Minglong

Chapter 225 It takes no effort at all

Based on the subtle differences in the strength of the Yang Fire, Ye Hongshang meandered left and right through the crack.

Xie Jinhuan led the two stunningly beautiful carriages in a straight line, while Nangong Ye used the Yin-Yang Ruler to isolate the surrounding Yang Fire. As they went deeper, the power of heaven and earth became so strong that the isolation range was compressed to a mere ten feet around their bodies. The three of them could only move forward together, and their energy consumption increased exponentially.

If the Yin-Yang Ruler were removed at this point, the three of them would likely be eroded by the purest form of the Five Elements Fire before long, eventually turning into mummies.

Upon noticing that Xie Jinhuan was moving too fast, almost blindly heading deeper into the area, the two women clearly hesitated.

After all, controlling the Yin-Yang Ruler requires the support of Qi. If they get lost underground and can't find their way out, the three of them can't just dig through the rock layers that are several miles deep. If they have nowhere to resupply inside Phoenix Mausoleum, they will just be trapped here and die.

"Xie Jinhuan, are you sure this way we can find our way? What if we take the wrong path..."

"Don't worry, I'm confident. It's just ahead."

"..."

Seeing this, Nangong Ye still chose to believe Ah Huan and followed her for less than half a mile. When they entered another crevice, light suddenly appeared ahead.

The fiery red light illuminated the stone wall, but it wasn't dazzling; it felt as if someone had lit a bonfire at the end of the crack.

Even with the Yin-Yang Ruler separating them, Nangong Ye felt a burning sensation originating from his soul, and even subconsciously slowed his pace.

When Bu Yuehua saw the firelight, her eyes lit up with surprise:

"We actually found it! This should be it."

Xie Jinhuan followed the ghost to the end of the crevice, where a wide chasm, several meters wide, was revealed.

The rift valley stretched endlessly to the left and right, and the area below was pitch black, its depth unknown. There were no phoenix monsters within, only a ball of flame the size of a head floating in the air, illuminating the surrounding space for over ten feet.

The flames were extremely pure, seemingly without any source below, yet one could sense a vast power of heaven and earth emanating from the depths of the rift, converging upon the flames and causing them to flicker silently.

Xie Jinhuan could sense how terrifying the power contained within the flame was, but what lay below the rift made him feel like an ant gazing at the sky, and he couldn't help but frown and ask:

What's below the rift valley?

Ye Hongshang glanced down, feeling a sense of familiarity, but unable to place it, and replied:
"The power of the five elements in the entire southern border region is converging underground. This fireball is a product of 'water overflowing when it is full.' We'll figure out the specifics later. You should refine the thing first."

Xie Jinhuan stood there, feeling as if he dared not speak loudly for fear of disturbing the gods below, and did not waste any time:

"Which of you comes first?"

Before Bu Yuehua arrived, they had already discussed it and responded:
"Hurry up and refine it, then find the next one. If things continue to go smoothly, you should be able to take all the opportunities today."

Nangong Ye nodded in agreement: "Hurry up and secure the profits."

Xie Jinhuan felt that with the ghost wife guiding him and the Yin-Yang Ruler in his hand, it was like a free opportunity. He didn't care about the order of events and stood on the edge of the crack, trying to use his own energy to guide it.

Because the Yin-Yang Ruler restricts Yang, and the suppressive force of the Yang Fire of Heaven and Earth is too strong, this task is quite difficult.

As the fireball emitted a crimson glow, it gradually drifted closer to the three of them.

Xie Jinhuan opened his arms and, following the method taught by the ghost wife, used his own energy to slowly remove the burning flames, leaving only the vast spiritual essence of the five elements within. He then slowly channeled this essence into his dantian along his meridians.

The divine gift of Lingguang contains such immense power that no living being can withstand it. It can only be sealed within the body, relying on the small amount of power it seeps out to slowly nourish the body. This is why the divine gifts of the five directions have been passed down for many generations.

The refining process takes about an hour. Bu Yuehua and Nangong Ye are both eagerly waiting for the next one. They are inevitably a little impatient, but they don't disturb Xie Jinhuan. They just wait patiently by the side.

Xie Jinhuan had thought this journey would be uneventful, but just as he was about to finish refining it, Ye Hongshang, who was floating beside him, suddenly frowned:
"It seems like someone is coming."

"Ok?"

Xie Jinhuan sensed something was wrong and quickly turned around to signal.

Nangong Ye and Bu Yuehua became alert upon seeing the look in their eyes, holding their swords and holding their breath as they looked towards the other side of the passage.

But after only a short while, voices rang out from the depths of the deathly silent crack:

"That fellow Daoist has already dug up the purple-gold stone, why didn't he continue further in?"

"Without the protection of high-grade magical artifacts, ordinary people can only go as far as they can. Even if they know that the opportunity is nearby, it is difficult to go any deeper."

"Huh?! There seems to be a fire ahead..."

……

Nangong Ye didn't leave any mark when he came in this time, and when he found out who it was, he came straight over, and his heart sank.

After all, someone who can venture deep underground so early and stroll around so leisurely must either possess a magical artifact that can ward off yang fire, or have an astonishingly high level of cultivation, or both.

The three of them would indeed be considered masters in the secular world, but at the mountain peak they would only be beginners, unable to defeat anyone they encountered.

Seeing that Xie Jinhuan was almost finished refining, Nangong Ye held the Yin-Yang Ruler in his left hand and drew his magic sword in his right, ready to defend the crack and give Xie Jinhuan time.

Bu Yuehua didn't want to cause any trouble, so she quietly took out a slender waist knife wrapped in black cloth and stared at the end of the crack.

Xie Jinhuan knew that if a conflict broke out here, all three of them would be completely drained of their inner energy, and they might not even be able to return safely to the surface. After a moment's consideration, he suddenly spoke:

"Don't worry, Xiao Qixia has always been like this. Even if she comes out of seclusion, she'll only go to rob Old Demon Shang. She won't cause any trouble in the Great Qian Dynasty..."

The sudden words startled the two women, who shuddered and wished they could kick the blond-haired boy off the stage. But they weren't stupid; they quickly understood—in the Great Qian Dynasty, only Ye Sheng dared to address the Qixia Immortal as "Little Qixia"!
Nangong Ye's mind raced, and he replied:

"Mr. Ye is absolutely right. However, Senior Qixia has been in seclusion for a hundred years. If he were to be injured by Shang Lianbi..."

“Even if I gave Shang Lianbi ten lives, he wouldn’t dare to kill. Back when the various sects were strangling the Corpse Ancestor at Dragon Bone Beach, he was afraid of dying and only arrived late. I haven’t even settled the score with him for that…”

"Shang Lianbi is ultimately a miscellaneous cultivator, so it's normal for him to cherish his life..."

……

Faint whispers echoed in the deathly silence of the underground.

Outside the crack, Lü Yan, holding the Fire Edict, stood in place with Xi Yanjun, their faces turning green!

This title, along with this arrogant tone that looks down on the world and doesn't even put Shang Lianbi in his eyes, could only be Ye Ci, the ancestor of the Confucian school, the head of the three religions. Who else could it be but Mr. Ye?

When Lü Yan arrived, he knew that in a place like Phoenix Mausoleum, anyone could end up in any situation.

But having a sect leader is already outrageous enough. For Xian Deng, who quelled the rebellion of the Witch Cult, to personally take the lead, and for him to be one of the top three scholars in the world, the "Two Saints of Books and Swords," isn't that absurd?
The term "Sage of Books and Swords" refers to a Confucian sage who is also a martial arts sage, and is widely recognized as the strongest martial artist after the Martial Ancestor.

Ye Sheng might need two hands to deal with Shang Lianbi, but killing the leader of the Divination Sect would definitely not require a second sword strike. In fact, he, as the second-in-command of the Divination Sect, might not even be worthy of the other party drawing his sword.

Lu Yan realized he had stumbled upon a true immortal, and wished he were just dreaming and had never been to Phoenix Mausoleum at all. He immediately prepared to retreat silently.

But he could hear voices. How could someone as skilled as Ye Sheng not have noticed that he had moved nearby?
After a moment's consideration, Lü Yan figured that since they were both from the righteous path, Old Demon Ye probably wouldn't kill them outright. Therefore, he wisely took the initiative to speak:
"I am Lü Yan from Wuling Mountain. I have inadvertently wandered into this place. Please forgive me, senior."

?

On the other side of the rift, Nangong Ye and Bu Yuehua turned green when they heard each other announce their names.

Wuling Mountain is a Taoist sect of the Northern Zhou Dynasty, with a status roughly equivalent to Zihui Mountain of the Great Qian Dynasty, but the sect leaders are not on the same level.

Lu Yan is the second-in-command of the Divination Sect, holding the same position in the martial arts world as Li Chimo of the Xuanhu Temple. If we only consider his mastery of fire magic, he is the strongest under the sect leader.

This person is definitely no match for Lu Wuzhen, but he can easily deal with the super-grade members of the miscellaneous sects. He might not even need three slaps to deal with the three first-grade members.

Xie Jinhuan knew from the name alone that this old man was no match for him, but fortunately, he still retained the aura he had cultivated since he was three years old, and the overwhelming power of heaven and earth within the Phoenix Mausoleum suppressed the cultivators' senses, making it impossible for the other party to gauge his strength. At this moment, he calmly responded:

"Young friend Lü, have you come here to find opportunities for this junior?"

Lu Yan truly hadn't expected to have the chance to speak with Ye Sheng in this lifetime, and his attitude was extremely humble:
"That's true, I'm sorry to have made you laugh, senior."

"This opportunity has been refined, but there is another one eight miles to the east. Young friend Lü can take it himself."

"is it?"

Seeing that this renowned sage of the Southern Dynasty had not made things difficult for him, a northerner, Lü Yan couldn't help but sigh inwardly, "Truly a sage's heart, treating all people equally." After thanking him, he quickly took his leave.

Nangong Ye and Bu Yuehua both felt relieved, keeping their nerves on edge and not daring to show the slightest abnormality.

Xie Jinhuan was also cautiously watching the movements in the distance, ready to jump off the cliff to escape at any time.

Unexpectedly, Lü Yan was quite cautious. After taking a few steps, he suddenly stopped and asked:
"To be honest, I have long admired Master Ye and have read 'Ten Questions' several times, but I have some questions about the seventh chapter..."

Bu Yuehua's heart tightened, realizing something was wrong, and Nangong Ye's heart was also in his throat.

However, aside from not being Ye Sheng's direct disciple, Xie Jinhuan was otherwise no different from Ye Sheng's direct disciple, and responded in a normal manner:
"The difficulty of the Tao lies in the mind. Only when the mind is as still as water can one reach the state of the Tao. This article is not about severing desires, but about seeing through them. You are still young and have not yet experienced the tribulations of the mortal world. When you understand the four words 'Tao follows nature,' you will naturally understand the meaning of this article."

"Oh... I understand!"

Seeing that the elder had no flaws, Lü Yan naturally had no objections and led his junior disciple out quickly.

Xi Yanjun didn't dare to approach the crack and didn't see what Ye Sheng looked like, but just hearing the 'sacred voice' gave her a feeling that her life was complete. Only after she had walked away did she secretly breathe a sigh of relief.
"As expected of a Confucian sage, look at his demeanor... Before my departure, my master consulted the oracle and said that this journey would be auspicious at first but inauspicious later. This must be the auspicious one!"

"Shhh."

Lu Yan gestured for silence, intending to hurry eastward to seize the opportunity and return as soon as possible.

But after walking eastward along the crack for a while, they suddenly discovered that the crack had been marked again.

The dead end! This path is blocked!
?

When Lü Yan came over earlier, he examined the traces left by his fellow Daoists and said that the Death Gate is indeed the Death Gate and there is absolutely no way to get through.

Could it be that the crack just opened this year...?

After a moment's thought, Lü Yan walked a little further in, only to find that he had indeed entered a dead end. So he changed his route and continued walking until half an hour later, when he finally arrived at a rock fissure with no vegetation, eight miles away!

"Uncle-Master, what's going on? There's no opportunity here either?"

"What a wonderful concept of 'following the natural way'!"

Lu Yan's face turned green again, and he turned around and strode back the way he came:

“You cunning brat, you broke the rules first. Chase them, they can’t get far.”

……

(End of this chapter)