Ahead stood a squat, massive mountain several hundred zhang high. At its base rose an enormous stone statue, dozens of zhang wide and a full hundred zhang tall.
More precisely, it was a Buddha statue carved from what appeared to be golden stone, its surface flowing with golden light, extraordinarily majestic, as if it contained some priceless treasure within.
Hundreds of people had already gathered in front of the hundred-zhang Buddha, among them powerful experts from all three major forces.
More cultivators kept arriving from time to time.
Lin Xiao carefully scanned the crowd outside the statue and quickly spotted several familiar figures.
From the Azure Dragon Sect, more than a dozen people stood together. Bi Zhuang was among them, along with two eighth-level Martial Emperor elders and several seventh-level Martial Emperor elders plus other disciples.
The Sacred Heaven Sect had one eighth-level Martial Emperor elder present, faintly radiating the pressure of his realm to assert authority. Beside him stood Yang Fengyi, one of the sect’s two most outstanding eighth-level Martial Emperor geniuses, a young man with loose, flowing hair, large ears and a broad face, yet somehow exuding an air of elegant freedom. Next to him was another top seventh-level Martial Emperor genius whom Bi Zhuang had once pointed out.
The Sacred Heaven Sect group also numbered around a dozen.
In another direction, the Ji family had the largest contingent, twenty to thirty people. They had two eighth-level Martial Emperor elders, plus Ji Ya, one of the Ji family’s most dangerous top geniuses.
Apart from the three great forces, two old men among the unaffiliated cultivators quietly emitted eighth-level Martial Emperor auras, clearly staking their own claims to status.
Lin Xiao was inwardly shocked. This place had actually drawn so many experts.
Yet the Buddha statue was indeed thousands of times more impressive than any that had appeared in the ancient temples.
There was very likely an enormous opportunity here.
They probably just had to wait for some restriction to vanish completely.
Lin Xiao touched the human-skin mask on his face, fully suppressed his aura, then slipped into a crowd at the rear.
As long as he revealed no strength, no one should recognise him.
Once blended in, he attracted no attention whatsoever.
Conversations rose around him.
“At this rate, the golden restriction on the statue should disappear completely in another day or two. When that happens, who knows what kind of opportunity will appear.”
“With the three great forces standing at the front, seizing the greatest opportunity will be difficult. I just hope some side opportunities appear as well.”
“Although opportunities depend on one’s own ability, things like inheritances don’t rely solely on strength. Compatibility and talent matter too.”
People chatted in small groups. Soon, someone mentioned Lin Xiao’s name.
“The three great forces aren’t necessarily that terrifying. Have you heard? That storm-raising Lin Xiao who killed Ji family experts has sneaked in again. They say he even killed the Ji family’s heavenly-tier genius, Ji Dong.”
“Lin Xiao came in?
The Ji family has so many experts gathered here. Isn’t he afraid of dying?”
“That fellow defies all common sense. He slaughtered a Ji family chief elder right on their doorstep and still lives well. Sneaking in here is perfectly normal for him. Of course the Ji family will hunt him relentlessly.”
“The Ji family is turning over every stone looking for him, but they still haven’t found a trace. His concealment methods really are extraordinary.”
“He could even kill a heavenly-tier genius like Ji Dong. Lin Xiao’s strength must have grown again. What a monster!”
“It’s unbelievable. Daring to come here under these circumstances, that Lin Xiao is a true madman. If only we had a few more like him, the great forces would have real headaches.”
“Exactly. I also heard a young man called Xi Yucheng has entered this region. He’s been specifically hunting people from the three great forces and is now being chased all over by them. That guy is causing quite a stir too.”
Hearing these voices, Lin Xiao felt a jolt of surprise. Xi Yucheng was here too?
And deliberately hunting members of the three great forces?
Xi Yucheng’s guts seemed even greater than his own! Lin Xiao had no idea what grudge Xi Yucheng held against the three forces.
At the same time, he felt a touch of helplessness. News of his presence had already spread here.
It had probably reached every other area as well.
With the Ji family searching everywhere for him, if he were recognised, they would probably explode on the spot and attack him with full force.
“I absolutely cannot reveal myself,” Lin Xiao told himself.
Although Azure Dragon Sect eighth-level Martial Emperor elders were present, the Ji family had two of their own, plus Ji Ya, and the Sacred Heaven Sect’s stance remained unclear.
If fighting broke out, even if the Azure Dragon elders tried to help, they probably couldn’t stop the onslaught.
He had personally witnessed Ji Yue’s strength. Ji Ya, who was her equal, would not be any weaker.
Moreover, given his own status, it was uncertain whether the Azure Dragon elders would actually protect him.
After quietly waiting for half a day, Lin Xiao clearly saw that the golden light on the hundred-zhang Buddha had dimmed considerably.
Another two or three hundred people had arrived, and more kept coming. No one knew how they had all received the news.
Then someone grew impatient and decided to test the statue. A Ji family eighth-level Martial Emperor elder finally stepped forward, flew into the air, hurled a sword towards the Buddha, then immediately shot back downwards as fast as he could.
The crowd grew restless. Every eye fixed on the statue.
Clang! The instant the sword struck the hundred-zhang Buddha, it shattered into powder.
A beam of golden light containing terrifying power burst from the statue, shooting back along the exact path the sword had taken. It streaked over the head of the Ji family elder, producing a searing sound that seemed capable of piercing the void itself.
Though the golden beam was thin, it clearly carried destructive force, completely unlike the gentle Buddha-light opportunities everyone had seen before.
“Hiss!”
Gasps of shock rose from the restless crowd.
Many latecomers, including Lin Xiao, had only known there was a restriction on the statue.
None had expected it to be so terrifying. Anyone who attacked would probably be instantly obliterated, just like that sword.
The crowd fell silent once more.
The Ji elder’s action had actually been a warning to everyone: until the restriction lifted, attacking might trigger unknown consequences.
Even the three great forces at the front could be affected, and the opportunity might be destroyed before it even appeared.
Yet just as that fearsome golden beam sliced across the sky, a sudden change occurred. Within a radius of several hundred li, the ground in every direction began exploding on its own.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
A series of explosions rang out. In every direction the onlookers could see, earth and soil blasted skyward. The ground trembled faintly.
