Chapter 528 - 360: Temple Ruins, Incomplete Inscription

Chapter 528: Chapter 360: Temple Ruins, Incomplete Inscription

"The boss said to capture them alive if possible," Beacon reminded him.

"Don’t worry," Schiller replied coolly.

He had lost all his patience and just wanted to end this as quickly as possible.

After a grueling trek of unknown duration, Wu Liangchen’s group finally neared the area of the ancient temple ruins Master Jie Nian had spoken of.

The surrounding environment began to change noticeably.

The thick, putrid stench in the air gradually faded, replaced by an ancient aroma—a mixture of dust and a strange, sandalwood-like incense.

Although the path underfoot was still rugged, clear signs of artificial excavation began to appear on the rock walls on either side. They could even see some vague, colossal stone carvings, heavily eroded by time.

"We should be close," Master Jie Nian said, a hint of excitement in his voice.

However, just as they rounded a massive natural stone pillar, the sight before them made everyone stop in their tracks and suck in a sharp breath.

Ahead lay a vast, relatively open underground cavern. In its center, the faint outline of a dilapidated ancient building complex was visible, half-buried by stalactites and rock.

But on the outskirts of that complex, a dense horde of mutated creatures was gathered!

These creatures were far larger than any they had encountered before, their forms more ferocious and bizarre.

There were giant humanoid monsters over three meters tall and covered in bone spikes, arthropods with claws that glinted like metal, resembling oversized praying mantises, and even jellyfish-like abominations floating in mid-air, their bodies constantly dripping corrosive fluid...

They were so numerous that they almost completely blocked the path to the ruins. Pairs of eyes, gleaming with blood-red light, stared fixedly at Wu Liangchen and the others—unwelcome intruders—while low, threatening roars rumbled from their throats.

They seemed to regard these ancient ruins as their territory, and any who drew near would suffer their violent wrath.

"Holy crap... H-how many of them are there?" Liangzi stammered, the fat on his face trembling as he stared at the monster army before them.

Although Jian Yi could not see, the oppressive, brutal aura was so thick he could almost taste it, causing him to tighten his grip on his longsword, his expression grave.

Wu Liangchen’s gaze, however, remained calm. But beneath that calm lay a terrifying power on the verge of erupting.

He flexed his wrist, and his knuckles let out a series of sharp cracks.

"Prepare for battle," Wu Liangchen said coldly.

The next moment, a golden light flickered around Wu Liangchen as a vast and majestic aura spread out from him!

He was going to force his way through!

BOOM!

Wu Liangchen took a step forward, and the rock beneath his feet instantly cracked!

His figure moved like lightning as he threw a punch through the air! The fist tore through the space like a cannonball, viciously smashing into the few giant mutated creatures that had tried to pounce on him!

SPLAT! SPLAT! SPLAT!

Those massive mutated creatures, with their astonishing defenses, were instantly blasted into a shower of gore and bone fragments by that single, furious punch, not even having time to scream!

The power of a single punch was terrifying to behold!

Just as Wu Liangchen was about to unleash a bloody slaughter and clear away all the monsters blocking their path, Master Jie Nian suddenly lowered his head, pressed his palms together, and began to chant a scripture.

"Namo ratna-trayāya, namo āryāvalokite..."

As he chanted, the iron monks behind him also pressed their palms together, emitting a metallic, Sanskrit-like chant.

These sounds intertwined, creating a strange resonance that echoed throughout the vast underground space.

Then, something miraculous happened.

The moment they heard the chanting, the mutated creatures—which had been roaring, bloodthirsty, and ready to pounce—seemed to have their throats seized!

Their massive bodies suddenly stiffened, the ferocious light in their eyes flickering as expressions of pain and extreme fear appeared!

"ROAR... AWOO..."

They let out shrill, suppressed roars, no longer fierce, but filled with terror and unease. Their enormous bodies began to shift restlessly, bumping into one another, yet not a single one dared to take another step forward!

The chanting continued, like an invisible whip lashing at the depths of the monsters’ souls.

A few seconds later, like a receding tide, the terrifying creatures that had swarmed the entrance began to scramble over one another to retreat!

They let out terrified whimpers, fleeing the area enveloped by the chant, and soon vanished into the darkness beyond.

The battlefield, which had resembled a purgatory just moments before, was suddenly empty, leaving only the lingering stench in the air and the endlessly echoing, low chant.

Everyone in the safe house stared dumbfounded at the scene, hardly able to believe their eyes.

Liangzi’s mouth hung wide open, and he mumbled after a long moment, "Th-this is fucking... You can scare away monsters just by chanting?!"

Alina’s eyes also filled with shock and confusion. She had never imagined that such a seemingly "metaphysical" method could have such an immediate and potent effect on these ferocious, brutal mutated creatures. This completely shattered her understanding of power systems.

Even Wu Liangchen lowered the fist he was about to punch out, a flicker of surprise in his eyes.

He could sense that the chant contained a peculiar energy wave. It wasn’t a physical attack, but more of a mental deterrent that perfectly countered these irrational creatures, which were driven only by instinct.