<h4>Chapter 2046: Chapter 2046: Boundary Stele</h4>


    "Be careful!"


    Pranay Martinez’s expression was grave; he knew he was in trouble today.


    Upon hearing the bell, Julius Reed looked up at the sky. "This sun, just like what we encountered at the Dusty tform during the battle, is something they transformed. In other words, that bell’s toll brought us out of our original world and into the one they created."


    As the sunlight appeared, the surrounding environment changed.


    The estate they were in vanished, reced by a Bright Avenue!


    Beneath their feet was a red carpet.


    On both sides, countless golden statues stood.


    The entrance to the estate had turned into a cliff!


    Around them, clouds could be seen, and below was a bottomless abyss.


    Clearly, there was no way forward.


    Several hundred meters ahead of them stood a massive temple!


    Glorious and resplendent!


    Sparkling with glitter!


    There was low chanting, and singing.


    Quiet and peaceful.


    In the sky, the sunlight was hazy.


    Like a near-sighted vision, unclear.


    With a frosted ss effect.


    Only a nket of white light could be seen pouring from the sky, obscuring the sun.


    Not far away.


    A monk was ringing a bell.


    Dong!


    As the sound continually echoed, the tattoos on Julius Reed’s body became restless and uneasy.


    The White Tiger, the Green Snake, and the Bull King were all stirring.


    "Western Emperor, I have a bad feeling," Pranay Martinez said, staring at the extremely tall temple ahead, his sword hand slick with sweat. "Today, we might be facing an unprecedented crisis."


    Though previous temple tricks were strong, Pranay always had confidence in escaping.


    But now, he felt suppressed!


    He couldn’t drive the power within him.


    In other words, he was now just an ordinary person!


    Nothing special at all.


    From the first bell toll, he noticed his internal power fading, and by the second toll, Pranay felt his sword growing heavy.


    Somewhat unable to lift it.


    He nced at Julius Reed, who seemed a bit weakened too.


    "I feel like my internal power is being suppressed," Julius said.


    Yet his face remained calm throughout.


    Over the years, what storms hadn’t he weathered?


    Back in the day, he could single-handedly press down the temple that almost ruled the world, and he wouldn’t fear today’s scenario?


    The coexistence of the Nine Provinces was still broken?


    He could face the world alone.


    Right now, it’s just a small affair.


    "Even you are suppressed?" Pranay was surprised.


    If even the Holy Master was suppressed, how could two people without a trace of Spiritual Power fight the countless monks in the estate?


    A certain death scenario?


    "What kind of hellish ce is this!" Pranay felt inexplicably flustered. Even if he faced formidable enemies before, it was nothing.


    Yet, he’d never encountered a situation that rendered him ordinary in all his years.


    Since five thousand years ago, he’d received a divine mandate, achieving immortality and obtaining power. Never had he experienced what it was like to be ordinary.


    Now, it’s not about bing ordinary for him.


    It’s about extreme weakness.


    "As a former servant of the gods, don’t you find the architecture in front of you familiar?" Julius pointed at the temple before them.


    "You mean..." Pranay squinted, examining the temple.


    This temple was entirely different from those before!


    Grand and awe-inspiring, very impactful.


    Other temples were small because there weren’trge structures from that time, and there were many temples, so they were ordinary.


    But the temple, as a symbol of divinity, must have glorious, grand structures to uphold its majesty!


    Thus, in the Central state, there were three temples!


    Before them was the Nine Spirits Temple!


    Pranay was naturally familiar with it, having seen the three temples as a former servant of the gods.


    But he believed it to be false.


    The Nine Spirits Temple was destroyed during the fight against Julius Reed.


    Soon after, the temple sunk underground.


    How could it be reconstructed by anyone?


    Even if it was rebuilt, surely there’d be some news?


    He hadn’t received any news, and neither had Julius.


    Hence, he believed this temple couldn’t possibly be real!


    But an illusion!


    "During that battle against you, the Nine Spirits Temple was destroyed," Pranay gravely said, pointing at the imposing, towering architecture before them. "Only one of the three great temples remains. The Nine Spirits Temple couldn’t possibly appear! This is an illusion!"


    An illusion arises from the heart.


    At Pranay’s level, he naturally understood illusions.


    Moreover, he frequently encountered illusions.


    "Illusions can create anything nonexistent; that’s true," Julius stated calmly. "But have you considered, can an illusion take away your power? Suppress you? Make you like amon person, unable even to lift your sword? An illusion merely alters surroundings, deceiving your eyes."


    "But an illusion cannot change the power within you!"


    After Julius finished speaking, Pranay’s face turned pale.


    "You mean this is the real temple?" Pranay found it hard to believe, for the temple was clearly destroyed.


    And when they came here, they saw an estate, not a temple.


    Yet, dead Prophets were rumored to be alive. To Pranay, nothing seemed impossible.


    More shocking to him was the notion that the Nine Spirits Temple still existed than the idea that the Prophet hadn’t died.


    "When you worship, have you encountered such a situation?"


    Julius asked, needing to understand the current situation.


    And it seemed the temple wasn’t rushing to act; they were safe for now.


    It was just the loss of power causing Pranay’s panic.


    "It really is like this!"


    The reborn Pranay was a bit flustered.


    He remembered.


    This was the reverence of the gods.


    On the rare asions they entered the three temples for pilgrimage, their power was indeed suppressed.


    The reason was simple.


    This power was given by the temple.


    Inside the temple, this power didn’t exist at all.


    "Could it be... the Nine Spirits Temple truly still exists?" Pranay’s lips trembled as he clutched his sword.


    While he betrayed the temple, it was built on the premise that it had already been destroyed.


    Once divinity returned to the world, he knew how powerful the temple would be.


    "The Nine Spirits Temple doesn’t exist," Julius pondered and said, "Back then, I urinated on the boundary stone near the ruins of the Nine Spirits Temple."


    "You mean..." Pranay admired Julius, who remainedposed even in such circumstances.


    Unshakeable.


    "Five thousand years have passed, and everything has changed! After the temple was covered, many changes urred to thend," Julius spoke with hands sped behind his back, muttering, "I suspect this was once the ruins of the Nine Spirits Temple. Go to the eastern side of the temple for a dozen meters, and see if there’s a boundary stone. Check if there’s any change."


    After he finished, Pranay quickly left.