Kong Xiang extended his gaze upwards, his eyes glinting as he circulated an optic spell. To the brothers, his eyes suddenly glowed with a strange light. His vision pierced through the ceiling and after a brief spell, he replied.
"About two days. The rains should have subsided by that time"
He noticed the monks relax, then visibly grow tense up again. He stifled the urge to question what was happening and instead kept silent.
"Come with me, benefactor" One of them gestured to him. Kong Xiang obliged and crossed the threshold of the inner hallway, noting the incense lamps burning at several specific spots. The design seemed more intended than incidental, so he discretely circulated his optic spell again. Now, he could make out the faint outline of a formation that bore a faint wisp of intent he was familiar with, the Seal Intent.
The room was simple. The space was very maximized, leaving just enough room for a bed and nothing more.
As they entered one of the rooms, Kong Xiang turned to the young monk and asked "Little brother, my name is Kong Xiang, may I know yours"
The monk turned to observe Kong Xiang's face for a moment, then hesitated. "Big Brother says we should do always do a kind deed without leaving our names"
Lu Ming appeared at this moment. In his hands were a pile of plain looking clothes and blankets. He laughed. "Benefactor, I'm called Lu Ming. My younger brother is known as Lu Min" He set it down on the bed.
Kong Xiang cupped his fist respectfully. Even though the two had yet to embark on the path of cultivation, he could sense the righteous energy and merit the duo had amassed. This was an indication that they had done a great deal of goods deeds, despite their young ages.
"Before you ask, no, our master is not present" Lu Ming explained, chuckling as his guest's expression morphed into baffled surprise. He explained further before Kong Xiang could ask. "A lot of visitors we've had often ask the same question of how a temple can be left in the care of two young kids without an older supervisor"
Kong Xiang took the remark in stride. He questioned further, "Most temples are located near mortal settlements where the common people can pray and offer incense. May I ask why this one is right here, literally in the middle of nowhere?"
Lu Min answered this time. "Benefactor this region is known as the Wildlands. You may not know this, but in the ancient era, it served as the battlefield for the first and second Great Wars. Overtime, the accumulation of countless slaughter and resentment coagulated to form a mass of negative, evil energy."
The Great Wars occured at the start of the cultivation era. Then, geniuses abounded in great numbers, all of them pioneering different cultivation pathways. The environment was far richer, and the Heavens was laxer in its rules, making cultivation way easier.It wasn't unheard of for newborn children to be born with heavenly level law comprehension, and jumping realms to fight was as easy as drinking water. It was a time of chaotic interest fighting, and the Wildlands served as the primary location of these duels, becoming the burial ground of these mighty figures.
Kong Xiang turned his head left and looked outside through the window of the dilapidated temple to take in the view of the barren wasteland outside. It did not look anything like how he imagined it would have looked then.
Lu Ming picked up again "After the wars ended, the heavenly way shifted, and a lot of things got reshuffled, but the vestiges of the battle still lingered. Our predecessor, the Mortal Buddha, came upon this location and set up this temple to seal and slowly purify the endless resentment that had accumulated over time. While he lacked enough strength to completely finish this, he left behind his legacy, setting up an heritage of successive monks that inherited this mandate. Thanks to their efforts, most of them have successfully weakened over the years to a state of inactivity" He heaved a breath as he finished.
Lu Min and Kong Xiang similarly sighed, full of admiration of this man with such a noble cause.
Kong Xiang nodded thoughtfully as he took it all in, noticing the usage of the word, "most". He refrained from asking more questions as he could sense that was the limit the monk was willing to share.
The brothers excused him, and Kong Xiang made his bed out of habit, even though he wasn't going to use it. Having broken certain mortal shackles, cultivators had no need for sleep, and night time was usually replaced with cultivation.
He stifled the urge to investigate right away and slowly calmed his breath, resuming cultivation.