An ancient Taoist temple, an enormous square cauldron, a white-clothed woman sitting cross-legged with emerald eyes.
Her features were perfectly harmonious, her eyes, ears, mouth, and nose in seamless symmetry, as if she were a flawless creation. Though her eyes were closed, a faint brilliance emanated from her cheeks, exuding a sense of compassion and salvation for the mundane world.
Such a dignified and solemn scene naturally invoked a desire for reverence and worship.
Oddly, however, upon seeing her, many in the group immediately began to breathe heavily, their Adam’s apples bobbing.
That wasn’t the worst; some were even more affected, their eyes turning red, fixating on the white-clothed woman while their hands reached into their pockets and fiercely grasped at the front of the temple plaza!
It wasn’t that they were perverse; rather, the woman exuded an irresistible allure, seeming innocent and pure, yet naturally emitting a mesmerizing, seductive charm.
A mere glance incited the most primal, instinctive desires, evoking unintentional physical reactions in everyone present.
This effect was universal, disregarding gender or strength, affecting all equally.
For instance, a dozen grenade hurlers, shouldering shoulder cannons, passionately ignited their cannons on the spot; or, a few third-rank captain-level Holy Knights found themselves kissing each other in a daze.
The atmosphere at the passageway exit turned chaotic, like a sudden dance of passion, with everyone caught in grotesque acts, as if engulfed by a bizarre and bewildering aura.
"Hmph!"
Seeing the situation spiraling out of control, nearing a point of life-threatening danger, Yan Hui suddenly opened his mouth, letting out a cold snort.
The sound echoed like a bell, resonating like a muffled thunder, restoring everyone’s senses within a few breaths.
It was only then that they realized what they were doing, instantly blushing, either hurriedly adjusting their clothing or scrambling off the ground with their companions.
"What just happened?"
"Oh no, what’s in my hand!"
"...I didn’t do it."
"That white-clothed woman is strange, everyone be careful, don’t keep looking!"
Amidst the embarrassed self-justifications or mutual reminders, a low, discordant chuckle quietly arose from a corner of the crowd.
"Can’t withstand such a slight mental impact? Useless trash. How can you restore the glory of the Holy Emperor like this?"
The speaker, a stout and solid man with a vicious glint in his eyes, was none other than Yin Hu of the Annihilation Association.
These words nearly drove those nearby to hide in shame.
As great religious warriors fighting for the revival of the Holy Emperor, how could they perform such disgraceful acts in public? At least... at least behind closed doors once they returned!
Suddenly, a higher-ranking Holy Knight, full of indignation, rebuked: "Yin Hu, who are you to say that? You talk big, but why were you lying on Mao Tu? And why is your back so warm? Answer me! Have you already..."
"Ahem, less nonsense, mind your own business. Have you pulled up your pants?" Yin Hu coughed and stood up straight.
Mao Tu adjusted her damp skirt awkwardly as well.
Beneath the ’Fried Rabbit Head’ mask, the beautiful woman’s face showed a peculiar expression as she glanced at Yin Hu beside her.
Only she, the person involved, knew that in such circumstances, even if something had really happened, she couldn’t blame the other party, and yet, surprisingly, nothing did happen; it had only been a handshake with camaraderie.
No one noticed the sudden burst of golden light behind Yin Hu.
But, tightly wrapped in clothing, nothing was visible except for a faint warmth emanating, as if nothing had happened.
After a few moments of recovery, the Red Emperor Army ended their brief chaos.
Under the leadership of Yan Hui, they continued forward, crossing the plaza to approach the mysterious and eerie temple.
During this time, even with prior preparation, some were still unwilling to give up, sneaking glances at the white-clothed woman from the corners of their eyes.
Her arms were bent, hands clasped behind her back; though sitting in the shadow of the cauldron, her waist and chest were upright and sharp, refusing to bend, even pressing her hairpin against the cauldron’s base.
Though her eyes were closed, she seemed to perpetually gaze towards the main hall of the temple, towards the ancient plaque inscribed with "Stop Killing Tai Xu Palace."
Furthermore, that square cauldron itself seemed worthy of study.
The enigmatic characters on the cauldron twisted and stretched like earthworms, linking together to form a pattern resembling a chain.
The silver chains used to restrain two Daoist children in the collapsed "Yangtianzhenyi Temple" outside bore some resemblance to them.
No, they weren’t just similar.
Disregarding the color, the designs on them were identical.
Could the external chains be related to this cauldron?
Amidst the whispered musings and silent observations, the group bypassed the cauldron from a hundred meters away.
Yan Hui and a hunchbacked, black-clad Daoist advanced together, soon reaching the tightly shut giant door of the temple.
He paused, suddenly turning back as if unintentionally, saying, "Is this the relic of the White Lotus Saintess?"
The black-clad old Daoist coughed and nodded: "Yes. The Saintess possesses true compassion, benefiting all living beings, and even in death, her remains still suppress the resurgence of the Fearful God.