Chapter 1710: Each Acting Separately

This grand temple’s main structure alone covers one hundred acres, not including the enclosed mountain forests and lakes behind it.

The strange creature flew to the entrance but did not dare to go in. It squatted on a large tree nearby, waiting.

The temple was immensely popular, with a constant flow of worshipers entering and exiting at all times. Some even performed a kowtow every three steps to express their devotion. The plaza outside the entrance, which could accommodate seven or eight hundred people, was packed, and the hum of prayers filled the air. The strange creature paid them no mind, waiting patiently for a while. Only when a servant, dressed in a humble uniform and holding a broom, walked out, did it quietly follow.

A strong gust of wind had just swept through, scattering countless leaves, and the servant was out to sweep the courtyard.

As he swept towards a corner, there was no one else around him. Then, something hit his shoulder with significant force.

The servant was startled and instinctively turned his head. However, his vision blurred, and something abruptly shot into his mouth!

It was alive and moving!

Before he could cry out, the thing blocked his throat.

He clawed at his throat, his eyes rolled back, and he collapsed to the ground.

Two worshipers were just twenty paces away from him, but their view was obstructed by a wall, and the temple entrance was incredibly noisy. Thus, they did not hear any unusual movement.

Just a few moments later, the servant, holding the broom, walked out from the corner again and directly entered the temple.

He was expressionless, his gaze a little vacant. However, with the plaza and temple bustling with people, who would notice such an inconspicuous servant?

The temple’s buildings were layered one upon another, appearing even more magnificent than they did from the outside. Several grand halls rose, each one higher and more imposing than the last.

He first entered several of the grand halls, seeing that they enshrined famous immortals such as Zhenren Yuanyu and Immortal Master Baopu.

Although all of them were clay or wooden sculptures, their craftsmanship was exquisite, inlaid with pearls and carved with jade.

He continued further inside, and only a quarter of an hour later did he enter the largest grand hall.

Inside the hall was an extraordinarily ornate caisson ceiling. Its complexity and beauty were beyond description; a single artisan might not be able to carve it even if they dedicated their entire life to it.

Here, only one colossal statue was enshrined, an astonishing five zhang (approximately 55 feet) tall!

The sculpture was a seated human figure with a date-paste colored face and three strands of beard beneath its chin. It wore a hat symbolizing prosperity and a large red robe adorned with five-colored brocade featuring auspicious patterns like peonies, cranes, and immortal peaches.

This was the God of Wind, worshipped by thousands, the master of Storm Island!

He grasped a long staff around which two giant pythons were coiled. At his feet lay a strange beast with bulging eyes, tusks, a short tail, and a body resembling both a dog and a lion. It had two heads. Because it was carved with such lifelike detail, the sight of this beast sent shivers down one's spine.

Its terrifying appearance contrasted with and highlighted the Wind God's majesty.

No matter from which angle one looked, or whether the servant walked to the far left or far right of the hall, the Wind God's downcast gaze seemed to follow him.

Everyone who entered the hall felt the same way.

In front of the statue were an altar table, a ceremonial platform, and various ornate ceremonial artifacts. The colorful human effigies on both sides, each in a different posture, also filled the hall halfway.

The two boatmen had mentioned earlier that these human effigies were not crafted by artisans. They were originally living people who, having committed crimes or offended an immortal, were transformed into these effigies and placed in the hall to warn others.

This time, as soon as the servant entered the main hall, someone immediately stepped forward to block him, saying, "Get out! This is not a place for you!"

The Main Immortal Hall had its own exclusive servants and did not allow common sweeping servants to take their duties.

The servant did not insist and turned to leave.

One couldn't cause trouble in the Main Immortal Hall, otherwise, they might be instantly obliterated.

However, the path to Mount Shilong seemed to be behind the main hall. How was he going to get there? The strange creature couldn't pass in its original form; it could sense a barrier ahead, and if it rashly tried to break through, the consequences would likely be dire.

At that moment, a boy of thirteen or fourteen years old walked out from behind the hall. He wore a soft silk robe, had a pale face, and a high topknot.

The servant who had just driven away the sweeping servant immediately bowed and scraped, grinning from ear to ear, "Young Master Fang, are you going home to visit your family?"

His fawning demeanor was completely different from before, but Young Master Fang paid him no attention, walking straight past him as if he hadn't even seen the man.

He disdained to say a single word to these subordinates.

Going home to visit family? That's right, some children from Silver Pearl Island are chosen to serve the Wind God and then taught the art of immortality.

So this thirteen or fourteen-year-old boy is also a disciple of the Illusion Sect?

The servant thought for a moment, then followed Young Master Fang out of the main hall.

About a quarter of an hour later, the servant cleaning the Main Immortal Hall saw Young Master Fang return.

How strange! Wasn't Young Master Fang just about to leave for home?

But the servant had just been rebuffed and now dared not greet him again, only watching him disappear behind the hall.

He Lingchuan and his companions, following the innkeeper's directions, returned to the seaside. They walked eastward along the shore.

The two small towns they passed through along the way were bustling. Some fishing boats had already returned, moored by the shore. Fisherwomen sat in front of their houses, chatting while mending fishing nets and drying fish, and from time to time, bursts of laughter erupted.

Children, dogs, and chickens and ducks ran wildly on the beach.

A harmonious scene of busy rural life.

On the islands at the center of the storm, there was surprisingly a life akin to a paradise. Wan Qifeng sighed:

"Unbelievable. This is exactly the place my uncle and I dreamed of years ago."

The Wanqi clan had been expelled from the State of Ya, enduring a life of displacement. Wan Qifeng had always longed to find a safe haven for his people.

If they could have found this place back then, they would certainly have settled down and never left.

However, there's no such thing as "if" in this world. Now, following his lord, he was conquering lands and achieving extraordinary feats; perhaps this was also destiny.

The group walked over another low hill. Standing on its summit, they looked back and saw a large city behind the port, with densely packed houses and archways marking countless streets and alleys. Within it, crowds surged, coming and going, a vibrant tapestry of life.

"So many people actually live in the eye of the storm," everyone remarked in wonder.

Silver Pearl Island had been in the eye of the storm for at least two thousand years. Humans are one of the most prolific species.

Auntie Zhu, however, had a different concern. "Hey, do you think Bai Ziqi has arrived on the island?"

"He'll arrive sooner or later; he won't miss it," He Lingchuan said with confidence. "He's Bai Ziqi, after all. The hint I left isn't difficult; he'll surely figure it out."

"Was that a hint you left?" Auntie Zhu scoffed. "It was clearly a riddle!"

"Have you thought about how to deal with him?"

"Let's wait and see," He Lingchuan said. "Bai Ziqi is here for only two objectives: Zhenren Qianhuan and me. He might not find me immediately, and the storm zone has limited access times. So, he'll first look for Zhenren Qianhuan, and then try to 'accidentally' encounter me along the way."

Bai Ziqi wasn't entirely clear about He Lingchuan's true purpose for coming to the Upside-Down Sea, just as He Lingchuan didn't know why Zhenren Qianhuan remained in seclusion.

They both had their own mysteries to solve.

As they continued further, the coastal scenery remained beautiful. However, the forests grew denser and human habitation became sparser.

Soon, the group arrived at their destination for this journey—

A colossal lake.