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

At midnight, the Longhua Pagoda casts a long shadow under the moonlight.

Chen Yu changed into a black night-clothes—a makeshift outfit he created himself by dyeing ordinary work clothes black; crude but practical. His specially made belt held talismans, pills, and small tools, all neatly organized. The Xuanzhen Sword was too conspicuous, so he left it inside the Qiankun Cauldron, carrying only a peach wood sword and twelve flying needles.

"System, check-in for today." Before taking action, he checked in as usual.

[Ding! Japanese visa successfully obtained]

[Received: 1 jin of Shanghai meat coupons, 1 industrial voucher, basic formation breaking tips (small), 20 yuan cash]

"Experiences in breaking formations!" Chen Yu was overjoyed and immediately put them into practice. His mind flooded with knowledge of the structural principles, energy node identification, and debunking techniques of various common formations. Although it was only basic, it was crucial for exploring the underground palace.

At midnight, all was quiet in Longhua Town. Chen Yu, as silently as an owl, scaled the temple wall and landed beside the ancient well. After confirming that no one was around, he took out a bundle of specially made ropes from the Qiankun Cauldron—the ends of which were tied with fine steel hooks.

With a soft "plop," the grappling hook gripped the edge of the well. Chen Yu slid down the rope into the well, his body disappearing into the darkness.

The well water was icy cold, but fortunately it was November, so the water temperature wasn't too low. Chen Yu held his breath and used the breath-holding technique from the "Mysterious Great Dao Scripture," allowing him to stay underwater for a quarter of an hour without needing to breathe.

With his spiritual eye activated, the underwater world became clearly visible. The well walls were covered in moss, and small shrimp swam among the crevices. After descending three meters, he indeed found a hole about half a person's height on the west side of the well wall—the hole was hidden by aquatic plants and would be extremely difficult to spot without a specific search.

Chen Yu pushed aside the weeds that clung to the cave entrance and crawled inside. The cave was initially narrow, allowing only one person to pass at a time, but after walking about three zhang (approximately 10 meters) forward, it suddenly opened up—it was a man-made passageway, about two meters high and wide enough for two people to walk side by side. The stone walls of the passageway were dry, indicating that waterproofing measures had been taken.

He took out a waterproof flashlight from the Qiankun Cauldron—a Soviet-made product he'd obtained from the puppet regime, with a stable beam. The beam shone on the stone wall, revealing exquisite bas-reliefs: immortals riding cranes, mythical beasts galloping, stars in motion... The carving technique was superb; despite being hundreds of years old, the carvings remained lifelike.

The passageway was about thirty zhang long, ending at a bronze door. The door was engraved with Tai Chi and Bagua patterns, identical to the array at the entrance to the Beijing Secret Vault, but even more complex and ingenious. Chen Yu used his spiritual eye technique to observe and discovered that the array on the door had thirty-six energy nodes, interlocked to form a complete "Zhou Tian Xing Dou Array".

"What an exquisite formation..." Chen Yu exclaimed. If he hadn't obtained the knowledge to break formations, he wouldn't have been able to see through it at all.

Following the method described in his notes, he first located the "eye" of the formation—the position of the yin-yang fish's eye in the Tai Chi diagram. Then he deduced the energy flow of each of the thirty-six nodes. This was a meticulous task, requiring extremely high computational skills and patience.

Half an hour later, Chen Yu finally figured out the pattern: this formation uses the moonlight as its energy source, and its power is strongest when the moon is full on the 15th of each month and weakest when the moon is waning. Today is the 17th of the tenth lunar month, the moon has passed its fullest, and the formation's power is waning.

He took out three spirit-patterned pocket watches and placed them in front of the bronze door in specific positions. The patterns on the pocket watches resonated with the array on the door, emitting a faint spiritual light. Then, he bit his fingertip and used his blood as ink to draw a "Array-Breaking Talisman" on the door—a high-level talisman in intermediate talisman-making techniques, specifically designed to break array restrictions.

The drawing process consumed a great deal of spiritual energy and mental power, and fine beads of sweat appeared on Chen Yu's forehead. When the last stroke was made, the array-breaking talisman shone brightly, the array patterns on the bronze door flickered violently, and finally, with a "click," it slowly opened inward.

Behind the door was a huge underground cave.

Chen Yu was stunned by the sight before him—the cave was ten zhang square and five zhang high, with dozens of luminous pearls embedded in the dome, emitting a soft, milky-white light. In the center of the cave was a white jade platform, on which sat a skeleton, draped in a Taoist robe. Although decayed, the skeleton's posture remained dignified.

Three items were placed in front of the skeleton: a purple jade token, a scroll of gold silk, and a palm-sized bronze compass.

Chen Yu did not rush forward, but observed carefully first. Under the Spirit Eye Technique, the entire cave was shrouded in a complex protective array, especially around the white jade platform, which had nine nested restrictions, and touching it would mean certain death.

"Master Xuanzhen...is this your true form?" Chen Yu murmured to himself.

He noticed a black jade ring on the left index finger bone of the skeleton, and there was a faint spatial fluctuation on the surface of the ring—another storage magic artifact!

To be on the safe side, Chen Yu first explored the outer perimeter. The cave walls were covered with scriptures and patterns. After careful examination, he discovered that it was the complete "Mysterious True Dao Scripture," covering everything from the Qi Refining stage to the Golden Core stage, and even some fragments about the Nascent Soul stage!

"This is the complete inheritance!" Chen Yu exclaimed excitedly. The jade slips in the Beijing secret vault only contained Qi Refining stage cultivation methods, but here was the complete version!

He took out paper and pen—specially made waterproof paper and a charcoal pencil—and quickly made rubbings of the scriptures on the wall. Halfway through making the rubbings, he suddenly noticed several strange markings in the scriptures, written in a different script.

This script... Chen Yu felt it looked familiar. He took out the Xuanzhen Sword from the Qiankun Cauldron; the ancient seal script characters "Xuanzhen" on the sword were exactly the same as the inscriptions on the wall!

"Could it be... Xuanzhen Daoist's native language?" Chen Yu tried to decipher it carefully. Thanks to the various language knowledge packages he gained from the system's daily check-ins, he could barely understand a few words: "South Sea...cave dwelling...inheritance...descendants..."

Just then, soft footsteps came from the cave entrance!

Chen Yu immediately turned off his flashlight and disappeared into the shadows of the stone wall, simultaneously activating an invisibility talisman. He probed the passageway with his spiritual sense—two people, their steps steady and their breathing deep and even, clearly skilled in martial arts!

"Senior brother, this is it." A young voice said, "According to the secret scrolls passed down from the main hall, Xuanzhenzi lived in seclusion in the Dragon Flower Pagoda in his later years and passed away here. His Golden Core inheritance should be in the underground palace."

"Be careful, there might be a formation here." Another deep voice responded, "Three years ago in the secret vault in Beijing, Elders Zhao Tiangang and Zhao Tianxiong were defeated by a formation."

The Hongmen! Chen Yu's heart skipped a beat. They really did find this place!

Two figures entered the cave, both dressed in black, close-fitting clothing, with short swords at their waists. The leader was a middle-aged man in his forties, with a stern face and prominent temples, clearly a master of external martial arts. The other was a man in his late twenties, with sharp eyes and a bulging waistband, presumably carrying a gun.

"Look!" the younger one pointed to the white jade platform, "That skeleton! And those treasures!"

The middle-aged man stopped him: "Don't be impulsive. Look at the fluctuations of spiritual energy around the skeleton. That's a nine-layered restriction; touching it will mean certain death."

"What should we do then?"

"Use this." The middle-aged man took out a jade bottle from his robes. "It's a special 'Restriction-Breaking Powder' made by the main hall. It can corrode the spiritual energy of the array. However, it will take time, at least an hour."

The two began setting up around the stone platform. Chen Yu observed from the shadows, quickly calculating in his mind: an hour... was enough time for him to do a lot.

He quietly retreated to the entrance of the passageway, took out five explosive talismans, and placed them on the ceiling of the passageway. If things went wrong, he could blow up the passageway and trap the two people.

Then, he returned to the cave, hid behind a stone pillar, and continued to make rubbings of the scriptures on the wall. Time passed by, and the two members of the Hongmen were focused on breaking the formation and did not notice his presence.

An hour later, the restrictions around the stone platform indeed began to weaken. The middle-aged man's face lit up with joy: "It's done! Junior brother, go and retrieve the treasure, I'll keep watch."

The younger one cautiously stepped forward and reached out to take the scroll of gold-threaded silk.

Just as his fingers were about to touch the silk scroll, a sudden change occurred!

Two red lights suddenly appeared in the empty eye sockets of the skeleton! The entire cave shook violently, and the luminous pearls on the dome shone brightly, weaving a net of light throughout the cave!

"Oh no! It's a trap!" the middle-aged man exclaimed.

But it was too late. The net of light contracted, trapping the two of them tightly. The younger one screamed as the net of light slashed his arm, leaving a deep, bone-revealing wound.

"Xuanzhenzi! Even in death you continue to harm people!" the middle-aged man roared, drawing his sword to slash at the light net, but the blade bounced off the net, sparks flying everywhere.

Chen Yu, watching from the shadows, saw it clearly—this wasn't a trap, but the final test. The light net seemed dangerous, but it held a glimmer of hope: although the nine layers of restrictions had been corroded by the barrier-breaking powder, the core formation was still functioning; as long as they found the exit...

His gaze fell on the black jade ring on the skeleton's left hand. The ring was emitting a faint spiritual light, echoing the net of light.

"The key to survival is on the ring!" Chen Yu instantly realized.

At this moment, the two members of the Hongmen were in dire straits. The net of light tightened, and the younger one, having lost too much blood, was deathly pale. The middle-aged man was still struggling to hold on, but it was clear he wouldn't last much longer.

Chen Yu hesitated. To save him, or not to save him?

If he doesn't save them, these two are certain to die, and he can directly claim the treasure. But if the Hongmen headquarters finds out they died here, they will definitely investigate thoroughly, leading to endless trouble.

If we rescue them... we might be able to extract some information, and perhaps even resolve a past grudge.

After weighing the pros and cons, Chen Yu made a decision. He deactivated his invisibility and stepped out from behind the stone pillar.

"Who?!" The middle-aged man turned his head alertly.

"Your people are here to save you," Chen Yu said calmly. "Don't move. I can break this formation, but I need your cooperation."

"You...you're that guy from Beijing!" The younger man recognized Chen Yu. "Elder Zhao died at your hands!"

"That's their own fault," Chen Yu said coldly. "Now the choice is yours: either die here, or I'll rescue you, but you have to answer a few questions for me."

The middle-aged man stared at Chen Yu, a struggle flashing in his eyes, before finally gritting his teeth and saying, "Fine! You save us, and we'll answer your questions!"

Chen Yu nodded and walked to the light net. He activated his Spiritual Eye Technique to observe the array's operational patterns. The light net was composed of thirty-six interwoven beams of light, each beam corresponding to an energy node. The Gate of Life was located at... the third, twelfth, and twenty-first nodes!

He took out three flying needles, infused them with spiritual energy, and with a flick of his wrist, the needles accurately struck the three nodes.

"Swoosh—" The light net flickered a few times, and a gap appeared.

"Come out now!" Chen Yu shouted.

The middle-aged man helped his junior brother through the gap. The light net closed behind them again, but there was no pursuit.

"Thank you..." The middle-aged man clasped his hands in thanks, his expression complex. "I am Tie Xiong, a steward of the Shanghai branch of the Hongmen. This is my junior brother, Tie Ying."

"Chen Yu," Chen Yu introduced himself briefly, "Are you here on orders from headquarters?"

Tie Xiong nodded: "According to the secret records of the main hall, before Xuanzhenzi passed away, he divided the Golden Elixir inheritance into three parts: the cultivation method was stored in the secret vault in Beijing, the array equipment was stored in the underground palace of Longhua, and the alchemy was stored in the cave in Hong Kong. We have been ordered to retrieve the array equipment."

"An array device?" Chen Yu looked at the bronze compass on the stone platform.

"It's that 'Zhou Tian Xing Dou Pan'," Tie Xiong said. "It's said to be the culmination of Xuan Zhenzi's lifelong mastery of array formations, capable of deducing celestial secrets and setting up grand arrays."

Chen Yu's heart skipped a beat. If he could obtain this compass, his array formation skills would improve dramatically.

"What is the headquarters' attitude towards the situation in Beijing?" he asked the most crucial question.

Tie Xiong was silent for a moment, then said truthfully, "Zhao Tiangang and Zhao Tianxiong were elders of the main hall, and their deaths caused a great shock. But after the main hall's investigation, they concluded that they attacked you first, and since they were outmatched, they had no one to blame but themselves. Moreover..." He paused, "There are now divisions within the main hall. The radicals want revenge, while the moderates believe they should win you over."

"Trying to win me over?"

"You have received the inheritance of Xuanzhenzi, making you his successor. Xuanzhenzi holds a special position in the history of the Hongmen and has helped the Hongmen a great deal. Therefore, according to the rules, his successor is considered half a member of the Hongmen."

This information surprised Chen Yu. It seems that the relationship between Xuanzhen Daoist and the Hongmen is more complicated than he imagined.

"What are you planning to do now?" Chen Yu asked. "Continue searching for the treasure, or...?"

Tie Xiong smiled bitterly: "We can't break the formation, and we can't get the treasure. Besides, you saved us, and according to the rules of the martial world, we can no longer be your enemy. We will return to the main hall to report back truthfully."

Chen Yu stared at him for a long time, confirming that he wasn't lying, and then said, "Okay, I believe you. You can go now."

Tie Xiong helped Tie Ying up and gave Chen Yu a deep look: "Brother Chen, I will remember your kindness today. If you ever need anything in the future, just go to the 'Yongsheng Teahouse' on Avenue Joffre in the French Concession of Shanghai and mention my name."

The two helped each other away. Chen Yu waited until they were far away before resuming his study of the formation on the stone platform.

Having observed the formation, he gained a deeper understanding of it. This wasn't a killing formation, but a "trial formation" to test the successor. To break it, he needed to use the Xuanzhen Daoist's unique method...

He recalled the scriptures on the wall, one of which spoke of "controlling the formation with the mind, and communicating with the spirit through qi." Perhaps he needed to adjust his own spiritual energy to be of the same origin as the Taoist Xuanzhen?

Chen Yu sat cross-legged and began circulating the "Mysterious True Great Dao Scripture." Spiritual energy circulated within his body, gradually acquiring the unique aura of the Mysterious True Daoist—the inherent Daoist charm of the cultivation technique.

When he released this aura, the restrictions around the stone platform reacted as expected. The light net slowly dissipated, and the nine layers of restrictions opened one by one.

Chen Yu stood up, walked to the stone platform, and first bowed respectfully to the skeleton: "Junior Chen Yu, having received the senior's inheritance, will certainly live up to the trust placed in me."

Then, he carefully collected the three treasures.

The purple jade token felt warm and smooth to the touch. The front was engraved with the two characters "Xuanzhen," while the back featured a star pattern. Upon probing with spiritual sense, a message was sealed within the token: Holding this token allows one to unlock the core restrictions of the Hong Kong Cave.

Unfolding the golden silk scroll reveals Xuanzhen Daoist's notes, recording his life's cultivation experiences, observations, and insights, as well as the locations of several hidden caves.

The bronze compass is the most magical—a palm-sized compass with a Tai Chi symbol in the center, surrounded by the Eight Trigrams, the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches, and the Twenty-Eight Mansions. When infused with spiritual energy, the constellations on the compass will glow and can automatically deduce changes in formations.

"It truly is a treasure!" Chen Yu exclaimed, unable to put it down.

Finally, he removed the black jade ring from the index finger of the skeleton's left hand. His spiritual sense probed inside; the ring contained a three-zhang square space, holding Xuanzhen Daoist's personal belongings: several sets of Daoist robes, some medicinal ingredients, dozens of spirit stones (though most of their spiritual energy had been lost), and several magical artifacts.

What surprised Chen Yu the most was a booklet made of animal hide—"The True Explanation of Xuanzhen Weapon Forging"! This was a complete inheritance of weapon forging techniques, covering everything from basic to advanced levels!

He stored all the treasures into the Qiankun Cauldron and bowed to the skeleton once more: "Rest in peace, senior. I will continue the legacy."

As Chen Yu left the underground palace, dawn was breaking. He climbed out of the well and had just scaled the wall when he saw the old monk standing not far away, seemingly waiting for him.

"Did you find anything while exploring the ancient well at night, benefactor?" The old monk asked with his hands clasped together and a smile on his face.

Chen Yu's heart tightened, but his face remained calm: "Master is joking. I just get up early to train."

"Hehe..." The old monk chuckled. "There's no need to be nervous, benefactor. My Dharma name is Huiming, and I am the keeper of the pagoda at Longhua Temple. Before the passing of the Venerable Xuanzhenzi, he entrusted the monks of this temple to guard this place and await the destined person."

Chen Yu looked at him warily: "Master means..."

"In three hundred years, you are the first person to truly enter the underground palace." A glint of wisdom flashed in the eyes of the monk Huiming. "And the first to gain the approval of Senior Xuanzhenzi. My mission is complete."

"You...aren't going to stop me from taking the treasure?"

"Why stop it?" Huiming countered. "The treasure belongs to the destined one. Besides..." He gave Chen Yu a deep look, "You bear the aura of Senior Xuanzhenzi, clearly indicating that you have received his true teachings. This is cause and effect, and also fate."

Chen Yu breathed a sigh of relief and clasped his hands in thanks, saying, "Thank you for your kindness, Master."

"No need to thank me." Huiming turned around and looked at the rising sun. "Benefactor, the road ahead is long, take care. If you encounter any difficulties, you can come to the temple to find this old monk."

After saying that, he drifted away, his steps seemingly slow but actually extremely fast, disappearing into the depths of the temple in the blink of an eye.

Chen Yu stood there, overwhelmed with emotion. The experience of this night had yielded far more than he had expected.

By the time Chen Yu returned to the guesthouse, it was already broad daylight. He quickly washed up, changed into clean clothes, and went to the canteen for breakfast.

"Chen Yu, I didn't see you yesterday, where did you go?" Wang Zhiqiang sat down with his lunchbox in hand.

"I went to the city center for a bit and bought some things," Chen Yu replied casually. "By the way, Engineer Wang, I have some thoughts on the localization of sensors..."

He steered the conversation toward technology, but his mind was already on the spoils he had gained in the underground palace.

The morning class was "Programming of Automated Control Systems," and although Chen Yu was listening, his mind was already elsewhere. Perhaps the knowledge in *The True Explanation of Xuanzhen Refining* could be applied to mechanical design? For example, using refining techniques to improve sensor materials...

During his lunch break, he wrote a second letter to Qin Huairu, reporting that he was safe and sound, and vaguely mentioning that he had "made some gains in Shanghai, which he would explain in detail when he returned home." Then, he sent a message to the puppet regime's No. 1, instructing them to investigate the background of "Yongsheng Teahouse" and Tie Xiong.

In the afternoon practical class, Chen Yu was assigned to the electrical group to learn PLC programming. He learned very quickly; he could understand complex ladder diagrams after just one look. Even his mentor, Engineer Zhang, exclaimed in surprise, "Little Chen, how did your brain develop like this? You're faster than the technicians our factory has trained for two years!"

Chen Yu said a few modest words, but he knew in his heart that this was a benefit brought about by the enhancement of spiritual awareness—his thinking speed, memory, and comprehension were far beyond those of ordinary people.

When he finished work, Chief Engineer Zhou approached him: "Comrade Chen Yu, the factory has an urgent task that requires a technician with expertise in automation control. Are you interested?"

"What mission?"

"Jiangnan Shipyard is modifying a cargo ship, requiring the installation of a semi-automatic loading and unloading system. Our shipyard is responsible for providing technical support. It will take a month, with food and lodging at the shipyard. It will be quite tough, but there will be extra subsidies."

Chen Yu's heart stirred: Jiangnan Shipyard... that is the cradle of China's shipbuilding industry, it would be a rare opportunity to learn there.

"I'm willing to go!" he agreed without hesitation.

"Okay! We'll leave tomorrow morning. Get ready."

That night, Chen Yu entered the small world and began studying "The True Explanation of Mysterious Weapon Refining." The first page shocked him: "The way of weapon refining prioritizes materials first; then the control of heat; and thirdly, spiritual essence..."

Many of the techniques described in the book can be combined with modern industrial technology. For example, the "Spirit Fire Tempering Method" uses special flames to alter the microstructure of metals, improving their performance; the "Rune Engraving Technique" can engrave micro-runes on the surface of parts to enhance their strength or endow them with special functions...

"If we apply these to mechanical manufacturing..." Chen Yu's eyes gleamed with excitement.

He took out a bronze compass and infused it with spiritual energy. The stars on the compass began to rotate, deducing a simple formation—an improved version of a small spirit-gathering formation, with its efficiency increased by 30%.

"It's amazing..." Chen Yu couldn't put it down.

As night deepened, he exited the miniature world and lay in bed, but he couldn't fall asleep.

Tomorrow I'm going to Jiangnan Shipyard, where there will be new challenges and new opportunities.

The legacy he holds will be his greatest reliance.

Outside the window, the lights of Shanghai still shone brightly.

He has only just begun to uncover a corner of the city's secrets.

A wider world awaits ahead.