Simulation becomes reality, have I ever looked down upon the eternity?

Chapter 589 The Treasure Vault Transforms into the Location of the Four Gates of Life!
Upon hearing this, everyone frowned. Having come to the Heavenly Emperor's Treasury, no one wanted to leave empty-handed.

Yuan Shujian channeled his spiritual energy, sketching out the terrain map previously drawn by Master Jiuyang and his companions in the void.

"We are currently located in the center of this area," he pointed to a spot on the map, "but according to records, the Nine Yang Immortal never set foot here."

"So, while the 'Tear of the Void' can open a passage and transport people to the treasure vault, the landing point is random."

"Not only are our locations random, but everyone else's are too. So we should be thankful that the address we were teleported to, while extremely remote, isn't in a dangerous place."

Xie Mosheng stared at the map, pondered for a moment, and said, "This Heavenly Emperor's Treasury is vast and unfathomable, probably no less than the Four Continents where we are located."

"The distance is so far, how can we..." Before she could finish speaking, everyone was already staring at the scroll.

"Even if a supreme grandmaster were to arrive in person, it would be absolutely impossible to traverse several domains in just half a month."

"But how did Master Jiuyang and his group manage to survey so many locations in just half a month?"

Fu Dongcheng and Yuan Shujian exchanged a glance and almost simultaneously blurted out, "Unless—"

Both of them said simultaneously, "There is a teleportation array, or a large-scale teleportation array, here."

Everyone who heard this agreed that it made sense.

Qi Ling looked at the map hanging in the air, frowned, and asked, "This most precious map, provided by the sect, is now useless. Where can we find a teleportation array?"

The group looked around and saw only an endless grassland, stretching to the horizon.

Even if a teleportation array is hidden somewhere, the vast expanse of the surrounding land makes searching not only difficult but also extremely time-consuming.

For a moment, everyone frowned. No one had expected that the first obstacle they would encounter upon entering the Heavenly Emperor's Treasury would not be an array barrier, a dangerous restriction, or a contest between disciples from other sects.

[He's gotten lost in the Heavenly Emperor's Treasury, possessing immense skills but unable to use them.]

The eleven people landed back on the ground.

After a moment's thought, Fu Dongcheng said slowly, "Ancient teleportation arrays all used Void Stone as their core foundation. The higher the quality of this stone, the more stable the spatial passage will be, and the smoother the teleportation will be."

"However, the Void Stones are almost extinct in this world. It is precisely for this reason that we must rely on the Ferry Ship to cross the vast ocean from Yuzhou in the Central Plains to the East Sea."

"Besides the Void Stone, the Daoist Canon also contains some records of the processes involved in carving array patterns, arranging array eyes, and calibrating the boundary compass."

"Given the current situation, the most feasible way to find any possible ancient teleportation arrays is to follow the spiritual veins."

"A teleportation array that can operate stably and for a long time must be built on a spiritual vein; otherwise, the amount of top-grade spirit stones required for such a teleportation array, which covers such vast distances, is simply unimaginable."

"Cultivators will naturally gather at the Spirit Vein Immortal Mountain, and this teleportation array was naturally built for the cultivators in the ancient Heavenly Emperor's treasure vault."

This provides everyone with a clue: the teleportation array must be built on a spiritual vein!

But how do we find the spiritual veins?

As far as the eye can see, there is only boundless grassland on all sides, with no mountains in sight.

In the mortal realm, one could sense the sparse spiritual energy and search for its pathways. But here, the spiritual energy is as abundant as the sea, filling the heavens and earth, seemingly inexhaustible, making it impossible to find a way to proceed.

Xie Mosheng lightly patted the beast-taming pouch, and a golden light flashed, revealing a large rat that was eating with its mouth full of grease, its fur a dazzling gold.

Everyone's attention was immediately drawn to it.

Xie Mosheng explained, "This is a gold-hunting rat I carefully bred. It can not only find spiritual objects of the five elements, but it is also extremely sensitive to mineral veins and spiritual veins."

After landing, the golden rat first sniffed around, then began to spin in place. A moment later, it saw stars, swayed, and collapsed to the ground, completely disoriented.

Xie Mosheng carefully put the golden rat back into the beast-taming pouch, and said in a deep voice, "The situation here is special. The Golden Rat was only sniffing around for a moment before it was overwhelmed by the chaotic aura."

Instead of blaming them, the others all wore thoughtful expressions.

Xie Mosheng, hailing from Danhe Peak, is not only skilled in alchemy but also seems adept at beast taming and combat. The crowd held him in high regard.

[Also, Xie Mosheng just planted the "Acacia Tree," forcing Sun Miao to split off his branch, which has earned her much favor among the people.]

At this moment, Ziwei, a slightly shy young girl dressed in a palace dress, spoke softly, "My Zhenwu Sword... perhaps... can sense the flow of the earth's veins."

Fu Dongcheng was delighted upon hearing this: "I almost forgot that Junior Sister Ziwei's innate sword embryo was originally conceived in the perilous land of Wind, Forest, Fire, and Mountain, and naturally possesses the ability to sense the earth's veins!"

Ziwei slowly drew the ancient-looking longsword from behind her back. The blade appeared unsharpened, yet it subtly exuded a chilling sharpness.

Ziwei gently inserted the Zhenwu Sword into the ground, closed her eyes and concentrated for a moment. Then she raised her head and whispered shyly, "The Zhenwu Sword... can't sense anything."

Fu Dongcheng's eyes showed disappointment.

Xie Mosheng smiled gently and comforted her, "It's alright, Junior Sister Ziwei, don't worry about it."

Qi Ling stepped forward and said, "My Fire Phoenix True Flame has the ability to pinpoint the south. The Vermilion Bird belongs to the south, so even if we can't find the spiritual vein immediately, it would be good to determine the direction first."

With that, a blazing flame leaped from her palm. The intense heat distorted the surrounding air, and everyone felt the heat wash over them, their skin feeling a burning sensation.

Yuan Shujian couldn't help but exclaim, "Junior Sister Qi Ling's fire-based magic seems to be even more powerful than before in this Heavenly Emperor's Treasury."

However, although the flame burned ever more fiercely, it remained suspended in place, showing no sign of veering towards any direction, whether east, west, or south.

Qi Ling had no choice but to withdraw her spiritual fire, shaking her head: "This place is indeed extraordinary; even the location of the south cannot be determined."

Everyone tried their best, but they were still at a loss.

Seeing that everyone was at a loss, Sun Miao calmly said, "Fellow junior brothers and sisters, there is no need to worry."

He held up an object in his palm: an ancient bronze mirror with a porcelain spoon suspended from it. The mirror was inscribed with the eight trigrams, the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches, and the Twenty-Eight Mansions. A mysterious light shimmered on its surface, subtly echoing the celestial bodies.

Yuan Shujian examined it for a moment, somewhat uncertain: "Could this be... the Astrological Compass?"

Sun Miao smiled and nodded: "Junior Brother Yuan is indeed knowledgeable; this is indeed the Astrological Compass."

Yuan Shujian's face showed surprise: "I've heard that this item is a secret treasure of the Heretical Star Fate Sect. Only core disciples who have cultivated the Starry Sky Technique to perfection are bestowed with such a magical artifact. It can not only assess feng shui and predict good and bad fortune, but it is also a precious mid-grade magical treasure, extremely difficult to refine."

[“It is said that even within the Destiny Star Sect, no more than ten disciples in each generation possess this item…”]

"Senior brother, how did you come to have this?"

Sun Miao looked around at everyone, paused, and said, "Master's foresight is unparalleled. This was prepared for the Heavenly Emperor's treasury. As for its origin, Master's supernatural powers are vast; it should be easy to ascertain."

Sun Miao's master was naturally the agricultural and pastoral sect leader of Fangcun Mountain, and no one objected, only expressing surprise.

Sun Miao infused his magical power into the compass, and the porcelain spoon on it began to slowly rotate. He held the mirror and turned, and no matter how he moved, the end of the spoon remained steadfastly pointing in a certain direction.

The group gazed into the distance and saw a vast expanse of water on the horizon, its location completely opposite to the cardinal directions they had previously determined using the map.

In other words, what they originally thought was "the North" was actually "the South."

Sun Miao said confidently, "It seems this direction is south." Fu Dongcheng was about to reply, intending to deduce the possible location of the spiritual vein based on the southern direction!

Suddenly, a voice rang out:

"This place shouldn't be in the south."

Everyone turned to look at the speaker, who was none other than Zhou Jing, a disciple of Xiao Qingfeng who was usually quiet and reserved.

Sun Miao held the Compass of Destiny in his hand, his brows furrowing slightly, when Ji Heng of Qi Yun Peak spoke up: "Junior Brother Zhou, why isn't the Compass of Destiny pointing south?"

His voice rose involuntarily: "This is a magic treasure personally bestowed by the sect leader, and it is a top-grade magic artifact of the Destiny Star Sect. How could there be any mistake!"

Zhou Jing did not answer, but instead gazed at the horizon. Within the Heavenly Emperor's Treasury, there was no sun or moon; only daylight enveloped the surrounding land.

Qi Ling spoke up from the side: "If Senior Brother Zhou Jing has any insights, please feel free to share them."

Yuan Shujian also said in a gentle voice, "Senior Brother Ji, please calm down. Junior Brother Zhou is always composed; let's listen to what he has to say first."

Xie Mosheng chuckled and interjected, "I remember Junior Brother Zhou Jing is considered the best in the sect when it comes to array formations and object identification. Surely he can't be less skilled than Senior Brother Ji?"

His eyes darted around, and he added, "Senior Brother Sun Miao hasn't spoken yet, Senior Brother Ji, why are you in such a hurry? Who exactly is the senior brother?"

Ji Heng immediately roared, "Xie Mosheng, you!"

Sun Miao raised his hand to stop the argument and looked at Zhou Jing: "Junior Brother Zhou, please speak freely. Why do you think the compass is not pointing south?"

Fu Dongcheng also cast a curious glance. He had already noticed Zhou Jing's silence and valued him far more than anyone else.

However, since there were no celestial bodies to observe here, nor mountains or rivers to trace, what other method could he use to determine direction besides the compass? He couldn't think of any other possibility.

You slowly withdrew your gaze and bent down to walk towards the acacia tree that Xie Mosheng had planted, which had now grown to about a foot tall.

The shadows of the trees were cast obliquely on the ground, clearly visible.

You looked at Ziwei and said, "Please lend me your True Martial Sword Embryo, Junior Sister."

"Stand here!"

[Ziwei nodded quickly, blushing slightly upon noticing your gaze, and then precisely inserted the sword into the end of the tree shadow as instructed.]

You gaze at the horizon, remaining silent, and the others are quite patient.

Ji Heng of Qi Yunfeng hesitated several times before finally suppressing his words.

As time passed, the shadows of the trees shifted subtly, gradually moving away from their original positions.

You slowly walk to the end of the shadow at this moment.

At this moment, the place where you stand and the True Martial Sword are now connected by a straight line.

Yuan Shujian gazed thoughtfully at the straight line connecting you and the sword.

Qi Ling and the others still looked confused, their bewilderment growing.

Fu Dongcheng's gaze, however, was already fixed on the distance. The sword embryo pointed towards a majestic palace, said to be the location of the Heavenly Emperor's palace; while in the far distance from where you stood, lay a vast expanse of water.

Only then did you slowly speak: "The sword's embryo points east, and where I stand now is west."

This statement contradicted Sun Miao's previous results obtained using the compass.

Ji Heng, unable to contain himself any longer, said impatiently, "Determining east and west directions based on just a shadow? Junior Brother Zhou, are you joking?"

You ignored his questioning and instead looked at the compass in Sun Miao's hand: "Senior Brother Sun, why don't we use the compass to determine the compass again?"

Sun Miao, following instructions, channeled his magic power into the compass. Strangely, this time the compass slowly rotated, the handle gradually shifting, eventually pointing in a completely opposite direction.

"This..." Sun Miao was momentarily stunned.

[“What’s going on!”]

A flash of understanding crossed Fu Dongcheng's eyes: "I understand now. It's because the layout of the Heavenly Emperor's Treasury is constantly changing."

In other words, the South now is different from the South just now.

Feng Qingge, holding a long sword, looked puzzled on her usually aloof face: "Why is this?"

You look up at the sky, but see only a vast emptiness, with no trace of the sun, moon, or stars.

"This is because this Heavenly Emperor's Treasury is constantly revolving around something above."

Your gaze once again falls upon the towering Dengtai Mountain in the distance. Perhaps only from this mountain can one ascend to the heavens and reach some place in the void.

Qi Ling asked worriedly, "If the location keeps changing, how will we find the teleportation array?"

You calmly replied, "Since directions are constantly changing, it means that our location is also constantly shifting."

"At the heart of this grand formation, what we must do is find—"

Fu Dongcheng interjected, "The location of the Gate of Life!"

[The Qimen Dunjia system has eight gates: Rest, Death, Injury, Block, Open, Shock, Life, and View.]

The Gate of Life corresponds to the Northeast (Gen) position, symbolizing the revival of all things and the return of Yang energy. It belongs to the Earth element and embodies the meaning of continuous growth.

Fu Dongcheng exclaimed excitedly, "Because the laws of this place are special, we need to re-determine a set of Bagua directions that fit this time and place to find the life gate for today!"

"Then everything will be resolved!"

Fu Dongcheng blurted out those words, only then realizing his indiscretion, yet he couldn't hide his disbelief. He looked at the young man in blue standing silently at the end of the sword's shadow, his expression still calm, as if what he had just said was nothing out of the ordinary.

[In such a short time since Zhou Jing entered the Heavenly Emperor's Treasury, he has already discerned the workings of this place and devised a way to break it.]

Fu Dongcheng couldn't help but ask himself: Even if he had first witnessed the shifting shadows of the trees on the ground, how could he have imagined such a way to break the deadlock?

The excitement I felt just now has been completely dampened; it's nowhere near as good as it used to be!

Ji Heng of Qi Yunfeng was also speechless.

Xie Mosheng gently raised her eyes, and for the first time truly noticed Zhou Jing, the young Qingfeng cultivator whose cultivation was at the Dao Embryo Realm.

[Feng Qingge's beautiful eyes now held a more serious gaze.]

Sun Miao smiled and said gently, "Then I'll have to trouble Junior Brother Fu and Junior Brother Zhou."

(End of this chapter)