CHAPTER 426: CHAPTER 423 TAOISM SCRIPTURE

An unknown Power is corroding this pass, causing it to completely change, even the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Mechanism is already carrying pollution.

Moreover, this Power seems to have been here for a while, nearly completely engulfing the entire Hangu Pass. This massive energy flow is pervasive, almost at the brink of manifestation.

Something is being nurtured here, reaching a point where it is about to break through its shell.

The land is telling Lu Ren that his appearance is like its lifeline, swaying wildly towards him, conveying messages.

Lu Ren’s expression remained indifferent, showing no reaction to the spontaneous affinity of this land. The eerie Power has thoroughly corroded this place, making it impossible to reverse. Even if a True Immortal master from the Human Immortal Realm were to come, they would be helpless, unable to prevent this land’s fall.

"Did you hear that?"

Zhang Tongxuan, who was traveling with Lu Ren towards the city wall, suddenly whispered to Lu Ren.

"Hear what?"

"The lament, this land is lamenting, falling, pleading for our help."

Lu Ren nodded slightly: "Heard it."

After thinking for a moment, Lu Ren described: "It’s like a delicate and tender maiden being forced into a room by a strong outsider, then suffering day and night endlessly; this plea for help..."

Lu Ren specially paused here, observing Zhang Tongxuan’s speechless expression before continuing: "This place’s teaching may have conditioned it to listen to the intruder’s words, even this plea for help might just be inviting the sheep into the room, to become the lamb waiting to be slaughtered."

"So, what are you trying to emphasize with what you said?" Zhang Tongxuan was somewhat bewildered.

Lu Ren sneered: "Merely the master’s task."

Zhang Tongxuan: "..."

For Lu Ren’s description, Zhang Tongxuan was rendered speechless, but indeed, Lu Ren had spoken with extraordinary vividness. Hangu Pass had been subjected to this eerie Power for ages, long beyond salvage.

At this moment, Lu Ren was also feeling heavy-hearted, as the region of Hangu Pass is exceptionally unique. During the Mythical Era, it was crucial in resisting Outer Demon intrusions and suppressing certain things from the Seeking Truth Realm.

Once the pass breaks, Earth would be left vulnerable to any invasion.

It’s hard to imagine such an important checkpoint has been engulfed to this extent, unguarded, yet Earth has remained unscathed for countless years.

The influence of the cosmic environment seems not only to radiate through Earth’s starry sky but spread to countless regions.

After nearly two hours, Lu Ren and Zhang Tongxuan ascended Hangu Pass. From afar, they saw a high platform where someone had constructed a white jade altar atop Hangu Pass. The altar was set with white jade, from which countless blood strands spread from the center.

And there in the altar’s center, a book was floating.

But now this book has been enveloped in numerous blood strands, turning into a blood-soaked manuscript that emits an exceptionally eerie aura.

Its information is distorted, dark, sinister, and strange, imbued with unspeakable malice, as if every negative descriptor could be applied to this blood-soaked book.

Just from a glance, Lu Ren felt uncomfortable, as the blood-soaked book emitted maddening vibes, compelling one to plunge forward without reservations, becoming a part of this blood strand.

As if this was the highest honor.

"Be careful, these blood tissues are alive. Once disturbed, it will be quite troublesome."

At this moment, Zhang Tongxuan had collected all his energies and merged into Hangu Pass like a rock, gazing intently at the blood-soaked book on the altar without any carelessness.

Lu Ren was speechless, as Zhang Tongxuan was sometimes unreliable, hastily concealing his presence first.

Seeing this, Lu Ren also swiftly concealed his own life energy aura, instantly becoming utterly dormant.

"Do you see that? That’s the Tao Te Ching in the Taoism Scripture."

With some sorrow in his voice, Zhang Tongxuan stared at the floating blood-soaked book on the altar.

"The Taoism Scripture has been thoroughly polluted by now, and we lack the ability to open it, nor do we know whether its contents have been tainted by these blood strands."

"Let’s take a closer look. I’m quite eager to see what the Tao Te Ching left by Old man when he went west from Hangu Pass with Shakyamuni to pursue the Extraordinary Tide deep into the starry sky, at Yin Xi’s request, contains. Does it summarize the Three Immortal Realms of Heaven, Earth, and Human?"

As they approached within a hundred zhang of the altar, about to come closer, Lu Ren’s pupils suddenly contracted, fixating intensely on the figure that appeared out of nowhere kneeling before him.

"What the hell..."

Zhang Tongxuan beside him was also rubbing his eyes in disbelief, hesitantly saying: "Am I seeing things?"

Lu Ren’s eyes narrowed, and his Qi and Blood were no longer dormant, as True Essence circulated slowly, penetrating his four limbs and bones. His Life Magnetic Field spread out with Divine Sense, enabling his Essence, Qi, and Spirit to achieve Perfection, thus invoking the Bodhisattva Fruit Position Body of the Tenth Dharma Cloud Land.

He raised his hand, fingers weaving several True Techniques from the Real Buddha’s True Scripture, letting a wisp of Pill Qi from the Red Dragon Inner Core tumble down, transforming into an enormous tidal wave of energy dancing around him.

For a moment, peace, tranquility, serenity enveloped Lu Ren, spreading outward and gradually dispelling the bizarre twisted aura that was polluting the vicinity.

"If not for Buddha turning into a demon, and old age rendering him an ogre driven by insatiable desire for longevity, the Buddhist Sect’s Buddhist Dharma indeed has unique aspects!"

Zhang Tongxuan praised Lu Ren profusely upon witnessing this, sensing that Lu Ren was nurturing a vast ocean-like aura within himself that seemed capable of engulfing everything.

Lu Ren glanced at Zhang Tongxuan: "The Taoist Sect was no better either, city massacres for Artifact Refining, practicing True Skill; all constructed at the cost of human life, detached from the mundane, they’re no longer human."

Zhang Tongxuan’s face was fraught with embarrassment as he said: "That’s all ancient history. We’ve come from this new era as good youth, such occurrences are unlikely to happen again."

He quickly changed the subject, aware that the Taoist Sect had also produced many misdeeds historically. The Buddhist and Taoist Families were almost like elder brother and second brother, differing merely by fifty paces.

Looking at the figure kneeling before them, wearing armor that was already rusted, of extraordinarily ancient design.

"I’ve been here several times before, but never seen this figure."

Lu Ren’s gaze was profound with divine light flickering: "Perhaps it’s the hundred zhang distance, once we cross it, this figure emerges."

"Who left it here?"