Chapter 1350: Chapter 678: A Once-in-a-Millennium Opportunity (2)

Lin Beichen felt restless inside, but maintained a calm demeanor on the surface, due to the media presence; he couldn’t afford to lose his composure.

"It’s a minor issue. I’ll go rest for a bit, make sure no one disturbs me, and handle the other matters as you see fit."

The person in charge understood immediately, and without leaving any attendants, took everyone from the backyard away.

Next to the backyard was a side room, where Lin Beichen had his own room, only a few steps away.

Once everyone left, the air felt much fresher. Lin Beichen took a few deep breaths to suppress his impatience, then walked towards the incense burner.

He didn’t immediately return to his room but circled the incense burner a few times, carefully inspecting the two stone turtles.

Lin Beichen wanted to reach out and touch them, but as soon as he did, all he felt was coldness, nothing else.

Suddenly, he sharply looked towards the courtyard entrance, as if he caught a glimpse of a fleeting shadow.

However, after watching for a long while, there was no movement. Was it just his imagination?

Lin Beichen withdrew his gaze, and there was no movement from the stone turtles either, leaving him disappointed as he stood up.

"Must be some stray tourists," he thought. With so many people in the square, it’s normal for one or two to wander in.

After enough rest, Lin Beichen stretched, turned around, and returned to his room, opened the door, and lay on the bed.

He placed his hands behind his head, casually thinking about the Hidden Soul Array, wondering who had placed it in Xuanzhen Temple so openly.

The person in charge also had no clue; pulling off such a bold move took some skill.

As Lin Beichen thought, a yawn escaped him, and his eyelids grew heavier until he drifted off to sleep.

When he opened his eyes again, it was pitch black outside. The person in charge indeed hadn’t allowed anyone to disturb him, letting him sleep until midnight.

The room was unlit, with only a sliver of moonlight filtering through the window, just enough to make out the furnishings inside.

Now awake, Lin Beichen felt languid and just wanted to lay on the bed, continuing to ponder the day’s events.

Suddenly, as if sensing something, he turned his head sharply, noticing an additional figure in the previously empty room.

Lin Beichen looked closely and found the figure somewhat familiar.

He hadn’t taken off his clothes before sleeping, so he stepped out of bed and put on his shoes, walking over without any fear of harm from the figure.

As he approached and saw more clearly, Lin Beichen couldn’t help but laugh, sitting cross-legged in front of the figure.

"It’s you, visiting me in the middle of the night. Got something to say?" Lin Beichen propped his chin up, staring at the person before him.

Not quite an old acquaintance, he’d only met him once before—the mysterious youth in black.

The youth wore the same outfit as before, head lowered in silence, only raising it to meet Lin Beichen’s gaze after hearing his laughter.

"Tell me, was that Hidden Soul Array outside your doing?" Lin Beichen asked softly. He was a bit thirsty after his long nap, so he poured himself a cup of tea, gesturing towards the youth.

"Care for a cup?"

The youth maintained his aloof demeanor, saying nothing. Lin Beichen drank his tea, feeling a bit impatient.

"Are you going to speak, or just leave and let me sleep?"

Who comes around at midnight to play staring games? Seriously unnerving.

Lin Beichen’s patience was wearing thin, and just as the youth was about to test its limit, he spoke.

"Rebuilding Xuanzhen Temple, is it worth it?"

Lin Beichen didn’t answer—worthwhile or not wasn’t for him to decide, nor for anyone else; only time would tell.

The youth’s question was meaningless, as no answer could be provided.

Lin Beichen’s expression remained calm; the youth seemed to understand from his face, stopping his questioning and instead fumbling in his arms for something.

A tension seized Lin Beichen, who went on high alert, watching his movements, ready to retaliate if needed.

But the anticipated confrontation never occurred; the youth merely placed a Buddha statue at the center of the table.

Honestly, it was the most unsettling Buddha Lin Beichen had ever seen, lacking any compassion and causing unease.

What is this thing?

Lin Beichen discreetly moved a little farther from the statue, but the youth seemed oblivious, fixating on the statue with a hoarse voice.

"Your so-called Daoism had long faded into history’s stream—it’s a relic discarded, and yet you dream of revival...foolishness."

The youth’s tone dripped with disdain and madness.

Lin Beichen smirked, offering no reply.

It seemed the youth only came to deliver the statue, as he departed after speaking.

Once the youth left, Lin Beichen became intrigued by the statue. He stared for a while, then picked it up for a closer look.

The texture of the Buddha statue felt similar to the stone turtles outside, though its form defied comments—beyond resembling anything human.

He examined it thoroughly but found no clues, having never handled something like this before.

Lin Beichen gripped it tightly in his palm, closed his eyes slightly, and focused on the statue.

Suddenly, lines of white text flashed through his mind—system-provided information about the statue.

Lin Beichen read quickly, realizing it was something from the demonic side, explaining his lack of recognition.

The statue felt deeply unsettling, its purpose still a mystery.

Lin Beichen slowly opened his eyes, freeing himself from the thoughts. At this moment, the system chimed in again.

[There is more information available for retrieval. Would you like to access it?]

Lin Beichen wouldn’t miss such an opportunity, nodding immediately and closing his eyes once more.

"Yes."

The system continued working, soon bringing forth a layer of white mist in front of Lin Beichen.

His breathing grew slightly erratic, intuition hinting at nearing the truth. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

Why had Daoism dwindled in this world, almost fading away, while Buddhist Dao proliferated indiscriminately? Even more perplexing, why revered such grotesque demonic idols?

Perhaps through this statue, he could decipher the world’s mysteries.

Calm and collected, Lin Beichen reopened his eyes, awaiting the mist’s dispersal. Yet all he saw was a vast whiteness, as if enveloped in an endless sea of fog.

"Where am I?" he wondered quietly to himself, but the system remained unresponsive, as if asleep, ignoring his calls.

Lin Beichen was accustomed to the system’s "vanishing" act at crucial times—without its response, he didn’t dwell on it much, but instead began to explore his surroundings.

He knew nothing of his environment, each step taken with extreme caution, ever alert to any potential hazards.

Time seemed frozen here, with only silence surrounding Lin Beichen. Any sound he attempted to make echoed endlessly, magnified in this space.

With no other choice, Lin Beichen paused for a brief rest. Had he not trusted the system’s intentions, he’d have fled this eerie place long ago. The vast emptiness was daunting; why had he been brought here?

Filled with questions, Lin Beichen rested briefly, then proceeded with his aimless wandering. In this foggy expanse, time seemed irrelevant, erasing any notion of its passage.

Suddenly, a tremendous explosion shattered the quiet, as if something had detonated. Lin Beichen halted, a glint of determination in his eyes, quickly deducing the sound’s source was nearby, prompting a swift pursuit.

At last, he had found his target! Overcome with excitement, Lin Beichen dashed forward, no searching required, spotting three old men floating in the air when he looked up.

Judging by their attire, clearly donning traditional Daoist robes. However, the embroidery on their robes suggested distinguished identities.

Lin Beichen intended to find a place to conceal himself, but the surroundings were so barren, with not even a single shrub for cover.