Tomb-Hoard Inheritance, Pure Yang Hermit, As If Entering an Immortal Realm

The mountains are majestic and possess extraordinary charm. Colorful cranes fly south, and white mist swirls around them.

Green pines hang from the cliffs, and muddy lotuses grow from the ground. Crimson clouds shine in the east, and neon lights flow. Tranquility knows no winter or summer, and one is unaware of the passing years.

Hidden within the treacherous mountains is a fairyland.

Wen Caishang smiled and said, "Even if we can't find Terrain Map to get out, the journey won't have been in vain. Settling down here is better than Resting Forest."

We entered the Tomb-Hoard Mountain.

Like stepping into a new world, the stuffy feeling vanishes completely, replaced by a refreshing and invigorating feeling, as if reborn. This place has been nurtured for thousands of years, giving birth to wondrous fruits.

A vine hung down, with a small, crimson fruit at its end. Li Xian casually plucked it and swallowed it. His Blood Qi surged, and his hair turned much blacker.

[You Consumption the Green Vine Vermilion Fruit; skill Consumption Proficiency by 5.]

[Consumption]

[Proficiency: 1036/3000 (Major Accomplishment)]

Li Xian leaped and bounded, light and agile, gathering all the Vermilion Fruit to store as provisions. The Tomb-Hoard Mountain stretching for miles, with side peaks, front peaks, and other features overlapping each other, creating a magnificent and orderly structure.

Wen Caishang used all her knowledge to observe the mountains and survey the land. She discovered that the layout of the tomb involved "Nanyang customs", "feng shui construction", "timing and location", "Daoist doctrines" and many other miscellaneous disciplines. She even determined that the tomb owner was "Lu Dongzhi". Even with her status, she couldn't help but be fascinated by the clues about ancient lay Buddhists.

She was generous in offering her advice.

His words revealed his extensive knowledge and were filled with rare and untold secrets.

Li Xian was born into humble circumstances but possessed extraordinary intelligence. He knew that "Martial Dao are hard to find" and "talent is hard to come by." He listened to Wen Caishang's eloquent discussions and how she could overcome many difficulties and cleverly avoid various disasters entirely through her knowledge and wisdom. He felt that "talent" was even more precious. Whenever he had the chance, he would gather as much knowledge as possible and store it in his mind.

After surveying the entire mountain for half a day, Wen Caishang shook her head and said softly, "The owner of this tomb was far more skilled in geomancy than I am."

Li Xian said, "We can't get in?"

"No," Wen Caishang said.

"The tomb owner possessed a grand vision, with several lakes nestled among the mountains, the mountain range itself exuding a sense of embracing the stars and moon. This subtly suggests a boundless and expansive spirit. Given such a character, I suspect he wouldn't have completely sealed off the tomb, fearing future generations might enter. Instead, he let things unfold naturally, with the entrance perhaps somewhere, but one must find it through their own exploration."

Cranes sing in spring, and the rosy clouds bring warmth. Wen Caishang walks gracefully up the mountain, her thoughts running wild, her forehead beaded with sweat, but her eyes are filled with excitement.

Climbing over 190 zhang, the main entrance to the tomb faces a lake nestled in a lush, verdant forest. This lake, named "Dianjing Lake," is a crucial point in the tomb's feng shui. Wen Caishang had long ago foreseen this, thus confirming the existence of a main entrance. However, the main entrance to the tomb is often difficult to pass through.

I went up the mountain specifically to observe the demeanor of the person buried there. There are countless tombs in this world, and the degree of danger of a tomb varies greatly depending on the different circumstances, temperament, methods, preferences, etc. of the person buried there in life.

Although Wen Caishang was increasingly certain that the tomb belonged to Lü Dongzhi, her knowledge of Lü Dongzhi was entirely based on ancient records, which were bound to contain inaccuracies.

Therefore, one should examine the main entrance of the tomb and try to discern the degree of danger within the tomb from the details.

The gate, situated on the mountainside overlooking a sea of green, exudes an air of embracing the world.

The view was expansive, the air crisp and clear. There was no Yin Qi Wen Caishang. Wen Caishang secretly admired her, thinking that if she were dead, the tomb would surely be full of traps and mechanisms, ensuring that anyone who came would never return. The tomb entrance would naturally be dignified and magnificent, but within a radius of several miles, danger and peril would begin to lurk.

Wen Caishang murmured:

"A guest comes from the clouds; please fetch the Crane-in-Midst Elixir."

A stone tablet stands in front of the gate, with a few words inscribed on it. It is a chaotic "cursive script", and the unrestrained spirit is fully displayed in the strokes.

Wen Caishang said, "During the Nanyang period, calligraphy emphasized meaning over form. It differed greatly from the calligraphy of the Great Yu and Great Wu periods. The Great Wu era, such as your Younger Brother's master Fu Haoran, always looked down on the Nanyang school of calligraphy."

"However, in my opinion, this flamboyant calligraphy has a certain charm. Given the chaotic times, it was natural for the recluse to be unrestrained. But such people are hard to find in later generations."

She spoke eloquently, gently stroking the stone tablet. She couldn't help but ponder the meaning of the inscription. Her personality was by no means open-minded, completely contrary to that of the tomb owner, and she truly couldn't understand its meaning.

Li Xian had limited knowledge, but possessed a magnanimous spirit. Although he was not skilled in calligraphy, he stood in front of the stele with a graceful demeanor, pondering its meaning.

At first glance, Li Xian thought the characters were ugly and messy. But upon closer inspection, he felt that the person who wrote them must have been unrestrained and bold, and must have been laughing loudly while writing. So he also abandoned the shape of the characters and tried to appreciate the subtle rhythm.

Wen Caishang said, "Although the cursive script is hasty, it has its own rules." She then took the opportunity to teach Li Xian calligraphy and literature.

Li Xian's understanding deepened, and in a trance, he felt as if he were communicating with the tomb's owner. He even felt a strong connection with him, thinking to himself, "Am I just daydreaming? How could such a powerful tomb owner possibly communicate with me spiritually?"

Feeling dizzy and gradually fatigued, Li Xian gazed at the mountains and called out twice. His mind cleared, and he felt much better.

The stone gate, long entrenched and covered in moss, was difficult to move, so we sought another way.

Wen Caishang observed that the feng shui of the tomb was flawed. In the side peak of the Tomb-Hoard Mountain, there was a crack caused by years of wind and rain erosion and geological disturbance.

The crack leads into the tomb. Although the location is relatively remote, following the path leads to the main burial chamber and other areas. If there is indeed Terrain Map in the tomb, this would be a breakthrough.

The mountain crevice was very narrow, barely wide enough for a person to pass through. Li Xian looked into the darkness, but it was obscured by the jumbled rocks, making it difficult to see the bottom.

Li Xian thought to himself, "Never mind all that, I'll give it a try!" He loosened his grip, tied the Silk Jade Cord rope to the tree trunk, pulled hard to make sure it was secure, and then used the Seven-Star Step to explore downwards.

Wen Caishang was extremely embarrassed and spat out a curse. The method of binding was from the "Silkworm Garment Jade-Interlocking Art". It was originally tied to her body, but now it was tied to the tree trunk.

"You brat, you're deliberately teasing me." Wen Caishang's eyes welled up with tears, her feelings growing stronger. Having spent so much time together, sharing life and death... many emotions had accumulated in her heart.

The space ahead was pitch black and cramped, but as you ventured deeper, glimmers of light appeared on the stone walls, and the space became slightly more spacious and open.

A breeze blew from below, ruffling the hems of his clothes and the tips of his hair. Using the light filtering through the cracks in the wall, Li Xian ventured several more feet deeper. He had already used more than half of the Silk Jade Cord, and now he found himself lost in a vast expanse of darkness.

Li Xian thought to himself, "I don't know how deep this crevice is, Silk Jade Cord is only a limited length. Going deeper and deeper is not a good idea. I need to think of a way to explore the bottom first."

Seeing glimmers of light in the cracks, like starlight, he reached out to grab them. He touched some small fragments of stone and immediately understood. "These stones are like pebbles, but they emit a faint glow. They must be the Starspotted Stone. They were originally hidden deep in the mountain wall, but sun and rain have washed them out of the cracks. I'll borrow them for now!"

He used his "Wonder Cloud Hand" to Cloud-Seeking Mist Extraction... to retrieve Starspotted Stone- patterned stones from the surrounding area. Still feeling it wasn't enough, he leaped lightly, desperately collecting more "Starspotted Stone."

Having collected enough, Li Xian opened his palm, which shone brightly with starlight.

He secretly activated the "Jade Luo Palm," causing water mist to burst forth from his palm. He forcefully kneaded and gathered it into a ball. The Starspotted Stone glowed with a deep blue light, illuminating his entire body for a distance of ten feet.

Then throw the Starspotted Stone down.

A few breaths later, a loud "bang" was heard as it shattered upon hitting the ground. Stardust scattered everywhere, revealing a scene at the bottom of the crevice. Roughly estimated, it was only about ten feet wide.

There were some weeds and poisonous snakes. Li Xian Intestine-Turning Narrow Passage, "I wonder how potent these snakes are. If I get bitten, it could be very bad." He hooked his toes into a crevice in the stone wall, took out his bow, and fired in quick succession, eliminating all the dangers.

Li Xian used his lightness skill to land. After checking the surroundings again, he found no danger and confirmed that it was indeed the entrance to the tomb. He climbed up the crevice and caught Wen Caishang.

Wen Caishang knew what Li Xian had done and praised him happily, "You are very cautious, very good." But then she thought that Li Xian had done so much for her, and she became even more infatuated.

Torches were lit, but the path ahead was narrow.

The two walked one after the other and came to an empty room. Inside the room, candles burned, and they had not gone out for thousands of years.

Li Xian bowed sincerely and said, "It is truly inappropriate to disturb your peace, senior. I have come to borrow some things; I hope you will grant my request."

Wen Caishang nodded slightly and followed suit with a "Nanyang Embracing-Hand Rite." She observed the four walls. The east wall depicted a dragon, the north wall a tiger... Each painting was priceless. But being in such a dangerous place, any greedy thoughts would surely bring disaster.

Therefore, we only appreciate them and do not touch them. Wen Caishang said, "These four murals actually foreshadow the layout of the tomb." She then elaborated on what she knew and observed.

The tomb is filled with intricate mechanisms and labyrinthine passages.

Wen Caishang skillfully avoided the traps and mazes, exploring deeper into the tomb. She saw countless miscellaneous items, including Nanyang jade artifacts, stone carvings, and murals.

Entering the tomb was like returning home; he was elegant and composed, yet he took not a single penny. Although Li Xian was naturally fond of money, he was not greedy for it and didn't even glance at it twice.

However, the tomb's layout was intricate, and some traps were unavoidable. The two walked for an unknown amount of time before coming to a narrow passage.

Wen Caishang stopped and said gravely, "This is bad." Li Xian asked, "Why? Is there a trap hidden in this path?"

Wen Caishang said, "There are no traps, but the mystery is very deep. It contains Yin and Yang, the Eight Trigrams, and the changes of the Five Elements. This path is called ' The Winding Gut Passage.' Although the path is narrow, it is complex to traverse. Sometimes, the difference between taking one step forward and one step back is enough to separate two people by a great distance."

Li Xian said, "Then we'd better hold on tight." He took the opportunity to pull her close, his hands groping her all over. Wen Caishang's body went limp, feeling both helpless and embarrassed, and she said softly, "You're taking advantage of me again."

Wen Caishang shook her head and said, "This Winding Gut Passage has a complex mechanism. It doesn't harm people's lives, it only separates them. If you hold me, you won't be able to get out. If you don't hold me, you will definitely be separated."

Li Xian asked, "Shall we find another way?" Wen Caishang replied, "The owner of this tomb is a man of great vision and profound character. Although there are traps in the tomb, they are only to guard against petty thieves. If we find another way, we may still encounter Winding Gut Passage."

"In that case... I will tell you everything I know about the tomb. You should enter the Winding Gut Passage and find the mountain Terrain Map. It is safest for me to wait here."

Wen Caishang knew her luck was bad. Although she was very knowledgeable, she had no Inner Qi. She would be unable to cope with the unexpected. She had been relying on Li Xian for help for several months and had become dependent on him. Thinking of their parting in the tomb, she suddenly felt completely insecure.

Through the tomb's contents, one can glimpse the tomb's occupant's broad-mindedness and magnanimous spirit. Though the tomb is unusual, it is neither malevolent nor cruel... If one knows how to deal with it, self-preservation should be assured.

So he came up with this compromise. Li Xian said, "Alright! For my lady's sake, I'll take the risk!" He was magnanimous and uninhibited. But his naturally romantic nature was hard to change.

Wen Caishang knew that Li Xian was deliberately being serious, but she couldn't help but feel a pang of emotion as she said, "You mustn't get hurt, you mustn't die. If... if it really happens..." Her eyes even reddened slightly.

They embraced for a long time, and several days followed.

Wen Caishang imparted to Li Xian a wealth of knowledge, including miscellaneous studies on tombs, strange events in Nanyang, and Feng Shui Geomancy. Wen Caishang's words were concise, and Li Xian, being clever and quick-witted, soon mastered the knowledge of tombs, Nanyang -related matters, anecdotes about Lü Dongzhi's life, and so on.

After making thorough preparations, Li Xian, with his bow and sword at his sides, stepped into the Winding Gut Passage. After walking a few steps, the road ahead became intricate and complex, twisting and turning, unsettling his mind.

Li Xian thought to himself, "The Flower Cage Sect Coiled-Gut Small Step ' also possess this ability. I wonder if the principles behind the two are similar?"

In fact, they are indeed interconnected. The principles of "Coiled-Gut Small Step" Intestine-Turning Narrow Passage " are similar, both involving the Five Elements and the Eight Trigrams. However, "Coiled-Gut Small Step" are confined and narrow, while "narrow, Intestine-Turning Narrow Passage" are vast and complex, making them somewhat more powerful.

After about half a day, Li Xian had no idea where he was.