Chapter 494: The Truth Emerging from the Surface

"Yes, what Zen Master Yunxin said is correct. This suggestion isn't excessive, because without Master Yunhui's help, your Nine-Orifice Exquisite Heart would never achieve perfection."

Both Chief Monks Yunxin and Yunguang spoke in succession, which provoked strong dissatisfaction from Xu Yang.

Hearing Yunxin's words, Xu Yang, who was standing nearby, couldn't hold back before Shi Lingyun could even respond.

"I respect everyone at Garan Temple; you are all enlightened eminent monks. I never expected you to be so pushy! Earlier, out of respect for Master Yunhui, I gave you a chance to understand the truth. If you know what's good for you, leave quickly. Otherwise, don't blame me, Xu Yang, for showing no mercy. This is, after all, Master Yunhui's meditation ground, and I don't want to make things too ugly for both sides."

Xu Yang immediately issued a warning to the monks before him. He truly hadn't expected these prominent monks from Garan Temple to be so unappreciative.

This time, however, the monks' gentle expressions vanished, replaced by an indescribable gloomy aura that began to emanate from them.

"Hmph, Miss Shi's acquisition of Master Yunhui's relic inheritance was Master Yunhui's own decision. You disciples of Garan Temple can't even grasp such a simple fact, yet you dare to pester me, Xu Yang! You want to keep Miss Shi for your own use? You are not qualified!"

The next moment, Xu Yang lost all patience. He suddenly leaped into the air, fully unleashing his powerful Asura path aura. Beside him, Shi Lingyun was protected by Xu Yang's Nine-Colored Qiankun Bell, and brilliant light erupted repeatedly. The previously established peaceful atmosphere seemed to deteriorate instantly in such a short time.

"Your Excellency! What these esteemed monks say is not entirely unreasonable. Zen Master Yunhui bestowed such great blessings upon me; perhaps it is only right that I stay and do something for him."

Shi Lingyun was soft-hearted and inherently a person of pure kindness. Caught in this perplexing situation, she became somewhat confused and instinctively considered compromise.

This time, however, Xu Yang's resolve was unwavering.

"This matter is not up for discussion. If you want to keep Miss Shi, you'll have to go through me, Xu Yang, first!"

Xu Yang uttered a direct threat, fully unleashing his unique and powerful aura. It seemed that no one from Garan Temple, apart from Yunhui, could even remotely withstand Xu Yang's presence. If a battle truly erupted, it would undoubtedly be a losing proposition for Garan Temple, destined to end in significant losses.

"If you want to fight, then let's fight!"

At that very moment, Zen Master True Steel, who had reverted to his true form, returned to the center of the group. He remained the one with the fiercest fighting spirit.

The three chief monks, working together, could not yet reach Yunhui's level, but if they coordinated, their combined combat power would exceed Yunhui's! After all, two fists are no match for four hands; in the same realm, the more people, the greater the advantage.

However, none of this was the main point. The crucial thing was that as these prominent monks unleashed their true auras, Shi Lingyun's Nine-Orifice Exquisite Heart suddenly perceived something entirely different!

"Huh? How can this be?"

Shi Lingyun instinctively furrowed her brow. Using her heart as her eyes, she simultaneously enveloped the prominent monks before her with her immense mental power.

Indeed, she discovered some clues!

"Your Excellency, please look!"

Shi Lingyun immediately transmitted what she had observed into Xu Yang's soul space through a soul imprint.

Xu Yang was utterly stunned after receiving the scene within the soul imprint.

"How is this possible? The very essence of these prominent monks' souls seems to be corroded by a very peculiar force, and this force must be the root cause of their tyrannical behavior!"

Observing the horrifying scene in his vision, the originally intact golden soul essence began to crack without warning, and a hideous, bloody aura seaped out from the fissures, little by little.

"It seems things are far more complex than we imagined! Although Zen Master Yunhui harbored evil thoughts, it appears his evil wasn't the origin of the entire situation. He was merely used by the true mastermind. The one truly orchestrating this conspiracy must be someone else!"

Xu Yang's expression involuntarily grew solemn. For him, defeating an opponent was incredibly easy, almost effortless. However, resolving a conflict peacefully was far more challenging than simply eliminating a few individuals.

More importantly, the prominent monks before him had their souls corroded, a problem that couldn't be solved by combat power alone. Unless Xu Yang completely annihilated them, but such a solution would only lead to greater chaos, which was not Xu Yang's intention.

Witnessing a dozen prominent monks simultaneously becoming demonic, it seemed that the growing cracks in their soul essence would also cause their spiritual essence to drain away even more severely. While these demonic auras made them violent, they also greatly enhanced the monks' offensive capabilities, albeit at the cost of their life force.

With no time for further thought, Xu Yang acted preemptively. Although he didn't intend to completely eliminate these prominent monks, their current state of widespread frenzy necessitated a degree of power suppression. He absolutely couldn't allow them to unrestrainedly vent their inner evil, as it could cause irreparable and devastating damage to their souls!

Xu Yang's strategy proved highly effective. With his overwhelming power, he alone managed to suppress the eighteen Arhats and the three chief monks simultaneously.

Terrifying sonic waves reverberated through the mountains and forests repeatedly. Meanwhile, Shi Lingyun, temporarily protected by the Qiankun Bell's spirit, focused entirely on gathering the unparalleled mental power of her Nine-Orifice Exquisite Heart, trying to find a way to stop the disintegration of these prominent monks' souls.

"Your Excellency, the situation appears to be far more troublesome than we imagined. This is akin to a soul curse, a method not within the scope of our current continental era's knowledge. With my current understanding, I cannot resolve this issue for now."

Xu Yang nodded solemnly. "You've worked hard. Although we can't solve this problem, if it weren't for your Nine-Orifice Exquisite Heart, we wouldn't even have this understanding of the situation."

Just as Xu Yang and Shi Lingyun were racking their brains for a solution, an incredibly solemn Buddhist chant descended from the distant sky!

"Amitābha!"

Instantly, boundless golden light poured down from the void, and the entire world seemed to grow quiet once more amidst this purifying sound.