blenderwars Chapter 425 New Task: Reciting Scriptures
Chapter 425 New Task: Reciting Scriptures
Xia Ning shook her head, a hint of apprehension in her eyes:
"The entrance to the forbidden area is a heavy stone gate, covered with runes for suppressing evil, which can only be opened with the exclusive incantation of the Lord of Silence."
"If we rashly force our way in, the stone gate runes will be activated instantly, which will not only severely injure the intruder, but also alarm the countless vengeful spirits suppressed in the prayer flag forest, who will then launch a counterattack. At that time, there will be no way out."
Lin Feng tapped his fingertips lightly on the edge of the bed, pondered for a moment, then looked up and said:
"Then... what if I could obtain the incantation to open the forbidden area?"
Xia Ning was suddenly taken aback, her previously dim eyes instantly brightening: "You...you really have a way?"
Lin Feng remained calm: "It's not entirely certain yet, but it's worth a try."
Lin Feng glanced at the shadows cast by the sun outside the window and said softly:
"Let's talk in your room tonight. It's almost two o'clock now, let's go to the square to meet first."
Xia Ning nodded quickly, and with a flash, she left the dormitory without a sound.
Lin Feng got up, straightened his robes, walked to the door of the next room, and gently knocked:
"Wasim, it's time to go. Let's meet in the square."
Wasim opened the door in response, and the two of them, along with the two chosen ones from the next dormitory, walked towards the square.
........................
The stone tower stands majestically in the square.
Xia Ning and two black-clad deacons were already standing in front of the tower.
Xia Ning's face remained aloof, but a trace of lingering blush remained at the base of her ears.
Once everyone was in position, Xia Ning's gaze slowly swept across the entire room, and her clear voice rang out:
"The afternoon's practice task is simple—recite a 300-word scripture."
"During evening prayers, we must go to the main hall to chant scriptures with the elders."
"If any mistakes or interruptions occur during evening classes, they will be erased on the spot."
As soon as he finished speaking, the square erupted in chaos.
"Oh no, oh no, I'm just not cut out for memorizing texts, is this going to kill me?"
"It's only 300 words, it shouldn't be too difficult, right?"
"But what if the scriptures are in obscure classical Chinese and we can't understand them at all?"
"Luckily, it's only 300 words. If I grit my teeth and try hard, I should be able to memorize it..."
Xia Ning raised her hand to signal, and the two stewards distributed the scriptures one by one.
Lin Feng took it and read it; the first thing he saw was:
The hall need not be high, for a tranquil mind brings clarity. The form need not be fixed, for still thoughts bring peace. Those who enter this hall should relinquish all questions. Do not ask where you came from, do not ask where you are going, do not ask what is real or illusory, what is the beginning or the end…
The sentences weren't obscure, and he secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Thankfully, they weren't too difficult to memorize.
Just as everyone calmed down and prepared to begin memorizing, Xia Ning suddenly spoke up, her tone laced with cunning and pressure:
"I forgot to remind you all that from now on, you will be subjected to a debuff—your brains will become confused, your memory will be severely impaired, and even reading the words in the scriptures will become blurry and distorted, making it impossible to concentrate and memorize them."
As soon as she finished speaking, Xia Ning lightly snapped her fingers.
The next second, everyone's expression changed drastically as a sudden wave of dizziness washed over them.
The scripture pages in my hand, which were originally clear, gradually became distorted and overlapping, and the strokes became blurry. I would stare at a word, but then forget what it looked like in the blink of an eye. I would remember half a sentence, but then forget the first half completely.
A chorus of wails erupted from the crowd.
"What's wrong? I feel so dizzy!"
"Why is the scripture all crooked and distorted? I can't read it at all!"
"We can't remember this at all! Are you deliberately messing with us?!"
"This is outrageous! This isn't cultivation; it's torture!"
"Exactly, what's the difference between this and being eliminated outright?"
"..."
Xia Ning coldly observed the chaos before her and spoke calmly:
"The essence of spiritual practice is to overcome suffering and temper one's character."
"If it's all done easily and effortlessly, without any exertion, can it still be called spiritual practice?!"
She paused, her gaze sweeping over the anxious faces of the crowd, her tone softening slightly:
However, problems always come with solutions.
Everyone quieted down and turned to look at her.
"This debUff can be suppressed within the Silent Heart Palace," Xia Ning said, enunciating each word clearly.
"But remember this: only those with pure hearts can enter the Temple of Tranquility."
She withdrew her gaze, her tone returning to its usual calm:
"Good luck, everyone. Also, please meet here again at 6 PM to go to the main hall for evening prayers."
After saying that, Xia Ning said no more, turned around and left the square with two black-clad stewards.
Everyone remained rooted to the spot, their faces filled with anxiety and helplessness, except for Lin Feng, whose expression remained calm, even revealing a hint of surprise.
His mind was completely clear, and the scripture in his hand was perfectly legible, without any distortion or blurring.
Before he knew it, he had even memorized several lines.
This should be due to the superposition of his own mental fortress talent, his mental strength which has been improved many times, and the additional rule affinity ability he obtained from Xiao Zhixia.
It seems that even without going to the Silent Heart Hall, he could easily memorize this scripture.
Evelyn, noticing his unusual expression, quickly lowered her voice and asked, "What's wrong?"
Lin Feng gently shook his head and said truthfully, "I don't seem to have been affected by debUff much. I can see the scriptures very clearly and remember them. How about you guys?"
Evelyn rubbed her throbbing temples: "I'm okay, I can barely see the words, but my head is numb, I forget the beginning as soon as I memorize the end."
Wasim nodded in agreement: "Me too, I'm so restless, I can't concentrate on memorizing anything."
Lin Feng glanced at the two of them, then looked at the anxious crowd not far away, and said:
"Then let's go to the Silent Heart Palace. I'll go with you."
The three followed the crowd down to the first-level platform and soon gathered in front of the Silent Heart Hall.
The palace doors were wide open, and a transparent barrier could be vaguely seen inside, like ripples on still water, silently stretching out there.
Among the crowd, a few people who were confident in their self-control immediately closed their eyes, forcibly cleared their minds, and walked step by step toward the palace gate.
But as soon as they approached the palace gate, they were violently thrown back by a gentle yet irresistible force and slammed heavily to the ground.
Evelyn took a deep breath and stepped forward.
She closed her eyes and tried to use the "emotional isolation method" that she had been trained in for many years as a special agent to suppress all her fears, anxieties, and even the thought of "wanting to go in" into a non-existent drawer deep in her consciousness, and then lock it.
She turned her brain into a pure machine, with only goals and no feelings.
She took a step.
The barrier neither repelled her nor accepted her in the slightest.
She stood frozen at the threshold, as if an invisible hand was pressing against her chest, leaving her unable to move forward or backward.
After holding on for more than ten seconds, a huge repulsive force suddenly surged in, and she staggered back a few steps before regaining her balance.
Failed.
Vassim then stepped forward, treating entering the temple as a breakthrough in interrogation. He stared at the barrier, repeatedly chanting "Go in, go in, go in" in his mind, trying to tear a hole with his iron will.
However, the more one tries to enter, the more obvious the resistance from the barrier becomes.
Wasim felt his consciousness was like a taut string, about to snap.
When he finally touched the edge of the door frame, a dull force exploded from his chest, pushing him back three steps.
It failed...