Stepping into the main hall, that Buddha-demon intertwined oppressive aura almost condensed into substance. Xiao Qi's gaze swept over the scattered Buddha statue fragments and the ferocious demonic energy claw marks on the walls, finally settling on the jade platform shrouded by the Buddha-demon halo at the main hall's deepest end. But he didn't immediately approach. Instead, he first cautiously observed the entire main hall's layout and details.
The main hall was extremely spacious. Besides the collapsed and shattered main Buddha statue in the center, some Bodhisattva and Arhat golden sand statues stood on both sides, mostly also incomplete or disfigured by demonic energy erosion. The air was filled with a strange mixed scent of sandalwood and decay—traces that even ages couldn't completely erase.
His gaze was first attracted by that collapsed main Buddha statue. This Buddha statue should have originally been dignified in appearance and grand in form. Now its body and head were separated. The huge Buddha body was shattered into several pieces scattered on the ground, and the golden sand particles inside were also covered with web-like black cracks. But most strangely—the Buddha statue's head was missing!
The cut at the broken neck was smooth, not from natural collapse, but more like being instantly severed by some sharp blade or extreme power! At the cut, an extremely faint yet sharp-to-the-soul sword intent remained, along with an even deeper, more restrained demonic energy! This was absolutely not done by an ordinary demonic cultivator!
"The Buddha statue's head... was cut off?" Zhao Tiezhu also noticed this point, gasping in cold air. In a Buddhist sacred ground, cutting off the main Buddha statue's head—what kind of desecration and ferocity was this!
Xiao Qi's heart was heavy. This scene undoubtedly confirmed that an extremely fierce great battle had occurred here, and the invading demonic forces were powerful beyond imagination.
His gaze shifted from the headless Buddha statue, beginning to carefully examine the main hall's surrounding walls. Initially, those peeled and damaged murals didn't attract much of his attention. But when he circulated divine consciousness to carefully perceive the meaning contained in those remaining murals, his heart suddenly shook!
Those murals weren't simply Buddhas preaching or Bodhisattva deeds! On those remaining surfaces not completely eroded by demonic energy, figure patterns in various postures full of power feeling were carved!
These figure patterns either stood or lay, extended fists or kicked legs, stood on one leg like a golden rooster, or embraced emptiness... Each posture was extremely strange, yet accorded with some heavenly principle, drawing the circulation of whole body qi and blood and muscle-bone coordination in specific ways. Beside the patterns, ancient Sanskrit formulas were also carved. Though mostly incomplete, one could barely make out words like "Diamond,""Strength,""Bone,""Meridian,""Immovable,""Subduing Demon."
Strands of pure, fierce, immortality-and-indestructibility-containing qi and blood fluctuations were faintly emitting from these remaining mural patterns and Sanskrit formulas! Same source as the "Diamond Subduing Demon Divine Ability" Zhao Tiezhu cultivated, yet more ancient, more profound, more systematic, closer to the body cultivation Great Dao's origin!
"This is... the 'Indestructible Diamond Body' body refining charts and formulas!" Xiao Qi's eyes burst with astonishing brilliance. He hadn't expected that the supreme ancient Buddhist body refining secret technique they had painstakingly sought wasn't hidden in some secret compartment or treasure box, but was openly engraved on this main hall's walls!
Though these murals were incomplete from age erosion and demonic damage, with many key postures and formulas missing or blurred, the remaining parts still contained supreme value! This was absolutely the "Indestructible Diamond Body" transmission, and in the most primitive, most direct observation transmission method!
Zhao Tiezhu also sensed the extraordinary nature of those patterns on the walls, especially the qi and blood true meaning contained within that was same source as his own technique yet several levels higher. He trembled with excitement, like a thirsty traveler seeing an oasis spring!
"Brother Qi! It's... it's that! Definitely that!" He pointed at the wall, his voice trembling.
Xiao Qi forcefully suppressed his excitement, saying gravely: "Tiezhu, calm your mind! Observe carefully, remember as much as you can! But remember, don't rashly cultivate. These charts and formulas are incomplete, and this place's environment is strange. Must fully comprehend the essence and fill in the missing parts before attempting."
Zhao Tiezhu, hearing this, was like being splashed with cold water, instantly calming considerably, hurriedly nodding: "I understand, Brother Qi!" He immediately sat cross-legged, his gaze burning as he stared at a relatively complete mural depicting some strange standing stake posture, beginning to fully memorize and ponder the qi and blood circulation route and that "immovable as a mountain" artistic conception.
Xiao Qi also wasn't idle. He walked slowly along the wall, his gaze like lightning, forcefully imprinting each remaining body refining pattern and corresponding Sanskrit formula into his divine consciousness. His comprehension far exceeded Zhao Tiezhu's. He not only memorized the patterns and formulas, but was using his mind and spirit to feel the "Dao" and "principle" contained in each pattern.
He saw the "Earth Diamond Form" that tempered the body to the extreme and drew earth vein power to strengthen oneself; he saw the "Wrathful Wisdom King Seal" that simulated Buddha subduing demons, instantly bursting qi and blood at one point; he saw the remaining chapter of "Golden Body Jade Bone Formula" that tempered bones to make them indestructible; and the "Eight-Part Dragon Guide" that guided qi and blood like a dragon, opening hundred meridians and stimulating potential...
Each remnant chart, each broken formula, seemed to open a new window to the body cultivation Great Dao for him. Different from his previous passive improvement of body strength, this "Indestructible Diamond Body" was a complete, active, systematic supreme method to develop the body to the extreme until immortality and indestructibility!
The qi and blood within him, under the guidance of these patterns' artistic conception, involuntarily began accelerating circulation, faintly issuing a river-rushing-like low rumble. His already powerful body seemed to have every cell cheering and leaping, craving this systematic tempering and sublimation.
However, just as he was immersed in the profound mysteries of this supreme body refining secret technique, in the main hall's depths, an abrupt change occurred at that jade platform shrouded by Buddha-demon halo!
It seemed because Xiao Qi and Zhao Tiezhu had triggered the Buddhist body refining true meaning remaining in the murals, stimulating that balanced and confronting Buddha-demon power. That originally relatively stable halo suddenly violently twisted and oscillated!
"Om—!"
A low Buddhist chant and a sharp demonic shriek simultaneously rang out! The halo covering the jade platform fiercely contracted inward, then suddenly expanded! An even more violent, more chaotic Buddha-demon intertwined power, like a runaway tide, swept toward the entire main hall!
Simultaneously, the scene blocked by the halo on the jade platform, because of this turbulence, briefly cleared for an instant!
Xiao Qi's pupils suddenly contracted!
He saw!
On that jade platform, what was enshrined wasn't a scripture book or a jade slip, but a—completely translucent like colored glass, inside yet wrapped with countless fine black threads, emitting a weak heartbeat-like fluctuation... golden heart?!
And beside that strange heart, quietly lay a neither-metal-nor-jade, dark-colored, emanating vast ancient aura... skull?! Looking at its outline, it actually faintly matched that collapsed headless Buddha statue!
The truth of the transmission seemed far more complex and dangerous than they had imagined!