He was in the Ming Dynasty, and his adoptive father was Governor Cao.

Deep within the misty gorge, at the beginning of midnight.

The moonlight, like a ribbon, shone down from the gap between the cliffs, which looked as if they had been cleaved by an axe, and shone on the rocky beach after the tide receded, leaving a silvery-white band of light.

The band of light was narrow and long, pointing directly to an inconspicuous pile of rocks at the end of the fjord.

As the tide recedes, the slippery rock face is revealed.

"That's it!"

Fan Xiping, with his sharp eyes, was the first to notice the clue, and his eyes lit up.

Below the pile of rocks, a natural cave entrance about half a person's height was visible, partially hidden by several jagged rocks. If it weren't for the moonlight shining directly into the cave, it would be completely submerged underwater during high tide and would be extremely difficult to spot.

Xiao Ting and the other two were all somewhat excited.

The Mingyu Divine Skill, which is no less than the third-rank divine skill "Tiangang Yuanqi", is among them!

They quickened their pace and leaned closer for a closer look.

Liu Hongxiu took out a tinderbox, lit it, bent down and looked into the cave. She said happily, "That's right. The cave has been excavated. The ground is paved with bluestone and is quite dry. It seems to be well-ventilated. It should lead directly to the cave inside the mountain."

Xiao Ting nodded: "The two cliffs stand like a gateway, the moonlight is the key, and the receding tide is the path. The creation of all things is truly a marvelous idea."

Fan Xiping said, "I'll lead the way."

Of the three, he had the highest cultivation level, so he was more confident in dealing with any sudden danger.

Xiao Ting cautioned, "Be careful."

Fan Xiping nodded, took the tinderbox, and bent down to crawl into the hole.

The entrance to the cave is narrow, but it gradually widens as you go in, just wide enough for one person to walk upright.

Xiao Ting followed closely behind, with Liu Hongxiu bringing up the rear. The three of them filed in and followed the winding passage downwards.

After walking about half a mile, the sound of flowing water came from ahead.

"There's an underground river," Liu Hongxiu whispered.

Sure enough, after turning a corner, a huge natural cave appeared before the three of them.

The cave ceiling is four or five zhang high, with countless stalactites hanging down. The tide has just receded, and water droplets are still hanging from the tips of the stalactites. Under the firelight, the water droplets refract a faint light, like stars hanging in the night sky.

"Dewdrops hang upside down, condensing into the Milky Way..."

Liu Hongxiu looked up at this extraordinary sight and murmured the verses.

The three of them lowered their gaze to the center of the cave, where a small spring was gushing water, and the sound of the water was coming from it.

"The Mysterious Stone Chamber and Hidden Spring..."

Xiao Ting continued the sentence, his gaze fixed on the spring, raising an eyebrow and saying, "The secret... lies in the spring?"

Fan Xiping stepped forward for a closer look. The spring water was clear and cold, and its depths were unfathomable, seemingly leading to an even deeper area.

"I've been doing external physical training, it should be somewhat effective. I'll do it this time."

Xiao Ting took a deep breath, about to use his internal energy to reach down and check for any traps beneath the spring, when Liu Hongxiu timely handed him the pair of [Golden and Silver Double Absolute Palms], saying with concern, "Wear these, and be extremely careful!"

Xiao Ting took the gloves and put them on. He circulated his internal energy and activated the first level of the Golden Bell Cover, "Qi Circulation Throughout the Body." A faint golden light appeared on his body. He then slowly reached out and probed the spring.

The instant your finger touched the water's surface—

A sudden change has occurred!

The spring seemed to come alive, and a whirlpool instantly formed on the surface of the water. An irresistible suction force pulled Xiao Ting into the spring!

"grown ups!"

Fan Xiping and Liu Hongxiu were shocked and instinctively reached out to pull him, but the suction was too strong. Not only did they fail to pull Xiao Ting back, they were also dragged into the vortex!

"Whoosh—"

Water splashed everywhere.

The three of them felt dizzy and disoriented, as if their bodies were passing through an invisible barrier. Light and shadows swirled before their eyes, and the sound of water roared in their ears. When everything calmed down, the three of them fell heavily to the ground!

"Cough cough..."

Xiao Ting was the first to get up and cautiously looked around. It was a square stone chamber, about three zhang long and wide and about two zhang high. The stone walls were flat and smooth, obviously carved by man.

The room was exceptionally dry, and a faint sandalwood scent filled the air.

The strangest thing is that the spring water is now suspended in mid-air directly above the stone chamber!

The spring water continued to gurgle and swirl in the air, forming a suspended water ring that flowed around the top of the stone chamber.

"This...this is..."

Fan Xiping stared in disbelief at the strange sight overhead, speechless.

Liu Hongxiu stared in shock at the scene: "Water... floating in the air? Could it be...?"

Xiao Ting took a deep breath, suppressing the shock in his heart. This was beyond his knowledge of physics. How did Wanxiang Sheng manage to do this?!

"A magical barrier!"

Liu Hongxiu said in a low voice, her tone filled with awe: "It is said that only experts above the Tongyou Realm, whose cultivation has reached the 'Entering the Subtle' stage, can unite their spirit and qi, and thus interact with the primordial energy of heaven and earth, thereby unleashing profound techniques! The renowned Heavenly Master's Mansion Thunder Technique is one such technique... Some exceptionally powerful sorcerers can even retain their residual magical power for years... But to span four hundred years is simply inconceivable!"

Fan Xiping murmured, "Four hundred years have passed, and this barrier is still intact?!"

All three were deeply shocked.

What level of cultivation has Wanxiangsheng reached?

Xiao Ting's heart was filled with even more shock and disbelief—this fellow villager is really something! No wonder he can stir up trouble in the world of high martial arts!

As a fellow time traveler, he felt immense pressure!

Xiao Ting composed himself and looked at the center of the stone chamber, where three simple wooden boxes, dark red in color, were placed, each the same size and style.

Two of them were unlocked, and one was locked.

The lock is shaped like a handle...

Xiao Ting raised an eyebrow and walked toward the locked box.

Liu Hongxiu and Fan Xiping also went to the other two boxes and opened them directly. At this point, there was no need to be careful; if Wan Xiangsheng truly didn't want anyone to take his things, he wouldn't have let them in in the first place!

The "handle" has twenty-four buttons, each engraved with a character. On the lock of the box, there are five more characters engraved: "Odd changes, even remains unchanged," followed by five spaces.

"..."

Xiao Ting was both amused and touched; this was a kind of care from a fellow villager.

So much time has passed, Wan Xiangsheng shouldn't be so likely to harm those who come after him, there's no need... But just in case, after pressing the five words "Symbol to Quadrant", he immediately used the Golden and Silver Double Palms to protect his head and face.

Click.

The handle split in the middle, and the box opened accordingly. Apart from that, there was nothing unusual.

Xiao Ting breathed a sigh of relief, then looked closely and saw a letter on the top shelf. The words on the letter shocked him:

—To you four hundred years from now.

This line of text is written in simplified Chinese characters.

For a moment, Xiao Ting's heart almost stopped, and he immediately took out the letter.

I don't know what kind of paper was used, but both the envelopes and the letter paper remain as white as new after four hundred years.

He unfolded the letter, and lines of handwriting came into view:

"Seeing the words is like seeing the person."

"Don't be afraid, the words on the envelope are just some fortune-telling techniques. You'll learn them too someday."

"I used to think that the Tui Bei Tu's predictions of the future were really cool. When I was able to do it myself, I couldn't help but want to show off. Unfortunately, like you, I'm all alone for the next hundred years. I have no one to show off to, so I can only show off to you from afar. I hope you don't mind, haha."

The tone and the teasing gradually eased Xiao Ting's tense nerves.

Four hundred years of time seemed to be compressed into a thin sheet of paper at this moment.

He continued reading:

"There's a small gift in the box for you. After all, you live in a rather special era, right in the middle of a 'version update' and a time of great competition (disclaimer: it's really not because I interfered). I hope the contents of the box can help you out."

"The 'Mingyu Divine Skill 2.0' is an enhanced version, removing the side effect of impure true qi in qi-absorbing techniques, so there's no need to worry about hidden dangers. The advantage is that once you master it, you can absorb qi at will, but the disadvantage is that you won't gain decades of power with a single absorption. This world isn't like low-level martial arts; impure true qi has serious consequences, so you can only sacrifice efficiency... In short, you'll understand later."

"It's a pity you arrived too late. Otherwise, with your talent, joining forces with me would have allowed us to unravel the secrets of this world much faster."

"Remember, this is not just a game."

"I have to go to Guixu. That place is a bit eerie, and I don't know if I'll be able to get out. I hope we'll meet again someday—if we're still alive then."

"I've gotten talkative again without realizing it. That's all for now. I sincerely wish you good luck, fellow villager."

The inscription reads: "All things flourish, spring of the seventh year of Chongsheng."

There is no date, only the year.

Xiao Ting held the letter in his hand, remaining silent for a long time.