NIP Chapter 427 The Lonely Lord
Chapter 427 The Lonely Lord
Lin Feng nodded, nimbly propped himself up, and climbed out of the sleeping bag.
He stretched and yawned. A good night's sleep had completely relieved his previous fatigue, leaving him feeling refreshed and with clear eyes.
With a flick of his finger and a thought, he retrieved the sleeping bag that was spread on the ground into his personal space.
Turning around, everyone's face showed undeniable fatigue, clearly exhausted from an afternoon of intense memorization.
Lin Feng didn't linger any longer and followed Evelyn and Vassim out of the Silent Heart Palace. The others also put away their scriptures and headed towards the second-floor platform.
Before long, the group arrived at the second-level platform. In front of the stone tower, Xia Ning, dressed in a plain robe, was already waiting quietly with two black-clad stewards.
Her expression remained aloof as she slowly swept her gaze over the approaching crowd.
When I saw the fear fade from everyone's faces, replaced by a weary yet resolute expression, a hint of approval flashed in my eyes:
"It seems everyone has memorized the scriptures. That's good."
"Now come with me to the main hall to prepare for evening prayers."
As soon as she finished speaking, she turned and walked toward the main hall, which was directly north of the second-floor platform, with two black-clad stewards following closely behind.
Seeing this, everyone quickly followed.
Before long, the magnificent Newari-style main hall came into view.
It was late dusk, and the sky was gradually darkening. The main hall doors were open, and dozens of bronze lamps were lit inside.
The warm yellow light shone through the lampshade, casting dappled shadows on the ground and giving the scene inside the hall a solemn yet eerie feel.
As everyone followed Xia Ning into the first floor of the main hall, they subconsciously slowed their steps and even their breathing became a little slower.
Below the statues of the successive supreme masters, several elders, both men and women, were already standing.
They stood there silently, their silence only making the atmosphere in the entire hall more oppressive.
Xia Ning stopped and turned to face the crowd. Her cool voice echoed in the empty hall:
"Everyone, please line up on the left and keep quiet."
As soon as he finished speaking, two black-clad stewards stepped forward and guided the crowd to line up in an orderly fashion.
Everyone straightened their backs, composed themselves, and stood properly.
Just then, everyone in the hall felt an invisible pressure suddenly descend upon them.
Lin Feng raised an eyebrow and looked up. He saw a figure slowly walking out from the back door of the main hall.
He wore a deep purple robe, darker than the elders', almost black.
The robe had no superfluous decorations, except for a silver ring embroidered on the chest, with a complex rune inside.
His long robe was loose, but it couldn't hide his thin body—the outline of his shoulder blades was clearly visible, and his wrists were as thin as a withered twig.
Lord of Silence!
Lin Feng's pupils contracted slightly.
The face looked older than he had imagined.
His skin resembled a dried-up riverbed, covered with deep wrinkles.
His eyes were sunken, his cheekbones were high, and his lips were almost bloodless.
But his eyes—
Those were eyes that didn't belong to an old person.
Deep and sharp, like two bottomless ancient wells, wherever the gaze swept, everyone subconsciously lowered their heads.
SS-level pressure.
Even when terminally ill and hunched over, the oppressive feeling remained as heavy as a mountain, like an invisible hand pressing on everyone's shoulders.
Lin Feng lowered his gaze slightly, continuing to observe the Silent Lord out of the corner of his eye.
Just then, a screen of light, visible only to him, unfolded before his eyes—
[Understanding weaknesses]
[Target: Silent Lord Karen]
[Weakness analysis in progress...]
[Weak point location: Below the third rib on the left side of the chest, where the heart and diaphragm meet.]
[The energy cycle at this location has an inherent flaw; an energy tidal fluctuation occurs every seven days, lasting approximately three hours. During this period, the location's defensive capabilities decrease by 70%.]
[Current Status: 2 days and 6 hours until the next energy tide.]
Lin Feng quickly calculated in his mind—two days and six hours, which would be around midnight the day after tomorrow.
He remained outwardly calm, but he firmly remembered that location and time in his mind.
The Lord of Solitude stood in front of the crowd, his gaze slowly sweeping over everyone present.
"I am Karen, the Lord of the Silent Temple."
His voice was hoarse and low, with a hint of sickly weakness, yet it still exuded an undeniable authority.
"The path of spiritual practice is long and arduous; only by clearing one's mind of distractions can one go far."
"Scriptures are the wisdom passed down from our ancestors. They are powerful tools for purifying the mind and suppressing inner demons. Reciting scriptures daily can not only stabilize your mind but also enhance your spiritual power and resist external evil spirits."
He paused, then coughed lightly twice.
"The fact that you've made it this far shows that your character has been tested."
"But spiritual practice is not something that can be accomplished overnight—memorizing the scriptures is only the first step; the real skill lies in reciting them day after day."
"In the coming days, you must continue to diligently practice and not slack off."
"Do not fail the expectations of the temple, and do not fail yourselves."
Everyone bowed their heads and replied, "Yes, Lord Ji."
Karen nodded slightly, her gaze shifting to an elder with white hair and beard beside her:
"You will continue to lead the evening classes, and you must supervise them strictly and not be careless."
After saying that, he coughed violently a few more times and swayed. The female elder beside him quickly stepped forward to support him, but he waved his hand and, still relying on his own strength, slowly and laboriously turned around and walked towards the back of the hall.
Only after his figure disappeared behind the hall did the heavy pressure dissipate slightly, and everyone breathed a long sigh of relief.
The white-haired elder stepped forward, his gaze sweeping over the crowd:
"Alright, evening prayers begin. Everyone, recite the scriptures in unison at a steady pace, without pausing or making any mistakes."
The elder began by reciting a sentence, and immediately the sound of chanting filled the hall.
Everyone had already memorized the scriptures thoroughly, without a single pause or stumble.
The voices were loud and clear, rising and falling, echoing in the spacious main hall, creating a sense of solemnity and reverence.
The supervising elders paced back and forth, their gazes sweeping over the crowd repeatedly, and a look of doubt gradually appeared on their faces.
One of the round-faced, bearded, plump elders leaned close to another, pretty female elder and lowered his voice:
"Strange, what's going on today? Usually, there are always a few people who can't memorize it or get stuck, but today not a single one made a mistake."
The female elder gently shook her head:
"Well, since they've memorized it all, that's a good thing. Let's just follow the rules."
About forty minutes later, the white-haired elder in front of the hall raised his hand in greeting.
The chanting gradually subsided, and the hall returned to silence.
"Alright, that concludes tonight's evening classes."
"The scripture recitation guidelines have been followed without any violations; we hope this will continue."
Xia Ning stepped forward, her gaze sweeping over everyone: "Today's training tasks are all complete. Everyone, please return to your quarters to rest in an orderly manner."