Yan Kongcheng asked warily, "Brother Xu, why are you asking about Mad Martial Uncle's grave?"
Feeling that his tone was a bit sharp, he quickly explained, "It's not that I don't trust you, but too many of our Emei ancestors' graves have been looted. That's why whenever someone asks about a grave, I have to pry a little. A few people who asked where my ancestors' graves were are now buried in the back mountain."
Xu Ying replied politely, "I only wish to pay my respects to the remains of an old acquaintance. After all, as you know, I frequently suffer from amnesia; there aren't many people I can still remember."
Suspecting nothing amiss, Yan Kongcheng pointed out the direction of Mad Martial Uncle's grave.
Xu Ying went forward to pay his respects, quietly committing the tomb's location to memory. *I'll pay him a proper visit later,* he thought.
Yan Kongcheng was no blockhead. Having learned the Dragon-Seeking Locating Art from Xu Ying, he immediately set to work seeking out his own Six Secret Depositories of the Human Body.
He was currently at the Second Pass-Breaching stage. This stage was rather precarious; one step further was the Twelve-Story Pavilion stage, where one could forge a Primordial Spirit. But once a Primordial Spirit was formed, it was impossible to open the Six Secret Depositories of the Human Body.
Even without a Primordial Spirit, the Six Secret Depositories became dense and difficult to unlock. Even an expert like Yan Kongcheng had to rely on magical treasures to force them open.
Moreover, every secret depository unlocked caused one's cultivation to surge dramatically, making subsequent secret depositories all the harder to unseal!
This was why back when Xue Ying'an opened the six secret depositories, he could open the first with an ordinary magical treasure, but required a sect-guarding treasure like the Xiaoyao Sword to force open the later ones.
However, Emei possessed immense foundation and wealth, far beyond what a small sect like Jiulong Mountain's Xiaoyao Sect could match. They undoubtedly had plenty of sect-guarding treasures comparable to the Xiaoyao Sword. Xu Ying even suspected Emei had immortal artifacts guarding its destiny!
Therefore, he wasn't the least bit worried about whether Yan Kongcheng could open his secret depositories.
Only two things truly occupied his mind.
The first was Emei's true lineage, the Golden Core Dao.
With a single Golden Core, Yan Kongcheng mobilized tens of thousands of Dao arts, his divine arts and spells reaching consummate heights of unbelievable power. That a single Golden Core could encompass ten thousand Dharmas commanded Xu Ying's deep admiration.
The second was Mad Martial Uncle's grave.
*If I don't avenge this grievance, I'm no man!*
Because Yan Kongcheng was eager to open the six secret depositories, he led Xu Ying into the interior of Mount Emei. The inside of the mountain was actually hollow, an immense cavern roughly three li across.
A golden hall stood perched on the cliff face opposite them.
Disabling restrictions along the way, Yan Kongcheng led Xu Ying into the golden hall. Inside, scrolls and tomes filled the space to the brim, packed with Emei's ancient records. The cultivation methods were categorized into various schools and disciplines, an innumerable wealth of knowledge.
Yan Kongcheng hauled out a golden chest and handed it directly to him, saying, "Brother Xu, the core of our Emei's Golden Core Dao lies in the *Grand Supreme Immortal Scripture of the Golden Casket*. The *Grand Supreme Immortal Scripture of the Golden Casket* was left behind by the Supreme Patriarch. Some legends say the Supreme Patriarch wrote it himself, while others say it was an immortal scripture he obtained."
The *Grand Supreme Immortal Scripture of the Golden Casket* was an immortal text sealed within a golden chest. The chest itself was shaped like a treasured seal, its upper part shaped like the character "jin" while the lower part was a square casket.
Upon opening it, there lay a jade bamboo slip inside.
The Golden Core Dao was inscribed upon this jade bamboo slip.
It was yet another jade slip Daoist scripture!
Xu Ying was astonished. The last time he had seen a jade slip Daoist scripture was in Zhou Qiyun's Zhou clan—the one recording the Taiyin Primordial Nurturing Technique!
Legend had it that in ancient times, Qi Refiners used these as vessels to record the Dao!
After that, he had never encountered another jade slip Daoist scripture, at most finding some Immortal Dao runes inscribed on golden books.
Who would have thought he would come across another jade slip Daoist scripture here in Emei!
Yan Kongcheng pointed to the other texts in the golden hall and said, "These books are the commentaries written by Emei's ancestral masters across generations on the *Immortal Scripture of the Golden Casket*. Each master had their own understanding of the scripture, arriving at different truths, yet all had their unique insights. Don't find it tedious. When my master taught me, he said..."
Imitating an old man's tone, he recited, "'The ultimate truth of the Great Dao is recorded in the immortal scripture, but you must first study the commentaries of past patriarchs. Their commentaries are incomplete, but it is like approximating a circle: the finer you divide it, the closer you get to its true area. Once you read through all the patriarchs' commentaries, you will obtain a shape very close to a true circle. Comprehending from that foundation, you will approach the true reality of the Golden Core Dao infinitely.'"
Xu Ying nodded and asked, "If one can understand the *Grand Supreme Immortal Scripture of the Golden Casket* directly, is there still a need to read these commentaries?"
Yan Kongcheng laughed. "Naturally not. However, when the patriarchs annotated the immortal scripture, they drew extensively from other Dao arts and referenced widely. Thus, reading these works will be of tremendous benefit to your grasp of other divine arts and Daos."
Xu Ying fell into thought.
Yan Kongcheng then took his leave, leaving Xu Ying alone in this great mountain hall without the slightest worry that he might steal the *Grand Supreme Immortal Scripture of the Golden Casket*.
This hall inside the mountain was merely one of Emei's countless library halls. The texts inside were merely expositions on the *Grand Supreme Immortal Scripture of the Golden Casket*; other halls housed various arts that were by no means inferior to the Grand Supreme Immortal Scripture.
After a brief hesitation, Xu Ying settled down in this hall to study the Grand Supreme Immortal Scripture.
The Grand Supreme Immortal Scripture contained six words in bird-and-worm seal script: *Zhen*, *Ling*, *Xu*, *Jing*, *Kong*, and *Ming*—Truth, Numen, Emptiness, Stillness, Void, and Clarity.
Upon studying them, Xu Ying understood their meaning and could chant the six Dao tones aloud. He grasped the profound mysteries of the Grand Supreme Immortal Scripture, yet still did not understand what the Golden Core Dao truly was.
So, Xu Ying opened the commentaries of past patriarchs and read them one by one.
The patriarchs' commentaries were indeed explanations of these six seal script words, but framed around the circulation routes of true essence. Xu Ying found them immensely enlightening.
The six words on the Grand Supreme Immortal Scripture represented the comprehension of the Dao, whereas the patriarchs' commentaries represented the application of the Dao.
Previously, Xu Ying understood the Dao but did not know how to apply it. Only now, reading these commentaries, did he learn how these Immortal Daos were wielded.
*In the past, I neglected application.*
Xu Ying suddenly realized the truth. The reason his battle against Yan Kongcheng had been so grueling, forcing him to rely on raw cultivation to overpower him, was not because his divine sense, yuan qi, physique, strength, yin and yang, or soul were inferior to Yan Kongcheng's.
On the contrary, his divine sense, yuan qi, physique, strength, yin and yang, and soul far surpassed Yan Kongcheng's. Even in their comprehension of the Dao, each had his strengths: Xu Ying excelled in depth, while Yan Kongcheng excelled in breadth.
The reason it was so difficult lay in the subtlety of applying the Dao; in this, Xu Ying was far behind Yan Kongcheng.
*Though I stepped from the Martial Dao into divine arts, my application of the Dao still falls short of sacred grounds like Emei, which have studied it thoroughly for ages.*
Xu Ying read through them one by one. Without realizing it, three or four days slipped by, and his understanding of the Golden Core Dao deepened steadily.
Yuan Qi was also working diligently in the golden hall, copying the ancient texts while pondering their meaning, asking Xu Ying whenever he hit a snag.
Only the bronze bell had nothing to do. After "borrowing" some qi and blood from Xu Ying and Yuan Qi to cultivate for a bit, it grew restless and tried to fly out of the hall.
"Ah Ying, Ah Cheng is guarding against us like thieves!"
The bronze bell flew back, fuming, "The ancestral restrictions outside this mountain hall have all been reactivated! I can't get out!"
Hearing this, Xu Ying also felt a spike of anger. "Ah Cheng dares guard against gentlemen like us? Outrageous! Seventh Master, get ready—we're going to empty his Mad Martial Uncle's grave!"
Yuan Qi jumped in fright, raising his head from the sea of books and asking demurely, "Ah Ying, didn't we go straight?"
Xu Ying walked to the entrance of the hall and replied, "Going straight doesn't mean you can't relapse. It's not like we washed our hands of it in a golden basin. And even if you wash your hands in a golden basin, when they get dirty again, you can always wash them once more."
Yuan Qi slithered out from the pile of books, thinking, *Did Ah Ying turn this wicked because I corrupted him, or because Lord Bell corrupted him?... Wait a second, I'm the one who got corrupted by Ah Ying and Lord Bell!*
He suddenly came to his senses. Originally, he had just been a snake demon quietly cultivating in Mount Wuwang, never doing any harm. Yet ever since following Xu Ying, slaughtering gods and slaying demons seemed to have become second nature!
Xu Ying closed his eyes and gathered his thoughts. After a brief contemplation, he strode directly toward the outside of the hall.
Yuan Qi and the bronze bell hurried after him. They saw Xu Ying tracing gestures with his fingers, intricate and wondrous Immortal Dao runes lighting up from his hands and imprinting onto the void.
These Immortal Dao runes acted like keys, while the invisible restrictions concealed in midair were layers of terrifyingly potent locks, which he unlocked one after another!
Xu Ying had only watched Yan Kongcheng perform these unsealing Immortal Dao runes once, yet he had already grasped their mysteries and memorized them completely. Now, executing them as he walked, he encountered no hindrance whatsoever!
Stepping outside, they found Mount Emei deserted. Yan Kongcheng was likely still in closed-door cultivation, training relentlessly, while the other Emei disciples were merely Qi Refiners who had only recently entered the sect.
Xu Ying walked straight up to Mad Martial Uncle's grave, took out the broken wooden door, pushed it open, and stepped through with a grin. "Fellow Daoist, after three thousand years, I've come to pay a visit—and crack open your mystery box!"
The bronze bell followed close behind. Yuan Qi hesitated for a moment before slithering in as well, thinking, *When in Rome... Who asked me to board this pirate ship in the first place...*
Mad Martial Uncle's tomb restrictions were all placed along the perimeter to deal with grave robbers. Little could anyone imagine that Xu Ying possessed an immortal treasure like the wooden door, which directly opened into the inner chamber, letting them walk right in without meeting the slightest resistance.
Mad Martial Uncle's burial chamber was not large, resembling a small cave-heaven. It was hardly opulent, enshrining his magical treasures, mantle, and other relics.
Xu Ying collected them all and tucked them into Yuan Qi's belly.
They continued forward when suddenly a profound serenity settled over their hearts. Ahead, brilliant light shone forth. An unkempt old Qi Refiner sat facing a stone wall. The wall reflected an immortal paradise formed of Dao images—celestial mountains floating in the sky, rosy clouds drifting between the sun and moon, magnificent and ever-shifting.
Yuan Qi's eyes lit up, and he gasped in admiration, "This is the Immortal Realm within Mad Martial Uncle's heart! He poured all the truths he comprehended throughout his life into this painting. This picture is the most valuable treasure in the entire tomb!"
Xu Ying praised him, "Seventh Master is indeed a cultured snake! Now we won't be leaving empty-handed!"
On either side of the stone wall was a line of characters. Xu Ying walked up, looked up, and read aloud in a low voice:
"My Dao heart shines through the myriad ages,
Now bright, now dim, now returning to truth."
He looked toward the elderly Qi Refiner sitting before the stone wall. Mad Martial Uncle's eyelids drooped, his physical body not yet decomposed, his flesh still lifelike.
"This man's Dao attainment was remarkably high; he reached the state of an indestructible physical body," the bronze bell praised. "Ah Ying, he was a virtuous man of the Dao."
Xu Ying scoffed displeasedly. "Would a virtuous man of the Dao plan to eat me? Would a virtuous man of the Dao come up with the idea of using me as a scapegoat for Heavenly Tribulation?"
The bronze bell was struck speechless. In the past, it had also thought Li Xiaoke was a virtuous man of the Dao, only to discover he ate people.
Xu Ying went forward and scavenged everything he could find, though out of decency, he at least left Mad Martial Uncle his clothes.
Standing before the stone wall, he used sword qi to carefully carve around the cliff, intending to cut the entire wall out and stuff it into Yuan Qi's mouth to take away.
This Immortal Dao picture was unquestionably a remarkable treasure. Imbued with Mad Martial Uncle's lifelong comprehension of the Dao and painted on the brink of death, its power was extraordinary.
Xu Ying planned to carve it out and carry it off; with a bit of refinement, it would become an exceptional treasure capable of both offense and defense!
Having cut a full perimeter around the Immortal Dao picture, he channeled his magic power, and the entire stone wall flew forward. Just as Xu Ying was about to feed the wall into Yuan Qi's mouth, he let out a soft exclamation of surprise. Behind the stone wall, there was actually another tomb chamber!
"Seventh Master, swallow it yourself!" Xu Ying set down the Immortal Dao picture and said hurriedly.
Seeing this, Yuan Qi perked up as well, swiftly gulping down the Immortal Dao picture before following Xu Ying and the bronze bell into the adjoining burial chamber.
The two burial chambers were right next to each other, separated by only a single stone partition. Evidently, when Mad Martial Uncle excavated his own tomb before dying, he had no idea someone else was buried next door.
This chamber was resplendent and magnificent, far larger than Mad Martial Uncle's tomb.
Mad Martial Uncle's tomb didn't even have a coffin, yet this tomb chamber boasted pavilions, terraces, rockeries, and flowing streams—even a waterfall cascading down one of the stone walls.
Embedded in the walls were luminous pearls as large as bushel baskets, radiating moonlight-like brilliance, tranquil and mysterious.
"Pearls found within the shell of a dragon turtle are called Bright Moon Pearls, and they are exceedingly rare," Yuan Qi whispered. "In the texts I was just transcribing, an Emei ancestor recorded that he acquired twenty-four of them and refined them into the Twenty-Four Mountains and Rivers Bright Moon Pearls. Ah Ying, look and see if there are mountains and rivers sealed inside these pearls. If so, this might just be that Emei ancestor's tomb."
Activating his Tianshu runes, Xu Ying used the Eyes of Heaven to examine the pearls one by one, asking, "What was that Emei ancestor's name?"
He stopped in his tracks, staring into one of the pearls. Inside, there was indeed a mountain range, winding and undulating like a crouching dragon.
Another pearl contained a mighty river whose surging torrents poured down from highlands like flying snow.
Yet another pearl held a tranquil lake with a divine tree in its center, its red blossoms blazing like fire, splendid and dazzling, resembling a tree of red flame from afar.
Surveying the distance, the bronze bell said, "Ah Ying, there's black water ahead, and a coffin floating on it!"
Xu Ying carefully approached the floating coffin. The surface appeared pitch-black, yet the water was crystal clear; it wasn't the water itself that was dark, but the bottomless abyss beneath it.
Xu Ying felt as though something lurked beneath the water, but when he probed with his divine sense, he couldn't reach the bottom at all!
This pool was terrifyingly deep!
Yuan Qi, who didn't have the best memory, coiled on Xu Ying's shoulder, pulled out the notebook he had transcribed, and rustled through the pages before smiling. "Found it! This Emei patriarch was the thirty-fourth generation ancestor, named Qiao Zizhong, Daoist name Qingshuang."
Reaching the coffin, Xu Ying's heart skipped a beat. The lid of the coffin was gone!
The coffin was completely empty—no skeleton, no funerary treasures. Instead, there were quilts and brocades!
Veins throbbed at Xu Ying's temples. The brocades bore the indentation of someone who had lain upon them!
He reached out to touch them. They were still slightly warm.
"We're leaving immediately! Don't touch anything!"
Sweat beaded on Xu Ying's forehead, but in the next instant, he forcefully reabsorbed the perspiration back into his body to prevent his scent from spreading.
The bronze bell and Yuan Qi instantly knew something was terribly wrong, their hearts leaping into their throats. They watched as Xu Ying retraced his steps, even quietly sweeping the dust on the floor back into place!
"Ah Ying, the stone wall—the stone wall can't be restored!" Yuan Qi reminded him.
Xu Ying jolted. The stone wall had been carved out by him; it could never be put back seamlessly. Besides, that wall was the compensation Mad Martial Uncle had left him—how could he return it?
"Since we can't restore it, we'll definitely be found out..."
Xu Ying's face darkened further, his expression shifting rapidly. "Then forget about restoring it! Seventh Master, Lord Bell, let's clean this place out completely!"
Chapter 202