CHAPTER 922: CHAPTER 467:

The backyard of the Chen Family Manor, shrouded in darkness.

The once lively and bustling water and land Dharma assembly was now plunged into a dead silence.

The orderly chanting of the monks and the clear clash of the chimes suddenly ceased.

The whispering voices of the Chen Family also seemed to choke in their throats, disappearing in an instant.

On the broad open ground, only the roaring flames in front of the Dharma Platform danced wildly in the darkness.

The orange-red tongues of fire kept leaping upwards, almost licking the dark sky.

Everyone stopped moving, their eyes fixed intently on the fire.

A terrifying thought surfaced in everyone’s minds simultaneously.

Was the sigh they just heard an illusion? Or was there truly an Evil Spirit hidden within the corpse?

Could it be that even this great fire couldn’t destroy it?

The wind suddenly grew fierce, blowing the scripture banners around with a flapping sound.

The runes on the banners flickered in the firelight, as if summoning the souls sleeping in the darkness.

The fierce wind carried the odor of burnt wood and pungent smoke, invading nostrils and causing some to cough uncontrollably.

Yet the chill permeating the air overshadowed the heat of the flames, making the skin tighten painfully.

The entire manor seemed enveloped in a gigantic net, suffocating its inhabitants.

The open ground was left with only the sound of the wailing wind, the crackle of firewood, and the heavy breathing of the crowd.

And the sigh from deep within the fire pit seemed to linger, echoing endlessly in the night sky.

"Thump—"

No one knew whose wooden fish had fallen to the ground.

The monks’ eyes were wide open, their faces pale, and their folded hands trembled slightly.

Their spiritual perception was strong, already sensing something stirring within the burning pile of corpses.

In the center of the Dharma Platform, Master Yuan Jue’s hand gripped the Buddha Beads tightly, his eyes full of shock as he gazed at the fire.

His lips moved slightly, unable to resist uttering a Buddhist chant: "Amitabha..."

Just before the chant fell silent, "crackling" sounds suddenly emanated from the fire pit.

It was the sound of burning wood and coffin fragments being pushed aside by a force.

Then, a charred silhouette, along with ash and sparks, slowly rose from the flames.

It was the corpse of Chen Hongye.

Although it should have been burned completely, it now seemed to have come back to life under the eyes of everyone present.

On the surface of his charred and wrinkled skin, dark red spells crawled.

These spells slithered about like living serpents, and with each movement, a faint red glow seeped from the patterns, forcing the surrounding flames to retreat continuously.

Though burn marks still marred his body, he stood upright, his head slightly raised.

When the hollow eye sockets turned toward the crowd, two crimson lights slowly lit up.

"Hoo—"

He suddenly opened his mouth and exhaled a long breath of black smoke, then took a step forward.

The tongues of fire circled at his feet as if fearing something, and even the sparks that splashed onto his skin extinguished instantly.

This vivid scene of a corpse resurrecting shattered the faint hope lingering in everyone’s hearts.

"Ah..."

First came a weak gasp from the crowd.

Then fear spread like a tidal wave.

The Chen Family froze in place, faces filled with horror.

Some covered their mouths, eyes wide as if they were about to burst.

Others kept retreating, their voices trembling as they muttered:

"Is there truly an Evil Spirit possessing it? Is it... about to manifest?"

Elder Chen Dehai leaned on his cane, his cloudy eyes fixed on the silhouette, muttering:

"Hongye... is it you..."

His voice was light, tinged with disbelief, as if afraid to disturb something.

Chen Xu’an at the front of the crowd reacted differently from the others.

Aside from shock and fear, his face was filled with more hatred.

His fists clenched tightly, glaring at the figure in the fire as if facing a mortal enemy.

Beside him, Fang Cheng and the others wore equally grave expressions.

Lin Chuqiao’s eyes flashed slightly, reaching into her collar to retrieve her Amulet, holding it tight, secretly preparing.

Bai Ling hid behind Fang Cheng in fright, peeking with terrified eyes at the resurrected corpse.

"What the hell is this, fiercer than a Zombie, and not afraid of fire."

Pan Wendi’s mouth was agape, his voice inevitably trembling.

Fang Cheng remained standing tall, his eyes penetrating the flames, staring at the ’monster’ rising from the fire.

The creature in the fire showed no regard for the crowd’s reactions.

Slowly, it raised a blackened hand, as if inspecting something.

Then, it lowered its head to gaze at its charcoal-like body, its crimson eyes flickered with obvious anger.

Like displeasure at its flesh being burned to this ugly state.

However, just seconds later, the anger quickly faded, replaced by a hint of relief.

It gently lowered its arm, as if confirming something, then exhaled a breath of acrid smoke.

"Thankfully... the foundation wasn’t harmed, only minor skin wounds."

The old, authoritative voice rang out again, carrying a sense of relief after surviving a calamity.

Then, it turned its gaze back to the crowd on the open ground, its voice suddenly stern.

"You unworthy descendants! At the very moment of my merit completion, how dare you commit such atrocity, attempting to burn my corpse?!"

The creature unabashedly assumed the identity of Chen Hongye, its words filled with the undeniable authority of the Family Head.