If not for Chris's Spirit Eye secret technique, even the most advanced instruments would have a hard time detecting it.

They floated in the air, sometimes gathering, sometimes dispersing.

And with every gathering and dispersing, there was a loss.

Fortunately, this loss happened very slowly, as if some strange force was preventing their depletion...

It was the statue placed in the corner of the mortuary!

Chris put away his Spirit Eye and walked over.

It was a statue of Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva, though Chris didn't recognize it.

It was precisely the presence of this statue that silently slowed the dissipation of spiritual energy.

“Unmoved in patience like the earth, deep and secret in meditation like a hidden treasure!”

On both sides of the shrine was a couplet.

In front of the statue, there was a copy of "The Ten Wheels Sutra of Kṣitigarbha" being offered.

Chris picked up the scripture and flipped through a couple of pages.

Hmm, this is quite interesting!

It was completely different from the "Song of the True Existence of the Grand Director of Fate" he had studied before, but at its core, there was a subtle similarity.

There was indeed spiritual energy in this mortuary.

But it was too chaotic; it had to be regathered and then purified.

Chris thought for a moment, a pained expression appearing on his face.

He lifted the Spirit Gathering Lamp with one hand, gently rubbing his index finger and thumb together, and after a moment, uttered a strange syllable.

Secret Technique: Void White Karmic Fire.

A bean-sized flame, emitting a pale glow, suddenly appeared in the Soul Nurturing Lamp.

The bronze bird in the lamp tray, which had been tightly shut, slowly opened its beak as the flame appeared...

Chapter 10 Bruno's Call for Help

A burst of karmic fire directly consumed a trace of spiritual energy.

Chris felt a bit of heartache, but he also knew that to gain, one must first give.

The mottled rust on the bird's body slowly faded as the karmic fire burned.

Next, the bronze Fusang tree beneath the bird's feet began to emit a faint glow, as if mist was swirling within the tray.

The Soul Nurturing Lamp came to life.

Chris exhaled a turbid breath, reached out to move the Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva statue aside, and then placed the Soul Nurturing Lamp in the shrine.

He wondered how much spiritual energy this mortuary could gather.

He took two steps back, looking at the karmic fire on the Soul Nurturing Lamp, a rare smile appearing on his face.

No matter what, at least there was progress!

Chris took the "Ten Wheels Sutra of Kṣitigarbha" back to the third floor and finished the remaining two hot dogs.

He took a shower in the bathroom, changed into loose clothes, set the air conditioner to a comfortable temperature, then lay down on the sofa and picked up the scripture to read.

This was a system completely different from the Nine Gods system.

To put it simply, the steps of the Nine Gods system were: worship It, observe It, merge with It, control It.

But the cultivation steps of the "Ten Wheels Sutra of Kṣitigarbha" were: worship It, observe It, merge with It, become It.

The steps before the last were similar; the difference lay in the final step.

To control and to become are two completely different concepts.

One is to make the deity serve me; the other doesn't even consider that possibility.

Which is superior? Perhaps everyone has their own judgment.

However, some of the theories in this Kṣitigarbha system were quite interesting, and Chris felt he had gained a lot.

I’ve been a liar, been a thief

(我曾口吐谎言，偷窃劫掠)

Been a lover, been a cheat

(曾有过爱情，也曾怀有二心)

All my sins need holy water, feel it washin’ over me

(只有圣水将我洗礼，才能把我的罪孽洗清)

Suddenly, the phone on the table rang, and Eminem's "RIVER" echoed through the room.

Chris scrambled to sit up and picked up the phone.

What kind of ringtone is this? Damn, it's awful!

Chris even felt a sense of being polluted and hurriedly answered the call.

I'll change the ringtone later!

"Hey!"

"Chris, it's Bruno."

"Bruno, what's up?"

Chris recognized the voice on the other end, glanced at the clock on the wall—it was almost ten o'clock.

"Chris, where are you right now?"

"I'm at the funeral home... Bruno, what happened?"

Chris could hear the tremble in Bruno's voice and quickly asked.

"I killed someone!"

"What?"

"No, it's not your fault, I did it."

"Mia?"

A woman's voice came through the receiver. Chris's ears were sharp; he immediately recognized it as Mia's voice.

"Yes, it's me, Mia."

There was a sob in Mia's voice.

"Damn it, what the hell happened?"

Bruno grabbed the phone, his voice trembling a bit: "Chris, here's what happened. I went with Mia to find Jimmy, wanting to settle things once and for all. But Jimmy refused, and even accused me and Mia... He demanded another fifty thousand, or he'd go after my family. Mia argued with him, the guy was drunk, and he hit Mia."

"And then?"

"I went over to help Mia, and accidentally beat Jimmy to death!"

"No, that's not it, it was me..."

"Mia, shut up!"

Chris suddenly let out a low growl.

He stood up and scratched his head.