One person: Starting with the Snow Drinking Blade

Wang Ye was the first to be hit. He held nothing back and quickly formed hand seals in front of his chest. A mysterious and unpredictable aura, as if it could manipulate the laws of heaven and earth, suddenly erupted!

"Qimen Manifestation - Four Plates in Harmony!"

"Buzz—!!!"

Centered on him, a three-dimensional, slowly rotating phantom of a Qimen formation, over ten meters in diameter and composed of countless complex and profound light symbols and energy lines, suddenly manifested and unfolded in the narrow space of the mine! The formation was divided into four sections: Heaven, Earth, Humanity, and God, corresponding to the Eight Trigrams, Nine Palaces, Eight Gates, and Eight Gods. The light flowed, and the Daoist rhythm was naturally formed! Although it was only a phantom and not a fully unfolded Qimen formation, the terrifying power that controlled a region of space and time and could reverse the universe caused the horde of monsters surging in front of them to freeze in their tracks and let out terrified screams!

"Separation—Crimson Flame!"

Wang Ye pointed his fingers like a sword, aiming at the densest area of ​​the monster horde, and pointed from a distance! In the Qimen Dunjia formation, the position representing the "Li" trigram (fire) suddenly shone brightly! A blazing, violent, crimson flame, seemingly capable of incinerating everything, erupted from the void like a volcanic eruption, transforming into a roaring fire dragon that swept towards and devoured the monster horde! Wherever the fire dragon passed, the air distorted, the rocks melted, and those ferocious monsters, regardless of their form, once touched by the flames, let out extremely mournful howls. Under the pure high temperature and the certain exorcising power contained within the flames, they were rapidly carbonized and vaporized, leaving not even a trace!

"The character 'Kan'—Ice Soul!"

Before the fire dragon had completely dissipated, Wang Ye flicked his finger and pointed to another spot! The "Kan" trigram (water) in the Qimen Dunjia formation lit up! Extreme cold suddenly descended, instantly freezing the air and ground in that area! Several monsters, resembling giant geckos, that had been trying to sneak up from the side rock wall, froze instantly, their bodies covered with thick frost, and then shattered into countless ice shards with a bang!

"The word Gen——Diyong!"

"The character 'Zhen'—Thunder Prison!"

Wang Ye's attacks flowed like water, effortlessly executed! Boosted by the auspicious "Four Harmonies" formation, he could almost effortlessly manipulate, control, and transform the natural energies of earth, water, fire, wind, and lightning within the limited area of ​​the mine, creating a variety of incredible and devastating magical attacks! Fire, frost, earth spikes, lightning… energies of various attributes were like the most docile toys in his hands, yet they unleashed destructive power, reaping and purifying hordes of monsters that surged in like a tide! The efficiency and the breadth of the kill range were astonishing! He seemed to have transformed into a god who controlled the elements, carving out an absolute magical domain within this narrow mine!

Meanwhile, Nie Lingfeng protected Chen Duo, firmly guarding the middle lane. He didn't use flashy, wide-ranging spells, but instead focused his power on extreme concentration, pursuing the ultimate in lethality and purification efficiency! The dark golden Qilin True Fire in his hands sometimes transformed into condensed fiery blades, slashing across and cutting down monsters that lunged at him in two, instantly incinerating their filth; sometimes it transformed into precise fiery arrows, targeting elite units hidden behind the monster horde, releasing mental shocks or spitting venom; sometimes it transformed into a swirling firestorm, completely protecting him and Chen Duo, engulfing any monsters that dared to approach, strangling and purifying them! His fighting style was domineering, precise, and efficient, completely different from Wang Ye's style of controlling the entire battlefield and using spells to cleanse the enemy, yet equally deadly!

Chen Duo was protected by the two men in the middle. Her task was to fill in any gaps and deal with special monsters that were particularly insidious, filthy, or highly resistant to physical and energy attacks! Her Phoenix True Fire, being extremely yang and pure, had a natural restraining and purifying effect on these "filthy things"! Whenever a monster broke through Wang Ye and Nie Lingfeng's firepower and tried to ambush from a tricky angle, or released particularly viscous, foul-smelling filthy energy, Chen Duo could always react immediately, flicking out a condensed golden-red fire line with her finger, or launching a warm fire shield to instantly disintegrate and purify the threat! Her flames might not be as intense as Wang Ye's "Crimson Flame" or as vast as Nie Lingfeng's firestorm, but they were surprisingly effective at purifying filth and dispelling evil, often having a decisive effect! Moreover, as the battle progressed, her control over the flames became more and more adept, and her consumption became more and more economical, as if she were rapidly growing and adapting in the battle.

Despite it being their first time working together in such a high-intensity real combat situation, the three displayed astonishing teamwork! Wang Ye's spell control and clearing, Nie Lingfeng's offensive and defensive capabilities, and Chen Duo's purification and finishing blows formed a near-perfect combat system, firmly blocking and wearing down the surging, formidable horde of monsters in the side passages, preventing them from advancing an inch! The monsters' mournful howls, the roar of exploding spells, and the howling of burning flames intertwined in the narrow mine, creating a bloody and violent symphony of death!

However, the number of monsters seems endless! Moreover, as they venture deeper, the monsters become increasingly powerful and their forms increasingly bizarre! Some elite individuals even begin to appear, capable of temporary resistance to fire and magic, or possessing special abilities (such as invisibility, mind control, and energy absorption)! The intensity and pressure of the battle continue to escalate!

"This will never end!" Nie Lingfeng cleaved a fleshy monster attempting to self-destruct in two with a single sword strike, purifying the splattered venom with flames. He shouted to Wang Ye, "We must find the source, or charge in! These monsters are being kept in captivity; they must have a control core or a mother organism!"

"I know! Follow me!" Wang Ye also abandoned his usual laziness, his eyes sharp as knives. While maintaining the "Four Harmonies" Qimen Dunjia formation, continuously casting spells to suppress and eliminate monsters, he relentlessly charged towards the depths of the fork in the path, towards the direction where the evil and energy fluctuations were most concentrated and at their core! Wherever he passed, flames, frost, earth spikes, and lightning intertwined to create a destructive death zone, forcefully tearing a path of blood and fire through the monster horde!

Nie Lingfeng protected Chen Duo, following closely behind. Chen Duo's face had turned pale from the continuous high-intensity casting and mental struggle, her forehead was covered with fine beads of sweat, and her breathing had become somewhat rapid. But she gritted her teeth, and the flame in her emerald eyes never went out, stubbornly releasing flames to purify the approaching threat.

Just as they had laboriously advanced about two hundred meters, the fork in the road ahead suddenly opened up, and faint dark red light and an even louder, more eerie chanting could be heard—

"roar--!!!"

A deep, majestic roar, filled with endless evil and violence, like an ancient beast awakening, suddenly resounded from the red light flashing at the end of the fork in the road! Accompanying this roar, a terrifying pressure far surpassing that of any previous monster, freezing one's soul, slammed into the hearts of the three like a tangible mountain!

Ahead, the surging horde of monsters, as if receiving a command, ceased their attack in unison and retreated, clearing a path. But their crazed eyes were filled with an almost devout fanaticism and fear, their gazes fixed intently on the direction of the red light.

Wang Ye, Nie Lingfeng, and Chen Duo also stopped and looked ahead solemnly.

At the end of the fork in the path lay a massive, seemingly naturally formed underground cavern. In its center stood a colossal altar, tens of meters high, constructed of dark red rock and white bones, its shape twisted and grotesque! At the top of the altar burned an inextinguishable, dark red flame, emanating a thick, bloody, and malevolent aura! Within the flames, countless contorted, agonizing faces struggled and wailed in agony!

Below the altar, in the shadows of the cave, a tall figure, draped in a scarlet robe and with a skull rosary around his neck, slowly emerged from the darkness.

He raised his head, revealing a face that was as fierce as a demon from hell, yet also carried a strange, compassionate smile, and a pair of eerie eyes, one gold and one black, that seemed capable of devouring all light and soul.

"Blood Buddha" Wu Dengsheng personally descended upon **.

He looked at Wang Ye, Nie Lingfeng, and Chen Duo at the entrance of the passage, who appeared as if facing a formidable enemy. The compassionate yet cruel smile on his lips slowly widened.

"welcome……"

His hoarse voice, with its metallic quality, echoed eerily in the vast cavern, like a sigh from the deepest hell.

"Welcome to my—'Buddhist Kingdom'**."

The words of "Blood Buddha" Wu Dengsheng, "Welcome to my Buddhist Kingdom," still echoed and buzzed in the huge cave. Coupled with his grotesque face, half compassionate and half ferocious, and his golden and silver demonic eyes, the scene was quite "cool" and quite terrifying. If it were an ordinary person, their legs would probably go weak.

Unfortunately, none of the three people in front of him could be considered "ordinary people".

Wang Ye picked at his ear, as if what he had just said was noise pollution. He drooped his eyelids, looked the "Blood Buddha" up and down, then glanced at the bone altar behind him that was emitting black and red flames and floating human faces—clearly not of any good nature. Then, he curled his lip and, in a tone that said, "Your interior design is terrible," lazily spoke:

"Buddha Kingdom? This is it?" He pointed to the monsters around them, still dripping with some kind of slime, missing limbs, and staring at them with crazed eyes. Then he pointed to the wailing faces on the altar. "Dude, you call this a 'Buddha Kingdom'? Do you have some kind of misunderstanding about the word 'Buddha'? This looks like an illegal slaughterhouse that also serves as a garbage incinerator. A Buddha Kingdom? These are probably laborers sent from the eighteenth level of hell!"

Nie Lingfeng, who was already tense and on edge, almost lost his composure after Wang Ye's sarcastic remarks. His lips twitched involuntarily. This guy, what time is it, and he's still so cheeky.

Chen Duo stood beside Nie Lingfeng, her small face tense, her emerald eyes warily fixed on the "Blood Buddha" and the altar. But upon hearing Wang Ye's words, she subconsciously muttered under her breath, "This place... stinks so badly, even worse than the forest outside. Is the Buddhist Kingdom... this smelly too?" Her tone was filled with innocent doubt, as if the Buddhist Kingdom described in the books didn't look like this. (๑•́ ₃ •̀๑)

The eerie, compassionate smile on Wu Dengsheng's face, nicknamed "Blood Buddha," visibly froze the moment Wang Ye spoke. His golden and silver demonic eyes stared intently at Wang Ye, the golden and black light within them seeming to flicker and swirl violently, revealing the turmoil in his heart—he was probably caught off guard by Wang Ye's completely unpredictable response. His "Buddhist Kingdom's" prestige, before it even began, had been ridiculed as a "garbage dump."

"presumptuous!!!"