The statue was a Buddha, though Eric Bennett didn’t recognize which Buddha it was. It looked kind and benevolent, exuding an aura of compassion for all beings.

Grace Cooper’s expression was very calm. She knelt on the meditation cushion and bowed to the statue.

Eric Bennett stood beside her, holding his breath.

After a quiet wait, nothing happened. The statue remained merciful, its half-closed eyes silently watching the worshippers before it. Apart from the howling wind, the temple was filled with a reassuring tranquility.

Eric Bennett let out a sigh of relief.

“It’s fine.” Grace Cooper stood up and brushed the dust off her knees. “Your turn.”

Eric Bennett nodded, handed the torch to Grace Cooper, and knelt on the cushion to bow. Eric Bennett didn’t know what Grace Cooper was thinking when she bowed, but when it was his turn, he was extremely devout, praying for the protection of the deity before him.

“All done.” Such a simple act, yet it felt as if it had drained all his strength. When nothing happened after he finished, Eric Bennett let out a huge sigh of relief.

“Let’s go.” Grace Cooper turned around. “We should head out.”

So the two of them slowly left the temple.

The people waiting outside were surprised to see the two of them come out unharmed. Adam Grant asked, “Did anything happen?”

Eric Bennett shook his head. “No.”

Although no one said anything, their expressions were all strange, and some people began to hesitate.

“How about we go in two by two?” Adam Grant suggested. “Since nothing happened to the people before us…”

“Are you sure nothing happened to them?” one team member looked warily at Grace Cooper and Eric Bennett. “She just said earlier that the ones who go in are people, but who knows what comes out. How can you be sure the two of them are still human?”

Just as Eric Bennett, whose identity was being questioned, was about to explain, Grace Cooper waved her hand to stop him. She said coolly, “We won’t persuade you. Do as you wish.”

“Mr. Grant, I’m scared too,” said Little Scott. “Let’s go in together, okay?”

Adam Grant seemed a bit hesitant.

Some of the more timid team members started looking for partners, while others stubbornly refused to go against the carpenter elder’s instructions.

“Then just do as you think best.” In the end, Adam Grant made a decision. “Little Scott, let’s go in together.”

Little Scott nodded in delight.

According to the order they had decided on earlier, the second group to enter the temple was a man by himself. He went in alone and came out alone, and nothing unusual happened the whole time. However, when he came out, his expression was a bit puzzled, as if he wanted to say something.

But before he could speak, the third group had already gone in.

“What did you see in the temple?” the man who had gone in alone asked Eric Bennett quietly.

“Didn’t see anything,” Eric Bennett replied. “Just the statue and the cushion.”

“Don’t you think that statue is a bit strange…” the man said. “I’ve never seen a statue like that before.”

Eric Bennett was momentarily stunned, not understanding what the man meant.

The man lowered his voice: “Have you ever seen one like that? The statue looked so odd…”

Eric Bennett shook his head, still not quite understanding, but then a chilling thought flashed through his mind. “What… did the statue you saw look like?”

“It was a woman.” As soon as he said this, the smile vanished from Eric Bennett’s face. The man continued in a low voice, not noticing the change in Eric Bennett’s expression. “It didn’t look like a bodhisattva, just smiled at me, and the thing in her hand didn’t look like a ritual implement, it looked more like…”

“Like what?” Eric Bennett asked dryly.

“More like… an axe for chopping wood.” After saying this, the man glanced at the temple. “And after I bowed, she seemed to move a little…” At this point, he finally noticed Eric Bennett’s odd expression. “What about you? Did you see it too?”

“No.” Though it was cruel, Eric Bennett told the man the truth. “The statue we saw was different from yours.”

“How was it different?!” The man’s face instantly turned pale. “What kind of statue did you see?!”

“A Buddha…” Eric Bennett said. “A male one.”

The man’s face turned as white as paper. He looked at the temple with eyes full of fear and despair, his whole body trembling, and he began to mutter, “No, no way, it can’t be, there must be something wrong with you, it must be you…” After saying this, he looked around warily, as if afraid someone else would overhear.

The third group was Adam Grant and Little Scott. When they came out, their expressions were also calm, as if nothing strange had happened.

Next was the fourth group… then the fifth… These groups included both men and women, some went in alone, some in pairs, but Eric Bennett soon noticed a pattern: whenever someone went in alone, they came out looking unsettled.

When the last person came out, everyone finally confirmed a certain pattern—going in alone or in pairs resulted in seeing completely different statues.