He changed Tiwat

But these words are not suitable for him to say. The suffering Shen He has endured cannot be glossed over with a few light words.

So in the end he said nothing.

In silence, the carriage arrived at its destination.

Han Fulai instructed the coachman, Lao Luo, to wait there, and then got out of the carriage with Shen He. Before them lay the foot of Tianheng Mountain, a place he knew very well. Not far from this foot of the mountain was the "Wangshan Hall," the important headquarters of the Ancient Hua Sect. Last time he and Zhiruo came here, it took them several hours to travel back and forth, and it was already evening by the time they arrived. Fortunately, this time they had a carriage, and the sun was still shining brightly.

However, their destination this time was not "Wangshan Hall." According to records Xingqiu found in ancient books, the grotto-heaven of the True Lord of Qixia of the Sea was not far to the west of this place. But when Han Fulai looked around, he only saw a flat expanse; where was this grotto-heaven?

Shen He stepped forward, reached out and made a gesture in the air, summoning a silver-white talisman.

She silently recited the incantation, secretly channeling her immortal power. Amidst the flashing silver light, a Bagua compass disappeared as the talisman rotated. The air seemed to ripple like the surface of water, and the scene before her eyes changed completely!

Suddenly, a small bridge, flowing water, stone lanterns, and pillars appeared in the open space before them.

“There was some special immortal magic here that concealed our tracks, but I’ve already erased it. In my memory, the cave heaven of True Lord Minghai Qixia should be in that direction.” Shen He pointed in a direction and led Han Fulai toward the cave heaven.

"The magic of immortals is truly amazing," Han Fulai exclaimed.

“Most secret realms are like this,” Shen He said. “I once came here with my master. I remember my master using magic to bring me in like this.”

The two walked forward along the stone bridge.

"Miss Shenhe just mentioned secret realms. I wonder what other secret realms Liyue has?" Han Fulai asked.

"My master has shown me three secret realms." Shen He didn't care that the secrets of the immortals were leaked to Han Fulai, and introduced them to Han Fulai in great detail.

“One place is the ‘Thunderous Mountain Palace,’ which my master said is operated by the secrets of ‘Mountain Connection,’ with countless thunderstorms hidden inside the mountain. I could hear the faint sound of rolling thunder from the doorway.”

“One place is the ‘Huaqing Guizang Secret Palace’. It looks like just a clear pool, but it is said that there is a secret treasure hidden beneath the pool that can make mortals lose their minds. My master said it is called ‘The Secret of Guizang’.”

“There is another place called ‘The Palace of Innocent Blame’. My master told me that I must never enter it. She said that a vicious dragon was once suppressed there. There are seven pillars outside the palace, representing the seven gates of the eight gates. In ancient times, a deity performed a ritual to hide the gate of life among the eight gates, leaving only the seven pillars to trap demons. Anyone who enters will die.”

"These three secret palaces, Master said, are collectively called..."

“Three changes,” Han Fulai interjected, giving the answer.

Even the usually composed Shen He couldn't help but show a surprised expression. "So you knew?"

"I've only read some ancient books." Han Fulai smiled, attributing the knowledge he brought from his time travel to the ancient books.

People have some strange stereotypes. For example, most people believe that computer science students can repair computers, and most people also believe that Chinese literature students are knowledgeable about traditional Chinese culture. In order to conform to this stereotype, Han Fulai actually studied a lot of classical Chinese texts when he went to university, so that he was able to write good poems.

As for the three secret realms that Shen He just mentioned, Han Fulai immediately thought of the "Three Changes" in Chinese history.

The *Lianshan* of the Xia Dynasty, the *Guicang* of the Shang Dynasty, and the *Zhouyi* of the Zhou Dynasty are collectively known as the Three Books of Changes. The *Lianshan* and *Guicang* were lost during the Wei and Jin Dynasties, and only the *Zhouyi* survives today. These three books are classic texts on the *I Ching*. According to the Eastern Han scholar Zheng Xuan: "The *Lianshan* symbolizes the clouds emerging from mountains, continuous and unbroken. The *Guicang* signifies that all things return to and are contained within it. The *Zhouyi* speaks of the universality and completeness of the Way of Change."

Based on Shen He's description, both "Zhen Lei Lian Shan Mi Gong" and "Hua Qing Gui Zang Mi Gong" correspond to the descriptions of "Lian Shan" and "Gui Zang" by ancient scholars. Furthermore, the eight gates and seven pillars of "Wu Wang Yin Jiu Mi Gong" conform to the principles of the hexagrams in the Book of Changes. Han Fulai, who has studied the Book of Changes to some extent, was able to identify "Wu Wang Yin Jiu" as the twenty-fifth hexagram of the Book of Changes: "Tian Lei Wu Wang, Qian above Zhen below".

The "Wu Wang" in this hexagram originally refers to the idea that one should follow the righteous path and refrain from reckless actions in order to safely weather calamities. However, the "Wu Wang Yin Jiu" mentioned in this secret palace means that even without making any rash moves within the palace, calamities will inevitably occur, which aligns perfectly with the immortals' intention to subdue demons and monsters. This is why True Lord Liu Yun warned Shen He never to step into that secret realm.

But what interested him more was not these secret realms, but why the Three Evolutions they represented appeared in Liyue, on this continent of Teyvat.

If the Chinese poetry circulating in Liyue could be explained by the plagiarism of his fellow transmigrator, Gu Hua, how could the Three Books of Changes be explained? No modern transmigrator could bring lost texts to Teyvat. Furthermore, the talismans and Bagua used by Shen He just now seemed quite similar to the I Ching circulating in China. Surely these magical arts weren't invented by Zhongli, the "Ancestor of All Immortals"...

The secrets hidden in Liyue seem to be deeper than he imagined.

After walking for a short while, the two arrived at a waterfall. Behind the waterfall, shimmering light could be faintly seen, revealing a hidden paradise.

"We've arrived. This is the grotto of the True Lord of Qixia in the Sea of ​​Sound," Shen He said.

Chapter Seventy-Eight: Anticipation Awaits in the South; After Descending the Mountain, a Dream Fulfilled [5k]

With both waterfalls and grottoes... Han Fulai thought of one of China's Four Great Classical Novels. Could there be a couplet carved on the stone wall behind the waterfall that reads "Blessed Land of Flower and Fruit Mountain, Grotto Heaven of Water Curtain Cave"...?

Han Fulai and Shen He bypassed the waterfall. Behind the waterfall, there was a closed stone gate on the rock wall, seemingly sealed by immortal magic, with radiant light and precious energy flowing around it from time to time.

And indeed, there were couplets on either side of the stone gate! However, the couplets didn't read the "Blessed Land of Flower and Fruit Mountain, Celestial Paradise of Water Curtain Cave" that Han Fulai had imagined, but rather—

"The mysteries of Yin and Yang, their order and reversal, are inexhaustible; the two solstices return to the Nine Palaces."

Han Fulai stared blankly at the couplet carved by an immortal countless years ago.

Shen He didn't see Han Fulai's expression. She summoned another silver-white talisman from the void and pressed it against the stone door. The stone door shimmered and trembled, but instead of opening, it revealed a strange pattern.

It was a nine-square grid. Within the grid, the eight trigrams occupied separate squares, with Qian, Kun, Xun, Zhen, Kan, Li, Gen, and Dui arranged haphazardly, while the square in the lower right corner was empty.

Above the nine-square grid, a line of large golden characters appeared, the characters vigorous and profound: "Of all the elements of heaven and earth, only rock remains eternally solid. The foundation of solid rock lies in the orthodox tradition. The root of Liyue is eternally free. The wondrous methods of the immortals are obtained by those with affinity."

Shen He read the line of text once and shook his head. Literally, the message seemed to praise the ancestor of all immortals, the Rock King Emperor, but its connection to the nine-square grid below was unclear. Although it was said that "the wondrous methods of immortals are attained by those with affinity," if one couldn't solve the riddle on this door, then one was out of luck.

“When my master brought me here before, the restrictions on the door weren’t like this. Perhaps the restrictions were changed before the death of the True Lord of Minghai Qixia, and I can’t break them.” Shen He honestly admitted that he was powerless to break the door.

She used her magic when she tried to break down the door. If she, a disciple of a celestial family, is not considered a person with a destiny, then what is considered to have a destiny with the celestial family?

At that moment, Han Fulai's voice came from behind her: "Perhaps I can break through this door."

Han Fulai's voice wasn't loud, and his tone wasn't entirely certain, because he was only guessing, guessing that the person with a predestined connection was referring to himself. This restriction wasn't set up against anyone else, only against him, Han Fulai.

He was very familiar with the message on the door, and even with the nine-square grid.

“This restriction was probably not set by True Monarch Minghai Qixia; it was set by Emperor Yanwang,” Han Fulai said.

"Emperor Yan Wang?" Shen He frowned; she wasn't familiar with this deity. However, it wasn't impossible that True Lord Minghai Qixia was an immortal under the Emperor's command, and that Emperor Yan Wang had visited his cave and helped him repair the mountain gate.

“Yes. And the nine-square grid on the door is called ‘Huarong Road’.” Han Fulai took a few steps forward and stood in front of the door.

"'Huarong Road'?" Shen He asked again, puzzled. She had never heard of this term before.

Han Fulai did not explain, because perhaps only he and Zhongli knew the meaning of this ancient game from China.

If we consider the nine-square grid on the door as a chessboard of "Huarong Road", then the way to break the door should be to arrange the eight trigrams on the door into a predetermined pattern.

The clue to what kind of graphic it is lies in the message on the door.

Zhongli knew he wanted to help Ningguang rebuild the Qunyu Pavilion, and of course, Zhongli could guess that he needed the "Mingxia Floating Life Stone." He also knew that the "Mingxia Floating Life Stone" existed in the grotto of the Minghai Qixia True Lord. Therefore, Zhongli left him a test before he found this immortal grotto. The method for solving this test had already been given to him during the Lantern Festival.

Han Fulai recalled what Zhongli had said to him that day during the "Three Bowls and You Can't Cross the Harbor" incident.

"Time flies—people change, and traditions change too. The Lantern Festival is no exception. In ancient times, Liyue was often embroiled in war, and people would light bright lanterns at night to help warriors on distant expeditions find their way home. Today, the custom of releasing lanterns has gradually transformed into a commemorative ceremony. For the people of Liyue, the passing down of the lanterns signifies that the spirits of heroes will never die. These things that are unshaken by time are the 'roots' of Liyue."

“Things that cannot be shaken by time are the ‘roots’ of Liyue.” Han Fulai looked at the words “The root of Liyue, forever free” on the door and softly repeated Zhongli’s words.

"The people of Liyue are resilient and optimistic by nature. No matter how hard life is, they never stop moving forward."

He recalled the pride on Zhongli's face as he spoke of the people of Liyue.

Of all the elements of heaven and earth, only rock remains eternally solid. The essence of rock's solidity lies in its orthodox nature.

Zhongli said at the time, "The towering cliffs have stood for thousands of years, and the clear springs have flowed for ten thousand years. People are able to live on this land because of their hard work."

Even towering mountains will weather away, and surging rivers will dry up; even the longest-lived immortals and gods will one day pass away.

The things that truly represent the roots of Liyue, things that will never be shaken by time, are the people of Liyue and their spirit.

The people, and only the people, are the true driving force behind the creation of Liyue's history!

In Liyue, the place that best represents the people of Liyue is Liyue Harbor, the most prosperous commercial port on the Teyvat continent.

Han Fulai reached out and lightly touched the nine-square grid on the door to confirm that the stone slab representing the Eight Trigrams could be moved.

He repeated the couplet on both sides of the door: "The mysteries of Yin and Yang, their order and reversal, are inexhaustible; the two solstices return to the Nine Palaces."

—Then continue reciting. "If one can understand the principles of Yin and Yang, the universe is in the palm of one's hand. The Yellow Emperor fought Chiyou, enduring years of hardship at Zhuolu. He dreamt that a celestial being bestowed upon him a talisman, which he devoutly performed at the altar. A divine dragon carried a map out of the Luo River, and a colorful phoenix carried a book from the azure clouds. He then commanded Feng Hou to interpret it into written form..."

"...This is where the art of divination and strategy begins. The restrictions of this path are the art of divination and strategy."

The poem Han Fulai just recited was "The Fisherman's Song on Misty Waves," a piece from the Northern Song Dynasty, which discusses the art of Qimen Dunjia. Han Fulai only had a superficial understanding of Qimen Dunjia, but he was very good at reciting poetry. This "The Fisherman's Song on Misty Waves" was practically an essential prop for faking a master of classical Chinese studies, and Han Fulai naturally knew it by heart.

He began to move the stone slabs in the nine-square grid one by one, and with his movements, the stone slabs lit up with golden light.

To break this restriction, one must use the Qimen Dunjia method to arrange the nine-square grid into a specific pattern.

What if the entire layout of Liyue Harbor was designed according to the principles of Qimen Dunjia? If you stand on the Jade Pavilion and look down on Liyue Harbor from the air, anyone with a basic understanding of the I Ching can easily see that the Jade Capital Plaza—the plaza where the annual ceremony to welcome the Geo Archon is held—is exactly a Bagua (Eight Trigrams) pattern.

If we designate Yujingtai Square as the central palace and arrange all the buildings in Liyue Harbor according to the eight gates...

As Han Fulai moved the stone slab, he softly recited, "Kan represents the north. The Xiu Gate is located in the Kan Palace in the north. Merchants traveling by land cross the Liyue Bridge to enter Liyue Harbor, which is auspicious for meeting noble people."

“Gen represents the northeast. The Shengmen (Life Gate) is located in the Gen Palace in the northeast, which is auspicious for seeking wealth. The Feiyunpo (Fairy Cloud Slope), where merchants gather, is located here.”

"Zhen represents the east. The Injury Gate is located in the Zhen Palace in the east, which is suitable for fishing and hunting. The docks and shipyards of Liyue Harbor are located here."

"Xun represents the southeast. The Du Gate is located in the southeast Xun Palace. Du is the direction of concealment. The Golden House, the greatest secret of Liyue and the most heavily guarded place, is located here."

"Li is south. Jingmen is located in the southern Li Palace, which is associated with the fire element in the south. The Black Rock Factory, which is used for smelting and metallurgy, is located here."

"Kun represents the southwest. The Death Gate is located in the southwest Kun Palace, which is unfavorable for auspicious events. It is only suitable for hanging, funerals, executions, and battles. The Bronze Sparrow Yaksha Temple is located at this gate."

"Dui represents the west. Jingmen is located in the western Dui Palace, a place of official disputes and gossip, suitable for... power struggles and intrigues. The Seven Stars and Eight Gates in Yuehai Pavilion are constantly arguing every day."

"Finally... Qian represents the northwest." Han Fulai pushed the last stone slab up. "Open the door to the northwest Qian Palace. Opening the door is very auspicious, suitable for adding children and increasing family members, seeking medical treatment, but not for choosing a place to build a house."

The nine-square grid on the gate has finally taken shape, with eight gates surrounding the central palace, forming a layout of the Qimen Dunjia system in Liyue Harbor.

Zhongli told him that day that if he had time, he should learn more about the local customs and culture of Liyue.

If Han Fulai hadn't had the experience of walking the streets and alleys during the Lantern Festival, hadn't tried to measure the land of Liyue Harbor with his own feet, and hadn't personally seen the various industries in Liyue Harbor, how could he have such a clear understanding of the layout of Liyue Harbor? And how could he have connected the Qimen Dunjia with Liyue Harbor based on the message on the door?

Zhongli's test was asking him: Do you have Liyue Harbor in your heart?

The nine-square grid shone brightly, and suddenly the words and images on the door all mixed up and turned into a golden light that rushed into Han Fulai's palm and instantly flowed through his limbs and bones.

Han Fulai felt a warm sensation all over his body, as if he were soaking in warm water. Every meridian was involuntarily expanding, just like the "Marrow Cleansing" in martial arts novels.

He involuntarily closed his eyes, savoring the sensation of immortal power entering his body. Suddenly, an image appeared in his mind—a fisherman wearing a straw hat, his back visible, sat beside a vast expanse of misty water, fishing. With a flick of his wrist, the fisherman lifted his rod, and a huge golden scale burst from the water. With another flick of his wrist, the scale fell back into the water. The fisherman's hook was a straight hook!

A familiar voice came from the scene to Han Fulai's ears: "Those who are willing will take the bait."

Han Fulai smiled. If we're talking about affinity with immortals, he truly had a deep connection. Back during the Battle of Oser, he had witnessed Granny Ping and others transferring immortal power to everyone present. Zhongli was the ancestor of all immortals, and since they were so familiar with each other and had promised to protect him, transferring some immortal power to his subordinates for protection was naturally a piece of cake. He had passed Zhongli's test, and the immortal power within this restriction was Zhongli's reward to him.

"What just happened?" Shen He saw the strange phenomenon but was puzzled.

"I received a belated Lantern Festival gift." Han Fulai smiled and pushed open the stone door.

The two entered the cave of the True Lord of Qixia in the Minghai Sea, and the scene immediately changed.

Han Fulai and Shen He stood on a stone platform. The waterfall they had just seen appeared behind them, while before them stretched an endless sea of ​​clouds. Thousands of cliffs vied for attention, and ten thousand ravines raced with torrents. Vegetation and trees covered everything, like rising clouds and rosy mists—a truly magnificent scene of a celestial abode!

"This is the immortal grotto of the Minghai Qixia True Lord. If nothing unexpected happens, the Mingxia Floating Life Stone we are looking for is here." Shen He looked around at the scenery, which was exactly the same as the immortal lord's grotto in her memory.

"It truly is a hidden paradise, but how do we find the Mingxia Floating Life Stone?" Han Fulai looked at the surging sea of ​​clouds before him, feeling as if the stone slab beneath his feet was the only island on the vast waves of the sea.

Shen He strode forward nonchalantly, saying as he went, "These aren't real clouds, but rather a spatial manipulation technique. To find the treasure, we must first destroy the mechanism that maintains the technique."

Han Fulai followed behind Shen He, cautiously testing the clouds with his feet. Sure enough, he felt a sense of solid ground beneath his feet, and only then did he feel at ease and boldly follow Shen He's steps.

After traveling for a while, a huge bronze furnace appeared before them. At the top of the furnace, a cube radiating white light was constantly rotating. Around the furnace, the sea of ​​clouds was covered with mysterious runes.

Shen He examined the bronze furnace carefully and said, "That is the core of the spatial array in the cave. If you want to see the treasure trove of True Monarch Minghai Qixia, you must break this array. Be careful, the array must be guarded."

Han Fulai recalled Xingqiu's earlier warning to him: "Immortal grottoes are exquisitely constructed and usually come with their own defense mechanisms. Now that it has been abandoned for so long, it may give birth to demons and monsters."

"I wonder what kind of defense mechanism this magic array will have?" Han Fulai secretly hoped that the defense mechanism of this magic array would not be too strong, so that he could test how powerful the immortal power he had just obtained was.

"You'll know once you try," Shen He said, and then strode into the magic array.

Nothing appeared within the magic circle; there were no demons, no monsters, and no mechanisms seemed to have been triggered.

But Shen He stood still, motionless.

After a short while, seeing that Shen He still hadn't made a move, Han Fulai couldn't help but call out, "Shen He?"

Shen He did not respond.

"Shen He, can you hear me?" Han Fulai raised his voice, but Shen He still did not respond.

It seems there's something strange about this magic array! Han Fulai knew that Shen He must be affected by the array, but he didn't know what its effect was. In any case, he absolutely couldn't step into the array again now; they couldn't both be affected by it at the same time, otherwise they might both be trapped and die inside.

He was currently right next to the magic array and hadn't been affected at all, indicating that even if the array's defense mechanism was activated, its range only covered the area within the array itself and wouldn't extend too far. Judging from Shen He's performance, the array's effect was likely either to bind a person's body or to render them unconscious... However, Han Fulai knew too little about magic to determine exactly which type of array it was.

Since that's the case, let's find an expert who knows a lot about magic to help! Han Fulai once again cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted to the sky with a strong voice, "Immortal Xiao! Save people!"

His voice echoed far and wide in the cave, but this time, Xiao Shangxian, who was always available to save lives and protect oneself, and was an essential companion for home and travel, did not appear.

Han Fulai called out several more times, but Xiao still did not appear.

He recalled what Shen He had just told him: the clouds beneath their feet were a spatial barrier spell. Therefore, his cries were likely also affected by the spell, trapped inside the cave. In other words, he was now completely isolated and helpless.

At this point, he could only rely on himself, and he also had the immortal power given to him by Zhongli.

Han Fulai thought for a moment, then mimicked Zhongli's skill activation in the game, spreading his arms wide and shouting, "As solid as a rock!"

Nothing happened.

"Impregnable!"

Nothing happened.