Chapter 134: Who is the Hunter?

"Damn it, I knew things wouldn't be that simple!" Lu Yang muttered, frowning.

The mayor—or the monster, rather—was in the ancestral hall, making their situation extremely perilous.

"What do we do?" Meng Jingzhou's expression was grim as his mind raced to find a countermeasure.

Lu Yang caught sight of the rules posted at the entrance of the ancestral hall from the corner of his eye.

**Rules of Buyi Town Ancestral Hall**

* **Rule 1:** If you are wearing black or white clothing, and feel dizzy, light-headed, or notice black hair growing on your arms, please enter the ancestral hall, worship the Buddha statue, and drink the water in front of it.* **Rule 2:** Inside the ancestral hall, the Buddha statue cannot be damaged.* **Rule 3:** There is a man-eating monster in the ancestral hall.* **Rule 4:** The ancestral hall is safe.

"Into the ancestral hall!" Lu Yang declared, making an immediate decision to enter. The third and fourth rules of the ancestral hall appeared contradictory, suggesting one must be false, yet Lu Yang knew this wasn't true. Given his familiarity with the rules over the past few days, he knew they always stated the truth. Therefore, these two rules must have a self-consistent explanation: while a monster indeed resided in the ancestral hall, it couldn't devour people there. Thus, entering the ancestral hall was the safest option!

The two rushed into the ancestral hall, finally seeing the mayor's true form: a monster unlike anything they had ever encountered. The mayor was a towering half-human, half-beast, standing two stories high. His upper body closely resembled a human's, but with an extra eye in the center of his brow and a mouth that stretched back to his ears like a python's. His lower body resembled that of a massive steed, yet instead of hooves, it had eight human-like legs. Lu Yang also noted a thick tail trailing behind the mayor, gently resting on the ground and stirring up dust. However, the ancestral hall's dim lighting made it impossible to tell what kind of demonic tail it was.

No ancestral tablets were present in the hall; instead, a half-naked, blindfolded Buddha statue stood in the center, both alluring and eerie. In front of the statue sat three bowls of clear water, likely the same water mentioned in Rule 1 that could reverse the black dog transformation.

The mayor lowered his head, regarding the two intruders with a hint of surprise. "You two are certainly not simple, making such a quick judgment. It seems it was wise for me to personally come and deal with you."

"It's quite an effort for you to come out personally, Mayor. Why don't you just go back?" Meng Jingzhou retorted, as sharp-tongued as ever.

The mayor said no more. He had noticed Lu Yang and his companions when their flying vehicle crashed. However, since the Silent Daoist had the highest cultivation and had left the town, and these two were mere juniors with low cultivation, the mayor had initially dismissed them. It was only after the mayor discovered they had used the rules to deal with the waiter that he began to take them seriously, realizing their proficiency in exploiting rules posed a potential threat. The mayor wanted to eliminate them, but knowing they wouldn't be easily tricked, he decided to turn their own scheme against them. He was aware of everything that transpired in Buyi Town; even if the two wrote their escape plan on paper, it couldn't elude his three eyes. Such geniuses often harbored arrogance, convinced no one could outwit them. The mayor exploited this mindset, allowing them to devise an escape plan and letting them toy with the constables. Then, at the last moment, he stole the jade pendant, shattering their plan and trapping them in the ancestral hall. Knowing the two were cautious and wouldn't leave the inn at night, the mayor deliberately revealed a flaw to lure them out.

Now, it was time to close the net!

Both Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou's faces turned grim. Being intelligent, they instantly understood that this entire situation was the mayor's conspiracy. They had underestimated him!

The mayor said nothing more. His tail moved with lightning speed, striking Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou before they could react, sending them sprawling against the wall. Fortunately, due to the rule that the ancestral hall was safe, neither was injured; otherwise, that single blow would have killed them instantly! Their hearts sank. The disparity in strength and speed was too immense to overcome by any means. Even if the mayor wasn't immortal, they wouldn't be able to harm him. The mayor knew he couldn't kill them inside the ancestral hall, so all he had to do was push them out! Outside the ancestral hall, he was invincible!

The mayor charged at them with his massive body. Realizing the danger, they didn't need to discuss a countermeasure; they struck each other with their palms, sending themselves flying in opposite directions, rolling to evade the mayor's coordinated attack.

"You have some skill," the mayor sneered dismissively. Such petty tricks would only work once on him.

"Get behind him!" Lu Yang yelled. The mayor's immense size made it difficult for him to turn around in the confined ancestral hall. As the mayor turned, he saw Meng Jingzhou lift the Buddha statue and hurl it at him.

Inside the ancestral hall, the Buddha statue cannot be damaged. An indestructible Buddha statue was the best weapon!

"Is that all you've got?" The mayor remained unfazed by the colossal stone Buddha statue. He unleashed a punch at them, breaking the sound barrier and conjuring a hurricane within the narrow ancestral hall. Such immense power! As the fifth person to reach the Integration Stage, he hadn't chosen to become the mayor for trivial reasons. During his slumber, his physical body had deteriorated, effectively dying. Upon awakening, only his soul remained. To seize opportunities in the grand era, he possessed the mayor and used ancient cultivation techniques to transform the mayor's body into its current monstrous form. Though this form was grotesque and bizarre, as a cultivator, he knew power trumped all else. This was his strongest state, one that would surely allow him to make a mark in the grand era!

The punch was unstoppable. Lu Yang was sent flying, but he executed a standard Tiger Fist, mimicking a tiger's movements, adjusting his body mid-air to land gently and dissipate most of the force. Meng Jingzhou clung desperately to the Buddha statue, only to be sent flying out of the ancestral hall, statue and all.

"Don't let the Buddha statue hit the ground! If it breaks, you'll die!" Lu Yang shouted.

Meng Jingzhou also grasped the danger; what he held wasn't hope for escape, but an artifact that could explode at any moment! He roared, his muscles bulging, skin flushed, and veins throbbing. He stomped his feet and strained his arms, stabilizing himself and the Buddha statue, thereby preventing it from hitting the ground and shattering.

"Get back into the ancestral hall, now!" Lu Yang yelled. They were outside the hall; one hit from the mayor would be fatal!

"Trying to get back in?" the mayor sneered. The ancestral hall's door was two stories high, and he was perfectly blocking the entrance. With him there, these two youngsters stood no chance of re-entering!

"It's now or never!" Lu Yang declared, charging at the mayor. His agile footwork might allow him to slip past the mayor's massive body. The mayor, seeing through Lu Yang's intention, extended his two front legs, aiming to crush the annoying little figure. To his surprise, Lu Yang's footwork shifted, and he instantly flashed to the side, making the mayor miss entirely.

"Finally, we've lured you out," Lu Yang said, a strange smile on his face.

The mayor felt a strong sense of unease upon seeing Lu Yang's smile. He sharply looked up, only to see Meng Jingzhou lifting the Buddha statue once more, hurling it directly at him! The Buddha statue shattered, and a chaotic passage to the outside world unfurled beneath the mayor's feet. The passage unleashed bone-scouring winds that battered the mayor, feeling like thousands of knives slicing his skin, stripping flesh from bone. The pain, searing to his very marrow, made the mayor roar in agony.

The mayor desperately struggled to escape, but the chaotic passage held him captive, preventing his departure. From its very inception, the ancient Integration Stage cultivators who designed the passage had decreed that once someone stepped inside, death was inevitable; escape was impossible for anyone! Anyone attempting to escape the town by shattering the Buddha statue would only find certain death!

Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou exchanged cold smiles from the side. "Those who enter the passage are fated to die," Lu Yang stated. "But you're immortal. I'm curious to see whose rule is stronger: yours or the passage's!"

From the very beginning, they had never intended to use the jade pendant to call for help from the Wen Dao Sect. The jade pendant had simply been a decoy for the mayor.