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

On the morning of the fourth day of the second lunar month, Chen Yu stood at the Pearl River pier in the western suburbs of Guangzhou, watching the turbid river water shimmer in the morning light. After returning to Guangzhou last night, he stayed at the shipyard's guesthouse, and this morning he was going to Xiqiao Mountain—the location of the sixth key, the Kaiyang Key.

"System, check-in for today." The river breeze ruffled the hem of his clothes.

[Ding! Japanese visa successfully obtained]

[Received: Half a jin of Guangdong Province fuel coupons, basic volcanic geology knowledge (small), one high-temperature resistant glove (special operation type), and 10 yuan in cash]

Volcanic geology knowledge! Chen Yu's eyes lit up, and he immediately put it to use. Knowledge of volcanic structure, lava characteristics, and geothermal activity flooded his mind, perfectly matching Xiqiao Mountain—a rare ancient volcanic landform in Lingnan.

The high-temperature resistant gloves were made of dark gray asbestos and could withstand temperatures of 800 degrees Celsius; in this era, they were equipment for special workers. Chen Yu put them into his backpack, feeling more confident.

"Pseudo-human No. 7, what's the situation at Xiqiao Mountain?" he asked through his consciousness.

"Master, the 'Volcanic Geological Museum' just opened yesterday at Xiqiao Mountain Scenic Area, built with the assistance of the Department of Geology at Sun Yat-sen University. The first student group will be visiting today," reported Pseudo-Man No. 7. "In addition, we found some suspicious camping traces at the foot of the mountain, which look like they were left in the last two days."

"Who is it?"

"The tracks were faint, but judging from the footprints, there were probably two or three people with professional mountaineering equipment. One person's footprints were particularly deep, possibly indicating they were carrying heavy objects."

"Continue monitoring; I'll be there before noon."

Chen Yu boarded a small steamer bound for Nanhai County. These kinds of boats are common on the Pearl River, carrying both passengers and cargo; their hulls are painted dark green, and their smokestacks billow black smoke. The boat was mostly filled with city dwellers going to visit relatives in the countryside, carrying gift boxes and bamboo baskets, making quite a racket.

He found a seat at the stern of the boat and took out the Seven Star Key Finder. He infused it with spiritual energy, and the Kaiyang star on the surface began to twinkle, its light stronger than expected. The pointer pointed southwest, trembling slightly—as if geological activity at the target location was affecting its sensing.

During the two-hour flight, Chen Yu studied the talisman knowledge in "The Mysterious Records, Part Four". This book records the drawing methods and uses of twelve basic talismans: Fireball Talisman, Water Shield Talisman, Light Body Talisman, Vajra Talisman... Each requires specific talisman paper, cinnabar, and drawing techniques.

"With my current cultivation level, I can only draw the first three types at most," Chen Yu estimated. The Fireball Talisman and Water Shield Talisman are for attack and defense, while the Lightness Talisman can increase speed—which might be useful in a volcanic environment.

At 10:00 AM, the steamship docked at Guanshan Town in Nanhai County. Xiqiao Mountain is located to the west of the town. From a distance, the mountain appears rounded and covered with lush trees, showing no signs of volcanic activity. However, Chen Yu knew that this mountain was an active volcano more than 40 million years ago, and the crater and lava flow remains it left behind are valuable materials for studying ancient volcanoes.

He first went to the town's supply and marketing cooperative to replenish his food and water supplies, and then bought a geological hammer—under the guise of being an "intern at Sun Yat-sen University." He then walked along the stone path into the mountains.

Xiqiao Mountain's tourism development is more complete than that of Danxia Mountain and Luofu Mountain. The main road leading up the mountain is made of neat stone steps with guardrails on both sides. Although it was a weekday, there were still quite a few tourists, mostly students and teachers from Guangzhou.

Chen Yu didn't take the main road, but instead followed the directions on the key fob and turned onto a secluded path. This path was rarely traveled, the surface was covered with fallen leaves, and there were dense secondary forests on both sides. After walking for about half an hour, a warning sign appeared ahead: "Crater Area, Danger, Do Not Enter".

The sign also features a skull and crossbones symbol. However, the pointer on the key fob points towards the back of the sign.

Chen Yu flipped over the warning sign and continued forward. The terrain began to steepen, the vegetation became sparse, and the exposed rocks were dark red or black—a characteristic of volcanic rock. A faint smell of sulfur filled the air, and the temperature was a few degrees higher than at the foot of the mountain.

After walking for another twenty minutes, he arrived at a sunken valley. In the center of the valley was a circular depression about fifty meters in diameter, with several small pools at the bottom, from which white steam rose—the remnants of a crater lake!

"Is the Kaiyang Key here?" Chen Yu looked around. The valley was surrounded by steep rock walls with many caves, like fumaroles formed during a volcanic eruption.

The pointer on the key-finding disk began to spin, eventually pointing to a rock wall in the northeast corner of the valley. There, an inconspicuous cave entrance, about waist-high, was hidden by vines.

As Chen Yu approached the cave entrance, the smell of sulfur grew stronger. He put on heat-resistant gloves, pushed aside the vines, and a wave of heat hit him. The cave was pitch black, but there was a dark red light deep inside—was it lava? No, Xiqiao Mountain is an extinct volcano; there couldn't possibly be lava there...

Activating his spiritual eye technique, Chen Yu saw the scene inside the cave: it was a lava tunnel extending diagonally downwards, its walls smooth as a mirror, formed by the flow of lava years ago. There was indeed a red light deep within the tunnel, but it wasn't lava; rather, it was some kind of luminescent mineral.

He took out his headlamp, bent down, and crawled into the tunnel. The tunnel widened as he went in, and the temperature rose, probably to over forty degrees Celsius. After walking about fifty meters, a huge underground space appeared ahead.

This is a volcanic lava cave, ten meters high and about half the size of a basketball court. Many stalactites hang from the ceiling, and the floor has wave-like patterns formed by solidified lava flows. Most striking is the center of the cave—there is a naturally formed stone platform, on which rests a dark red token—the Kaiyang Key!

But around the stone platform, there were seven stone pillars forming a circle, each with flames burning at the top! These flames were not ordinary fire, but dark red, extremely hot, scorching the air until it distorted.

"Earth Fire Formation!" Chen Yu recognized this as a defensive formation recorded in "The Records of Xuanzhen, Part Three," which uses earth fire to form a barrier; anyone who forcibly enters will be burned to ashes.

He observed carefully. The seven stone pillars corresponded to the positions of the Big Dipper, and the intensity of the flames constantly changed, as if following a certain cyclical pattern. To break the formation, one must pass through at the moment when the flames were at their weakest.

Chen Yu took out his compass and calculated the direction. At the same time, he took a calming pill to resist the effects of the high temperature on his mind. The heat-resistant gloves could protect his hands, but other parts of his body would still be exposed to heat radiation.

After observing for about fifteen minutes, he discovered a pattern: every seven breaths, the flame at the Tian Shu position would weaken by thirty percent, lasting for one breath. Then it would be Tian Xuan, Tian Ji... in sequence. The seven pillars completed one cycle, which took exactly forty-nine breaths.

To pass through the formation, one must quickly pass through the seven points using the Seven Star Steps at the moment the flames weaken, and stay at each point for no more than half a breath.

This requires precise timing and extremely high speed.

Chen Yu took a deep breath, adjusting himself to his optimal state. He didn't know how to draw the Lightness Talisman, but he had mastered the Seven Star Steps and was quite fast. He seized the moment when the flames at the Heavenly Pivot position began to weaken and leaped out!

The first step, stepping onto the Heavenly Pivot! Flames brushed past the hem of my clothes, the heat was scorching.

The second step, turn the heavens! The flames reignited behind him.

The third step, Stepping on the Heavenly Pivot! His right sleeve was scorched.

The fourth step, stepping on the heavens! The ground was scorching hot, and blue smoke rose from the soles of the shoes.

The fifth step, stepping onto the Jade Balance! The sweat that had just seeped out was immediately evaporated.

Step six, step into Kaiyang! The goal is within reach.

Step seven, step on the light! Upon landing, a roll and you're already in front of the stone platform!

The whole process took less than three seconds. Chen Yu was panting heavily, his clothes burned through several holes in the back, and his skin felt scalded. But he had succeeded!

The Kaiyang Key on the stone platform was warm to the touch, even hotter than the Tianquan Key. The token was dark red, like congealed blood, with the words "Kaiyang" engraved on the front and a simple sketch of a volcanic eruption on the back.

[Obtained: Kaiyang Key]

The sixth of the Seven Star Keys corresponds to Mizar, the star of the Big Dipper.

【Features: Compatible with earth and fire, capable of controlling low to medium temperature flames】

Just as Chen Yu put away the key, the cave suddenly trembled! The flames on the seven stone pillars surged, converging into a fireball in the center of the cave. The fireball spun, gradually taking shape—it was a phoenix made of flames!

"The formation's guardian spirit!" Chen Yu's heart skipped a beat. Master Xuanzhen had actually sealed the essence of fire within the formation as a final test.

With a long cry, the phoenix flapped its wings and swooped down! A wave of heat rolled in, and the temperature inside the cave instantly soared to over 100 degrees Celsius!

Chen Yu retreated hastily, simultaneously considering a solution. The Kaiyang Key could control flames, but it required time to refine. Now, he had to resort to other methods...

He took out a water bottle from his backpack and poured all the water onto the fire phoenix. The ordinary water instantly vaporized under the high temperature, but it did manage to momentarily stun the fire phoenix. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Chen Yu took out the Heavenly Key—a token with fire affinity; perhaps it would be useful.

As spiritual energy was infused into the Heavenly Key, the Crimson Jade Token emitted a red light. The Fire Phoenix seemed to be attracted by the red light, and its movements slowed down.

"It really worked!" Chen Yu was overjoyed. He raised both fire-attribute tokens simultaneously and poured all his spiritual energy into them. The red light of the Tianquan Key and the dark red light of the Kaiyang Key intertwined, forming a light screen.

The fire phoenix hovered before the light barrier, ceasing its attack. After a stalemate of about a minute, the fire phoenix let out a clear cry, dispersed into seven balls of flame, and flew back to the stone pillar. The cave returned to calm, and the temperature began to drop.

Chen Yu breathed a sigh of relief, only then feeling the pain from the multiple burns on his body. He took out a hemostatic and tissue-regenerating powder to apply to the wounds, and then took a Qi-nourishing pill to restore his spiritual energy.

With the crisis averted, he began to carefully explore the cave. Besides the Kaiyang Key, there should be something else here—Master Xuanzhen wouldn't have left only one key.

Using his spiritual eye technique, he discovered a hidden compartment beneath the stone platform. Upon opening it, he found a roll of animal hide covered with intricate array diagrams: the "Earth Fire Control Array." This was a high-level array capable of manipulating earth fire for alchemy, weapon crafting, and even the creation of fire-attribute magical artifacts.

"Good stuff!" Chen Yu carefully put it away. With this, he could utilize the geothermal resources from now on.

Just as he was about to leave, a muffled sound came from deep within the cave, like the sound of a stone falling. Chen Yu looked over warily—there was an even deeper entrance there, which he hadn't noticed before.

He approached to examine it; the cave entrance led downwards, with steps. The steps were man-made, very rough, but clearly very old. Driven by curiosity, he followed the steps downwards.

After climbing about thirty steps, we arrived at a smaller cave. The temperature here was normal, and there was no fire. In the center of the cave was a stone workbench, on which were placed several unfinished magical artifacts: a broken sword, a cracked alchemy furnace, and several jade slips that were only half-carved.

On the stone wall beside the workbench, several lines of text were carved: "The earth's fire is fierce, destroying three of your tools. Your mind is restless and agitated, your foundation for cultivation will be damaged. Leave this place temporarily to calm your mind and comprehend the Dao. When you achieve success in the future, we will continue our journey together. —Written by Xuanzhen"

The handwriting was messy, as if it had been hastily carved. Chen Yu could imagine the scene at the time: Master Xuanzhen was trying to refine a magic weapon here, but because the earth fire was difficult to control, he failed repeatedly. In his impatience, he decided to leave temporarily.

"It seems even a True Immortal like Xuanzhen will encounter setbacks," Chen Yu thought to himself. The path of cultivation is indeed not smooth sailing.

He inspected the unfinished products. The broken sword was made of a special alloy; although broken, the fracture was sharp and could still be used as a short blade. The cracked alchemy furnace was a pity; otherwise, it would have been far more advanced than the one he was currently using. The contents of the jade slip were incomplete; he could only see words like "fire essence" and "taming."

Chen Yu sheathed the broken sword, leaving the rest untouched. Before leaving, he bowed to the stone wall: "Senior's teachings will be remembered by this junior."

It was three o'clock in the afternoon when they returned to the crater valley. The sunlight slanted in, and the pools in the valley reflected golden light. Chen Yu found a flat rock to sit on and ate some dry rations to replenish his strength.

"Master, there's new information." The voice of Pseudo-Man No. 7 sounded in my consciousness, "Several suspicious people have come to Xiqiao Mountain Scenic Area, two men and one woman, carrying professional geological exploration equipment, but their behavior is not like that of a geological team member."

"What characteristics?"

"Both men were in their thirties, strong and capable. The woman was in her late twenties, wore glasses, and looked like an intellectual, but her hands... had calluses on the base of her thumbs, as if she used a gun for many years."

"where are they?"

"They're currently at the Volcano Geology Museum, but they keep asking about the locations of the 'Ancient Volcanic Crater' and the 'Lava Caves.' The staff says those places are dangerous and won't let them go, and they seem quite unwilling to accept that."

Chen Yu frowned. Again, people searching for the Xuanzhen Relics? But the Dragon Seeking Society is defunct, and the men in black have dispersed. Who are these people?

"Continue to monitor them and investigate their identities."

"Yes. Also, Lin Wanru sent a telegram from Hong Kong asking if you need to arrive in Hong Kong in advance, and she can make arrangements."

Reply to her: proceed as planned, February 15th.

The call ended, and Chen Yu fell into deep thought. There were still eleven days until his departure for Hong Kong, and the last key to the divination was still at Baiyun Mountain. He had enough time, but the sudden appearance of this group of people might cause trouble.

He decided to go to Baiyun Mountain as soon as possible. But he had exhausted himself today and needed to rest and recover.

After descending the mountain and returning to Guanshan Town, Chen Yu found a small inn to stay in. That night in his room, he began refining the Kaiyang Key.

The refining process was more difficult than the previous keys. The earth fire energy within the Kaiyang Key was violent and needed to be slowly tamed with spiritual energy. Chen Yu swallowed two Qi-Nourishing Pills, held the token in both hands, and channeled spiritual energy into it like a trickle.

The token initially resisted, its temperature rising until it burned his palm. But Chen Yu persisted, continuously channeling spiritual energy into it. An hour later, the token's temperature began to drop, and two hours later, the token recognized him as its master, establishing a connection with him.

After refining, Chen Yu found that his perception of flames had become much more acute. He could even sense the "breathing" rhythm of the oil lamp flame in the room and could vaguely control the size of the flame.

"This is the affinity between earth and fire..." He tried to introduce a trace of earth and fire energy into his meridians, but immediately felt a burning pain and stopped. "No, my cultivation is not high enough to absorb it directly."

Although he couldn't absorb it, his ability to control flames had indeed improved. Chen Yu estimated that if he drew a fireball talisman now, its power would increase by 30%.

Late at night, Pseudo-Man No. 7 reported again: "Master, we've found them. Those three people checked into the town's guesthouse, registering as researchers from the Institute of Geology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. But when we contacted Beijing to verify, the Chinese Academy of Sciences has no records for these three people."

"Fake."

"Yes. And the lights were on in their room very late tonight; they seemed to be studying a map. I saw from the window that they had a hand-drawn map of Xiqiao Mountain with seven red dots marked on it—very similar to the markings on your animal hide map!"

Chen Yu's heart skipped a beat. Had someone leaked information about the Xuanzhen Relics? Or did these people have other sources of information?

"I'll leave Xiqiao Mountain for Baiyun Mountain first thing tomorrow morning. You continue to keep watch, but don't expose yourselves."

"Understood. Master, should we scout out Baiyun Mountain first?"

"Yes, we need to send two people to investigate the main Taoist temples and hidden caves in Baiyun Mountain."

"Yes."

After hanging up the call, Chen Yu lay in bed, unable to sleep. He had obtained six of the Seven Star Keys; victory was in sight. But the final step was often the most dangerous.

Moonlight streamed through the window and fell on the headboard.

Chen Yu gazed at the moon and thought of Qin Huairu. The last time he received a letter from her, she said that it had snowed in Beijing in the spring and that the old jujube tree in the yard had sprouted new buds.

"Once I've collected all seven keys, I'll go to Hong Kong. Once I've established myself there, I'll bring you and the children over," he murmured to himself.

He was determined to fulfill this promise.

It wasn't for any grand ambition, but simply for the woman waiting for him in the courtyard house, and for the child who hadn't been born yet.

Chen Yu closed his eyes and entered the small world to cultivate.

The medicinal herbs beside the spiritual spring are growing well, and the purple-gold grass has bloomed again. The components of the Seven Luminaries Alchemy Furnace are laid out to the side, waiting to be assembled once all the parts are collected.

Everything is moving forward.

Just one more step.

last step.