612: Chapter 612 Heavenly Palace on the Clouds, Bathed in Buddhist Light

"Brother Ma, it's completely normal that you haven't heard of it before; this is top-secret."

Before Fang Cheng could speak, Hou Peng, who was standing beside him, chimed in in a low voice:

"Ancient civilization ruins are actually a new world completely different from the one we live in."

"Inside are hidden all kinds of black technologies surpassing modern society, or Cultivate resources and Heaven And Earth Treasures that can completely transform a person."

"Bringing anything out casually, even if it's just scratching the surface, is equivalent to owning a golden mountain to people in the outside world."

"This is a Treasure Trove that even the governments and militaries of various countries are jealous of, directly viewing it as a top-level strategic resource!"

After finishing, Hou Peng swallowed a mouthful of saliva, a trace of burning eagerness flashing in his eyes.

Clearly, he had heard relevant rumors long ago and had coveted them for a long time.

Ma Donghe listened with wide eyes, his breathing growing somewhat heavier along with it.

"The opportunity is indeed huge, but the danger is equally fatal."

Fang Cheng nodded, his gaze deep as he looked at the fog ahead, and added:

"The Laws and strange creatures inside are simply not something ordinary people can resist; rushing in recklessly will only result in a narrow escape of nine deaths and one life."

"You saw that crazy old dog just now; he merely infected a tiny bit of energy leaked from the ruins and completely lost his mind, mutating into a man-eating monster."

Saying this, Fang Cheng shifted his gaze to Ma Donghe and Hou Peng:

"You don't need to take risks by following me; you can stay here, and we can talk after I find the entrance to the ruins and come back out."

"How can that do?"

Hearing this, Ma Donghe heavily slapped his fan-like large palm against his chest, causing it to thud loudly:

"A-Cheng, what kind of person do you take me, Ma Donghe, for? Since we teamed up to come in together, how can there be any logic of running away when encountering danger?"

"Besides, if it weren't for you, I might have given my life here just now. Wherever you go, Old Ma will follow!"

Hou Peng also tightly gripped his dagger, his eyes resolute:

"Brother Fang, wealth and honor are sought through danger. Although my strength is lacking, I still have this bit of courage; count me in!"

Looking at the resolute expressions of the two, Fang Cheng did not continue to dissuade them.

Adults make their own decisions, and naturally, they must bear the consequences themselves.

At worst, if they really encounter danger later, he can remind them to evacuate.

Pulling back his thoughts, Fang Cheng turned to look at Grey Hawk and his group, who had already hastily bandaged their wounds:

"Lead the way."

Grey Hawk nodded repeatedly, like a hound sniffing out the scent of blood, and plunged headfirst into the fog ahead.

Fang Cheng glanced at the three examinees leaning against the tree stumps, said no more, and followed closely with Ma Donghe and Hou Peng.

Lynx and Bald Rat supported each other, limping as they walked at the very back.

The backs of the group were quickly swallowed by the thick fog, disappearing into the depths of the dark forest.

In the clearing, only a few mutilated corpses and a pungent smell of blood were left behind.

The three police academy students leaned against the broken tree stumps, blankly gazing in the direction where Fang Cheng and the others had left.

The two factions that had been fighting to the death and were like fire and water just a moment ago actually gathered together in the blink of an eye to team up and treasure hunt?

"Brother Yanrui, what should we do now?"

The police academy student on the left clutched his knife-grazed shoulder and looked at the crew-cut man, seeking an idea:

"That civilization ruins thing sounds like an incredible big secret; should we follow them over to take a look too?"

Yanrui endured the severe pain in his ribs, gritted his teeth, and shook his head:

"Our injuries are too heavy; it's best to stay put and wait for rescue."

Although he was not clear about the specific situation of the so-called ruins, judging from the nearly perverted slaughter just now, this matter had far exceeded the scope of the Special Investigation Team's physical fitness test.

That was simply not something ordinary police academy students like them, who weren't even superhumans, could meddle in.

Moreover, with their current state, let alone participating in treasure hunting, even walking safely out of this forest would probably be hard to achieve.

"Regardless of what those people are plotting, we just need to do our own jobs and contact the authorities as soon as possible."

Yanrui took a deep breath, weighed the options repeatedly, and made his decision.

He quickly removed the marching pack from his shoulder and nimbly felt out a red flare gun and a signal flare.

Click.

Load, cock.

Yanrui raised his right arm, aimed the muzzle at the dark night sky overhead, and pulled the trigger without hesitation.

Bang!

A red signal flare shot out of the barrel.

Dragging a long high-temperature wake, it instantly tore through the heavily intertwined tree crowns and thick fog.

Like a shooting star flowing against the current, it soared straight up into the hundreds of meters of high sky.

Boom——

The scarlet light suddenly burst open in the night sky, dyeing the fog within a radius of several miles completely blood red.

After firing the signal flare, Yanrui leaned against the tree trunk, powerlessly lowering his wrist.

He raised his head, gazing at the red light spots slowly drifting in the night sky, and muttered to himself:

"I hope the examiners... can see it."

The fog was getting thicker and thicker, and visibility was continuously dropping.

The outlines of the surrounding trees were left with only blurry dark shadows.

The air also became damp, cold, and sticky, making breathing somewhat obstructed.

The flashlight beam struck out as if hitting a solid wall, and the halo was completely blocked within three meters.

Grey Hawk walked at the very front, holding that palm-sized nuclear radiation detection instrument in his hands.

The red light on the surface of the instrument flashed rapidly, emitting a sharp beep-beep reminder sound.

"Brother Cheng, this value keeps soaring upwards."

Grey Hawk turned his head back, his face piled with a flattering smile:

"With my intuition, plus this machine, it's definitely a double insurance; we must be very close to the entrance!"

Ma Donghe hummed in a rough voice:

"Stop your motherfucking nonsense, keep your eyes sharp. If you lead everyone into the lair of mutated beasts, I'll sacrifice you to the heavens first."

Grey Hawk shrank his neck, dry-smiled, and nodded repeatedly, not daring to take his eyes off the screen for a second.

Fang Cheng walked between the two of them without replying.

The military boots under his feet snapped a section of withered branch, making a crisp snap sound.

His gaze pierced through the thick grey fog, scanning the distorted tree shadows resembling monsters.

The surroundings were unusually quiet, and even the sound of insects had completely vanished.

At this moment, Hou Peng, who was walking on the left, suddenly stopped in his tracks.

After twitching those protruding ears twice, he immediately lowered his center of gravity and assumed a defensive posture:

"Wait, there seems to be movement."

Hearing this, Fang Cheng also paused his steps, listening intently.

The surroundings were originally dead silent, with only the heavy breathing of a few people.

But a few seconds later, an extremely faint buzzing sound pierced through the heavy fog and drilled into their eardrums along the damp, cold wind.

At first, the sound sounded like hundreds or thousands of flying insects beating their wings in the distance.

But as the cold wind intensified, it gradually became clear and extremely rhythmic.

"Knock, knock, knock..."

The ethereal and dull tapping sound drifted vaguely from afar.

It sounded like the unique motion of a wooden mallet striking a wooden fish drum in a temple.

Accompanied by the regular tapping sound, those noisy buzzes gradually converged and unified, forming coherent syllables.

It was as if countless people were chanting scriptures in unison.

Soon, Ma Donghe, Grey Hawk, and the others also heard the eerie sound.

"In these desolate mountains and wild ridges... where on earth are monks chanting scriptures coming from?"

Ma Donghe widened his eyes, his scalp tingling a bit.

Beep-beep-beep-beep——

The instrument in Grey Hawk's hand suddenly erupted into a harsh, prolonged beep, and the fluctuation curve on the screen turned into a straight red line.

"Right ahead, the energy radiation is off the charts!"

He trembled all over, raised his finger to point straight ahead, his voice changing pitch from excitement.

Everyone subconsciously accelerated their pace and walked forward.

Hoo——

A gust of cold wind blew along the ground, sweeping away the fog blocking their view.

As if someone pulled open a curtain, the field of vision suddenly opened up.

The deep mountains, old forests, night, and fog vanished completely at this moment.

Replacing them was a vast and boundless, rolling sea of clouds.

Right in the center of this sea of clouds, a magnificent temple was suspended.

Continuous halls were arranged in an orderly fashion, and the glazed tile surfaces reflected a dazzling halo, dyeing half the sky a brilliant gold.

And atop the highest cloud platform of the temple sat a giant golden Buddha standing a hundred zhang tall.

The golden Buddha's eyes were slightly lowered, its appearance solemn and majestic, looking down at everyone from a high position.

Clearly, the source of those abnormal sounds was none other than it.

At this moment, the grand chanting of scriptures was like great bells and chimes, deafening.

It even carried a certain Soul-captivating magic, continuously drilling into people's brains.

"Is this... the Western Paradise of Ultimate Bliss?"

Ma Donghe stood frozen in place, the dagger in his hand hanging powerlessly.

Fang Cheng's expression was calm, his eyes slightly narrowed.

The brilliant Buddha's light reflected in his pupils, yet it failed to stir the slightest ripple.

Those grand Sanskrit sounds sufficient to make ordinary people worship prostrate.

Falling into his ears, it only felt like a swarm of flies buzzing around his head, extremely noisy.

But not everyone had an iron-clad will like Fang Cheng.

Lynx and Bald Rat, who followed behind, were the first to fail to hold out.

These two assassins, who were originally heavily injured and needed to support each other just to walk, unexpectedly let go of each other's hands at this moment.

Their turbid whites of the eyes revealed a bizarre fanaticism and serenity, and they mumbled along, chanting the scriptures incoherently.

Afterward, their injured thighs seemed to recover instantly, and the two of them took stiff yet steady steps.

Like two Soul-lost marionettes, they walked straight toward that patch of golden light.

Next, Grey Hawk, who walked in front, was also hit.

His eyes were vacant, and he followed along by chanting two lines of scripture.

Suddenly, a strong tearing sensation arose in his mind, making him feel as if struck by lightning.

"Ah——"

Grey Hawk tightly hugged his head with both hands, collapsing to his knees in agony.

At the same time, Lynx and Bald Rat had walked to the edge of that golden light.

The two slowly raised their hands, touching that layer of golden halo with intoxicated expressions on their faces.

Their fingers were like snow thrown into boiling water, dissolving silently.

Followed by their wrists, forearms, torsos...

There were no screams, no blood.

That golden light was like the most terrifying strong acid in the world, instantly evaporating the two completely, not leaving behind even a single strand of hair.

However, this horrifying scene did not awaken the others.

Ma Donghe's tense body relaxed, and his eyes gradually became vacant.

He stumbled and took steps, also walking toward that fatal golden light.

Hou Peng followed closely behind, equally trance-like, muttering words under his breath.

Fang Cheng still stood in place, motionless.

The scripture chanting became clearer and clearer, louder and louder, continuous without end.

Ultimately converging into a low and ethereal sound wave, surging over wave after wave, impacting everyone's mind and Soul.

Only Fang Cheng's proud and upright figure, like a reef in a turbulent current, was not affected in the least.

Seeming to have noticed this sole anomaly.

The deafening scripture chanting abruptly stopped.

Above the clouds, that hundred-zhang-tall golden Buddha slowly opened its eyes.

Two tangible, dazzling golden radiances, like sharp swords, pierced straight at Fang Cheng.

A grand voice like thunder in the Nine Heavens exploded in Fang Cheng's mind:

"Since you see the World-Honored One, why do you not kneel?"

Fang Cheng raised his head, facing that overwhelming and terrifying pressure, a contemptuous sneer tugging at the corner of his mouth:

"A mere beast wearing a Buddha skin, does it deserve to make me kneel?"

Boom!

The sea of clouds churned, and the originally compassionate Buddha's light instantly turned into bone-chilling killing intent.

The golden Buddha widened its eyes in anger, and a giant golden palm covering the sky and earth, carrying the terrifying power to crush all living beings, slapped down directly at Fang Cheng's head.

Fang Cheng did not dodge or evade, his legs settling into a horse stance, and his military boots forcefully drove half a foot deep into the muddy ground.

Then he took a deep breath.

Within the Dantian, the robust and majestic True Qi suddenly surged like magma, erupting along his limbs and bones.

Hum——

A golden aura even purer than that golden Buddha in mid-air spewed out from Fang Cheng's body.

Boom!

Two destructive forces suddenly collided.

The golden radiance instantly forced open an absolute Domain belonging to Fang Cheng.

In the dark fog.

His entire person seemed to have transformed into an incomparably dazzling sun, stubbornly holding up that slapped-down Buddha hand.

The huge wind pressure accompanied by the golden light pressed down overhead, blowing Fang Cheng's whole body's bones into fine cracking sounds.

His Adam's apple violently rolled up and down, his chest bulging high.

Qi and blood surged wildly within his body, violently slamming against his internal organs.

His spine twitched violently like a great Dragon, and under the high-frequency vibration, his muscles, fascia, and bones rubbed together, producing a series of dull roars.

This sound initially echoed only within his chest, like a fierce tiger's low roar.

Then it rapidly spread throughout his whole body, turning into rolling muffled thunder in midsummer.

Muscles and bones resounding together, Tiger-Leopard Thunder Sound!

"Roar——"

A violent sonic wave resembling an ancient giant beast burst out from Fang Cheng's mouth.

Visible translucent sonic wave ripples, centered on him, swept upward like a hurricane.

Crack!

The giant golden palm in mid-air was hit by the sonic wave, instantly covering with spiderweb-like cracks.

Following that, the cracks rapidly spread to the clouds.

Clatter——

Just like a huge piece of glass smashed by a hammer.

The magnificent temple, the majestic golden Buddha, the sky-full of Buddha's light.

Amidst Fang Cheng's roar filled with True Qi, they cracked inch by inch, turning into countless light spots, completely shattering and dissipating.

The chilling thick fog poured back in again.

"Hoo-chih... hoo-chih..."

Ma Donghe and Hou Peng felt their legs go soft, plopping down to sit in the muddy ground, panting heavily.

The two were already soaked in cold sweat, as if they had just been fished out of the water.

Ma Donghe wiped the cold sweat off his face indiscriminately, glaring with copper-bell-sized eyes to look around.

Where was there any Cloud-Top Palace? Meeting the eye were only gloomy, twisted old trees and un-dissolvable thick fog.