Xu Jin ignored Yuan Kong, whose expression carried a hint of resentment, and raised his gaze toward the faceless Buddha statue.
This investigation into the Buddhist sect was a joint effort between the Mysterious Purity Heavenly Sect and the Tianyan Sect.
It had to be said that with Chu Xingchen acting as the intermediary to strengthen their ties, the two sects had, for the first time, set aside their grudges to collaborate on a mission requiring such a high level of secrecy.
This also demonstrated that Chu Xingchen was not only highly regarded within the Mysterious Purity Heavenly Sect but also within the Tianyan Sect—it wasn’t just Bai Xuanling’s approval he had secured; at the very least, Tianyan Sect’s leader, Lv Xuan, also acknowledged him.
Otherwise, Bai Xuanling alone would likely not have been able to mobilize the Tianyan Sect to this extent.
However, even with the combined efforts of these two of the Eighteen Immortal Sects, conducting a covert investigation into the Buddhist sect was no easy task.
At the very least, this operation had been meticulously planned for a long time.
"This faceless Buddha statue is likely also a fleeting Buddha manifestation. However, since it lacks a face, it probably doesn’t belong to any specific Buddha—meaning anyone can use it."
Xu Jin turned his eyes to Yuan Kong and said, "Though your cultivation is weak, you are still a Buddha’s disciple. As long as you claim this fleeting Buddha manifestation, no other Buddha can displace you."
Yuan Kong spread his hands. "Then how do I claim it?"
Xu Jin studied Yuan Kong’s innocent expression, momentarily unsure if the man was being sarcastic—wasn’t the answer obvious?
Still, he explained, "Naturally, by projecting your divine consciousness and merging it into the statue."
Yuan Kong’s eyes widened as he suddenly recalled the words of a certain senior disciple:
"Projecting my consciousness again?! And you still claim you’re not Chu Xingchen!"
"Hm? Did Chu Xingchen also make you project your consciousness before?"
Yuan Kong met Xu Jin’s curious gaze before silently replying,
"His eldest disciple mentioned it."
Fortunately, the current Yuan Kong was no longer the Qi Refining Yuan Kong of the past. At the Foundation Establishment stage, he was capable of briefly projecting his divine consciousness.
And this projection wasn’t a one-time ordeal.
However, recalling something, Yuan Kong still earnestly warned,
"I’ll project my consciousness myself—no need for your help."
Seeing Yuan Kong’s slightly fearful expression, Xu Jin couldn’t help but feel he had a rough idea of what Chu Xingchen had done back then.
"I’m not him. Don’t worry," Xu Jin reassured.
Yuan Kong let out a small sigh of relief, stepped forward, and sat on the cushion beneath the faceless Buddha statue, closing his eyes.
His divine consciousness extended, reaching toward the statue.
There was no resistance, nor any difficulty in making contact.
Yuan Kong’s consciousness effortlessly passed through the faceless Buddha statue, and in the next moment, what he saw was an endless world resembling an ocean of faith.
Turbid, impure faith formed this realm.
The deeper one went, the denser the faith became, nearly solidifying into a tangible form.
Yet, this faith did not obstruct Yuan Kong. On the contrary, it seemed to follow him—merely raising his hand caused the vast faith to bow in submission, obeying his will.
Yuan Kong took a step forward, and the surrounding faith churned like waves, parting instantly to clear a path.
Moreover, in the next moment, the faith seemed to assist him, shortening the distance beneath his feet as if folding space—a single step covered half the distance.
Like an eager servant, it acted without prompting, highly proactive yet utterly submissive.
At the center of the faith stood a lotus platform, also formed from faith, empty but clearly meant for occupation. Yuan Kong roughly understood how to operate the faceless Buddha statue now.
With another step, he arrived before the lotus platform.
Inside the hall—
(Note: The unrelated technical line about browser cookies has been omitted for coherence.)
Xu Jin held his spirit treasure sword in hand, standing guard behind Yuan Kong, his gaze vigilant as he extended his divine consciousness but kept it confined within the Great Buddha Hall.
Yuan Kong had made his choice. If he failed, Xu Jin would have to execute the original plan.
Time passed slowly as Xu Jin calculated the duration.
Suddenly, he raised his head, his eyes locking onto the faceless Buddha statue.
The great Buddha’s head lowered slightly, then twisted its body before a deep, resonant voice emanated from its direction.
"What is this… I can’t see anything, only sense with divine consciousness."
Hearing this, Xu Jin knew Yuan Kong had succeeded. He quickly urged,
"Stop sensing useless things—hurry and see what lies beneath the Buddha. Follow the chains downward."
The faceless Buddha paused for a moment before falling silent again.
However, mere moments later, Xu Jin suddenly turned, his gaze shifting toward the entrance of the Great Buddha Hall.
Under the night sky, a young bald monk stood there, clad in plain monastic robes and a simple kasaya, his face bearing a gentle smile as he looked at Xu Jin.
Fleeting golden light flickered in the monk’s eyes as he pressed his palms together and asked softly, as if both inquiring and accusing,
"May this humble monk ask why the benefactor visits so late at night without knocking?"
Xu Jin’s expression remained solemn, but he wasn’t particularly surprised by the sudden appearance of this monk, whose cultivation was far from weak. He had already anticipated and prepared for such a scenario.
What was strange, however, was that the monk ignored the anomaly of the faceless Buddha behind him and instead questioned why he hadn’t knocked.
Was this also a stalling tactic?
"Because knocking wouldn’t have let me in," Xu Jin retorted bluntly, refusing to play along.
The young monk looked puzzled. "How would you know if you didn’t try?"
Xu Jin’s gaze sharpened, and a cold glint flickered across his spirit treasure sword.
"Spare me the act. If I had knocked, I wouldn’t have been able to enter at all."
The young monk’s eyes drifted past Xu Jin, settling on the faceless Buddha statue, which now appeared deep in thought. His gentle smile never faded as he asked,
"Does the benefactor wish to know what lies beneath the Buddha?"
Xu Jin didn’t answer. Instead, he took a step forward, his oppressive aura condensing as it pressed down on the young monk—a clear warning: take another step, and you die.
The young monk’s figure slowly levitated, his eyes half-lidded like a temple Buddha’s as he gazed down at Xu Jin.
"I can tell the benefactor—beneath the Buddha lies the Buddha’s heart."
A mocking smile tugged at Xu Jin’s lips. "A heart of greed? Or a selfish heart that sacrifices others for itself?"
"A righteous and enlightened Buddha’s heart!"
The young monk’s voice boomed like a great bell, golden Buddhist light radiating outward with his proclamation, shaking the entire Zheng Yin Dharma Temple.
His kasaya gradually became entwined with gold, and within moments, a golden Buddhist robe and kasaya, forged from Buddhist power, draped over him. Raising his arm, he revealed a golden hand forming a mudra.
The young monk seemed to undergo a complete transformation, instantly becoming transcendent and aloof. His pupils turned pure gold, devoid of emotion as they fixed on Xu Jin.
"Benefactor, what the eyes see may not be true. Only by understanding karma can one discern reality."
Xu Jin sneered, his sword flashing out without hesitation.
In the next instant, countless sword lights erupted, enveloping both the Zheng Yin Dharma Temple and the young monk.
"If it's true, then why not reveal it openly to all?" Xu Jin's voice carried a trace of rising anger.
"How many years of peace has the world known? Must you trample over countless lives just to claim your seat upon the Golden Lotus?"
"A righteous and enlightened Buddha-heart? Today, I shall see for myself whether yours is truly as righteous and enlightened as you claim!"
e school belle recognized by the whole school, a genius girl from the kendo club. She also has a hidden identity, the youngest legendary demon hunter. Chen Shuo just transmigrated and found himself turned into a weak, helpless little vampire. He was caught by Su Xiyen and taken home at the very beginning. Since then, Chen Shuo's life creed only had two items. "First, classmate Su Xiyen is always right." "Second, if classmate Su Xiyen is wrong, please refer back to item one." Many years later, Chen Shuo, who had turned back into a human, led a pair of twins to appear in front of all the vampires to share the secret of how he turned back into a human. "It's simple, I tricked a female demon hunter into becoming my wife!"
ap a wealthy young lady? Or else I'll be eliminated by the system? Ye Feng, who awakened the Kidnapper System, originally wanted to live a peaceful life but never imagined he would become a kidnapper of young women. However, after some time, he discovered that all the girls the system ordered him to kidnap were far from ordinary. "Big brother Ye Feng~ You've kidnapped my heart, and now you're not allowed to leave me ever again~" "Ye Feng~ You kidnapped me back then, now it's my turn to capture you♡" "Little Feng, you're mine! You can only be mine!" "Ye Feng, none of them deserve you. Only I love you the most♡" ... This is madness, they've all gone mad! Wait, what? Why are all the girls I kidnapped yanderes?!
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
young master of the Shen family—a figure of immense power and wealth beyond measure—and awakened the "Destined Ultimate Villain System"! His starting scenario? Running into his icy fiancée who shows up with a mountain-descending divine doctor to break off their engagement. The divine doctor arrogantly taunts: "What does your Shen family have besides a bit of stinking money? You're not even worthy of tying Qingxue's shoelaces!" Shen Fei just smiled. He completely defied the usual script: "Fine, I agree to break off the engagement. Also, notify the finance department to withdraw all investments from the Su family." Minutes later, with its capital chain severed, the Su Group teetered on the brink of bankruptcy! The once aloof and proud ice queen CEO was thrown into utter panic. That very night, she went to Shen Fei's villa, casting aside all dignity to beg and plead desperately... From then on, in this world teeming with Sons of Destiny, Shen Fei embarked on a path of extreme dimensional suppression! A mountain-descending divine doctor? Peerless medical skills? Shen Fei: "Reporting you for practicing medicine without a license! I'll gladly take your ancient medicinal cauldron and twin sister assassins." The Crooked-Smiling Dragon King? Commanding a hundred thousand soldiers with a single order? Shen Fei: "Illegal assembly and suspected treason! Let a fleet of attack helicopters sanitize the area and teach you what the state apparatus really means!" A reborn tycoon? Knows all the golden opportunities of the next decade? Shen Fei: "A trillion in capital to reverse and pump the stock market, making you blow your margin and jump on the very first day of your rebirth!" What Chosen Ones? What bearers of Heavenly Fortune? In Shen Fei's eyes, they're all just chives (i.e., suckers/marks) waiting to be harvested! Shen Fei: "Sorry, but as the Destined Ultimate Villain, I don't play by the rules of honor. I only play the game of dimensional suppression."
