Chapter 317: The Ritual Grounds of the Gods
Translator: Alsey Editor: Chrissy
The area turned dark once again after the bell waves disappeared.
Chu Feng didn't move recklessly. During the surge of Buddhist lights just now, even his bones were ringing continuously as if he was being hammered. His whole body was resonating.
As for the Snow Leopard King, his body was spasming and his expression was extremely pale. The Buddhist energy was able to suppress the deviant races inherently.
Night in the Himalayas was extremely cold. The chill bit right to the bones as the small snowflakes showered down from the dark night sky. When the cold wind blew, it was like the howling of wild dragons and tigers.
The ancient temple was close to the mountainside and only a corner of it was revealed—it was made from black stone arranged together. After experiencing the erosion of time and the pounding of the years, it seemed quite old. It was unknown how many eras it had gone through.
"Rumor has it that the temple is at least 6,000 to 7,000 years old," said the Snow Leopard King.
Back during the East-West conflict, the Peacock King, the Golden Crow and the others chased down the Yoga Guru Fanlin who had come from India and discovered this temple on the way.
The two top grade bird kings wanted to force their way in but were badly wounded instead. In the end, they were only able to bring back a few bricks for testing. That was how they were able to arrive at the conclusion that this place was thousands if not tens of thousands of years old.
Chu Feng's bones were no longer ringing but he took every step cautiously. He was observing this place and clearing away the snow.
The ancient temple seemed to have appeared during the era preceding historic records. The efficiency of its structure was extremely backward, but even then, its scale was not small. It was, on the contrary, quite grand.
Chu Feng and the Snow Leopard King were astonished. The black monastery was evidently solemn and dignified. Even during the night, there was a kind of majestic aura rushing towards them.
There were no words on the bronze board, only the depiction of a bodhi tree.
This was a tree of knowledge in Buddhism because Buddha was enlightened under the bodhi tree. It was also termed the enlightenment tree.
"There shouldn't have been any words during that era," said the snow leopard.
Chu Feng shook his head. "History is sometimes faulty. Many things are inaccurate."
During this process, both he and the Snow Leopard King did not activate the energy within their bodies. That was because they discovered that the old monastery would resonate if one were to move recklessly, releasing Buddhist lights.
If this ancient temple was discovered before the upheavals and the scientists got wind of it, it would probably be significant news. The place would be studied repeatedly.
At the moment, Chu Feng wasn't shaken or puzzled despite being surprised. Even the deviant races were speaking human language, what else couldn't happen?
"How worrisome." The Snow Leopard King sighed. The old llama and the others had disappeared for over 20 days and even now they hadn't come out. This caused them to be filled with anxiety.
Chu Feng frowned. He couldn't sense any movement at all after arriving here. The interior of the ancient temple was completely silent—this caused one to think of many things.
The temple was quite vast, but even so, complete silence was unlikely if there really were people inside. It was simply too quiet, almost like a place with no vitality.
The temple doors were tightly shut—it was made of Bodhi wood enveloped on bronze. Some parts of it were falling off, but the wood beneath had not rotted.
After clearing away the snow, Chu Feng began to measure the surroundings and study the lay of the land. Undoubtedly, the geomagnetic forces of this place were extraordinary. Sometimes, it would be frighteningly high but sometimes quite weak.
"A natural domain. One would only need to arrange it slightly to have it draw on the free energy of the heaven and earth, forming this unfathomable scene."
Chu Feng had recently been studying the Domain Heavenly Book and had become quite proficient. He was quite gifted in this field and was even stronger than his talents on the path of evolution.
His foundation was no longer weak and it could even be said that his insights were unique. Although he couldn't understand everything here thoroughly, he could easily grasp a few important points.
It was already deep in the night and the world was dark, but the snowy land was still faintly illuminated.
"I'll go in to take a look. You wait here," said Chu Feng. He walked towards the ancient temple doors and wanted to go in alone.
The Snow Leopard King followed closely and said, "No, you're unwell. I'll go in with you. I'll be able to provide some assistance at least."
Chu Feng shook his head. "Being able to enter isn't an issue of strength. The old llama is so powerful but even now he hasn't come out. It's no use for you to take this risk with me."
The bronze-coated wooden door was pushed open. The squeaks and groans sounded somewhat special amidst the cold wind—it was as if the deathly silence that had lasted ten thousand years was suddenly broken. Strands of golden light flowed out from the opening.
This seemed magical. It was completely dark outside but there was actually light coming from within.
Chu Feng didn't dare activate his energy because he had already tasted the effects. The bell waves were able to jolt his physical body and spirit. Normal people would find it extremely hard to resist.
He pushed forcefully and completely opened the doors. The interior was completely bright, seemingly bathed in light golden sunlight, sacred and tranquil.
"Eh?!" Chu Feng felt something odd.
It seemed like a completely different world within the ancient temple. It was suffused by auspicious splendor. There were dried springs, dead bodhi trees and damaged bronze bells lying on the ground. There were also shattered alms bowls and broken exorcism pestles, etc.
It was warm inside—there was neither wind nor snow and the ambiance felt somewhat sacred. It was just that the whole scene was filled with dilapidation.
Generally speaking, this place was like a ruin. It was broken and quiet, but it was also radiant as if it was a ritual ground abandoned by the gods.
The Snow Leopard King, who had followed him in, revealed an astonished expression. From the outside, it seemed as if the ancient temple was sealed. It was dark and without a courtyard or wall. It should've been a temple hall behind the door.
But one would find another universe after entering. It was warm inside and not cold in the least. Neither wind nor snow could be found and one could see the light golden sky upon looking up.
"A boundary!" Chu Feng exclaimed.
There was a grotto heaven within the ancient temple which formed a different heaven and earth, isolated from the outside world.
The Snow Leopard King shivered involuntarily at this point because the Buddhist suppression of the deviant races was very prominent. Although the place looked sacred, it was in fact quite terrifying.
"You go out first if you can't stand it. I'll go and look for them alone," said Chu Feng. He had noticed that the Snow Leopard King's situation wasn't good. The latter's body had tensed up and was almost forced back into his true form.
Boom…
The Snow Leopard King resisted but the pressure became stronger and stronger. In the end, he almost collapsed to the ground. When that giant bell tolled, his body drenched in sweat.
Buzz!
At the critical moment, a light emerged from Chu Feng's back. That was the Thunderous Bow—its warm glow was gentle as it spread out and enveloped the Snow Leopard King. At the same time, it immediately calmed down the Snow Leopard King.
This surprised both of them as they glanced at each other. This bow, although extraordinary, wasn't the kind of divine weapon that could kill all gods who stood in the way. It was expected that it should have such a wondrous effect.
"The effect of the Buddhist energy is milder on those who possess a Buddhist item. There's no suppression," said Chu Feng because there was only one explanation.
"Let it be. I'll stay back here and wait for you. A single Buddhist item likely won't be able to protect two people." The Snow Leopard King spoke thus because he was afraid of dragging Chu Feng back.
"You stay outside at a distance. I fear there'll be some unforeseen circumstances," reminded Chu Feng.
"Understood!" The Snow Leopard King turned to leave.
The great bell calmed down with his departure.
Chu Feng kept on going—the land was radiant and gentle—it would certainly look like a pure immortal land if not for the various dilapidated walls, debris, and numerous broken equipment.
After advancing three hundred meters, he saw, on the ground, an ancient wooden fish that had been broken into several pieces and a stone Buddha that had turned black. It seemed as if the latter had been dyed by blood. The whole area here was different and exuded a bizarre aura!
Chu Feng's heart trembled. He became cautious because this ancient temple had been abandoned back in the day due to some dangerous secret.
Crack!
When Chu Feng took another step, lightning suddenly appeared and intersected midair amidst crackling sounds. the strike caused him to stagger back.
Fortunately, it wasn't a lethal attack.
Chu Feng's expression turned serious as he retreated. After the place turned silent once again, Chu Feng proceeded to study every inch of this Buddhist ruin.
The ground was dried and cracked, the tiles seemed metallic and the broken walls were emitting strands of hazy smoke.
There were holes and pits on the ground revealing some dark magnetic rocks underneath. Some of them were buried deep beneath the ground while parts of the others were revealed on the surface but all of them seemed broken.
Some of the magnetic rocks were jet black and some were shiny—there were many veined patterns on their surface. It was unknown just what kind of power had destroyed them but these patterns were already broken.
He encircled the place and found that among the dozens of magnetic stones beneath the place, only one of them was complete. The others were all deformed beyond recognition.
Chu Feng drew in a cold breath because he understood the domain strength here was less than a tenth of its original power. Even so, it was still able to generate such diffuse lightning. There was a mysterious type of energy distribution. How frightening!
"That's not correct. The more magnetic stones there are, the more powerful their combined force is. The current domain, compared to the past, is almost negligible."
Chu Feng's heart was shaken. The terrifying scene here would be unimaginable if the magnetic stones were complete.
He inhaled deeply and stepped out once again. Crackling lightning fell once again and struck Chu Feng until he was swaying, and charred areas even appeared on his body.
He moved swiftly and utilized the knowledge he had found from the Domain Heavenly Book to find a path to survival.
As expected, he was able to gain access after being struck a few times. He turned here and there within the ruins and was able to travel 500 meters without being struck again by the lightning.
However, his expression changed after he arrived at the front. The sound of thunder shook the ears as it rumbled loudly.
There were broken Golden Arhat figures and merciful stone Bodhisattvas floating half a meter in the air. These bizarre figures weren't moving at all.
Thunder rumbled within the ruins as Buddhist lights intersected. It was terrifying.
"There was a battle here back then and the Buddhists abandoned this ritual ground." Chu Feng revealed a solemn expression.
A portion of the domains here remained intact and continued to draw on the energy of the heaven and earth, causing various objects to float in the air. At the same time, this place was becoming more and more dangerous.
He had observed the topography and found that the surrounding areas were also full of potholes. The odd soil and the dark stones were all broken without exception but even so it was still able to form a domain.
Chu Feng believed that the place used to be flourishing with Buddhist lights illuminating the mountains and ravines. The power of these domains would be unfathomable if it were in good condition.
He studied this area for quite a long time before taking his next step. A bolt of lightning fell with a boom and sent him flying, almost piercing right through his body.
Chu Feng's expression changed—such a remnant domain with negligible power was almost fatal.
Fortunately, the Thunderous Bow on his back emitted a gentle light and dissolved part of the Buddhist energy. Otherwise, the attack might have caused a bloody hole to form on his body.
The moment Chu Feng landed, he became even more cautious and began to deduce everything in detail, looking for a path.
"The old llama has his monastic robe. That item is extraordinary. Yellow Ox also said that the former had gone to Tibet to search for a Buddhist weapon. Perhaps this was the main reason they were able to go into the depths of these remains."
Chu Feng felt that the group hadn't encountered any danger here because, like him, they had a Buddhist item for protection.
Lightning rumbled on the road ahead and resounded around him. He stepped cautiously because the layout of this place was absolutely astonishing.
He probably wouldn't be able to advance even an inch if not for the fact that this place was badly damaged and the domain symbols were all destroyed.
If there were at least three complete magnetic stones, the might of this place was bound to be several times stronger. Even king level entities would be struck to ashes the moment they stepped in here.
Chu Feng pondered as he went and kept sighing in admiration. He was almost obsessed as he continuously memorized the composition and symbols he encountered in this extraordinary place.
Soon afterward, he would confirm them with the contents of the Domain Heavenly Book!
Unknowingly, he had already walked five miles into the place. He was struck along the way, and during the worst episode, he received five thunderbolts and had to depend on the Thunderous Bow to save him from this fatal tribulation.
"Merely knowing domains won't do. One would still need a Buddhist token. Otherwise, even though this place is broken and dilapidated, it's still a dire place for king level entities. Rushing in recklessly will result in certain death."
After walking over five miles, the road was full of countless perils. Chu Feng did some calculations and found that he would've died a dozen times if not for the Thunderous Bow.
The five miles of Buddhist holy ground finally came to an end.
This place was filled with blobs of Buddhist light. They were like flickering masses of flames. He was able to vaguely see some familiar figures strewn across the ground between the debris and the dilapidated Buddhist statue.
However, the Buddhist lights were too intense and he couldn't see clearly. Although he could only see vague silhouettes, he had finally found them!
Chu Feng's heart sank. "Are they still alive?!"
"That is…"
Following which, his expression changed greatly after he saw a figure sitting cross-legged at the deepest parts, illuminated by golden light and blindingly resplendent.
It was a Golden Bodhisattva!
He sensed a vague fragrance. Was this the sign of a perfect corporeal body on the verge of becoming a sage or Buddha?!
There was an incomparably large Bodhi tree and that person was sitting underneath it.
At the same time, there was also another person nearby, wearing armor and seemingly even more powerful than the Bodhisattva. The pressure being exuded caused the air to fissure. The scene was terrifying.
What caused one's heart to lurch was that the armored man was grasping onto a battle spear which had pierced through that golden body. It was as if a demonic sage had descended here!
And that Golden Bodhisattva was pointing towards the demonic sage's forehead. Buddhist lights flowed out despite him sitting cross-legged, forming a finger trace which touched the other man's forehead bone.
The whole place felt sacred, but Chu Feng's body was petrified. Just what kind of place had he come to?!