Chapter 204. Prophecies That Have Been Repeatedly Verified

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The dark aura on Jian Ya’s face, which had been lying dormant, suddenly ignited like a match thrown into a can of gasoline after coming into contact with Lin Nianci’s gentle magnetic field. This fire was not an ordinary fire, but a black fire without substance, form, or temperature.

Watching it burn Jian Ya beyond recognition, her face ulcerated, and watching it rapidly char Lin Nianci’s hands, leaving only bare bones, Lin Nian’en was utterly helpless. He tried to suppress the evil qi with a cleansing talisman, but to no avail. He then performed several hand seals and chanted exorcising curses, but still to no avail. All the spells his sect had taught him failed to extinguish the black flames, instead, they only grew stronger.

“Shidi, quickly call Shifu.” Lin Nianci had collapsed to the ground, her forehead covered in cold sweat, and her lips were bitten so hard that they bled, showing the intense pain she was enduring.

Lin Nian’en hurriedly picked up his shattered phone and called his master. While he was communicating with his sect, Jian Ya, her face contorted with rage, was rolling on the ground, screaming, shouting, and cursing in a piercing voice. Her drawn-out cries of ‘save me!’ echoed in the room, along with her agonizing wails, terrifying everyone present, including the Taoist priest on the other end of the phone.

Without asking any questions, the person on the other end said they would be there immediately and then cut off the signal. Lin Nian’en collapsed to the ground, his eyes red as he stared at his senior sister’s hands, which were now showing white bones. He kept muttering, “What should I do? What should I do? ShiJie, I was wrong. I hurt you. I thought it really was evil qi!”

Lin Nianci had no time to comfort her junior brother, as she was already overwhelmed with her own problems. She was horrified to discover that her magnetic field couldn’t extinguish the black flames, nor could it heal her charred hands. If she forced herself to endure it, it would be alright, if she dared to channel even a tiny bit of spiritual energy into her hands, the black flames would burn even more fiercely. Her spiritual power had become a catalyst for the black flames!

She was in so much pain that she was sweating profusely, her face contorted, and tears and snot streamed down her face. She was no longer the ethereal beauty she had been before. The three people, Bi Zetai and his companions, who were extremely infatuated with her, were already terrified by this bizarre situation and all kept their distance, not daring to approach her at all.

Ni Xinhai stared wide-eyed at Jian Ya with fear and unease.

Jian Ya’s current appearance can only be described as horrific. Large patches of skin had peeled off her face, revealing red flesh and yellow fat beneath. Her nose, now without bone support, was half-burned away, making her look more like a half-rotten corpse than a living person. She covered her face with her hands, but the black flames still fiercely spewed through her fingers, seemingly endless, and her screams seemed without limit, turning this vast villa into a living hell.

Upon hearing her scream, everyone present closed their eyes tightly and hurriedly covered their ears, trying to avoid seeing or hearing anything. This was their attitude towards terror and the unknown, believing that ignoring the danger would prevent them from seeing or hearing anything. However, in reality, doing so would only hasten their descent into the abyss.

In an instant, black spots appeared on Ni Xinhai’s face, and the edges of the spots were festering at a visible rate. Then came Wan Shishu’s face, Bi Zetai’s face, Luo Jiuyuan’s face… The overwhelming fear dulled their sense of pain, and they only opened their eyes in a panic when their clothes were soaked with pus and blood. They looked at each other and then let out an even more horrific scream.

The room erupted into chaos, filled with the stench of blood, screams, terror, and swaying shadows. Some collapsed to the floor in fear, others knocked over floor lamps in pain, and still others smashed vases and any glass objects that reflected their images.

Is this the human world or hell?

Looking at everything before him, Lin Nian’en’s mind went blank. He wanted to hug his senior sister to offer her some comfort and strength, but he found that even a light touch was enough to make her tremble with pain. He had never seen her so disheveled. Sweat and tears streamed down her beautiful face, making her look like a block of ice pulled from the water, ready to melt at any moment.

“ShiJie, what is this dark aura if not evil qi?” He asked, his voice trailing off in a sob, while the warning from Fan Jialuo echoed repeatedly in his mind——this is bad karma.

How could it be bad karma? It couldn’t possibly be bad karma! He opened his mouth, but ultimately didn’t dare to utter this absurd answer.

Lin Nianci shook her head, her voice so weak it was almost gone, “I don’t know, but I’m sure this dark aura is definitely not evil qi nor ghostly qi, nor yin qi.” She slowly leaned against the edge of the sofa, her head drooping, her eyelids drooping, as if she would lose consciousness at any moment.

“ShiJie, just hold on a little longer, Shifu will be here soon,” Lin Nian’en cried out in despair and helplessness.

Suddenly, a pair of hands stained with bright red nail polish grabbed his neck, and a sharp voice demanded, “Didn’t you say your ShiJie could cure me? Huh? You liar! Look at my face, look at it!”

Lin Nian’en turned his head and gasped. Ni Xinhai’s face was completely covered in black spots, with pus and blood gushing out. Patches of necrotic skin were peeling off, and in the blink of an eye, she had transformed into a half-human, half-ghost like Jian Ya. If left unchecked, her nose, ears, and other organs might fall off, leaving her completely devoid of human form.

Lin Nian’en felt extremely guilty and helpless. He quickly took out all the clearing talismans and applied them to these people. But it was no use. The dark aura that he had previously been able to suppress so easily now seemed to have come alive. It had been catalyzed and produced an even more powerful destructive force, constantly flowing across their faces and seeping into their brains and bones. It was wantonly devouring their life force, the weaker they were, the more vigorous it became, its form and appearance just like a living thing!

Jian Ya and the others were originally only in danger of disfigurement, but now they all seem to be on the verge of death.

Lin Nian’en had never encountered such a terrifying and perplexing case since entering the world. At this moment, he had lost all semblance of his superior demeanor and was trembling with fear, tears streaming down his face. For some reason, every word that Fan Jialuo had said before was replaying in his mind.

Fan Jialuo had solemnly declared that only he could treat this dark aura, and now, in retrospect, that was not arrogance or ignorance, but rather a statement made with absolute certainty.

Thinking of this, Lin Nian’en felt a strong sense of resistance and shook his head repeatedly, thinking to himself, no, no, no, impossible. When the Master arrives, he will naturally have a solution. This dark aura is definitely not bad karma, but a kind of witchcraft!

As Lin Nian’en’s beliefs were constantly being destroyed and rebuilt by Fan Jialuo’s words, an elderly man with white hair and a youthful face finally arrived at Ni Xinhai’s villa with two middle-aged men. Seeing the horrific scene inside, even these experienced and daring men were shocked.

“Shifu.” Hearing the familiar voice, Lin Nianci, who had fallen into a semi-conscious state, immediately struggled to wake up. More than forty minutes had passed, and her hands were still burning. The white bones of her knuckles were exposed, and her flesh was charred and withered. However, this was not the worst part. What was worse was that she was suffering from the pain of her soul being burned every minute and every second, as if she had died countless times.

“Xiao Ci, Shifu is here!” The white-bearded elder immediately took out a talisman and stuck it on his disciple’s hand, but then looked at it with suspicion as it was burned to ashes by the black fire.

“How could this be!” The two middle-aged men were shocked, “This is a Heavenly Treasure Evil Suppressing Talisman, capable of suppressing even a thousand-year-old jiangshi(zombie)!”

“This is not evil qi.” The old man carefully examined the raging black flames and the dark aura on Ni Xinhai and the others’ faces, his expression growing increasingly confused.

“It’s not ghostly qi either,” said the middle-aged man holding a compass.

“It’s not poisonous qi or yin qi either.” Another middle-aged man quickly made the judgment, then his expression changed drastically, “Could it be demonic qi?”

The old man shook his head decisively, “It’s not demonic qi. If it were, these people would have already fallen into demonic possession.”

“Then what is that?” The two middle-aged men stood there at a loss, their foreheads already covered in cold sweat.

Seeing that his senior sister was in so much pain that she was almost unconscious, and that his master and two senior disciples were also helpless against the black energy, Lin Nian’en finally murmured, “Someone said, said that it is bad karma.”

“What?” The two middle-aged men stared in astonishment.

The elder replied firmly, “Impossible!”

“If it’s not bad karma, not ghostly qi, evil qi, yin qi, poisonous qi, or demonic qi, then what is it? If we can’t find the source of the problem, are we just supposed to watch ShiJie be burned to death?” Lin Nian’en asked the ultimate question.

“Take them back to find Shizu!” The elder gritted his teeth and made a decision.

The semi-conscious Lin Nianci struggled and cried out, “No, don’t take me back to see Shizu. He is still in seclusion due to serious injuries. Don’t disturb him over such a trivial matter!”

Since the battle to protect the dragon vein eighty years ago, the grandmaster has been in seclusion and no one knows the extent of his injuries. The elder who made the suggestion thought for a moment and then dismissed the idea. He decisively said, “Get them to Longyin Temple to find Abbot Changjing!”

Although Abbot Changjing is a generation younger than the grandmaster, his spiritual strength is extremely high. He is the foremost Buddhist in this world and should have a solution.

The group immediately helped Lin Nianci, Jian Ya, Ni Xinhai and others to the parking lot. Due to the urgency of the situation, they did not provide enough disguise for these people, so they were caught on camera by paparazzi who were lying in wait nearby when they went out.

Jian Ya and the others looked completely different, but they had just left a brand event and were still wearing the same clothes. A simple comparison with previous photos would reveal their general appearance.

Several cars sped away, but the paparazzi remained standing there, patting his chest, looking utterly shaken. He had only intended to take a few photos of these people’s secret gathering, create a sensational headline about complicated relationships, and then sell the photos to their agencies to make a quick buck. He never expected to end up photographing them looking like neither human nor ghost.

“They are really disfigured, oh my god!” The paparazzi touched his forehead and realized that he was covered in cold sweat.

For some unknown reason, he immediately pulled out his phone from his waist bag, logged into Fan Jialuo’s Weibo account, and revisited his previous prophecy—a beautiful appearance is merely a false shell, the flesh hidden beneath is quietly withering and rotting. One day, you will no longer be yourself, but rather like ghosts of death, and all glory will return to dust.

Rotting flesh, ghosts resembling the dead—these seemingly absurd words perfectly matched reality, without a single mistake! Yet, just over an hour ago, Jian Ya and the others stood shoulder to shoulder, denying Fan Jialuo’s prophecy and vowing that they would never be disfigured.

The paparazzi’s mind was completely in disarray. He kept slapping his forehead and muttering, “Oh my God! Oh my God!” As if remembering something, he hurriedly logged out of Fan Jialuo’s Weibo account, called his boss, and blurted out, “Boss, whatever you do, don’t publish those articles smearing Fan Jialuo. I took some photos, and you’ll see how dangerous he is once you see them! Wait a minute, I’ll upload them right now!”

The paparazzi fiddled with the photos for a while before finally sending them over. The boss, who had already received the money and was preparing to smear Fan Jialuo again, was speechless!!!

【Is the photo real?! Why is Jian Ya’s face on fire?】He replied in a flash.

【t’s true! I secretly filmed this outside Ni Xinhai’s villa. They were still wearing the same clothes as before. You can check it against the interview video, it’s definitely them! How was I supposed to know what that fire on Jian Ya’s face was? It was fucking terrifying! 】

【Why didn’t you follow them and continue filming? 】

【Ah! I was stunned, I forgot! 】

【Hurry up and follow, we’re going to make some big news! 】

The paparazzi hurriedly drove after them, constantly sending their location and requesting the newspaper to send more people to assist. Meanwhile, Jian Ya and her group finally arrived at Longyin Temple after more than an hour’s drive. Along the way, the white-haired, youthful-looking elder hadn’t been idle, trying every possible method to suppress the dark aura and black flames, but all to no avail. Whether it was talismans, spells, or elixirs, nothing was effective against the dark aura. It was simply an indestructible force.

Upon reaching the foot of the mountain, the group was in excruciating pain and had no strength to walk. They could only be carried up the mountain by a group of monks. Abbot Changjing of Longyin Temple was already waiting outside. Upon seeing the bloodied and mangled faces of these people, he couldn’t help but utter a long Buddhist chant.

He had the monks carry everyone to the open space in the main hall, and then bent down to examine them closely, his expression growing increasingly serious. The black flames dancing in his pupils seemed to have plunged him into a state of bewilderment.

Seeing that he remained motionless for a long time, the elder grew impatient and pressed him for an answer: “Have you figured it out?”

Abbot Changjing simply waved his hand, remaining silent. After a long while, he sat down cross-legged, began chanting scriptures while fiddling with his prayer beads. The monks who had been standing around him listened to the contents of the scriptures, their eyes filled with astonishment and doubt, yet they suppressed their confusion and sat down to chant with him.

The elder was shocked as he listened, his jaw dropping in disbelief, completely losing any semblance of his former superiority. His both senior disciples also felt their eyelids twitching, their hearts filled with unease.

Lin Nian’en was still too young. As soon as he could make out the contents of the scripture, he asked in shock, “Shifu, why are they reciting 《Ksitigarbha Sutra》? Isn’t that a scripture for the salvation of the dead?”

“Quiet.” The elder was also full of doubts, but dared not disturb Abbot Changjing and the monks.

Lin Nianci and the others were laid side by side on straw mats, their eyes closed, holding their breath, some with charred hands, others with festering sores on their cheeks, looking like half-rotten corpses. A group of monks surrounded them, chanting sutras while striking wooden fish drums—the scene looked exactly like a ritual to send off the dead!

Lin Nian’en was so shocked that he retreated repeatedly. The elder and the two middle-aged men also stood frozen in place, looking somewhat at a loss. The answer that Fan Jialuo had given, which was originally the most outrageous, was actually being confirmed by reality bit by bit.

Amidst the melodious and lingering chanting, the black flames coiling around Lin Nianci’s fingertips extinguished, the flames leaping on Jian Ya’s face dissipated, and the agonizing Ni Xinhai and the others returned to calm. They had truly been liberated, yet they were living beings—living beings with breath, heartbeats, and consciousness!

Lin Nian’en recalled once again the words of Fan Jialuo—there are only two ways to eliminate karmic obstacles, one is to ask a high-ranking monk to perform a ritual for the deceased, and the other is to offset them through merit or faith……

And now, this layer of dark aura has truly been dispelled by the high monk! Every word he uttered, every single syllable, has been verified. He wasn’t spouting nonsense, nor was he deliberately mystifying anything, much less seeking fame. On the contrary, his strength and insight far surpassed theirs, to the point that no one could understand his words. What he could see through at a glance, others could see a hundred or a thousand times without ever grasping its essence.

After Lin Nianci and the others’ suffering was greatly relieved, Abbot Changjing opened his eyes and slowly said, “This aura is bad karma, and this fire is karmic fire.”

The elder, Lin Nian’en, and the two middle-aged men were immediately terrified.

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