Echoes in the Mountain's Belly

The Jianmu Fragment's emerald glow erupted, like a lighthouse in the darkness, instantly piercing the terrifying gloom brought by the dense fog and tearing apart the panic spreading through the team.

The light, pointing westward, was filled with an indescribable life force, forming a stark contrast with the cold, eerie mist surrounding them.

Ying Zheng's gaze quickly swept over the fragment glowing in Cheng Xi's hand and his face, which shone slightly with excitement. Without hesitation, he decisively ordered, "Turn! Follow the light!"

The Elite Guards' commander immediately directed the convoy, forcing them to deviate from the abandoned ancient road and plunge headfirst into the denser, almost impassable primeval jungle to the west, guided by the Jianmu Fragment! The horses struggled through thorns and vines, the carriage bumping as if it were a lone boat on a stormy sea.

Strangely enough, as they ventured deeper westward, the viscous, hallucinogenic fog with its strange fragrance gradually thinned! The unsettling, chilling aura in the air also rapidly receded, replaced by a fresh, humid, natural scent full of vitality from plants and trees. The Jianmu Fragment's light also stabilized, no longer flickering intensely but continuously emitting a soft guidance.

It was as if an invisible barrier had isolated them from the filth and strangeness of the outside world.

When the last trace of the nauseating fog was left behind, the scene suddenly opened up before them.

It was a valley hidden deep within a mountain hollow. Ancient trees towered overhead, but they didn't appear sinister. Gnarled branches were covered in lush green vines, blooming with unknown exotic flowers that emitted a refreshing, subtle fragrance. A clear stream gurgled between strange rocks, the mist rising from the water forming hazy little rainbows. In the center of the valley, a massive, smooth, mirror-like cyan stone wall rose from the ground, soaring into the clouds and blocking their path.

Beneath the stone wall, hidden by vines, a dark cave entrance was clearly visible! The entrance was irregularly arched, its edges bearing the marks of time's erosion, and a faint coolness emanated from within. The Jianmu Fragment's light pointed directly at the deep cave entrance!

"This is it!" Cheng Xi jumped off the carriage, holding the warm, glowing fragment, and walked to the cave entrance. The interior was pitch black, bottomless, with only a faint breeze blowing out, carrying the scent of earth and moss.

Ying Zheng walked to his side, his sharp gaze scrutinizing the cave entrance and the surrounding environment. The valley was peaceful and serene, a stark contrast to the strangeness of the mountain path they had just left, like a paradise.

"Scout ahead," Ying Zheng gestured to the Elite Guards' commander.

Two of the most capable Elite Guards lit torches and cautiously stepped into the cave entrance. The torchlight flickered, barely illuminating the cave walls. The walls were not natural rock but showed signs of artificial excavation. Although rough, the lines were regular. Some faint carvings seemed to remain on the walls, weathered by time and difficult to discern.

"Reporting to the Great King, the cave is dry, with stone steps descending. No immediate danger!" the scout Elite Guard's voice echoed from within the cave.

Ying Zheng looked at Cheng Xi, his meaning clear.

Cheng Xi took a deep breath, feeling the clear, summoning-like fluctuations from the Jianmu Fragment, and nodded, stepping into the darkness first. Ying Zheng followed closely. Most of the Elite Guards remained in the valley to set up camp and maintain vigilance, while the elite squad, holding torches, escorted the two deeper into the cave.

The stone steps spiraled downward, their destination unknown. The cave was unusually quiet, with only the sound of footsteps and the crackling of torches echoing in the vast space. The air was cool and dry, without the expected musty smell. The faint carvings on the cave walls, appearing and disappearing in the torchlight, seemed to depict ancient sacrificial scenes and incomprehensible symbols.

[Environment scan... Cave wall carvings analysis: Ancient Tribal Sacrifice Diagram (fragment)... Symbol attributes: Primitive nature worship/prayer runes... Energy environment: Stable, inert energy particle concentration increased...]

The System's prompt gave Cheng Xi some peace of mind. This didn't seem like a dangerous place, but more like an ancient ruin.

After walking down for about the time it takes an incense stick to burn, the path ahead suddenly opened up!

A huge natural stone cavern, as if the mountain's interior had been hollowed out, appeared before them! The cavern ceiling was high, with countless crystal-clear stalactites hanging down, reflecting dazzling light under the torchlight. In the center of the cavern stood a primitive stone platform built entirely of uncarved giant rocks! The surface of the platform was smooth, and in the center, a strangely shaped... stone sword? was embedded!

The stone sword was grayish-white, without any sharpness, its blade wide and thick, covered in natural patterns resembling cracked earth. The hilt was entwined with long-withered vines. The entire sword exuded a heavy, ancient aura, as if it had merged with the earth beneath their feet.

However, what attracted Cheng Xi's attention the most was not the stone sword, but beside the stone platform, a pair of cross-legged... remains!

The remains had long since turned to bone, and the clothes on them had rotted away. Only a wide daoist robe, woven from some unknown silver-gray silk thread, remarkably remained intact despite being covered in dust, draped over the bones. The skeleton's hands were in a strange mudra, placed on its knees, its head slightly bowed, as if gazing at the ancient stone sword in the center of the platform.

In front of the skeleton, on the flat stone surface, a line of ancient seal script was deeply carved with a sharp tool. The strokes were vigorous, exuding a sense of desolation and unwillingness:

"The road to heaven is cut off, the Way is hard to preserve. My body becomes mountain stone, my soul guards this gate. Those who come after... beware! Beware! Beware!"

The three shocking characters of "beware" struck Cheng Xi's heart like blood-weeping alarm bells!

The road to heaven is cut off? The Way is hard to preserve? My body becomes mountain stone, my soul guards this gate? Who was this skeleton in life? And what "gate" was he guarding?

Just as Cheng Xi's mind was shaken and he was carefully deciphering the inscription, the Jianmu Fragment in his palm, once again, lit up uncontrollably! This time, the light didn't point to the stone sword or the remains, but shot directly towards the chest area of the skeleton's daoist robe!

Beneath the silver-gray daoist robe, covered in thick dust, it seemed... something was resonating with the Jianmu Fragment, emitting a faint but clear resonance!

At the same time, the System, dormant in his mind, exploded with an unprecedented, almost frenzied prompt, as if a boulder had been dropped into a deep pool:

[Detecting ultra-high concentration inert energy crystal! Location: Skeleton's thoracic cavity! Attribute: Earth Element Law Origin (extremely pure/dormant state)! Energy level: ??? (Exceeds current analysis limit)! Correlation: Deep resonance with Jianmu Fragment!]

Earth Element Law Origin?! An energy crystal that exceeds the analysis limit?!

Cheng Xi's heart pounded so hard at that moment, it felt like it would leap out of his chest!