Courtyard Check-in: Starting with a Small World of Cultivation

Chen Yu stood in the center of the circular hall, his gaze slowly sweeping over the four celestial ritual objects before finally settling on the suspended bead.

The bead is about the size of a fist, completely transparent like crystal, with five-colored light slowly flowing inside—blue, white, red, black, and yellow, corresponding to the five elements. With each rotation of the light, a rich spiritual energy emanates from the bead, permeating the entire space.

"This is... the Five Elements Spirit Pearl?" Chen Yu's heart skipped a beat. He had seen a record in the appendix of the "Tai Xuan Zhen Jing" that there are five spiritual objects in the world, formed by condensing the essence of the five elements. They can assist in cultivation and can also be used as the core of array formations. However, the Five Elements Spirit Pearl is extremely rare and usually only exists in legendary blessed lands.

To my surprise, there's one here!

He took a deep breath and probed the spiritual pearl with his spiritual sense. Instantly, countless pieces of information flooded into his mind like a tidal wave—the cultivation insights of Huo Lingzi throughout his life, the alchemy secrets of the Qin Dynasty alchemists, the methods for controlling the blessed land, and a complete map marking every corner of this blessed land.

Chen Yu closed his eyes to digest the information, and only opened them a full quarter of an hour later.

It turns out that this grotto-heaven was not formed naturally, but rather excavated by alchemists of the Qin Dynasty, who pooled the resources of the entire nation. Emperor Qin Shi Huang, obsessed with immortality, dispatched Xu Fu eastward to seek the elixir of life, and ordered alchemists like Huo Lingzi to search for blessed lands. They eventually discovered this ley line deep within a volcano on the southwestern border. Using the Five Elements Spiritual Pearls as its core, they set up a grand array to gather the spiritual energy of the ley line, thus forming this sacred place for cultivation.

The Four Symbols Ritual Artifacts are the key to unlocking the grotto-heaven and the core of the array that suppresses the four directions. However, Huo Lingzi and the others knew that Qin Shi Huang was tyrannical, and if he were allowed to enter the grotto-heaven, he would surely mine spirit stones on a large scale and destroy the earth's veins. Therefore, they lied and said that the grotto-heaven was not yet complete and needed more time, but secretly they enshrined the Four Symbols Ritual Artifacts in the core and set up nine trials, waiting for a virtuous and destined person.

After Qin Shi Huang's death, the world descended into chaos, and the alchemists scattered. Huo Lingzi remained in his grotto-heaven until his death. Before his passing, he sealed all his life's knowledge within the Five Elements Spirit Pearl, awaiting its successor.

"So that's how it is," Chen Yu murmured. He looked at the four ritual artifacts—the Azure Dragon Cauldron, the White Tiger Cong, the Vermilion Bird Lamp Mirror, and the Black Tortoise Armor—each exuding an ancient aura.

He stepped forward and first picked up the Vermilion Bird Bronze Mirror. The mirror was round, with a Vermilion Bird pattern engraved on the back, and it was originally a pair with the bronze lamp. The mirror surface was as clean as new, and it could clearly reflect a person's image. Chen Yu placed the mirror and the bronze lamp together, and the two glowed slightly, and they automatically merged into one—the lamp on top, the mirror below, forming a new magical artifact.

"Vermilion Bird Lantern Mirror." Chen Yu picked up the magical artifact and sensed that the fire element power contained within it was several times stronger than before.

Next is the White Tiger Cong. This is a jade artifact, square and hollow, with white tiger patterns and intricate runes engraved on its surface. It feels cool to the touch, and one can vaguely sense the flow of metal energy.

The Xuanwu Armor was a palm-sized tortoise shell, dark brown in color, with natural patterns on its surface resembling some kind of ancient script. Chen Yu probed it with his spiritual sense and sensed a dense concentration of water-elemental spiritual energy.

Finally, there was the Azure Dragon Cauldron. He was already familiar with it, but looking at it now, the runes on the cauldron were even clearer under the nourishment of the spiritual energy of the cave, and there was a faint sound of dragon roars.

With the Four Symbols gathered and the Five Elements Spirit Pearls at its core, this grotto-heaven was practically a sacred cultivation ground prepared just for him!

But Chen Yu didn't forget his main task. He found the complete recipe for the Nine-Turn Golden Elixir in the Five Elements Spirit Pearl—it required forty-nine kinds of medicinal materials, including three main ingredients: Thousand-Year-Old Lingzhi, Earth Core Fire Lotus, and Dragon Blood Grass. There were thirty-six auxiliary ingredients, mostly precious medicinal materials such as Lingzhi, ginseng, and Polygonum multiflorum, and ten more required special processing.

"Millennial Ganoderma lucidum... Earth Core Fire Lotus... Dragon Blood Grass..." Chen Yu frowned. Each of these three main ingredients is a rare and precious natural treasure.

However, the Five Elements Spirit Pearl records that this grotto-heaven's herb garden is filled with various spiritual herbs, transplanted from various regions by Qin Dynasty alchemists. The thousand-year-old Ganoderma lucidum might be among them!

Chen Yu exited the core hall and located the herb garden according to the map. The herb garden was located in the northwest corner of the cave, covering several acres. It was enclosed by small grids made of jade, each grid containing different medicinal herbs. Although it had been neglected for two thousand years, the array maintained the circulation of spiritual energy, and many herbs still survived, even multiplying into large patches.

He spotted the Ganoderma section immediately—the largest Ganoderma, with a cap like a millstone, purplish-brown in color, faintly shimmering with golden light, was indeed a thousand-year-old Ganoderma!

Chen Yu carefully picked it and put it in a jade box. He then found Dragon Blood Grass in the herb garden—its leaves were as red as blood, its root system was well-developed, and some of the plants were over a hundred years old. There was no Earth Core Fire Lotus; that kind of medicinal herb required the nourishment of earth fire, and there was no earth fire in the cave.

"We're still missing the Earth Core Fire Lotus," Chen Yu noted. This herb might have to be found elsewhere.

He continued to collect other auxiliary herbs in the herb garden. He had collected thirty-six herbs, and the remaining six were not found in the grotto, so he needed to find them elsewhere.

After gathering the herbs, Chen Yu returned to the core hall. He sat cross-legged and began to try to refine the power of the Four Symbols Ritual Artifacts according to the methods in the Five Elements Spirit Pearl.

The Azure Dragon Cauldron floats in front of him, its azure light flowing into his body to nourish his meridians; the White Tiger Cong floats on his left, its white light tempering his muscles and bones; the Vermilion Bird Lantern Mirror floats on his right, its crimson light refining his flesh and blood; the Black Tortoise Armor floats behind him, its black light stabilizing his foundation.

Four forces intertwined within his body, merging with his own spiritual power. Chen Yu gritted his teeth, enduring the pain of his expanding meridians, his clothes soaked with sweat, but his eyes remained resolute.

After an unknown amount of time, the four-colored light gradually faded. Chen Yu opened his eyes and exhaled a breath of stale air.

He sensed that his cultivation had improved again—to the eighth level of the Qi Refining stage! Moreover, his foundation was several times more stable than before, his meridians had widened, and his spiritual energy reserves had increased by 50%.

"The power of the Four Symbols is truly amazing." Chen Yu stood up and looked at the Five Elements Spirit Pearl.

The spirit pearl seemed to sense his change and slowly floated in front of him. Chen Yu reached out and touched it, and instantly, a vast amount of information surged in—it was the control method of this cave heaven!

Following the method, he probed the spiritual pearl with his spiritual sense, and instantly, the entire scene of the cave heaven appeared in his mind: the herb garden, the alchemy room, the scripture pavilion, the training room... every place was clearly visible. He could even sense Su Zhiqing pacing anxiously back and forth at the entrance of the cave heaven.

"It's time to go out." With a thought, Chen Yu stored the Four Symbols Ritual Artifacts into his small world—they were now his magical artifacts. He also wanted to take the Five Elements Spirit Pearls with him, but the Spirit Pearls were the core of the cave heaven, and if he took them, the cave heaven would collapse.

"I'll stay here for now," Chen Yu decided. He'd come back later when he needed to.

He retraced his steps, and by the time he passed the nine checkpoints, they had automatically deactivated—because he had already completed the trials. Soon, he emerged from the stone gate and returned to the stone hall.

"Mr. Chen!" Su Zhiqing rushed over, her eyes red and swollen. "You're finally out! Two whole days and one night!"

Two days and one night? Chen Yu was stunned. He felt like only a few hours had passed in the core hall, but he didn't expect that two days had already passed in the outside world.

"I'm fine." Chen Yu patted her shoulder. "I found quite a few things and even broke through my cultivation level."

Su Zhiqing looked him over carefully and found that he was indeed different—his eyes were deeper, his temperament was more composed, and he had a subtle sense of pressure.

"You... have broken through to the eighth level of the Qi Refining stage?"

"Yes." Chen Yu nodded. "We should go out now. If we stay any longer, the people outside will start to get worried."

The two left the stone hall, crossed the stone bridge, and went up the path they had come from. The moment they pushed open the stone door, the sunlight was so bright that they couldn't open their eyes.

It was midday outside, the sun blazing. Zhao Dezhu, who was squatting beside his car smoking, jumped up in surprise when he saw them come out: "Mr. Chen! Ms. Su! You've finally come out!"

"How long have we been inside?"

"Three days and two nights!" Zhao Dezhu exclaimed. "I almost called the police!"

Three days and two nights? Chen Yu and Su Zhiqing exchanged a glance—which one was accurate, the two days and one night she mentioned, or the three days and two nights Zhao Dezhu said?

Perhaps the flow of time is different inside and outside the grotto-heaven. Chen Yu thought to himself. Such blessed lands often have a time difference with the outside world.

"Let's go back to the county town first," Chen Yu said.

The three got into the jeep, which bumped and jolted as it drove away from Daying Mountain.

On the way, Chen Yu briefly recounted the discoveries within the cave, but omitted the details of the Four Symbols Ritual Artifacts and the Five Elements Spiritual Pearls—not because he distrusted Zhao Dezhu, but because the fewer people who knew about these matters, the better.

Back in Tengchong County, Chen Yu first called Gu Wenyuan to let him know he was safe. Gu Wenyuan breathed a sigh of relief on the other end of the phone: "Mr. Chen, you finally have news! Something's happened in Hong Kong—Scarface's men have reappeared, looking for you and Miss Su."

How did they know we were in Yunnan?

"I don't know. It could be that someone was following us at the auction, or it could be something He Shutang leaked," Gu Wenyuan said. "You guys need to be careful in Yunnan, and it's best to come back as soon as possible."

After hanging up the phone, Chen Yu fell into deep thought. The fact that Scarface had chased them all the way to Yunnan showed their determination to obtain the Four Symbols Ritual Artifacts. But they could no longer get what was inside the cave, unless… they knew of its existence and were also searching for the entrance.

"We need to get back to Hong Kong as soon as possible," Chen Yu said to Su Zhiqing. "But there's something else we need to do before we get back."

"What?"

"Find the Earth Core Fire Lotus," Chen Yu said. "The Nine-Turn Golden Elixir is still missing this key ingredient. Yunnan is rich in geothermal resources, so there might be a fire lotus nurtured by the earth's fire."

Su Zhiqing thought for a moment: "I've heard that there's a place called 'Rehai' in the volcanic cluster near Tengchong, which has many hot springs and geothermal vents. Maybe there are some there."

"Let's go take a look tomorrow."

The next morning, the two hired a car and headed to Rehai (Hot Sea). Located more than ten kilometers south of Tengchong city, Rehai is a geothermal scenic area filled with steaming hot springs and fumaroles. The air was thick with the smell of sulfur, and the ground beneath their feet was warm, as if they were walking on a giant steamer.

Chen Yu activated his full spiritual sense, sensing the fire elemental energy. Deep within the Hot Sea, in a secluded valley, he sensed intense fire elemental fluctuations—far stronger than ordinary geothermal energy.

Following the ripples, the two passed through a dense forest and came to a small pool. The water was scalding hot, bubbling and steaming, with wisps of vapor floating on the surface. In the center of the pool grew a crimson lotus, its petals like fire and its stamens golden—the Earth Core Fire Lotus!

"Found it!" Chen Yu was overjoyed.

But just then, a cold laugh came from behind: "Mr. Chen, you've had a hard time finding me."

Chen Yu turned around and saw Liu Zhenbang standing ten meters away, followed by four men in black, each holding a short knife and with cold eyes.

"Mr. Liu, how have you been?" Chen Yu said calmly.

"Hand over the items," Liu Zhenbang said. "The things in the cave, and the Four Symbols ritual artifacts. Hand them over, and I might spare your lives."

Chen Yu laughed: "Mr. Liu, do you think these few people can stop me?"

Liu Zhenbang's expression changed, but before he could give the order, Chen Yu had already moved—

He moved with ghostly speed, striking down three men in black with a single palm strike. The last one tried to escape but was kicked over by Chen Yu.

Liu Zhenbang turned and ran, but Chen Yu was faster. He grabbed Liu Zhenbang's shoulder and poured spiritual energy into him, causing half of Liu Zhenbang's body to go numb and rendering him unable to move.

"Mr. Liu, tell your boss not to send anyone again," Chen Yu said calmly. "Next time, I won't hold back."

He let go, and Liu Zhenbang staggered away.

Chen Yu returned to the edge of the pool, carefully picked the Earth Core Fire Lotus, and put it in a jade box.

Now, the materials for the Nine-Turn Golden Elixir have been gathered.

After returning to Hong Kong, we can start refining elixirs.

Once he successfully establishes his foundation, he will truly step into the path of cultivation.

By then, neither Scarface nor He Shutang will be a threat.