Free Web NovelChawan Temple, as the only temple within Yumen Pass and also the 'dojo' of Holy Monk Hongbian, was surprisingly simple in terms of area, considering its transcendent status in Yumen Pass. It was even smaller than the luxurious mansions of some wealthy merchants in the city.
However, surrounded by carvings of tigers, hounds, bulls, giant elephants, and other motifs, the temple's interior was a world of its own.
Perhaps due to different sects, although Chawan Temple had some architectural similarities with commonly perceived Buddhist temples, it lacked structures like the Three Gate Hall, Bell and Drum Towers, and the Grand Hall of Mahavira.
Upon entering through the main gate, one was greeted by a vast front courtyard, which occupied approximately two-thirds of the entire Chawan Temple. For a typical temple, this could be considered a severe disproportion.
The courtyard was filled with exotic plants: Luoyang peonies, Jianghuai five-lobed maples, Lunan Puxian cherry trees, Diannan ground lotuses, nameless vines, mosses, and even ganoderma lucidum as large as umbrellas and glowing mushrooms.
Amidst the countless plants and fungi, there stood a pure white jade incense burner, human-height, with a bit of fuzzy moss adhering to its surface. However, this incense burner did not burn incense; instead, it spewed humid white mist like a humidifier.
Shen Baiwei had once visited Chawan Temple after it had been sealed for a thousand years. There, she saw a scene of desolation throughout the courtyard, with no exotic plants, only half-human-height withered yellow weeds and rotting, foul-smelling black mud everywhere. Even the incense burner in the center of the courtyard had disappeared.
But now, these plants and fungi, which should not have appeared around Yumen Pass and would have struggled to survive in this land, gathered in this nearly thousand-square-meter front courtyard, giving her the illusion of having stumbled into a botanical garden.
No, even an ordinary botanical garden would find it difficult to gather these plants and fungi together with such high density and seamless integration.
Some of them were even natural enemies... Shen Baiwei thought with certainty, looking at the red willow entwined with dodder.
Dodder is a parasitic vine. Generally speaking, other plants parasitized by dodder are at risk of being strangled to death by it. However, that red willow was not only unaffected by the dodder, growing exceptionally robustly, but also gained a unique charm from the dodder's embellishment.
It was as if someone was being hanged, suspended in mid-air, but instead of dying, they were laughing and talking, and even dancing.
That's outrageous!
Noticing the surprise in Shen Baiwei's eyes, Lu Yibei patted her shoulder and said expressionlessly, "Although these plants growing together is a bit unreasonable, isn't it normal if it appears on the First Generation Miracle Saint's territory?"
"Don't ask; if you ask, it's a miracle! Aren't you a member of the Miracle Order? You wouldn't not even understand this, would you?"
"..." Shen Baiwei glanced at Lu Yibei, remaining silent.
She didn't want to make a sound.
Even under the suppression of Divine Kingdom Jade Gate, the First Generation Miracle Saint could not spy on the entire Yumen Pass, but covering the entire Chawan Temple was absolutely no problem.
Perhaps, the moment they stepped into Chawan Temple, their every move, even every breath, and the opening and closing of every pore, had already been fully observed by the First Generation Miracle Saint.
If not for being temporarily unable to escape the clutches of Disaster, she would never have appeared in such a dreadful place.
It was as if she had been kidnapped!
Continue forward.
Behind that spacious front courtyard was a building resembling a main hall. Two long corridors passed through both sides of the building, extending backward until they disappeared at the end of the sight.
Upon reaching the corridor entrance, Lu Yibei stopped.
"Why aren't you moving?" Shen Baiwei asked, puzzled.
"Moving? Have some manners, will you?" Lu Yibei pouted, "Although we were invited by the Holy Monk with an invitation letter, when have you ever seen guests arrive at someone's home and just casually wander into the master bedroom?"
Shen Baiwei, "..." The word 'manners' sounded so strange coming from Disaster's mouth.
Just as Shen Baiwei was complaining inwardly, a figure in a moon-white robe quietly approached them, cupped his hands, and said, "Greetings to the two Miss Shen. My master is currently lecturing his disciples and is temporarily unavailable, so he specifically ordered me to escort the two of you. I apologize for the delay, and I hope you will forgive us."
The two looked in the direction of the voice and saw a clear-faced, handsome young boy with red lips and white teeth.
It was the young monk who had delivered the invitation to Daimu Courtyard earlier.
However, unlike the unapproachable demeanor he displayed when he appeared at Daimu Courtyard earlier, he now looked ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) very happy, with a faint smile on his lips, as if his life was complete.
Perhaps he had thought of something joyful?
Seeing Lu Yibei and Shen Baiwei look at him, the young boy bowed again, made a gesture of invitation, and then led the way forward along the corridor.
Watching the young boy's back, Lu Yibei frowned and asked Shen Baiwei in a low voice, "Did you hear that just now? He said 'two Miss Shen'?"
Shen Baiwei glared at Lu Yibei and whispered, "Correction, there's only one Shen Baiwei here!"
"Don't be so petty!" Lu Yibei said indifferently, "It's just a name. If you want, I can share one of my aliases with you! How about Gu Qianqian?"
"..." Shen Baiwei rolled her eyes, turned her face away, and ignored Lu Yibei.
Rejected, Lu Yibei didn't mind, shrugging her shoulders and following the young monk's footsteps, while secretly pondering.
Could that guy inside have known all along that the invitation would bring two Shen Baiwei?
Why would that be?
Could that guy have been constantly monitoring the movements at Daimu Courtyard?
Lu Yibei thought, and after passing through the first archway of the corridor, her eyes suddenly blurred. When she recovered, she realized that she had been so busy contemplating what evil intentions the First Generation Miracle Saint might have that she hadn't noticed the surrounding scenery had undergone earth-shattering changes in just one minute.
As the three passed through the archway, the vast complex of buildings hidden in the latter half of Chawan Temple, revealed themselves fully, by some unknown means.
Their complex structure and design, conforming to geometric architectural aesthetics, seemed like an outstanding work by a modern architectural master imitating ancient styles, creating a subtle sense of temporal displacement.
Countless terraces and narrow paths were densely packed together, connecting small pavilions decorated in gold, red, and white, forming a nine-story giant tower in an inverted triangle shape. Between these pavilions, various green plants were also planted, like a sky garden.
At the top of the tall tower, there was also a huge floating terrace. Due to the viewing angle, only a corner could be seen, and the specific situation on the terrace was unclear.
Complex, exquisite, compact... The ingenious techniques were all condensed within a small space.
If someone unfamiliar with the Miracle Order were to mistakenly enter here, they might mistake it for a settlement of a nature-worshipping sect, while seasoned game enthusiasts would suspect that some Z Country version of an elven tribe lived in that tall tower.
The Spiritual Energy, almost condensed into substance, permeated the air, emitting an indescribable special floral fragrance. Inhaling it made one feel refreshed, with every limb and bone cheering with delight, and a subtle sense of joy as if a beautiful dream had come true.
That fragrance was precisely the aroma of the original miracle flower.
And the figures occasionally appearing in that complex of buildings were sometimes moon-white robed believers, sometimes city residents, and sometimes Longxiang Army Armored Soldiers. Without exception, they were all brimming with satisfaction and happiness, just like the young monk.
Friendly reminder: The Website is about to be revamped, which may lead to the loss of reading progress. Please save your "book shelf" and "reading record" promptly (screenshots are recommended). We apologize for any inconvenience caused!
Satisfaction and happiness lacking the flavor of Human Fireworks.
It's a lack, not an absence.
It's like a fruit-flavored drink made from a small amount of juice and artificial flavoring.
Lu Yibei, "..." Why did she feel a chill down her spine?
People have joys, angers, sorrows, and delights. It's understandable for a few people to be happy at the same time, but when everyone in an area is happy, it only feels sinister.
The only thing that could cause such a phenomenon was probably the fragrance of the miracle flower.
If those people made any strange sounds or twisted body movements, Lu Yibei would probably pull Shen Baiwei and run without a second thought.
The happiness and satisfaction obtained through the fragrance of the miracle flower, lacking the flavor of Human Fireworks, were only slightly better than Mengmeng creating dreams and Jade Palace Immortal selling treasures.
"..." Catching a glimpse of a corner of the complex, Shen Baiwei opened her mouth, seemingly wanting to say something, but upon noticing Disaster's surreptitious gaze drifting towards her, she trembled slightly as if startled, and obediently closed her mouth.
With the blessing of the original miracle flower, it was also reasonable for Hong Bian Monk to construct buildings that surpassed the architectural standards of that era... Disaster would probably say that, Shen Baiwei thought.
She wondered if it was her imagination, but she felt that Disaster seemed more like a member of the Miracle Order than she did.
However, just as she was complaining inwardly, Lu Yibei leaned closer to her, slyly sizing up the young monk's back ahead, and then whispered in a voice only they two could hear, "According to unreliable intelligence, that guy inside also participated when Divine Kingdom Jade Gate was being constructed..."
"Are you saying that when this complex of buildings was being constructed, that guy used the power of the God Kingdom?" Shen Baiwei whispered, tacitly referring to the First Generation Miracle Saint as "that guy" like Lu Yibei, lest the other party sense something. freeweɓnovel.cѳm
She had long seen in the Eclipse Society's collected data that the First Generation Miracle Saint was suspected of also possessing partial control over Divine Kingdom Jade Gate.
"Yes!" Lu Yibei nodded, "How could he not take a cut after participating in such a large project?"
The buildings hidden in the latter half of Chawan Temple were completely invisible from outside the temple and occupied a much larger area than what could be seen with the naked eye from outside. Only the power of the God Kingdom could achieve this.
Shen Baiwei raised an eyebrow, saying sarcastically, "Is that so? Did you also take a cut when you participated in Night Watch operations in the past?"
"A cut?" Lu Yibei shook her head, "That's hard to say."
What's taking a cut? ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm
Does Staff Lu of Hua City Si Ye Hui always find ways to directly embezzle all project funds? Does she need to explain such things to irrelevant people like you? Lu Yibei thought.
Hard to say? I'm afraid she doesn't dare to say, right? Shen Baiwei thought.
She suddenly realized that although she couldn't communicate with "people from the past," she could communicate with Disaster!
That's right, not only would she communicate with Disaster, but she could even talk until she was annoyed.
With a belly full of words, she finally found an outlet, and she suddenly felt the refreshing sensation of having comfortably used the restroom.
As they got closer to the strangely shaped tall tower, they heard chanting coming from the huge floating terrace.
"...The roots, stems, and leaves of the precious trees, their entire bodies and sweet dew, their fragrance fills the world, and precious flowers reflect each other, always red and white..."
"...The fragrant atmosphere pervades the world, a pure and unadulterated sea of life, encompassing and filling without hindrance, the saints wander within, and the fragrance is the most exquisite..."
When Lu Yibei and Shen Baiwei, led by the young monk, arrived at the base of the tall tower, the chanting from the huge terrace abruptly stopped.
Immediately after, a figure was seen floating down from the huge terrace, like a snowflake.
The person who arrived was none other than the legendary Holy Monk, the one who invited them here—Hong Bian Monk.
Absolutely no mistake!
Although he said nothing and did nothing, the moment he appeared in sight, his ethereal presence immediately dominated the view like a strong light, effortlessly coloring everything with his "hue."
With every step closer, one would feel a completely different pleasant experience than the moment before.
Who else could such a person be, appearing within Chawan Temple, besides the First Generation Miracle Saint?
Would the First Generation Miracle Saint allow someone on his territory to appear more impressive than him?
Anyway, the King of Weird Tales of Hua City would not allow such a person to appear in Hua City.
Upon realizing the identity of the newcomer, a hint of surprise quickly flashed in Lu Yibei's eyes.
Although she already knew that the monks of Zoroastrianism, the predecessor of the Miracle Order, were completely different from Buddhist monks, driven by habitual thinking, she still subconsciously felt that the so-called Holy Monk Hongbian should have a shiny, bald head.
However, the person currently before her was wearing an exotic moon-white robe, with long dark brown hair, and a fair, handsome face whose gender was hard to distinguish. He bore no resemblance whatsoever to the monk in Lu Yibei's impression.
Lu Yibei, "..."
Why does he look like a young golden collection edition of Fang Ji? Are all the Holy Child of your Miracle Order like K-pop idols? You invited us two over, you're not planning some kind of group activity, are you?
Just as she was complaining inwardly, looking at the figure, the young monk called out from a distance, "Greetings, Master. I was just about to go up and report to you! The two Miss Shen have arrived."
That guy must be... Lu Yibei narrowed her eyes, looking at the figure, then grabbed Shen Baiwei beside her.
Prepare to reload!
However, just as she gripped Shen Baiwei's wrist, a hand with fair, slender fingers gently rested on her hand.
That was Hong Bian's hand.
Sensing the other party's action, Lu Yibei shivered, almost reflexively giving Shen Baiwei a fatal blow to her heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys, sending Shen Baiwei on her way.
But before she could act, she saw Hong Bian's other hand rest on Shen Baiwei's shoulder, emitting a faint golden light that enveloped her body.
Lu Yibei, "???"
What the heck? This boss even seals save files?
As she was filled with doubt, Hong Bian smiled and said, "Two Miss Shen, don't be agitated. I invited you here simply to discuss some matters concerning the future fate of Yumen Pass..."
