Chapter 562

Chapter 562: Show of Power

The heart of the Western Region is also known as the Western Buddhist Realm.

It is said that within this realm, there are tens of thousands of temples, with millions of formally ordained monks, and billions of devotees who support these temples and monks.

The inhabitants here are deeply devoted to Buddhism, willingly dedicating everything to the Western Buddhist Sect.

Some followers are even fanatically zealous!

As Wang Chen, who had just teleported in, regained his senses, he was met with a breathtaking sight.

On the vast square, countless people were prostrating themselves.

They lay flat before the temple, chanting in Sanskrit, their thin, dark faces filled with devout expressions.

The collective prayers of the multitude created a powerful resonance, striking all the cultivators present, including Wang Chen, with a profound impact!

The sacred chants invaded their minds!

Wang Chen’s expression shifted, and he immediately focused his mind, entering a state of calm and sinking his consciousness into the Ancient Stone Tablet within his Sea of Consciousness.

The Ancient Stone Tablet was profoundly mysterious, and Wang Chen’s understanding of it was merely the tip of the iceberg.

However, the Ancient Stone Tablet had aided him through several calamities, offering glimpses of its true nature and enabling him to harness some of its destructive power.

As Wang Chen’s divine intent aligned with the Ancient Stone Tablet, the external sacred chants became faint and almost inaudible.

They no longer affected him.

But while Wang Chen had the protection of the Ancient Stone Tablet, other sect cultivators were not so fortunate.

Some had pale faces, sweat pouring from their foreheads, and bulging veins, revealing signs of distress and pain.

Some repeatedly slapped spiritual symbols on themselves, activating radiant light to desperately resist the omnipresent soul-stealing sacred chants.

Others sat cross-legged on the ground, closing their senses and activating their mental techniques to counteract the effects.

A few cultivators with weak wills, caught off guard, lost control of their consciousness, their eyes filled with confusion and struggle, like drowning people grasping at straws but finding nothing to hold onto.

They were on the verge of succumbing!

One cultivator suddenly knelt down, his face showing a mix of compassion and madness.

Just then, a powerful qin melody suddenly filled everyone’s ears.

It felt as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over their heads, and their minds became calm and peaceful, greatly weakening the sacred sounds from all directions.

Many let out long sighs of relief.

The kneeling cultivator snapped back to awareness, his face flushed as he stood up.

He was fortunate; had his mind completely fallen, he would have become a fanatic follower of Buddhism, forever lost to himself!

Everyone turned their gaze toward the source of the qin melody as if drawn by an invisible force.

There, they saw a female cultivator in a white dress, cradling a phoenix-tail qin, her delicate fingers poised over the strings, her face serious.

Her fingers danced gracefully, the melody flowing continuously, and soon, beads of sweat were dripping from her forehead!

Many cultivators displayed expressions of shame.

These proud Purple Palace cultivators now found themselves relying on a female cultivator for protection.

They truly wished they could vanish into the ground.

The issue was that no one knew how to counter the Buddhist sect’s methods; they couldn’t just attack the kneeling devotees, could they?

These Buddhist devotees were mostly ordinary people, and a single spell could easily kill dozens, but the severe consequences that would follow were unbearable.

The cultivators seethed with resentment, finding the situation extremely tricky!

They had clearly been wronged.

"Hey!"

A burly cultivator bellowed, "Is this how the Buddhist sect treats its guests?"

His roar thundered across the square, drowning out the chants of the devotees.

Spirit Suppression Roar!

This was a special spell from the Purple Palace, similar to the Buddhist sect’s Lion’s Roar, possessing the power to shock the soul.

The vast square fell silent.

The prostrating devotees turned to stare at Wang Chen and the others, their gazes icy and indifferent.

It sent chills down one’s spine!

The burly cultivator snorted coldly, swallowing the hot blood that rushed to his throat.

Although his Spirit Suppression Roar had suppressed the soul-stealing chants, he suffered great backlash, and now his Qi and blood roiled within, leaving him with a significant internal injury.

But this cultivator was brave and stubborn; he would rather sacrifice his cultivation level than spit out this blood.

"Amitabha!"

At that moment, several monks in yellow robes finally arrived and appeared before the gathered cultivators.

The leading monk, with a round face and big ears, smiled and saluted, saying, "I am Zhi Tong from Xuan Yuan Temple, here to assist you, esteemed Higher Stewards."

"I sincerely apologize; the Lingjia Flying Boat that was supposed to guide you was delayed. Please, esteemed guests, rest in the side hall."

As he spoke, he pressed his palms together and bowed deeply again.

Everyone exchanged glances.

As the saying goes, one does not strike at a smiling face. This reception monk had an impeccable attitude and lowered himself considerably, making it hard for anyone to retaliate.

Zhi Tong bowed again, "Esteemed Higher Stewards, please…"

"Enough."

A cultivator suddenly spoke up, "Let’s go."

It was Xu Yingyi from the Canglan Sect.

Xu Yingyi was smooth in demeanor and skilled in socializing. He had previously represented his sect several times when visiting the Western Region, and he knew many of the cultivators present well.

Thus, when Xu Yingyi spoke, everyone followed suit and left with the guidance of the monk from Xuan Yuan Temple to the side hall for a rest.

However, most cultivators remained troubled.

As representatives of their sects, these cultivators were all elite members, and today they had suffered a humiliating setback. Very few could swallow this indignity.

Once the monks from Xuan Yuan Temple served tea and exited the side hall, the cultivators immediately began to discuss among themselves, filled with righteous anger.

"These monks have gone too far!"

"Damn it, I really want to give them a good beating!"

"I just want to know what these bald donkeys are trying to do!"

"This matter cannot be left as it is!"

In an instant, the room turned into a cacophony.

Xu Yingyi stood up and said, "Everyone, please calm down!"

As a disciple of the Canglan Sect, he held a bit of authority, and many people closed their mouths, eager to hear what he had to say.

The side hall quickly fell silent.

"Cough, cough!"

Xu Yingyi cleared his throat a couple of times, then turned to the female cultivator in the white dress seated nearby and said, "Thank you, Junior Sister, from the Tianqin Sect, for your timely assistance earlier."

Everyone came to their senses and started expressing their gratitude to her.

The female cultivator from the Tianqin Sect blushed lightly, gracefully standing in response: "We are like branches of the same tree in the Dao; helping each other is only natural. There is no need for formalities, fellow brothers."

Xu Yingyi clapped his hands: "Well said! May I ask your esteemed name, Junior Sister?"

The female cultivator from the Tianqin Sect replied, "I am Yan Xixi."

"So it is Junior Sister Yan."

Xu Yingyi nodded and then looked at the burly cultivator: "Brother Hu, are you alright?"

He was one of the few who noticed the other’s injuries.

The burly cultivator shook his head, muttering, "I won’t die."

"The Buddhist sect truly goes too far!"

Xu Yingyi’s expression grew serious as he said, "Fellow travelers, if we swallow this humiliation this time, it will surely damage our sect’s reputation; this is something we cannot tolerate!"