170: Chapter 170 The Token with Numbers

Everyone stepped through the hundred-zhang-tall bronze gates with a sense of anticipation.

Behind the gates lay an incredibly wide stone corridor. While Xia Jin strolled along, looking around wantonly, the others did not dare peer about, instead feeling an inexplicable pressure.

Soon, they exited the stone corridor and arrived within a grand hall.

Six stone chairs were placed right in the center of the hall.

Everyone's gaze was involuntarily drawn toward those six stone chairs.

The six stone chairs varied in size and shape. The smallest was barely three feet square, while the largest stood dozens of zhang tall, looming in the center of the hall like a small mountain.

However, these stone chairs were currently empty, with no figures seated upon them.

“What is the deal with these six seats?” Xia Jin stopped in his tracks, sizing up the six stone chairs ahead with confusion.

“These are the seats of our Temple's six Hall Masters,” the woman wearing the white veil explained with a hint of pride as she saw everyone looking at her. “However, the Hall Masters do not usually appear here.”

Hearing this, everyone looked at each other, lost in their own thoughts.

Six Hall Masters?

There were actually six Hall Masters within the Temple? As expected, the Temple truly lived up to its reputation as the most powerful force in this world...

Xia Jin's gaze swept across the six stone chairs one by one, a flicker of contemplation in his eyes, though he said nothing more.

The white-veiled women beside them did not give them much time to look around, continuing forward. “Alright, everyone follow me.”

After crossing the main hall, the group was quickly led to a side hall.

The side hall was not large and its furnishings were quite simple. A long rectangular desk was placed in the center, and behind it sat two people.

One fat, one thin.

The fat man sat on the left. His face was round, but his expression was exceptionally solemn and humorless.

The thin man sat on the right. His face was lean and haggard, and he was equally solemn, though his eyes were slightly more sinister compared to the fat man's.

Seeing Xia Jin and the others arrive, the fat man suddenly waved his hand.

Immediately, streaks of light flew out from the desk and landed in everyone's hands.

Xia Jin looked down to find a token in his hand.

The token was only the size of a palm, with two large characters engraved on the front: 'Temple'.

He flipped the token over to look at the back.

The back also featured only a few simple characters: earth-37.

Looking at those characters, Xia Jin couldn't help but frown slightly.

earth-37?

What did this mean? A ranking? A serial number? Or something else?

The others were also looking down at the tokens in their hands with varying expressions.

At that moment, the thin man spoke: “Stop looking for now! Listen carefully to every word we say next. We two are the Deacon Instructors of the Temple, responsible for guiding you new Disciples.”

Deacon Instructors?

Xia Jin raised an eyebrow, his gaze sweeping over the fat and thin duo. Although their auras were obscure, they were definitely experts above the Creation Realm.

It seemed this Temple truly was a place of hidden dragons and crouching tigers.

“The tokens in your hands are your identification credentials in the Temple. The numbers on them are your IDs. From this day forward, you will be addressed by your ID numbers within the Temple.”

As soon as he finished speaking, he waved his hand again.

Another streak of light flew out, and everyone found a black-covered book in their hands.

The book's cover had no patterns, only four large golden characters: 'Temple Precepts'.

“The rules of the Temple are recorded inside. After you go down, you must read and memorize them carefully. Discipline is strict within the Temple; if there are violations, do not blame us for not informing you in advance.”

Xia Jin flipped through it casually, seeing page after page filled with various clauses: no trespassing in Forbidden Grounds, no private dueling, no... in short, the rules were as numerous as the hairs on an ox.

“How is this Temple just like those boarding schools from my past life? So many restrictions!” His eye twitched slightly as he snapped the book shut.

After the thin man finished speaking, he waved his hand and looked at the white-veiled woman who had brought them. “Take them to their quarters to settle in.”

The woman nodded slightly and turned to Xia Jin and the others. “Follow me.”

With that, she took the lead and walked out.

The group followed once more.

This time, they walked for much longer.

Finally, after half a quarter-hour, they arrived before a cluster of independent courtyards.

The woman seemed to take special care of Xia Jin's trio, leading them directly to three courtyards in the same row.

“These are your residences.” The woman pointed to the three courtyards, then looked at Xia Jin. “Since you three are acquaintances, you have been placed together. If there is nothing else, go back and rest.”

She turned to leave, but after taking two steps, she stopped again.

She looked back at Xia Jin, an inexplicable look flashing through her cold eyes. “A reminder: while here, do not wander around aimlessly if there is no business. If something comes up, someone will naturally come to notify you.”

Having said that, she turned and left, her white figure quickly disappearing at the end of the path.

Xia Jin stood in place, watching the woman's retreating back, his brow furrowed in deep thought.

Do not wander around aimlessly?

Someone will come to notify us if there's something?

What exactly... is this Temple up to?

Jian Wuhen leaned in, scratching his head with a confused look. “Brother Xia, doesn't this Temple... feel a bit weird? ID numbers, rules, and we can't even walk around? Are we here to Cultivate, or are we here to go to jail?”

Venerable Miaodi also looked at Xia Jin. Though he didn't speak, his slightly cloudy eyes also held a hint of contemplation.

Xia Jin withdrew his gaze, looked at the token in his hand, then at the black-covered book of precepts, and suddenly gave a light chuckle.

“Interesting.” He tucked the token into his robes and looked up at the three courtyards before him. “Since we're here, we might as well make the best of it. Let's settle in first. As for what this Temple is really planning...”

He paused, a playful light flashing in his eyes. “We'll find out sooner or later.”

With that, he chose a courtyard at random, pushed the door open, and walked in.

Jian Wuhen and Venerable Miaodi exchanged a glance and, without further questions, each chose a courtyard and entered.

The courtyard doors slowly closed.

This cluster of independent courtyards returned to silence.

...

Night gradually deepened.

Xia Jin did not choose to rest. Instead, he sat cross-legged on a stone stool in the courtyard, toy-ing with the token engraved with 'earth-37'.

Everything he had seen and heard today felt strange at every turn.

The missing six Hall Masters, the Deacon Instructors, the numbered tokens, the strict rules...

Rather than a Holy Land for Cultivation, this Temple seemed more like... an organization.

A mysterious organization with a rigid hierarchy and clear rules.

And those of them who had passed the assessment were like... newcomers who had just been recruited.

“Interesting. Every few hundred years, this Temple recruits a batch of experts from various continents! Yet among these people, very few are ever able to return to their own continents!”

“Did the rest of them perish? Or did they go somewhere else?”

Xia Jin rubbed his forehead, feeling a bit frustrated. “It seems the waters of this Temple are much deeper than I imagined.”