Stone Hides Valiant Diligence, Cave Holds Five Colors and Ten Lights

Qiu Yan stared intently at the three white stones and noticed that each stone was smooth and glossy, resembling Dali in appearance. However, despite his perception covering them, he couldn't detect even the slightest hint of artistic conception within them.

"There are three Realm Stones!" Tang Qing's joy was undisguised. "I've read in books that ordinary Trial Beast usually contain at most one Realm Stone, and most of them are incomplete. How can there be three perfectly round ones like these? It seems that the Trial Beast from before had been formed for a long time."

As she spoke, a hint of shame appeared on her face. "It's a pity that because of me, I ruined my cousin's plans and let it escape."

"The purpose of catching difficult beasts is to explore them, and the Realm Stone must eventually be extracted. In that case, what difference does it make whether they are young or old?" Bei Xuan shook his head, a thoughtful look on his face. "However, why has no one discovered this kind of Trial Beast, which has grown to this age? More than thirty years ago, there was Apricot Altar Dao Discourse. At that time, many Confucian scholars entered the forest one after another, and with the usual wanderers, this mountain range is not exactly hidden. Why has no one discovered it?"

After thinking for a while, Bei Xuan fell into deep thought, completely absorbed in his own world, seemingly forgetting everything around him and leaving Qiu Yan and the others standing aside.

At this moment, the old man coughed, stepped forward, and tugged at Bei Xuan's sleeve, reminding him, "Young Master, you can't be foolish now. There are so many people waiting. Besides, how can we deduce the reason behind what's happening right now? We'd better go into the cave and investigate carefully; perhaps we can find something."

"Oh, right, if Uncle Ming hadn't reminded me, I would have almost forgotten about this." Touched by the old man, Bei Xuan finally came back to his senses, his face showing a look of waking from a dream. His words were completely genuine, showing that he was truly lost in thought and his mind was free of distractions.

Fortunately, apart from Qiu Yan, the others already knew about his problem and didn't take it to heart.

Qiu Yan, however, approached the situation with a learning mindset. After hearing the old man address Bei Xuan, she secretly guessed his identity and formed a general idea. "A person who has cultivated Literary Heart. Calling Bei Xuan 'Young Master'..."

This title is generally used by servants and slaves to address their young master's household. However, those who can cultivate Literary Heart are usually quite accomplished in literature and learning. Why would they lower themselves to the status of slaves?

Therefore, this old man should have been a servant, and judging from how Bei Xuan addressed him, it was different from how ordinary servants addressed their servants.

"This person is most likely a pageboy in the Bei Household. He has knowledge, but is unable to take the exams."

Sons of the Aristocratic Clan were always accompanied by pageboys and servants to study. Among them were many exceptionally talented individuals who achieved considerable learning, and some even gained the favor of nobles, were freed from their servitude, and became celebrated figures. There are numerous historical examples of this.

Reminded by the old man, Bei Xuan glanced at the three white stones and smiled, "It's quite a coincidence that these three stones exist, but they're perfect for sharing with Brother Qiu, Brother Zhou, and Brother Huang."

As soon as he finished speaking, he swept his sleeve, and two white stones flew up from the ground, landing in his hand. Bei Xuan then solemnly handed them to Qiu Yan and Zhou Meng.

"I've already agreed that there would be some reward for the three Realm Stone I've requested. I'll keep one for myself, Brother Qiu will get one, and Brother Zhou and Brother Huang will each get one. Do any of you have any objections to this distribution?"

"Brother Bei is fair and reasonable in his dealings." All three expressed that they had no doubts.

There seemed to be some kind of tacit understanding between the four of them.

However, some people were dissatisfied. Tang Qing said, "Cousin, there were three in total, and you gave away two. But the mining, finding the cave, and even luring out the Trial Beast and setting up the plan were all your achievements. Logically, you should have gotten half, or even more. How come in the end, the helper took the lion's share?"

This woman spoke with clear eyes and a crisp voice. Although her words might offend some, they did not come across as offensive; instead, they conveyed a sense of straightforwardness and honesty.

Bei Xuan chuckled and said, "From this day forward, the people of Lu will no longer redeem people."

"Cousin's using classical allusions to educate people again," Tang Qing laughed. "These are the words of the Supreme Sage Confucius, teaching virtuous people to give kindness and expect repayment, thereby promoting Order, and that one person's virtue should not substitute for the benefit of all people."

"Since you already know, why say more?" Bei Xuan said seriously. "You may think we put in a lot of effort, but you should know that prospecting for mines and finding caves is not difficult. Anyone with Literary Thought can do it; it just takes time. Brother Qiu and the others are Literary Heart. Not to mention finding mines, they could even suppress that Trial Beast just now on their own. When they joined forces with us, it wasn't because they were lacking in strength, but because they were helping each other. How could I be stingy with two Realm Stones?"

Seeing that Tang Qing was about to speak again, he shook his head and said, "The Realm Stone is just the beginning. We will need to help each other in the future. How can we begrudge small gains and cause dissatisfaction among others?" After saying this, he apologized to Qiu Yan and the others on behalf of Tang Qing.

"Brother Bei, you're too kind." Zhou Meng and the others remained calm. They understood from Bei Xuan's words that he was making his stance clear, so as to avoid any future conflicts where they might harbor resentment and suffer greater losses for the sake of small things.

Qiu Yan smiled, equally unconcerned, but instead developed a slight interest in Bei Xuan.

At the same time, his hand holding the white stone trembled slightly as he sensed its depths and captured a sense of determination, perseverance, and courage.

"This white stone is called the Realm Stone. The artistic conception condensed within it is completely opposite to that emanating from the Trial Beast. However, one can only feel it by touching the stone; it is impossible to perceive it from a distance. It can be described as flawless..."

At the same time, Bei Xuan's gaze also fell upon it. "Judging from Brother Qiu's appearance, he doesn't quite understand the Realm Stone yet. This stone is a condensation of intent, but it doesn't contain the meaning of danger or retreat. Instead, it contains a heart of great courage and bravery, which is the opposite of the black mist on the surface of the Trial Beast. It can be described as courageous and diligent, which is similar to the masculine energy of Blood Qi. By absorbing the soul, it can help Brother Qiu step into the stage of Soul-Nourishing by the Corporeal Soul."

The others looked surprised upon hearing this.

"Soul nurtured? This is the second stage of the Third Realm," Tang Qing said directly. "Brother Qiu, you also cultivate Dao Arts?" Before she finished speaking, she carefully examined Qiu Yan, her eyes flashing with a sharp light. "His soul body is crystal clear and radiant, indeed forged from Divine Soul. In terms of purity alone, it is even above mine!"

At that moment, a whooshing sound came from not far away, as people flew down from the two boats, with Sun Yong leading the way.

As soon as he landed, he strode over, bowed to Qiu Yan and the others, and said, "Greetings, Grandmaster."

"Brother Sun, you've come at the perfect time," Bei Xuan said, flicking his finger to send a ball of mist towards him. "This is formed from the condensation of unwavering courage. Take it and share it with everyone so they can absorb it together. It can temper their State of Mind, enhance their intellect, and strengthen their resolve."

"Thank you for your generous gift, sir." Sun Yong bowed respectfully, put the puff of smoke into his sleeve, and then continued, "I wonder about this mine..."

As he spoke, his gaze passed over Bei Xuan and landed on the cave entrance ten feet away.

The opening was about the height of a person and the width of three people standing side by side. It wasn't completely dark inside, but rather shimmered with a faint light.

Bei Xuan said directly, "Since you're here, everyone can enter the cave and take what they need. Whatever you get belongs to whoever it is. However, the Trial Beast are not yet exterminated and are currently roaming the cave. You all need to be careful when you act, and it's best not to go too deep or act alone."

Just now, the Trial Beast gamble, its burning will breaking through the blockade, and a wisp of smoke escaped into this cave.

"Rest assured, sir, we, Sun and our men, know our limits and will be careful. However, although the Trial Beast is ferocious and we can only retreat when we encounter it, it is no match for you. We were just severely injured, so we should know how powerful it is and will not dare to act recklessly again." Sun Yong, having received Bei Xuan's approval, showed a pleased expression and offered a light and flattering compliment.

Bei Xuan shook his head, then said to Qiu Yan, "Brother Qiu, do you wish to the Transformation Realm Stone immediately?"

Qiu Yan put the white stone into his sleeve and shook his head, saying, "This stone is exquisite; I need to investigate it further."

Bei Xuan said, "Since that's the case, why don't we go into the mine together? I can tell you the key points along the way." After saying that, he closed his eyes and sensed something, then a hint of surprise appeared on his face. "Brother Qiu's two friends have already left the ship, and I don't know where they went."

"My companion has his own plans, Brother Bei, there's no need to worry," Qiu Yan replied, accepting the invitation without hesitation. The two then entered the cave.

When the Trial Beast went berserk, it almost completely blocked the entrance to the cave. Qiu Yan could guess its origin at a glance, knowing it was the location of the Book Mine. But once inside the cave, he discovered the difference.

Contrary to his expectations, the cave was not a deep tunnel. Instead, it was quite spacious, seemingly formed naturally, but unlike a typical karst cave, it was square and upright, giving people a sense of Great Qi and dignity.

This is understandable, as the Scholar Forest World was not formed naturally, but rather arose from thought. Nature and the will of nature are different, and the things formed within it actually contain a great deal of subjective factors.

However, although the cave was spacious, it was dotted with cave entrances of all sizes, one inside another Qiu Yan glanced around and noticed that each entrance shimmered with different colored lights, its depths unfathomable, and its destination unknown.

"This cave is a maze of interconnected passages; if you just keep going straight ahead, you might easily get lost."

As Qiu Yan was thinking, Bei Xuan suddenly bent down and grasped a protruding stalagmite at his feet.

The stalagmite was about the height of a hand, emitting a red glow. Around it were more than a dozen other stalagmites of varying sizes, each shimmering with a different luster. The light Qiu Yan saw in the cave originated from this stalagmite.

Snap!

With a snapping sound, Bei Xuan broke the stalagmite in half and held it in his hand.

Instantly, the stalagmite changed, melting away like snow under the Blazing Sun, leaving only a fingernail-sized crystal in Bei Xuan's hand, which also glowed red.

"This is the Book Mine," Bei Xuan said, handing over the red crystal in his hand. "Brother Qiu, why don't you take it and feel it to see if it's real or not?"

Upon receiving the crystal, Qiu Yan immediately sensed a thought within it. This thought flowed through his palm, merging into his soul and spreading out in his mind like an ink painting, sketching out a bamboo leaf with remarkable realism.

He couldn't help but exclaim, "Wonderful! It seems as if someone is splashing ink and painting inside this Book Mine!"