The moment the words were spoken, the Secret Seal above the man's head trembled, and the cyan light enveloping him instantly flared.

The man's expression froze, betraying a hint of panic. He was about to speak when the green-faced, tusked visage that had materialized within the cyan light suddenly twisted in agony and ferocity, yet his body remained rigid, unable to move.

"Liars have nowhere to hide!

You've clearly consorted with Demon Fiends and are tainted by their bloodline, yet you dreamed of bluffing your way through. How audacious!"

De Hou's expression was hidden, but his voice struck like a thunderclap, leaving no room for argument.

The Secret Seal above the man's head instantly transformed into countless chains that bound his entire body. He was then sucked directly into the mirror on De Hou's face, vanishing without a trace.

'He didn't pass either?'

'Was that guy a spy for the Demon Fiends?'

Yang An was stunned by the scene, and a guess immediately formed in his mind.

'I have no idea what these guys were thinking. Did they really believe they could sneak into the Great Virtue Temple on sheer luck?'

'Two people are gone now, leaving just me and one other guy. It can't be that not a single one of us will make it, right?'

"Are you two aware," De Hou began, "that in our Great Virtue and Goodness Buddhist Association, here in the Cyan Lotus State alone, it has been nine years since anyone has passed all three trials?"

Just then, Elder Monk De Hou suddenly turned to face the remaining two, Yang An and the other man, his tone filled with resignation.

...

'So your third trial is too hard. What's that got to do with us?'

Yang An couldn't help but grumble inwardly.

"I see no reason for you two to even try. It's unlikely you could pass this third trial anyway. It would be better for this humble monk to simply... liberate you now."

???

'What the hell! That damned baldy can't be serious!'

'He won't even let us try, just condemning us all in one fell swoop!'

Yang An's heart leaped in alarm. He was about to speak, but the other man beside him beat him to it.

"Abbot! I am a Cultivator from Celestial Buddha City, devoted to the path of Buddha. I serve as the captain of the City Patrol Team under the City Lord's Mansion. I am a native of this land with a clean background, never having been tainted by any Evil Demon. I have even received guidance from Master De Sheng in the Buddha-Worship Glazed Tower."

"Please, Abbot, give me a chance! I am certain I can pass this trial of the heart!"

Though the man looked terrified, his tone brimmed with unshakable confidence.

Elder Monk De Hou had, at some point, begun to raise his hand, but he lowered it again after hearing the man's plea.

"Oh? You received guidance from my Senior Brother De Sheng?"

"Very well. You may try!"

"Thank you, Abbot!"

Joy immediately spread across the man's face.

The next moment, a cyan light enveloped him. Simultaneously, the Secret Seal manifested above his head, showing no signs of abnormality.

Under the cyan light, black Sanskrit characters, like tattoos, began to materialize all over his body, covering him from head to toe.

"He truly has an affinity with the Buddha!"

Upon seeing this, De Hou's voice, tinged with pleasant surprise, echoed from the mirror.

For three consecutive Buddhist Assemblies, Celestial Buddha City, the capital of Cyan Lotus State, had failed to produce a single truly fated individual. If it happened again this time, De Hou, as the Abbot of Yan'an Temple, would not be able to escape the blame.

Thankfully, one had finally appeared!

"Excellent! Excellent! Step aside and wait. Once the trial is concluded, I will personally escort you to the Glazed Tower."

"Yes!"

Bathed in the cyan light, the man was overjoyed.

With the unexpected appearance of a fated one, De Hou no longer seemed as disappointed as before. He turned to face the last person remaining—Yang An.

"Very well. The Buddha is merciful and treats all beings as equals."

...

'This damned baldy is great at making excuses for himself.'

Yang An cursed inwardly again, though he also felt a flicker of relief. At least he wouldn't be "liberated" for nothing and would get to take the trial. Otherwise, he would have been wronged with no way to argue his case.

"Thank you, Abbot."

That was what he thought, but on the surface, he still had to express pious gratitude.

De Hou, for his part, held out little hope for this final candidate.

People capable of passing all three trials were exceedingly rare. Otherwise, Celestial Buddha City wouldn't have gone nine years without a single person passing these trials of the heart.

Fortunately, one candidate had already passed. He would give this last one a cursory test. If any abnormalities appeared, a simple wave of his hand would erase him. It wouldn't take much time.

The moment Yang An finished speaking, a cyan light shot out from the mirror and enveloped him, and the Secret Seal flew out from above his head.

At the same time, Yang An steeled himself. He was about to activate several of the Buddhist Cultivator Techniques he had mastered to conceal any problematic auras that might emerge, while also faking a display of his Wisdom Root and Buddha Nature.

But to Yang An's complete and utter astonishment, before he could activate a single Technique or resort to any of his tricks, the unexpected happened!

A solemn and holy white light suddenly erupted from within him, completely overwhelming the cyan light from the mirror. In that same instant, it solidified behind him into a halo the size of a washbasin.

'This is... the Buddha's Radiant Wheel!'

'Why did it come out on its own?!'

Yang An's heart skipped a beat.

But that wasn't all.

The Buddha's Radiant Wheel manifested on its own, and immediately after, an incredibly dense cyan light emanated from within him, instantly shrouding his entire body.

Compared to this new radiance, the cyan light from Elder Monk De Hou's mirror was like a candle flame next to the sun—they were worlds apart.

'...The Treasure Light Glaze Purification Technique!'

And it wasn't over!

The next instant, countless rays of Golden Radiance burst forth from his body, instantly coalescing into a Buddha's Golden Body that enveloped Yang An.

'...The Great Brightness Buddha Golden Zen Spell!'

'I haven't even done anything! Why is all this stuff coming out?!'

It still wasn't over. Another manifestation of Golden Radiance suddenly appeared, expanding and solidifying into a different kind of Buddha's Golden Body.

Like a set of nesting dolls, this new Golden Body was even larger than the one from the Great Brightness Buddha Golden Zen Spell. It formed the outermost layer of radiance around Yang An, exuding an aura of unparalleled solemnity and majesty.

'...The Golden Body Skillful Method of Liberation!'

Finally, no more lights or Golden Bodies emerged from Yang An.

There he stood, the Buddha's Light Wheel suspended behind him, his body illuminated by a glazed cyan light, and protected by two Great Buddha's Golden Bodies, each one more majestic and towering than the last. But his face was a picture of complete bewilderment.

Yang An slowly raised his head. He first glanced at the man beside him, the one who had just passed the third trial. The man was frozen stiff, his jaw on the floor and his eyes nearly popping out of their sockets.

He then looked over at Elder Monk De Hou. The mirror on the monk's face no longer held a cyan light; instead, it reflected the immense Golden Radiance now pouring from Yang An's own body. De Hou was equally stunned, frozen stiff, his body even trembling faintly.

He scratched his head, bewildered. He genuinely had no idea why all this had come pouring out of him uncontrollably. His original plan had gone completely off the rails, and Elder Monk De Hou wasn't offering any reaction. He had no choice but to look at the abbot and ask:

"Excuse me, Abbot... does this count as being one of the fated?"