Chapter 948: Lushan Underground Palace

"The practitioners who confront and fight, all advance in formation. These nine characters, when secretly chanted, can ward off all evils. The essence of the path is simplicity; this is what is meant."

This passage is recorded in "Baopuzi," a text written by Ge Hong, a Taoist leader of the Eastern Jin Dynasty. In it, he mentioned the Nine Secrets but did not elaborate on their true meaning, merely informing people that silently reciting them could ward off evil and eliminate malevolence.

Nowadays, if one speaks of the Nine Secrets, most people are unaware, believing they originated in Japan. Few realize they came from China, and that Esoteric Buddhism (Dongmi) made a transcription error, mistakenly writing them as "Lin, Bing, Dou, Zhe, Jie, Zhen, Lie, Zai, Qian." Tracing their origin, the Nine Secrets can be found in the ancient Chinese text "Baopuzi." It's somewhat perplexing that many now treat those mistranscribed nine characters as the true mantra.

During this period, Ye Fan had visited many cultural artifact repositories not open to the public and read numerous rare editions, hoping to find the cultivation secrets mentioned in "Baopuzi." However, he was disappointed, as all he found were versions already common in the mortal world. From the records in "Baopuzi," it's evident that the Nine Secrets are ancient and not created by Ge Hong. Unfortunately, he didn't elaborate on them, leaving their true meaning unknown. Cultivators who understand ancient history know that these nine characters have an immense origin, and their true meaning has been understood by very few throughout history. It would have been impossible for Ge Hong to reveal it in "Baopuzi."

The Great Xia Dragon Sparrow, a Great Saint capable of overseeing an entire ancient planet, was still alive during the Eastern Jin Dynasty. He eventually engaged in an earth-shattering battle with Ge Hong, after which he vanished. Although these people were descendants of the Great Xia Dragon Sparrow, they didn't know the outcome of that battle. They had only two theories: either their ancestor was sealed away, or he traveled beyond this realm.

Ge Hong was an unparalleled genius in the history of Taoism, revered as the "Little Immortal Elder." Throughout history, how many could truly be associated with the word "immortal"? This alone highlights his astonishing achievements. He came from a family with a profound scholarly tradition and authored numerous works. His grand-uncle, Ge Xuan, was a famous Taoist practitioner who guided Ge Hong onto the path of cultivation, leading to his brilliance in Taoism. In his later years, Ge Hong secluded himself on Mount Luofu. Many later generations searched for him there but found nothing. His astonishing Qi cultivation techniques were never passed down to the world.

Ye Fan didn't trouble the Dragon Sparrow clan. After asking many questions and learning various secrets, he departed. He then traveled along the earth's ley lines, entering Mount Lu. In his view, the branch of the Great Xia Dragon Sparrow clan living in seclusion in Jiujiang had merely drawn a wisp of dragon energy from that purple dragon vein. He speculated that a far more terrifying clan must reside in the true spiritual mountain.

However, upon arriving, he frowned. This purple dragon vein had already dried up, emitting little purple energy. In a few decades or a century, it would become a dead dragon. If the world continued like this, Earth would eventually become a desolate land, a barren star where no one could cultivate.

Many people know Mount Lu from Li Bai's timeless poem, which describes silver waterfalls cascading down like the Milky Way pouring from the ninth heaven, truly a magnificent sight. Ye Fan remained silent, sensing a desolation. Nothing lasts forever, and the spiritual energy here was almost depleted, unsustainable.

He didn't encounter any clans here, but he did sense some ancient formations. He descended underground to investigate. As soon as he went down, he was startled to find an ancient cave winding downwards, its destination unknown. Chilling killing intent emanated from within, which ordinary cultivators would surely be unable to withstand. Although Xiao Song was innocent, it had already cultivated to the Dao Palace Secret Realm. Yet, upon arriving here, it became restless, its crystalline purple fur standing on end, clearly agitated. Ye Fan conjured a light barrier to protect Xiao Song, then slowly descended, determined to see what ancient formations the cultivators had laid out here.

The cave was very deep, leading directly into a massive underground palace. Eventually, it branched into numerous paths and ancient caverns. An ordinary person would get lost quickly after entering. Moreover, the chilling killing intent grew stronger. He speculated that even cultivators in the Dragon Transformation Secret Realm couldn't endure it, and prolonged exposure would surely harm them. "The absence of ancient remnant clans cultivating in seclusion on Mount Lu is likely due to this. This is clearly a place of extinction; over time, it can dissipate cultivation and diminish magical power. For ordinary people, however, it's harmless."

Ye Fan ventured several more miles. The underground palace grew even vaster, enveloped in a deathly silence. The ground was dry and hard, and the rocks mottled, as if no one had visited for countless years. Finally, Ye Fan reached the deepest part of the underground palace, the heart of Mount Lu. Here, flames blazed and an aura of death pervaded. In front of him was a massive altar, bound by iron chains.

At this point, the killing intent had materialized, ringing like countless swords. Even sect masters couldn't withstand it or approach. Furthermore, scorching flames, which were actually fire spirits, surged forth; anything they touched would turn to ash. Had Ye Fan not possessed the Bodhi Seed, even his Sacred Body would struggle to remain there for long. Xiao Song clutched Ye Fan's clothes nervously, its large eyes darting around fearfully.

Ye Fan didn't stop. He took a few more steps forward and finally discerned what was on the altar at the end of the underground palace. His expression changed instantly. Iron chains, made of unknown material, gleamed with a cold, dark light. Even the fire spirits couldn't melt them. They bound a person to a blood-colored altar, from which an aura of immense age emanated, as if it had existed for tens of thousands of years. Whether reflected by the firelight or naturally so, the person's hair was disheveled like red weeds. There was almost no flesh left on the body, only dry bones.

Ye Fan's eyes gleamed as he stood motionless, observing. What a powerful figure this must have been, to be trapped here, with mere killing intent preventing even sect masters from approaching. Alas, after countless years, this person could not possibly still be alive. The fire spirits had burned him to a skeletal state, and upon closer inspection, his torso and head had been severed. Back then, his enemies seemingly feared his resurrection, which is why they imprisoned him here, subjecting him to tens of thousands of years of torment, binding him to the altar to wear away his spirit. Ye Fan didn't approach further. It wasn't worth risking for a dead person, as he discovered that the altar was inscribed with a killing formation, likely of Saint-level, making any further risk unnecessary.

"Oh!" Suddenly, Ye Fan was greatly surprised. As he stood suspended in the air, looking down, he saw a stone map clearly carved onto the altar. "This is..." He opened his Heavenly Eye and found that it resembled a corner of a topographic map, with complex mountains and terrain, its location unknown. What truly terrified him was that this map appeared to have been carved only about a century ago, a stark contrast to the ancient age of the chains and the altar.

Ye Fan examined it closely, growing even more astonished. This map was left by the body whose torso, limbs, and head were all separated. It was etched forcefully by its right arm, which was still bound by the iron chains. "Who exactly was this person, trapped here since at least ancient times, and living until about a century ago...?" Ye Fan was certain that the person was now completely dead, devoid of any vitality. Most likely, they had completed the stone map, fulfilled their last wish, and then passed away. "Back then, was he imprisoned here perhaps because someone wanted to force him to reveal this secret?"

He didn't linger. This was a deadly trap laid down in ancient times, potentially holding unknown dangers. Moments later, he ascended to the surface and departed.

Ye Fan was in Jiujiang, Jiangxi Province. He wasn't in a hurry to return and intended to visit another location within the province: Mount Longhu. Mount Longhu is the ancestral home of the Zhengyi School of Taoism. In Taoist history, it holds a pivotal role, connecting the past with the future and exerting immense influence. However, at that moment, Ye Fan's phone rang, interrupting his journey. He had no choice but to return to City B.

Xu Qiong looked uneasy and asked for his help, as Yang Xiao was planning to head south again, returning to Balingshan to explore the Warring States-era tomb. "Couldn't you just tell him not to go?" "I did tell him, but that bookworm is usually dull and stubborn. Once he makes up his mind, not even nine oxen can pull him back. He said he wouldn't go deep underground, just wait outside to examine the artifacts." Hearing this, Ye Fan nodded and reassured her, saying he would travel south with the archaeology team to Jiangling County.

Reportedly, there had been numerous paranormal incidents at the ancient tomb recently, causing panic in the local area. The authorities had issued a strict order for a thorough investigation, even mobilizing the army to assist with the excavation, ensuring sufficient manpower. Balingshan, comprised of eight mountain ridges, resembles a group of dragons soaring. In ancient times, it was called Longshan (Dragon Mountain) and contained many royal tombs. Legend has it that one could achieve "corpse liberation into an immortal" here.

As soon as Ye Fan arrived, he sensed something extraordinary. The eight dragons coexisted, appearing ready to ascend, pulling the tomb into the nine heavens. The ancients' choice of this site for a burial plot indeed had profound significance. Balingshan was majestic and deep, with rustling pines, misty clouds, and lush greenery. Its terrain was exceptional; though not high, it exuded an aura of soaring dragons. Ye Fan carefully observed and found the grand tomb to be very peculiar. The terrain resembled a slumbering Taoist preparing to ascend to immortality, with the eight dragons acting as guides, pulling it into an immortal's ascent.

The grand tomb had already been excavated, with large quantities of earth and stone piled up into a small hill nearby. The surroundings were lush, filled with ancient towering trees. Just as Yang Xiao had said, there was sufficient manpower and modern equipment. Cartloads of soil were being removed. The ancient tomb had caused a very negative impact locally, and needed to be resolved quickly. In addition to excavators and archaeology experts, soldiers with loaded weapons had indeed arrived, standing guard and awaiting the complete excavation of the tomb.

"This is bad! Just like last time, someone else died mysteriously," someone exclaimed in fear. The tomb entrance was a dark hole, leading directly underground like a bottomless abyss. Stretchers were sent down, and soon several blackened corpses were brought back up. Seeing this, Ye Fan sighed. He had arrived too late to prevent the deaths or offer aid.

People discovered a pair of massive stone gates underground, but they couldn't open them, and several more people died. Finally, the army descended. "Boom!" A loud boom echoed as explosives forcibly blew open the underground stone gates. Instantly, an extremely cold aura rushed upward, causing everyone to instinctively recoil. Ye Fan secretly intervened, using his magical power to block that aura. Unidentifiable sounds wafted up from underground, and all archaeological personnel retreated, feeling utterly terrified.

Not long after, celestial music resonated, seemingly from the underworld, utterly baffling everyone. At this moment, an old Taoist priest and several others took advantage of the chaos to descend underground and enter the grand tomb. "A Warring States-era tomb, connected to ancient Qi Refiners..." Ye Fan flashed inside, seeing a blown-open stone gate. Incredibly, etched upon it were the large characters for "Immortal Mansion of Longevity," written in pre-Qin Great Seal script.