Chapter 2178: Different Perspectives Within the Temple
The temple was vast and empty, with only a few stone pillars standing in the center of the hall. The walls were covered in murals depicting scenes of ancient sacrifices and battles.
Xu Huo stood at the entrance, his gaze sweeping across the hall. The air was thick with the scent of dust and decay, and a faint, almost imperceptible hum vibrated through the floor.
"Looks like we're not the first ones here," he muttered, noticing the disturbed dust on the ground. Footprints led deeper into the temple, some fresh, some old.
He stepped forward cautiously, his hand resting on the hilt of his blade. The shadows in the corners seemed to shift and writhe, but it was likely just a trick of the light.
As he moved further in, the murals on the walls seemed to come alive. The figures in the paintings appeared to move, their eyes following him. Xu Huo paused, studying one of the murals closely. It depicted a group of people kneeling before a towering figure, their hands raised in supplication. The figure's face was obscured by a hood, but its eyes glowed with an eerie light.
"Religious symbolism," he murmured. "Or maybe something else entirely."
He continued on, passing through a narrow corridor that opened into a larger chamber. Here, the ceiling was higher, and a massive stone altar stood at the far end. On the altar lay a single object—a small, crystalline orb that pulsed with a soft, blue light.
Xu Huo's eyes narrowed. "A relic?"
He approached the altar cautiously, his senses on high alert. The air grew colder as he drew nearer, and the humming sound intensified. Just as he reached out to touch the orb, a voice echoed through the chamber.
"Don't."
He froze, turning to see a figure emerge from the shadows. It was a woman, her face partially hidden by a hood. She held a staff in her hand, its tip glowing with the same blue light as the orb.
"Who are you?" Xu Huo asked, his hand still hovering near the orb.
"A guardian," she replied, her voice calm but firm. "This place is not for the living to disturb."
Xu Huo studied her for a moment. "And yet, you're here."
"I am bound to this temple," she said. "I have been for centuries. The orb you see is the heart of this place. If you take it, the temple will collapse."
"Then why is it here?" Xu Huo asked. "Why leave it unguarded?"
The woman smiled faintly. "It is not unguarded. You are simply the first to reach it in a long time. Most who enter are consumed by the illusions within these walls."
Xu Huo glanced around the chamber. "Illusions?"
"The temple shows each person what they most desire or fear," she explained. "It is a test of will. Those who fail are lost forever."
"And those who pass?"
"They are allowed to leave," she said. "Or they may choose to stay and learn the secrets of the temple."
Xu Huo considered her words. "What secrets?"
The woman's eyes glowed brighter. "The truth of this world. The origin of the Super Evolution. The path to true power."
"Tempting," Xu Huo said, though his tone was flat. "But I have no interest in staying."
"Then you may leave," she said, stepping aside. "But know this—once you leave, you will never be able to return."
Xu Huo turned and walked back toward the entrance. As he passed the woman, he paused. "One question."
"Ask."
"Are you real, or are you part of the illusion?"
The woman's smile widened. "That is for you to decide."
Xu Huo shook his head and continued on, leaving the temple behind. As he stepped out into the sunlight, he felt a strange sense of relief. The temple's oppressive atmosphere lifted, and the world seemed brighter.
He looked back at the temple, its stone walls weathered and ancient. "A place of tests and illusions," he muttered. "Not my kind of place."
With that, he turned and walked away, the temple fading into the distance behind him.