You, a living person, are telling me I've served in the underworld for ten years?

The tall gatehouse has collapsed, with only half of a stone plaque sticking out of the rubble, and the character "府" (fu, meaning government office) can be vaguely discerned.

The terrain here seems to be slightly higher, and the ruins are more concentrated, as if it had experienced more severe destruction.

"This place... looks like the city lord's mansion?"

Liu Piaopiao, panting, pointed to the outline of the mansion.

Chen Yang nodded and focused his senses on his surroundings. The noise of the pursuers seemed to have been temporarily left behind, but to be on the safe side, he needed to find a place to rest and try to find new clues or a way out.

"Go in and take a look, be careful."

The two cautiously infiltrated the ruined mansion. The interior appeared even more empty than the exterior; most of the buildings had completely collapsed, leaving behind a field of rubble.

After searching for a while, they found a hidden stone staircase in a corner that looked like a back garden. The entrance was mostly hidden by a half-collapsed artificial rock. The staircase extended downwards and disappeared into the darkness.

Chen Yang carefully probed the area around the entrance with his divine sense, but found no obvious restrictions or mechanisms, only the deathly stillness accumulated over the years.

He listened intently for a moment, confirming that there was no sign of pursuers approaching.

"Go down and have a look."

Chen Yang said in a low voice.

"There might be a secret room or passage here."

Liu Piaopiao naturally had no objection.

The two of them worked together to carefully move the artificial rock slightly, revealing a gap just wide enough for one person to pass through.

Chen Yang led the way, with Liu Piaopiao close behind, as they slowly descended the stone steps covered in dust and slippery moss.

The stone steps are not long; after descending about a dozen steps, there is a half-open, heavy stone door.

The inside was pitch black, and reeked of mildew and dust.

After entering the stone gate, Chen Yang turned around to inspect it and found that the door hinges were not completely rusted shut.

He gestured for Liu Piaopiao to help, and the two of them used some effort to slowly close the stone door.

Although it cannot completely block out sound and breath, it at least serves as a cover.

"Li Rou, thank you for your trouble."

Chen Yang silently recited this in his heart.

A barely perceptible ripple appeared on the Sumeru pendant on her chest, and Li Rou's tired but clear voice responded.

"it is good."

A pure and subtle spiritual power quietly emanated, like the finest spider web, gently adhering to the inside of the stone gate and the surrounding stone walls.

Li Rou did not set up a very complicated formation—that would require time and more power—but instead cleverly used her soul power to form a thin, disruptive, and deceptive "spiritual seal."

From the outside, the gaps between the stone gate and the surrounding walls appear more natural and difficult to detect. Even if someone approaches, a slight sense of "ignoring" will be generated when their divine sense sweeps over it, unless they deliberately and carefully investigate.

After doing all this, Li Rou's aura was noticeably weaker, and she said softly.

"That's all we can do for now, Master. I need to rest."

"You've worked hard, take good care of yourself and get well soon."

Chen Yang responded with concern, then turned to Liu Piaopiao, who was cautiously surveying the dark surroundings.

"The entrance is temporarily disguised, so it's not absolutely safe, but it should buy us some time. Let's hurry and see what's inside."

Liu Piaopiao breathed a sigh of relief, took out a simple moonstone, and its soft white light illuminated an area of ​​several feet in radius.

They were in what looked like a simple stone chamber, or rather, the beginning of a passage, only a dozen square meters in size, and empty except for dust and the occasional traces of rodents and insects.

But at one end of the stone chamber, there is a deep, downward passage that leads to an unknown destination.

"Looks like we're in luck; this place looks like a secret room or an underground passage."

By the dim light, Liu Piaopiao looked into the dark tunnel, a glimmer of hope igniting in her eyes.

"If we can avoid those annoying guys up there, we might even find something useful, or... a clue to get out?"

"I hope so."

Chen Yang nodded, while circulating his internal energy to restore his nearly depleted magical power and the faint pain in his internal organs, and said.

"There are quite a few of them, and we won't gain any advantage in a direct confrontation."

If there's another exit from here, that would be best. If not, we'll have to use this as a base for now and reconsider our strategy later.

"There are dozens of people here, and they all dare to enter this black tower. I'm afraid there aren't many good guys among them."

Liu Piaopiao was filled with worry.

"Given our current state... let's pray there's a way out."

The two said no more; the most important thing right now was to explore this unknown underground space.

After a short rest, they roused themselves and carefully entered the deep passageway, one after the other.

The passageway wound downwards, seemingly carved out by hand, its walls rough yet exceptionally sturdy. After walking for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the view suddenly opened up, and they arrived at a fork in the road.

More accurately, it was the starting point of countless crossroads—several branching paths appeared ahead, extending in different directions like a spider web, disappearing into the deep darkness.

The main passage beneath their feet splits into two branches, one to the left and one to the right.

"So many roads... which one should we take?"

Liu Piaopiao stared blankly at the crisscrossing passages.

Chen Yang also frowned slightly. His divine sense was also suppressed here, and he could not explore too far.

He approached the stone wall and examined it carefully by the light of the moonstone. He discovered that there were indeed some strange symbols and patterns engraved on the stone wall. The lines were ancient and twisted, consistent with the style of the inscriptions they had seen on the altar outside, and they were obviously from the same source.

"It's that kind of word again..."

Liu Piaopiao also came over to look, and shook her head.

"It looks like scribbles, completely incomprehensible."

Who exactly is the owner of this place? Even their writing system is so strange.

Chen Yang's heart stirred, and he tried to contact Li Rou in his sea of ​​consciousness.

“Li Rou, can you recognize the inscriptions on these walls? Perhaps they are directional markers.”

After a moment, Li Rou responded in a slightly weak voice.

“Master… I have never seen these inscriptions before.”

Their ages are likely extremely ancient, perhaps even older than some of the ancient scripts I know… The meaning they contain is extremely obscure. I'm afraid even my master himself might not be able to fully decipher them…” Even Li Rou doesn't recognize them?
Chen Yang's heart sank even further.

The origins of this "self-refining furnace" and the black tower are probably more mysterious and ancient than he imagined.

Since we can't rely on written words, we can only rely on our feelings and experience.

After discussing it, Chen Yang and Liu Piaopiao decided to choose a main road that looked relatively wide and had a straighter direction to continue.

They left an inconspicuous spiritual mark at the crossroads to prevent getting lost.

The passage seemed endless, nothing but stone walls and darkness, with only the sounds of their footsteps and breathing echoing in the silence. After walking for about half an hour, the scene changed again. The narrow passage abruptly ended, and they entered a relatively spacious circular stone hall.

The stone hall is about a hundred paces square and about three or four zhang high, with a slightly raised stone platform in the center.

Most notably, surrounding the central stone platform, there are eight deep openings in each of the eight directions of the stone hall, which are clearly the entrances to eight new passageways.

On the smooth surface of the central stone platform, a complex circular pattern is clearly carved. The pattern is divided into eight sections, each marked with one of the eight trigrams: Qian, Kan, Gen, Zhen, Xun, Li, Kun, and Dui, as well as some smaller patterns similar in style to the inscriptions on the walls.

"This is... a Bagua diagram? No, considering these eight cave entrances..."

Liu Piaopiao carefully observed the patterns on the central stone platform and the surrounding openings, and hesitated.

"Could it be... the Eight Gates Golden Lock Formation?"

Chen Yang's understanding of formations wasn't profound, but he had heard of the "Eight Gates Golden Lock" and knew that it was a complex formation based on the principles of Qimen Dunjia, divided into eight gates: Rest, Life, Injury, Block, View, Death, Shock, and Open. It was highly variable, and there was often only one way to survive. Once you made a mistake, you might fall into an endless predicament or even trigger a fatal attack.

Can you tell which is the birth canal?

Chen Yang looked at Liu Piaopiao.

Liu Piaopiao looked troubled as she carefully examined the divination symbols and patterns around the stone platform. She also tried to deduce the patterns by combining the direction of the cave entrance, the faint airflow inside the stone hall, and the distribution of dust on the ground.

She wasn't from a top-tier sect, but she had learned some basic formations. Now, as she exerted her full strength, sweat began to appear on her forehead.

"The Eight Gates Golden Lock Formation is extremely profound. Based on these traces and static layout alone... I cannot deduce the exact location of the Gate of Life."

After a long while, Liu Piaopiao shook her head dejectedly, her face turning somewhat pale.

“These ancient patterns may contain interference or variables… I can eliminate at most two or three of the most menacing ‘death gates’ or ‘injury gates,’ but the rest…”

At the same time, Li Rou's voice rang in Chen Yang's mind again, still tired but with more focus.

“Master, this formation is indeed the Eight Gates Golden Lock Formation, and it is set up quite cleverly. It is subtly in harmony with the earth's veins and is a living formation, not a fixed one.”

However, the fundamental principles remain the same. Although I don't recognize those ancient inscriptions, I have some knowledge of the principles of the Eight Trigrams and the basics of battle formations.

Give me some time, and I can try to sense the flow of 'qi' here with my soul, and combine it with the trigrams and directions to deduce the location of the Gate of Life.

You can also try using that sliver of 'momentum' you've just grasped to experience the different 'auras' emanating from these eight cave entrances; perhaps it will offer some inspiration.

Upon hearing this, Chen Yang said to Liu Piaopiao.

"Don't rush, I'll give it a try too. The Eight Gates Golden Lock is difficult, but there's always a glimmer of hope. Let's each sense the aura of these eight entrances."

Liu Piaopiao nodded, and the two separated slightly, calming down and trying to sense it using their own methods.

Chen Yang closed his eyes, calmed his mind, and tried to recall and recall the subtle feeling of resonance with the "power field" that he had grasped on the stage not long ago when he was on the verge of life and death.

He slowly extended this sense, like tentacles, cautiously reaching out towards the eight deep cave entrances.

At first, everything was in chaos; all you could feel was the cold stone walls and the stagnant air.

But he persevered patiently and concentrated intently, and gradually, he caught a faint yet distinct "aura".

Some of the cave entrances exuded a faint sense of sharpness, as if weapons were hidden in the shadows.

Some are deathly still, as if they could devour all life.

Some air currents are turbulent, carrying unsettling fluctuations.

Others... seem relatively peaceful, but are profound and elusive within.

Liu Piaopiao was also frowning and shaking her head from time to time, clearly indicating that things were not going well.

Time passed slowly, and the stone hall remained silent. Li Rou seemed to be fully focused on the simulation, remaining still.

After an unknown amount of time, just as Chen Yang was feeling somewhat exhausted, Li Rou's voice finally rang out, carrying a hint of relief.

“Master, the deduction is complete! The Gate of Life should be in the 'Gen' position! It corresponds to the cave entrance in the northeast direction! However, this formation has changed. The aura of the Gate of Life is obscure, and you must immediately turn three steps to the left after entering, and then go straight to avoid the initial deceptive trap.”

Almost simultaneously, Chen Yang also sensed that among the many fierce or strange "forces" emanating from the cave entrance in the northeast, there was indeed a very subtle sense of peace, similar to "acceptance" and "flow," which, although faint, was completely different from the other cave entrances.

This feeling corroborated Li Rou's guidance.

Chen Yang opened his eyes, a glint of light flashing in them, and walked toward the cave entrance to the northeast, speaking to Liu Piaopiao, who was still deep in thought.

“Piao Piao, I have a feeling. The energy at this gate in the northeast is relatively balanced and peaceful. Perhaps it is the gate of life.”

Upon hearing this, Liu Piaopiao immediately looked towards the cave entrance in the northeast, then at Chen Yang's determined expression, and recalled the several obviously dangerous directions she had just ruled out. It seemed that the northeast was indeed not among them.

She bit her lip. Although she still had doubts, there seemed to be no better choice at the moment. Chen Yang's mysterious demeanor and his escape from the ring had subconsciously given her more trust.

"Are you... sure? What if we're wrong, we might..."

Liu Piaopiao's tone was worried.

I trust my judgment.

Moreover, we have no time to hesitate; those who come after us will find this place sooner or later.

Chen Yang's tone was calm and steady, revealing an unquestionable determination.

"Come with me."

Liu Piaopiao took a deep breath and nodded emphatically.

"it is good!

"I'll listen to you!"

Without further hesitation, Chen Yang took the lead, followed closely by Liu Piaopiao, and stepped into the deep cave entrance in the northeast.

Just as the two figures completely disappeared into the cave entrance, a very faint, almost imperceptible sound of mechanisms turning and energy ripples came from the entrance to the stone hall behind them, the passage they had come from, and the direction of the other seven cave entrances.

Immediately afterwards, the light at the entrance of the passage they had stepped into suddenly dimmed—not because a stone door had fallen, but because the entire entrance seemed to be blurred and isolated by some force. Looking from the direction of the stone hall, it seemed no different from the other stone walls, completely cutting off their way out!
"Ah! The passage... the passage seems to have disappeared!"

Liu Piaopiao looked back and saw that there was a solid stone wall behind her, and the way she came was cut off. She couldn't help but cry out in surprise, and her heart sank.

Chen Yang also glanced back, his brows furrowing slightly, but quickly relaxed, and he said in a deep voice.

"Don't panic. The Eight Gates Golden Lock Formation cuts off the way back once you enter the Gate of Life. This is the normal state of the formation, intended to eliminate any thought of turning back and force those who enter to move forward and find a way out."

This suggests that we may have made the right choice. (End of Chapter)