darknovel Chapter 434 Please Take a Seat
Chapter 434 Please Take a Seat
Two o'clock in the afternoon.
The chosen ones gathered in twos and threes on the open ground in front of the stone tower, their faces not looking too good.
The morning's "exposing scriptures and expelling filth" had already exhausted most of their energy, and many people were too lazy to even lift their arms, so they just slumped on the ground.
"What kind of mission is it this afternoon...? We're not going to have to fight something again, are we?"
"I'm exhausted. If another wave of fungal infections hits, I'll just collapse."
"Don't jinx it, it might be an easy job..."
Before she finished speaking, Xia Ning arrived gracefully with two black-clad stewards.
She stopped in front of the stone tower and glanced at the crowd.
Everyone immediately fell silent.
"Afternoon's meditation task—quiet contemplation. Go to the Quiet Contemplation Hall and meditate on the futon for two hours."
As soon as he finished speaking, the crowd erupted in an uproar.
"The Silent Heart Palace? Why is it that awful place again? I hate it there!"
"Meditating for two hours... I won't become the next Ruan Wenming, will I?"
Xia Ning waited quietly for a few seconds before continuing:
The rules are as follows:
"First, after you enter the hall and sit down, the hall door will be closed and will not open again for two hours."
"Second, the fog inside the hall will stir up your deepest obsessions—people you can't get, things you can't let go of, and fears you dare not face."
"Third, guard your mind and never leave the meditation cushion. Once you get up and leave the cushion, and walk into the depths of the mist, you will never be able to return."
The atmosphere in the crowd suddenly became heavy.
"Oh no... This is a test of the mind, even harder than fighting ghosts..."
"At least when you're outmaneuvering someone, you know where the enemy is; that enemy resides in your own mind."
"I can't even stand my mom calling me, so if I saw a hallucination of her, I definitely wouldn't be able to hold back..."
"If I really have to die... then let me go with the goddess I love."
Xia Ning turned and stepped forward: "Come with me."
The chosen ones followed closely behind, descending the stone steps, and soon arrived at the entrance of the Silent Heart Palace.
The palace doors were wide open.
Yesterday, faint ripples of the barrier still lingered inside the gate, like an invisible film of water covering it.
Today, however, it is completely empty, with nothing unusual about it.
Xia Ning stopped in front of the door and raised her hand in a "please" gesture—it didn't seem like she was sending someone on a spiritual journey, but rather like she was inviting them into a trap.
Two black-clad butlers stood on either side of the door, watching the crowd expressionlessly, their tone icy:
"Enter the hall quickly, don't delay."
The group looked at each other, but their feet moved slowly involuntarily.
Lin Feng followed the crowd, and just as he brushed past Xia Ning, Xia Ning suddenly slipped something into Lin Feng's hand with lightning speed.
Lin Feng's fingers instinctively closed.
The thing was very small, and its surface was covered with tiny thorns—
A dense, stinging sensation exploded from my palm in an instant.
Xia Ning looked away, as if nothing had happened.
Lin Feng looked down at his palm—
A small, bluish-brown spiky ball, oval-shaped, its surface densely covered with hook-shaped spines, with two thicker spines at the top, resembling a miniature hedgehog.
— Cocklebur.
Xia Ning gave him this clearly to keep him awake through pain, so that he wouldn't be misled by illusions.
Lin Feng calmly tucked the cocklebur into his sleeve and followed the crowd into the Silent Heart Palace.
The space was pure white, without a single shadow, and the light, seemingly from nowhere, was evenly distributed in every corner.
A light mist floated in the air, drifting and ethereal, like the lingering moisture on a lake in the early morning.
Hundreds of white prayer cushions were neatly arranged on the ground, in concentric circles, all facing the same direction.
In the center of the hall stands a white stone statue.
The stone statue is in the posture of a monk, with his hands clasped together and his head bowed.
Three things are clinging to it tightly:
On its head, it wears a crown of thorns, with sharp spikes deeply embedded in the stone statue's skull.
Heavy gold chains were wrapped around his entire body, from his shoulders and neck to his waist and abdomen, each one cutting into the texture of his stone.
A female demon statue with a human body and a snake tail tightly coiled around the waist and hips, her upper body alluring and seductive, while her snake tail coiled and bound her as if she were alive.
As the last chosen one stepped into the hall, the vermilion doors behind him slammed shut with a resounding thud, the dull sound like a heavy hammer blow to everyone's heart.
The crowd huddled by the door, exchanging bewildered glances, none daring to step forward rashly.
Those white prayer cushions resembled silent mouths.
Suddenly, a voice rang out inside the hall.
It didn't come from a single direction, but rather surged in from all directions simultaneously, causing the palace walls and the ground to tremble at the same time.
"Take your seats."
These two words, falling into my ears, were like a boulder crashing into my chest, making my heart clench and my blood surge.
Everyone froze for a moment, and no one moved.
The voice rang out again, this time carrying an undeniable air of authority:
"Sit on the prayer mat within one minute; those who are late will be removed immediately."
"Quick! Sit down!" someone shouted, rushing towards the nearest prayer mat.
Evelyn walked quickly to a futon, sat down cross-legged with ease, her back straight, her movements fluid and graceful.
Wasim followed closely behind, while Lin Feng leisurely sat down next to Evelyn.
In less than a minute, everyone was seated.
Their eyes were filled with unease, anxiety, and fear.
Some people stared intently at the stone statue in the center of the hall, as if afraid it would suddenly move.
Some people stared at the ground, afraid to look up;
Some people looked around, trying to find a sense of security in other people's expressions, only to find that everyone was just as pale.
The voice rang out again.
This time, its tone softened somewhat, but its oppressive aura remained undiminished:
"Close your eyes."
No one moved.
"Breathe steadily."
Still, no one moved.
The voice paused for a moment, and then—
"For those whose breathing is unstable, apply pressure gradually."
As soon as the words were spoken, everyone felt a tightness in their chests.
It felt like an invisible giant hand was pressing down from above, gently but firmly on my chest.
"Close your eyes! Regulate your breathing!" Amirka shouted, closing his eyes first.
The others snapped out of their daze, quickly closed their eyes, and desperately tried to regulate their breathing.
Inhale—exhale—inhale—exhale—
Some people are so nervous that their breathing becomes even more erratic, and the weight on their backs immediately increases, causing them to fall forward and almost hit their foreheads on the ground.
Those around him dared not touch him, and could only whisper reminders: "Slow down, inhale for four seconds, exhale for four seconds, follow my lead—"
The man gritted his teeth and breathed in rhythm.
One, two, three—
The tightness in my chest gradually lessened.
Soon, only the steady, even breathing sounds remained in the hall.
Like the tide, it advances and retreats, creating a strange rhythm in the pure white space.
Just as everyone breathed a sigh of relief, a low, ethereal chanting suddenly filled the pure white hall without warning...