Endless Winter: My Camp Upgrades Infinitely

Chapter 1310: Chapter 429: Holy Platform and Offerings, the Fourth Xianyang Level, Astonishing Talent, Ritual Process

The sect temple is built along the valley, located in the deepest part of the inner city.

The temple measures 33 meters in length, 33 meters in width, and 55 meters in height, divided into three layers and forming a pyramid structure. However, it lacks a pointed tip; the topmost layer is a high platform.

The first layer is the ancestral hall, where anyone registered as a citizen of Great Xia can enter to erect a stele for sacrifices; naturally, this layer occupies the majority of the space, with a ceiling height of 35 meters;

The second layer is the sect hall, accessible only to nobles who have received founding qualifications. Although Great Xia currently has only 339 nobles, the initial design reserved a ceiling height of 15 meters for future considerations. The surrounding walls have over ten thousand vacant shrines.

The shrine of the Xiang Family is located at the top of the sect hall. Xiang Liang, holding his son, walked up the spiral staircase for less than fifty breaths before reaching the exit at the top.

There were few pedestrians on the staircase, and realizing that others were already in place, he was relatively late, so Xiang Liang hastened his steps, quickly passing through the exit and ascending to the top layer.

Upon reaching the top layer, Xiang Liang’s gaze was immediately drawn to the silver high platform at the center.

It was a square silver high platform sitting east and facing west, with a side length of five meters. The platform descended nine tiers of stairs, radiating dazzling silver light, clearly crafted from silver.

On the high platform was a two-meter-wide rectangular table, upon which ten spiritual tablets radiating strong light were erected, divided into three tiers from high to low:

The highest tablet at the center bore the inscription "Great Xia," clearly representing the entire Great Xia Camp; the next tier held five tablets, representing the main sect leader Xia Hong, the sect mother Li Xuanling, the branch sect leader Xia Chuan, the branch sect mother Xiao Ning, and Xiao Yu; the last tier contained four tablets, representing the main sect young master Xia Yuyao, Xia Yusheng, branch sect second-generation disciples Xia Yuzong, and Xia Yuning.

All lesser sect leaders must ascend to the holy platform to worship the main sect during the annual sacrificial rites, thus this was Xiang Liang’s fourth visit to the main sect’s holy platform. The high platform, the table, and the ten spiritual tablets upon the table were entirely familiar to him.

What truly attracted him at this moment were the offerings placed before the table.

Xia Li hadn’t imposed strict regulations on the specifications for sacrificial offerings, requiring only the preparation of three animals, five fruits, yellow candles, spiritual wine, and spirit pills.

However, since it is a sacrificial rite, the better the offerings, the more devoted the offering becomes; secondly, Minister Xia Chuan openly stated that all spiritual tablets will increasingly accumulate spirituality as offerings increase, with further miraculous uses potentially emerging in the future; thirdly, Great Xia’s abundant resources mean offerings are not mere disposables—after the rites, these items remain useable.

With these three factors in mind, everyone prepares offerings at the highest permissible level if resources allow.

For instance, Xiang Liang himself had offerings prepared by Wang Yuxiu. The three animals used were advanced beast meat, the five fruits were the five most expensive fruits currently available at the Camp Supply Department, the spirit pills were the best sixth-level elixirs, and the spiritual wine was three types of top-grade wine personally exchanged from the Camp Supply Department.

Except for the constraint of using only two yellow candles per person, his wife utilized the best possible within their capacity for the other four kinds of offerings.

Even as a Ninth-Rank Xuanling Marquis, Xiang Liang was able to use these offerings, not to mention individuals with higher noble titles and greater financial strength.

As for the offerings the lord’s family used during the main clan sacrifice, they were nearly top-tier level.

If he recalled correctly, last year’s offerings for the main clan sacrifice included three different Beast King Level Cold Beasts, providing the best part of their meat; the five fruits, spiritual wine, and spirit pills came from the top-grade gems not accessible to the public at the Camp Supply Department; ten yellow candles were directly prepared.

This year, the five offerings placed on the high platform were even more astonishing than last year.

The first tray held three Cold Beasts, namely Blood Jade Fox, Fire Stone Tiger, Green Thunder Roar, each less than half a meter in body length, with distinctly black-and-white pupils, all obvious Beast King Level characteristics;

The second tray displayed spiritual fruits, spirit pills, and spiritual wine, most items Xiang Liang had never seen before. There were over ten types of pills alone, totaling over a thousand, all the camp’s most precious sixth-level spirit pills, with countless fruits and wines;

Lastly, the yellow candles—hundreds of which filled the entire table, illuminating the whole high platform in splendid brilliance, adding touches of magnificence and elegance to the already dazzling silver light.

"Lord Xiang, long time no see!"

Xiang Liang was staring dazedly at the offerings on the high platform, unaware that an elderly man nearing seventy, accompanied by a middle-aged man, had approached him. He only returned to his senses upon hearing the voice, turned his head, and upon seeing the two, he smiled and saluted:

"Old Bai, long time no see!"

The visitors were none other than Bai Shanqiu, who had carried out a covert mission with him last year, and his eldest son Bai Yuming.

"Yuming, greet Lord Xiang!"

"Brother Bai, no need for such formalities, please rise quickly."

Seeing Bai Yucheng, who was over ten years older than him, bow to him, Xiang Liang instinctively wished to help him up. However, holding his son Xiang Chong in his arms left him with no choice but to raise his hand in return.

Xiang Liang and Bai Shanqiu had spent nearly two years covertly at Dajue Temple, assuming a father-son identity, fostering a life-and-death bond. Despite contrasting decisions post ennoblement, their relationship was well established, and the two families were quite acquainted.