Following Qing Nan into the Great Virtue Temple, they joined the back of a procession meant to welcome the Holy Child. Since they were at the very end, no one paid them any mind.

For some reason, as he was about to enter the grounds of the Great Virtue Temple, Yang An's gaze briefly swept over the hundred-zhang-tall Golden Buddha Statues standing in all directions.

He had the uncanny feeling that gazes from atop these Golden Buddha Statues swept over him, then quickly moved away.

'Those eight majestic and imposing Golden Buddha Statues can't just be decorations. To be placed in the eight cardinal positions of the Great Virtue Temple, they must be of the utmost importance.'

'Since I'm already here undercover, I need to memorize the geography and facilities within the Great Virtue Temple. It might come in handy someday.'

Upon entering the Great Virtue Temple, he realized calling it a temple was an understatement. It was so vast that one couldn't see to the end of it.

The place was brilliantly lit and dazzling to the eye. Atop all sorts of buildings were Golden Buddha Statues with incense burning before them, and countless Monks shuttled through the streets.

'Every one of them had a shiny head that reflected the light. Yang An even began to suspect that the Great Virtue Temple had very few actual lights; its brightness came entirely from the light reflecting and refracting off these guys' heads. They were all walking lightbulbs, which was why it was so bright.'

However, quite a few Monks did catch Yang An's attention.

As the procession for the Holy Child passed through the street, numerous Monks in simple gray robes would kneel in unison, pressing their palms together and lowering their heads almost to the ground.

Only after the procession had traveled some distance would these Monks raise their heads and get up from the ground.

Without exception, all who did this were Buddhist Cultivators with very low Cultivation Levels.

"These are the ordinary Monks of the Land of Goodness, and they are the most numerous group in the temple. They must perform a kneeling bow when they see a Zen Master, as a testament to their devotion."

Noticing Yang An's curiosity, Zen Master Qing Nan, who walked ahead of him, explained softly.

"For the fated ones who come from the Sixty-four States, aside from a few who are exceptionally gifted with a Wisdom Root and a discerning mind, most have to start as ordinary Monks. In the Land of Goodness, many of the miscellaneous chores are given to these Monks to handle, and they do this to earn cultivation resources. There are no handouts in the temple."

Yang An frowned slightly at this, but he could understand the reasoning.

'Even if these Monks had a low status within the Great Virtue Temple, they were still members of it. To outsiders, their position was one of reverence.'

'Besides, once someone set foot on the path of a Buddhist Cultivator, the resources they could obtain within the Great Virtue Temple were naturally far beyond what any outside power could provide.'

'At the end of the day, it was all consensual.'

"You are the Holy Child, different from these ordinary fated ones. The Bodhisattva will certainly have other arrangements for you, so there's no need to worry."

Qing Nan added, offering Yang An a word of reassurance. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

"Thank you, Zen Master."

Yang An nodded.

There were no ordinary mortals without a Cultivation Level in the Great Virtue Temple. Everyone who entered was a Cultivator, for this was not a city but an immense power.

They followed the procession for the Holy Child along the main central street for nearly a quarter of an hour, but still hadn't reached the so-called Ten Thousand Buddha Hall. Yang An, however, was looking at some black Zen Rooms he occasionally spotted by the side of the street, his expression puzzled.

On the doors and windows of those pitch-black Zen Rooms, Secret Seals were visible. They appeared to be a type of powerful Seal, and he wondered what was locked inside. It was as if there was a fear of something escaping.

The Monks passing by wouldn't linger in these areas. Even if they had to walk past, they would do so quickly, as if they couldn't get away fast enough.

As Yang An passed these places, he could occasionally hear all sorts of sounds coming from within the black Zen Rooms.

There were shrill screams, soft wails, and what sounded like manic laughter. There were even Sanskrit chants that were utterly horrifying, completely devoid of any tranquil quality.

"That's the Precepts Institute!"

Qing Nan was acting as a very competent guide, explaining anything that seemed to pique Yang An's curiosity.

"Anyone in the temple who falls into a Demon Barrier or is burdened by Karmic Fire from bearing a price is sent to the Precepts Institute. Only after they regain their sanity and re-establish their Buddhist devotion are they permitted to leave."

Yang An understood and nodded.

'In other words, they're thrown into confinement in the Precepts Institute while bearing their price to prevent them from wreaking havoc in the Great Virtue Temple or hurting anyone.'

'Although he didn't question Qing Nan further, Yang An understood that such Rules were only effective on those with low Cultivation Levels. They might be able to forcibly restrain Cultivators below the Zombie God realm who were twisted by bearing their price, but there was no way to confine anyone at or above the Zombie God realm in this manner. Even if a Cultivator at that level willingly entered the Precepts Institute, once they went berserk, no one could subdue them unless their own willpower was firm enough for them to maintain self-control. Otherwise, only another Zombie God of the same realm, or an even more powerful Insect Dao expert, could hope to stop them. Indeed, if a Cultivator that powerful lost control while bearing their price, it would likely spell disaster for many.'

Since the Great Virtue Temple had a rule prohibiting Sky Control, everyone within its walls traveled on foot. After walking for nearly another half an hour, they finally reached the Ten Thousand Buddha Hall.

Ahead lay an expansive, plaza-like platform. It was surrounded by towering Golden Buddha Statues, each postured as a wrathful Vajra, glaring down at every person who approached.