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

Dusk comes early in the deep mountains; by five o'clock in the afternoon, the light in the forest was already as dim as twilight. Led by Yang the Cripple, Chen Yu and his group continued their journey towards Eagle Cliff along an ancient path almost completely buried by weeds. Although the battle had been brief, it had taken a toll; Taoist Jingxu's face was pale, and Su Man's arm had been slashed by sword energy, leaving a bloody gash.

"System, second sign-in today," Chen Yu thought to himself. The situation was urgent, and he had used his last remaining privilege of the month.

[Ding! Second check-in successful (consuming the last privilege of the month)]

[Received: Basic Introduction to Formation Principles (Small), Collection of Taoist Restriction Breaking Cases from 1964, Barrier-Breaking Talisman x3, Three Sticks of Spiritual Incense, Spirit Gathering Formation Plate (Portable) x1]

The principles of array formations flooded my mind: Yin and Yang, the Five Elements, the Eight Trigrams, the array's core and foundation... Although it was only an introduction, it was crucial for breaking illusion arrays. The case study collection included twenty-three examples of breaking ancient array formations, three of which involved waterfall water curtain illusion arrays. The barrier-breaking talisman was pale gold, specifically designed to break visual illusions. Lighting the spiritual incense could calm the mind and resist the mental interference of illusion arrays. The spirit-gathering array plate was only the size of a palm, allowing for the temporary setup of small spirit-gathering arrays to replenish spiritual energy.

"Master Yang, how much further?" Chen Yu asked while digesting the information.

Yang the Cripple looked up at the sky: "At this speed, we can reach the foot of Eagle Cliff before dark. But to climb the cliff... we'll have to wait until tomorrow. Climbing at night is too dangerous."

Chen Yu looked at the Taoist priest Jingxu, who nodded slightly—breaking the formation at night was indeed disadvantageous.

"Then let's set up camp at the foot of the cliff and move out tomorrow morning."

After traveling another ten miles or so, the mountain path became increasingly steep. Many sections required climbing using both hands and feet, and Su Man was exhausted. Chen Yu had to secretly continue casting lightness spells on her. Although Yang the Cripple had a limp, he was exceptionally agile on the mountain path, clearly possessing an extremely thorough knowledge of the terrain.

At 6:30 p.m., the group finally arrived at a relatively flat mountain hollow. A hundred feet ahead, a steep, knife-cut gray cliff rose abruptly from the ground, at least three hundred meters high, its top hidden in the clouds and mist—this was Eagle Cliff.

Most remarkably, a silver waterfall cascades down the middle of the cliff, about ten zhang wide, its roar like thunder, resembling a white ribbon descending from the sky in the twilight. Below the waterfall is a deep pool, its water a dark, murky green, shrouded in mist.

"That's it." Yang the Cripple pointed to the waterfall, his voice filled with awe. "There is indeed a cave behind the waterfall. I saw it with my own eyes when I was young. But if you get within ten zhang (approximately 33 meters), you'll feel dizzy, as if countless hands are pulling you back."

Chen Yu activated his full visual acuity and looked towards the waterfall. Sure enough! Behind the waterfall's curtain of water, a faint blue halo flowed, forming a hemispherical energy shield—that was the illusion array! The array used the waterfall's vapor as a medium, drawing upon the terrain's spiritual veins to construct both visual and mental illusions.

What alarmed him even more was that he sensed at least five faint fluctuations of spiritual energy in the dense forest surrounding the waterfall—were they traps? Or something else?

"We'll camp here tonight," Chen Yu decided. "Master Yang, is this area safe?"

"This mountain valley has few wild animals and few poisonous insects, making it one of the safest places in the Great Fog Mountain," Yang the Cripple said as he began clearing the ground. "But we need to make a fire at night because there are wolves in the mountains."

The group divided the tasks: Yang the Cripple chopped wood and started a fire, Su Man treated her wounds and prepared dinner, Taoist Jingxu set up a simple early warning array around the camp, and Chen Yu climbed onto a boulder to carefully observe the environment around the waterfall.

The spiritual compass pointed directly to the center of the waterfall, its needle almost touching the mark – the concentration of spiritual energy there was ten times that of Hong Kong! And this was only outside the illusion array; the spiritual energy inside the cave was probably even more astonishing.

"Fake Man No. 7," Chen Yu communicated via telepathy, "What's the situation in Hong Kong?"

"Master, Sir Zhou's order is 90% complete, and Zhang Min reports that it will definitely be delivered before the end of the month. Miss Lin Wanru has resolved the raw material supply issue, and Boss Li's attempts to make things difficult have failed. In addition, Wang Shizhong from Taiwan left Hong Kong this afternoon, and his destination is unknown."

"What about Lianshan County? Have any new people appeared there?"

"Two suspicious groups entered the county town this afternoon. One group consisted of three people, all of whom were martial arts practitioners, and they checked into the county guesthouse. The other group consisted of two people, an elderly man and a young man, and they checked into a private inn. Our men managed to get close to them and overheard the elderly man addressing the young man as 'Young Master.'"

Young Master? Chen Yu's heart skipped a beat. This title didn't sound like that of an ordinary cultivator; it sounded more like that of a sect or family with a well-established lineage.

"Continue to monitor the situation and report any developments immediately."

"Yes."

After ending the communication, Chen Yu jumped off the boulder. The campsite was already set up: three simple tents were arranged in a triangle, with a campfire in the middle and an iron pot on top, cooking rice porridge and salted meat, filling the air with a fragrant aroma.

"Benefactor Chen, what have you noticed?" Taoist Jingxu handed over a bowl of hot porridge.

"The illusion array is very complete. It has been operating for at least three hundred years, relying on the natural water flow and the spiritual energy of the earth's veins." Chen Yu took a sip of porridge. "The key to breaking the array lies in three key points: the water eye, the earth eye, and the spiritual eye. The water eye is at the source of the waterfall, the earth eye is at the bottom of the deep pool, and the spiritual eye is at the entrance of the cave. All three key points must be interfered with simultaneously for the illusion array to temporarily fail."

"Simultaneously?" Su Man frowned. "There are only three of us. How can we interfere with three places at the same time?"

"We don't need to completely break it, just create three points of spiritual energy disturbance to create gaps in the illusion array." Chen Yu took out a barrier-breaking talisman from his backpack. "I'll use the talisman to interfere with the water eye, the Taoist priest will use the compass to interfere with the earth eye, and Miss Su..." He looked at Su Man's dagger, "Is that dagger a magic weapon? It should be able to interfere with the spiritual eye temporarily."

Su Man nodded: "The dagger is named 'Evil Breaker,' and it does indeed have some special effects. But how long can the interference last?"

"Ten breaths," Chen Yu estimated. "Within ten breaths, we must cross the waterfall and enter the cave. Otherwise, the illusion array will reactivate, and we will be trapped inside."

Ten breaths, roughly thirty seconds. Finding the entrance within the waterfall's curtain of water and rushing in is extremely time-sensitive.

"There's another problem," Daoist Jingxu said, pointing to the dense forest surrounding the waterfall. "I sense that there are five elemental traps there. Metal, wood, water, fire, and earth—five ambushes. If any one of them is triggered, it will cause a chain reaction."

Following the direction he pointed, Chen Yu used his spiritual eye technique to examine the area again. Sure enough! The five fluctuations of spiritual energy corresponded to the five elements: the forest to the east had sharp metal energy (metal), the rocks to the west had heavy earth energy (earth), the grass to the south had vibrant wood energy (wood), the pool to the north had flowing water energy (water), and the waterfall in the center had blazing fire energy—water and fire complemented each other, forming a special balance.

"The five elements interact in a mutually generating and restraining relationship..." Chen Yu's mind raced through his knowledge of formations. "We can't force our way in; we must break through them in the order of mutual restraint: metal restrains wood, wood restrains earth, earth restrains water, water restrains fire, and fire restrains metal. But we must do it in reverse; first break through the central fire position, and then work our way up."

"The central fire spot is in the middle of the waterfall, and it's the hardest to get close to," Taoist Jingxu frowned.

"I have a plan." Chen Yu took out a water-based talisman. "We'll see how things go tomorrow."

As night deepened, the campfire crackled. Yang the Cripple was already curled up asleep in his tent, emitting even snores. Chen Yu and the other two discussed the details of breaking the formation the next day in hushed tones by the fire.

"There's one more thing," Su Man suddenly said. "My family's ancient records state that in addition to the three layers of restrictions, the Xuanzhen Cave also has a 'guardian spirit beast.' But it doesn't specify what it is, only saying that 'only those with the right destiny can see it.'"

"A spirit beast..." Daoist Jingxu pondered. "The cave has been sealed for three hundred years. If there were any spirit beasts there, they should have cultivated to a high level by now. Hopefully, it won't attack us."

"Since it's a guardian spirit beast, it should only attack those who forcibly intrude," Chen Yu said. "We came with the Seven Keys, so we can be considered 'destined ones.'"

Even so, all three knew this was just wishful thinking. Three hundred years is enough time to change many things.

Late at night, Chen Yu was on the first shift. He sat cross-legged by the campfire, cultivating while remaining vigilant. The spiritual energy of the deep mountains continuously flowed into his body, making his cultivation speed more than five times that of Hong Kong. At this rate, he would break through to the sixth level of Qi Refining in less than three days.

At midnight, a strange thing happened!

From the direction of the distant waterfall, a deep roar suddenly came! The sound was not like that of a tiger or wolf, but more like the roar of some ancient creature, shaking the mountains and forests!

Yang the Cripple woke up with a start in his tent: "What was that sound?!"

Chen Yu had already stood up, using his spiritual eye technique to look towards the waterfall. He could vaguely see a pair of enormous golden eyes opening within the waterfall's spray, scanning the mountains and forests, before slowly closing and disappearing.

"It's...it's the mountain god!" Yang the Cripple exclaimed, his face turning deathly pale. "The mountain god has appeared! We can't disturb it!"

Taoist Jingxu and Su Man also came out of the tent, their expressions solemn.

"That's the guardian spirit beast," Jingxu whispered. "Just a glance from it exudes such pressure... it's at least a Foundation Establishment stage being!"

Foundation Establishment stage! Chen Yu's heart sank. A Qi Refining cultivator against a Foundation Establishment cultivator was like a child against a strong man—completely hopeless.

"But it didn't attack us," Suman said. "It just gave a warning."

"Because we are on the outer edge of the formation and have not violated any restrictions," Chen Yu analyzed. "As long as we break the formation according to the rules and enter with the key, it should not stop us."

That being said, no one is entirely confident when facing a Foundation Establishment stage spirit beast.

In the latter half of the night, no one slept. Everyone sat around the campfire, silently waiting for dawn.

On March 11th, at 5:30 a.m., just as dawn was breaking, a thick fog descended upon the mountains, reducing visibility to less than ten meters. The sound of the waterfall seemed muffled and distant in the fog.

Chen Yu and his two companions stood at the edge of the campsite, facing the waterfall. Yang the Cripple was left behind to guard the luggage—what followed was not something an ordinary person could participate in.

"Proceed according to plan." Chen Yu distributed barrier-breaking talismans. "I'll break the central fire position first, the Taoist priest will break the northern water position, and Miss Su will break the western earth position. Then we'll converge and interfere with the three array points simultaneously."

The three separated and approached the waterfall in a triangular formation.

Chen Yu took the central route, directly facing the waterfall. In the thick fog, he could only rely on his spiritual compass and spiritual senses to determine his direction. The moisture grew heavier, and his clothes were quickly soaked.

Fifty meters from the waterfall, the illusion array began to take effect. The scene before them began to distort: ​​the waterfall sometimes became a bottomless cliff, sometimes a gaping maw, sometimes the cries of loved ones... all sorts of illusions flashed through their minds.

Chen Yu immediately lit a spiritual incense stick, its calming fragrance dispelling some of the illusions. At the same time, he circulated the "Tai Xuan Zhen Jing" to maintain a clear mind.

Forty meters, thirty meters, twenty meters...

The pressure was mounting, and every step forward felt like wading through quagmire. An invisible force was pulling at my body, while negative emotions such as fear, greed, and doubt kept surging within me.

Fifteen meters! That was the maximum distance Yang the Cripple reached back then.

Chen Yu gritted his teeth, channeling all his spiritual power. The protective jade talisman activated automatically, forming a pale white light shield around his body. With the pressure slightly reduced, he continued forward.

Ten meters! The pale blue light shield behind the waterfall's curtain of water was already clearly visible. Just then, the central fire array activated!

Suddenly, a beam of crimson flame erupted from the middle of the waterfall, shooting straight at Chen Yu's face! The flame was extremely hot, and steam rose wherever it passed!

Chen Yu was prepared, and the Water Element Talisman was activated instantly! The surrounding water vapor condensed into a water shield, blocking the flames!

"Hiss—" Water and fire clashed, white mist billowing out. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Chen Yu shot a barrier-breaking talisman towards the eruption of flames!

The talisman was affixed to the rock wall, and a burst of golden light erupted! The flames immediately became chaotic, and the direction of the eruption changed.

The central fire position is broken!

Almost simultaneously, a shout came from the north from the Taoist Jingxu: "Earth Vein Suppression!" The golden light of the compass pierced into the deep pool, causing the water to churn violently.

From the west came Su Man's sharp cry: "Evil-Slaying Slash!" The red light of the dagger cleaved through the rocks, and earthen-yellow spiritual energy overflowed.

The Five Elements Restriction is broken!

The three quickly met up ten meters directly in front of the waterfall. At this point, the illusion array's power had greatly diminished, but it was still functioning.

"Prepare to disrupt the array's core!" Chen Yu shouted in a low voice, "Three, two, one!"

He flicked his hands in quick succession, sending three barrier-breaking talismans flying towards the top of the waterfall—where the water's eye was located!

With a turn of his compass, Taoist Jingxu shot out a beam of golden light that struck the deep pool—the Earth's Eye!

Su Man bit her tongue and spat out a mouthful of blood essence onto the dagger. The dagger glowed brightly red and transformed into a crimson rainbow that shot towards the center of the waterfall's curtain of water—the Spirit Eye!

Three forces struck simultaneously!

"Buzz—" The illusion array emitted a low hum, and the pale blue light shield fluctuated violently, revealing a gap large enough for one person to pass through! Through the gap, the entrance to the cave behind the waterfall could be clearly seen—about two zhang high and one zhang wide, with stone steps extending inward from the cave entrance.

"Go!" Chen Yu rushed in first!

Jingxu and Suman followed closely behind!

Just as the three passed through the gap, a deafening roar came from behind them! The guardian beasts of the manor had been alerted!

But it was too late to turn back. The three rushed into the cave, and the light barrier at the entrance quickly closed, isolating them from the outside.

The cave was pitch black, with only a faint glimmer of light filtering through the entrance. Chen Yu lit a waterproof flashlight, shining the beam forward.

This is a naturally formed karst cave passage, its stone walls covered in moss, and its steps slippery with moisture. The air is thick with a rich spiritual energy, several times stronger than that outside!

"We're in..." Su Man gasped, her eyes filled with excitement.

Taoist Jingxu cautiously observed his surroundings: "Be careful, there might be a trap here."

Chen Yu took out the Seven Keys from his pocket. After entering the cave, the Seven Keys automatically floated up, emitting a soft silver light that illuminated the path ahead.

Guided by the silver light, the three walked into the passage.

After walking about a hundred paces, the space suddenly opened up before us—a huge natural cave hall, over ten zhang high and over twenty zhang wide. Stalactites hung from the cave ceiling, and the floor was made of smooth bluestone slabs. In the center of the cave hall stood a seated stone statue.

The stone statue depicts an elderly man in Taoist robes, with a gaunt face, three long wisps of beard, and slightly closed eyes, lifelike in appearance. In front of the statue is a stone platform with two lines of text inscribed on it:

The three trials test the steadfastness of one's Daoist heart.

Seven keys gather to pass on the legacy.

Behind the stone statue, there are three forked paths, each leading in a different direction. At each intersection stands a stone tablet inscribed with ancient seal script:

Left Path: The Danfang (Alchemy Chamber) is a restricted area; unauthorized entry will result in death.

Central Route: Passing through the forbidden area of ​​the pavilion, accessible only to those with the right destiny.

Right Path: Sword Tomb, a forbidden zone, only sword cultivators are permitted to enter.

We've finally arrived at Xuanzhen Cave.

But the real test has only just begun.