Chapter 702: Yu Liancheng

Looking at the man before him, who was dressed in a black Buddhist robe and eating a steamed bun, yet remained transcendently handsome, Qinian's heart suddenly sank.

"Yu Liancheng, it really is him, it really is him!"

Although he had long guessed the identity of the newcomer, when he truly faced the existence who had entered Taoshan alone and stood nearly shoulder-to-shoulder with Fuzi, this Fozong World Walker could not help but feel his heart skip a beat.

Qinian practiced the Silent Zen, chewing his tongue into his belly, so he could not speak; he only wore a solemn expression, even carrying the respect due to a senior. Although no one was clear about Yu Liancheng's seniority, even if he could not compare to Fuzi, he was likely on par with the Abbey Dean Chen Mou and the Peak Master of Scripture-Lecturing, yet his gaze remained firm; he was a Fozong World Walker, a Buddha Son of the human world, and naturally would not submit to a Demon.

"You shouldn't have come."

Yu Liancheng was eating a steamed bun, and when he finished this sentence, a mournful sound of cicadas suddenly echoed through the long street.

Cicadas are creatures belonging to summer; although it had already entered summer, due to the extremely low temperature at the bottom of the Tiankeng, there were almost no such creatures, and even if there were, they were very rare, quickly falling silent in the cold wind.

But now, countless cicadas had appeared on the long street.

Those cicadas were hidden behind tree branches, tucked into peeling bark, hanging between spider webs, and sitting inside roof tiles, chirping wantonly.

The sound of cicadas came in waves, causing the whole street to tremble; it was deafening and heart-rending.

Yet, it seemed that apart from Qinian, no one could hear the increasingly dense and increasingly shrill sound of the cicadas.

Listening to the increasingly shrill chirping, the expression on Qinian's face grew more and more solemn.

Because he knew that this cicada sound represented what could be called the most terrifying technique of the Demon Sect.

——Twenty-Three Year Cicada.

"However, I need a talent from the Buddha Sect. If you abandon darkness for light and turn over a new leaf, not only will I spare your life, but I can also pass on to you the profound art known as the 'Thirty-Two Appearances'," Yu Liancheng said.

Qinian pursed his lips tightly, his gaze resolute.

He used his actions to provide an answer.

One could see Qinian's hands shifting incessantly before his cotton Buddhist robe, like a butterfly among flowers; in an instant, he formed a hand seal of awe-inspiring significance.

It was precisely the Immovable Wisdom King Seal, the most luminous and powerful among the Buddha Sect's Great Hand Seals.

The moment this hand seal was formed, a vast, solemn, and majestic energy condensed between the hands and spread toward the surrounding world, whipping up a hurricane; even the seemingly omnipresent sound of cicadas in the small town stalled and grew faint.

"What a pity, you refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit!"

Yu Liancheng finished the last bite of the steamed bun and took a handkerchief from his bosom to wipe his fingers.

Afterwards, the cicada sound rang out again, and this time it was even louder and more irritable, as if someone were wantonly and loudly mocking.

The cicada sound vibrated; although the townspeople could not hear it, the leaves were shaken into flight, as if possessing spirituality, heading toward Qinian.

Every single leaf was a cicada.

Every "cicada" was emitting a heart-rending chirping sound, vibrating the soul.

The edges of the leaves also seemed to transform into the sharpest divine weapons in the world, capable of cutting through space at will.

Countless "cicadas" landed on Qinian's body.

Any single "cicada" possessed the power to cause a Dongxuan cultivator to die a miserable death.

Even a great cultivator of the Knowing Destiny Realm, if covered in countless cicadas, might have their soul shattered in an instant.

But Qinian did not, because the Wisdom King Seal was introverted, forming an invisible barrier on the surface of his body.

When the leaves landed on the barrier, they could no longer move forward; however, these leaves did not fall to the ground, but stuck to the surface of Qinian's body like cotton wool.

Before long, Qinian's Buddhist robe was piled full of leaves, with only his head and the hands forming the Immovable Wisdom King Seal left outside, making him look like a human figure piled up from leaves.

Crack!

Crack!

As more and more leaves gathered, that layer of invisible film began to show cracks.

The muscles on Qinian's cheeks twitched slightly, and strands of sharp energy drilled in through the cracks, leaving tiny bloody gashes on his cheeks, from which blood dripped. His hands forming the seal were trembling, and his whole body was swaying.

Qinian knew that in this overwhelming chirping, he could not hold on for long.

Taking a deep breath, the Mind Power in his Snow Mountain Qi Sea poured out, and the Heaven and Earth Yuan Qi began to riot.

"Om, ma, ni, pad, me, hum."

Qinian parted his lips slightly, and an obscure and stern sound issued from his throat.

The Silent Zen he had persisted in for over ten years was broken from this moment on.

And every word spat out was like the striking of a great bell, magnificent and loud, shaking the void.

The "Six-Syllable Mantra" grew louder and more overwhelming with each sound; when the fourth sound, "pad," was spat out, it had already drowned out the hoarse cicada sound, and by the fifth sound, "me," the leaves covering his body had already been shaken away.

This Buddhist World Walker had practiced the Silent Zen for over ten years.

He would not open his mouth, but once he did, it was no small matter.

Especially the final "hum" sound, which caused the airflow within a radius of several dozen zhang to surge with monstrous waves, sweeping outward in layers like a tide.

One could imagine that if ordinary townspeople were caught in this blast, they would almost instantly be torn into a mass of flesh and blood, and rooms and buildings would also be destroyed in an instant.

Qinian did not care about this.

The people living in the Underground World were originally sinners; it was only the Buddha's mercy that allowed their lives to be preserved.

Now that they were openly rebelling, they should suffer the most severe punishment. Death, to them, was instead a form of liberation.

While spitting out the last word, Qinian used his Mind Power to churn the Heaven and Earth Yuan Qi, gathered it between his feet, and stomped hard, charging toward the sky and flying away regardless of everything.

In the blink of an eye, Qinian had flown out of the small town; the wind whistled in his ears, and he glanced back, only to see that Yu Liancheng was dissipating the blast to avoid harming the innocent, with no intention of pursuing.

"Escaped a disaster."

Qinian let out a long breath.

Although Yu Liancheng had only slightly displayed the terrifying Demon Sect technique "Twenty-Three Year Cicada," the pressure it brought to Qinian was truly too great, just like rolling black clouds pressing down on his head, covering the sky and blocking the sun, making it difficult even to breathe.

Without a doubt, this was a high-stakes gamble.

If Yu Liancheng had disregarded the lives of the townspeople and taken the opportunity to strike at him, he would have had absolutely no possibility of escaping with his life.

"This person is truly terrifying; I must discuss this with the Peak Master of Scripture-Lecturing as soon as possible."

The gale wind rushed toward his face; although he had escaped with his life, Qinian did not have the feeling of being free to roam the vast world, but was instead filled with worry.

He ran with all his might, sparing no consumption of Mind Power, and was many times faster than when he had come.

An hour later, Qinian rushed into the territory of the Hanging Temple in one breath. Walking among the yellow temples, his brows were slightly furrowed.

For some reason, his heart and mind were in turmoil once again, unable to find peace.

A great cultivator at Knowing Destiny Peak already possessed the ability to foresee good and bad omens; it was impossible for his mood to fluctuate for no reason.

But this was the Hanging Temple.

As one of the Four Unknowable Places, the Hanging Temple had experts like clouds and was guarded by a Protective Mountain Array; in terms of danger, it was by no means inferior to Taoshan, and no one could trespass.

Perhaps it was because he was too worried about the situation underground.

Qinian shook his head and walked step by step toward the Great Hero Treasure Hall at the highest point.

In the Great Hero Treasure Hall, golden light shone brilliantly. The Buddha sat in the center, smiling as he held a flower, looking down upon all living beings. Bodhisattvas and Lohans were lined up on the left and right, along with Vajras, Heavenly Humans, Heavenly Dragons, and Heavenly Maidens—a true scene of the Pure Land. Every Buddha statue was lifelike and covered in gold leaf. Some Buddhas were even crafted from pure gold, making the hall truly resplendent.

A monk stood with his back to Qinian. His figure appeared short, yet it gave one a feeling of infinite height and holiness; this was the Peak Master of Scripture Lectures, who held the highest status in the Hanging Temple.

"This disciple greets the Peak Master," Qinian said, bowing with his hands pressed together.

"You have returned so quickly; have you investigated what happened at the foot of the mountain?" the Peak Master of Scripture Lectures said without turning his head.

Qinian kept his head lowered, his demeanor respectful, and recounted everything he had encountered at the foot of the mountain one by one.

The Peak Master of the Hanging Temple listened silently without saying a word. The entire Great Hero Treasure Hall was very quiet, with only the sound of chanting drifting in from outside from time to time.

Chirp! Chirp!

Suddenly, a faint sound of cicadas rang out.

Qinian's brows furrowed slightly, thinking he had misheard.

But after a brief silence, the cicada chirping suddenly became high-pitched and sharp.

Originally, there seemed to be only one or two chirping, but now there were dozens chirping together, and more and more were joining in.

Qinian suddenly raised his head, his pupils shrinking.

He saw that on the back of the Peak Master of Scripture Lectures, one or two Black Cicadas had landed at some point, screaming at the top of their lungs.

No, it was not just on the back of the Peak Master of Scripture Lectures.

On the shrine, on the incense burner, on the floor, on the pillars, on the statues... cicadas, there were cicadas everywhere. If one kept looking at a certain spot, that place would not change, but in the blink of an eye, cicadas would appear and multiply. The sound of the cicadas covered the sky and the earth, already drowning out the bell tolls and Sanskrit chants coming from outside the door.

"No, what is going on?" Qinian stood up abruptly, terrified to the extreme. In the entire Great Hero Treasure Hall, there were already thousands, tens of thousands of cicadas. The loud and shrill sound of the cicadas converged into a river, rolling back and forth within the hall, as if someone were screaming at the top of their lungs, mocking: All the Gods and Buddhas in the sky are useless.

"Yu Liancheng, you are the one playing tricks, come out! Come out now!"

"

As a Buddhist World Walker, Qinian's insight was profound; he already understood that he had fallen into a trap woven by Yu Liancheng.

He roared and shouted loudly, but no one answered.

Qinian's sleeve swept out violently, and the tyrannical Heaven and Earth Yuan Qi crushed the Peak Master of Scripture Lectures who was sitting cross-legged not far away; countless cicadas flew out from the Peak Master's body.

"Come out, come out!"

"If you have the ability, come out and face me!"

"

Qinian roared, red light flashing in his eyes. He manipulated the Heaven and Earth Yuan Qi to destroy the solemn Buddha statues one by one and broke the tall pillars. The entire Great Hero Treasure Hall was trembling, and even the walls were blasted with holes.

At this moment, the Buddhist World Walker was like a Demon King who had walked out of hell, intent on destroying the holy land of the Buddha Kingdom.

Each cicada also vanished into a puff of black smoke under Qinian's attack, but in an instant, more cicadas appeared, and the chirping sound seemed capable of tearing the world apart, ringing out incessantly.

Under the attack of Qinian's Great Hand Seal, the magnificent Great Hero Treasure Hall echoed with continuous rumbling sounds, like muffled thunder exploding in succession. Cracks appeared on the walls.

Amidst the earth-shattering noise, the entire treasure hall finally began to collapse. Glazed tiles fell to the ground with a clatter, and large chunks of stone tumbled down.

The Buddha statues broke; the floor was almost covered in severed limbs and flying heads.

"Yu Liancheng, come out! You come out!"

"

Qinian stood in the ruins, dust filling the air. The cicadas around him grew more numerous, and the chirping grew louder. Millions of cicadas were flying about, and the screeching sound almost tore his eardrums.

Just then, a grand and vast aura descended.

At the same time, endless dazzling white light began to spread from the horizon. Wherever it passed, everything disappeared, and all things dissolved into the white light, even the entire Hanging Temple. The only two things standing in the white light were Qinian and the endless Black Cicadas.

The Black Cicadas formed a sharp contrast with the white light, filling the vast white world, while Qinian stood in the vast white light, with nothing to rely on above or below, which made him even more furious, his face almost twisted. But he understood that his anger was only to cover up the fear he could no longer suppress—a fear that made him tremble.

Suddenly, all the Black Cicadas gathered toward one place.

Tens of millions of cicadas swarmed together, vaguely forming a huge black figure, towering and tall, carrying an indescribable eeriness amidst its holiness.

Looking at this black figure, Qinian vaguely felt it looked familiar. The next moment, he collapsed backward, terrified, his voice becoming sharp and trembling: "Yu! Lian! Cheng!"

Indeed, the person before him was Yu Liancheng.

More accurately, he was now dressed in a black Buddhist robe and should more appropriately be called the "Boundless Sentient Beings Buddha."

When he had not seen the "Wuliang Zhongsheng Fo," Qinian had frantically shouted the other's name, wanting to end this nightmare-like encounter quickly.

But when Yu Liancheng truly appeared before him, it instantly caused him to lose all courage to strike, his scalp tingling, his hair standing on end, his face pale to the extreme.

"Since you see all living beings, why do you not bow?!"

A grand and distant voice rang out, entering Qinian's eardrums, making his heart and mind tremble, driving him to kneel and worship; only by relying on his powerful cultivation was he able to hold on.

Immediately after, he heard the sound of cicadas again. The chirping was initially as faint as mosquitoes, then in the blink of an eye, it became shrill and screeching, and in another instant, it was like the roaring of mountains and rivers, as thunderous as the heavens. This cicada chirping was not chaotic; it was clearly conveying a sentence, and in an instant, the sound wave submerged Qinian.

"Since you see all living beings, why do you not bow?!"

"Since you see all living beings, why do you not bow?!"

"Since you see all living beings, why do you not bow?!"

In the small town, Yu Liancheng ate another basket of steamed buns, glanced at Qinian not far away, who was showing signs of struggle and fear, and smiled slightly.

After a while, the eyes of the Buddhist World Walker had turned dim, as if he were a puppet without a mind.

But if he only needed a puppet, a single divine sense strike from Yu Liancheng would be enough to destroy the other's spirit.

And so, he snapped his fingers again.

Qinian's eyes gradually brightened, appearing no different than before.

Only when his gaze touched upon Yu Liancheng did it become devout and respectful, with infinite reverence surging in his heart, as if standing before Haotian.

"Qinian bows to my Buddha!"

The Buddhist World Walker prostrated himself completely.

……