Chapter 179: Ancient Culture Scholar and Ancient Fan Nation (2)
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
No wonder the upper echelons of the prefecture capital thought that this ruin was profitable!
“Of course, the belief in Buddhism in the Ancient Fan Nation was different from what we imagined. It’s more barbaric, bloody, and primitive.
“They believed in Buddhism and were particular about adhering to the rules. However, the rules were extremely strict. Once someone broke the rules, they had to cut their noses, break their hands, and torture them. The rule-breaker could even be burned alive. It was called serving Buddhas.
“They were extremely obsessed with the worship of eyes. It’s said that many great nobles had the habit of eating people’s eyes. They thought that this could increase their eyesight.
“On the battlefield, they would dig out the eyeballs of others and embed them in their faces, making their faces multi-eyed. They believed that the more eyes a person had, the more noble their status would be.
“There’s also the name of the Corpse Buddha Cockroach. It is from an ancient book from Ancient Fan Nation.
“One record mentions that those who blaspheme Buddhas will be possessed by evil spirits and turned into Corpse Buddha Cockroaches.
“Another record is that the nobles of the Ancient Fan Nation liked to raise Corpse Buddha Cockroaches. If someone violated the Buddhist rules and laws, they would throw them into the Corpse Buddha Cockroaches to be sacrificed alive.
“Lastly, it’s even stranger. It says that the Corpse Buddha Cockroach was the mortal enemy of Buddhas. Humans wanted to create Buddhas but couldn’t. It gave birth to the Corpse Buddha Cockroach. It was believed to be man-made.
“However, the Ancient Studies Society generally believes that this last theory is a strange story fabricated by later generations and is not trustworthy.
“Scholars who study demons and evil beasts classify the Corpse Buddha Cockroach as a type of evil beast because it has a clear reproduction method and can produce Spirit Marrow, although it’s only ungraded.
“However, from the description you sent, the Corpse Buddha Cockroach here is different from the Corpse Buddha Cockroach elsewhere.
“Firstly, the Corpse Buddha Cockroaches here live in the poisonous fog, but the Corpse Buddha Cockroaches in other areas don’t have such a feature.
“Secondly, in the information you reported, the size of the Corpse Buddha Cockroach is inaccurate. What do you mean by it’s slightly larger than ordinary Corpse Buddha Cockroaches?
“How big exactly?
“I don’t know. Is there a problem with your expressive ability, or are you… completely ignorant of size and arithmetic? That’s why you came to such a ridiculous conclusion.”
A vein popped out on Liu Lanqing’s forehead. “It’s a little bigger than ordinary Corpse Buddha Cockroaches, just a little bigger! Isn’t that clear?”
Ling Shuangxue said unhurriedly, “Recorded ordinary Corpse Buddha Cockroaches can grow to about two feet tall. Some special elites can grow to four feet.
“How much bigger are you talking about?
“Four and a half feet? Five feet?
“If you send such unclear information back, I wonder how Master Hou will be at ease to let you be the Venerable Issuer?”
“LING SHUANGXUE!”
Bai Ling hurriedly tried to smooth things over. “Ah Qing, I’m also curious. How big is that Corpse Buddha Cockroach?”
Liu Lanqing took a deep breath. This was indeed her fault.
As she knew the Corpse Buddha Cockroach’s name, when she heard Wu Qinglei report the Corpse Buddha Cockroach’s information, she only asked him to briefly recount Lin Yan’s battle process.
From the recounting, she vaguely felt that the Corpse Buddha Cockroach that was fighting Lin Yan was not small. However, because she had a fixed impression of the Corpse Buddha Cockroach, she had never confirmed its size.
He waved his hand. “Lin Yan, you’re the one who discovered the Corpse Buddha Cockroach. Tell them!”
Lin Yan walked forward with a strange expression.
Ordinary Corpse Buddha Cockroach could only grow to two feet?
Even elites were only four feet tall?
A foot was about 0.3 meters, and the elite Corpse Buddha Cockroach was less than 1.5 meters tall?
However, each of the Corpse Buddha Cockroaches he encountered in the insect tide was were three meters tall, which meant that they were ten feet tall!
Lin Yan was a little uneasy as he detailed the size of the Corpse Buddha Cockroach.
“Ten feet tall… Are you sure?”
Ling Shuangxue and Bai Ling looked suspicious. Wasn’t this size almost as tall as two adults?
“I’m sure!”
Seeing Lin Yan’s serious expression, Ling Shuangxue’s expression gradually turned serious.
If the Corpse Buddha Cockroach was really ten feet tall, it would probably be more than ten times more dangerous than she had imagined!
“Do you have any evidence?”
Lin Yan thought for a moment. He remembered that he still had a few Corpse Buddha Cockroach corpses to hand over to the Demon Suppression Division.
However, Wu Qinglei said that they were useless, so he rejected them before he saw them.
Later on, he sent two to the Song family and abandoned the rest.
“At that time, I kept the Corpse Buddha Cockroaches’ corpses and gave two to the Song family, but I don’t know if they still have them.”
Ling Shuangxue looked at Liu Lanqing.
Liu Lanqing snorted and got someone to call Fan Xiaopeng over, instructing him to go to the Song family to ask.
In fact, the best candidate was Song Tian. However, he, Yu Qian, Xia Tang, and the other genius seeds had followed an inspector to transplant the Spirit Marrow five days ago and had yet to return.
Not long after, Fan Xiaopeng walked in with a shocked expression. He held a round object wrapped in black cloth in both hands.
“It isn’t very big, is it…”
Bai Ling took a look. The bag in Fan Xiaopeng’s hand was at most two feet long and wide.
Fan Xiaopeng wanted to say something but hesitated. He simply lifted the black cloth.
Bai Ling, Ling Shuangxue, and Liu Lanqing’s eyes narrowed.
Inside the black cloth was a huge dried-up Corpse Buddha Cockroach’s head.
Its head had buns, and on the shriveled insect head were four dark red compound eyes the size of eggs.
Below was a mouthpiece that looked like a four-petaied saber. One of the petals was twisted, and one could still see how ferocious a killing weapon it was when it was alive.
Fan Xiaopeng said, “Song Yuansi said that the entire corpse was too big and quickly decomposed. He only took this head to dried it for his collection.”
Ling Shuangxue’s expression turned solemn. “This is troublesome… From the looks of it, the head is two feet long and wide. According to the ratio of the head, the size of this Corpse Buddha Cockroach… is indeed ten feet tall!”
After saying this, her, Liu Lanqing, and Bai Ling’s expressions changed.
In their imagination, the Corpse Buddha Cockroach was less than two feet tall. A Strength Realm martial artist could kill one.
Even if tens of thousands of them gathered, it would only be a little dangerous and very troublesome to clean up. It was far from being terrifying or extremely dangerous.
However, what if every Corpse Buddha Cockroach in the insect tide was ten feet tall like this Corpse Buddha Cockroach in front of them?
That would be… an extremely terrifying disaster!
“I remember that the Corpse Buddha Cockroach occasionally produces Spirit Marrow.”
Ling Shuangxue looked at Lin Yan. “Did you discover the Spirit Marrow in the Corpse Buddha Cockroach’s body?”
Lin Yan nodded and reached out to take out a piece of Spirit Marrow. This was the only first-grade Spirit Marrow he had specially kept in case Liu Lanqing asked.
“First-grade Spirit Marrow…” Ling Shuangxue recognized it at a glance. “Is there more?”
Lin Yan remained calm. “I’ve stored the rest of the Spirit Marrows. 1 only have this one with me.”
“In other words, there’s more?” Ling Shuangxue’s expression was serious. “How many Corpse Buddha Cockroaches can produce a Spirit Marrow?”
Lin Yan looked at her strangely and replied, “Every Corpse Buddha Cockroach has such a Spirit Marrow!”
As soon as he finished speaking, Bai Ling stood up. His eyes lit up, and he was surprised and delighted. “Are you sure?!”
“I’m… sure.”
Bai Ling’s breathing suddenly quickened as he paced up and down. “Every one of them has a first-grade Spirit Marrow… Doesn’t this mean that this ruin will produce countless Spirit Marrows?!”
This was a monstrous amount of wealth!
At this moment, Ling Shuangxue and Liu Lanqing’s expressions were much calmer. They looked at each other and shuddered.
“Old Bai, every Corpse Buddha Cockroach can produce a first-grade Spirit Marrow. In other words, every one of them is at least stronger than the Tough Realm!
“There are thousands of Tough Realm cultivators. Not to mention you and me, even Hou Zun will be torn to pieces once he falls into it!
“This is both wealth and… a terrifying calamity!”
Ling Shuangxue nodded in agreement with Liu Lanqing for once and turned to look at Lin Yan. “Your name is Lin Yan, right? Are you sure that the Corpse Buddha Cockroach can only survive in the poisonous fog?”
Lin Yan could only tell her how he had used the valley to kill the Corpse Buddha Cockroach.
A thoughtful look appeared on Ling Shuangxue’s beautiful face. “This group of Corpse Buddha Cockroaches might have mutated because they lived in the poisonous fog for a long time, or for some other reason, causing their size to increase rapidly.
“Fortunately, they’re trapped in the poisonous fog and can’t come out… poisonous fog, poisonous fog… Why is it fog?”
The word “fog” seemed to have triggered the common reaction of Liu Lanqing, Bai Ling, and Fan Xiaopeng.
Their bodies subconsciously tensed up, and even their breathing stopped for a moment, as if they had recalled some common fear. All of them revealed deep worry and fear..