In the dimly lit temple, guardian arhats and wrathful vajras, no matter how many times their bodies were shattered, could recover in an instant.
Aside from their slightly stiff movements and fragile bodies, they seemed to have no other discernible weaknesses. Their strength and speed surpassed that of martial artists in the mid-stage of the Flesh and Blood realm.
Even the Bodhisattva statue possessed a strength comparable to a Flesh and Blood realm martial artist, along with the magical power of a second-realm cultivator.
Ji Yuan knelt on the ground, holding the injured Zheng Wanrong weakly in his arms. Despite her severe injuries, she still looked back with concern at her senior and junior brothers.
Yet, the two who were usually on the best terms seemed like different people now. They had clearly witnessed her being sent flying with a single punch, covered in blood, but they didn't seem to care.
Not even a glance of concern was cast in their direction.
It was as if their eyes were solely fixed on the Bodhisattva statue, which, though appearing benevolent, held fierce and murderous intent in its eyes.
Seeing this, Ji Yuan's expression darkened. He knew the chanting in this place could bewilder the mind, but he hadn't expected its effect to be so potent.
He glanced at Xu Qiqi, seeing the thunderous vibrations emanating from her, and knew this was different from demonic arts, nor was it likely an illusion.
Otherwise, the thunderous energy on the girl would be the best countermeasure against such arts. Even if it couldn't break through the interference, at least he wouldn't be consumed by boundless rage.
At this moment, Zhao Yuansong and the other two were filled with anger and frustration, their fighting styles becoming chaotic, merely seeking to unleash their internal power without reservation.
If they continued in this state, it was likely that these three would soon be completely exhausted and would be slowly worn down and killed by these indestructible clay statues.
Even knowing this, he had no immediate solution and felt powerless against the current situation.
"Shen Lang!"
In his anxiety, he could only turn and call out.
Among everyone, only Shen Lang had entered this place before and successfully escaped with Huixin.
Hearing the call, the scholar's expression turned serious. With a low chant, the book in his hand emanated a surge of righteous qi, and characters leaped into the air.
In just a moment, a passage of several hundred characters appeared, floating and hovering in mid-air, radiating a rich and upright aura.
"The Sage has said, 'Avoid haste and anger to attain inner peace; be without desire and want to remain untouched by evil.'"
Shen Lang murmured to himself, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.
Instantly, the characters before him shone with pure light, as if imprinted on the void. Rolling righteous qi surged out, filling the entire space.
It was as if someone was speaking softly, their clear recitation drowning out the chanting. The rippling emotions in their hearts calmed instantly, like a cool breeze descending upon them, bringing a profound sense of comfort.
The frustration and anger in Zhao Yuansong's eyes were quelled in a short time. They finally regained their reason, no longer acting recklessly to vent their madness.
At this point, the three finally realized something was amiss. While dealing with the enemies before them, they cast glances of guilt and concern towards the side.
"I can't hold on much longer, we must find the formation's core!"
Shen Lang shouted, his forehead beaded with sweat.
If he were alone, he could have used some means to forcibly escape this great hall.
However, with over a dozen people trapped here, his previous escape method was no longer applicable, as he couldn't forcibly take so many people with him.
This meant they needed to find the formation's core.
Hearing this, Ji Yuan was taken aback. He had thought they had escaped the illusion array, only to realize they were still within it and had not truly broken free.
But he himself was not skilled in formations, and having not yet cultivated magical power, he had never delved into them. How could he find the formation's core?
However, if they couldn't find the formation's core in a short time, they would certainly be worn down and killed by these endlessly regenerating clay statues.
At that point, even Grandmaster Wuhai, who had fallen into the path of evil, wouldn't need to act. These guardian arhats and wrathful vajras alone would be enough to easily end their lives.
The thought sent a wave of frustration through Ji Yuan's heart. It felt as if a heavy weight was pressing on his chest, a feeling that demanded release.
His expression darkened as he realized he was being influenced by the invisible power of the place. He instinctively glanced towards Shen Lang's location.
The passage imprinted in the void, hundreds of characters long, was rapidly weakening. Even the ink of each character was dimming.
As Shen Lang himself had said, he couldn't hold on for long. Once this passage completely dissipated, they would no longer be able to suppress the pervasive chanting, and everyone would once again descend into that frenzied rage.
"Don't worry about me... find a way to leave this place!"
Zheng Wanrong, leaning weakly in his arms, saw his furrowed brow and couldn't help but speak with difficulty.
As soon as she spoke, she coughed violently for more than a dozen times, a large amount of blood staining her chest.
Although she had silver needles and medicine, they could only temporarily suppress her severe internal and external injuries. Her life was not in immediate danger, but she could no longer sustain any further harm.
"Don't worry, no one will be left behind."
Ji Yuan looked down at her, his eyes reflecting complex emotions.
As he spoke, a figure came to mind. He vowed that he would never let that scene repeat itself.
Zheng Wanrong smiled faintly and then looked into the distance, her gaze passing through the wrathful vajras and guardian arhats, sweeping over her junior sister and senior brother, finally settling on that slender figure.
"If we can leave here alive, I must ask that blockhead why he's never expressed his feelings for me, even though he cares for me?"
Her gaze was somewhat hazy, as if simply looking at that back was enough to make the piercing pain of her injuries seem insignificant.
If she could leave this place safely, she truly wanted to tell that stoic fellow that her heart had never been for the brilliant senior brother, but for the young boy who used to quietly bring her pastries when she was little.
"There will be a chance."
Ji Yuan comforted her, then followed her gaze. However, upon seeing the figure fighting side-by-side with Xu Qiqi, he suddenly froze for no apparent reason.
Subconsciously, he was startled by a sudden discrepancy between something he felt and reality, but he couldn't recall it at all.
It was as if a mist had descended upon his vision, obscuring what should have been clear. The scene became blurry, and no matter how hard he stared, he couldn't penetrate it.
The discomfort was maddening, yet he was helpless against it. The peace he had regained in his heart once again rippled.
At the same time, the passage Shen Lang had imprinted in the void was now just a faint outline. The righteous qi within had weakened by more than half, no longer able to suppress the chanting in everyone's ears.
Now, this passage could at most serve a minor calming effect, preventing everyone from being completely lost in the chanting and retaining a sliver of clarity.
"The Great Dao has profound methods, heaven and earth reside within the heart, observing all living beings, illuminating mountains and rivers afar..."
Ji Yuan suddenly closed his eyes and, guided by inspiration, visualized the Profound Sky Dao Scripture. The heart-nourishing incantations appeared in his mind.
Within his Purple Mansion, the vast lake of sword qi gradually calmed. The torrent of sword qi sank to the bottom, and even the small jade swords dancing on the lake settled motionlessly in mid-air.
The ripples in his heart froze, then slowly dissipated, returning to a state of perfect stillness. A gentle breeze even appeared, sweeping away all the restlessness, anger, and other emotions within his heart.
A moment later, Ji Yuan suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze fixed directly on Li Junxian.
The mist that had obscured his vision dissipated, and the memories that had been veiled by some unknown power resurfaced in his mind.
Without hesitation, he pointed. The long sword circling him abruptly stopped and then transformed into a streak of light, flying out.
In the blink of an eye, the light that had been the sword appeared behind Li Junxian. To everyone's horrified gaze, it directly pierced his head!
"What are you doing!"
Zheng Wanrong cried out in shock. Despite her injuries, she lunged to avenge Li Junxian.
But as she struggled to rise and pick up the long sword lying nearby, a piece of memory that should have been there but was concealed suddenly reappeared in her mind.
Not only her, but everyone present who was connected to Li Junxian regained their veiled memories.
"Shen Lang!"
Ji Yuan suddenly shouted loudly.
Hearing this, Shen Lang let out a roar. As the book in his hand emitted a pure light, the passage imprinted in the void immediately exploded.
The characters shattered, transforming into the purest righteous qi. Accompanied by his loud chanting, it instantly filled the entire hall.
The temple, previously illuminated only by faint candlelight, suddenly blazed with a soft white light that spread outwards, gradually dispelling the darkness.
Wherever the white light passed, the indestructible clay statues, be they wrathful vajras or guardian arhats, vanished like smoke, leaving only a wisp of ethereal vapor behind.
Only the Bodhisattva statue remained, standing silently before them.
It had a benevolent expression but fierce eyes. However, as the white light enveloped it, a smile actually appeared on its face.
When all the darkness in the hall was expelled, the Bodhisattva statue, frozen in a battle stance, finally dissipated in the white light, leaving only a slow-rising wisp of ethereal vapor.
"It was indeed an illusion..."
Ji Yuan looked around and then murmured to himself.
In the hall, there were still over a dozen wrathful vajras, eight guardian arhats, and the benevolent-faced Bodhisattva.
But they were now placed on high platforms in the four corners, seemingly never having moved from them, nor having been shattered and reassembled.
Only now did the realization dawn on everyone: what they had been fighting were mere projections of their minds within the illusion, which explained why the statues would always reform regardless of how many times they were broken.
"I'm sorry..."
Zheng Wanrong said weakly. She finally recalled that Li Junxian had left the city last night to seek reinforcements and could not possibly be here.
What Ji Yuan had just killed was likely the core of the illusion array, or its crucial point.
Their memories had been veiled by the master of the formation, and this fabricated entity had been conjured. Its purpose might have been to deliver a fatal blow at a specific moment.
Hearing this, Ji Yuan shook his head slightly and then summoned several constables, instructing them to escort Zheng Wanrong away from Baiyun Temple.
"Junior Brother Jiang, take care of Senior Sister Zheng."
Zhao Yuansong pondered for a moment and then said to the youth beside him.
As the words fell, Jiang He nodded solemnly and then glanced at Xu Qiqi beside him.
Although he also wished to stay and fight alongside his senior brothers and sisters against the demons, Jiang He knew that with his strength, he wouldn't be of much help. Furthermore, the cultivation technique he practiced was not particularly effective in this situation.
Therefore, he could only obey his senior brother's instructions and first escort the heavily injured senior sister away from this dangerous place.
After watching them leave through the large door behind them and descend the stone steps away from Baiyun Temple, they finally turned their attention to the surrounding statues.