Tomb Raiding: The Bloodline of Dragons and Snakes, Starting from the Kunlun Divine Palace

"The situation is extremely dangerous, and it will not deviate from the shape of Yin and Yang and the Eight Trigrams."

"And the corresponding line in my book, *Qintianjian Ziwei Doushu Flying Star Location Technique*, is: 'To find the dragon and divide the gold, look at the winding mountains; each winding is a barrier. If the gate has a thousand locks, then surely a king or nobleman resides here.'"

"That is to say, when choosing the general direction, they are basically the same. The difference lies in the details they emphasize. Feng Shui secrets emphasize 'the danger of closing the door by eight points,' while Ziwei acupoint location techniques emphasize 'the door is locked by a thousand locks.' The difference is that the former refers to all wealthy families, while the latter emphasizes kings and nobles."

"Ah, as expected, the position of the Heavenly Official of Tomb Raiders is higher than that of the Captain of Tomb Raiders. The incantations are all aimed at kings and nobles!" Fatty Wang exclaimed.

"The seal of the tomb raider, the talisman of the tomb raider, the technique of moving mountains and unloading ridges to find the dragon; people light candles, ghosts blow out lamps, geomancy and tomb raiding to find star peaks; mercury spots, nurturing funerary objects, countless dragon towers and treasure halls have been visited; the coffin of the hour of the hour, the bronze outer coffin, those with weak birth charts should not approach!"

Wu Yutian recited the mnemonic again, "This part should be the same as what the August 1st Brothers learned, right?"

"Yes, that's right, the incantation matches." Hu Bayi nodded slightly, but still wasn't entirely convinced. "Then, the last line, 'Those with weak birth charts should not approach,' do you fit that description?"

Formulas can be learned, but the Eight Characters (Ba Zi) belong to destiny.

"These are my birth dates and times." Wu Yutian traced his lunar birth date and time on the coffee table with his finger, and Hu Bayi memorized it after a glance.

"The Zi Wei Dou Shu I learned is in the same lineage as the Four Pillars of Destiny you learned. The only difference is whether it was passed down from the royal family or the common people. It's just a different way of expressing the same theory. I think Brother Ba Yi can understand it."

“My destiny is called Ji Yue Tong Liang. Of course, there are many people with the Ji Yue Tong Liang destiny. As long as the three cardinal directions and four cardinal points in the natal chart contain the four auspicious stars Tianji, Taiyin, Tiantong and Tianliang, it counts.”

"But this is one of the two main configurations of Tian Tong and Tian Liang, which means that Tian Tong and Tian Liang are in the Shen Palace, Tai Yin is in the Wealth Palace, and Tian Ji is in the Career Palace."

"This configuration also has a saying: 'Blessings gather, fear not of danger.' This is because both Tian Tong and Tian Liang have the effect of warding off misfortune and turning bad luck into good. This is what you call 'having a strong destiny in your birth chart,' but it is not exactly the same. Because if one's own destiny is strong, it may bring harm to relatives and friends, but my Tian Tong and Tian Liang configuration will protect the relatives and friends around me and turn bad luck into good."

“No wonder you became the agent of the Heavenly Official of the Tomb Raiders lineage.” Hu Bayi sighed. “Our strong destiny mainly means we can protect ourselves, but your destiny can not only protect yourself, but also protect your teammates.”

"That's great!" Uncle Ming clapped enthusiastically. "With Yu Tian, ​​no, Brother Tian leading the team, we can be safe!"

"Uncle Ming, you're too old for this. It's not appropriate for you to go out into the freezing cold yourself." Hu Bayi said with a look of disdain. "Whatever you need, we'll bring it back for you."

“That won’t do!” Uncle Ming said resolutely. “How can I show my sincerity if I don’t personally attend to receive my father’s remains? Besides, now that Brother Tian has ‘blessed me with the grace of Heaven, and all taboos are lifted’!”

"It's settled then!" Uncle Ming took out several small, seashell-like pieces of jade. "Here, this is a gift for everyone! One for each person!"

Chapter 32: Dragon Scales Transform into Qi and Enter the Body, Bloodline Upgrade

"What is this?" Fatty Wang stared blankly at the object that looked like a yellowed, withered leaf. "Are they trying to fob us off with leaves from a primitive tribe?"

"These aren't just tree leaves!" Uncle Ming said mysteriously. "These are treasures I bought from pirates at a high price when I went to sea years ago—dragon scales! Genuine dragon scales!"

“Uncle Ming, now that you mention it, it really does look like the scales of a large ancient animal.” Haitang had grown up by the sea and had long heard of the legends of dragon scales. “Then I’ll accept it.”

Hu Bayi and Wu Yutian both recognized this thing.

In some places it is called "Runhai Stone".

If you put one of these on the ship, it can protect it from wind and waves.

In arid regions, offering a few pieces of dragon scales can be used to pray for rain, but whether they are actually dragon scales is hard to say.

In Wu Yutian's scientific experiments, the flying dragons in the Xia Kingdom legends did not exist, and dinosaurs did not have scales like fish scales.

“Although they may not be real dragon scales, they are indeed good things. In the Fujian area, they are called ‘dragon scales,’ and in some places they are called ‘sea-nourishing stones,’” Hu Bayi said after examining them. “However, to determine if they are real, you can put them in water to test them.”

"Hey!" Uncle Ming exclaimed in surprise, "A golden carp is no ordinary fish; it transforms into a dragon when it encounters wind and clouds! Dragon scales should not be easily put back into the water!"

Uncle Ming knew, of course, that these pieces were Runhai Stone, but he insisted on pricing them as if they were dragon scales.

"That's true. If you put it in like that, it might turn into a real dragon and fly away. Wouldn't that be a huge loss?" The fat man was too scared to put it in the water.

"It's alright. If the real dragon is going to fly away, it means I'm not destined to have it. If we are, it might leave me a dragon horn, which would be even more valuable." Hu Bayi opened a teapot and filled it with water.

"You can just put the teacup in there, why do you need a whole pot? If it really turned into a dragon, can this pot even hold it?" Fatty Wang muttered.

"The dragon scales can't fit in the water, but the Runhai Stone expands when it gets wet. If the teacup can't hold them, the teapot will be just right." With that, Hu Bayi put the "dragon scales" into the water.

Zizizizi!

With a soft sound, it was like brewing a pot of good tea.

The "dragon scales" immediately doubled in size upon contact with water, and their color changed from yellow to green, becoming crystal clear, as if a piece of jade had been steeped in a teapot.

Then Hu Bayi poured himself a cup of tea and drank it all in one gulp.

"Well, at least it's quite refreshing, worth at least a thousand or two."

"I... I bought it for tens of thousands of dollars, I didn't even dare to soak it in water." Uncle Ming quickly tried to cover up his lie when he realized he'd been caught. "I can't believe these pirates sell counterfeit goods!"

"But I'm definitely not that stingy." Uncle Ming waved his hand. "Just consider it the tea I gave everyone to make tea for them, okay? It doesn't count as a deposit!"

"That's more like it!" the fat man chuckled. "We still need to pay the deposit, preferably in cash!"

Just as Wu Yutian was about to put the "dragon scale" into his bag, he suddenly realized that his scale was different from the others'.

It had some bluish spots on it, and because of that, the other people who chose first didn't want this one.

On these blue spots, there seems to be primordial energy flowing.

Wu Yutian activated the Qi within his body to resonate with it.

Suddenly, a burning sensation came from the spotted serpent pattern on his chest.

[Ding! Congratulations, host, you have unlocked the Azure Dragon Scale illustration!]

【Item Name: Azure Dragon Scale】

Item Level: Mystic

[Item Ability: Contains the Qi of the Azure Dragon. Once activated, it can be carried to ward off wind and sand, and even be used to stabilize the wind. Skilled martial artists can ride the wind!]

[Item Description: An ancient azure dragon scale lost in the Ruins of the South China Sea. Only those with dragon blood can unleash its full power.]

Unexpectedly, among Uncle Ming's batch of fakes, there was actually such a genuine ancient dragon scale!

Wu Yutian was secretly delighted, especially since the function of the Azure Dragon Scale was clearly in line with his high martial arts inheritance as a Mountain Moving Taoist. He could not only use it as a magic weapon to stop the wind and sand, but also use it to ride the wind!

Although the Azure Dragon bloodline has not yet been activated, the Teng Snake and the Azure Dragon are of the same lineage, so it can at least exert 70-80% of its effects.

Just now.

Wisps of blue smoke rose from the blue spots on the dragon's scales.

"Oh no, is it on fire?" The fat man clutched the "dragon scale" in his hand tightly, afraid that it would also be damaged by the light. "Luckily, I didn't choose that flawed piece with spots! A thousand or two is still money!"

A cloud of smoke swirled around Wu Yutian, accumulating like a thick fog, making it impossible for those around him to see him clearly.

Suddenly, as if absorbed by an abyss, it penetrated through clothes and pores and entered Wu Yutian's body.

Then it gradually converged on the spotted serpent pattern on his chest, causing a burst of itching.

It feels like the sensation of flesh growing back after a wound heals and scabs over.

And on the legless Teng Snake pattern, tiny dragon scale patterns were faintly emerging!

[Ding! Congratulations, host! The purity of your Tengshe bloodline has increased by 2%, currently at 12%!]

Squeak!Squeak!

After a strange sound, the terrifying atmosphere that had permeated the entire room gradually subsided.

"What was that sound just now? It gave me the creeps." Haitang couldn't help but hug her arms.

"It sounds like the sound of a python hissing when I encountered it in the underground tomb!" Fatty Wang's hearing was quite sharp.

"It's nothing, it's just a ventriloquism technique I use when practicing the Mountain Moving lineage martial arts," Wu Yutian explained casually.

"Holy crap!" Fatty Wang wiped his sweat. "I thought the giant python was back again. Can't you guys from the Mountain Moving Clan practice ventriloquism in a more pleasant way? It's so terrifying."

"That's not quite right. If it can scare away venomous snakes and monsters, then it's safe and useful for us," Hu Bayi said, interpreting it that way. "But if a melodious sound attracts all the venomous snakes and ferocious beasts, that would be truly terrifying."

Uncle Ming stared at him, dumbfounded.

Having spent decades in the world of tomb raiding, he had certainly heard of the signs of a true dragon scale appearing.

The idea that a dragon can transform into a dragon upon encountering wind and clouds is pure nonsense. If a single dragon scale could turn into a dragon, then one dragon could multiply into thousands, and they would never become extinct.

I had heard the story before that dragon scales, imbued with vital energy, could be transformed into smoke and absorbed by people.

However, no matter how he baked or offered these "dragon scales," there was no reaction. He also tested two pieces, and the result was the same as Hu Bayi's test: the reaction of brewing tea with Runhai Stone.

Moreover, the seller didn't charge him for the dragon scales; they were just a few tens of percent more expensive than ordinary sea stones.

I'm still upset about losing money and wondering how to make the best use of what I have.

Then I thought of giving cigarettes and alcohol as gifts. If I bought fake cigarettes and alcohol, as long as the recipient didn't know, it would have the same effect as real cigarettes and alcohol.

It feels like you intended to give a gift of sorghum liquor as if it were Moutai, but ended up giving away the real Moutai instead.

The other party accepted it, thinking it was sorghum liquor.

Chapter 33: Filming Tomb Raiding: A Covert Maneuver

"Alright, now that everyone has accepted me as the commander of the operation, let me start by sharing my plan."

Wu Yufeng then shifted everyone's attention back to the tomb exploration project on the Kunlun Glacier.

"To visit the ruins of the Demon Kingdom, you will need a guide who is well-versed in Tibetan culture."

“We especially need to understand the legends of the Kunlun Demon Kingdom to help them quickly identify those historical locations,” Wu Yufeng said, glancing around at everyone before fixing his gaze on Hu Bayi.

"Brother Bayi, you should have served in the army near the Kunlun Mountains, so you should have some connections there, right?"

“No problem.” Hu Bayi nodded. “I served in the army nearby for a few years, and I still have some comrades who stayed in the area. Finding a guide won’t be difficult.”

“Alright.” Wu Yufeng nodded. “Uncle Ming is a co-producer in our film crew, so he will prepare the supplies for our group separately.”

"On the surface, Shirley Yang was the equipment and supplies manager for the film crew. Uncle Ming would take the supplies our tomb raiding team needed from Shirley Yang's department and put them into a separate group."