

Before everyone could recover from their shock, the strange phenomenon in the sky suddenly disappeared, just as suddenly as it had appeared.

The prefect and the military commander looked at each other, and even though they were experienced, they were at a loss for what to do at this moment.

At this moment, the officials in the yamen finally left their respective offices and cautiously approached the deep pit.

They saw a person lying in the pit.

The person was face down, making their features obscured, and their body was melting rapidly, like a candle subjected to intense heat.

In just a few breaths, it turned into a pool of blood.

A Nuo mask floated in the blood.

Upon seeing the Nuo mask, the prefect's expression changed drastically, and he exclaimed in a trembling voice, "This...this is the supreme Nuo mask that the great Nuo masters of all generations have carried with them!"

The Commandant also said, "That's right, it's the Supreme Nuo Mask. I saw the Grand Nuo performance at the Tai Mo Academy, and this was the Nuo Mask they were wearing!"

Their words immediately drew gasps of surprise from the surrounding crowd:
"What? This is the supreme Nuo mask, passed down through generations of Nuo rituals?"

"Why is the Supreme Nuo Mask here? Could the person who died really be the Great Nuo?"

"The rumors are true. The people from Da Nuo and Tai Mo Academy were practicing evil magic, which offended the gods and triggered divine punishment, resulting in their deaths!"

In the prefectural government office, some officials were disciples of the Tai Mo Academy.

Upon hearing this, the man flew into a rage and hissed, “Impossible! This Nuo mask can absolutely not be the Supreme Nuo Mask of the Great Nuo Ceremony. Someone must be trying to frame me!”

He waved his hand, and his true energy roared out, transforming into a sword of energy that hurtled straight at the Nuo mask in the pit.

We must destroy this fake Nuo mask and prove it to everyone.

"Whoosh-"

The sword energy, like a rainbow, instantly flew to Nuo Mian's front.

"Om-"

Suddenly, a seven-colored light burst forth from the Nuo face.

The sword energy released by the disciples of Taimo Academy was instantly vaporized when it encountered this seven-colored light, just like ice shards encountering intense heat.

The instant the sword energy disappeared, the disciple of Tai Mo Academy spat out a mouthful of blood. He was struck as if by a heavy blow, a large chunk of his chest collapsed, and he couldn't even stand up, collapsing to the ground with a thud.

"Seven-colored rainbow, this is a divine technique that only supreme Nuo masks possess, why does it appear on this Nuo mask?"

"Could it really be the Supreme Nuo Mask? No, absolutely not! The Great Nuo cannot die, and the Tai Mo Academy cannot become a demon's lair..."

Even as he lay on the ground gushing blood, this disciple of the Tai Mo Academy still couldn't believe that Da Nuo was dead, nor could he believe the various rumors surrounding the Tai Mo Academy.

The prefect and the military commander looked at each other, both filled with suspicion.

They were unaware of what Tai Mo Academy was doing behind the scenes, but they had heard quite a few rumors recently.

After a moment's thought, the prefectural commandant instructed a clerk, "Go down and bring out this Nuo mask."

"Ah I?"

The constable pointed at himself, his face filled with horror, almost swearing.

The Nuo mask in the pit could knock even cultivators to the ground. He was just an ordinary clerk who hadn't even cultivated his Qi yet. How could he possibly obtain it? Wasn't this sending him to his death?

At this moment, the prefect spoke up: "The Nuo mask has a spirit. As long as you don't act rashly, nothing will happen... Take out the Nuo mask, and you will be richly rewarded!"

Despite the generous reward, the officials still dared not obey the order and did not believe what the prefect said.

If the Nuo mask truly possesses power, why didn't the prefect and the military commander retrieve it, instead of letting him go?

No matter how great the reward, you have to be alive to enjoy it.

"I go."

The injured disciple of Tai Mo Academy stuffed a healing pill into his mouth, struggled to his feet, and volunteered to help.

He was still unwilling to give up, refusing to believe that it was the supreme Nuo mask passed down through generations of the Jiang Kingdom's Nuo tradition, and insisted on picking it out and examining it himself.

Upon seeing this, the prefect immediately nodded, "Alright, you can go." He then added, "Be careful in everything you do, and don't be reckless!"

The disciple of Tai Mo Academy clasped his hands in agreement, suppressed his anger and killing intent, and jumped into the deep pit.

The Nuo mask in the pit did not react as expected.

However, the moment the disciple of Tai Mo Academy reached out and touched the Nuo mask, his expression suddenly changed drastically, turning into one of extreme pain.

In an instant, his body began to rapidly change and disintegrate.

In the blink of an eye, this disciple of Tai Mo Academy was reduced to a pile of mangled flesh.

But he wasn't dead yet; his eyeballs were still blinking amidst the rotting flesh, and his mouth was still opening and closing.

It could even make a sound: "Help...help me..."

This horrifying sight shocked everyone.

Not only did no one dare to rescue him, but they all took several steps back, fearing they would be caught in the crossfire.

Even the prefect and the military commander were the same.

While urgently ordering the retrieval of various ritual implements to seal the Nuo mask in the deep pit and prevent contamination from leaking out, they also speculated in shock:

"A curse! It must be a curse cast by a deity within the Supreme Nuo Mask!"

"What heinous things did Da Nuo and the others do to deserve such a terrible curse from the gods?"

"This is going to sever the lineage of our Jiang Kingdom in the art of Nuo!"

(End of this chapter)