Chapter 969 557: Ancient Temple (Double-Length)
"...Sorry."
"You're welcome."
Hearing his infuriating "you're welcome," the female crown stomped her foot fiercely, thinking, you little Golden Boy, just you wait.
The discussions among the female cultivators grew louder, finally causing Zhao Tong to speak up and stop them, warning everyone to not be careless — this was no Cave Heaven Blessed Land.
The voices gradually faded, leaving only the sounds of footsteps and breathing, with occasional pops and crackles from embers.
And after an indeterminate amount of time, amidst these monotonous sounds, there was an abrupt intrusion of "rushing" sounds, coming from afar and reverberating closer.
"There's an underground river," someone remarked incessantly.
It was an underground river, its currents rapid, at least several zhang wide. A steep slope appeared ahead, with the underground river flowing downward. A slight misstep could lead to being shattered to pieces in the torrent.
Fortunately, a stone bridge spanned the underground river.
The stone bridge arched above the river in a rough manner, but stepping onto it felt stable, like a masterpiece crafted by nature's hands. The group slowly crossed the stone bridge and gradually reached the other side.
After walking several dozen more steps.
"That's..."
Just as the words were spoken, they stopped. Since entering the White Tower, it was the first time they had seen something different.
It was an ancient temple.
A temple quietly nestled deep ahead, with ancient lamps and Buddhas, the lamps flickering like beans.
After a good while, everyone recovered from their shock. In the space beneath the White Tower lay an ancient temple, giving a sense of intricacy like carving a ship on a walnut. No matter how experienced one was, it was hard to avoid being stunned for a moment upon first sight.
"It's that, truly that! Nearing, the Vacuum Home is nearing!"
The first cries came from the White Lotus Sect members, as though they were verifying a prophecy, continuously shrieking over there, excitement rising, while chanting simple and repetitive scriptures.
Zhao Tong came to his senses and turned his head to ask, "Do you all know this place?"
"Yes, of course we know. The legend is true, to enter the Vacuum Home, one must first pass through the temple of the Mother of Non-Birth. We've reached it, we really have..."
Even the usually composed Violet Compassion Sage was so excited that words failed her, indicating the visible thrill among the White Lotus Sect members.
Zhao Tong stepped back a few steps; since the White Lotus Sect members were this excited, he decided to keep them ahead.
Chen Yi, though surprised, did not rush forward. Since the White Lotus Sect and Dragon Tiger Mountain people were more astonished than him, he decided to keep them ahead as well.
The White Lotus Sect members led the way, pushing open the large doors and entering the ancient temple.
Inside the temple, it was utterly silent. Passing through the doors, there were none of the familiar Four Heavenly Kings in sight. In the interior, there stood an ancient Bodhi tree at the center, tall and imposing despite the lacking sunlight in the underground space, reaching five or six zhang high with lush branches and leaves glistening with a jade-like green.
Contrasted with the previous wide emptiness, this ancient temple was entirely different, brimming with ancient charm, bringing a tranquil and desolate air of history, unlike anything of the human world, imparting a sense of awe.
Everyone felt a rising sense of reverence, slowly inspecting the surroundings of the temple. It had been desolate for who knows how long, and its structure was completely different from temples seen today, lacking the many statues of Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Arhats. In the Great Hall, there stood only a stone Buddha, with nothing else, exuding endless Zen.
The White Lotus Sect was reluctant to leave.
........
That night,
someone accidentally died.