Chapter 1056: The Years Immortal's Immortal Artifact

"This shows, Senior Brother Fang, that you are incredibly blessed!"

Lu Yang, ever tactful, stepped forward to congratulate him, looking even happier than if he had completed the map himself.

"Chen Yachong spent centuries and still couldn't obtain the other two map fragments. Yet, Senior Brother Fang, you merely took a stroll and gathered them all. What does this mean? It means this map was destined for you!"

"Exactly, exactly! This must be a very auspicious sign," Meng Jingzhou also stepped forward to congratulate. The two were very articulate, speaking one after another, praising Fang Jin as if he were the chosen one.

The three fragments of the Jade Silk Map overlapped, revealing the map's true appearance.

The map showed a place called the Green Lotus Mountain Range. In the middle of the range, a circle was drawn, suggesting something important was there.

"Where is the Green Lotus Mountain Range?" Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou exchanged glances. They weren't familiar with various mountain names and wondered where it was located within the Great Xia Dynasty.

"Green Lotus Mountain Range..." Fang Jin frowned. He had a vague impression of the name.

"If I'm not mistaken, the Green Lotus Mountain Range was its name during the Great Qian Dynasty."

"During the Great Yu Dynasty, it was called the Jiangbei Hills."

"And by the Great Xia Dynasty, it was known as the Heavenly River Plains."

Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou looked bewildered; it seemed like more than just the name had changed.

"It's quite normal," Fang Jin explained. "Don't forget, there were many cultivators during the Great Qian and Great Yu Dynasties, and their battles were often chaotic, frequently altering the landscape."

"Over three hundred thousand years, human activity has transformed the land. Maps from that era would naturally look very different from today's."

Fang Jin was highly knowledgeable about ancient maps. He remembered the geographical changes from the Great Qian to the Great Xia Dynasties with perfect clarity.

This ancient map was only useful in Fang Jin's hands; other cultivators who obtained it would merely stare blankly.

"Let's go, let's head to the Heavenly River Plains and take a look." With the ancient map in hand, Fang Jin's interest was piqued.

Since he had managed to collect the ancient map through an incredible coincidence, perhaps, as Junior Brother Lu suggested, the treasure truly was destined for him.

The Heavenly River Plains were lush with water plants and grass, with cattle and sheep everywhere. When the three landed, they startled a flock of sheep, which scattered, bleating, leaving behind a field of droppings.

Some lambs, unafraid, bleated and charged towards the trio, only to be quickly snatched away by their mothers.

Fang Jin gestured, indicating the large circle marked on the ancient map: "It's probably right around here."

He extended his divine sense, searching every inch of the area, and discovered something unusual underground.

"It seems there's a secret realm beneath the ground. Let's dig it open and investigate."

"Dig? Why bother? Couldn't we just have old Lu eat the dirt?" Meng Jingzhou suggested.

Lu Yang kicked him. "This place is covered in sheep droppings. No way am I doing that!"

Fang Jin and Lu Yang simultaneously activated their Heaven-and-Earth Manifestation techniques, while Meng Jingzhou activated his Dharma Aspect. Three giants crouched on the ground, digging.

After digging approximately two thousand meters deep, the trio encountered a stone. The stone seemed embedded in the space; even after digging away the earth beneath it, it wouldn't descend. Their attempts to move the stone were also futile.

Fang Jin channeled spiritual energy into the stone. Complex, ancient, and mysterious patterns appeared on its surface, and the stone then exerted a powerful suction, drawing all three of them inside.

When the three recovered their senses, they found themselves in complete darkness.

"It seems there's a suppression here that prevents us from using our divine sense."

Meng Jingzhou looked up and ignited the Pure Yang Flame, illuminating the space.

"A cave?"

The three found themselves in an empty, damp cave. They couldn't feel any breeze, indicating the cave was sealed off.

"Is there some treasure in here?"

Just as Fang Jin was about to take a step forward, he suddenly heard Lu Yang's voice.

"Senior Brother Fang, don't go forward!"

Fang Jin abruptly stopped. "What's wrong?"

"There's a restriction in front of you," Lu Yang warned gravely. "If you step forward, you'll trigger it, and it's very dangerous!"

Fang Jin was startled. He quickly withdrew his left foot, crouched down to examine, and indeed found indecipherable, albeit incomplete, runes ahead.

"This cave appears to be full of restrictions, but someone forced their way through, damaging these runes," Lu Yang stated, presenting the Immortal Fairy's words as his own conjecture.

Even the damaged runes contained incredibly terrifying power, not something they could touch.

"This method of setting up restrictions seems characteristic of the Immortal of Time," the Immortal Fairy mused, stroking her chin. "Since his true form is a tree, he always prefers to put things underground, making them incredibly difficult to find."

"Xiao Yangzi, go ahead. Some fool has already explored the path for you, and the obstructing restrictions have been destroyed. As long as you don't touch the remaining restrictions, you'll be fine."

"The small item at the end of the cave was likely created by the Immortal of Time."

Lu Yang carefully navigated around the restrictions, leading Fang Jin and Meng Jingzhou to the deepest part of the cave. There, they found a small, metal box, roughly the size of a fist, placed on a high platform.

Fang Jin formed a large hand from spiritual energy, grasping the metal box through the air. The box felt heavy in his hand.

"This is Immortal Gold?!"

Fang Jin was startled. If it was made of Immortal Gold, it meant this metal box was at least an immortal treasure crafted by a Half-Immortal, or even, though highly unlikely, an immortal artifact forged by an Immortal!

"Fairy, what is this metal box forged by the Immortal of Time used for?"

The Immortal Fairy pondered, looking troubled. "The small gadgets the Immortal of Time makes all look rather similar; I always get them mixed up."

"However, judging by the appearance of this metal box, it seems to be an immortal artifact that can slow down time."

Lu Yang was astonished. An immortal artifact that could slow down time—that sounded incredible. As expected of the Immortal of Time; his forged artifacts were truly potent.

"To use this box, there's an incantation. 'Immortality as Lord, Time as King' – no, no, that's not it. It's 'Stars revolve at my command, seasons change in an instant' – no, that's not right either. What was it again?"

"Why don't we just ask the Immortal of Time?" Lu Yang suggested. If she couldn't remember, they could just ask the original owner.

"No need, that would be too much trouble going back and forth," she replied. "Just open 'Immortal Sayings', find what the Immortal of Time has said, and recite it sentence by sentence. The incantation must be in there."

"...Alright, I guess."

Fang Jin spent a long time flipping through, unsure how to use the metal box. "Never mind," he decided. "Master and the Grand Elder are very experienced. I'll take it back and let them have a look."

The metal box belonged to the Immortal of Time, and logically, it should be returned to its rightful owner. However, it wouldn't be appropriate for Lu Yang, given his status, to request the box. It would require the intervention of high-ranking sect officials.

*I'll tell Senior Sister once we get back and ask her to find a way to retrieve it and return it to the Immortal of Time,* Lu Yang thought.

"Old Lu, this metal box isn't dangerous, is it?" Meng Jingzhou asked, still uneasy.

"It shouldn't be dangerous. This is a good item left behind by the Immortal of Time."

"That's good then."

"Xiaotian, do you think my punishment for Xiao Meng and Xiao Lu — making them work for free for two months at the Mountain-Moving and Sea-Filling Sect — is too harsh?" The Third Elder had been troubled by this recently and wanted to discuss it with Yun Zhi, but couldn't find her. So, he instead sought out Third Senior Sister Gan Tian for advice.

*I thought you were using this opportunity for them to learn Heaven-and-Earth Manifestation and Dharma Aspect techniques at the Mountain-Moving and Sea-Filling Sect,* Gan Tian thought to herself. *So, you really are just punishing them?*

"Should I call Second-in-Charge back? I'll go get him!" Yun Mengmeng volunteered.