Chapter 274 - 202: The "Heroic Spirits" in the Tower
Xie Yuan reached the 4th Layer of the Slaughter Tower and found that the exit of the staircase no longer led into a room.
He stepped out directly into the open. Xie Yuan scanned his surroundings, taking in the entire scene of the 4th Layer.
The area here was at least half the size of the 1st Layer, and the ceiling was significantly lower.
The structure was largely the same, but the circle of small stone houses along the wall had been replaced with large courtyards.
’Looks like Grandmasters get much better treatment.’
Xie Yuan thought to himself.
He surmised that the Slaughter Tower was actually some kind of secret realm of an ancient Sect. From the mortals on the 1st Layer to the levels above, each floor housed disciples of different strengths.
And each layer was fully stocked with all the resources needed for cultivation and life at the corresponding level of strength.
Considering the size of the Slaughter Tower and its vast reserves, this place was like an independent world. It could support itself for who knows how many years without any contact with the outside.
At this thought, Xie Yuan couldn’t help but ponder again:
’The rooms I’ve seen are all fully equipped and untouched. In a normal Sect, even if they had a habit of replenishing supplies, there would still be some signs of use. It seems this place was never put into service, or perhaps it was meant as a reserve?’
He nodded slightly and looked toward the center of the 4th Layer.
Although the 4th Layer was much smaller, it was far more open than the levels below.
Aside from the surrounding courtyards and a few functional buildings like a Library Pavilion interspersed between them, there was only a large plaza in the middle.
In the center of the plaza stood a single temple. Within the temple was a massive, open-air statue of an Arhat. With one hand coiling a dragon and one foot treading on a tiger, it was solemn and sacred. The colossal statue was so tall that its head nearly reached the 5th Layer.
Before this Arhat statue, Xie Yuan felt utterly insignificant.
He stared at the sacred Arhat statue for a moment, but a sudden palpitation in his heart made him quickly look away, not daring to gaze any longer.
It wasn’t just the solemn, sacred, and immense presence of the Arhat statue that made him afraid to be disrespectful. What truly made his heart pound was the feeling he got when he looked at it—the statue’s state...
...was the same as Lin Zhen, his fellow disciples, and the bandits.
The Arhat statue also seemed to be in that strange state between life and death!
’How is that possible...’
Xie Yuan couldn’t comprehend it. He secretly stole a few more glances, but the feeling of unease grew stronger and stronger, as if the Arhat statue would truly come to life if he stared any longer.
He didn’t dare to let his eyes wander anymore. Lowering his gaze, he quickly circled through the surrounding buildings and courtyards.
Other than the living quarters being far superior to those below, the Scripture Pavilion being filled with blank, gold-trimmed books, the pharmacy being stocked with Treasure Materials any one of which would cause an uproar among Grandmasters in the outside world, and the armory being full of Profound Weapons, Magic Staffs, and Demon-Slaying Pestles... there was little else of note.
A tide of emotion surged through Xie Yuan as he looked at it all, his only regret being that he couldn’t take any of it with him.
He followed the stairs in the Scripture Pavilion upward and arrived at the 5th Layer.
The 5th Layer was similar to the 4th, except the surrounding courtyards were larger and more exquisite, and the statue in the center was different.
The giant statue in the middle of the 5th Layer was a Bodhisattva in white robes. Its expression was solemn yet compassionate as it held a mist-shrouded Treasure Bead, its gaze looking down on all below.
Xie Yuan only glanced at it a few times before retracting his gaze and walking away with his eyes lowered.
This statue was just like the Arhat statue below.
After making another round on the 5th Layer, he once again found the way up in the Scripture Pavilion and reached the 6th Layer of the Slaughter Tower.
The 6th Layer was much smaller than the 1st Layer, with only a dozen or so courtyards in a circle.
Xie Yuan counted them. There were exactly eighteen large courtyards.
Even though the 6th Layer was significantly smaller, that was only in relative terms; its total area was still vast.
However, for such a vast space to be encircled by only eighteen courtyards meant that each one occupied an enormous amount of land.
’If the 4th Layer is for Grandmasters, does that mean the 5th is for Great Grandmasters? Then what realm does this layer correspond to?’
Xie Yuan was puzzled.
’And there’s still a 7th Layer...’
Great Grandmasters already possessed immense Divine Powers beyond the imagination of ordinary people. Could there be an even higher realm?
’It’s also possible that, as Miss Mu said, each realm above Grandmaster is a world of its own. Perhaps the 4th and 5th Layers are both for Grandmasters, while the 6th and 7th are for Great Grandmasters.’
Xie Yuan nodded. That was also a possibility.
He visited the eighteen courtyards one by one. Unlike before, each of these had its own unique features, such as rockeries, ponds, gardens, and Buddhist shrines. Although they were still simple overall, their sheer size and furnishings exuded an air of magnificence.
There was no common armory here. Instead, each courtyard had its own dedicated display room. Brocaded kasayas and Nine-Ringed Sounding Staffs seemed to be standard issue for every residence. Beyond those, there were Dragon Subduing Staffs, Vajra Pestles, and various other weapons that Xie Yuan couldn’t even recognize. He felt they had surpassed the category of Profound Weapons and could perhaps be called Divine Weapons.
After completing his tour, Xie Yuan felt it had been a truly eye-opening experience. He then quietly took a deep breath.
For some reason, he had subconsciously avoided looking up at the central statue this entire time. He could only vaguely see a pair of large, glittering golden feet planted ahead, but he averted his gaze each time.
’I should be able to look now...’
His heart throbbed as he slowly raised his head, looking toward the golden, four-faced Buddha statue that reached all the way to the ceiling.
Gazing at the glittering golden Buddha, he felt a momentary daze. It was as if the statue had opened its eyes.
But when he focused his eyes, he saw the statue’s eyes were downcast, and there was nothing out of the ordinary.
With just that one glance, Xie Yuan inexplicably felt his state of mind become ethereal, as if all his worldly thoughts and desires were falling away like flower petals.