Xu Ying and Yuan Weiyang channeled the Yuan Dao Heavens Induction. Mobilizing the divine sense immortal medicine within their Yellow Court cave-heavens, they converted it into an even more majestic divine sense, reaching out to sense the various heavens one after another.
Acupoints across Xu Ying's physical body resonated with each great heaven. Gradually, he felt wondrous currents of power surging from each of those heavens, filling his acupoints and elevating their might.
Yuan Weiyang, on the other hand, used these energies to visualize deities within her acupoints, cultivating in a manner distinct from his.
Their divine senses resonated in the void, colliding, intertwining, and gradually permeating into deeper reaches of the emptiness, discovering even more heavens.
Yet just as Yuan Weiyang had said, buried within the Mount Li Mausoleum was far more than just Zulong!
The moment their Heaven-Human Induction took form, they immediately saw the already chaotic Mount Li Mausoleum overflowing with powerful resentment, fury, hatred, and blood!
They sensed countless corpses buried amid the mountains. They sensed that the immortal mountains floating in midair were actually the hearts, livers, spleens, lungs, and kidneys of pre-Qin Great Qi Refiners, hovering dripping wet with blood!
They also sensed those Great Qi Refiners who had died unjustly, their Primordial Spirits forged into the spirits of magic artifacts, bearing ceaseless cursed malice as they concealed themselves in the dark corners of the mountains, ambushing and assassinating everyone who trespassed into the imperial mausoleum!
To call the Mount Li Mausoleum a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood was no exaggeration at all!
These entities stirred, disrupting Xu Ying and Yuan Weiyang, attempting to devour and assimilate their divine senses. However, the acupoints throughout both of their bodies were linked to the heavens; even the vengeful spirits of Great Qi Refiners could not shake their divine senses.
Suddenly, both Xu Ying and Yuan Weiyang shuddered violently. In that instant, their divine senses encountered the irresistible pull of a monstrous force!
In the vision of their divine senses, the sky spun, the earth tilted, and a resplendent rift across the heavens leaped into their view.
Hidden within that rift was an exotic realm of time and space, unimaginably wondrous. Immortal mountains seemed to float within it, bathed in radiant celestial light, and within that light stood heavenly palaces inhabited by immortals—just like a paradise!
Their divine senses were drawn inexorably toward that rift in the sky, gradually spiraling out of control!
The two hurriedly resonated with the heavens, every acupoint in their bodies tightening as they forged an ever-closer bond with the heavens, striving to restrain their divine senses before their plunge into the other realm accelerated beyond recovery!
Suddenly, their hands clasped tight. Unconsciously, they held onto each other's hand, as though drawing courage from the contact.
Not far away, Xiao Bo saw this, his eyebrows twitching slightly. He promptly returned his gaze to his nose and his nose to his heart, pretending not to notice. He thought to himself, *Back in Shendu, they weren't just holding hands; they were tasting rouge every day, thinking I didn't see. I suppose I really am getting senile and blind.*
Xu Ying and Yuan Weiyang drew ever closer to the rift. The sky vanished from their sight, replaced by an impossibly narrow, sprawling chasm. On either side were sheer precipices, crawling with all manner of bizarre flesh and blood, encrusted with scales!
Yet the celestial paradise lay right at the end of the abyss, so tantalizingly close, as if calling out to them!
The two strained with everything they had to slow the descent of their divine senses. As they plunged deeper, they seemed to disturb the life within the chasm. Suddenly, across the fleshy cliffs lining both sides, eyes of all sizes opened one after another, glaring at them!
Some of these eyes held terror, some curiosity, others anger, joy, and schadenfreude. But far more held despair—despair, and only despair!
Xu Ying and Yuan Weiyang felt their hearts leap into their throats. As they continued falling toward the "fairyland," they suddenly spotted a figure sprawled across the steep cliff face.
It was a man drenched in blood. His four limbs and ten fingers had mutated into fan-like sheets of flesh and blood, gripping into every crevice of the cliff face, striving upward to drag his body along, inch by agonizing inch, toward the outside!
"Fall back!"
As if able to "see" their divine senses, the man struggled to lift his head and cried out to them, "Ahead lies the Weixu Desolation!"
Dragged by a relentless force toward the "fairyland," he slid downward, the flesh of his limbs and fingers repeatedly snapping under the strain. Only after sliding thousands of feet did he finally regain his hold and resume his grueling crawl upward.
Xu Ying and Yuan Weiyang's scalps went numb. Looking toward the vast cliff walls of the chasm, they now made out countless silhouettes crawling like ants.
Countless people were spending every ounce of effort just trying to crawl out of this abyss!
*Are these the Qi Refiners of the Han dynasty who practiced Heaven-Human Induction?*
Their divine senses trembled. Suddenly, from within the abyss, a boundless, titanic consciousness reached out and connected with theirs.
The instant it made contact, that fathomless consciousness displayed all the splendors of the celestial paradise at the end of the chasm.
In that moment, celestial blossoms showered upon their divine senses. Epiphanies of Dao methods flooded their minds in quick succession, granting a sensation of soaring lightness as though they were ascending to immortality. The mortal world suddenly seemed like a living hell, all human sentiment like filth, all earthly joys like chaff—only by ascending to the fairyland at the abyss's end could one attain ultimate, eternal bliss!
Xu Ying suddenly transmitted a thought to Yuan Weiyang. Instantly, both of their divine senses reversed course, borrowing momentum to shoot upward.
At that moment, a world-shattering roar erupted. Crisp snapping sounds echoed from the celestial realm at the abyss's end, and with a fleeting glance, their divine senses saw the abyss expanding, cracking open!
An unspeakable, colossal eye appeared at the end of the chasm, gazing upon them.
Within that immense eye, countless immortals fluttered.
Suddenly, an immortal's body pressed against the surface of the pupil, revealing a pale, ghastly face.
"Weiyang, hold onto the heavens!" Xu Ying shouted. "Don't get dragged in!"
Their divine senses could hardly maintain their footing, pulled by a massive force toward that eye. Both Yuan Weiyang and Xu Ying frantically reached out to the heavens, trying to anchor themselves, yet against that monstrous power, they simply could not resist!
Within the Mount Li Mausoleum, Old Matriarch Yuan and Madam Yuan flanked Yuan Wuji on the left and right as his vanguard wings. Yuan Wuji continued venturing deeper into the mausoleum. Even though many seals and restrictions had been dismantled, it remained perilous.
The pre-Qin Qi Refiners who constructed the Mount Li Mausoleum had hung magic artifacts throughout the mountains, some of which specifically targeted souls with insidious malice.
Nuo Masters rarely refined their souls; only those who opened the Bubbling Spring secret depository could cultivate their souls to great strength, yet very few ever unlocked that depository.
"Master, what are you looking for, exactly?" Old Matriarch Yuan inquired.
Yuan Wuji smiled. "I have heard that in pre-Qin times there was a wondrous treasure, the Pearl of Marquis Sui, which pierces the heavens and the netherworld, capable of illuminating myriad realms. With that pearl, coupled with my Yuan clan's Myriad Dao of the Heavens, one could enter the spaces of myriad realms and obtain endless treasures. I also heard that the two greatest heavenly artisans in pre-Qin history, Ou Yezi and Gan Jiang, joined forces. Gathering the world's formless, traceless majestic power and refining Qi into a sword, they forged the Tai'e Sword.
"That sword inherits the sword qi of the world; its sword qi can destroy nations, utterly irresistible! The Pearl of Marquis Sui and the Tai'e Sword are most likely inside the Mount Li Mausoleum."
He paused, his gaze growing fervent. "Besides these two treasures, what is most likely buried here are the Nine Cauldrons!"
He waved his sleeve, stirring clouds that billowed forward. Suddenly, a banner fell from a tree in the forest ahead, lightly swaying toward them.
Old Matriarch Yuan and Madam Yuan felt their souls shudder violently, their three hun and seven po nearly shaken to pieces.
Right then, Yuan Wuji stepped in front of them. His Primordial Spirit rose behind his back, vast and boundless. With a single point of his finger, the banner burst into raging flames, no longer posing a threat.
Her heart pounding, Old Matriarch Yuan caught her breath. "Master, this place is too dangerous. I can still hold on, but Weiyang's mother lacks the cultivation. Let her go back to accompany Weiyang."
Yuan Wuji nodded.
Old Matriarch Yuan shot a glance at Madam Yuan and smiled. "Go quickly and stay with the children; I have things covered here."
Though puzzled by her intention, Madam Yuan obeyed and retreated, returning to Xu Ying and Yuan Weiyang's side.
Yuan Weiyang and Xu Ying were sitting hand-in-hand on Yuan Qi's forehead. Seeing this, Madam Yuan could not help but frown, yet she did not stop them, thinking to herself, *Weiyang is a girl after all; she cannot pretend to be Young Master Weiyang forever. As her mother, I also hope she can find a good home.*
She did not realize the peril Xu Ying and Yuan Weiyang were currently facing.
Ahead, Yuan Wuji said, "The Nine Cauldrons date back to an even older era, roughly between the ancient and primordial ages.
"A Sage Emperor named Yu the Great forged the Nine Cauldrons in the likeness of Shenzhou to anchor the destiny of the realm. Did you know? There was another reason for Zhou Qiyun's defeat."
Old Matriarch Yuan said, "This old wife does not know."
Yuan Wuji replied, "Zhou Qiyun's defeat lay in his Hidden Scenery."
Old Matriarch Yuan was thoroughly perplexed.
Yuan Wuji said, "His Hidden Scenery was identical to the land of Shenzhou. He walked across Shenzhou, measured its soil, traveled its mountains and rivers, and turned its terrain into his Hidden Scenery. Once his Hidden Scenery latent transformation unfolded, he could wield the power of the entire Shenzhou against the Heavenly Tribulation, holding all living beings hostage against the Heavenly Dao. When that happened, he would win without fighting, and ascension would be effortless."
Old Matriarch Yuan came to a sudden realization. "The Master speaks the truth."
Yuan Wuji continued, "Yet his error lay precisely in his Hidden Scenery. The Shenzhou of the era when his technique reached completion was not the true Shenzhou, but a sealed Shenzhou. Thus, when the Nai River and the Netherworld invaded, and the sealed realm re-emerged, his Hidden Scenery could no longer merge with heaven and earth. He could not hold Shenzhou's living beings hostage against the Heavenly Dao, forcing him to settle for second best and kidnap heavenly gods instead."
He could not help but laugh out loud. "Madam, Great Qin obtained the Nine Cauldrons, and during the transition between Qin and Han, the cauldrons vanished. There is only one place they could have gone: Emperor Zulong brought them into the Mount Li Mausoleum. The mountains and rivers of the Mount Li Mausoleum are identical to the Shenzhou of ancient times. Tell me, Madam, are the Nine Cauldrons hidden right here?"
Old Matriarch Yuan was his first wife, as well as a supreme expert of the Ninth Level cave-heaven. Hearing this, she said, "The Master's words are very reasonable. But what do you want the Nine Cauldrons for?"
Yuan Wuji smiled. "Zhou Qiyun's deeds showed me a possibility."
His eyes flickered. "To fully activate the Nine Cauldrons, integrate them with my Hidden Scenery, and unfold it across all of Shenzhou, holding every living soul hostage against the Heavenly Dao and the Heavenly Tribulation. Madam, do you think the Heavenly Dao would dare destroy all living beings just to stop me from crossing the tribulation and ascending?"
Old Matriarch Yuan chuckled. "Master, you cultivate the Yuan Dao Heavens Induction, keeping your heart as steadfast as a boulder, immovable through the ages. Why has your Dao heart seemed less stable these past few days?"
Yuan Wuji's body stiffened for an instant before returning to normal. He laughed. "Is that so? Perhaps it is because cultivating the Yellow Court Dao Attainment Art resolved the hazard of being devoured by the Great Abyss during enlightenment, so I have become somewhat unrestrained."
Old Matriarch Yuan feigned enlightenment. "So that's how it is. This wife misunderstood you, worrying that something had gone wrong with your mindset. Do you still remember our vows when we betrothed ourselves to each other?"
Yuan Wuji smiled. "How could I forget? Back then, beside the Luo River, we pointed to the river as our witness: our hearts tied as one, never ceasing just like the Luo River for ten thousand years. What wild thoughts are running through your mind, Madam?"
Old Matriarch Yuan exhaled in relief, letting her guard down. "Seeing you somewhat different these past few days, occasionally losing your composure and unable to control your emotions, I feared you had run into trouble while cultivating the Yellow Court Dao Attainment Art."
Yuan Wuji chuckled heartily. "Madam, you worry too much. I merely felt restless thinking of Zhou Qiyun's tale. I will be careful."
Old Matriarch Yuan said, "I see. We have been husband and wife for over two hundred years. Seeing some of your little habits change, I thought the Yellow Court Dao Attainment Art had turned you into someone else."
Yuan Wuji shook his head. "Madam frets needlessly. Look at the cliff wall ahead!"
Looking excited, he darted forward.
Old Matriarch Yuan hurried after him, calling out, "Be careful!"
Both were among the world's foremost experts, moving with astonishing speed, and soon reached the foot of that mountain cliff.
Behind them, Yuan Qi carried Madam Yuan, Zhu Chanchan, Xu Ying, and the others, trying to catch up with Old Matriarch Yuan and Yuan Wuji. Suddenly, a heavy fog surged from the valley, engulfing them entirely and sealing off the heavens, fathomless and deep.
Madam Yuan possessed a powerful divine sense. She immediately unleashed it to probe their surroundings, but even with her divine sense, she could detect nothing!
Even when reaching out with her divine sense, she could not feel the ground, nor could she sense Xu Ying, Yuan Weiyang, or anyone else.
She felt as though taking a single step would send her plunging into a bottomless abyss, falling forever without end!
She dared not move a muscle, cold sweat beading on her forehead. *Does the Mount Li Mausoleum possess such a formidable restriction? This feels just like the Great Terror faced during Dao enlightenment!*
Suddenly, a cry of alarm rang out from the mist—it sounded like Old Matriarch Yuan's voice. Next came the violent thrum of supernatural powers erupting, after which everything fell silent.
Then, a shrill, heart-wrenching wail tore through the air, and the mist gradually dispersed.
Casting all caution aside, Madam Yuan rushed forward. At the foot of the mountain ahead, blood pooled across the ground. White-haired Old Matriarch Yuan lay dead in a puddle of blood.
Yuan Wuji knelt beside her corpse, wailing toward the heavens in inconsolable grief.
Madam Yuan felt a chill grip her heart. Drained of all strength, she sank limply to her knees.
Seeing this, Zhu Chanchan, Yuan Qi, and the others felt deep sorrow.
Tears streaming down his face, Yuan Wuji gradually ceased his sobbing under Xiao Bo's comforting words. He turned to the crowd and choked, "By the time I tried to save her, it was already too late. What grief! My departed wife—"
Zhu Chanchan wept, and the bronze bell chimed sorrowfully. Yet no one noticed that the sky above their heads was tilting further and twisting more with every passing breath.
Within the abyss, just as Xu Ying and Yuan Weiyang's divine senses were about to plunge into eternal oblivion, they suddenly sensed another heaven.
It was a collection of colossal cauldrons—a heaven formed by the Nine Cauldrons hidden within the Mount Li Mausoleum!
"Weiyang!" Xu Ying roared.
Their minds aligned in perfect harmony. Their divine senses instantly linked to the Nine Cauldrons, anchoring them to their physical acupoints!
"Come on!" the two shouted in unison. "Either the Nine Cauldrons drag us out, or we pull the Nine Cauldrons and the heavens into the abyss with us!"
Chapter 130