Chapter 284 Cultivator Community
Qin Mo finally passed through the Gate of Sages and entered the Temple, where he was greeted by a continuous complex of buildings, allowing him to experience a unique "stone symphony".
The different concepts of "eternity" in the Xia Dynasty and the Western civilizations led to fundamental differences in the architecture of the East and West. Westerners believed that eternity meant immutability, and therefore used stone, a material that was easy to stack and shape while resisting the erosion of wind and rain, to build structures. All buildings that worshipped divine authority, such as obelisks, domes, and even the royal palaces of various kingdoms that declared their royal power, were made of stable and unchanging stone.
For the people of Daxia, "eternity" signifies alternation and continuous life, the birth of all things from the three elements, and the endless cycle of life. It represents the warmth of passing on the torch and the joy of new branches on old trees. And the material that best embodies this change is the tree.
Therefore, building temples with dry, warm, and even fragrant materials is a sign of the utmost respect for the heavens; constructing palaces symbolizes the eternal prosperity of the nation; and building houses is full of the warmth and life of ordinary people.
Conversely, stones appear cold and lifeless to us, which is why they were only used extensively in tombs during the Xia Dynasty.
As the current center of power in the Western Continent, the temple showcased the art of combining stones to its fullest extent in its architecture. Qin Mo followed Kelly through the temple, and the various stone palaces, statues, and arches all fascinated him.
Even the rows of residential courtyard-like buildings were constructed using stones of various sizes.
“Qin Mo, this row of residences is prepared for newly entered cultivators. Since you arrived the earliest, you can choose one first,” Kelly said, pointing to a row of stone buildings.
It was a row of two-story buildings connected together, with narrow, elongated windows and a small courtyard enclosed by a stone wall, forming a private little space.
"Kelly, are there any rules about these accommodations?" Qin Mo looked at the new "dormitories" that all looked the same and didn't know how to choose.
"Well... I shouldn't say much, but... since you were the first to enter the inner hall, I can tell you that the middle quarters are the worst, because cultivators can only leave their quarters after the morning bell rings each day. If you want to grab your desired cultivation target, you have to be faster than others."
Kelly hesitated for a moment, then looked at Qin Mo, lowered her head and explained softly. Her round face flushed slightly again, making her even more endearing.
Qin Mo carefully observed the community, which consisted entirely of stone courtyards. Five rows of residences formed a neat rectangle, and the outer edge of the rectangle was a tree-lined path leading to a tall stone gate in the distance.
Kelly mentioned that cultivation goals need to be seized by oneself, so one must be the first to pass through the tall stone gate. As a newcomer, her choice of residence was the farthest from that stone gate. Even if she came out from the small courtyard closest to the tree-lined paths on both sides, she would still lag behind those cultivators who came out from the residences at the back.
As expected, those residences near the tall buildings are the dwellings of veteran cultivators. The fastest shortcut to surpass them is to traverse the entire "community" from mid-air and reach the stone gate in the center.
"Kelly, can the people living in this area... leap across the air?" Qin Mo gestured with her hand, pointing to the rooftops above the "community," indicating a perfect shortcut.
Kelly opened her mouth, and it took her a while to close it. She said solemnly, "Qin Mo, I have to say you are very smart. You are not the first person to discover the shortcut, but no one who dares to take this shortcut through the air has a good ending. The senior cultivators in the back row are very powerful and will knock you down."
"Oh! Has no one ever succeeded?"
Qin Mo asked with some disappointment. He was quite confident in his speed, but it would still be very difficult to overtake the cultivators closest to the tall stone gate, since they were too close to the gate.
Kelly hesitated before saying, "It's not that it's impossible. It's said that Her Highness Saint Heatherine did it once, and she was the only one who succeeded, but... but she was forced to do it... Her Highness Heatherine chose that courtyard house back then."
Qin Mo followed Kelly's finger and saw that it was the residence in the very center of the front row. No matter which way you went, it was the furthest place from the stone gate. However, that small courtyard was the largest and was quite far from the other residences on both sides. It was surrounded by unknown plants, lush and green, and the environment was completely different from the other residences.
“Those plants are wisteria, Her Highness Heatherine’s favorite plants. They absorb the dust in the air and make the whole residence incredibly fresh. If you don’t consider its location, it’s the best place to live.”
"I choose this place!" Qin Mo used a plausible reason to help herself make her choice. As for it being too far from both sides? Hehe, let's see how things go first. If you push me too far, I'll just do something unconventional.
"Qin Mo...you chose this courtyard? This...is the furthest place from the Temple of the Priests...the cultivators who used to live here paid a great price to move to other residences." Kelly's round face turned red with anxiety as she tried to dissuade her.
"Thank you, Kelly. I like the fresh and free atmosphere here, so I'll choose this place!" Qin Mo said gently to Kelly with a smile.
There were already voices in the distance, it seemed that more cultivators had entered. Helpless, Kelly had no choice but to lead Qin Mo to the miscellaneous affairs office, where she obtained the necessary keys, bedding, cultivator robes, and various utensils.
"Kelly, I bought a house in the Vaughn district. Could I come over to visit instead of living in the temple?" Qin Mo looked at the complete set of living necessities provided to her and suddenly thought of the terrifying job of the dormitory doorman. Would they lock the door and cut off the power in the middle of the night?
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