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

The black jeep sped out of Nanluoguxiang and headed west along Gulou East Street. The street scenes outside the window rushed past. Chen Yu sat in the back seat, his left hand unconsciously stroking the outline of the Ninth Bureau badge in his breast pocket. The middle-aged man who had knocked on the door earlier was driving, and his companion was in the passenger seat. Both of them were silent, with only the roar of the engine echoing in the small space.

"Can you tell me what it is?" Chen Yu finally broke the silence.

The middle-aged man in the driver's seat glanced at him in the rearview mirror: "Director Lin will explain it to you personally. We are only responsible for pick-up and drop-off."

Chen Yu asked no more questions. He looked out the window; Beijing was bathed in the glow of the setting sun, bicycles streamed along the streets, and workers hurried home from get off work—everything seemed calm and orderly. But beneath this tranquility, how many undercurrents were surging, unknown to ordinary people?

About half an hour later, the jeep drove onto a quiet side road in the western suburbs, with lush trees on both sides blocking the view. After driving for another ten minutes, the car stopped in front of what appeared to be an ordinary courtyard. The courtyard wall was high, topped with barbed wire, and the two heavy iron gates were tightly closed.

The gatekeeper checked the identification, and the iron gate slowly opened. The car drove in, and Chen Yu discovered a completely different world inside—the yard contained seven or eight vehicles of different models, a three-story building, and several warehouse-like structures. In a corner, several young men in plain clothes but with a sharp, capable air were training; their movements were clean and efficient, clearly indicating professional training.

"We've arrived." The middle-aged man parked the car. "Director Lin is waiting for you in the conference room of Building Two."

Chen Yu got out of the car and followed the two into Building No. 2. The corridor had terrazzo floors and the walls were painted a light green, resembling an ordinary government office building. However, Chen Yu's spiritual sense could detect that the walls were embedded with some kind of soundproofing and anti-detection material, and there was a very faint spiritual energy fluctuation in the air—it was a protective array.

The conference room was on the third floor. Pushing open the door, Chen Yu found Lin Wei already inside, along with two other people he hadn't seen before.

"Comrade Chen Yu, please sit down." Lin Wei gestured for him to sit down at the conference table. "Let me introduce you. This is Professor Sun Wenbo from the Institute of Archaeology, and this is Comrade Li Yuanchao from the Bureau of Cultural Relics."

Chen Yu shook hands with the two men. Professor Sun was in his fifties, wearing black-rimmed glasses, with gray hair, a typical intellectual. Li Yuanchao was in his early forties, with a square face, sharp eyes, and a firm handshake.

"It's urgent, so let's get straight to the point." Lin Wei opened the folder on the table and pushed it towards Chen Yu. "Take a look at this first."

The folder contained several reports and photos. Chen Yu opened it; the first report was titled "Brief Report on the Investigation of the Anomaly at the Ming Dynasty Tomb in Xishan."

"Three days ago, the Archaeological Institute discovered a Ming Dynasty tomb at the foot of Xishan Mountain," Professor Sun continued, his tone carrying an academic rigor. "Based on the epitaph, the tomb's occupant was preliminarily identified as Zhou Wenyuan, a Vice Minister of Works during the Chenghua era of the Ming Dynasty. The tomb's specifications are not high, but it is well-preserved and of great archaeological value."

Li Yuanchao added, "We originally planned to start the formal excavation today. But last night, the guards reported unusual noises in the cemetery. When we arrived this morning, we found signs of damage at the entrance to the tomb passage, and..." He paused, "...there were unusual noises coming from inside the tomb."

"A sound?" Chen Yu looked up.

"It sounded like... metallic scraping, and there were whispers." Professor Sun adjusted his glasses. "We tried using equipment to detect abnormal energy fluctuations within the tomb. The strangest thing is that all electronic devices malfunctioned when they were near the entrance to the tomb passage."

Lin Wei continued, "After testing by the Ninth Bureau, it was confirmed that there are spiritual energy fluctuations within the ancient tomb, with an intensity between the third and fourth levels of Qi Refining. Moreover, we found this at the entrance of the tomb passage."

She pushed a photograph towards her. The photograph showed the blue brick wall at the entrance to the tomb passage, with a strange symbol carved on it—a circle with three wavy lines inside, like some kind of mark.

"This is a symbol used in the spiritual practice world," Lin Wei said. "The circle represents a 'grave,' and the wavy line represents 'water.' Together, it means 'water belongs to the grave, containing profound mysteries.' The symbol is very new; it was engraved no more than three days ago."

Chen Yu's heart skipped a beat: "Someone left a mark in the ancient tomb? For whom?"

"For our accomplices, or for those who come after us." Lin Wei's expression was serious. "We believe that cultivators have their eyes on this ancient tomb, and they've already gone inside. The question is—why would the tomb of a Ming Dynasty official attract cultivators?"

A brief silence fell over the meeting room.

"There are two possibilities," Chen Yu said after thinking for a moment. "First, the tomb contains things that cultivators need, such as magical artifacts, elixirs, or cultivation manuals. Second, the tomb owner himself was a cultivator, or was related to the cultivation world."

"We prefer the second option." Professor Sun took out several rubbings from his briefcase. "These are rubbings of text taken from the epitaph. Look here—"

He pointed to one of the lines: "'When you were young, you were taught by a strange man and became versed in the arts of Yin and Yang.'"

"The art of communicating with Yin and Yang..." Chen Yu pondered, "This might be a euphemism; in reality, it's cultivation."

"And here too." Professor Sun pointed to another spot, "'In his later years, he retired to the Western Hills, built a house, and practiced alchemy.'"

Alchemy! Chen Yu's eyes lit up. If the tomb owner was indeed a cultivator who practiced alchemy, then the tomb likely contained elixirs or formulas. These things were of immeasurable value to cultivators.

"So the current situation is," Lin Wei summarized, "that an unknown cultivator has broken into the ancient tomb, with unclear motives. The archaeological team cannot enter—it's too dangerous for ordinary people. We need a cultivator to go in, investigate the situation, assess the risks, and, if necessary, stop their actions."

She looked at Chen Yu: "Comrade Chen Yu, you are the most suitable candidate. First, you are a cultivator and can handle the spiritual energy environment inside the tomb. Second, you are a native of Beijing and familiar with the terrain of Xishan. Third, you have official status, and your actions are legal and compliant."

Chen Yu didn't agree immediately. He thought for a moment and asked, "How many people are on the other side? What's their strength?"

"Judging from the residual spiritual energy, there are at least two people with cultivation levels at the third to fourth level of Qi Refining," Lin Wei said. "Your cultivation level is at the fourth level of Qi Refining, and you have a Fire Spiritual Root. Fire counters water, so you may have an advantage in terms of attributes. Moreover, we will send a special operations team to provide support from the perimeter."

"Mission deadline?"

"The sooner the better. Tonight would be best," Li Yuanchao interjected. "During the day, there are too many people around, making it easier to attract attention. At night, we can move around more discreetly, but it's also more dangerous."

Chen Yu weighed the pros and cons. Rationally speaking, he had only recently recovered and shouldn't take any risks. But from a sense of responsibility, since he was cooperating with the Ninth Bureau, he should fulfill his duties. Moreover, if there were indeed cultivation resources in the ancient tomb, it would benefit him as well.

"I need to prepare," Chen Yu finally said.

"Okay," Lin Wei nodded. "What equipment do you need?"

"A dagger, a rope, a flashlight, and..." Chen Yu paused, "...something like a talisman to ward off the corrosive Yin energy. The Yin energy in the ancient tomb is heavy, which is also detrimental to cultivators."

Lin Wei looked at Li Yuanchao. The latter thought for a moment and said, "The Cultural Relics Bureau has several jade artifacts unearthed from ancient tombs, which are said to have the power to ward off evil spirits. We can borrow them."

An hour later, Chen Yu was ready.

He changed into dark civilian clothes, with a military dagger issued by the Ninth Bureau hanging at his waist and a backpack containing ropes and tools slung over his back. A jade disc, made of mutton fat, was worn close to his chest—this was brought from the Cultural Relics Bureau warehouse by Li Yuanchao; it was said to be ancient jade from the Han Dynasty, and indeed emitted a faint aura of righteousness, capable of warding off evil spirits.

Most importantly, he kept the Vermilion Bird Key close to his body. This key was not only his greatest trump card, but its Vermilion Bird Fire power could also suppress the chilling aura within the ancient tomb.

As night fell, two jeeps silently drove out of the Ninth Bureau base and headed towards Xishan.

Besides Chen Yu, there were also Lin Wei and four special operations team members in the car. Although these team members were not cultivators, they were all highly skilled and well-equipped, carrying rifles, pistols, and various special equipment.

"This is a map of the Xishan area." Lin Wei unfolded a military map. "The ancient tomb is here, located in a shady valley at the foot of the mountain, surrounded by mountains on three sides, with only one small path leading in."

She pointed to a red circle on the map: "We'll set up an ambush at the valley entrance. Once you're inside, if you encounter any danger, fire a signal flare. We'll provide immediate support."

"If the opponent is too strong, your support will be useless," Chen Yu said frankly.

"So we also prepared this." Lin Wei took out a metal box from under her seat, opened it, and inside were several grenade-shaped objects, but their surfaces were engraved with complex runes.

"Spirit-Breaking Thunder," she explained. "A weapon specially made by the Ninth Bureau. When it explodes, it releases a large amount of chaotic spiritual energy shock, interfering with a cultivator's spellcasting. Although it cannot kill a cultivator, it can create an opportunity to escape."

Chen Yu picked one up; it felt heavy in his hand. He could sense the violent spiritual energy sealed within; once detonated, its power would be formidable.

"Take two each," Lin Wei distributed. "Remember, don't use them unless absolutely necessary. These things can't distinguish between friend and foe; all cultivators within the blast radius will be affected."

At 8 p.m., the car stopped three miles from the ancient tomb. Everyone got out and continued on foot.

On a June night in the Western Hills, insects chirped and a cool breeze blew. The moonlight was obscured by clouds, with only a few scattered stars, plunging the forest into darkness. The special operations team members donned night vision goggles, while Chen Yu activated his Spiritual Eye Technique—in this environment, the Spiritual Eye Technique was more effective than night vision goggles, allowing them to not only see the terrain clearly but also sense spiritual energy and life force.

After walking for about twenty minutes, a narrow valley entrance appeared ahead. At the valley entrance, two tents stood alone, which was the archaeological team's temporary camp, but they were empty at the moment—Lin Wei had already arranged for the archaeologists to evacuate.

"This is it." Lin Wei lowered her voice. "The ancient tomb is two hundred meters inside the valley. Chen Yu, you go in alone. We'll set up an ambush here. Remember, safety first. Retreat immediately if things go wrong."

Chen Yu nodded, took a deep breath, and stepped into the valley.

The valley was darker and quieter than the outside. Through the spiritual eye's vision, the surrounding trees and rocks were shrouded in a faint gray-black aura—yin energy, a unique environmental characteristic of the area near ancient tombs. The further in one went, the denser the yin energy became, and the temperature dropped noticeably.

After walking about 150 meters, Chen Yu saw the outline of the ancient tomb.

It was an inconspicuous mound of earth; if the entrance to the tomb passage hadn't been excavated, it would be impossible to tell it was an ancient tomb. The entrance to the tomb passage was arched and made of blue bricks; at this moment, it was dark and gaping, like a giant maw ready to devour its prey. On the blue bricks at the entrance, the mark "Water Element Tomb" was clearly visible under the Spirit Eye Technique, emitting a faint blue spiritual light.

Chen Yu stopped at the entrance of the tomb passage and probed inside with his spiritual sense. The tomb passage was very deep, extending at least twenty meters, and seemed to end at a stone door. The yin energy inside the tomb passage was dense, greatly hindering his spiritual sense probe, which could only perceive a range of about ten meters.

"No sign of life..." Chen Yu frowned. Either the other party had already gone deep into the tomb, or they had used some kind of covert method.

He took out a powerful flashlight, turned it on, and the beam shone into the tomb passage. Thick moss grew on the blue brick walls, the ground was damp, and there were several rows of messy footprints—some were rubber shoes, some were cloth shoes, belonging to at least three people.

Chen Yu followed the footprints deeper into the tomb. The passageway sloped downwards, growing ever deeper, and the temperature dropped accordingly. After walking about fifteen meters, a stone door appeared ahead, already slightly ajar.

Behind the stone gate was the front chamber, a small space of about ten square meters. As the flashlight beam swept across, Chen Yu saw some fragments of pottery jars scattered on the ground, and blurry murals on the walls depicting landscapes and figures, but they were severely peeling off.

At the far end of the anteroom was another door, which was now fully open.

Just as Chen Yu was about to go in, his spiritual sense suddenly stirred—a faint fluctuation of spiritual energy was coming from behind the door!

He immediately turned off his flashlight, activated his concealment technique, and silently crept to the door, peering inside.

Behind the door lies the main burial chamber, much larger than the front chamber, approximately thirty to forty square meters. In the center of the chamber lies a stone coffin, its lid half-open. At each of the four corners of the chamber was an ever-burning lamp, but both have long since been extinguished. The walls are adorned with murals, relatively well-preserved, depicting an elderly man in official robes refining elixirs.

But these are not the main points.

The key point is that there were people in the tomb—three people!

Two people dressed in black bodysuits were standing beside the stone coffin, searching inside with tools in their hands. A third person stood near the entrance to the tomb chamber, with his back to Chen Yu, seemingly acting as a lookout.

Chen Yu scanned the three people with his spiritual sense and determined their cultivation levels: the one on guard was at the third level of Qi Refining, and the two people next to the coffin were at the third and fourth levels of Qi Refining, respectively!

The other party also sensed something, and the lookout turned around abruptly: "Who?!"

Chen Yu no longer concealed himself and stepped into the tomb chamber. At the same time, he made a hand seal with his left hand, and the Fire Protection was instantly activated, with a faint golden light appearing on his body.

"Ninth Bureau, this is an investigation!" he shouted sternly. "Put down what you're holding and surrender!"

The three were initially startled, but then relaxed when they realized that Chen Yu was alone.

"Ninth Bureau?" The man at the fourth level of Qi Refining stepped out from beside the stone coffin. He was tall and thin, his face covered with a black cloth, revealing only a pair of cold, sinister eyes. "Just you alone? You dare to meddle in other people's business?"

"I'm enough to deal with you all by myself," Chen Yu said coldly.

"Arrogant!" the tall, thin man sneered. "Second brother, third brother, take him down! Don't kill him, leave him alive for questioning."

The lookout and another black-clad man at the third level of Qi Refining pounced at the same time! The two worked in perfect coordination, one on the left and one on the right, blocking Chen Yu's escape route.

Instead of retreating, Chen Yu advanced, raising his left hand and conjuring the Fire Blade! The crimson-gold flame blade radiated a scorching heat, illuminating the entire tomb chamber.

"Fire Spirit?!" the tall, thin man exclaimed in surprise. "You have the Fire Spirit Root?!"

His response was Chen Yu's attack. The Blazing Blade swept across, forcing two opponents back. However, the opponent had three men and was highly experienced in combat; they quickly regained their footing and began a pincer attack.

The limited space inside the tomb made it unsuitable for large-scale, open battles. Chen Yu fought and retreated, gradually being forced into a corner. His mind raced; continuing like this wasn't a solution, he had to end the fight quickly.

He glanced at the stone coffin and saw a faint glow emanating from within. Taking advantage of a moment when the three were attacking, he suddenly changed direction, not charging towards the enemies, but towards the stone coffin!

"Stop him!" the tall, thin man shouted urgently.

But it was too late. Chen Yu rushed to the stone coffin, reached inside, and touched something cold—a jade box! He didn't have time to examine it closely; he stuffed the jade box into his clothes and kicked the stone coffin, using the force to fly backward.

"You're courting death!" The tall, thin man roared in fury, his hands forming a hand seal. Suddenly, the yin energy in the tomb chamber condensed, transforming into several black chains that wrapped around Chen Yu!

Yin Qi Chains! This is a variant of water-attribute martial arts, and its power is amplified in this ancient tomb filled with yin energy.

Chen Yu activated his Fire Protection at full power, the crimson-gold flames clashing with the black chains, producing a hissing, corrosive sound. Fire countered Yin energy, but his opponent was no weakling and held the advantage of terrain, resulting in a stalemate.

The other two seized the opportunity to pounce again.

In a critical moment, Chen Yu made a bold decision—he poured all his spiritual power into the Vermilion Bird Key, activating the Vermilion Bird's fiery power within it!

"Buzz—"

The Vermilion Bird Key vibrated in his arms, and a surge of immense power of fire erupted, flowing through his meridians into Chen Yu's left arm. He clenched his left hand, and the Fire Blade instantly grew three feet longer, a clear phantom of the Vermilion Bird appearing on its blade!

"Vermilion Bird Flame?! How could you have it..." The tall, thin man's expression changed drastically.

Chen Yu didn't answer, and unleashed a slash! The crimson-gold blade light spread like a phoenix spreading its wings, shattering the chains of yin energy wherever it passed! Two black-clad men at the third level of Qi Refining were struck by the blade light, screamed in agony, and flew backward, crashing into the wall and losing consciousness.

Seeing that things were not going well, the tall, thin man turned around and tried to escape.

"Where do you think you're going!" Chen Yu chased after him, thrusting his Fire Blade straight at his back.

But just as the knife tip was about to pierce through, the tall, thin man suddenly turned around and threw something in his hand—a black bead!

"Yin Thunder Pearl! Explode!"

The black bead exploded, and dense yin energy instantly filled the entire tomb chamber. Chen Yu's protective fire automatically activated to resist, but his vision was obscured by the yin energy. By the time the yin energy dissipated, the tall, thin man had already disappeared.

"They got away..." Chen Yu frowned. He walked to the entrance of the tomb chamber and found a pool of blood on the ground—the other party was injured and couldn't have gone far.

He didn't give chase immediately, but returned to the tomb to check on the two unconscious men in black. Both were masked; Chen Yu removed the masks to reveal two ordinary middle-aged faces he didn't recognize.

He then examined the stone coffin. Inside, besides the corpse, were some burial objects, mostly ordinary gold and silver utensils, except for the jade box, which was somewhat unusual.

Chen Yu opened the jade box, inside were three pale blue pills, emanating a cool, refreshing spiritual energy. Several lines of small characters were engraved on the inside of the jade box lid:

"The Cold Marrow Pill is made from the cold marrow of the Western Mountains. Taking it can strengthen the water elemental root and resist inner demons. Respectfully made by Zhou Wenyuan."

He really is a cultivator! And he can even refine pills!

Chen Yu carefully put away the jade box and then checked the rest of the tomb. In a hidden compartment in the wall, he found a roll of animal hide containing the recipes for several elixirs, including the Cold Marrow Pill.

"Quite a haul." Chen Yu's mood improved. Although one escaped, he captured two and also obtained pills and pill formulas.

He fired a signal flare. A few minutes later, Lin Wei arrived with the special operations team.

"How is the situation?" Lin Wei asked, seeing the scene inside the tomb.

"The leader escaped, but we caught two others." Chen Yu gave a brief report, then took out a jade box and a scroll of animal hide. "These were found in the tomb."

After examining the pills, Lin Wei's expression turned grave: "The Cold Marrow Pill... Zhou Wenyuan is indeed a cultivator. These people came to rob the tomb just for these pills."

"Who are they?" Chen Yu asked.

Lin Wei examined the two unconscious men in black and found a token in one of their arms—a black token with the character "water" engraved on the front.

"They're from the 'Blackwater Hall,'" she said in a deep voice. "A branch of the Heavenly Dao Alliance, specializing in water-attribute techniques, and they're treacherous and ruthless."

The Heavenly Alliance! It's them again!

Chen Yu clenched his fist. This organization was a persistent shadow, omnipresent from the South China Sea to Beijing.

"Take these two back for interrogation," Lin Wei ordered. "Chen Yu, you did a great job. You've made a significant contribution to this mission."

The special operations team handcuffed the two men in black and took them away. Chen Yu and Lin Wei were the last to leave the ancient tomb.

It was 11 p.m. when we emerged from the valley. A cool night breeze dispelled the chilling atmosphere of the tomb.

"Chen Yu," Lin Wei suddenly said, "have you ever wondered why the Heavenly Dao Alliance is so interested in this ancient tomb?"

Chen Yu was taken aback.

"Just for a few Cold Marrow Pills?" Lin Wei shook her head. "It's not worth it. Although the Black Water Hall cultivates water-attribute techniques, Cold Marrow Pills are only an aid to them. It's not worth making such a fuss."

"you mean……"

"There may be other secrets in this ancient tomb," Lin Wei said, looking towards the tomb in the darkness. "And we may have only seen the tip of the iceberg."

Chen Yu felt a chill run down his spine.

It seems this matter is not over yet.