Xu Xingzong dismissed the attendants.
Taking Xu Mingxuan and Xu Chen with him, he passed through layer upon layer of restrictions and reached the depths of the valley.
A waterfall stood there.
Behind the curtain of water stood an enormous stone door covered in moss.
Profound runes covered the door, spiritual light faintly flowing through them as they gave off an ancient aura.
Upon arriving here, Xu Xuan found the memories of his previous life growing ever clearer.
"This is the secret inheritance vault that our ancestor opened with immense magical power before he passed away."
Reverence filled Xu Xingzong's voice as he pointed at the stone door.
"Our ancestor once said that opening this door required the bloodline of the Xu Household's direct descendants, along with a specific method."
"For more than a century, every outstanding member of our lineage has tried, but none has succeeded."
"Xu Chen, since you're here, you might as well try too."
Xu Xuan nodded, his gaze sweeping over the stone door.
Then he stepped forward.
He carefully examined an inconspicuous recess in the center of the door.
The recess had an archaic shape, resembling a beast yet not quite one, with finer patterns surrounding it.
"Great-grandfather, Cousin, were any inheritance artifacts left in the household?" Xu Xuan asked, pointing at the recess.
In his memories, his previous incarnation should have left something behind.
Hearing his words, Xu Xingzong suddenly said:
"Before Grandaunt Qingchan left, she did leave something behind."
As he spoke, he sent Xu Mingxuan to search the lineage treasury.
Before long.
Xu Mingxuan returned with a palm-sized bronze puzzle box of a dull, dark hue in his hand.
Countless tiny movable blocks covered the box, like a complex three-dimensional puzzle.
The moment Xu Xuan held it, the solution surfaced in his mind.
"Luminous Insight" operated naturally, leaving his mind clear and empty.
His hands moved like butterflies weaving through flowers, rapidly shifting the blocks on the bronze puzzle box.
The tiny blocks gave off soft clicks with his movements.
Their positions and combinations changed constantly.
His movements were profound, following a certain pattern. Xu Mingxuan watched intently, finding it strange:
"I tried solving this thing in my youth too."
"Unless someone already knows the solution, it's very difficult to open."
Seeing his practiced movements, Xu Xingzong found a little more anticipation rising within him.
An incense stick's worth of time later.
With a soft click, the puzzle box's final block slid into place.
The entire box trembled slightly.
The green patina slowly flaked off its surface, revealing a dark golden sheen beneath.
The lid slid smoothly open.
Inside lay a key-shaped talisman token radiating five-colored light.
"There really is a secret key!"
At the sight of it, excitement showed plainly on Xu Xingzong's face.
Xu Xuan took out the talisman token, which felt warm and smooth.
Without further hesitation, he pressed it into the recess in the center of the stone door.
It fit perfectly.
The next moment, as threads of spiritual energy from his body flowed into it.
Hum-
The talisman token suddenly blazed with light.
The dormant runes on the stone door lit up in succession, as though ignited by spiritual flames.
Gold, green, blue, red, yellow.
Five-colored light raced along the engraved formation patterns.
Finally, it converged upon the talisman token.
Rumble-!
A deafening rumble immediately sounded within the mountain.
The enormous stone door, sealed away for more than a century, trembled.
It slowly slid inward, opening a crack.
A rush of purer spiritual energy, far surpassing that outside, came wafting toward them, mixed with a rich medicinal fragrance.
Sunlight shone upon the dust motes, making them glimmer all around.
The three looked into the cavern, and tears streamed down Xu Xingzong's aged face.
"It's open!"
"The secret vault our ancestor left behind has finally seen the light of day again!" His voice trembled even more.
Xu Xuan stepped inside first.
Within the cavern lay a world of its own.
Luminous pearls were embedded in the vaulted ceiling, spilling soft light.
The first thing that met their eyes was a small mountain of low-grade spirit stones, radiating precious light in various colors.
At a rough glance, there were no fewer than tens of thousands.
Hundreds of jade slips stood neatly arranged on the jade shelves around them.
On the other side.
Countless jade bottles and boxes were arranged in orderly rows.
They evidently contained all sorts of precious pills and spiritual materials.
There were also many rare ores and spiritual herbs, flickering with strange light and exuding potent spiritual energy.
At the very center of the cave abode.
Upon a white jade platform.
An elongated jade slip radiated warm white light and the aura of the five elements.
It hovered quietly, as though it had already waited far too long for him.
At the sight of it, Xu Xuan knew.
This was the inheritance jade slip he had left in his previous life.
Even after three lives, he still could not unravel the mystery of the womb.
In his first life as Xu Changgeng, his awareness had awakened only at his death.
In his second life as Xu Daocheng, he had awakened at birth, though the reason remained unclear.
In his third life, he had become Wang Tong, remaining unaware for more than thirty years before gradually awakening.
In his fourth life, he had become Xu Chen.
At three or four years old, he often had strange dreams, dreaming of scenes from his previous life.
As he grew older, more and more memories awakened.
Xu Xuan's self-awareness awakened, and his temperament grew increasingly deep.
Now, holding the jade slip, countless thoughts ran through his mind.
The jade slip felt slightly cool in his hand.
His spiritual sense barely touched it.
The restriction surfaced automatically, and Xu Xuan casually unraveled it.
A vast amount of information flooded his mind.
In accordance with lineage rules, Xu Xingzong and Xu Mingxuan waited outside, neither daring to pry.
But both knew.
The Xu Lineage's future might already have changed from this moment onward.
Inside the cave abode, Xu Xuan turned the mechanism and closed the heavy stone door again.
It completely shut out the clamor of the outside world.
After receiving all the information in the jade slip, Xu Xuan's wisdom from his previous life had fully awakened.
His heart, too, grew more weathered.
Passing the many treasures in the hall, Xu Xuan entered the cultivation chamber deep within the cave abode.
This quiet chamber measured only three zhang across.
Its four walls were smooth as mirrors and covered with dense, interconnected patterns, which could manifest only a miniature "Spirit-Gathering Formation."
This was no ordinary Spirit-Gathering Formation, but a "Spirit-Locking Array Method" he had improved and reconfigured.
He took out the white jade case from a hidden compartment in the floor.
After opening it.
He found several small flags glowing with spiritual light inside.
Xu Xuan took them out and placed them in the four directions, fully activating the Spirit-Locking Array.
All the spiritual energy of heaven and earth that had gathered in the cave abode over more than a century now converged here.
The spiritual energy was so dense that it had become visible mist.
"Not bad."
Xu Chen nodded slightly.
"It's time to cultivate."
"Fifteen years of this life have already passed, and I've only just entered the Yellow Court..."
He took out a Grain Abstinence Pill and swallowed it. Warmth flowed through his limbs, instantly dispelling his hunger and thirst.
Xu Xuan then placed several dozen spirit stones at the formation's core.
In an instant, the formation's light brightened slightly.
As though drawn by a force, the spiritual energy gathering within the chamber converged upon the meditation cushion in the center.
Feeling the spiritual energy stir into activity, Xu Xuan's eyes lit up.
"This formation will suffice for my needs through the early and middle stages of Qi Refining."
He sat cross-legged, regulating his breathing and focusing his mind.
"Luminous Insight" operated naturally, leaving his mind clear and empty as a mirror.
Then he formed hand seals, assumed the Five Centers Facing Heaven Posture, and silently recited the "Evergreen Technique."
His metal and earth dual spiritual root was stirred, and spiritual energy began circulating slowly.
The spiritual energy gathered by the formation flowed into his body in fine threads, and he rapidly refined it.
In this life, he lacked no cultivation resources.
With the aid of his metal-earth spiritual root and "Luminous Insight."
His cultivation advanced a thousand miles a day.
In the mountains, there was no reckoning of years; when the cold ended, one knew not which year had come.
In the flick of a finger.
Five years quietly passed.
Inside the stone chamber, countless pill bottles lay empty.
Relying on his powerful physique, further bolstered by "Dragon Vigor and Tiger Might."
Xu Xuan refined pills at a speed far beyond that of ordinary cultivators, while extremely little pill toxin remained in his body.
Now, the aura surrounding him was deep and steady.
His flesh, sinews, and bones were like metal, faintly glowing with precious light, his blood and vital energy like a blazing furnace.
Behind him, the Soaring Serpent phantom had also become somewhat more solid, its wings slightly spread as it radiated a chilling aura that made hearts tremble.
Half a year earlier.
Xu Xingzong had ordered someone to deliver a treasure.
It was called "black-and-yellow metal stone."
This was a naturally formed rare treasure possessing both metal and earth attributes.
It was perfectly suited to serve as Xu Xuan's "concordance object."
In this life, he was only twenty.
Yet he had already opened his Qi Sea, Yellow Court, and Life Palace to their utmost limits.
The spiritual energy, blood and vital energy, and soul thought-power within him far surpassed what they had been before.
Upon obtaining this rare treasure, Xu Xuan immediately began knocking upon the gate of immortality.
He cultivated in seclusion like this for half a year.
Finally, on this day, the water flowed into its channel.
Xu Xuan's body trembled slightly as the spiritual energy within him condensed, transforming into the magical power of a Qi Refining Practitioner.
His magical power surged like a river bursting its banks, instantly breaking through barrier after barrier.
An aura far surpassing the Spiritual Treasury suddenly erupted, then immediately withdrew to the utmost.
Xu Xuan opened his eyes, a brilliant gleam shining within them.
The range of his spiritual sense surged to more than ten li.
"The first layer of Qi Refining-water flowed, and the channel formed."
Xu Xuan murmured.
As he felt the changes within his body, his heart remained as still as an ancient well.
His talent in this life was excellent, and he had also inherited the legacy of his previous life.
Taking five years to enter Qi Refining was entirely ordinary.
"One hundred and fifty long years."
"Fifty years ago, Qingchan crossed distant seas in pursuit of Foundation Establishment, and there has been no word from her since..."
"The Xu Lineage now has more than ten Qi Refining Practitioners. Even in the Yue Kingdom, it cannot be underestimated."
"According to the information sent back by the trading house."
"Disciples from every generation of the Lineage have joined the Azure Wood Sect."
"Even though the connections cultivated in my previous life have grown distant, the Xu Lineage has long been bound to the Azure Wood Sect..."
"This is also why the many mystic sects and cultivation Lineages of the Yue Kingdom treat the Xu Lineage with respect but keep their distance."
"In this life, I need not worry about the Lineage."
"In literary talent, military strategy, and cultivation progress alike, Xu Mingxuan is an excellent choice for Lineage head."
"What I must do is reach the Twelve-Story Tower of Qi Refining as soon as possible."
"And seek an opportunity for Foundation Establishment!"
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