Chapter 317: The Sanctuary of the Deity

After the bell chime faded, the light here was dim.

Chu Feng did not act rashly. When the faint golden Buddha light surged moments ago, his bones rattled continuously as if being hammered, and his body vibrated in resonance.

As for the Snow Leopard King, his body convulsed, and his face was ashen. The Buddhist energy seemed to suppress such supernatural beings, as if they were naturally antagonistic to it.

The Himalayas were bone-chillingly cold at night. Small snowflakes drifted down from the dark sky, and as the cold wind howled, it sounded as if wild dragons were roaring and ferocious tigers were howling.

The ancient temple leaned against the mountainside, only a corner visible. Built from dark, crude stones, it looked extremely ancient, weathered by time and eroded by the ages, having witnessed countless eras.

"It's said to be at least six or seven thousand years old," the Snow Leopard King said.

Back then, during the war between East and West, the Peacock King and the Golden Crow King pursued Van Lin, an ancient Yoga master from India, and discovered this place along the way.

The two supreme avian kings tried to force their way in but were severely wounded. They eventually took a few bricks and stones, and upon their return, had them examined by specialists who concluded that this place had existed for thousands, even tens of thousands of years.

The rattling in Chu Feng's bones ceased. He stepped forward cautiously, observing the area and beginning to clear the accumulated snow.

Even if the entire ancient temple predates historical records, from a period when productivity was very low, its scale was not small; on the contrary, it was magnificent.

Chu Feng and the Snow Leopard King were quite surprised. The dark temple exuded solemnity and grandeur; even at night, a majestic aura emanated from it.

There were no characters on the bronze plaque, only a Bodhi tree carved into it.

In Buddhism, it is the tree of wisdom, as the Buddha achieved profound enlightenment under a Bodhi tree, hence it is also called the Tree of Enlightenment.

"Wouldn't writing not have appeared by that period?" the Snow Leopard said.

Chu Feng shook his head and said, "There's a historical gap, so many things are uncertain."

During this process, neither he nor the Snow Leopard King used their internal energy, as they discovered that any rash movement in this place would trigger a resonance with the ancient temple, causing Buddha light to emanate.

If this ancient temple had been discovered before the great changes in the world and known by scientists, it would have been monumental news and subjected to extensive research.

Although Chu Feng was surprised, he wasn't overly shocked or perplexed. If even anomalous beings could speak, what else was impossible?

"It's worrying," the Snow Leopard King sighed. "The old Lama and the others disappeared over twenty days ago and haven't come out yet, which truly makes one anxious."

Chu Feng also frowned. After arriving here, he couldn't hear any sound; the ancient temple was completely silent, making it hard not to have ominous thoughts.

The temple was enormous, but if there were people inside, it wouldn't be utterly silent. It was too quiet, like an area devoid of life.

The temple gate was tightly shut. It was made of Bodhi wood wrapped in bronze plating; in some places, the bronze had peeled off, but the exposed wood showed no signs of decay.

After clearing the wind and snow, Chu Feng repeatedly measured and studied the terrain nearby. The results were clear: the geomagnetism here was extraordinary, sometimes terrifyingly high, at other times very low.

"A natural domain field," he murmured. "With just a slight arrangement, it could absorb the free energy factors in heaven and earth and create various unfathomable phenomena."

Chu Feng had recently studied the Heavenly Tome of Domain Fields and had completely grasped its basics. He was very talented in this area, even more so than in his path of evolution.

His current foundation was already strong, and he could even be said to have unique insight. Although he couldn't fully comprehend the secrets of this place, he could infer some details.

By now, night had fallen deep. Darkness enveloped the land, but the snow-covered ground still offered some faint light.

"I'll go in and take a look; you wait here," Chu Feng said. He wanted to enter alone and walked towards the ancient temple gate.

The Snow Leopard King followed closely and said, "No, you have a problem with your body. I'll go in with you; we can look out for each other."

Chu Feng shook his head and said, "Whether we can safely enter is not a matter of strength. The old Lama's cultivation is so high, yet he hasn't come out. It's useless for you to risk it with me."

The bronze-clad wooden door was pushed open. A creaking sound, particularly distinct in the cold wind, seemed to break the millennia-long silence of the snow mountains. Threads of faint golden light streamed out from the door cracks.

This was slightly mystical. It was dark outside, yet light was emanating from within the temple.

Chu Feng did not dare to use his energy, having already experienced how waves of bell chimes resonated, shaking both body and spirit, which most people would find hard to withstand.

He pushed hard, and the gate opened completely. Inside was bathed in light, like the gentle glow of a faint golden sun, sacred and peaceful.

"Huh?!" Chu Feng felt surprised.

Inside the ancient temple, it was like a completely different world. Peaceful light permeated the air. On the ground were dried-up spring pools, dead Bodhi trees, fallen, broken bronze bells, as well as incomplete alms bowls and broken vajras.

There was no ice or snow here; it was warm like spring, like a different, somewhat sacred world. However, all the objects were damaged and tattered.

Overall, it resembled ruins—broken, silent, yet bright—like a divine sanctuary abandoned by deities.

The Snow Leopard King also followed in, his face revealing surprise. From the outside, the ancient temple appeared enclosed and dark, with no courtyard walls visible; beyond the gate was simply a hall.

But upon entering, they found a different reality. It was very warm here, not cold at all. There was no wind or snow, and looking up, even the sky was a faint golden color.

"A barrier!" Chu Feng exclaimed.

Inside the ancient temple was a hidden realm, a world of its own, isolated from the outside.

Here, the Snow Leopard King involuntarily trembled slightly. The suppressive power of Buddhism on anomalous beings was still very evident; although sacred, it was also terrifying.

Chu Feng was fine; although he also felt an invisible pressure, it wasn't as severe as what the Snow Leopard King experienced.

"If you can't manage, you should go out first; I'll search for them myself," Chu Feng said, seeing that the Snow Leopard King was in a poor state, his body taut and almost revealing his true form.

*Boom...*

As the Snow Leopard King struggled, the pressure intensified, and finally, the great bell chimed again. He was covered in sweat, almost collapsing on the spot.

At this crucial moment, Chu Feng's back glowed; it was the Great Thunderous Bow. A soft radiance emanated from it, enveloping Chu Feng and also shielding the Snow Leopard King, causing him to calm down instantly.

This surprised both of them. They exchanged bewildered glances. Although this bow was extraordinary, it wasn't a divine weapon capable of slaying gods. Yet, they hadn't expected it to have such a miraculous effect here.

"The Buddhist energy is relatively gentle towards those who possess Buddhist artifacts; it doesn't suppress them," Chu Feng said. This could only be the reason.

"Never mind, I won't go in. I'll wait for you outside," the Snow Leopard King said. "One Buddhist artifact might not be able to protect both of us." He feared he would hinder Chu Feng.

"Stay a bit farther away outside. I'm wary of any sudden changes," Chu Feng reminded him.

"All right!" The Snow Leopard King turned and left.

As he left, the bell chimes subsided again.

Chu Feng walked further inside. The place was bright and peaceful; were it not for the broken walls, scattered rubble, and damaged artifacts, it would truly resemble a celestial pure land.

After walking three hundred meters, he saw ancient wooden fish drums on the ground, long since shattered. The stone Buddha statues were pitch-black, as if stained with blood. This place was different; it carried an eerie aura!

Chu Feng's heart grew solemn. He became cautious, thinking that this ancient temple might have been abandoned due to some dangerous secret.

*Crackle!*

Upon reaching this point, when Chu Feng took another step, lightning suddenly appeared, interlacing in the void, crackling and striking him, causing him to stumble.

Fortunately, this was not a fatal attack.

Chu Feng's expression grew serious. He retreated, and the area became quiet again. He began to examine every inch of the ground, studying this Buddha-light-infused ruin.

The ground was cracked and dry, the tiles resembled metal, and wisps of hazy smoke rose from broken walls and other debris.

The ground was pitted. Under the ruins were some dark magnetites, some buried, some exposed, but all were broken.

Chu Feng's heart shook violently. He crouched down, carefully studying these stones, realizing they might be the materials used to set up the domain field.

Some magnetites were pitch-black, others gleamed. All once had patterns on them, but some unknown force had caused them to break, severing the patterns and destroying them.

He circled the area, finding dozens of magnetites and similar stones beneath the soil and rocks in this area. Only one was relatively intact; the others were beyond recognition.

Chu Feng gasped. This meant that the domain field here was less than a fraction of its original power, yet it could still generate lightning and distribute mysterious energy. How terrifying was that?

"That's not right," he mused. "The more magnetites there are, the stronger the combined energy. The domain field here is insignificant compared to what it once was."

Chu Feng's heart trembled. He could hardly imagine what this place would have looked like if all the magnetites had been intact.

He took a deep breath and stepped forward again. Crackling, lightning flashed and struck down, making Chu Feng's body sway and leaving charred marks on him.

He moved his feet quickly, using what he had studied and learned from the Heavenly Tome of Domain Fields to find a way through.

Sure enough, after enduring a few more lightning strikes, he found the correct path. He twisted and turned, navigating through the ruins and moving forward, covering about one *li*, and was no longer struck by lightning.

However, upon reaching the area ahead, his expression changed. Thunderous roars deafened him, rumbling loudly.

Ahead were broken golden Arhat statues and stone Bodhisattvas with compassionate expressions, all suspended several meters above the ground, strangely motionless.

In these ruins, thunder rumbled continuously, and Buddha light intertwined, breathtakingly beautiful.

"A battle must have taken place here long ago, causing the Buddhist sect to abandon this spiritual ground," Chu Feng said, his expression growing solemn.

Some parts of the domain field in this area still remained, absorbing energy from heaven and earth, allowing various artifacts to remain suspended. At the same time, this place became even more dangerous.

He examined the terrain. The nearby points were also pitted, with strange soil, dark stones, and other elements, almost none intact, all shattered, yet they could still form a domain field.

Chu Feng believed that this place must have been prosperous and flourishing in the past, with Buddha light illuminating all the mountains and valleys, because if the domain field here were intact, its power would be unimaginable.

He studied the area for a long time and finally began to move forward. With a *boom*, a bolt of lightning struck down, sending Chu Feng flying sideways, almost piercing his body.

His expression changed. This remnant domain field, insignificant compared to its past power, could actually still be fatal.

Fortunately, the Great Thunderous Bow on his back emitted a soft light, helping him neutralize some of the Buddhist energy. Otherwise, his body might truly have been blasted with a gaping wound.

The moment he landed, Chu Feng became even more cautious, carefully deducing and searching for a safe path.

"The old Lama has a kasaya on him, which is no ordinary item," he mused. "The Yellow Ox said the old Lama once went to Tibet to search for legendary Buddhist weapons. Perhaps that's why they were able to reach the depths of these ruins."

Chu Feng believed those people had not encountered danger here; like him, they possessed Buddhist artifacts to protect them.

Along the path ahead, thunderous roars were deafening, continuously resounding beside Chu Feng. He stepped carefully, marveling at the layout of the domain field here.

If not for the severe damage here, with less than one percent of the underground domain field symbols remaining, he would have been unable to move an inch.

If even just two or three magnetites were intact, the power here would undoubtedly be many times stronger. Any king-level being entering would surely be reduced to ashes.

Chu Feng walked, studying and contemplating, filled with admiration, almost mesmerized. This place was truly extraordinary. He constantly made notes of its layout and the various broken symbols.

He planned to verify them against the contents recorded in the Heavenly Tome of Domain Fields!

Unconsciously, he had walked ten *li*. He had been struck by lightning several times along the way, and at its worst, he had nearly been struck by five bolts of lightning at once. Fortunately, the Great Thunderous Bow had helped him avert a fatal blow.

"Just understanding the domain field isn't enough; one must also possess Buddhist tokens," he concluded. "Otherwise, even though this place is damaged, it would be a death trap for current king-level beings. Rashly entering would mean certain death."

After walking ten *li*, the path had been fraught with countless dangers. Chu Feng calculated carefully that if he hadn't had the great bow, he would have died more than ten times over.

The ten *li* Buddhist pure land finally came to an end.

In this area, Buddha light gathered in clusters, like pulsating, burning balls of bright fire. He vaguely saw some familiar figures among the ruins, lying amidst rubble and broken Buddha statues.

However, the Buddha light was too intense to see clearly. He could only make out rough outlines. He had truly found them!

Chu Feng's heart sank. Were these people still alive?!

"That is..."

Then, his expression changed drastically. He saw a figure seated cross-legged in the deepest part, bathed in golden light, exceptionally dazzling and resplendent.

It was a golden Bodhisattva!

Vaguely, he detected a fragrant scent. Was that the aura of a flawless body, of becoming a saint or a Buddha?!

There was an enormous Bodhi tree, and that figure was seated beneath it.

At the same time, beside it was another person, wearing armor, who seemed even more powerful than the Bodhisattva, causing the void to crack. There were numerous fissures, making for a terrifying sight.

Most startlingly, the armored figure held a battle spear that had pierced the golden statue, as if a Demonic Saint had descended upon this place!

The golden Bodhisattva, while seated cross-legged, pointed a finger towards the brow of the suspected Demonic Saint. Buddhist light emanated, forming a finger imprint that had already touched the person's forehead.

This place was sacred, but Chu Feng's body stiffened. Where exactly had he come to?!