Boom! Boom! Boom!!
The entire Buddha Hall began to shake violently the moment the Earth-Suppressing Seal appeared. The ground trembled, and the power of the earth itself seemed to pulse and quake. The resulting shockwaves shattered everything in sight. The already-damaged Buddha statues crumbled at a visible speed, one after another turning to dust—shattered completely into fragments and powder.
Before the Earth-Suppressing Seal, the massive Buddha Hall was reduced to rubble.
As Yi Tianxing activated the Earth-Suppressing Seal, he also carefully sensed its changes—its true power.
"The Earth-Suppressing Seal is connected to the land itself. Once cast, it naturally resonates with the earth's pulse, generating tremors so intense that even cultivators could have their bodies crushed into a bloody pulp under its force. Complete destruction."
Even now, he could sense the terrifying might of these tremors. Even cultivators at the Manifestation Realm would suffer severe injuries unless they were body refiners. The power was immense.
"Additionally, the Earth-Suppressing Seal contains gravitational force. Once activated, gravity in the covered area increases dramatically. Right now, it's at a hundredfold. That's like being crushed under a mountain. And this pressure isn't momentary—it's continuous, omnipresent, permeating every inch of flesh, even the internal organs. No part is spared."
For ordinary people, even a slight increase in gravity would result in wheezing, fatigue, and physical breakdown over time. A hundredfold increase was simply fatal.
To illustrate: someone weighing 100 jin (50 kg) would now feel like 5 tons were pressing down on them. Even air pressure would increase one hundred times. While training can improve resistance, the human body's physical limits are fixed—muscle and bone composition can only handle so much.
Of course, this applied to mortals. For cultivators, especially those focused on qi and magical powers rather than physical refinement, internal organs remained a weak point. Unless protected by powerful artifacts, even they would have their insides crushed.
In short, a hundredfold gravity was terrifying.
Even space itself seemed to be constrained. Every movement became heavily restricted.
But that wasn't all.
The Earth-Suppressing Seal itself contained the power of the earth. Its very nature was like a magnet drawn to its opposite. Once in the air, it would inevitably crash downward to fuse with the earth—this process was nearly unstoppable. Yi Tianxing's immense physical strength infused the seal further.
One could now see a celestial mark glowing upon the Earth-Suppressing Seal.
This mark indicated the seal had advanced to First Grade, like the Hell-Suppressing Seal. Once unleashed, its power would multiply, drawing further strength from the earth—crushing all beneath it.
It was a physical divine ability no less powerful than the Hell-Suppressing Seal.
Under its power, the entire Buddha Hall shattered in an instant. Countless Buddha statues turned to dust—so fine that even the dust was annihilated, pressed into the earth and absorbed, becoming one with the land.
"So, there really is something foul at play. Eight-Faced Buddha—whatever kind of demon or heretical Buddha you are—if you dare touch Zhao Ji and the others, you'll be annihilated!"
Yi Tianxing's gaze landed on the sole surviving statue in the temple.
It was undoubtedly the eerie Eight-Faced Buddha, broken yet lifelike—its many expressions vividly rendered. Unlike the other statues that were destroyed even before the Earth-Suppressing Seal landed, this one remained untouched.
If that wasn't suspicious, he might as well go bang his head against a wall.
Swish!!
The Earth-Suppressing Seal was about to smash the statue into powder. But suddenly, without warning, a formless power surged out from the Eight-Faced Buddha. Yi Tianxing instantly felt the earth beneath him turn ethereal—illusory. The scenery shifted dramatically.
"Where am I?"
The sudden shift took place so swiftly that even Yi Tianxing's heightened vigilance couldn't counter it. It was a spatial inversion. Scanning the surroundings, he was alarmed to find himself outside the Lanruo Temple.
But something was wrong.
"No… this isn't Lanruo Temple. It's Si Ruo Lan. The name has been reversed."
He looked up at the temple plaque—it clearly bore the ancient script for Si Ruo Lan.
The name was a perfect inversion of Lanruo Temple.
What was even stranger, though this temple looked structurally identical to Lanruo Temple, it was not in ruins. It was pristine. Majestic. Even the trees by the gate were neatly trimmed. The entire temple radiated solemn splendor. It was clearly thriving, not abandoned.
A fully intact temple.
Clack, clack, clack!!
He could hear the crisp beat of a wooden fish echoing from within. Monks were chanting scriptures.
It all looked like a sacred Buddhist site. But something was off—the wooden fish should inspire peace. Instead, it filled him with unease. Emotions surged uncontrollably: irritability, rage, joy, sorrow. The six emotions and seven desires churned in his mind.
"Si Ruo Lan, a reflection. What a fitting name. This truly isn't ordinary. If I hadn't stepped into it myself, I wouldn't have noticed a thing."
Yi Tianxing took a deep breath, a flash of insight in his eyes.
He had a theory now.
This must be the reflected realm of Lanruo Temple. A mirrored dimension formed by some kind of mystical feng shui array beneath the temple. It was a perfect copy of the past, an echo of the original Lanruo Temple. While the surface temple had decayed, this reflected version remained as it once was.
"If this really is a reflection, then everything here must be remnants of the temple's past—these monks, echoes of those who once lived. Though the real temple has crumbled, this one endures."
Without hesitation, Yi Tianxing walked toward the temple.
"Greetings, honored guest. Might I ask—are you by any chance surnamed Yi?"
A reception monk emerged, robed in saffron, his face serene and friendly like spring sunshine.
"I am," Yi Tianxing replied.
Under his Yin-Yang Eyes, he couldn't determine if the monk was living or dead. In truth, neither term applied. They were a new kind of existence—not quite human, not quite ghost, but undeniably alive.
Life was life—no power could deny that truth.
"Our abbot awaits you in the back garden," the monk said.
"Your abbot?" Yi Tianxing asked calmly.
"Yes. Three female guests arrived before you. They are now enjoying tea and discussing dharma with the abbot."
"It was they who told us your name."
"Oh? And your abbot—who might he be?" Yi Tianxing relaxed slightly. If the women were here, they were likely unharmed.
"Our abbot is named Fazheng, known as Master Fazheng. He is the foremost expert in Buddhist thought and practice at our Lanruo Temple," the monk said proudly.
It was the confidence of someone with deep, unshakable belief.
"Very well. Lead the way—I'll meet your abbot."
Yi Tianxing breathed in deeply and agreed. Since he hadn't yet seen Cai Yan and the others, he didn't rush in with force. This Lanruo Temple was too strange—he wanted to uncover its secrets.
As for this pocket space—it was far from enough to trap him.
"Please, this way."
The monk smiled and led the way.
As they passed through the front courtyard, Yi Tianxing saw ancient trees. Beneath them, monks chanted the Diamond Sutra.
And unlike the outer world's Blood Dragon Wood, the trees here were genuine Diamond Dragon Subduing Trees—radiating majestic energy. Each glowed faintly with golden light, with dragon roars faintly echoing within them. It formed a picturesque and surreal scene.
Before he realized it, he had crossed the front yard and arrived at the back garden.
"Please, enter. The abbot and the three ladies await. I must stop here—I'm not permitted to go further."
The monk halted before the garden gate, smiling.
He made no move to enter, as though bound by some rule.
"Very well."
Yi Tianxing gave the monk a long look but said nothing, stepping into the back garden.
As he disappeared through the gate, the reception monk smiled slightly and turned away.