Chapter 2683 - 2682: Dual-Pupiled Clay Statue

Ling Feng and Chao Yun walked through the mountain shrouded in morning mist, their clothes somewhat damp.

Ling Feng looked around at the vibrant, flourishing scene, and the fine morning mist flowing into his lungs made him feel even more at ease.

He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been so close to nature, having stayed long in a highly advanced technological world, which he had long grown tired of.

Occasionally experiencing the beauty of nature like this allowed Ling Feng to often recall his original intention, remembering the days he spent in that small mountain village.

The air was just as fresh, and there was the sound of insects chirping and the scent of flowers in the air, and if he listened carefully, he could even hear the sound of a waterfall.

Ling Feng opened his Divine Sense and found that there was indeed a waterfall not far from here, and it was quite abundant.

Chao Yun walked briskly, clearly very familiar with the mountain path, leading Ling Feng straight up to a mountain gate.

Looking at the ancient mountain gate made of bluestone, weathered through countless years, Ling Feng couldn’t help but step forward and touch it.

A memory fragment suddenly surged into Ling Feng’s mind, and a painting unfurled before his eyes; he saw a long-haired man in a black robe kneeling in a blurred Array, covered in blood, surrounded by a dense crowd.

Ling Feng frowned slightly; he didn’t understand why he was seeing such images, and his sight moved closer to the black-robed man, just as Ling Feng wanted to see the man’s face clearly.

The black-robed man suddenly looked up, his twin-colored pupils, black and white, startled Ling Feng into a jump; he instinctively backed away, withdrawing his hand from the mountain gate.

The scene vanished instantly, and before Ling Feng’s eyes was still the ancient mountain gate, as if the earlier scene was merely an illusion.

Panting heavily, Ling Feng lifted his gaze to the four stone-carved words atop the mountain gate:

"Three Pure Ones Extremes"

The somewhat slow-thinking Taoist Chao Yun hadn’t noticed Ling Feng’s anomaly and was still caressing the mountain gate as he introduced:

"Master said this mountain gate has a long history, even tracing back to his master’s master’s master, possibly existing several hundred years ago,"

"When I was young, I didn’t know the purpose of the mountain gate, Master told me it’s our Taoist temple’s cornerstone, as long as it exists, the temple can prosper endlessly, devoid of any intrusion from evil spirits."

Having witnessed that earlier bizarre scene, Ling Feng was astounded internally, unsure of why he saw such a terrifying moment.

"Did your master ever tell you where this mountain gate came from?" Ling Feng asked.

Chao Yun shook his head: "Never mentioned it, but I guess it must have been transported from elsewhere, not something originally found in this mountain."

"In any case, the mountain gate is extremely important, though I don’t quite understand why, when I wanted to clear dust and moss from it, master stopped me." Chao Yun sighed.

"Perhaps... it’s to avoid disturbing those sealed memories." Ling Feng murmured as he gazed at the mountain gate, refraining from touching the ancient gate again.

Chao Yun nodded: "There’s still a stretch to the Taoist temple, let’s head out right away."

Chao Yun pointed to the stone staircase behind the mountain gate and said: "This is the only path leading to the Taoist temple."

Ling Feng only then noticed the daunting staircase behind the mountain gate, densely reaching into nothingness, steep as if ascending into the clouds.

"What... what is this?" Ling Feng knowingly asked to express his astonishment.

"This is the stone staircase, totaling nine hundred ninety-nine steps, carved painstakingly step by step by the ancestors, no easy task; we latter-day individuals enjoy the shade of predecessors, so we must ascend with reverence."

Speaking, Chao Yun had already ascended, and although Ling Feng was intimidated by the staircase, he steeled himself to proceed, eager as he was to explore the real Taoist temple.

After what felt like ages, Ling Feng finally gasped his way up the last of the stairs, Chao Yun awaited him patiently, greeting Ling Feng:

"Indeed, you are like a mythical figure; your perseverance far exceeds ordinary people. Many have tried to visit the temple before, but gave up while climbing the stairs; some collapsed from fatigue just two hundred steps short, unwilling to continue and retreated down the mountain in shame,"

"I bear no grudge against them, as it’s not something everyone can accomplish, but I deeply respect you, benefactor. If I wasn’t mistaken, you made the climb without stopping even once?"

Ling Feng said nothing, though indeed, he hadn’t paused once during the climb, surprising himself, a usually sluggish person, having repeatedly rejected Little Fei’s help.

Since touching the mountain gate and seeing the black-robed man, Ling Feng felt a surge in his heart during the climb, an energy unknown but sustaining him until the final step.

Though Ling Feng was fatigued, his robust physique didn’t require prolonged rest; soon he was revitalized.

He raised his head to the sight of the dilapidated Taoist temple, though mentally prepared, he was still taken aback by the view.

The door frame of the temple was free of dust, yet bore several cracks, and the inscription on the plaque was indistinguishable.

The roof tiles were covered with dense moss and cobwebs, as if long unvisited.

Chao Yun observed Ling Feng’s expression, unsurprised, awkwardly opened the door, and the two decided to venture inside.

Inside appeared rather normal, despite its antiquity, it was notably clean, devoid of dust on the ground, clearly attended to frequently.

Ling Feng gazed upon the statue of the Taoist ancestor at the central altar, suddenly overwhelmed by a familiar feeling, though he was certain it was his first visit, inexplicably feeling he’d met the ancestor before.

Chao Yun took three incense sticks, ignited them, placed them in the incense burner, and after three bows to the ancestor, muttered some obscure words.

Ling Feng, initially here to pay homage, similarly lit three incense sticks before the ancestor, careful not to gaze upon the statue much, his mind fraught with an ominous foreboding.

Ling Feng paced about the main hall, suddenly noticing a back door.

"The backyard holds a square, where we practice celestial rites and martial arts; you may open the door and investigate, benefactor."

Ling Feng unhesitatingly opened the door, revealing a vast backyard.

In the distance, verdant mountains stretched and a large square appeared before him, the ground adorned with Bagua Diagram patterns, the air remarkably fresh.

Ling Feng descended the steps, treading upon the Bagua Diagram, suddenly feeling an odd familiarity, as if he’d walked here before.

Continuing onward, he discovered the square had been human-crafted, somehow chiseled out, overlooking a thousand-foot precipice — surely, it was the handiwork of ancestors.

Ling Feng deeply revered those who established the Taoist temple, and took a few more steps, only to find that as the mist dispersed, a clay statue halted his path.

The statue faced away from the temple and knelt, seemingly atoning to this realm.

"Taoist, what is this?" Ling Feng questioned.

Chao Yun approached, eyeing the statue with mild consternation: "Best not knowing this statue, benefactor. Pretend you didn’t see it."

"Why is that?" Ling Feng puzzled further.

"It’s taboo in our temple; the figure is believed to be from hundreds of years past, when the temple was a leading sect, the figure was then the senior disciple, highly gifted,"

"However, he committed grave crimes, tried by the three immortals, his punishment extended beyond life, compelled to kneel for eternity, seeking forgiveness for the temple from heaven and earth,"

"What grave sin demands such harsh penance? Suffering in life, yet condemned posthumously for millennia?"

Chao Yun shook his head: "I’m unaware of such secrets, maybe master knows, yet he’s often elusive, unlikely to divulge them."

Ling Feng shook his head, thinking the statue a pitiable soul.

Approaching the statue, Ling Feng poked his head out for a better view, though positioned too far forward, he had to extend beyond the precipice to discern the face.

Upon seeing the statue’s face, Ling Feng’s body trembled violently, his shock palpable, almost toppling over the cliff.

He distinctly saw the statue’s eyes were twin-colored, black and white, identical to the black-robed man in the earlier memory!